Nest - Day 3 #CY365

Winter arrived today with our first temperatures down in the mid 20's. I know that doesn't seem cold to many but for temperate southeastern Virginia, it's cold. This abandoned Mockingbird's nest in a bare tree pretty much captures the feeling of a gray, cold and windy day for me.

Canon 5D Mark II, 1/320 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens.

Goals - Day 2 of 365

Starting another year with an early morning at Fitness Together Norfolk. Set a new goal for myself to get my weight down to 165 pounds. Six pounds to lose in January and got off to a good start today. Can't wait to see this Detecto scale level up at 165.

iPhone 5, 1/17 sec @ f/2.4, ISO 400, captured and converted to Black & white with the Camera+ App.

ODU @ Night

The brick entrance sign of my alma mater Old Dominion University at the southwest corner of West 49th Street and Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk, Virginia. ODU began in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of William and Mary, becoming an independent college in 1962 and attaining university status in 1969. Old Dominion University derives its name from one of Virginia's state nicknames, "The Old Dominion", given to the state by King Charles II of England for remaining loyal to the crown during the English Civil War. Canon G15, 1/20 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800, handheld and converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro.

Scope @ Night

The Scope Arena in Norfolk Virginia is 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 G15, 0.8 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200, converted to black and white using Google Picasa.

Lunar Eclipse

Tonight's lunar eclipse. It's very subtle, but you should be able to see some of the Earth's shadow coming across the bottom right or southeast side of the moon. Canon 7D, 1/400 sec @ f/16, ISO 800, zoom at 400mm with 1.4x tele-convertor, effective focal length 560mm. Converted to black and white using Lightroom 4 with Silver Efex Pro 2.

Harvest Moon

Tonight's harvest moon at Sandbridge Beach, Virginia. Canon 7D, 1/40 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 800 converted to black and white in Lightroom 4 using Silver Efex Pro.

Dragonfly

It has been a long time since I posted a picture on my blog. Especially after 1461 straight days - four years of 365 project extreme. I miss it - so - I am thinking about starting another 365 project for 2014. What do you say about something like "365 Prime" or "Prime All The Time" and just using fixed focal length prime lenses for each day's photo? No zoom lenses - "zoom with your feet," doing it old school.

Today's photo is one I did for SnapChick's First Sunday Challenge. On the first Sunday of each month you take your an old digital camera and forget about the technology and focus on composition and creativity. This dragonfly was captured using my 2003 vintage Canon EOS 300D a.k.a the Digital Rebel. I used a 100mm macro lens and converted to black and white in Lightroom with the Silver Efex Pro plug-in. ISO 800, 1/400 sec @ f/11.0.

Half Moon

An interesting half moon from a couple of nights ago. Canon 7D, 1/500 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, 400mm focal length, converted to black & white using Silver Efex Pro in Lightroom.

Iris

Inspired by a classic Paul Strand photograph from 1928. Canon Digital Rebel 1/25 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro in Lightroom.

Watching You, Watching Me

This pelican was busy watching the people who were watching him along the bluf at La Jolla California. Canon EOS 7D, 1/640th sec @ f/10.0, ISO 200, zoom at 400mm focal length.

Sun and Shade

The Bank of America Center in Norfolk Virginia has long been one of my favorite local buildings. Designed by Skidmore, Owings And Merrill of Chicago with Williams, Tazewell & Associates of Norfolk it was the tallest building in the state of Virginia when completed in 1967 and retained that title until 1971 when Richmond's new City Hall took the crown. Today it is the second tallest building in Norfolk. The building started as the Virginia National Bank but beginning in the 1980's it went through a series of name changes resulting from bank acquisitions and mergers. It once carried the names of Sovran Bank in 1983, C&S/Sovran in 1991 and NationsBank in 1993 and finally Bank of America in 1998.
Canon G15, 1/640 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Headed Down

I couldn't end the year without another stairway picture. Don't know what it is that catches my eye about stairs, but I think they make cool photos. iPhone 5, 1/30 sec @ f/2.4, ISO 50.

Corinthian Console

This pair of Corinthian-styled consoles support a shallow stone balcony above the main entrance to the 1899 Federal Courthouse and Post Office in Norfolk Virginia. The building housed the U.S. Courthouse and Post Office until 1934, it then served as Norfolk's City Hall from 1938 through 1965 and other local government agencies occupied the building until 1977. It now being renovated and will serve as part of the City's new Slover Library scheduled to open in late 2014. The building is a rare example of Neo-Palladian Revival style. Canon G15, 1/1250 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400.

Honeycomb

This honeycomb block wall is located just out the garage entrance to the Showcase Restaurant at Norfolk Virginia's Scope arena. One of my favorite mid-century modern buildings, the Scope has been featured in the blog many times. Canon G15, 1/30 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800, converted to black and white in Lightroom 4.3 using Silver Efex Pro 2.

It's Oz

Saw this analog soundboard on a tour of the WHRO Public Broadcasting studios in Norfolk Virginia tonight. Two ladies along for tour were peering into the audio control room when one asked "is this radio or TV?" The second replied "it's Oz."
iPhone 5, 1/17 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400, Camera+ App.

Two Crows

"One crow means sorrow,
two crows mean joy,
three crows a wedding,
four crows a boy,
five crows mean silver,
six crows mean gold,
seven crows a secret that's never been told."

Canon G15, 1/125 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro 2.

The Downtown Font of Knowledge

The Virginian-Pilot Building at 150 Bramleton Avenue in Norfolk Virginia home to the paper's editorial team, a.k.a "the downtown font of knowledge." The 1937 building designed by Finlay F. Ferguson, Sr. is an excellant example of Art Deco stripped classical mode made popular nationwide by Philadelphia architect Paul P. Cret. It radiates the strength and power of the press. Canon G15, 1/800 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 200 converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro 2 Lightroom plugin.

SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012. Online. http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/VA-01-NK32. Accessed 2012-11-29.

Encore

This a close up of a portion of the new sculpture entitled "Encore" by world famous sculptor Rodney Carroll. The art work was dedicated last month at the Main Street entrance to the Selden Arcade home to Norfolk Virginia's d'Art Center. Canon G15, 1/60 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 125.

Taking Shape

Norfolk's new Slover Memorial Library is taking shape. These concrete columns are part of the new entrance area. The completed library will include the historic Renaissance Revival style Seaboard Building located at the corner of Plume and Atlantic Streets, a six story new construction featured here, and a portion of the Art Deco Selden Arcade. The completed project designed by Newman Architects will provide Norfolk with a new high tech library featuring significant architecture from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Canon G15, 1/125sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro in Lightroom 4.

Shadow Link

A chain link fence casts a sharp shadow on this concrete column. Canon G11, 1/25sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400. Converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro.