Chasing Trains

I did NOT drive down a quiet country road at 80 MPH to match the speed of the train in order to take this picture! ;-)

The Bridge's Shadow

Snapped this while out and about on the weekend. This is the Pennybacker Bridge in Austin, Texas. I have never seen this shadow before and glad I took it because two minutes after the shot, the clouds rolled in the shadow faded.

Busy Skies

Lots of contrails over Austin, Texas today.

Austin Sunset - Timelapse

Austin Sunset - Timelapse a video by The Guvnah on Flickr.

So this is my first real attempt at time lapse photography with mm D7000. There's a neat spot just south of Austin where you can get a great view of the city. I took about 1.5 hrs of 30 second photos and here is the result.

Tractor Parts

Rusting Carriage

Putting the D7000 Through its Paces...Lackland Air Fest at San Antonio

I have had the D7000 for a while now. The verdict? AMAZING! AWESOME! And as we say back home in Australia - BONZA! Lovely features and terrific images. Just a great piece of kit. It feels great to hold, and all of the controls make its features easily accessible. I love the image quality, and whether its been for regular shooting or astro use, it's been just brilliant.

I took it to the Lackland Air Fest in San Antonio for a test run. Being able to shoot at 6 frames per seconds meant that not too much was missed at all. I still have the stock 55-200mm non-VR lens that came with my D40, but it handled things fine.

Click on the image below for my FLICKR gallery from the airshow.

Nikon D7000 on the Way!

The nature of this blog is about to change. Not that anyone reads it anyway!

I just ordered a Nikon D7000 camera. This is Nikon's latest entry into the prosumer/semi-professional camera range. I love my D40, and will hang onto it as a backup or second body as Is tart trying to shoot at more interesting events. I feel I have pushed it to the limit, taking on astrophotography and HDR photography. But, I needed something more versatile and durable for some upcoming projects.

I had my eyes on either the D90 or the D300. The latter was really getting my attention due to its durability, build, and features. Then Nikon comes out with the D7000 at a price point in between the D90 and the D300. Amazing set of features, too! So, I just ordered one tonight.

It should really be a step above the the D40, and give me more capabilities as I start to pursue some of the interests I had many years ago, forgot about and am now keen on pursuing again, namely photojournalism. We'll see!

University of Austin Shooting

On September 28, 2010, an alleged lone shooter walked through parts of the University of Texas, Austin brandishing an AK-47. The perpetrator fired shots on the Sixth Floor of the Perry-Castaneda Library and then killed himself around 8:00am local time. Nobody else has been reportedly injured or killed.

I arrived towards the tail end of this event, having been quite sick and on my way to my doctor. My camera was in the car so I dropped by for some photos. Would have loved to have spent more time there.

Click on the image below to see the set.

Forgotten Liquor Store

I found this while out and about this morning. It was taken in Taylor, Texas, near the huge Union Pacific freightyards there. Seems that it hasn't been sued for years, and it was adjoined by other, deserted stores as well.

Nikon D40, 10-20mm Sigma HSM. HDR treatment with Dynamic-Photo HDR.

Lightning Storm Time Lapse

This is a first attempt at a time-lapse video. I shot a ton of pictures tonight as a storm passed over Austin, Texas. I didn't get any decent lightning strike photos but decided to try turning them into a time-lapse movie. The exposures were on the long side (30 seconds) so it's so-so. Highway on the right, railway on the left.

Bees and Butterflies!

Aussie BBQ

No Shade To Offer

Red Loco

This is my first attempt at color isolation within a photo. I took this shot at the Belgrave Puffing Billy yard outside of Melbourne, Australia. I first applied it through the HDR process using Dynamic-Photo HDR software.

Then, I performed additional processing in GIMP. I followed some instructions found on the web:

www.erodov.com/forums/gimp-tip-isolate-image-background/2...

And managed to produce a fairly decent image.

Austin by Night

Cloud Formations

I captured these magnificent looking clouds while out and about last night.

Decrepit Farm House

Found in Jonah, Texas.

Rusting Traction Engine HDR

Spotted at the Victorian Steam Center near Ferntree Gully, Victoria, Australia.

HDR Trike

I shot this nice machine while in Australia last month. I went for the glossy look with this image, and am rather happy with the result. The book really stands out here and the reflections are excellent!

Magic Toadstool

Seen out and about in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria, Australia.

Phillip Island, 2010

This photo set consists of various images taken around Phillip Island, a resort island about 1.5 hours southeast of Melbourne.

Click on the image above to see the set.

Melbourne City, 2010

Here are some images taken around Melbourne City, Victoria, Australia. Images include early morning shots as well as photos taken from the 88th floor of the Eureka Skydeck.

Click on the photo above for see the set.

Dandenong Ranges

These images were taken around the Dandenongs, east of Melbourne, during a trip there in June 2010. Click on the photo above to see more.

Great Ocean Road, 2010

Highlight images taken on a trip down the glorious Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Click on the picture above to go to the set.

Rustin' Mack

Limestone Mill Lightning

Beautiful storm last night!

This image is actually a composite of seven 20-second photos taken with my Nikon D40 and Sigma 10-20mm HSM lens on a tripod. The factory in the background is a limestone mill located near my home. I actually used astronomy processing software (Startrails) to merge the images to get the final composite.

Taken at McNeil Limestone Mill, Austin, Texas.

San Antonio Zoo - Trip Highlights

Texas State Capitol - Night Shot

Texas State Capitol - Wide Field HDR

I took this shot tonight to test out the Sigma 10-20mm. Pleased with the result although it could be a bit sharper in places. Better skies would make this shot more interesting, too.

Limestone Mill - HDR

I try not to push my HDR photos too hard. Sometimes, though, it's worth it to get the look I have in my mind. The shot above was taken from inside a limestone mill. There was limestone dust everywhere. It was also dusk during a cloudy day, so the mood was a bit menacing. Anyway, this image comes close to the gritty, raw image I had in my mind when I took the shot.

Industrial Line

Lime Mill Siding

Desolate Post Office

Pennybacker Bridge Wide Angle Test

Flowers, Graffiti and Open Doors

This is my first shot with the new lens. HDR, just for grins!

New Toy - Sigma 10-20mm HSM Wide Angle

I'm expanding my lens collection! Starting off with a wide angle zoom, I picked out the Sigma 10-20mm HSM for my Nikon D40. I got it primarily for landscape shots, but also for tight areas like market places etc. It's a heck of a hefty lens, doubling the weight of my D40 setup, easily! It has a good, solid construction and the zoom and manual focus rings are tight~ish but not too bad. I like it!!!!

Storm Clouds and Sun Beams

I took this while a storm cloud passed by tonight. Taken with my iPhone, actually, which did a decent job at capturing it!

Nose to Nose

I love trains. I am a train geek. I think they are impressive feats of human ingenuity and they have always captured my imagination. Thus, trains will always be featured prominently on my photo blog. :-)

I took this shot while driving through Fort Worth, Texas. I saw a train yard near the highway and pulled over to have a look around. This image, to me, captures the grimy, steel face that freight trains portray today.

Jerusalem Alleyway

To me, this shot is indicative of the foyers and alleyways you can encounter in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, Jerusalem.