Denise Bush’s Photo Blog

Sunrise, Day Two

21Nov09

Sunrise on our 2nd morning in Cape May is pictured in the two photos below. Since the sky lacked cloud interest, I concentrated on the reflections in the sand and water. I enjoy shooting sunrise. Quiet anticipation and a sense of awe are constant emotional ingredients to the experience.

'First Light, Cape May' © Denise Bush

'Sunrise in Cape May' © Denise Bush

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Tags: Atlantic Ocean, beach, Cape May, ocean, sea, sun-up, sunrise, waves

After Sunrise

16Nov09

After sunrise at the pier last Saturday (see previous post) we headed to Hereford Lighthouse in North Wildwood. What makes the sight unique is the flowers that surround the building, now past their prime. It was November after all, so I was surprised to find this pretty dahlia. On our way back to Cape May we stopped at a random commercial fishing marina. We managed to shoot a few pictures before seeing the ‘NO TRESPASSING … Property Under Surveilance’ sign and a man with a walkie-talkie gave us the boot!

'Trespassing at the Shipyard' © Denise Bush

'November Dahlia' © Denise Bush

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Tags: dahlia, fishing boats, marina, shipyard

Abandoned Boathouse

16Nov09

It sure gets dark early these days! We arrived in Cape May just before 5:00 last Friday … a little late to find a good sunset spot. It turned out to be uneventful anyway. We did find this funky old boathouse and I managed to snap a few frames before we lost the light all together.

'Abandoned Boathouse' © Denise Bush

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Tags: abandoned, boathouse, marina, reflection

Cape May Visit

12Nov09

I visited Cape May last weekend with my friend Wendy and a group from her camera club with whom I’ve become friends. We stayed overnight on Friday and Saturday and photographed a good variety of subjects during our stay. I will be showing some results over the next few days. This shot was made about a half hour before sunrise. I had scouted out this pier beforehand. It’s located in Avalon which meant getting up extra early because of the drive north. The sky didn’t provide any interesting cloud formations but I am pleased with the image none the less. In the large version the light and its reflection on the water below are more evident and add a bit of an accent.

'Before Sunrise' © Denise Bush

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Tags: atlantic, dock, ocean, pier, sunrise

Day Tripper

24Oct09

A necessity for me each Fall is some kind of trip to look at the colorful foliage. Without a big trip planned this year, my husband and I ventured up to Harriman and Bear Mt. State Parks in NY earlier in the week. The park entrance was just 2 hours away … quite doable for a day trip. We headed to Sloatsburg, NY where we picked up 7 Lakes Drive which connects the southern end of Harriman State Park to Bear Mt. State Park to the north. There was no fee to enter the park and the scenery was very nice. We stopped at some lakes and did some light hiking. Our little Welsh Terrier thought he was in heaven and enjoyed swimming in the lakes and hunting chipmunks. Once in Bear Mt. State Park we took the Perkins Scenic Drive to the top of the mountain. Here we took in some nice views of the Hudson River Valley. The park is so close and easy to get to, I’m sure I’ll be visiting again.

'Autumn Glow' © Denise Bush

'Autumn Afternoon' © Denise Bush

'Hudson Valley View' © Denise Bush

'Bear Mt. Bridge' © Denise Bush

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Tags: 7 Lakes Drive, autumn, Bear Mountain Bridge, Bear Mt. Sate Park, fall, foliage, Harriman State Park, photography

A New Season

17Sep09

A new season has begun at the South Jersey Camera Club after a short summer break. Our meetings are once a month and we have competitions at each meeting; Digital (A & B Group) and Prints (A & B Group). One month the prints are color and the next month they are monochrome. We have an abundance of really great shooters and the competition is tough. I was lucky to pull off a 3rd place for the photo below. My memory served me well as I remembered the judge liked flower photos in previous years. For me, flower photos need to have a uniqueness to them. (There are so many out there.) What I like about this is the very selective focus (shot at f 2.8) and its swirling, abstract quality.

'Extreme Hibiscus' © Denise Bush

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Tags: abstract, flower, Hibiscus, pink

And More HDR

28Aug09

OK! I gave up on a couple of the images I was struggling with and have moved on. Here is one I am pleased with. This was the last shot of the day. I saw the sun beaming through this door and set up my tripod. Of course that was when the heavens decided to deposit a cloud overhead. I waited and the sun came back after a while — not as strong — but maybe that was a good thing.

'Door to Nowhere' © Denise Bush

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Tags: corridor, doors, Eastern State Penitentiary, hall, hallway, HDR, jail, penitentiary, photography, prison

More HDR

27Aug09

Here are a couple more images from last weekend’s HDR workshop. There are a few I have been struggling with to get the look I’m after. I’m determined to keep at it and hopefully will post them at a later date. One thing I learned is that each image is different. There is a lot of trial and error involved and processing takes some time (especially on my less than speedy computer). Comments welcome!

'Behind the Bars' © Denise Bush

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Tags: bars, cell, door, Eastern State Penitentiary, Eastern State Prison, HDR, jail, penitentiary, philadelphia, photography, prison

HDR Heaven Workshop

23Aug09

This weekend I participated in an HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo workshop. Led by the very talented Tony Sweet, we shot at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philly. I had a great time, got to meet Tony and some other nice folks, and learned a thing or two. The highlight for me is coming away with some captures I really like and some new HDR techniques to make them even better. I will be busy processing over the next few days and will be presenting more in upcoming posts. Below is one I am most happy with so far. The others in the workshop didn’t see this room and wished they had. But then, they had a few that I wished I had noticed too. That made sharing them at the critique even more fun.

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Colorado – Parting Shots

24Jul09

Here are the last of the Colorado photos I will be posting. They were taken at different times during my great vacation in Colorado this July. Scroll down through the next five posts to see all of the images I have chosen to display and read about some of the photographic highlights. (To get back to the beginning click at the top on ‘Denise Bush’s Photo Blog’.) Comments at the end of the pictures in each post welcome!