Pages

Friday, December 31, 2010

The Cat's in the Bag

- Sherlock just loves to investigate a bag. May be he's looking for Brand Names, Closeout Prices! Cindy called me in to capture the moment this morning. This is my 730th straight photo a day blog post. 2009 was take and post a new picture everyday, while 2010 saw only about half of the posts with pictures taken the same day. The rest came from my archives. Thanks for following and commenting for the past two years. Canon G11, 1/80 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 1600.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Sunrise from Church Street

- The historic First Calvary Baptist Church in Norfolk Virginia is highlighted by the rising sun. The 1916 Second Renaissance Revival style church is a real architectural gem and is located off Henry Street just behind the Attucks Theater of the same period. This area was the center of the African American cultural community during the first half of the 20th Century and was often referred to as the "Harlem of the South." Canon G11, 1/1250 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Tudor at Night

- A clear winter night, snow, holiday decorations and a grand old tudor style house in Norfolk Virginia's historic Ghent neighborhood made for nice winter scene. Canon G11, 1 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400, camera braced against a tree.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Back in the Box

- There goes the holidays back into the box and into the attic until next year. It always makes me sad to see them go. Canon G11, 1/80 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400 in macro mode.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Snow Hat

- My neighbor's holiday ornaments had nice little snow hats on today. I liked the way they picked the reflections of the tree's shadows on the snow underneath. Canon 7D, 1/200 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 200, 200mm focal length.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

It's a Blizzard

- The biggest winter storm in 21 years hit Southeast Virginia today. Ten to twelve inches of snow have paralyzed the area. Canon G11, 1/60th @ f/4.0, ISO 400, with flash.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Santa Delivers

- Santa delivers and Robert plays. The Lego jetliner is pretty cool and Robert is getting ready to push back from the gate. Santa and his elves at VBFD Station 2, C Shift out did themselves. Canon G11, 1/60, F2.8, ISO 160, flash.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Cookies for Santa

- Robert get cookies and milk ready for Santa before heading off to bed. His mommy and daddy are both working tonight so we got to enjoy a four year old's excitement on Christmas Eve. Canon 40D, 1/160 sec @ f/2.5, ISO 800, 50mm prime lens.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Christmas Eve Eve

- Christmas Eve Eve at the Sullivan's. Note all of the wrapped presents, it's so wonderful to be married to someone who is organized. Canon G11, 0.8 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800 - man that's a lot of 8's.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Winter Sunrise

- The sky over Norfolk Virginia lit up bright orange as the sun was rising around 7:00am this morning. When the sky looks like this - one must stop and take a picture. The problem for me this morning was finding a decent foreground before the colors were gone. The sky changes very rapidly, literally minute to minute, as the sun rises so there not much time to putter around looking for the best spot. This photo was captured standing along Granby Street just north of 18th Street. Canon G11, 1/800 @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Unexpected

- I love when something is totally unexpected. This bicycle with its white frame and bright green wheel rims was one of those. The colors were just unexpected. Also note that the chain is the same green. Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @ f/10, ISO 200.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Expired

- This parking meeting pretty well somes up my mood staring this week. Canon 40D, 1/400 sec @ f/10, ISO 200, 50mm prime lens.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Bows

- Cindy was busy wrapping away today and the box of bows caught my eye. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ ~f/2.8, ISO 800, Lensbaby, wide angle with star shaped aperture.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Candy Cane Twine

- Candy cane twine, who knew there was such a thing. I ran across this delightful holiday spool at Beach Scrapbooks in Virginia Beach, Virginia today while out shopping with my wife. Blackberry Bold, 3.2MP camera, no flash.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Holiday Bokeh

- Our Christmas tree lights captured out of focus. The out of focus lights are blurred into the shape of little Christmas trees by using an aperture disk I created with with one of Cindy's scrapbook punches. This effect in photography is known as bokeh and is usually seen in the soft out of focus backgrounds of photos taken with a large aperture opening on a normal lens producing a very shallow depth of field. Interchangeable aperture disks are one of the very cool creative features of the Lensbaby Composer that was used to make this photo. Canon 7D, 1/20 sec @ ~f/4.0, ISO 800.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Ornamental

- It's been a few days since I broke out the camera for some new pictures. It was wet, cold and just yucky outside so the camera ended up focused on the Christmas tree. Hope you enjoy the sights of the season. Canon 7D, 1/5 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens, mounted on a tripod.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Open Window

- The open window from an old farmhouse in Chesapeake Virginia looks out on former fields now full of suburban housing. Canon 40D, 1/20 sec @ f/13.0, ISO 125.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The Rock

- Looking up through the lighted trees at the Rock - 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City. Canon G10, 1/15 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 400.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Radio City

- The famous marque of the Radio City Music Hall at Rockefeller Center in New York City. This photo is from our trip to NYC last November. Canon G10, 1/8 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Red & Green

The simple and distinctive colors of the season. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/80 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 200, 50mm macro lens.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Tracks

- The tracks of the Chicago "L" looking west toward the late afternoon sun from the Oak Park station on the Green Line. Canon g11, 1/800 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 200.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Bauble

- Bauble - according to Wikipedia is "a virtually worthless decorative object." So does that make the picture of one also virtually worthless? Canon 7D, 1/15 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, 100mm macro lens.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Roses are Red?

- Of course they are but sometimes they can be black and white. Canon 7D, 1/100 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 1600, 100mm macro, converted to black and white. You may remember seeing this picture last week in color, but I think I like the B&W better. There's just something about that deep gray and the texture.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Herding Cats

- Tonight's picture documents a photo failure on my part. While this is a nice picture of Sherlock, my goal was to get both Sasha and Sherlock together - looking at the camera for a holiday photo. Try as I might, I could not get them both to pose together. When I started I figured Sherlock with his boy kitten incredibly short attention span would be the challenge. But nooooo! Sherlock was a trooper, Sasha was being being a real diva and totally uncooperative. Cindy said that I failed to get her consent before proceeding, so I was doomed before I started. I'm going to complain to her agent. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 200, lots of flash. Strobe bounced of the ceiling and two side slave flashes down on the floor.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Star Light, Star Bright

- In this case the start lights are seasonal LED's. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/100 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 400, 50mm macro lens.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

My Little Buddy

- Sherlock was busy attacking the feathers on stick toy this morning when I called his name and he turned his head for this picture. I know Susan, Teresa and other members of his fan club will appreciate this shot. Canon Rebel T2i, 1/13 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 1600, 85mm prime lens.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Snow Rose


- Seasonal temperatures finally arrived this week after an Indian Summer that lasted through Thanksgiving. Tonight we are getting a very light snow, so I rushed out with my camera, macro lens and litepanel. This is a red "Knockout" rose with a few ice crystals. It seems kind of silly rushing out to a light dust of snow when the Midwest is getting pounded with an winter storm. Canon 7D, 1/100 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 1600, 100mm macro lens, Litepanel Micro LED.

Friday, December 3, 2010

'Tis the Season

A holiday seasonal photo I took last year. We're decorating this weekend so I wanted to get into the mood. I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/25 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 800, 50mm macro lens.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Third Edifice

The massive eight level Romanesque style tower of the First Baptist Church third edifice located on East Bute Street in downtown Norfolk Virginia basks in the morning sun. Completed in 1906, this amazing building was designed by noted architect Reuben H. Hunt and features an exterior faced in pink New England granite. The church was founded in 1800 as a Baptist congregation of whites, free blacks and slaves. It remained an interracial church until 1848 when social pressures for segregation came to great to overcome. Canon G11, 1/320 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

1919

- 1919 Monticello Avenue in Norfolk Virginia has been the location of Doumar's BBQ and Cones drive-in since 1934. The restaurant is a local legend known for its barbecue, hand made ice cream codes, and curb service. It was featured on the Food Network's series Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, hosted by Guy Fieri. Eighty-eight year old Albert Doumar still makes ice cream cones daily at the restaurant on a cone making machine invented by his uncle Abe that dates from 1905. I stopped by tonight after work for some take-out. My grandson Robert is our family's 6th generation customer. My favorite Doumar's desert, the "Ringo", is a hot fudge sundae made on top of bed of crunched up cone chips. I think I'll feature a photo of one of those soon for my venture into food photography. Canon G11, 1/100 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400.

Sconce

- Photography is the capture of light and I've taken a number of photos of cool light fixtures. By using the camera's capability to to capture light in different ways, the resulting image can be much different than what your eyes see. This image is way under exposed creating the deep blacks and highlighting the illuminated patterns coming from this wall fixture. When seen with your eyes the brain and the iris will automatically adjust for the light to balance the wide range of bright and dark. The camera, especially digital cameras, are much more limited in the range of light that can be captured. In most cases this limitation is the photographer's nemesis, resulting in a loss of detail in shadows and in bright sun. But here that limited dynamic range creates a different view of simple everyday object. Canon G10, 1/15 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 400.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Triple Decker

- The Thomas triple decker was tonight's living room construction project. You can see my co-builder and drawbridge operator at his duty station. Canon G11, 1/20 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Miss Sasha

- Miss Sasha quietly takes it all in. Canon 7D, 1/13 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, zoom at 175mm focal length, image stabilization doing its thing.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Ornament

- Th1s paper ornament was decorating the tree at Beach Scrapbooks today. It was unusual so it made s good subject for today's seasonal photo of the day. Canon G11, 1/125 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800 in macro mode.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Black and White Friday

- Black Friday calls for a black and white photo and a shopping theme. Before today's massive shopping malls were so popular, shopping arcades were commonplace in cities. These enclosed buildings housed shops on the first floor and offices above. Only two remain in Virginia including this one, the Monticello Arcade in Norfolk, Virginia. Built in 1907 the three-story, Beaux-Arts style arcade forms a protected pedestrian passageway in downtown. Canon G10, 1/60 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thankful

Thankful for blue skies, fall colors, red roses, and the freedom to enjoy it all. Canon G11, 1/400 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 100.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Fall Colors

- Red maple leaves backlit by the morning sun let us know that fall is in full swing in our little corner of southeast Virginia. Late summer rain and a very warm past two months have combined to produce one of the most spectacular fall foliage seasons that I can remember. Canon G11, 1/800 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 100.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Primary Steps

- The back stairs at my office got a new paint job this past summer. The striking primary colors of red, yellow and blue now assaults your eyes in the formerly dark and dingy stairway. Canon G11, 1/3 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Jump to Lightspeed

- Well may be it's not exactly lightspeed but it sure feels like it. After crawling through the HRBT, traffic begins to picking up speed as you near the proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel". Why is it people drive 25 mph in a 55 mph tunnel and then are magically able to accelerate to 65 once they see the light? These tunnels are the bane of Hampton Roads drivers. Canon G11, 1/4 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200. Canon mounted on a beanbag pod and fired with a remote release.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Wrigley @ Night

- No it's not Wrigley Field but the Wrigley Building located on N. Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River at the foot of the "Magnificent Mile" in Chicago, Illinois. This picture was taken from behind the building from W. Wacker Drive. You can see the Tribune Tower just to the right of Wrigley's clock tower. Canon G11, 1/3 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 400, camera steadied against a light pole.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

More Bonamassa

- Another photo from Joe Bonamassa's show at the Sandler Center for the Preforming Arts last night in Virginia Beach, VA. Check out my web album of photo's from the show here. Canon Revel T2i, 1/250 sec @ f/2.0, ISO 800, 85mm prime lens.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Sandler Blues

- Joe Bonamassa brought his rock-in blues to a sold crowd at the Sandler Center in Virginia Beach tonight. At exactly 8:00 p.m. Joe came out playing and didn't stop until two hours later. The band took a break, but Joe never does. It was an awesome show and even though it is the fifth time I've seen him play live, I always leave amazed. Here's Joe with the rhythm section, Bogie Bowles on drums and Carmine Rojas on bass. Can't wait to share some more photos from the show. Canon Rebel T2i, 1/200 sec @ f/2.5, ISO 800, 85mm prime lens.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Solar Tubes

- The lenses of a commercial solar tube pipe daylight into an interior room. Features like these are just one part of making a "green building" and obtaining L.E.E.D certification. Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification system. My employer, Hampton Roads Transit, is in the process of completing a new bus garage that is a LEED certified and a sustainable facility. Canon G10, 1/1000 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Red Chair

- Red Chair - yellow porch. Canon 7D, 1/400 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100, zoom at 155mm focal length.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Living Room Train

- Robert's train set on the living room floor. We had fun dodging the the oncoming train while taking pictures. Canon G11, 1/13 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Basilica of St. Lawrence

- The Basilica of St. Lawrence is a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church located in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. The basilica was designed and built in 1905 by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino along with his fellow architect R. S. Smith. The basilica's dome has a span of 58 by 82 feet and is reputed to be the largest freestanding elliptical dome in North America. Source, Wikipedia. Canon 40D, 1/30 sec @ f/22.0, ISO 400.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Buncombe County Courthouse

- The 17 story Neo-Classical Revival Buncombe County Courthouse is one of the most extravagent courthouses in North Carolina. Completed in 1928 it is also known for its well preserved and elegant lobby interior. Canon G10, 1/8 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 800.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Oak Park

- This building is on N. Oak Park Avenue two blocks from the Oak Park Station on the CTA Green Line 'L'. The view through the portico just struck me as we walked by during our trip to Chicago last month. Just embracing the symmetry of it. Canon G11, 1/160 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 200.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Texture

- Some might think it odd to have a black and white photo of a beautiful colored rose, but by removing the color, the texture in the rose pedals is revealed in a new way. When seen in color your eye and brain immediately registers that wonderful hue and it becomes the focal point of the image. In black and white, your eye is drawn to the structure and the rose shows another side of its beauty. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/400 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 800, 50mm macro lens.