Project 365 - Day 35 (Sick Day)

Nice...sinus infection....  Normally, I would skip the day and just wait 'til I felt better (and more up to going out with temps in the teens), but I said something about not taking a pic unless I could make "soup and/or Nyquil" interesting...and a friend posted lots of neat shots of that very thing.

So...I give you:

Italia Veggie Soup & Quinoa

That's right...quinoa.  Mmm, mmm, GREAT!  And I do pronounce it "KEEN-wah" because of the added flavor of "pisses off others, sometimes."  Hearty, healthy and no wannabe politician had to kill anything.

Yeah, I can be a little petty all the time when I'm sick.

Project 365 - Day 34 (More Night Shooting)

Some background: I bought Betty (don't judge) about two years ago, trading motorcycling for photography as a significantly less dangerous yet potentially more expensive hobby.  At the time, I intended to get a Nikon D300, the replacement for the D200 in the Nikon lineup.  But then, Best Buy had a one week clearance sale on the D200 at a price I couldn't refuse...so I didn't.  Once Betty (don't judge) arrived and I started playing with all the buttons, menus, wheels, gizmos, and thing-a-mabobs, I realized photography was not going to be a passing interest like learning guitar or speed-macrame; however, I floundered at it for quite a while, not really going about learning how to use this new tool to accomplish what I had in my head: creating highly personal artwork.

Quickly tiring of just getting the occasional great shot (mostly by accident),  I started to think I was becoming one of Those Guys with a fancy-schmancy camera forever stuck in "Program" mode using an expensive and huge camera to get...snapshots.  This project came about as a way to force myself to learn both the tools and art of photography as well as break myself of bad habits, chief among them: fear of shooting outside the Golden Hours (the time near sunrise and sunset).  While those times make for excellent lighting conditions, limiting myself that way was frustrating.  And forget shooting at night: Betty (don't judge) just doesn't handle low-light and night scenes well at all.

However, this project and Lightroom (especially the latest upgrade) have combined to break me of that mindset.  I feel like I can go shoot whatever/whenever I like, knowing I can handle nearly any lighting situation in-camera, in post, or a combination of both.

So...more night shots.  Today: scenes around the reservoir.

As always: Enjoy!

Looming

 Taken from about 100 feet away near midnight, the trees were front-lit by a street lamp behind me, giving the scene that coloration and texture.  Shot @ 18mm, f/10, 30 seconds on a tripod.

Hospital and Reservoir

I can't even guess how far away I was from this scene, but include it because Betty (don't judge) nailed it.  There was a slight haze in the air, adding to the mood.  Shot @ 40mm, f/29(!!!), 20seconds on a tripod.

All's Fair

I cropped this shot to give a panoramic effect.  Yes...it's cheating.  No...I don't care.  All's fair in Love and Art.  Shot @ 18mm, f/11, 4 seconds on a tripod.

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One of the rules for landscape photography is never shoot in the perpendicular.  I hate rules, sooo....  Shot @ 48mm, f/11, 6 seconds on...a tripod.

I have yet to master the noise reduction tools in LR3, but am confident enough to go get the shots to work on proficiency with that tool, as well.

Project 365 - Day 33 (I Told Ya to Watch This Space!)

Lightroom 3: I can't recommend it enough.  Thanks to the noise reduction capabilities in the latest upgrade to my editing software of choice, I can put off buying the $2,500 body I wanted that would handle such lighting conditions out of the box.  I LOVE this shot now, even for everything it isn't (like, in tack-sharp focus, but YOU try to nail this hand-held) because that helps make it everything it is: Evocative.

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The original picture (see Project 365 - Day 17 (Watch This Space!)) has all the color and clarity I wanted, but has way too much noise ("noise" makes a shot look unacceptably grainy) because of the extremely low light conditions.  However, thanks to the brilliant noise reduction capability in LR 3, I was able to smooth the grain away, leaving you with the above (much improved) result.

Yeah, it's cheating juuuust a bit to rework a photo for a 365 project; it's something I'll only do when the photo and rework make the re-post worth it.  I find this photo worthy, as the original was (charitably) halfway viewable as a snapshot; now, I think it's suitable for enlargement and framing.

Project 365 - Day 32 (More Memories & Details)

This small box of brass fasteners has been in my grandfather's desk for longer than I've been alive.  I used them as a test subject, playing around with lighting (a diffused LED flashlight in a dark room) and noise reduction.  While hardly a macro lens, I think the 18-70 served the B&W well.

Down to Brass....

Project 365 - Day 31 (I Think This Could Turn Into a Paying Gig)

OK, from the Dept. of Redundancy Dept., I bring more shots o' Cooper.  Why?  Well...crap weather + crap mood + easy target.  Then, there's the idea that pet portraiture is in demand, so practice makes perfect.

The trick, of course, is to capture the personality, of which Cooper has plenty to spare.  The other key to a good pet portrait is to get the focus on the eye, not nose.

And he was in a mood:

The Look of Meh

Then again, maybe he was just reflecting mine:

Oi....

 And again:

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But the crack gland is unpredictable in this one:

Who's-a What's-a Where, now!?!

Project 365- Day 30 ('Tis STILL the Season....)

My wife--Sweetie--has a fascination with Santa.  (The fact this bodes well for me growing old, going bald, getting fat, and lying around in strangely fetishistic pajamas is a subject for YET a different blog.)  So it should be no surprise that the tree and house has little...Santas...around this time of year.

Yup...Santa and baseball Baseball, that is...and he wears RED.

I like the idea of the following photo: Santa resting. But...no matter what I do...the pic comes off as unintentionally macabre.  Still...it ain't bad.

Project 365 - Day 29 (A Mixed bag)

Oops, I Did It Again...in B&W

I promised myself it would be different this time.  This time, I would make time and try to find, capture, and share something different.  I didn't know what, exactly...just something. And then...I saw the picture you see above.  Purty, ain't it?

I carved out just a little time to tromp around the back of an old cemetery adjacent to what passes for some sort of exotic animal ranch-like substance.  (Yes, I know I used that trick in yesterday's post, but I likes it, so I uses it when I wants to.)  I started by shooting a large, curious bird, but as I was shooting through a fence, I couldn't quite get what I wanted.  I did, however, like the framing of this next shot:

Home on the Range has Changed

I almost made that my Shot o' the Day, but the sky was a little bland.  I know...I guess the weather didn't get my request memo.

But then...on the drive home...the runway lights at the local, teeny-tiny airport concern were back.  I consider these "test shots" since I only had my 50mm mounted, having quite stupidly left the 18-70 at home.  Still, considering Betty really hates low light, I thought these turned out rather well.  I do plan to return when the moonlight and weather align with the image I have in my head.

But, for now:

Taken from the vantage point of...the frozen ditch.  Yes, I will suffer for my test shots. Love the starburst effect and the way the reeds on the right of the image were lit.  (Shot @ f/4 with a tripod.)

The shot to the right was taken nearly wide open, so the lights are softer, but you get more detail in the sky.









So today's subjects were a bit all over the place, but so what?  Matches the photographer.

Project 365 - Day 28 (Down a Lonely Road)

It's becoming increasingly clear to me that one of the most important aspects of photography is time.  While getting a good or great shot is often being in the right place at the right time, a planned subject, like rural landscape and still life, is about finding a spot and exploring it to get the right perspective, lines, light, etc.

For this post, I had decided to find a scene depicting the natural process of rural decay.  I set out, once again, to just go somewhere to find something before heading in to work.  I explored several back country roads, scaring stray chickens and a couple of feral meth cooks along the way, generally driving around like the reindeer looking for gramma at Christmas.  *Tic-toc*  To my dismay, I found a LOT of trash that had thoughtfully been returned to the Wild, but not much of actual interest.  Then just before I had to abandon the effort to get to work on time (damn you, Gainful Employment!), I passed an old cattle ramp in an overgrown *Tic-Toc*Tic-Toc* clump of woods...but I kept going.  I couldn't find a safe place to park, wasn't sure if the light was right, yet all the while thinking, "Just turn around and get that!"  *Tic-Toc*Tic-TOC* 

But I kept going.....

Then, I spotted an old cattle gate blocking a long, somewhat overgrown road-like substance.  A Road(ish) to Nowhere and a locked gate without a fence. *Tic-Toc*TIC-TOC*  Brain says, "So there's a picture everywhere, huh?"

I think what I was able to get is OK, but I didn't have time to observe the scene long enough to find the exact perspective that conveys how odd and lonesome this clearly abandoned scene actually is.  However, I think if I had a ladder and was able to shoot down across the gate with the gate still in the foreground, it might better convey the eeriness of the path and seeming ridiculousness of the electric and telephone lines.

I love the way B&W makes a scene feel, and yet....  At least the weather made for a pretty sky.

 

 

 

In short, the lesson is while rushin' might make a good salad dressing or mail order bride...it ain't a good photography tool.

And I'm not even a little sorry.

Project 365 - Day 27 (Splash of Color)

Southern Illinois in Mud Season is just a lot of dull and gray, stuck for a few weeks between the lush colors and textures of late fall and starkly beautiful light and lines of winter.  Sometimes we get some gray and dull, but it's usually just a nice shade of dull and gray.  So, for today, I wanted to grab a splash of color, but knew most if not all of the buds would be gone.  And then...a small park off an out of the way street....

And One....

For this effect, which I don't normally like, I desaturated everything but the blue, which is just that bright and oddly prominent as if you were standing where I was.  I wanted to emphasize the isolation of the court and basket as well as the unexpected color as opposed to just using this technique as just some gimmick.  In all the years I've lived in this town and passed this park, I've never seen anyone take a shot at this basket....

Here's the full color version:

 

This shot gives a sense of the isolation of the place.

The swing set...again, I've never seen anyone use it, though it's been well maintained for years.

A bit more detail, as it might be seen from the perspective of a 9 year-old boy, contemplating the climb....

Project 365 - Day 26 (Post-Workday Therapy)

Night shooting in the rain...well, a steady mist, anyway...is not something I enjoy.  I was even coming up with a list of excuses as to why I didn't get a shot today...then I rethought this spot.  I'm trying to train myself to think photographically.  That is, I want to try to see pictures in the places that don't seem to be photogenic or even interesting, then capture something of interest anyway.

This was a challenge because, as I've said before, Betty (yeah, I named my camera...don't judge) does not like low light.  I do not like wet weather.  Give me freezing temps in a foot of snow and I'll stand there with a camera for hours to get the right light, but even a little rain and I wanna get out of there.  So shooting under a utilitarian overpass at almost midnight while the misty rain was coming in at an oblique angle isn't what I consider "fun" photography...and yet...a picture can be found everywhere:

I found the shapes, lines, and light flares an interesting combination in a bit of a sketchy spot.  I had originally wanted to capture the color reflecting off the concrete pillar in the right third of the frame...then, I did a de-saturation treatment just playing with levels...and I really thought this shot captured the mood.

For comparison's sake, here's the color version:

I still like it, but thought the B&W better captured the mood I saw there.

Notice, even in the horrid light, the graffiti deep in both pics is clear and relatively noise-free.

Project 365 - Day 25 (Yes, My Theory...Which is Mine)

I was just looking for something, anything to shoot, trying to just find something interesting when it hit me: a good picture can (theoretically) be made anywhere.  So I pulled into a back lot that happens to be next to a prairie grass restoration area and park and:

A Coming Sunset and Jetstream

While the photo isn't technically perfect (the sun is blown out), it still works well for me.  The very edge of the parking area in the lower left flows into the beautifully lit prairie grass as the sun seems to be cupped in the horizon of the treetops. And the starburst effect around the sun?  I dig it.

I liked the rest of the shots, as well.  I hope you do, too.  It's a surprisingly peaceful, out-of-the-way spot.

Along with the way the setting sun lit up the grass, I really like the fine detail captured here, especially the feathery strands and bits in the top-right 1/3 of the frame.

 Yeah, it makes a nice B&W, too, huh?

 When in doubt, get low and get close.

Or...get lower and closer still.

Project 365 - Day 24 ('Tis Nearly the Season)

Putting up the tree before Thanksgiving: gauche.  On Thanksgiving: in questionable taste, depending on the time of day.  The day after: totally acceptable.

A Dog's View

I liked the idea of taking photos of the tree so much I took more...and thought I'd share.  One can't get too much practice when Giving.

Twinkle, Twinkle Not-So-Little

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On the Nose

I also spent part of the day getting a haircut in an old fashioned barber shop.  Inside, the 1964 Coke machine has been in the same corner since '65.

You Call That a Warning?

This B&W was almost the Shot o' the Day.

 This shot was a bit of a mistake.  I'm not sure how I cut part of the change slot out in the frame...but I did.  Still, I like it.

Of course...Cooper makes an appearance.  Either he's outgrowing his crack-gland or he's given up on avoiding Zee Cam-air-ah.

It's All About the Eye

 I nailed the focus in this shot: in Cooper's eye, you can see the outside reflected.
 

I Hate Waiting

Project 365 - Day 23

Found on a drive into the country: the remnants of a family farm, just one generation removed.  Some redneck ruins and a silo--all that remains.

A color rendition:

And a sense of isolation:

Project 365 - Day 22

Thanksgiving...I have mixed feelings about this holiday, since it's essentially a celebration of the birth of the country, but hides a most ugly truth as to the machinations thereof...but that's for a different blog, really.

Thanksgiving has become a time to gather with family and friends to reminisce and be thankful for all those things that connect us: the people, memories, places, aromas, etc.  Today, my wife and I went to meet other family members at my long-lost grandparents' longtime home, a place my mind associates with the smells of my grandma's cooking, the scruff of my grandpa's 5 o'clock shadow and smell of his cigarettes, and the distinct feel of my grandma's cheek as I kissed her goodbye, though the last time was more than two decades ago.  The objects of the place - simple as ever.  Lighting, for a second day in a row, was horrific.  Still, I captured a few images of objects that have been part of that place since well before I was born.

Details...Memory Details

This is part of the kitchen vent, a room in which my grandmother made coffee, perfect fried chicken, and the kind of homemade gravy that would make your whole family stand up and yell, "YUMMY!"  When installed, I'm sure the brand name was a mash-up of "Home" and "Art," but it has a decidedly different connotation today, one which would make my indelicate grandma cackle.

Ran the Joint

Yeah, it's just a fuse box, but it was and is an integral part of my grandpa's garage.  The old electric grinder which had sharpened more chisels, knives, and the like than could be imagined is long gone, but this relic remains and runs the house.

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This pencil sharpener is mounted in the same garage.  My grandpa was an inveterate tinkerer, never without a pencil as I recall, so this implement was essential.  I remember the feeling I got the first time I was able to reach this on my own the first time.

I also captured several good shots of family, but won't share those here...at least not yet.  For now, I'm just gonna post the images that bring back that time and place in so visceral a way.  I hope for better light the next time I'm there....