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.
Nature and Wildlife
Kodiak Bear Play
I can relate to this Brown Bear…it’s the way I feel before coffee! lolol…had a great time photographing some Nature and Wildlife this weekend. It was the perfect excure to try out my new Nikkor x2 teleconverter (I am just not real comfortable actually being this close to all those claws and teeth!)
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 70-200 2.8 VR lens, Nikkor x2 teleconverter.
Nature and Wildlife
Reptile Lounge
Had some fun so far this weekend photographing some wildlife and nature images. I caught this guy lounging around in the sun.
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 70-200mm 2.8 VR lens, Nikkor x2 telecoverter.
Location Bridal Portfolio
Did I ever mention about how much I just love the light at sunrise? Chelbie and I had just finished shooting on the beach with the rising sun over the ocean as her background and we were driving back in to civilization to grab some MUCH needed coffee..when we spotted this old boat dock jutting out into the marsh. The light was incredible, so I asked if she could just jump out and run to the end of the dock and turn around. This was the first exposure I took, she didin’t even want to put her shoes on. She is a true girl from the country and wanted to be as natural as possible in some of her images.
For everyone who believes they need all this expensive gear (now I know for some imagery, there are many items I could use to really bring a different look and feel to this image), but, i really like this capture. The only equipment I used (or just grabbed while I chased after her! lolol) was my Nikon camera nd my lens (thank goodness I still had my trusty 70-200 2.8 VR attached to the camera) I photographed this back in the summer, and I am SO looking forward to warmer weather soon.
Model: Chelbie
Location: Folly Beach, SC
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 70-200 2.8 VR lens
Photographer: Stan Shillingburg http://www.stanshillingburg.com
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
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.
Fall
Fall Flowing In
Okay, one more..( I say that so often, especially during a photo shoot!)
Oh, and I almost forgot: I created a Fall Gallery just for those of you who love the rich colors of Fall. Click below and I would suggest clicking on the slideshow button (top right)
http://www.stanshillingburg.com/WallArt/Fall/25359507_8Sp7TH#!i=2097312504&k=7pWhchc
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 12-24mm 2.8 lens, Induro CT213 tripod, Induro BHD2 ballhead, and my trusty Stanley thermos.
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! (note: if you click on the image to view it in HIGHRES, you only need to click the back button on your browser to return to this page).
Travel
Triple Falls photographer at the Dupont State Forest, NC, USA
This is an outdoor portrait I did of my son on our day hike to several falls in the Dupont State Forest. The color version of this is on my website as well and is equally as awesome (of course I am biased, it is a portrait of my son! lolol!)
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70 2.8 lens, Induro CT213 tripod, Induro BDH2 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!
Landscapes and Seascapes
A New Day Dawning
While I was busy working on my passion of photography, and concentrating on on focus, framing, exposure, white balance….I noticed a movement off to my right, and the sounds of geese…LOTS of geese…as I looked up from my camera and to the right towards the rising sun..this is what I saw. A huge formation of geese heading in a direction that would cross between me and the rising sun. No time to calculate and fidget with setting! I ripped my camera from the tripod, at the same time I dialed in the notorious “P” (Programmed Auto Setting) on my Nikon D700, pointed, framed, and fired off three snaps of the shutter. This was the third shot, only minor sharpening and plus 3 on the saturation was all I did in Lightroom, and now I present it here for you. Proof positive that Matrix metering, programmed auto, and some incredible good luck can produce some gorgeous images! I know it is not the “perfect shot” and given time I am sure I could get that, but this was just a luck and sometime we all could use a little luck!
Location: Folly Beach, SC, USA
Equipment used: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70 2.8 lens, and one each..stroke of luck!
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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