Tom Arbour Photography

Dawn- Delaware County

2011-10-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

October 7, 2011

Pre-Dawn

2011-10-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

Delaware County, Ohio

The Atlantic Shore

2011-09-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

The Atlantic Ocean is really quite underrated in my humble opinion-

-Tom

Milky Way, Pawleys Island, South Carolina

2011-09-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

Pawleys Island, South Carolina

September 14, 2011

Tractor

2011-09-04T17:50:00.000-07:00

"Tractor"- Maine- August, 2011

Exploring the Light with Pentax K1000 and expired Konica-Minolta Film

2011-07-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

Images taken in July 2011 at our home in Worthington, Ohio, the Columbus Zoo, and the Franklin County Fair, Hilliard, Ohio.

At the Track

2011-07-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Franklin County Fair - Hilliard, Ohio - July 17, 2011

Bull Elk, Estes Park Colorado

2011-07-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a Bull Elk that was part of a large bachelor group that came sweeping through the outskirts of Estes Park one morning. I have prepared this bull elk for use in my stock photography ventures. I have cleaned up this elk a little bit, removing some of the extra bits of winter fur and cleaning up his antlers a bit. The result? An idyllic elk image. This image is Art, a photo not meant to accurately represent this particular elk as I observed it. The elk didn't look this good.

What do you think of "cleaning up" your wildlife images?

-Tom

Brody Thomas Ultra-Wide

2011-06-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

Butterfly Impression

2011-05-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

February 24, 2008

I'm reviewing every image that I've taken since I purchased my first DSLR in October 2007. This is one of my absolutely favorite images, taken at the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus Ohio.

More Iphone Work

2011-04-03T06:08:00.000-07:00

All done with the Iphone, the camera that I have with me everywhere.

Brody Smiles

2011-03-30T05:21:00.001-07:00

YouTube Video

- Posted from my iPhone

Morning Oak

2011-03-29T10:27:00.001-07:00

Brody @ 23 Days

2011-03-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

March 201, 2011

Welcome Brody

2011-03-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I've recently become a father for the second time. To celebrate the occassion, I also recently jumped into the HDDSLR world by purchasing a refurbished eos 7d directly from Canon through their loyalty program. If you don't know about this program and you're a Canon shooter, you might be able to get a great deal. Google "Canon Loyalty Program" and you'll find plenty of information.

Here's the first video I have uploaded of little Brody, born on February 25th. The poor little guy has the hiccups here. He seems to be like "what's going on here, what's happening".

So far I have been amazed by the 7d. It's an upgrade in every way over my old Xti. I love the large viewfinder, it's ability to focus really well in low light, and it's low noise at high ISO's compared to my older camera. So far, It's been a great purchase, and I can't wait to take more images and share them right here.

Tom

The Lamar

2011-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

2011-02-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

June 5, 2010

Iphone Work

2011-01-23T06:06:00.000-08:00

Bullfrog

2010-12-17T23:04:00.000-08:00

Here's a little color from this past September to brighten up your winter.

On the Roof

2010-12-01T17:53:00.000-08:00

Manhattan- November 25, 2010

Up on the Roof

2010-12-01T09:15:00.000-08:00

Weston runs happily 16 floors up above the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Ready for Winter

2010-11-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

November 21, 2010

The Stalking Little Blue Heron

2010-11-18T16:21:00.000-08:00

Rincon, Puerto Rico, February 24, 2010

Down the Stretch!

2010-11-07T04:31:00.000-08:00

I'm captivated by the harness racing at the Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg Maine, perhaps Maine's largest agricultural fair, on par with our state fair here in Ohio. Only better. Sorry Ohio!

Fall on the Pond

2010-11-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

Well now, it has been too long since I have posted here, hasn't it? I just got my #1 computer back up and running after a serious crash. A little time away from post-processing wasn't a bad thing, but I was REALLY starting to miss the creative process.

Here's an image from early October, 2010 taken in my in-law's little slice of heaven. Yes, this is their backyard in Otisfield, Maine.

Tom

Norfolk Southern

2010-09-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

Trains aren't my typical subjects, but I have photographed them twice in the past month. While competing an owl survey for my day job (the evening this photo was captured, it was my night job), a trail headed our way down the tracks. We stopped, watched in come close, and then I realized I had my Canon D10 Point and Shoot in my pocket. A quick snap as the train sped by, pulling cars full of brand new automobiles.

Tom

Moose, Yellowstone, Animals in the Landscape

2010-09-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

After reading an article in October's issue of Popular photography, I am re-examining several of my Yellowstone images. The article focuses on photographing animals immersed in there natural surroundings, a type of wildlife photography that I would like to practice more often. Lately, I've been trying to get super closeups and tight crops, but I think this style is getting a little boring to my eye.

This moose was the only one we observed in Yellowstone this past June. Make sure you follow its legs all the way to the ground- the top of this animal's head must be ten feet off the ground.

This picture is a classic animal in its environment image- The moose is chewing on the tender new growth of willows. Background and surroundings meet subject as the moose selects an individual willow shoot for a late evening meal.

Tom

Shawnee Ridge

2010-09-09T10:10:00.001-07:00

Morning comes to a ridge at Shawnee State Forest, Scioto County, Ohio.

Blue Mistflower

2010-09-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

Blue Mistflower, Conoclinium coelestinum. Shawnee State Forest, September 7, 2010.

Folks & Photography

2010-08-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

I don't do much street photography- I'm not very good at it. But there's a reason why I'm not very good- I don't do it very much. How's that for circular reasoning? Each Saturday from May through October, our city hosts a farmer's market. This morning's cool temperatures, low humidity, and crystal blue sky brought the people out in droves. I'm just glad that we walked to the market and didn't have to navigate down high street through hundreds of shoppers. As we were headed out of town, we stopped for about twenty minutes to listen to this group from the Columbus Folk Music Society. Weston wasn't as brave as this little boy- he stayed back from the musicians. Eventually, he was running around and dancing but all from what he determined a safe distance. We love the market- and, most importantly, it offers me one of the best opportunities to do street photography- and If I want to get good at, I just better start doing it, shouldn't I?

Tom

Clouded Sulphur

2010-08-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

This is the type of image that I was looking to capture with my recently purchased Sigma 180 Macro. It's simply too bad that Sigma isn't making this lens any more, I'm glad that I bought a copy!

Tom

Downtown

2010-08-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

I don't get down there much anymore- Columubs really does have a picturesque waterfront for a City that is 200 miles away from any decent sized natural lake.

Morning

2010-07-31T10:05:00.001-07:00

To Be Sheared

2010-07-30T10:54:00.001-07:00

As a family, we made our yearly trip to the Ohio State fair this morning. We watched one round of the senior sheep shearing contest- the four participants had over 200 years combined experience removing the wool from sheep. If you're going to have a sheep shearing contest, you better have plenty of sheep in need of a haircut nearby, and these lambs met that need well.

Gerald

2010-07-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

This is Gerald. He's standing on one of the most significant collections of Aboriginal rock art in all of Australia, and our group of 20 or so Hiram College students had the privilege to learn about these ancient, rock carvings. I spent three months in Australia, and it shaped much of my current being.

This image was shot with a Samsung Maxima Aoom Alpha and film, most likely Kodak Gold or Fuji Superia.
Tom

The Yellowstone, Old School

2010-06-22T16:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, It wasn't done with an 8 x 10 view camera, but compare this to my last image I posted here, this is decidedly retro.

Tom

The Lamar

2010-06-19T14:26:00.001-07:00

The Lamar Valley is a magical place- where the pre-settlement megafauna roam free and predators stalk their prey.

During our four days here, the sun shone on this valley for only a few minutes- I was sure to take advantage of this brief but spectacular light.

Tom

Road Block

2010-06-17T10:39:00.001-07:00

Bison in the Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park

Polar Encounter

2010-05-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

It's not every day that you see both children and adults smiling this much- but that is what is happening at the recently opened Polar Frontier exhibit at the Columbus Zoo.

Tom

Nymph

2010-05-15T16:19:00.001-07:00

Katydid nymph, taken this morning in our backyard in Worthington, Ohio

In the Barn

2010-05-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

Slate Run Metropark, near Canal Winchester, Ohio

The Eyes of a Naturalist featuring photography by Tom Arbour and Mike Heisey

2010-04-19T16:51:00.001-07:00

I've been extremely busy working on something, and now, I can finally make the announcement. I was asked to participate in a two person photography exhibit entitled "Eyes of a Naturalist" at the Peggy McConnell Arts center here in Worthington beginning at the end of April. I am SUPER PUMPED about this exciting opportunity. I welcome you all to come take a look at my passion for the last few years- documenting Ohio's natural world. And thank you to everyone who has inspired me as a naturalist, an artist, and a person- you are why I'm here doing what I'm doing.

Tom

New Film in an Old Camera

2010-04-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard, the Impossible Project is making new film for old polaroid cameras. This shot is taken with the PX 100 silver shade "first flush" black and white film with a 1970's era polaroid SX-70 Sonar camera that I purchased at Ohio Thrift for 6 bucks.

The sound of the camera booting up again after who knows how many years was just so cool.

For this image, I dialed in as much "black" on the camera's exposure adjustment as I could.

Desecheo Island, Puerto Rico

2010-03-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Look out on the horizon, on the right hand side of the image, and you'll see Desecheo Island, a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge. The island was "discovered" by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage of 1499-1494. I took this image from the shores of Rincon, Puerto Rico.

A Gray Day

2010-03-23T16:16:00.001-07:00

A rare gray day in Rincon, Puerto Rico.

The Villa Cofresi

2010-03-13T04:23:00.000-08:00

When we went to Puerto Rico, I was expecting bright, sunny blue skies that I could photograph all day long. But when we arrived, the weather quickly turned gray. It isn't gray often in Puerto Rico, but for almost three days, it was more gray than sunny. On this morning, after being so frustrated with NOT being able to photograph the images I had envisioned, I finally just let my imagination wander. Why not work with what I had? Cloudy days can be fantastic for black and white images. So with my camera still set to capture images in RAW mode, I switched my picture settings to black and white with a sepia tone, and then fired away. The images that appeared on the back of my screen were wonderful sepia throwbacks to a different era. And the Villa Cofresi looks like it was built sometime in the 1930's. It just has that classic look.

Tom

Ballena Reserve, Guanica, Puerto Rico

2010-02-27T08:04:00.001-08:00

Yep, the water was that blue!

Tom

Olentangy Rapids

2010-02-01T16:51:00.000-08:00

The Olentangy River, Worthington, Ohio. February 1, 2010.

Big Walnut Ice

2010-01-30T18:38:00.000-08:00

January 30, 2010.

Hoover Reservoir Minimalism

2010-01-24T07:59:00.000-08:00

A day void of color. January 24, 2010.

Snow Drifts on the Bog

2010-01-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

Megan, Weston and I are back from Maine, where we spent Christmas with Megan's family. It is really cold there, and the wind was whipping on this evening dropping the windchill below zero.

Fall on the Bog

2009-12-04T16:36:00.000-08:00

Little Pond Maine, October 12, 2009

Sky

2009-11-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

Sky- Image captured in Otifield, Maine, October 2009

Fall in the Maine Woods

2009-11-11T07:27:00.001-08:00

Otisfield, Maine
October 11, 2009.

American Flamingo

2009-11-03T16:47:00.000-08:00

A Juvenile American flamingo at the Columbus Zoo. November 2, 2009.

On Golden Pond, Little Pond, Maine

2009-10-28T17:06:00.001-07:00

A view from the dock at Little Pond.

The View from Pleasant Mountain

2009-10-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

The hike up wasn't all that pleasant (1500 feet up over 1.8 miles) but once Megan and I reached the summit, what an amazing view. The wide dynamic range of the scene called me to see just what a tone mapped image would look like made from three different exposures. This type of a photography certainly presents a certain aesthetic style- some like it, some hate it, what do you think?

Tom

Ambush Bug

2009-09-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

An ambush bug, our back yard, lying in wait amongst the flowers of Canada Goldenrod, September 16th, Worthington Ohio.

Also featured at: The Ohio Nature Blog

Morning in the Hills

2009-09-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

Near Clear Creek Metropark, south of Lancaster, Ohio.

Mother & Son

2009-08-10T17:11:00.001-07:00

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Day Lily, Water Lens- Today's Flowers

2009-07-25T16:09:00.001-07:00

Daylily through a drop of water, Worthington Ohio, July 20th, 2009.

This is my contribution to "Today's Flowers" #50.

Tom

The "North" Woods- Sky Watch Friday

2009-07-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

My first attempt at any type of serious digital astrophotography. The RAW file had a ton of noise, which I removed using Canon Digital Photo Professional. This is a manually focused, twenty-two minute exposure. When we go back to Maine in less than a week, I hope to perfect my technique- The clouds on the right were lit by the neighbor's home, about one-half mile down the road.

Tom

My first SkyWatch Friday post in quite some time.

Megan's Headshot- Strobist Boot Camp

2009-06-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

I've been following the strobist blog for quite some time now. And late last winter, I purchased a lightstand, umbrella, flash swivel mount, and some Cactus V2 triggers to get my camera off flash. I really hadn't done much with the setup, and I had really wanted to start shooting people. Strobist's recent boot camp series got me off my duff. The assignment was to do a head shot of someone you know, and have them take a picture of you using the same setup. Not enough time for a picture of me, but I'm really happy how this image of Megan turned out.

Vivitar 285hv, camera left, shoot through umbrella, fill bounced off wall. Background darkened in photoshop, area around Megan left light for emphasis.

Tom

Catawba Nights

2009-06-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

Looking out towards Catawba Island, the cars poor inland.

Compositionally speaking, I may have tried to put a little too much in the frame here, but boy are these fun photographs to take. This is a thirty second time exposure using only available light.

The non-native invasive grass, Phragmites australis subspecies australis is present in the foreground.

Tom

Two Fishers, One Great Lake

2009-06-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

Dawn at the Marblehead Peninsula, Lake Erie, Ohio. I talked to these two men- they were casting with heavy floats far out into the water, catching freshwater drum, or sheepshead, and also yellow perch. They reeled in a few fish while I was here, but they said that, in the past, they have caught fish with every cast.

Sunset at the Dock

2009-06-08T11:50:00.001-07:00

When I use HDR, I try not to give everything away. Having some blacks, some shadowy areas, make the image more realistic. I am doing an HDR, though, and I went all out on this sky. I'm hoping one day, camera sensors themselves will be able to handle this much dynamic range.

Complementary - Pink Lady Slippers, Today's Flowers

2009-05-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

Two beautiful pink Lady Slippers, only about fifty feet from my in-laws house here at Little Pond, Otisfield, Maine. For more of our adventures here while staying in Maine, please visit the Ohio Nature Blog (In MAINE!)

For more flower images, please visit Today's Flowers.

Columbus' Most Famous Baby

2009-05-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

Thousands have been flocking to the Columbus Zoo to see this baby elephant, born March 27, 2009. May 5th was his fourth day outside, and perhaps his first day outside available to the public. We hit things just right today- not even a line to see this amazing baby animal. He's so small he doesn't even look real- almost like a little robot, yet his movements are quick if not deliberate and coordinated. Go see him if you able.

Never Too Late for Sky Watch

2009-04-24T18:11:00.000-07:00

Worthington, Ohio, Friday April 24th, 2009.

For more Sky Watch, go here.

Sporophytes

2009-04-19T17:10:00.001-07:00

Munroe Falls, Ohio. April 18, 2009.

Exit

2009-04-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

I went back to work full time this weekend after Weston's birth. It seemed to rain quite a bit, and by this morning, I had caught what I'm hoping is a cold, nothing worse, but it has put me out for the count. I've slept most of the day. Here's a quick pic from the Panasonic LZ-8 as I watched the falling rain.

Captivity

2009-04-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

I usually try to make zoo animals look their best, but I couldn't help taking this shot. For those of you that shoot at the Columbus Zoo, you know the Markhors, a rare goat native to the Western Himalayas. When they were first added to their enclosure at Asia Quest, the rock climbing male promptly shot right up the wall that was supposed to enclose him, prancing on the roof of the exhibit above the viewing area.

It seems that each time I see these fascinating creatures, there is more fencing installed in the enclosure. Have they had multiple escapes? I'm not sure, but I wouldn't doubt it.

Still though, this is one of my favorite exhibits at the zoo, I just wish there wasn't so much chicken wire. I guess I'm being somewhat selfish. I'm showing this image not to rail against captive aniamls, but to vent my frustrations about how smart and athletic these creatures are that they could easily escape an enclosure that I'm guessing was specifically designed for them, and is now partially wrapped with wire which makes it quite a challenge to get a clean image.

Tom

Hear Me Roar

2009-04-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

Today, Megan, Weston and I went to the Columbus Zoo to see the brand new baby elephant, born on March 27th. He was on display from 11:00 to 1:00. We arrived, and there were dozens and dozens adults plus an army of children lined up at the zoo gate just to buy tickets. We bypassed that, being members, and thought we were in like Flynn. We walked to the elephant building, saw another huge line winding around the building, and then spotted a "one hour wait from here" sign. Whew!

Needless to say we didn't wait in line, giving me time to capture this image of the Zoo's male Lion.

Fruit Fly on Daffodil

2009-04-05T15:56:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, flowers and flies, tomorrow, snow!

Tom

Hayden Run Falls

2009-04-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

April 11, 2008.

2009-03-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Our driveway, Worthington, Ohio, March 25, 2009

Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, Canberra, Australia

2009-03-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

Canberra, Australia, January, 1999.

I've been scanning negatives from my 3-month long Australia trip back in 1999 with Hiram College.

Here's a shot of sulphur crested cockatoos, which were as common as crows in some areas of Australia. The sky was a bit grainy, so I blurred it and used a layer mask to exclude to the blur from the birds themselves.

Shot on Fuji 200, using my first real camera, a Samsung Maxima Zoom.

I thought this would be nice another mid-day addition to Misty-Dawn's camera critters meme.

Restoring Old Family Prints- George Washington Thomas

2009-03-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

My great grandmother Ida Thomas probably took this image, sometime, I'm guessing, before 1930, and possibly, much earlier than that. This is my grandfather's father. To put things into perspective, my grandfather is 89 years old. I believe that George Washington Thomas was born on September 9th, 1881 and died in March 1968. I found this photo as I was going through and organizing my "man cave" area/photo studio, and thought that I might be able to use my new found photoshop CS4 skills to restore this photo. What do you think?

Sky Watch Friday- Bur Oak and Film Toy Camera

2009-03-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

Take a good look at this one. I captured this image using an Eddie Bauer branded four lens toy camera that I found at Megan's parents home in Maine. Each lens has a fixed aperature, and a little disc rotates around each aperature when you press the shutter, resulting in four views recorded on a single frame of 35 mm film.

I left the artifacts, I'm not exactly sure what they are, but I think they give some character and "old-timey" feel to the image.

What do you think?

I had the film processed at CVS and scanned, I adjusted levels and removed a bit of the grain.

Bur Oak, Quercus macrocarpa, Worthington, Ohio

For more Sky Watch images, and to participate, go here.

Today's Flowers- Tulip

2009-03-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

A tulip on our table, April, 2008.

When Tom first introduced his readers to the today's flowers meme, I had always wanted to show this image to you. I was amazed how graceful the tulip had become in death, even though the petals were crisp and nearly ready to drop.

Olentangy- Sky Watch Friday

2009-03-06T04:35:00.000-08:00

Olentangy River in Worthington, Ohio. For More Sky Watch Images, please go here.

Baby Weston

2009-03-03T04:32:00.000-08:00

Megan and I welcome our new son to the world yesterday morning. More pics at my Nature Blog.

Wood Stork

2009-02-28T07:01:00.001-08:00

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida.

I created this image as part of my Photoshop for Photographers class at Columbus State Community College. A blur has been applied to the background.

For more Camera Critters, visit Misty Dawn's Meme.

American White Pelicans

2009-02-21T12:24:00.001-08:00

American White Pelicans, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

More more camera critters, visit Misty Dawn.

Willet

2009-02-12T15:32:00.001-08:00

Just catching an afternoon snack. For more camera critters, visit Misty Dawn.

Roseate Walk

2009-02-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

Last year at this time, I was counting the days to our trip to Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Although I had influenza, and I shot the whole week with fevers over 100 degrees, I still managed to get some great images. I rented the Canon 400 5.6L from Lensrentals.com, and it served me quite well in the Florida sunshine.

Moonlight Bur Oak- Sky Watch Friday

2009-02-05T16:05:00.001-08:00

Sometimes, you don't even have to look up to see the sky. Photo taken January 4th, 2008, Worthington, Ohio. For more Sky Watch Images, go here.

My World- Columbus

2009-01-26T16:51:00.000-08:00

I love how the Ohio judicial center, home of the Supreme Court of Ohio, is letting off steam on this Sunday morning. Perhaps there was too much hot air in the building?
The Leveque tower, the trademark of our city, is timeless. This building asks to be photographed.

For more my world images, go here.

Looking for Warmth

2009-01-19T15:43:00.000-08:00

I found it in the corner of our family room.

Tom

Good Morning, 2009

2009-01-13T15:00:00.001-08:00

January 1, 2009
Worthington Ohio

Downy

2009-01-03T06:03:00.000-08:00

Downy Woodpecker, Male, Columbus Ohio, February 10th, 2008

You may also be interested in voting for my Best Picture of 2008, over at my Nature Blog.

This is my contribution to this week's Camera Critters meme.

Worthington Sunset

2008-12-28T15:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight's Sunset, Worthington, Ohio.

Sky Watch Winter Moon

2008-12-24T05:01:00.000-08:00

Kenney Park, Columbus, Ohio.

See More Sky Watch images here.

Do you like nature? Check out my Ohio Nature Blog.

Sky Watch Winter Morning

2008-12-17T17:27:00.001-08:00

December 14, 2008. Worthington, Ohio.

For more Sky Watch images, go here.

My World Maine Winter

2008-12-06T11:13:00.001-08:00

Otisfield, Maine, November 29th, 2008.

Megan and I are traveling to Maine so regularly, I feel like it starting to become "My World."

Today's Flowers- Bee and Canada Goldenrod

2008-11-30T12:30:00.003-08:00

September 16th, 2008 Worthington, Ohio. For more flower images, visit Today's Flowers.

Today's Flower- Morning Glory

2008-11-23T15:29:00.000-08:00

This is my first Today's Flowers post. See more here.

Tom

Sky Watch- Bur Oak Twilight

2008-11-20T15:20:00.000-08:00

11/8/2008, Worthington Ohio

See more at Sky Watch.

Sky Watch- Sun Set, Moon Rise

2008-11-13T14:59:00.000-08:00

Little Pond, Maine, October 10, 2008.

See more here.

Sky Watch- Little Pond Twilight

2008-11-06T17:41:00.001-08:00

Little Pond, Otisfield, Maine. October, 2008.

See more at Sky Watch.