Ryan Estes Photos

Australia (Kangaroo Island)

forum122 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:59:10 +0000

Our third stop in Australia was one that most people could easily overlook, but ended up being our favorite stop on our 17 day excursion. Located about 15 miles off the coast of South Australia, sits the third largest island of Australia. It only takes about 2 hours to drive across the island, but there are plenty of things to distract you from driving straight through. There are only two major towns on the island, both of which are quaint towns with a view of the ocean from the main street. You have to be something of a nature lover to really enjoy a place like this because there are not a whole lot of places to entertain you, but the natural beauty and native wildlife of course. The island is aptly named for its large population of Kangaroos, but don’t believe that is the only wildlife you will experience, as there are seals, sea lions, koalas,echidnas, wallabies, and a ton of others (you will see at least one of these even if you don’t try that hard, these are just the ones we saw). We spent two days on the island at the Wildlife Retreat on the Flinders Chase National Park side, and loved evey minute of it. We hired a car to drive around and were warned right away that despite buying the extra insurance, that we were not covered between sunset and sunrise because of the shear numbers of Kangaroos out at night. It was a great place to relax and enjoy some gorgeous wildlife and scenery. Let me know what you think.

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Tagged: Australia, Canon, Canon 18-200mm, Canon 50D, Canon EOS 50D, Kangaroo Island, Landscape, New Zealand Seals, Ocean, Remarkable Rocks, Rocks, Ryan, Ryan Estes, Ryan Estes Photography, Seals, South Australia, Sunset, Tokina 11-16mm, Water, Waves, Wildlife

Australia (Melbourne)

forum122 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:18:47 +0000

We began our trip in Melbourne, the largest city in the southeastern state of Victoria. Just as any other cosmopolitan city, Melbourne has a very vibrant downtown, or Central Business District(CBD), with great public transportation. The city is self described as a “melting pot,” and the variety of cafes and coffee shops makes every block you walk down an exploration of the city’s character. Melbourne, if not all of Australia, is a very pedestrian place. There are tons of little districts scattered throughout the city that encourage you to leave your wheel based transportation for a slower, more intimate form of exploration. So it is with this knowledge of the city that I bring you to my personal explorations of this eclectic city.

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Tagged: Australia, Brighton Beach, Canon, Canon 50D, Canon EOS 50D, central business district, Fed Square, Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, Melbourne, Pedestrian Bridge, Ryan Estes, Ryan Estes Photography, Ryan Estes Photos, Southern Cross Station, Spencer Street Station, state of victoria, Urban, Yarra

Australia (Twelve Apostles)

forum122 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:38:11 +0000

First, I know its been a while….I have been busy with the holidays and we were out of the country for about 3 weeks. I figured I needed to start posting some of the amazing things I was able to see while in Australia before I start posting anything else from more recent history. This first post is devoted solely to the place that inspired Katy and I to plan a return trip to the Australia. In 2006 Katy and I were both part of a study abroad program, seperately, near the city of Melbourne. In April of that year Katy returned home to a friend who coaxed her into joining myspace, and while she was looking for old friends she came across a photo of me in front of the Twelve Apostles rock formation, and decided to contact me. I was still in Australia so we began to email each other back and forth to get to know one another (again), and this continued even after I returned to the states. After about a year of talking over email or the phone we had an opportunity to have our first date, and the rest is history, but we both still hold a special place in our hearts for the place that was ultimately responsible for getting us back in touch with each other. I don’t believe that either one of us anticipated the beauty that was in store for us when we rolled up in our “hired car” to revisit these natural wonders, but I can tell you that even through this lens, it does not begin to describe the serenity of the location. You stand out on a raised peninsula jetting out into the ocean. The wind brushes against your face, and the sun sends a wave of warmth over your face while you stand 300 feet above the thunder of waves crashing into the shear cliff face. It is almost senses overload as you stand in awe of the wonders of nature. I hope that these images inspire the same emotions from you.

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Tagged: Canon, Canon 50D, Canon EOS 50D, Great Ocean Road, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Port Campbell, Ryan Estes, Ryan Estes Photography, Sunrise, Twelve Apostles

Fall (Part 2)

forum122 — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:50:05 +0000

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all. ”

~Stanley Horowitz

Every season evokes an emotion, and that emotion comes to life in the form of memory. The very nature of the season is slowing, and life taking a pause until the days can grow longer and it the sun shows its warm face again. The breeze rustles through the branches clinging to the colorful jewels it took all season to create, and gently carries it to the ground. I have been lucky over this season, to be able to be an audience to such quiet events. I will share with you today, what I have been witness to in the past few days. Take a deep breath, relax and enjoy the fall season.

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Tagged: Canon, Canon 50D, Canon EOS 50D, Clouds, Colorful, Fall, Landscape Photography, Leaves, Outdoor Photography, River, Rocks, Ryan, Ryan Estes, Ryan Estes Photography, Seasons, Singh-Ray Warming Polarizer, Trees, Water

Fall (Part 1)

forum122 — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:01:51 +0000

“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.” – Albert Camus

Over the next few weeks it is my goal to try and capture the essence of this changing season. Fall is upon the mid-west, and while may not have the signature status of a New England Fall, it has every bit of color and warmth that our neighbors to the North East have. I will be trying to show that, along with a little of the character of Kansas/Missouri. Let me know what you think.

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Tagged: Canon, Canon 50D, Canon EOS 50D, Color, Fall, Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Ryan Estes, Ryan Estes Photography, Ryan Estes Photos, Singh-Ray Warming Polarizer, Trees

Football and Campus

forum122 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:36:52 +0000

This past weekend my wife and I were able to attend the game between Kansas State and Missouri. Since I graduated from Kansas State in 2007 I have not shown her the campus. We took an afternoon and walked around the tree lined, limestone built campus on a gorgeous day. Anyway there isn’t a whole lot here just thought I would share some of the nostalgia.

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Tagged: Anderson Hall, Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Campus, Canon, Canon 50D, Canon EOS 50D, College, K-State, Kansas State, KSU, Ryan Estes, Ryan Estes Photos, Seaton Hall

Nelson Atkins Art Museum (Bloch Building)

forum122 — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:31:39 +0000

With fall color right around the corner, I have been searching out spots that may have the best ‘fall’ potential. One place that quickly came to mind was the Nelson-Atkins art museum. Unfortunately the trees in the front lawn do not show signs of the transitioning season. Although I was a bit disappointed I decided to focus more on the Bloch Building designed by Steven Holl. It turned out to be a beautiful night to be outside shooting.

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Tagged: Architecture, Art, Kansas City, Lights, Missouri, Modern Buildings, Mordern Architecture, Nelson Atkins Art Museum, Night Photography, Reflection, Steven Holl, Twilight Photography

Supporting Cast

forum122 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:34:58 +0000

Downtown. The word itself paints a picture in one’s mind, but sometimes the picture it paints leaves out the in between. The key components that fly at a much lower altitude than their sky scraping counterparts. Sometimes underappreciated, underwhelming, and right under your nose. These players are the supporting cast, and without them, downtown would simply not be what it is. These are a few buildings in downtown Kansas City that support the arts and culture, and even though the architecture is on a smaller scale, it is no less significant than the towers rising around it.

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Tagged: Canon, Canon 50D, Canon EOS 50D, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Downtown, Folly Theater, Kansas City, Lyric Opera Theater, Ryan Estes, Ryan Estes Photography, Ryan Estes Photos, Sunset, Twilight Photography

Downtown Skyline

forum122 — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:03:15 +0000

The Kansas City skyline, while not formiddable, definitely has a very unique character. There is also a brand new addition, with the recent grand opening of the Kauffman Performing Arts Center. I have been wanting a good overall panoramic shot of the skyline, and last night provided a pretty good backdrop. Let me know what you think!

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Tagged: Buildings, Canon, Canon 50D, Canon EOS 50D, Car Trails, Downtown, Kansas City, Kansas City Downtown, Kansas City Skyline, Ryan Estes, Ryan Estes Photography, Sunset, Twilight Photography

The Scout

forum122 — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:38:30 +0000

Just outside of the downtown area, perched atop Penn Valley Park, sits “The Scout” statue. He keeps watch to the west for any impending trouble for the downtown area. This area is one of the most picturesque places to view the Kansas City skyline, but it seems far less traveled than the nearby Liberty Memorial. I have wanted to explore this shot for a while, and after shooting it once, I am sure I will be back in the future. On my way back home I made a brief stop at a new installation art piece by John Salvest. It sits on the west lawn of the Federal Reserve in Kansas City. Look carefully because there is a hidden message buried in these foreign shipping containers.

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Tagged: Canon, Canon 50D, Canon EOS 50D, Downtown, Federal Reserve, John Salvest, Kansas City, Kansas City Skyline, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Liberty Memorial, Night Photography, Photography, Scout Statue, Shipping Containers, Sunset, The scout statue, Twilight Photography