Resolution

Never put off until tomorrow what you

ZZzzzzzzzzz...

Shot with a 40D & 12-24 at 12mm, f5.6, 1/10th, iso 400, lit by the TV, lamp & a little flash fill off the ceiling at 1/16th power.

More Speed

Indoors. Again.

Playing with toys. Again.

Legos. Again.

Just messing about with movement. Really.

Shot with a 7D & 24-105 at 35mm, f4, 1/2 second, iso 200, under the family room lights.

Parallel Parking

Sometimes you need an overview of what it means to get that big old car into that little tiny parking spot, and why anyone would try doing it backwards.

So, you get out the Legos and build a parallel parking school. Saves on gas and the paint too...

Shot with a 7D & 24-105 at 28mm, f4, 1/6th, iso 400, handheld under the living room lights.

Ready, Aim...

While waiting for my sweetie to check out the movie times, I stepped out of the parking spot to take a closer look at this church in Victoria BC. While looking up at the enormous steeple, I thought it looked like something that might just take off for a moon shot.

Shot with a 7D & 24-105 at 24mm, f8, 1/250th, iso 100.

Swan Pond

We went to the Butchart Gardens after dark to check out the Christmas decorations and see if we could find all the hidden elements of the "12 Days of Christmas". After our second outing (after warming up) we managed to find all twelve, including the 7 swans a swimming.

Shot with a 7D & 70-200 @ 130mm, f2.8, 1/40th, iso 400.

For those of you that are counting, one of the swans swam out of the picture...

Fifty!

It's a special birthday today - Lance is turning 50.

Happy Birthday Lance!

Shot with a 40D & 50mm at f1.4, 1/60th, iso 800 lit with the kitchen lights at Gr & Gr's house while Grampa held a flashlight as a backlight.

Christmas!

A day of gifts.

Another day of life.
Family to enjoy it with.
A home to be warm and dry in.
Presents to share.
Energy enough to race in and open 'em...

Shot with a 40D & 12-24 at 12mm, 1/15th, iso 400.

This Little Light...

Here's the only photo I got for the day. Actually, "I" shot over 1,200 - using a time-lapse shutter release to trigger the shutter every 4 seconds.

The resulting movie is the last few minutes of our Christmas Eve Church service...

Shot with a 40D & 12-24 at 12mm, f4, 1/25th, iso 400.

Express Yourself!

The power of the camera is amazing sometimes. Point it at your typical sane person and suddenly a completely different personality pops out.

This is the result I got right after he said: "I'm schizophrenic, and so am I"...

Shot with a 7D & a borrowed 24mm at f1.4, 1/160th, iso 200.

Escape

Climbing the stairs out of Boulevard Park tonight, in the dark, it felt like we were escaping someplace like Alcatraz. Our voices hushed with a small flashlight to aid our step on the darker landings, we climbed up and out with relief when we reached the top.

Shot with a Canon G7, 7mm, f2.8, 1/10th, iso 200.

Playing with Bokeh

A simple explanation of how the background bokeh in a previous photo was created.

Shot with a 7D with 12-24mm f4 zoom and an 85mm 1.8 opened up to f2 for the final photo.

Into the Wind

We walked the bay trail today, reaching Boulevard Park to sit by the shore briefly before turning around and heading back to town.

Shot with a 7D & 24-105 at 24mm, f5.6, 1/125th, iso 250

Quiet Water

The shoreline can be an amazing place. Maybe I don't have words to go with it...

Shot with a 40D & 70-200 at 200mm, f22, 10seconds, iso 200.

Stirring (Not)

A very still night down by the marina tonight. My sweetie & I had a nice walk with a view to a few boats decorated for the holidays.

Shot with a 7D & 50mm 1.4 at f2, 1/15th, iso 1600, hand-held against a lampost pretending to be a tripod.

Coming Soon...

Shot using a 7D & 85mm at f2, 1/40th, iso 200, lit with a 580EX overhead at 1/128th power. Stars provided by the Christmas tree lights and shaped by a paper cut-out over the lens.





For more information, see Charlie Brown Christmas.

Eyes

Just a close-up of my daughter and her amazing windows to her soul...

Shot with a 40D & 85mm at f2, 1/30th, iso 400, lit with a single 430 on camera turned 180 and bouncing off the wall behind me.

Bates?

Is this what it looks like on the open road late on a rainy night when your eyelids are heavy and the needle is approaching E? The only place where you can get horizontal for some fitful shut-eye and the structure seems to be crumbling right in front of you? Is this where the manager's mind slowly leaks out of his socks while he dreams of exacting his revenge on the next person to hit that little bell on the counter?

Shiver. I'm glad I'm home tonight instead...

Shot with a 40D & 50mm at f1.4, 1/80th, iso 400, lit by the flickering neon and the seasonal porch lights.

The Understudy

Sometimes you have to step aside and let the youngster in on the game.

Shot with a 7D & 70-200 at 95mm, f5.6, 1/200th, iso 100, using a single 580EX overhead in a softbox.

Snowing. Just, snowing.

There's something very peaceful about just standing outside when snow is falling.

So, I mounted a video camera on the tripod and recorded some of it. Pretty basic, but it was a good excuse to step out of the house for a few moments of quiet and wonder.

Shot with a 7D & 70-200, f2.8, 1/60th, 720p, iso 800.

Railing

Out on a walk along the water this chill evening, we stopped into Woods Coffee for a warm up. What a great place to hang for a moment and sip something soothing.

The stairway to the loft, next to our seats, built with this wonderful wood and stainless steel, cried out for a shot for the night...

Shot with a 7D & 85mm 1.8 at f2, 1/20th, iso 800.

Bearded

The branches near Whatcom Falls were layered in a new coat of frozen mist today, and probably for the last several days, since the mercury dropped.

So I wandered over to check it out, picking my steps with great care...

Shot with a 7D & 12-24 at 13mm, f16, 15 seconds, iso 100, using a 3-stop ND filter.

Fire & Ice

My sweetie & I had an evening sans children - all too rare an event. Hey, I love my kids, and so does she - but now and then you need to be able to finish a sentence without interruption.

So we had a nice dinner at Anthony's Hearthfire Grill and dreamed about sailing away on one of the boats out front.

On the way out we spent a moment with the frozen water fountain out front wondering how it was done - and then realized there probably wasn't any planning, maintenance simply forgot to turn off the water in the sub-freezing weather we're having...

Shot with a 7D & 30mm 1.4 at f2.5, 1/15th, iso 400, handheld (with two hands, I'm slowly mending - yippee!)

21st Century Battleship

It's not the game it was a century ago.

No.

Now you have to know stuff. Like how to hack your opponents laptop, or find a wormhole.

And, it's played for keepsies...

Shot with a 7D & 30mm f1.4 at f2, 1/2 second, iso 100, with a single 430EX overhead in a softbox. Blew up 3 laptops in the process.

Dessert First

Life is so short. Each moment is a gift - better try the sweets whenever they are presented to you...

Shot with a Canon G7 - again because I can hold it in one hand.

Frosting

Out to start the car this morning & I was greeted with a nice coating of frost. I didn't have a window scraper so I left the frost in place, thinking I could see through the pattern.

I was wrong.

When the sun lit it up, nothing outside the window could compete with the contrast...

Shot with a Canon G7, one-handed.

Celebrate

My sweetie does her own creative thing. Often times with little scraps of paper and a bit of glue.

This time it gets it's own museum mounting and special lighting too.

Shot with a 30D & 50mm 1.4 at f4, 1/10th, iso 100, lit with a single 430EX w/grid and seasoned with the remaining tungsten dining room bulb.

Pantry Raid

can't sit.

can't stand.

can't lie down.

can't type.

MORE PAIN MEDS!!

al i cn say is: don tear ay limagints, uh, ligaments...

shot with a 30D n 12-24 at 12mm, f8, 1/10th, iso 100, lit by a 580ex & 430ex gelled cto, seasoned with a little tungsten kitchen lighting.

Outlier

This one was a stand out.

In a parking lot littered with fallen leaves, this one caught my eye from 20 yards (metres?) away.

Maybe it was that ray of sunshine lighting it up. Who knows?

Shot with a 7D & 12-24 at 12mm, f4, 1/500th, iso 200.

Abstract Decorations

Today, I planned my day down to the minute. From a quick breakfast onward, every activity had a time slot and the choreography rolled like a fine Swiss watch.

Yeah, right.

At 11:37 I realized I hadn't had the camera out of the bag and the sands were running out. Since I'd noticed the neighbor hadn't turned out the non-denominational winter holiday decorations (must have gone to bed without thinking, like me) so I raced out with a camera to see what I could make of them in the huge slice of free time I had left to me.

Here's the result.

Say, are those amoebas in my lens?

Shot with a 40D & 70-200 at 200mm, f2.8, 1/40th, iso 800.

Box O Fruit

Not much to say here. I'm not feeling 100% today, so I'm shooting the first thing that moves. Er, acts fruity.

Shot with a 7D & 12-24 @ 24mm, f4, 1/10th, iso 400, handheld under the kitchen lights.

Speck Check

While walking back to the tire store, after opening my wallet for 4 new tires (ouch!), I got to enjoy a welcome bit of sunshine.

Upon returning home to have a look at the photo results, well after the sun had set, I was chagrined to learn that my lens is thoroughly filthy. And I don't mean that in the way Chase uses the word.

I guess it's time to build that clean room I've been thinking about...

Shot with a 7D & 12-24 at 12mm, f16, 1/80th, iso 100.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.