CIOPhoto

According to the font of all knowledge, Wikipedia , a blue moon is the appearance of the third full moon in a season with four full moons. The term has also been used to refer to the second full moon in a month. Tonight's blue moon is the first since December 31, 2009 and the next one won't be until July 2015. Today was Neil Armstrong's memorial service and his family said one way we could remember him was to "Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink." So step outside and behold the rare blue moon and give Neil a wink. Canon 7D, 1/400 sec @ f8.0, ISO 400, 560mm focal length. Converted to black and white in Lightroom 4 using the Silver Efex Pro 2 plugin and added a little blue tint using Google's Picasa. The real blue moon is not actually blue at all.

For the next two weeks this picture entitled “Tipsy” will be on display at Richmond Camera's store on 21st Street in Norfolk Virginia. It was made on New Year’s Eve as the last photo for my first 365 project. Glass can be hard to photograph because of the reflections it picks up. I found a how to blog post on the digital-photography-school.com by Ronan Palliser using martini glasses and colored water. As he said “The secret to lighting glass is to not light the glass.” This photo was setup on an ironing board in my kitchen. A single off-camera flash is placed below the setup and bounced off the background to light the subject indirectly. Two pieces of black cardboard were placed on either side of the glasses just out side of the frame. The black gets reflected by the edges of glasses giving them definition. Executing the tilted colored water gives the photo its “surprise” element. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100, 50mm prime lens and one off-camera strobe.

The bees were mighty busy at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center off Diamond Springs Road in Virginia Beach. The demonstration garden here is one of Hampton Roads best kept secrets. Need some tine to think or unwind, stop by for a walk in the gardens. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Canon 7D, 1/160 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100, 100mm macro lens.

YNot Pizza has been making great hand-tossed pizzas in Hampton Roads Virginia for 19 years. This is our regular location in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach. Our favorite pizza - red sauce cheese pizza with tomatos, spinach and feta cheese. The name YNot comes from the reverse spelling of owner Tony DiSilvestro's first name. iPhone 4 using the Camera+ app and the Olloclip fisheye lens.

The Scope Plaza in Norfolk Virginia leads up to the world's largest concrete dome, which was designed by Italian architect/engineer Pier Luigi Nervi in conjunction with the Norfolk firm of Williams and Tazewell. The venue holds a bit of a political past. According to Wikipedia - After watching the 1960 Rome Olympics on television, Brad Tazewell and Jim Williams, the Norfolk architects who were eventually to partner with Nervi, solicited U.S. Sen. A. Willis Robertson, father of Christian Broadcasting Network founder and former candidate for President Pat Robertson, to build a sports complex in Norfolk. Subsequently, President Lyndon B. Johnson asked Robertson to support federal funding for a multimillion-dollar cultural center in Colorado and Robertson said he would if Johnson would support one in Norfolk. Scope was completed in 1971 at a cost of $35 million dollars with the federal government providing $23 million, almost 66% of the total cost. Canon G11, 1/250sec @ f/8.0, I

We headed out to Sandbridge Beach late this afternoon. With stormy weather moving in we found an almost empty beach. It was really relaxing with the wind, surf and rapidly changing sky. We stayed for about 30 minutes before lifeguards closed the beach because of the threat of lightning. iPhone 4 with the Olloclip fisheye lens.

Neil Armstrong the first man to step on the moon died today. We boomers grew up during the " space race " and his passing brings back many memories. I took this photo of the Apollo 12 space capsule, nicknamed the "Yankee Clipper" at the Virginia Air & Space Museum a while back. Armstrong's first assignment in the Apollo program came as the commander of the back-up crew of the Apollo 8 mission, though he had been originally scheduled to back-up the Apollo 9 mission. Had he remained as the Apollo 9 back-up commander he would have been slated to Command Apollo 12, not Apollo 11. Thanks for taking that one giant leap for mankind. Canon 40D, 1/40 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 400, 17mm focal length.

An evening cup of decaf coffee. Canon 5D MarkII, 1/60 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800, 50mm prime lens, converted to black and white in Google Picasa using the Holga-ish special effect.

Heading down the escalator at MacArthur Mall in downtown Norfolk Virginia. iPhone 4, 1/24 sec @ f/2.8. ISO 100, Camera + App.

Normally light painting involves mounting the camera on a tripod, setting a long exposure and then moving a light in front of the camera to create shapes and patterns. For this picture I did just the opposite, the five green LED lights are stationary and I moved the camera during the exposure to create the looping effect. Canon G10, 2 seconds @ f/8.0, ISO 80.

The Harrison Opera House in Norfolk Virginia. Often just reffered to as the "HOH". Canon 40D, 1/100sec @ f/13.0, ISO 200 converted to black and white.

I love my Maui Jim sunglasses so couldn't help but taking a picture of these on display. Canon G10, 1/125 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400.

The concept of chakra features in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Chakra are believed to be centers of the body from which a person can collect energy. They are connected to major organs or glands that govern other body parts. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning". Mr. Chakra is a wooden sculpture found in Aveda stores. iPhone 4, Camera+ App.

On year ago today The Tide light rail opened to the public. It's been a great first year and I'm looking forward to voting in November to bring The Tide to Virginia Beach. Canon 5D Mark II, 1/250 sec @ f/16.0, ISO 200.

The steel framework for the new Norfolk Virginia Courthouse is rising quickly. Canon 5D Mark II, 1/250 sec @ f/16.0, ISO 200.

Like the talented trumpeter who toots his own horn, I wound up playing to an empty theatre. Norfolk's Chrysler Hall and it's fairly rare "Continental" seating layout with isles only on the sides. Canon ELPH 110 HS, 1/13 sec @ f/2.7, ISO 160.

The battleship Wisconsin silhouetted by the setting sun. Canon 5D Mark II, 1/250 sec @ f/9.0, ISO 400, 100mm focal length.

Wore my new "Like" links to work today. A few people noticed and commented. I got snickers and smirks around the dinner table at home tonight. Not everyone appreciates geek humor. They are very versatile, if your feeling good - wear them in the thumbs up position, if the day is not going well or you're stuck in a boring meeting, just twist around to the thumbs down position. Simple binary messaging. Canon 5D Mark II, 1/125 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens and little extra light from an LED Litepanel.

One nice thing about having a pet is that they are always happy to see you. After a stressful day Sherlock was napping on my lap. He was just what the doctor ordered, bringing my blood pressure down nicely. You can catch his sister Sasha napping on the chair in the background. iPhone 4, 1/15 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 1000.

A family fishing and crabbing at suset in the Chesapeake Bay near the Lynnhaven inlet. iPhone 4, 1/100 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80.

Always love catching the sunrise even when the setting is just a parking lot. That bird like shape in the lower center is actually a reflection from a car windshield and hood. iPhone 4, 1/1000 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80.

Lighting up the Lincoln Logs with Robert. iPhone 4, 1/15 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800.

The dandelion in its parachute ball stage. Remember as a kid the pastime of blowing the parachutes off the stalk? Canon 7D, 1/20 sec @ f/10.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro.

The sun makes a brief appearance at sunrise before hiding behind a cieling of clouds. Canon G11, 1/60 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

The view from the back seat of a new 2013 Ford Explorer Limited and its Microsoft Sync system. I must admit I was pretty impressed with the design, fit and finish and the technology in this Ford. Canon G11, 1/6sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800.

The Well Fargo building in downtown Norfolk seems to reach for the sky in this morning photograph. iPhone 4, 1/382 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80.

Mille Colori is an art glass chandelier by famed artist Dale Chihuly. It is a permanent installation at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art , located in Virginia Beach. Mille Colori is Italian and means "one thousand colors” and is estimated to weigh 2,200 to 2,500 pounds. This piece was originally entitled Isola di San Giacomo in Palude Chandelier and was installed on the beach of a small Venetian island involved in the 1996 Chihuly Over Venice project. The Rodriguez Pavilion at the MOCA was built specifically to house the renamed Mille Colori. Canon G11, 1/250 sec @ f4.0, ISO 800

Is it a crime scene? No, it's a fashion scene. This old body outline can be found on the third floor of the new Urban Outfitters store in Norfolk, Virginia. Left over from a previous music store tenant it was retained with many other unquie features in the old Adams Building on Granby Street. iPhone 4, 1/17 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 125, Camera+ app.

As you can clearly see, I certainly have my ducks in row . Canon G11, 1/60 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 400.

This is the back of the Christie Microtile display wall featured in yesterday's blog post. Here you can clearly see the the 32 different display units that make up the wall. This was truly a "geek" moment for me. Canon 7D, 1/30 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 1600, converted to Black & White.

Talk about your big screen. This Christie Microtile wall is a prototype for the new Hunt Library under construction on the South Campus at NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina. The screen is ten and half feet wide and fout feet tall. It is made up of 32 individual DLP based microtile displays yielding an effective resolution of 5120 by 1920. The typical HD television is 1920 by 1080 with a little over a million pixels. This display has almost 10 million pixels. It was certainly the bigest and highest resolution screen I've ever seen up close. Tomorrow - the back. Canon 7D, 1/30 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 800.