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.

Mr. Fix-it

- Robert received his "Li'l Helper" tool kit including PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) from Grammy and Grandpa for Christmas. He immediately decided that something needed fixing so he went to work on the faucet in the shower. He looks just like Handy Manny. Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, 1/60 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 250 with flash.

Take Time

- Miss Sasha reminds us to take time to smell the flowers. Both of our cats thoroughly enjoyed the new bouquet of fresh cut flowers Cindy got at the Why Not Wednesday farmer's market at Town Center in Virginia Beach. Canon G11, 1/60 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 800, on camera flash dialed down two stops.

Easter Fun

- My grandson Robert thoroughly enjoyed the Easter Basket we made for him. It was mostly cheap toys, the only candy was Pop Rocks - his first experience was priceless. But of course he enjoyed the fake paper grass from the basket the best. He was at "Grammy's house" and she let him spread it all over the house. Here is is throwing a bunch up in the air. I'm not sure who had the most fun - him, us or the cats. Canon 40D, 1/125 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 800, 50mm prime lens and Canon ETTL flash bounced from the ceiling.

More Martinis

From 2010 Blog

This was yesterday's first runner-up for the last photo of the day for my 2009 Project 365. Should the winning photo fail to serve its full term, this beauty will take the title. The consolation prize is not too shabby - first photo post for 2010 and a new decade. During Project 365 there were many days when choosing the best photo was tough; so expect to see many more 2009 runner ups make appearances on the blog in 2010. Thanks to Irishman Ronan Palliser for the great blog post used to cook up these pictures. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100, 50mm prime lens, one off-camera strobe.

365 - Tipsy

From 365 Project

Partied too hard didn't you? There is nothing wrong with your monitor. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. Sit quietly and we will control all that you see. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your computer or monitor. You have just participated in a great adventure. Thanks so much for following this blog for the last 365 days. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100, 50mm prime lens and one off-camera strobe.

363 - Chips & DIP

From 365 Project

This is a collection of old memory chips and a DIP (Dual In-line Package) switch that I kept from old an computer I had in the 1980's. These types of memory chips have been long since been replaced by memory modules and the DIP switch once a common way to set configurations have been replaced with software settings saved in non-volatile memory. They are all sitting on a silicon wafer board containing about a hundred 386 processor chips before they are cut and mounted in the ceramic housing. Basically chips in the raw. Canon 7D, 1/60 sec @ f/9.0, ISO 200, 50mm macro lens with two off camera strobes using a light tent.

264 - Double Nickel

From 365 Project

Today is my birthday so I thought I'd try to pay tribute to the occasion. This macro close-up of two nickels, one of the old series and one of the new series, shows the toll that the years take on coins as they bang together in pockets, cash drawers and vending machines. I hope nobody takes a 1X macro photo of me, I suspect I've fared worse than the nickels. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/60 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 200, 65mm macro lens. Lighting provided by two manual strobes on either side fired through the white sides of a Light Shed. I used slightly different power levels, one at 1/4 and one at 1/8 to help contrast the coins. Converted to black and white in Photoshop Elements using Silver Efex Pro.

252 - Reflective

From 365 Project

School is back in session and the yellow buses have returned to the streets in force. I have noticed how my car headlights illuminate the reflective tape long before you can see the actual bus. In this night photo of a line of school buses parked near the Kempsville intersection in Virginia Beach illuminate nicely with a little help from an off-camera strobe. Canon 40D, 1 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 200, 28mm focal length, Vivitar 285HV strobe on quarter power trigger by wireless remote. Camera mounted on a tripod. My thanks to Cindy for the subject suggestion.

231 - World Photography Day!

From 365 Project

Today is World Photography Day, yea! Thanks to @Pleyades for the heads-up tweet this morning. Photographer's love their gear and I'm a real gear geek. So I took this photo of my favorite rig, the Canon 40D with an 85mm, F1.8 prime lens. Even though we love our gear, a photographer's #1 pet peeve is when someone looks at one of their pictures and says, "wow that's a great photo, you must have a really nice camera." While gear is important, a good photographer can make a great picture with a cell phone camera. Canon Rebel XTi (400D) 1/250 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 200, 50mm macro lens. The subject was in a light tent and illuminated with two strobes.

217 - Legacy

From 365 Project

My grandson Robert has recently acquired his first camera, gently used - of course, and loves to take pictures with it. We were dueling it out with our cameras during a family night out for pizza. Canon G10, 1/60 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400, flash set at -1 stop.

209 - Water Droplet

From 365 Project

Back in May I saw a blog post and video on Strobist.com about taking water droplet photos using a single flash. Well I finally got around to setting it up tonight. There were so many amazing images I had a hard time choosing one for the picture of the day. This image's psychedelic lighting comes from bouncing the flash off a holographic patterned gift bag. I rather liked the effect, I hope you enjoy it as well. Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100, 50mm compact macro lens, off camera strobe at 1/16 power - creating a 1/11,000th of second light burst.

204 - Elm Leaf

From 365 Project

This is a closeup of a leaf from a large old American Elm that dominates the side of my yard. Between too frequent power line trimmings and the Dutch Elm disease that killed my other elms 15 to 20 years ago, it is amazing that it has survived to be so grand. The leaf was backlit while on the branch with an off camera strobe set at 1/32 power. Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @ f/18.0, ISO 400, 70mm macro and converted to back and white using Silver Efex Pro plug-in in Photoshop Elements.

199 - 100 Days of Color

From 365 Project

The Crape-myrtle is sometimes referred to as the tree with 100 days of color. They start blooming in late June and can bloom through the month of September. I had never closely examined the blooms until recently. This bloom comes from a tree that was an Arbor Day sprig I planted in my yard many years ago. The macro photo shows the bloom is a ring of independent petals. Because the blooms are massed so close together we rarely notice nature's grand design for this ever popular tree. Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @ f/18, ISO 400, 70mm macro with off-camera flash.

195 - Funkia

From 365 Project

Funkia is the rejected generic name for the plant we call Hosta today. I like Funkia better or even the Japanese name Giboshi, but alas we have Hosta to honor Austrian botanist and personal physician of Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, Nicholas Thomas Host. Whatever you call them, they are popular shade garden plants. This leaf was back lit with an off-camera flash which highlights the elegant curving vein structure. Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @ f/16.0, ISO 200, 50mm macro lens.

194 - Katydid - it

From 365 Project

This Katydid nymph was caught in the act of munching on one of my last Jersey Spider daylily blooms. Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @ f/22.0, ISO 400, 70mm macro, off-camera flash at 1/32 power.

169 - Faded Glory

From 365 Project

One of my neighbors painted this flag on their fence in the days just after 9/11. Flags, feelings of national pride and patriotism were wide spread. Just as the flag on this fence, much of those have faded in the ensuing years. Canon 40D, 1/60 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 400, 85mm f/1.8 prime lens with a little help from the camera's pop up flash.

166 - Lightning Bug

From 365 Project

Up close and personal with this lightning bug. They started appearing last week and I see more and more each night. I hope to get a long exposure with several glowing at once but I need to wait until there are more of them. Canon G10, 1/60 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 400, 25mm equivalent focal length, on camera flash with flash compensation at -1 stop.

84 - Golden Bells

From 365 Project

One of the first signs of spring is the gorgeous yellow flowers of the forsythia. The shrub is often called Golden Bells because of the hanging yellow blossoms. This macro close-up was made with a Canon 40D and 50mm f/2.5 compact macro lens, exposure 1/15s at f/3.5, ISO 100. The subject was lit with a Canon 430EX Speedlite in an Orbis ringflash adapter.

81 - Spring Eggs

From 365 Project

Hand carved and painted wooden eggs depict the feelings of spring and renewal. Canon 40D, 1/30s at f/2.5, Canon 50mm f/2.5 compact macro lens and an Orbis Ring Flash.