Duga

During our time in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, we had a cool opportunity to visit Duga.  Of course, the entire experience was amazing, but this spot was super cool. 

Duga is a Soviet built Over-The-Horizon radar system used as an early missile defense system from 1976 to 1989.  When it was working, it was nicknamed the Russian Woodpecker by shortwave listeners due to its pattern of clicks and napping noises. 

This thing is massive.  I’m guessing here so don’t hold me to this (and I looked on the Intranet for specs but failed to final anything), but I’d say it is a couple hundred feet high and maybe a half mile long.  It just when on, and on, and on……  This photo captures about a third of the entire structure. 

As you can tell, it was fall at the time and I took this photo with my drone at sunset.  It might not seem like such a good photo to you, but for me, it’s the memory that makes it special.

I captured a ton of video at this spot and around Chernobyl.  Maybe someday I’ll edit some of that to share with you.

 

To view a larger version, click HERE

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Cadet Chapel

I love the design of this chapel.  My three hours at this site wasn’t long enough…but it was getting cold and dark, plus visiting hours at the U.S. Air Force Academy were coming to an end….  So, I called for my Uber went back to my hotel.  That was about a year ago.  I’ll have to plan another trip in the future. 

To view a larger version, click HERE

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Cadet Chapel Spires

Hello Tuesday!!  How was your day?  My day was pretty good… 

About this photo:  I took this shot last December while I was in Colorado Springs for a class.  I slipped away from the group and took an Uber out to the U.S. Air Force Academy to visit the Cadet Chapel.  I took all kinds of photos of the inside and outside using the traditional perspectives.  But I also took some unique perspectives like this one.  I was trying to capture this beautiful structure in a way that most wouldn’t have considered.

To view a larger version, click HERE

Don’t forget to check out my photo galleries.  I update and add to them often. 

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Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel

I took this photo in early December while I was in Colorado Springs.  I used an Uber to travel out to the Air Force Academy right before sunset to photograph this spot.  When I arrived, it was in the low 50s and I was comfortable.  When I left a few hours later, it was in the mid 30s and I wasn’t prepared.  I was freezing when the sun set and with the wind coming down the mountains onto this spot.  Regardless, I dealt with it.  I could have dealt with it better had I taken a coat (my fault for not planning ahead)….  But I didn’t.  Anyway, after I captured all the photos I wanted, I requested another Uber.  At that point, I started to get worried the Uber driver wouldn’t be able to come give me since the based closes to visits at 6pm (and I was really cold).  If the Uber driver got stopped at the gate, it would have been a 4 mile walk from my spot (the Chapel) to the gate to catch the ride.  As it turned out, the Uber driver got through and everything was fine. 

By the way… you can see another photo I took of the Chapel’s interior at this LINK.

To view a larger version of today's picture, click HERE

Don’t forget to check out my photo galleries.  I update and add to them often.  PLUS….don’t forget you can get a free gift and 10% off great Think Tank camera gear by using this link: http://bit.ly/2FVW0eg

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Cadel Chapel

I was in Colorado Springs recently and made a point to visit the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel.  It was completed in 1962 based on a design by Walter Netsch.  It has become a classic example of modernist architecture, even though the design was controversial at the time.  This photo doesn’t include the best features of the chapel, which are the 17 spires.  I’ll share a photo of the exterior in the future so you can see the spires.  Another interesting feature of this chapel is that it houses five distinct worship (Protestant, Catholic, Jewish Islamic & Buddhist) areas within it.  All I can say about it is “wow”!!  It’s a great facility.

To view a larger version, click HERE

Don’t forget to check out my photo galleries.  I update and add to them often.

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Hot Air Balloon

Today’s photo is from our trip to Sedona.  While we were there, we went on an amazing hot air balloon ride over the area.  It was a super fun way to spend the morning.  I took this photo of the inside of the balloon as the pilot was filling it up with air.  The balloon was still lying on its side about ¾ full, but not yet standing erect.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.

Balloon Shadow

At the risk of boring you, I am posting the 3rd photo in a row from the Sedona Arizona trip.  On our 2nd day in Sedona, we got up very early to enjoy a sunrise hot air balloon ride through the mountains.  It was an amazing experience and I liked this photo of our balloon’s shadow as we got down toward the ground at one point in our trip.  At times the sound of the balloon inflator (I have no idea if that’s the correct term for that) would scare animals out from under the bushes. 

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.

Not only was it a great experience, but it was even better because we got to spend it with our close friends (Kris & Scott).  

MJ and I....If you look close you can see Scott behind me.   Kris must be hiding.

MJ and I....If you look close you can see Scott behind me.   Kris must be hiding.

Banana Levitation

I have a little something stupid for you today.  Since it was so cold outside, we are staying indoors (maybe a sign I am getting old…oh well) and I decided to play in my photo studio (otherwise known as the kitchen). 

So I spent a few minutes creating the Banana Levitation photo.  I am by far not the first person to do this and I have no idea who did this first.  Regardless it gave me an excuse to play and you get to see the result. 

If you scroll down, you can see the original photo and it’ll give you an idea how it was created.  Have a great (and warm) Sunday.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.

Here is the before photo:

Something Totally Different

Tonight I have something different from what I normally post.  I took this picture last summer while on a visit to Georgia.  This is from within the Aviation Museum at Warner Robins Air Force Base.  Honestly I don’t know what type of plane this is and won’t look it up.  The last time I looked up an airplane name from the museum’s website, I had people telling me that I was wrong.  So I’ll just leave it at this…..  It is a very cool looking plane.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, please click the photo above.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, please click the photo above.

Harrier Jump Jet

The Harrier (or sometimes called the Jump Jet) is a military plane capable of taking off vertically.  Its features were displayed well in the 1994 True Lies action moving staring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Arnold.  I took this picture inside the Charlotte Air Museum last year prior to visiting my brother’s family.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.

Special Note Again Tonight:

GoToTravelNow.com featured my picture of Dyrholaey Lighthouse in an article of amazing lighthouses in Iceland.  You can see the article by clicking the photo below.

A-10 Thunderbolt

This is a 7 exposure auto-bracketed set merged together using Photomatix Pro and edited in Photoshop CS6.  I took this photo during the summer on my visit to Georgia.  My son and I went down there to visit a great friend of mine, who I met over twenty years ago while I was in the military. 

During my time in the military, I spent lots of quality time around A-10s in the Middle East.  This specific A-10 is sitting outside the Warner Robins U.S. Air Force Aviation Museum.  


To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, please click the photo above. 

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, please click the photo above. 

1942 Chevrolet Class 125 Airfield Crash Truck

This was built for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to be used at Robins Field (now Robins Air Force Base) to fight aircraft crash fires and to help rescue victims.   While I was visiting my friend Tony and his family in Georgia, we went to Robins Air Force Base Aircraft Museum.  Tony is a firefighter (and I used to do the same job in my former life) at the base, so we were drawn to this antique fire truck.  I am posting this picture tonight for Tony.  Hope he likes it.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, please click the photo above. 

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, please click the photo above.