Steve Gallow - A Year in Photos

Retirement of this Blog

2010-08-22T10:54:00.002-04:00

I've come to a decision to officially retire this blog. The name no longer fits with my new method of posting. I'll keep it around for a while, because I like to come back to it.

I want to thank all of you who have looked over my photos, commented, and became friends. It's been an incredible experience for me.

I've found what I think will be become a more interesting method of posting. It's called Tumblr. It seems to be to be a combination of Facebook, Blogs, and Twitter combined into one application. It's very easy to post photos, links, quotes, audio, video, and chat all from one place. I hope you'll come over and check it out.

The new address is http://photographer-wannabe.tumblr.com

Come on over and have some fun.

Steve

A Trip to NY City

2010-08-15T21:00:00.000-04:00

Gary and Maude Rith invited us along for a day in NY City. Since it's been 30 years since I've been there, I said let's go. And go we did.

Being a a "Go with the Flow" type of guy, I really appreciate Gary planning the event, and his knowledge of the city. Judy and I held on for the ride.

Our first race was to Grand Central Station to catch a subway south. (Sorry about the blurry photo, I was crossing the street while taking the shot.)

I think I could spend several days just in Grand Central station taking photos.

After taking the 6 train we met one of Gary's customers, Julie, at the vegan restaurant Wild Ginger on Broom Street. This was some of best vegan food I have ever eaten.

It was a good thing we stopped because we were just beginning, and needed the substance for the rest of the day.

Julie spent most of the day with us, and was a lot of fun to be around.

Maude's sisters also live in NY, and joined us. Wow, we had 4 tour guides for the two of us!

I could easily spend a life time in NY photographing buildings. While people were finishing their deserts at a vegan bakery, I wondered the streets taking photographs of the interesting buildings.

I live in a very rural area. Birds are very wary of people in this area, and it's difficult to take photos of them. I'm always intrigued when we are in areas that have a lot of people, and birds respond in a much different way. I spent some time photographing pigeons, and photographing people taking photographs of pigeons. (I think that Gary also took photographs of me taking photographs of pigeons.)
These photos were from Sutton Park. I think that is the Queensboro Bridge in the background. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Or course, I have to have at least one type of tourist photo. Here's Radio City Music Hall.

I think one of the really neat things about traveling with Gary and Maude is that we were able to see a different part of the city that is not the typical tourist things to see. Here we are outside a small shop that sells tens of thousands of all types of buttons.

After a fun day of travel we stopped for dinner at Heartland Brewery on 6th ave. We thought it best to sample the various hardy beverages, and we were not disappointed. (The food was also great.)

So there you have my travel log of the trip. I must return sooner than 30 years from now. I may not be quite as quick at 80 as I am at 50.

Camping at Peg's Pond

2010-08-13T17:09:00.000-04:00

Peg's Pond is a magical place without electricity, a pit toilet, no running water, no cell phone service, and plenty of places to pitch a tent. We spend the weekend as we have for over 30 years with great friends. Cooking is all done over a wood fire where food tastes the best. I especially like the roasted sweet corn. It's a time of swimming, having a few drinks, resting, and reading. May you enjoy your Peg's pond sometime this summer.

Friday Night at The Haunt with The Purple Valley

2010-08-13T16:44:00.000-04:00

After a day of wine tasting we headed to the Haunt in Ithaca to listen to The Purple Valley play some of their great music. I enjoy taking photos of people when they are doing what they really love.

Friday Wine Tasting the Finger Lakes

2010-08-13T16:38:00.000-04:00

The Finger Lakes Region of NY has some fantastic wineries. Last Friday Judy and I were able to take a shuttle tour of several of the Wineries around Seneca Lake.

Although we really enjoyed the day long event, I think that one or two wineries would be enough for one day. My palate quickly looses it's ability to distinguish between the various wines.

We really enjoyed the Dry Riesling and the Gewurztraminer.

BAMF Art Blog Bunch Summer Show

2010-08-02T08:26:00.004-04:00

Some of the members of the BAMF Art Blog Bunch have gotten together and entered this online show. Please have a look at our work!

Kasey Baker

My thoughts: I have so many thoughts. This is the Summer show and this is my Summer entry. As I said last show I plan on doing a painting for each of the seasons. This is just the Summertime feel for me. Vacations, getting away and being in your own little world.

I don't have etsy or anywhere else I sell things. If you want to buy things from me you'll have to contact me by email or facebook.

I have a blog which is the most important thing that exists on the internet today. You might be reading this on it. Kudos, you. You make good decisions.

Here's some other things I've done in a facebook photo album.

Gary Rith

(vase by Gary Rith)
When you have a show, you want to showcase something amazing, and this is actually a humble little vase, BUT I had been fiddling with my glazes and wound up with this wild and bright TURQUOISE last week, which I used here with the frogs. Frogs and bright turquoise are quite summery! I will be tempted to use turquoise on everything. In additon, this vase, as humble as it is, has an unusual origin. 4 years ago in October I had my first ever open studio on Columbus Day weekend. My first EVER web customer CM came down from Toronto and Allison and Trevor came from across the street, along with dozens of other people. Allison was HUGELY pregnant and gave birth a day or 2 later. Allison's mom came to visit my studio with her grandaughter last week and this is the vase I made, and I was able to joke that the last time (nearly 4 years ago) Roxy was in my studio, she was just a big bump in her mama's belly....
You can email me directly about purchases garyrith@yahoo.com or purchase this vase or something like it at my online etsy gallery and look at what I am up to every day on my daily blog.

Steve Gallow

Summer Time is a time of relaxation and adventure. My family likes to travel to different parts of the world to see new things. As a photographer, this is a great time to find new subjects to photograph. I enjoy photographing the typical tourist shots in new ways that haven't been seen before. I hope that you will enjoy the few photos that I selected as part of the BAMF Art Blog Bunch's Summer Art Show. See them here on my Smugmug Site. Stevo

George and Maureen Johnson
Here is George's entry in the Art Blog Show. He loves to make unusual bottles with sculpted stoppers. He works with glazes called saturated, in this case saturated black. It has a sort of soft metallic look to it. The bottle is wheel thrown, the base is hand built (but attached), the stopper is hand sculpted to resemble wrapped wire. The bottom of the stopper is glazed with a textured glaze. It is made out of stoneware. The size of the bottle is 8 1/4" tall including stopper. If you are interested in purchasing this bottle the price is $40.00 plus shipping. You can email me at mjohnson100@wi.rr.com
Here is my entry for the Art Show. This is what is called a "Gourd Pitcher". As you know I have a great love for ancient styles, but love to put a modern twist to them in regards to the glaze choices. It is wheel thrown, stoneware. The pitcher has a pulled handle with a sort of gourd vine curl at the end. I fired this piece to cone 5 with a 15 minute soak. The reason I fired it that way is because I like the results on the reactive glaze in juxtaposition to the solid green color. I didn't want them to run together. The pitcher is 9 3/4" Tall, the cups are 3" in diameter and appx. 2 1/2" tall.

The price is $50.00 plus shipping for the complete set. I do not sell online, so you can email me at mjohnson100@wi.rr.com if you are interested in purchasing it.

Kerry Barnes
This is always how it starts out, isn't it? A perfect, tranquil day and then... chaos! Danger! Adventure!

Available as a framed, matted print up to 11"x14".
Please email me for details and prices.

Ithaca Kind of Day

2010-08-01T15:49:00.000-04:00

Saturday Judy and I had an Ithaca kind of day. We began the day with a trip to the Ithaca Farmers Market. It's an incredible place where incredible foods meet incredible artisans and musicians on a waterfront. Every week it's something new with different bands, the latest harvest, and amazing people. It's a must see if you are in the Ithaca area.

We purchased great foods that we would eat at the end of the day.

I took this photo or orange while I worked on my Miksang Photography skills.

Our next stop was the Ithaca Commons. It's another must see if you're in the Ithaca area. There a lot of shops that you wouldn't see anywhere else. It's also a great place to go to watch people. (I didn't take any photos here today, but have in the past.)

Later in the evening we made our way with the bounty that we had collected at the Farmers Market to Taughannock Falls. We walked the short 3/4 mile walk up the gorge to see the falls. It's been a dry summer, so the falls are just a trickle.

After the hike the the falls we made our way back to the lake where we had a picnic supper, and waited for the Summer Concert Series to begin. At 7:00 we were treated to the sounds of Joe Crookston and the Bluebird Jamboree. I'm not sure if Joe Crookston normally plays alone or with the Bluebird Jamboree, but they had a great time together. Each member of the Bluebird Jamboree is and incredible artist as well. A good time was had by all, and the weather was fantastic. A great end to a great day.

Another Tree That I Have Been Watching

2010-07-31T06:15:00.000-04:00

Last night Judy and I started with a beer at the Chapter House with Gary and Maude and Friends, and then the Ithaca Artist's Market. The Ithaca Artist's Market is a great event that happens once a year. It was a great opportunity to see other people's work from the area. There are a lot of photographers in this area, and some of their work is fantastic.

On the way home, we had to take a detour because of road work. As we passed Ludgate Farms, I noticed this tree. I've driven by this tree several times, and have often thought of stopping and photographing it. Last night the lighting was spectacular. Thank you detours.

Steve

Cat Tails

2010-07-24T10:47:00.000-04:00

I took a photo walk this morning. I'm always surprised by what I end up photographing when I go on a photo walk. The things that I think will be interesting turn out not to be, and things I didn't even think of stand out yelling photograph me. This was one of those days.

In this photo I like how the leaves have the look of ribbons.

Enjoy your weekend.

Lighthouses, Birds, and Deserts. A Week Long Family Vacation/Photo Shoot of the Outer Banks.

2010-07-18T18:39:00.000-04:00

Our family just returned from a week long vacation at the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I decided to post a few of my favorite photos from the trip.
Before this year I knew very little about this area of the country. It's an incredible area that I highly recommend.
If you've never been to the Outer Banks the first thing you should do is look at a map.

View Larger Map

You can easily see that the Outerbanks is a series of Islands off of North Carolina. One one side of the Island is the Sound, and the other side is the Ocean.

We stayed in Rodanthe. It was a short walk to the Ocean and the Sound. Each body of water offers two very unique attraction. On the Ocean side the waves are incredible. There are many surfers and fishers. We spent time there body surfing, swimming, looking at crabs at night, and combing the beach for shells. On the Sound side there are various types of sports like kite surfing, jet skiing, and bird watching.

Lighthouses

If you enjoy Lighthouses, the Outer Banks is for you. There are 5. Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras, Currituck Beach, Ocracoke, and The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse. We visited two while we were there Cape Hatteras, and Ocracoke. Cape Hatteras is probably the most famous of the Light Houses. For a small fee you can climb the stairs, and get an incredible view from the top. Be prepared to climb!

Interior of Cape Hatteras Light House

Two Ravens Hang Out on top of Ocracoke Lighthouse

Birds
Although I know very little about birds, I very much enjoyed seeing many types of birds that are not common where I live. Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge has several experts. While there we observed Gulls, Pelicans, Egrets, Mocking Birds, and Osprey.

Desert

A quick visit to Jockey's Ridge State Park gives vistors an opportunity to climb 100 foot sand dunes. We felt like we were in the desert. In this first photo our group stands before descending the valley, and climbing to the next dune in the distance.

I'm now relaxed. I'm going to have to try and fit my feet back into shoes after a week of sandals and flip flops. I'll begin looking at a calendar again tomorrow to see what day it is.

Magic Bus

2010-07-10T19:53:00.001-04:00

When I was driving home the other day I came across this gem. Old buses come in handy for many things in this area. Campers, homes, storage, and a farm transport vehicle. But the most interesting use was as a Pig House. I'm not sure what is up with this one, but i was a great opportunity for some photographs.

More Fireworks

2010-07-05T09:55:00.001-04:00

This weekend we were invited to a lot of different events, so we had to pick and choose. We spent a lot of time with Aunts, Uncles, Parents, Cousins, and new family members. We shared the stories of our family, laughed, remembered those who are no longer with us, and played with those who have just begun their journey. It was so much fun!

Some neighbors also invited us to their annual party. We saw neighbors, and celebrated with more fireworks.

The celebration began with sparklers for the kids. I tried to play with the sparklers, but I was told I needed to be more responsible. I stuck to my camera.

After the sparklers the fireworks began. This one looks like it was sponsored by Nike.

Happy birthday USA. Remember your diverse roots, learn from your mistakes, be humble in your accomplishments, and move toward a better world for all.

July 2, 2010, Fireworks

2010-07-02T23:00:00.003-04:00

It's Friday July 2nd. I'm looking forward to having a 3 day weekend of fun. There are so many things to do this weekend, and not enough time to do it all.

Tonight we went to the Groton Elementary School to celebrate the birth of our Nation. It was a great night for a very diverse Country. I hope we find strength in that diversity, and embrace it.

Lessons Learned:

Long shutter speeds at low ISO's seem to work well. I think I need a remote for the camera so that I can use it in bulb mode.

June 30, 2010, Future Prince

2010-06-30T18:52:00.001-04:00

What a week it has been. One Birthday Party, two Anniversaries, one child Graduating, and three Graduations parties. It's been so much fun, and I haven't had much time to look through the photos and blog.

We hosted a Graduation Party for my son at my Aunt and Uncle's pond. Graduations Parties at the pond are a must. They are highly attended, and people stay around for a long time. There was lots of laughter and playing. We had a great time, and are very proud of our son.

In this photo my young cousin is holding a future prince. I do think she ended up kissing the frog at one point, and freaking a lot of the women guests by asking if they wanted to hold the frog.

Lessons Learned:

At family gathers it's more fun not being the photographer. I just took a few photos, but spent most of the time talking with friends and family. (and helping with the food.)

Photo details: Exposure time 1/200 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 40 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

June 25, 2010. 27 Years Later

2010-06-25T22:39:00.003-04:00

It was a great day. All of my children and their significant others are home for the weekend for my youngest son's Graduation. It also happens to be Judy and my 27th Anniversary. Wow, time really does fly.

After a trip to the Chapter House we stopped at the local Wegmans grocery store to pick up some dinner to take to Stewart Park to watch the Sun set.

As we stood on the edge of Cayuga Lake I noticed Judy's toes on the rock, and thought of Becky Jo's bowl with the toes. I thought it would make a cool photo.

Don't forget to visit Monochrome Weekend.

June 20, 2010 Father's Day

2010-06-20T20:19:00.001-04:00

Photo details: Exposure time 1/25 sec, Aperture f/16.0 ISO 100, Focal Length 90 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, tripod.

Happy Father's Day!

My Aunt and Uncle have an incredible place near their home. It's a pond with a lean-to. You might say, "What's so special about a pond and a lean-to?" What makes it so special is the hospitality that they each have. Each of my children have requested that this be the place that they celebrate their graduations. My Uncle just smiles, and says of course. Next weekend we will celebrate my youngest son's graduation from High School at "The Pond."

When one of my Grandfathers was still alive, this was his favorite place to be on Fathers day. He'd be there surrounded by his children, and his grandchildren with the biggest smile on his face. For several years we have carried on the tradition, and today was no exception. Somehow I felt like my Grandfather was still their enjoying his children, his grand children, and now his great grand children.

I took a little time out to try and take a few photographs. The first photo I noticed a lot of wild flowers growing in the hay field. I crawled along and put my tripod at a very low angle.

The second photo is another attempt at photographing Barn Swallows. These birds are so fast, and they swoop quickly. In this photo the swallow is returning to flight after hitting the top of the pond.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/2500 sec, Aperture f/3.5, ISO 100, Focal Length 78 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, tripod.

June 17, 2010, Experimenting with Depth of Field

2010-06-17T20:43:00.001-04:00

This is a work in progress. I had lunch today at "The Plum Tree",a local Japanese Restaurant. I noticed the reflection of the building in one of the
bowls.

I liked the clarity of the building, and the blurred image of the bowls. I tried a varity of f-stops for different amounts of blurr on the bowl. I haven't quite balanced it yet, but I think this technique has potential for interesting photos.

Which image do you like the best of the three?

These images where submitted to James' Weekend Reflections. Check out the great work of James and others.

June 13, 2010

2010-06-13T19:42:00.001-04:00

I had to head to Ithaca for a new hard drive. My 1 terabyte drive, and my 750 gigabyte drive are both full of photos. It's time to move up to a 2 terabyte drive.

I've mentioned in the past that I sometimes have a place in mind where I want to come back and take photographs. This particular area is one that I have looked at since I was a child. Near this area there is a group of Willow Trees around a pond in the middle of a field. As a child I used to tell my parents that the pond was the puddle that the Weeping Willows made.

Today as I passed this area the fog was just right. I stopped and took some photographs. The Willows were to far away to get the type of photo that I wanted, but I thought this one worked well.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/320 sec, Aperture f/5.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 70 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

June 12, 2010 Cornell Unviersity Alumni Weekend

2010-06-12T13:44:00.000-04:00

It's Alumni Weekend at Cornell University. Every year thousands of alumni return to Cornell to meet up with old friends, see the University, and enjoy the Ithaca Summer Weather.

Several groups on campus set up boths in Barton Hall on the indoor track. This year the Cornell Outdoor Education program set up wires far above the track where alumni could check out their mountain climbing skills.

This photo is a silhouette of an Alumni as he traverses the wire. There is frosted glass in the background with the Cornell name, and a map of the world.

May 6, 2010 Ithaca Festival

2010-06-08T17:54:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Judy and I went to the Ithaca Festival. What a great place to listen to some great music. The weather was horrible on Sunday, so the crowds were not very large. The musicians still played, and I think everybody who was there had a great time. The photos below are from the Go Cats, and Hank's Garage. This was the debut for Hank's Garage, and they were incredible.

Lessons Learned:

The musicians were playing under a pavilion without lights. In the past when I have tried to take photos with these conditions, it has been horrible. The light outside the pavilion was very bright, and the people would come out very dark. This time I didn't worry about the light outside the pavilion. I just concentrated on getting the exposure on the people correct. It turned out very well. The people look like they are in a studio. I like the effect.

BAMF Art Blog Bunch Spring Show

2010-06-07T06:07:00.000-04:00

You know I am a member of the BAMF ART BLOG BUNCH, and aside from being a group of friends and artists supporting each other's creative growth (and spreading trashy gossip about YOU), we have organized our first ever group show. We have each submitted a carefully chosen piece, and we are each posting this on our blogs and facebook and anywhere else we can.
Have a look. This is AWESOME work and you don't even have to go anywhere to see it.

Becky Jo, AKA: The Beckster

(toe plate by Becky Jo)

Why toes? It started with the BNA project between me, Gary, and Kasey. My idea was to use a plate like a canvas to carve on and then color in the lines (just like coloring books). I realized that bunny/noodle/argyle concept is fun, but I thought most people wouldn't understand those three things together, so I started to put different things on my plates... random lines, spacey flying things, and now hands and feet. These are smaller plates, mostly decorative, but they are food safe. You can find this toe plate, plus more of my work on my blog and my Etsy Shop. :)

Kasey, AKA: Reverend Awesome

My thoughts: This symbolizes man's struggle to get to the moon and dealing with the sorrow one feels after their favorite team loses the Super Bowl. Okay. It doesn't. At least not intentionally. Since this show is Spring themed I thought I could do a little painting for every season. Nothing deep. Just fun. Something that I would want to have on my walls. I'll do the rest of the seasons as they arrive.
I don't have an etsy gallery or anything. So I guess if you want to buy things from me you'll have to contact me by email or facebook. I have a blog! My blog is about nothing of any importance really. It's about whatever I want it to be about. (You could be reading this on my blog. If so, my blog is VERY important. You guys know that.)
Here's some other things I've done in a facebook photo album.

India's Submission for the BABB show (India is Lizzie's daughter, and we absolutely HAD to invite her and her artwork, just so cool)

When given the topic Spring India struggled a bit with how her punk rock/abstract style would translate to all the typical images of spring. Her aesthetic is not all roses and sunshine. After tossing around ideas involving actual springs, and thinking she may do a pretty spring picture. The idea for this painting came to her while eating Nachos at the Pumphouse Brewery in Moncton New Brunswick. The booths at Pumphouse are amazing works of graffiti art left by decades of customers. India took this idea for a walk, and came up with this 12x16 mixed media painting on canvas. Materials used include oil and acrylic paint, sharpie, silver paint marker, chalk pastel, charcoal, gel pens and nail polish.

This painting and other examples of India's work Can be found at her Mom's Blog and at her Zibbet store.

Stevo's entry for the BABB show

In this area of the country Spring is often a large contrast to Winter. There is a shift from the cold weather to warm, and with it the plants once again begin to open up. As a photographer these contrasts help me to see things new again. Contrasts can also be interesting to photograph. I walk by this tree stump often, and this spring I noticed new life in the decay of an old tree stump. I like the difference in the flatness of the old stump, and the three dimensions of the new life. Somehow the death of the tree makes the new life even more interesting, as does Winter making Spring much more appreciated. I hope you enjoy the photos that I have selected for the BABB Spring Show. The are available from my Smugmug web site. I'd love to hear your thoughts about them. Also check out the incredible works of the others artists of BABB here on this blog.

Lizzies Pot For BABB show

As a textile artist I have long been inspired by the beautiful and intricate designs of block printed fabrics from Japan, and the intricate patterns of the woven art of Saganishiki. In recent years I have returned to working in clay, the influences of my previous life as a textile artist are becoming more and more prevalent in my current work. This yunomi was made using traditional japanese woodblock patterns depicting wind and grass. The designs were transferred onto bone dry porcelain, painted with shellac, and then the surrounding negative space clay was removed by a water erosion technique.
Each of the yunomi in this series is one of a kind, the shape of the thrown bowl dictating the subject matter for the images applied. I see this particular peice as a statement of Spring, The cloudy skies, the wind swirling around through the grass. This peice, and more from this series can be seen at my blog , and are available for purchase at my Zibbet store

Christi's etching for the spring show

Alright, so it really has nothing to do with spring, but it's one of my favorite etchings and I just printed a few more this week. I love my little etching press. I'm also thinking a lot about tattoos these days after last week's adventures in that realm.

This piece is called "Perch," which is a little pun between the fishbone and the bird perching on his arm. I could think of it as spring-like with the feathers and feeling of strength and mystery...spring is a mysterious season of crazy new life and wings.

It's listed on Etsy here.

Gary's piece

(pitcher by Gary Rith)
Artist thoughts: I have been working on a series of experiments lately, and for this spring group show imagined a pitcher like this with a deep groove in the side, glazed JADE and blue, springy colors, with a turtle on it. But for the first time in 13 years, I did not think it needed something like a turtle..or frog...etc. The groove reminds me of a river going through a landscape, not to sound like there is anything profound here.
But anyway, I like to push the piece nearly to collapse when I make the groove, and then add the accented blue bits, and a handle that looks a little more fun than the usual.
My blog details my everyday nonsense and pots, and this item and others like available at my etsy gallery.

June 2, 2010, Early Corn Fields

2010-06-02T21:29:00.000-04:00

The corn in the local fields is just starting to sprout out of the ground.

On my way to the photo club, I looked out the window of my car and this is what I saw. Luckily I left early for the meeting, and had time to snap a few photos.

Corn fields attract me for some reason. Perhaps it was playing hide and seek in them as a child, or building forts for snow ball fights out of the stalks in the winter that bring back pleasant memories.

Lessons Learned:

Once again, it was just keeping my eyes open.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/13 sec, Aperture f/18.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 34 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, tripod, post processing to better balance the colors between the sky, and the field..

May 30, 2010, Dinner Time for Grakle

2010-05-31T11:57:00.000-04:00

I spent a lot of time watching Grackles circle the pond looking for food. They would grab bugs, tadpoles, and frogs from near the pond in Summerhill, NY.

I like the colors of their eyes, and the dark purple colors near their head.

They are a very timid bird, and fly quickly if you get near them.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/125 sec, Aperture f/4.6, ISO 100, Focal Length 200 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, tripod.

May 29, 2010, Memorial Weekend Campfire

2010-05-30T07:38:00.000-04:00

For our family part of the Memorial Weekend tradition is gatherings at my Uncle's Pond in Summerhill, NY.

I waited much of the day to have the opportunity to take photographs at the campfire. The subject presented himself perfectly with a Tom Sawyer type of look. No props were needed.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/50 sec, Aperture f/1.8, ISO 1600, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

May 29, 2010, Monochrome Time

2010-05-29T05:55:00.000-04:00

The el Caminos were at the Haunt in Ithaca NY last night. They put on a great show, and were recording at the same time.

I had a great time photographing in Black and White. I like the outline of the fiddle player in this photo.

A Good Time was had by all.

This Monochrome concept came from Aileni at Monochrome Weekend.

May 26, 2010, Blurred Butter Cup

2010-05-26T20:28:00.001-04:00

It was fairly windy, and the flowers wouldn't stop moving, but I still took a few photographs.

Although the photo is blurry, I really like this one. It seems more like a painting than a photograph. I like the colors and the interesting patterns in the background.

Lessons Learned:

A photo doesn't always have to be crisp to still be interesting. (I think Ben Marlan mentioned that he like blurry photos.)

Photo details: Exposure time 1/200 sec, Aperture f/1.8, ISO 100, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

May 24, 2010, Family of Crows

2010-05-24T20:25:00.000-04:00

We have a family of crows living in a tree in our side yard. I think this is the first time in the 21 years that we have lived here that we have seen a nest of crows.

We can hear them call to each other in the morning, and they are very quiet when they are in their nest.

In this photo, the nest is the dry sticks on the left. An immature crow is out on one of the branches.

Lessons Learned:

When I'm tired at the end of a long day, it's kind of relaxing just sitting there watching the birds. Remind me to never get wrapped up in a TV series again. I stayed up to late last night watching "Lost".

Photo details: Exposure time 1/160 sec, Aperture f/3.5, ISO 100, Focal Length 200 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, tripod.

May 23, 2010, Hand Dug Well

2010-05-23T16:50:00.000-04:00

We live in an old farm house, and it has a hand dug well. There is a cover on the well with a little hole that supported a hand pump.

This month's theme for the photo club is "depth". I decided to take photos of the old well.

What a project it turned out to be. The well is about 30 feet deep. The lighting was very tricky.

Lessons Learned:

At first I tried an incandescent bulb on a trouble light. I lowered the light down near the water. The photo didn't work very well. It was light near the top of the well, and light near the bottom of the well. It was difficult to see the rocks. I then covered the top of my camera to reduce the sun light. This helped, but was still two dark near the top of the well.
I next tried Christmas Tree lights to try and give lighting throughout the well. This failed as well.
Finally I pulled out a halogen Flood light and put it in the top of the well shining down the well. I had to offset the light so that the camera could have an unobstructed view of the well. I used a clamp and a 2x4 to clamp the light off to the right of the photo.

Photo details: Exposure time 20 sec, Aperture f/13.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld.

May 21, 2010, First Cut

2010-05-22T07:01:00.001-04:00

The farmer up the road began Organic Farming several years ago. The large round bails of hay are much different than the smaller square bails of my childhood. These large bails are very quickly wrapped in plastic, and resemble large marshmallows. Because they are so quickly wrapped, my time window for photographing the unwrapped bails is very limited. I stopped on my way to work to take this photo.

Lesson Learned:

Try not to miss photo opportunities. Circumstances can change rapidly.
I tried side lighting on this photo. This tip was from Scott Bourne .
I should have used a narrower aperture in this photo. I did take some with a narrow aperture, but I framed the photo differently.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/800 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 200, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld, circular polarizer filter.

May 20, 2010, Bird

2010-05-22T06:46:00.000-04:00

This is one of those photos where I'm amazed at the camera equipment. I was using the telephoto lens from a long way away. I had to crop the photo substantially so that the bird wouldn't look like a dot on the screen. I'm amazed that the photo came out this clear without using a tripod.

Do any of you bird watchers know what type of bird this is?

Lessons Learned:

Take photos even if you think they will be failures. You never know when they might work. This is especially true with digital cameras, because there is very little cost.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/1000 sec, Aperture f/2.8, ISO 100, Focal Length 200 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, hand held.

May 19, 2010, Dinner Time, and Puppy Dog Eyes

2010-05-19T19:37:00.000-04:00

As I was cooking on the grill, tank was enjoying the smells. I chased him around with my camera to try and take some interesting shots.

I hope you enjoy.

Lessons Learned:

My Dog is becoming as camera shy as my children.

Rochester and Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

2010-05-17T19:04:00.001-04:00

I really enjoyed the project 365, but in some ways the format was rigid. Now that it's behind me, I can do other things. I don't have to post photos everyday, but I can also post more photos on one day. I choose to do that for today's post.

We had a wonderful, and busy day. It began with breakfast with my parents, my sister, and her family. My sister and her family were here for a couple of days from South Carolina.

Rochester Lilac Festival

No, this isn't my sister. Although I do call her "ugly", and she calls me "uglier than me". (Reminiscent of fights that we had as children.) Don't tell her that I don't think she's ugly. She might think I'm getting soft in my old age.

This iguana was at the Lilac Festival that we attended in Rochester NY. My son and his fiancée invited us out for the event. This years spring came very early, so most of the lilacs were near the end of their blooming. You can see a few blooming in the background of the photo above. The Lilac Festival takes place in lovely Highland Park. There are great walkways with beautiful trees and flowers. The Festival is heavily attended so be prepared for the crowds.

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

We headed back from Rochester early, because my son and his fiancée had other plans for yesterday evening. This gave us an opportunity to visit a place that we have driven by several times, the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. This place is incredible, and I highly recommend it. We spent a few hours walking around, looking at birds, and ....

CARP! The Seneca River flows next to the refuge. According to the sign below, they are all trying to get into the Refuge like fans entering a Rolling Stones Concert.

All in all a good day was had by all, except possible a few Carp.

BABB

2010-05-15T22:23:00.000-04:00

I have had the honor in becoming part of a group of bloggers known as BABB which is an acronym for BAMF Art Blog Bunch. The day that I was asked, I began to feel like I was standing on the shoulders of Giants. This is an incredible group of Artist Bloggers, that have some of the most interesting blogs, and great art work.

Check out their Blogs, and their work:

Gary Rith, Blogger, Potter, and a bunch of other stuff that you'll have to read his blog to understand.

Kasey Baker, aka Captain Awesome, Reverend Awesome, KC an illustrator, graphic designer, painter, artist, comic, and designer of the BABB Logo. As with Gary, you need to read her blog to appreciate her work, and humor.

Becky Jo potter, artist, trucker, peanut butter enthusiast. You've gotta check out her blog.

Lizzie is an artist that works with clay, and fiber. As defined by BABB, her Blog is awesome.

Painter, artist, Ben Marlen. Check out Ben's blog for all sorts of updates on his work, and odds and ends.

Christi is a painter, an illustrator, a designer, a handstand expert, and find out the rest of her story at her blog.

Keep an eye out for upcoming BABB events, and announcements. I'm sure it will always be interesting.

Thank you gang for having me as part of your bunch.

May 14, 2010, Artist at Work

2010-05-14T20:41:00.000-04:00

I think that Gary is a great model. He's always willing to pose in an interesting situation. He can be a little creepy if the photo calls for it, or whimsical as in this case. Either way, I enjoy photographing him, his wife Maude, and his friends.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/125 sec, Aperture f/3.2, ISO 400, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

May 13, 2010, Foggy Morning

2010-05-14T20:31:00.000-04:00

There was some dense fog this morning. I can usually see McGraw Tower at Cornell from the building where I work. When I looked in that direction, there was no sign of the building. I had to move a lot closer for this photo.

Lessons Learned:

Fog is an interesting and fun element in photography. It can be used as another type of filter. If I want more of a filter, I move further from the object and it fades. If I need more clarity I move closer to the object. It can create all kinds of interesting effects.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/50 sec, Aperture f8.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 36 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld, circular polarizer filter.

May 12, 2010, Trillium

2010-05-12T16:59:00.001-04:00

This photo was an interesting exercise for me. I returned to a place that I took photos almost 1 year ago.

There are some changes since 1 year ago. The first change is that the Trillium are past their peak. We had some warm weather earlier this year. There are quite as many blossoming this time. Although it's still very impressive the number that have blossomed. Many of them have a purple tint to them this year.

The second big change is in my photography. I was able to take this photo with just a few shots( 24 vs 303), and I believe it to be a better photo. I paid special attention to the flower on the bottom left to make that a focal point. I paid a lot of attention to the colors, and used my circular polarizer filter to enhance the colors. It was a foggy day today, so I new the colors would be more brilliant today. (I don't think I would have known that a year ago.)

Any of you that are doing the 365 challenge, I would encourage you to return to some of your previous subjects that you took when you were first starting. Take a look at how far you've come. It's a great feeling.

Keep Shooting.

Lessons Learned:

I am improving.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/2 sec, Aperture f/14.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, tripod, circular polarizer filter.

May 11, 2010, Reach for the Sky

2010-05-11T20:24:00.000-04:00

This photo was another experiment. It was inspired by all those cool photos of Redwoods out west. These are some tall pine trees near my house. I think that a logging company planted them, and is now harvesting this area.

I like the effect, but it's not quite what I want. I think blue skies would have a better effect, but I do like the black and white look to this photo.

Lessons Learned:

I really wanted to take photos tonight after taking two days off. Although I didn't have a lot of time to do so.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/60 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld.

May 8, 2010, Second Trip to Wixom Farms

2010-05-08T20:30:00.000-04:00

Today was my second trip to Wixom Farms. Wixom's is an ambitious farm that is practicing regenerative land use. Today they were planting hops, and I also was able to see their new Scottish Highlander Cows.

While their horns look like they could do some damage, these cattle seem very docile. They like to be brushed. Katie the owner is brushing this one.

Lessons Learned:

The lighting was tricky. One moment the sun would be out, the next moment it was cloudy. I was having to change the settings on the camera frequently.
RAW format made a big difference. I set my camera to record both the RAW and JPEG. In many of the photos the JPEG would develop into a completely white sky, while the RAW would show some of the textures in the clouds.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/20 sec, Aperture f/8.0, ISO 200, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld.

May 7, 2010, Harmonic for "The Purple Valley", Player at Castaways

2010-05-08T07:56:00.001-04:00

It was a night of celebration. "The Purple Valley" was playing at Castaways in Ithaca. Sue the keyboardist was having a birthday. A large crowd of her friends came and danced and listed to some great music. Sue, thank you for sharing your birthday with us. We had a great time.

Lessons Learned:

I can use a fairly high ISO with black and white photography. Black and White photography seems to work great in low light situations. Castaways was very dark for photography.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/60 sec, Aperture f/2.8, ISO 6400, Focal Length 200 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, hand held.

Check out other Monochrome Weekend images!

May 5, 2010, Law School Arches

2010-05-05T20:15:00.000-04:00

Walking by the Law School on the way home, I began looking at the arches again. I don't think that I have photographed them from this angle yet. I liked the results. I think this might be the best one yet.

Lessons Learned:

It's very difficult to set up a symmetrical photo with a wide angle lens. Does anybody have any tips? Anybody?

Photo details: Exposure time 1/30 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 400, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held (I didn't have my tripod with me. I think I want to go back when the sign isn't on the door, and I have my tripod).

May 4, 2010, Does anybody make Dandelion Wine?

2010-05-04T19:02:00.000-04:00

There is a field full of dandelions near our house. A few days ago I photographed with a narrow depth of field, and published it. Today I thought I would go back and try a different approach. I used a narrow fstop to try and photograph more of the field.

I like the effect, but I think the dandelions of a few days ago looked better. They were fresher at that time. I will try and go back when they have all gone to seed to see what that looks like.

Lessons Learned:

I applied a graduated tint to make the sky a little darker. This also made the back of the field a little darker and gave the photo more depth. I wasn't expecting that.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/25 sec, Aperture f/18.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, tripod.

May 3, 2010, The Tenacity of Life

2010-05-04T18:41:00.000-04:00

I noticed this maple tree growing in the hollow part of a stump that was cut just a few years ago. I am amazed at the tenacity of life.

I like the contrast of the green with the dead wood, and the dark cavern around the tree.

Lessons Learned:

Be Observant.
I need a circular polarizer filter for my 50 mm lens.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/100 sec, Aperture f/5.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

May 2, 2010, So many flowers so little time.

2010-05-02T18:42:00.000-04:00

My Grandmother used to say that dandelions should be called Mother's Day flowers, because every child brings them to their mother. She loved dandelions, and would have enjoyed this year. They are very plentiful.

We used to have a neighbor that hated dandelions, and would spray them every year. He came over once and told me what to spray on our lawn to get rid of them. I told him that I liked them. He looked at me kind of funny, and left.

Lessons Learned:

This was one of those surprise photos. I didn't know the bee was flying through as I was taking the photos. Sometimes I get lucky in my photos.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/800 sec, Aperture f/2.8, ISO 100, Focal Length 145 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, hand held.

May 1, 2010, Nature Photographer 1 Year plus 1 day.

2010-05-01T21:03:00.000-04:00

Gary and Maude invited me for a hike to show me paradise. What a great place it is. There are two creeks, brooks for those of you in New Hampshire, that come together in one spot. There's a nice pool of water where the two creeks meet.

Penny and Tank (our two dogs), got along very well. I think they enjoyed the hike.

Here Maude is taking some nature photos at one of the creeks.

Lessons Learned:

It's difficult to take photos, when you bring along a dog. But, it was worth it. He had a great time, and so did I.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/60 sec, Aperture f/5.6, ISO 100, Focal Length 24 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

Week 52, Day 366, April 30, 2010, 365 Has Been Accomplished!

2010-05-01T06:24:00.000-04:00

I have just completed my "Year in Photos". It feels great to have completed it, and it's been an incredible journey. I plan on writing a more complete summary of the journey.

I plan on continuing for as long as I can with this blog. I'm not sure if I'll take a photograph every day, but I do plan on taking several a week.

I want to thank all of you who have viewed, read, or commented on the blog. Your critiques, encouragement, and ideas have all helped me to become a better photographer. I couldn't have done it without your support.

Today's self portrait represents the hours of looking over the photos, posting to other blogs, and looking at other peoples work throughout the last year.

Lessons Learned:

After looking back over the last year, I was surprised by how much this project means to me. It has become a big part of my life.
I learned how to control my camera from my computer.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/10 sec, Aperture f/1.8, ISO 400, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, camera sat on top of my printers as a tripod.

Week 52, Day 265, April 29, 2010, "What is it?"

2010-05-01T06:02:00.000-04:00

A while ago Andrew Broekhuijsen posted a photo, and asked his readers to guess the subject. When I saw this photo, I thought I would do the same.

Any guesses?

Lessons Learned:

Cameras can see things in ways that the eye cannot.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/80 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 400, Focal Length 40 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

Week 52, Day 364, April 28, 2010, The Purple Valley

2010-04-29T19:27:00.002-04:00

The Purple Valley is a local favorite band in the Ithaca, NY area. They have some up coming gigs that required a new photo. John asked if I could come out and take some photos. We had a great time, and this was my favorite.

The Purple Valley has a curse. Every time they have had their photo taken, they have had somebody leave the band. Immediately after this photo was taken the drummer said that this was the last time he was going to play with the band. Then he smiled and laughed. One advantage for me, is that they might ask me to take another photo when/if a new member joins them. ;-)

Lessons Learned:

I haven't taken a lot of photos of people where I have had to pose the people. Fortunately they had some idea on what they wanted to try. They set up, and I made a few suggestions. I then began take several photographs of them as they joked with each other. I think this worked best because they became more relaxed, and looked more natural.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/50 sec, Aperture f/4.6, ISO 400, Focal Length 19 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

Week 52, Day 363, April 27, 2010, Convicted

2010-04-29T19:09:00.000-04:00

This photo reminded me of the old newspaper gangster photos.

Tank, wanted for cat food robbery, chewing items that don't belong to him, and laying on the couch when people are not in the room. Be careful, this dog cannot hold his licker. He will easily win you over with his puppy dog eyes. Do not attempt to pursue him on foot. You'll never catch him.

Lessons Learned:

I had some fun with the flash on this one, and tried different things. I like the effect, especially on a black dog.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/200 sec, Aperture f/5.0, ISO 6400, Focal Length 70 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, hand held.

Week 52, Day 362, April 26, 2010, Another Rainy Day

2010-04-26T19:26:00.000-04:00

April showers bring May flowers. What do May flowers bring? (Anybody?)

Today was another all day drizzle. The rain drops made great interfering waves in the puddle. I thought the photo looked somewhat abstract. I'm not sure if I like it yet.

Lessons Learned:

Some photos I fall in love with right away, and then they loose their charm. Others grow on my over time. I have to wait on a lot of my photos before I know if they are any good or not.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/500 sec, Aperture f/6.4, ISO 800, Focal Length 40 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

Week 52, Day 361, April 25, 2010, An Old Solution to a New Wrinkle

2010-04-25T21:12:00.000-04:00

It was another rainy day for us, but we had a great time. We visited my son, and his fiance in Rochester for the day. We were busy having great food and conversation, that I didn't have a lot of time to take photographs.

When we returned home, I began thinking of ideas of what to photograph. I wanted to attempt to photograph something that other people might not have, or see everyday. We have an old Iron that we use as a door stop. I think that somebody put a different handle on this one. I've never seen another quite like it.

Lessons Learned:

I started by just photographing the iron on a wooden chest of drawers, then I moved to a larger wood surface because the chest of drawers wasn't large enough. I thought the plain wood was just to bland, so I took my shirt off, and used it as a surface. I think it was a better result. I'm still not quite sure I like the lighting. I may return to this subject the another day. I guess the lesson is, experiment and try a lot of different things when photographing stills.

Photo details: Exposure time 6 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, tripod.

Week 52, Day 360, April 24, 2010, Bryan

2010-04-24T22:31:00.001-04:00

We had dinner with some friends tonight. This is Bryan. He's a great model for photography. He has many great facial expressions.

I like how it looks like there is fire coming from his finger.

Lesson Learned:

Nothing that I can thing of for today. I didn't take a lot of photographs.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/8 sec, Aperture f/2.2, ISO 400, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 52, Day 359, April 23, 2010, Portion of the Moon

2010-04-23T20:28:00.000-04:00

Ever since my wife bought me the 2x extender for my zoom lens, I've wanted to photograph the moon. I decided tonight was the night.

I think that it did well. I love looking at the craters.

I'm submitting this photo to Momochrome Weekend. Check out all the cool monochrome photos on that site. There's a lot of talented people out there.

Lessons Learned:

I need a better tripod. Even with the ring on the zoom lens, it's just to much wait to hold the lens at the steep angles. Does anybody have suggestions on their preference for tripods?

Photo details: Exposure time 1/125 sec, Aperture f/5.6, ISO 100, Focal Length 400 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, 2X Extender, tripod.

Week 51, Day 358, April 22, 2010, Red Bud Branch

2010-04-22T20:56:00.000-04:00

The Red Bud Trees are in bloom around Cornell University. They add a lot of color and beauty in the spring.

Lessons Learned:

I think that for the first time this evening I realized how a narrow depth of field can add a very 3 dimensional dimension to a photo. I like how it worked on this photo.
I also took some photos of a friend today. I think I'm actually getting better at posing people for interesting photographs. I think I'll try this more often, and hopefully increase my skills.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/1600 sec, Aperture f/1.8, ISO 100, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 51, Day 357, April 21, 2010, Dramatic Lighting

2010-04-21T18:13:00.001-04:00

It was a cloudy afternoon, but the clouds began to break. I noticed the Sun shining on a buttress roof on the Law School directly across from my office. I grabbed my camera, switched it to black and white and took a few shots.

Lessons Learned:

Once again, lighting is so important.
I think to get great natural shots you need to be around them frequently. Different times of the day, different weather conditions, different times of the year, all have effects. Being near them allows you to spot the best times to take photos.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/200 sec, Aperture f/8.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 51, Day 356, April 20, 2010, Attack of the Killer Rabbit

2010-04-20T20:02:00.000-04:00

I think this is one of those future subject photos. I took a few photos of some rabbits in my back yard. The next thing I know, they are running around and "playing". I hope to catch them "playing" again some other time, and I'll have my camera set to a faster speed. They are very quick. I think I'll name the one with the black mark on his face "Al Capone".

Lessons Learned:

I'm still attempting to learn how to use the 2x extender. I definitively need to use a tripod when I use it. I think I also need to shoot at higher ISO speeds for a quicker shutter speed. It's very easy to blur the image.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/125 sec, Aperture f/5.6, ISO 1600, Focal Length 400 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, 2x extender, tripod.

Week 51, Day 355, April 19, 2010, Birds of a Different Feather

2010-04-20T19:52:00.000-04:00

On the way home from work, I stopped by the Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University for a few minutes. If you are ever in the area, and like birds, this is the place to go. There are a lot of wetlands, and great walking trails.

On the way back to my car I noticed a Mallard Duck, and a Canadian Goose settling down.

Lessons Learned:

Birds in areas where there are a lot of people are not as skittish. It's much easier to take photographs of them. (It feels like cheating.)
The other day, I forgot to mention another lesson. During the Skunk Cabbage Classic Race I used 2 cameras. One had a wide angle lens, and the other had a telephoto. I forgot to sync the dates and times on the two camera. One was off by an hour due to Daylight Savings Time. When I sort the photos by Creation Date, they are not in order. Note to self, sync my camera date and time.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/60 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 40 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld.

Week 51, Day 354, April 18, 2010, Budding and Flowering

2010-04-18T17:02:00.000-04:00

The Trees are budding and flowering n the 20-acre wetland that Cornell owns in Groton, NY. It's interesting how different types of trees take on different hues in the spring. I attempted to capture this photo in the fog this morning, but the fog lifted before I arrived. I think it still worked out well, because the colors seem more defined.

Lessons Learned:

I have to be careful of the whites in photos like this. I think they are over saturated in this photo. There is an easy way to check in on the camera, but I forgot to do so.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/200 sec, Aperture f/5.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 145 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, hand held.

Week 51, Day 353, April 17, 2010, Waiting for a Hair Cut

2010-04-18T16:36:00.000-04:00

You might recognize this building from the "Doggy in the Window" post.

Today over 100 students from Cornell University, and many students from the High School got together for spring cleaning in Groton. The volunteers braved the elements of rain and cold to spruce up the town. They did an incredible job. The Greater Groton Photo Club was asked to take photos. As we were photographing the students, I noticed Don and Wilson waiting for a hair cut across the road. I asked Don to look down the street, so they would look more natural.

Lessons Learned:

This is a photo that I like the composition, but it's blurry. I needed a faster shutter speed. Many times when people are involved I find myself feeling rushed to capture the moment, and I'm not as careful with my camera settings. I need to remember this, and try and improve my technique.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/40 sec, Aperture f/8.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 40 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld.

Week 51, Day 352, April 16, 2010, Through a Window Dimly

2010-04-16T20:14:00.001-04:00

One of the really fun things that has happened with this blog is that I have met a lot of fun people. Friday nights many of them gather at a local pub called the Chapter House.

Tonight I tried an experiment and photographed from outside the pub looking inward. I found the effect very interesting.

Lessons Learned:

Gary makes a great subject for photography, and is always a willing participant. Thank you Gary, and Tom.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/2000 sec, Aperture f/1.8, ISO 1600, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 50, Day 351, April 15, 2010, Small Flowers

2010-04-15T19:15:00.000-04:00

After one of my meetings I was walking back to my office. I noticed a whole hill full of these small flowers. The sun was out, and shining on them. I didn't have my camera with me. I returned to the same hill after work, and the Sun was no longer shining. I tired a few photograph of the hill, but they weren't very spectacular. Instead I began getting down very low and taking photos close up. I think the colors are brighter because of the lack of Sunshine.

Lessons Learned:

It's important to be able to adapt to the situation as it presents itself. Lighting and environment can change very quickly.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/100 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 40 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld, circular polarizer filter.

Week 50, Day 350, April 14, 2010, Skunk Cabbage

2010-04-15T18:28:00.001-04:00

I went for a walk through the von Engeln Preserve after work. I've never been there in the spring time before. I almost feel like it's my own personal preserve. I have been there several times, and have never seen anybody else. I think that very few people even know that it exists.

I know that there is a small pond in this preserve, and I hoped to catch a glimpse of some ducks or geese. I did find two geese on the opposite side of the pond. They were both sleeping or resting. I took some photos, but didn't think they were as good as this one. I plan on returning at various times to see if they will nest, and raise their young on this pond.

There is also a large bog in the Preserve. The Skunk Cabbage is pushing it's way through the moss all through the wet areas. It seems to have an alien look to it in the early stages.

Lessons Learned:

Geese are an interesting subject. I can easily go to areas where they are familiar with people, and get very close to photograph them. Somehow I find it more special to find them in remote areas. It's much more difficult to take great photos of them, but somehow it seems more natural.
Like a lot of places the von Engeln Preserve takes on a different look at different times of the year. It's worth returning time and time again, and look for the changes.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/100 sec, Aperture f/3.2, ISO 100, Focal Length 195 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, tripod.

Week 50, Day 349, April 13, 2010, Low Clouds

2010-04-13T18:48:00.001-04:00

I had some fun with today's photo. I began by taking photos of the long shadows of the trees across the corn field. At first I was attempting to take photos of just the shadows. Then I noticed if I walked down the hill the shadows were looking much more interesting from the bottom of the hill. I then tipped the lens up and started to see the cumulus clouds. I liked how the shadow of the trees began to look like the shadows of the clouds. Now all we need is some cool mountains to set the tone. :-)

Lessons Learned:

Taking photos up a hill can make the clouds in the sky look closer to the ground.
I can really see the effects of the circular polarizer filter in the sky. I like the effect, but it definitely doesn't look completely natural. I may tone it back a little next time. What do the rest of you do?

Photo details: Exposure time 1/100 sec, Aperture f/8.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld, circular polarizer filter.

Week 50, Day 348, April 12, 2010, Corn Husk

2010-04-12T20:09:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure why, but I find myself drawn to photographing corn. I was walking through a corn field tonight and found the husk left from last years crop very interesting. I think I have a collection of corn at it's various states from the past year. It might be interesting to put them in a collection.

Lessons Learned:

I forgot one lesson from yesterday. Taking 5500 photos tires the index finger. I had to switch to using my middle finger to push the shutter button during the end of the race. I didn't have enough strength left in my index finger. I didn't mention it to the runners, because I don't think they would show me any sympathy. :-)
Trees are blossoming all around, but I don't feel drawn to photograph them. I enjoy their beauty, but somehow they seem to obvious a choice for photography. I've taken several photos, but I just don't seem to like them very well. It could be that I just haven't captured them in an interesting or new way. What are your thoughts?

Photo details: Exposure time 1/80 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 40 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld, circular polarizer filter.

Week 50, Day 347, April 11, 2010, Stewart Park Willows

2010-04-11T20:41:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful day for the Skunk Cabbage Classic 1/2 marathon, and 10k in Ithaca, Ithaca New York. Congratulations runners! I took over 5500 photos of the runners, and I'm in the process of sorting through them.

As an added bonus one of the runners had a birthday today, and her husband had a surprise birthday party at Stewart Park. She's had the dream since she was a little girl to have a new pair of socks everyday. Her husband asked that we each bring a pair of socks, and had hoped for 50 pairs to commemorate her 50th birthday. I think that the goal was reached. When she opened the 15th pair of socks, she realized that her dream was coming true. Happy Birthday Nancy.

While we were in Stewart Park, I noticed the wind swept willows. The breeze blowing off of Cayuga lake was very strong. The color of the willows in the spring is an interesting yellow, and is very beautiful.

There's also another special birthday today. Kyle, my son, turns 23, and is enjoying his birthday in Hawaii. Happy Birthday Kyle.

Lesson Learned:

Sorting through 5500 photos takes a long time, and a long time to upload.
I've been to Steward Park several times, and each time the willows have a different look. I think it's important to continue to return to the same places throughout the year to look for changes for photo opportunities.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/100 sec, Aperture f/9.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld, circular polarizer filter.

Week 50, Day 346, April 10, 2010, The Horse is Out of the Barn

2010-04-10T19:05:00.000-04:00

It's officially spring time. The neighbors horses are out of the barn.

Lessons Learned:

I stopped by the Main Street Gallery in Groton, NY. I'm ashamed to say that this is only the second time that I have been there. (I think it's similar to many people who live in NYC have never gone to the Statue of Liberty.) I'm very glad that I did. The art was fantastic, and the owners are very nice people. I came away with more ideas for my own photography. So, today's lesson is take time to look at other people's work.
I took off my UV filter from this lens, and just put my circular polarizer filter. I think that the quality of the UV filter wasn't the best, and was degrading my photos. I'll keep you posted on my success. I did put my circular polarizer filter on the lens to protect it.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/400 sec, Aperture f/3.2, ISO 100, Focal Length 155 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, handheld, circular polarizer filter.

Week 50, Day 345, April 9, 2010, Pitcher Pump

2010-04-10T09:57:00.000-04:00

Some of you know that we live in a house that was built in the mid 1800's. We also have an old hand dug well. We have an old pitcher pump that we sometimes use to pump water for the garden from this well. It's interesting how simple the pump is, and how efficient it works.

This is one of those photos that I want to redo. I think the subject is interesting, but I haven't captured it's essence yet.

Lessons Learned:

Interesting subjects still need a lot of thought to achieve a great photo.
I think I should have taken the circular polarizer filter off, to see the sparkle in the water.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/3 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 36 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, tripod, circular polarizer filter.

Week 49, Day 344, April 8, 2010, Inside the Forsythia Bush

2010-04-10T09:48:00.000-04:00

As a child I enjoyed climbing underneath trees and bushes. We would build "forts" in areas like this. Today when I was looking at the forsythia bush, I began taking photographs. The photographs looked like typical forsythia bush photos showing the bright yellow blossoms of spring. I then crawled under the bush, and found myself transported back to being a child, and seeing things from another angle.

Enjoy life, and don't forget to look at things from different perspectives.

Lessons Leaned:

I think the paragraph above describes the lesson that I relearned today.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/30 sec, Aperture f/5.4, ISO 100, Focal Length 22 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld, circular polarizer filter.

Week 49, April 7, 2010, Bennington Battle Monument

2010-04-08T14:02:00.001-04:00

We decided to take the scenic route home from Maine. As we traveled along Route 9 through Vermont we saw an obelisk near Bennington Vermont. The obelisk is part of the Bennigton Battle Monument that commemorates the Revolutionary War's Battle of Bennington that happened on August 17, 1777.

In this photo a statue of Brigadier General John Stark in front of the 306ft (93m) obelisk. The plaque has a quote stating, "There they are boys! We beat them today or Molly Stark sleeps a widow tonight!"

Lessons Learned:

I took a series of photos. It was a bright day, and was difficult balancing the light between the dark statue, the tower, and the bright ski. I ended up pulling it into Photoshop and adjusting the levels on the tower and the statue.
I found having the statue in the foreground to be a much more interesting photograph, than just the obelisk. I took various angles with the statue to the left of the tower, and the right. I ended up choosing this photo becuase of the interesting cloud patterns in the background.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/250 sec, Aperture f/8.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld, circular polarizer filter.

Week 49, Day 342, April 6, 2010, Old Mills

2010-04-06T17:15:00.000-04:00

I walked along the streets of Biddeford, Maine this morning. As I walked along the river I came to the old mills. The brick buildings are huge, and some have been renovated into shops. The windows on this section were very interesting, and a pigeon seemed to be nested in one of the holes in the wall.

Lessons Learned:

Once again, a walk revealed many interesting things to photograph. I think this is especially true in areas that I have never been.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/60 sec, Aperture f/8.0, ISO 200, Focal Length 24 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld.

Week 49, Day 341, April 5, 2010, Sunrise at Biddeford Pool

2010-04-06T07:50:00.000-04:00

We awoke early to head to the beach before the Sun rise. We were treated to a high tide, cool breezes, and just enough clouds near the horizon for a spectacular view.

Lessons Learned:

I remembered to set the White Balance to flash for warmer colors. I like the effect it has on Sunrises and Sunsets.
The light changes very quickly during a sunrise, and gives interesting effects.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/80 sec, Aperture f/8.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 29 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, tripod.

Week 49, Day 340, April 4, 2010, Goat Island Lighthouse

2010-04-05T08:58:00.000-04:00

A trip to Maine wouldn't be complete without at least one photo of a lighthouse. The Goat Island Lighthouse is still in used to guide boats.

It's been great weather, and very warm for this time of year.

Lessons Learned:

A Telephoto lens is a must at a beach settings. The distances are deceptive, and things are much further away then they seem.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/200 sec, Aperture f/8.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 200 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, handheld.

Week 49, Day 339, April 3, 2010, Evidence of Waves

2010-04-04T09:48:00.000-04:00

What a great day to be at the Ocean. It's hard to believe that it's April.

This photo is from the beach next to Biddeford Pool in Maine. Last night we had the opportunity to walk along the beach as the sun was setting. It's great to smell the ocean air, and hear the gulls.

Lessons Learned:

Once again being in a new area, I see lots of opportunities for photographs. It's difficult to choose just one photo.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/80 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 36 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

Week 49, Day 338, Tree Shadow Veins

2010-04-02T19:57:00.000-04:00

The sun was bright, and the lighting was harsh, and the shadows were very well defined. As I waited for the bus I noticed the shadows of the trees on the wall, and along the grass.

Lessons Learned:

Different Lighting causes me to look for different types of photography.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/1000 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

Week 48, Day 337, April 1, 2010, Rolling Hills

2010-04-02T19:48:00.000-04:00

This is Summer Hill. There are many stories on how Summer Hill was named. Some people it's because Summer is the only time that you can get here. Others say that it was an attempt to attract more people to live here. Some say that it is named after a town in Ireland. I prefer the first story, because in the winter there is a lot of snow.

Summer Hill is also the birth place of Millard Fillmore the 13th President of the United States.

It's also home of the "Empire Haven Nudist Colony". There will be no photos from the Colony on this blog.

More recently there have been several farms that have been purchased by Amish families. It's very common to see a horse and buggy along the road.

Lessons Learned:

I used a fill flash on this photo. The first couple of photos the sign was to dark. The fill flash did a good job to highlight it.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/100 sec, Aperture f/8.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

Week 48, Day 336, March 31, 2010, Craving Color

2010-03-31T19:44:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, not another crocus photo. I think after the monochrome of winter, my eye is ready for some color. The blossoms of the croci catch my eye again and again. I think this is also true of some of my other photograph blog pals, and you know who you are.

Lessons Learned:

Change is important. I'm ready for some new things to photograph. Next week I should have some great subjects to photograph. Stay tuned.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/100 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 21 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

Week 48, Day 335, March 30, 2010, Hand Ping Pong

2010-03-30T20:22:00.001-04:00

My son and his girl friend were playing ping pong. I didn't have my photo for the day, so I asked if I could photograph them. They said sure. While they were playing, my son accidentally dropped the paddle, and started using his hand for the paddle. We all began laughing as he was doing this.

Lessons Learned (or at least attempted)

Lighting: I began with the normal lighting in the room, but it was too dark. I think brought my reading light from the bed room to add some side light. It was still too dark. I think grabbed my son's shop lights and tried them. (I need to invest in some better lighting.) They were probably to bright, but it made for an interesting contrasts.
I think that people who are occupied with something other then the camera look more natural in the photos. I prefer to photo people in action then attempting to take still portraits.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/1000 sec, Aperture f/2.0, ISO 3200, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 48, Day 334, March 29, 2010, Cornell Fan

2010-03-29T18:41:00.000-04:00

While I was waiting for the bus I immediately noticed this Cornell Fan walking toward the bus. We were not near a sporting event, and this was an uncommon site. His enthusiasm was a lot of fun, so I asked him, and his family if it was okay to take his photo. They very generously said yes, and explained that his mother is an Alumni of Cornell. I think that we might be looking at a future Alumni as well. Thank you for the opportunity to take the photograph, and for spreading your enthusiasm on the Campus.

On the photography side, I forgot and had the ISO set way to high. I've been better about this, but when I was swept up in the moment I made a mistake.

Lessons Learned:

Be bold, and ask people to take their photographs.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/800 sec, Aperture f/6.4, ISO 3200, Focal Length 20 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

Week 48, Day 333, March 28, 2010, Ithaca Commons

2010-03-28T18:42:00.001-04:00

The Ithaca Commons is a unique part of Ithaca. It has several interesting shops and restaurants. Many times during the year many people will come and participate in the special events like the Chili Festival, and the Ithaca Festival.

Judy and I went to the Commons to stop at the State of the Art Gallery. They were having an exhibit of local photographers. What an incredible exhibit. I hope to submit some of my photographs next year.

We also stopped at one of our favorite restaurants, Viva Taqueria. Viva is known for it's Mexican Food that isn't very authentic, but it is delicious.

I highly recommend both the Gallery and the restaurant if you are ever in the Ithaca area.

Lessons Learned:

I learned that I know very little about the various printing techniques. I need to learn more.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/60 sec, Aperture f/6.4, ISO 200, Focal Length 19 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

Week 48, Day 332, March 27, 2010, Magnolia Bud

2010-03-27T20:16:00.000-04:00

The Sun has been out the last couple of days, but it has been very cold. I walked around the yard for about 30 minutes today looking at the various changes that Spring brings.

The Magnolia Buds are starting to pop out. I think that they look a lot like pussy willows when they first start to bud. Soon we'll have blossoms everywhere.

Lessons Learned:

I found myself looking at the blurred background of macro photos, and try to choose something more interesting for the backgrounds as I moved around the subject.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/320 sec, Aperture f/4, ISO 200, Focal Length 40 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

Week 48, Day 331, March 26, 2010, Garbage Plate

2010-03-27T16:56:00.001-04:00

My youngest son and I traveled to Rochester to attend a visitation of RIT, the college that he will attend next fall. My other son and his fiance also live in Rochester. They took us to Nick Tahou Hots for Rochester's original Garbage Plate. The Food Channel gives an excellent history of the place.

Everybody, except me, had the 2 cheese burger Garbage Plate. These consisted of macaroni salad, home fries, 2 cheese burgers, mustard, onions, and a special sauce. Being a vegetarian, I decided to try the veggie version. Instead of hamburgers I had veggie burgers, and no special sauce on mine. (The special sauce also contains meat.)

The atmosphere is this old building is very interesting, and is a must. The owner has an interesting sense of humor, and there is a lot of banter between the customers, and the owner. I highly recommend it.

Needless to say, I couldn't finish my garbage plate.

Lessons Learned:

I have to be quicker with my camera settings when I'm photographing people. It's not polite to keep people waiting while I'm attempting to take a photo.
Cropping was useful. The edge of this plate had some food grease on it. The photo looks much better with the grease removed. The food is also tastier than it looks.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/25 sec, Aperture f/1.8, ISO 400, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 47, Day 330, March 25, 2010, Rudy

2010-03-25T22:26:00.000-04:00

This is our second cat, Rudy. He's an interesting cat that loves to climb into people's laps, and is very friendly.

Lessons Learned:

Rainy cold spring days are more difficult to find photo opportunities.
Animals move quickly. Take as many photos as you can in the short amount of time that they stay still.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/50 sec, Aperture f/1.8, ISO 3200, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 47, Day 329, March 24, 2010, More Evidence of Spring

2010-03-24T20:16:00.000-04:00

We are starting to see new evidence of spring. The snow is almost all gone. Although I we did have some on the ground this morning, but it did melt quickly. The crocus are blooming, and the bees are out. Spring is in the air.

Lessons Learned:

Today was a very busy day, and very little time for photography, but I did catch a few shots on the walk to my car.
I think that my wife and I are starting to see the same things. Both yesterday and today we either talked about or took the same photos. We didn't know the other person was taking similar photos. Happy Birthday Judy.
A 50mm lens with a small focal length can create interesting artifacts in macro-style photography.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/4000 sec, Aperture f/1.8 ISO 100, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 47, Day 328, March 23, 2010, Foggy Afternoon

2010-03-23T20:14:00.001-04:00

We had a second day of rain, and most of the day was foggy. The fog moved from place to place. I saw a couple of opportunities that I would have like to photograph while I road the bus, but was unable to stop. On my way home the fog wasn't as thick as it was during the day. I took this photo about 1/2 mile from my house.

I like the grainy look of the photo. Even though it is an ISO of 100, the fog created a very grainy look.

Lessons Learned:

Fog works very effectively as a filter. If you want a image that is fuzzier and less defined move further from the subject in the fog. The more moister there is in the air the less defined the image becomes. Because the fog wasn't as thick, I took this photo from across the field.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/80 sec, Aperture f/13, ISO 100, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 47, Day 327, March 22, 2010, Reflection of an Oak

2010-03-23T19:57:00.000-04:00

Another rainy day, so I looked for reflections. This is an oak tree in front of the Staler Hotel at Cornell University.

Lessons Learned:

Different weather means different types of photography.
The 50 mm lens is a great lens for carrying around. It's so small and light.
James has me seeing reflections everywhere.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/160 sec, Aperture f/2.8, ISO 100, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 47, Day 326, March 21, 2010, Dinner for One

2010-03-21T20:57:00.000-04:00

I went for two walks this afternoon. The first one I took my cameras and our dog Tank. Needless to say, there wasn't much photography. I took Tank for a walk in the woods with the neighbor, and his dog. They had a great time together, and I got a work out trying to hold the leash. He seemed to have a great time smelling everything in sight.

The second walk I took only my cameras. I walked through the old orchard behind our house. This led to a field with a hedge row. I followed the hedge row to the woods beyond the field. There is an old stone fence all along the hedge row. In some parts it has fallen down, in others large trees have fallen on it. I took a lot of photos.

On the way back I noticed something on one of the tree branches. When I got closer I notices it was part of an ear of corn. It looks like some animal took and put it on a branch to chew, and look over the fields. It is a seat with a wonderful view. All that is needed is a candle.

Lessons Learned:

I tend to find many things to photograph when I take walks in nature. It's a good way to get a photo for the day. Many times it is difficult to choose which photo to use.
I can more easily see what light works, and what light doesn't work when I'm getting ready to take a photograph. This helps in that I don't waste as much time with things that I have a pretty good idea that won't work. I guess this could be a blessing or a curse, in that I might miss some serendipitous photos.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/160 sec, Aperture f/4, ISO 400, Focal Length 34 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

Week 47, Day 325, March 20, 2010, Fear

2010-03-20T21:38:00.000-04:00

We headed to the original Dinosaur Bar-B-Que for dinner this evening with the family. I just found out that the restaurant was voted the best place to get BBQ in the Good Morning America Weekend online poll.

While inside the dark restaurant I used my 50 mm lens. Because of the closeness of the people sitting around the table, the photos were extreme close ups.

I like this photo because the subject has a look of fear. (Perhaps this was after he found out that the wait time was 1 1/2 hours.)

Lessons Learned:

Extreme close ups of faces can yield interesting photos. I took several of the people around the table.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/250 sec, Aperture f/1.8, ISO 3200, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 47, Day 324, March 19, 2010, Sunset Through the Woods

2010-03-19T20:18:00.000-04:00

Judy and I went for a walk after dinner tonight. On the way back to the house the sun was shining brightly through the trees of the woods.

I like the patterns of the trees silhouettes, and the color of the Sun as it filtered through the trees. It's great to have warmer weather once again to take walks outside.

Lessons Learned:

Today was Dragon Day at Cornell, and I forgot my camera. I didn't follow my own advice to always carry a camera. (Dragon Day is the day the School of Architecture builds a huge dragon, and parades it across campus. The Engineers respond with a Pheonix. The Dragon is burned at the end of the event.)

Photo details: Exposure time 1/1600 sec, Aperture f/2.8, ISO 100, Focal Length 80 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L, handheld.

Week 46, Day 324, March 18, 2010, The Geese Are Returning

2010-03-19T20:07:00.000-04:00

The last several days have been beautiful, and it's feeling like spring. The Canadian Geese are starting to return, or stop on their migration north.

The Geese around my house are not used to people. When they see people they tend to move away, or fly away. I used my 70-200mm lens on these two, and I had the 2x extender to make it a 400 mm lens.

Much of the landscape is still brown. There are still some patches of snow, but they are melting quickly.

Lessons Learned:

Wind was a big factor today. Many of the photos came out blurry because of the wind. Perhaps a better tripod would help. Any suggestions?

Photo details: Exposure time 1/100 sec, Aperture f/6.4, ISO 100, Focal Length 350 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM with EF 2x II Extender, tripod.

Week 46, Day 323, March 17, 2010, When Life Hands You Lemons

2010-03-17T20:42:00.000-04:00

I stopped at Ludgate Farms on the way home from work. It's a great store, with lots of heathy food options. Since this month's challenge is food, I asked if I could take some photographs. They said yes. As I wondered near the produce, I noticed the sun light on the lemons. I liked the effect that it had.

Lessons Learned:

Lighting is what much of photography is about. I'm finding myself spotting interesting contrasts in light more often.
I'm finding this food challenge a lot of fun. I didn't think I would like it when I started.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/320 sec, Aperture f/4, ISO 100, Focal Length 30 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, hand held.

Week 46, Day 322, March 16, 2010, McGraw Tower

2010-03-16T20:09:00.000-04:00

After my run at lunch time, I was talking to another guy in the locker room. We were talking about what a great day it was. I said that because we get so little Sun, we REALLY appreciate it. He said, YES. He then went on to explain how he was from India, and he used to curse the Sun, and reminded me to be careful what you wish for. He also really appreciated today's Sun.

My family came down, and met me and some of the cool local artist at the Chapter House for a beer, or two, after work. Walking back up the hill there was an incredible sky, and beautiful lighting on McGraw Tower. I just had to take a photo.

Lessons Learned:

A big change in the weather can make almost everything beautiful.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/60 sec, Aperture f/7.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 32 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld.

Week 46, Day 321, March 15, 2010, Royal Flush in a Full House

2010-03-15T21:19:00.000-04:00

We have company this week. With company came a lot of Ipods. I was thinking of just photographing all the ipods in one place, but I thought I should add a little flare to the photo.

The Royal Flush is on the Ipods. The full house is because our house is full of laughter, and stories. It's great to have the family home.

Lesson Learned:

Laughter can cure a lot of small problems, and put things in perspective.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/50 sec, Aperture f/4.0, ISO 800, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 46, Day 320, March 14, 2010, Let Sleeping Dog's Lie

2010-03-14T21:07:00.000-04:00

Our dog, Tank, still has a lot of energy, but there are times that he crashes for a nap in the middle of the afternoon. It's at these times we catch a breather from playing fetch, or tug of war.

Lessons Learned:

I took some advice from Pam on the chaotic photo. I found Tanks foot pad to be a very interesting subject, and placed it in the foreground of the photo.

Photo details: Exposure time 30 sec, Aperture f/22, ISO 100, Focal Length 40 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, camera sitting on the floor.

Week 46, Day 319, March 13, 2010, Lollipops

2010-03-13T21:47:00.000-05:00

My children are all here for the weekend, so it's been very busy. Today was a very cold windy rainy day. I chose to take today's photo inside. I decided to work on the food theme for a third time. This is my son and his girl friend. They were eating lollipops, so I asked if I could take their photo. They were great models, and allowed me to take several photos.

Lessons Learned:

I played with Photoshop to modify this photo. I first selected the lollipops by a color range. Then I copied and pasted the lollipops into a new layer. I then converted the main layer to black and white, and adjusted the brightness, and contrast.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/50 sec, Aperture f/1.8, ISO 1600, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 46, Day 318, March 12, 2010, Pineapple

2010-03-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

It was a cloudy dreary day, so I took the opportunity to take the second photo in my food challenge photo. I find the shapes of a pineapple very interesting.

Lessons Learned:

I think that color can sometimes distract from the shapes and textures. At first I was using black and white for this photo, but I think that sepia worked even better.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/15 sec, Aperture f/1.8, ISO 100, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, tripod.

Week 45, Day 318, March 11, 2010, The Old Recipe

2010-03-11T19:56:00.000-05:00

This months photo challenge for our local photo club is "food". This is not an area that I have a lot of interest in photographing, but I'm taking it as a challenge. Here's my first attempt. I think that stepping outside our comfort zone can teach us new things. Perhaps this will be more fun than I thought.

I have a friend, Jen Yu, that takes incredible food photos. (as well as many other types) Take a look at her blog

Lessons Learned:

I lens with a wide aperture seems to be a good tool when taking food photos.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/6 sec, Aperture f/1.8, ISO 100, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, tripod.

Week 45, Day 317, March 10, 2010, Chaos

2010-03-11T19:40:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I had a photo of a simple line of a snow drift curving around a tree. Last week I attempted to photograph some shelves that had several bowls, and cook books. I didn't like the second photo, and asked for your suggestions on how to make the photo better. One of the things that some of you said was make the shelves less cluttered. (or simple). This has me wondering if it is possible to take good photos of very busy photos (chaotic), or I should say what makes a good chaotic photo? I don't know the answer yet. I think of my children's "I Spy" books, and the photographs are beautiful and very busy, but not chaotic.

This is another chaotic photo. I like it a little better than the shelves photo, but it's still not quite right. I think I should have tried from a different angle.

What do you think? Is it possible to take a good chaotic photo? Do you have any examples?

Lessons Learned:

Experimenting is a lot of fun, and can be a learning experience. Other times it can be frustrating. Sometimes the lesson is, this method didn't work.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/25 sec, Aperture f/5.7, ISO 100, Focal Length 17 mm, Lens Canon EF 17-40mm, handheld.

Week 45, Day 316, March 9, 2010, Evidence of Spring

2010-03-09T17:54:00.001-05:00

We're on our 4th day in a row of Sunny Skies. People around here are in shock, and thinking of spring. It looks as if the Mallard Ducks are as well.

I think that the colder and darker the winter season, the more we appreciate spring. There are smiles on peoples face everywhere. Life is good.

Lessons Learned:

I think that when photographing birds the photographer either needs to be very fast, or very patient. Because of a lack of time, I went for speed on this photo as the ducks retreated up river. That caused a lack of clarity because I was holding the camera instead of using a tripod. I also had some blurry photos of hawks. I think that setting up and waiting for birds will result in better photos.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/800 sec, Aperture f/2.8, ISO 100, Focal Length 200 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, handheld.

Week 45, Day 315, March 8, 2010, Light Dance

2010-03-08T20:43:00.000-05:00

As I was coming home this evening, the sun was low in the sky and creating great shadows on trees. I had my 50mm lens with me. I pulled it out, and started photographing the light and the shadows on the trees.

Lessons Learned:

I'm trying to see in black and white, and looking for large contrast between the light and the dark, and how they play together. Tonight I saw it.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/80 sec, Aperture f/6.3, ISO 100, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld.

Week 45, Day 314, March 7, 2010, Shadow Lands

2010-03-07T18:20:00.000-05:00

We've had 2 sunny days in row, and the temperatures were much warmer today. It's nice to go outside without a hat and gloves.

The sun was so bright. I concentrated on the shadows on the snow. The shadow in the foreground is one of my favorite trees. I like the color of the barn, and the barn roof as a contrast to the whiteness of the snow.

Lessons Learned:

Take advantage of whatever the lighting circumstance happens to be. The bright Sun was fantastic for shadows today.
I am able to take my camera on my dog walks, and still take some photos. Our 70 pound lab is very strong, but he's becoming a little more tolerant of my stopping to take photos. Perhaps he is getting over being a puppy.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/1000 sec, Aperture f/16.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 50 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 82mm, Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, handheld (Any blur in this photos is cause by the dog pulling my arm. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :-)).

Week 45, Day 313, March 6, 2010, Rebound

2010-03-07T17:59:00.000-05:00

Last night was the last Varsity High School game of the season for the Groton team. They lost the sectional game to Moravia. Moravia has a great team, and plays very well. I hope they do well in the state tournament.

I have a great sadness in my heart today. It's not because of the loss of the game last night. They are a great group of kids, and have worked hard. They've had one of the best sports season on record. Their football team won the Section for the first time in the history of the school, and went on to the State Quarterfinals. In basketball this is the first time in the past 25 years that they have played for the Section Title. Their achievements have been fantastic. I rejoice in those achievements. They have worked hard to achieve them.

The sadness comes from knowing that these guys will never play as a team again. My son is a senior this year.. He's been playing basketball and football with the same group of guys since for almost 10 years. A majority of them will be graduating this year and going on with their lives. The sadness comes because I'll miss watching them play together as a team. May they come to treasure these moments in their lives, and have great success in all that they do. They have learned some incredible lessons along the way. I think these success will help propel them into successful lives as adults.

As far as the photo is concerned my son is on the left in this photo getting ready for a rebound against Moravia's top scorer. I thought it was a great action shot.

Lessons Learned:

Some professional sports arenas have incredible lighting. This was by far the best place to take basketball photos that I have ever encountered.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/250 sec, Aperture f/2.8, ISO 3200, Focal Length 200 mm, Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L USM, handheld.