All Good Things Come To An End

I've been taking and posting a picture each day to this blog since January 1, 2009. What started out as a 365 Project to improve my photography skills by committing to take a picture each day for a year turned into four years of continuous picture taking. So after 1,461 photos I'm calling an end to my "Extreme 365" project. I want to thank all of the those loyal followers who posted comments and encouragement both on the blog and on Facebook. Sometime soon I'll launch a new blog featuring my photography. Take care and have a great 2013. Collage created using 1461 photos with Shape Collage Pro.

Headed Down

I couldn't end the year without another stairway picture. Don't know what it is that catches my eye about stairs, but I think they make cool photos. iPhone 5, 1/30 sec @ f/2.4, ISO 50.

Barbacue and Fries

Doumar's classic drive-in on a December Saturday night. Yep, pork barbecue sandwiches with cole slaw and an order of fries. It's a Norfolk Virginia legend and a frequent stop for us. iPhone 5, 1/20 sec @ f/2.4, ISO 100, Olloclip fish eye lens.

Doug's Dome

Looking up at the inside of the dome at the Douglas MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk Virginia. Around the dome are inscribed the names of major battles from MacArthur's 50 years of service in the U.S. Army. His career spanned the Mexican Revolution, WWI, WWII and the Koren War. The building and its dome was originally designed as Norfolk's City Hall by Thomas U. Walter architect of the U.S. Capitol dome in Washington D.C. City Hall was completed in 1850. The dome is 32 feet in diameter and 52 feet high. iPhone 5, 1/24 sec @ f/2.4, ISO 50, Olloclip fisheye lens.

Corinthian Console

This pair of Corinthian-styled consoles support a shallow stone balcony above the main entrance to the 1899 Federal Courthouse and Post Office in Norfolk Virginia. The building housed the U.S. Courthouse and Post Office until 1934, it then served as Norfolk's City Hall from 1938 through 1965 and other local government agencies occupied the building until 1977. It now being renovated and will serve as part of the City's new Slover Library scheduled to open in late 2014. The building is a rare example of Neo-Palladian Revival style. Canon G15, 1/1250 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400.

Starry Night in Glass

This is the purple swirl hand blown glass ornament my grandson Robert made this past Saturday with a lot of help from Josh and the glass artists at the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio in Norfolk Virginia.
Canon 5D Mark II, 1/40 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800, one LED Litepanel used to illuminate from below.

My Buddy

My buddy is wearing a little evidence of a pre-Christmas dinner cookie. Canon 7D, 1/60 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400, bounce flash with a little direct flash from a white reflector.

Christmas Train

Robert playing with the LGB "Big Train" on Christmas Eve. He would rather push the train on the tracks than run it with the transformer. Canon 7D, 1/60 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, ceiling bounced flash with a little direct light from a reflector.

1453

I've been taking and posting daily photos for almost 4 years now. This is number 1453 and I have eight more to go before I call it quits on the daily photos. Some days inspiration comes easy and other days it does not. Today is the later. Canon G15, 1/20 sec @ f/2.5, ISO 800, taken through a blue water bottle.

Serious Business

My grandson Robert pays close attention to instructions for making his own hand blown glass Christmas ornament at the Chrysler Museum of Art Glass Studio. When he finished, he proud;y pronounced his as the best in the class. I have to agree with him. Canon G15, 1/250 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 1600.

Wells Fargo Tower

The Wells Fargo Tower in Norfolk Virginia is sporting it's Christmas colors atop the 23 story office tower. Canon G15, 1/320 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800.

Honeycomb

This honeycomb block wall is located just out the garage entrance to the Showcase Restaurant at Norfolk Virginia's Scope arena. One of my favorite mid-century modern buildings, the Scope has been featured in the blog many times. Canon G15, 1/30 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800, converted to black and white in Lightroom 4.3 using Silver Efex Pro 2.

World Record Ornament?

Deborah Czeresko and the Chrysler Glass Studio team attempt to break Deborah's current world record for the largest blown-glass ornament. That's Deborah's at the left edge of the frame holding the torch. A rockin crowd of a couple a hundred art glass fans watched as the massive glass ornament grew and took shape. Canon G15, 1/160 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 1600.

It's Oz

Saw this analog soundboard on a tour of the WHRO Public Broadcasting studios in Norfolk Virginia tonight. Two ladies along for tour were peering into the audio control room when one asked "is this radio or TV?" The second replied "it's Oz."
iPhone 5, 1/17 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400, Camera+ App.

o-dark-thirty

This is how I start my Monday, Wednesday and Friday at o-dark-thirty each week. I've been at it for two years years now and it has changed my life. Thanks to Daniel, Mark and everyone at Fitness Together Norfolk, my cousin Lin who recommended FT Norfolk and to my dear friend Reza who got me out of the computer chair and off the couch. Canon G15, 1/20 sec @ f/2.2, ISO 800.

American Pastime

It has been said that baseball is the all-American pastime. While the sport has been adopted around the world, Americans still hold it close from sandlot to little league, from to high school to college and from the minors to the big leagues. The Red Robin baseball flag reminds us of the sport's American heritage. Canon G15, 1/100 @ f/2.8, ISO 800.

This Year's Memory

The mouse is everywhere even on our Christmas Tree. This was a souvenir from our first ever trip to Disney World back in October. Our Christmas Tree has unique ornaments from the places we've visited over the years. Putting up the tree brings back all of those great memories from past vacations. Canon 7D, 1/13 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens.

Fire Escape

The fire escape became a necessary addition to multi-story buildings particularly residential buildings in the first half of the twentieth century. An unintended consequence was that people began to use them as additional space. They became patios and even sleeping areas during hot urban summers. This example is on the York Center building, a 9 story office building in downtown Norfolk Virginia built around 1950. Canon G15, 1/400 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 200.

Holiday Arcade

The Monticello Arcade in Norfolk Virginia decked out and celebrating its 105th Christmas holiday season. That a pretty good run. iPhone 5, 1/15 sec @ f/2.4, ISO 800, Camera+ App.

The Delaware Dome

This is the Norfolk Southern Railroad's Delaware Dome car # NS 24 at the new station platform in Norfolk Virginia. I had the opportunity to ride in this car during a trip from Washington D.C.'s Union Station to Norfolk's Harbor Park Station. This stainless steel streamliner car was built in 1954, the year I was born, by the Budd Company for the Santa Fe Railroad's San Francisco Chief service. It has been restored by Norfolk Southern and now sports the Tuscan Red & Black paint scheme from the old N&W passenger lines, the Powhatan Arrow and Pocahontas. If you like trains, you've got to love this classic. Canon G15, 1/160 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 800.

Long Awaited Return

After 36 years passenger rail service returns to Norfolk Virginia. The Governor's "Whistle Stop" train arrived in Norfolk this afternoon. Regular daily rail service provided by Amtrak Virginia from Norfolk to Washington D.C., New York and Boston starts tomorrow morning. This locomotive #156 carries the Amtrak 40th Anniversary "Phase I" paint scheme known as the "Bloody Nose." This was the first paint scheme widely used by Amtrak when it began service in 1971. Canon G15, 1/400 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800.

Morning Skyline

The Norfolk Virginia eastern skyline shortly after sunrise on a cloudy but unseasonably warm Monday morning. Freemason Street Baptist Church in the center foreground, the Basilica of Saint Mary just to the right, the eastern branch of the Elizabeth River with the railroad bridges raised to the far right, and Virginia Beach's Westin Town Center in the distant left background seen between the two NSU dormitory towers. Canon G15, 1 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 100.

Holiday Trappings

Holiday trappings everywhere you look. I love the colors and sights of the season. iPhone 5, Camera+ app.

Holiday Lights

More of the holiday lights at Norfolk's Botanical Gardens. Canon 7D, 1/20 sec @ f/3.5 ISO 800.

Two Crows

"One crow means sorrow,
two crows mean joy,
three crows a wedding,
four crows a boy,
five crows mean silver,
six crows mean gold,
seven crows a secret that's never been told."

Canon G15, 1/125 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro 2.

Schlumbergera

Schlumbergera, a.k.a. the Christmas Cactus. These cacti are species found in the coastal mountains of south-eastern Brazil. Plants grow on trees or rocks in habitats which are generally shady with high humidity and can be quite different in appearance from their desert-dwelling cousins. Hybrids like this one are popular house plants.Canon 7D, 1/80 sec @ f/16.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens, two LED Litepanels used for illumination.

Too Much Email

Opened my Gmail account today and what do you know, my unopened email counter was sitting at exactly 10,000. Many of these are email lists, ads, automatic notifications and such. I had this down to zero this past summer. So if I took 5 seconds each to delete these emails it would take 14 hours of continuos deleting to get rid of them all. If I actually took a minute to look at each one, that would take 21 - 8 hour work days or a little more than one man month. And this is just my personal email account, my work account has much more volume. Canon 7D, 1/40 sec @ f/16.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro, photographed directly off my computer screen.

Twilight Steeple

Yesterday's photo featured the morning sky and the shiloutte of Norfolk's First Baptist Church. Tonight it's the nearby Freemason Street Baptist Church against a twilight sky. Grabriel's Horn is the weather vane at the top the steeple. Thomas U. Walter, the architect for the U.S. Capital dome designed the Gothic Revival building, which is now on the National Historical Register. Canon G15, 1/5 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400.

Morning Contrails

A beautiful Norfolk Virginia morning with contrails from the east coast air corridor high above the shiloutte of First Baptist Church. This church is one of my all time favorite Norfolk buildings with its highly ornamented Romanesque Revival style. While you can't tell from this picture the pink granite ashlar and limestone trim are spectacular. This 1906 architectural masterpiece is the work of Chattanooga architect Rueben Harrison Hunt. iPhone 5, Camera+ App.

Frosty the Sandman

Of course any self respecting snowman in Virginia Beach Virginia is going to the beach. Canon 7D, 1/8 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro.

Core Sound Christmas Trees

Crab Pot Christmas Trees, the latest addition to our holiday decorations. Created by Nicky Harvey founder of Harvey & Sons Net & Twine a Davis North Carolina commercial fishing industry supplier as way to expand his family owned business. Using triangles of the same coated wire mesh used in crab pots, he created a tree strung with lights that could be stored flat and then opened for display with the light strings remaining in place. As a result the Core Sound Christmas Tree was born and today is manufactured and distributed by Fisherman Creations, Inc. in Smyrna, NC.

Canon G15, 1/6 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 400.