The third stop on our cruise was Cozumel. We have been there several times before, making it easier to just head out on our own. We took a cab into town and shopped, stopped at Palmeres and had a margarita, then stopped at Margaritaville for lunch before going back tot he ship. The port area is much more built up than the last time we were there.
Another shot of a boat, this one not as stylized as the one from Belize. This was taken in downtown San Miguel.
Our second stop was Belize, and we took a tour to the Altun Ha Mayan ruins. It was unbelievably hot, and the “guide” (as typical) went on and on and on about trivial details. There were about 40 people in our tour and two other groups besides us. So, getting reasonable pictures without lots of people was a problem. However, by using photoshop, I was able to produce some pretty good images.
On the road, as we drove along the shore, I noticed there was an old boat leaning against a tree. So, I took a quick picture of it as we passed by. With the use of a variety of NIK effects, it turned out to be a pretty good image.
The first stop on our cruise was the island of Roatan. We took a tour to the Carambola Botanical Gardens. It was an absolutely terrible day. It was raining and humid. I wanted to get some good flower pictures, but it was almost impossible. I did get a really good shot of an orchid.
Following that, our bus toured the west side of the island, stopping in a small village. From there, we went to a resort area. I got this picture at the resort. It took some manipulation to better balance the details and the contrast, but it was worth it.
We went on a cruise a couple weeks ago. Prior to departing, you sit on the boat and wait. While waiting, I did get a couple of interesting shots. Then, when we did sail away, I was able to get a couple more really good ones.
This is another HDR shot. I shot it from the deck of the ship and did my best to get a straight shot along 25th St. The deck I was on ended a little short of where I really wanted to be, but this worked pretty well. You can see from the harbor all the way to the Pleasure Pier.
As we were sailing away, I was able to get this HDR image of The Elissa.
The last thing we did was the bride got into the lake wearing her dress. This was a group shoot rather than just individuals.
This one was nice, but you can’t tell she’s actually in the water. In the one below, she is obviously in the water.
Melanie served as our “Bride. I tried to get on of those really popular shots with the train/veil being blown out by the wind. It did not work all that well, but the shot isn’t that bad.
Again, the lighting was working against me, but I did manage to get a few nice bridal portraits.
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The “Ballerina” at the HOTPPG Shoot Out was Genna. Again the light was harsh, and you had to shoot either in shade or in bright sun.
Debbie really liked this one of her holding the cedar tree.
I tried to get a good image of her doing a jump. Between the timing and the framing, it was nearly impossible. I probably should have zoomed out more. I finally go this one, but she was way off to the side. So, some cropping was in order.
The “child” model for the HOTPPG Shoot Out was Rachel. She was an 11 year old girl. I asked her what she wanted to do and she said “Get in the water.” The look on her mother’s face was of concern. So, I told her she get in as long as she didn’t get her dress wet.
The sun was going down quickly, and she was not really all that interested in posing any more, but I got a couple nice shots of her.
Our “Senior” was named Nimsi. I tried getting pictures of her in one of the cabins, but the light cast shadows on her face, and the background was terrible. So, we moved outside.
Again, the light was a challenge. Debbie did not like the shadow on her cheek, but there was little I could do about it.
We shot on the shore of Lake Waco, and the lake made for an interesting background. In this one, I like the strong sunlight on her left side.
On this one, I again like the strong light on her left, but I think the lighting across her face was effective.
Last night, I had the pleasure of being a guest at the Heart of Texas Professional Photographers Guild open shoot out. The event was held at Airport Park. The HOTPPG is a group of professionals in the area. In this meeting, they allowed local photographers who were not so professional to tag along. I had a great time.
They had a variety of models representing different types of photography, and, there were so many I did not get to photograph them all. They had a family, a bride, a teen age girl, a ballerina, a “tween” girl, an infant and a bride and groom. We each took 10 minute turns with the models.
I had a great time, but it was hectic. Ten minutes does not give you much time to find a location, build a report with the model, and get some shots. Additionally, the circumstances made it difficult, if not impossible to use any kind of lighting. The even was in the evening. So, there was a pretty good sunset, but it didn’t really play into the even that well.
Anyway, it was a great experience. I will be posting images as I get them processed. This is a group I would like to continue to be associated with. However, I may not quite be in the same league, professionally, as they.