Bass Harbor at Night

Night Shooting at Bass Harbor Lighthouse.  

The Nature in Focus Workshops Participants were treated to some Night shooting over Bass Harbor Lighthouse. We got there during the golden hour before sunset. And stayed until around 9 PM. It was a lesson in patients for sure. But also a lesson in risk reward. There are certain risk we should take as photographers and many we shouldn't. There was never a point anyone was put in harms way. We had plenty of lights and each instructor made sure everyone could see their way out safely. The reward was getting an amazing shot. I see far to often these days people going to extremes to get shots that are rare. In the end making it home safe is what it's all about. Getting to go out and shoot tomorrow or playing with your kids or pets. Be educated on taking care of gods gifts to us. Leave the areas you shoot with all you went in with. Image made with Canon 5d Miii and Tamron 15x30 and 15 mm. F/2.8 manual mode ISO 3200 with a 30 second exposure. Mounted on my Sirui N3204x Tripod and K-30 Ballhead. Carried with my Peak Design Leash strap and Lowepro Flipside 500 Backpack. Edited in Lightroom CC. 

Proper Lens Choice

A portrait of a giraffe at Southwick Zoo

Proper lens choice. There are so many lenses available today. From primes to super zooms. But what does it mean to choose the proper lens? I have my favorite lenses and my must have lenses that are designed for a particular type of photography. But before I get into a few lenses and why they are must haves for my kit, let me explain how my lens choice makes my work easier.   My most used lens is my 24x105. It gives me a lot of range and is one of my sharpest lenses. With an F/4 aperture through out the focal range, it's a very handy everyday lens. But it doesn't offer me two variables. It doesn't get me closer to subjects far away. And it doesn't open up wide enough for certain situations. Let's focus on reach or the ability to get closer to far away subjects. When I bought my Tamron 150x600 lens. I bought it for wildlife. Mainly to pursue birding. But the lens is so versatile  I never leave home without it. The DOF at 600mm is outstanding. As you can see with the bokeh in the image above. This giraff was a good distance away. I couldn't have made this sort of composition with any other lens choice. (in my bag) on to wide angle. I used to use an 8mm on my Aps-c sensor. But this year I purchased at Tamron 15x30. I use it on my Canon 5dmiii. I have really enjoyed this lens. It offers me a good range and also f2.8 through that range. It's a must have for night shooting. I use it for all sorts of shoots. So with these three lenses always in my bag I can cover my entire focal range. It's the perfect kit for an event and nature photographer. Those three lenses never leave my bag. I keep at 70x200 in my bag also.  I also have macro lenses for specific shooting. Both of those lenses make great portrait lenses. I suggest checking out Tamron Lenses. I plan to add their 24x70 f2.8 in the near future. 

Image made with the Canon 5d Miii and Tamron lenses 150x600 DI VC USD lens. Hand held at 600 mm  

Remembering

White Bellied Nuthatch on the STICK.  

Remembering. After a little family vacation, I decided to take a moment to remember the values my Grandfather taught me many moons ago. Work hard for everything you want. Never take anything from anyone, because they will take more in return. And relax when possible. Never forget the important things in life. Here is where my story today kind of stems from remembering his thoughts. My family and I spent some much needed time at Cape Cod. I didn't shoot a lot. Nor did I really feel like shooting a lot. In fact I took a little break. I spent some time with my wife and daughter. And even played mini golf rather than capture an epic sunset. (It was epic too) This morning I took a few minuets to start my second busy season as a photographer. I love my profession with all my heart. But this break was much needed. Amelia and I captured this and a couple other images together when she woke up. I didn't care if we got great shots we got great moments together. I hope she remembers them many years from now.

image made with Canon 5d Miii and Tamron 150x600 on my Sirui N3204x tripod and PH-20 Gimbal head. Viewed and tweaked in On1 Photo 10 and Lightroom CC.  

The Stick

Young Male red Bellied Wood Pecker. 

Happy Fourth of July everyone. Independence Day! I have been fortunate to capture the Adults of this young male Red Bellied woodpecker. He has been coming every day at around 7 am and once he spots me doesn't come back. But I finally managed a so so shot of him. Independence comes fast for young broods. (If that's the correct way to say that) with in a matter of weeks the adults see their hatchlings into the world.  Our country was founded on the ability to make sound choices in life. And when we make mistakes we grow from them. I hope for generations to come our country remains free and independent. I hope everyone finds their second half of 2016 to be prosperous and filled with love and happiness. Image made with Canon 5d Miii and Tamron 150x600 on top of my Sirui N3204x and Ph-20 Gimbal head. 

Happy Fathers Day

My Dad, Amelia and myself 2016 image by Sonia Carrigan. 

I'm posting for Father's Day a little early. I will be pretty busy tomorrow and have a workshop Sunday morning. The remainder of the day will be spent with my baby. I never planned on being a Daddy. And though I've struggle being a good son, I never doubted how much I love my Dad. I hope Amelia always feels the same.  

I can say this with an open heart. I've never loved bein anything more than I love being a Son. Except being a Dad. My Dad and I had a fairly close relationship even though we were miles apart. There was a part of me who missed the daily relationship part but that's part of life. I knew my Dad was always a call away. And for some reason that mattered. And now with modern technology Amelia can have interaction with her PopPop anytime either of them want too. I have devoted my fathering to making sure my little girl is alway full of happiness and love. No matter what it takes. And honestly the love she has for my Dad is pretty amazing. Happy Fathers Day to my Dad! Thanks for being such a good PopPop to Amelia. 

Artistic Photography

Happy Hour.  

The hour before and after sunrise and sunset is Happy Hour for photographers.  The golden hours are the times when true artistry from Mother Nature takes place. This image is a creative artsy vision I had when I snapped a few shots of the fisherman going to work. If you have never visited fishing villages of Maine or Cape Ann in Massachusettes there are always cool images to be created with the many boats and compositions available. Go explore these areas and let your vision grow.  Image made with Canon 7d Miii and Sigma 70x200 F/8 ISO 200 shutter speed of 1/500 of a second at 110mm. Gear on top of a Sirui N3204x and K-30 ball head. Carried in a Lowepro Flipside 500 and Peak Design Slide Strap and Capture Pro. Viewed in ON1 photo 10.5 and created in Effects and Nik Color Pro 4 and LRCC. Join me in Cape Ann in June for a workshop.  

Parenting

A family of geese.  

So yesterday after Amelia's doctors appointment, we stopped to feed the "duckies". I was hoping to see some geeselings and we found these little older ones. To Amelia they were babies. Well anyhow this shot was at 24mm. So they got pretty close. I had Amelia sit on my lap so I could protect her if I needed too. But this strange thing happened. When I pulled Amelia close the mother (I think) relaxed. We were literally 2 feet away from each other. Naturally when the camera was out she got a little tense. So I kept it short and sweet. She chased several other geese and ducks away. Even after the kids had enough bread to sink them like submarines as they went in the water. Wildlife and nature is about respecting  each other's habitats. People so often think it's our rights to violate animals spaces. Now this was at a park where hundreds of people go every day. But that didn't mean I shouldn't respect the geese and their babies spaces. It meant we needed to respect each other.  Image made with a Canon 5dmiii and 24x105 l series lens. Aperture priority mode f/5.6 ISO 800 resulting in a shutter speed of 1/800 of a second at 24mm. Camera Carried on my Peak Design Slide strap. Edited in LRCC and On1   

Great Monday's

Titmouse at the stick.  

It is always nice when my days off start. Being Monday, it's the start of most people's work week most won't agree. My Monday started out fantastic and is ending even better. I had a very successful morning shooting song birds on the stick. I had the most variety I've ever had. And I had wonderful light being created from the sun. Yes! The sun! This image was made with Canon 5d Miii and Tamron 150x600 at 600mm f/7.1 ISO 1600 resulting in 1/1000 of second shutter speed. I had it mounted on my Sirui N3204x and PH-20 Gimbal head. I also used a Peak Design Leash for safety.  

Blue?

Blue Jay saying hello at the stick.  

Does the weather have you blue? Day after day of endless rain? Find a way to make your day sunny. I fill the feeders just about every morning during this wet spring weather we have been having here in Massachusettes. In turn I get visitors that like to scream at me! Actually blue jays are very timid when it comes to people taking their pictures. Sparrows, chickadee, nuthatch, titmouse and woodpeckers will patiently eat while I take many images of them. Not these guys. They boogie on out of here. In this case I think this is a female blue jay hung around for about 10 frames. Image made with Canon 5d Miii and Tamron 150x600. On top my Surui N3204x Tripod with PH-20 Gimbal head. Peak Design Leash strap. 

Kane's Krusade

Image from Thunder in the Valley

 http://www.kaneskrusade.org/

During the Thunder in the Valley Festival this past weekend, I met a couple really sweet dogs. And some amazing people who love them as much as I do. Bikers who want to stop abuse and this charity Kane's Krusade. Here is there missions statement. And a link to their page is above.  

 "We keep dogs with their families by directly addressing the root causes of surrender - economic, behavioral and tenant/insurance issues."

Many of my friends know I'm an animal lover and think causes like this need our attention. So please visit their page!

Shooting when you can!

Springfield, Massachusetts Canon 5dmiii Tamron lenses 15x30 F 2.8 Di VC USD  

One of the things I stress to my students in to shoot when ever they can.  It was bestowed upon me as a virtue when I was first starting out. Back then we really had to take our time and make sure we were dialed in and got the shot or we wasted film. But today in the digital world, we can shoot until our hearts content. However I recommend to make those shots count. Random shooting without purpose will not benefit your skills. Take your time! Look at your compositions. Make sure you have the technical settings and proper. No think hey it doesn't matter if I make a crappy image. It does! It's ok to make  so bad shots. We all do it. But have a purpose.  Have an intent as to some aspect of your skills you are working on. When I am practicing I pick one thing every time I have a camera in hand. And even if it doesn't work I have learned from it. Like the great 300 always move forward.  Never retreat! The above image was made the first time I got to shoot with my Canon 5d and Tamron 15x30. I love the set up. It was a hand held shot literally jumping out of my truck while Amelia  slept. ISO 100 f8 at 22mm shutter speed 1/100 of a second. I carry my gear in Lowepro bags and Peak Design Acessories. Edited in On1 PHOTO 10 and Light Room CC. 

Finding Nemo

Amelia at 2 years old  

My very first blog, or lack there of was about my wife Sonia and I having a baby. Well she is two. My blog is about finding balance and learning that life needs a little time for everything. The first year was the craziest year of my life. The struggle to keep my job going and keeping photography business going seemed almost impossible. But Sonia and I managed. The things that didn't get done are starting to be finished. We are starting to settle back to our relationship as husband and wife. Our 5 year anniversary is upon us and we will spend a couple days  in Maine to relax. Finding Nemo!?! Yeah that's right. I can quote the movie. But that's the small part of why I titled this blog post as I have. The movie talks about how we let our past dictate our future. I never wanted to be a parent. I honestly never wanted to be a husband. I never took risk. I never put myself out there in fear of failure. Even though I failed better than I did anything else. I challenged myself only when it was best for me. Then my life changed. I said to myself one day, only you can make you better. Stop hiding behind the fears in front of you and make life great. Well then I met Sonia and life has never been better. It's out there for you people so find your Nemo! 

High ISO Noise.

Canon 5d Miii at ISO 4000 f8 1/3200  

With all the talk about new camera bodies and high ISO/low noise I decided to see what I could get out of my Canon 5d Miii doing everything wrong. What I mean by that is, when there are a lot of harsh shadows,  noise levels are more apparent. In this image I had to remove shadows in LRCC. And I cropped this image about 50%. So there was no reason the noise should be acceptable in the shadow areas. But to my surprise there was very minimal noise. I didn't do any noise removal or and other editing except cropping and shadow removal. Now the 5d Miii is fairly old technology in comparison to the Sony a6300 and the new Nikon d500 that's are just simply incredible in the high ISO performance area. But in years past shooting above ISO 1600 was risky for a clean image. So I find this to be very acceptable levels. Enjoy the cameras you have and understand their limitations and set your expectations accordingly.  

Slowing Down

Slowing Down

In photography circles, we talk a lot about slowing water so we an get a dreamy effect. Take a few moments if you would to think about that. But apply it to your life and to a different degree, your photography. Slow down and look at things in new ways. Disect your subjects and appreciate all the perspectives offered to you. 

This image isn't from the Smoky Mountains. In fact it is from Enders Falls in Conneticut. It's been almost a year since I went on a workshop with my friends David Akoubian and Cecil Holmes. But one thing I learned was to slow down. It had a lot to do with really taking in the beauty that GSMNP has to offer. But even more it was about enjoying the time and memories. David and Cecil have sold out the Smoky Mountain workshop but head over to Nature in Focus Worshops page   http://www.natureinfocusworkshops.com/ to check out their other workshops. I believe there are still a few opening for the Grand Teton and Acadia NP workshops! 

Composition

Female Gold Finch. 

This little lady sat watching her man eat sunflower seeds for about 10 minuets this morning. I was snapping shots and decided to change my composition by simply turning my camera to a vertical composition on the tripod collar. It's offered me a different look and took a second to do. So look at both options when you are making an image. This image made with the Canon 5dmiii and Tamron 150x600. On top the Sirui N3204x tripod and PH-20 Gimbal head. Viewed in On1 photo 10 and LRCC. ISO 800 f/8 1/1000 of a second shutter speed.   

These little yellow Bee's

Male Gold Fich

Female Gold Finch  

I was excited to see these two at the stick this morning. They were hamming it up. If you haven't watched Goldie's do their thing, you are missing out. They are very photogenic. Image made with a Canon 5d Miii and Tamron 150x600 on top of my Sirui N3204x tripod and PH-20 gimbal head. I carry my gear in a Lowepro Bag and Peak Desigb Accesories. Editing work Flow through On1 Photo 10 and LRCC.   I get my gear from Gary Farbar at Hunt's Photo and Video. 

Birds

Junco on the stick

I guess the winds were heavy this morning. I came home to find the stick and the surrounding area to be a mess. I'm looking forward to fixing it up and capturing some bird over the next few days.  

Photography Services.

Booking events for 2016  

David and Autum's Wedding. (First Dance) 

Shooting people and events has long been the reason I picked up a camera. I love to capture memories through my creative vision for any occasion. I am booking events for 2016 so please contact me for your photography needs. Custom designed packages for all needs. 

Weddings

Engagements

Year Book Photos/Senior Photos/Proms

Family Functions/ Portrait Sessions

Anniversary's

Birthday Parties

Creative Vehicle Images  

Corprate Images and Events.  

Portfolio Model Shoots  

And more.  

dmcarrigan@comcast.net

413-204-1478  

Workshops for various abilities.

Starting in January I will be offering small personalized workshops for various levels of photographers. I will cover various topics and leave you with assignments to help hone your skills and grow your confidence behind your lens. My goal as an educator is to help you make great images no matter what you choose to  shoot. A strong foundation to build upon for years to come. Please watch my site for information. I expect these will fill up fast limit 4 per workshop. Also available individual one on one lessons. Please inquire if interested. 

Rock Port Harbor Cape Ann, MA

Also available Gift Certificates!  

Lowepro Photo Back Packs→

Good evening everyone. I just finished watching the Giants/Pats game. WOW!  

Earlier today I decided j needed to settle on a bag and use it. I have been in between bags for eons. So much so I literally couldn't find things I needed. Well the Lowepro Flipside AW500 is now my daily gear bag. Everything has a place and I now can find anything at a moments notice.  

Lowepro Flipside AW500