No Pool This Beautiful Should be Empty at a Time Like This I think the title says it all!I've never been much of a swimmer.  I mean, I can swim just fine and I'm as bouyant as anyone my age should be, but I don't really like it as a form of exercise. THere is always so much that goes into the perparation bit of the exercise.  Also, since I can't liseten to my iPod while I swim, that's kind of a deal-killer.  I've heard they have some new water-proof MP3 players, but that just sounds like too much trouble all around.Anyway, this was a 5-exposure HDR that went from -2 to +2.  I'm convinced it's the only way to shoot into the sun and get all the light levels of the details around the pool.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
The Opposite Hotel
What an amazing hotel in the heart of Beijing!  Thank you all for the suggestion to go here...  I love this kind of neo-modern-techno architecture, so it was a real treat to run around and take photos everywhere.  I was like a man possessed :)This is the lower pool area.  It was dark in there for sure.  I used a tripod to make sure the exposure was long enough to get the effect I was going for.The video on the right is from another part of the hotel... up in my room... where you can see some cool things as well as what was in my bag.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read more, including an exciting announcement for Android fans, at the Stuck in Customs blog.
The Secret Underwater Passage This was shot under the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas where they have this lavish aquarium.  It's really gorgeous and dreamy under there, as you can tell.  This area has all kinds of sharks and other wild-lookin' things that were swimming all around me.  I was fortunate enough to take a private tour of the place thanks to the nice people at the MGM/Mirage management company, who also owns the Mandalay Bay.  That allowed me to take the time I needed to set up this 5-exposure HDR shot without tourists getting in the way.One time I did find a nurse shark in the Caribbean.  It was a baby.  I followed it for a while until it occurred to me that it might be swimming back to its mom.  That sudden realization made me turn around pretty quick.All of this underwater stuff reminds me of watching those Discovery channel shows about strange ocean creatures.  I swear I could watch those things all day.  I can't get over how some of these things have evolved to fit their environment... just amazing.  My favorite creatures are cephalopods ... I never get tired of those documentaries!- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
The Grotto This is Hamilton Pool, one of the best kept secrets in Austin. The preserve’s pool and grotto were formed when the dome of an underground river collapsed thousands of years ago. There is a ring of 45-foot waterfalls all around the rim. Flow was light this day, but you can still see a few streams of water coming down.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
There's a pool party at sunset - everyone mark your chair with a towel I have the pool reserved for all of us! Be sure to mark down what you'll be bringing along (and if you are on Flickr mark your chair with a note)!I think pretty much all kinds of food and drink are welcome. I'll bring a BBQ pit and an ambulance in case there are any problems. And I hope someone brings a boom box. Are they still called that? I don't know. Maybe that means it will be a lame party because I don't even know if they are called boom boxes any more, but I'm sure I'm not the only one that will bring a bit of 80's music.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

The Opposite Hotel


What an amazing hotel in the heart of Beijing! Thank you all for the suggestion to go here... I love this kind of neo-modern-techno architecture, so it was a real treat to run around and take photos everywhere. I was like a man possessed :)

This is the lower pool area. It was dark in there for sure. I used a tripod to make sure the exposure was long enough to get the effect I was going for.

The video on the right is from another part of the hotel... up in my room... where you can see some cool things as well as what was in my bag.

- Trey Ratcliff

Click here to read more, including an exciting announcement for Android fans, at the Stuck in Customs blog.

The Opposite Hotel


What an amazing hotel in the heart of Beijing! Thank you all for the suggestion to go here... I love this kind of neo-modern-techno architecture, so it was a real treat to run around and take photos everywhere. I was like a man possessed :)

This is the lower pool area. It was dark in there for sure. I used a tripod to make sure the exposure was long enough to get the effect I was going for.

The video on the right is from another part of the hotel... up in my room... where you can see some cool things as well as what was in my bag.

- Trey Ratcliff

Click here to read more, including an exciting announcement for Android fans, at the Stuck in Customs blog.
See photo in original gallery.