Distractions or... about deleting them

One of the features included in the latest versions of Lightroom Classic is the ability to remove people from a scene. I had the opportunity to test this option on a few photos from our last trip to St. Augustine, and I’m impressed with the results. Here are two of them.

These pictures were taken on Labor Day weekend, on a Sunday. Believe me, the Castillo de San Marcos was packed with people.

Another popular spot with people cleaned/deleted by this option. 

 The feature may fail to detect people who are too close to the camera or when only partial body parts are visible in the frame. In such cases, manual selection and removal using the traditional tools in Lightroom is still required. For best results, try to use the tool on scenes where subjects are fully visible and at a moderate distance—this gives the AI a clearer reference and produces cleaner edits. 

By the way, all these pictures were taken using the Tamron 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD Zoom Lens for Canon EF Cameras, you can find the link to buy this lens and my opinion about it here.

Karate Events in Hotel Conference Rooms

The last karate event was held in a hotel conference room, and the lighting was less than ideal for sports photography.

 For this event, I set my Canon R6 to Auto ISO capped at 25,600, which wasn’t enough to produce bright images when shooting at a 1/1000 shutter speed even when I was using my trusty EF70-200 L f/2.8. All my photos came out dark, and fixing them in post-processing was challenging because bringing up the exposure also amplified noise, which ruined the shots.

 In my usual post-editing workflow, I start by running all my photos through DxO PureRAW. This step helps clean up the files and prepares them for Lightroom Classic, where they’re automatically exported at the end of the process. In Lightroom, I fine-tune the exposure and adjust other aspects of the image, and for extra sharpness, I often send them through Topaz Photo AI. Normally, I don’t rely much on the DeNoise feature in Topaz Photo AI, but in this case, the amount of noise in my pictures made it necessary. It’s a good reminder that each situation requires flexibility in editing, even if it means stepping outside of your usual workflow.

 Another challenge is that in such large rooms, the lighting is uneven across the space, which often requires more frequent exposure adjustments during post-processing. This significantly increases the amount of time spent on editing.

I hope this gave you a better sense of what goes on behind the scenes, because photography is so much more than just pressing a button. For me, the joy is not only in creating the pictures, but also in sharing the journey with you.

Do you need a Karate Photo Session? Check my services here.   

Karate: A Path to Strong Friendship

 

When I look at karate, I don’t just see a martial art. I see a place where friendships grow stronger than anywhere else.

In the dojo, I’ve watched people of all ages train together. At first, they’re strangers—unsure, maybe even a little nervous. But as the weeks pass, something special happens. The shared sweat, the discipline, the challenge of pushing past limits—those experiences bring people closer. Sparring partners become teammates, and teammates become friends.

What makes karate different is the respect it builds. Every bow, every handshake, every word of encouragement deepens trust. Even in sparring, where intensity is high, there’s no room for malice. Instead, there’s a bond—an understanding that we’re here to help each other grow.

I’ve seen friendships form in karate that last years. Kids who cheer for each other in tournaments, adults who encourage one another through tough times, families that come together around the dojo. These friendships aren’t casual—they’re forged through discipline, respect, and shared effort.

For me, karate is more than training or competition. It’s about the people, the friendships, and the sense of community that stays with you long after class is over. The punches and kicks may fade, but the friendships remain strong.

Fountain of Youth, a magic place

Visiting Saint Augustine is like stepping back in time to an old Spanish city, and don’t be surprised if you encounter a few pirates along the way, mock-shooting at you.

Weapon demonstration at Fountain of Youth.

 

The Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park in St. Augustine, established in 1904, commemorates the legendary spring said to restore youth. It highlights the early Spanish settlement founded in 1565, the oldest continuously occupied European-established city in the U.S. Visitors can explore exhibits on Native American and Spanish history, see reconstructed 16th-century settlements, and stroll through gardens where peacocks roam freely. 

Ponce de León statue. 

 Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer and conquistador, best known for leading the first European expedition to Florida in 1513 and for his legendary search for the Fountain of Youth.

 

Cannon shooting demonstration.

At the Fountain of Youth, history and nature intertwine. Stroll among ancient ruins, wandering peacocks, and lush gardens, and let the past come alive around you—an experience that lingers long after you leave.

 

Introduction to photography

 We got our grandsons some old Fujifilm cameras and they loved them!

Even the 5-year-old mastered the art of switching between shooting photos and videos, pretending to be vlogging—which was funny to watch.

I explained to the 8-year-old the concept of switching the camera’s orientation to better fit vertically oriented objects or figures. He quickly understood the reasoning behind it and immediately began applying the newly learned information.

Liam and Leo taking pictures of their parents!

They quickly picked up how to half-press the shutter button to focus before taking a picture—something I honestly thought would be the hardest part for them to grasp. Of course, they were shooting in Auto Mode, but here’s the interesting part: many adults I know never switch their camera out of Auto, either!

The 10-year-old’s and the 8-year-old’s pictures were all in focus, and they quickly deleted any that were blurred or that they simply didn’t like. All three of them ran around looking for interesting things to photograph—and, of course, kept an eye on me to see what I was shooting, often taking pictures of the same subjects.

They’re kids, and of course the cameras felt like new toys to them, but I’m sure they’ll never forget the joy those old cameras gave them. I believe they’ll continue taking photos and videos for the rest of their lives.

One thing is certain: watching them capture moments by my side is a memory I will forever carry in my heart.

 

 

During the last busy weekend

Oh yes, last weekend was a busy one, and I’m still post-editing pictures. We traveled to Saint Augustine to cover our grandson’s karate competition and also took the opportunity to explore the city—and of course, take thousands of pictures. I’ll be sharing some of them here. Peacocks are something you don’t commonly see in the U.S., but there are a few places in Florida where they can be spotted.

 Peafowl—the correct term encompassing both the flamboyant male peacock and the more modest peahen—are originally native to the Indian subcontinent, including parts of India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka 
Everglades Holiday Park. Their vibrant presence in Florida, however, is purely thanks to human introduction.

At St. Augustine’s famous Fountain of Youth Park, the first breeding pair was introduced in the late 1960s. Today, dozens of peafowl—some of them striking white leucitic variants—roam and roost among the oak trees and historic ruins of the park. 

Today, peacocks in Florida have stepped off exotic bird posters and into everyday life. From roadside sightings to community mascots, they represent both nature's unpredictability and the whimsical side of human–wildlife interactions.

Whether you see them as beautiful relics of the past or charming neighbors in feathers, these birds have made Florida their home—and given us quite the story to tell.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes what you see is not what it is

I thought that I was seeing a hummingbird flying around some flowers, and it was not until I checked the picture using the zoom feature that I noticed that it was not a bird; it was a Banded Sphinx Moth. It is usually a night flyer, but every now and then, you can spot one early in the morning feeding on flowers. With its powerful wings and bird-like hovering, it’s easy to mistake it for a tiny hummingbird. 

A rare and magical sight to start the day!