Devotion - Day 140 #CY365

Today is Sherlock's fourth birthday. Yes he is named after the famous fictional detective because of his insatiable curiosity. He goes by many names around our house, Lock, Lockmeister, Lockinator, Trouble with a capital "T", and assorted other names when his curiosity is out of control. But he's my totally devoted little buddy. Join me in wishing him a happy birthday. Canon 5D Mark II, 1/13 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 1600, 100mm macro lens.

Aromatic - Day 84 #CY365

I have a bunch of hyacinths planted near our front door. The smell provides a nice welcome home. Here I tried to capture the fine texture of the blooms with a little loose pollen in an attempt to invoke the wonderful feeling you get from the aroma. Canon 5D Mark II, 1/200 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 1600.

Blue Moon

According to the font of all knowledge, Wikipedia, a blue moon is the appearance of the third full moon in a season with four full moons. The term has also been used to refer to the second full moon in a month. Tonight's blue moon is the first since December 31, 2009 and the next one won't be until July 2015.

Today was Neil Armstrong's memorial service and his family said one way we could remember him was to "Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink." So step outside and behold the rare blue moon and give Neil a wink.

Canon 7D, 1/400 sec @ f8.0, ISO 400, 560mm focal length. Converted to black and white in Lightroom 4 using the Silver Efex Pro 2 plugin and added a little blue tint using Google's Picasa. The real blue moon is not actually blue at all.

Blue Flame

- The blue flame of butane torch lighter. A butane torch can reach temperatures of up to 2000 °F (1100 °C). Canon 7D, 1/40 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 1600, 100mm macro, lighter in my left hand, camera in the right.

Happy Birthday USA!

- Happy 236th Birthday to the USA. Canon 7D, 1/100 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 800.

What?

- Sebastian giving me the "what, not another picture" look. Nothing worse than being hounded by the cat paparazzi. Canon G11, 1/15 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 400.

Power On

- The power symbol is a symbol indicating that a control activates or deactivates a particular device. It incorporates line and circle figures, with the arrangement informed by the function of the control. It is a popular icon among technology enthusiasts. Canon 7D, 1/30 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro.

Ink Drop

- I got this photo idea today while I was cleaning up from a leaky fountain pen. The ink makes interesting shapes as it mixes with the water. So tonight I just placed a drop of ink in a clear glass of water and took some pictures. Canon 7D, 1/320 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro.

Instant Sun

- Don't ask. iPhone 4, 1/545 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80, olloclip fisheye lens.

Blue Mystique

- This is a Blue Mystique orchid that I saw today at Lowes and had to have. It is a really striking and unusual color. Mine has two stems with a total of 15 blooms. Canon40D, 1/250 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, 100mm macro lens, micro Litepanel LED for illumination.