by successfulbob | architectural photography, imaging competition, inspiration, photography, photography competition, photography creativity
Imaging USA Part Three
Here’s my final wrap up from Imaging USA in Atlanta.
As mentioned, but worth saying so again, networking and speaking with people is a great way to continue your education. And I don’t think you can put a price on that.
Accolades at IUSA
I mentioned some ASP accolades that were earned this year and I also want to recognize the Grand Imaging Awards. This is a way for people to be recognized to push and further their photography skills. While the GIA’s are the pinnacle you don’t wait until you think you have the imagery to win there, you get there by getting into it to learn. These results come from International Photographic Competition (IPC) which is a contest with yourself to become better than you were the previous year and to learn, sometimes through hard knocks, what you might do to better your skills. In my opinion, IPC has been probably the single most important vehicle in helping me become the image creator I am today. Not to mention that it generates a reason to send out a press release, not only when you are successful, but even just being a participant! (you know me and press releases for promoting my business!)
I was a Silver Medalist and Bronze Medalist by going four for four in the two of the image cases I submitted. Proud of those results indeed. I also managed to earn a Third Place GIA Award in the Non-Event Album category with architectural images made from a personal project captured at the Phoenix Art Museum.
One of the Spreads from my Third Place album
Additional AZPPA success
A big salute to the other big award winners from the Arizona Professional Photographers Association.
David Shields, CPP, getting third place for his image “Oh the Places She Will Go” in the High School Senior Portrait category. Image © Dave Shields 2019 All Rights Reserved
This is by Heidi Mixon in the Top Ten in the Portrait category and will be one of the images representing the United States in the Photographic World Cup!!! Image © Heidi Mixon 2019 All Rights Reserved
Both Heidi and Dave are part of Studio Three Images in Phoenix.
There were other AZPPA peeps that did well too but these are the highlights. It has been so amazing to watch those that enter competition accelerate their photographic voices so quickly. AZPPA is having their image competition this weekend. Time to get in! If you are looking for feedback on your work with PPA Approved Jurors and Jurors in Training you can get in to get scores too. Awards are for AZPPA members only. AZPPA Convention
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | architectural photography, Guest Post, Lumix G9, travel photography
China through the Eyes of Ken MacAdams – Part One
Ken is currently wending his way through China and shares news and images from his travels here on Succssful-Photographer.
The 12 + hour flight to China will tweek your psychological time clock, not matter how you cut it. We welcomed deplaning in Beijing, and getting our feet back on the ground. Flying from the USA, we’d crossed the International Date Line, so lost a day. After breezing through immigration, we stepped out into the terminal, into the face of new smells and sights. Like the reality of the time difference, once you step off the gateway, you know you’re not in Kansas.
Forbidden City gate with the modern city in the background. Smog is often present – and many people wear face masks when walking about. All Images in this post © Ken MacAdams 2018 All Rights Reserved
Personal Photography Project
This marks my 5th sojourn in China, and each visit is an enriching experience. My visits now are part of a personal photography project, in which I’m documenting the tremendous changes going on in this vast land. China has often been ‘off limits’ to foreigners, and in recent times it wasn’t until the late 1980’s that foreigners could obtain visas to travel here. My first visit was in 2000. Already changes were happening as the ‘New China’ came out from under the repression of the Cultural Revolution – an era that almost put China back into the Dark Ages.
Woman dancing to music with a banner flag in one of the many parks.We’d planned only a short sojourn in Beijing, but wanted to experience a different section of the Great Wall, and see some of the changes around the city since our first visit here. A teacher I’d met last year picked us up at the airport and shuttled us to a motel near his apartment. Foreigners must stay only at State approved hotels, as Big Brother keeps a close eye on affairs here. I’m not intimidated by it, just aware that as I travel about, my every move is documented and tracked. My wife is with me, and we’re here on 10 year multiple entry tourist visas, with a maximum stay of 60 days per visit.
Hiking on the Great Wall from one watchtower looking back down the mountainside.This view of the Wall gives you a perspective of just how much hiking you have ahead of you!!
The Great Wall
Our friend had arranged for a driver to shuttle us out to the Matianyu section of the Wall. Luck presented us with one of the sunniest days I’ve ever experienced in this area, with brilliant blue cloudless skies. This section of the Wall climbs over 3,400 ft. as it clings to the spine of the rugged mountains. A modern gondola whisked us part way up the mountainside, and then it was time to hike! We logged over 3 miles of semi-strenuous hiking during our visit, poking around watchtowers, savoring the grand vistas, and marveling at the thought of those who labored so hard to build this Wonder of the World. Originally constructed to prevent fierce raiding tribesmen from the north from plundering the city states to the south, the wall stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the east, several thousand miles inland.
Ken has always loved to travel, so when he made a common connection with the fact that either a long day pounding the streets of some foreign city, or shooting the last dance at a wedding, a good part of his physical
weariness came from lugging around his big heavy DSLR. That’s when he started looking at alternatives – and ended up selecting Panasonic Lumix Micro Four Thirds gear.
Ken is rarely without a camera, and the next great photo travel experience – whether local or abroad – is always in the back of his mind! A longtime resident of the Four Corners, and when he’s not out on the road, he enjoys some of the great outdoor opportunities found there – mountain biking, hiking, and Jeeping.
by successfulbob | architectural photography, Guest Post, Lumix G9, travel photography
Seville, Spain – Travel with Ken MacAdams Part Three
A few blocks away from the Alcazar is the Hospital de la Caridad, a 17th-century charity hospital which served as a place of final refuge for Sevilla’s poor and homeless. The hospice and hospital were founded in 1626 by Don Miguel Manara, a one-time playboy who in later life had a change of heart and spent his last years dedicating his life to strict worship and taking care of the poor.
This was the “small” chapel at the Hospital de la Caridad. Statues, period artwork, and Dutch tile scenes graced the courtyards of the hospital.
Inside you’ll find Italian statues (his wealthy family was from Italy) and Dutch tiles from Delft, depicting scenes from the Old and New Testament, a reminder that the Netherlands was under Spanish rule in centuries past.
Walk a few crooked blocks, and you’ll find yourself at the Plaza de Toros, or the bullfighting ring and museum. Guided tours take you through the empty arena, its museum, and the chapel where the matadors pray before the fight. Bullfighting still takes place here from May to September. Novice bullfighters take the ring on Thursday evenings in July. Serious bullfighters, the professionals, fight on special events and holidays, and these events often sell out in advance.
A handheld (no tripods allowed) shot of a Flamengo dancer at a sold-out performance along one of the back streets in the Jewish Quarter, adjacent to the Alcazar area.
A typical street cafe and tapas bar scene. Note the inlaid tile work on the building on the left.
Flamenco, the dance that embodies the spirit of southern Spain, can be found in numerous locations and barrios nightly. Some of the establishments offer flamenco lessons, while others house exhibits of flamenco costumes and other artifacts.
A part of any visit to Seville is sampling the cuisine. Some feel the time spent sitting at an outdoor street cafe, savoring tapas and a bottle of wine, is as important as visiting the great city sights! Tapas are small portions of seafood, salads, meat-filled pastries, and other delicious bites. Tapas bars can be found in all areas of the city, and every local has their favorite!
Twenty-five-second nighttime exposure of the Giralda Bell Tower, a stunning landmark of Sevilla.
Oozing with Old World Charm, Seville is a destination in Spain not to be missed. Allow two days to see the main sights, and linger longer if possible! When you’re finished, head on to Andalucia’s White Hill Towns for your next over-the-top Spanish experience!
Ken has always loved to travel, so when he made a common connection with the fact that either a long day pounding the streets of some foreign city, or shooting the last dance at a wedding, a good part of his physical
weariness came from lugging around his big heavy DSLR. That’s when he started looking at alternatives – and ended up selecting Panasonic Lumix Micro Four Thirds gear.
Ken is rarely without a camera, and the next great photo travel experience – whether local or abroad – is always in the back of his mind! A longtime resident of the Four Corners, and when he’s not out on the road, he enjoys some of the great outdoor opportunities found there – mountain biking, hiking, and Jeeping.
by successfulbob | architectural photography, Guest Post, Lumix G9, travel photography
Seville, Spain – Travel with Ken MacAdams Part Two
No visit to Seville is complete without a visit to the Royal Alcazar. Originally a 10th-century palace for the governors of the local Moorish state, this is Europe’s oldest still in use palace. Rebuilt in the 14th century by the Christian king Pedro I (by Muslim workmen), it features spectacularly decorated halls, courtyards, and gardens.
In the Garden Pool was a small statue of Mercury. This pool was fed by a 16th-century aqueduct.
There are distinctive Islamic-style flourishes seen in the archways, walls, and ceilings. As you enter, you’ll pass a rough stone wall, remnants of an older Moorish fortress, circa A.D. 913.
This image shows the painstaking attention to detail recorded on the walls and ceiling of the Hall of Ambassadors. All photos in this post © Ken MacAdams
In the Admiral’s Hall, Columbus recounted his travels, and Ferdinand Magellan planned his around-the-world venture. Queen Isabella realized Columbus’s New World discoveries could be big business. Here resides a model of Columbus’ flagship, the Santa Maria. In the center of King Pedro’s palace is the Courtyard of the Maidens, a big courtyard with a long pool in the center.
The Moorish doorways were left intact by the Reconquista Christians. Note the intricate detail in each arch.
Feeling his Alcazar a bit stark, the king hired Muslim workers from Granada – home to the famed Alhambra – to recreate its romance. This palace is considered by some as Spain’s best example of the Mudejar style. Subsequent kings, Philip II, and Charles V added their touches throughout the palace.
Seville, Spain part three Next Friday.
Ken has always loved to travel, so when he made a common connection with the fact that either a long day pounding the streets of some foreign city, or shooting the last dance at a wedding, a good part of his physical
weariness came from lugging around his big heavy DSLR. That’s when he started looking at alternatives – and ended up selecting Panasonic Lumix Micro Four Thirds gear.
Ken is rarely without a camera, and the next great photo travel experience – whether local or abroad – is always in the back of his mind! A longtime resident of the Four Corners, and when he’s not out on the road, he enjoys some of the great outdoor opportunities found there – mountain biking, hiking, and Jeeping.
by successfulbob | architectural photography, Guest Post, Lumix G9, travel photography
Seville Spain – Travel with Ken MacAdams
Ken shares his travel photography and stories here on Successful-Photographer as he has in the past. Ken’s camera of choice is Panasonic’s flagship stills camera the Lumix G9 with the Leica DG Vario-ELMARIT Professional Lens, 12-60MM, F2.8-4.0
Seville shines as one of Spain’s magnificent stars. Activities include attending a bullfight, standing in awe at the immensity of the world’s largest Gothic church, or going shoulder to shoulder with the crowds in the Reales Alcazar, a beautiful Moorish style palace. In the 16th century, Seville was the gateway to the New World. Explorers Vespucci and Magellan sailed from its great river harbor, discovering new trade routes and abundant sources of gold, silver, cocoa, and tobacco. In the 17th century, it was Spain’s largest and wealthiest city.
Protected by a Renaissance wrought-iron grill, it was impossible to stand on-center of the High Altar to photograph this 65 foot tall altar. All Photos in this post © Ken MacAdams
The tomb of Christopher Columbus is carried by four kings.
Seville’s Cathedral is the third largest church in Europe. It rises from the site of a mosque that was torn down in 1401 to make way for the cathedral, one that the Reconquista Christians said would be the largest in the world. Past the immense pipes of the church’s pipe organ is the High Altar, protected by a wrought-iron Renaissance grille. Standing 65 feet tall, there are 44 scenes from the life of Jesus and Mary, all carved from walnut and chestnut – blanketed by a staggering amount of gold leaf.
In this image you can see the immense floor to ceiling scale of the church. Set on AWB, the Lumix G9 was able to correctly register the different color tones of the interior lighting.
The work, finished in 1564, took three generations to complete. Opposite from the Altar de Plata, is the Tomb of Columbus. Located in front of the cathedral’s entrance for pilgrims are four kings who bear the remains of Christopher Columbus upon their shoulders. Identified by their team shirts, the pallbearers represent the regions of Castile, Aragon, Leon, and Navarre. A walk through the Treasury reveals gold and silver reliquaries, and Spain’s most valuable crown, the jeweled Corona de la Virgen de los Reyes. Attached to the church is the Giralda Bell Tower, a former minaret. If you have the time – or energy – you can climb the 330 feet up to its top for a grand city view.
The pool within the courtyard served a dual purpose – besides beauty, it helped cool the surrounding rooms of the palace during the hot summer days.
Look for more on Seveille, Spain and the Royal Alcazar from Ken next Friday!
Ken has always loved to travel, so when he made a common connection with the fact that either a long day pounding the streets of some foreign city, or shooting the last dance at a wedding, a good part of his physical
weariness came from lugging around his big heavy DSLR. That’s when he started looking at alternatives – and ended up selecting Panasonic Lumix Micro Four Thirds gear.
Ken is rarely without a camera, and the next great photo travel experience – whether local or abroad – is always in the back of his mind! A longtime resident of the Four Corners, and when he’s not out on the road, he enjoys some of the great outdoor opportunities found there – mountain biking, hiking, and Jeeping.
by successfulbob | architectural photography, cityscape photography, Guest Post, photography, travel photography
Sintra, Portugal – Guest Post
by Ken MacAdams
Ken is a traveling man and uses Lumix gear during his travels. Ken shares his travel photography and stories here on Successful-Photographer as he has in the past. Ken’s camera of choice is Panasonic’s flagship stills camera the Lumix G9 with the Leica DG Vario-ELMARIT Professional Lens, 12-60MM, F2.8-4.0
Take it away Ken
Situated 30 miles from Lisbon is a fairy-tale village named Sintra. Driving up from Lisbon on heavily forested, narrow and very twisty roads, I was shocked when the vibrantly colored Pena Place burst into view! I continued on to the quaint town of Sintra, where I’d reserved a villa, nestled in the cliffs, hundreds of feet below the palace. I was told the villa was once the king’s stables.
Entrance to the Pena Palace. Built around the craggy rocks of the mountaintop, the palace has a commanding view of the surrounding area. All Photos in this post © Ken MacAdams
After a sumptious breakfast, I joined the parade of cars snaking up the mountainside to my first stop, the Palace of Pena. Situated atop a rocky peak, the palace has a commanding view of the surrounding valleys.
The rear of the palace, with views stretching all the way to the North Atlantic Ocean, on the horizon.
In 1838 King Ferdinand II acquired the former Hieronymite monastery of Our Lady of Pena. The original monastery buildings, consisting of the cloister and outbuildings, the chapel, the sacristy and the bell tower, were built in 1511. These buildings today form the northern section of the Palace of Pena, and are referred to as the Old Palace. King Ferdinand began making much needed repairs to the former monastery, and replaced the fourteen cells used by the monks with larger rooms with vaulted ceilings. About 1843 the King decided to enlarge the palace, and built a new wing with even larger rooms. This section is known as the New Palace.
In transforming the former monastery, the King was likely influenced and inspired by German romanticism found in the castles along the Rhine. When building on the New Palace was completed about 1865, the King began planting gardens surrounding the palace. With winding paths, stone benches, and pavilions at different points along its routes, the King copied the romantic gardens of that time. He also planted over 500 different species of trees, and plants originating from different points around the globe.
The one way tour circuit through the palace is self paced, generally ambling along at a relaxed speed. You see both the Old and New Palace wings, visit the living quarters of the King, their eating area, day rooms, the Great Room, and end up exiting through the kitchen. With original and period glassware, pottery, and furniture throughout the palace, you’ll have a chance to see how life was carried on by royalty of the 1800’s! The Palace of Pena was designated a National Monument in 1910, and classified a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995.
Ken has always loved to travel, so when he made a common connection with the fact that either a long day pounding the streets of some foreign city, or shooting the last dance at a wedding, a good part of his physical
weariness came from lugging around his big heavy DSLR. That’s when he started looking at alternatives – and ended up selecting Panasonic Lumix Micro Four Thirds gear.
Ken is rarely without a camera, and the next great photo travel experience – whether local or abroad – is always in the back of his mind! A longtime resident of the Four Corners, and when he’s not out on the road, he enjoys some of the great outdoor opportunities found there – mountain biking, hiking, and Jeeping.
