Rain Fender

Sometimes, the weather is just too much for that hairdo that you spent all your time on.

In this part of the world you'd best have something to keep the wet off if that's the case...

Shot with a 7D & 70-200 at 200mm, f4, 1/250th, iso 400.

There be Treasure Here

Eureka! I found it!

And Indiana Jones said X never marks the spot...

Shot with a 7D & 12-24 at 12mm, f4, 1/320th, iso 400.

Tumbler

As in: don't.

When exploring with a camera, it's easy to forget that not watching where you are going is a recipe for a bruising. I came upon this stairway while looking off to the side of the trail. Some small tickle in the back of my neck prompted me to look where I was going.

I'll be listening to those tickles a little more carefully for a while...

Shot with a 7D & 12-24 at 12mm, f5.6, 1/100th, iso 400.

Monochrome Day

A very gray day out there today, with just a smidgeon of liquid sunshine to lubricate the pathways. Not a breath of wind other than that generated by the bikes wizzing past, or the loud cell phone operators sharing their views on the world with the world.

Shot with a 7D & 24-105, 24mm, f4, 1/160th.

Stand Off

High drama staring across the great expanse of open floor at the entryway to our house is a common occurrence. These two live an uneasy dance of one party's careful avoidance and the other's great desire to meet. Basing our assumptions on what the dog does to stuffed animals we've decided to act according to the wishes of the cat.

Still, it's fun to watch every muscle under that black coat quiver in anticipation...

Shot with a 30D & 70-200 at 200mm, f8, 1/20th, iso 400, lit with a little fill bounced off the ceiling.

High Water Path

If the water rises, just walk on the line of picnic tables.

Isn't that what they're for? And the water does rise here every now and then...

Shot with a 40D & 12-24 at 12mm, f11, 1/100th, iso 200, in the January sunshine.

Preplanning? Forgetfulness?

Which is it?

Did somebody think about coming back to lock the bike/kayak/dog leash to this very spot at some point? Did they measure out the length of fencing and decide this was the spot?

Or, where they lost in thought about the book they'd just purchased from Village Books and snap the lock shut on their way home? Like me when I put the milk on the shelf and the cereal box in the fridge after my midnight snack?

Shot with a 7D & 24-105 at 90mm, f4, 1/160th, iso 200, in the shade

Unique Technique

Dirty Dan Harris is such a patient guy. Anyone can take his photo and he doesn't bat an eye.

Shot with a 7D & 24-105 at 58mm, f4, 1/100th, iso 200, in the shade.

High Contrast

While heading for the boardwalk this afternoon we spotted this young couple getting their mugs & duds captured for the wedding album.

I hope that camera operator can handle the huge contrast being dished out by the direct sunlight...

Shot with a 7D & 24-105 at the long end, f8, 1/400th, iso 200

Another Day, Another Outing

Out early this morning, for a trip to collect coffee (we were out - that's not a good thing) and I took the scenic route past the lake. Something about the piling echoing the distant tree line has been hooking me for a while and I have yet to quite capture what it means.

Shot with a 7D & 24-105 at 100mm, f8, 1/2000th, iso 200

Out of the Sun

Out paddling tonight with friends we've know for a long time but never shared a boating activity with.

Here Chris is coming ashore after a quick tryout in my plastic boat...

Shot with a Rebel XT & 17-50 2.8 at f8, 1/1000th, iso 400.

Millie

My family has been naming inanimate objects for a long time now. Not everything gets a name however. Only certain things. And, they're not letting me in on the secret formula for what gets a name and what doesn't.

At any rate, today's named inanimate is "Millie" the machine. So named because sometimes she's a milling machine. Other times she's a lathe, but that part doesn't figure into the name.

Here, she's the unnamed alter ego...

Shot with a 30D & 85mm 1.8 at f2, 1/80th, iso 400. This is the 30D I sold that the buyer said didn't work and returned . It works fine for me with every lens I've tried so far. Perhaps I'll name it "Boomerang".

Private

We went out on a walk through the park with extended family the other day. Here're some found photos on the day.


The first one seemed a bit of a non-sequitur - the welcoming of Christmas lights and a sign saying "Stay Out!".


This next one a sapling catching the falling bits of the parent tree. "Don't worry mom, I got it!"

Both shot with a 7D and a 24-105.

The Future

So uh, "Hi!" to my two faithful followers. I'm glad you're out there still.

It was a neat project to shoot a photo each day in 2009 and I'm glad I did it. I did miss a few days - the total doesn't quite add up to 365 sorry about that.

Now that 2009 has come to a close, I have to figure out what to do in 2010.

My lean is to work harder on Quality and let the Quantity fall where it may. With that in mind, I'll have to change some things so it's clear this is not another 365 challenge.

In any case, I don't intend to stop making pictures, just reduce the daily demand to a dull roar.

Happy New Year!

-Eric