Category Archives: landscape

Peaceful Morning

Posted by Mike on

Callaway Resort & Gardens

Finally! I have been living in Georgia for a month now, and today was the first day I ventured out with my camera. Granted, it took a couple of weeks before I retrieved my equipment from my daughter, but that excuse only accounts for a portion of the time. I could attribute the delay to wanting to get everything unpacked and put away, but again, that is a weak excuse. I was just being lazy…

Twenty miles north of me in Pine Mountain is Callaway Resort & Gardens. This is a 2500 acre escape with hiking & bike trails, golf, and adventures for every season. Currently, the Pumpkins at Callaway event is in full swing with a corn maze, a giant pumpkin garden along with activities and events for everyone. I’m probably going back this week to experience it.

I spent four hours exploring today and barely scratched the surface of the place. I walked a few trails, visited the butterfly house and the azalea bowl (sadly, not many blossoms right now). I missed the birds of prey show (next time) and decided not to rent a bike (again, next time). When I stopped at the information center on my way into the resort, the very nice lady explained that I could upgrade my day ticket to a membership if I decided I would be returning.

Yep, on my way out I stopped and bought a membership. It includes 4 guest tickets, and I can go once to the seasonal events (which happens about six times a year). Considering I only need to go three more times to get my membership cost back, it was a no brainer for me. Now, where is that bike shop… I think it is time to get my own… 🙂

This was the first view I came across this morning. It was the start of a great day…

Peaceful Morning
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/100s, 58mm, f/11, ISO 100

Zoomin’ In

Posted by Mike on

Bellamy Harbor, Rome, NY

Saturday morning I finally got off my butt and headed out for the sunrise at Bellamy Harbor. There might not have been as many clouds in the sky as I would have preferred, but the colors were a beautiful consolation prize. These three images are from the same location all within a minute of each other, the only difference being the amount of zoom I used. There is a subtle shift in the colors as less of the blue sky is included in the view.

Blue Hour
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 2s, 27mm, f/11, ISO 100

The Harbor
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1.6s, 42mm, f/11, ISO 100

Zoomin’ In
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1.6s, 60mm, f/11, ISO 100

Nostalgia

Posted by Mike on

Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World

I’m two weeks away from my next trip to Walt Disney World. This is typically when I start looking through old images and thinking about what I want to capture during my next visit. There has been a lot of news from Disney regarding the changes throughout the theme parks, with a lot happening in Walt Disney World. The Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will be replaced by a Cars themed area. So, here is the Liberty Belle in all her glory, cruising through Frontierland…

Nostalgia
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/640s, 32mm, f/8, ISO 400

Tower on the Rise Reflected

Posted by Mike on

Silent Sunday
Bellamy Harbor Park

Tower on the Rise
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 2.5s, 41mm, f/11, ISO 100

Tower Reflected
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1.6s, 57mm, f/11, ISO 100

Colors of Dawn

Posted by Mike on

Bellamy Harbor Park

It was a long week. We also had an EF-2 tornado slice its way through Rome. Thankfully, no casualties, but quite a lot of damage. The city will be recovering for quite a while, but to see how everyone comes together is very encouraging.

This morning was not a day to sit on my butt. I went to Bellamy Harbor Park for the colors of the morning before sunrise. I processed this one quickly to be able to show it off…

Colors of Dawn
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, {0.6, 1.3, 2.5s bracket}, 26mm, f/11, ISO 100

Life in the Morning

Posted by Mike on

Discovery Island, Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World

Life in the Morning
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/50s, 24mm, f/8, ISO 100

Tomorrow Castle

Posted by Mike on

Wordless Wednesday
WDW in B&W – WBW45
Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World

Tomorrow Castle
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 40mm f/2, 1/320s, f/8, ISO 100

New Opportunities

Posted by Mike on

Floral, Macro, Landscape, etc…

My original intent for Saturday was to drive to Ithaca, NY and explore some of my favorite state parks. That plan changed when I woke up and saw the email from FedEx indicating my package, originally scheduled for delivery on Monday, would be arriving between 10:20am and 1:20pm. This would be the new lens kit I mentioned the other day. I couldn’t have it sitting on the front stoop, baking in the sun waiting for me to return… so, I stayed and worked on the garage cleaning I have been avoiding.

I have been checking out the Lensbaby website for a few months, playing my normal head game of should I or shouldn’t I. Do I really want the new lens. Do I need a new lens. Which lens is the best “bang for the buck”. All my normal crap leading up to my eventual purchase. Still haven’t learned how to stay out of my own head. And then, boom! There is a sale! For those interested, here is a link to the kit I purchased: Soft Focus II Optic Swap Macro Kit.

Late in the afternoon, as the temps started to drop, I went over to the Sculpture Garden to play with my new toy. There were some flowers calling my name…

Solitude
Nikon Z6 II, Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Sweet 50, 1/1000s, 50mm, ISO 100

The first lens I tried was the Sweet 50, which as the name implies is a 50mm lens with an adjustable center focus area and a surrounding blur. This is a manual focus system and the slight breeze did challenge me with attaining good focus in the sweet spot.

Crowded
Nikon Z6 II, Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Sweet 50, 1/400s, 50mm, ISO 100

I wasn’t getting the images I wanted. The focus length is around fifteen inches which wasn’t allowing my to get the close-ups I desired. The lens adjusts the “depth and size” of the center focus by adjusting the aperture. As you can see above, the f/8 setting let me have more of the subject in focus but left the remaining area visible. The image looks cluttered.

What am I missing?

These don’t look like the examples.

Do I need to return this kit?

The macro filters! Totally forgot about those. The kit has three filters to allow macro shots, actually to shorten the focal distance. Time to walk back to the car.

Much better! I started with the 4X filter. You can stack them to decrease the distance even more. As you stack the filters you reduce the amount of articulation the lens can perform. The movement allows the sweet spot to be moved around and changes the blur effect as well.

See Me
Nikon Z6 II, Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Sweet 50, 1/1250s, 50mm, ISO 100

I had been playing among the flowers for over an hour. My stomach was complaining as it was nearing 7pm and way past supper time. I made a command decision to stop at my favorite place for a sandwich and a cold one. So worth it…

After refilling the fuel tank I wanted to try out the other lens in the kit, the Soft Focus II. This lens is also 50mm and as the name implies an adjustable soft focus effect. You can play with the aperture again to achieve the amount of focus you want. The image will have an underlying sharpness with the softness layered over it.

I had already played with the flowers. The sunset was looking good. Yep, you guessed it, Delta Lake State Park was my destination to end the day. The sun was slipping away so I stayed on the beach and played. I think there will be opportunities with this lens as well…

Endless Dreams
Nikon Z6 II, Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Soft Focus II, 1/500s, 50mm, ISO 100