Cave Creek Fireworks July 7, 2010  Fireworks on July 3rd and 4th were stunning. Dan Nelson who has for years impressed us with local fireworks promised new innovations and delivered. If you couldn’t attend or want a rerun check our web page link and see the slideshow. Our friend Rusty Childress who owns “The Main Event Imaging’ took the pictures and provided the slideshow.

The Digital Shootout is a annual underwater photography workshop, usually held in the Caribbean in places like Bonaire for the last few years. This year it was in Little Cayman, and there were about 30 underwater photographers in attendance. Staff was onsite from Backscatter Photo, Canon, Light & Motion and Aquatica. Well-known underwater photographers Berkley White and Doug Sloss gave several excellent workshops.  Even though hurricane Alex tried to blow in, the weather held up enough to complete most of the diving schedule.  Photo Gallery.

Cave Creek is the ‘best’ place in the metro Phoenix area for July 3 and 4 Fireworks!!! Many thanks for supporting this year’s fireworks go to: The Buffalo Chip Saloon, Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce, Carefree Conference Resort, Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce, Cody’s, El Encanto, Frontier Town, Harold’s Cave Creek Corral, Hideaway, Horny Toad, Los Mesquites, Rancho Manana, and Tri-Rentals.

Both the Flags For Our Fallen and Laughlin River Run were fun events to shoot.  Sturgis is fast appoaching and I hope to include some Nikon D3s video coverage on that rally.  The D3s has amazing low light, high ISO capability which should be great for the Sturgis Main Street and bar scene action by night.  I am certain that the Buffalo Chip shot at 102400 ISO is pretty much unprecedented so stay tuned.

Here is fusion of video, stills and time-lapse from the 2nd Annual Camp Courage Golf Tournament Sponsored by Arizona Fire Chiefs Assoc. & Wind & Fire MC in partnership with 1-800-BoardUp to benefit Camp Courage. We all had a great day of golf at the beautiful Starfire course at Scottsdale Country Club.

Technology in photography has been one of the best (and sometimes the worst) tools that us photographers can dream of, and the new video capabilities are no exception. With the functionality in the new Canon 5D Mark II, and 7D as well as the Nikon D3S and 300s and pretty much every new SLR that’ll be coming out, photographers now have HD video at the tips of their fingers. So should photographers ignore or embrace this latest development? Embrace and love it of course!

Now, I’m not all for photographers taking over the videographer mantle, but I am for photographers starting to incorporate fusion into their line of services. Fusion of video and photo clips together is the blending of photography and cinematography to create a dynamic, multimedia presentation combining the emotion of fine photography and the power of moving images. Think of the Harry Potter movies. Remember the moving images in the picture frames that had such a life-like feel to them?  It is about moving photography.

Here is one of my recent photos that just got selected by a juried panel for publication. This was taken in the Indian Ocean, Maldives. There was an amazing fish count in this cavern and the model struck the right pose at just the right moment.

Take the most famous photographers as well as many serious amateurs, select their best work and put it all in one place – there you have Onexposure. Every photo is screened, which means it has to be approved by an editor before being published. Onexposure is like a constantly evolving high class photo gallery with new art every day.  Like in an arts gallery, you can buy many of the photos as prints and hang them on your wall. Onexposure was created because we missed an online collection of only high quality photos.  The idea of Onexposure is to create a collection of some of the most beautiful photos in the world. They stand up for photography as an art. Onexposure is intended as an oasis of quality in a world of never ending commercial messages and constant noise of impressions, a place to rest your mind for a while. We want the collection to be a source of inspiration.  Photo is about expressing yourself. The one general rule about photo is that every photograph you shoot is in fact a self-portrait. Even though a photo resembles reality, the photographer decides where to point the camera, at what time and what settings to use depending on past experience, personality, and mood. Link.

The Nik Summit is a unique educational event spanning 2 1/2 days in May 2010 and located in San Diego, CA. From the time you register, all the way through the event and beyond, you can expect an exceptionally entertaining, personal, and highly educational photographic experience.

They have assembled some of the best photographers and industry leaders we know to help us guide on-location shoots, conduct workflow seminars and hands-on labs, provide incredible insights into their lives and work, and create a classroom without boundaries. Our hope is that you learn more and come away having had the kind of genuine connections with leading pros and your peers most only dream about. Website.

Backscatter recently dove again with the Manthiri.  A refit has given the Manthiri a large and gracious air conditioned salon. Half of this salon is organized with couches into cozy islands where small groups of passengers may gather to visit, or seek privacy in their book. The other half of this comfortable salon serves as the dining room with two large round tables giving everyone plenty of elbowroom.  The food was superb and lavish with a European/American/Indian flair. There is a meat and a fish course at every meal.  No report about this fine dive boat would be complete without mentioning the exceptional crew that acts as your host, food service, cabin maintenance, and dive crew. Working in exceptional harmony this crew of eleven will have learned all your habits by the second day. On the dive dhony (boat) the dive crew will have your gear set-up and waiting when you arrive, your backpack positioned just as you like it. Photo Gallery. 

Arizona Bike Week is a rider’s dream. Whether you prefer organized runs and events or carving out your own path, there’s plenty of options for everyone. Our scenic terrain and amazing April weather make for some of the best riding in the country.  Spend a few days exploring the Arizona desert and mountain roads and checking out the pre-rally day events at some of our favorite local watering holes. Then it’s time to really rev it up at the biggest party of all, Cyclefest at Westworld. One low admission price gets you into all the festivities.  Top name builders and vendors, with the latest parts, accessories and apparel. Major manufacturers such as Harley Davison, Yamaha & Kawasaki will be there to let you demo their newest bikes. Also included with your general admission pass; nightly concerts, featuring national headliners. Previous bands include Foreigner, Cheap Trick, Kansas, Bret Michaels, Gin Blossoms, just to name a few. Photo Gallery.

I was invited to shoot the High-n-Tight band at a Peppers Sports Bar, and oh what a scene that was. This high energy party rock n roll band managed to pack the dance floor and kept the kept the crowd wanting more all night long. Listen. Members: Ronnie – Lead Vocals, Rich – Lead Guitar, Dan – Lead Guitar Vocals, Dave – Bass Guitar Vocals, Rob – Drums

Some years the blooms erupt with a profound sense of purpose, sweeping across hillsides in endless waves. Right now, the color is spotty. It all depends on the amount of rain and the timing of rain. Chasing wildflowers isn’t always about finding mass groupings. Sometimes it’s in the discovery of unexpected delights.
I rode to Bartlett Lake where the Mexican gold poppies are the showstoppers. They appeared in isolated clusters, not yet covering the hillsides in a sea of luminous orange. I also spotted desert marigold, lupine and globemallow in the mix. Gallery.