Miami From Above – Residential Islands and Miami Beach

Originally uploaded by dgmiami

First and foremost, a very big thank you goes out to my buddy Ross at www.floridaphoto.com for a great flight on a perfect afternoon yesterday. Can’t wait to do it again!

Last time I went flying with Ross I had a Sony DSC-H1. The pics came out ok, but back then I was a pure point-and-shoot kinda guy. No manual settings, everything was set to automatic. The pictures came out fine, but nothing like the ones from yesterday using manual settings on my 450D!

I started out trying to shoot at ISO 100, then 200, only to find out that my shutter speed was way too slow for what I wanted to capture. Based upon his suggestions, I made some adjustments and all I can say is THANKS – it definitely made a difference in the sharpness of the pics.

Another thing I learned is that next time, I won’t be attempting to use my circular polarizer AND I will wear a dark color shirt to minimize the reflections from the inside of of the window on my side. Of course, one of those nifty holes in the window on the other side will help as well Ross – LOL.

If you are looking for aerial photography around South Florida – take a look at Ross’ site mentioned at the opening of this entry. If he doesn’t already have what you want, you won’t be disappointed with his work!

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South Beach Living

Originally uploaded by dgmiami

I have been told that I may have an eye for framing pictures. We are not talking about putting a picture inside a border for display, we are talking about looking through the lens and seeing the shot in its entirety as one would want to have it if printed.

When I was walking by this building, I looked up and saw the angles created from the balconies, the curves from the building itself, the reflections of the sky in the windows, the trees, the sky and the clouds above. I could envision all of these aspects in a picture and it was not until that point in my mind that I picked up the camera and framed the shot I wanted to capture through the lens.

I wanted to capture the height, the angles, etc. to ensure that it is more than a flat image. I also wanted to capture the depth of the shot by having the palm trees up front and the clouds over head. This was a simple shot that I really enjoyed. Now, if I could only live here and look over the ocean every morning – that would be awesome!

New Years 2009 on South Beach

Originally uploaded by dgmiami

For the first time in a long time, I spent New Years Eve somewhere other than at home. It was nice to get out of the norm, but if you don’t enjoy crowds, fireworks, and having a good time, stay away from South Beach!

I ended up getting to the beach at about 9pm and was surprised to find light traffic (compared to a regular Friday or Saturday night’s traffic). I dropped off most of the carload which was with me and headed to 5th Street to find parking in the public garage for a $15 flat rate.

After walking back to the apartment and meeting up with friends, we enjoyed a few drinks, music, and headed to Ocean Drive for the countdown and fireworks. Didn’t get home until about 3:30am…

Having just purchased a new camera and having plenty of things to take pictures of, this was an experimental shot leaning on a fixed object and leaving the lens open for 10 seconds. The street and sidewalks are actually full of people… For more pictures, visit my Flickr set for New Years Eve 2009.