Espresso Brown

- Why is that colors these days have a first and last name? When was the last time you saw a can paint or fabric color just called brown? So yesterday I was took a picture getting ready to make an espresso, tonight it is the finished cup. This is espresso brown or Mr. Brown to those who are more formal. Canon 40D, 1/60 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens, LED litepanel.

Espresso?

- Can I interest you in an espresso? Well is not a "real" espresso but its pretty darn close for a home version. Made myself an espresso with my Nespresso machine tonight to enjoy with a little strawberry sorbet. Very nice. This picture was taken just before pushing the button to begin the magic. Canon 40D, 1/10 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro.

The State Flower

- The Dogwood is the official state flower and tree of the Commonwealth of Virginia. So why is Virginia officially called a Commonwealth rather than a state? Fiction author Clive Cussler once lamented it was because "Virginia considers itself too good to be just a state". Virginia has used the old traditional English term since before the founding of the United States. There are three other U.S. states that refer to themselves as a Commonwealth - Kentucky, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. The term implies a political community founded for the common good. As I watch Virgina's strange politics, I often wonder what has happened to the "common good". Canon 7D, 1/100 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro lens, LED Litepanel.

Rear-view Mirror

- Well technically its a side-view mirror. Looking back on the rush hour traffic waiting behind me to make a left turn from Park Avenue onto Brambelton Avenue to get on I-264 East in Norfolk Virginia. Notice the two cars in the blind-spot mirror can't be seen in the standard mirror - that's why they call it a blind spot. That little mirror has saved me more than once. Canon G11, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Lavender

- Lavender is the color of femininity and my bride of 36 years loves tulips. So it was lavender tulips with some baby's breath, pink roses and stargazer lilies for today's anniversary flowers. Canon 40D, 1/60 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro, Litepanel LED.

New Pez!

- As regular followers of my blog know, I collect PEZ dispensers. Since I have several hundred it is a rare treat to get a new one, especially when its a gift. My grandson Robert brought me this new style Disney Dalmatian dispenser last week. So this picture and blog post is a big thank to Robert for expanding grandpa's wall of PEZ. He and I have a good arrangement, I get the PEZ dispensers he gets the PEZ candy.

This photo is a good example of shallow depth of field and bokeh. You will notice that his nose and right eye are in sharp focus at f/4.0 but the left eye which is just a few millimeters farther away is beginning to fall out of the shallow field of sharp focus. The background is completely out of focus with the soft highlights known as bokeh. Canon 40D, 1/50 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens, room light.

Ice Cold Tea

- A glass of ice cold tea a southern tradition. We had dinner tonight at the No Frill Grill in Norfolk, Virginia and sat on the open patio. It was a glorious evening and the late afternoon sun was nicely illuminating Cindy's ice tea. She was kind of enough to wait for me to take the picture, actually five, before having a drink. I really appreciate the way she suffers for my art. Droid X camera phone in macro mode, no flash.