Step Outside - Day 60 #CY365

Today challenge was "Step Outside" and the first day of month is always a self portrait. So here's my selfie taken in the front yard with my neighbor's bare pecan trees in the background. I captured the late afternoon sun which appeared briefly on an otherwise cloudy and gray day. Used the camera's popup flash to add just a little fill light with the flash compensation set at -2 stops. The camera's self timer was used, manual focus using the distance gauge on the lens, and of course, the camera was tripod mounted. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/8, ISO 200, 35mm prime lens.

Footprints

These near perfect footprints in the sand were washed aways seconds after I took this picture. Canon G15, 1/40 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Fetch

Dogs love the beach and will fetch the ball from the water tirelessly. I never get tired of watching them. Canon G15, 1/2000 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 200.

Cuauhtémoc

- Cuauhtémoc was the last Aztec Emperor who was captured and executed by the Spanish in 1525. His name means "One That Has Descended Like an Eagle." Cuauhtémoc and the eagle are reflected in this figurehead on the Mexican Navy tall ship which bears his name. Illuminated by facing west into the setting sun, the gold plated figure glows with determination. Canon 7D, 1/160 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400.

Self Portrait

- Thought I'd try a self portrait for today's photo. It was a nice evening to be riding around in the convertible so I took my photo at a stoplight. Canon G1X, 1/500 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 200.

Bradford Pear

- In the mid 1970's Virginia Beach, like many American cities, planted the Bradford Pear trees along main roads. At the time the tree was considered to be the perfect street tree, with beautiful early white blooms, a nice cone shape, and good fall color. Thirty years later many of trees weaknesses are now apparent including a relatively short life and the tendency to easily break in high winds and under the load of winter ice. These trees are located along Princess Anne Road just southeast of Newtown Road and while some show the effect of age and breakage, the early spring debut of white flowers is still a wonderful sight. Canon G1X, 1/160 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Twilight Signage

- There are always amazing colors at twilight. This is why photographers call this the golden hour. This is actually civil twilight, that time after the sun has completely set but the sky still has a little illumination. The signs are lit by the street light and car headlights. Canon G11, 1/20 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 800.

Find Your Cool

- "Find Your Cool" in downtown Durham North Carolina. This is a row of buildings fronting on Main Street with the motto of downtown painted in the old style on the brink. Canon G11, 1/640 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400.

Art Deco

- Had dinner tonight with a great group from the American Public Transportation Association TransITech Conference at Quinn's in the Central Park Hotel on Miami Beach. It was my first visit to Miami Beach and I must say I was impressed by the great Art Deco Style. Canon G11, 1/8 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 400 camera braced against a palm tree. Sometimes you have to improvise camera support.

Southgate Terminal

- These waterfront condominiums were created from the old Southgate Forwarding and Storage Company Warehouse adjacent to Norfolk Virginia's historic Freemason neighborhood. The pier-warehouse was served by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. The shipping business in this area declined rapidly after World War II and the piers and warehouses were largely abandoned by the 1960's. Today most have been converted into residential condominiums. Canon G11, 1/250 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 200.

Tower Sunset

- The setting sun nicely silhouetted this power line tower. Canon G10, 1/640 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Long Creek

From 2010 Blog

Long Creek in Virginia Beach looking west towards the Lynnhaven River about 45 minutes past sunset and during a light shower of rain. I like the purple sky that occurs after sunset. This would have been a much better photo 15 minutes earlier. The evening light changes rapidly, so it's always worth hanging around after the sun sets. Canon G11, 1 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400, camera resting on a dock box.

Tangled Web

From 2010 Blog

Oh what a tangled web she weaves! Saw this large tangled web during my evening walk through the nature trail yesterday. This is only about a third of the total web. A beam of late day sun really lights it up nicely. Never did see the spider though. Canon 7D,1/50 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 400, 100mm focal length.

High Power Lookout

From 2010 Blog

- This osprey has massive nest built atop a power line tower at the entrance of the Elizabeth River Natural Area and Canoe Launch in the Carolanne Farms neighborhood in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I was pretty far away using a 400mm lens with a 1.4x teleconvertor lens and tripod to capture the early evening image. As I moved a little closer, the osprey took off and made a big circle above me before returning to the nest. I guess he wanted a closer look at that crazy photographer. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 400, focal length 560mm.

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.