Have you ever daydreamed about sending lights into the sky to watch the effect?  The folks at Kitty Hawk Kites share that dream in a holiday treat for the Outer Banks!  Every year, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the company rigs the leads of their biggest kites with strings of Christmas lights.  They haul the kites and several portable power generators to the top of the east coast's tallest sand dune, Jockey's Ridge.  As the sun goes down, they turn on the lights, and let the kites elevate them for a dance in the sky.  The wind and clever kite handlers choreograph the movement high over Nags Head, NC.  Bundled up against the November wind, residents and visitors climb the dune, or watch from parking lots or from the side of Routes 158 and 12, enjoying the holiday spectacular, Outer Banks style.

While fun to watch in real time, further magic is revealed when you can witness the patterns the lights make over time.  This photo was made with a camera held steady on a tripod, and the image exposed for 15 seconds.  Each bulb from the string of the Christmas lights on four kite leads traced its web-like path during the 15 second exposure, allowing us to see how them moved.

More info about this image can be found here.

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June 22, 2009 - While hardly a surprise, Kodak has announced the end of Kodachrome production.  While it's been many years since I shot a roll of Kodachrome, it was the color film I started with, and has a revered place in my heart.  I used a self-coined term "exploiting some Kodachrome" as a euphemism for a day of shooting.  Current supplies are expected to last until autumn.

Kodak Retires KODACHROME Film; Celebrates Life of Oldest Film Icon in its Portfolio
http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=2709&pq-locale=en_US&gpcid=0900688a80b4e692

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.

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I added one simple item to my photo gear that doubled the number of keepers I get when shooting in golden light.  Without this item, fully half of all available golden light was not visible to me.  The best part is, that the least expensive of these items is as effective as the most expensive.  If I should forget to bring this item when I travel, a replacement is available at almost any store, but there's most likely a very serviceable one in my hotel room.  I can even substitute my cell phone for this photo accessory.  A few people don't need this, but I, and most others do.  The item?  My alarm clock!

Closely related is my 5AM filter.

Thanks to Boston-area photographer Jacob Mosser (http://www.psaphoto.org/gallery/mosser.htm) for the clock quip, and Hatteras Island photographer Scott Geib (http://www.lightkeepergallery.com/) for the 5AM barb.

A larger view of this image, and print and gifts are available at here.

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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

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