An iBooks “Textbook” Photo Book on Vietnam

I’ve been playign with iBooks Author all evening, and it’s fantastic. Definitely some limitations and features I can’t wait to see, but overall this thing is amazing.

I have been working on a photo book as a test, and will continue to release updated versions as I go.

This is a free download — please check it out and let me know what you think, and keep coming back to check for new updates!

You can download the in-progress iBook from the iBooks page.

Click to access the download page for my free, in-progress, iBook

Frozen in Time

It was a little chilly last night, dropping the mercury low enough to put a layer of ice on the creek in the back canyon. I shivered my way down there this morning to see if I could spot anything photogenic, and came back with a couple of images.

Frozen Creek @ January 2012 | Canon EOS 5D Mk II & 100mm ƒ/2.8 Macro @ ISO 1000, ƒ/7.1, 1/100

I mentioned at the beginning of the year that I may start doing a B&W series. Let’s see if I can maintain it, but for now, see the first one above. It’s a close-up of a frozen ripple of water; completely abstract and organic. I created the B&W using Silver Efex Pro II and one of my default presets, which I’ve posted here before but here it is again. Next one, I’ll do something different.

The second shot is just cool… it appears to be a tiny flower trapped in ice, or “frozen in time”. I love the way the water has frozen around it; it’s almost as if the temperature plummeted instantly and froze this splash! I simply adore it.

Frozen in Time @ January 2012 | Canon EOS 5D Mk II & 100mm ƒ/2.8 Macro @ ISO 1000, ƒ/5.6, 1/80

My Bear Photos in Today’s Rogue Valley Mail Tribune

This is quite nice; I had my bear photos published in today’s (Monday January 16, 2012) Rogue Valley Mail Tribune!

The spread looks great and the photos printed very well. Neat!

Click on the snapshot below to open the gallery with the original bear photos, if you haven’t seen them yet.

Snow, Deer!

It’s a snow morning in Ashland — the first of 2012! — and a pair of deer took refuge on our path this morning. Funnny thing is, three hours later and they’re still there!

Deer in the first snow of 2012 in Ashland, OR @ Jan 2012 | Canon EOS 5D Mk II & 70-200mm ƒ/4L IS @ ISO 640, ƒ/4, 1/320

Bear Essentials

In this part of Oregon, black bears are plentiful in the woods (estimates are in the 25,000 to 30,000 range), and those of us living on the edge of town know they come down looking for food this time of year. In fact, I have a BearSaver trash can and have tweeted the evidence of bear-sign before. Not to mention I’m regularly cleaning bear, erm, evidence, off the front lawn.

Then a few days before Christmas, we caught a glimpse of a momma and two cubs tearing through the front yard in the late morning. Which is really unusual, as they typically are only around at night.

Then this morning, I spotted them again, down at the creek at the bottom of our property. And they weren’t running away. I had time to grab the long lens and get a few shots through the window!

Black Bear in Ashland, OR — Momma on Watch @ January 2012 | Canon EOS 5D Mk II & 400mm ƒ/4 @ ISO 640, ƒ/4, 1/80

They were up and down the canyon (it’s a small canyon, my house at the top on one side and a creek at the bottom), but I was shooting through windows and trees. They started to come up our path right to the back patio (!!) but thought better of it and turned around. I caught this shot of them bounding across the creek. The 400mm lens was too long to catch all of them in the frame at once!

Click to read more ...