Edward Swartz Photography

Not A Totally Wasted Trip

2010-11-28T11:46:00.000-05:00

Well I originally woke up at the crack of dawn to head over to the Anclote Power Plant to photograph a couple of Bald Eagles on the nest. Seems like the cold weather had them hunkering down on the eggs. They were not visible. Maybe based on all the people waiting, they were being camera shy.

Since it was too crowded for another tripod to be set up, I headed north to Green Key Road. Bald Eagles have been spotted out here as well feeding. There were no bald eagles but much to my surprise there was an Osprey sitting on top of a power pole waiting for breakfast. The Osprey actually allowed me to approach rather close and remained there for several minutes before taking off. Maybe the raptor spotted a tasty mullet or speckled trout. Look at the claws!!

None the less, with a little cropping and sharpening, I like the few shots I got considering I don't photograph birds of prey very often. If I keep this up, I may need to add a 400mm or 200-400mm to my arsenal to get even closer.

Bevin & Jason Engagement Shoot

2010-11-15T22:15:00.000-05:00

On November 6th, I had the pleasure of photographing this happy couple. Their date is set for November 4, 2011. We started out in Dunedin and ended the shoot at Philippe Park located in beautiful Safety Harbor, Florida. Despite the wind and colder weather, there were several great shots. I just hope they have un-thawed by now. Here are a few of my personal favorites.

By no means did were all my favorites in Sepia, but it makes for a great photograph.

Stay tuned to my website for more of Bevin and Jason.

Sponge Docks - Third Time is a Charm!

2010-07-19T17:05:00.000-04:00

Despite the awful heat at 9am in the mornings, I got out to the Sponge Docks located in beautiful Tarpon Springs Florida for some photography. This trip was definitely better then the last trip. Here are a few of my favorites from the day. I hope you enjoy them!

Tarpon Springs

2010-06-06T22:18:00.000-04:00

Well, after an unsuccessful trip to the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks on Memorial Day, I got off the beaten path yesterday and was able to capture a few new pieces of work. The sponge industry is surely dying and thanks to the oil spill in the gulf, Tarpon Springs is not hopping with tourists. Let me know what you all think. Maybe eve a few of you know where these were taken. Enjoy!

The Waiting Game

2010-04-13T22:46:00.002-04:00

Wall Art

2010-03-11T20:19:00.004-05:00

This has to be my favorite shot from my recent St. Augustine trip.

Any thoughts on how I captured it?

**No Photoshop was used in the production of this photograph.**

Rays Fan Fest 2010

2010-02-22T10:22:00.004-05:00

Here are a few photos from Rays Fan Fest 2010. Baseball season is upon us. Let's just hope that as many people that went to Fan Fest, go to several games this year. Go Rays!

Ground Breaking

2009-11-07T21:59:00.004-05:00

Well, today was the ground breaking ceremony for the Flight 93 Memorial National Park.

You can read the article about the ceremony and also check out what the park will look like after completed. It is pretty much what we were told it would look like when we visited that truly emotional site back in March this year.

Ceremony

Park Layout

Bag Limit

2009-10-14T22:37:00.003-04:00

Well, my wife and I just returned from our vacation. We are now recovering from it. We spent time in Cedar Key, Amelia Island and St. Augustine. While at Amelia Island, we ran across these two fishermen returning who had spent some time fishing that evening. Fernandina Beach which is located on Amelia Island was originally a shrimp fishing community. While the shrimp is still their the boats that hunt this catch are not. These two spent the evening catching their limit of flounder using, you guessed it. Enjoy!

Link of the week: www.intuit.com

What People Will Do For That Shot

2009-10-01T23:53:00.003-04:00

So, I was reading through the Tampa Tribune's website, TBO.com and stumbled across this article. What things people will do to get that shot. I am not sure what that person was thinking. Remember folks, stay away from power lines.

Click here

Just remember, use your head and think of your safety before you shoot!

Need a Flash Card Case?

2009-09-19T21:03:00.003-04:00

Well today I finally decided while out that I would upgrade my current flash card holding system. In the past, I used the zippered pouches that came with the SanDisk Extreme III flash cards I have always used (the little black ones with the zipper). They do okay, but when you have 5 cards (one in the camera), the pouches become bulky.

Today, go to mall, enter into Ritz Camera and leave with a new cool case. Now I am not really a big fan of Ritz but this store and the help impressed me. Most stuff is over priced but this price for this wasn't too bad. It is the Pelican 0940 (see here). The inserts can be removed and comes with a insert that is for general use. It is sturdy, water proof and seals really good. The cards fit very snug. Get one! They make a model to accommodate almost each type of digital photography media.

This card holder also fits into a pocket (about size of Blackberry or iPhone). This is important because after a great day of shooting, you don't want your cards stolen, damaged or lost and the images as well.

Until next time.........

Photos of the Day

2009-08-30T21:54:00.006-04:00

Well, ventured into Dade City today. Here are the photos of the day.

A little disappointed on the lack of subject in this old Florida town. Will post a few more in the next few days.

Enjoy.

Tampa Bay Rays

2009-08-24T22:10:00.007-04:00

Well, since nothing interesting captured lately, I guess I'll share some photos I captured from a Rays game a few months ago against the Washington Nationals. They include (in order) Dioner Navarro, Evan Longoria, Pat Burrell and Ben Zobrist.

Time for the bigger and faster lens.

Enjoy.

Please Help!

2009-08-16T23:43:00.003-04:00

Okay, no photos to post, no photography discussions started, just a post that I hope you read and end up donating money to this family. This photojournalist works for the St. Pete Times (great paper) and he needs everyone's help. His wife had an aneurysm and at this time, he cannot work. I found this story by following Mark Hancock's Photojournalism Blog.

And who says health care doesn't need to be fixed.

Please read the article and then donate to help out his family.

Click Here to Help

Now Just Wait a Minute

2009-08-02T20:49:00.005-04:00

I found this article on the NPPA web site and wanted to share it to all fellow photographers. I am glad to see that the President of the NPPA wrote Janet Napolitano in regards to her comments. While I understand her concerns, I wonder how people and police will react. I think it seems a little much and should have to worry about being harassed as I photograph whatever I feel like.

This will most certainly create issues that test our constitutional right.

Click Here to Read Article

Port Richey Engine 42

2009-06-09T08:04:00.004-04:00

Looks like the Fire Department in Port Richey has gotten a new Engine recently. She sure looks nice.

Memorial Day

2009-05-26T23:59:00.005-04:00

I am hoping everyone had a safe and great Memorial Day weekend. Just wanted to take a moment to share with you a photograph I captured while out this weekend. It is a nice strong image. Enjoy!

New Website

2009-05-19T20:36:00.003-04:00

Okay, with my current hosting plan about to expire, I have decided to change who I use and how I present my photographs. I was really thinking about using Flash and make my gallery with my existing site, but I decided to use SmugMug for my website. They don't provide any hosting, but they make it so much easier for photographers to spend more time behind the camera and less time building a webiste.

The top level, is the Pro level which I have decided to use. It is only going to cost me $50 more a year but well worth it. You have to do a little html and CSS but other then that, the site helps you out. The use of Flash for slide shows is great and you set up your pricing, shopping cart and printing company right from Smug Mug.

By the time my 14 day free trial is over, I should have my whole site complete. I will then just have to update my galleries after my shoots.

Stay Tuned. I will post the link here once my domain name is moved and my site is complete. You will love it.

Interesting Site

2009-05-06T23:35:00.000-04:00

Yes, it has been a while. For all my followers, my apologies. I am fired!

I am currently working on updating my website and starting to play around some with Flash. This could be good or ugly. Time will tell.

I came across this link through one of my blogs I follow and wanted to share it with you. I will give a shout out to The [b]ecker for finding this on Flickr. It is really neat to look at and also gives us a view from within. Check it out and enjoy!

Check it out here!

Until next time......

Finally!

2009-04-06T21:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the first day in many many years that this has been allowed.

Yes, that is right, photographers have finally been allowed onto Dover AFB to photograph the soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Despite being a photographer and valuing our constitutional right, the "Freedom of Press", I also understand completely that the family should be comfortable with having the press on site during the ceremony. It is their loved ones that answered the call of duty and went to war and did not return home alive. If the family wants it to be a private matter, then that is their right. I fully respect that and hope that the national media understands as well. I think the beauty of this change is that Americans get to see the real respect these men and women receive when they come home from battle. It also ensures that Americans truly understand the cost of war and maybe in the future, we won't rush off to a battle and send our men and women into harm's way.

God Bless the Troops!

Pittsburgh, PA

2009-03-30T22:10:00.000-04:00

Well, today we ventured onto the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It is here you will find the Cathedral of Learning and the Heinz Chapel.

The Cathedral of Learning is 42 stories and was completed in 1937. It is actively used for classes today. There are 27 nationality classrooms which represent all the nationalities that make up western Pennsylvania. It is the 2nd tallest education buildings in the world.

The next stop was the Heinz Chapel. The chapel was built in the early 1930's and it was built because H.J. Heniz (the founder of Heinz) wanted to honor his mother with a building at the University. He however passed before it was built, but his will is what allowed for it to be built. It cost $1 million dollars (in 1930's) to build. In today's terms, just the windows alone would have cost $17 million to make the stain glass windows. With that information, can you imagine the total cost? There are over 4,000 working pipes in this church. The beauty of this church is it is non-denominational. It is used for organ concerts, music and weddings. A wedding in this beautiful place would only cost $850 but nothing is included. This was a great piece of architecture to be able to visit and photograph. I only wish the weather had cooperated as it did for our trip to downtown.

After visiting the university, we headed up to Mt. Washington to view downtown from the Duquesne Incline. The Duquesne Incline was used to transport people up the hill to areas that were once farmland turned into homes. It was originally known as Coal Hill but then was renamed Mount Washington. The view from the mountain turned out pretty good and the clouds of the morning did not become the clouds of the afternoon. Enjoy the panoramic photo of Pittsburgh below and the Duquesne Incline.

Shanksville, PA

2009-03-28T22:28:00.000-04:00

Well, today, my mother, my wife and I ventured out of Pittsburgh/Monroeville and headed east into rural Pennsylvania to a town called "Shanksville". Yes, that is right, as we all should know, Shanksville. It is were Flight 93 on 9/11 crashed and ended the life of 40 brave men and women.

We preferred a bright sunny day that would have provided endless opportunities for photographs , but I believe it was fitting that on a day of remembering our own heros, that it was extremely overcast. As we ventured down the paved road, up and down the hills that led to the site, the fog continued to get stronger.

Upon pulling up, my heart sank as I looked out to the right of the vehicle and there stood an American Flag in the middle of a field. The fog eventually got so thick, you could no longer see this American Flag. To the right, was the memorial. Several people had the same thought we did that day despite the weather. It is amazing the things people have left behind and the plaques they have put there. There are several vacant benches with the names of all the heros of Flight 93. My sister and mother where there in 2003 but you could not sign in nor did they have the building with a volunteer with the National Park Service giving presentations. A lot of informaiton was obtained from that presentation and they should soon break ground later this year for the permament memorial. I have captured some photographs and will share them below.

If you are ever in Pittsburgh, please, take the trip out to see this memorial. You will be glad that you did. God Bless the fallen, the family of all the victims of 9/11 and this great country.

This is the memorial wall and is filled on both sides.

These are the Angels that we always see. The sun has taken their toll on the red.

Old Glory!!

Memories Left Behind

My Personal Favorite .... and the solider left them today too!

Until Next Time......

The Life of William E Youngk........

2009-03-24T21:02:00.000-04:00

...has come to an end. My apologies for not posting for some time. I started this blog and was going to try to post every day. However, on Friday, March 20th, I lost my grandfather and have not been up to blogging or even going out with my camera and capturing great photographs.

My grandfather, William E. Youngk, was 98 years of age. A wise, loving, smart, caring 98 year old from Pittsburgh, Pa (yes, a proud Steelers Fan). However, over the past year, things started to go downhill with his health. In the end, he passed in his sleep with my mother at his side. Even though you know it is coming, you are never mentally prepared when you lose a loved one. It is tough. He is however, at rest with his loving wife of 62 years and our creator. He, I believe, is in a better place. He however is greatly missed. I respected that man and his accomplishments oh so much.

We will be traveling to Pittsburgh on Friday and I will share some photos with you then.

Thanks for Understanding.

William E. Youngk
10/10/1910 - 3/20/2009

I miss you Pa!

Bald Eagle

2009-03-19T19:36:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, I took my new Nikon D300 for a spin. I am still amazed with this camera and welcome the new learning curve that it will provide me with. I am up to the challenge.

Between Anclote Gulf and Anclote River Park, there is a bald eagles nest. I don't know if there are any baby bald eagles in that nest, but mom and dad are there. Upon arrival, there were two bald eagles on a tree. Upon photographing this great beautiful bird, one left and then there was only one. I took several shots, but really liked this one when the eagle ruffled the feathers.

I have realized that if I am going to shoot birds on a regular basis, I really need a bigger lens. My 70-3oo on my D300 just won't cut it. Looks like either a 300mm f/2.8 or 70-200 f/2.8 AFS VR w/ 2x tele-converter will be my next purchase.

Enjoy the beautiful photograph of our nation's bird.