Leaving Molokini

Leaving Molokini, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

Taken from our dive boat as we motored toward our second dive location.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Broken Pattern of Color

Broken Pattern, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Maui Sunset, Lumix LX100

Maui Sunset, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Sunrise on the Potomac

Sunrise Paddle on the Potomac, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

I'm on vacation for the next two weeks. I plan to keep blogging, but prepare for some brief posts! I'll be focused on relaxation, and will be back in earnest soon.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Summer

 

Summer, by Reed A. George

Pentax MX, SMC Pentax 50mm f1.7 Lens

Kodak 400 Color Film

Processed by The Darkroom (thedarkroom.com)

 

Not sharply focused, not the best "bokeh," this shot just says "summer" to me. That is good enough for me.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Send Your Vacation Image to L' Oeil de la Photographie

Fun Pics from Last Summer at Provincetown, Massachussetts, by Reed A. George

 

A daily online photography magazine, "L' Oeil de la Photographie," is accepting submissions of your holiday photos. (Click Here) to check out all of the submissions so far, or add your own.

 

I'm leaving for my own holiday very soon. Hopefully, I'll have some to add when I return!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.copm

 

Summer Leaves

There's something about trees. They have this incredible range of dimension, from the microscopic detail of leaf structure, to the sometimes impressively large structure of the trunk and root system. There's a lot going on inside this one living organism, and even more just outside.

 

Photographers, including me, love to shoot the autumn leaves. I found this tree, which happens to be at its peak summer health, equally interesting

 

Summer Leaves, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 28mm f1.8 AF-S G Lens

iso 3200, f5.6, 1/125 sec.

 

I spot metered a point on the gray tree bark to get this exposure. Of course, that meant blowing out the highlights in the white sky around the leaves, but that's okay.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

Going Back to Maui!

Summer vacation is planned. We were considering going some place new, but decided to go back to Maui, Hawaii, mainly because it allows us to meet up with my mother-in-law, who will be flying in from Tokyo. And, we love Maui. what's not to love? Scuba, nature, great food, beach, ...

 

Maui, by Reed A. George

Leica M6 Titanium

 

We'll be heading there in August. I will try to go somewhere new while I'm there, expanding my photography on the island. That could be a new small town, a locals-only beach, or a new mountain trail. I'm sure I can find something that I have yet to explore.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Weekends at Lake Anne

Weekend Visitors to Lake Anne, by Reed A. George

Leica M9 Titanium, Leica Summicron 35mm f2 (v3)

iso 200 Color Print Film

 

For today's post, I'm simply sharing a couple of images that I took at Lake Anne in Reston, Virginia a few weeks back. We've had an incredibly nice August for this region. This particular morning was sunny, cool, and relatively low in humidity. Not what you'd normally expect in Northern Virginia in August.

 

Lake Anne has a nice farmer's market on the weekends, and has that great symbol of real culture, a used book store. It's the only used book store I know of around here.

 

As you can see, I shot these with my Leica M6 on color print film. I just decided that black and white looked better, so went with it. Hope you enjoy the images.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

Summer Contra Dance at Glen Echo Park

The Folklife Society of Greater Washington (FSGW) hosts weekly dances at Glen Echo Park in Glen Echo, Maryland. On this particular night, it was held in the old bumper car pavilion. I found out about the event because some of my friends from the band "The Hot Seats" were playing the tunes.

 

A beautiful evening with moderate temperatures brought out a nice crowd of dancers.

 

All of these images were captured with my Leica M9, mostly with my 35mm f1.4 Summilux, at iso 640. Many of them were made at f4, 1/15 of a second exposure, with fill in flash provided by my tiny Nikon SB30 strobe.

 

Sunday Night Contra Dance, by Reed A. George

 

The lighting was a real challenge, and flash was a must. I wanted to keep the iso at 640, so pushed the limit of handheld sharpness with 1/15 second exposures. The flash helped out with that as well. At f4, I had to preset my focus (usually at about 10-12 feet) and walk around the crowd until I saw the right scene develop at the right distance. Actually a pretty fun way to shoot, I think it worked out pretty well.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

Korean War Memorial Reflecting Pool - Leica M9, 90mm Elmarit f2.8

 

Korean War Memorial Reflecting Pool, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmarit 90mm f2.8 v.1 Lens

iso 160, f4.8, 1/500 sec.

 

 

I went into DC with my friends Alain and Charlie today, to do a little shooting at the National Mall. It was a gorgeous day. While I find the national monuments a bit challenging to shoot, mainly because they've all been done so much, I do like this image. I think the combination of the curved lines, reflections, and people interacting with the environment are just enough to make it a decent composition.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Belize - Fisherman and Frigate Birds at the Docks

At the dock in San Pedro, Belize, I came across this gentleman, cleaning the morning catch of snappers at the docks. These enormous frigate birds had gathered, much as you'd see seagulls and sometimes pelicans do in the US.

Sharing the Catch, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 200, f5.6, 1/1600 sec.

 

In the shot below, I really like how the birds form a curve leading to the food source. To me, it looks like the image is a composite of several shots of the birds; it's not. Just good timing.

 

Frigate Birds Lining Up, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 200, f5.6, 1/1000 sec.

And finally, a look at the barracuda that was lying at the fisherman's feet

 

Barracuda, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 200, f5.6, 1/800 sec.

 

On the Belize trip, as in the past, I found the LX7 camera to be so capable. I sure hope Panasonic continues to market and develop the LX line of cameras. The LX7 represents a very powerful combination of compact size, full manual control, lots of imaging features, and overall image quality. If I'm going on a trip where I have to pack light, carrying just the LX7 lets me have confidence that I can capture high quality images with a very small, lightweight camera.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Scuba Checkout - Landlocked in Virginia

My daughter Christine is getting her dive certification. This weekend was her checkout dive, at an inland quarry in Northern Virginia.

 

We were lucky to find an incredibly nice dive shop here, Coral Edge Adventures. Not only do they have an amazing selection of gear and lots of good trips planned to other places, the instructors and staff are all real nice people.

 

(Click Here) to check out Coral Edge Adventures.

 

I decided to dive with the group today, and carried along my Lumix DMC-TS3 waterproof camera.

Gearing Up

 

The Descent

 

The quarry was used to mine stone for the nearby highways. It's nearly 100 feet deep in places. It also has several submerged attractions, including an airplane, bus, and underwater platforms.

 

Cold Water Entry

 

Who You Lookin' At?

 

 

This dive represented a lot of firsts and mosts for me - first freshwater dive, cloudiest water, coldest water, first dive using a wetsuit. I'm what you call a fair weather diver - going every year or two in an easy, warm, clear water location with a guided boat tour. Today was a little different.

 

Here's how it looked underwater.

 

Clearest Water I Saw

 

My Dive Buddy, Less Than Eight Feet Away

 

Resurfacing

 

A Little Splash Fight

 

Leaving The Water

 

I like this last shot. The water running down the lens makes a cool effect.

 

So, this wasn't the best dive conditions I've ever experienced, but it was good training. I actually did lose my dive buddy at one point. I'm also really excited about having Christine complete her certification. This is something she'll be able to enjoy for many, many years.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Japanese Obon Festival - Fairfax Station, VA

Obon Dance, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens

iso 160, f6.3, 1/13 sec.

 
My family and I recently attended a local Japanese Obon Festival at Ekoji Temple in Fairfax Station, Virginia.
 
(Click Here) to read about the event online.
 
We had the pleasure of meeting up with some friends there, letting the kids run wild, and relaxing a little.
 
The Obon festival focuses on honoring the spirits of your ancestors. It is a common time for family reunions in Japan. The bon dance is always a highlight.
 
 

A Little Stage Fright, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens

iso 400, f2, 1/400 sec.

 
The dance and music went into the evening, and at dusk there was a nice memorial ceremony for those departed ancestors.

 

Candlelit Stone Lantern, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica Macro-Elmarit 45mm f2.8

iso 1600, f2.8, 1/20 sec.

 
I have always respected how the Japanese can combine solemn events with fun. I love the idea that we were able to honor a recently-deceased family member while the kids ran, played, and enjoyed the evening.
 
In photographic terms, this was really just a chance for me to take my camera along on a family event. I realized that I have been neglecting the 20mm f1.7 lens, since receiving my Summilux 25mm f1.4. They are very different lenses, and the 20mm is so compact, it is a pleasure to use. One of the main applications of the 20mm for me is street photography, which I have not been doing much lately. This gives me the bug to get back out there - maybe a bus ride up to New York City is in order. The G3 and 20mm pancake lens are a very non-threatening combination to carry around for street photography. Maybe I'll give myself a challenge and take no other equipment with me.
 
Anyway, I digress. It was fun to use the 20mm at this event, and I need to do it more.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com