Yoda PEZ - Day 80

Yoda PEZ- a limited edition crystal head Yoda PEZ dispenser, one of the over 1,000 PEZ in my collection.

Decay - Day 14

Day 12 - YoYoJam

This is my Dark Magic II 67 gram yo-yo featuring a solid spin axle system with a responsive bearing allowing even a hack like me to do yo-yo tricks like a pro.

In the Garden - Day 90 #CY365

In the garden at the Moses Myers House in Norfolk Virginia. Spring is finally here as the oak leaf hydrangea begins to open up. Canon G15, 1/1000 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 400 in macro focusing mode.

Umbrellas - Day 23 #CY365

Umbrellas - Day 23 of 365. Canon 5D Mark II, 1/1000 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens, backlit with LED litepanel.

Unique - Day 6 #CY365

Winter left a few dried blossoms clinging to the leafless hydrangeas. Backlight from the low angle winter sun brings out the unique details of each blossom. Canon G15, 1/640 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200 in macro mode.

Beach Boy

What's better than a handful of wet sand? Two handfuls! — Robert at Sandbridge Beach on a glorious late afternoon in September. Canon G1X, 1/1250 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 100.

Night Insulator

An electric power line insulator backlit by the full moon. Canon 7D, 1/640 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, 560mm focal length.

Happy Birthday USA!

- Happy 236th Birthday to the USA. Canon 7D, 1/100 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 800.

Ascent

This is John Safer's sculpture, Ascent located at the entrance of the the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. It honors the human endeavor of flight. I was lucky enough to catch this dragonfly just as it flew by with the 70 foot tall airfoil shaped sculpture in the background. Canon 5D Mark II, 1/1250 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 200.

From Above

- This is kind of an odd view from above of a tulip bloom. The back lighting from underneath is illuminating the inside of the bloom. At first I wasn't sure that I liked this photo but there was something about it that caused me to come back to it. I think it was just the vantage point. Canon 7D, 1/200 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, 100mm macro.

Maui Readers

- Bifocal sunglasses, you bet. These are my Maui Readers and the reason why I will be a Maui Jim customer for life. I bought a pair of these sunglasses on Ocracoke Island in 2008. About a year later I dropped them when loading some stuff into my trunk and didn't realize it. I then backed over them with the car, leaving half the glasses pretty mangled. I had read about Maui Jim's legendary customer service so I thought I'd see if they could repair the sunglasses and replace the lens. I mailed them away with a service form and check for $10.00. A few weeks latter I received a package and letter from Maui Jim saying they weren't able to fix my old sunglasses but this one time they would provide me a replacement pair. How cool is that? I now own three pairs of Maui's, customer for life. Canon G11, 1/2000 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 200.

Contre-jour

- French for 'against daylight', refers to photographs taken when the camera is pointing directly toward a source of light. Contre-jour produces backlighting of the subject. This effect usually hides details, causes a stronger contrast between light and dark, creates silhouettes and emphasizes lines and shapes. The sun, or other light source, is often seen as either a bright spot or as a strong glare behind the subject. Source - Wikipedia. Canon G11, 1/125 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 400.

View to Infinity

This bridge leads to the Highway 23 Scenic Overlook which allows for a great view of the Infinity Room jutting out into the Wisconsin sky from the House on the Rock. Canon 7D, 1/1600 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Table & Chairs

- This table and chairs where silhouetted against a backlit glass panel at the Harvest Moon Brewery & Cafe in New Brunswick New Jersey. Canon G11, 1/8 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 800, underexposed by 2 stops.

Mimosa

From 2010 Blog

- You say Formosa, I say Mimosa. When I was growing up people called this a Formosa tree. The name was incorrect, it is actually a Mimosa tree. Once very common in southern gardens, today it is pretty much disdained as an invasive species or weed tree. This is a wild one located along a ditch bank near my house. The tree is still quite beautiful and this bloom was backlit by a small dapple of afternoon sunlight. Canon, 7D, 1/160 sec @ f/13.0, ISO 400, 100 mm macro.

Go Fly a Kite

From 2010 Blog

- Took the day off from work to spend some time with my grandson Robert. We headed out to Virginia Beach's Mt. Trashmore Park to fly our kite. There was a good breeze and not a cloud in the sky so the 9 foot wing span delta kite flew way high. Robert really likes letting the line out, bringing it back in - not so much. While spending what seemed like forever to reel it back in, I took a few pictures of the brightly colored kite backlit by the morning sun. Canon 7D, 1/125 sec @ f/25.0, ISO 200.

Level With Me

From 2010 Blog

I was hanging a mirror in the living room over the fireplace. I had set my level down when I noticed a back light illuminating the bubble window. These types of levels are known as spirit or bubble levels. The term spirit comes from the fact that the most common liquid used is a yellow colored Ethanol. Spirit levels are employed to indicate how horizontal (level) or how vertical (plumb) a surface is. Canon 7D, 1/60 sec @ f/4.6, ISO 800, 50mm macro lens.

346 - Richardsonian Romanesque

From 365 Project

The Romanesque steeple of the Epworth United Methodist Church in Norfolk Virginia is back lit by a late afternoon sun burning through a thin cloud covering. Said to be inspired Henry H. Richardson's Trinity Church in Boston, this building is the only significant Romanesque style structure in the city. Built in 1894, the steeple was extended in height years later when it was said the new tall buildings in downtown were blocking the sounds of church bells. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Canon G10, 1/320 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 200.

332 - Happy Go Lucky

From 365 Project

These sculptures always make me smile. They are located at the Collins Square Shopping Center in the Thalia area of Virginia Beach, Virginia. The bright primary colors against a clear blue sky help to evoke the feeling of happiness. Canon 1/500 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100 with infill flash.