" A Late Night Walk "

This is an image I shot last night at the Marietta Cemetary. It is an old, old cemetary in downtown Marietta. It sits adjacent to the Confederate Memorial Cemetary. I was walking through and shooting some long hand held exposures when I saw the cracks in the old road. They really looked spooky along with the headstones. I shot 3 or 4 images and this was the best. They were shot by streetlight, hence the orangy light. I stayed for about an hour and shot some really cool images. I will post some more this week. Hope you enjoy!!

" Winter Dreams "

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and hope you have a great New Year. Here is a little hope for the future, especially with the bleak cold weather we are having in the good old USA. Maybe this will give everyone something to look forward too. I shot this in 2007 and boy was the weathwer nice this summer day. Hope we get lots like it in 2009. Hope you enjoy and think positive!!

" Merry Christmas "

" MERRY CHRISTMAS " to all and hope everyone has a great and loving holiday season. I will be back on Friday the 26th, hope to see everyone then.

" Despair "

This image was shot after a reception at the Cobb/Marietta Museum of Art. I met with some members of the Paulding Photography Club to shoot some night shots around the square in Marietta, GA. The image was taken by street light at a church off the square. The shot was set up to show someone in despair and worked quite well.

The image was shot at with my Canon 5D, Canon 24-70mm 2.8 at 38mm, 2 sec. at f9.5, ISO 400. The subject had to be very still, I shot about three exposures and this was the best. I used Lightroom for some exposure tweaks, no white balance changes were made. Hope you enjoy!!

" The Oldest Cemetary In Brunswick, GA "

These images were made on one of my many trips to the coast of Georgia. This was the first cemetary in Brunswick and has some plots from the 1700's. I just loved the old live oaks covered with moss. There were quite a few confederate graves and most had flags from Memorial Day. The light on this one was really spectacular. The wind allowed for the motion to show on the moss.

The other image was from the grave of Eula Brown, wife of Harry F. Dunwoody. Born in 1862 and died in 1890, only 28 years old. The headstone was very unique and I shot quite a few images, this was the best. The city of Brunswick still maintains the cemetary today. Hope you enjoy!!

" Helena, GA Courthouse "

A beautiful early morning shot of the Helena, GA courthouse. It has been abandoned for quite some time, but was a great shot just after sunrise. Helena is located on the Golden Isles Parkway outside Macon, GA on my way to Brunswick, GA. It is a very small town, very interesting with lots of old shops and buildings. Stop by if you get a chance, the photo ops are well worth the stop. Hope you enjoy.

" Hiram Christmas "

"Merry Christmas from Hiram, GA. This image is my Christmas card for 2008. It was taken last year at the lighting of the Hiram Christmas tree. I spent most of the night photographing the lights and the people. I was there for about an hour and a half and saw about 10 trains come by. Hiram has a switch track for trains to pull over and let others pass. I was about to leave when this idea crossed my mind with the train going by and the tree in the back. This shot has won a couple of competitions with a Christmas theme. Hope you enjoyed!!

" Country Christmas "

Just a little Christmas spirit for all. This is a scene I have seen for quite a few years and just never stopped to shoot. It is an old country barn near my daughter's home, they have decorated it for years. I thought it was very unique since they don't decorate their home. In case anyone in the Dallas, GA area would like to see it, it is off Hwy. 120 on R. C. Thompson Road. Hope you enjoy.

" Cave Springs School "

This is a shot I took back in February of 2008, I shot an HDR group and waited until recently to process the images. This is an old abandoned school in Cave Springs, GA. I have a lot of images from the morning I was there, this being the only HDR.

This is the last of the HDR week images for a while, but they will be back. I hope everyone enjoyed the images for this week and I hope you all give Photomatix Pro 3.1 a try. It is an amazing program and relatively easy to learn. I still have a ways to go, myself.

Their website, where you can get a free trial version is www.hdrsoft.com .

" The Piano "

The last image from the abandoned home outside McRae, GA. This shot is my favorite of all the images I shot while inside the house. I have a thing for pianos in old homes. They are hard to find and are always really cool. I have some images from an old home in Dallas, GA where I live that I will post next week.

I am very new to HDR images, but am enjoying it more every day. You really need to try Photomatix Pro 3.1, it is an amazing tool. Hope you enjoy!!

" Another Image From the McRae House "

Here is another image from inside the McRae house. This image is an HDR produced in Photomatix Pro also. I will be posting another on tomorrow from the same home. I really enjoy finding these old vacant homes, especially when they still have lots of stuff inside.

I have saved the best for last tomorrow, so enjoy. Everyone who is interested in HDR should go and get the free trial of Photomatix Pro 3.1 and try it before you buy it.

" Outside McRae, GA "

Another early HDR from my trip to Brunswick, GA on November 24, 2008. This was an old homeplace I spotted from the windmill and water tower in back. After photographing the exterior I decided to see what was inside. The photos today thru Thursday will all be from the interior.

This image was made from a set of 5 raw files taken from normal to -1,-2,+1,+2. They were then imported into Photomatix 3.1 Pro and then tonemapped with details enhancer. They were then opened in Photoshop CS3 and tweaked further until the resulting image. Pretty good for a beginner at this, I thought. Hope you enjoy.

" HDR Week "

This is my very first attempt at producing a High Dynamic Range photo. As you can see I chose a very safe image taken this fall at Sweetwater Creek state park in Metro Atlanta. It was a good candidate being that it was later in the morning and the best light had already passed. The area above the fall had little detail and the foreground was somewhat blown. All in all I thought it went very well for my first attempt.

I used Photomatix Pro 3.1, which is a great program to use and relatively simple to start with. It is still not simple and requires some practice. There are many coupons available for this product. NAPP is the one I used, which gives members 20% off, to bring the cost down to around $79. This is a steal for the work this program will do.

I will be posting some more HDR's the rest of this week. Hope you enjoy.

" Holiday Show at Gallery 4463 "

The Holiday Show will open tonight at 6PM at Gallery 4463 located at 4463 Cherokee Street, Acworth, GA. This show has work from over 30 local artists in a variety of mediums. Please come out and support the local artists and enjoy some great food, wine and fellowship with us.

"Sold"

What a great feeling it is to sell an image. This image was sold at my show in Brunswick, GA. It was actually shot in the upstairs portion of the Ritz Theatre where the show was held. They had begun renovations, but hadn't got to this area yet. It was one of those right place at the right time photos and only lasted about 3 minutes. Always be ready!!

" Some Locals From Brunswick, GA"

Here are a couple of images of local people from my trip to Brunswick, GA in October. The first image was an accident sort of, I stopped and parked to photograph a front porch with a hammock. When I got out I saw the girl playing on her Mom's front porch amongst the laundry hung out to dry. I thought, what a cool shot, I didn't even notice the play pistol in her hand when I shot the image, but what an addition to the image.

The second image was a group of folks sitting under some trees in their front yard plating Spades. I drove by once to scope it out, then went around the block and came back to ask if I could photograph them playing. As usual they were happy to let me. This is the only shot out of about 30 that I wanted to use. I love this shot as it seems to show all about the game.

"Clouds in the Canyon"

A couple of shots from Cloudland Canyon in N. W. Georgia. It is the most visited State Park in Georgia. These were taken before the start of our workshop on November 8, 2008. We managed to hit the fall color right on the nose. We had a great time and met a lot of wonderful people.

We spent some time here at the rim and then hiked down to both falls. It was absolutely gorgeous. We are planning another workshop in the fall of 2009, the details will be coming soon.

" A Unique Person I Met"

I was on my way to Brunswick, GA last Tuesday to get my photography exhibit and just outside McRae, GA I saw these sculptures. I noticed the location and decided I would stop on my way back. When I pulled up, no one was home. I eventually talked to the grandson and his grandfather was out getting breakfast. I was afraid I would not be able to wait. I started photographing his works and soon after he came home.

Charley has been working with metal for years and had some amazing work, most of which were motorized. His fisherman and fish was an inspiration after his grandson caught a huge fish. The horse he made to attach to the old kerosene wagon he had. Charley was an amazing personality to meet. He has recently been forced to retire at age 85 because of a pacemaker. Which won't do well with the electric welder.

If you are ever on the Golden Isles Highway, please stop by and see Charley Grimsley.

Look for the big fish and the fisherman.

"Back to Brunswick, GA"

I am hreaded back to Brunswick to pick up all my work. Will be photographing for the last time for a while on the coast of Georgia. I have never shot there in the winter, hoping for some clouds on the beach. Not to run it in the ground, but this is a wonderful place to shoot anytime you can. Jekyll Island is great for a lot of different opportunities, beach, dunes, marsh and of course the driftwood on Driftwood Beach. If ypu ever get the chance to go, don't miss it. Hope you enjoy!!

Won't be posting again until after Thanksgiving, unless I find time while on the beach.

"Fall Color"

Just a touch of fall color. Desktop is still down, but I wanted to get something up from the last week. Just a sampling, hope to be up and running sometime today. Thanks for the patience.

"Sorry for the delay in posts"

My computer crashed Saturday, Thank the lord for backing up. Will be back one day this week, hopefully.

Mike

"Sweetwater Creek State Park"

Just a quick post this morning from yesterdays shoot. I really haven't finished processing these yet, but wanted to at least get one up for you. The weather was great, the water level was great, it was just great. Hope you enjoy.

"Sweetwater Creek State Park"

We are going to the park this morning to shoot Fall color. Will post images later today or tomorrow. This is a very easy to reach Atlanta area State Park. The creek is only about .1 miles from the parking lot and almost always has water. Hope you enjoy.

"North Carolina Creekside"

Here is another image from my North Carolina trip. This creek was beside a campground on the way to Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. You could just walk down and shoot, a great photo opportunity. This area is loaded with really great spots to shoot. My advice is to try and have more than 1 day to cover this area. Hope you enjoy!

Morning on Lake Santeetlah in North Carolina. This image was made on a short one day trip to N. C. in middle October. The fog was lifting off the lake and the sun was just coming up. It was about 35 chilly degrees, but was well worth it. What a beautiful morning and the color wasn't really close to peak. This area is gorgeous this time of year. Hope you enjoy.

My Cloudland Canyon Workshop is this Saturday. We are looking forward to a great day of learning for all those who have signed up, there is still room for a few more, if interested call or email me at 770-235-2355, mikenalley@comcast.net. My email provider is changing some things, so if I don't respond it could be down, in which case calling me will do a better job.

We will spend the entire day at the canyon, both at the crest shooting the canyon and below shooting the waterfalls and the fall color. We plan to help with composition, water shooting and fall colors. Pray for rain before then as we have a problem with the drought.

Looking forward to seeing all who are participating and hope to hear from some of you.

Just a fun image taken in N. Georgia on a trip to The Pocket outside Lafayette, GA. It is a well known wildflower destination. We came across this farm on the road in and when we began to photograph the barn these cows came quickly over to check us out. I also checked them out. Just a fun image to take you into the weekend. Thanks for viewing.

Close encounters of the Bovine kind. This is a shot I did last year while in S. Georgia. I had been out shooting abandoned buildings and landscapes when i ran across these cows. They were very freindly and I started shooting. This one came the closest and he wound up being the most interesting of the herd. It is really a neat shot with lots of detail. Hope you enjoy!!

"Driftwood Beach"

Well I have been back to Brunswick, GA again. I have an exhibit hanging in the Ritz Theatre downtown. The Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association was kind enough to give me a one man show thru November 26, 2008. Please come by and see my work if you are in the area.

While there I visited Jekyll Island and Driftwood Beach for the third time. This is one of the most beautiful places in Georgia. The island is accessable for only a $3 a day fee. It has beaches, dunes, wildlife, bike trails and a lot of history. Please visit, you will be impressed. I look forward to my visit in November for one last shoot when I pick up my work.

"A Sad Coincidence"

I am finally back blogging. This is a sad occasion and a strange coincidence. The last blog post was about smoking and at the time my father was battling lung cancer which had spread throughout his body. Sadly on September 11, 2008, the day after the post, he passed away. He was 80 years old and lived a long wonderful life.

My mother and I are still trying to cope with the loss. I hope to be back on a regular basis from now on. We both loved him dearly and will miss him terribly. Hopefully Dad and my brother Pat are playing a round of golf together right now. It'll probably be a tie.

"Smokin"

Two more imagwes from the 70's, back when smoking was still cool and safe. The top image is a good friend of mine who went on to be a teacher and I think quit smoking. The second is Dent Myers who I have photographed for over 30 years. The last time was October 2007 at his store "Wildmans Civil War Surplus" in Kennesaw, GA. He is partly responsible for the law that makes it mandatory that you own a handgun in Kennesaw.

Mike

"More from the 70's"

Both of these images were taken at a Gold Rish Festival in Dahlonega, GA in the late 1970's. I attended the festival regularly for a few years. The Banjo Man was a big favorite of mine because of his expression and the fact that on the print you can see he has only 1 dollar in his hat. That was a pretty good donation in the late 70's.

The top image is one of my all time favorites, the title is Three Men and No Baby. In the print you can see the middle gut is rolling his own with Prince Albert in the can. This is a timeless image and they are totally self involved.

Mike

"Photo 4 show on Friday 9/5/08"

Just a quick invitation to all. The "Photo 4" exhibit opens on September 5, 2008 at Gallery 4463 in Acworth, GA. The gallery is located at 4463 Cherokee Street in Acwoth. The reception is from 6:30 - 10:00 PM.

The exhibit features the work of Mike Nalley, Mark Hutchison, John Clemmer and Damian Guarnieri. Bill Kettering also has a set of his work in the salon. Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Mike

"Still stuck in the 70's"

Just a couple more old images from the 1970's. these were also scanned from film and the worked in Photoshop. I still shoot film and scan, but only black & white. There is just a different look to the film.

I will continue with more images from the 70's tomorrow.

Mike

"Two oldies, but goodies"

These shots were taken in 1979 while I was studying photography at the Art Institute of Atlanta. The first one is a study of Dent Myers who owns Wildman's Civil War Surplus in Kennesaw, GA. Dent is one of the main reasons for the law passed that everyone in Kennesaw must own a gun for protection. He has also been a technical advisor on many Civil War movies.

The second image is of a dumpster diver back when it was a new occupation. As you can see he is not the happiest man in the world. I don't think he was to happy to have his photo taken while diving. This has been another of my favorite images over the years.

Thanks for visiting, I will continue with oldr images for the time being.

Mike

"Back to the 70's"

I am going back to some photographs I took back in the 1970's. They were all taken with Kodak Plus-X black and white film and then scanned. Some of these negatives are 40 years old and are in great condition.

The one on top "Piedmont School" was the first shot I made that I thought was a really good photo. It was taken while working in Monticello, GA in 1976. I had an afternoon off and found this old abandoned school and it was unlocked so in I went.

I am going to continue with old stuff for the rest of the week. Feeling kinda nostalgic for some reason.

Mike