The Rock

- Looking up through the lighted trees at the Rock - 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City. Canon G10, 1/15 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 400.

Radio City

- The famous marque of the Radio City Music Hall at Rockefeller Center in New York City. This photo is from our trip to NYC last November. Canon G10, 1/8 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400.

Red & Green

The simple and distinctive colors of the season. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/80 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 200, 50mm macro lens.

Tracks

- The tracks of the Chicago "L" looking west toward the late afternoon sun from the Oak Park station on the Green Line. Canon g11, 1/800 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 200.

Bauble

- Bauble - according to Wikipedia is "a virtually worthless decorative object." So does that make the picture of one also virtually worthless? Canon 7D, 1/15 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, 100mm macro lens.

Roses are Red?

- Of course they are but sometimes they can be black and white. Canon 7D, 1/100 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 1600, 100mm macro, converted to black and white. You may remember seeing this picture last week in color, but I think I like the B&W better. There's just something about that deep gray and the texture.

Do you . . .

. . . believe? Macy's does. Canon 7D. 1/100 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 400.

Herding Cats

- Tonight's picture documents a photo failure on my part. While this is a nice picture of Sherlock, my goal was to get both Sasha and Sherlock together - looking at the camera for a holiday photo. Try as I might, I could not get them both to pose together. When I started I figured Sherlock with his boy kitten incredibly short attention span would be the challenge. But nooooo! Sherlock was a trooper, Sasha was being being a real diva and totally uncooperative. Cindy said that I failed to get her consent before proceeding, so I was doomed before I started. I'm going to complain to her agent. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 200, lots of flash. Strobe bounced of the ceiling and two side slave flashes down on the floor.

Star Light, Star Bright

- In this case the start lights are seasonal LED's. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/100 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 400, 50mm macro lens.

My Little Buddy

- Sherlock was busy attacking the feathers on stick toy this morning when I called his name and he turned his head for this picture. I know Susan, Teresa and other members of his fan club will appreciate this shot. Canon Rebel T2i, 1/13 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 1600, 85mm prime lens.

Snow Rose

- Seasonal temperatures finally arrived this week after an Indian Summer that lasted through Thanksgiving. Tonight we are getting a very light snow, so I rushed out with my camera, macro lens and litepanel. This is a red "Knockout" rose with a few ice crystals. It seems kind of silly rushing out to a light dust of snow when the Midwest is getting pounded with an winter storm. Canon 7D, 1/100 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 1600, 100mm macro lens, Litepanel Micro LED.

'Tis the Season

A holiday seasonal photo I took last year. We're decorating this weekend so I wanted to get into the mood. I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/25 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 800, 50mm macro lens.

Third Edifice

The massive eight level Romanesque style tower of the First Baptist Church third edifice located on East Bute Street in downtown Norfolk Virginia basks in the morning sun. Completed in 1906, this amazing building was designed by noted architect Reuben H. Hunt and features an exterior faced in pink New England granite. The church was founded in 1800 as a Baptist congregation of whites, free blacks and slaves. It remained an interracial church until 1848 when social pressures for segregation came to great to overcome. Canon G11, 1/320 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100.

1919

- 1919 Monticello Avenue in Norfolk Virginia has been the location of Doumar's BBQ and Cones drive-in since 1934. The restaurant is a local legend known for its barbecue, hand made ice cream codes, and curb service. It was featured on the Food Network's series Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, hosted by Guy Fieri. Eighty-eight year old Albert Doumar still makes ice cream cones daily at the restaurant on a cone making machine invented by his uncle Abe that dates from 1905. I stopped by tonight after work for some take-out. My grandson Robert is our family's 6th generation customer. My favorite Doumar's desert, the "Ringo", is a hot fudge sundae made on top of bed of crunched up cone chips. I think I'll feature a photo of one of those soon for my venture into food photography. Canon G11, 1/100 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400.

Sconce

- Photography is the capture of light and I've taken a number of photos of cool light fixtures. By using the camera's capability to to capture light in different ways, the resulting image can be much different than what your eyes see. This image is way under exposed creating the deep blacks and highlighting the illuminated patterns coming from this wall fixture. When seen with your eyes the brain and the iris will automatically adjust for the light to balance the wide range of bright and dark. The camera, especially digital cameras, are much more limited in the range of light that can be captured. In most cases this limitation is the photographer's nemesis, resulting in a loss of detail in shadows and in bright sun. But here that limited dynamic range creates a different view of simple everyday object. Canon G10, 1/15 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 400.

Triple Decker

- The Thomas triple decker was tonight's living room construction project. You can see my co-builder and drawbridge operator at his duty station. Canon G11, 1/20 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800.

Miss Sasha

- Miss Sasha quietly takes it all in. Canon 7D, 1/13 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, zoom at 175mm focal length, image stabilization doing its thing.

Ornament

- Th1s paper ornament was decorating the tree at Beach Scrapbooks today. It was unusual so it made s good subject for today's seasonal photo of the day. Canon G11, 1/125 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800 in macro mode.

Black and White Friday

- Black Friday calls for a black and white photo and a shopping theme. Before today's massive shopping malls were so popular, shopping arcades were commonplace in cities. These enclosed buildings housed shops on the first floor and offices above. Only two remain in Virginia including this one, the Monticello Arcade in Norfolk, Virginia. Built in 1907 the three-story, Beaux-Arts style arcade forms a protected pedestrian passageway in downtown. Canon G10, 1/60 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Thankful

Thankful for blue skies, fall colors, red roses, and the freedom to enjoy it all. Canon G11, 1/400 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 100.

Fall Colors

- Red maple leaves backlit by the morning sun let us know that fall is in full swing in our little corner of southeast Virginia. Late summer rain and a very warm past two months have combined to produce one of the most spectacular fall foliage seasons that I can remember. Canon G11, 1/800 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 100.

Primary Steps

- The back stairs at my office got a new paint job this past summer. The striking primary colors of red, yellow and blue now assaults your eyes in the formerly dark and dingy stairway. Canon G11, 1/3 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400.

Jump to Lightspeed

- Well may be it's not exactly lightspeed but it sure feels like it. After crawling through the HRBT, traffic begins to picking up speed as you near the proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel". Why is it people drive 25 mph in a 55 mph tunnel and then are magically able to accelerate to 65 once they see the light? These tunnels are the bane of Hampton Roads drivers. Canon G11, 1/4 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200. Canon mounted on a beanbag pod and fired with a remote release.

Wrigley @ Night

- No it's not Wrigley Field but the Wrigley Building located on N. Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River at the foot of the "Magnificent Mile" in Chicago, Illinois. This picture was taken from behind the building from W. Wacker Drive. You can see the Tribune Tower just to the right of Wrigley's clock tower. Canon G11, 1/3 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 400, camera steadied against a light pole.

More Bonamassa

- Another photo from Joe Bonamassa's show at the Sandler Center for the Preforming Arts last night in Virginia Beach, VA. Check out my web album of photo's from the show here. Canon Revel T2i, 1/250 sec @ f/2.0, ISO 800, 85mm prime lens.

Sandler Blues

- Joe Bonamassa brought his rock-in blues to a sold crowd at the Sandler Center in Virginia Beach tonight. At exactly 8:00 p.m. Joe came out playing and didn't stop until two hours later. The band took a break, but Joe never does. It was an awesome show and even though it is the fifth time I've seen him play live, I always leave amazed. Here's Joe with the rhythm section, Bogie Bowles on drums and Carmine Rojas on bass. Can't wait to share some more photos from the show. Canon Rebel T2i, 1/200 sec @ f/2.5, ISO 800, 85mm prime lens.

Solar Tubes

- The lenses of a commercial solar tube pipe daylight into an interior room. Features like these are just one part of making a "green building" and obtaining L.E.E.D certification. Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification system. My employer, Hampton Roads Transit, is in the process of completing a new bus garage that is a LEED certified and a sustainable facility. Canon G10, 1/1000 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400.

Red Chair

- Red Chair - yellow porch. Canon 7D, 1/400 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100, zoom at 155mm focal length.

Living Room Train

- Robert's train set on the living room floor. We had fun dodging the the oncoming train while taking pictures. Canon G11, 1/13 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800.

Basilica of St. Lawrence

- The Basilica of St. Lawrence is a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church located in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. The basilica was designed and built in 1905 by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino along with his fellow architect R. S. Smith. The basilica's dome has a span of 58 by 82 feet and is reputed to be the largest freestanding elliptical dome in North America. Source, Wikipedia. Canon 40D, 1/30 sec @ f/22.0, ISO 400.

Buncombe County Courthouse

- The 17 story Neo-Classical Revival Buncombe County Courthouse is one of the most extravagent courthouses in North Carolina. Completed in 1928 it is also known for its well preserved and elegant lobby interior. Canon G10, 1/8 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 800.

Oak Park

- This building is on N. Oak Park Avenue two blocks from the Oak Park Station on the CTA Green Line 'L'. The view through the portico just struck me as we walked by during our trip to Chicago last month. Just embracing the symmetry of it. Canon G11, 1/160 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 200.

Texture

- Some might think it odd to have a black and white photo of a beautiful colored rose, but by removing the color, the texture in the rose pedals is revealed in a new way. When seen in color your eye and brain immediately registers that wonderful hue and it becomes the focal point of the image. In black and white, your eye is drawn to the structure and the rose shows another side of its beauty. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/400 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 800, 50mm macro lens.

The Fallen

- In honor of all of our Veterans. Canon 40D, 1/125 sec @ f/9.0, ISO 100, 55mm focal length.

Silhouette

- Canon 7D, 1/25 sex @ F13.0, ISO 499, 100mm macro lens.

Glass

- Glass and lots of it. This building in Manhattan near Chelsea on the west side caught my eye not only for its reflective glass but the way it is made with irregular curves and various size windows. It is both symmetrical and asymmetrical at the same time. Canon G10, 1/500 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400, converted to black and white.

Bubble Shower

- Robert fighting off a shower of bubbles from the "bubble gun". Canon G11, 1/320 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 200

Rose Garden

- Went to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens today with Cindy and our friend Margaret. It was cool and windy but we still enjoyed our walk through the thousands of roses at the Bicentennial Rose Garden, It's November and the roses still look spectacular, tonight's forecast with a low in the 30's might change that. Canon G11, 1/2000 @ f/3.2, ISO 200 in macro mode.

Lego Logo

- Robert was over tonight and we built Legos for a while. After he went to bed I pulled out this crystal blue Lego Duplo block, applied some bottom light and took this macro photo. These are two of the eight the Lego logos on the block. After all of these years, two sons and one grandson, I can still enjoy time with these great plastic blocks. Canon 7D, 1/60 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 1600, Litepanel LED light and 100mm macro lens with the life size adapter.

The Chicago Hot Dog

- I had my first Chicago hot dog during our visit to Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood last month. We went to George's Hot Dogs a family owned business operating since 1948. So what makes a an official Chicago-style hot dog? First the Vienna Beef frankfurter, still made in Chicago and a steamed bun. The hot dog is topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices, pickled sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt. The completed Chicago hot dog is said to be "dragged through the garden" because of the unique combination of toppings. Legend has it this unique set of seven toppings originated in the 1930's as street vendors starting adding toppings to one up their competitors. By the 1950's, the current recipe was tradition. Never ask a Chicago hot dog vendor for ketchup, that's sacrilege. Canon G11, 1/500 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 400.

Faux Asia

- The new Asia exhibit at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk. Expected to open in 2011, the exhibit will features the zoo's tigers. Canon 7D, 1/1250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, converted to black & white using Silver Efex Pro.

Yellow

- Photographed these tiny yellow flowers a few weeks back at the Hunter Savage Colonial Garden at Norfolk Botanical Garden. I'm not sure what they are called but each small yellow blossom is about the size of a pencil eraser. Canon 7D, 1/80 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro lens.

Bridges Up

- During our recent trip to Chicago I got to see the draw bridges go up along the Chicago River. Each fall the Chicago Department of Transportation schedules bridge lifts so sailboats from Lake Michigan can return to storage. Bridge tenders raise each lift bridge for approximately 10 minutes at a time to allow the boats to pass. This photo was taken from the N. Dearborn Street bridge looking east towards the N. State Street bridge in the foreground and the N. Wabash Avenue bridge in the background. Canon G11, 1/160 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Killer

- Our five month old kitten Sherlock prepares for the "kill". Ears flattened for protection, down low for the pounce that's coming and those crossed blue eyes intently focused on the "prey". In this case the prey was a feather toy on a stick that my son Brian had. I never knew cats growled until this little "killer" joined our family. He's one bad a-- Tonkinese. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, 200mm focal length

The Force

- The Force is strong with this one, but he's not a photo knight yet. Last Easter I gave Robert his own camera. He took to it immediately and loves taking pictures. You had better have it fully charged and big empty memory card when he gets his hands on it, because he shoots what he sees. It is great watching his creatively grow since he is completely unencumbered with digital. I starting taking pictures when I was 15 using Kodak Instamatic 110 and 126 cameras. But the cost of film and processing was a limiting factor. I can't wait to see what the all digital generation produces. Canon 7D, 1/50 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800.

Stone Bridge

- The Stone Bridge at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. The cloudy day created a giant "softbox" in the sky allowing the light colored bridge to photograph well with the surrounding fall landscape. On a sunny day it is difficult to get the bridge without blowing out the highlights or leaving too many dark shadows. Canon 7D, 1/60 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 400, with a tripod.

Mediterranean Feel

Yesterday was an unusually warm day for late October with highs in the low 90's. During our visit to Homearama in Norfolk's East Beach neighborhood there was one house that took the bold design step of bucking the modern beach cottage theme embraced by the other homes. The St. Mary house designed by Duff Kliewer of Cox, Kliewer & Co has a very Mediterranean feel with its enclosed courtyards and exterior plaster. This is the rear courtyard under the arbor which made me think of a sunny Mediterranean day. Canon G11, 1/2000 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 200, converted to sepia tone.

Homearama @ Night

- We volunteered as hosts tonight at the Fall 2010 Homearama held at East Beach in Norfolk, Virginia. This is the Armed Forces House, house #1 and our assignment. It was a great house with amazing cherry floors with cool inlays and a kitchen to just die for. The view from the second floor porch includes glimpses of the Chesapeake Bay. We had a great time. Thanks Becky for asking us to help out. Canon G11, 1/6 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 800, camera hand held.

HDR Gardens

This is a simulated high dynamic range (HRD) photo of the Hunter Savage Colonial Garden at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. This was a cloudy overcast day which made it ideal for capturing details, I just had to avoid the blah sky. This image is a blending of three exposures, one taken at the camera's meter reading, one two stops under exposed and one two stops over exposed. I did the blending with Photomatix Pro. This allowed me to avoid blowing out the highlights on the white gazebo and fence while capturing details in the shadows. Not a great picture but an interesting lesson for me in HDR. Canon 7D, 1/6 sec @ f/14.0, (metered exposure) ISO 400, 70mm focal length, mounted on a tripod.

Rethink Your Lash Look

- Check out those eyelashes on Astro one of the kangaroo mob at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk Virginia. I know many women would spend a fortune to get lashes that long and thick and these are wasted on a male kangaroo who doesn't even have a female roo to bat those lashes at. You see the mob at the zoo are all males, apparently its the only way to keep the peace. Canon 7D, 1/2500 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 200, zoom at 170mm focal length.