Sean M. Leahy Photography

In celebration of Labor Day this year, a few friends and I piled into a car and headed up north to Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge.  We went to the bridge to participate in the 52nd annual Bridge Walk.  Every year (for the last 52 anyway) they shut down the bridge on Labor Day and people from all over the country (and World) walk across the bridge.  It is quite the spectacle.  We were lucky to have great weather all weekend, we did have a nice patch of fog roll in on us as we were crossing the bridge, so that made for some interesting atmosphere to both walk and photograph.  The following video is a short compilation of the some 1000+ images I shot while on my trip.

Click images for larger view.

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This was my first skydive and it was an incredible experience. It was some of the most fun I have ever had, a truly amazing adrenaline rush. I can’t thank the team at Skydive Tecumseh enough, they were really cool, professional, and fun. When we got to the airfield we were able to watch the plane-load ahead of us depart and all the jumpers land safely while we filled out our safety waivers. After that we took a short safety course then suited up in our gear. Once in the airplane it was a short 15 minute ride to our jumping altitude of 14,000 ft. A short walk to the rear of the plane was all that was left before jumping out. Free fall lasted for roughly 40 seconds or so before our canopy was deployed. Once the shoot was open it was a short 5-6 min ride to the bottom. I was pleasantly surprised too feel first hand how easy it is to steer your parachute. We came into the drop zone fast and made a super smooth landing. I could not help but smile from ear to ear, what an amazing experience that I will never forget. And yes, I am ready to go again.

I would seriously recommend Skydive Tecumseh to anyone who wants to experience skydiving.

All Pictures courtesy of Skydive Tecumseh (click for larger view).

I recently took a trip to Ireland with family and it was an absolute blast.  I traveled the countryside with camera in hand as we moved our way from Dublin to Galway via the southern coastline.  Most notably I enjoyed my time in Kinsale and Galway (including the Aran Islands).  It was a wonderful trip filled with great beer, family, friends and adventure.  (click images for larger view)

When traveling, I always try and take my travel camera kit, and this trip was no exception.  My kit consists of the Lowpro Fastpack 350 which I must say is rather roomy and not only can it hold all of my gear, there is room in the top compartment for a few days worth of clothes.  Inside the bag I had my Nikon D300 with the “never-leave-home-without-it” Nikkor 18-200mm VR lens, a trusty 50mm f1.8 and of course my Nikkor 10.5mm fisheye.  In addition to that I also had an SB-600 and SB-800 with a host of modifiers just in case.

Cosi HDR

The second annual Worldwide Photowalk is just about here.  This year there are 914 walks happening all over the globe.  You can be apart of one right here in East Lansing!  I will be hosting (leading) this years’ Photowalk in East Lansing on Saturday July 18th, 2009 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.  We will be walking around the beautiful campus of Michigan State University as well as Grand River Avenue in the hopes of getting some great images and meeting other photographers.

What is a Photowalk? A photowalk is just a social gathering for photographers of all skill levels to get together and share their passion for photography while walking around shooting images for a set amount of time in a certain location.

If you are interested in joining, don’t forget to sign up! There’s still time.  To register visit http://worldwidephotowalk.com/east-lansing-mi-usa/

Don’t forget to see the prize list…you could potentially win some really great stuff.

Hope to see you on Saturday!

Bare with the pretty lame post. I am currently on the road in Ireland and the Internet service is rather spotty.

So far the trip has been fun and relaxing. After landing in Dublin and spending the evening in Temple Bar (a place near and dear to my heart) we set off for the coast. Our first attempt to find a place in Wexford (south east) ended in a failed attempt of driving in circles so we ended finding lodging in the country side harbor town of Dungarvan.

After a day of exploring the town of Dungarvan we are ready to head into a more busy direction. Tomorrow we are headed to Kinsale the culinary capital of Ireland. On the way we are planning to hit Blarney Castle.

Here are a few images from my travel so far from my trusty old iPhone.

Recently I was on a business trip to Portland Oregon.  While I was there I had a few minutes to shoot some images of the old iron bridges in the city.  While the weather was not cooperative I was able to get a few shots in between the rain and mist.

(click the images to see larger view)

All of the images above were shot with my Nikon D300 and the amazingly versatile (I never travel without it) 18-200mm VRII lens.  I know I am becoming quite the broken record on this one, but that lens has proven time and time again to be one of the best travel lens I have ever used.  Its consistently sharp, and no matter what the situation is you’ve got the right focal length for about 90% of all your travel type shots.

Recently I was up in the Northwest portion of Michigan’s lower peninsula.  While I was not there for any specific photographic reason, I of course managed to bring along my camera bag and tripod.  While we were there I got a few pictures of the “gang” using one (or in some cases 2) off camera flashes.

Click the image to see a larger view

All of the images above were taken with my Nikon D300 and the amazingly versatile Nikkor 18-200mm VRII lens.  I have been using this lens as my primary (do it all) lens for about 9 months now and it continues to impress me.  There is better glass available sure, but with this lens you always have the “right” lens attached to your camera, and that is where its value truly lies.