- Horseshoe Bend (Colorado River), near Page, Arizona
This remarkable horseshoe-shaped bend in the Colorado River (just north-east of the Grand Canyon) is one of the most photographed spots on the river. This view is towards the West, and this photo was taken in the afternoon, so it's not as good as it could have been. (However, IMHO it still looks better than most other Horseshoe Bend photographs I've seen on the Internet.) I wonder how many thousand years it will take for the narrow neck of the bend to erode through - allowing the river to pass straight through... (April 17, 2010. Nikon D5000, 1/125s @ f/18, 13mm, ISO 200.) - Submission!
I took many jiu-jitsu photos in 2010, but this photo - of my friend Allen Pestana submitting an opponent (with a triangle-arm bar combination) during the Pan Am tournament - stood out. (April 8, 2010. Nikon D5000, 1/250s @ f/5.3, 210mm, ISO 3200.) - Lava from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano
Glowing lava flows from the Kilauea volcano, near sundown. (This photo was taken from a public viewing area, a mile or so away. The lava in the foreground had been laid down less than 3 weeks earlier, and was still warm to the touch!) (December 16, 2010. Nikon D5000, exposure blending from 3-shot bracketed exposure (-2,0,+2 EV) @ f/16, 116mm, ISO 200.) - Glasshouse Mountains, Queensland, Australia
Usually, a hazy sky detracts from the quality of a landscape photo. In this case, however, it seemed to enhance it - giving it a dreamy, painting-like quality. (February 15, 2010. Nikon D5000, 1/30s @ f/11, 18mm, ISO 200.) - Mauna Kea Observatory (Hawaii) at sunset
I didn't think much of this photo when I first took it, but later, I realized that the composition and lighting seemed close to perfect. (December 18, 2010. Nikon D5000, 1/30s @ f/11, 22mm, ISO 220.) - Wild bobcat, Henry Coe State Park
Over the years, I've seen several bobcats while mountain biking. They are usually shy and elusive, but - remarkably - this bobcat just sat and stared at me as I approached within about 100 feet. (April 4, 2009. Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom ('point-and-shoot'), 1/250s @ f/3.7, 63mm, ISO 200.) - "Icons" - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
I didn't think much of this photo after I first took it, but it grew on me. It shows Rio's famous "Christ the Redeemer" statue silhouetted against communication towers. (January 13, 2009. Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom ('point-and-shoot'), 1/650s @ f/6.3, 63mm, ISO 50.) - Iguazu Falls, Brazil
This panorama (made by combining 4 separate photographs) begins to illustrate the breadth of the magnificent Iguazu Falls, on the border of Brazil and Argentina. (Brazil is in the foreground; Argentina is in the background.) Even this panorama, in fact, shows only a portion of the falls; the largest cataract lies beyond the left edge. (January 18, 2009. Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom ('point-and-shoot'), panorama.) - Arm bar!
In 2009 I took several photos of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, including several of world champion black belts. My favorite BJJ photo, however, was this photo of brown belt friend David "Canada" McLeod submitting his opponent via arm bar at the U.S. Open. (Canada had practiced this move on me numerous times beforehand!) (October 18, 2009. Nikon D-5000 (DSLR), 1/125s @ f/4.5, 75mm, ISO 1000.) - Midnight Sun over Tromsø, Norway
In July, just prior to a business trip to Stockholm, Sweden, I visited far-northern Norway - above the Arctic Circle - where, at the time, the sun was up 24 hours per day. This photo was taken shortly after midnight. If it hadn't been for the clouds at the far right, the sun would have been visible. (July 10, 2009. Nikon D-5000 (DSLR), HDR from 3-shot bracketed exposure (-2,0,+2 EV), 24mm, ISO 200.) - Skyline Arch, Arches National Park, Utah
Arches National Park, near Moab, Utah, is a photographer's paradise - especially near sunset, when this photo was taken. (May 7, 2009. Nikon D-5000 (DSLR), 1/160s @ f/6.3, 29mm, ISO 200.) - Sunset from Chisos Basin, Big Bend National Park, Texas
I often dislike the cartoonish effect produced by the "Photomatix" HDR software, but in this case I thought the effect worked well. (I especially like the multiple hills visible in the background.) (December 21, 2009. Nikon D-5000 (DSLR), HDR from 3-shot bracketed exposure (-2,0,+2 EV) @ f/1.4, 50mm, ISO 200.) - Grapevine Hills at sunset, Big Bend National Park, Texas
The best photo opportunities are often to be found just before sunset (or just after sunrise, but good luck finding me awake then!). The lighting here seemed almost magical. (December 20, 2009. Nikon D-5000 (DSLR), 1/30s @ f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 450.) - Child at Mike Prudencio's July 4th BBQ
Most of my photographs are of landscapes and wildlife, rather than people, but at Mike Prudencio's birthday/July 4th barbeque, I got to take several photographs of people. I was especially pleased at how well this one turned out. (July 4, 2009. Nikon D-5000 (DSLR), 1/400s @ f/2.0, 50mm, ISO 200.) - "Machine" - Black Belt!
In July a good friend and training partner Justin "Machine" Holder - after more than 8 years of training - was awarded a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Ralph Gracie. (July 2, 2009. Nikon D-5000 (DSLR), 1/100s @ f/3.5, 18mm, ISO 400.)