Tag Archives: Nature

Everglades in Monochrome

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Everglades in Black and White by Chip Bunnell Photography

The Everglades is truly a wonder of nature. Often, when the name is heard, alligators and some interesting characters that drive air boats come to mind. In reality, there are several very different parts of this giant National Park, each as equally distinctive as the others.

This image depicts the largest portion of the 2 million acre wetland ecosystem, the sawgrass marshes.  Dubbed the “River of Grass”, a shallow, slow moving river meanders through the tall grass as it makes its way south to Florida Bay and the Florida Keys.  Numerous species of birds call this area home.  Native palm trees can be seen in the distance.  Massive spring clouds add interest as they seem to glide just above the tree line. As this is the end of our annual dry season, the grass is brown, just waiting for the summer rains to return them to their lush green appearance.

Deep in the Everglades, along the historic Tamiami Trail, Clyde Butcher, one of my favorite photographers has his gallery and former home.  After enjoying his truly spectacular monochromatic work, I was inspired to process this frame as a black and white.

For the last week I have been working exclusively with a Fuji X-T1 system.  I do love my full Canon system, but I am enjoying the lighter weight of the mirrorless design.  More details on this to follow….

Photo Stuff:  Single image with a Fuji X-T1, Processed in LR and Nik Silver Efex Pro 2

www.ChipBunnell.com
©2015 All Rights Reserved

 

NATURE :: Sunrise Ocean Lightning

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Sunrise Ocean Lightning by Chip Bunnell Photography

Click to Enlarge – See the Details

The ocean never ceases to amazing me. One minute I can be deep in slumber, knowing that just on the other side of the bedroom walls are the gentle waves lapping on the beach. Just seconds later I can awaken to wall-rattling booms of thunder, as lightning illuminates the entire room in a brilliant flash. Long before the rooster alarm sounded, that was exactly how our morning started.

At first, I seemed to be in a foggy state as I walked along the beach, surrounded by body-rumbling bangs. In my dream, they seemed to go on and on. After what seemed like hours, but was really only a few minutes, I realized I was sleeping through a delightfully powerful storm. Once I gathered my bearings, I finally grasped the rare opportunity to see lightning over the ocean during sunrise. With my trusty non-metal tripod in hand, I ventured on to the balcony to see if I could capture the magic of nature in my lens.

I made several interesting images, but this was my favorite. I loved the texture of the cloud ceiling with the morning sun forcing its way through. On the left, a single unstoppable bolt blasts the waiting ocean below. No lightning trigger or other such tool was available.   Once again, I am reminded that timing and preparation get results…with a little luck thrown in for good measure.

Photo Stuff: Single frame on a tripod, Processed in LR, PS and Topaz Clarity

www.ChipBunnell.com
(c) 2014 All Rights Reserved