CFL

- A helical integrated compact fluorescent lamp or CFL for short. The three-dimensional spiral CFL was invented in 1976 by Edward Hammer, an engineer with General Electric, in response to the 1973 oil crisis. It was expensive to produce and the invention was shelved. This design eventually was copied by others and in 1995, helical lamps, manufactured in China, became commercially available. Source - Wikipedia. Canon 5D Mark II, 1/400 sec @ f/22.0, ISO 200, 100mm macro.

f-stop Watch

- "You're a little fuzzy around 2, start feeling fine around 8, but at 11 you're sharp, focused, and ready to party. The f-stop watch gets you." You know you're a geek photographer when you have an f-stop watch. It was a cool Christmas gift from my son and daughter-in-law who had a great time shopping for me at Photojojo - the most awesomeness place on the net. Canon 5D Mark II, 1/500 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 1600, 100mm macro.

A Yellow Baby

- "Yellow daisy, a dandelion or a pussy willow,
It's a different thing.
Oh-oh, Forsythia. Forsythia. Forsythia"
from Forsythia by Veruca Salt
Canon 5D Mark II, 1/80 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro.

Morning Dew

- This morning's heavy dew left little droplets of water on each of the points of these brand new Knockout Rose leaves. Canon 5D Mark II, 1/15 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens.

Gumby and Pokey Ride Again

- These rare vintage Gumby and Pokey Happy Trails game piece figures from 1968 were a free gift from a Foursquare check-in at GC5 Vintage & Gifts. I figured they would have to be part of the blog so look for them to show up in my photos occasionally. Canon G1X, 1/1600 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400.

Perpendicular Gothic

- The Freemason Street Baptist Church is one of three buildings in Norfolk Virginia designed by Thomas U. Walter who was famous for his design of the dome for the U.S. Capital Building. The church was completed in May 1850 in a revival of the style known as "Perpendicular Gothic." This Victorian period revival style was characterized by its reliance on decoration and ornamentation rather than structure. I made my first visit to the interior of the church today and was struck by its beauty. This photo shows the side aisle under the overhead gallery with the east facing stained glass windows. The large Gothic windows with the simple single colors is really unusual for a church of this period. Canon 5D Mark II, 1/500 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, 50mm prime lens.

Streamline Moderne

- This beautiful piece of history is a Revere 16mm Model 48 silent movie projector from the early 1950's. I saw it in an antique and vintage store. 16mm films were ones we used to watch in school back in the old days, pre-VCR. One of the things I love about old film gear is the way it was made, heavy and solid but also sleek and cool. Much of this look comes from the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne industrial design movement from the 1930's resulting from era of speed in transportation. Today we call it retro but you can see its roots clearly in the "technofuturistic curvedness" of Apple industrial design. Canon G1X, 1/160 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400, converted to B&W using Silver Efex Pro 2 in Lightroom 3.

Wake Forest

- The historic downtown of Wake Forest North Carolina. This is the 200 block of South White Street. Cindy and I paid a quick visit on our way home from a weekend in Raleigh. Canon G1X, 1/500 sec @ f/13.0, ISO 400.

Fat Tire

- The Fat Tire neon sign at Mellow Mushroom Pizza in downtown Raleigh North Carolina. Canon G1X, 1/160 sec @ f/5.8, ISO 400.

Big Fish

- This fish was in a large aquarium at the Virginia Wesleyan student center and the front glass reflection makes it look like the fish swallowed a whole line of people. The people were lined up at the 14th Annual Empty Bowls Charity Dinner. iPhone 4, 1/15 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 1000.

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.

Little Earth Stars

- To some the dandelion is a weed; but not to me, unless it takes more than its share of space, for I always miss these little earth stars when they are absent. They intensify the sunshine shimmering on the lawn, making one smile involuntarily when seeing them. Moreover, they awaken pleasant memories, for a childhood in which dandelions had no part is a defective experience.
Source: "The Home Acre," by E. P. Roe

Canon 7D, 1/30 sec @ f/10.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro, converted to black and white in Lightroom 3 using Silver Efex Pro 2.

Cypher Lock

- Your basic push button cypher lock, non-ADA compliant. Canon G1X 1/30 sec @ f/5.8, ISO 400 converted to Black & White in Picasa 3 using a Holga Style effect. This is the first blog post with a picture from the new Canon G1X.

Llamella® Plate Settlers

- Got to take a tour of the Moores Bridges Water Treatment plant in Norfolk Virginia after visiting with Scott Howerin the rest of IT staff. These Llamella® plate settlers help with the sedimentation part of the water treatment process. The Moores Bridges water treatment plant was constructed in 1873 with a 1 million gallon a day capacity. Some of the original buildings are still located on the site which now has a capacity of 108 million gallons per day and supplies water to Norfolk, Virginia Beach, part of Chesapeake and most of the area's military bases. Canon G11, 1/125 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100.

Spring Walk

- Took a spring walk around the neighborhood this afternoon and took this pictire of these delicate very pale violet flowers. I'm not sure what they are but I liked the texture and decided it would make a good black & white photograph. Canon 7D, 1/400 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro, converted to B&W in Lightroom 3 using Silver Efex Pro 2.

Votive

This deep red votive candle holder displays and interesting pattern of light caused by the many tiny bubbles trapped in the glass. Canon G11, 1/15 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 400, in macro mode.

9:52

- When doing a 365 project one has days where the picture doesn't come easy. So it's 9:50pm, no picture and no ideas. I decided to ready the coffee maker for the morning and the orange LED clock struck my eye. Looking around I see digital clocks everywhere in the kitchen and realize tomorrow night I'll be jumping them all ahead one hour. I break out the camera and grab a quick macro photo of each clock showing the exact same time of 9:52 and then make a quick collage in Google Picasa. There you have a picture for day number 1165 in my 365x4 project. Canon 7D, 125 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400, 100mm macro.

Can You Smell This?

- Can a photograph trigger the memory of scent? Some research says it can. These hyacinths located near my front porch provide an amazing and welcoming aroma to visitors. They've been blooming for over a week now and the scent has been imprinted in my brain. Can you smell them? Canon 7D, 1/30 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro, two LED litepanels.

Newtown Blackbirds

- Thousands of black birds come to roast each night near the intersection of Newtown Road and I-264 on the Norfolk/Virginia Beach border. They line all of the power lines and utility poles including this street light at Newtown and Princess Anne Roads in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They have become such a regular feature that they are even the subject the public art at the Networn Road station of The Tide light rail. iPhone 4, 1/15 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 160.

Oreo Turns 100

- Today marks the 100 anniversary of the Oreo cookie and Nabisco which was founded on March 6, 1912 in the Chelsea section of New York City. Today the old Nabisco factory is part of the Chelsea Market complex and a stop on the popular Highline Park. According to Wikipedia over 491 billion Oreo cookies have been sold since they were first introduced making the Oreo America's most popular cookie. The best part of making today's picture - why eating the cookies and drinking the milk of course! Canon 7D 1/200 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 400, two LED light panels.  Check the Black & White version of this photo at The World in Black & White blog.

Dominion Fisheye

- Got to take a trip up to the 20th floor of Dominion Enterprises in Downtown Norfolk Virginia today. It was cold and windy out on the deck. The 20th floor says a lot about the company who reserved the best space in its office tower for employee training and education. While you are up there learning you can enjoy some of the best views of the Elizabeth River waterfront. iPhone 4, 1.469 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80, Olloclip fisheye lens adapter.

Thread Rainbow

- This rack of sewing thread at Joann's Fabric's in Virginia Beach, Virginia reminded me of a rainbow. Canon G11, 1/100 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, in macro mode.

Death of a Salesman

- The very cool set of the Virginia Stage Company's production of Arthur Miller's 1949 Pulitzer Prize winning play Death of a Salesmen. iPhone 4, 1/15 sec @ f/2.8,ISO 1000.

Mike and Ike

Mike and Ike candies in one of the 50 cent globe dispensers at the mall. Mike and Ike is a brand of fruit-flavored candies first introduced in 1940 by Just Born, Inc. These fruit-flavored, chewy candies come in several colors and varieties including: cherry, orange, lime, lemon and strawberry. Each candy has 7 calories, 0 grams of fat and approximately 1 gram of sugar. The candy is kosher and gluten-free. According to Wikipedia, celebrity fans include Will Smith, Paul Rudd, and Steven Spielberg. Just Born, Inc. also makes Hot Tamales candies. Canon G11, 1/40 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800.

The Humble Moth

Moths are closely related to the butterflies, both being of the order Lepidoptera. There are over 160,000 species of moths, more than ten times the number of butterfly species. Butterflies get all of the glory with their bright colors and beautiful wings. Moths on the other hand tend to be more brown and unpretentious. They are not perceived in the same manner as their well loved cousins. But like much of mother nature, you just need to look close enough to see the beauty and glory. This humble little moth is hanging in close to our front porch light. The macro lens captures some of the fine detail of nature. This photo is also a good example of how shallow the depth of field can be on a macro lens when focused on a very close subject. As you can see the depth of field is less than 1/4 inch. Canon 7D, 1/160 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 800, 100mm macro.

Dimples

- Dimples have been a part of golf ball design for over a 100 years. The dimples help a golf ball fly longer and with more back spin. Most golf balls have a symmetrical dimple pattern consisting of 200 to 300 dimples. Golf balls with asymmetrical dimple patterns and varied dimple depths were designed in the 1970's significantly improving the straight flight of a golf ball but were quickly banned by the USGA. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 800, 100mm macro, 3 - LED litepanels.

Reflected Sunset

- The mirrored glass on the Gateway Credit Union building in Virginia Beach catches the setting sun. I seem to always catch this stop light red on the exit ramp from I264 East on my commute home each evening but at least it gave me a chance to capture this interesting reflection. Canon G11, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400.

Wicked Green

- It's Wicked-mania in Norfolk Virginia in preparation for the Broadway hit's 3 week run beginning next week. There's lots of "Wicked Green" everywhere downtown including these water fountains at MacArthur Mall.
On another note, my blog just topped 40,000 page views for the past 12 months. Thanks everyone for coming back time after time. iPhone 4, 1/15 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 160,

Maximum Flare

- Lens flare often results when shooting into the sun or another bright light source. The goal is to eliminate or reduce the amount of lens flare as it represents refracted light that isn't true to the image being captured. This iPhone photo captured the most lens flare I'd ever experienced in one of my photographs and I liked the effect. When I showed the picture to Cindy her comment was "that's interesting." And yes it was with "that" tone so I wondered if I should use it as today's blog photo. As you can tell I decided to share the picture and for those that like it, great and for those that don't, think of it as an example of what no to do. iPhone 4, 1/400 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80, Camera+ app.

Ma Bell

- Although the Bell System has been gone for almost 30 years the name and logo can still be found. This is one of several manhole covers bearing the logo located along Monticello Avenue in Norfolk Virginia. Owned by AT&T, the Bell System had held a monopoly on telephone service across much of the U.S for almost 100 years until it was broken up in 1984 following a suit by the Justice Department. In Virginia, Bell System service was provided by the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, a.k.a C&P. Following divestiture C&P became part of Bell Atlantic which today is part of Verizon. Canon G11 1/230 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Vintage Word Processor

- A vintage word processor, a.k.a the typewriter. This L.C. Smith 8 10, vintage 1920's, was the first typewriter with a tab system. The Smith Corona company built high quality typewriters for many decades. This one is in Jerry Burkhalter's collection. iPhone 4, 1/17 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 100, converted to B&W in the Camera+ app.

Station Art

- Station art located at The Tide's Ft. Norfolk/EVMC station in Norfolk Virginia. This station is the west end of the line. My two favorite art stations are this one and Newtown Road at the east end of the line. iPhone 4, 1/172 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80, Camera+ app.

Panties in a Twist???

- The NORVA in Norfolk Virginia presents Hampton Roads fist ever all women's sketch comedy review, Panties in a Twist. I must admit, the marquee caught my eye today. Canon G11, 1/80 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Double Trouble

- Double the trouble, double the fun; two Tonkinese are better than one. Princess Sasha on the left and Lord Sherlock on the right. Canon 7D, 1/25 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 800, 85mm focal length.

Power On

- The power symbol is a symbol indicating that a control activates or deactivates a particular device. It incorporates line and circle figures, with the arrangement informed by the function of the control. It is a popular icon among technology enthusiasts. Canon 7D, 1/30 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro.

Cold & Wet

- It's a cold and wet night for this early daffodil. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro, LED Litepanel.

Pollard's

- Pollard's Chicken restaurant is a South Hampton Roads Virginia institution. This is the Kempsville location on S. Witchduck Road in Virginia Beach. This building was originally a First and Merchants Bank branch. iPhone 4, 1/15 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400, Camera+ App.

Manhole

- I've been noticing the manhole covers as I walk the brick sidewalks in downtown Norfolk Virginia recently. Almost all are branded with the type of utility to be found underneath and the name of the foundry that cast the cover. This one struck me because of its lack of markings. Canon G11, 1/500 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200, converted to black and white using Silver Efex 2.

Wet Tide

- It was a wet night for The Tide light rail arriving at the Civic Plaza station in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. Canon G11, 0.6 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200, camera sitting on the station handrail and fired using the 2 second delay timer to avoid camera shake.

Taillight

- Classic taillight from a 1962 Ford Thunderbird. I post processed this image using Google Picasa and new feature in version 3.9 called "Neon." With the Neon effect I used a brown color choice, faded the effect back to about 50% intensity. Then bumped the saturation a wee bit to pop the red on the taillight and applied a slight vignette to finish off the image. Canon G11, 1/15 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400,

Still Shiny

- The Tide light rail has been running for six months now and I get to ride just about every weekday. I am proud of what a great job my old colleagues at HRT have done in operating and maintaining the trains. It is right on schedule and the railcars still gleam like they are new. Canon G11, 1/160 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 200.

For My Valentine

- Nothing says "Be My Valentine" like a red rose. Red roses are the traditional symbol for love and romance. In Greek and Roman mythology the red rose was closely tied to the goddess of love. The red rose says you have my love and fidelity. Happy Valentine Day to my love.
Canon 7D, 1/200 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro, tungsten hand held video light for illumination.

Snow Camellia

- Went out early this morning to catch last night's dusting of snow before it disappeared. There wasn't much snow but the dusting on this camellia bloom caught my eye. Canon G11, 1/60 sec, f/8.0, ISO 400, macro mode and on-camera flash.

First Snow

- Staring snowing for the first time this season around 5:45. The flakes were big and wet as the temperature was about 36 degrees. Here some land on the azalea while other flakes streak by through the light field created by my LED Litepanel. Canon 7D, 1/10 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800, 199mm macro lens.

Soup

- It has been said one of the reasons Andy Warhol painted soup cans was that he liked soup. Well, I like soup too and I can't paint but I can light and photograph my favorite Campbell's soup. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 100, 50mm prime lens, 4 flashes, 1 LED Litepanel for a little fill at the bottom edge and a white light shed.

Ink Drop

- I got this photo idea today while I was cleaning up from a leaky fountain pen. The ink makes interesting shapes as it mixes with the water. So tonight I just placed a drop of ink in a clear glass of water and took some pictures. Canon 7D, 1/320 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro.

Winter Sunset

- While it has a mild winter so far in Southeast Virginia, the bare trees set the season for last evening's beautiful sunset. Canon G11, 1/40 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 400

From Above

- This is kind of an odd view from above of a tulip bloom. The back lighting from underneath is illuminating the inside of the bloom. At first I wasn't sure that I liked this photo but there was something about it that caused me to come back to it. I think it was just the vantage point. Canon 7D, 1/200 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, 100mm macro.

A View From The Top

- A fisheye view from the top floor of Norfolk City Hall. Main Street in the center, the Elizabeth River waterfront to the left and the Wells Fargo Center and Scope to the right. In the foreground you can see the Circuit Court Building and the long shadow of City Hall looming over it. iPhone 4, 1/769 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80, Olloclip fisheye lens.

Somewhere

- On Super Bowl Sunday it's 5:00 everywhere. Canon G11, 1/25 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.