Untamed Love Mix

- This is Hot Tamales's valentine candy mix. The "Untamed Love Mix" contains "Passionate Pink", "Wild for You White" and "Romantic Red" candies. They all taste the same just like "America's favorite Cinnamon Candy". Canon 40D, 1/500 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro.

Salt 'n' Pepper

- Literally. Canon G11, 1/10 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800, in macro mode, converted to B&W in Lightroom 3.

An apple a day . . .

- keeps the doctor away, or so the old saying goes. Apples are an amazing fruit and the offer numerous benefits in one pretty and great tasting little package. Don't believe me - check this article citing 9 reasons why an apples a day is good for your health and thus helps keep the doctor away. Canon 40D, 1/125 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200, 100mm macro lens. Photographed in a light tent with illumination provided from three directions. Above was a constant LED video light, to each side were remote triggered flashes set at 1/16th power.

The Master

From 2010 Blog

Taking a break from reading about one of my favorite photographers, André Kertész. The book is from his exhibition "André Kertész: Of Paris and New York" at the Chicago Institute of Art in 1985. I first saw his work displayed at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk Virginia during a 1982 show which featured his then latest project - images made with a Polaroid SX-70 instant camera. In the hands of a master, any camera can produce a masterpiece. Canon 7D, 1/320 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 400, 50mm macro lens.

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.

Big Pharma

From 2010 Blog

- Big Pharma lines up to battle my sinus infection. From left to right, Amoxicillin antibiotic, Mucinex D "Mucinex in - Mucus out" yuk and prescription strength Ibuprofen 800mg - yea. Canon 40D, 1/125 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 800, 50mm macro.

Valve

From 2010 Blog

- Fire system values. Almost every commercial building has them. They are usually tucked away in corner and most people never notice them. This is just one small valve of several that feed the sprinkler system at work. Canon G11, 1/25 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 200.

Stoplight

From 2010 Blog

Stoplight peppers from our local Food Lion produce department. Canon G10, 1/125 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400.

Need an Outlet?

From 2010 Blog

I've got a couple for you. These are Type B, NEMA 5–15. The 5–15 outlet is standard in all of North America. It is also used in Central America, the Caribbean, northern South America, Japan, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia. The 15 means it is rated for 15 amperes at 125 volts. Canon 7D, 1/160 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800, 50mm prime lens.

Ties That Bind

From 2010 Blog

My necktie rack. I have been wearing neckties to work almost my entire career. So I have quite a selection, generally sorted by color. Necktie expectations have gone away in many businesses today in favor of "business casual" attire. However they are still an expectation for managers at my employer except on Fridays and during the summer months when business casual is allowed. It seems to be more an East Coast "thing" these days. Canon 7D, 1/25 sec @ f/2.0, ISO 200, 50mm macro.

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.

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.

363 - Chips & DIP

From 365 Project

This is a collection of old memory chips and a DIP (Dual In-line Package) switch that I kept from old an computer I had in the 1980's. These types of memory chips have been long since been replaced by memory modules and the DIP switch once a common way to set configurations have been replaced with software settings saved in non-volatile memory. They are all sitting on a silicon wafer board containing about a hundred 386 processor chips before they are cut and mounted in the ceramic housing. Basically chips in the raw. Canon 7D, 1/60 sec @ f/9.0, ISO 200, 50mm macro lens with two off camera strobes using a light tent.

360 - Tulip Mania

From 365 Project

Oddly enough the beautiful tulip created the first economic bubble in history, now referred to as Tulip Mania. In the 1630's a craze throughout western Europe for the recently introduced tulip sent prices to extraordinary heights. The collapse came in February 1637 and created the first economic bubble - when asset prices deviate from intrinsic values. Similar irrational mania contributed to the two most recent bubbles, the 2008 mortgage crisis and the 2000 Technology collapse. Seems we are bound to repeat the same mistakes. Canon 7D, 1/160 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, 50mm prime lens.

322 - Granny Smith

From 365 Project

A Granny Smith sitting in the midst of Red Delicious. We know them as Granny Smith apples but the full name is the Granny Ramsey Smith green apple. It was created in 1868 through a chance propagation by Maria Ann Smith in New South Wales Australia. A hundred years later in 1968 the Beatles' Apple Records adopted a Granny Smith apple as its symbol. Canon G10, 1/160 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 400 in macro mode.

287 - Signs of the Season

From 365 Project

Today was our first fall day with crisp cool autumn temperatures. My first attempt at a blog photo was a dismal failure. It was a good picture concept but poorly executed and not worthy of your time or attention. So my wife Cindy came to the rescue with this fall season setup idea. At first the gourds alone weren't doing much so she tossed in some candy corn and voila a picture of the day. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/250 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 100, 30mm prime lens and two off-camera flashes.

285 - Pomaceous Fruit

From 365 Project

Red and green pears on an iridescent carnival glass dish. This still life gave me some more practice on still life photography using a multiple off-camera flash lighting setup. If you're a regular follower of the blog you have seen a few of these recently. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/250 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 100, 30mm prime lens, 2 off-camera strobe flashes set at 1/16th power and a micro LED Litepanel to highlight under the rim of the carnival glass.

277 - Candy Corn

From 365 Project

Candy Corn is a sign of the season at our house. Invented in the 1880's, American's buy about 20 million pounds of candy corn each year. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/250 sec @ f/20.0, ISO 100, 50mm compact macro lens. Two off-camera strobes, a micro Litepanel LED and a Light Shed were used in the setup.

275 - Conch

From 365 Project

This small conch shell has been illuminated from below and the macro photo shows off the beautiful color, patterns and contrasts present in the shell. Canon G10, 1/10 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400 in macro mode.