Brandon Marley

Albany time elapse

2012-01-24T15:07:00.013-05:00

Eleven months ago, I traveled to Albany, NY to sit for the NY bar exam. During my free time I walked around the city with my camera. Two photos in particular shot to the top of my favorite photographs. Albany's downtown district, while small in size, offered a wide range of aesthetically pleasing shots. In preparation of my trip, I utilized the internet to find places where I would like to shoot. The result:

*I apologize for the low resolution. Originals can be found HERE.

Last week, I was fortunate to get another opportunity to visit Albany. This time, to get sworn in to the NY bar. I arrived on Tuesday night and looked through Google Images to find some place in Albany to shoot - where I haven't shot before. As previously noted, Albany's downtown district is small, so I wasn't left with many options. After some online research, I was able to find one perspective of the city that I wanted to shoot.

There are many different areas of photography that I enjoy; however, there is one area that I thoroughly enjoy - time elapse - and this location had my name written all over it. I set out early that day for a tour of the city, doing all those things that tourists do, biding my time for that twilight hour.

The twilight hour (seen in the two pictures above), for those who don't know, is that short window just after the sun sets. The sky turns this beautiful shade of blue. Photographers only have 30-40 minutes to shoot; however, if shooting time elapse photography, that window expands a little longer due to the increase in shutter time.

Sometime around 5pm I noticed the sun starting to set, so I hoofed it to a parking garage situated in close proximity to a heavily traveled highway. The temperatures were in the teens and the winds pushed the temps even lower, but I was determined to grab this shot. The result:

This shot was my last shot of the night. As you can see in the sky, my twilight window was coming to a close. I was fortunate enough to get the shot I wanted, albeit not without a little help from photoshop.

It is obvious from a trained eye that this shot is what you call a High Dynamic Resolution (HDR) Image. My initial desire was not to create an HDR image; however, during the shoot, the cars on the highway did not feel like cooperating. Every shot had one trail of lights missing and I was determined to have all three in my image. The cold weather coupled with the diminishing light forced me to blend several photos into one to create what you see above.

At the end of my trip, I realized that this was the only shot I took that was worth posting... But when thinking about the totality of the circumstances, I am completely content. You can view a larger version of this photo HERE. What do you think? Have some time elapsed photos? I would love to see them.

Ledge light

2011-04-10T22:19:00.009-04:00

New London's ledge light sits at the mouth of the Thames river. It can be seen from the shore but getting a good picture is difficult. I made several attempts at getting a picture from the shore; however, the pictures never turned out very well.

The first nice day of spring - and the first Saturday I did not have to go into the office - was the perfect opportunity to clean the dust off the kayaks. I called up my buddy who just moved back to CT and asked him if he wanted to join.

I was excited to get the kayaks in the water. It would be the first time since the summer of 09. With only 5 hours of sleep I found myself pacing; waiting for David to show up. The plan was to drop the kayaks somewhere in the Thames river and have a leisurely stroll to the lighthouse.

David recently purchased an SUV which meant that we didn't have to wait for my roommates to get home to use their truck to transport the boats. I own a Honda Accord with no roof racks, which would make it impossible to use my car (so I thought). As I sat by the front window I saw David come around the corner - not in his SUV but in his brand new corvette.

We sat for a minute pondering our choices. There was absolutely no way I was putting the kayaks near that beautiful red machine. We eventually came up with the brilliant idea to folded the rear seats down which created enough room for the kayaks to be wedged into the car. We secured a rope to the spoiler and ran it through the trunk into the car. The rope was then threaded through the front leashes of the kayaks to provide a handle for David to hold onto while we drove to the boat launch.

Our spirits were high at this point; however, the only problem now was that I wasn't entirely sure if it was legal to drive my car like this... which meant that we would not be able to drive to the Thames to drop the boats in. We would have to drive down to the boat launch 1/2 mile away. No big deal...

We had a beautiful easy ride out to the light house. We stopped and talked whenever we felt need to rest. We arrived at the light house where I was surprised to find no signs prohibiting entrance onto the man-made island. Thus, I climbed up to get some pictures. It was an interesting task to get out of the boat. The bottom ledge was designed to have a boat dock, not a kayak. The lower part of the ledge was approximately 4 feet above my head. Regardless, I held onto a bumper as I hoisted myself up in a way a seal would... I tried to get David to come up but he was a little uncomfortable in the kayak to begin with, so climbing out onto a ledge which was 4 ft above your head was out of the question. Not to mention that the temperature was only 55 degrees - heat-wave for New England yes - but the temperature of the water was still extremely cold and we were a good half mile off shore...

The water was like glass. There was absolutely no wind on the way there - it was amazing day to kayak. On the way back was a different story. The wind picked up and made life a little difficult. Some waves were big enough to make their way into the boats, but we took it in stride. It really hadn't become aware to us how far we actually traveled until it was time to go back. We couldn't believe how tired our arms had become. Finally, we arrived back at the boat launch, 4 hours after departing. Neither of us really planned head for the long trip and we were very thirsty. We gathered the strength to carry the boats back to the car and secured them in the same fashion we did before. After we dropped the boats off at the house we retired at the local watering hole to rest our tired bodies.

The next morning I entered in our path to figure out how far we had actually gone. No wonder why we were so tired...(click on the photo to enlarge). During the trip I noticed a lighthouse south of our position, to the southwest of Fishers Island. When it gets warmer I will make a trip out to that lighthouse as well. If you have a kayak and live in the area, you are more than welcome to join. This time, we wont forget the beer...

Triathlon

2011-03-05T13:50:00.005-05:00

I am a very active person. Also, I love trying new things and accomplishing new goals. I live by the motto - always try something once - that, and everybody wang-chung tonight.

Last year I decided that my next goal was to run a marathon. At the moment of decision I had never run more than 5 miles, so it was a challenge I never thought I would accomplish. Through the help of a running partner we somehow accomplished a goal I once thought was unobtainable.

A year later, I sit in contemplation. I have many things I want to accomplish in my life before it's too late. One of which is a triathlon. The traditional triathlon consists of: 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and 26.2 miles of running (in that order). However, there are several shorter races catering to the less experienced athlete. While my initial inclination is to go for gold - that kind of distance scares me.

I live in New England where it gets very cold in the winter months, so to ease into the training process I purchased a mount for my bicycle so I could ride it inside. Several months have passed since my purchase and I'm growing more confident in my endurance. However, I only own traditional road bikes (and one bad ass bmx bike, equipped with pegs etc), which would get me killed if I attempted 112 miles.

I started asking around for advice about bikes. I'm not a rich man and started to learn that this is not a poor mans game... While I'm still out there, researching which bikes are better to get the job done, I received some good advice from a friend; practice on a road bike and then rent a tri-bike from a bike shop a week before the race. Brilliant no? That way I would gain more strength practicing on a road bike, and come race day, I can compete with the top of the line machine.

I'm still not entirely sure what I'm going to do. The swimming portion bothers me as well. I started swimming in a small cove down the road from my house until I got stung by a jellyfish. Irony of it all - I actually swam out into the open ocean that day and only got stung 50 ft from shore on my way back in. I've been told that practicing in the ocean is better than a pool so I might just purchase a full wetsuit.

I'm open to suggestions, so if anyone has any tips I would be grateful.

Albany NY

2011-03-02T10:05:00.000-05:00

I decided to take the NY bar exam - for more reasons than one - and was assigned to the Albany testing location. I was hoping for Manhattan but it filled up before I registered. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised with the city. Albany, as I forgot, is the capital of NY. When I arrived, instead of studying, I decided to take a walk around the city. I came across the NY state capital building - which happens to be the most beautiful capital building I have ever seen.

Most capital building are very stereotypical. Large white buildings with domes on the top. This building looked like something you would find in Europe while visiting some late Archdukes summer cottage.

It was unfortunate that my visit was during the winter months. The reflection pool in front of the capital building was drained. The reflection off the pool would have been perfect. However, I can't complain. Due to the single digit weather, there was nobody outside to ruin my shots.

I'm still experimenting with HDR photography. The photo you see above is an example of my progress; however, I was still battling with the dreaded 'halo effect' which usually occurs in most of my HDR photos - that is, until recently.

On my journey, I ran into an unsuspecting stranger. We started talking about photography when he saw my camera and I soon realized that he was also a photographer. We talked for about an hour - each sharing tips and tricks of the trade. I walked away with some really good advice and subsequently produced one of the best photos I have ever taken.

While I am still learning technique with the camera, as well as post processing, my chance encounter taught me how to line my images up perfectly in PS and then use the manual controls in both PhotoMatix and then Lightroom. For the longest time I would choose the lazy way out and just select a preset, but taking your time with the manual controls produces much better results.

This is the outcome. Funny enough, I was getting frustrated with the cars on the street. I was trying to get a photo without any cars, but having to keep the shutter open for 30+ seconds made that difficult. In the end, I've learned to appreciate the light trails. It projects the proper mood of the city nightlife.

If anyone is interested, I would be more than happy to discuss techniques about creating HDR photos. It is really simple once you get the process down, but getting there on your own can be a challenge.

You can see more photography at My Facebook Page

Mystic River Drawbridge

2010-11-24T21:50:00.001-05:00

Currently I have been experimenting with HDR (high dynamic range) photography. It is not as easy as it looks; however, once you get the hang of it, the limits are endless.

Now I am no expert. I have researched HDR photography and there are some amazing artists out there who deserve a lot more recognition.

This piece of work is my first HDR that has come out of processing and has surpassed my expectations. I had never expected this good of an outcome. Now, I must point out, this photo is heavily processed in post production. I tweaked most of the preset adjustments to try and make the photo really pop. There are a few particular things I would like to correct in the future. First, I would like to pull back the lens in order to get the entire reflection of the bridge. I made several attempts at this to no avail. Second, the flag in the background has a ghosting effect. This happens when you blend several pictures together and everything doesn't match up perfectly. There was a breeze that evening which caused the flag to move between shots.

Not bad for my 7th HDR. Practice makes perfect.

Marathon

2010-06-06T20:12:00.000-04:00

The majority of my life has been defined by challenges,

One day, sitting on the couch in my law school apartment, I asked myself... "What's next?"

I determined that the next defining moment in my life would be to run a marathon

3 months of training just for another notch on the bucket list - for what? - just to discover how feeble my toenails are???

It was worth it.

A Walk through Mystic

2010-05-26T16:10:00.000-04:00

The place where I grew up.

I've traveled to many places and I am still amazed that when someone asks me where I'm from, they know exactly where Mystic, CT is.

Mystic is a small town located in SE CT, right on the Atlantic.

It used to be a fishing town - which is evident from all the widows peaks on top of some of the older houses.

This particular location is Beebe's Cove which is less than 1/2 mile from my house. (.32 to be exact). I've never actually been in this body of water, but every time I come back from school I've been greeted by the sailboats on the other side of the railroad tracks. It's a little reminder that - I'm home.

Colorado

2010-04-20T21:03:00.001-04:00

I've always dreamed about visiting the Rocky Mountains. I love the outdoors, so Colorado seemed like it would be my playground.

I already visited several places this 09-10 school year. Albuquerque in October and Austin for spring break were my two major trips - I just didn't find it feasible to get there before bar exam classes started.

The decision to go came on a Monday. The initial plan was to drive the 10 hours to Denver Thursday morning and to fly back Monday morning in time to meet up with a friend driving through OKC. Seems reasonable right? Who wants to drive 10 hours back after 4 days of intense hiking? The drive to a vacation destination is always more entertaining than the return drive back to reality. Tuesday morning, one way ticket - Denver to OKC - Check.

Wednesday - a day before I was expected to leave I started calling car rental agencies. I quickly found out that renting a car in point A and leaving it in point B was not that easy. It was going to cost me $700 which was $550 more than it would cost for a plane flight there. Wednesday night, one way ticket - OKC to Denver - Check.

So I couldn't see the country side... At least I would be in Denver earlier than expected.

Thursday, late afternoon, I met one of my hosts. Chris. What a host. Unfortunately he's not as good of a chess player than he is a host... I kid, I kid.

Chris is a very successful 23yr old and was kind enough to open his apartment on such short notice. Did I mention he was called when the plane landed in Denver?

I took some time to visit with Chris. Bought some recommended local brew from Colorado and spent a little time getting to know my Host. We then took a trip to one of Chris's favorite watering holes, a nice pub with local brews on tap. I was quick to notice the people gathered around me. Every person standing around me was fit, attractive, stylish. It wasn't just the bar, it was everyone in the state of Colorado. Colorado hosts a plethora of outdoor activities which attracts some of the worlds finest athletes that it is a rarity to find a person over weight. We sat at a table outside and enjoyed our beverages. I introduced myself to a few local and asked for advice on where to go and what to see. They gave me so much that it made me want to start planning a return trip. After two beers we headed back to Chris's apartment. An early night was necessary for the long day of hiking planed for in the morning; so, we slept. Friday morning, Stevie and I set off for Rocky Mountain National Park. If there was one place I wanted to see, it was Dream lake at Estes Park. I planned on swimming in the lake but I learned that the lakes were still frozen over and covered with snow. I still had a good time though.

The park was about 1h 45m NW of Denver. That seems like a long time to drive somewhere but the trip wasn't long enough. As soon as you get past the tall buildings and highway bridges in the city, there is an unobstructed view of a rocky mountain horizon. The drive was more like an 1h 45m reminder as to why I travel so much.
Growing up, I traveled a lot. With a mother who worked for the airlines, it was easy to get around. I remember always having a fascination with Europe. Every opportunity I got, I went. It was only when I moved to Oklahoma that I started to develop an interest for domestic traveling. Getting to Europe is such a hassle - long flights, expensive hotels, currency exchange, and locals who cannot or pretend that they cannot speak English. It is so easy to get around in the U.S., and there are so many beautiful places to see. If you don't believe me, toy around with Google Earth for a bit. There is something for everyone.

With that in mind, we pulled up to the park and paid a $20 entrance fee. Now, normally I would be reluctant/upset to pay such a fee to get into a park but it all goes to the conservation of these natural wonders so I was more than happy to pay. We parked and grabbed our gear.

Now talk about unprepared - I had a pair of running shoes and cowboy boots, my actual hiking boots sitting comfortably in CT. It was recommended that I switch out of my boots to my shoes. No way I thought, my feet are going to be dry in my boots. Five minutes into the hike however, I was wishing I switched to my shoes. For those of you who don't wear cowboy boots, they are more or less like a dress shoe - completely flat on the bottom. This pretty much translates into two sleds under my feet. Talk about unprepared. The trail was flat approximately 1/8 of the time. The rest of the hike was uphill. Uphill and on paths that were at some times no wider than a foot... Covered in snow... Accompanied by a long, long drop down. This was the only shot I could produce. It doesn't do justice. I just couldn't justify pulling my camera out. I guess you'll just have to take my word for it. Half way to Dream Lake there was a clearing where we put our stuff down to smell the roses. Talk about a breathtaking view. We were high enough to see the valley below which was blanketed with greens, firs, and spruces. The highlight of the view was the mountains that grew above the treeline which surrounded the valley below.

While we were up here I broke out the Wild Turkey to celebrate. Celebrate what you ask? Well, the view, making it up the mountain this far in cowboy boots, life? Hey, I'm Irish. Do I really need a reason to take a swig of WT? I didn't think so... While I was indulging I was greeted by a member of the Rocky Mountain wild life. A little bird flew within a few feet of me and landed on a tree branch. He (or she) gave me a once over before flying over to take a sample of my Turkey. Yes, my Turkey. This little guy must be Irish. It wasn't long before he (or she) was brave enough to land right on my hand to indulge himself. Hey, I'm not greedy - help yourself little guy.

I know, I know. I wish the lady behind my hand was not in the shot - but what can you do? The two ladies were actually very nice. We exchanged pleasantries and I even tried to get the bird to land on the woman in the photo - unfortunately to no avail.

After the bird and I had enough for the moment we continued our hike to Dream Lake. We finally arrived and let me tell you - what a place! I had one of those revelations which reminded me why I get out of bed every morning. I had reached Heaven. An overwhelming sensation of nirvana came over me. It wasn't a new sensation but quite some time since I've felt like that. The last time was back in 2007 when I went to visit my buddy Jeff in Hawaii.

This is the exact reason why I traveled to Colorado. A few weeks ago I was talking to my Father about traveling around in the mid-west and told me of the time he drove through the Rocky Mountains. He was my age (when he had an afro) and he recalled his initial impression when he turned the corner and saw the Rockies for the first time. He is a good story teller - good enough to convince me to take a trip myself. I started toying around with Google Earth (try it, it's addictive) and I came across a picture of Dream Lake. This picture was the final push I needed to pack my bags. Check it out here. We continued our hike to the end and turned around. The hike out was much nicer than the hike in. All down hill. And the boots actually proved worthy on the way out. We got back to the parking lot and drove away. What a memorable moment - maybe one I will recall to my kid someday.

We had plans to stay in Boulder that night with Matt. Matt was another friendly Coloradoan who was given a last minute call, yet was nice enough to show us his hospitality. Matt is, what seems like all Coloradans, a marathon runner. When we first arrived he was still out on a run. So we took refuge in a nearby restaurant and enjoyed a well deserved meal. When Matt returned, he sat down with me and started to answer my questions about running a marathon. I was training for the OK Memorial (4/25/2010) and had many questions and ailments I wanted to discuss. He recommended that we talk over a pint - so to the pub we went. He took us to a very popular local pub/restaurant where we enjoyed more Colorado brew. We sat and discussed the many different aspects of marathon training. What type of running shoes do I have? Do my feet prone? Why do my nipples & taint chafe? Why after 12 miles do I feel like I'm going to collapse?

After some good advice we moved to another restaurant. Matt took us to a very posh venue in downtown boulder. We racked up a very nice bill and got a slight buzz - or maybe it was just the altitude - then retreated to a comfortable bed with anticipation of what the morning would bring.

Saturday we hiked the Garden of the Gods. The park was littered with red rock formations - quite an amazing site indeed.

Hiking and climbing all over that park was quite exhausting, but we had so many things to accomplish in such a short amount of time that we just pushed on.

Word to the wise though - if you ever plan a trip to CO, bring something other than cowboy boots to hike in. In my haste and attempt to pack light, I opted not to bring tennis shoes.

Regardless, that didn't stop me and I was able to get some beautiful photos. There were so many beautiful shots that it was hard to pick my favorites.

The choice to opt not to bring shoes was actually quite entertaining. Every time my boot slipped from a footing I would hear Stevie in the background gasp in angst. Stevie, the wiser of the group, unwilling to follow me in some of my quests for a better picture.

There were so many places to see in the park before we had to leave. We visited one spot, took several shots, and then we were off to another location. The sun started to go down and I still had Pikes peak in my sights. We had to leave the park early enough to make it to the mountain before it closed, so we pressed on. As the day grew older and my feet grew sorer (rightly so), we decided that we saw everything worth seeing so it was time to get out of the park. The only problem was, we were really, really far away from our car. What to do? What to do?

Well, start hitching of course. I have to be honest - I've never hitched in my life. I always thought of it as an activity reserved for the constant drifters on a tight budget. However, before I attempted to get an actual ride - I saw a potential photo-op. While posing for the camera and to my surprise, people are still willing to pick up strangers, even if those strangers are carrying a half empty bottle of Wild Turkey.

We got back to the car and turned towards Pikes peak. The alcohol began to set in, or maybe it was the altitude. I decided to take a nap in the backseat and turned the navigation over to Stevie. When I woke, we were in a small town. We were actually on our way back to Denver. We didn't make it in time...

I got back in the driver seat and let Stevie take a nap. I punched Denver into the GPS and hit the highway. On the way back I saw an exit sign for Morrison, CO. Morrison, CO...? That just sounded so familiar. Wasn't that where the famous amphitheater was? Yes, Red Rocks amphitheater. Detour anyone? We pulled up to the park and Stevie woke up. "Are we in Denver?" She asks. "Nope, we are somewhere even better."

We were both incredibly tired and hungry, but how could we turn this up, right? That was, until we saw what seemed like a thousand steps just to the base of the theater. Time to suck it up.

It was an amazing site to see. This was a landmark. This was the location where so many amazing artists shared their talents with Coloradans and recorded amazing performances for the rest of the world to enjoy. The Beatles, Sonny & Cher, the Greatful Dead, U2, Fleetwood Mac, Incubus, Dave Matthew Band...

Stevie, the Oklahoma Bison and I just sat in awe, that is, after sharing my excitement w/ Bison.

The walk back down was much easier than the walk up. I got back in the car and punched Denver into the GPS. After a quick shower and a few beers the group rallied and we drove to a sushi restaurant which was one of the most amazing meals I've had in a long time. After dinner we drove back to Chris's apartment and enjoyed a good nights sleep with anticipation for the final days events.

The last day I decided that I wanted to make an attempt at hiking my first 14er. For those of you who don't know a 14er is a mountain that exceeds 14,000 feet. Most Colorado 14er's start around 10,000 feet, but don't start thinking that makes it easy. The trails up the mountain are steep, and combine that with the high altitude, make's these hikes very difficult.

I asked around. The locals, Chris, Matt. They all told me that my best bet at this time of year was Mt. Evans. It was the closest and most accessible - Mt. Evans it was.

I tried to start the day off early. However, breakfast, gas, and my inability to find shoe shoes prevented me from getting on the mountain before noon. I was having trouble finding a place that I could buy shoe shoes. I had been hiking all weekend in cowboy boots and I had the feeling that it would be in my best interest to invest. I finally called my buddy Kyle who had one of those wonderful Iphones. I asked him to look up a place where I could find some traction. He led me to a place in Idaho Springs. I rented some snow shoes and off we went to the Mt. Evans ranger station for some maps. When we got to the ranger station, the large elder lady sitting behind the counter kept giving us snide looks when we told her that we wanted to climb to the summit. It's too late she told me, you can't go... I can't go??? Can't??? Well, that's not the appropriate word you want to use when trying to deter me from doing something... I grabbed a map and off we went, into the wild frontier. The main road leading up the mountain was closed, so we had no choice but to hoof it. The ranger told us that the first part of our hike was straight down. Great... That means we were in for a treat on the way back. We hiked and hiked. Then hiked some more. I ran out of water very quickly, so I mustered up some of my ingenuity and packed snow into my water bottle. I knew that eating snow doesn't hydrate. I needed a way to melt the snow. I loosened my belt and placed the bottle in my jeans which actually worked out quite nice. It not only produced enough heat to gradually melt the snow, but it also cooled that area at the same time :)

There was a deadline on the snow shoe rental. We either had to be back at the store in Idaho Springs by 5pm, which was closing time, or by 12pm the next day. Getting off the mountain was a priority because the flight to OKC left Denver at 715. There was no way I could drop them off the next day. I got to the shop at 5:30 - Fail. I knocked on the door in hopes that there was a straggler left behind. I drove around to the back in hopes that a door had been mistakenly left unlocked. No luck. Ingenuity kicked in for a second time when I saw a grill covered by a green grill cover. I removed the grill cover and placed the snow shoes in the grill and then replaced the grill cover. The next morning, back in OKC, I called the shop and let them know the location of their shoes. The gentleman on the other end of the phone sounded quite pleased.

WOW! What a trip. Back to reality - at least for the time being...

Flickr has a monthly quota for uploading and I ran out of room. More pictures to come later.
See more photos

Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Festival

2010-04-20T13:31:00.001-04:00

The first week in October, Albuquerque NM holds one of the most photographed events in the world. As an amateur photographer, this event made my mouth water like Pavlov's dog.

I arrived in Albuquerque the last weekend of the event, but I was not disappointed. I pulled up to the air field where the balloons would be launching around 330am - to my surprise, pilots were already setting up.

I had no idea what to expect. I saw eager spectators waiting to get a lift in a balloon and a plethora of photographers doing the same thing as I; however, with much better equipment.

The sun rose over the mountains in the East and the spectators piled into baskets and floated away. I thought the morning activities were over. I began to walk out of the park to take a much needed nap when I saw over a thousand balloons coming over the horizon.

The last day I decided to visit Bandelier National Monument and Santa Fe before heading back to Oklahoma City.

View all the pictures here