A few weeks ago, I made my second trek up to the Jacobsburg State Park. It is a beautiful park with well maintained trails. I had my Olympus OM-D E-M5 MkII in hand and it was paired with one of my very favorite lenses, the 7-14mm f2.8 PRO. This image was taken just before all of the spring foliage came alive. I shot this hand held at 1/20th of a second (thanks Olympus for the 5 axis image stabilization), ISO 400 at f/5.6.
I continue to do some more daytime experimenting with Olympus’ “Live Composite” mode. This a mode that is available on the OM-D series cameras. What it does, is allows you to take a sequence of exposures and build them over a period of time. The brilliant part about this is it won’t exceed any highlights and, the icing on the cake, is it produces an in-camera RAW file. Under normal circumstances, you would “blow out” the highlights in the image. Normally this process is used in evening photography. However, with the use of a neutral density (ND) filter you can create a daytime shot that appears to be in low light. The use of a tripod is an absolute necessity. Some of these exposures are about 5 minutes in length. The result is a beautiful painterly effect in the sky from the moving clouds. Lehigh University has a gorgeous campus and, with the right conditions, makes this an ideal location for this type of image.
This past weekend I ventured to an area on the Delaware River known as the Lumberville – Raven Rock Bridge. The reason it was of interest to me is because it is a foot bridge. In this day and age, one rarely sees this. The original bridge was built in 1856 and what we see today was reconstructed in 1947. It connects Lumberville, PA and Raven Rock, NJ. The design was handled by John A. Roebling who is most famous for his design of the Brooklyn Bridge. All images were shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 MkII and the M.Zuiko ED 7-14mm f2.8 PRO or the ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO.
This past weekend I was in New Hope, PA. In the early days of our country, this was a mid-point between New York & Philly and of course, George Washington was supposed to have lodged here. Today, it is a vibrant eclectic arts community. There are visual treasures at every turn. However, you need to keep an open eye to catch many of them.
I had the opportunity to lead a trip back to Grand Central Terminal a few weeks ago for the Lehigh Valley Photography Club. All images & video were shot with Olympus OM-D E-M1 and E-M5 MkII. I have photographed this place many times. However, on this trip we were able to go into the belly of the beast. In addition to going to the highest point, we also went 13 stories below to see the heart of the complex. I have also included a brief video from the day. This place continues to amaze me every time I go!
** Click on image to view video **
This past fall I was asked to do a presentation on my recent visit to Cuba for the Olympus InVision Photo Festival in Bethlehem , PA. During my preparation for the presentation, PBS39 asked if they could do a story on me because of my connection to the region and as an advocate of InVision. Here is the story.
The images from the previous Olympus InVision Photo Festival post were mostly from the Sunday workshop. Here are a few more from the Southside of Bethlehem. The following images were taken at the Book Store, Machine Shop and the Cathedral Church of the Nativity:
Every November, ArtsQuest puts on the Olympus Invision Photo Festival. The event is focused 100% around photography. There are presentations, social activities, and workshops throughout the weekend event. Here are a few images from the event:
Light Painting on the Hoover Mason Trestle
The roof of the Hotel Bethlehem
The Smithy
This past weekend I had it in my head that I wanted to photograph some waterfalls in the Pocono region of Pennsylvania. The main reason I wanted to do this at this time frame, was because it would probably be the coldest weekend of the entire year, which should make for some great imagery. In that regard, I think I was right on target. I reached out to fellow photog from the area, Eric Goins. He was kind enough to recommend Resica Falls. It is a Boy Scout camp I had been to many years ago with my sons. When I arrived, it was a balmy -5 degrees Fahrenheit. I wasn’t sure if my equipment or periodically exposed hands would endure. I’m happy to report, both performed very well. I used the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and the M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO with a 10 stop ND filter. After a couple of hours I knew I shouldn’t push the boundaries too much further. I headed out and treated myself to a much deserved hot chocolate. BTW – As I was leaving the temperature made it up to a warm +3 degrees. So, when someone says No-pain No-gain, I have an even better appreciation for that!
Last year, around this time, I had the opportunity to listen and photograph this amazing trio at the Jazz Cabaret upstairs from the Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown PA. Acclaimed pianist Simon Mulligan has played with everyone from The Royal Philharmonic to Sting. Mr. Mulligan returns to Allentown for an evening of standards, jazz classics, and original music from his CD “Playlist.” Joining Simon will be bassist Gene Perla, who has performed with Elvin Jones, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Sonny Rollins, and other jazz luminaries. Rounding out the rhythm section will be my good friend, Dave Willard on drums. Expect to hear the Simon Mulligan Trio’s sophisticated take on your favorite timeless melodies and Simon’s own compositions. They will be playing again this Friday, February 19th at 7:30PM. For more info and tickets click here. The following are images from last year’s performance and were shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M1.
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