Photographing Claire

I photographed Claire when she was still just a bump in her mother's tummy, then again when she was just a baby. She has sure turned into a beautiful toddler.  Kids are challenging to photograph because they are on the move all the time and they have very short attention spans.  They also get tired all of a sudden and then we are definitely done!  Mom was concerned that we weren't able to capture more than a few good ones, but when I started working on them later in the day, I couldn't believe what we had.  The camera LOVES this kid.  Can't wait to photograph her again in another year or so.

Some New Aerial Images

Spring is when I start agitating to get back up in the air again.  The marsh grass has turned from it's winter dirty brown to a soft green and everything looks so much brighter again.  I decided to choose locations that needed morning light, and after I finally fought my way through some horrendous traffic in the West Ashley area (thanks to yet another wreck on the I-526), we got airborne at about 10am.  I gotta say, the morning light can't come close to the quality of the evening light, and while we got some decent shots, I will limit my future aerial photography trips to late afternoons.  For a comprehensive selection of aerial images taken over time, please see here.

Down at the Creek

One of my favorite photography genres is people in their element.  I love to capture people in their most comfortable and familiar environments, with no additions or subtractions.  Just let it be what it is.  My friends down at Backman Seafood are always great subjects, always relaxed.  There's always something going on, friends or family stopping by, customers drifting in and out, easy talk and easy listening.  Mr. Thomas was working on his trawler, getting it ready to shrimp in Florida. Great place to hang out for awhile.

Nesting Activities at the Audubon Swamp

Right now the Audubon Swamp at Magnolia Gardens Plantation is buzzing with nesting activity. Birds in the rookeries are busily building their nests and chicks have already hatched.  Since this wonderful habitat is almost on my doorstep, I have taken to checking on it regularly.  Here are a couple of images of a pair of nesting Great Egrets taken over the past couple of days.

The Blue Angels performance at MCAS Beaufort

I am so glad I had the opportunity to photograph these guys on practice day, Friday 4/10  because I think it was the only day that saw blue skies; much more photogenic than a dull gray backdrop, which is how it was Saturday, and I suspect how it was today. Photographing fast moving jets is very different to photographing landscapes, and I had to quickly learn a whole set of new skills to get them in the frame, nevermind in focus. Needless to say, I deleted many unworthies, and was left with a few keepers, some of which I have shared below.  Enjoy!

A Ride in the Blue Angel's "Fat Albert" C-130

As one of the MCAS Beaufort Airshow media perks, I was offered a ride in "Fat Albert".  I jumped at the chance, but the more YouTube videos I watched, the more dubious I became at the prospect.  It is jet assisted and can take off (and land) almost vertically.  After signing multiple waivers and completing medical questionnaires, and being briefed on the flight, it was time to board.  Up until that point I still wasn't sure that I was going to do it.  We had all been issued sick bags, and I really didn't want to have to use mine.  Anyway, it was better than any rollercoaster ride, negative g's, positive g's, not your average commercial plane ride.  Thank you Blue Angels.

Wisteria on Meeting Street

I have this love/hate relationship with Wisteria.  On one hand, it must be the most beautiful display of cascading purple that nature produces and I love to photograph it.  On the other, I am convinced that it is primarily responsible for my miserable allergic symptoms for the couple of weeks that it flowers. Anyway, the love wins out; after all, that's why the drug companies developed Benadryl and Claritin. This is what it looked like this afternoon.