POTD - Liquid Implosion

Liquid Implosion, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This is another shot from my time with the Nikon 40mm macro. I had a good amount of luck with that lens, and have been getting back in the groove of timing all this again. Doing all this manually has got me wanting a trigger setup really bad. It is rewarding catching moments like this all by hand though. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions or comments are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - UFO Ripple

UFO Ripple, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This isn't my sharpest or best lit shot of a water drop, but it's my first time achieving this shape. A collision with no stem and a nice ripple made for a pretty interesting shot I think. Please let me know what you all think, any suggestions or comments will be welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Rust And Gold

Rust And Gold, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

After my limited success with the sigma 105mm macro, I decided that I wanted to try a different focal length out. I shot this with the Nikon 40mm f/2.8 micro, which for the money is a perfectly sharp little lens. I do think as far as versatility towards my water drop photography, I'm thinking I'll give a 60mm a try. I think that would be just perfect. The more I do this type of photography, the more I get excited to put more into it. I'm looking at a new lens eventually, and I really want a trigger kit to time my shots in sync, which would do wonders for my success rate. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - One Of Many

One Of Many, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

So I started some water drop photography yesterday since outside around St. Louis is getting less appealing for photography until we get snow. I had a lot to remember about how to do everything, but I also picked up a few new techniques as well. Having a second flash now really did help and I was able to drop the power on both to better freeze the motion. That combined with a Sigma 105mm macro lens I borrowed from work, there was much fun to be had. I hope to invest a bit into my setup to make things better. Can't wait! Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Early Wilderness

Early Wilderness, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

Anyone who knows me here on Flickr, knows I can't make it too long without posting a Disney shot. I'm running really low on any sort of usable shots, so you know what that means. I get to hope I can afford to make it down at some point within the next year. Anyways, this was from our last trip as we met up at Wilderness Lodge for a breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Cloudy Black And White

Cloudy Black And White, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This is another shot from the Shaw Nature Reserve. The cloudy day presented just as many opportunities as it did problems. I wanted to try a bit more with black and white in mind on this trip. Having the cloudy skies and now having silver efex I have been having some fun. I thought this almost had that IR look to it, but liked the size comparison between my friend Scott and the massive trees he next to. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Fall Bridge Perspective

Fall Bridge Perspective, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This was taken at the Shaw Nature Reserve just a bit outside of the immediate St. Louis area. My friend Scott and I went out to shoot some fall colors. Despite having cloudy skies most of the day, we still each came away with some good shots. Please let me know what you think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This was taken inside the glass shop at Silver Dollar City. All the pieces in the shop are hand made and there was tons of colors in that space. These were some of the pumpkins they have made for fall. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions or comments would be welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

POTD - Portrait Work

Portrait Work, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This is one of the glass blowers that we watched for quite a well the two days we were at Silver Dollar City in Branson. This space presented a good challenge photographically which was pretty fun. The room was pretty low light with cool light overhead and the extremely warm light coming off the molten glass. I did manage this shot that I'm quite happy with. Since I don't do a lot of portrait work, I'd really like to hear your input. Thanks and as always, enjoy!

POTD - Golden Afternoon

Golden Afternoon, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

Just a random back log shot from the Missouri Botanical Garden. I had really good light splitting through the trees. I've said it many times, I love that little 35mm f/1.8. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

Dining With Waterfalls

Dining With Waterfalls, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

There is a small eating area that overlooks this small pond and beautiful waterfall in Silver Dollar City. Everyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for a good waterfall, so I had to stop and take a couple shots. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - World Famous Glass Blowing

World Famous Glass Blowing, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

One thing that I've always loved about Branson, in particularly Silver Dollar City, is the craftsmenship that's constantly surrounding you at all times. These glass blowers regularly work in this shop so guests can watch. I took quite a few pictures in here, and then some more the next day we were there. I was happy with the higher amount of portraits and storytelling shots that I was able to try here. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Waterfall Timer

Waterfall Timer, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This was taken on our long weekend to Branson, Missouri. We stopped by the Big Cedar Lodge which is a resort near Branson. It's extremely nice and very beautiful. This is part of a waterfall that snakes through the resort and even over the roads in certain spots. I took this one with my 10-20mm with my variable neutral density filter set at six stops. For having clouds almost the entire weekend, I still manage to get several good shots. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Alien Mantis

Alien Mantis, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

We just got back from a long weekend in Branson Missouri with my parents. We are watching the beginning of the baseball game and pretty happy so far. We go outside and on the outside of the door handle was a little green mantis. Jenea put her hand out to him and he didn't hesitate to climb aboard. I have been practicing with my flash to make myself a bit more versatile as a photographer. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Daniel Boone's Home

Daniel Boone's Home, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

About a week ago, I set out to a small town outside of St. Louis where Daniel Boone's home is. It's an amazing historical sight and looks very good for being finished in 1810. The property it sits on belonged to Daniel's youngest son Nathan. Oddly enough, this is a shot of the back of the house. Which I, like most other people, thought it was the front of the house. The house is four stories tall and has walls that are two and a half feet thick. The historical society has also brought other building from this time period onto the property to create a small village. There were a lot of great architecture shots here and as you'll see in a couple of days, the fall colors made and appearance as well. Please let me know what you think as any suggestions would be welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Epcot30

Epcot30, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

Happy 30th Birthday Epcot Center! Totally wish I could be there with everyone today to enjoy the park and shoot some photos. Have fun everyone and here's to another 30 years!

Color Pattern

Color Pattern, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

As I've said before, the nano crystal coating on the pro end Nikon lenses is amazing. The color it produces is so true and so bright it's fantastic. The was around the time that I started really enjoying the 105mm focal length. The more I shoot, the more I really like shooting with primes. Things might be changing for my gear setup here in the future, and if it does, expect more primes for sure. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Purple Stack

Purple Stack, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

These little purple flowers were something that I really didn't think too much about until I started shooting them with that 105mm macro lens. They were about as big around as a half dollar coin, and I didn't even notice that they had dew on them until I started shooting them. This of course made me love this lens even more and macro shooting in general. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Petals and Progress

Petals and Progress, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

At first, when I took out the macro lens, I wasn't sure that I would really like the 105mm focal length. Oh how wrong I was! I fell in love with the focal length and that macro lens. My only complaint with it is when you have a macro flash setup too, that makes for one heavy rig. It's hard for me to complain when I got results like this though. :) Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

Bee Happy

Bee Happy, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

I need some honest opinions on this one. This is the first real macro photography that I've done this far. I was fortunate enough to use a Nikon 105mm micro lens with a Nissin macro ring flash and it was a great experience. I will say for sure to all my Nikon shooters, if you don't have any lenses with the nano crystal coating, you need them. The color and sharpness out of these lenses is outstanding. I now know that I should have been closer to f/22 with my exposure on this one, but I think it still turned out pretty well. What do you all think? Any comments and suggestions are as welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

The Golden Horseshoe

The Golden Horseshoe, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

I've been in a Disney photo mood lately if you hadn't been able to tell. I really need to get to a Disney park STAT to get more shots for sure. Hoping this DLR trip pans out sooner than later but hoping for next year at some point. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Emporium Morning

Emporium Morning, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

Pulling another shot from the archives, this is from our first morning of our last trip, heading into the Magic Kingdom. Main Street in the morning is easily one of my favorite places to be anywhere. I love the architecture of the Emporium especially so of course I have several shots of it. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Around the Corner

Around the Corner, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This is a shot from the Mexico Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase. If you take the ramp up to the handicap entrance to the right of the stairs, you will be greeted to this beautiful sight. Even more beautiful if it was your first night there and you were heading inside toward San Angel Inn. :) Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Brilliant Brief Bloom

Brilliant Brief Bloom, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

A couple of days ago, we had one of our cacti, an Echinopsis, bloom for us. The interesting thing about this flower is that it blooms at night. So the flower opened up after midnight and closed before noon the next day. That's right, this thing only bloomed for less the twelve hours! I've said before that I really think that cacti flowers are the most dramatic and brilliant. To that point, the shorter that a cacti blooms, the more brilliant the bloom, as you can see here. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Glowing Temple

Glowing Temple, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This is another shot from the "Magic By Night" show at the Lantern Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden. It didn't turn out quite the way I wanted but boy do I love that glow. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Blossom At Sunset

Blossom At Sunset, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This past Friday night Jenea and I attended the night show for the Lantern Festival at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. We had a bit of sunset left when we got there and before the lights on the lanterns were turned on. We capitalized on that light and this is one of the results. I was really drawn to the fading light, so I ran a hand held bracket and here we have it. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Crystal Sunset

Crystal Sunset, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

I really liked the sky and the semi silhouetted Crystal Palace in this one. I thought it a bit intriguing after I snapped this at how shooting into the sun effected my exposure. Please let me know what you think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - A Wide Open Wilderness Welcome

A Wide Open Wilderness Welcome, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

I've been planning this Disneyland trip, and in that finding out how expensive the Disneyland hotels actually are. I've been reading trip reports and reviews, and I think the Desert Inn is going to be our home base for the DLR portion of our CA trip. It's the closest to the promenade and the entrances to the parks. Thinking about Disney planning always gets me thinking about past trips. That's exactly why I purposely held some photos back so that when I got in trip planning mode, I would have something to post with it. This was just as I walked into Wilderness Lodge. It wasn't my first time visiting, we stayed there in 2005, but it's is always such a grand sight to walk into that lobby. If anyone out there has any other hotel recommendations for directly around DLR please let me know. Enjoy!

POTD - Gradients And Patterns

Gradients And Patterns, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

I've really been thinking about Disney a lot lately since we are starting to plan our California vacation which includes my first trip to Disneyland. That's made me start looking through old WDW photos I haven't posted. A little TLC went a long way with this one and I was able to save it a bit. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - No Calm Before This Storm

No Calm Before This Storm, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

A couple of nights ago, a friend of mine called me to let me know he wasn't coming by that night because there was a huge storm that just hit him. He lives about 20 minutes from me and advised me I had that much time before the storm was on top of me. So I'm looking outside during this conversation, seeing a lot of lightning and wind, and no rain yet. I quickly get my camera out, switch lenses, grab tripod, and out into the yard I went. This is one of my favorites out of the bunch I was able to capture. Winds blowing, thunder and lightning all around, and I'm in the middle of my backyard with a fisheye lens pointed straight up. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Sassagoula Floatworks

Sassagoula Floatworks, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

I really loved all the decor and theming that abounded at Port Orleans French Quarter more than any other aspect. I loved that the pathways were streets in this perfectly themed little neighborhood. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Golden Hour Gerty

Golden Hour Gerty, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This isn't by any means the best shot in the world, but it is Disney and I really liked the way it turned out. I've been thinking about Disney park planning a lot lately. We are planning my first trip to DLR for next year, and that of course gets me wanting to go back to WDW. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

P.S. - If anyone has any tips or tricks for planning a DLR trip, where to stay, good restaurants, what time of year to go for good weather and crowds, etc., please please please let me know. I'm stressing out over this DLR planning even though it's a long way away, I still don't know when I should plan on going. Good weather and lowish crowds are my main concerns.

Wilderness Totem

Wilderness Totem, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

I haven't posted a Disney shot in a long while, and we've been talking more about our impending Disneyland trip. This is definitely a shot I'd like to try again, as I know I can get a much better shot now, but that's the beauty of WDW. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Sleeping In Chaos

Sleeping In Chaos, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

Nothing terribly special with this shot here, but I really liked how I was able to fill the frame with that 80-400mm I was using in Chicago. If you hadn't guessed, this is another one from Lincoln Park Zoo. I was really amazed at how this one was able to sleep so soundly. There were several other flamingos that were courting and being very loud, and worse off than that there was a young kid in the grass across from their enclosure screaming at the sea gulls that were around. I was surprised in this shot that the shadows turned out so good, as it was a bit later in the morning when I shot this. Please let me know what you think, as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Sun Beams And Hope

Sun Beams And Hope, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

Ok, so I'm not immensely pleased that I didn't get the whole Hope sign in this frame, but the square in front of the Hancock building in Chicago was full of tourists. I know I was a tourist as well, but these tourists had point and shoots and I was trying to shoot! lol. I ending up waiting my turn to shoot this composition, when a little girl wandered up to the left side of the sign. I just recomposed and shot away since I knew if I waited for her to move more people would have walked into my frame. I really love how it looks like the clouds are swirling around the building. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Pure Focus

Pure Focus, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but for our trip to Chicago, I borrowed a Nikon 80-400mm lens from my work. I was using for the rowing races we were at Lincoln Park for, when we decided to go to Lincoln Park Zoo afterward. The 80-400mm did an amazing job in both places. The weight of this lens is the only thing I wasn't crazy about, but the sharpness was an easy trade off. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Mosaic Center

Mosaic Center, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This is the center of a mosaic fountain in the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago. I liked this shot for two reasons. I liked the mosaic artwork and I liked the shadows of the sun coming through the greenhouse behind me. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - I Will Call You Squishy

I Will Call You Squishy, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

Not the sharpest shot in the world here, but I must say that Shedd Aquarium is one of the most poorly lit attractions in Chicago. I let Jenea use my 35mm f/1.8 so I was using my 28-70mm f/2.8, which in most cases, wasn't quite fast enough. The shot's still fairly clean and decently sharp, but of course we all strive for perfection. This just means I'll have to go back! Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Stretching Towards The Clouds

Stretching Towards The Clouds, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This is one of my favorite shots from our Chicago trip. The Hancock building is not built straight up, but rather at an angle. This allows people to see all the way to the top of the building from the ground and from very close to the building. You know it's a huge building when my 10-20mm can't get the whole thing in there! Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

Waterfall Among Ferns

Waterfall Among Ferns, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This is another shot from the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago. One of the most beautiful, and the most humid and hot, houses at the park was the fern house. I could here in the distance when we entered the room that there was water falling. That sounded like a place I needed to be. The lighting on this particular waterfall was quite tough, as it was tucked back a little bit into the foliage so it was hard getting a perfect exposure. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Garfield Park Glass Work

Garfield Park Glass Work, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

We really maximized our time for this Chicago trip. We left our house at about 4:30 in the morning so that we would arrive at our first destination, Garfield Park Conservatory, just shortly after it had opened. I'm extremely glad we did, because this was also the hottest day of our trip. So why don't we all go roam around and shoot photos in a greenhouse! It was so hot in there, but so immensely worth it. We found out when we got there that these few Chihuly pieces still remained, which was honestly a nice surprise. This is one of the most beautiful greenhouses I've ever been in, and will be going back to in the future. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Windy City Pano

Windy City Pano, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

I think that it's kind of funny that the first shot from our Chicago trip that I'm posting is the last set of shots that I took in Chicago. This is a 6 shot panoramic of the Chicago skyline from one of the balconies at Shedd Aquarium. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. Our trip was absolutely awesome, and equally as exhausting. We did and saw a lot, so much in fact that by time it got dark, I was too wiped out to take any night shots except for one. Hopefully tomorrow and the next day I will be able to get some more of these edited. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Black And Blue

Black And Blue, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

This is another shot from our night shooting down in old town St. Charles. This old train station has been kept up and is exceptionally beautiful. The only problem at night is that it gets this strange green cast that makes photos look horrible. So I thought I'd try something different here, reminds me of something you'd clip out of a newspaper. Kind of a new take on selective color, I don't see it too often at night. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Rocketrain

Rocketrain, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

Another shot from the Museum of Transportation here in St. Louis. This train really reminded of the Rocketeer for the front shape on it's engine. That with the awesome texture in the old metal made for a very interesting find for me. This is a place I can find myself going back to many times in the future. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions or comments would be welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Little Hills Winery

Little Hills Winery, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

A friend of mine that I work with at the camera shop and I went out to do some night shooting in old town St. Charles near my house last night. Despite it being very hot and incredibly humid still, we managed to get some good shots. I wanted to get out and brush up on my night shooting since we'll be heading to Chicago this coming weekend and I know I'll be doing plenty of night shots there. Please let me know what you all think about this one, I'd really like to hear suggestions on things to do differently or things you like about it. Enjoy!

Oh! I almost forgot! This was shot with my brand newish (it was an older lens that came into our used case) Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8! You all will be seeing a lot more shots with this lens, and I'll try and remember to put a post up showing that beautiful glass. :)

POTD - Yellow And Bokeh

Yellow And Bokeh, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

Of course, this shot came from the Missouri Botanical Gardens. As I was walking through the giant domed greenhouse (climatron) to get to the corpse flower, I happened upon this beautiful yellow bloom. Luckily for me, I had my trusty 35mm prime on camera and shot away. I've been so happy with the focusing and bokeh that this little lens produces. I would suggest to any Nikon shooting that if you are considering the cheap little 50mm f/1.8, get this 35mm f/1.8 instead, I think it's significantly sharper and is a better focal length for a crop sensor camera. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - 66 Drive In

66 Drive In, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

Here's another shot from the St. Louis Museum of Transportation. This was in their Auto Museum, and it really got me thinking about the recent Carsland opening and the rest of the DCA improvements. I've been starting to make mental plans for our pending first DLR trip at the end of next summer. I was very happy to find this shot as it put me in an even better mood. Neon is still a hard subject of me to process, and I had the reflections to deal with too. I would really like to hear what you all think about this one, any suggestions or comments are very much appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Transportation Giant

Transportation Giant, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

A couple of weeks ago, I went and did a little shooting at our Transportation museum, which has a large focus on trains. Walking around this place and marveling at the mass of some of these trains was a lot of fun. I'm just getting around to processing them, but if this first shot is any indication, this should be an ok set of shots. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Floral Fireworks Friday

Floral Fireworks Friday, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

Not much I can really say about this one, but I couldn't pass up these beautiful colors. I've been really loving my new 35mm prime. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!

POTD - Titan Arum (Corpse flower)

Titan Arum (Corpse flower), a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

The unique Amorphophallus titanum, commonly known as Titan Arum or the “corpse flower,” is a large, fast-growing plant in the Aroid family. Few of these plants exist in cultivation, and they bloom only rarely and under just the right conditions. On the extremely infrequent occasion that a Titan Arum comes into flower, the intense, foul odor, emitted from a tall spike of small, crowded flowers, lasts just a few days.

This is the second corpse flower that we've had bloom at MOBOT this year. I missed the first one, so I was pretty determined to catch this one. I did find out though that these flowers only open all the way after dark. I got to the gardens as early as they would allow me and caught it as it was closing for the day, but I think I like it better this way. There is a wider range of color, and it didn't stink quite as much. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!