Welcome to My View

January 10, 2010

A Fresh Look

Filed under: Musicians, People, Portraits, night photography — Tags: Fresh Cut Collective, Milwaukee, Musicians, night photography, people photography, photography workshops — martijeffers @ 4:43 pm

Hello and welome to My View for January 10, 2010.

Welcome to the first My View Post of the New Year

As the new year and decade are now underway, I searched my files for an image that might be appropriate for a fresh start. And, I found one.

Back in September of last year, I had the pleasure of visiting friends in Wisconsin and hearing a band that was new to me — although not new to my friends. Their son is in this band. The band is Fresh Cut Collective and I heard them play in Milwaukee one night in early September. Although I did not consider myself a huge fan of hip-hop music, they managed to win me over after just a few songs. The energy this group brings to the stage is highly contagious.

I chose an image of my friends’ son that I hope shows the kind of energy this young band exudes.

Wishing you all fresh new ways to look at your everyday environments as we go forth in this new year!!

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They make me a better photographer, aid my growth as a person and offer me new experiences.

Fresh Cut Collective #1

Fresh Cut Collective #1

Milwaukee, WI
September, 2009

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 50mm 1.4, ISO 6400, f/2.8, 1/90 second, handheld

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Just a reminder to check out our Inspirational Photography Weekends coming to a city near you. Discounts are available for groups.

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December 31, 2009

Happy New Year and New Decade!!!

Filed under: Abstract, Georgia, Savannah, Street Scenes, night photography — Tags: night photography, photography, River Street, Savannah, workshops — martijeffers @ 12:36 pm

Hello and welome to My View for Thursday, December 31, 2009.

Happy New Year and Happy New Decade,

As we end the first decade of the 21st century — doesn’t that still sound odd?? — and begin a new year and new decade, I want to wish you all a Happy New Year.

In the last decade much has changed. We entered this decade with a fear of computer software meltdowns and a disruption of life as we know it. Fortunately, none of that came to pass. Other events did, indeed, change life as we know it on a global scale. It wasn’t the best way to start a new century.

Throughout he decade, many, more personal, events brought me much joy, as well as sorrow. I made many new friends, saw many new family members come into this world — and lost a few along the way. I almost lost some and those events gave me pause to think about myself and the way I’ve lived my life so far.

A new beginning is just hours away. New beginnings are always a bit mysterious. We can’t quite see clearly to know how things are going to turn out. But, we go forth, with faith, keeping our hopes and dreams alive. Such is the nature of a new beginning.

Thus with joy in our hearts, memories of the last years, guided by the light of our dreams, and with courage to go forth without knowing the future, let us all enter this new year and new decade determined to be the best we can be and to add a little of our best to making the world a better place.

A very Happy New Year to you all!!!!

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They make me a better photographer, aid my growth as a person and offer me new experiences.

River Street Foggy Night

Foggy Night on River Street

River Street
Savannah, GA
July, 2009

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 50mm 1.4, ISO 800, f/2.0, 1/45 second, handheld

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December 29, 2009

Big Bend View

Filed under: Big Bend National Park, Desert scenes, Mountains, Texas — Tags: Big Bend National Park, Chihuahaun Desert, desert, Mountains, photography workshops — martijeffers @ 1:01 am

Hello and welome to My View for Tuesday, December 29, 2009.

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a bright new year.

Looking back on this last year, I am reminded of all the wonderful workshops I’ve taught with Craig Tanner for The Mindful Eye. One of my favorite places to teach — and just to be — is the location of our last workshop of 2009, Big Bend National Park. This last workshop was especially enjoyable for several reasons. It was filled with friends from past workshops, as well as new friends who all made the workshop most enjoyable. We stayed over after the workshop for almost a week and enjoyed Thanksgiving in Terlingua. And, it was the last workshop of a very good year.

I did not take the opportunity to photograph for myself on this trip. Rather, I took snapshots of our wonderful group of participants and merely enjoyed my time in this awesome place. I dug back into the files and found an image from my 2004 trip to Big Bend that I like. It’s not one of my typical abstract images, but instead a landscape image taken from the Rio Grande Village overlook at sunset one evening.

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They make me a better photographer, aid my growth as a person and offer me new experiences.

Rio Grande Village Overlook

Rio Grande Village Overlook
Big Bend National Park
November, 2004
Canon EOS 10D, Canon 28-70mm 2.8L Lens at 63mm, ISO 100, f/11, 1/15 second, camera mounted on Bogen tripod.

Thank you for visiting My View. A wonderful 2010 to all of you.

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December 21, 2009

The Winter Solstice

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: Christmas 2009 — martijeffers @ 11:47 am

Hello and welome to My View for Monday, December 21, 2009.

Hello Everyone,

A Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Seasons Greetings to all of you celebrating a holiday around the winter solstice.

As we celebrate the traditional time of giving this year, I am grateful for all the things that I’ve already been given. While many are homeless this year, I have a home. While many are cold, I have heat and warm clothing. There are parts of the world where there are people who are on their third week without food. I have food. There are others who are on their second or third day without water. I have clean water to drink. There are others who walk for miles just to obtain food. I have a car and a grocery store within easy driving distance.

Not only have I been given all the things we take for granted, I have my work and my art. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with Craig Tanner and The Mindful Eye this year. I’m grateful to each and every person I’ve met on our workshops. All of you have touched my life in some way and I’m grateful to call you my friends. I’m grateful for those who participate in our Community and keep things going when we are so busy with workshops and other things involved in running the site. I am grateful to all of you who visit My View, comment on my images and continue to inspire me as a photographer.

I am extremely grateful for my family and my dear friends. They mean the world to me. I am grateful for the years I shared with my two canine companions who both went to the Rainbow Bridge this year. They live on in my heart. I am grateful for the time I shared with the friends and family members who did not make it through the year here on this earth. They will not be forgotten.

I am also grateful for the beauty that I’ve seen in this world this year. There is still so much around us.

Please take the time to enjoy this season with your friends and family. It’s such a wonderful time of the year!!!!

Today’s image is merely one to mark this season. It was taken with Lensbaby Composer with the soft-focus optic, one that I’m learning to use and loving it.

Merry Christmas

My Home, Roswell, GA
December, 2009
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Lensbaby Composer with soft-focus insert, f/2.8 perforated ring, ISO 400, 1/15 second, Bogen Neotec tripod.

Thank you for visiting My View. Have a wonderful Holiday Season.

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November 9, 2009

Teton Fire

Filed under: Abstract, Grand Teton National Park, Landscape, Mountains — Tags: Abstract, Grand Teton National Park, landscape, photography, photography workshops — martijeffers @ 9:53 am

Hello and welome to My View for Monday, November 9, 2009.

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are enjoying a beautiful autumn.

I apologize for being away from My View since July. It has been an extremely busy and hectic time for me. First, I want to thank all of you who sent good healing intentions for my friend, Wes, who had by-pass surgery back in September. He is doing very well and will be attending the Big Bend National Park workshop with us later this week.

Since Wes’ surgery, I have taught three workshops with Craig Tanner — Grand Tetons National Park, Next Step in Savannah, and Zion National Park. This week, we are preparing for the last one of 2009 in Big Bend National Park, November 14-20. In addition, we’ve announced our 2010 workshop schedule and began registering participants for those workshops.

Today’s image was taken on the Grand Tetons National Park workshop back in late September. The colors were really lovely late in the week in the park and we went out one afternoon to shoot back lit trees. I was demonstrating a technique to a few participants that I use often to abstract a scene. I moved the camera while my shutter was open, bottom to top, to follow the upward direction of the trees. There were several fires in the park this year, as well as a rather large one in southern Yellowstone Park, just up the road from where we were in Jackson. The amazing back light on the stunning trees reminded me of a more beautiful use of the word “Fire” — the fire in the color of the leaves.

Thank you for your patience with me during the last few months, for your good healing thoughts for Wes and for all the sentiments sent to me on the loss of my two canine companions so close together this year. You will never know just how much those thoughts mean to me.

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They make me a better photographer, aid my growth as a person and offer me new experiences.

Teton Fire

Grand Teton National Park
Jackson, Wyoming
September 2009
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 50mm 1.4 lens, ISO 100, f/22, 1/3 second, Hand held.

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July 22, 2009

Blue Marsh

Filed under: Abstract, Georgia, Jekyll Island, Marsh, night photography — Tags: Abstract, canine cancer, Georgia, Jekyll Island, Marsh, National Canine Cancer Foundation, night photography, photography, photography workshops, workshops — martijeffers @ 9:15 am

Hello and welome to My View for Wednesday, July 22, 2009.

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are having a nice week.

Today’s image is one taken of the marsh area on the other side of the footbridge near the pier on Jekyll Island. I had been out shooting after the Jekyll Island workshop was over. I made my way back across the footbridge after the sun had set. There was still just a bit of ambient light in the sky and the lights had come up on the pier, and the surrounding area.

I was “playing” with moving my camera to capture an abstract view of the marsh. It is a long exposure, so I made very small movements with the camera, stopping for a second or three between movements.

As I was searching for something to post this week, I came across this image again. Not only do I like the total abstraction, but it reflected my mood this week as I had to say good-bye to a dear companion.

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They make me a better photographer, aid my growth as a person and offer me new experiences.

Blue Marsh

Larger View

Jekyll Island, GA
April 2009
Canon 1Ds Mark II, Canon 28-70 f/2.8 L lens at 62mm, ISO 1600, f/6.7, 30 secs, Bogen Neotec Tripod.

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For more information about canine cancer and research, please visit the National Canine Cancer Foundation.

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July 21, 2009

Sony

Filed under: Georgia, Portraits — Tags: canine cancer, Georgia, National Canine Cancer Foundation, Sony, Westview's Caught on Tape — martijeffers @ 10:58 pm

Sony

Hello Everyone,

This is not my image for my weekly posts to My View. However, I could not let the day go by without paying tribute to my 12-year-old Tibetan Spaniel, Sony, who lost her battle with hemangiosarcoma (spleen variety) early this morning.

Sony came to me from Westview Kennels and Connie Buckland back in 2001. She was a retired little champion looking for a retirement home and I was looking for a Tibetan Spaniel. We found each other. Sony was an absolute delight and wonderful companion to her “big brother”, Riley who lost his life earlier this year. Thank you, Connie, for trusting me to give her a home and care for her all these years. I will miss her terribly.

CH. Westview’s Caught on Tape (Sony)

Roswell, GA
July 2009
Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 50mm f/1.4 L lens, ISO 800, f/2.0, 1/60 sec, handheld.

To all the dogs who choose us — how lucky we are that they do!!

For more information about canine cancer and research, please visit the National Canine Cancer Foundation.

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July 11, 2009

Soft Savannah Sunset

Filed under: Georgia, Savannah, Street Scenes, Uncategorized, city scape — Tags: city scape, Georgia, photography workshops, Savannah, sunset, Talmadge Memorial Bridge — martijeffers @ 6:31 am

Hello and welome to My View for Saturday, July 11, 2009.

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are having a nice weekend.

Today’s image is a another from Savannah taken in April of this year. After many days of rain in March and April, this beautiful sunset materialized over the Talmadge Memorial Bridge right outside of my hotel room. I’ve not seen such a lovely sunset from downtown Savannah before and ran out and down the street — barefoot — in order to capture a few shots before it disappeared.

It was a soft sunset. I followed the mood already set and softened it even more with use of the clarity slider in Camera Raw.

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They make me a better photographer, aid my growth as a person and offer me new experiences.

Soft Savannah Sunset

Savannah, GA
April 2009
Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 28-70 f/2.8 L lens at 70mm, ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/20 sec, handheld.

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July 8, 2009

My View Being Updated

Filed under: Uncategorized — martijeffers @ 9:13 pm

On Thursday, July 9, 2005, My View will be updated with the latest version of WordPress.

Please look for a new post to My View by Sunday, July 12.

Have a good week and weekend everyone!

Thank you for visiting My View!!

**** Thank you, Kel, for getting this updated so quickly!!! ****

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July 5, 2009

Which Way?

Filed under: Georgia, Savannah, Street Scenes, city scape — Tags: city scape, photography, Savannah GA, Street Scenes, urban, workshops, Zion National Park — martijeffers @ 9:29 am

Hello and welome to My View for Sunday, July 5, 2009.

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are having a nice weekend and that those of you celebrating July 4th had a great day yesterday.

Today’s image is a another from Savannah during the time after the Next Step workshop when it rained for several days. The streets of the city were still wet on this morning, but the rain had stopped and I was out walking. I saw the alley with the markings on the street and took a few shots of the empty alley when, as luck — or synchronicity, if your beliefs are like mine — would have it, a young lady walked right through my shot!! I did not even stop to look up and see her face — just kept shooting.

I have my own interpretation of this shot, but I would love to hear yours.

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They make me a better photographer, aid my growth as a person and offer me new experiences.

Which Way?

Savannah, GA
Canon 1Ds Mark II, Canon 50mm 1.4 lens, ISO 400, f/4.0, 1/500 sec, handheld.

Thank you for visiting My View.

** FILLED ** The Mindful Eye has an unexpected opening in our Zion National Park workshop. If you are interested please contact me. *** FILLED ***

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