Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts

Saturday, December 31, 2022

Heceta Head Lighthouse In Fog

A Beacon Of Hope


We have reached the end of another year. I hope that you made many happy memories and took lots and lots and lots of photograph along the way.

Wishing you joy, success, good health, deep passion, and the fulfillment of your dreams in 2023!



a photo of heceta head lighthouse in fog oregon coast





Camera:    
Fujifilm GFX 100S
Lenses:     GF 45mm f/2.8


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2022 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved


Tuesday, December 28, 2021

New Brunswick, New Jersey

A Clear Evening In Hub City


I haven't been traveling much during the pandemic, but I make occasional trips to visit friends and relatives in neighboring states. I always try to snap some photos if there's time and the weather's agreeable.


a photo of a railroad bridge in new brunswick new jersey
Railroad Bridge - New Brunswick, New Jersey




a photograph of architecture on george street in new brunswick new jersey
Stately Architecture On George Street




a photo of scooters near the rutgers campus in new brunswick
Scooters Near The Rutgers Campus - New Brunswick




a photo of a bookstore in new brunswick new jersey
Bookstore - New Brunswick, New Jersey




a photo of a modern office tower at sunset in new brunswick new jersey
Modern Office Tower At Sunset





Camera:    
Sony a7R III
Lens:        Sony FE 85mm f/1.8


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2021 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved


Sunday, October 25, 2020

Boardwalk at Dusk - Nice, South of France

Blending Shapes And Tones In The Blue Hour


A flashback to a lovely May evening in Nice, a stunningly beautiful coastal city in Southeastern France.



a photo of the boardwalk at dusk in nice france
Boardwalk At Dusk - Nice, South Of France





Camera:    Nikon D700
Lens:    Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!


Copyright © 2020 Daniel R. South

www.dansouthphoto.com

All Rights Reserved



Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Big Sur Coast At Sunset

Last Light At Land's End



a photo of the big sur coast at sunset california
Big Sur Coast At Sunset




Camera:    Nikon D810
Lens:        Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2020 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved


Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Hungarian Parliament Building At Dusk

The Majestic Center of Budapest




a photo of the hungarian parliament building at dusk in budapest
Hungarian Parliament Building At Dusk




Wishing everyone a Happy New Year, bountiful blessings, and good fortune in 2020!


Camera:    Sony a7R IV
Lens:        Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2019 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved


White Swans At Bojnice Castle - Slovakia

A Scene From A Fairy Tale




a photo of white swans in the moat at bojnice castle slovakia
White Swans At Bojnice Castle - Slovakia





Camera:    Sony a7R IV
Lens:        Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2019 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved


Sunday, December 1, 2019

Matthias Church - Budapest

Immaculate View

Budapest is one of the most visually stunning cities in the world. Matthias Church at the Fisherman's Bastion on the Buda side of the Danube River is one of the city's most beautiful features.



a photo of matthias church in budapest
Matthias Church - Budapest



Matthias Church has a very tall tower. Standing across the street, I could not fit it all into my wide-angle lens without a lot of perspective distortion, which looked horrible. I created this image by shooting six images moving the camera from street level upward to the top of the tower, and stitching those images together with software. I hope you like it!


Camera:    Sony a7R IV
Lens:        Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2019 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved


Saturday, November 10, 2018

Twilight Tranquility

Last Light On Florida's Gulf Coast



a photo of a person on a florida beach taking a photo with a mobile phone at twilight
Twilight Tranquility



Camera:    Sony a7R III
Lens:        Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2018 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved




Sunday, September 30, 2018

Post-Sunset Color - Gulf of Mexico

Last Light On Florida's Gulf Coast




a photo of fading colors after sunset from the florida gulf coast
Post-Sunset Color - Gulf of Mexico




Life just wouldn't be as much fun without sunsets!


Camera:    Sony a7R III
Lens:        Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2018 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved



Monday, September 17, 2018

Boat Under A Cloud - Gulf Of Mexico

Sailing In Solitude




a photo of a speed boat passing under a white cloud in the gulf of mexico florida
Boat Under A Cloud - Gulf Of Mexico





Camera:    Sony a7R III
Lens:        Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2018 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved


Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Pier At Last Light On Florida's Gulf Coast

At The Edge Of Light And Water




a photo of a Pier at sunset Florida Gulf Coast daniel south photography
Pier At Last Light On Florida's Gulf Coast





Camera:    Sony a7R III
Lens:        Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM

Gear Note: This lens is outstanding, sharper than the competition (I owned the Canon 16-35 f/2.8L II previously) and sharp edge to edge.

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2018 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved



Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Funiculaire In Twilight - Québec City

The Color Of Night



a photo of the funiculaire in quebec city at twilight
Funiculaire In Twilight - Québec City



Camera:    Nikon D810
Lens:        AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2017 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved



Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Tower Bridge - London

Triumph of the Human Spirit

London. Paris. New York. 

These great cities have experienced more than their share of troubles, both in recent years and throughout history. And yet, each one stands, boldly and proudly, a testament to the triumphs of the human spirit. 

You'll find the world's best museums here. The best libraries. The best examples of art and architecture. The best music The best ideas. And the epitome of commerce and business. 


a photo of the tower bridge in london by daniel south
Tower Bridge - London



Humanity will always face problems. Life has never been easy, and some of our most persistent challenges have been self-inflicted. But the sum total of the human experience is wildly positive. If you need a reminder, take a walk along the Thames. Or the Seine. Or Fifth Avenue. Let the historic achievements of mankind inspire you to reach for your own soaring accomplishments.


Camera:    Nikon D700
Lens:        AF-S Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8G ED IF

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2017 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved


Thursday, July 20, 2017

Desert Highway - Death Valley

Converging Lines and Calculated Risks

I made my first trip to Death Valley on a clear day in June when the temperature hit 122 F. I had recently become a photography enthusiast and wanted to capture some images of this majestic wilderness. 

In extreme temperatures, however, one shouldn't venture too far from the car. I made an attempt to hike to the Mesquite dunes but turned back quickly due to concerns over dehydration and heat exhaustion. For the rest of the day, I stayed close to the car.

I exposed the most memorable image of the day as sunset approached. I pulled the car off to the side of a stretch of roadway that had been freshly paved with deep black asphalt and painted with bright yellow lines. I mounted a 24mm lens on my trust Nikon F100 - yes, a film camera - and had my travel companion watch for cars approaching from behind me.

Of the handful of shots that I snapped, one of them turned out particularly well. I had several copies of it printed; a few of my friends still have that image hanging in their homes.

Returning to Death Valley some years later, I wanted to capture a similar image with the help of a tilt-shift lens. The tilt feature on this special-purpose lens enables focus to be repositioned from a vertical plane (typical for most cameras) to a ground-hugging plane that extends infinitely off into the distance. When the lens is adjusted correctly - which is a bit tricky - focus will be sharp on both the foreground features in the frame (e.g. the yellow lines and pavement near my feet) and distant objects as well (mountains, sky, brush, distant lines on the roadway). 



a photo of a desert highway at dusk in death valley



The stretch of highway that I had photographed years earlier was now gray and worn, but I found another location that appealed to my eyes. The surface was in good condition, it had been painted recently, and it stretched straight off into the distance where the last light of sunset was still visible. 

I was set except for one major complication. On this trip, I didn't have a travel companion. I had to rely on my ears and frequent glances behind me to keep from getting run over while focusing my camera in the middle of a highway. (Luckily, no one was drag racing through the valley that evening.)

As I mentioned before, focusing a tilt-shift lens can be tricky, and it becomes increasingly more difficult as the light fades. It's a manual process, but you have to focus for the near and far objects separately. By adding a small amount of tilt, typically only a degree or two, you can reach a point where both near and far objects are sharp. It's very each to add too much tilt, however, which messes everything up.

The process typically takes a few minutes even for skilled photographers - and even when you're not in mortal danger of being struck by a fast-moving automobile. Luckily, I had a lot of experience with my tilt-shift setup, so I was able to acquire the proper focus fairly quickly - while looking over my shoulder every ten seconds or so. 

Please don't attempt a shot like this without spotters. Even if you have someone - hopefully more than one person - watching your back, this kind of shot is risky to say the least. Just because I got away with it doesn't mean that it was a good idea. 

You'll think about it. It's tempting. My advice is to think about the future as you relax and enjoy the sunset a safe distance from traffic.


Camera:    Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Lens:        Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2017 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved


Saturday, June 17, 2017

Vernazza Under Cloudy Skies

Memories of the Cinque Terre

It's been nearly five years since I visited the Cinque Terre for three stormy days in November. Hopefully, I'll get to enjoy less dramatic weather on my next trip. :-)



a photo of vernazza cinque terre liguria italy cloudy skies
Vernazza Under Cloudy Skies



Camera:    Nikon D800

Lens:        Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 ED

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2017 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved


Thursday, June 1, 2017

Montreal By Night - Complexe Desjardins

It's Wise To Compromise

During a walk one pleasant evening, I came across this colorful atrium. 

The ceiling caught my eye first, specifically the diamond-shaped panels that were lit with multi-colored gels. First, I set up a shot that isolated the ceiling, but I decided to include the steps, doors, and shiny metal railings in an alternate composition.


a photo of complexe desjardins montreal at night daniel south photography
Complexe Desjardins - Montréal



My trusty 24mm perspective control lens kept the vertical lines under control. I had to maneuver the tripod over some cracks in the sidewalk. I leveled the camera and focused carefully.

Capturing the ceiling was tricky. Those diamond-shaped panels changed colors constantly. A long shutter speed wouldn't work, because as the colors changed, they morphed into a bland amber. I sped things up by boosting the ISO to a stop above the base value and opening the aperture from f/11 to f/8. These modest compromises yielded a shutter speed that was fast enough to capture the unique colors of one cycle of lights. 

Voilà! A shot to remember!


Camera:    Nikon D810

Lens:        PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5 ED Tilt/Shift

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2017 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved