tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81882480241106729122024-02-07T15:09:00.739-05:00Freelancer Imaging / Ramos Aviation PhotographyJosé M. Ramoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02706408502012048070noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188248024110672912.post-49910089472696056192010-06-17T01:14:00.005-04:002010-06-17T01:29:54.138-04:00Stop The Press - AFM US Navy Airpower Special<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmn0fzPIkmiaB93Mw2o5KyrW_Ioulh2UW8E1qhEzV0pxSYGFTn7oNQHfjUiWBYMUAFNR-Fglz90_NvbaiiACpEVJzE_VPSLRtf0OtGSL409G8zae1xEriGJpWITzR8A2tcijsrhbu9N1m/s1600/us_navy_200.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmn0fzPIkmiaB93Mw2o5KyrW_Ioulh2UW8E1qhEzV0pxSYGFTn7oNQHfjUiWBYMUAFNR-Fglz90_NvbaiiACpEVJzE_VPSLRtf0OtGSL409G8zae1xEriGJpWITzR8A2tcijsrhbu9N1m/s200/us_navy_200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483610460696094114" border="0" /></a>Two page spread in the Air Forces Monthly special issue on US Navy Air Power featuring two VFC-111 Sun Downers F-5Ns. Its been out for a bit now in the UK and a bit spotty here and there in the US, but it just appeared at the local newsstand.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLpCYLb7Shz53SyWKAULKZ1iT2D_L53tfgn1udIXtRccU6djbGJd062vIvGI7H0cm9MoNVPLAAbULowFC3Tw4H8hE_Sdl2udE9FZr6rmPTncgwPLJ6HjBmFVHhhJqluiAzouM5PXKLSnK/s1600/USNavyAirpower1002ba.jpg"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCc2CtQ-TyXRSOiL5xvQ5rAA0fqtIbjKe9o3CieDv4djnwCt1BC-XPSZrKqe1J0BtV2nB192-iKtOSXRgMGvhPUBuezWCnrRmAZX2ePEwiFJc2oaldfZG-Q47tZnnvEXFnCfLeXmOjHTyG/s1600/USNavyAirpower1002ba.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCc2CtQ-TyXRSOiL5xvQ5rAA0fqtIbjKe9o3CieDv4djnwCt1BC-XPSZrKqe1J0BtV2nB192-iKtOSXRgMGvhPUBuezWCnrRmAZX2ePEwiFJc2oaldfZG-Q47tZnnvEXFnCfLeXmOjHTyG/s400/USNavyAirpower1002ba.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483610058537336514" border="0" /></a>Original Image<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fujiboy/3811797692">www.flickr.com/photos/fujiboy/3811797692</a><br /><br />I also have another image on page 28<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks again for stopping by and all the best!<br /><br />Fuji Out<br /></div>José M. Ramoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02706408502012048070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188248024110672912.post-45284368077107663762010-04-20T13:19:00.007-04:002010-04-20T14:57:53.809-04:00Its Not About Me<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenDBmDTk8I5jBWY3kueRfx8bvWyBiZsUXaFo9n6zuX3ZDVpoEKKCbYLdqo4FKKw6V5cW6ZOFK-yfFPv3AcGRR9IuMBpR-r9CfLYYkfTsQvI1bzH2SC1QpuSY0Ox9QcBsGrM-pyWcIN9CU/s1600/JMRamos028-A.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenDBmDTk8I5jBWY3kueRfx8bvWyBiZsUXaFo9n6zuX3ZDVpoEKKCbYLdqo4FKKw6V5cW6ZOFK-yfFPv3AcGRR9IuMBpR-r9CfLYYkfTsQvI1bzH2SC1QpuSY0Ox9QcBsGrM-pyWcIN9CU/s320/JMRamos028-A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462278296695906002" border="0" /></a>Well, I know I'm not the most prolific of bloggers. To tell the truth I'm still getting the hang of it, but things are happening, good things, and I really need to focus on getting more of a handle on this.<br /><br />I've been extremely fortunate lately in getting "the nod" from some outstanding people. Some of you reading this may be getting here from <a href="http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/2010/archives/9781">Scott Kelby's Blog on Monday:</a> or <a href="http://moosepeterson.com/blog/?p=14426">Moose Peterson's Blog from today</a>. This is really fantastic and quite the honor.<br /><br />Welcome! But I have to say, while the accolades from such great shooters, and truthfully, great inspirations to me, is a wonderful thing, its not that which excites me. What excites me is that I'm able to share my work with more people. And you see, my work isn't about me, its not even about the aircraft. Its about these great men and women and the jobs they do. That's what's important. So all this attention just lets me spread the word a bit more efficiently. So again - Welcome. I hope you'll make yourself at home and I promise to get this blog thing going. Stay tuned.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks again for stopping by and all the best!<br /><br />Fuji Out<br /></div>José M. Ramoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02706408502012048070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188248024110672912.post-61667458294412253412010-02-03T14:13:00.006-05:002010-02-03T14:35:38.035-05:00Stop The Press - FAOW # 137<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwusTYRQYYGMIg9jdtAryY7ifjjxDNxeAT8LJET3WU5BghrmBUlmXSxtCXAirhUCPpFgvA3uJY1W2ZgDr-I7JM8A_Akbgqz6yHXKDDRpV0nB41FNo00fWSnpgZW83vN6TjTIos0Nd24nYy/s1600-h/FAOW137.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwusTYRQYYGMIg9jdtAryY7ifjjxDNxeAT8LJET3WU5BghrmBUlmXSxtCXAirhUCPpFgvA3uJY1W2ZgDr-I7JM8A_Akbgqz6yHXKDDRpV0nB41FNo00fWSnpgZW83vN6TjTIos0Nd24nYy/s320/FAOW137.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434097798272359794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Back in November I was contacted by the editor of Tokyo, Japan based Bunrindo Publishing Co.'s Famous Aircraft of the World. He'd spotted my work on Flickr and asked for my help in their new publication on the S-3.<br /><br />Luckily, I have been shooting the S-3s for over 10 years and had quite the library on the jet. Pulling images from slides and digital, I was able to give them a diverse selection to work with.<br /><br />It seems to have paid off as I received my copies of FAOW #137 today and found that they used a total of 56 images. The first 9 pages are totally devoted to my work, 24 images total, including this image for the title page.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFPKjxd7b7F12zz4N12bmYwq3fVffm4vaD33HTf2XpQgT1PIu5lqcMt7v5xozxP1IKge5chkputBTbbJ1naBmOzYNNXHKmuo3RUvVti_5_H6iqzYtU1h_qj-s2OnplpKxBP65G_jrrq84/s1600-h/1021429225_3ce7ee2303.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFPKjxd7b7F12zz4N12bmYwq3fVffm4vaD33HTf2XpQgT1PIu5lqcMt7v5xozxP1IKge5chkputBTbbJ1naBmOzYNNXHKmuo3RUvVti_5_H6iqzYtU1h_qj-s2OnplpKxBP65G_jrrq84/s320/1021429225_3ce7ee2303.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434097611105074802" border="0" /></a><br />This is quite the honor. Especially considering that Bunrindo's publications, Koku Fan and FAOW, where a big source of inspiration when I was younger.<br /><br />I am honored to have been asked to be a part of this project and hope its just the beginning of a working relationship with this company. My thanks to the editors for the opportunity.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10107679" rel="nofollow">www.1999.co.jp/eng/10107679</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.hlj.com/product/BUNFA137" rel="nofollow">www.hlj.com/product/BUNFA137</a>José M. Ramoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02706408502012048070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188248024110672912.post-82655373195075896902009-10-01T18:00:00.003-04:002009-10-01T18:29:50.094-04:00Stop The Press - The Hook, Fall 2009 IssueFirst of all, my apologies for being so lax with the blog. Its been a crazy summer with lots of forces pulling me in very different directions. Most important of those forces was my father being in the hospital. Family has to take priority and I hope you, my friends and fans, understand. I am very happy to report he is home and so I am digging myself out of quite the backlog!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HOnoRbJtUzsMkS0V_aINY1yQnIGrmE3sKCDHvKHbv9RCpS3oTQOfe9CBV3knXt_U6aAT7UcJt4MhgecqhVGYjmRDHYPMWjKLxCRn3j-d4b20nGOi_a8JpZ7wlbTNoaHyTQysqJ31jFgB/s1600-h/Fa09HookCover1024-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HOnoRbJtUzsMkS0V_aINY1yQnIGrmE3sKCDHvKHbv9RCpS3oTQOfe9CBV3knXt_U6aAT7UcJt4MhgecqhVGYjmRDHYPMWjKLxCRn3j-d4b20nGOi_a8JpZ7wlbTNoaHyTQysqJ31jFgB/s320/Fa09HookCover1024-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387756288137562418" border="0" /></a>I do have some good news on the aviation photography front. First is the news that my image of Gypsy 206 grabbing the wire on USS Truman has been selected for the cover of The Hook magazine's Fall 2009 issue. Many of you know how I feel about the Tailhook Association so this is a great honor for me. This is also my second cover for them.<br /><br />Second, Denny Irelan, editor of The Hook, has also asked if the image could be used at the USS Midway Museum in San Diego where he is also a<span><span> docent (tour guide and lecturer)</span></span> . The image is to be used in lectures to visitors on <span><span>how carrier arrested landings work. </span></span>I of course gave my permission. Talk about a double whammy! . My thanks to Denny, Jan and the crews at Tailhook and Midway. I can't think of a higher honor than to help educate the public on Naval Aviation through my photography.<br /><br />On a separate note, many of you know I went to Mexico City for COMFOT, a photography trade show similar to PMA, with the Nikon team. I hope to have some images from my trip loaded up here and on my flickr account in a short time. I am also working on a couple of articles so keep checking back from time to time or subscribe to my updates. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks again for stopping by and all the best!<br /><br />Fuji Out<br /></div>José M. Ramoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02706408502012048070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188248024110672912.post-84647390789885031402009-06-30T10:20:00.004-04:002009-06-30T10:25:10.904-04:00Stop the Press - The Hook Magazine - Summer 2009Just another magazine alert. This time my work is featured in The Hook, the Journal of Carrier Aviation, summer issue.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBLLqlxszWnBBcprysmmBN5E9O3ukJdOwwpiQWIf_Iji0FVIVeNzTwVZjDJF9XEZfeLJqeA0TfGTrDx8115tXGy17QJeO7VhtzoMPvFuCd8vFym2QWyO3O8mmspACR-Ag4dsp-HHS7GRg/s1600-h/Su09Hook_VS22_29Jun-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBLLqlxszWnBBcprysmmBN5E9O3ukJdOwwpiQWIf_Iji0FVIVeNzTwVZjDJF9XEZfeLJqeA0TfGTrDx8115tXGy17QJeO7VhtzoMPvFuCd8vFym2QWyO3O8mmspACR-Ag4dsp-HHS7GRg/s320/Su09Hook_VS22_29Jun-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353125586729323698" border="0" /></a><br />The article, again on the S-3 Vikings final days, was written by long time friend and mentor Tony Holmes. Some of you may remember Tony's article in Combat Aircraft on VS-22. Well this is the article that should have appeared there, not the edited down piece that ran. The article is nine pages long and features eight of my images of the Vidars.<br /><br />This magazine and organization are near and dear to my heart because they were the ones that gave me my first opportunities at getting published. Without that support, I wouldn't be doing what I do today. The Summer issue has just been wrapped up by managing editor Jan Jacobs and will be available only to members of the Tailhook Association. If you're a fan of Military Aviation, especially Naval Aviation, and want to read about the issues facing our aviators today and what is going on in the fleet, I strongly recommend joining the Tailhook Association. It's much better than anything you're going to get on the internet. You can find out more at:<br /><br />www.tailhook.org<br /><br />On another note, I just got back from an extended trip to NAS Key West where I was fortunate enough to work with VFC-111 SunDowners again. Look for another update about that trip soon.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks again for stopping by and all the best<br /><br />Fuji Out<br /></div>José M. Ramoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02706408502012048070noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188248024110672912.post-57349789204259172102009-06-10T01:30:00.010-04:002009-06-10T02:26:04.409-04:00Stop The Press!<span style="font-family:arial;">Just wanted to let everyone know that the latest issue of Air Forces Monthly (June 2009) should be hitting the U.S. newsstands pretty soon. Those of you in Europe may already have seen it.<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> The reason for the head's up is I wanted to bring to your attention an article by Gary Wetzel on </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZWzdV_u5QJi4c4qnxGLn-LGy0uw4k8IhDfDU5EuBiRpoAQKS1a_KkV0V2nxxM4xbBV5iCFSMV2vPm43cdIjJee6bh4w45SauwzX7N6Qwbph3baLv5jUyjKvnYeXYlxppJKlybEe1ZMmn/s1600-h/June2009AFM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZWzdV_u5QJi4c4qnxGLn-LGy0uw4k8IhDfDU5EuBiRpoAQKS1a_KkV0V2nxxM4xbBV5iCFSMV2vPm43cdIjJee6bh4w45SauwzX7N6Qwbph3baLv5jUyjKvnYeXYlxppJKlybEe1ZMmn/s320/June2009AFM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345571352383541618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">VS-22's final days as the last </span><span style="font-family:arial;">active duty S-3 Viking </span><span style="font-family:arial;">squadron</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> in the US Navy. As</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> many of you </span><span style="font-family:arial;">know, the S-3 and the Viking Community are very near and dear to my heart. Over the years I </span><span style="font-family:arial;">worked closely with Sea Control Wing at NAS Ja</span><span style="font-family:arial;">x a</span><span style="font-family:arial;">nd I am proud to call many of those whom I worked with my friends today. My first magazine cover was </span><span style="font-family:arial;">a shot </span><span style="font-family:arial;">of an</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> S-3 Viking. So was my second. Gary does a fine job of bringing the story of the Vidars, as VS-22 was sometimes known, to the reader. It also features some pretty cool photos taken by yours truly including the one on the opening spread as seen below.<br /><br />In my opinion the S-3 was the most under </span><span style="font-family:arial;">appreciated</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;">aircraft that ever operated off a modern aircraft carrier. The jet was the Swiss Army</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> Knife of Naval Aviation with a wide range of capabilities that unfortunately fell victim to politics and an ever shrinking budget. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">I hope you'll check out the story, its worth your time.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGbtqkJisNpeSQ59e2i6dpQmwMaf5JS5JfbLeVqlA2Qmj3nuH8sRWA54inihwHwdkwOp43Xk0AJBaTOfpWvmHJzlPeWltKaAGUCbwB3cE7RWlAP_BnotebFxXps3AGRJdRckvXz4lbX3V/s1600-h/VS-22.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 308px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGbtqkJisNpeSQ59e2i6dpQmwMaf5JS5JfbLeVqlA2Qmj3nuH8sRWA54inihwHwdkwOp43Xk0AJBaTOfpWvmHJzlPeWltKaAGUCbwB3cE7RWlAP_BnotebFxXps3AGRJdRckvXz4lbX3V/s400/VS-22.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345571129428928818" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Fair Winds & Following Seas Hoover - You Will Be Missed</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Thanks Again For Stopping By & All The Best</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Fuji Out</span><br /></div>José M. Ramoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02706408502012048070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188248024110672912.post-60053245617162538172009-06-07T16:26:00.036-04:002009-06-07T22:26:19.527-04:00Circle B Bar Nature Reserve<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjVF3pAsOldA_f9Nli2P7OjcvQ9gIfTI1XnM9E124qbjHRKqlM6ENimDrFbZdhvVfwsKR8K-7SlwtETeqEEYbTQK34XuZFHre2L4FVM7g7QQDgKN99ZlWTNsgDOznqzwx6r5Eg5yszyYu/s1600-h/_JRN6842-1A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjVF3pAsOldA_f9Nli2P7OjcvQ9gIfTI1XnM9E124qbjHRKqlM6ENimDrFbZdhvVfwsKR8K-7SlwtETeqEEYbTQK34XuZFHre2L4FVM7g7QQDgKN99ZlWTNsgDOznqzwx6r5Eg5yszyYu/s320/_JRN6842-1A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344755416679592034" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Something t</span><span style="font-family:arial;">hat a lot of people don't know about me is that I'm a bit of a closet naturalist. I grew up in the great state of Tennessee and remember going to the Great Smokey M</span><span style="font-family:arial;">ountains National Park often, sometim</span><span style="font-family:arial;">es every other weekend, to just explore and of course photograph what I saw. One of the places I loved to go was the</span><span style="visibility: visible;font-family:arial;" id="main" ><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> Sugarlands Visitor </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;font-family:arial;" id="main" ><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">Center as you entered th</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;font-family:arial;" id="main" ><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">e p</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;font-family:arial;" id="main" ><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">ark from Gatlinburg. It was full of all kinds of fascinating information, exhibits and great p</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;font-family:arial;" id="main" ><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">eople </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;font-family:arial;" id="main" ><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">who helped expand that information. As</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;font-family:arial;" id="main" ><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> a kid, </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;font-family:arial;" id="main" ><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">I soaked it up like a sponge. I figured </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;font-family:arial;" id="main" ><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">I was quite </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;font-family:arial;" id="main" ><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">lucky to have this all in my </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;font-family:arial;" id="main" ><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">"backyard." Well now I'm lucky once again.<br /><br /></span></span> <div style="text-align: left; font-family: arial;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGfwFY0QplTCXs4lDKKAJIIVez3MLW_9wLKy7D2b4GMukp9eLVniUSYwXatDpHELAsERHhcNuoZAzLBwV0Mf3dHgEZUnJ9zmJSMiab0nAQpX3jKtB_5LhIGNWkXM4z7eUX7qurZ9e4cPa/s1600-h/_JRN6604-1A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGfwFY0QplTCXs4lDKKAJIIVez3MLW_9wLKy7D2b4GMukp9eLVniUSYwXatDpHELAsERHhcNuoZAzLBwV0Mf3dHgEZUnJ9zmJSMiab0nAQpX3jKtB_5LhIGNWkXM4z7eUX7qurZ9e4cPa/s320/_JRN6604-1A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344755963494657586" border="0" /></a><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">Living here in Lakeland for years, I have ofte</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">n </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">wanted to go out and</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> see some of the lands</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">cape</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">and wildlife of what in your mind's eye you th</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">ink of as Florida. No, I don't mean</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> Cinderella'</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">s </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">Castle </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">and the surrounding flowerbeds or th</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">e tourists getting their dri</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">nk on in downtown</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">Orlando. I mean the real Florida without high rises, the </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">theme parks and the tourist traps. The </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">jungle witho</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">ut the concrete. The Florida of the Creek and Seminole nations</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> as the Spanish found it in the 1500s. Well</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> lo</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">w and behold, maybe if I</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> took my head</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> out of the compute</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">r a bit more often I </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">would have found it sooner because it was right </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">under my nose the whole time. </span></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0vPtFDn34lFqEQG0mcZbjWtDGGN6kA5GEy3GNR_YnIfp4fMwUY9iQ98qE2ztrYBH0lJj8Do0LCi8lhWObD8XfGWwZW5uxhbdOAXwmIXRIaEPoJpcFIZqiQmJQUYZSc4VqSf1_skeFijP/s1600-h/_JRN6620-1A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0vPtFDn34lFqEQG0mcZbjWtDGGN6kA5GEy3GNR_YnIfp4fMwUY9iQ98qE2ztrYBH0lJj8Do0LCi8lhWObD8XfGWwZW5uxhbdOAXwmIXRIaEPoJpcFIZqiQmJQUYZSc4VqSf1_skeFijP/s320/_JRN6620-1A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344713991815603426" border="0" /></a><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">Located on State Road </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">540 is the Circle B Bar Nature Rese</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">rve.</span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> </span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">Its </span></span>1,267 acres of prime Florida wetlands and home to countless species of wildlife. At the visitors' entrance is the Polk's Nature Discovery Center, a Sugarlands like three building complex with classrooms and exhibits which opened in 2008. I first visited the Nature Center a couple weeks ago when I met my good friend and fellow photographer Reinier there to judge the Polk County Camera Club portfolios. I immediately fell in love with the place and I didn't even venture out onto the trails! To remedy that, my brother and I decided to go there this past Friday and do a bit of exploring.<br /><br /><br /></div> <span style="font-family:arial;">All I can say</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> is </span><span style="font-family:arial;">the place is well worth the early wake up call. With 6 </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjf6AXWAYEZcYP0PAn429bstxWIuivLuKhwU5RSvP1hxPhEut0MDayKPRgpIDkbzSITY7HNODCZDLYOMlnYQjkZj0LN58R96UPvSpBDhnfEXLCggUlpHhT-iCMQZUwd2LnkHrBgCze00z/s1600-h/_JRN6740-1A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjf6AXWAYEZcYP0PAn429bstxWIuivLuKhwU5RSvP1hxPhEut0MDayKPRgpIDkbzSITY7HNODCZDLYOMlnYQjkZj0LN58R96UPvSpBDhnfEXLCggUlpHhT-iCMQZUwd2LnkHrBgCze00z/s320/_JRN6740-1A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344718147073151954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">miles of trails through the </span><span style="font-family:arial;">various landscapes crammed into this unique and special place, birdwatchers, educators,</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> naturalists, and photographers are tr</span><span style="font-family:arial;">eated to some of the gr</span><span style="font-family:arial;">eatest imagination fueling vistas one is least likely to expect in</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> the shadow of Orlando and Tampa. To me the Cypress swamp was the most moving as I alternately tho</span><span style="font-family:arial;">ught of Joseph Conrad's </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >Heart of Darkness</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> and images of Ponce de Leon pushing through looking for the Fountain of Youth. T</span><span style="font-family:arial;">he oa</span><span style="font-family:arial;">k hamlets were just as impressive with their </span><span style="font-family:arial;">boughs crookedly reaching skyward.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PL2vUl4qC-zWZgoyloFzGyF-s_dj89LGmUJ274Ju7hvB6DREvmvFtjcBwrMjYJpzJNaFxjUIShuX2h2JoEsTGr8AjoxJr5m9aoljncGI3Kip_qTUHa5EpcjCNGiNV6DP0PgZtdEwQE6W/s1600-h/_JRN6659-1A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PL2vUl4qC-zWZgoyloFzGyF-s_dj89LGmUJ274Ju7hvB6DREvmvFtjcBwrMjYJpzJNaFxjUIShuX2h2JoEsTGr8AjoxJr5m9aoljncGI3Kip_qTUHa5EpcjCNGiNV6DP0PgZtdEwQE6W/s320/_JRN6659-1A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344771507800489426" border="0" /></a><br /><div> <span style="font-family:arial;">We ventured out on a couple of the more popular trails including Alligator Alley and Shady Oak. Even on what Rein</span><span style="font-family:arial;">ier, who is primarily a nature photographer who volunteers at Circle B, calls</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> the off se</span><span style="font-family:arial;">ason, we saw an abundance of wildlife</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> and at extreme close range. This was especially good for </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Pedro and I as we didn't want to be too weighed </span><span style="font-family:arial;">down by gear and so the longest glass we had was a couple of Nikkor 70-300s. They worked just fine. The variety of waterfowl was fascinating. Not to be out done, several birds of prey, my favorites, made an appearance including a several Osprey, a hawk and a sleepy immature barred owl. Of course one can't think of Florida wetlands </span><span style="font-family:arial;">without thinking Gator! Circle B doesn't disappoint there </span><span style="font-family:arial;">either. I lost count of how many of t</span><span style="font-family:arial;">he large </span><span style="font-family:arial;">reptiles we sa</span><span style="font-family:arial;">w on Lake Hancock. We also got to see some ba</span><span style="font-family:arial;">by Alligators in the marsh about two or three feet away from us.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6mg9VcohsDpaAgHWRj6arUqC7lbCa2MPUlnHCR1a3UvDvnhWvghkT9XfqCWdw1SnnbX9uj12Y0c-HREVZAdqsArGa0vIjIoLO2j181X3NPsrnA8UpnRdbiD9Z0L8JwK-Eyj95dxOaPSe/s1600-h/_JRN6698-1A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6mg9VcohsDpaAgHWRj6arUqC7lbCa2MPUlnHCR1a3UvDvnhWvghkT9XfqCWdw1SnnbX9uj12Y0c-HREVZAdqsArGa0vIjIoLO2j181X3NPsrnA8UpnRdbiD9Z0L8JwK-Eyj95dxOaPSe/s320/_JRN6698-1A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344771764818412130" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Of course the real benefit of Circle B is not the</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> photographic opport</span><span style="font-family:arial;">unities, the chance to offload </span><span style="font-family:arial;">the kids for an afternoon, or the habitat it provides for wildlife but its the wet</span><span style="font-family:arial;">lands themselves. They are natures filtration system for our planets water supply. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Water that winds</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> up on your store shelves in plastic bottles with s</span><span style="font-family:arial;">uch great marketing blurbs like "Natural Florida Spring Water" starts right here in wetlands filtering into the a</span><span style="font-family:arial;">quifer. Water is becoming an hot </span><span style="font-family:arial;">topic issue in our ever increasingly complex world., many places suffer from a shortage or an excess of it. When it comes to the environment, I take the same approach I take to any subject, I learn as much as possible.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> Circle </span><span style="font-family:arial;">B is a </span><span style="font-family:arial;">great place to start and get to learn about wetlands first hand. I can't recommend a trip the</span><span style="font-family:arial;">re strongly enough, you won't</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">regret it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jJk5ySlF15DlBpQ2aMgJma-b7iF22q1ZRt0y8Ovwq92iEcM7i8MrEvmfMCinM4PzMeyu1iNQKa16dZqo68eK9t9h81A-AMRPvXoDunt0cXA5rhOUc5rYh7hyekhmsFmIsxNAbw9icSPI/s1600-h/_JRN6850-1A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jJk5ySlF15DlBpQ2aMgJma-b7iF22q1ZRt0y8Ovwq92iEcM7i8MrEvmfMCinM4PzMeyu1iNQKa16dZqo68eK9t9h81A-AMRPvXoDunt0cXA5rhOUc5rYh7hyekhmsFmIsxNAbw9icSPI/s320/_JRN6850-1A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344768995346685346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxvFOHjq2YinT6O0s18HYad0U-cwbTtwAGNssMMsHGmupEJJbaOV3P1wDzPAEMfj-kbhN5wNK5SKXXJrjSNJnt6G30UA8maj4ur6uhzGjjH_uBuHHyi5Iu6EmR5aVZSVi5K2k-CIhWyhV/s1600-h/_JRN6925-1A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxvFOHjq2YinT6O0s18HYad0U-cwbTtwAGNssMMsHGmupEJJbaOV3P1wDzPAEMfj-kbhN5wNK5SKXXJrjSNJnt6G30UA8maj4ur6uhzGjjH_uBuHHyi5Iu6EmR5aVZSVi5K2k-CIhWyhV/s320/_JRN6925-1A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344769818730765730" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3hYUM5OOF0oMnUQlQwOr4R_AKQgmqxQB0hmIpZ4FTk60sT1E4FK2jcD-V3LfgAf_0k2DDQPUlLXyEGHUlT8SCaafqbIE2o33hGEGyuAL3OA2eVUBRxV4ZVOVJoAyssoeyoyC9z_PA6-I/s1600-h/_JRN6864-1A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3hYUM5OOF0oMnUQlQwOr4R_AKQgmqxQB0hmIpZ4FTk60sT1E4FK2jcD-V3LfgAf_0k2DDQPUlLXyEGHUlT8SCaafqbIE2o33hGEGyuAL3OA2eVUBRxV4ZVOVJoAyssoeyoyC9z_PA6-I/s320/_JRN6864-1A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344768077420292018" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Thanks For Stopping By & All The Best</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Fuji</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDXockLdL5k9opQbLcjLRo_vmWHbrF01-v3EyWTnRqsaBnuO5RtyWVlj4FREwQRK5PcM3HcAmR-DF_EyXRraoQAtWzQfESNgLLyyX6DaM0V3uYMsBYTT3jJujWySMrnX-hjN4327-LrOY/s1600-h/_JRN6850-1A.jpg"><br /></a></div></div>José M. Ramoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02706408502012048070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8188248024110672912.post-50981118642297899122009-04-14T20:25:00.014-04:002009-04-15T13:15:59.665-04:00Well, Here Goes Nothing ...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeJeZeGhUpF6LlqWl43Td3ZykquV0h3td1eEPqkBNVGdewUsOEPPJY8OnPeeJdvU62UAC8qmQnllfzSxejULwRxObgdNYJjEWjmg5ZNqq9r-XUFMNw6EtrSIOvxW6DDCHg3mjfP10INzG/s1600-h/Profile.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeJeZeGhUpF6LlqWl43Td3ZykquV0h3td1eEPqkBNVGdewUsOEPPJY8OnPeeJdvU62UAC8qmQnllfzSxejULwRxObgdNYJjEWjmg5ZNqq9r-XUFMNw6EtrSIOvxW6DDCHg3mjfP10INzG/s320/Profile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324765489924082786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKjxz3fALpjzj50nwmNhvoLGnj1Tk134OqGQskbPKg8NNTsmF_9C4jdP0jzIEwbMcWB88ApUbmSObwZ8_M4X2i3zj-wiWDai2vLOmlHsmYaCiERRoxEkF0sw1Lk8PzmpqwhKnNJbCtCEa/s1600-h/_JRN1473-2.jpg"><br /></a> <div style="text-align: left;font-family:arial;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Welcome to Freelancer Imaging. I've been trying to figure out how to start this whole blogging thing off but decided the direct way to be the best way. Some of you know my work under the name Ramos Aviation Photography where I specialize in documenting military aviation for various magazines like <span style="font-style: italic;">Air Forces Monthly</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Combat Aircraft</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hook</span>. Don't worry, I'm still doing that and there are a few future projects on the books. The truth is in the world we live in today, that level of </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >specialization keeps one's options limited and I have had to branch out to cover a variety of different styles. Therefore I decided a name change was in order. I decided on Freelancer Imaging for a variety of reasons. First of all, the obvious, I am a freelance photographer and writer. But what most people don't know is where that word comes from. During medieval times a freelancer was a knight with no allegiances that would hire himself out to whomever paid the most. In its day, it was an honorable profession and today we'd probably call him a Free Agent. In <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>, the Samurai culture had a similar tradition, that of the Ronin. These Samurai went from serving one master to another and sometimes left their warrior duties </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >for a time </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >to follow other pursuits like the arts or teaching. One of the most famous Ronin was the great swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Considering my callsign is <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Fuji</st1:place></st1:city> and my family is descended from Spanish knights, I'm quite happy to continue the tradition in my own way. I'm sure you probably weren't expecting a history lesson when you stumbled across this blog. If you plan on being a frequent visitor, you'll get used to it. I've often been told I should have been a history teacher.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRXNLfA9jD52pVsn2OeH-C5gZgFs7bcC4vjSqCtvf35a9ZbA91RTgKCMNb7QGW7uLWK_EHdWJugI6fkVcTFU_Reu1KY_9QZCodESYGMQz3M3dLWOJ3CftxQ5yeHZiTwONa74MdjPwAnekw/s1600-h/20060510-NASKEYWEST598-2a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRXNLfA9jD52pVsn2OeH-C5gZgFs7bcC4vjSqCtvf35a9ZbA91RTgKCMNb7QGW7uLWK_EHdWJugI6fkVcTFU_Reu1KY_9QZCodESYGMQz3M3dLWOJ3CftxQ5yeHZiTwONa74MdjPwAnekw/s400/20060510-NASKEYWEST598-2a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324766814621567186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >As with any photographer, my interests dictate a lot of what I document and how I go about it. Be that in terms of my aviation work, the portraits I execute, or the places I visit. Those interests run a pretty wide gamut, but at the core of the image, there is always something that is fundamentally me. This blog will be about the journey my Nikons take me on in both my professional and personal work, with a bit of the technical thrown in occasionally. Sometimes there will be frequent updates; sometimes it may be weeks between one and the next. I will say that the next few weeks are going to be full of the roar of airplane engines for me; from the </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > purr of </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >inlines and </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > rumble of </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >radials to the ear piercing scream of jets. I hope you'll come along for the ride.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Thanks for stopping by & All the best</span></span> <span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Fuji Out</span></span><br /><br /><br /></div>José M. Ramoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02706408502012048070noreply@blogger.com0