I know the age-old saying to let sleeping dogs lie. Well, I wanted to run my new 50mm f/1.4 through the paces. So, something had to give. (My apologizes to Copper for waking him from his dreams of chasing rabbits.) The lens, I am happy to report, is simply incredible. It is sharp as a tack and the bokeh is beautiful. Thanks for helping out hound dog.
I was able to post some of my favorite shots to my site. There are so many great images to choose from but, I just cannot get enough of the P-51. It is not just any one thing. It is everything all together. It is a truly one-of-a-kind aircraft. The contours of the aircraft are unmistakable. Not to mention the history. What truly incredible times were taking place across the globe when it went into service. I can only imagine what it must have been like. But, watching this beauty in flight helps me imagine it. You can see this and more images from the air show at http://www.tobygant.com/robins2012. Please let me know your thoughts on my captures.
This image is of the P-51 Mustang flying in tandem with the Raptor. The P-51 has to be my favorite air craft of all time. It is steeped in history and it’s design is unparalleled. Seeing these two aircraft flying side by side is a thing of beauty. Please get outside today if you can. There is more to come on my site in full resolution at http://www.tobygant.com/action.
I had an incredible time today at the Robins Air Force Base Air Show near Macon, GA. If I am not in nature capturing images of landscapes or animals, my next favorite thing to photograph would definitely be airplanes. And there was plenty of opportunity today at the show. It will take some time to go through all the images I was able to capture today. But, I will be posting several to my site this week. This image is of the Air Force F-22 Raptor. It is an incredible fighter jet. I hope everyone else has is able to get outside and get some fresh air and cool shots over the weekend. More to come at my site http://www.tobygant.com/action.
My quest for the perfect Cardinal shot continues. Note the “bait” on the left of the screen. Seed is much cheaper than a new 600mm lens. I like this shot of him. The tuft of feathers on top is head is comical to me. I’ve done a little reading on cardinals. They are “mostly” monogamous. But, that is not uncommon among many species of birds. His mate is more camera-shy than he is. I’m going to have to be a little more patient with her. But, I hope to win her over. She is an incredible animal also. As always you can find my work on my site at http://tobygant.com.
We went to Black Rock Mountain State Park near Mountain City, Georgia over the weekend. We trekked the 2.2 mile Tennessee Rock Trail. What an incredible view! The overlooks inspired me to attempt panoramas. This particular panorama is three images shot horizontally and merged in CS5. I took another that is 9 images shot vertically and merged. CS5 makes it easy to accomplish. The detail in the 9 image shot is incredible. I will definitely be making many more attempts at panoramas. But, as far as my first attempt is concerned, I am calling it a success. I do recommend shooting vertically if you plan to attempt one. I plan to post several images from the shoot to my website this week. Please stop by and take a look at http://www.tobygant.com/blackrock. Thanks for visiting my blog.
Last week was spring break for the kids. We got out and explored parts of Atlanta. I was able to capture this image of a peacock. I like how he seems to flow across the frame like a colorful wave. The image was captured around mid-day and the lighting was simply terrible. I was able to introduce enough contrast in post to save the image. Adobe Lightroom is such an incredible and easy to use tool. If you have not used it, I would highly recommend downloading the demo and giving it a try. It simplifies your workflow in so many ways. For me it makes working in post almost fun. You can see more of my images on my site at http://tobygant.com.
My search for the perfect osprey shot has obviously been placed on hold due to my new geographic situation. I have found a new mission to keep myself occupied. The perfect cardinal (Cardinalidae) shot. Granted, the cardinal is by no means an incredible fishing raptor. But hey, it is very colorful and can be found literally in my back yard. In between work and semi-frequent trips to the Georgia state parks, I think it will have its own rewards. This particular cardinal and it’s mate can be found in trees out back every day. They are also both camera-shy. I’m taking on the project. This image was captured with my 70-200mm VR II and 2x teleconverter. More of my wildlife images can be found on my website at http://www.tobygant.com/wild. Thanks for visiting my blog.
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