Cool Photo Ops

Hot Air Balloon Photo Tips

2013-06-01T08:46:00.000-04:00

Lot's of Hot Air Balloon Events take place all over Ohio, here's a few of my photography Hot Air Balloon Tips:

Lenses: Most lenses in your bag will come in handy at a Balloon Fest, wide angles for an overall view of the balloons and for cool effects if you can move close to the balloons, fisheyes also come in handy. Telephotos are great for getting close ups of the balloons and isolating balloon patterns.

Balloon Photo Tips:

1. See which way the wind is blowing then position yourself so the balloons will fly toward you.

2. Look for colors, shapes and patterns

3. Use people as scale to show how large the Balloons are

4. Show the crew at work

5. And of course show them in the air!!!

More balloon photos here: Hot Air Balloons

Hope to see a lot of my Photographer friends at one of the upcoming Balloon Fests this summer.

Also if you liked to find out about Cool Photo Ops in Ohio and beyond be sure and check out the Cool Photo Ops group on Facebook.

Lake View Cemetery April 21st 2013

2013-04-18T17:10:00.000-04:00

Every year in the spring hundreds of Daffodils bloom on Daffodil Hill in Lake View Cemetery, not sure how good the conditions are this year but I'm going to check it out on Sunday April 21st I plan on getting there between 7:30 and 8:00am to catch the good early morning light and the dew on the plants.

There are lots of famous people buried in Lake View and lots of interesting buildings and Crypts to photograph. Buildings you want to check out are the Garfield Memorial where President Garfield and his family are entombed. Also check out Wade Hall.

Everyone is welcome to join me if you want to....

Daffodil Hill (Click on the photo to go to the gallery)

Here's a Map with the locations of the Garfield Memorial, Wade Chapel, and Daffodil Hill and also the Euclid Ave entrance to Lake View. Click on the blue icon to get directions from your location.

View Lake View Cemetery in a larger map

Cool Photo Op: Smokies May 19th - May 23rd 2013

2013-03-02T19:24:00.000-05:00

The Cool Photo Op Group is headed to the Smokies from May 19th to May 23rd for a photo shoot, everyone is welcome!!!!

When: May 19th to May 23rd

We'll be staying in Townsend, Tenn on the quiet side of the Smokies and only 2 miles from the entrance to Smoky Mountain National Park. This is also the closest entrance to Cades Cove

If you'd like to go please click here... Cool Photo Ops Facebook Group Event Page and click the I'm Going button, so I know how many people want to go

Cool Photo Op: Smoky Mountain Hotel Information

Hotel: Highland Manor Inn in Townsend Tenn. 7766 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, P.O. Box 242 Townsend, TN, 37882, USA

http://www.highlandmanor.com/
So far I have blocked 10 rooms, I can get more if more people are interested.
Room Rates 79.50 plus tax This rate is guaranteed until April 19th so book before then. Continental Breakfast included (they'll make arrangement for photographers who get up at the crack of dawn)
We will be staying 4 nights, checking in Sunday May 19th (3pm) and checking out Thursday May 23rd (11am)
To make reservations and get the special rate call this number:
800.213.9462 tell them you're with the Ron Skinner photography group.
If you are planning on going for sure please sign up early by clicking on the "Going" button so I can get more rooms if I have too.

Note: Feel free to make your reservations at another nearby hotel if you prefer

Map and directions to the Highland Manor Inn: Click on the bed icon for directions from your location

View Highland Manor Inn - Townsend Tenn in a larger map

I'll be posting a schedule when we get closer to the shoot, but here's some of the places we'll be going:
Click on the headings below to read more about it...

Cades Cove

Tremont

Lots of streams and waterfalls here

Morton Overlook and Clingmans Dome

Mountain Farm Muesum and Mingus Mill

We'll also be seeing the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, the Foothills Parkway and more!!!

Hope to see a lot of you there!!!

Click here for More Smoky Photo Galleries

Thanks!

Prerequisites for going: Take lots of photos and HAVE FUN!!!

Feel free to ask lots of photography questions if you want too!

Cool Photo Op: Hocking Hills May 16th to May 19th 2013

2013-02-26T18:10:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone the Cool Photo Ops Group on Facebook is having a photo shoot at Hocking Hills State Park from Thursday May 16 to Sunday May 19th, everyone is welcome!!!!

Join the Cool Photo Ops group for updates on the trip

When: May 16th to May 19th 2013. Come for all the days or the days convenient for you

Where: Hocking Hills State Park

Where to stay: A lot of us are going to be staying in the State Park Cottages, they sleep up to six people, they are a little expensive but close to the action. You can also stay at a hotel in Logan or at any of the nearby private cabins and cottages in the area, or even in the State Park Campground. For those who make their own lodging arrangements, we will probably use the State Park Dining Lodge as a central meeting place.

For those of you that have never been to Hocking Hills you can hang out and go on group shoots with everyone, for those that have been there before you can venture out on your own if you want and then meet up later for lunch and dinner and shoot the breeze and ask questions about Hocking Hills and photography stuff.

Here's a link to the Hocking Hills Trail Maps

Hocking Hills is a large park with lots of waterfalls and some of the best hiking trails in Ohio, here's some of what you'll see:

A group of us went last June and had a great time....

Ash Cave in Spring and Winter

Cedar Falls

Lower Falls and Upper Falls at Old Man's Cave

Other things to see and explore are Conkle's Hollow, Rockhouse, Cantwell Cliff's

Here's what the State Park Cottage's look like, they have all the comforts of home, full kitchen, cable TV, air conditioning, sorry no internet.

More Hocking Hills photos can be seen here: Hocking Hills Galleries

GPS Coordinates in Decimal Degree format:
Lat: N 39.4376
Long W 82.5379

To get directions to Hocking Hills from your location click on the Green State Park HQ icon:

View Hocking Hills in a larger map

Punderson Sled Dog Classic 2013

2012-12-11T19:13:00.001-05:00

Photographers, Get your cameras ready!!!!

NOTE: The race has been CANCELED for Jan 12 & 13th, make up dates are Feb 23 and 24th.

Now for something different the 2013 Punderson Sled Dog Classic taking place on Saturday Feb 23th and Sunday Feb 24th 2013!

A lot of photographer's in the Google + Northeast Ohio Photographers Community will be going on Saturday February 23rd, if you can't make it then you can always go on Sunday Feb 24th. Join us if you want, everyone is welcome! If you use Google + feel free to join the community, the more the merrier!

Note: The conditions have to be just right for the dogs to race, even if there is snow they sometimes cancel the race if it's not safe for the dogs or racers.

Click the photo to go to Sled Dog Gallery

Hi Everyone a cool place to shoot this winter is the Sled Dog Classic at Punderson State Park on 2/23/2013 and 2/24/2013. The event is free for spectators. This should be a fun Photo Shoot, a lot of us went in 2010 and had a great time. You can see my photos at this link Sled Dog Classic Photos

More information can be found here: Sled Dog Classic Race Info

Time : 9:00 am Races start at 10am on Saturday and 9:30am on Sunday
Place: Punderson State Park
Park Map: Punderson State Park Map
Directions: Click on the camera icon to get directions from your location. To view a larger map Click on "View Larger Map" below.

GPS Coordinates
latitude: 41.46118938889867
longitude: -81.21947765350342

View Larger Map

Sled Dog Photo Tips

This will be the second time at the Sled Dog Classic for me, here are some photo tips I learned from 2010

1. The best shots are taken with the Sled Dogs running toward you. Shots from the side are not as dramatic

2. Get down low at the dogs eye level.

3. Try and take some human interest shots of the dogs and their owners

4. Sled Dogs are cool, try and get some good portrait shots of them.

5. Try to capture the peak action.

6. Try to show how strong these animals are as they pull the sleds.

Well those are some of my tips, if anyone else has any tips to share, just click on "comments" below and leave your tips, comments and suggestions.

If you are going on the Sled Dog Classic Shoot or any cold weather shoot you want to keep your hands warm but still be able to use the controls on your camera so what do you do?

I'm going to try out my new Freehands Gloves, the index finger and thumb fold back so you can control the camera:

See a Sled Dog Classic Slideshow

Balloon Classic Invitational 2012 7/20-7/22

2012-07-18T16:01:00.001-04:00

If you like photographing Hot Air Balloons then you might want to check out the Balloon Classic Invitational taking place in North Canton Ohio from 7-20 - 7-22. This is one of the largest balloon fests in the area, I think there's going to be about 75 Balloons

I plan on going Friday evening and to all the Balloon events on Saturday, during the day I may also check out the Football Hall of Fame. If you see me, come up and say hello! I look just like the guy on the right of this blog ------------------> LOL

You can see a slideshow of the photos I took in 2010 and 2011 in the slideshow link below

Balloon Classic Invitational Slideshow

NOTE: Access on the field is not allowed except for pilots and crews, but you should still be able to get some good photos.

Click the photo to see more photos!

BALLOON CLASSIC ACTIVITIES: Hot air balloons fly best in less than 8 mph winds, and the weather must be almost perfect for these beautiful balloons to take to the skies. Pilots are briefed on weather before each and every flight; flights may be delayed or cancelled due to weather conditions.

Helpful hints: If you’re an early bird, come check out the morning flights! For evening flights, traffic is especially heavy, so plan ahead.

TIMES ARE TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE, SO CHECK BACK PERIODICALLY. . .

FRIDAY, JULY 20

5:00 AM: Dawn Patrol

6:30 AM: Media Flight

5:30 PM: Activities begin at the Balloon Classic

6:30 PM: Balloon Launch

9:30 PM: Night Glow

SATURDAY, JULY 21

6:30 AM: Balloon Launch

5:30 PM: Activities begin at the Balloon Classic

6:30 PM: Balloon Launch

SUNDAY, JULY 22

6:30 AM: Balloon Launch

JACKSON-BELDEN FOOD FEST ACTIVITIES:

FRIDAY, JULY 20

4:00 PM: Activities begin at the Food Fest

4:00 - 5:45 PM: Brighter Side Band

6:00 - 8:45 PM: Wild West Band

9:00 - 11:30 PM: Buckle Down Band

SATURDAY, JULY 21

4:00 PM: Activities begin at the Food Fest

5:00 - 6:45 PM: Messy Face Band

7:00 - 8:45 PM: OFHUMAN Band

9:00 - 10:00 PM: Downplay Band

10:00 - 10:30 PM: Fireworks

10:30 - 11:30 PM: Downplay Band

At both venues, there are also awide variety of food and beverage vendors, as well as family activities such as a playground of inflatables and balloon education area.

Here are some of my Balloon Photography Tips

Balloon Photo Tips:

1. See which way the wind is blowing then position yourself so the balloons will fly toward you.

2. Look for colors, shapes and patterns

3. Use people as scale to show how large the Balloons are

4. Show the crew at work

5. And of course show them in the air!!!

More balloon photos here: Hot Air Balloons

Here's the address and a Google Map

Kent State University Stark Campus &
Stark State College of Technology
6000 - 6200 Frank Road NW
North Canton, Ohio 44720

Convenient parking available
Enter public parking lots off Frank Road,
and pay only $5.00 per vehicle after 3:00 PM

For those with a GPS here are the Coordinates in the Decimal Degree format

LAT N 40.867810
Long W 81.441656

Click on the Camera Icon to get directions from your location.

View Balloon Classic Invitational - Canton in a larger map

Veterans Memorial Bridge Tour 7/7/2012

2012-07-07T07:44:00.001-04:00

Here's another great Photo Op over the Memorial Day weekend - a self guided tour of the Veterans Memorial Bridge (aka Detroit Superior Bridge) The bottom part of this bridge was used for Trolley traffic over the Cuyahoga River in the Flats. I've done the tour about 3 or 4 times and its a great place to photograph Cleveland history. They'll have displays of old trolley cars and you can even see the old tracks in the ground. You can also get some great views of the Flats from the bridge. So if your looking for something different to shoot on Saturday July 7th check out the Veterans Memorial Bridge.

When: Saturday, July 7th, 2012

Times: Open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Location: Northeast Corner of W. 25th Street &

Detroit Avenue, at the west end of the bridge.

FREE parking is available at the County Engineer’s

Bridge Garage, which is located at the tour’s entrance.

Cost: FREE

Other:
 No reservations

 Self guided tour with volunteers on hand

to answer questions

 Wheelchair & stroller accessible

 Cameras are welcome

 Attractions include films, trolley displays,

streetcar, and a unique view of the area

Click on the Camera Icon below to get directions from your location to the Bridge

View Veterans Memorial Bridge Tour in a larger map

GPS Coordinates of the Parking Lot:
Latitude: 41.4923313

Longitude: -81.7061913

More Photos here: Veterans Memorial Bridge Photos

Hocking Hills Photo Shoot Schedule

2012-06-05T19:13:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone, here's a suggested schedule for the Hocking Hills Shoot..... since everyone is coming on different days and times I suggest we make the State Park Dining Lodge our meeting location, it has a large parking lot, a place to eat and restrooms. We want to make sure everyone gets to enjoy all areas of the park no matter what day or time they get there. Places we're going to see are Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, Old Man's Cave, Conkle's Hollow, Rock House and maybe Cantwell Cliffs. Here's a link to all the trail maps, print them out if you like, also at the link will be a list of the parks on the left side of the screen, if you click on a park name it will show you photos and a description of the park. Here's the link... Hocking Hills Trail Maps

Here's a Tentative Daily Schedule, it's not set in stone and if you've been to Hocking Hills before and want to head out and explore on your own and just meet up for lunch or dinner or just to BS about photography that's fine. For those that want to hang out in a group here's what's planned and could change depending on how the water's flowing. Since people will be getting there at various times, we will meet back at the dining lodge a few times a day to meet up with people, depending on when you arrive you may want to give me a call to see where we are shooting when you get there.

Also for anyone staying at a Hotel in Logan that doesn't want to make trips back and forth to the Hotel during the day, you are more than welcome to stash your laptops and battery chargers in my Cottage, in case you want to charge batteries and download photos to your laptop during the afternoon lunch break. What I usually do when I go to Hocking Hills is get up early go out and shoot, then during the afternoon yucky light period, eat lunch, download photos, then head back out for a late afternoon shoot.

Thursday:
A few of us are getting there Thursday, call me when you get there and we can go out and shoot if it's not to late. (Either email me at ronskinner4435@sbcglobal.net or send me a message on Facebook and I'll give you my cell number) I'll be staying in Cottage 24 in the State Park

Friday:

7am Meet at Dining Lodge We will shoot Ash Cave and Cedar Falls
12:00 Noon Meet at Dining Lodge meet up with others, have lunch
2pm Meet at Dining Lodge - Afternoon Shoot - Conkle's Hollow
6pm (Optional) Either meet at Dining Lodge for Dinner or go back to Cottages, Hotel ...

Saturday:

7am Meet at Dining Lodge We will shoot Old Mans Cave
12:00 Meet at Dining Lodge. Meet up with late arrivals, Have Lunch
2pm Meet at Dining Lodge - Afternoon Shoot TBD
6pm (Optional) Either meet at Dining Lodge for Dinner or go back to Cottages, Hotel ...
7:30pm (Optional) Hang out at Cottage 24 to relax and get photo tips on using Tripods, Ballheads, Reflectors, Camera Bags and equipment. Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket drawing.

Sunday:

7am Meet at Dining Lodge - Shoot TBD

The above schedule it just a suggestion to give some structure to the shoot and to make sure we meet up with everyone and that everyone gets to shoot all areas of the park. If you like a location and want to stay longer, feel free to do so, and if you want to head out on your own to explore a favorite place that's cool too.

Here's a map showing where the Dining Lodge, Cottages, Old Man's Cave Parking and the State Park HQ are located:

View Hocking Hills in a larger map

Super Moon Shoot at Marblehead Lighthouse plus Lakeside Daisy Nature Preserve

2012-05-04T17:44:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone, as you know the Super Moon will be happening Saturday May 5th and a lot of people are wondering just where they should go to get a photo of the Super Moon. Well using the free program The Photographer's Ephemeris I searched for places to get a good photo of the Super Moon. What I was looking for was a good foreground subject and I wanted it to be near a Lake so I could get a nice reflection of the Moon. The moon is going to be rising in the southeast at an azimuth of 114.4 degrees. First I looked to see if I could get a good shot of the Cleveland Skyline with the moon behind it, to do this I would have to go down to the East Bank of the Flat's and shoot up at the city. This didn't look that great to me. Next I thought of Hinckley Lake, this would be ok, but there wasn't a very interesting foreground. I finally found what I think is the best opportunity to shoot the Super Moon and that is the Marblehead Lighthouse.

If you look at the photo below, the red balloon is the photographer and the light blue line shows the direction of the moonrise, and the orange line is where the sun will be setting behind you. As you can see the Moon will be rising behind the Lighthouse and will be front lit by the setting sun. The Moonrise at this location will be a 20:24 (8:24pm) and the sunset will be 9 minutes later at 20:33. If you want to get the moon nice and large behind the lighthouse you will have to move back as far as you can from the location in the photo and use a telephoto lens to compress the distance between the lighthouse and the moon. I'm not sure how clear of a shot you'll get cause there are a lot of trees lining the walkway, but it might be worth a try. If you use a wider angle lens and move closer to the lighthouse, the Lighthouse will appear larger in the photo and the moon smaller. If you just want to get the moon rising over Lake Erie you can do that to from the rocks surrounding the lighthouse.

Anyway this is where I'm going to shoot the Super Moon. Join me if you want!!!

Since the Super Moonrise doesn't happen till 8:24pm I'm planning on getting to Marblehead around 2:30 to 3Pm and checking out the nearby Lakeside Daisy Nature Preserve,

So here's my schedule of events:
2:30 or 3PM Explore Lakeside Daisy Nature Preserve

4:30 or 5Pm Get something to eat

6PM Meet at Marblehead Lighthouse and scout out places to shoot the Supermoon

8:24pm Supermoon rises
8:33 Sunset

Google Map Click the Blue Icon to get directions to Marblehead Lighthouse, Click the red icon to get directions to Lakeside Daisy Nature Preserve

View Marblehead Lighthouse and Lakeside Daisy in a larger map

Photography Road Trip to Dawes Arboretum and more....

2012-04-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

The Facebook Ohio's Nature and Wildlife Photographers group is heading to the Dawes Arboretum on Saturday April 7th for an informal photo shoot, all photographers are welcome to join in the fun. The early birds will be getting there at 7:00am but since everyone has a different schedule a lot of photographers will be getting there later in the day. We can all meet up around noon at the Visitor's Center to get to know each other and maybe head out to get something to eat.

For more info on this and other events please check out the Ohio's Nature and Wildlife Photographers group page on Facebook. The group was set up by Debbie Dingus to allow Ohio photographers to post their nature and wildlife photos. Debbie is also setting up photo trips to various places in Ohio. The Dawes Arboretum is the one of the first trips. A trip to Hocking Hills is coming up the weekend of June 8th. The group is open to all Ohio photographers feel free to join the group if you want.

Also, since it's a long drive to Dawes some people are planning on heading down a day early on Friday and staying overnight. For those going down early on Friday, some of us are planning on checking out the Newark Earthworks and meeting there at around 10 or 11am.

Here's a Google Map with directions to Dawes and the Newark Earthworks, click on the northern camera icon for directions to the Earthworks, click on the southern camera icon for directions to Dawes Arboretum. The bed icon is for the Best Western where some of us are staying on Friday night.

View Dawes and Newark Earthworks map in a larger map

Lake View Cemetery - Maps and Information

2012-03-24T12:29:00.000-04:00

Every year in the spring hundreds of Daffodils bloom on Daffodil Hill in Lake View Cemetery, this year with the unseasonably warm temperatures the Daffodils are blooming early as well as the other plants and trees in Lake View.

I'm going to check it out on Sunday March 25th. I plan on getting there between 7:30 and 8:00am to catch the good early morning light and the dew on the plants.

There are lots of famous people buried in Lake View and lots of interesting buildings and Crypts to photograph. Buildings you want to check out are the Garfield Memorial where President Garfield and his family are entombed. Also check out Wade Hall.

Daffodil Hill (Click on the photo to go to the gallery)

Here's a Map with the locations of the Garfield Memorial, Wade Chapel, and Daffodil Hill and also the Euclid Ave entrance to Lake View. Click on the blue icon to get directions from your location.

View Lake View Cemetery in a larger map

Ohio Nature and Wildlife Photo Shoot at Hocking Hills 6/8 to 6/10/2012

2012-03-02T18:54:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone the Ohio's Nature and Wildlife Photographer's group on Facebook is having a photo shoot at Hocking Hills State Park from Friday June 8th till Sunday June 10th, everyone is welcome!!!!

When: June 8 to June 10th ( I will be there from June 7-10) Come for all the days or the days convenient for you

Where: Hocking Hills State Park

Where to stay: A lot of us are going to be staying in the State Park Cottages, they sleep up to six people, they are a little expensive but close to the action. You can also stay at a hotel in Logan or at any of the nearby private cabins and cottages in the area, or even in the State Park Campground. For those who make their own lodging arrangements, we will probably use the State Park Dining Lodge as a central meeting place.

For those of you that have never been to Hocking Hills you can hang out and go on group shoots with everyone, for those that have been there before you can venture out on your own if you want and then meet up later for lunch and dinner and shoot the breeze and ask questions about Hocking Hills and photography stuff.

Here's a link to the Hocking Hills Trail Maps

Hocking Hills is a large park with lots of waterfalls and some of the best hiking trails in Ohio, here's some of what you'll see:
Ash Cave in Spring and Winter

Cedar Falls

Lower Falls and Upper Falls at Old Man's Cave

Other things to see and explore are Conkle's Hollow, Rockhouse, Cantwell Cliff's

More Hocking Hills photos can be seen here: Hocking Hills Galleries

GPS Coordinates in Decimal Degree format:
Lat: N 39.4376
Long W 82.5379

To get directions to Hocking Hills from your location click on the Green State Park HQ icon:

View Hocking Hills in a larger map

Favorite Places to Shoot Fall Colors in Northeast Ohio

2011-10-07T19:40:00.000-04:00

Well its that time a year again, when the leaves on the trees turn all sorts of beautiful colors. Luckily for those of us that live in Northeast Ohio, there are a lot of places to take beautiful Fall Color Shots. Listed below are some of my favorite places to take Fall Color Photos.

Mt Jeez located across from Malabar Farms

Mt Jeez is a large hill that overlooks Malabar Farm and the valley below, more Mt Jeez photos can be seen here:

Mt Jeez Photo Gallery

Tinker's Creek Nature Preserve

Tinker's Creek Photo Gallery

The Seven Pond Trail is a great place to take Fall Color photos, there are lots of ponds where you can get some great reflections of the colors in the water.

Cleveland Metroparks North Chagrin Reservation

All of the Cleveland Metroparks are great places for taking Fall Color Shots, here's a photo of my buddy Denny aka Wood Duck Dude taking photos at the North Chagrin Reservation.

North Chagrin Fall Color Gallery

Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Blue Hen Falls

There's lots of cool places to take Fall Color Shots in the Cuyahoga Valley, but Blue Hen Falls is one of my favorites. (Also check out Brandywine Falls and the Beaver Marsh)

Blue Hen Falls Gallery

So get out to your favorite Fall Color spot before the leaves fall off the trees and have fun!!! You may even want to pull out your fisheye or super wide angle lens and get a couple of Fall Color Self Portraits!!!

Balloon Classic Invitational - 7/29 - 7/31

2011-07-19T21:38:00.000-04:00

If you like photographing Hot Air Balloons then you might want to check out the Balloon Classic Invitational taking place in North Canton Ohio from 7/29 - 7-31.

I attended this event last year and had a great time, it's one of the largest Balloon Fests in the area. There will be 65 Balloons at this years event. Here's a slideshow from last years event:

Balloon Classic Invitational Slideshow

NOTE: Access on the field is not allowed except for pilots and crews, but you should still be able to get some good photos.

Click the photo to see more photos!

Helpful hints: If you’re an early bird, come check out the morning flights! For evening flights, traffic is especially heavy, so plan ahead.

FRIDAY, JULY 29

5:00 AM – Dawn Patrol

6:30 AM – Media Flight

6:30 PM – Balloon Launch

9:45 PM – Night Glow

SATURDAY, JULY 30

6:30 AM – Media Flight

6:30 PM – Balloon Launch

SUNDAY, JULY 31

6:30 AM – Balloon Launch

2011 Veterans Memorial Bridge and Subway Tour 7/2/2011

2011-06-20T20:02:00.000-04:00

Here's another great Photo Op over the July 4th weekend - a self guided tour of the Veterans Memorial Bridge (aka Detroit Superior Bridge) The bottom part of this bridge was used for Trolley traffic over the Cuyahoga River in the Flats. I've done the tour about 3 or 4 times and its a great place to photograph Cleveland history. They'll have displays of old trolley cars and you can even see the old tracks in the ground. You can also get some great views of the Flats from the bridge. So if your looking for something different to shoot on Saturday July 2nd check out the Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Click photo to go to gallery

Bridge & Subway Tour

When: Saturday, July 2, 2011
Times: Open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Northeast Corner of W. 25th Street & Detroit Avenue, at the west end of the bridge. Free parking is available at the Department of Public Works Bridge Garage, which is located at the tour’s entrance.
Cost: FREE

No reservations
Self guided tour with volunteers on hand to answer questions
Wheelchair & stroller accessible
Cameras are welcome
Attractions include films, trolley displays, streetcar, and a unique view of the area
All ages

Directions and where to park!

Click on the camera icon to get directions from your location

GPS in Decimal Degrees N41.492884 W81.705633

View Veterans Memorial Bridge Tour in a larger map

Parade the Circle 2011

2011-06-06T20:51:00.000-04:00

Now this is a Cool Photo Op.... Parade the Circle. I've gone the last two years and it's always a lot of fun, lots of cool costumes to photograph. If you get there early you can photograph the participants getting ready for the parade in the staging area on the top deck of the Art Museum Parking lot.

Saturday, June 11, 2011
11:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Parade at Noon
Wade Oval, University Circle

More info here: Parade the Circle Info

Click Photo to see more photos

Click on the camera icon for directions to Parade the circle

GPS Coordinates in the Decimal Degree format.

Latitude: N 41.50888
Longitude: W 81.61077

View Parade the Circle 2010 in a larger map

Chagrin Falls Balloon Fest 2011

2011-05-23T19:05:00.003-04:00

Are you looking for somethng colorful to shoot over the Memorial Day weekend? Then check out the Chargin Falls Balloon Fest!

The Balloon Fest takes place from Thursday May 26th to Sunday May 29th, here's the details

Note the Balloon Glow on Thursday has been Canceled due to the weather!

Weekend Balloon Festival Schedule

Thursday May 26th Blossom Glow at 8:00 PM at CFHS CANCELED

Friday May 27th Mass balloon ascension 6:30 pm at CFHS

Saturday May 28th Balloons fly in to CFHS field – 6:30 AM

Balloon launch from CFHS – 6:30 PM

Sunday May 29th Balloons fly in to CFHS field – 6:30 AM

Balloon launch from CFHS – 6:30 PM

Starting times are approximate. Flying is subject to local weather conditions (rain, high winds, low clouds). Morning events may not originate or terminate at Chagrin Falls High School, but will always include a fly-by. Evening events will feature all balloons launching as a group from the Chagrin Falls High School athletic field.

On Thursday evening they have the Balloon Glow where all the balloons are lit up to the sounds of music

Balloon Photo Tips:

1. See which way the wind is blowing then position yourself so the balloons will fly toward you.

2. Look for colors, shapes and patterns

3. Use people as scale to show how large the Balloons are

4. Show the crew at work

5. And of course show them in the air!!!

The balloons launch from the Chagrin Falls High School field behind the school. See map below for directions from your location.

GPS Coordinates
Latitude: 41.4283302
Longitude: -081.3775026

Click the blue balloon for directions from your location to the High School entrance. The P is where you should park. The red balloon shows the field where the balloons will be taking off.

View Chagrin Falls Balloon Festival in a larger map

To see more photos go here: Balloon Fest Photos

Hope to see you there!!!

Oh and since the Balloons only fly in good weather and calm winds you might want to check the weather maps on the right side of this blog.

For more info on the Balloon Fest go here: Chagrin Falls Balloon Fest Info

Want to find a great location for the Full Moon tonight? Then get The Photographer's Ephemeris

2011-03-19T16:11:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone, I've been getting a lot of questions today on where a good location would be to get a shot of the Full Moon and the moonrise tonight. Well a great program for photographers to help you plan for a sunrise, sunset, moonrise or moon set is the Photographer's Ephemeris. The Desktop version is FREE and there is also an app for the Iphone! I use it all the time mostly for sunrises and sunsets and highly recommend it. You can get it here

The Photographer's Ephemeris

They have video tutorials to show you how to use it!

Now back to the moonrise, well unfortunately for you Cleveland Area photographers who want to get the moonrise over the city of Cleveland, Edgewater is NOT a good location tonight. Looking at the map on the Photographer's Ephemeris you can see by looking at the light blue "moonrise" line that the moon will rise to the south of the city and not behind the skyline.

Wendy Park may be better, not sure.... download the Photographer's Ephemeris and find out for yourself!!!! : ) When you use the program just put the cursor at your shooting location and see where the moon will rise tonight.

Here's what it looks like from the Upper area of Edgewater.... as you can see the moonrise (light blue line) is far south of the city when shooting from Edgewater.

Click the photo to see a larger view.

Heron Rookery

2011-03-09T18:24:00.001-05:00

If you like getting photos of Blue Herons then the place to be is the Heron Rookery on West Bath Road in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Every March the Herons return to the rookery to nest. By mid March there are hundreds of birds and nests. Check it out if you get a chance.

Click Photo to go to Gallery

Directions: Click on the camera to get directions from your location.

View Heron Rookery in a larger map

Winter Photo Safari and Backyard Bird Count - Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve (Dike 14) 2/20/11

2011-02-15T19:21:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone, I read about this in Tuesday's (2/15/2011) Plain Dealer.... I guess Dike 14 is now called the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve and they are having a Winter Photo Safari and Bird Count, there are group photo safaris at 1:30 and 2:30 or self guided tours from 1 to 4pm, you can find out all the details by clicking on the flyer link below. Sounds like a Cool Photo Op!!!

DIKE 14 WINTER PHOTO SAFARI & BACKYARD BIRD COUNT—SUNDAY, FEB. 20 @ 1—4PM

Meet at the park office for site briefing. Group bird hikes & photo safari groups will depart at 1:30 & 2:30. Self guided visits from 1 pm—4 pm. Participate in the 2011 Great Backyard Bird Count or take photos of the winter landscape to submit for display in the Exploration Station during the month of March. Co-sponsored by the Dike 14 Environmental Education Collaborative.**The Exploration Station will be open during this program.** Click Here for flyer.

Cool Photo Ops - Great Places to Take Photos in NE Ohio and Beyond

2011-02-04T10:47:00.000-05:00

Attention Photographers, looking for fun places to take photos in Northeast Ohio? Then check out my Cool Photo Ops Blog.

Everyone is welcome to come on the shoots or go on your own when you get a chance, the more the merrier!

You will find information on the fun places to take photos in the Northeast Ohio Region.

You will also find links to Maps with directions to the shoots (including GPS coordinates), weather maps, sunrise and sunset information, photography links and helpful photo tips.

Coming soon is the Sled Dog Classic

Also if you have suggestions for shoots, let me know and I'll post them on the blog.

Punderson Sled Dog Classic 2/26 & 2/27 HAS BEEN CANCELED!!!

2011-01-01T22:44:00.005-05:00

According to the Siberian Husky Club the Sled Dog Classic has been Canceled!!!

Go here for Details: Siberian Husky Club

Now for something different the 2011 Punderson Sled Dog Classic taking place on Saturday Feb 26th and Sunday Feb 27th 2011!
Pick the date that's convenient for you,

Click the photo to go to Sled Dog Gallery

Hi Everyone a cool place to shoot this winter is the Sled Dog Classic at Punderson State Park on 2/26/2011 and 2/27/2011. The event is free for spectators. This should be a fun Photo Shoot, a lot of us went last year and had a great time. You can see my photos at this link Sled Dog Classic Photos

They have all different classes of races and even have a Kid n Mutt Fun Run

More information can be found here: Sled Dog Classic Race Info

Time : 9:30 am Races are from 10am to 3PM
Place: Punderson State Park
Park Map: Punderson State Park Map
Directions: Click on the camera icon to get directions from your location. To view a larger map Click on "View Larger Map" below.

GPS Coordinates
latitude: 41.46118938889867
longitude: -81.21947765350342

View Larger Map

Sled Dog Photo Tips

This will be the second time at the Sled Dog Classic for me, here are some photo tips I learned from last year

1. The best shots are taken with the Sled Dogs running toward you. Shots from the side are not as dramatic

2. Get down low at the dogs eye level.

3. Try and take some human interest shots of the dogs and their owners

4. Sled Dogs are cool, try and get some good portrait shots of them.

5. Try to capture the peak action.

6. Try to show how strong these animals are as they pull the sleds.

Well those are some of my tips, if anyone else has any tips to share, just click on "comments" below and leave your tips, comments and suggestions.

If you are going on the Sled Dog Classic Shoot or any cold weather shoot you want to keep your hands warm but still be able to use the controls on your camera so what do you do? You might want to try a pair of Glommitts, Glommitts are a combination of a glove and a mitten.

Glommitts will keep your hands warm when you're not using your camera and the top mitten part folds back to expose your fingers when you are taking a shot.

There are a lot of different makes and models. Just Goggle glommitts to find out where you can purchase them.

Glommitts can be found at most sporting good stores. I get a lot of my stuff at Cabela's online. Click on the Cabela's link and enter glommitts in the search field. Mine are a couple of years old so they may not carry the brand above anymore, but they probably have new and improved models.

Balloon Classic Invitational - North Canton 7/30-8/1

2010-07-29T16:50:00.004-04:00

If you like photographing Hot Air Balloons then you might want to check out the Balloon Classic Invitational taking place in North Canton Ohio from 7/31 to 8/1.

NOTE: Access on the field is not allowed except for pilots and crews, but you should still be able to get some good photos.

For more information go here to the HotAirBalloon.com site

I got the following information off the HotAirBalloon.com site. Here's what you'll see.

After the sun sets Friday night, a special show begins with the spectacular balloon glow. The balloons tether on the ground and fill their balloon envelopes with propane so they glow brightly in the night, in a musically choreographed program. On Saturday night, the balloon flight is followed by the fabulous Jackson-Belden Fireworks show, also musically choreographed and sure to delight people of all ages.

Here's a schedule:

Friday, July 30th
Dawn Patrol – 5:00 am
Media Flight – 6:30 am
Evening Flight – 6:30 pm

Saturday, July 31st
Morning Flight – 7:00 am
Evening Flight – 6:30 pm

Sunday, August 1st
Morning Flight – 7:00 am

While I've never been to the Balloon Classic in Canton I have been to the Chagrin Falls Balloon Fest many times. It's very colorful and fun to watch!

Here are some of my Balloon Photography Tips

Balloon Photo Tips:

1. See which way the wind is blowing then position yourself so the balloons will fly toward you.

2. Look for colors, shapes and patterns

3. Use people as scale to show how large the Balloons are

4. Show the crew at work

5. And of course show them in the air!!!

More balloon photos here: Hot Air Balloons

Here's the address and a Google Map

Kent State University Stark Campus &
Stark State College of Technology
6000 - 6200 Frank Road NW
North Canton, Ohio 44720

Convenient parking available
Enter public parking lots off Frank Road,
and pay only $5.00 per vehicle after 3:00 PM

For those with a GPS here are the Coordinates in the Decimal Degree format

LAT N 40.867810
Long W 81.441656

Click on the Camera Icon to get directions from your location.

View Balloon Classic Invitational - Canton in a larger map

Parade The Circle - Saturday June 12th

2010-06-07T20:37:00.003-04:00

Attention Photographers - Parade the Circle is happening this Saturday June 12th in University Circle. I went last year for the first time and had a lot of fun. Lots of great photo ops and colorful costumes. If you get there early you can photograph the participants in the Art Museum Parking lot getting ready for the Parade. Find out more here: Parade the Circle

Click Photo to see more photos

Click on the camera icon for directions to Parade the circle

GPS Coordinates in the Decimal Degree format.

Latitude: N 41.50888
Longitude: W 81.61077

View Parade the Circle 2010 in a larger map

Lake View Cemetery and Daffodil Hill

2010-04-04T17:34:00.005-04:00

Ok Spring is finally here and it's time to get out and start shooting. A great place for April photography is Lake View Cemetery. Lots of great buildings to photograph like the Garfield Monument and Wade Chapel. Then there's the famous Daffodil Hill that is lined with hundreds of daffodils. You'll be able to use all of your lenses here from macro to telephoto.

Dona and I scouted out Daffodil Hill on Saturday (4/3/10) and there were small patches of Daffodils on the hill with a lot more still waiting to bloom. If the weather stays warm there should be a lot more daffodils in a week or two. Pick a day and check it out for yourself! You might want to avoid Daffodil Sunday (4/18/10) though cause it may be pretty crowded on that date.

See more Lake View photos here: Lake View Cemetery Photos

Lake View Euclid Ave entrance GPS Coordinates

Latitude 41.5139448
Longitude -81.598742

Click on the Blue Balloon to get directions to Lake View from your location:

View Larger Map
Click on the camera icons to see where the Garfield Monument, Wade Chapel and Daffodill Hill are located