The Old Wild Stampede These horses  came thundering onto the scene while I was walking down the road.  I got myself behind a tree so I would not get trampled like Mufasa.  I was lucky that they started kicking up dust in the right position relative to the sun so that their legs cast shadows through the cloud.  I can't take credit for that one!- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post 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 Glassy Lake Near Antarctica I’m in the middle of working on a full upgrade for the Stuck In Customs Textures Tutorial. I think it’s already very good (only had ONE return in over a year!), but I can do even better. I’ve learned a lot in the past 18 months about this stuff and the technique continues to evolve. As I am working through some new shots for the tutorial, I thought I would go ahead and post this one. It was taken late one afternoon near a glacial lake on the southern edge of Argentina.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
A Giraffe on the Savannah Our giant reticulated friend, unable to articulate, was forced to gesticulate in the most ridiculous manner.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
The Two Glacial Lakes of the Southern Andes This was a hard spot to reach!It was quite a hike to get up here early in the morning, just as the sky was still in a dawn of deep blue.  The two lakes on either side are those pure glacial blue lakes that you sometimes see from airplanes and wonder, "What's it like to be down there?"  I'll tell ya - AWESOME!  I went down there and drank from the lakes like a guanaco on holiday.  It was incredible.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Stampede of the Wild Horses After a long hike through the mountains of Yellowstone, I came across over 40 horses sprinting from one meadow to the next.  I stepped behind a tree to get out of the way and shot this one.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Stopping for Lunch at the Emerald Lake in the Andes We started the hike before the sun came up.  It was really cold, so I was dressed in layers.  People always give you very silly advice.  Actually, whenever anyone tells me to "dress in layers", I always find it very condescending!  Why is that?  I don't know why that bothers me.  I mean, OF COURSE dress in layers.  Oh, you mean, if I get too hot, I can just take off a layer?  Oh, brilliant!  Why didn't I think of that?  Well...  This is a concept everyone is already familiar with, so whenever anyone tells you to "dress in layers", try not to let it annoy you as much as it does me.Anyway, after removing many layers, since I was burning hot after the first five minutes from carrying 50 lbs of camera equipment over the Andes, we stopped at this mountain lake to relax and have a quick lunch.  It was a good chance to drop off the bag, put together my camera and tripod, then break it all down again, repack, and get back on the hike.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
A Soft Summer Night in the Marsh My shoes have never been the same since I started tromping through this muck.  That part didn't bother me so much, but I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to make a hasty escape if something started running after me.  I didn't see anything that would start a chase... there was a herd of about 14 elk about 300 meters away.  I had never seen them stampede randomly in the direction of a photographer, so I felt kinda good about that.  Remember, all of these were just half-fleeting thoughts that were only half-baked...  I was mostly just peacefully staring at the sunset and listening to my iPod alone in the wilderness.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
A View from the Ranch in Argentina I've always heard about how wonderful it is to have a ranch near the wine country in Argentina.  But not until I was down there did I really find that out in person.  The idea of walking across a ranch during the nether hours of the day and seeing something like this... well... it kind of makes me want to just go ahead and retire down there.  All I need is broadband and these kind of vistas...  that's the life, eh?  I hope I was able to adequately capture the majesty of that place with this photo.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

The Glassy Lake Near Antarctica


I’m in the middle of working on a full upgrade for the Stuck In Customs Textures Tutorial. I think it’s already very good (only had ONE return in over a year!), but I can do even better. I’ve learned a lot in the past 18 months about this stuff and the technique continues to evolve. As I am working through some new shots for the tutorial, I thought I would go ahead and post this one. It was taken late one afternoon near a glacial lake on the southern edge of Argentina.

- Trey Ratcliff

Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog." href="javascript:openLB(742622815,'',XLarge,'',1024,631);">The Glassy Lake Near Antarctica I’m in the middle of working on a full upgrade for the Stuck In Customs Textures Tutorial. I think it’s already very good (only had ONE return in over a year!), but I can do even better. I’ve learned a lot in the past 18 months about this stuff and the technique continues to evolve. As I am working through some new shots for the tutorial, I thought I would go ahead and post this one. It was taken late one afternoon near a glacial lake on the southern edge of Argentina.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

The Glassy Lake Near Antarctica


I’m in the middle of working on a full upgrade for the Stuck In Customs Textures Tutorial. I think it’s already very good (only had ONE return in over a year!), but I can do even better. I’ve learned a lot in the past 18 months about this stuff and the technique continues to evolve. As I am working through some new shots for the tutorial, I thought I would go ahead and post this one. It was taken late one afternoon near a glacial lake on the southern edge of Argentina.

- Trey Ratcliff

Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
See photo in original gallery.