Sunset at Vanderbilt University stadium
I like to plan things when it comes to shooting. Planning is good. Being organized is good. Having goals is good. But I also am keen on leaving myself some wiggle room in my plans, in case unexpected things happen. Wiggle room is also good, because that is like free time…you just shoot, plan or no plan. If something interesting is in front of you, well…you shoot it. No plan needed for that. One such example was on this particular evening in Nashville.
I had been in other parts of this lovely town (shooting, of course) and for some reason was drawn to zip over to the Vanderbilt University campus as sunset was nearing. I parked near the football stadium and started walking that way. I have been previously kicked out of the University of Texas at Austin football stadium (although I got my shots first, HAHA), and actually did not expect to even get in here. But I figured it was worth a shot (no pun intended).
Well, I have a will and I found a way. Unlocked doors are like an invitation really…I mean if they didn’t want anyone in there, well the doors would be locked. So I slipped in and shot all around the field while this incredible sky and sunset came together. It was pretty spectacular. Glad for wiggle room!
Waiting for sunrise in Nashville
There’s something to be said for getting up early to shoot – apart from “what the hell time is it?”. I love shooting sunrise, even when the sun doesn’t actually rise, such as in this photo. I got up early in Nashville and wanted to grab some shots from up on this bridge overlooking downtown. I have shot from here at sunset many times, but sunrise had eluded me. So my plan was to have some incredible light, but plans don’t always work out. Instead, I enjoyed a peaceful, beautiful blue hour up here by myself, high above Nashville, firing brackets into a gentle morning wind. I’ll take that, too. :-)
And by the way, shooting from this spot is #1 on my "Top Photo Spots in Nashville", which you can find by clicking here. Thanks for looking!
Another beautiful Nashville sunset
This is another from a large group of photos (mostly still unprocessed) that I took during a stunning sunset in Nashville, TN a few weeks back. I had been busy all day and was tired when I got back to my hotel, but figured it’s always worth it to get in a little photography when I can. Since I was staying in a hotel right downtown, I just took off for a walk with all my gear, hoping to find some things to shoot (having shot downtown Nashville many times already) and hoping for great light. It turns out that I got both. I stumbled upon some new spots I had not photographed before, and as you can see, the light ended up being pretty awesome. That’s my definition of a win-win!
Looking down the road at 2013
Hi everyone, and thanks for stopping by today. Last year I set a few goals for myself with my photography, and I was able to achieve them (whew!). I thought I would do the same for 2013.
Here are some things I intend to do in the New Year:
- Add new lists to my “Top Photo Spots” section
- Publish a handful of eBooks
- Write additional long-form blog posts
- Expand my iPhoneography posts on the site
- Continue to expand my knowledge of post-processing techniques
- See new places and photograph them!
That’s really it. I feel like if I make a long list of goals, it’s a wish-list, not a to-do list...and I want to DO things, not wish for them! So, Happy New Year, and here’s to doing things in 2013!
p.s. The photo above was taken recently in Nashville, TN. I got up early one morning to photograph the city while it was quiet (and cold!) and thought the image looking down the street was fitting for today's post. As always, thanks for looking!
Sunset on Music City
Here’s another view of the Nashville skyline from my shooting there last week. The first shot I posted the other day was taken a little bit earlier, sort of during golden hour. This shot was taken during a full-on sunset. It was a color extravaganza! I was very happy with how this evening unfolded.
It just goes to show you that you can never accurately predict what sort of light you will get. The entire morning and afternoon there was a boring sky...no real clouds, and not much sunshine. I assumed it would be a boring sunset. But late in the afternoon these clouds started appearing, and I was hoping that they would stick around during sunset. They did...and then the light hit them just right!
Golden hour in Nashville
I was in Nashville last week, and had a few spare minutes to shoot around the sunset hour one evening. The sky had been empty all day, but as luck would have it, everything came together and the golden hour and then the sunset were incredible. I was happy to be standing here for an hour, gunning brackets to the left and the right. I am always a fan of reflections, and when I can get a city skyline in great light like this, it just makes it that much better.
I also put together another HDR Before & After which is always fun for comparison purposes...
A Nashville landmark
We're Photowalking London!!
If you follow me on FB or G+, I just shared an upcoming event. I am hosting a photowalk in London on Saturday, Sept 15 at 6pm London time. Check out the events and hopefully you can make it!
FB event: http://on.fb.me/RVOrZw G+ event: http://bit.ly/TpZXaw
Daily Photo: A Nashville landmark
Whenever someone mentions Nashville, I assume your first thought is either country music or BBQ - or maybe both - but would you ever come up with architecture...?
You probably wouldn't, and that's easily understood. But there are some great sites to shoot in Nashville. Take this one, for example.
This is the Parthenon in Centennial Park, just a short drive from downtown Nashville and a place that I visit nearly every time I come to town. This is a full-size replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece - pretty cool right?
And if you happen to arrive shortly after a rain storm and shortly before sunset...well, you get treated to an incredible sight!
Over Nashville
I love taking this shot when I visit Nashville - in fact, I have taken a lot of them from here. It's just such a great view, so I try and hit it every time I return. I love being up on the Shelby Pedestrian Bridge and looking down at the river and all the twinkly lights of Nashville. Add in the reflections of the lights in the river - and if you are lucky, some dramatic skies - and you get a winner every time!
Usually I shoot this one at sunset, but this time it was a sunrise/early morning shot. I had to get up and head to the airport that morning, but just HAD to make time for grabbing some brackets up here, over Nashville. It's a beauty at sunset, but in the early hours of the morning, when the rest of the city seems to be sleeping - it's a kind of magic.
Technicals: Nikon D700, 7 exposure HDR, f/9, 14-24mm wide angle lens (at 15mm)
Software: Photomatix, Color Efex Pro, Aperture
Blue hour, golden palace
Ok, you got me - this isn't really a palace. But to me it sort of resembles one. This is the Parthenon in Nashville, TN which is actually a full scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. It's a magnificent structure and one I photograph on nearly every visit I make to Nashville. As you can see, there is this nice pond around the front of it so you can get some nice reflections, which always look better in HDR. Of course, I'm a little biased in that matter :) .
Sunrise can be magical
I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning. ~ J.B. Priestly
If I had to classify myself, I would fall in the camp of "a morning person". I'm not the "jump out of bed with a fire in my belly" type, but I do enjoy the mornings. It feels good to start anew. So of course, that flows over into my photography. Everybody loves a sunset - I mean, sunsets are the famous images people always chase - but I for one vote for sunrise, because there can be magic there, too. Plus, most folks are still in bed, so you normally get to enjoy it by yourself, and that makes it just a little bit more awesome. So sleep on world, I have photos to take. I'll catch you when I get back. :)
Radnor awesomeness
I totally think the word awesomeness is made-up, but who cares? It's so appropriate sometimes. It just works as a word, doesn't it? Someone should submit it to Merriam-Webster. This is one of many incredibly colorful sunrise shots I got at Lake Radnor, outside of Nashville, TN a while back. It was just the perfect morning to be out shooting. The weather was nice, the clouds were perfect, and the sunrise just brought such wonderful color to the scene - awesomeness, right?
By the way, thanks so much to everyone who left a kind word for my shot yesterday - I really appreciate that! My online time is VERY limited this week, so I will catch up with my photo-friends as soon as I can!
Fiery end
Here's another shot from Nashville, TN - I have a lot of them! I was walking in Centennial Park and it was sunset. All day the skies had been cloudy, but tame. It's hard to tell in those moments which way it's gonna go - you hope for the color and drama, but a lot of times you get blah. Well this one obviously tipped in favor of color and drama, and for a few fleeting moments the skies just came alive. Thank goodness I stuck around!
Classical architecture
I love architecture - always have. I remember as a kid I used to draw home designs on paper. In college I took a History of Architecture class and just LOVED it. Honestly, I am not sure why I didn't become an architect. I guess I got into other things, and sometimes you look up and years have passed.
Anyways, it is still a subject that fascinates me, and something I pursue a lot with my Nikon. Whenever I visit Nashville, TN, I try and make a trip over to Centennial Park and see this full-size replica of the original Parthenon in Greece. It's a pretty impressive structure! Some day I hope to arrive in time to actually go inside, but so far I have been satisfied with taking brackets of this magnificent exterior.
And sometime further down the line I hope to see the real one in Athens, Greece!
Sunrise glow
Just a post and run, sorta. I am in Las Vegas this week, and work is crazy busy and tiring. I am shooting some though, so that's nice! More on that later...
I caught this shot during an incredible sunrise at Radnor Lake outside of Nashville, TN a while back. It was one of the most stunning sunrises I have ever seen. Just a fabulous way to start a day!
Nashville glistens
I like shooting in Nashville - there's a lot to see and some great spots for photography. Take this one, for instance. You can give me a score of zero on originality if you want, since I have posted shots from this spot before. But that's ok - I love the view of downtown from the Shelby Street Bridge so much that I shoot it every time I go there. I've got plenty more to process from here, so you will see it again sometime! Even though there is basically one composition you can get from here, the light and colors always vary, so each shot has a slightly different look. This is my most recent effort, from my trip a few weeks back, and so far it's my favorite one. But, I reserve the right to change my mind next time. :)