The Birds

- I still remember seeing Alfred Hitchcock's classic horror film The Birds at a drive-in theater in El Paso Texas when I was kid. It was the stuff of nightmares. I often think of that movie when I see the thousands of black birds that converge on the area near the Newtown Road exit on I-264 to roost each night. The birds fill the tops of all the trees, and line the power lines, traffic signals and rooftops all around. Hoepefully this pictures brings back your memories of that movie and if you haven't seen it, put in your Netflix queue and of course sleep well. ;) Canon G11, 1/15 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 400.

Quince

- The flowers of a white quince shrub in today's light rain. Canon G11, 1/500 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400 in macro mode.

New Sheriff in Town

- There's a new Sheriff in town and is name is Sebastian. He's my cousin's new blue mink Tonkinese kitten and he is so cute! He joins his sister Sophia and cousins Sasha and Sherlock to be a part of our family Tonk mob. He was born on December 5th and while small, he arrived at Lin's house and made himself right at home. Welcome to the family little bud. Canon 7D, 1/10 sec @ f/2.0, ISO 1600, 50mm prime lens.

Parcel Post

- I like getting snail mail. There's something about the letter carrier bringing a package to your door that began its journey halfway around the world. The Internet has certainly helped make the world smaller and even facilitated the transaction that brought these cool stamps from Hong Kong to my house. Look closely at these stamps with their beautiful artwork and I really like the dots that surround the denomination amounts on bottom row of stamps. Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, 100mm macro.

Forsythia

- Time for another early sign of Spring from a walk around the neighborhood. The Forsythia is a shrub that blooms out in early spring with yellow flowers which soon become the green leave. The long flowing branches of bright yellow are a beacon for Spring. This bud has yet to open and the last few days have seen a return to winter-like temperatures. Canon 40D, 1/200 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, 100mm macro LED Litepanel.

Night Landing

- Had an a unique opportunity tonight to photograph U.S. Navy F18 fighter jets practicing night carrier landings at Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) Fentress in Chesapeake Virginia. While the pictures of streaking jets at night are cool, it was the experience that was amazing. Standing just yards away you could really feel the power of these jets. The roar of the engines, rushing air, and the smell of jet fuel and burnt rubber from the landing gear making contact with the runway can never be captured by a still photograph. Thanks to Matt for taking me out there and to Amber for hooking me up with Matt. I'm still pumped. Canon 7D, 4 seconds @ f/2.8, ISO 1600, 50mm focal length mounted on a tripod. Check out a few more pictures on my Picasa web album.

Night Crocus

- Yesterday I posted a picture of these violet crocuses opened up late in the day. I went back tonight to capture this image of these early spring beauties all closed up for night. I think they are pretty special in both the daylight and at night. Canon 40D, 1 sec @ f/11, ISO 200, mounted on a tripod with two LED Litepanels for illumination.