Two views of the underside of Avalon Pier, on the Outer Banks, in Kill Devil Hills, NC.  High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography techniques were used to combine three images for each, providing detail deep into the shadows underneath this iconic pier.  The rising sun provided the golden light.

Click each image for a larger view.

Needed:  A right rear speaker for a Logitech Z-5450 Wireless 5.1 Surround Sound system.  Must be fully working, linking with a blue light, and must specifically be labeled "REAR RIGHT" and "120 V."  The left speaker cannot be substituted because the wireless encoding is specific to the speaker channel.  Contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

New images of The Kentucky HeadHunters, from their high-energy concert at Langley Air Force Base - Air Power Over Hampton Roads Airshow, Friday, April 24, 2009.  The Kentucky HeadHunters blend honky-tonk, Southern-tinged rock, and blues, and have a broad appeal to country and rock fans.

Click the image or name to view larger images, or to order prints.

Greg Martin	Fred Young
Doug Phelps	Richard Young

Official web site of The Kentucky HeadHunters:  http://KentuckyHeadHunters.com

I recently selected five favorite photos.  To help us get acquainted, for the May meeting of the new Outer Banks region of Carolinas Nature Photographers Association, we were challenged to each select five photos that represent our style.  Since we are all from the Outer Banks, I avoided familiar views of local scenics, since they would be too routine for my audience.  Here's my choices, some old, some new.  Click the images for a larger view and more details.

Bonner Bridge Aerial -Yes, it is an Outer Banks image, but not a view most people see.  I took advantage of a short-hop fuel run in a friend's private plane.  This image has been a popular choice in gallery and stock sales.	AeroShell Aerobatics Team - One of my very early aviation images, and this team remains one of my favorite acts.  More about the AeroShell Aerobatics Team.
Poppy Blossom #1 - A studio-looking image, actually made in the middle of a field beside a very busy highway in greater Raleigh.  A heckler threw a beer bottle at me, but probably drank a few too many.  He missed.	Fantail - Hunter, one of our doggie family, combining the two things he loves best, swimming and fetching a ball.  I love the fantail of water coming off his exuberant tail.
Inside The Pipe - An abstract graphic, made by exploring a mundane subject.

Panchito, a beautifully restored B-25 Mitchell Bomber is regularly showcased at airshows around the United States.  Two exciting views of this spectacular aircraft are available in the Gallery at DanBeauvais.com

Appearances by Larry Kelley's magnificent warbird are used to help raise funds for Disabled American Veterans.

With over 9800 B-25 bombers placed into service, the Mitchell was a true workhorse.  The B-25 is best known for Doolittle's Raid on Tokyo in April of 1942.

Click each image for a larger view.

Has Nikon introduced a dSLR for macro photography?  April 14, the company announced its new consumer D5000 dSLR.  Among its major selling points are 720p HD video recording, a 12 MP sensor, "Vari-angle" LCD monitor, and 19 Auto-exposure scene modes, at consumer-level pricing.

With a conventional optical viewfinder, the macro photographer finds himself contorted into odd positions trying to compose and focus while shooting low-to-the-ground flowers, moss, and bugs.  Right-angle finder attachments provide more convenience, but they often continue to put the photographer at odd angles, provide a dim image, and give a disconnected feeling, troubling to some photographers. Live View LCD screens on newer dSLRs help the situation.  The macro photographer can compose without being square-on to the optical viewfinder, since the LCD is usable over fairly wide angle of incidence.  But the LCD is fixed to the back of the camera, and the camera is low to the ground.  Since a millimeter's movement will throw a macro subject out of focus, temporarily tilting the camera for a more convenient view is out of the question.

The D5000's "Vari-angle" LCD monitor offers relief for the macro photographer's pain in the back.  It allows the macro photographer to twist the LCD for easy composing, focusing, and review.  Granted, some Olympus dSLRs and various digital point 'n' shoot cameras have similar LCDs that can be twisted to a more convenient viewing angle.  But this is the first dSLR that can also use existing Micro Nikkor lenses* and late model Speedlights.  

Since the D5000 does not have a Depth of Field Preview button, it initially seems limited as a macro camera body.  However, dSLRs have the LCD, which provides instant feedback on depth of field, focus, and exposure immediately after taking a test shot.  Being able to immediately view a test shot relieves the lack of a Depth of Field Preview button, provided we get used to the workflow change.  Composing and initial focusing from a convenient angle is a welcome novelty.  But the clincher is not having to move the camera to clearly view a Depth of Field test shot, no matter the proximity of the camera to the ground!  Twisting the LCD is much more appealing than twisting our bodies as macro photographers have long needed to do.

Is the Nikon D500 the perfect macro dSLR?  No.  It does not include any mirror lock-up capability, important for eliminating the blur-inducing mirror slap at exposure.  The 230,000 dot LCD will not provide the crisp view that Nikon's higher end 920,000 dot LCDs provide.  On cameras that support both, Nikon disables Depth of Field Preview while in Live View, but this camera does not even have a DOF Preview button.  It does not have a flash Commander Mode, limiting the control over Nikon Speedlights offered by many higher-end Nikon dSLRs.  And as is the trend with recent consumer dSLRs, it uses the physically tiny SD memory cards, while prosumer and pro bodies use larger, easy to handle Compact Flash cards.  Many find that SD cards are clumsy with cold fingers, or in the heat of the moment, but the SD card format permits the creation of a smaller camera body.

My ideal macro dSLR would allow the use of existing Nikon lenses, auto-focusing lenses with or without an internal AF motor, would have a Vari-angle LCD, but with the high resolution screen such as that offered by the 9200,000 dot LCD used on the D300, D700, D3, and D3x, would support DOF Preview in Live View, and use CF memory cards for easy handling.  The technology all exists to provide this ideal macro dSLR.  Does Nikon product development have more in store for macro photographers? 

The "Vari-angle" LCD screen on the D5000 is a big advance, making the D5000 a useful addition to the macro photographer's tool kit. 

_{* AF-S and AF-I lenses will autofocus.  Older CPU lenses without an integral AF motor will not autofocus, a very minor limitation for macro work.  Additionally, non-CPU lenses will not provide metering - leaving histogram-checking for exposure guidance.}

Raptor, Caterpillar, and Fog!  Three new photos available at DanBeauvais.com

Sharp Right
A US Air Force F-22A Raptor makes a sharp right turn. The increase in pressure on the top of the wings squeezes water vapor from the air, forming the clouds over the wings.

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar
A Black Swallowtail Caterpillar, Papilio Polyxenes, found in Corolla, on North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Newfound Gap Sunrise
A foggy sunrise at Newfound Gap in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Prints of all images are available for purchase.

I've added four new Rocky Mountain landscape photos to the General Landscapes section of my on-line gallery.  They are from a late fall trip to Colorado and Wyoming.

• Red and yellow willows line winding "Grizzly Creek, Colorado" under an incredible sky.
• Golden early morning illuminates "Rock Face, Vedauwoo," near Laramie, Wyoming.
• "Steamboat Springs Overlook at Dawn" witnesses a high look at the resort town just before it wakes up.
• "Taylor Peak and The Sharkstooth" and a low cloud take on golden hues at the first light of the day.

 
Enjoy, and please leave feedback in the comments section!

Sometimes, you find photos in the most unexpected places.

One afternoon right after Christmas, I had to drive to Nags Head for an errand.  Whenever I have time, I take the Beach Road rather than the Bypass.  Sure, the Bypass is quicker, with the 50 MPH speed limit generally ignored.  But, one can take the time to notice life along the slower, two lane Beach Road.  Since it's off-season, there was hardly any traffic, great for just looking around at how some things change, but some stay the same.

Along the way, I had to stop for a road construction project.  A crew was installing a new water main alongside the road, and flagmen restricted travel to one lane, alternating northbound and southbound traffic.  While waiting for the flagmen to wave me through, I noticed that there were stacks of 16" blue plastic water pipe in a beach parking lot on the east side of the road.

On this day, I had an 18-200/3.5-5.6 Vibration Reduction lens, my favorite walk-around lens, but no tripod.  The pipe ends were staggered, so I needed some longer depth of field.  With the VR on, I closed down to a smaller aperture to get that depth of field, and bumped up the ISO to allow me to use a fast enough shutter speed to avoid most blur. I tried a few compositions of the circles of the pipe ends.  It was ok, but not exciting.

What could I do with the outside of the pipe?  One end of each pipe was flared, and had a nice Coke bottle curve to it.  And water droplets clung after the rain the previous night.  Nice, but without a tripod, I was struggling to get enough depth of field to keep everything in sharp focus, front to back.  Wasn't enough in the photo to make it work.

While walking around, looking for inspiration, I noticed the variations of tone on the inside of the pipe!  Now, that was cool! I played for many minutes.  Depending on the focal length I chose, I could change the apparent distance to the "light at the end of the tunnel."  Water droplets from the rain formed a leading line to the light.  But again, depth of field was a struggle.  I simply had to come back another time soon, with a tripod.

A few days later, I had the luxury of a full day to devote to making photos.  After driving 90 minutes, I arrived at Cape Hatteras Light before dawn, and shot the sun rising behind the lighthouse.  I slowly worked my way back north, exploring pull outs, side roads, and dune walkovers.  I shot patterns of repeating cottage soffits in Hatteras.  I worked some kite boarders in Canadian Hole.  I shielded my eyes and gear as the day's fierce winds sandblasted everything east of the dune line.

By late afternoon I was back on Beach Road in Nags Head, then Kill Devil Hills.  And there were the pipes again.  I had a tripod this time, and a full complement of lenses.  I took another look in those pipes.  Looked in the end nearest the road, the low afternoon sun cast my indiscernible shadow down the length of the pipe.  Wasn't working. 

Walking to the other end of the pipes, that low, late afternoon sun became magic!  The inside of those blue pipes reflected the sun in golden colors.  A ridged texture was apparent because of the micro-shadows cast by this low-angle light.  Each pipe had a different look, depending whatever was beyond the end of it.  And as luck would have it, there were multiple stacks of these pipes, end to end.  In some cases, beyond the end of the pipe were more pipes!  The blue circles of the ends of the next pipes were a stark (and complementary) contrast to the golden light!  Now it was happening!

I like this vertical composition, to the right here.  But I especially like the horizontal composition that opens this article.  The blue circles of the ends of the next stack of pipes is well defined, and creates a fortuitous center of interest to the shot.  It's the horizontal, which I call "Inside the Pipe" that I've presented in the Details section of my photo gallery.

I took away two lessons from this subject.  Don't forget to look from a bunch of angles and viewpoints.  And if the light isn't working one day, try again another.