Gulf Shores, Alabama

"We're having something a little different this year for Thanksgiving. Instead of a turkey, we're having a swan. You get more stuffing." - George Carlin


Thanksgiving on the beach.  This was the only bird near the beach house.

The original photo was a little drab.  Better white balance would have corrected the exposure without excessive processing.  I increased the sharpness and the contrast, and then aided the color until there was a hint of blue in the water.

Nikon D7000 - 105mm, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 200.  Post processing Lightroom 4.

Brasserie

"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine" - Song of Solomon 6:3

Christine and I had coffee and croissants at a charming little Brasserie around the corner from Champs de Mars.  This was on Monday, 11 October, about an hour and a half before the famous Segway tour... and about four hours before the "Daredevil Incident".

While I drank my coffee, we were amused by the French mothers pushing their children past in various wheeled conveyances at break-neck speed.  There weren't any accidents, but it did appear quite dangerous. 

Nikon D7000 - 32mm, f4.2, 1/30, ISO 1000.  Post processing Lightroom 4.

Eiffel Tower

"Il me semble que, n'eût elle pas d'autre raison d'être que de montrer que nous ne sommes pas simplement le pays des amuseurs, mais aussi celui des ingénieurs et des constructeurs qu'on appelle de toutes les régions du monde pour édifier les ponts, les viaducs, les gares et les grands monuments de l'industrie moderne, la Tour Eiffel mériterait d'être traitée avec consideration." -Gustave Eiffel

This is the underside of the Eiffel Tower lit up on an overcast night (you can see the city light bouncing off of the clouds).

Christine and I had just eaten dinner on the first platform at 58 Tour Eiffel.  We shared a table with a pair of ladies from New Zealand.  After dinner we took a long walk along the Seine.

Nikon D7000 - 18mm, f3.5, 1/6, ISO 1600.  No post processing.

Les Gobelins

“When good Americans die, they go to Paris.” - Oscar Wilde

Near Les Gobelins metro station in Paris, France.  Christine and I had just left the Starbucks after discovering that "venti vanilla chai frappuchino breve" doesn't mean the same thing in France as it does in the United States.

Nikon D7000 - 18mm, f3.5, 1/40, ISO 800.  Post processing Photoshop CS3.

Moulin Rouge

"The Moulin Rouge. A night club, a dance hall and a bordello. Ruled over by Harold Zidler. A kingdom of night time pleasures. Where the rich and powerful came to play with the young and beautiful creatures of the underworld." - Baz Luhrmann, "Moulin Rouge"

The end of the quest!  We had to take a picture of the Moulin Rouge to satisfy certain family obligations. Bright, red, and crowded!  The line of people waiting to get into the show stretched for blocks!  Fortunately, we weren't actually trying to get in.

Just prior to this, we were standing in front of the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, in Montmartre.  We were rescued by a horde of drunken Scottish ladies singing "Sweet Home Alabama" and a bewildered French tour guide.

This photo has some slight touch ups for color and sharpness.


Nikon D7000 - 18mm, f4, 1/60, ISO 600.  Post processing Nikon Capture NX2.

Dragonfly

This dragonfly was at Green Mountain in Huntsville, Alabama.  Prior to processing, the photograph was a bit soft and medium grey.  I corrected the photograph by sharpening, adding contrast and reducing brightness.


Nikon D7000 - 70mm, f5.3, 1/100, ISO 400.  Post processing Nikon Capture NX2

Christine

"Who is this that appears like the dawn,
 fair as the moon, bright as the sun,
 majestic as the stars in procession?" - Song of Songs 6:10

This is my beautiful wife, Christine.  This photograph was taken in Progreso, Mexico while we were on a cruise with four of our five children.

This is the photo that sits on my desk at work!

Nikon D7000 - 105mm, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 200.  Post processing Photoshop CS3.