Photo of the day - a new direction

When I started this blog I was just jumping into the wild blogosphere that everyone was enamored with at the time. I had very little worth saying... although, I sure tried to sound intelligent on my blog. I talked of politics. I talked about theology. I talked... and talked... and talked... and bored my readers almost to death.

And lost my readers.

But I’m not really a writer—as much as I enjoy writing. I am a designer. But far more importantly, I am a photographer. So I am making a change in my blog, and I hope it will result in more people enjoying it. But if not, that’s okay. I will enjoy it.

As of today, my blog will be primarily a photography blog, because that is what I love. I hope other can find enjoyment and encouragement from my photography.

Today’s picture features a young woman I have never met, but who caught my interest on a recent visit to Historic Williamsburg. She was sitting on the ground waiting for an upcoming “infotainment” production. I think she was looking for a friend who was due to show up and watch the show with her. I loved the way her modern appearance contrasted with the almost 300-year-old surroundings. Even the pebbling on the road shows that contrast.

So today’s picture is from the only place I have donated to for my whole adult life—the Historical Williamsburg Foundation.

Canon EOS 7D, EF28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens
135mm focal length
ISO 200, 1/400th @ f/9.0

It is Well With My Soul

H

oration G. Spafford. That’s all that needs be said...

Post by Sisters.

Thou has brought me many flowers

Okay... It’s a silly title (actually the title of an Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem), but I needed to say something so I could post this picture.

This is actually a potted plant outside the central hub of Disneyworld’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

Canon EOS 30D, EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 USM lens
230mm focal length
ISO 160, 1/200th @ f/6.3

Little glass teapot

M

y son and I love drinking tea. And we also love the experience of making tea. So my son decided a few years ago that he wanted loose leaf teas and a loose leaf brewing system. For the past three years Christmas has included a variety of amazingly wonderful teas and some really cool brewing systems. This past year’s system was this very cool teapot that has its own acrylic base warmer fueled by a tealight candle. It makes great tea and looks really cool in a dark room as that candle glows beneath it.

By the way... the tea is a wonderful loose leaf mango/ginger/citrus tea.
The tealight warming it is apple scented.

Canon EOS 7D, EF85mm f/1.8 USM lens
85mm fixed focal length
ISO 400, 1/8th @ f/1.8

And this one has a neutral tea light

Canon EOS 7D, EF85mm f/1.8 USM lens
85mm fixed focal length
ISO 400, 1/8th @ f/1.8

I know... we’re weird.

Low natural light photography

M

y passion for photography has grown through many stages, but I have always had a love for natural light. I particularly love backlighting or strong side lighting. I have also come to love dark interiors with bright light streaming through windows or doors. But the high contrast of such pictures makes it very hard to capture photographically.

One week ago last Saturday my family went to a local restaurant for lunch. We got there a bit early and were the only customers in the dining room for a while. The decorations were beautiful and the lighting was outstanding. So I rested my elbows on the table to give more stability in the extremely low lighting conditions, and I took a few pictures.

This first picture is the hostess, waiting for diners to arrive. She is looking at a large wine rack in a darker part of the restaurant, but the strong light shining through the windows and door to her left plays along the edge of her hair and defines her clothing. I loved the effect.

Canon EOS 7D, EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens
70mm focal length
ISO 800, 1/40th @ f/2.8

The decorations were beautiful in this Italian restaurant and used a lot of food, oil, and wine to set the tone of the dining area. These lemons, peppers, and water pitcher were very close to our table, but the light was so low that I had to use a very long shutter speed. I love how this one turned out.

Canon EOS 7D, EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens
48mm focal length
ISO 800, 1/40th @ f/2.8

Photography! What a great hobby!

Victor Wooten - Amazing Grace

I love playing the bass. The lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and lead guitarist all form the personality of the band. But the bass player and the drummer are the heart and soul of the band. And it’s a great role to play.

There are, however, some bass players who are so incredibly good that they can do it all. Victor Wooten is probably the best of the best.

It’s Friday! Time for music! (King's Singers)

The King’s Singers are the longest running male choral group in history. This group has been active for centuries with never a break. When someone gets too old, they recruit a new person to replace him and carry on. This group has been performing for the British royal court for a very long time. They’re absolutely awesome!

Snow and... I’m not driving!

They forecast snow for today and... for once, the weather reports were right. The snow began to fall at about 6:00 this morning and has been falling ever since. We have around six or seven inches of it now (at 6:00 pm) and it’s coming down harder now than it has all day. And my beautiful clean Camaro that my son and I just washed yesterday is now covered. Oh well.

So, of course, I sent my son out to clean off the windows. And, man, is it ever cold!

Thanks to Google Auto Awesome for these cool animations.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound!

A dixieland song to begin your weekend. Enjoy!

Parenting... it ain’t what you might think

This guy definitely knows what he’s talking about. And I have only one child!