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On The Road
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 Image
#2 Pyramid Power .. The first day was so exciting that none
of us wanted to stop shooting, even though the sun had gone
down. I announced that I was heading to the hotel roof top
to see what kind of picture might be possible. Several trekkers
joined me for a late night game of patience that paid off
at 10pm when the Great Pyramids of Giza became illuminated.
Nikon D2Xs, ISO160, 10 second exposure at f6.3, Nikon 17-55mm
Lens, Gitzo Tripod and Ball Head, WB 2500K, Long Exposure
Noise Reduction Mode, Lexar 8G Flash Card. |
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 Image
#3 Camel Market ... The camel market outside of Cairo was
perhaps the best location for any of the trekkers who were
looking for a true photojournalistic opportunity. Definitely
not the normal tourist point of interest, this market place
was full of great faces and scenes of big business conducted
with plenty of Egyptian style. I decided to place my camera
with a 10.5mm fisheye lens on my mono-pod in an attempt
to capture a birds eye view of the happenings in the market
place. This camel arrived at the market with a broken leg
which led to its swift destruction by way of a throat cutting.
This image, although grotesque to most Americans, seemed
common place for these Bedouins of Industry. Nikon D200,
ISO320, 1/500 at f4, Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye Lens, WB 7100K,
Gitzo Mono-pod with Gitzo Ball Head, Kirk "L"
Bracket, Nikon MC-30 Cable Release, Lexar 8G Flash Card.
I try to lead by example when I teach. No sooner had I mounted
the D200 on my mono-pod and raised it high over my head
for this unique viewpoint than one of the trekkers followed
my lead with a similar setup while several others positioned
themselves on a roof top for there own version of a birds
eye view and made great pictures of their own. |
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 Image
#4 The Sphinx ... The history of Egypt and great photographic
opportunities continued each day and included a visit to the
Sphinx. A very straight forward iconic monument recognized
throughout the world, the Sphinx was perhaps my favorite of
all. A main attraction of Egypt, the trick was to capture
an image with no crowd visible ..... accept for the two men
riding camels who provided the perfect Egyptian accent for
a complete image. Nikon D200, ISO200, 1/100 at f22, Nikon
17-55mm Lens, WB 4500K, Lexar 8G Flash Card. |
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 Image
#5 Life Along the Nile ... Our group flew from Cairo to Aswan
were we boarded a beautiful cruise boat and began a slow trip
up the Nile towards Luxor. We boarded the boat in the evening
and set sail while we were sleeping. I woke at sunrise to
a view from my bed of slow moving scenes of life along the
shores of the Nile River. I grabbed my camera and headed to
the upper deck where I was soon joined by several trekkers
ready to make pictures. This was the most relaxing photography
I have ever done. We all clicked off picture after picture
of life on the river as it unfolded with each mile of slow
sailing. Nikon D200, ISO200, 1/250 at f5.6, Nikon 70-200mm
Zoom Lens, WB 7100K, Lexar 8G Flash Card. |
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 Image
#6 Sunset On the River Nile .. I believe every trekker was
on deck for this magnificent sunset. The magnificent scenery
unfolded as we slowly cruised up the Nile until the sun set
behind this Minaret. Nikon D2Xs, ISO160, 1/160 at f5.6, Nikon
70-200 Zoom Lens with TC14C 1.4 Teleconverter, WB 10,000K,
Lexar 8G Flash Card. |
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 Image
#7 Jewel of the Nile ... or so it would appear. Each day of
our cruise was spent on shore photographing various locations
ranging from the Valley of the Kings to local Bazaars. This
jeweled container was in an antique shop and made a perfect
subject to apply a shaft of "portable Ra" ...(Egyptian
sun god) ... a.k.a. a shaft of light from a Nikon SB800 Speedlight
and LumiQuest Snoot. Nikon D2Xs, ISO200, 1/20 at f4, Nikon
12-24mm Lens, WB 7700K, Nikon SB800 Speedlight with power
output of +2, LumiQuest Snoot and Warming Gel, Nikon SU800
Commander to trigger the Remote SB800, Lexar 8G Flash Card. |
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 Image
#8 Jamil ... Each temple area we would photograph offered
portrait opportunities of the locals. Jamil was very willing
and most patient with myself and a small group of trekkers
in our efforts do learn about lighting with the Nikon SB800
Speedlights. The inner court yard of the Temple of Philae
offered enough ambient light that gave a soft background tone
but not enough light to draw attention to our subject. We
used one SB800 with a warming gel and snoot to add an accent
of light to Jamil's face and mood to the over all portrait.
Nikon D200, ISO250, 1/60 at f4.5, Nikon 17-55mm Lens, WB 7100K,
One SB800 Speedlight with warming gel and LumiQuest Snoot
at a power output of +2, Nikon SU800 Commander to trigger
the remote SB800, Lexar 8G Flash Card. This lighting formula
would be a reoccurring teaching theme that I would stress
over and over again each day. I like the drama that is created
when a background environment is underexposed by -1 and the
power output of the off camera Remote SB800 Speedlight is
+1 stop ... but I wanted a warm shaft of light so I used the
warming gel that comes standard with the unit to add warmth
to my subject. The addition of the warming gel diminishes
the output of light so I use a +2 power output to compensate
for the warming gel. (NOTE: this same lighting formula was
also used on the previous image of the jeweled container.)
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 Image
#9 Walls of History ... Our group was privileged to have two
of the world's foremost Egyptologists as our historical guides.
You've read their books and seen them on the History Channel
but for our Trek to Egypt they were LIVE and in person, Bob
Brier and Pat Remler. All the history of the Pharaohs came
alive with each temple we photographed. This image of the
interior of the temple near Kom Ombo was accomplished using
the same off camera SB800 Speedlight theme as previous images.
I underexposed the general scene and then added some accent
light using a Remote Nikon SB800. Nikon D2Xs, ISO320, 1/20
at f4, Nikon 12-24mm Lens, WB 6700K, Two Nikon SB800 Speedlights
with power output of +1 (one was placed on the floor and one
with a LumiQuest Snoot was hand held off to the left and added
an accent of light on the Pharaohs face) Nikon SU800 Commander
triggered the two remote SB800s, Lexar 8G Flash Card. |
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 Image
#10 Egyptian Craftsman ... One of our excursions took us to
a small village near the Valley of the Kings. The village
was in the process of being excavated due to recently discovered
tombs beneath the buildings but a few villagers remained including
this artist carving replicas of the hieroglyphics found in
the tombs. Nikon D200, ISO100, 1/100 at f3.2, Nikon 17-55mm
Lens, WB 7100K, One Nikon Remote SB800 Speedlight with warming
gel and LumiQuest Snoot and a power output of +1, Nikon SU800
Commander to trigger the remote SB800, Lexar 8G Flash Card.
I underexposed the scene by -3/4 of a stop and added just
an accent of light with my SB800 at a power output of +1.
This again follows the same theme as previous images but with
a less dramatic difference between the ambient light and the
light produced by the SB800. |
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#11 Whirling Dancer ... Like most cruise boats, ours came
with evening entertainment. This dancer was a whirl of activity
as he performed what trekkers estimated as over 300 revolutions
during a 5 minute dance. The same principle is applied here
as before ... I underexposed the scene by -1 stop and placed
an SB800 as a remote off the camera (no warming gel) in a
chair to the dancers right at a power output of +1. Nikon
D200, ISO100, 1/10 at f4.5, Nikon 12-24mm Lens, WB 6700K,
Nikon SB800 Speedlight with a power output of +1, Nikon SU800
Commander to trigger the Remote SB800. |
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 Image
#12 We concluded our cruise of the Nile in Luxor and explored
the city of Thebes, the capitol of the ancient Egyptian empire.
The pillars of the Karnak Temples provided an excellent backdrop
for photography. Trekkers produced some of their finest work
of the trip while wondering the temples main hall. This image
is a strong example of the use of light and shadows which
was the main theme I was hoping to communicate during the
trek. It is the use of light and shadows that create drama
in a picture whether it is accomplished by using off camera
flash units or, as in this image, natural sunshine. Nikon
D2Xs, ISO100, 1/500 at f5.6, Nikon17-55mm Lens, WB 7700K,
Lexar 8G Flash Card. To capture this image several trekkers
and I waited patiently for about 15 minutes for the crowd
of tourists to clear out of the main temple area thus creating
a scene of solitude and contemplation. |
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 Image
#13 Market Boy ... The Luxor area had a terrific local Bazaar
district which provided some wonderful pictures for many,
especially for those trekkers who wanted to explore the other
side of the Bazaar district. This was a great photojournalistic
opportunity that provided images of the hard living back alley
Egyptians. Our small but adventurous group tightened their
camera straps, set their exposures and dove into the kinds
of pictures that one would see splashed across the pages of
National Geographic. This was journalistic street photography
101 at its best and quite an eye opener and an experience
that definitely raised the adrenaline of those trekkers and
myself who explored the entire market place. Nikon D2Xs, ISO500,
1/250 at f4, Nikon 12-24mm Lens, WB 6300K, Lexar 8G Flash
Card. |
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 Image
#14 Luxor at Night ... One of the most beautiful scenes of
our trek was Luxor at night. The ancient ruins were lit up
and provided some incredible pictures. It was a wonderful
way to finish up our photographic experience through the land
of the Pharaohs before flying off to the resort area of Sharm
el Sheik on the Red Sea. Nikon D2Xs, ISO100, 1 second at f4,
Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye Lens, WB 9100K, Gitzo Tripod and Gitzo
Ball Head with Kirk "L" Bracket, Lexar 8G Flash
Card. |
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This was a trek of a life time and
a wonderful photographic experience. I want to thank Mirjam, Michelle,
Tom, Najat, Bob and Pat in making this trek a fantastic adventure.
No one does it like American PHOTO. From start to finish we experienced
the best accommodations, the best history and of course, the best
photographic opportunities possible. Thanks for a fantastic journey.
See you next time On The Road. Adios, Dave
WORKSHOPS and PRESENTATION ScheduleAugust 15-17 ..... American PHOTO Mentor Series Trek: New Jersey www.mentorseries.com August 26 ... ASMP Atlanta: Presentation of Images with Commentary and Q&A. Atlanta, Georgia ... (non-members are also welcome) www.asmpatlanta.org September 21-25 ... Rich Clarkson's Adventure Photography Workshop
in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. www.richclarkson.com
April 14-22, 2009 ... Photo Quest Adventures, The Netherlands. www.photoquestadventures.com |
August,
2008 (click here)
Camp Life
July,
2008 (click here)
Lightpainting the Southwest
May,
2008 (click here)
A Southwest Tour
April,
2008 (click here)
The Endless Winter
March,
2008 (click here)
PMA Show in Las Vegas!
February,
2008 (click here)
At the Ballet
January,
2008 (click here)
One Week of Work
December,
2007 (click here)
A Look Back at 2007
November,
2007 (click here)
Traveling
with the New Nikon D3
October,
2007 (click here)
High Country Journey
September,
2007 (click here)
Walking
On The Road
August,
2007 (click here)
Speedway
Thunder from PA
July, 2007
(click here)
"Arlington National
Cemetery"
June, 2007
(click here)
"Kentucky Derby Day"
May, 2007
(click here)
"Mexico Trek"
April,
2007 (click here)
"Egypt Trek"
March,
2007 (click here)
Transit Mix
"Images From the Air"
February,
2007 (click here)
Ice Climbing in Ouray
January,
2007 (click here)
2007 Year in Review
People of Willoq, Peru
Lexington, Kentucky TREK
Training for the Mr USA Title
"The International Golf Tournament"
"Tour of Champions Documentary"
"Northern California, the FBI and Clint Eastwood ..."
"The 2006 Kentucky Derby"
"Off the Road Picture Sales"
Ladies Olympic Figure Skating
Torino Italy and the 2006 Winter Olympic Games
"Hey Dave, are you going to the Winter Olympics in Torino and What Equipment Do You Take?"
The Holiday Tea with Tchaikovsky
presented by Colorado's Classical Youth Ballet
Landscapes at Pebble Beach:
a look back at 2005
Lightpainting Landscapes
NFL Football
3 Day Photography Workshop
Gardner-Webb University, Boiling Springs, North Carolina
Michelle Kwan
International Gymnastics Camp
the Men's US Open Golf Championships
The Kentucky Derby
Nevada Photojournalism Day
John Bolin's "The Thorn"
Indoor Track and Field
UC Irvine's Paul Spittle and
the Sports Shooter Academy
with Nikon's new DX2
Broncos Football:
Denver vs Indianapolis
the US Figure Skating Nationals
Portland, Oregon
College Basketball:
Colorado State vs Air Force
Broncos Football:
Broncos VS. Dolphins
Assignment work:
Wrestling
A look back at 2004
Rich Clarkson's Photography at the Summit Workshop &
Moose Peterson's Digital Landscape Workshop Series
Whitewater Kayaking
Gymnastics and more
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games
Athens, Greece
A look back at some wonderful Olympic moments
USAFA Graduation flyover
US Olympic Training Center - Swimming and Gymnastics
Last Month the Masters, this month The Kentucky Derby......I love my job
Masters at Augusta National
The American Cup Gymnastics
NIKON COLLEGE WORKSHOP
Indoor Track and Field
Women's Freestyle Wresting
Rhythmic Gymnastics Nationals
The Glass Flower Ceiling at the Belagio Hotel in Las Vegas
College Basketball
Women's Waterpolo
Olympic swimmers on their way to Athens
NFL Football
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Finals
A look back at The Greenbay Professionals
Monday Night Football the Sports Shooter Workshop and Luau in LA
Photography at the Summit workshop
Portraits to workshops to stock image sales
Lightpainting in Banf
The World Gymnastics Championships
International Gymnastics Camp
Thunderbirds
Gymnastics
The Sports Photography Workshop with Rich Clarkson
Velodrome Cycling, More
The 129th running of the Kentucky Derby
White water kayakers
The Champions on Ice tour
PBR Rodeo
Chris Shivers and Little Yellow Jacket ride for $1 Million
Nikon's featured speaker at PMA in Las Vegas
American Cup Gymnastics
USAFA Women's Basketball
USAFA Swimming
USAFA Boxing
NCAA Fencing Championships
USOC's Titan Games
Air Force Basketball
Pro Football Pre-Superball Stock Sales
Swimmers train at the Swim Flume at the USOC
Much more!
Diving at the Air Force Academy
Denver Broncos VS. The Arizona Cardinals
Olympic Hopefuls Lenny Krayzelberg and Tom Molchow practice at the USOC
