Builder Bob?

- No it's not Bob the Builder, it my grandson Robert doing some serious reconstruction last week at Sandbridge Beach. Canon 7D, 1/1600 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, zoom at 135mm focal length.

Face in the Sand

- A face in the sand at the North American Sandsculpting Championship in Virginia Beach, Virginia USA. Check out some more photos of the amazing sand sculptures at night. Canon G11. 1/13 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 800, handheld thanks to the miracle of image stabilization.

Night Castles

- The North American Sandsculpting Championship was heald this week at Virginia Beach's 2010 Neptune Festival. For the first time the sand castles were lit at night. The night lighting produced a great new way to take pictures of these creations which are part of the Master's Division. Canon G11, 1/40 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 800.

Bachelor Button

- Gomphrena globosa, commonly known as Globe Amaranth or Bachelor Button, is an annual plant that grows up to 24 inches in height. This cultivar is white but the most familiar variety is the true species with magenta bracts. Canon 7D, 1/50 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro.

Monarch

The monarch reigns supreme at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens Butterfly House. This Saturday morning is the annual Monarch tagging and release by the Butterfly Society of Virginia. Canon 7D, 1/400 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro.

Zebra Swallowtail

- A beautiful Zebra Swallowtail photographed at the Butterfly House in Norfolk's Botanical Gardens. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro.

A First

- This is a first for my daily photo blog - a picture I didn't take! After 630 straight days of posting my pictures, I took the day off - well kind of. You see today was my birthday and we went to Sandbridge Beach in the late afternoon with my grandson Robert. I did take a bunch of pictures but then I asked a young lady sitting next to us on the beach if she would mind taking a picture of the three of us. She was a bit intimidated by the Canon 7D and confessed she didn't take very good pictures. I told her not to worry, just point and shoot. She took four pictures while we were trying to convince Robert to look up at the pretty girl when a big wave hit us from behind. Lucky for me, she got the money shot. We were pretty soaked but it was great fun as you can tell from this picture. Canon 7D (The Intimidator), 1/1000 sec at f/10.0, ISO 400, 45mm focal length.