Brick Red

- These cool glass blocks pick up the red brick wall behind. Look at the differing patterns in each block. Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens.

Glass Block

- Glass blocks have returned as an architectural detail. This block is picking up red from the brick wall opposite with green from trees located off to the right. The colors change as the light and your angle of view changes. The shapes and colors create a wonderful and always different view. Canon 40D, 1/1600 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 800, 100mm macro.

Tea Geeks

- Our son Michael is home this week and since he's a tea geek we visited the new Teavana store at MacArthur Center in Norfolk Virginia. This is a 50/50 blend of Jasmine Pearls & Strawberry Lemonade basically green tea and herbal tea. It makes a great summer iced tea which I'm enjoying while I do this blog post. Canon 40D, 1/160 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens with LED litepanel.

Table Set

- More salt and pepper shakers and some cool reflections in the table light. Canon G11, 1/3 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 200 in macro mode.

Espresso Brown

- Why is that colors these days have a first and last name? When was the last time you saw a can paint or fabric color just called brown? So yesterday I was took a picture getting ready to make an espresso, tonight it is the finished cup. This is espresso brown or Mr. Brown to those who are more formal. Canon 40D, 1/60 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens, LED litepanel.

Scarcity and Demand

- This is the detail of a green depression glass bowl that beloged to Cindy's grandmother. We have several interesting pieces of collectible depression glass. Originally these items were given away or sold very inexpensively during the Great Depression by manufacturers promoting other products. Interesting that this once almost worthless product is now a prized collectible. Ah, the wonder of scarcity and demand to create value. Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @ f/11, ISO 200, 100mm macro lens. Back lit with an off camera flash at 1/16th power.

Water Glass

- Filling a water glass with illumination provided only by the water dispenser's LED light. Canon 40D, 1/8 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, 100mm macro lens, remote shutter release.

Red, White & Blue

- Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100, indirect reflected flash from below and behind.

Dalhia

From Jul5

- The colors and shapes of nature never fail to astound me. This dahlia's deep coral color and the curving stem lit by the "golden hour" setting sun make for an interesting photograph. Canon 7D, 1/400 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 100, 100mm macro.

Clips

From 2010 Blog

- Colorful plastic paper clips await their destiny. Each hopes to someday hold together a few sheets of an important report or correspondence. They could be waiting a long time. I bought this box of clips over ten years ago and still have plenty left. The most used paper clip today is the one on your computer email - the universal symbol that an attachment is included. I'm still a fan of these real clips, not that obnoxious animated one that appears as the Microsoft Office Assistant. Canon G11, 1/200 @ f/2.8, ISO 400, in macro mode with lighting from a basic flashlight.

Abstract Beans

From 2010 Blog

- My jelly bean jar as seen through a ridged glass bowl. Canon G11, 1/250 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800, in macro mode.

Deathstar Dimples

From 2010 Blog

- I got several suggestions for naming this post and I decided to use "Deathstar Dimples" as suggested by Bill Greeves. This is a crystal golf ball that was given to me years ago by my friend Sandy. It is illuminated from beneath with a Sylvania DOT-it LED light. Thanks for all of the suggestion on the blog and FB. Canon 40D, 1/8000 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800, 50mm macro.

Depression Glass

From Mar13

We have a couple of pieces of "Depression Glass" that once belonged to Cindy's grandmother. This is a large green serving bowl which has been lit from above producing the sunburst effect around the base. Depression glass is clear or colored translucent glassware that was distributed free, or at low cost, around the time of the Great Depression. Canon 40D, 1/1250 sec @ f/2.5, ISO 400, 50mm macro lens lit by the Litepanel Micro LED.

Table Light

From 2010 Blog

Regular followers of this blog know that I like taking pictures of glass and capturing the ways different kinds of light are refracted. This is a macro shot of the small oil lamp on our dinner table tonight. We visited Burton's Grill in the Hilltop section of Virginia Beach for dinner tonight. The food and service was great but so was the chance to get a cool photo for the day. BTW - It's Restaurant Week in Virginia Beach this week so who knows, more dining and photo ops await. Canon G10, 1/20 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400, in macro mode.

Press 626

From 2010 Blog

This is a new photo for today. For the last several months we have been enjoying a new restaurant on West Olney Road in Norfolk called Press 626. I took this photo sitting back in the corner booth. These interesting glass jars sit on a shelf and lights from Colley Avenue traffic just bounce off them in a wonderful way. BTW - the food is great and Sue, Lindsay and Patrick always take great care of us. Canon 7D (and yes I lugged the DSLR with me to a restaurant) 1/10 sec @ f/2.0, ISO 800, 50mm prime lens.

More Martinis

From 2010 Blog

This was yesterday's first runner-up for the last photo of the day for my 2009 Project 365. Should the winning photo fail to serve its full term, this beauty will take the title. The consolation prize is not too shabby - first photo post for 2010 and a new decade. During Project 365 there were many days when choosing the best photo was tough; so expect to see many more 2009 runner ups make appearances on the blog in 2010. Thanks to Irishman Ronan Palliser for the great blog post used to cook up these pictures. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100, 50mm prime lens, one off-camera strobe.

365 - Tipsy

From 365 Project

Partied too hard didn't you? There is nothing wrong with your monitor. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. Sit quietly and we will control all that you see. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your computer or monitor. You have just participated in a great adventure. Thanks so much for following this blog for the last 365 days. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100, 50mm prime lens and one off-camera strobe.

288 - "Say Pepsi, Please"

From 365 Project

This is a close up of an embossed Pepsi-Cola logo on a mid-1950's vintage bottle. My father used to pick up old bottles whenever he found them. When I was young we would walk along the side of the road and collect discarded soda bottles and return them for the deposit. His shop had a lot of old bottles in it and this is one of several he gave me a number of years ago. I filled it with fresh Pepsi from a can for the photo. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/6 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 100, 50mm macro lens. Back light from the micro LED Litepanel.

197 - 7-5-7

From 365 Project

7-5-7 is our area code here in Southeastern Virginia. As area codes go, it's a pretty good one. Much better than our old area code of 804 which Central Virginia (the "old" money) got to keep and even better than the less original 703 which once covered all of Virginia and is now relegated to Northern Virginia (the "new" money). The picture was taken at Fire & Vine in Virginia Beach. The wine is a 2007 Tait "The Ball Buster" Shiraz-Cabernet-Merlot from the Barossa Valley. Of course with a name like "The Ball Buster" you know the wine is Aussie. BTW - It was excellent! Canon G10, 1/4 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400, in macro mode.

175 - Home of the Whopper

From 365 Project

The Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk Virginia has an amazing collection of art glass including this piece entitled Whopper by Dante Marioni. At 44 inches tall, this elegant vase is the largest blown glass object in the museum's vast art glass collection. The Chrysler is participating in "Art of Glass 2" a multiple venue show running throughout southeastern Virginia this summer. It has a great temporary exhibit of art glass by Lino Tagliapietra. Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 800, 17mm focal length.