Cozumel

Columbia Shallows

May 9, 2013 by Justin Balog 2 Comments

For the long time visitors here you know that I have a passion for SCUBA diving, and that passion manifests itself as encouraging others to do it! Trust me, you will fall in love with it instantly. SCUBA diving is the closest you will come to being an astronaut. Although, private space travel is making it easier. The cool thing about diving is you don’t have to go very deep to see really cool things. I shot this image around 15 feet. When you are diving at 15 feet, you can stay underwater for almost two hours, or as long as your air will last. Being weightless, surrounded by amazing creatures for that long is an experience you will never forget.

Also, I thought this image might make a cool desktop for the ocean fans out there. Just click it, then click the size you would like about the image, the set it as your desktop. I hope you enjoy it and it brightens your day!

Filed Under: Cozumel, Dive Photos, Mexico, Nikon AW100, Travel

Fun New Lightroom Presets

April 23, 2013 by Justin Balog 0 Comments

I’m always on the lookout for cool creative tools that are both inexpensive and easy to use. Recently I purchased Trey Ratcliff’s Lightroom Presets (you can get them by clicking here) and have used them for the last week or so. After experimenting with them I thought it was time to share my thoughts. In short, they easily meet my value equation…they are both easy to use and inexpensive. Only $17.97 when using this link. You can find them under ‘Tools’. Here are a few other reasons I dig them…

Customizable – They aren’t set in stone. You can easily tweak them to your liking.
Organized – You get 3 unique packs of presets that are clearly organized.
Inspirational – It is always fun to try another artist’s tools. With these preset you get a quick peek inside the artistic side of Trey’s brain. Hopefully they will inspire you to make something beautiful.

Here’s a quick before photo for you…if you were wondering where this photo is from, it’s the pool at the Coral Princess Hotel in Cozumel, MX. Feel free to check out my ‘Photographer’s Guide To Cozumel‘ for more info.

Trey Ratcliff's Presets

Filed Under: Cozumel, HDR, Mexico, Nikon 14-24mm 2.8, Nikon D700, Processing Notes, Software, Tips, Travel

Puedo Tomar Su Photo

April 15, 2013 by Justin Balog 1 Comment

I hope everyone had a great weekend! As a gesture of respect, wherever I travel I always try to learn how to say “May I take your photograph” in the native language. In Spanish, it’s ‘puedo tomar su photo’. Although, traveling in the Yucatan, you might need to learn Mayan as well. Twelve percent of the population is pure-blooded Mayan and many of them continue to speak the language. From my experience, I have found the Mayan people to be a very proud and stoic people. When I ask to take their photo, they all assume a very similar pose to the gentleman pictured here. If you ever have a chance to speak with someone of Mayan descent, take advantage of it. You’ll be in awe of the beauty of their stories.

Filed Under: Cozumel, Lightroom 4, Mexico, Nikon 24mm 1.4, Nikon D700, People

By The Dock At The Bay

February 17, 2013 by Justin Balog 2 Comments

Howdy! I hope you had a great weekend. I processed a bunch of images for the next couple of weeks. It should be fun and I’m looking forward to sharing them with you.

Today we are looking at a great place to read a book, watch a sunset, or just relax. It’s hard for me to quiet my mind, it’s always on, but places like this do the trick. Do you have a place where you like to think?

Stay tuned, this should be a fun week!

Photographer’s Note – This is a single image processed in Lightroom 4 then spiced up with some Nik CEP 4.

Filed Under: Cozumel, Landscape, Lightroom 4, Mexico, Nik Software, Nikon 18-200 VR, Nikon D7000, One Click, Travel

Grandma’s Tamales

February 13, 2013 by Justin Balog 0 Comments

My Spanish is limited. I can do my best to navigate the market and get us to dive sites, but I don’t have much left after that. I do know how to say, “I’d like to take your photograph”. I found an interesting trend in the countries I travel to. Outside of the US, people are excited to have their photograph taken. Inside the US, or US citizens in other countries, rarely like to have their photo taken. The kind lady here makes tamales for the taxi drivers in Cozumel. You can see a few of them in the background. She has a little stand set up in the center of town. When I asked if I could take her picture, she offered a quick smile then went about making her tamales. The drivers laughed and said she charges $25 for her photo. I offered to pay her, but she politely refused and offered me one of her tamales instead. This is why we travel and open ourselves to new experiences. To meet people, smile at one another and eat some amazing tamales!

Filed Under: Cozumel, Lightroom 4, Mexico, Nikon 14-24mm 2.8, Nikon D700, People, Tips, Travel