2nd Exposure

Backlit Backyard Leaves

2009-07-15T22:11:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday after work, I went out of my way to go shooting in a fancy-schmantzy neighborhood of Baltimore. When I came home and got out of my car, I happened to notice some beautiful backlighting on some on these hostas at the side of our house.

After all was said and done, this was the only good photo of the day. I wouldn't say at all that the special trip to that fancy neighborhood was a waste, but it's funny how I found the best image right in my backyard.

Unintentional Art

2009-07-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

You Silly Dog!

2009-07-14T22:29:00.002-04:00

Flag and Flag Kite

2009-07-08T21:07:00.004-04:00

Our flag billows and a 4th of July kite flies at the shore of the Chesapeake Bay last Saturday.

Lemmon Street, 8 AM

2009-07-05T16:41:00.002-04:00

Fremont Ave Gingkgo

2009-07-01T23:03:00.003-04:00

I carried my DSLR with its new "walkaround" lens, a Tamron 18-270mm zoom, with me to work today for the first time.

There are some gingkgo trees just before I get to the entrance of our building, but I tend to only notice them in the fall, when their leaves turn yellow and carpet the sidewalk. But today, I finally "saw" them and took a few photos.

The new lens seems to have nice bokeh, as I was able to smoothly blur some cars, grass, and brick walkway in the background.

I bought the lens in early June after a few weeks of gearhead anxiety. Once it arrived and I had a chance to shoot with it, I wasn't sure if I was going to keep it. But I decided to do just that over the past day or two. More on that later.

Lawn Chair Flyer

2009-05-22T23:34:00.001-04:00

I was enjoying the spectacle of dozens of hot-air balloons taking off in the morning when I spotted this fellow - he instantly became my hero!

This is one of the last photos I took with film before my conversion to the Digital Dark Side. This was back in my all-Commie-camera days, using a Praktica MTL5 with a 135 mm CJZ Sonnar, both made in the now-deservedly-defunct German Democratic Republic (aka East Germany, which was neither democratic nor a republic.)

Steamboat Springs, Colorado, July 2003

Lime Shadow

2009-05-21T13:33:00.000-04:00

Proteus Bicycles is a well-stocked, well-equipped and friendly bike shop in College Park, Maryland. This is a very old building by College Park standards, built in the 1930's as a car repair garage. The stucco exterior now sports a flourescent lime paint job that screams to be photographed. I had passed the shop on other sunny days camera-less too many times to let it happen again.

Casing the joint, I did find several good images. My favorite one is this one, the most simple imaginable - just a little pipe vent, it's shadow, and that maginificent lime stucco

I call this a "Seinfeldian Image," that is, it's a photo about Nothing. Just light, texture, and shadow.

Swedish Donut Brigade

2009-05-20T18:10:00.001-04:00

I noticed these brightly-colored trucks at a commercial bakery along MD Route 100 several years ago during my daily commute.

Acting as if I knew what I was doing, I brazenly went onto the parking lot as the sun was low on the horizon and tried to capture the bold blues and yellows.

Crossing Bay Bridge

2009-05-17T14:13:00.001-04:00

Caboose Detail

2009-05-16T18:41:00.001-04:00

The caboose on the Verde Canyon Scenic Railroad. Like the rest of the train, the caboose is dressed up in "Southwestern" colors.

Grafitti Pullman

2009-05-12T00:01:00.001-04:00

Red Fractured Rock - Sedona

2009-05-11T00:01:00.002-04:00

Looking Towards Cathedral Rock - Sedona

2009-05-10T22:52:00.000-04:00

Grand Canyon

2009-05-09T00:01:00.002-04:00

We took a sunset tour of the Grand Canyon - probably the best time to see it from the rim.

Ye Olde Hippie Emporium

2009-05-08T00:01:00.003-04:00

Sandy & I did a double-take as we drove by this shop in Clarksdale on the way to visiting some Sinagua Indian ruins. I had to stop the car and walk back to check out the shop.

It's full of really nice Native American arts and crafts as well as vintage and "new vintage" Summer-of-Love-type clothing. The back room has shelves full of New Age books, and the smell of burning incense brings you right back to 1969 (frankly, not my favorite time, but the cheeriness of the store and its owner Randy Justis make up for it.)

Watchtower

2009-05-07T23:06:00.002-04:00

The Indian Watchtower sits on a promontory at the Eastern end of the South Rim. From this vantage point, you get about a 270-degree view.

The tower was designed by architect Mary Colter in 1930. An artist in the mold of Frederick Law Olmstead, she really knew what she was doing when it came to harmonizing a structure with its surroundings.

As impressive as the watchtower is on the outside, it's the interior, here, that was a delightful surprise to me.

Red Rock Country - Courthouse Butte

2009-05-07T22:42:00.002-04:00

OK, you had a two-week reprieve from my vacation photos, but now you're gonna get them right in the face... but I'll be gentle - only one or so a day.

What can I say about Sedona, AZ that hasn't already been said better by others? It's got to be about the most beautiful and mystical place I've ever seen.

I couldn't get over the large formations of red rock. The red is sandstone, colored by a very small percentage of iron oxide, aka "rust." Who knew rust could look so magnificent?

Just about all of the fantastic rock formations in Sedona have names, like Snoopy, Coffee Pot, and Cathedral Rock. This one is called Courthouse Butte.

Deck Chair

2009-04-19T13:15:00.003-04:00

Hey! Wanna see my vacation slides!

Was that a cringe I just felt?

Don't worry, you'll only have to see one or two a day, while Sandy and I are on vacation in Sedona.

Here's a scene on the deck of our cottage at Sedona Pines - a very nice resort!

Tu Pot

2009-04-19T01:36:00.000-04:00

Trashcan Lid

2009-04-18T01:34:00.001-04:00

Early-morning sunlight on Portland Street is the key to this image.

Faded Graffiti

2009-04-17T00:01:00.001-04:00

It pays to look up, too.

This is right around the corner from where I work. I pass by here almost every day, but I never noticed this before.

Water Valve Cover

2009-04-16T00:01:00.001-04:00

Still pays to look down. I'm on a manhole cover roll.

Uncle Sam

2009-04-15T22:44:00.001-04:00

I saw "Uncle Sam" while attending the Tax Day Tea Party in Baltimore today. Ultra-soggy weather notwithstanding, the turnout was decent.

I took this one with my beat-up, carry-everywhere-in-my-pocket 5MP Canon SD400. The moon must have been in the Seventh House and Jupiter must have been aligned with Mars, because this is one sharp image. The difference between it and almost every other exposure I made today is amazing.

Water Meter Cover

2009-04-15T00:01:00.001-04:00

On a rainy April day, corner of Pratt and Freemont, it paid to look down.

This is what I call "Nature's Photoshopping." The colors and texture look as if I cranked the Saturation slider way up, but this is pretty much what it looked like in the real world. I just applied normal color correction and sharpening.