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Photo Shop Blending Tips
Posted in Dining
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Make Your Sunset Photos Pop!
People ask me frequently if I Photo-Shop my images prior to posting to the web. Truth be told, every single digital image needs a little tweaking. Fact: Nearly every image used in commercial advertising (billboards, newspapers, magazines, etc) has been Photoshopped in some matter prior to being printed.
I shoot a lot of photos. While on assignments I can easily shoot over 8-10K in a single week. Although, most of them are editorial photos and very few will be used by clients. I also shoot a lot of personal photos. I like bracket exposures and shutter speeds, adjust lighting and shoot several shots of the subjects if time allows. This style makes final editing easier and gives the client more choices for their written articles.
NO ONE wants to waste the time editing every single image captured, especially the photographer. Bracketing shots makes it easier to pick a decent exposure to post edit. Composition and exposure will also pay dividends in time saved during post edits.
So, what makes an image pop? Composition, Lighting, Color, Exposure and Subject of course. At times I just crop an image and add a little color saturation and “whoa” that’s it! The whole process only takes about a minute or two.
Let’s talk about composition for a bit. Framing your photo in the camera viewfinder is most important if you want a really great or compelling image. Try applying the basic composition rules like the “rule-of-thirds”. Turn your camera verticle or horizontal and pretend you see that tic-tac-toe graph. Also, try to get some low or compelling angles. Whatever you do, DON’T put the horizon in the middle of the photo. Yikes!!
If you notice the sky is seems more dramatic, try to include more of it. Including a live subject, building structure or animal to your photos will also help make many photos work. If you look at the sunset I shot at Bradenton Beach above, you will notice the sky with the whispery clouds swirling around and the birds running at the base. I shot a very low angle with the camera just inches from the sand. I wanted to include some of the shine on the sand because it was reflecting a very dramatic sky which added another element of lighting which silhouetted the birds. During post I barely saturated the color and cropped the image a little and that was it.
The photo below was shot along the Gold Coast of Brasilito, Costa Rica. It was an amazing sunset and the color was right on. Again, just a tad of saturation. The young surfers in silhouettes added the human element and scale. Many may say the image is a bit over saturated. However, you as the creator of the image can adjust lighting and colors to get your desired effect. At times we can adjust colors to match a decor in place in our homes or offices.
The image below is the same beach scene as above, but shot several minutes later. The lighting became so much more saturated as the sun started to set low in the sky and exhibited some astonishing brilliant colors, so I was compelled to shoot a series of photos which all turned out incredibly amazing.
The image below was right outside my hotel in Brasilito, C.R., . The lighting was right on with little photoshop. I had just arrived and hurried to get the shot. The moss hanging from the tree and the people added some extra elements.
Below: Playa Hermosa Bch, just south of Jaco, Costa Rica.
Below: Clearwater Bch, Florida
Exhibiting your Masterpiece: Try adding a border around your finished images. It completes the photo for publishing. If you want to hang your images you may want to skip the traditional frame and matting with glass. Opt instead for a gallery wrap, metal or acrylic print. I’m loving the metal and acrylics.
Contributed by: Martin J. Allred (editor) http://www.nationwidephotographers.com
Posted in Dining, Photography Tips
Tagged composition, Florida sunsets, framing, photographing sunsets, photography tips, sunset tips, sunsets
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Florida’s Christmas Parades of Lights
It’s December, and in Florida, that usually means pleasant outdoor weather. The temperatures lately have been in the upper 60s and 70s and perfect for most outdoor activities.
One of the many popular outdoor events held in December is the Annual Boat Parades. The Tampa/Sarasota area has several parades scattered throughout the area. Visit this site and find one in your Florida area.
https://www.floridabywater.com/holiday-boat-parade
We chose the “Christmas Parade of Lights” in Sarasota since we live in the area.
I figured it would be crowded, but didn’t realize just how much. The snowbirds have started their annual migration to the local areas and that means crowded restaurants and limited parking. It also creates more traffic congestion, urgh!. But, it’s good for the local businesses and helps keep our taxes down.
In my opinion, Marina Jacks would be the best place to view the boat parade downtown Sarasota. Their restaurants all have comfortable seating, several bars, and one of the best views of the bay. The boat judging area is located on the boat dock at Marina Jacks too, and the boats make a turnaround in that area. The seating is limited and reserved, so, if you plan on scoring a decent table you need to call and make arrangements weeks ahead of time.
Note: The marina entrances and parking lots are normally blocked off during big events.
The Bayfront Park near the fountain just across the harbor of Marina Jacks is another great. parade viewing area. After a brief walk around Marina Jacks and navigating the crowds, we decided on a brief walk over to Bayfront Park to see the parade.
My suggestion: Bring a lawn chair, ice chest, snacks, drinks, etc., and set-up on the water side of the sidewalk several hours prior to the parade start. If you set-up on the opposite side of the sidewalk people will be walking in front of you all night trying to find a spot to view the parade. It gets very crowded in great weather. We had to park several blocks away off of Main Street from Marina Jacks due to the crowds.
I took some photos and a little video footage and uploaded the links to the stand-out floats here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qynFBYResPo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBdT9_JKjp4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SEDTljIDUk
A view of the of Bayfront Park Fountain area from Marina Jacks Restaurant.
Contributed by: Martin J. Allred http://www.Floridaography.com
http://www.nationwidephotographers.com
Smoldering Channelside Reignited with New Sparkman Wharf Opening
The Sparkman Wharf opened this past weekend. The Wharf is part of the multi-billion dollar riverfront development in the formerly named Channelside area downtown Tampa Bay. Projected to be complete in early 2020, Sparkman Wharf will also include about 180,000 square feet of office lofts, 65,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The mixed-use development is being created by Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, through his company Cascade Investment.
Fueled by months of anticipated opening postings on social media, large crowds gathered and filled most of the space this past weekend.
The opening phase of the Sparkman Wharf is comprised of multicolored shipping containers occupied by food and drink vendors serving their trendy fare. A beer garden is set in the center and surrounded by open outdoor covered seating. A larger outdoor green space adjoins the beer garden with a small stage set nearer to the Ybor Channel. The largest space has umbrella seating and features chessboard, cornhole and shuffleboard games. Splitsville Sports Bar, a bowling alley newly renovated sets enclosed on the opposite side of the beer garden.
Personally, I wouldn’t rush to visit on the weekends for a few months. It was very crowded on our Sunday visit. Every food vendor had long lines of people waiting to order. We scouted around and decided to try Splitsville Sports Bar, but the wait was over an hour for a table because the kitchen couldn’t keep up with the orders. So, we headed back outside and waited in line for a bit for some seafood.
We were slightly disappointed about the long lines but weren’t in any hurry. We were lucky enough to find a table with seating just a few steps from Edison’s Swigamajig. Our fare; Grouper sandwich, Grouper Fish and Chips with one small serving of rose (approx $40.00)
The Take Away
Similar to Armature Works with the crowds of people walking around and standing in lines for cuisine served by food trucks, but with no air condition to keep cool. People sitting around with their pets drinking beverages, some participating in the games. A place to sit if you can find a seat, and enjoy the sights and sounds of downtown Tampa on the River. The view of the river channel is partially obscured by fencing but you can actually see the water now. Something, that the former development failed to do, which may have contributed to their failure.
Contributed by: Martin J. Allred http://www.floridaography.com
www,nationwidephotographers.com
Creamy Delicious Egg Salad
People enjoy spending time together with their families and friends during the holidays. So, when one thinks of the holidays often the cuisine comes to mind. Especially, if one is hosting an event. The traditional holiday fare of turkey, prime beef, ham or lamb is usually served with those tasty side dishes that often accompany the main dish.
Hosting a large family and friends gathering can be somewhat intimidating to many without much cooking experience. Having family and friends prepare several dishes, or as we say, “pitch-in” to help seems to work very well. The host only needs to prepare the main dish and whatever other dishes they feel comfortable making. I was very lucky growing up in New Orleans where there was never any shortage of great cooks, so asking a friend to contribute was the norm of the neighborhood. 
So, on with the recipe! Most people think of breakfast when they think of eggs. For that reason, eggs are often overlooked for side dishes or snacks. A delicious creamy egg salad on a toasted multigrain bread can be a great snack or complete meal.
This dish can be made days ahead of time and served for breakfast or snack any time of the day or night. It’s inexpensive, quick, delicious and packed full of protein.
Be sure to use high quality organic free range eggs. Yes, you can see and taste the difference, really!
Don’t forget to use a high-quality multigrain bread. Remember, the bread is 50% of a successful delicious sandwich!
Small batch three or four guests. Multiply the ingredients accordingly for larger servings.
4 -Organic Free Range Boiled Eggs chopped
1- Rib of fresh celery chopped fine
1/4 cup of chopped fresh Parsley (you can add more if you like, I do)
1-teaspoon of creole mustard
1-tablespoon of yellow mustard
1/4-teaspoon of Tony Chachere’s Creole Spice (I add a little extra)
2-3 large tablespoons of Blue Plate Mayo (Because it’s simply the best Mayonnaise in all the land)
2 or 3 shakes of Worcestershire sauce.
2 or 3- sliced green onions (optional, I don’t use)
Salt and black pepper to taste.
Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl, add chopped boiled eggs, stir, that’s it!
Bon Appetit !
Contributed by: Martin Allred http://www.Floridaography.com
http://www.nationwidephotographers.com
Ultimate White Chocolate Bread Pudding
The holidays are just around the corner and I wanted to share one of the most popular New Orleans bread pudding dessert recipes. Although, I have tweaked and elevated the original recipe slightly, as one would expect from a true New Orleanian. I think rehydrating the dried golden raisins with rum adds to the flavor even though must of the rum will evaporate in the cooking process. The blueberries add yet another flavor that works well with the white chocolate.
This recipe is a variation of the one served at the Palace Cafe in New Orleans.
Ultimate White Chocolate BREAD PUDDING New Orleans
- One loaf of French Bread cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 15 ounces white chocolate, broken into small pieces
- 3 large eggs
- 12 large egg yolks
- 1 cup of golden raisins soaked in dark rum
- 2 cups of fresh blueberries
WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces white chocolate, broken into small pieces
How to Make It
Preheat the oven to 275°. Stand the bread slices on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until dry but not browned. Transfer the bread to a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish in an even layer. Increase the oven temperature to 350°.
In a large saucepan, heat the cream with the milk and sugar until hot but not steaming. Remove from the heat, add the white chocolate and stir until melted.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the egg yolks. In a slow, thin stream, whisk the hot cream into the eggs until smooth. Pour the custard over the bread and let stand until soggy, about 20 minutes. Press the bread into the custard occasionally to cover all the bread. Drain the raisins and sprinkle evenly all over the top of the bread than scatter the blueberries over the top of the bread. Save a few blueberries for garnishing.
Cover the pudding with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil; bake for 20 minutes longer, or until golden and puffed. Let cool for at least 20 minutes. It will sink slightly as it cools
Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the white chocolate and stir until completely smooth.
Cut the custard into squares or slices and spoon the white chocolate sauce on top until it pools slightly around the pudding slices. Garnish and serve slightly warm, Yummy!
If made ahead of time you can microwave the servings for about 20 seconds each. I feel this dessert is much better served warm.
Contributed by: Martin J. Allred http://www.floridaography.com
http://www.nationwidephotographers.com
Read This Before Purchasing a New SmartPhone
Over 80% of cell phone users in the U.S. now own smartphones. Technology advances continue to drive the new sales of the latest devices. Samsung’s Galaxy and Apple’s iPhone series are the two market leaders with over 90 million users each.
As a technology and gadget buff, I normally upgrade my cell phone about once a year. At times more often than planned due to lost, water damage or other breakages. Yes, I recommend getting the insurance, but that’s another story. I now have the Galaxy Note 9 that cost as much as a premium tablet or laptop computer. After all, that seems to be one of the primary markets the smartphone is replacing.
While on the subject of laptops and cell phones, the latest surprise was the release of a true foldable screen phone called the FlexPai. It’s manufactured and just released by a small tech company called Royole Technology, a Chinese firm based in California. So now it looks like a new smartphone player has entered the field, beating out the two top rivals Samsung and Apple and claiming the title as the first company to release a folding screen smartphone.
According to the recent press release, “The Royole FlexPai foldable smartphone provides mobile phone users with a revolutionary, different experience compared to traditional phones,” stated Dr. Bill Liu, Royole founder and CEO. “It perfectly solves the contradiction between the high-definition large-screen experience and portability, which introduces a whole new dimension to the human-machine interface. The phone’s inherent design will forever change the consumer electronics industry, as well as the way people interact with and perceive their world.”
See Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjdGhHLQIH4
The FlexPai’s screen is one complete, fully flexible display with light, thin, colorful, and bendable features. Using Royole’s innovative and proprietary technologies ensures the FlexPai’s stability, reliability, and long life span, which have been fully verified by the company. FlexPai has passed bending, twisting, and tension tests over 200,000 times. The FlexPai can also be folded at different angles. On the software side, its unique Water OS automatically adapts different viewing modes for different folding angles and user scenarios, such as taking photos, office usage, video watching, gaming, and more.
FlexPai uses Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8-series flagship SoC, integrating most powerful AI and most advanced chip process technology. Its camera set-up is made up of a 20-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 16-megapixel wide-angle lens, that can be used for both normal photo shooting or taking a selfie, thanks to the dual view camera mode. Fast-charge is powered by the company’s own Ro-Charge technology, which delivers a speed increase of 40%. Other features are also readily available on the device, including expandable storage with MicroSD, fingerprint ID, USB-C charging, stereo speakers, and more.
Expect to fork out about $1300 if you want to buy one. You can visit Royoles’s website to read more about the FlexPai. http://www.royole.com/
Personally, I would hold off a little and see what the rivals will do now. The 2nd and 3rd generations of any new tech device is always better and at times cheaper.
Contributed by; Martin J. Allred
www.floridaography.com www.nationwidephotographers.com
Kayaking the Mangrove Tunnels at Lido Key
(above: A Kayak group outing at Lido Key)
When thinking about packing for the beach don’t forget the Kayak.
Yes, it may seem a little out of the norm to pack a kayak for a beach visit, but when you visit Lido Key Beach just west of Sarasota you certainly have that option.
What are Mangrove Tunnels? Found in Florida only “Mangrove Tunnels” are small waterways under a canopy of mangrove trees that create a tunnel effect. Mangroves serve as nurseries for fish, oysters, crab and shrimp. Snook, mangrove snapper, tarpon, jack, mullet, sheepshead and a large variety of other Florida fish feed on this tropical plant. Its branches and boughs become nesting rookeries for many species of birds and its root system helps prevent erosion and help stabilize the shoreline.
Many of the tunnels were originally ditches dug years ago for mosquito control. The strategy did not work, and the ditches left behind eventually canopied over to become a mangrove arbor. Other mangrove tunnels have formed naturally where tidal waters ebb and flow. Mangrove tunnels are often maintained by parks, conservationists and eco-tour outfitters to give paddlers a unique and enjoyable eco-adventure on the water.
Three mangrove species are found in Florida: the red, black and white mangrove. The red mangrove is the best known, found closest to the water and distinguished by its prop root system. The black mangrove has finger-like projections that are found in shallower water while the white mangrove usually grow upland of the other species and have yellowish green leaves with no visible aerial root systems. Mangroves grow in tidal salty environments and are able to obtain fresh water from salt water.
One of the things I liked most about kayaking the mangroves was the shade of the tunnel trails. They provided a pleasant way to enjoy another outdoor activity while providing some relief of the extreme summer heat.
While on a kayak excursion it’s very likely you will see some of the local marine mammals. Dolphins, manatees, and an assortment of waterfowl are ever present and feed in most of the Florida waterways.
On our visit, we had a Cormorant (diving duck) tag along with us. He would dive directly under our kayaks as we paddled and hunted for food. Our paddles stirred the water and the Cormorant had learned to feed on what we apparently disturbed with our paddles. When we stopped paddling he would pop up and wait for us to paddle again. It was kind of cool to watch him.
Things you will need for a Kayak Trip.
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A Kayak of course.
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A hat is recommended
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A waterproof bag.
( I had one but had taken my phone out and leaned over to far and tipped my kayak over dropping my cell phone into about 2 feet of water. I finally fished it out and got it working again after letting it dry over several days packed in dry rice. If you do tip over most of water in the area is less than two feet deep.
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A life vest and a whistle. (It’s a coast guard regulation)
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A couple of bottles of water and maybe a protein bar.
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You may also want to grab a seat cushion since you will be sitting while you paddle.
Another piece of advice is to check the tide range. During low tide, there’s that lingering aroma of sulfur gases being released from the ground including hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs or sewage, and dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which smells like rotting shellfish. If you choose to go during high tide the aroma is almost nonexistent because those areas are covered with sea water.
And if you don’t own a Kayak, you can always rent one from one of the several vendors on site for about $ 35. For a half day. It’s recommended that you call ahead to make sure you have one when you get there to avoid waiting on one to return.
Kayaking is a great family or group activity and a fun way to enjoy the water. Plus, the added benefit of a little exercise. So, put down those cell phones and get the family together and get out and enjoy some real healthy family fun.
Photo credit: Debbie Burns
Contributed by: Martin J. Allred Editor/Photographer
www.Floridaography.com www.nationwidephotographers.com
A special “Thanks” to a very special lady, “Debra” for providing the Kayaks and hosting our trip. It was another memorable Florida experience.
Posted in Dining, Just for Fun, Worthy Destinations
Tagged adventures in florida, Family activities, fishing the mangroves, florida eco system, florida mangrove tunnels, kayak, kayaking, kayaking the mangroves, lido key, lido key beach, lido key mangroves, mangrove tunnels, outdoor activities, sarasota activities
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Drone Market Showing Rapid Growth
Industry Trends
Commercial Drone Market size in 2016 was over 100 thousand units with a market value of more than USD 2 billion, and is anticipated to grow at around 25% CAGR over the forecast timespan 2017-2024
Aerial photography is one of the most common application areas. The growth of the commercial UAV market is attributed to the increasing adoption in the media and entertainment industry for photography and filming. They are highly useful in reporting events for capturing footage for news and broadcast. For instance, BBC is using drones for capturing footage in sports competitions and has its own in-house drone team. Furthermore, the growing applicability in wildlife photography is also augmenting the demand of the UAVs for aerial photography applications.
Inspection and monitoring applications are estimated to gain substantial growth during the forecast period. UAVs have been used in the management of various kind of infrastructure. Several industry verticals such as energy & utility, railways, roads can benefit from the technology for asset monitoring and inventory management. Their ability to perform hazardous work and acquire various data sets with accuracy and cost-effectively is one of the major factors driving the demand of UAVs for inspection and monitoring purposes. Furthermore, real-time data provided by these devices is also one of the major factor augmenting the demand in inspection and monitoring applications.
Earlier this month China (EHang Egret UAV Firm) set the world record for most drones flown simultaneously in a 13-minute flight that involved 1,374 drones spread over 3,280 feet. The previous record was from US technology firm Intel, which flew 1,218 drones in formation during the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February.
Watch the video shot earlier this month showing the drone project which produced a fantastic aerial light show. Click Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ac_RjtF7-Y
I foresee Hollywood and other movie production companies continue to hop aboard the drone train to create the special effects in their productions. Many have already utilized the drone technology.
The commercial drone market is set to experience substantial growth due to the increasing range of civil applications. Since the development of commercial UAVs, they have been used for video and photography. However, from past two years, their capabilities have been leveraged by different industry sectors, such as agriculture, real estate, architecture & construction, delivery and media. They have been widely used in civil applications such as smart agriculture practices through mapping and studying of crop data in agriculture, utilization of footage and images of a site to make 3D rendering of structures, in real estate market for package delivery to customers from retail stores, and media coverage by journalists to capture important news with closer aerial shots.
However, stringent government regulations on the use of commercial use of drones and security and privacy issues are hindering the growth of the market. Civil drones which are used for non-military purposes brings vulnerability to cyber-attack and misuse by criminals. It utilizes the unencrypted data links for control, navigation and command. Due to this, hackers have attempted to intercept, jam and manipulate drone controls for exploitation.
Top 10 Drones for Sale from Amazon
- DJI Mavic Pro
- Cheerwing Syma X5SW-V3 FPV Explorers2
- DJI Phantom 3
- Holy Stone HS170 Predator Mini RC Helicopter Drone
- Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon
- Force1 U45W Blue Jay
- DJI Phantom 4
- DBPOWER MJX X400W
- Autel Robotics X-Star Premium Drone
- Eachine Racer 250 FPV
Contributed by:
Martin Allred, Photographer/Editor www.Floridaography.com
Floridaography...... 