Keys to Copan

copyrights: Thomas Bollinger Photographer

Copan is the Paris of the lost Mayan Civilization. The modern inhabitants are as mysterious as the ones who seemingly just disappeared off the face of the earth over a 1000 years ago.  As you hike thru the jungle  forests it becomes apparent that you the hills themselves covered in massive trees and vines are Ten story buildings waiting to be opened and explored... to be continued

Something Old , Something New ... Sepia Tones

credit: Tom Bollinger

Sepia is a dark brown-grey color, named after the rich brown pigment derived from the ink sac of the common cuttlefish. In toning black and white photography it gives an image a timeless ethereal feel.

I made this image three minutes ago under the dining room table. I felt motivated to do this because of the amazing patience and intelligence my four legged best friend shows constantly. Thisbe sits patiently by and cocks her head quizzically as she watches the damnedest things like her human companions dragging a perfectly good tree into the house and covering it with baubles and trinkets ...  Once again interrupting our perfectly good routine of endless walks, treat and lying around the house...

What I really love about the image is that I already know it will be one of my prized posessions long after this holiday season becomes a distant memory. Once Thisbe has gone on to her reward of endless dog treats and bird herding in the sky. This image and a few more is what I will have left to remember her by... It will instantly take me back to those few precious moments under the table and to the unconditional love of a dog... 

The Visual Circus finally finds a home...

Fountainhead Studios 

After a lengthy search and and a couple of false starts I've found a place to hang my hat.  Thanks to the folks at Fountainhead Studios for making me the newest member of their tribe of artists. Now comes the fun part with the studio build out and move. More photos to follow... 

Nature Calls photographic series...

Nature Calls                                                                                                               copyrights: Thomas Bollinger Photographer

Monument Valley in the Navajo Nation  usually sums up cinematic visions of John Ford movie panoramas, Forest Gump on the run, or even  Dr Who and his time traveling Tardis machine. While traveling out west last summer I stumbled upon this alien artifact in the middle of this great western wasteland.

Searching for  a name to describe this extremely odd juxtaposition between man made garbage and the virgin wilds I came up with a photo series and work in progress entitled nature calls.  Here is a sneak preview of the series ...

1st Look Nikon D700

Thisbe                                                                     credit   Tom Bollinger

Thisbe                                                                     credit   Tom Bollinger

Thisbe                                                                     credit   Tom Bollinger

Thisbe                                                                     credit   Tom Bollinger

Thisbe                                                                     credit   Tom Bollinger

Today I bought a Nikon D700, It's a full frame digital DSLR.  As usual I want to push the envelope on the light sensitivity threshold and shoot with only available light in my house with all the window shades drawn in so almost no light entered. My very reluctant and skeptical dog Thisbe was my model for the 5 minute shoot.. Almost all the frames were shot with a 14mm to 24 2.8 nikkor .. One of the three lenses Nikon aficionados call the holy trinity of lenses. Not bad for a 1st attempt a little shake and a little soft from movement. I'm really impressed with the camera system and it only cost a couple of dog biscuits to get some priceless photos...

Switching Horses in Mid Stream Canon to Nikon 1st Look

In 1992 I took my last Nikon film cameras ( an old worn out battle tank of an F-3 ) and gave it a proper burial at sea. I launched it off the side of a steamship making way at 18 knots under moonlight into the deepest oceanic trench in the Atlantic . At the bottom of the Saragossa Sea is where that old rusty film camera rests to this very day. This was the dawning of the Canon Eos era and I embraced it with open arms and began my adventure as a young professional photographer.  20 years later I'm looking for a proper cermonial  end off for my Canon camera system.  I'm thinking steam roller and hot asphalt this time around.

As a well seasoned veteran photographer it's time for a change... 

Just to mix things up I'm switching back to Nikons.

It's not as if the Canons were bad, It's more about relearning the visual language I speak using a new set of tools. It's an expensive switch, but worth the effort to make a change every once in a while just for the sake of change.

Here is a first look of the first day back with Nikon.

Whaling in New England

Humpback Whales  feeding.....                                                                                                    copyrights: Thomas Bollinger

Shooting an unsuspecting whale while it's busy feeding on small fry can be a entertaining way to spend an afternoon. This pod of whales is in for a bumpy ride close to shore as Hurricane Irene blows up the coast.