Fireworks - Downtown Kingston, Jamaica

Happy New Year Everyone!!!  It was really windy on the waterfront this year and the rockets were all over the place.  It  makes you appreciate shooting these things from a mile or more when you have to be constantly recomposing to try and follow the rockets.  I've also included the human element into the shots this year.  Enjoy

The crowd moving out after the concert.

Bob Marley Beach Jan 2015

Front Row Seats

Had some time to take a few shots today before a shoot a the national stadium here in Kingston.  I decided to try my hand at some abstracts using the chairs,  though i'd rather call them 'extracts' just as Ansel Adams refered to his "abstract" work.

Ansel Adams prefered the term "Extract" as opposed to "Abstract".   Adams explained his choice of words, saying "I prefer the term extract over abstract, since I cannot change the optical realities but only manage them."

"Front Row Seats"

"The Grand Stand"

"8 to 9"

The walk over to paradise...

The day started off as most mornings do close to a court house police sirens blaring loudly over the morning rush hour traffic.  The fact that it was comming from the direction of  the Government House in Nassau pushed me in the opposite direction.  Yes towards the earth shattering sound of cruise ship horns and the smell of sun block. 

Thats just the morning and not really part of the walk over to paradise island.  I was in Nassau to shoot a wedding and the idea was to walk over to the venue for the reception (the Colonial Hylton) for a recce.  Of course things got out of hand... you walk some where do a recce try to find a store to buy a cold Heineken completely miss the liquor store across the road and the next thing you know you're 1½ miles from where you've started on a bridge headed over to the largest hotel in the Caribbean (someone correct me if i'm wrong).

On the way though me and my good friend ( the doomed groom) took in some sites.

Cathedral On George Street

Shoppers on Bay Street

 Lawyers on the way to the Court House

Shoppers on Bay Street

Rum... Heineken... Heineken..Rum ...choices choices...

boats...boats... 

 

Complex by the Paradise Island Bridge

Tunnel On Paradise Island

Funny thing about that tunnel... its below the water level (to allow yatch to pass into the Atlantis Marina)... and I think it leaks.

 Well the rest of images speak for themselves.

And the whole reason for walking over there.... well its my reason and im sticking to it....

Alas if only there were bikini clad models in the background...

First Entry - Fire Works

So I've finally got the ball rolling on this blog thing.  Thanks to Andy and Seymour for the push.  If you're reading this and have not seen my portfolio give a look at it here.

Just back from the Bahamas i had missed Christmas day in jamaica.  Boxing day was spent hiking up to Catherine's Peak (see my second post when it comes).  I had also missed the plane crash and was not feeling to go out to shoot wreckage.  No gore no glory.  Enough photographers have done it and it was getting old.  Probably the reason its called "news" capturing a scene after the fact is just that, just a scene.

Fast forward 5 days and i'm driving out to the palisadoes, friends in tow.  At least this year we  have cups for the champagne.  Gathering the failings of the year before (Gallery here)

 ISO 100, 5 sec @ f8

A steady wind contributed to a little camera shake.  This year i was prepared... 

wireless trigger... removed lens hood ... got to the spot early enough to have a nice stable spot.

ISO 100, 2 sec @ f7.1

Unfortunately the wind was blowing in my direction and the smoke from the fireworks drifted towards the palisadoes.  While some shots were dramatic with the fireworks lighting the smoke, the rest  of the show was better just watched with some friends and champagne (in a cup).

ISO 100, 2 sec @ f7.1