Warrior's Heart Photography

Playing with HDR

2011-08-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

HDR [High Dynamic Range] technology has been with us for a number of years and I've been avoiding it like the plaque. Why did I wait so long to begin using it?

For many years I considered myself a purist when it came to my art. You know, capture what is in the frame, make minor adjustments to enhance the image and call it good.

HDR changed that game and the creative process is pushed outside the traditional boundaries.

I already use the Complete Collection by Nik Software for my photographic workflow. Each product is very easy to use and works seamlessly with Aperture, which I prefer over other image processing apps. It was an easy decision to download and demo HDR EFEX PRO by Nik Software.

This past weekend I met with my good friend and fellow photographer Michael Elenko. We joined a classic Thunderbird and Corvette tour on Vashon Island. Lots of cars, sun, and loads of fun! More about that in a separate post later on.

There were a few stops along the tour, one of which was at Engels Gas Station, Repair and Towing. This place is family owned since 1951. For the past seven years the current owner, Paul Engels has put on car shows when the sun shines in August.

There were many rust buckets around the gas station in amongst the blackberries and bees. There were also many good-looking classics on display. The classic car form [style] is unbeatable as excellent examples of their day.

This is where I really have fun with my camera and the subsequent workflow processing.

These are some of the HDR images

Realistic Subtle Process [single image]

Realistic Strong Process [5 images combined]

Bleach Bypass 74% Process [single image]

Bleach Bypass 83% Process [single image]

Subdued Contrasts 34% Process [5 images combined]

Vibrant Textures 30% Process [single image]


Vibrant Textures 30% Process [single image]

As you can see the Nik Software HDR can process 1 or multiple images and produce very creative results. There are many presets to choose from and each preset can be further adjusted either on the entire image or on specific points of the image.

Nik Software also provides real-time, web-based training and they have an extensive archive of training videos.

It's time to get out and play some more!

Till next time.

Corvettes Everywhere!

2011-08-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Aug 14 my wife Ashara, two of our close friends Lisa and Jeff, and I attended the All Corvette Car Show at the Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-in located in Issaquah, WA.

The weather was perfect for the event: sunny and warm even though there was rain predicted for the day. This is Western Washington after all and anything is possible!

Needless to say, this Corvette fan was in 'Vette heaven with all models (C1 - C6) represented in full glory. One of my more recent friends, Jake Stern brought his custom C4, aptly named The Snake Charmer. Jake's car has won many awards over the years and it is easy to see why. In fact, Jake and I just completed writing a story about his car and we submitted that with accompanying photos to a couple of Corvette magazines. We would love to see his story published!

The Snake Charmer

I was so busy talking with car owners and getting many photos of these beauties that my wife and friends continued on without me, which proved to work out very well for all of us. We eventually hooked up for lunch and more walking about.

The older cars really capture my attention due to the styling of the '50s and 60s. These cars do not have the drive-ability that current cars have, but man, they sure do scream style! Here are some that I really love.

1956 Turquoise w/ white cove

1960 Metallic Black w/ silver cove

C2 Interior

1966 Red with side pipes

There were close to 100 Vettes on display, and many more that were not on display parked across the road. Lots of people drove up on Harley's, in other muscle cars, even on bicycles!

The Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-in is a favorite destination of car enthusiasts. There is something happening every weekend, and stepping inside the restaurant is like stepping back in time!

See you there next time!

Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

2011-07-20T23:51:00.000-07:00

A good friend and fellow photographer, Michael Elenko and I met at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge this morning to walk around, visit with each other and shoot [ok, photograph] birds in the Refuge.

We caught up with a group of volunteers and visitors who count birds each Wednesday morning. They are experts and point out birds that I never would have seen otherwise. We saw a tufted owl, yellow warblers, other birds whose names I do not recall, lots of geese, ducks, terns, blue herons and bald eagles throughout the day. Oh yeah, and two painted box turtles sunning on a large rock later in the day.

Michael brought his Canon 7D with a Canon 100-400mm lens f/4.5-5.6 IS L . I had my Canon 5D with two lenses: Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L and Canon 70-200 f/4 L. His camera was fast on multiple shot using auto-focus mode! His lens at full extension really did the job on picking out the birds in the brush and when they were flying low along the water.

Here are a few examples from each of our lenses. Michael was very gracious when I asked to borrow his big lens.

Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L [set at 70mm]

Canon 100-400 lens f/4.5-5.6 IS L [set at 400mm]

Canon 70-200 f/4 L [set at 200mm]

The clouds hung around most of the morning and around 1:00 they dissipated offering a warm and very bright yellow ball of light. Oh yeah, that's the sun. Haven't seen that for a while this summer!

The bridge system is excellent because it allows visitors to walk over the tide flats and out towards the sounds. Anderson Island, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and points north were quite visible.

There are two old barns which I found to be very photogenic. This was taken with the Canon 24-70 lens set at 24mm with a polarizing filter attached.

Love the wide angle aspect!

All in all it was a great day to hang at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge with Michael. Will be returning this summer with my wife Ashara, and again this autumn for a different palette of color and birds!

It's late and I'm off to sleep.

Marieh is Set Free!

2011-07-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

Marieh tastes the sweetness of freedom since surgery!

Marieh is the black horse

For those who don't know Marieh required two rounds of surgery in April due to a complication during the birth of her foal. We made a very tough and heart-wrenching decision to sacrifice the foal in order to save Marieh.

During the past 3.5 months Marieh stayed in a stall 24x7 while she was healing. Today Dr. Tricia Arnold from Tacoma Equine Hospital came out for Marieh's recheck and gave her approval to release Marieh to the herd. YEE-HAAA!

Marieh, Ashara, the herd and I want to sincerely thank the wonderful staff at Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital, specifically Dr. Wendy Mallot and Dr. Joanne Fehr when Marieh was in their care during the surgeries and subsequent recovery in April.

Also our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Meg deGravelles of Tacoma Equine Hospital

for taking care of our Marieh during the pregnancy, her quick response when Marieh was in labor, and of course post-surgery care when Marieh was at home.

A Happy Marieh

We are blessed to have our herd back to health.

CORVETTES EVERYWHERE!

2011-07-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

Several months ago Ashara and I joined the Tacoma Corvette Club since we own a 2009 Corvette Coupe.

This is Cydian, short for obsidian since she is black and beautiful. Yes, we name our cars...don't ask.

Ashara's Volvo is Edward. Guess who he is named after? Hint: think vampires.

For the past 13 years the Tacoma Corvette Club holds their annual "Shadow" event at the Enzian Inn, Leavenworth, WA. This event is fondly named "The Shadow" 'cuz the Enzian is very close to the mountains and when the sun dips below the mountains, well you get the idea.

This past weekend was the fourteenth annual event, and it was the first time we attended with the club. We visited with and got to know some of the club members better during the weekend since this is a close-knit bunch of Corvette enthusiasts. We really enjoyed the time around so many good people. There were attendees from other clubs including the British Columbia Corvette Club and a couple who drove their 'Vette from St. George, UT. They won the Long Distance award!

I think there were close to 85 Corvettes in the parking lot. Every model generation [C1 - C6] was represented at the event. The cars on display ranged from 1959 - 2011.

The 1959 Coupe

I volunteered to be the official event photographer and man, I was working it Friday afternoon and all day Saturday! Ashara helped me keep track of all the cars that were in the various classes being judged. We put two slideshows together for the Saturday night dinner and awards presentation. Well over 200 photos were displayed and we heard lots of positive feedback!

A 2004 Custom Corvette

As you can see this car won 5 awards, including: Best Paint, Best Engine, Best Interior, People's Choice and Best of Show. Clearly the favorite this year!

To see more award winning cars, please visit my new and improved website.

Thanks for the read!

Where Have I Been?

2011-07-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

OK, so my last post was 5 months ago. Not exactly staying current with this, eh?

All the news to bring you up to speed:

I am currently on sabbatical from work, which is nice. I am getting caught up on many home-based projects over the summer.

My wife Ashara and I visited family in Boulder, CO and Cheyenne, WY in June. This is our granddaughter Jayden enjoying a day at Frontier Park in WY.

We also visited a Wildlife Sanctuary in Keensberg, CO where their mission is to prevent and alleviate cruelty to animals which have been abandoned or subjected to deprivation or neglect. They provide care and boarding for such animals. These are beautiful animals whose lives are so much better since being cared for at the sanctuary.

It's a destination that is well worth the drive NE of Denver.

Still much to do around the homestead, so till next time, enjoy the summer!

Rosie

2011-02-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

This is Rosie - she is approximately 14 years by our calendar, which is 98 years by her calendar!

She has led a wonderful life with us on our farm. She's had 20 acres to run on, to play, sniff, dig, chase, sleep and everything else she's come to love doing.

Rosie's transitioning to her ethereal life today. Back to the Source.

You see, she's had cancer since December, and with herbal treatment she's stayed with us longer than we expected. The past couple of weeks have been harder; we know she is hurting.

That said, she has stayed 'cuz she loves her life so much and she has soaked up all the love we give back. The other day we recounted her life and she seemed to appreciate hearing how much joy she has given us, and how much love we have given her.

Now, she is tired and we honor her desire to move on. We have been expecting this day, and still my heart aches.

Our dear friend Joy Turner is an animal communicator. She has been checking in with Rosie regularly to help us know when she is ready to transition. Ashara and I connect with our family and we feel them deeply. Sometimes our emotions skew what we hear. So, Joy helps us get clear communication.

I'd like to thank Dr. Jenifer Preston for facilitating Rosie's transition. She is our choice for homeopathic veterinary care, a friend to our furry family and supports us through these challenges.

So today we celebrate Rosie's long life and we say, "Rosie, thank you for loving us and being in our lives. Go run in the fields as you transition out of this life and into the next. See you when you are ready to return, you are welcome back."

We Love YOU!

Last Day

2011-02-23T17:31:00.000-08:00

Feb 4, 2011

Tomorrow we fly home, so today we are going for a drive and a hike. Our destination is Pololu Valley Lookout.

My leg is feeling much better, and a hike will be a nice way to see more of the island.

We drive north and then east to the end of highway 270 where there are many cars along side of the road at the trail head. There is some parking, maybe enough for 10 vehicles. Looks like someone is backing out, so we give them plenty of room to leave and we have a nice place to park.

The trail is a bit steep, manageable though. The valley drops below the trail, it is a magnificent sight with the ocean at the bottom of the trail. We stop about 2/3rds of the way down to rest a bit and take some photos.

We continue on and reach the bottom where the sand is black and very fine. Lots of ironwood trees are between the beach and the valley. Waterfalls back up the slopes of the valley feed a wide stream that runs into the ocean.

I take out the 15mm fish-eye and enjoy the visual effects on the foreground and the horizon in the distance.

There is a couple taking pictures of themselves doing yoga at the beach. I offer to help and they quickly accept. We fire off half a dozen photos while they pose. They intend to use the photos on their yoga website. Nice!

Ashara and I hang around for a while enjoying the moments together. Eventually we hike back up and drive back to town for a refreshing icy beverage at...yes, Starbucks in the Parker Ranch Center, Waimea [Kamuela].

Somewhere during the last day or so I forgot that we went to Greenwell Coffee Farm. It was fun to see the plantation and the rows of coffee trees full of ripe cherries. We went on the brief tour which was educational and gave us more reason to appreciate everyone who is involved in the production of fine coffee.

We tasted several different roasts of their Kona; my favorite was the Espresso Roast which was good and very satisfying - a nice deep roast.

After the tour I stopped to make some photos of the grandmother coffee trees which were the first trees brought to the island from Latin America. The volcanic-rich soil definitely imparts flavor to the beans!

Other photos include a couple of island natives just hanging 'round.

As the day was ending another gorgeous sunset was about to play out. Since I did not photograph any sunsets up to this point, I am ready.

Lovely Light!

I hope you are enjoying the escapades of Glenn and Ashara. It is fun writing about our adventures, even though is has been a couple of weeks since we were on the Big Island.

Next up: "Sir, I cannot serve you a beer..."

A Hot Tub Saga

2011-02-20T12:12:00.000-08:00

Feb 2, 2011

I have been soaking in the one of the two hot tubs at the condo complex since injuring my thigh .

Really nice tubs; good jet action and clean water. Helped the thigh muscle a lot!

Later in the day Ashara and I go to the local Verizon store in Kailua-Kona because Verizon is our mobile service provider and we are interested in the soon-to-be-released iPhone. We chat with Kalani Kam, one of the sales reps at the store. He is very informed and helpful. No pressure whatsoever!

Ashara is interested in upgrading her Blackberry to the latest model. I am torn between keeping my old flip phone which is all I need [or so I believe] and wait for the iPhone due out later in the month.

While Ashara is playing with the latest Blackberry, Kalani shows me a Droid phone by HTC. I am fairly impressed with the display, the features and functions. I decide to wait before purchasing when I hear a new 4G ready Droid phone is due to release later in the month.

Hey, 4G is faster, right?

Ashara and I leave after a while and go back to the condo to relax, eat dinner and settle in for the night.

Feb 3, 2011

Ashara and I go out for our morning walk around Waikoloa Village. I'm still moving a bit slow and decide to soak in the hot tub when we return to the condo.

I remember to take my iPod out of the front pocket of my swim shorts before getting into the tub. I soak for 15 minutes enjoying the sun and listening to music on the iPod. After 15 minutes, I feel a vibration on my hip and thigh when the hot tub jets stop.

Is my thigh muscle vibrating after the soak? Did my bum go to sleep and now the blood is circulating again?

WHAT, ALREADY?

Wait a minute! I forgot my flip phone is in the rear pocket of my shorts.

INCONCEIVABLE!

I reach in, pull out the mostly dead phone and watch as it spits water from every possible opening.

The little display is very blank and when I flip it open more water leaks out.

"He's dead, Jim."

OK, I guess this little watery adventure determined my next purchase.

Back to the Verizon store we go. Kalani makes two easy sales inside of 10 minutes. Ashara upgrades her Blackberry [she is thrilled] and I move into 21st century mobile technology with the HTC Droid phone.

I admit I like my new phone and access to email and the internet. Took me a while [and a drowned phone] to get me there.

More adventures tomorrow.

Contemplations and Meditations

2011-02-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

Feb 1, 2011

Another rough night of restless sleep and I am beat! The pain in my thigh is just about intolerable. I was right when I said, "I'm gonna pay for this."

Ashara heads out for her morning walk and stop at Starbucks.

I take a couple of pills to relieve the pain, apply more balm and as comfortably as possible lay down to contemplate and meditate with the intention of relieving the pain.

My routine is to listen to meditation music combined with spoken word. My favorites are:

Abraham-Hicks Guided Meditations

John Assaraf Neural Reconditioning

As I begin to drift off to sleep listening to the meditations, I quickly become aware that I am in alpha state. This is an optimum state to open up to whatever comes next.

Part of the Abraham-Hicks meditations speaks about 'releasing resistance' to whatever I'm resisting which keeps me from moving forward to attain my goals.

The meditation leads me to feel how comparing myself to Nick [and every other professional photographer] is a form of resistance in myself and my photography. I also see how this affects my art by blocking energetic creativity.

I feel into the resistance and slowly allow that to release. By the time my meditation is complete my thigh feels much better and I am ready to go out for a walk.

By the end of the day I am walking much easier and my thigh is only mildly sore.

Resistance is futile!

Glenn Goes For The Big One

2011-02-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

Jan 31, 2011

Monday morning and ready to meet Nick Selway at Kaupulehu which is one of his favorite places to film waves.

My leg still hurts and I'm moving around the condo like The Mummy.
So be it…I'm a warrior, which means I act in spite of fear or pain.

Where the hell is that aspirin?

OK, grab my gear, kiss Ashara who is still sleeping and head out.

I make my way down the 3 flights of stairs slowly and manage to get in behind the wheel of the rental without too much agony.

I meet Nick right on time at 7AM and we start the 20 minute walk to the water. Oh yeah, Nick did say the beach park opens at 9AM and the gates across the road are closed until then.

While we walk and I'm doing my best to keep up with Nick, we have a chance to converse about life and photography.

Did I mention Nick is 24 years young?

He's living his dream and passion. I have such admiration [read: envy] for him which is now reflecting in my leg hurting even more.

Wait a sec, what's up with this?

Am I comparing my life with Nick's and again realizing I'm feeling diminished because I'm not fulfilling my purpose, and my passion?

Hmmmm. I'll check in with myself later. Right now, we have waves to film!

We arrive at the 'beach' which due to recent ocean swells is fairly devoid of sand except in the water. So we make our way down the rocks and into the ocean.

Nick has a waterproof case that is perfect for the water. It also has a price tag that is greater than most cameras on the market today. It is an investment for sure.
I have my soft-sided case with the Canon 5D and 24-70mm lens.

A couple of guys are boarding while we are filming so we add them to some of the compositions. Nick is in the water where the waves are breaking 2 to 4 ft. over his head.

GULP!

I'm in the 'crunch zone' where the waves are breaking in front of me and I'm getting the full brunt of the wave's energy without the advantage of smooth water.
Nick calls me to move past this point and join him. Meanwhile I'm doing everything I can to keep my injured leg from devolving further into something akin to jelly.

I start to move out and here comes the next set of waves that look like bone crushers.
Quick, decision time. Run or hide?

Really!
Try to move away from the monster or dive under?

I hear all the submarine skippers from all those movies in one swift moment: "Prepare to dive. Dive, dive, dive!"
Down I go under the wave and then pop up after a bit of swirling around underwater.

Did I have the presence of mind to fire the shutter?

All I can think about is the next wave and it is bearing down fast!

OK, repeat previous action, and dive again.

I think I'll go get my longer lens and try some shots from chest-deep water.

With the 70-200mm f/4L lens in place I go back into the water and compose to get Nick and the two guys with their boards in the waves.

Some decent shots here.

After an hour or so we call it good and leave the waves behind.
Walking back up to our cars is more challenging now that my leg is reminding me that it worked hard supporting the rest of my body while in the water.

I'm gonna pay for this big time!

Nick and I talk more at the cars while watching many humpback whales play / breach in the ocean. What a magnificent sight!
We part company and wish each other well.

Nick is a really good guy and a gifted photographer.

Thanks for the morning Nick!

Honey I Love You, But You Smell Like Tiger Balm

2011-02-11T08:55:00.000-08:00

Jan 30, 2011

My adventures in the water yesterday was so much fun I'm going back today.

"What about the photos from yesterday, any keepers?"

Well, let's just say that the 15mm fish-eye has a 180 degree view, meaning it captures an angle of view that is really wide! So, there is a lot of vignetting in all the photos when the camera was in the waterproof case.

This I expected. What I didn't expect was how most of the photos looked as if I were shooting from inside of a front-load washing machine.

Yeah, that barrel look from inside the waterproof case.

Shooting at 1/2000 did produce a nice stop action effect!

That's OK, the case worked perfectly for what it was designed for: keep the water out, which it did flawlessly.

Next time I'll use a different lens, maybe the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L which will fit nicely in the extended barrel.

Meanwhile, I re-learned how to play in the water, this time with a camera strapped to me.

And, I didn't drown!
My wife, Ashara appreciates that.

Same here!

There was one minor injury however. Later in the day I noticed my right thigh was hurting, the pain fairly intense.
Must have pulled the muscles while filming in the water. Maybe I injured it when I bumped into one of the [unseen] rocks underwater.

No worries, just schmear on the pain relieving balm and all will be good.

Ever use any of that stuff? Works well for minor aches and pain. It took the edge off a bit, but this injury felt deep and it spread around to my butt as the day wore on.

OUCH!

I couldn't sit or lay down comfortably. The pain kept me awake most of the night. I even moved to another bedroom just so I wouldn't disturb Ashara's sleep.

Man, this really hurts!

Now, if I can just crawl to beach…

Fish Tails and Fish-Eye Tales

2011-02-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

Jan 29, 2011

Up before sunrise which is at 7AM this time of year and ready to head out to Hapuna Beach State Park where I will make some fab photos of perfectly curled waves.

My expectations aren't too big, now are they?

When was the last time I was in the ocean photographing the water?
NEVER!

How much experience do I have with the newly purchased DiCAPac WPS10 Waterproof Case?
NONE! Well, I did test the bag in the sink using paper towel before I put my Canon 5D and a lens in the bag at the condo…is that sufficient?

Oh, yes and have I ever used the Canon 15mm f/2.8 fisheye lens that I rented from Borrow Lenses.com before now?
NO!

Reality check, which my darling wife reminds me often: its going to take some time to become familiar with _____ [fill in the blank].

Still, haven't you ever looked at photos in a magazine or on the web and said to yourself, "I can do that!"

Happens to me all the time.

That's why photography is so wonderful…it is a very humbling endeavor that takes a lifetime to master.

Philosophy aside, I head to the beach prepared to enjoy the moments in the warm blue-green waters of Hawaii.

I find a good spot to enter the water: an outcrop of volcanic rock exposed by ocean swells and a sand bar match up nicely. I step across the rock and look down to insure my footing is true when I see lots of tiny fish swimming in the exact place I am stepping. None too graceful I step over the fish, move to another piece of rock and just about lose my balance all the while keeping the camera and bag from hitting anything hard or sharp.

Meanwhile the fish are darting to and fro, staying clear as I make my way into the water. At least once while I move between rock and water I step into the sand where the fish are now freaking out and swimming in every direction. SORRY FISH!

Now the fun begins.

Have you ever attempted to do anything with two hands while maintaining your balance in an ever shifting body of water, like the ocean?

The waves are breaking in chest-deep water. While the waves are 4 ft to 5 ft high, they look REALLY BIG from this perspective.

Breathe Glenn, just breathe…slowly!

OK, wait for the next set, line up the waterproof case and camera so I 'catch the curl' at just the right moment and be ready for the next set of waves to crash over me.

Ready, set and click, click, click.

Come up for air and be ready for the next set of waves…
go…click, click, click.

"Man, this is hard work!"

Let's recall what to do when waves break: dive to the bottom, grab the sand and pop up on the back side.

But wait, the waterproof case is full of air and it it pops up before I do! Good thing it has a neck strap which keeps it close to me and tends to act like a life preserver.

After 30 minutes of this exercise I decide to dry out and eat some well-deserved breakfast on the beach.

It's barely 8AM and I feel like I had a full day already. People are arriving with boogie boards, fins, surf boards, you name it.

It's gonna be a good day for water sports and people watching!

I'll check photos on the laptop back at the condo later on.

Meanwhile, I'll soak up some sun while it's still coming up.

Fun In The Sun

2011-02-07T20:22:00.000-08:00

Jan 28, 2011

Ashara and I wake up and agree that shopping is the plan for the day.

We go to the Waikoloa Village Starbucks for breakfast and then leave for Kailua-Kona. Our destination is Ali'i Drive for lots of local flavor and shopping.

One of our stops is to look at rings at the Titanium Ring Shop, a store advertised in Hana Hou, the in-flight magazine. We look for a while and talk with the store manager about several options. Ashara really likes the dark wood colors and I like the lapis. Since each ring is hand-made and made-to-order we combine our likes and decide on matching rings with 2 bands of black wood and a band of lapis in the middle. Our rings will be made and shipped home in 2-3 weeks. Can hardly wait to see the finished rings!

Next we stop for lunch at the Kona Inn Restaurant. Sitting outdoors with the ocean breeze is delightful. Ashara gets a chicken dish while I opt for BBQ pulled pork; both delicious.

We hit the street again, this time looking for the Lava Light Gallery which is co-owned by CJ Kale and Nick Selway. Nick is a long-time friend of my friend and photographer Mandy Swehla. Mandy suggested Ashara and I visit the gallery when we are on island because I am fascinated by wave photography, and I want to create some of my own.

We find the gallery on Ali'i Drive, walk in and we are greeted by Nick. I introduce Ashara and myself and say to Nick, "You know Mandy Swehla? She sent us to see you and CJ." Well, that opened up many minutes of conversation with both CJ and Nick. We got the grand tour of the gallery, then Nick and I got into tech talk about how the photos were taken: ISO settings, shutter speed vs. aperture priority, waterproof cases, etc. I mentioned that I came with my gear and planning to do lots of wave photography. Nick also pointed to an award that CJ just received for an outstanding photo he took of lava flowing into the ocean in the Puna District of the Big Island. CJ mentioned that the shelf of lava he just photographed dropped and exploded into the ocean!

Nick offered to shoot with him on Monday at one of his favorite places which was close by to Waikoloa Village. I practically jumped out of my skin at his offer, and of course agreed to meet him at 7AM.

Shortly after we left the gallery for more sight-seeing and shopping.

We eventually made our way back to the condo and watched another spectacular sunset over the Pacific.

Stay tuned for the next installment!

Aloha and Welcome Aboard Hawaiian Airlines

2011-02-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

Jan 27, 2011

By far this is the best flight my wife and I have ever been on - we're flying Hawaiian Airlines First Class, Seattle to Kona thanks to the air miles we earned during the past couple of years.

Champagne and guava juice as soon as we are seated, snacks soon follow, and then a brunch that could easily satisfy two of me!

Oh, and a digi-player that is chock full of movies, music vids, books, news, and flight info. I check out a movie for a couple of hours and then start the book I brought for the flight.

More champagne is offered throughout the flight; I want to arrive coherent so I opt for water instead.

We arrive in Honolulu, Oahu, change aircraft and continue on to Kona on The Big Island.

I get my camera out and fire off a dozen photos of the islands as we fly over them.

We land in Kona, exit the jet and we look at each other and say, "feels like home." The aloha is strong.
Yes, Hawaii has a way of feeling like home especially to those who have been here before. We realize this is our 7th visit to Hawaii since 1992, and our 4th visit to The Big Island. We love it here.

Pick up the rental car, drive north to Waikoloa Village and on to the condo we found through Abbey Vacation Rentals. This is our 2nd stay at the Vista, Unit E305. Home away from home!

First evening we walk around the area to re-quaint ourselves and enjoy the first of many wonderful sunsets.

The nights are bring about a star-filled sky and 'lull me to sleep' sounds of palm fronds moving on a gentle breeze.

Heaven!

The Hawaiian Adventure Begins

2011-02-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

Jan 26, 2011

Vacation starts today!

Everything is just about ready for our departure to Hawaii tomorrow morning.

clothes : check
camera and gear : check
do web check-in for Ashara and me : check and check

Only thing left to do is wait for two deliveries:
1. lens filters from www.adorama.com
2. 15 mm f2.8 fisheye lens from www.borrowlenses.com

Check the two carrier's websites and both are out for delivery…perfect!

11AM : the lens filters arrive
11AM - 1PM : time moves slowly when you are waiting for a delivery
1PM : wash my car in front of the house while waiting for delivery
1:30PM : car is now very clean and back in the garage
1:45PM : check carrier website again and notice a delivery exception at 1PM…what the hell?

I look up the definition of 'delivery exception' on carrier's website and it states: no one at home to sign for package.

My language is laced with colorful metaphors.

Get on the phone to the carrier; ask about the delivery and the supposed exception since I was in front of my house washing my car and there were no delivery trucks to be seen.

Sweet as can be the customer service rep says "I don't understand why the driver posted that exception. Is it OK for the driver to stop by tomorrow?"

In my best Billy Crystal impersonation I say "I'm on vacationnnnn!!!, and I will be flying out tomorrow morning. So, the answer is NO!"

Customer Service rep puts me on hold for a moment and comes back with the carrier's local dispatcher. The dispatcher talked with the driver and the driver said he will not be coming back today.

More colorful metaphors pop in my head like bacon frying in a hot skillet.

"OK, let's work through this." I say. "Either the driver makes the delivery today or your company can forward the package to Hawaii at your cost."

Dispatcher asks if she can give the driver my phone number and we can connect later today in town. Sounds reasonable, "Yes, thank you."

Driver calls me and we make arrangements to meet at 5:30PM. I drive into town and meet the driver at a store where he had some packages to pick-up.

He's a happy guy 'cuz I help him meet his daily goals of delivering all packages. Nice!
I'm a happy guy 'cuz I have the lens in hand and now I can really start my vacation!

Go home to get my beloved, the luggage and the camera gear, then drive up to the hotel by the airport so we can make the morning flight.

The adventure continues...

The Vortex of Creation

2011-01-16T16:14:00.000-08:00

This is The Vortex of Creation.

Notice how all lines lead to the center as white light emanates from the center.

This is where all elements of creation come together while I sit in the center feeling the joy of the expansion of the Universe.

All cooperative components including you and me create the expansion!

Do you feel the joy of expansion?

Are you creating everything you want in your life?

I'd love to hear from you!

Photography Wordle

2010-11-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

My thoughts about my photography

Old Farm Tractor

2010-10-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

Oct 10, 2010

This Old Tractor

I accompanied my wife Ashara on a 4-hour journey to her driving lesson at Happs, Inc. in Ethel, WA. Now this is a different type of driving lesson; it involves a horse and a driver. The goal is to teach the horse and driver to work in tandem on the ground, which ultimately leads to horse, driver and a cart!

While Ashara and her horse Wilma were taking their lesson I sat in our truck with our two dogs Rosie and Baby reading the Oct issue of Rangefinder magazine.

Whenever I’m feeling low ebb in creativity pouring through Rangefinder helps me to get my creative juices flowing again. Featured articles about Harald Mante, Dominic Mondy, Jennifer Hudson and Rob Lindsay got me to thinking about my own style of photography, which I’m always refining.

At this point I looked out of the window and noticed a wonderfully rusted tractor, which in the words of the manager at Happs, “it still works.” I grabbed my camera and set out to create some fine art images. The more photos I took, the more I saw this old farm tractor as something more than the obvious.

The design, engineering and craftsmanship that went into this tractor was for a singular purpose: to pull other farm tools behind it.

I mused for a few moments:

“How many hours does the engine have on it?”

“How many bums have sat in this seat?”

“How many miles have these wheels rolled?”

The tractor remained silent, not giving away any of its secrets.

Still, I was certain the answers were right there waiting for me to tell the story.

I boosted the ISO to 1600 to give the images a nice grainy feel that I hope brings out the age of the tractor. I mostly shot with a shallow depth of field f/2.8 – f/4 to focus on those parts that inspired me the most.

A tractor is a composite of its component parts, each working with the other to create the total machine. While the tractor itself [the macro level] is interesting, the parts [the micro level] really intrigued me.

All photos were taken with a Canon 5D, Canon EF 24-70L lens, and edited using Apple Aperture and Nik Software Color Efex Pro.

Take a look at these photos and tell me what they invoke in you. What speaks to you: the macro or the micro, and why?

Click here to see more photos.

Reflections From A Warrior

2010-09-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

Wow, it’s almost the end of September and I have been remiss in updating everyone since July - argggghhhh!

So, without further ado:

The title of this entry has a variety of meanings. Reflections can mean an image displayed or reflected in a body of water or mirror/glass, or a car fender like the image below, etc.

For last couple of weeks the title had another meaning for me: re-evaluating [reflecting on] my photography business: Warrior’s Heart Photography.

You see one measure of success is by increasing the number of active clients and that has been slow for me this year.

Ok, well that happens to all businesses at some point. However, since I currently fulfill all roles for the business I had to ask myself: “Am I doing everything possible to increase my business?”

So, I took inventory of the necessary items every business should have:

A service or a product – check and check [I have both: photography is the service; prints and books are the products]

Talent and skills – double check [I continually improve both of these by taking workshops and applying what I learn]

A website – check [BTW take a peek at the NEW and improved website hosted by Pictage!]

A blog – check [this blog site]

Marketing of products and services – check [this blog post, email via Constant Contact, website marketing, word of mouth]

A growing list of potential clients who may want what I have to offer – check [Constant Contact]

So, “what’s missing?” I asked myself one morning while shaving and looking at my reflection in the mirror.

Then it struck me: “Not what, Glenn”; the question is “who is missing?”

Well, “You are”, I said [no, not you the reader], really the answer is “Me”. I was missing from my business– of course!

Side note: One of my business mentors Jim Rohn always said: “Of course, OF COURSE!” when an answer was so crystal clear to him.

Another mentor Jerry Clark always said, "you have to have a burning desire to succeed". This is so true in business, especially in the world of photography because there are so many photographers to choose from.

I was missing that burning desire that first fueled my business and me!

Where did it go? How did I lose it? Was it gone forever? What happened and when?

I reflected on those questions a couple of weeks ago while on vacation from my day job.

You know what? The answers to those questions were also inside me. Yep, that’s right. I looked no further than inside me.

I am responsible and accountable for everything that is reflected in my world. Guess I forgot that for a while and expected my business to grow independent of me. “Yeah, lots of luck with that one pal!”

How many times have I heard and said the following to my friends, family, and associates:

“The way you do anything is the way you do everything.”

This is another tidbit of wisdom that keeps me moving forward despite my efforts to derail my own success at times.

Do you know why I named my business Warrior’s Heart Photography?

"Being a warrior means never quitting no matter what. Staying on the warrior’s path is a lifelong journey and having the heart of a warrior is what keeps me moving forward everyday."

That’s right: I DO NOT QUIT!

I move forward one step at a time, and sometimes I even take a leap of faith to keep going.

Reflecting back on this post I realized many sentences begin with ‘I’. Well, this is all about me, right?

Wrong…it’s all about how I serve YOU: with a clear vision and an open [warrior’s] heart in my photography business.

I’d love to hear back from you – please post a response right now and tell me what you think.

As a way of saying thank you for readers in the Seattle/Tacoma/Olympia region:

I am offering a 2-for-1 print special combined with your first photo session!
Visit my new website for more info.

And as always, thank you for everything!
Glenn

Doug Gordon Workshop

2010-07-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a Doug Gordon workshop in Seattle and it was FANTASTIC!!

Doug conducted a live and hands-on wedding 'flow posing' workshop using a young bride and groom couple [models]. He took us through 100+ poses in a short period of time - AMAZING!

We watched, listened, photographed and learned throughout the afternoon.

I edited some recent photos of friends Deb and Tony Arends using the techniques I learned.

Hope you enjoy them!

"Belief fuels passion, and passion rarely fails"
Mac Anderson

Countdown to Baby!

2010-07-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

Our friends Deb and Tony Arends ventured to the McKenna Forest for a portrait session yesterday. Their baby will be joining the family soon! We had lots of fun creating mood for the indoor and outdoor photos.

Thanks to our mutual friend Laurel who also traveled for a photo session.
She assisted me, helped Deb, and had a fine eye for the details that made the session memorable!

Like what you see? Post a comment!