Holly Tree

The tree in my front yard is normally full of frost damage at this time of year. But this year its doing well.

Hail Storm

Last night we had a fast moving cold front come through that dropped hail the size of M&M Peanut candies for a couple of minutes. The pelting on the roof of the house sounded like pea gravel being dumped into an empty aquarium. It was unnerving at best. I'm glad I wasn't driving when it happened.

It was too painful to attempt getting better shots.

Bamboo

Experimented with off camera flash in a dark room along with a snoot, a diffuser, and a piece of foam board. Strobe is to my right aimed at the foam board set at a 45.

The Money Pit

My daughter and my money go here. This is the rear windshield of my daughters car with a reflection of a cloudy sky.

Accordionist

One of the many musicians you'll find on the streets of Madrid, Spain

Great White Pelican

This guy is about a year old. Taken near Lake Edward, Uganda

Sunset

Taken from my bedroom balcony.

Crocus

The first flowers appeared in the yard this weekend. There’s one small patch of purple and a lone white bud. Otherwise, the beds are barren and in need of a cleanup.

Splash...Me too

I saw many others who did similar activities and it looked like fun. It was! It’s amazing what you see at 1/1000 of a second. You’d think a 1 pound rock splashed down instead of a drop of water from 2 feet above.

Whine

I had a very frustrating day with the camera and the strobes. I took more than 75 shots of this bottle of wine trying to light it exactly as I saw it in my mind’s eye. This isn’t even close, but I plan on coming back to it in several months. Hopefully, I’ll develop the skills to match my vision.

Is it 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?

The dashboard of my car.

Ribbit

I couldn't decide which one of these to post because I love them both.

Tunnel Effect

I took my camera to work today and this is the view between the seats of the Long Island Rail Road. I contemplated removing the shoulder of a fellow commuter in Photoshop but it’s late and I’m too tired. I’m posting it today because I took it today and I happen to like it too.

Sea Grass

I couldn’t identify the specific type but this stuff grows 8 feet tall among the sand dunes on the south shore of Long Island, NY. It was a clear windy day with a beautiful blue sky as a background.

Pussy Willow

If you add dye to the water, the bud of a pussy willow will turn color to match the dye. I took many shots but found the background too distracting. Since I was in a hotel lobby, relocating the large vase wasn’t an option. I deliberately overexposed these to washout the background and make the buds pop.

Traffic Lights

Yesterday’s post got me thinking of color and wondering what I could use as a source…. Capturing the individual colors wasn’t difficult. I cropped them all to the same resolution and stitched them together in Photoshop. The tri-color shot was an exercise in timing as the light changed from green-->yellow-->red. Next time I try this I’ll bring a stopwatch and work it out on paper first.

Star Light Star Bright

My front walkway with a view from a shoe. With a 6 point star filter I set the camera on a tabletop tripod. Through experimentation I learned the stars are more appealing as I stopped down the lens.
-------------------------
f/20, 25 sec, ISO 100, Canon EF 28-105 at 38mm, +2 Exp Comp

Cordoba Spain

Taken on vacation in Aug 07

Cardinal

When taking this snapshot my goal was to capture the cardinal before he flew away. It was a complete surprise to find the sparrow in flight as well.

Yankee Stadium - The house that Ruth built.

The home of my favorite sports team is full of charm, charisma, and character. The doors opened on April 18, 1923, long before I was born. However I was fortunate enough to attend “The Final Game” on September 21, 2008 at a VIP luxury box. The new stadium opens next month.

Latitude: 43'15.76" N, Longitude: 79'04.07" W

Lake Ontario, as seen from Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario, Canada. A quaint, picturesque town with wineries, historic grand hotels, and scenic beauty.

Holy Macro

I was toying around with my camera and the flowers I sent my wife last week. I found the vivid colors and details appealing….

They’re Back!!

It warmed up this weekend and squirrels took advantage by invading my backyard to forage for food.

.300 Savage

The Roar of the Falls

20% of the planets fresh water tumbles over Niagara Falls. The sheer power, the deafening rumbling of the water, and the spray at the base of the falls is an unforgettable experience.

Motion

By sheer luck I stumbled upon a scene where a girl was feeding the gulls. My camera was off and I had no idea what the settings were. I simply composed and let the shutter fly. Most of them were trash but this one captured the motion, the depth, and a vibrant blue sky.

Blanket of Snow

I love the black & white effect that a fresh blanket of snow does to the landscape. The contrasting red objects really draw you in.

Lunch

The Pied Kingfisher is a common bird in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. I took this photo in the summer of 2005 while on a safari at Queen Elizabeth National Park, Mweya Uganda. Look closely, fish is on the menu.

Snow Day

Mother Nature dropped 11” of the white stuff on us overnight. Schools closed, roads are a mess, mass transit experiencing significant delays and cancellations. Oh well, that’s business as usual around here. Snapshots of patio table in the backyard. Cleanup was fun.

Surfs Up!

A friend and I went to Long Beach, NY to photograph his son and the other surfers. It was a gray cloudy day as the area braces for a storm expected to bury us with 10 inches of snow. Ambient temperature was 31F with 17mph winds, water temperature was 41F. I selected these because you can see the movement of the ocean and everyone enjoys seeing a good wipeout.