So this is what I’ve been up to for the past couple of weeks – watching Art of Sand grow out of the green grass of Space Coast Stadium. OK, actually, it’s growing out of piles of sand that were packed into forms on the infield track, and I haven’t just been watching, but filming the process. It’s been an amazing journey – an appropriate word, as the theme is “Travelers.” The sculptors have come back from the massive deluge of last weekend, and their beautiful pieces are ready to see. The festival officially opens Friday, Oct. 14, and extends to Oct. 23. More info at artofsand.org.

This video shows the build, with several time-lapses to give you the flavor of the work. But you’ll have to go to the festival to see all the amazing detail in these sculptures. After watching the masters, I want to make one myself.

Who knew drainage ponds could be so beautiful? This one by Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida, reflected a gorgeous sunrise this morning. Those clouds were just the beginning, as rain showers and thunder roamed through the Space Coast today.

“Casual portrait” sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?  “Portrait” makes one think of posing in front of a mottled blue cloth, perhaps at a department store, and gazing into the flat, bright lights of the studio. And the blue cloth certainly has its place, sometimes – I was window-shopping for one recently myself. But I much prefer to take photos of people outdoors, when the light is good, and when the setting has a chance to become part of the photos. The beach has endless appeal in this area, but recently, I visited Pennsylvania and had the opportunity to do portrait shoots in park settings. The flowers were gorgeous, and the grass and trees were lush and green. With the sun low in the sky, the light was divine.

One of the shoots was with members of my family, and as they started to relax and have fun, the pictures reflected their mood. I especially like the shots of my dad playing with my nephew; it was so nice to see such rare happiness. Little kids have a lot to do with that! The pictures of my brother’s family came out well, too. It was as if summer added its glow to the scene.

Are you getting portraits taken of your family for a special occasion, or maybe for holiday cards? Or maybe you’re just overdue. I recommend having a photographer do a portrait session in a beautiful place, or a place with texture and interest, or a place that means something to you. Prepare to spend some time. Coordinate your clothes, but you don’t all have to wear the same thing. (Though jeans and white or pastel shirts can be very effective!) Avoid brand names and logos on the kids’ shirts, for a more timeless look. And play. A good photographer will play with you, and you’ll get joyous, spontaneous and even some “formal” informal portraits to treasure.

See more photos from these sessions and others in my photo galleries.

My short documentary film “Chasing Reality” will appear in the Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 9-10, at The Oaks theaters in Melbourne, Florida. It’s about the decidedly non-extreme ordeals storm chasers endure to get a glimpse of that elusive tornado.

You can download this month’s Brevard Live magazine, which contains the festival program, or pick it up at local bars and restaurants. There are lots of highlights, from “A Beautiful Belly” on Friday night and the red carpet reception, to a bevy of Florida, horror and short films. The Florida Filmmakers & More showcase Saturday morning at 10 a.m. will feature my movie and several others. Come out to see it! It’s $10 to get into Saturday morning’s program – as well as films and a filmmakers’ roundtable Saturday afternoon – and $60 for an all-access VIP pass to two days of events, including the Friday reception and Saturday night party. It’s a great deal, and all proceeds go to Unconditional Love Inc., a nonprofit HIV patient care center.

It was a long day Saturday of gardening, puttering and a most pleasant party. So when we got home and the sky started sparking around 11 p.m. or so, I was not particularly motivated to chase the lightning. The storms were moving offshore, and the best view would have been from Cape Canaveral or maybe Cocoa Beach. After several minutes of agonizing, I instead drove just down the road to Cocoa’s Riverfront Park and took some shots pointing east toward the storms. The lightning was really far away, but the lights on the water and the S.R. 520 causeway bridge made for an interesting setting. Here’s the best of the bolts, partially obscured by clouds. I cropped this shot to get the framing I wanted.

 
I used the Nikon D7000 to shoot Hurricane Irene’s big waves in Cocoa Beach on Friday as the storm missed Florida but, nonetheless, churned up the Atlantic.

It was challenging getting the focus right with all the glare. Guess I have to bring a blankie to cover my head next time. Still, the waves were pretty awesome!  This is a one-minute look.

Impressive, isn’t it?

Usually, in Florida, this is about the time we hold our breath and check to make sure our belongings are as secured as they can be and doublecheck the boards (or shutters, or whatever) on the windows. But it appears Hurricane Irene’s worst will be reserved not just for the Carolinas, but for the northeast. I’ve always wondered how the northeast would react to a storm like this. Unfortunately, we’re about to find out. I’d encourage residents up and down the East Coast of the United States not to take this storm lightly. Secure small objects, lay in a supply of water (one gallon per person, per day) and batteries for flashlights, and have enough nonperishable food to last three days. Even being without power for a few days (let alone weeks) can be miserable, and if you don’t have the right supplies, it’s much worse. You might also stock a cooler with ice. It won’t last forever, but it can tide you over. We also make sure we have gas for our generator and propane for our grill. The grill, which also has a burner, meant we ate pretty well in 2004 when we were without power after both Frances and Jeanne. Plus it’s a way to cook meat that’s in your freezer before it goes bad. Also make sure you have a car charger for your cell phone, make sure your car has gas, and get some cash ahead of time.

Here are my links to tropical weather data, including model tracks.

Here are FEMA’s hurricane preparedness tips.

Want to learn more about hurricanes? See the Sky Diary kids’ hurricane page.

For entertaining, thorough weather discussions of Irene and Florida weather in general, check out Steve Sponsler’s High Speed Dirt blog.

I love to see an isolated cell light up right at sunset, and over water, it’s even better. This was more of a cluster of cells, and they produced a few nice bolts before they croaked. I’m sure I missed a few as I drove over Merritt Island and got into position on the Banana River to take photos (and donate a quart of blood to the mosquitoes).

The lightning may have been sparse, but it was pretty. I’ve found sometimes the best crawlers happen in the dying phases of the storm, and sometimes you have to wait several minutes between flashes to nab them. But this storm hovering off Cape Canaveral really stopped when it stopped producing, allowing me to get several more mosquito bites as I painstakingly held the shutter open for 20 or 30 seconds at a time, hoping against hope. Oh, well. Comes with the territory.

Art of Sand returns this fall in a nice new location – Space Coast Stadium. I’ve edited some ads (like the one above) for this Brevard Cultural Alliance project, held in conjunction with the Viera Company, using video CCI shot last year. (I’m the narrator, too!) I’ll be shooting lots more video for the festival, including interviews with the artists as they create their works. The videos will be accessible on-site by scanning in QR codes, and there will be multimedia goodies at the stadium as well. The fest is scheduled for Oct. 14-23, 2011.

It had been almost 15 years since I’d been to Las Vegas, and this time, I was traveling with friends, so it was better. It was also vastly different, with a number of properties that weren’t there before.

Previously, I’d used the city mostly as a base for day trips to places like Death Valley and the Grand Canyon (why, you say, that’s not a day trip, Chris! It is if you are a crazy drivin’ fool). While I got outside the city this time, to beautiful Red Rock Canyon and monumental Hoover Dam, I saw more inside the city, from the glamorous new casino properties to the low-key cool of the Pinball Hall of Fame. Speaking of which, here is an eerie video of me playing with a strange old coin-operated marionette clown at the place, shot by Kathryn Gonzalez. Meet Peppy the Clown.

Vegas is a photographer’s playground, but it’s also a loud, fake, glitzy, loud, smoky, frenetic, loud – did I say loud? – cheap, rich man’s paradise. I feel I barely scratched the surface, photographically speaking.

I’m saving my energy for another day to write about the extraordinary meal we had at Jose Andres’ “e” restaurant. But here’s a selection of photos from Las Vegas.