Hooked on Motion Blur

I've realized lately that I think I am becoming hooked on motion blur. The majority of my photos that I have been making as well as favorite photos from other people all include motion blur. There's something vey unique and interesting about having one element in a photo streaking through the frame while everything else remains solid and sharp. I think the fun part of this kind of photography is the experimentation. There is no "correct" camera setting. This allows you to play around and be creative. You really don't know what you will get until after the exposure has been made. Here are a couple shots from yesterday.

Moving Pictures - River Walk at Dawn

Wow, it's been a while! I have since relocated to Kraków, Poland and now it's time to clean off the cobwebs and get more regular with my posts. I woke up early this morning, to see what the sunrise would be like on the banks of the Wisła river.

First Snowfall For New England

December brought a little bit of snow for us. Not much, but enough to take some photos before it melts with the upcoming 50 degree plus temperatures we are expecting this coming week.

Screen Printing - From Photo To Fabric

We just launched our new Etsy shop! Teetotelers will be offering handmade screen printed T-shirts and tote bags. Several of the designs are inspired by our original photographs. It's a fun process, and so far the results are turning out great. Additional designs as well as T-shirts we be available soon.

iPhone 5 Arrives!

I stayed up until 12:01 am last week eager to be among the first online pre-orders. After waiting an additional 30 minutes for the apple store to come back online, I realized that the pre-orders start at 12:01 am Pacific time! Being on the other coast, I went to sleep and set the alarm for 3:00 am. It was worth it though, UPS delivered my new gadget this morning! I know it's pretty ridiculous to go through all that trouble and fuss over a phone. But, at least I didn't camp out in front of an apple store for a week!

I'm really excited to play around with the new camera. I'm upgrading from an iPhone 4, I usually skip the "S" models. This should be more than adequate as a point and shoot replacement. The new panorama mode looks great as well.

Anyone else excited?

Thanks Moo!

New moo cards came today!

Make Us Some Honey!

Here is one of our bees hard at work in the garden. When you sit and watch them for a while, you really understand the term "busy bee". And busy they have been this year! We are on track to harvest a minimum of 80 pounds of honey come this fall, maybe even closer to 100. Not bad for 1 hive! I will keep you posted, maybe even a honey harvest video.

Something New!

As you might have noticed, my blog site has changed a bit. BaumgartFoto is now Baumgart Creative Media! The changes are in name only. "Baumgart Creative Media" better encompasses all the services that I offer on a professional level, such as photography, videography, web content, print design, and more. I will continue to post photos of interesting things I find, see, and do, as well as other business related topics. Although this blog now reflects my business, it will still remain laid back and  somewhat personal. Thank you so much for following and I hope to continue to make it enjoyable!

Yours Truly,

Jeff Baumgart

Vintage Iron Symmetry

This one is from the Newport, RI coastline. There is a nice walk that goes between the sea and the backyards of the mansions. I like the dramatic clouds and the way the iron work is rugged and at the same time kind of dainty.

Classic Movie Night - The Princess Bride

"Inconceivable!"  "Go away or I'l call the brute squad! I'm on the brute squad. You are the brute squad!" "Mawage is what bwings us togeder today." "Have fun stormin' the castle! Think it'll work? It'd take a miracle" "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die!" "If not, I shall be very put out" "Get back witch! I'm not a witch, I'm your wife! And after what you just said, I'm not sure I want to be that anymore!" "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

I could go on and on! This has to be one of the most quoted movies, and definitely worthy of being called a classic. The Strand theater in Clinton, MA plays a selection of classic movies on Monday nights throughout the summer. Tonights showing of The Princess Bride can't be missed!

What are your favorite Princess Bride quotes?

Going Wide in Downtown Clinton, MA

A few entries back, I posted some photos of Gloucester, MA taken with my new Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 fisheye lens. While this was a fun lens, I decided to return it and get the Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 ultra wide angle instead. This is much more versatile, has a great wide angle range, and is also fun to shoot with. I will also get more use out of it for shooting video. Anyways, I took it out this afternoon to downtown Clinton, MA. I love coming here, so many interesting things to shoot, and just the next town over.

He's Such a Fanboy!

A Morning With the Bees

Sunday morning was a beautiful day for a  hive inspection. The queen was located thanks to the orange dot on her back. Sometimes she's difficult to find among 50,000 other bees! The hive is looking active and healthy. There was plenty of fresh larvae and capped brood. That sounds gross, but it is a good thing. This was also the time to add on the second deep. I don't really know bee stuff, actually I have no clue. I'm just repeating what I hear from the "real" beekeepers. All I contribute is the photos and video. Anyways, it's a very interesting hobby for all of us involved.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3MlSh4wAeM?rel=0&showinfo=0&hd=1&w=600&h=378]

Take a Guess

Can you guess this household item? I was playing around with some creative off camera flash techniques. While it looks like the room was pitch black, it was actually normal day brightness. Some pretty cool effects can be achieved with a fast shutter speed (1/250), small aperture (f/16), and a tiny burst of diffused flash (1/128) from the back/side. With those camera settings the bright ambient light of the room is turned to black and the only light visible is from the flash illuminating the side of our mystery item.

Fisheye by the Seaside

We spent the day in Gloucester and Rockport last weekend. It was the first time testing out my new Nikon 10.5mm f2.8 fisheye lens. It's a lot of fun, but I may return it and go for the famous Tokina ultra wide 11-16mm f2.8. While I love the fisheye effect, I think the 11-16 might be a lot more versatile, especially for video. Any thoughts?

Spending a Sunny Sunday Sewing

I don't sew, but my wife does. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Spring Begins

Today brings the first day of spring, but temps here in New England feel more like summer. Crazy! Danboard doesn't care. As long as the flowers are out and there is no rain to make him soggy.

Historic West Boylston, MA

From 1896 through 1905, West Boylston, MA saw the construction of the Wachusett Reservoir. Unfortunately, this resulted in the destruction of mills, farms, and homes as the valley was flooded by the new reservoir. The only structure left standing in that valley was the Old Stone Church which was completed in 1892. This was actually the second structure built on that location, replacing an earlier building finished in 1832. In 1973, the Old Stone Church was declared a National Landmark. It's a great location for photos, especially the creepy interior.

Good News For Sleep Apnea Sufferers

I don't suffer from Sleep Apnea, but if I did I would definitely buy one of these new products from Better Rest Solutions. They came to me to  create a video for them to spread the word about their new offering called SoClean. The mask and equipment that Sleep Apnea sufferers must wear at night needs to be taken apart and thoroughly cleaned before each use. You can imagine how frustrating and inconvenient this can be for them. SoClean makes life a whole lot easier. All they need to do is place their mask into the SoClean and it is automatically cleaned and disinfected without having to take it all apart. Best of all, it is completely natural and safe. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2jzlqy7OeE?rel=0&w=600&h=368]

Drink - Boston, MA

Drink is probably the best place in Boston for hand crafted cocktails. With no signage of any kind outside, you would not even notice it existed without knowing the address, 348 Congress St., Boston, MA.  Concrete and metal make up the simple, but classy interior. The bartenders here are very skilled and love what they do. I liked how they were eager to explain the drinks and the process and help out with a cocktail choice. This is a great place to get something out of the ordinary, something you would not be able to easily duplicate at home. I shot a few video clips while sitting at the bar. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf5M_gBBeSA?rel=0&showinfo=0&hd=1&w=600&h=378]