12 Significant Photographs

Wait Your Turn

Brad Troy Photography — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 01:39:36 +0000

While visiting Maui in May, my wife and I spent a day driving the Road to Hana. It’s a great drive, unless you get nauseous. For a while, I thought that she would just say she didn’t feel well when we were out taking photos (read “while I was out taking photos and she was along for the ride”) and was tired of stop and go driving. After a few trips out sight-seeing, we learned that she doesn’t do well on windy roads. But enough of the side story; car-sickness or not, driving to Hana along the north coast of Maui is an unforgettable ride. There are great views of the ocean, cliffs, beaches, and a few small towns along way. We enjoyed the adventure of exploring Maui.

During our day out, we stopped at Waianapanapa State Park to check out the black sand beach and the surrounding lava shelves. While there, we walked through a beach cave that led to the ocean. As we walked through the cave, I took my camera out to take some photos. When we got to the end, we came across a boy that was looking at the water. You couldn’t continue through the ocean side without getting pounded by the waves. In my mind, I wanted a photo of the cave and ocean; I had no real inspiration to have a person in the photo. But as I patiently waited for my “turn” at the front of the cave, I decided to snap a shot or two using him as a subject. The resulting photo is posted below. Taking a few moments to wait and get the photo I wanted actually provided the opportunity to take what turned out to be a significantly stronger photograph (at least in my opinion).

When we turned around to leave the cave, we found about 25 people in one of the larger areas. As we approached the exit, we found that it started to rain fairly hard and people came to the cave for cover. We decided to make a run for the car and wait out the short shower there.

Additional photos from Maui and Waianapanapa State Park can be seen in my gallery named Maui: The Valley Isle – 2010.

A boy watching the ocean through a beach cave at Wai'anapanapa State Park in Maui (Hawaii).

Gallery Additions – National Cathedral

Brad Troy Photography — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 03:48:28 +0000

I took advantage of a day off today and spent a little bit of time exploring the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. The photos were added to my gallery that has photos of the National Cathedral and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (also in Washington, DC). The new photos make up the majority of “page 2″ in the gallery. My photos from today focused on the stained glass windows in the cathedral and a few HDR shots of the building. A few examples are available below. Clicking on them will take you to the full gallery.

An HDR image of St. Joseph of Arimathea Chapel in the National Cathedral.

A statue of Abraham Lincoln with a quote.

An HDR view of the interior of the National Cathedral.

An abstract view of a stained glass window.

Tree Burst

Brad Troy Photography — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:00:20 +0000

In a previous post, I provided a photography tip. I suggested the importance of looking up and seeing what’s above your head. While visiting Muir Woods outside of San Francisco, I found a great opportunity to take my own advice. I used a wide-angle lens and created the HDR image seen below. The long lines formed by the tree trunks, the bright light of the sky, and the distant branches work together to create a fairly abstract image.

A photo looking toward the sky at Muir Woods near San Francisco, CA.

For more photos from Muir Woods, please visit my Sights of San Francisco gallery.

Opposing Views

Brad Troy Photography — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 17:39:51 +0000

The World War II Memorial in Washington, DC has been one of my favorite places to photograph. The memorial is large and it has unique architecture incorporating fountains and pools. It is a great place to people watch or to just enjoy being in the heart of Washington.

During a visit to the memorial in April, I capture a photograph that grows on me more each time I look at it. The shot focuses on opposites. There is a young child and an older veteran. Excitement of a fountain versus quiet reflection for those the fountain was built for. The two people are on opposite sides of the water, much like they are on opposite ends of life.While the image deals a lot with opposites it also reminds me of the wide range of ages, people, and emotions that can often be seen at this memorial.

You may view other images from America’s capital in my Washington, DC gallery.

Two of America’s finest reflecting on their emotions at the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC

Golden Gate Bridge

Brad Troy Photography — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 14:31:52 +0000

I’m just one in a long line of people that wanted to take photos of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I had my first opportunity in early October when visiting the area with family. I didn’t take a lot of time to shoot the bridge, but did take a few minutes from a few different perspectives. While San Francisco didn’t offer much in the way of sunshine when near the bridge, I did have the opportunity to work with some good conditions. A couple of my favorite shots are posted below. Additional photos from my time in the San Francisco area can be seen in my Sights of San Francisco gallery.

The fog started to roll in around the bridge as I arrived with my camera.

Baker Beach provided a unique perspective of the bridge with some active waves on the shore.

Big waves are slowed down by a slower shutter speed.

A view of the bridge with a person viewing the bridge.

Views from Alcatraz Prison

Brad Troy Photography — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 21:11:52 +0000

Alcatraz prison was far smaller than I imagined it to be. And not nearly as remote as the stories of failed escape attempts would lead you to believe. While touring the former prison, I was able to capture two shots of views from inside the prison. The first is through a window looking out at activity on the water. The second photo (HDR) was taken in the yard; a view not likely to be seen by a prison inmate.

A view from inside Alcatraz looking through a dirty window frame.

This is a view from the Alcatraz yard into the bay.

Maui Landscapes – Road to Hana Part 1

Brad Troy Photography — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 20:45:48 +0000

I had the opportunity to visit Maui for the second time in May. The island provides a great blend of luxurious resorts, quiet beaches, golf, and opportunity for adventure. From a landscape photography perspective, there are scenic beaches, small towns, rugged coastline, mountains, and opportunities to watch the sun rise or set.

Toward the end of our visit, my wife and I drove one of the scenic byways on the island. We traveled the “Road to Hana” which is a 50 mile road with hundreds of curves, more than 50 one lane bridges, and numerous narrow passes. Along the road, there are excellent views of Maui’s coast, the ocean, valleys, and waterfalls.

Two of my favorite landscapes from the trip were captured along this road. You may see them below. Additional photos from our trip to Maui can be seen here.

Akoi Island is along the coast of Maui.

Haipuaena Falls along the Road to Hana in Maui

4th of July – Sandy Point State Park

Brad Troy Photography — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:50:51 +0000

A sunrise trip to Sandy Point State park didn’t allow for true sunrise photos, but was not a lost cause. The park did not open until about 3 minutes after sunrise and a long line of visitors looking to get 4th of July celebrations set up were ahead of me. The early morning provided strong light and comfortable temperatures. Check out a couple summer Maryland landscapes!

Chesapeake Bay Bridge from the Sandy Point Beach.

Sandy Point Shoal Lighthouse in the early morning light.

A fisherman's setup at the Bay Bridge.

Photography Tip – Don’t Take Scenes for Granted

Brad Troy Photography — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:52:25 +0000

My photography tip or thought for the day has to do with taking a scene for granted. Long story short, when you’re looking at a scene, keep in mind that you may be able to get “that” photograph again. For a short story made longer, read on:

I first saw the barn in the photo below about 5 years ago. It’s located just off of Georgetown Pike (Northern Virginia) on the way to Great Falls National Park. I thought that it was an interesting photo subject but there was no where to park. I drove past the bard about 2-3 times a year for the next 4 years. Every time I visited Great Falls I thought about how I could get a photo or two of it. Eventually this past fall I sucked it up. I pulled my car off of the road and parked in some high grass. It was probably a spot that had no business being parked on. Anyone that has driven this road can probably picture the lack of “pull off” parking. I walked about 100 yards to the opening in the tree line that allowed me to capture the shot below.

Why do I tell you all of this? Well a few weeks ago, I took a drive to Great Falls shortly after the back to back blizzards (B^3 would have been a clever name). It was a day that there certainly no where to stash a car off of the side of the road because of 4 snow plowed embankments. I was curious to see the barn in a winter like scene as I had never gone to Great Falls with snow on the ground. As I approached the barn, I saw that the scene was no more. The roof had collapsed under the weight of the snow and I would guess that the barn will be demolished in the near future.

So with this photo of a barn in mind, I suggest taking a photograph of a good scene when you find one because it might not always be there for the taking.

Photography Tip – Look Up

Brad Troy Photography — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:39:26 +0000

In my previous post, I shared a photo of the dome ceiling at the University of Virginia’s Rotunda. That got me to thinking about another similar shot. Apparently I enjoy taking photos of domes. The photo below was taken in the Chapel on the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy. This led me to recall a photography tip that I read about a few years ago.

A lot of things happen over our heads. Some things are man made and others are natural. The ceiling in my living room has a ceiling fan and a textured finish. A textured finish isn’t put on a ceiling for anything more than being pleasant to the eye. In more complex buildings ceilings include domes, arches, lines, and curves. All of these are things often appealing to the eye. In nature trees grow over us and clouds float by. For some people jokes exist in a realm above the head. And if you don’t get what that means, I’m talking about you. Regardless of where you are, many opportunity for good photographs exist above our heads.

All of that being said, it’s very easy to forget to look up. Most of the things we look at do not require much tilt of the head and neck. Whether you’re clicking photos with an iPhone, a point-and-shoot camera, or something more complex look up and see what your options are. Give your neck some exercise!