The Shots: Lotus Blossoms

My trip to China was a whirlwind - 9 cities in 10 days. I saw a lot of traffic, airports, train stations and hotel ballrooms.

Artsy Beijing traffic

Actual Beijing traffic.

We did get a rest day in Jinan - conveniently scheduled, given that we arrived to our hotel at 3am - that included a trip to the Jinan springs and Daimen Lake.

It was at the lake that I fell in love with lotus blossoms.

The color, the size, the contrast between the flower and the leaves - it was such a joy to play with various angles, and I even tried the soft focus setting on the Olympus.

Our last city was Shanghai; I was lucky to have an afternoon with myself. I wandered over to People's Park, where I found another lotus pond. 

And now the important question: how do I grow these here in central North Carolina??

New additions - July 2013

Greetings, all.

This summer, I had the opportunity to travel to nine cities around northern/eastern China; it was amazing on so many levels - and a bit exhausting. I did manage to eek out a bit of time with my new camera and got some great shots. You'll find the newest additions in Architecture, Flora, Food, People, and Place.

Update: July 2013

It's been quite a while since I last posted.

Among other things, I recently upgraded my camera. My trusty Panasonic's light sensor (CCP) finally started to fail after five and a half years of loyal service. I'm now shooting on an Olympus SP 810. It's only been a few days, but I'm excited about the things I'll be able to do with this new piece.

Of course, equipment is just one piece of photography; the bigger part to capturing great shots is just plain dumb luck.

I haven't posted regularly in some time. Back in January, I tried to chalk it up to hibernating.  It's not an inaccurate assessment, but it doesn't fully capture the story.


Sometimes, things happen in life that shift our priorities. Sometimes, these are shifts of tectonic proportions. 


Beyond the occasional commission or collaboration, I haven't been able to work with my camera much. I have faith that I'll come back to it eventually, but I've also learned that it's not something I can force.


In the meantime, thank you for you reading. I hope to have new shots and stories to share sooner rather than later.

Sometimes Only Video Will Do

From condors to eagles, the world is watching our avian friends rear their young.

Now the Great Blue Herons have joined the action.

Given my history with herons, you can imagine how excited I am about this latest addition to the fledgling feeds.

Watch live streaming video from cornellherons at livestream.com