Dave Morrow Photography: April 2013

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Hidden Garden - Butchart Gardens, Victoria

A new website is in the works which will basically have everything that is currently offered here and some extras... At this point I'm not sure how long it will take but one day soon you will visit my website to find it has a brand new feel:)

The Shot
I went up to Victoria BC a while back and wandered through Buchart Gardens which is quite a cool place to take some pics if you are ever in the area. On the other hand you could go there without a camera and have just as much fun:)
The Hidden Garden - Butchart Gardens, Victoriafrom www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Not All That Wander Are Lost - Central Park, NYC

Just got back from a weekend on the Oregon Coast where the weather didn't play along quite as well as last weekend. We did catch a really awesome moon rise over the water and found an amazing camping spot on the ocean which made up for the lack of nice light. 

On another note I have put up the new dates for my Online Star Photography Post Processing Group Workshop, grab a spot or email me with questions:)

The Shot
This classic view from Central Park in New York City was taken early one morning on my last day in the city. You really can't beat grabbing a coffee and bagel from a street stand and wandering the paths of the park before the sun comes up.
Not All That Wander Are Lost - Central Park, NYCfrom www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Dream Catcher - Palouse, WA

It feels like I was just posting my last star shot yesterday, but none the less it's once again star photography Friday, so here ya go. For anyone that has not had the chance to wander through my website, here are all the star photography tutorials I provide. OK that's it, I'm off to the Oregon Coast, have a great weekend, and feel free to let me know what you think about the shot below:)


The Shot
Over the past few weekends I have had the terrible or maybe awesome habbit of skipping sleep on Friday nights and staying up until late Saturday night, this is normally for the sake of star photography & runs into the need to shoot sunrise. Around 36 hours without sleep is where things start to go wrong, at that point I crash and hope that something like I have provided below is waiting on my camera for the next day... Enjoy! PS: This is the first star photography test run with the 16mm Fisheye

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City Shakedown - Manhattan NYC

I am completely in love with photography, but sometimes different aspects of it need to be removed of my life for short periods of time. Let's take for example the computer, there are certain weeks where I just don't want to be around it. On the other hand at no time would I ever turn down hiking, exploring or road tripping with my camera. Tough times...;)

OK now on to the other topics of tonights discussion. Workshops, I am holding a bunch of them summer to teach all the aspects of my star photography knowledge. If you would like to join me feel free to sign up or shoot me an email with any questions. I can promise two things at these workshops, One awesome locations with amazing access to the night sky, Two a bunch of new learning experiences and skill sets, we might have fun too! Interested in either, head on over to my In the Field Star Photography Workshops page to grab a spot.... PS: there are 7 left for the whole summer!

The Shot
Upon arriving at Penn Station at 2AM after a long night at the bar in Philadelphia PA there was no other choice except exploring the city until sunrise. Personally I think Manhattan is a great place to wander around at night. There is rarely any crime & a bunch of cool locations to shoot. Before I knew it the sun was rising and I found myself running through the streets to watch it peak over the horizon from the Brooklyn Bridge...
City Shakedown - Manhattan NYCread more at www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Jack's Friends - Desolation Peak, WA

Holding onto pictures a long time prior to processing is never a bad thing. This is one of the first shots I ever took with a DSLR way back from 2010ish up North in Desolation Peak Washington. One of my favorite authors Jack Kerouac spent a summer at the fire tower on top of the peak. Do you have a favorite Jack Kerouac Book? Mine is easily On the Road, I know it's now trendy, but damn what a good read.

The Shot
Mount Hozomeen can be seen in the far distance looming in the clouds and shaking up weather systems in all directions. Sometimes storms will roll in so fast that you barely have time to grab a camera or better yet shelter from the storm.
Jack's Friends - Desolation Peak, WAmore at www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Goodbye, Blue Sky - Seattle, WA

A bit late on the post today, but sleep was necessary at some point. Does anyone ever stay awake so long that going to sleep doesn't even sound fun anymore? It's almost like you just want the adventure to continue once everything starts to feel strange and loopy... or maybe I am just one strange guy!

The Shot
One of my favorite movies over the past few years has been The Wall, by Pink Floyd which you can now watch for free on YouTube. None the less this picture really reminds me of a few scenes that play over and over again throughout the film. If you haven't seen it, well start watching...
Goodbye, Blue Sky - Seattle, WAread more at www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Monday, April 22, 2013

Black & Blue - Vik, Iceland

Another long nearly sleepless weekend in the books that took us to Cannon Beach, Cape Kiwanda and some other random spots. The weather played along well and I have some amazing shots to throw in the folder with the 18,000 or so that are waiting to be processed! I'm happy to see a few more people signed up for my In the Field Star Photography Workshops. Spots are running out, grab one fast or let me know if you have some questions...

The Shot
When out shooting I always take a few "minimal" shots including just the clouds and sky. Sometimes these turn out really cool as this one from Vik Iceland did.
Black & Blue - Vik, Icelandfrom www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Friday, April 19, 2013

Revolution: Here Comes the Night - Picture Lake, WA

Crossing my fingers for no rain and heading off to Hug Point Oregon tomorrow to do some camping, exploring and of course photography. There are of course some other cool locations down that way like Cannon Beach, does anyone have any less known suggestions that are great for photos? I would love to shoot at some new spots...

The Shot
Once again it's star photography Friday and I'm keeping my word by posting a star shot. I also processed 7 or so new star pics this past week so there will be dones of new ones coming down the line. This shot was taken at Picture Lake in the North Cascades, you can see the reflections in there if you look hard enough. You can learn how I processed it in my Free Star Photography Tutorial.
Revolution - Here Comes the Nightfrom www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Rafter's Revenge - Franklin Falls, WA

Another day in the books, or maybe my night is just starting? It's always hard to tell how long the night will last after sitting down at the computer , opening Photoshop, putting some music on the surround sound & cracking a beer.

The first part of the night was spent doing some website design which included some fun new additions to the site... can you find them? One of them has to do with my Summer Star Photography Workshops which you should sign up for right now. NOW!

The Shot
Franklin Falls is just an awesome place for a Sunday afternoon hike and some beers, photos, or anything else that may strike your interest. I got wind of the place from my buddy The Starving Photographer. This guy is an insane photographer, trust me check out his site. Here is what came of my trip to the location... If your interested in some tips on how to shoot waterfalls check out this quick and easy How To Video I posted early in the week.
Rafter's Revenge - Franklin Falls, WAread more at www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

I Cover the Waterfront - Alki Beach, WA

Sometimes I hold on to photos forever before posting them or even processing them, such as the ones from my Maui trip in December. Others for some reason or another get processed right away like the shot posted tonight. I love going back through old photos, especially if their lost and forgotten at the point, then processing them. I'll leave you with a long exposure "How To" video I made while taking the shot posted below. It includes some tips for extremely sharp images. You can find all my free videos HERE on YouTube! After posting a nature and city picture back to back I may as well give you the best of both worlds... Enjoy!


The Shot
Once in a while I get enough time to venture over to Alki Beach. Sitting around the house wide awake last week around 5 AM, I decided I had nothing better to do than stay up til sunrise. It ended up being well worth the long night and the sunrise was amazingly colorful. 
I Cover the Waterfront - Alki Beach, WAfrom www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Big Dreams - Manhattan, NYC

Today I purchased my airfare for  a 10 day adventure in China, starting in middle October. There are no firm plans yet but Beijing, Hong Kong and Guilin are all on the list... maybe there are a few more spots that I can sneak in along the way.... Any suggestions?

On another note, I want to thank everyone that's visited my website and/or Free Star Photography Tutorial. Due to all your visits it's now the Number 1 Star Photography Tutorial on the web. Thank you!  You can find all my tutorials free and paid at www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com/learnphotography for those of you that may be interested:)

The Shot
Another capture from NYC looking over the river towards downtown Manhattan. A few hours before snapping this shot I caught one of the most amazing sunrises from the Brooklyn Bridge. After it was over, there wasn't a reason to stop wandering for another hour or so and grab a coffee along the way as the light began to fade. After a bit exploring I ended up on the other side of the river and found a great view of the city in the morning light. For me spending mornings this exact same way in different cities around the world never seems to get old...

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Monday, April 15, 2013

In a Foreign Land - West Fjords, Iceland

I just got back from a weekend trip to the Gorge in Oregon. The waterfalls and spring greens were in full effect which made for some great shots. We also managed to get some star shots with a creepy old house that should turn out really cool. 

The Shot
Another shot from the beautiful West Fjords of Iceland. I processed this one using exposure fusion on Photomatix. If you like the results and want to try the program for yourself, head on over to Photomatix and use the coupon code DAVEMORROWPHOTO when checking out to recieve a 15% discount:)
In a Foreign Land - West Fjords, Icelandread more at www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Friday, April 12, 2013

These Stars Align - Picture Lake, WA

From this point on I'll post a new star shot every Friday. I have so many star shots on the computer that are not processed and about 10 sitting in iPhoto waiting to go online, so let's get on with it. This weekend is looking pretty good for a trip to the Columbia River Gorge and catch some falls and hopefully not to much rain. On another note, I am still taking reservations for my In the Field Star Photography Workshop, where I'll teach you exactly how to capture shots like the one below! Have a good weekend everyone, if you wana tune into where I'm traveling & shooting check the On the Road iPhone Photostream!

The Shot
Looking through my pictures files I just released this was the 2nd star photo I ever took, so everything was still in the extreme experimental phase. I still think it turned out pretty cool.
These Stars Align - Picture Lake, WAread more at www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Thursday, April 11, 2013

Ride On - West Fjords, Iceland

While out in the Olympic Peninsula shooting streams and waterfalls last weekend along with Second Beach, I decided to make a quick "How To" video on shooting waterfalls. I took it with my iPhone so the quality isn't great, but I still think there are some great tips in there. Enjoy!

For anyone that is interested in my Online Star Photography Post Processing Group Workshop, I just added the dates for May. I also recently put up new dates for my In the Field Star Photography Workshops. Feel free to drop me a line if you have questions about either...

The Shot
I clearly don't remember much of this shoot, it was my last day of 10, living out of a camper in the West Fjords of Iceland. None the less June is really an amazing time to visit the country, the sunrises and sets last for 3-5 hours depending on the weather and light. It is truly a photographers' paradise!
Ride On - West Fjords, Icelandread more on my trip to Iceland @ www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

The Reckoning - Discovery Park, WA

Really ready for the rain to leave the Pacific Northwest, I am going to lose my mind if I don't get some sun, camping and photography within the next few days. Being cooped up inside has allowed me to get tons of work done on new tutorials, magazine articles and post processing. Here is my newest video tutorial on Luminosity Masking, and the coupon code (BIG30) for 30% off is still good for one more day! 

I am scoping out new ideas for my summer travel list, this weekend Hug Point in Oregon may get a visit, it's just so hard to decide. Anyone have some ideas I can throw on the list?

The Shot
Another from the beautiful Discovery Park, this sunset was absolutely mind bending, I forgot to take pictures for a bit and just stood there and watched...
The Reckoning - Discovery Park, WAread more at www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Sticks & Stones - Yosemite National Park, CA

The first day of sales for my new Luminosity Masking Video Tutorial really took off. If you did not get a copy yet use the coupon code BIG30 upon checking out to get a 30% discount ( discount expires 4/10/13).  You will also get a 16% discount from Tony Kuyper's Luminosity Mask Actions upon purchasing!

Looking for somewhere fun to travel this weekend? The "TAKE ME TO..." Section of this website, located on the righthand side bar includes a bunch of my different travel destinations. If you click on one of the locations/tags,  North Cascades National Park for example, all of my pictures taken at that location will appear, including the blog posts that go with them. Another good place to feed your wanderlust is my Travel & Adventure Map which includes geo-tagged locations for each one of my pictures on a map interface.

One more new and cool addition is the updated "What's in My Camera Bag" page, which now features a fully interactive menu to help you explore all of my camera gear and electronic toys.

The Shot
Yosemite is easily one of my favorite places to take pictures, there are so many cool places to shoot at all hours of the day. I took this one walking through the woods just after the sun had become bright in the trees and the forest was waking up.

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Monday, April 8, 2013

Winter Glow - Palouse Falls, WA

As of now my new Luminosity Masking Video Tutorial is now on sale. I will cover my full luminosity masking workflow, including how to make them for yourself and use them to process pictures ranging from stars to landscape and beyond! The package also includes my Luminosity Mask Photoshop Actions and an in depth high resolution video. For the next 3 days you can get 30% off the list price by using the coupon code BIG30 when checking out:)

The Shot
I went to Palouse Falls a few weeks back for the 3rd time and really wanted to capture a different view of the whole thing. Early one freezing morning walking around the upper viewpoints I found this slick little composition.... Hopefully you enjoy it:)
Winter Glow - Palouse Falls, WAfrom www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Friday, April 5, 2013

Icelandic House of the Dead at Mind - West Fjords, Iceland

Fridays from here on out the rest of the year I am going to post a new star photo to my website and all the social networks. This should be a fun and challenging tasks which will also keep me running around all week taking star shots. No complaints... For those of you that want to learn about star photography I offer a Free Star Photography Tutorial as well as In the Field Star Photography Workshops @ Mount Rainier National Park! Sign up today.

The Shot
As for today I have a really fun & somewhat creepy shot from the West Fjords of Iceland. It took me a while to finally get this one done in post processing, but here it is... Enjoy!
Icelandic House of the Dead at Mind - West Fjords, Icelandread more at www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Thursday, April 4, 2013

Follow the Leader - Elowah Falls, Oregon

I'm not sure if everyone knows this, but you can click on any of the pictures provided in my blog and follow that link to my full portfolio. I keep all my photos archived over on SmugMug.com for safe keeping. Go ahead and try clicking the picture below and see where you end up... While you're over there feel free to hover over the picture and allow the "i" or info button to pop up on the righthand side of the shot. Clicking that info button will allow you to see all my my EXIF data. I think that kinda stuff is pretty cool!

The Shot
Unfortunately this coming weekend in Seattle is going to be pretty wet & boring, I'm sure that there will be lots of post processing to do. I would rather be hanging out and shooting in the Columbia River Gorge where I took this shot. Elowah Falls is one of my favs to shoot and has endless compositions from all angles...
Follow the Leader - Elowah Falls, Oregonread more at www.DaveMorrowPhotographhy.com

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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

5 Wise Guys - Vik, Iceland

I had a great weekend exploring the Olympic Peninsula and doing some camping at Crescent Lake & Second Beach. I would highly recommend each place to spend the night, make a fire and do some relaxing... I have provided the GPS coordinates and a fun iPhone shot from the weekend below. Just copy and paste the GPS into Google Maps and boom!
Second Beach - [47.887428,-124.624701]
Lake Crescent - [48.054261,-123.79976]

Saturday Morning sounded like a great time to adventure to Sol Duc & have some beers so why not mix and match.. Don't worry I provided a "REAL" shot for my daily post directly below this one:)


The Shot
Since I am sharing lots of water and ocean locations today, why not post a shot from an amazing small town on the Southern Coast of Iceland. If you go to Iceland, Vik is a must for their black beaches and famous little church that sits on the hill.
5 Wise Guys - Vik, Icelandread more at www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Night Falls on the Crater - Crater Lake, OR

WOW these star workshops are selling faster than I thought possible, thanks for your support everyone, we are going to have a blast out there this summer:) Half the spots are gone, the other half are for anyone that grabs one. More info at the link below:

I might be working on a package of textures that I will eventually provide to the general public:) I thought it would be easy to do such a project but it ended up taking a lot more time than I had planned. None the less they are coming along nicely, I have 200ish so far. You can see one of them in the following picture & get your hands on them in the following months.

The Shot
My first trip to Crater Lake was a random trip down the Oregon Coast, while down there I was to close (within 5 hours) not to visit this awesome landmark. 
Night Falls on the Crater - Crater Lake, ORfrom www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com

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Monday, April 1, 2013

Build this City - Manhattan, NYC

For those of you that want to take one of my star photography workshops this summer, I have just announced 4 new dates that are on sale now. I have sold 8 of them in the past 48 hours so spots are going fast, sign up before they sell out:) Full info at the link below.

I want to thank everyone for your votes and support over the last month or so of the Smithsonian Photography Contest Finals. When the contest closed Friday I was up 2% over the runner up, so it's safe to say I won. Official results and the Editors Choice Award will be announced in late April.

The Shot
I plan on heading back to NYC this summer & I haven't even touched the tip of the Iceberg when it comes to processing pictures from my last trip... Better get to work!
Build this City - Manhattan, NYCread more at <a href=

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