November Sunrise

What can one say to explain this? Just the good fortune, although it didn't seem so at the time, of being woken early. In all fairness, Sylvie saw it first and may well have grabbed an even better picture of this stunning dawn view. ISO 1600 on the 5D Mark II, and given I didn't have the tripod at the ready, it's handheld at f/2.2 and 1/40 sec with a 50mm.

Poolside Precision

A shot taken from the balcony of a sixth floor room at the Royal Sands resort in Cancun. There was something in the combination of colors and shadows that drew me to frame the shot this way. The tongues of shadow from the lounges, the green of the palm tree and the blue of the pool all stood out nicely in the available lighting. I also like the emptiness - it's devoid of people but you can feel the preparedness for the next day's sun-seekers. It's orderliness is nearly clinical and I suppose, given the ubiquity of resort design, that it could actually be a shot from almost any beachside hotel in the world. It's that orderliness that draws my eye to it, especially given what the typical resort pool looks like on an average afternoon - strewn with towels and skewed lounges, with their backrests at various angles, and the detritus of flip flops, hats, clothes, drinks and bags. The 40D with a 50mm at ISO 400 and 1/3 sec.

Meeting Bruno or Eating Bruno?

A quick shot of our new kitten, Bruno, being shadowed by the incumbent feline, Sasso. Sass has actually adapted to the new arrival remarkably well. Some hissing, a lot of jumping around each other. But no malice, just a ton of curiosity. Not that this shot would support that assumption right? It looks like the furry enforcer in the background is having a good roar at the carpetbagger. Of course, it's just the final stages of a yawn, not a scary statement of intent or rejection. Still, looks nice and dramatic all the same. At 800 ISO with a 40D at f/5.0 and 1/60 sec with a 24-105mm f/4.

Fall in DF

Returning to Mexico City Sunday night we found heavy showers and vast pools of standing water laying about the Circuito Interior. Monday brought no change, only a chill to go with the damp. Oddly, this is actually something I enjoy in Mexico City, where you seldom find any hint of the change in season, other than a slowing in the frequency of the wet season's rain bursts. Our altitude can make for some pretty intense cloud formations and when they finally break after a prolonged soaking, you can see some pretty wonderful views thanks to the mountains and volcanoes ringing the city. This shot of the two volcanoes, with Popo to the right steaming away happily, was taken around 4pm Tuesday afternoon and you can see the impact of the chill by the snow that's fallen on the peaks. For a moment, with the old castle in the foreground and the lush green of Chapultepec Park, you could be forgiven this was a border city in France or Spain. Almost! This time the 5D Mk II was on a tripod, with a 100mm attached shooting at 1/40sec and f/16.

Sperryville Junction

A lucky coincidence saw Sylvie and I in Washington at the same time and, even better, headed to Virginia for a weekend amid the peak fall colors. Sperryville is a hamlet at the foot of the Shenandoah Mountains in Virginia that mixes the modern with the historic in an ever-changing amalgam. A new rib joint lies across from an Internet cafe in the old town church. The corner store in this photo has been around for decades selling essentials to the local farm folk and city weekenders - hence the Perrier next to the beef jerky. The colors in Fall are almost Hollywood ridiculous - it was still before 9am so the sky was fairly thin here but the early morning sun brought out the colors in the trio of stores and the remarkable tree that dominates Main Street. It about hurts the eyes it's so violently vibrant. Shot with a 24-105mm f/4 at ISO 200, f/6.3 and 1/80 sec on a 5D Mk II.

A welcome return to seasons

Back in Washington DC briefly to attend a photography workshop (Joe McNally on lighting), I went for a wander around Glover Park just to soak up the colors and enjoy being back in the north where you don't need to consult a calendar to spot the change in seasons. It was wonderful to have the time to walk around with a craned neck (drawing the occasional odd look from residents a little more inured to the spectacle) and I was concentrating on trying to capture the beautiful contrast between the hard blue of a fall sky, the thin layer of cloud, and the violent oranges and reds of the trees. Loved every second and was lucky to have taken the chance when I did as the weather turned decidedly more grim afterward.

A little East in the West

Having a bit of a soft spot for Eastern mysticism (and food, landscapes etc etc) my eye was naturally drawn to this statue at a friend's home recently here in Mexico City. The single candle, warm reflected light, and sharp silhouette of the statue seemed to evoke a easy tranquility. I do love a good silhouette too so was very happy to train the camera on this scene and aim for an exposure to really wipe out all detail in the statue. My trusty 50mm at f2.8 and 1/200th sec at ISO400 did the trick nicely - the glow of the shot reminds me of the warmth I soon enjoyed during the rib-fest that followed. Thanks again Steve & Michelle, for dinner and the op.