Austin, Texas – Moore’s Crossing (Infrared)

Jan4

Here is an Infrared photo from one cool spot in Austin…Moore’s Crossing. I have been there twice. Shot HDR’s, IR’s and did some portrait work there. Its located in an obscure park and the bridge is actually just placed there and takes you nowhere. …just for pedestrians only. I have yet to be back at nite…this is when the ghost stories appear…

Info from the web: Is the wrought iron bridge really haunted? Rumors state that a tragic incident took place on this bridge. The exact time has been lost. Research has found no evidence to back up this aspiring urban legend. However, as the story goes, a man was hung, by a mob, from one of the cross beams because of a forbidden love affair. Witnesses say after midnight you can see the man hanging from the crossbeam swaying in a slight breeze. Below, a shadow of a female figure is seen looking up in the direction of the swinging body. Many witnesses over the years have reported seeing people walking across the bridge dressed in out-of-date clothing. A couple, while crossing the old narrow bridge by car in the 80’s, speak of a man on foot waving to them as they pass him. They backed up to see the strangely dressed man but found that he had vanished.

Talke Photography Settings:

Camera: Nikon D70S (Converted to Infrared)
Infrared Conversion: D70S modified by LifePixel
Lens: Nikon 12-24 f/4
Setting: Aperture Mode
Focal Length: 20.0mm
ISO: 200
Exposure: 1/90 sec
Aperture: f/19
Gear: Tripod
Post Process: Adobe CS4, Viveza, Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro

Dublin, Texas – Dr. Pepper Bottling Company

Dec29

I’m a Pepper, your a Pepper, he’s a Pepper, she’s a Pepper, wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper too? Drink Dr. Pepper! …one of my favorite soda drinks is Dr. Pepper…back in November we took a trip to Dallas and on the drive home we had heard of the Dublin Dr. Pepper bottling plant deep in the heart of Texas and decided to go check it out! But first why did we take the 2 1/2 hour drive to Dublin from Dallas?? At this Dr. Pepper facility they sell Dr. Pepper with real Imperial Cane Sugar!! SWEET!!!!!

The drive was pretty, but long…many farm roads and you finally arrive in Dublin. A sweet old town with some character. The bottling plant is very quaint and brings back memories of olden times. First you must enter in Doc’s Soda shop and buy a Dr. Pepper made the proper way! The taste is the same, but a bit sweeter! At Doc’s you can buy Dr. Pepper gear…clothes, glassware, drinks, knick-knacks and sweets! They even had Dr. Pepper Jelly Beans!! Inside Docs you can see many years of Dr. Pepper memorabilia on its walls. Grab yourself a drink and snack…few tables and an old jukebox in the corner and life is good in Dublin!

While visiting you can take a tour of the facility, shop and museum. Check the web site for tour times. http://www.dublindrpepper.com Here are a few more pics…

If you are thirsty…have a Dr. Pepper today!!

Taos, New Mexico – Rio Grande Gorge (Infrared)

Dec27

This photo above is of the Rio Grande Gorge in Taos, New Mexico. I woke my family up early as I wanted to take a drive out of town to see the fantastic sight! Just only 15 minutes north of the town of Taos is this gorge. I did not know what to expect. I was windy and a bit chilly…so the walk out to the middle of the bridge overlooking this view was tough! I held onto my hat and steadied my tripod.

I’ll have an HDR soon..but only processed this IR shot first. In B&W..it looks cool! Even that mountain range in the background is interesting. I enjoyed our stay in Taos! A cute artsy town and a great place to ski! It is snowing all over the east coast today…hope you had a Merry XMas!

Info from the web: The Rio Grande Gorge runs from northwest to southeast of Taos, New Mexico, through the basalt flows of the Taos Plateau volcanic field. The gorge depth is 800 feet just south of the Gorge Bridge, which spans the gorge ten miles northwest of Taos. The gorge is known for its world class white water (up to Class V), steep pocketed rock climbing, and many ancient and beautiful petroglyphs. Petroglyphs in the gorge have inspired many of the prints and patterns on trinkets, mugs, and t-shirts sold in local shops. At the bottom of the gorge, the Rio Grande is flanked by hidden hot springs and many ruins. The former Chili Line also ran here.

Talke Photography Settings:

Camera: Nikon D70S (Converted to Infrared)
Infrared Conversion: D70S modified by LifePixel
Lens: Nikon 18-200 f/3.5-5.6
Setting: Aperture Mode
Focal Length: 26.0mm
ISO: 200
Exposure: 1/60 sec
Aperture: f/13
Gear: Tripod
Post Process: Adobe CS4, Viveza, Silver Efex Pro

Pittsburgh, PA – Early AM Skyline (HDR)

Dec18

Here is a shot from this past summer from the lovely city of Pittsburgh, PA. This view is located on Mount Washington…a perfect spot to catch a skyline view of the Burgh! I went out shooting early this AM with my good friend…Dave DiCello his blog is HDR Exposed. There are two inclines you can take to get to the top of the hill and they both have wonderful vantage points. I can imagine right now from here there may be snow? I think it will be a crazy winter all over the world! The holidays are near! Enjoy!

Talke Photography Settings:

Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Nikon 12-24 F/4
Setting: Aperture Mode
Focal Length: 24.0mm
ISO: 200
Exposure: HDR 5 exposures (+2 to -2)
Aperture: f/22
Gear: Tripod
Post Process: Adobe CS4, Photomatix, Color Efex Pro, Viveza

Austin, Texas – Textured (HDR)

Dec11

Its a double shot Saturday with two HDR’s Textured from Austin, Texas. The photo above is from a famous local bar called the “Broken Spoke”. Out front of the establishment they have this super old broken down swing band tour bus that has lots of character and must be added to the spots to photograph in Austin!

The photo above is from Moore’s Crossing in Austin. I was up recently taking some XMas Card portrait photos near sunset and grabbed a semi silhouette shot of the bridge and thought it might be cool with an added texture or two. The rain is a texture to give it that moody feel. Hope you like it? Have a great weekend!

Northfield, Ohio – Brandywine Falls (HDR)

Dec4

From this past summer on my drive from Cleveland, OH to Pittsburgh, PA on the way you can stop by the little town of Northfield, Ohio and see this amazing waterfall called Brandywine Falls. Some info from the web:

Carved by Brandywine Creek, the 60-foot falls demonstrates classic geological features of waterfalls. A layer of hard rock caps the waterfall, protecting softer layers of rock below. In this case, the top layer is Berea Sandstone. The softer layers include Bedford and Cleveland shales, soft rocks formed from mud found on the sea floor that covered this area 350-400 million years ago. Shale is thinly chunked, giving water a bridal veil appearance as it cascades down the falls.

A combination of boardwalk and steps brings you into the waterfall’s gorge and lets you view the waterfall head-on (a boardwalk option without stairs is also available). The boardwalk also provides a close look at Berea Sandstone. Careful inspection will reveal the individual grains of sand that accumulated in a sea 320 million years ago. Berea Sandstone is high quality sandstone found commonly throughout this area, both in nature and as a construction material used in buildings and canal locks.

Talke Photography Settings:

Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Nikon 12-24 F/4
Setting: Aperture Mode
Focal Length: 22.0mm
ISO: 200
Exposure: HDR 5 exposures (+2 to -2)
Aperture: f/22
Gear: Tripod
Post Process: Adobe CS4, Photomatix, Color Efex Pro, Viveza

Long Valley, New Jersey – Hacklebarney Park (Infrared)

Dec2

I must admit it is tough to stop cold turkey and just only post on Saturday’s. I have so many pics I want to post! So occasionally I will post a shot during the week. Stay warm! Its cold out there!

Talke Photography Settings:

Camera: Nikon D70S (Converted to Infrared)
Infrared Conversion: D70S modified by LifePixel
Lens: Nikon 12-24 f/4.0
Setting: Aperture Mode
Focal Length: 12.0mm
ISO: 200
Exposure: 1/90 sec
Aperture: f/11
Gear: Tripod
Post Process: Adobe CS4, Viveza, Silver Efex Pro

News: 2011 Calendar Giveaway & For Sale!

Nov29

2011 is almost here! It is time for the 2011 Talke Photography Calendar giveaway!!! Just type “Yes” in the comments below and you are entered! I will pick the winner out of a hat on Dec 24th!! Good luck and happy upcoming holidays!!

The calendar is now available for sale!! $34.99 includes shipping and handling (sorry only US customers only). They are made by Apple and the quality is fantastic, thick quality paper and wire binding! Click here to check the entire calendar out and order your copy today! 2011 Calendar

Places 2 Explore News:

Nov27

Hello everyone! I took this past week off for the first time since starting my blog in March of 2009…after 602 posts and now over 600,000 visitors, I have decided to keep Places 2 Explore running..but with one BIG change. Instead of my 6 days a week posting…unfortunately, I am going to switch it to a Saturday (only) post…1 day a week. I have been shooting many portraits recently and even shot a banquet! This has kept me very very busy. My original goal was to start my portrait business one day and one area must suffer…that will be my landscape shots. So I will begin my portrait learning process immediately. After a few shoots, I see I have lots to learn! Please come back and read P2E on every Saturday! Have fun! Thanks for all your visits and comments! Cheers, Pete

Clinton, NJ – Red Mill (HDR)

Nov27

From the lovely little town of Clinton, NJ this shot is of the Red Mill. A famous location to be photographed in New Jersey. You can find this shot in many photos, painting, calendars…all over! I grew up only 20 minutes from here and actually never visited until recently! There is a cute little bridge that overlooks the mill and is great for setting up your shot. Just over the bridge is a little shopping are with restaurants that overlook the river. I was lucky to catch it in fall, but I would enjoy seeing this shot with some snowfall! I bet it would be wonderful! Its cold in Texas these days..hope its not too bad for you in your neck of the woods! Enjoy!