Monday, November 30, 2009

Lonely Swings


When things are wet & cold, no one wants to play at the park and I imagine the play equipment being lonesome - much like the Giving Tree.

All that time being jumped on, banged & beat up all summer long.

And then.

Quiet.


Shot with a 7D & 12-24 at 12mm, f8, 1/30th, iso 400, under a very wet sky softbox.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Excursion


What would a stroll in the woods be like with C3PIO?

Oh, we're doomed! Why I ever agreed to follow you out into this dreary place I'll never understand.

Boip, beep, chirp chirp.

Oh hush up! I don't care how quiet and peaceful it is, my joints are rusting. I can't wait to get into a nice hot oil bath. Will we ever get there?

Shot with a 7D & 24-105 @ 105mm, f4, 1/400th, iso 400.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Precarious


If a fern could think, would it be thinking: "location, location, location"? I mean, look at that deluge going on right below it - is the footing going to give way any time soon (in fern years)?


Shot with a 7D & 24-105 at 24mm, f8, 1/15th, iso 400.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Far Side of the Orange


Up close and personal with a satsuma looks like a view from orbit. At least to me.

Shot with a 7D & 50mm on 36mm extension tube, f11, 1/250th, iso 100, lit by a single 580EX at 1/4 power pretending to be the sun.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Stairway to Heaven


We went walking today near Lime Kiln State Park.

All I can say is: "Ahhhhh"...


Shot with a 7D & 24-105 at 28mm, f4, 1/8th, iso 400, handheld.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Hocus Focus


Time to concentrate on vocabulary!

What a great way to exercise the vocabulary, even if you're working in more than one language. I mean, who knew what 'huit' was? My daughter the french student did!

Shot with 7D & 50mm at f1.4, 1/125th, iso 800, under the fluorescent ferry lighting.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Gear Lust


Every now and then I need a konk on the head reminder that "it's not about the gear, stupid". Chase Jarvis is that reminder today with his little book of iPhone photos. No aperture or shutter speed settings. No lens changes. A handful of pixels.


Instead, it's about seeing the world, and capturing little slivers of it, one snap at a time. And if you don't get it, make another one. And another. 10,001 of them if need be.


As Dory said in "Finding Nemo"*: just keep shooting, just keep shooting...


Shot with a 7D & 85mm at f2, 1/60th, iso 2000, under the family room mood lighting.
* At least, that's what I heard when I saw the movie.

Monday, November 23, 2009

I Wanna Go OUT


It's late and a lot was on the plate today. Not that it wasn't a good day. It was just on everyone else's schedule which didn't leave a whole lot of undefined time available for napping. Or walking.


So here's a shot of the side exit from the house. Keeps me dreaming of 'out there'...


Shot with a 40D & 30mm at f1.4, 1/60th, iso 400.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Twofer



Out on the streets tonight cruising for snaps I did a little looking up at things for a different angle.

I noticed the letters of the Espresso sign reflecting the streetlight onto the building, painting the sign in reverse.

Mostly, I'm amazed at the color variation with different light sources - orange to blue a short distance apart.

Shot with 7D & 24-105 IS at 40mm, f4, 1/13th, iso 1600, handheld.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Colorful World


Lovingly mismatched socks. At least, that's what the label says. She got these for her birthday from a best friend and she wears them at every opportunity.

Shot with a 40D & 12-24 at 12mm, f4, 1/5th, iso 400, handheld while photographer and model both held their breath under the mixed lighting of the family room where each tungsten bulb's death is celebrated with the birth of a CFL.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Rescue?


The neighborhood fireplug looks to be in need of a little weed whacking. Just to keep his (her?) head above the growth.

At least the dogs don't go near it now...

Shot with a 40D & 50mm at f2, 1/50th, iso 400.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Jungle Out There


I brought some little figures back from my last trip to Africa. These are creatures I've never seen in 'real life' outside of a zoo, but I thought they were kinda cool anyway.


I just hope I can suppress the urge to hunt down the 'Made in China' label I just know is written on the belly...


Shot with 7D & 85mm @ f1.8, 1/60th, iso 200, under a hot american floodlight.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Book Machine


The local fine bookstore has a new machine in the basement - and it's there to build you a book on demand. What a cool idea. Hey, It looks like it runs on a Mac Mini.


Now, if I can remember the name of that book I've been wanting that is out of print...


Shot with a 40D & 50mm at f2, 1/60th, iso 400.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Playground Abstract



A quick dash to Lake Whatcom this morning before getting to work, I wandered the empty playground that was so quiet compared to this summer.

Shot with 7D & 70-200 @ 200mm, f4, 1/50th, iso 400.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Soaking the Stroller


One needs to dress for the occasion if one is to take a stroll on a rainy night. Good idea to have that umbrella along to for when the cats & dogs drop out of the sky...


Shot with 7D & 70-200 at 170mm, f2.8, 1/20th, iso 800, handheld in between the raindrops.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Running Home


I was out along the shoreline this afternoon looking for the storm. There were few boats out on the water, this one needing only the last reef of jib to move smartly toward the shelter of the harbor.


Shot with 7D & 70-200 at 200mm, f4, 1/250th, iso 200.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Mental Health Food


Salty. Sweet. Crunchy.

Yummy.

All requirements for something to qualify as a treat to eat...

Shot with 7D & 24-105 at 93mm, f4, 1/160th, using the popup flash driving a 430EX camera right.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Fungus Amongus


Just down the road from us is a large toadstool popping up out of the ground. How this thing survives the kids wandering up and down the street all day is beyond me.


Shot with 40D & 50mm at f2, 1/200th, iso 100.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Paradigm Shift


Displayed here for your amusement are two very different technologies for creating photographs.

One requires chemistry and the other electricity.

One can handle being dunked in a lake and the other, well, not so much. I fact, had I not tested that idea with my 20D, we wouldn't have this picture.

Yes, those are rust spots...

Shot with 40D & 50mm at f2, 1/30th, iso 400

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Neon


Now that it's dark earlier in the day, it's easier to find things that make their own light.


That's my story, and I'm sticking to it...


Shot with 40D & 50mm at f2.8, 1/160th, iso 400

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Home


Me and my well travelled hat & shoes are home now. There's nothing like the right gear on either end of the bod to get you through the day.

Shot with a 40D & 50mm at f1.4, 1/30th, iso 800.

Monday, November 9, 2009

A Coke is a Coke


This stuff has permeated the whole world it seems and you know what it is even if you can't make sense of the Amharic it's written in...

Shot with 7D & 24-105 at 90mm, f4, 1/20th, iso 12800.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Place of Worship


Throughout the countryside, wherever there's even a small community, there are little churches nearby.

They have the neatest peaks on the roof with little bells suspended around the perimeter tinkling in the breeze...

Shot with 7D & 24-105 at 67mm, f4, 1/1000th, iso 100 as we sped by in the sardine van.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

School's Out


We walked a few blocks through Mek'ele passing by the school just as it let out for the day.

We ferengie (white foreigners) provided the afternoon's entertainment for a short time...

Shot with 40D & 30mm at f2.8, 1/500th, iso 400.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Handywork


We had the privilege of meeting some very tough women who have been through a great deal of hardship in their young lives.

Some became mothers as early as eleven.
Some lost their husbands to war, others to HIV/AIDS.
Many that have found out they are HIV positive.
Each had to find a way to feed and clothe their children with little to no schooling.

With a small boost from the community, this one has started a business making and selling traditional clothing. She is able to support herself and children and her business is growing.

That smile is one of joy and hope...

Shot with 40D & 30mm at f2, 1/100th, iso 400.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Peekaboo


Sometimes the excitement is just too much and you need to find out what's going on 'over there'.

I caught this girl sneaking a peek over the wall while the shoes were being divided up...

Shot with 7D & 24-105 at 105mm, f8, 1/80th, iso 100.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Dressed for the Day


Having received his allotment of clothes & shoes, this little guy waited patiently for his siblings to have their turn at the goodies.

Shot with 7D & 24-105 at 55mm, f4, 1/40th, iso 100.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Delivered


We made it to the village of Kerbera after a long dusty ride on roads made of rubble and dust. While there we met a bunch of great kids who had all the energy of kids everywhere.

You can find it on the map here.

Shot with 7D & 24-105 at 82mm, f4, 1/50th, iso 100.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Rugged


Much of what we saw of the countryside is made of rock & rubble. Even the hillsides are made of rock.

Shot with a 7D & 24-105 at 75mm, f5.6, 1/640th, iso 100.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Dirt Roads


We took a drive out of Mek'ele on 4 hours of gravel roads into a remote area of Tegray in Northern Ethiopia.

Shot with a 7D & 24-105 at 15mm, f5.6, 1/200th, iso 100.