Leinenkugel
We don’t know about you, but for all of us at Modus, summer is our favorite time of year! Nothing beats the sun, the beach, and the heat. This year was no different, as we started the season off with a fun marketing campaign project for Leinenkugal’s Summer Shandy, a family brewing company that has been operating for more than 150 years. Snapping photos of people enjoying their favorite cold brew on a hot day really helped us get into the summer zone.
Summer Tips
We want you to get into that zone with us, so here are our top three tips for summer photography:
1. Embrace the weather, summer storms aren’t always an end to your day. In fact, some of your favorite photos might result from the unexpected weather.
2. Get up early. Morning light is the best light, and you don’t want to miss out just because you couldn’t resist hitting that snooze button.
3. Don’t baby your camera. It is your secret weapon, so use it! Summer conditions should never deter you from getting that gritty angle you want.
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What Make 30A Such An Attractive Real-Estate Destination In FL?
The thing that makes 30A such an attractive real-estate destination in FL is the fact it has been sheltered for centuries as a tranquil resort area & even with the haste of new developments still sustains a soothing charm that distinguishes 30A towns from other Florida cities that are too chaotic to unwind. Towns like Miramar Beach, Destin and South Walton have all the advantages of a booming community without over influx of traffic. The 30A expanse provides beautifully planned communities and also off-the-beaten-path scenes that are private & secluded. Real estate in the 30A area varies from single unit condos to lavish townhomes that can be rented or bought.
Enhance The Overall Value Of Your Property By Considering Real Estate Photography On 30A?
Capturing professional images to present to prospective buyers is the most vital marketing effort you can make for your 30A property. At Modus Photography we specialize in beautiful commercial and residential real estate photography on 30a. Our specialist real estate photographers will amplify the 1st impression of your 30A property by revealing the best side of it in a picture-perfect way.
We understand that majority of the home buyers are looking for photographs of the real estate before setting their foot into the actual neighborhood, which is why we offer professional real estate photography that brings potential buyers towards your property automatically. We know how crucial it’s to market your property effectively, hence offers you with the best real estate photographers who have adequate experience in this industry. Our photographers employ natural light & minimal processing techniques so your property has that natural yet comfortable look that prospective buyers can envisage themselves living or working in.
Do you want your 30A property to look at its very best when potential buyers & renters are looking? Feel free to book a session today & witness the boost our professional real estate photography on 30A can give your property. Get in touch with us now to check out our attractive real estate photography packages.
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Here are some best beaches in Florida that have its own vibe and attractions:
1.Destin Beach:
The Emerald Coast city of Destin in Florida is known for its stunning white beaches. Beautifully snuggled against the Gulf of Mexico in Northwest Florida, the Destin is famous for its emerald-hued waters and sugar-white sands. This provides a great platform for enjoying a great photo shoot with an experienced beach photographer.
Santa Rosa Beach is one of the 16 distinct beach neighborhoods in South Walton County, which is located along a 26-mile stretch of Northwest Florida’s most famed Emerald Coast. This beach is known for its great charm and visual style. Its natural scenic beauty, sugar sand beaches and turquoise waters have made the Santa Rosa Beach as one of the “Best Beaches on Earth”. No doubt, you will love to explore this beach for enjoying a stunning photo shoot.
The Grayton Beach State Park is located in a small and undisturbed village of Northwest Florida. This beach state park is a 400-acre silver paradise that features pristine sugar-sand beaches, a wealth of nature and a rare coastal dune lake. Here your talented beach photographer will love to capture some wonderful moments b utilizing the nature trail (that winds through a salt marsh), sleep dunes and a coastal forest (thick with twisted scrub magnolias and oaks).
The Seaside Beach is one of the most picturesque beaches in Florida. This clean and pristine beach has a twist of modern flair. One of the most attractive features of the beach front community- Seaside FL is it beautiful sugar-white sandy beaches. Having a scenic background of turquoise waters of the Seaside beach, you will have some great clicks by an expert beach photographer.
Do you want to hire a talented and highly professional beach photographer in Florida? Then contact today Modus Photography! We are the experts in capturing the moments, mode or expression to create unique and impressive images. At Modus Photography, you will find one of the best and experienced photographers in Florida who can efficiently handle your beach photography with perfection.
Contact us today to know more about our beach photography packages!
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Here are some useful points that state the importance of hiring a professional Florida beach photographer, please have a look:
- Lighting Conditions:
An expert beach photographer is efficient considering the lighting conditions at the beach, which helps in capturing the best images. The golden hours for photographer normally start earlier and end later in the day. For which, a professional beach photographer tries to shoot in the magical golden hour when the light is soft and dreamy. Sunrises and sunsets at the beach provide some amazing color that can be used to capture awesome images.
2. Unique photography Settings:
A creative photographer utilizes unique photography setup and creative locations at the beach to capture the best images, which tell the story more elaborately. As an expert, a professional photographer will try out new things by keeping in mind your requirement to click some incredible pictures.
3. Use Advanced Tools and Technique:
When talking about beach photography tools and equipment the first thing, which a professional photographer considers, is the lens hood. Use of lens hood cut back on haze (that could overwhelm the subject) and also helps to retain the important details of the subject.
Then comes the spot metering technique, which helps in determining a proper exposure of one specific spot or fine tune the exposure around the main subject. Another technique that a professional photographer normally uses is bracketing. This is a simple technique, which is used to improve the photography. Bracketing has three most common versions like exposure bracketing, focus bracketing, and white balance.
4. Photo shoot Ideas:
While shooting at the beach an expert photographer will make sure in utilizing innovative ideas like using different lenses (such as wide angle, fish eye or a Lensbaby) to create some unique photos. This helps in giving your images a unique feel taken with a vast and beautiful backdrop at the beach. In some cases, professional beach photographers love to use some unique equipment while shooting at the beach like Polarizing and UV filters, which add rich hues and blues to your images.
We are just surrounded by devices with high resolution cameras in today’s digital generation and always think towards a moment which can be planned for a capture. Having these devices is great for those unplanned moments and planned moments in your life? At some point in life the most creative image brings you the old memories back. Its important that by hiring a professional photographer, you know that someone is going to give you 200% before and after the photography sessions.
If you want to hire a professional beach photographer in Florida to capture the WOW moments at the Grayton Beach, Check with Modus Photography the ultimate photographer on Scenic 30A offering photography services in Destin Beach, Grayton Beach, Santa Rosa and Seaside in Florida. Whether it is your wedding, family vacation or weekend trip at the Grayton Beach in Florida, we are the experts in handling your beach photography project.
To know more about our beach wedding photography in Florida, please contact us today!
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The idea behind Seaside came from 1946, when the grandfather of future founder Robert S. Davis bought 80 acres (32 ha) of land along the shore of Northwest Florida as a summer retreat for his family. In 1979 Davis inherited the parcel from his grandfather, and aimed to transform it into an old-fashioned beach town, with traditional wood-framed cottages of the Florida Panhandle. Davis, his wife Daryl, and architectural partners Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk of Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company (DPZ), toured the south studying small towns as a basis for planning Seaside.
As Seaside is privately owned, the municipal government does not have jurisdiction over Seaside, and therefore
the developers were able to write their own zoning codes.
Seaside's commercial hub is located at the town centre. The streets are designed in a radiating street pattern
with pedestrian alleys and open spaces located throughout the town.[7] There is a mix of uses and residential
types throughout the community.
What are our tools in night photography?
- A tripod will give you the greatest flexibility to get the angles you need while keeping your camera steady for those long exposures.
- Wide-angle lenses. This is a personal preference, but I love the way they work in night photography.
- A lens hood. To minimize lens flares from light entering at angles outside of your frame.
- A flashlight. Sometimes you’ll want to draw attention to or simply lighten up an important part of the foreground which is too dark.
- Our imagination. Tools lie all around us in everyday objects to help us make our work better.
Shooting at night obviously means there will be less light and therefore slow shutter speeds, anywhere from 1-30 seconds - that's way too slow to shoot hand-held. Make sure your tripod is set up correctly and rock solid - it's easy to end up with soft images because you haven't double-checked. Hang your camera bag off the hook on the bottom of the centre column if you can. And don't hold onto your tripod as you're shooting with slow shutter speeds because any slight movement can mean blurred photos.
When taking long exposures at night, even touching your camera to press the shutter button can create enough movement to leave you with blurred results. Use your digital camera's built-in self-timer to trigger the shutter after you've pressed the button to avoid any problems. For shots that rely on accurate timing, use a remote release instead.
Have Fun and share your experience with us!
]]>Headwaters of the Suwannee and St. Mary’s Rivers, Okefenokee is a National Wildlife Refuge which covers nearly a half million acres.
Alligators are closely related to reptiles that lived between 65 and 225 million years ago. The name alligator came from the Spanish El Lagarto, which means “The Lizard.”
The American alligator is the largest of all members of the crocodile order in North America, growing sometimes to over 14 feet, with the record being 19 feet 2 inches. General coloration is black but light markings of youth may persist into adulthood. Alligators can weigh over 500lbs. and live up to 50 years. The voice of an adult male is a throaty bellowing roar with great carrying power. The female grunts like a pig when calling to her young, which she actively protects from predators. Baby alligators make a high keyed umph-umph-umph with mouth closed. Alligators of all sizes hiss.
The American alligator came very close to extinction in the early 1900′s. Banning hunting has saved the alligator from extinction. They have since recovered and are now no longer a threatened species.
Alligators are spectacular to see, they are probably the closest living thing we have to a dinosaur. Gators in the swamp are wild, not pets and should not be teased or harassed. Never feed alligators, and always respect these impressive reptiles even in areas well used by people. Small children and pets warrant extra attention around gators. Swimming is not allowed but a fear of gators should not prevent you from the enjoyment of paddling or motoring the water ways of the swamp. Alligators just want to be able to exist, and not have run-ins with people. Just like any excursion into a wild place, common sense, preparation, and alertness make the experience enjoyable and without problem.
The chances of seeing alligators changes every season, and the temperature, rainfall and certain periodic conditions affect probability of sightings.
Overall, Summer can be a good time to view alligators at The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
Start with black and white in mind
For many photographers, black and white is more than a creative choice at the post-production stage; it’s a mindset. If you can start the creation of an image knowing that you intend it to be black and white, you can take steps to ensure that all of the elements of a good monochrome image are in place before you press the shutter. Things like contrast in tonality, contrast in lighting, and appropriate expressions from your subjects are all elements that are difficult, if not impossible, to fix after an image is taken.
Expressions are emphasized
Like the eyes, other facial features become more prominent in a black and white portrait. You can use this to your advantage by conveying emotion in your images. Even tiny changes in your subject’s expression can make a difference. Things like a raised eyebrow, a twitch at the corner of a mouth, and smile lines under the eyes can all be used to great effect.
Lighting considerations
When it comes to lighting a black and white portrait image, there are no hard and fast rules. If you like high contrast images with hard gradations in tone, then choose a harder source of light. If you like soft tones and subtler images, then you want a softer light source. It’s all about personal preference here.
The eyes are more important than ever
The most important part of the majority of portraits are the eyes. They are usually the focal point that the rest of your image is built around. This is especially true with black and white. With the omission of color, a black and white image often breaks down into graphic forms and shapes. Eyes are shapes that everyone recognizes and they draw immediate focus from your viewers. Make sure that your subject’s eyes are well lit, and focus is critical.
Choose black and white in spite of color
Certain subjects scream out to be shot in black and white. Other subjects may not be so obvious. Bright, punchy colors obviously make for vivid color photos, but by removing the color element you can completely change how a subject or scene is perceived. When you want to ensure your viewer is focused on a particular element, color as a graphic element, can become a distraction. Try removing it.
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#1 The number one key element to capturing the night sky, Milky Way, or stars in general is having a dark sky, and I mean the darkest sky possible. Please note, if you can’t see the Milky Way with the naked eye, it will be very hard to capture it any better on camera.
#2 The next equally important step is checking the moon phase. If there is a moon in the sky, by no means will the stars appear to shine as bright. Our moon is much closer than any of the stars seen in the night sky, therefore it appears to shine much brighter. Shooting on nights of the New Moon ensures that the moon is not visible in the sky and that the Milky Way appears as bright as possible.
#3 The third crucial item is a very sturdy tripod, this is one of the steps that many people miss out on and therefore sacrifice the quality of their star shots.
Lens & Camera advice. If you are looking to get into star photography and are not sure what kind of camera or lens to select there are a few pointers to keep in mind. First off, if your wallet is deep enough a full frame camera with a 35mm sensor is the best way to capture the night sky, a medium format camera will also work wonders but comes with an even higher price point
Moving along to lenses there are a few major points that need to be touched on. Having a lens with an aperture of f/3.5 or faster is absolutely necessary for capturing the Milky Way, for star trails it is not at all necessary. Here are a few great lenses that will work wonders on your full or crop sensor camera. I consider the NIkkor 14-24 F/2.8G wide angle lens to be the best star photography lens on the planet, I use it for 95% of my star shots and it never fails. Another yet cheaper option would be the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 or the Rokinon 24mm f/1.4. I have also been experimenting with my Nikkor 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye which seems to do a fine job less the insane amount of distortion, which at times can look very cool and out of this world.
I currently shoot my night shots with a focal length of 14-24mm, ISO ranging from 3000-5000 (depending on your camera these high settings may increase the noise exponentially) and shutter speed of 30 seconds. Keep in mind, a longer exposure picks up more light, which in turn means you will see stars that are farther and farther away from our planet. On the other hand light sources closer to our planet will appear brighter at longer exposure times. It is key to play around with the Big Three: aperture, ISO, and exposure time until the correct setting is achieved. Each of these settings directly reflects on one another, this being said there are many different combinations that will yield great results. The trick is to find out what works best for you and your camera, there is no right or wrong way to do it, just good and bad results.
Focusing at night can also become difficult. I find it easy to focus at infinity, take a practice shot to see how it looks then adjust focus from there. Usually infinity works just fine.
Post Processing
Lightroom edits. When it comes to post processing star shots I use a few tools, the first being Lightroom 4. Lightroom can be used for basic RAW file conversion, color correction, basic luminosity control, contrast, sharpening and noise reduction. These can all be performed using the simple slider interface that is provided with the program. Experimentation is once again the best way to find the best settings that work for you. I hope this was helpful, Thanks for reading!
1. Get a passport. To get a passport, you need a minimum of 2 passport-size photos, a birth certificate and 1 other form of identification (preferably that proves your citizenship in your country of origin). If you have a passport, be sure it has at least 6 months left before it expires. Some countries will not issue a visa more with more than 6 months remaining before the expiration date.
2 Check the visa requirements for your destination. Countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program do not require citizens of reciprocating countries to pre-arrange a visa, but other countries may require a visa to be in your passport before you arrive.
10 Have a communication plan with family and friends at home. Mobile phone charges can be expensive from foreign countries, and Internet services are not always available. Make a plan with your family for call times. Find out the communication options of your destination before you go.
11 Pack wisely. Research the weather, terrain and airline weight regulations before you travel. Overpacking for international travel is a mistake many people make. Lighter is better. Take things you like to wear and plan on wearing several times.
12 Have a good attitude. Keep your mind open when things seem shocking or taboo. Don't complain about what the locals lack or have too much of. Be an observer of the culture, but not a judge.
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The town of Grayton Beach is mostly nestled inside Grayton Beach State Park and spreads right down to the beach and the Gulf of Mexico. Ahhh – the beach! Named as the most beautiful beach in America by “Dr. Beach” – it’s wide and clean and a genuine piece of paradise. Just off the beach you’ll find the famous Red Bar – a must visit for all our visitors – great food, drinks, music and an interior decor you have to see to believe.
On the beach you can relax and watch families play where Western Lake kisses the Gulf, sometimes opening and exchanging salt and fresh water. Wildlife and fish are abundant. Heading out right from the beach every day are the boats and captains that make up the Grayton Beach fishing charters known by locals as the “Mosquito Fleet”.
Grayton Beach is the heart and soul of South Walton County – a diverse string of beach towns including Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, Seagrove, Seaside, WaterColor, Blue Mountain and Sandestin. Almost half the land in South Walton is protected as state forest and state parks. Grayton Beach is a comfy place with quaint historic cottages next door to modern beach homes. It’s an eclectic beach burg with good times, picket fences, funky art, and great dining & shopping. When you walk down one of Grayton Beach’s well-worn roads, you get the feeling things haven’t changed much in the last hundred-plus years since the town’s founding.
Grayton Beach’s unofficial slogan: “Nice Dogs, Strange People”.
For more head to: http://www.graytonbeach.com/
In the early days of photography, photographers had no choice but to shoot in black and white, as it was the only available medium. Then, in 1936, the invention of kodachrome gave colour photography to the world. But black and white photography didn't die off, instead it flourished. Modern black and white photography at it's best is art, and many photographers regard it as the purest form of photography.
Since the late 1960s, few mainstream films have been shot in black-and-white. The reasons are frequently commercial, as it is difficult to sell a film for television broadcasting if the film is not in color.
In black-and-white still photography, many photographers choose to shoot in solely black and white since the stark contrasts enhance the subject matter.
Some formal photo portraits still use black-and-white. Many visual-art photographers use black-and-white in their work.
So why does black and white photography command such acclaim? One reason is that color is a distraction. It takes attention away from the visual building blocks of a great photo; texture, tonal contrast, shape, form and lighting. A photographer shooting in black and white has to learn how to use all these elements to create a memorable image.
Some Great Black and White Photographers
All photographers need inspiration. Here are some of my favorite black and white photographers, past and present:
Ansel Adams
Perhaps the world's best known black and white landscape photographer, Ansel Adams is remembered for his beautiful photos of the American landscape. Adams was a master of black and white printing processes and pioneered the zone system, a method of analysing exposure to produce high quality black and white prints.
MartÌn Chambi
A Peruvian photographer based in Cusco who photographed the beautiful Andean landscapes and the indigenous people of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Bob Carlos Clarke
http://www.bobcarlosclarke.com/
An English erotic photographer who sadly comitted suicide a few years ago, Bob Carlos Clarke was recognised as a brilliant commercial and erotic photographer.
Karsh
Karsh was the pre-eminent portrait photographer of his time. His subjects include Winston Churchill and Ernest Hemmingway.
Fine art photographer Nick Brandt is famous for his black and white photos of African animals and landscapes.
Zhang Jingha
(Mixture of color and black and white images).
A freelance photographer from Singapore, Zhang's black and white portraits and fashion photos are simply beautiful. (www.zemotion.net)
We had the opportunity to sign up with a great service learning travel company that inspires students to create a positive change in the world around them through service. Thanks to that, last year I had the chance of revisiting Hawaii multiple times with them to explore and help others. It's one of my favorites places on earth for sure! Never thought I would be enjoying Hawaii so often.
Hawaii, America’s tropical paradise, is a group of islands, each with something special to offer a visitor. From the surfing on Oahu, to the wonders of Maui, to the beauty of Honolulu, to the hidden wonders on Lanai, Hawaii is the great tropical escape for those looking to stay within America. There are beautiful beaches, amazing jungles, monstrous waterfalls, excellent diving, and world-class waves. Hawaii is a great destination for honeymooners, surfers, and families.
Surfing is also one of my passions. Having the chance to get into salt water with terrific waves is just paradise.
Hikes are just amazing and they are right in front of you. If you are looking for a fun time, hikes are always the best option. Hikes in Hawaii will definitely make you feel on top of the world. There's no such thing as a bad trip to Hawaii, a warm, tropical, blue dreamy land, surrounded by the best landscape in the world.
"Most of us never stop to consider our blessings; rather, we spend the day only thinking about our problems. But since you have to be alive to have problems, be grateful for the opportunity to have them." Bernie Siegel
Travel Photography Tip: Say Hello
Learn how to say “Hello” in the local Language, and greet the locals when taking their photo.
The Sunshine State has about 1,800 miles of coastline and 1,100 miles of beach – more than any state in the union. Twenty-four miles of this sandy shoreline – some would say the best of the best – are right here at the Heart of Florida's Emerald Coast. The sand here has been described as "shockingly fine" and so clean that it squeaks underfoot. Sand dunes, which protect the coastline from storm winds and waves, are formed when waves carry sand to the beach, where the wind picks it up and blows it inland. Gradually, the sand piles up and plants such as sea oats begin to grow in it. The sea oats slowly cover the entire dune and protect it from erosion.
The Okaloosa County Environmental Council, a volunteer group of local citizens, organizes two beach cleanups each year. Since 1987, local E-Council citizens have organized more than 30,000 volunteers to remove 100 tons of debris from our beaches.
DO YOUR PART to keep our beaches clean. Leave Footprints, Not Stuff
The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize. The Belize Barrier Reef is a 190 mile long section of the 560 mile Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is continuous from Cancún on the north-eastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula through the Riviera Maya and up to Honduras, making it the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Belize is a trip of a lifetime under the water and above. Check out our Facebook for more fun www.facebook.com/modusphoto
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