Purple Lace

This is another lovely photo taken by Terry in Belize. He timed it with the waves to show off the beauty of creatures as common as a colony of purple fan coral (gorgonian). This coral is very healthy with no signs of bleaching or algae. I think its a great reminder of why we need to do everything we can to save the oceans coral reefs. Snorklers and scuba divers throughout the Carribean should always be able to enjoy seas full of waving fan corals while searching for more exotic sea life.

Spot

I've thought many things about underwater photography: it's beautiful, it's interesting, it makes me want to go snorkeling asap. But, I've never really thought "it's fun!". This picture changed all that. Everytime I look at it, it makes me laugh. How can this orange blob with black spots be an animal? And, one that lives underwater?!! Sea cucumbers are just funny. Where is their mouth? Where are their eyes? What do they do in their spare time? Answer: clean up the bottom of the ocean. How cool!



Terry took this picture in the Bocas del Toro region of Panama. You can see a bit of the cool blue sponges that grow in Spot's home waters at the top of the photo. The funny thing about the water in this area is that it doesn't have that carribbean blue look from above, but it is just as clear as the waters in the Carribbean and covers the most dazzeling array of underwater colors I've ever seen.



As always, you can order limited edition prints of this or our other photos from Panama (and other locales) from http://www.rtist.com/, by searching for HSWT Photography. Or order artware at http://www.cafepreess.com/HSWTphotography. And, of coarse you can follow us on Facebook! :)

My Favorite Southern Sting Ray Photo

Terry took this stunning picture of a female southern string ray on our trip to Belize in 2008. I think the detail is amazing. You can almost see the velvety texture of her skin. The scars on her face appear to be from to propeller of a boat. Luckily, for us you survived her prior encounter with humans.

We love snorkeling with sting rays. They are so friendly (especially if you have squid) and seem to really enjoy interacting with people. The hard part is getting far enough away to fit the entire ray in the shot. Terry is better at that than I am. I'd rather interact with the rays, than photograph them. ;)

This limited edition photo is available for purchase thru Rtist.com or at Gallery 26 in Easton, MD. http://www.rtist.com

We also have prints and art ware available from Cafe Press: http://www.cafepress.com/HSWTPhotography

Paradise Found

I've decided to share my thoughts about some of our limited edition fine art photographs one post at a time. Starting with "Paradise Found" which is not an underwater photograph, but certainly showcases the beautiful Carribbean waters of Belize.

When I first saw English Key I thought of a Disney set. Too perfect to be real. But, it's a real working light house. The only one in the vicinity of Ambergris Caye which in and of itself is amazing because of the shallow waters off the coast of Belize.

And, not only are these waters beautiful, they are home to gorgeous large coral heads and awesome sea creatures. If I were the lighthouse keeper I would spend all my time in snorkling gear with camera in hand.

Everytime I look at this photo I'm transported back to our week sailing with Tradewinds Cruise Club in the vicinity of Ambergris Caye. And, dream of the day I can return.

If you'd like to be transported too, limited edition prints of this photo are available at Rtist.com.

Cruising Not For Me

We did our first ship cruise (Royal Carribbean - Magesty of the Seas) last week. It was a real disappointment. I know that the snorkeling in the Bahama's isn't the greatest, so I wasn't expecting much from that. But, the cruise was just too hokey from the entertainment, to the activities, to the annoying waitress. The most surprising thing was that the food at the buffet was better than in the dining room.

Still the trip wasn't a total waste. We did discover that while Atlantis was fun for a day, there's not enough to do to spend a weekend there, let alone an entire week. The best ride was the ocean (i.e. body surfing in the waves at the man-made beach). The water slides were ok and the river rapids was fun.

And, I saw my first ocean triggerfish. Unfortunately, he was too quick for me to get a good picture of him. But, I'm still hoping we got a couple of good pics this trip. Will post some once I finish working on them.

The Day After

Before I recap our experiences with our first juried arts & crafts show, I want mention a great weekly blog that features Etsy artists: http://gifteddesigns.blogspot.com/2009/12/sunday-showcase-royal.html. Each week the author picks a different theme and features items that fit with the theme. This Sunday's theme was purple and she picked one of our pictures of purple fan coral to feature.

Now back to the show...It's hard for us to really judge how things went because it snowed the first day and people in the DC area just don't venture out in snow. We made a few sales, mostly cards and handed out a lot of cards. Hopefully, that will lead to future contact.

We did learn a lot at the show. For instance we really need to come up with a background for our booth and overhead lighting. If anyone knows a good place to buy pipe and drape, we'd love to hear the suggestion. I'd really like to just purchase the pipe and make the drape myself.

We got lots of complements on our work which is gratifying, but doesn't pay the bills. And, the odd request (do you have pictures of manatees?, do you have pictures of cuttlefish?). Other artists at the show were very helpful. Hopefully, we'll get some good pictures this week to add to our portfolio.

Why I love camera RAW

Kind of sounds kinky doesn't it? So, yeah I wish they had come up with a different name for this digital format, but that doesn't make me love it any less! Without camera RAW I never would have been able to capture these amazing colors of sponges in the pristene waters of Bocas del Toro, Panama. And, I couldn't have let them shine without Adobe Lightroom. Sorry, if I sound like a commercial, it's just that we are leaving Monday for the Bahamas and I can't wait to capture more images in RAW. Keep your fingers crossed that the snorkeling is good!!!

So, please excuse a little more praise for Lightroom. For RAW editing it kicks CS4's butt. And, that library thing is good too. :) I have to thank my instructor (guru) Eliot Cohen for showing me the light (pardon the pun). BTW - You can find Eliot's work at http://www.eliotcohen.com.

And, don't forget to check out our photos at http://www.HSWTPhotography.etsy.com where you'll find more great pics from Bocas, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Grand Cayman.