"The Mean Stuff"

From 2010 Blog

"The Mean Stuf" is the tag line for a security product called Razor Ribbon Helical. Often used with old fashion concertina wire, the tight loops of razor wire make for a nasty barrier. However, I have often noticed how the sun plays off the shiny surfaces, changing with each helical turn. So late this afternoon I took the opportunity to make this picture. Canon 7D, 1/800 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200, 55mm focal length.

Beaux Arts

From 2010 Blog

Keeping with yesterday's architectural theme, today's photo is another one of my favorite Norfolk Buildings. The former Norfolk Public Library on West Freemason Street is a good example of Beaux Arts Classicism. It was designed by Herbert D. Hale of Boston. The interior retains many of its original features including a central white marble staircase. Funded by a grant from Andrew Carnegie and completed in 1904, the building today has been restored for use as offices. Canon 40D, 1/40 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 200.

Angle Volutes

From Monticello Arcade

One of the four iconic columns flanking each interior entrance with angle volutes and female masks at the Monticello Arcade in Norfolk, Virginia. An arcade is the more stylized, ornamented antecedent to the modern shopping mall. Most arcades are covered by a series of arches supported on columns or piers. The Monticello Arcade is one of only two of its kind in the state of Virginia. Canon G10, 1/60 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 200 converted to black and white.

Skylight

From 2010 Blog

Reflections of the blue sky and skylights in one of the chrome mushroom shaped lamps on the first level at the MacArthur Center Mall in Norfolk Virginia. Canon 40D, 1/640 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 200.

Color of Love

From 2010 Blog

Red is the color of romantic love. My sweetheart prefers tulips to roses, so tulips it is. Our 39th Valentine's Day together. Canon G10, 1/13 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400, in macro mode.

Snowy Day

From 2010 Blog

Virginia Beach had snow for the third Saturday in row. Three Canada Geese forage on the site of the 5th Courthouse of Princess Anne County, now part of the City of Virginia Beach. The 1778 Courthouse was torn down 40 years ago but the 1769 Georgian style Pleasant Hall in the background has been restored and is now owned by Kempsville Baptist Church. Canon G10, 1/500 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 400, on camera flash fill

Chapel

From 2010 Blog

The Marquand Memorial Chapel is a Romanesque Revival red brick chapel with a 150-foot tall tower located on the historic campus of Hampton University. A 15-acre portion of the campus along the Hampton River, including many of the older buildings, is a U.S. National Historic Landmark District. The Hampton University Museum is one of the oldest museums in Virginia with an amazing collection of African American and Native American art. It's well worth a visit. Canon 40D, 1/40 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 800, 8mm fish eye lens.

The Lesson Bench

From 2010 Blog

Took this photo of the "lesson bench" at Boston Common in 2006. This bench was the site of one of the more memorable scenes from the movie "Good Will Hunting" when Robin William's character deals out a dose of life's realities to young Will Hunting played by Matt Damon. Canon Digital Rebel, 1/60 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 200, zoom at 29mm.

Forbidden Fruit

From 2010 Blog

The grapefruit was once known as the "forbidden fruit" of Barbados. It was developed in Jamaica in the 18th century. The Ruby Red version was the first variety patented in 1929. This grapefruit from Texas is the newer Rio Star variety. The best part of today's photo project, eating the subject after shooting. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 200, 50mm macro. Back lighting provided by Cindy's stenciling light table.

Green Thumb?

From 2010 Blog

I love orchids and have purchased many over the years. I never had any luck keeping one and having it re-bloom, until now. This is a photo of an orchid I got last spring and one of its beautiful new blooms. So how'd I do it? It's simple, I didn't do anything. It spent most of the summer and early fall outside on the deck. I brought it inside and Cindy watered it. So I seriously doubt my so called "Green Thumb" had anything to do with this wonderful blooming but it sure is brightening up a cold and gray February. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 400, 50mm macro and Litepanel Micro LED.

Belfry

From 2010 Blog

The bell tower of the Central Baptist Church against a clear blue winter sky. The church was founded in 1885 and this building completed in 1904. Originally part of Atlantic City, the church today is surrounded by the Eastern Virginia Medical School and the Sentara Norfolk General medical complex. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100, 70mm focal length.

Snow Swing

From 2010 Blog

Yesterday's snow was wet and wind driven. We didn't get much accumulation but it did stick to everything. The plants, trees and our backyard swing all got a nice white coating, at least on the parts facing into the wind. Today's sun melted away most of it but provided some nice light this morning. Canon 7D, 1/800 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 200, 50mm prime lens.

Kitty Nap

From 2010 Blog

It was a snowy afternoon, good for curling up and taking a nap. Sasha took advantage of Cindy's lap while she was reading to do just that. Make's you sleepy just looking at her, doesn't it? Canon 7D, 1/15 sec @ f/2.0, ISO 800, 50mm prime lens.

Emerald Eye

From 2010 Blog

This eye shaped opening is at the Gershwin Theatre in NYC home of the Broadway musical Wicked. During our visit to the city last fall we took a Saturday morning tour as part of the Behind The Emerald Curtain program after seeing the play the night before. Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, 1/20 sec @ f/4.0, 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.

Ripples

From 2010 Blog

Ripples radiate out from the corner of this man made pond at the entrance of the Nauticus National Maritime Center in Norfolk Virginia. Canon 7D, 1/125 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100.

400!

From Snow Day

Today's blog post is my 400th since starting on January 1, 2009. I can't believe how this has become part of my daily routine. Thanks to all of my faithful followers and commentators for helping me achieve another milestone. This photo comes from the recent snow fall. A lone gumball sits in the snow at the edge of the street. Hundreds more hang 20 feet overhead. The gumball tree is native to the American south and is officially called the American Sweetgum. Canon 40D, 1/400 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 100.

Split Rail

From Snow Day

This split rail fence casts a clear shadow in yesterday's white snow. Every time I see a split rail fence I think about Abraham Lincoln the world's most famous "rail-splitter". Canon 40D, 1/1600 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 100, 70mm focal length, converted to black and white.

Virginia Beach Snowman

From Snow Day

My neighbor Bob made this snowman first thing this morning. I thought it represented Virginia Beach's style quite well. I took a walk around the block this afternoon with the cameras. Some of my snow pics are linked to this Picasa web album. Check 'em out. Canon 40D, 1/800 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 100.

Snow!

From 2010 Blog

Yes it did snow today about 6 to 8 inches at our house. This picture was taken this morning while it was still snowing. Last Thursday night I told my grandson Robert that it wasn't going to snow and he adamantly disagreed. First thing this morning the phone rang and I heard his voice say "I told you so." Canon G10, 1/400 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400, +1 exposure compensation.

From 2010 Blog

I know this is a photo a day blog but I have another picture to share with you. It's a twofer. This afternoon the backyard feeders were jammed with activity. I had four pairs of cardinals, dozens of goldfinches, a pair of blue jays, a few chickadees and house sparrows, and a lone squirrel. This male cardinal was patiently awaiting his turn at the crowded feeder. Canon 7D, 1/50 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, 400mm focal length.

Snow?

From 2010 Blog

Since they are calling for snow tonight, I thought it appropriate to post a picture from December 26, 2004 - the last significant snow fall in Virginia Beach. Yes that's right, 5 years since we have had a major snow storm in coastal Virginia. Oh we've had a few dustings and a few more threats for all of which schools were closed! They are calling for 4 to 8 inches tonight, so let's all keep our fingers crossed for more snow pics tomorrow. Pentax Optio S4 point and shoot, 1/8 sec @ f/2.6, ISO 100, 35mm equivalent focal length.

Restricted Lane

From 2010 Blog

Restricted Lane - Open to All. The is one of the HOV-2 lane gates on Interstate 64 in Norfolk Virginia. As you can see the restricted lane was open to all traffic which it the case most of time here in southeastern Virginia. The HOV-2 restrictions are in effect for just two hours each weekday morning and afternoon. Canon 7D, 1/500 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200, 50mm prime lens.

Powerful Sunset

From 2010 Blog

This sunset was changing by the second. The bright oranges were gone completely with in minutes of taking this shot. One problem with taking sky photos in an urban setting are the power lines and poles, so I tried to make this silhouette of the power pole a part of the composition rather than miss the shot. Canon 7D, 1/1250 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400, 50mm prime lens.

Light Speed?

From 2010 Blog

This is a 4 second exposure of a tractor trailer riding in the lane next to me in the HRBT this afternoon. The blurry effect reminded me of a jump to lightspeed. You know us serious photographers, when we take a blurry picture it is always intentional. Canon 7D, 4 seconds @ f/8.0, ISO 200, 50 mm prime lens, camera on dash triggered with a wireless remote.

Empire Sunset

From New York City

This photo was taken from the observation desk atop the Empire State Building at sunset in April 2008. I liked the way the stainless steel jumper cage reflected the evening sunset. I first thought this visit was just going to be another touristy thing but it turn out to be an amazing experience; one I would highly recommend. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/100 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800, zoom at 17mm focal length.

Meet Sasha

From 2010 Blog

This is Sasha the newest member of our family. She is a 3 1/2 month old natural point Tonkinese kitten we adopted today from Jean and Ed Delano in Warsaw Virginia. We have never had a cat before but she is winning us over pretty quickly. Canon 7D, 1/320 sec @ f/1.8, ISO 800, 50mm prime lens.

A Fixture

From 2010 Blog

I take a lot of pictures of light fixtures. Something about the way the light and geometry of the fixture work together. This one was at a Homearama 2009 house we visited this past October in Culpepper Landing, Chesapeake Virginia. Even though it was a brand new house, the fixture already has a dead fly. Canon G10, 1/2000 sec @ f/3.2, 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.

MoMAjuice

From 2010 Blog

We visited the MoMA during our trip to NYC this past November. The new Tim Burton exhibit wasn't open yet but I was able to take a few photos of the entrance. The featured picture points the way but you must click here to see the "Nightmare" entrance. I hope to get back and see the exhibit before it closes on April 26th. Canon 7D, 1/40 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 800.

Skeletool

From 2010 Blog

The pliers are neatly tucked away in my folded Leatherman Skeletool. Between yesterday's photo experiment with the green laser and today's shot of one of my favorite tools, you can tell that once a geek - always a geek. Canon 7D, 1/60 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400, 50mm compact macro, Litepanel Micro LED.

DPSSFD

From 2010 Blog

DPSSFD (diode pumped solid state frequency-doubled) or better known as a green laser pointer. This photo was inspired by my friend Jeff Carr and his blog post entitled "High Energy" from last week. I experimented with firing my green laser at the camera and capturing the image. Because a green laser is much more powerful than a red laser, I waved the laser at the lens at a sharp angle while firing the shutter multiple times. I didn't want the laser shooting straight at the camera's sensor because of the intensity of the light. I certainly wouldn't recommend this technique because the risk to eyes and camera. The circles of green result from the beam refracting off the many glass elements inside of the lens. Canon 40D, 1/60 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800, 17-55mm zoom lens at 17mm.

Table Light

From 2010 Blog

Regular followers of this blog know that I like taking pictures of glass and capturing the ways different kinds of light are refracted. This is a macro shot of the small oil lamp on our dinner table tonight. We visited Burton's Grill in the Hilltop section of Virginia Beach for dinner tonight. The food and service was great but so was the chance to get a cool photo for the day. BTW - It's Restaurant Week in Virginia Beach this week so who knows, more dining and photo ops await. Canon G10, 1/20 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400, in macro mode.

Nickel Curves

From 2010 Blog

This is a nickel lamp we have in our den. I've always liked the swirls and curves of the design with the satin nickle finish. I thought it would make a good subject for a black white photo with a full tonal range from pure blacks to pure whites. Canon 7D, 1/60 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400, 50mm prime lens, converted to high contrast black and white in Adobe Lightroom 2.6.

Shadow Birds

From 2010 Blog

We have two carved wood shore birds in our den. I noticed tonight that one of lamps was casting and nice shadow of the two birds on the wall. The texture of the rough plaster and the eggshell finish paint help to complete the picture. Canon 7D, 1/13 sec @ f/2.2, ISO 800, 50mm prime lens converted to black and white in Photoshop Elements 6.0 with the Silver Efex Pro plug-in.

Happy Buttons :)

From 2010 Blog

These buttons are "happy" buttons because they are not destined to just hold a plain ol' shirt closed, these buttons are embellishments! Their destiny lies in the hands of a creative scrapbooker who will adorn a scrapbook page with some of these colorful and happy buttons. This container of happy buttons resides at the checkout counter at Beach Scrapbooks in Virginia Beach. Canon G10, 1/60 sec @ f/2.8 in macro mode.

Crescent City Connection

From 2010 Blog

I took this picture in February 2007 of the setting sun over the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans. It is the last bridge to cross over the mighty Mississippi River before it empties in to the Gulf of Mexico. It was the only passable bridge out of New Orleans immediately following Hurricane Katrina. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/2000 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 400, 50mm focal length.

Press 626

From 2010 Blog

This is a new photo for today. For the last several months we have been enjoying a new restaurant on West Olney Road in Norfolk called Press 626. I took this photo sitting back in the corner booth. These interesting glass jars sit on a shelf and lights from Colley Avenue traffic just bounce off them in a wonderful way. BTW - the food is great and Sue, Lindsay and Patrick always take great care of us. Canon 7D (and yes I lugged the DSLR with me to a restaurant) 1/10 sec @ f/2.0, ISO 800, 50mm prime lens.

Navy Wheel

From Chicago

I made this picture on a trip to Chicago in September 2004. This is the Ferris wheel at the Navy Pier on Chicago's downtown waterfront at twilight. Pentax Optio S4, 1/80 sec @ f/2.6, ISO 100.

Green Droplet

From Strobist Water Drop

This macro water droplet was captured last July when I was trying a Strobist flash project for my project 365. The color comes from a flash with a green gel bounced off white background. Canon Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100, 50mm macro.

Twisted Elm

From 2010 Blog

This elm tree is located at the side of my house. Some how it survived for the 29 years we have lived here while several others in the yard died from Dutch elm disease. It also has these very unusual twisting branches resulting from years of crude power line tree trimming. A massive shade tree in summer it is even more interesting during a winter twilight. Canon G10, 1/500 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

LRT Blur

From Portland

I took this photo in 2006 of the Portland Oregon TriMet MAX Light Rail train moving by me. I didn't have a tripod with me so I braced the camera against a light pole. By the way, LRT stands for "Light Rail Transit". Canon Digital Rebel XTi, 1/3 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 200, 18mm.

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.

Revival-Gothic

From 2010 Blog

A new photo today. Thomas U. Walter, the architect for the U.S. Capital dome, designed the magnificent revival-Gothic sanctuary building at Freemason Street Baptist Church in Norfolk Virginia, which is now on the National Historical Register. Canon G10,1/320 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100.

Plasma Ball

From Plasma Ball

The plasma ball creates an elegant curve as the charge concentrates and arcs towards my hand. Canon 40D, 1/15 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 400, 50mm lens mounted on a tripod.

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.

Lucifer

From Light a Match

The first "friction match" was invented by English chemist John Walker in 1826. These first matches were sold as lucifer matches. Lucifers reportedly could ignite explosively, sometimes throwing sparks at a considerable distance. In the Netherlands matches are still called lucifers. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/3 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200, 65mm MP-E macro mounted on a tripod.

Harbor of Hospitality

From Elizabeth City

Storm clouds advance on the "Harbor of Hospitality". The Elizabeth City North Carolina harbor is on the Pasquotank River, which connects to the Albemarle Sound and is part of the Intracoastal Waterway. This photo is from a June 2006 visit. Canon Digital Rebel, 1/200 sec @ f/9.0, ISO 200, 18mm focal length.

Cape Henry

From Cape Henry

Landmarks of Our Nation's Beginning is on the City of Virginia Beach's official seal along with the original Cape Henry lighthouse and the First Landing Cross. This picture shows the two Cape Henry lighthouses. The old lighthouse on the right dates from 1792. It was the first federal construction project under the Constitution. The "new" lighthouse on the left was built in 1881 and remains in use today. Canon 40D, 1/160 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 100.

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.