Friday Field Trip - Merritt Island Refuge

Jason led a photography class to Florida. As expected, he got some great shots. Enjoy!

Friday Field Trip - Birds (not angry)

I asked Jason if he had any more pictures to share. He said he'd already given me all his "good" ones and didn't have anything new. So, I dug through my hard drive and found these that he'd given me back in 2005, before he took up photography full time. I think they're just fine.

Happy New Year. Be safe.

Friday Field Trip - CO Wolf and Wildlife Rescue Center

Since I'm still mired in edits, I'm rerunning an older post (April of 2010). These images were taken by Jason at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Rescue Center. Although it's close enough to our home so that we occasionally hear the wolves howling, we have yet to get there ourselves. Thanks to Jason, again, for sharing. 

Welcome to my new followers. I'll be giving away more books soon, I'm sure. Only a few more clicks of the like button on the sidebar, and a few more followers will do it. 


And it's Veteran's Day, 11/11/11. Take a moment to thank someone who's served his or her country. I don't normally do promotions here, but I'm making an exception. If you're looking for something to read, with all proceeds donated to the Veteran's Research Corporation, you might want to check out the SEAL of my Dreams anthology. I know many of the contributing authors, and I've already pre-ordered my copy. Or just enjoy the cover! 

And now, away from Seals and onto Wolves. (And a fox)

Friday Field Trip - More Fall Colors

Jason wanted to shoot some fall colors, but he was looking for early morning light shots. He and Hubster took off before sunrise so he'd be able to capture what he was looking for. Also--although barely a week had passed since I took my pictures, the cold snap before Jason's trip meant some major changes in the scenery. And, because he's a photographer and I merely take pictures, his are definitely works of art. Enjoy! (click to enlarge)

Friday Field Trip - My Deck

Several weeks ago, Jason wanted to come over to shoot birds--with a camera, of course. Here's what he got by hanging around our deck and in our front yard. (Oh,and there's one non-avian species in here, too. Chippie wanted his picture taken)

Friday Field Trip - Limon, Colorado

I'm turning the blog over to Jason again.

All of these images were captured in eastern Colorado, in or around the town of Limon. While Limon is often seen as more of a "pit stop" for travelers along I-70 or US 24 in Colorado, there are actually some cool photographic subjects if you look for them.

I'm leading a workshop there on Sept 10-11, and there is one spot still open.
http://www.meetup.com/jason-odell-photo/events/26085341/

Friday Field Trip - Badlands of South Dakota

Jason's back with more pictures, as promised.

The Badlands of South Dakota are tucked away in the middle of nowhere, but offer photographers incredibly unique scenery. I recently returned from leading a four-day photo safari to Badlands National Park. Here are some of the images from that trip. You can see more images online at my image galleries: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpodell/collections/72157627092395700/

Friday Field Trip - We Have Liftoff

Last week Jason traveled to Florida to observe the final space shuttle launch. He was fortunate that the launch went off on schedule; in all our years of living in Orlando, few of them did. I'm sure the photographs are all the more meaningful given that they were taken live.

There aren't as many pictures as I normally share--but he had a 40 second window before the shuttle disappeared into the clouds. Enjoy this historic occasion!

Atlantis on pad 39A before dawn.

STS-135 Atlantis clears pad 39A around 11:28am EDT on July 8th.

Don't forget to click to see the rest!

Friday Field Trip: A Classic Car Show

First - don't forget to leave a comment on Phoebe Conn's Tuesday post. Today's the last day to enter. I'll announce the winner this weekend.


Next - last week, Jason wanted to know if we'd like to drive up to Loveland, Colorado for a national classic car show. Mostly, he wanted me to be a pair of eyes and hands for our grandson, but I agreed as long as he'd share his pictures. (OK, having a day with our grandson was enough, but I couldn't make it too easy.) And, for those who've come by on my Friday Field Trips, you know that Jason's going to do more than just take pictures of cars. I hope you enjoy his interpretation. And how many of these do you recognize? Or remember? Did you own any of them?

Friday Field Trip: Columbia Gorge and the Oregon Coast

Guess who's back? Right. Jason Odell. He's been traveling, which means ... you guessed it ... pictures. And, as always, click to enlarge. Welcome, Jason.

For the past five years, I've co-hosted a photography podcast on iTunes, called The Image Doctors. Each year, we lead a "photo safari" to a fun location. This year, we chose to photograph in Oregon; specifically the Columbia River Gorge and the central coast near Newport. Not only does Oregon offer breathtaking scenery, but it's also the home of good microbrew and amazing cheese and ice cream (we do plan our trips around local cuisine, when possible). These photos represent a sample of the kinds of photographs you can make there, provided you have a tripod for your camera.

The Columbia River Gorge parallels Interstate 84, and it is absolutely full of spectacular waterfalls. If you go, an overcast day is best. Avoid the weekends because the crowds get thick and it can be tough to park. Midweek, you can just about have the whole place to yourself. After we photographed in the Gorge, we relocated from Portland to the town of Newport. There are lots of great little seaside towns, but here was a spot that gave us access to a variety of locations within a two-hour drive. Newport is also home to the Rogue brewing company; a mandatory stop if you like microbrews. We photographed the lighthouses at Yaquina Head, Cape Meares, and Heceta Head. At sunset, we shot in spots like Seal Rock and along the beach in the town of Oceanside, near Tillamook. At Tillamook, we stopped in to the Tillamook Cheese factory for cheese samples and homemade ice cream.


Multnomah Falls (Columbia Gorge, near Portland)



Newport Harbor (Yaquina Bay)



Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Friday Field Trip - Fonthill Castle

This week, more photos from Jason. These are from Fonthill Castle

Fonthill Castle was built at the turn of the 20th century by the eccentric Henry Mercer. Mercer built the castle as a modern twist on medieval architecture. Fonthill is built from reinforced concrete and has modern (for the time) amenities like running water and electricity.

Henry Mercer filled his castle with archeological finds that he collected during his lifetime, including ancient Babylonian tablets. The ceilings in many of the rooms are decorated with tiles from the Mercer Tile Factory nearby.

Friday Field Trip - Eastern State Penitentiary

It's my day at Author Expressions today, and I'm discussing setting and character viewpoints.

And here, Jason's taking us to the slammer, with some fantastic images. As always, I suggest you click on the images to enlarge -- and, better yet, go to Jason's gallery (link at the end of the post) Enjoy!

I recently visited some friends in Philadelphia where we spent a weekend doing "casual" photography. One of our stops was Eastern State Penitentiary. This prison opened in October 1829 and was one of the first institutions built to put inmates in a solitary situation "solitary confinement and labor." It uses a radial floor plan, with each cell block corridor extending outward from a central hub. By 1913, the system of "confinement with solitude" was abandoned in Pennsylvania.

Some of ESP's famous inmates include Al Capone, who spent eight months at the facility in 1929-30. His cell was well-furnished via his "connections" and it has been refurbished. Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot sentenced Pep, a "cat-murdering" dog, to ESP in 1924 for allegedly killing his wife's cat! ESP closed in 1970 and has been decaying ever since. It is open to the public for tours. If you want to photograph at ESP, there is a $10 tripod fee for photographing in public areas. Given the low level of light inside, a tripod is a good idea for photographers planning to visit there. You can also arrange a tour of the non-public areas, which is where many of these images were made.

Prisoner's Cell

Capone's Cell (restored)

Friday Field Trip - South Dakota Badlands

First - don't forget. February is almost over, and with it, the 'everybody wins' contest. Click the contest tab for details.

My photographer son, Jason Odell (for those who haven't 'met' him here before) is taking us to the South Dakota Badlands this week.

And, if you'd like to take pictures like these, Jason is leading a field trip to the area June 9-12. Join him for some hands-on personal instruction. Details here.

Here's a sneak peek at a few of the photos you might be lucky enough to take if you join him. And if you can't, just sit back and enjoy. If you have some photographer friends, point them this way.

Will You Still Need Me?

I know I said I was going to talk about my word-culling and editing in today's post, but you know what? It's my birthday, and I'm going to take the day off.

(If you're looking for something to do, I can point you to a few books you might enjoy!)



Come back tomorrow - Jason's taking us to the South Dakota Badlands (and he's offering a way for you to go with him and learn some of his techniques!)

Friday Field Trip - USAF Academy Cadet Chapel

I'm welcoming Jason Odell back to host this week's Friday Field Trip. Click to enlarge the images. I know you won't be disappointed.

The Cadet Chapel is probably the most recognized architectural work in the Colorado Springs area. Its spires are visible from the freeway as you drive past the Academy grounds. The chapel was completed in 1962, and is open to the public. Its unique design is constructed from aluminum tetrahedrons. Between each segment, the gap is filled with stained glass panels. The chapel has seventeen spires that reach 150 feet in the air. The chapel actually houses three separate worship areas: the Protestant Chapel is the main floor, and on the lower levels you'll find Catholic and Jewish chapels.

I have visited the Cadet Chapel several times since moving to Colorado Springs, but only recently had the opportunity to go inside. I went on a late Monday afternoon and was rewarded with spectacular light and the good fortune to be the only one inside. The staff did not object to my tripod and they liked looking at the photographs, too.

Friday Field Trip - HDR Photography

I don't normally offer commentary on my Friday posts, BUT ... Jason's my kid, and I wish him well in his endeavors. After all, I'm counting on him to care for me in my dotage. If you're interested in photography, you'll find the article interesting, and even if you're not a taker of pictures, I guarantee you'll enjoy looking at his work. And if you ARE a taker of pictures, there's a link to his newest 'how to' book at the end of this post.

Sunrise at Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain N.P., CO

High Dynamic Range Photography
Jason P. Odell, Ph.D.

A fundamental challenge for all photographers is that neither film nor digital cameras can reproduce the same range of tones as seen by the human eye. The range of dark shadows and bright tones that can be recorded-- either by film, a digital sensor, or the human eye is called dynamic range. When the dynamic range of a recording medium, like film, is smaller than what they eye can perceive, you will see areas of pure black or pure white in the image-- areas with no detail in the photograph. With traditional techniques (including digital photography), photographers have to make a conscious choice when they expose a scene with a range of tones that exceeds their camera’s dynamic range: Either allow shadows to “block up” as pure black, or allow highlights to “clip” as pure white. Alternatively, photographers could try to use filters to help “compress” the tones in a scene so that the details would be captured on their film or digital sensor.

New Jersey skyline at sunset, Battery Park, NY.

Under the Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn, NY

Friday Field Trip - Cabo

My photographer son is sharing some more of his nature shots, taken on a recent trip to Cabo. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Friday Field Trip - Cheyenne Canyon

Today, I'm welcoming Jason Odell back to Terry's Place. He's an expert photographer, and I love sharing his work. I'll let him tell you about getting these shots.



I recently taught a photography workshop here in Colorado Springs. Normally, we expect sunny weather in June, but this time we got the strange anomaly of gloomy, overcast and rainy conditions. While these circumstances were less than ideal for the sweeping vistas we expect from Colorado, they were absolutely perfect for shooting in North Cheyenne Canyon, where the streams were flowing and the wild roses were blooming. Our class participants came away with some wonderful images of waterfalls, flowers and foliage in wet conditions not frequently encountered at this time of the year. In fact, we almost felt like we'd been transported to the Pacific Northwest for a day!

Helen Hunt Falls

Friday Field Trip: Hanging With Wolves

Jason's back, and I thank him for taking the time to send some more of his fantastic wildlife shots. When we were looking at homes in the Divide area, I did a little Googling, and discovered one of the local attractions was the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Rescue Center. So when Jason told me he'd had a chance to go behind the scenes and get up close and personal with some of their critters, I thought it was the perfect time to share them. And I'm definitely putting a visit to the center on my "to do" list.