MetalMatisse

More of my Norfolk @ Night month. "Metalmatisse is an interactive, stainless-steel, light and sound sculpture designed to compliment the formal European landscape of MacArthur Square. Each flower gives an individual response when prompted by visitors below. Periodically the entire sculpture comes to life in an orchestrated chorus of light and sound. Vase and bouquet are loosely adapted from paintings of flowers by French artist Henri Matisse with a distinctly modern statement of scale and exuberance." description from NorfolkPublicArt.org. Canon 5d Mark II, 2.5 seconds @ f/11.0, ISO 100 mounted on a tripod.

Twilight Chapel

The Chapel at the Barry Robinson Center was built in 1933 as part of the James Barry Robinson Home For Boys, an orphanage and school. The chapel is a beautiful sight just after sunset with its holiday lights aglow. Taken with a Canon G10, f5, 1s (tripod), ISO 200, 40mm equivalent. Post processed with Photomatrix Pro 3.1 blended exposures.

Night Tide

The Tide light rail leaves the MacArthur Plaza Station with the downtown Norfolk skyline as a back drop. Canon 5D Mark II, 4 second exposure @ f/11.0, ISO 100, 24mm focal length.

St. Mary's at Night

The Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception is located in downtown Norfolk. Built in 1858, its clock marks the time of my early morning photo. Canon 5D Mark II, 1 second exposure @ f/4, ISO 100, 45mm focal length.

Norfolk @ Night

Continuing with my Norfolk at Night theme the dome of the General Douglas MacArthur Memorial is decorated with holiday lights and framed by the City's modern skyline. Built in 1850 this Classical Revival structure is the work of Norfolk architect William Singleton consulting with Thomas U. Walter, famed architect of the central dome of the U.S. Capitol building. Canon 7D, 1/3 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Wet Plate

I continue my "Norfolk at Night" month with a picture I took this morning before sunrise and in the rain. At the intersection of West Olney Road and Stockley Gardens in Norfolk Virginia, sits Christ and St. Luke's Church. The long narrow building of rough-faced random ashlar in the English Perpendicular Gothic Revival style was completed in 1910. It is a spectacular building with a congregation that traces its roots in Norfolk back to 1637.

It wasn't raining as I drove to the Ghent neighborhood to take the picture. Just about the time I got the tripod setup, down came the rain. I kept wiping the lens off and trying to shield it from the rain but when I got home tonight and downloaded the images, I found the one with the water spots to be the most interesting. I developed the photo in Lightroom 5 using the Analog Efex Pro plug-in from Google and chose a wet plate camera type to give it an old photo look. A few tweaks with the sliders and you get the image I wanted to share with you. I hope you like it. Canon G15, 4 second exposure @ f/8.0, ISO 80.

Winter Carnival

The Winter Carnival at Norfolk Virginia's MacArthur Center shopping mall. Canon G15, 1/8 sec @ f/8, ISO 1600.

Holiday Light Tower

The top of the Wells Fargo Center in Norfolk Virginia with it's holiday lights on. The Wells Fargo Center is a 22 story office, commercial and residential complex completed in 2010. Canon G15, 1 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100.

Night Train

The new Norfolk Virginia Amtrak Train Station scheduled to open tomorrow gleams at night. Last December passenger passenger rail service to Norfolk resumed with daily trips to Washington D.C., New York and Boston. Ridership has been strong and now we have the most modern train station in Virginia. Canon G15, 1 to 1.5 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100 mounted on a trip tripod, HDR compilation of three images spanning 2 f stops.

Lunar Eclipse

Tonight's lunar eclipse. It's very subtle, but you should be able to see some of the Earth's shadow coming across the bottom right or southeast side of the moon. Canon 7D, 1/400 sec @ f/16, ISO 800, zoom at 400mm with 1.4x tele-convertor, effective focal length 560mm. Converted to black and white using Lightroom 4 with Silver Efex Pro 2.

Harvest Moon

Tonight's harvest moon at Sandbridge Beach, Virginia. Canon 7D, 1/40 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 800 converted to black and white in Lightroom 4 using Silver Efex Pro.

Explorer at Large Josh Bernstein

Had the pleasure of meeting Josh Bernstein explorer, author, survival expert, anthropologist, and TV host of the History Channel's hit show Digging for the Truth at the Commonwealth of Virginia's Information Technology Symposium today. Josh was the keynote speaker and did a great job of inspiring government I.T. workers with the amazing leadership exhibited by Sir Ernest Shackleton's during his 1916-17 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

Leadership Lessons:
- Recuit/Hire the best
- Set audacious goals
- Champion morale
- Lead decisively
- Adapt constantly
- Never give up

Canon G15, 1/80 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 1600.

Edison Filament Light Blub

This is a reproduction on an early 20th Century "squirrel cage" carbon filament light bulb built by Thomas Edison. In today's modern reproductions the filaments are made of tungsten, which burns three times brighter than the original carbon filament versions. They are really getting popular in vintage bare blub fixtures. This one was hanging over my table at Tarrant's Cafe, 1 W. Broad Street in Richmond Virginia.
Canon G15, 1/15 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200, in macro mode.

Repairing the Web

I've been keeping an eye on this beautiful garden spider I spotted among the daylilies back in June. When I first saw her she was only about a half an inch long now she's easily approaching and inch and half. She was busy rebuilding the "sewing machine" zig-zag part of the web. I had never seen one actually doing this, so I thought I would share. Canon EOS 300D, 1/500 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens.

Canon 7D, 1/160 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro.

Dragonfly

It has been a long time since I posted a picture on my blog. Especially after 1461 straight days - four years of 365 project extreme. I miss it - so - I am thinking about starting another 365 project for 2014. What do you say about something like "365 Prime" or "Prime All The Time" and just using fixed focal length prime lenses for each day's photo? No zoom lenses - "zoom with your feet," doing it old school.

Today's photo is one I did for SnapChick's First Sunday Challenge. On the first Sunday of each month you take your an old digital camera and forget about the technology and focus on composition and creativity. This dragonfly was captured using my 2003 vintage Canon EOS 300D a.k.a the Digital Rebel. I used a 100mm macro lens and converted to black and white in Lightroom with the Silver Efex Pro plug-in. ISO 800, 1/400 sec @ f/11.0.

Half Moon

An interesting half moon from a couple of nights ago. Canon 7D, 1/500 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, 400mm focal length, converted to black & white using Silver Efex Pro in Lightroom.

Red Sky Tonight, Sailor's Delight

The old saying goes "Red sky tonight, sailor 's delight." When we see a red sky at night, this means that the setting sun is sending its light through a high concentration of dust particles. This usually indicates high pressure and stable air coming in from the west. Basically good weather will follow. - from the Library of Congress, Everyday Mysteries website. Canon G15, 1/80 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400.

Garden Glass

As a fan of both art glass and the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, it's really special when the two come together. The "Refections of Nature, Glass Sculpture Exhibit" runs through August 18th at the gardens. Canon G15, 1/500 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 200.

More Sunflowers

Canon 7D, 1/60 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens, two LED Litepanels.

National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day

A fresh baked strawberry rhubarb pie in honor of National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day. Canon 7D, 1/10 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens with an assist from image stabilization.

Tournesol

I can certainly see why Van Gogh was so captivated by the Sunflower that he painted a series of sunflowers (tournesols in French) hoping to welcome and impress his friend and fellow painter Paul Gauguin. You can see a black and white version of this photo at The World in Black and White blog. Canon 7D, 1/160 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 800, 100mm macro 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.

Iris

Inspired by a classic Paul Strand photograph from 1928. Canon Digital Rebel 1/25 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro in Lightroom.

First Tomato

First of this season's tomatoes. A few more weeks to go. Canon Digital Rebel, 1/400 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 400, 100mm macro lens/

Catch That Train

The morning train arrives at the Amtrak Virginia station in Norfolk. Taking the train to Washington D.C. today for a behind the scenes tour at the Newsuem. Canon G15, 1/80 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 1600.

Forsythia Visitor

Found this small dragonfly like visitor on one of the forsythia blooms tonight. It is very small about 3/8 of an inch long. Canon 7D, 1/320 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens, LED Litepanel.

Save!

This is one of the 41 saves made tonight by Norfolk Admirals goalie Frederik Andersen against the Syracuse Crunch. He posted his third shutout of the season at the Norfolk Scope contributing to the Admirals third straight win against the Crunch. Canon G15, 1/1600 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 1600, 148mm focal length (35mm equivalent).

Star of Bethlehem

The Star-of-Bethlehem, scientific name - Ornithogalum, has a long stalk bearing clusters of white star-shaped flowers. The five pointed star-shaped flower give the plant its name. Canon 7D, 1/320 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro with one LED Litepanel.

Watching You, Watching Me

This pelican was busy watching the people who were watching him along the bluf at La Jolla California. Canon EOS 7D, 1/640th sec @ f/10.0, ISO 200, zoom at 400mm focal length.

Starfish

A bright red starfish in a sheltered tidal pool just off the La Jolla Children's Pool. Canon EOS 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/10.0, ISO 200, 400mm focal length.

Morning Nap

Sea Lion's enjoying a sunny morning nap on the rocks at La Jolla Cove. Canon EOS 7D, 1/500 sec @ f/10.0, ISO 200, zoom at 350mm focal lenghth.

Shorebird Sunset

Three shorebirds working the edge of the surf for dinner just after sunset in Encinitas California. Canon EOS 7D, 1/50 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 100, 156mm focal length.

Two Great Castles

A great hotel like the del Coronado deserves a great sandcastle. Canon Powershot G15, 1/500 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200, fill-in flash used.

Squirrel!

This is a California ground squirrel and a resident of La Jolla California's coastal buff. Canon 7D, 1/640 sec @ f/10, ISO 200, zoom at 390mm focal length.

#bdad - Bus Driver Appreciation Day

Today is International Bus Driver Appreciation Day. I hope you took time to say thank you to a bus driver. For 6 years I worked at Hampton Roads Transit with a great group of bus operators (transit speak for drivers) and mechanics who get 50,000 riders to their destinations every day in Southeastern Virginia. They start each day early, at around 4:00am, and the last bus completes the final run of the day 22 hours later at 2:00am. They work long shifts, many work split shifts, weekends and even holidays. Bus service is a 365 deal.

Bus driver appreciation day is on March 18th because that is the anniversary of the very first bus service launched in Paris in 1662 using horse-drawn vehicles. According to an article on Wired it was the brainchild of French mathematician, inventor, physicist, philosopher, and author Blaise Pascal. Fellow geeks know Pascal as the inventor of an early calculating machine forerunner of modern computers and the programming language PASCAL named in his honor.

Canon G10, 1/200 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Reflected

Construction of the new Consolidated Courthouse in Norfolk Virginia seen through reflections on the 125 St. Paul's Building. Canon G15, 1/640 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80.

Sun and Shade

The Bank of America Center in Norfolk Virginia has long been one of my favorite local buildings. Designed by Skidmore, Owings And Merrill of Chicago with Williams, Tazewell & Associates of Norfolk it was the tallest building in the state of Virginia when completed in 1967 and retained that title until 1971 when Richmond's new City Hall took the crown. Today it is the second tallest building in Norfolk. The building started as the Virginia National Bank but beginning in the 1980's it went through a series of name changes resulting from bank acquisitions and mergers. It once carried the names of Sovran Bank in 1983, C&S/Sovran in 1991 and NationsBank in 1993 and finally Bank of America in 1998.
Canon G15, 1/640 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Rearview

Too much is never enough
And too little to never enough
Full speed got me looking out my rear view
I can't go back

From "100 in a 55" as written by Dylan Allison Anthony Greve

Canon G15, 1/50 sec @ f/8, ISO 400.

MnM Sunrise

The sunrise over the Port of Hampton Roads Virginia as seen from the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel known locally as the "MnM". Canon G15, 1/100 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800.

Sunset Silhouette

The Dominion Coal Terminal on the east bank of the James River in Newport News, Virginia is silhouetted by the setting sun. Canon G15, 1/40 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80.

Triple Rainbow

A passing rain shower just before sunset resulted in these three rainbows. I took the photo on the deck at Bubba's Seafood Restaurant and Crabhouse in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The seafood is good at Bubba's but the view is outstanding, a must see place for dinner in Virginia Beach. Canon G15, 1/100 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

More MB20

More from last night's Matchbox Twenty concert at Richmond's Landmark Theater. From right to left - Paul Doucette on rhythm guitar, Stacy Jones on drums, Rob Thomas vocals, and Kyle Cook on lead guitar. Canon G1X, 1/160 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 3200.

Concert photography can be difficult with bright fast moving subjects and rapidly changing intense lighting. We were setting about 9 rows back and no cameras with removable lenses were allowed. So I took the Canon G1X point and shoot mainly because of it's large sensor with good high ISO low noise performance. The camera struggled all night with auto focusing. I shot almost all of the photos with at least -2 stops of exposure compensation to get the band members properly exposed against the dark background. Even with spot metering enabled the camera tries to balance all of the blackness and without exposure compensation the people would be overexposed. I should have taken taken the Canon G15 because it's lens is a stop faster and its auto focus performs better even though it gives up a little in high ISO noise performance. I shot 200 pictures, 55 were totally unusable, blurred, over exposed or out of focus. Another 100 or so are OK but just not good photos. So I ended up with about 40 decent pictures and a half a dozen good ones.

MB20 @ Landmark

Kyle Cook and Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty preforming at Richmond Virginia's Landmark Theater as part of the 2013 Winter North Tour. Canon G1X, 1/160 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 3200, focal length 117mm (35mm equivalent).

Bottoms Up at Can Can

Champagne glasses await the celebration at Can Can Brasserie in Richmond Virginia's Carytown the "Mile of Style." Canon G15, 1/160 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 400.

1/4 Life Crisis

My trainer Daniel Vazquez,a.k.a Quez, celebrated his 25th birthday today. For a couple of weeks he has talked about getting old. So his mom surprised him by setting up Fitness Together Ghent with custom water bottles warning all of his clients of the impending crisis. She had healthy snacks for all of us at FT each with a customized "Quez Quip" about Daniel. All in all it was great fun. You should join the party at FT, get fit and meet some great people. Canon G15, 1/80 sec @ f/2.5, ISO 400 in macro mode.

Old Point Loma Light

Built in 1855 the Old Point Loma Lighthouse at the entrance of San Diego Bay only operated for 36 years before being replaced. The lighthouse was constructed atop the cliffs on Point Loma with the light 422 feet above the water below. As a result, it was often shrouded in fog and invisible to the mariners it was intended to guide. So on March 23, 1891, the light was extinguished and moved to the New Point Loma Light just 100 yards closer to the shore but nearer the cold Pacific shore and clearer nights.

The lighthouse as seen from the Pacific side, Canon G15, 1/1600 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Looking up at the five foot tall 3rd order Fresnel lens from atop the stairway, 1/125 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Finally the view looking down the stairway from the top landing, 1 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.