Jake's Backdoor Hippie-palooza, 2014 Edition

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Awesome shot Jake.


Sent from my iPhone.

Thanks, Glenn. It was a pretty spectacular night. Stanley Clarke has been an idol of mine since I first picked up a bass and got into jazz back in the late 70's, so when I saw he was going to be close by I grabbed tickets and took my nephew who just started playing bass about 6 months ago. What I wasn't aware of was that his trio consisted of him and two kids with a combined age of 36. My nephew has played piano since he was 6, so watching a 17 year old, Beka Gochiashvilli, blow the doors off the place was pretty cool. If you're into jazz he's a guy to check out and keep an eye on. He sounds like he's been playing for 50 years. Michael Mitchell on drums had the best right foot I've heard since John Bohnam. It must inspire the heck out of an old guy like Stanley to play with these kids every night.

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Whiskeyman

Senior Member
You guys have never lived in NJ, have you? Even if I had and not been arrested for discharging a firearm on the side of the road and within 100 yards of a school building (which probably would have gotten me labeled as a domestic terrorist), I suspect the farmer just out of view to the left might not have appreciated it.

I find just running at them is usually enough, but as I said, there was a 6 foot deep trench between me and them. This worked for me.

Even though I've never lived there, I've visited twice. One for a wedding and reception when I had the best meal I've ever enjoyed at an Italian style restaurant, and another time for business. (The town of Clifton, I believe.) I don't recall seeing many gun shops while I was there. I do recall seeing many Canada Geese in the area, though.

Anyway, you were likely best off without the shotgun option given the conditions, although several farmers I met hated the mess the geese made of everything.

WM
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
2014-011:

There are a couple trees I am drawn to every time I drive down this one road, but I've never been able to capture them in a way that's pleasing and also non-life threatening (it's a busy road). Freezing temps and leftover snow last night gave way to warm and rainy temps this morning, and it presented me with low traffic and some moody clouds and fog, so I finally managed to make myself happy with how they were captured - all while staying dry in the car.


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RockyNH_RIP

Senior Member
2014-011:

There are a couple trees I am drawn to every time I drive down this one road, but I've never been able to capture them in a way that's pleasing and also non-life threatening (it's a busy road). Freezing temps and leftover snow last night gave way to warm and rainy temps this morning, and it presented me with low traffic and some moody clouds and fog, so I finally managed to make myself happy with how they were captured - all while staying dry in the car.


The 2nd one is a real winner for me!! :) Nice Job!

Pat in NH
 

wud

Senior Member
2014-011:

There are a couple trees I am drawn to every time I drive down this one road, but I've never been able to capture them in a way that's pleasing and also non-life threatening (it's a busy road). Freezing temps and leftover snow last night gave way to warm and rainy temps this morning, and it presented me with low traffic and some moody clouds and fog, so I finally managed to make myself happy with how they were captured - all while staying dry in the car.


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Wauw, love them both. Beautiful b/w.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Even though I've never lived there, I've visited twice. One for a wedding and reception when I had the best meal I've ever enjoyed at an Italian style restaurant, and another time for business. (The town of Clifton, I believe.) I don't recall seeing many gun shops while I was there. I do recall seeing many Canada Geese in the area, though.
WM

If you were in Clifton and it was the best meal you've ever enjoyed then I suspect it was plain old fashioned Italian, not just "Italian style", and there are a plethora of amazing Italian restaurants in NJ (families have feuds over which is best). My understanding is that you have to go at least as far south as Maryland before you're allowed to set up anything called Italian Style - there are regional enforcement officers to make sure of that. Fahgettaboudit!! LOL

Gun shops? What are they?! You can't buy a pellet gun in NJ without a firearms permit. And yet, after Chicago, we have two of the most violent cities in the country in Camden and Newark. But I digress - gun control discussions are meant for the Off Topic section.

Funny, though, a friend of mine posted a photo on Facebook today of the same field with a load of Snow Geese in the center saying, "Where's my shotgun?!"
 

Marilynne

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Every 6 months?! Sounds like he may have had some sort of provisional thing, unless it was a foreign permit. I met Jason when he toured with The Who back in the early-mid 90's.

Non US citizens only get a 6 month license renewal in FL, Canadians get 1 year. He is a real nice guy.
 

fotojack

Senior Member
2014-011:

There are a couple trees I am drawn to every time I drive down this one road, but I've never been able to capture them in a way that's pleasing and also non-life threatening (it's a busy road). Freezing temps and leftover snow last night gave way to warm and rainy temps this morning, and it presented me with low traffic and some moody clouds and fog, so I finally managed to make myself happy with how they were captured - all while staying dry in the car.


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WOW! these are fantastic shots, Jake! Just beautiful!
 

Whiskeyman

Senior Member
If you were in Clifton and it was the best meal you've ever enjoyed then I suspect it was plain old fashioned Italian, not just "Italian style", and there are a plethora of amazing Italian restaurants in NJ (families have feuds over which is best). My understanding is that you have to go at least as far south as Maryland before you're allowed to set up anything called Italian Style - there are regional enforcement officers to make sure of that. Fahgettaboudit!! LOL


I was as clear as mud about the Italian "style" in my first post. That meal wasn't in Clifton, but some other small town that ran into another after another, many years prior to my Clifton visit. And I hear you about the Italian versus Italian style, but to me, Italian restaurants are in Italy, and no where else. I do know when to keep my mouth shut about this, though.

The restaurant I remember the name of in Clifton was, I believe, The Rose and Crown. I had a matchbook from there for quite a few years, but the matches ran out and it was discarded. We did eat a another place outside Clifton, what I call a "hole-in-the-wall", that was recommended by some folks at our meetings. The sign out from just said "Restaurant" in cursive. The food was great and when they found out we were from Florida and in the military, the owners came out and made a big deal out of it, making a big fuss over us and asking us to return again. Nice, good people they were. I couldn't find the place if I had to return, but I'd love to visit either place if I ever returned to the area.

I guess I should have taken some photos to help me find my way back.;)

WM
 

nikonpup

Senior Member
2014-011:

there are a couple trees i am drawn to every time i drive down this one road, but i've never been able to capture them in a way that's pleasing and also non-life threatening (it's a busy road). Freezing temps and leftover snow last night gave way to warm and rainy temps this morning, and it presented me with low traffic and some moody clouds and fog, so i finally managed to make myself happy with how they were captured - all while staying dry in the car.


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they would find a nice home in the "tree" thread. Very hard to see the tree from the forest. Nice job.
 

Lawrence

Senior Member

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
These are simply STUNNING! I was going to say the best I have seen on here but that would be a momentary thing as there are so many really good photos on this forum that I could never choose "the best".

That is far too kind, and I thank you with as much humility as I can possibly muster. There are so many amazing images posted by others here that have both inspired and stretched me to do more and to do better with my own photography. I love this place.
 
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BackdoorArts

Senior Member
That 2nd tree in the fog... Simply amazing and worth far more than my jealousy.

Thank you. Sometimes it pays to pull the car onto the shoulder when it's raining, roll down the window, turn on the hazard lights, and just keep inching up until you have the shot and traffic clears. If there's an underlying theme to my shots this year it's, "No excuses, no missed opportunities".

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BackdoorArts

Senior Member
2014-012: HDR's

Took advantage of some great morning light this morning and ran out to take some pictures. Glad I did. 20 minutes after I left the sun went behind the clouds and we haven't seen it since. Love the morning light.

Here are some HDR's. Haven't shot many of these in the last 6-8 months.

An old Blacksmith Shop that I didn't know was an old Blacksmith Shop until the guy who ran by as I was shooting started telling me about. Like all runners, he never stopped running, he just ran backwards after he passed and shouted the information.

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I really liked the fast moving clouds effect I got when I applied the lens profile to this shot taken with my 15mm Fish.

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Corn maze 3 months past its prime.

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