Look Back – Is the Best Shot Behind You?

On our Disney Cruise vacation, they announced that we would be arriving in Tortola (BVI) near sunrise, and the view of the ship pulling into port would be worth getting up for.  I was the only one in my family interested (no surprise there).

Walking around on the upper deck with a handful of other passengers at shortly after 6am, I looked over the front of the ship as we approached the islands.  The view was pretty, but not spectacular, mostly because the beautiful sunrise was behind the ship.  The “approaching” shot I had envisioned was not there.

Initial view approaching Tortola - www.tressiedavis.com

Growing bored, I turned and walked toward the back of the ship, and noticed immediately a better view was behind us.  Adjusting my camera settings for the more intense light and stunning color, my next shots evoke an entirely different feeling and memory of that morning – and my images do not do it justice.

Look back - the better view may be behind you - www.tressiedavis.com

Once the sun rose high enough in the sky, I again moved toward the front of the ship to catch our final approach to Tortola.  Was it worth getting up for?  Absolutely – a beautiful beginning to the day.

View Approaching Tortola - Disney Fantasy - www.tressiedavis.com

These three very different images were taken in the span of 30 minutes or so.  Lesson learned – sometimes it’s a good idea to look back…before facing forward once again.

Patriotic Palace – Abandoned Amusement Park in TN

Patriotic Palace, TNAbandoned places are some of my favorite photographic subjects, and the Patriotic Palace was not a disappointment.  Through the dirt and neglect, you can usually imagine what a place used to be, but there seems to be more mystery surrounding this one, an  I have so far been unable to reconstruct it’s history.

When my family and I passed this Abandoned Amusement park on our way to Chattanooga, we made a note to stop and visit it on our way home.  The Patriotic Palace is located on Interstate 75, exit 141, a lonely and sad reminder of….what?  I’m really not sure, as I have been unable to find any specific information regarding this amusement park.

And not that I spent a crap ton of time on google or anything, but the few searches I did on this lonely little “amusement park” turned up nothing but posts by other people who stopped to take photos, just as I did, or stories of the adjacent Fireworks Superstore burning down in 2014.

If anyone knows the history of the amusement park side of this place, I would love to hear it.In the mean time, here are several photos

Patriotic Palace, TN

Patriotic Palace, TN

Patriotic Palace, TN

Ferris Wheel Close up, Patriotic Palace, TN

Tiny Planets App

Tiny Planets App – this fun little gem does some pretty cool things with your images.

Yes, I know how to use PhotoShop, but sometimes I don’t want to break out the “big guns” to play around with an image, and yet I want more than a couple of muddy filters.

I have used my most recent vacation pics as examples, check this out:

Coliseum Comets (Tiny Planet option)

Coliseum Comets Pre-Juv 2016
Coliseum Comets Pre-Juv 2016 as a Tiny Planet

The city of Portland, Oregon at night (Rabbit Hole option)

Portland, Oregon - Tiny Planets App
Portland, Oregon – Tiny Planets App

Portland, Oregon in the daylight

Tiny Planets App
Portland, Oregon – Tiny Planets App

A Geocaching site, taken as a panorama on my iPhone

Tiny Planets App
iPhone Panorama, edited with the Tiny Planets App

And the “Video Planet” option that I have had mixed success with.  Here is what it looks like using the Coliseum Comets

Look like fun and have an extra 99 cents?

Get the iOS version HERE .  I couldn’t find an Android version by the same developer, but there are several similar apps.

Have fun!!

Perfection in a Photograph?

What defines perfection in a photograph?

It seems that the photos I am most proud of or cherish the most are never “technically” perfect – at least not in the conventional measurements of composition, focus, clarity, story, art or whatever.  However, they are perfect in a way that those measurements could never describe.

This image of Multnomah Falls was taken on a whirlwind trip to Portland, Oregon to watch my daughters synchro team.   Continue reading “Perfection in a Photograph?”