Newtown Blackbirds

- Thousands of black birds come to roast each night near the intersection of Newtown Road and I-264 on the Norfolk/Virginia Beach border. They line all of the power lines and utility poles including this street light at Newtown and Princess Anne Roads in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They have become such a regular feature that they are even the subject the public art at the Networn Road station of The Tide light rail. iPhone 4, 1/15 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 160.

Oreo Turns 100

- Today marks the 100 anniversary of the Oreo cookie and Nabisco which was founded on March 6, 1912 in the Chelsea section of New York City. Today the old Nabisco factory is part of the Chelsea Market complex and a stop on the popular Highline Park. According to Wikipedia over 491 billion Oreo cookies have been sold since they were first introduced making the Oreo America's most popular cookie. The best part of making today's picture - why eating the cookies and drinking the milk of course! Canon 7D 1/200 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 400, two LED light panels.  Check the Black & White version of this photo at The World in Black & White blog.

Dominion Fisheye

- Got to take a trip up to the 20th floor of Dominion Enterprises in Downtown Norfolk Virginia today. It was cold and windy out on the deck. The 20th floor says a lot about the company who reserved the best space in its office tower for employee training and education. While you are up there learning you can enjoy some of the best views of the Elizabeth River waterfront. iPhone 4, 1.469 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80, Olloclip fisheye lens adapter.

Thread Rainbow

- This rack of sewing thread at Joann's Fabric's in Virginia Beach, Virginia reminded me of a rainbow. Canon G11, 1/100 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, in macro mode.

Death of a Salesman

- The very cool set of the Virginia Stage Company's production of Arthur Miller's 1949 Pulitzer Prize winning play Death of a Salesmen. iPhone 4, 1/15 sec @ f/2.8,ISO 1000.

Mike and Ike

Mike and Ike candies in one of the 50 cent globe dispensers at the mall. Mike and Ike is a brand of fruit-flavored candies first introduced in 1940 by Just Born, Inc. These fruit-flavored, chewy candies come in several colors and varieties including: cherry, orange, lime, lemon and strawberry. Each candy has 7 calories, 0 grams of fat and approximately 1 gram of sugar. The candy is kosher and gluten-free. According to Wikipedia, celebrity fans include Will Smith, Paul Rudd, and Steven Spielberg. Just Born, Inc. also makes Hot Tamales candies. Canon G11, 1/40 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800.

The Humble Moth

Moths are closely related to the butterflies, both being of the order Lepidoptera. There are over 160,000 species of moths, more than ten times the number of butterfly species. Butterflies get all of the glory with their bright colors and beautiful wings. Moths on the other hand tend to be more brown and unpretentious. They are not perceived in the same manner as their well loved cousins. But like much of mother nature, you just need to look close enough to see the beauty and glory. This humble little moth is hanging in close to our front porch light. The macro lens captures some of the fine detail of nature. This photo is also a good example of how shallow the depth of field can be on a macro lens when focused on a very close subject. As you can see the depth of field is less than 1/4 inch. Canon 7D, 1/160 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 800, 100mm macro.