Step Into The Light

Brothers Sullivan

Sullivan's Island.  Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

These are five random images taken on this serene beach a few weeks ago.  As I sat here tonight looking over them I remembered a story from my Navy days... "The Brothers Sullivan."  Their namesake unrelated to this island.  The story is a powerful image... more than some random photographs.

The story starts..."The five Sullivan brothers enlisted on January 3, 1942 with the stipulation that they serve together..."  

The story ends... "The Sullivan brothers were all killed in action during or shortly after the sinking of the light cruiser USS Juneau, the vessel in which they all served, on 13 November 1942 in World War II."

Please find the time to read over this one time.

The Sullivan Brothers (US NAVY)

Embrace

Come on everybody... make this interactive.

Every photograph tells a story.  What is your story here?  Leave in comments your story...  what do you see here?  What are you reading?  Thank you.  Jason.

Coloring Sticks

Lumix DMC-FZ18

4.6mm f2.8 1/30s ISO200

Contrast Adjusted & Balanced

Color Enhanced & Balanced

Oil Paint Filter Applied

First Catch Defined

Linville River. Crossnore, North Carolina, USA.

She had never been fishing.  She wanted to go for her birthday.  She had never held a fishing pole in her hands before.  She didn't know how to cast.  She didn't know how to retrieve the lure.  She didn't know anything about how to do what she wanted to do.  Somehow still the same, some fifteen minutes into it all...  she hooks up with a 19" brown trout.  She beamed.  She giggled.  She did it all again 4 minutes later with a 15" brook trout.  TWO TROPHY TROUT within twenty minutes of starting to fish for the first time in her life.  It just is not supposed to happen like that.  On this birthday the trout gods smiled down upon her.  Allison was happy.

Morning Catch

Breach Inlet. Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, USA.

Sunrise fishing as the tides change at the inlet mouth.  The manipulation and processing on this image is extreme.  Photographs don't all have to be true and realistic as captured.  Photographic images can change medium and art form with different tools, processing and presentation techniques.  Appreciation varies between the viewers, some more than others.

Wildflower Buzz

dogwood no.87

This collection of leaves was collected at the same time on the same day from the same dogwood tree.  Different areas received different sun amounts and that changed and controlled the leaf transformation.  First hand, it was bewildering and simply amazing to see.

Ida Kissed Charlotte

Tropical Storm Ida slowed to a crawl as it reached the U.S. Gulf Coast earlier this week -- but it’s been dumping plenty of rain on the Southeast, including several wet days in the Queen City.

Cheap Glass Two

I was asked for some more cheap glass, so here is another compilation.  These are glass plates, bowls and such that were sitting in an antique store.  I liked the way the cut and cast textures manipulated the light.  I set up for a shallow DOF and commenced to sorting through the four floors of the store.  Each object was held between a light source and the camera.  It was a fun project that produced some interesting results.  A venture like this encourages you to look at light distortion and shape perspective differently.  You may see something new.

Veteran's Day

Today is Veterans Day in the United States.  I am a US Navy Veteran and very proud of it.  I have seen and done things that many people could not imagine.  I've worked with some of the most of the brightest and most resourceful people in the World.  The motto for our group was "Perfectus Servitium" and that is what we did. This photo of me was during my years in the Submarine Force.  But really this post is for everyone else. The Veteran's that served "boots down" in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq and six dozen other places we made presence over the years.  These guys were "In Country" so that you and I didn't have to.  You know a Vet somewhere...  Today- tell them THANK YOU!

Captain Kirk and the Beauty Queen

Today is the official release of Joel Port's solo debut album "Captain Kirk and the Beauty Queen."  I wore several hats on this project to include Art Director, Photographer, Executive Producer and a cameo backing vocal spot ;)  This project has hundreds of man-hours invested and we are very proud of our product.  It is a challenge sometimes to bring creative ideas to fruition.  A long time coming... this day feels great.

www.joelportrock.com

Power of One

Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA.

The life of a photograph does not always live and breathe on the faces within.  The movement, excitement, life and energy can be portrayed by other content.  Power and message can be conveyed in many ways.  You can see the story the photograph tells.  Look for it.  Feel it.  Breathe it.  Some say it's worth one thousand words.

She Swings High!

Strawberry Park. Charlotte. North Carolina. USA

With a telephoto lens you can be far away from you subject.  That coupled with a wide f-stop will provide that shallow depth of field blurring the background.  This brings the attention into your subject and isolates the visual impact for the viewers.  Another great benefit from being far away from your subject...  you're far away.  They don't notice you. You are not in their space.  Especially with kids...  they relax and do their own thing.  That is when you can capture magic.

Sunset Kiss

Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA.