South Carolina
Peaceful seas and a gentle breeze at Sunset
One of my favorite images! A huge hello and thank you to all of my several new followers, and great big thank you to all of my dear long term followers! I hope this image finds each of you safe and heppy and much hope for a safe and productive (drama free) work week!
On a side note, it has come to my attenton that several of my images are being used on other websites (business and personal). I need to take a moment to remind those individuals that my images are copyright protected and unauthorized use is prohibited by law. For those of you who want to use my image, you may surely do so provided you link the image back to my website and please give me credit as photographer (I would not steal your work, so please do not steal mine). If you want to purchase royalty free rights to use the images or want to purchase prints for your home or office: please see my About page for info on how to do that.
On the bright side: My school has bestowed upon my a Mimiya medium format camera with a digital back! So now, I need to find a few locations to shoot seascapes and landscape! If anyone if familiar with Coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and even Florida…please send me your suggested locations. I will do my best to get some of them uploaded for your enjoyment!
Thanks to every one of you for your time, suggestions, input, consideration, and suggestions! Have a safe week everyone!
And on the lighter side
Nature and Wildlife
Portrait of a Pachyderm
I was able to capture this image after waiting patiently for nearly an hour. This big guy finally decided to give me a much appreciated short span of his attention. The more I waited, watched, and studied this huge subject, the more I was simply amazed by the texture and roughness of his skin. The fine details of the texture on his forehead and trunk were amazing. I found it quite magical at how gracefully and silently they can move their great frames and bulk! Heartfelt thanks to this “gentle giant” for his time and cooperation at my attempts to capture the moments he offered my lens.
Equipment used: Nikon D700, nikkor 70-200 2.8 lens, nikkor x2 teleconverter.
Software Used: Adobe Lightroom 4, Adobe Photoshop, Topaz Labs Details Extractor, Topaz Labs Black and white Effects 2.
Laura
Sometimes, when the light is right and the camera position is right, and the exposure is right you get the most beautiful images. BUT….sometimes…if you pay attention, a photographer can actually capture the beautiful soul of a person regardless of the light, or camera angle, or exposure…just being there at that moment and being ready to press the shutter release.
As you can see, I removed all the color, the background and foreground, the scenery at the location, and still, her soul just comes shining through. As most of you know, I am recently retired from the military and have become a full time “college boy”, studying for my BA in Photography. Well, with all the math, English design, and research work…I am painfully short on maintaining my photography skills (or, shutter release anxiety!!). So, when Laura asked if I could take some images of her wearing her mother’s wedding dress..of course I agreed. Then, she wanted to know if would mind shooting the images ..ON THE BEACH…near sunset….really??? NOW I was really excited about the photo-shoot While Laura is not getting married anytime soon, I really had a chance to play around with camera angles, lighting, and even some editing tricks and ideas. I hear her and her mother are quite happy with the results (bonus!), and I am thrilled to be back out on the beach at my fav time of day, doing what I love to do. Several of her images are quite lovely (both color and black and white) but this one, just stood out to me to share with everyone. I hope you enjoy the image, and feel free to check my gallery of the entire shoot with her.
Location: Kiawah Island Beach, SC
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70 2.8 VR lens
(back to the basics here; no reflector, no flash, no tripod)
note: this is nearly a 1:1 crop from a much larger total shot
Moments in Time
By Popular Demand: Here is the color version.
I hope this post and image finds everyone safe, warm, and happy this weekend! Valentines Day is coming and true love..well, that is special, very hard to find, and can be even more difficult to hang on to. Taking things for granted is a sure way to lose those things we think will always “just be there”. Take a few moments this weekend to make sure anyone who is special in your life knows how you feel about them!
Finally, just a shout out to my many new friends here in the bloggosphere! Each you help me improve my quality of life and inspire me to work harder at bringing my photography to a new level while seeing everyday people and events in a whole new perspective. Stay safe everyone!
Moments in Time
…and there I was, just me and my camera, listening to Al Greene’s “Still in Love With You” being piped out via several large speakers at the Lowcountry 30th Annual Oyster Boil that was held at a sprawling and gorgeous Boone Hall Plantation, when I looked out towards the cotton field and saw this lovely couple. Yep, Moments in Time like these are priceless!
To answer those of you asking…
Nikon D700, Nikkor 70-200 2.8 lens, hand held.
Moments in Time
Someone once said that some days are like coal, and some days..are like diamonds. Some times your the windshield and some times your the bug…Today was a one of those days when I just wasn’t feeling very inspired until a friend of mine called me up and aasked me to go to the Lowcountry 30th Annual Oyster Boil in Mount Pleasant, SC.
I met several wonderful people, Mike and I shot tons of images, this couple was actually posing for thier friends to take a picture of them with thier “point and shoot” camera (may have been an iPhone). Luckily I had my telephoto and grabbed a few shots. If they email me, I will be glad to share these images with them! I hope everyone enjoys some of the images in my new Gallery “Moments in Time”. No telling what I will be posting in there, but it looks like I have taken on a new project…Street photography with a southern twist on it.
Car Show Gallery
So tell me, do YOU remember??
The smell of Armor All the fear that gas might actually go up to a DOLLAR a gallon?? The smell of burning rubber, the sound of Thrush and Glaspak roaring, The smell of her perfume, the excitement in her eyes when you shifted gears, the unmistakable sensation of all those wild horses under the hood…shoving you back against the seat…
I still remember how nervous I was when I picked her up for our first date…I could barely get the key back in the ignition…what do you remember? One of the reasons I go as often as I can to car shows is to talk with some of the people who remember those “good ole days”, and all the wonderful funny and sometime tragic stories they tell. And the hilarious antics that went on both at the drive in theatre…and at the local Sonic or drive in. Such a magical wonderful time in those high school days, the Friday night football games, the cruising…..
Got a favorite memory, story, or thought? Shout it out, would love to hear from you!
Fashion and Glamour Gallery
Sweet Dreams to all,
Stan.
Model: Lindsey
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70 2.8 lens, AB400 x 2 via octabox (L) and umbrella fill light, remote wireless triggers (Pocket Wizard).
Fine Art Collection
Ravenel Bridge
One of the great Icons of Charleston, SC is the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Under this bridge is Waterfront Park, and it does have some wonderful photo ops. This shot is just another of my attempts to fine tune my eye for some true fine art imagery, many thanks for your visits and comments!
Assignment: Here we are at the park, find a subject and compose your shot.
Location: Charleston, SC
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70 2.8 lens, full ND filter, Induro CT213 tripod, and an Induro BHD2 ballhead.
As always, my images are copyright protected and available to you as wall art prints, wraps, and other merchadise. More info available on my “About” page. You can click on any of my images to see them in HIGH RES. Thanks for visiting!
Vartyka shoot in Monochrome
Trying to get just a bit more of that classic vintage look, I hope this works for everyone.
Trying to grasp the concept of shooting Fashion…along with my glamour/ vintage style and still keep the session outside (where I love to be). The model (Kylie) was actually taking a break from the shoot when she naturally struck this pose (okay, I did call out to her, which is why she turned and looked at the camera). The wordrobe was on loan from a local designer (Vartyka, and I will be checking my spelling on this one), the jewelry was from another local designer, was also on loan to us for the shoot. The earrings are both hand made and is an original design (much better look at the wardrobe and jewelry both in color and in black and white on my website , via the image…just click on it to be taken to a larger view and also to my website). Hope you enjoy this and the other images in the gallery.
Location: Charleston, SC
Model: Kylie
Wardrobe: Vartyka Design
Hair and Make up: Paul Mitchell School,MUA Team, Charleston.
Shoot design assistant: Janea
Photographer: Stan Shillingburg
Equipment Used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 70-200 VR lens, AB400 strobe via 30 degree grid, Soft Silver Reflector.
Fine Art Collection
Sometimes, we just see something and say to ourselves, “thats it, take the picture!”, I am not really sure why I felt that way about this image. I guess thats why our professor hands us assignments and says to just go shoot. I was standing in a parking garage for shelter from the storm, when I looked out and saw this image. The two people walking with umbrellas to keep the rain off of themselves, the strong image of the tree…it’s leaves and branches resembling the shape of the umbrellas, the lamp post and sidewalk, the heavy amounts of water on the ground, and puddles….it just said, “go ahead, take the shot”. I am hoping to come up with a name for this image, so if anyone is more connected to thier “inner artist” than I am, please send me a shout! Thanks so much for visiting!
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikkor 24-70 2.8
Camera Settings: ISO 200, f/3.5, 1/200sec. focal length: 48mm
As always, my images are copyright protected and available to you as wall art prints, wraps, and other merchadise. More info available on my “About” page. You can click on any of my images to see them in HIGH RES. Thanks for visiting! Y’all come back now, ya hear?
Stills and digital artwork
Coastal twilight can be so peaceful. I had just finished up shooting a sunset swimwear shoot and we were walking back up the beach when we cam upon these two fisherman. the young boy disappeared in the shadow of his older brother, but his fishing pole shows sharply just below his big brother’s. Sometimes the beauty of family can simply add so gracefully to the beauty of Mother Nature and her evening colors. Luckily I still had my camera attached to my tripod so grabbing this shot was far too easy for the amount of pride I get from the capture. I know it is not perfect in it’s post production work, but the pure enjoyment of the moment is priceless!
Location: Folly Beach, SC, USA
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70 2.8 lens, Induro CT 213 tripod, Induro BHD2 ballhead.
As always, my images are copyright protected and available to you as wall art prints, wraps, and other merchadise. More info available on my “About” page. You can click on any of my images to see them in HIGH RES. Thanks for visiting! Y’all come back now, ya hear?
Leah G
Wife, mother, waitress, and now model…the lovely Leah G.
Location: Columbia, SC
Model: Leah G.
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 70-200 2.8 VR lens, one SB800 fired wirelessly from camera left, soft white dome for diffusion of flash.
Travel- Grandfather Mountain
Another view of the Mile High Swing Bridge.
As always, my images are copyright protected and available to you as wall art prints, wraps, and other merchadise. More info available on my “About” page. You can click on any of my images to see them in HIGH RES. Thanks for visiting!
Travel- Grandfather Mountain
This is the Mile High Swing Bridge located at Grandfather Mountain Park in North Carolina. The walking platform is actually one mile above sea level… hence the name. The park itself is a wonderful place to visit and hosts many events including a yearly nature photography contest. Please visit the parks website for schedules, events, and attractions.
As always, my images are copyright protected and available to you as wall art prints, wraps, and other merchadise. More info available on my “About” page. You can click on any of my images to see them in HIGH RES. Thanks for visiting!
Travel
This is a closer look at that lead boat in the previous image. The Lady Linda is located near Beaufort, SC, USA and works daily as a fishing vessel. She is also famous for being featured in a movie…it featured such stars as Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand…can you name the movie? It was not until later after photographing this image that I learned of her legacy from a local that was also enjoying the early light of dawn (at a different lcoation). He had asked if I had photographed the boat. When I replied with yes, he began to tell the tale and also educate myself and my fellow photographer Neil Owens about the boat and the area of Beaufort, Fripp Island, Hunting Beach, and the A.C.E Basin…ya just never know who you are going to bump into out there! I grabbed this shot just seconds before the first direct rays of light fell on the Lady Linda and the marsh.
Location: Beaufort, SC, USA
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70 2.8 lens, Induro CT213 tripod, Induro BHD2 ballhead.
As always, my images are copyright protected and available to you as wall art prints, wraps, and other merchadise. More info available on my “About” page. You can click on any of my images to see them in HIGH RES. Thanks for visiting!
Fishing Boats at Dawn
Sometimes, if your patient, you can be blessed with catching those very first rays of light at the sun comes over the horizon. Some of this image is still in the shadows while the marsh grass, boats, and some of the clouds begin to recieve those first golden rays of direct sunlight.
Location: Beaufort, SC, USA
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70 2.8 lens, Induro CT213 tripod, Induro BHD2 ballhead, and a Cokin reverse ND filter.
As always, my images are copyright protected and available to you as wall art prints, wraps, and other merchadise. More info available on my “About” page. You can click on any of my images to see them in HIGH RES. Thanks for visiting!
Stills and digital artwork
Tug Boat off the North Carolina Coastline
Location: North Carolina, USA
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70 2.8 lens
As always, my images are copyright protected and available to you as wall art prints, wraps, and other merchadise. More info available on my “About” page. You can click on any of my images to see them in HIGH RES. Thanks for visiting!
Landscapes and Seascapes
The most peaceful feeling………
I posted a similar image in my blog already, but just could not decide which on I liked best…this has the sail boat sailing away from the sun, the previous image has it sailing into it (the benefit of being at the right place at the right time I guess!). Hope this one brings even warmer feelings for everyone.
Location: The Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina, USA
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70 2.8 lens
Camera settings: Focal length 70mm, f13, 1/500s, ISO 100
As always, my images are copyright protected and available to you as wall art prints, wraps, and other merchadise. More info available on my “About” page. You can click on any of my images to see them in HIGH RES. Thanks for visiting!
Landscapes and Seascapes
Waterfall in North Carolina
Sorry guys, not exactly sure which park this was in (whirlwind photo safari, many stops!) I was trying my hand at the “post card edit” style of editing, hope this is good enough for you guys! I can tell you there is an upper falls (with an overlook) and a lower falls (where this shot was taken) and I hiking all the way down to the plunge basin for this image. I will caution anyone who make the hikes up here…take plenty of water! It is a long way down, the change of socks came in handy, as did the trail mix and protien bars! And the hike back out is…steep! The portion of the falls visible here is about eighty feet, there are two more smaller falls about this final drop bt those remain hidden in the rocks. The river above that feeds this looks so calm and peaceful, then it drops rapidly down and makes a couple of twists before finally flowing out from this lowest level of the falls.
Location: North Carolina, USA
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70 2.8 lens, Induro CT213 tripod, Induro BHD2 ballhead.
As always, my images are copyright protected and available to you as wall art prints, wraps, and other merchadise. More info available on my “About” page. You can click on any of my images to see them in HIGH RES. Thanks for visiting!
Travel
Peaceful, Easy Feeling.
Location: OBX, NC, USA
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70 2.8 VR lens
As always, my images are copyright protected and available to you as wall art prints, wraps, and other merchadise. More info available on my “About” page. You can click on any of my images to see them in HIGH RES. Thanks for visiting!
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