• Metro Parks,  Photography

    The Best Zoom Lens

    January 12, 2010
    Leaves in the snow

    I read a quote somewhere by an famous photographer that the best zoom lens we have is our feet. Well he must not live in an area where there is snow, gusting wind and temperatures in the high teens. My wandering in Blendon Woods Park today with only my 35mm lens required me to zoom by using my feet. However, today the snow was deep enough to go over the top of my boots making for cold toes and wet socks. Invigorating to say the least.

    I have been shooting for several months with this nice little fixed focal 35mm lens and enjoying it, leaving my zoom at home. I use it for my travel with work as it is lightweight, small and fast. It works well in low light situations and I love working with the shallow depth of field. I’m getting better at knowing what coverage it gives me on my DX format camera and how it handles contrast and colors. This is espcially true with street and portraiture photography but  when it comes to landscapes in the winter I think I’ll use the 18-200mm. That way my feet stay dry.

    They’re still cold.

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  • Photography

    edamame: sushi and grill

    January 8, 2010
    edamame

    I enjoy sushi although I do not eat it very often. So when a friend suggest a sushi bar to me a couple of weeks ago I pretty much shrugged it off. I also felt that with my tight budget I felt I couldn’t afford it. A couple of weeks ago I happen to be driving near the restaurant and remembered her suggestion. It was after the noon rush so I figured it may be a good time to check it out. The name is edamame, which is a large-seeded, green soybean harvested before maturity, and typically prepared by boiling in salted water.  Often served in its pod as a snack with beer or sake, and renowned for its links to health and vitality.

    The decor was very interesting using a green color as the theme which gives it a fresh and bright feel. On the ground floor there are a couple of nooks settled back into the walls for privacy. They have two mezzanines located at both the front and rear of the restaurant. You can see the second floor eating area located in the rear of the restaurant. The second floor located in the front is identical. As thier wesbiste says, “… truly unique experience that is certain to satisfy all your dining needs.”

    I’ve eaten there twice now all within a week. Thanks, Tracy! My first sushi roll was the Edamame which is made with tuna, salmon, whitefish, cucumber, avocado, masago, radish sprout, unagi sauce, spicy mayo, soy wrap. Loved that spicy mayo sauce. My second visit included another sushi roll called Fire Crunch and is a California roll, topped with: spicy tuna,  unagi sauce, tempura crumbs. And for me they are reasonably priced and will not break my bank. Wonder what I’ll have next week?

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  • Candid Portraits,  Photography

    Watching it snow

    December 29, 2009
    Watching it snow

    It started to snow on Sunday evening around six. The wind was blowing it across the roads as I drove home. It was beginning to build up on the grass along the edges of the sidewalk. I could tell it was going to be one of those nights to sip on tea and read in my favorite chair. This morning I found 2 inches or so on my car with a layer of ice beneath the snow. With the wind blowing it is not a day for going outside unless necessary, definitely no picnic, so I’ll spend the day with laundry, reading the biography of John Muir, writing and shooting indoors. Practice is necessary for our craft whether that is outdoors or indoors or just plain doors. Hope you’re staying warm.

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  • Photography

    A quick read but …

    December 28, 2009
    A book and a coffee

    …  it’s one I will want to read more than once. I’ve heard about this book from David duChemin. He mentions it in his books and on his blog. I finally bought it and enjoyed reading it. I read it in one afternoon and have gone back over it a couple times since. It’s got small bits and pieces to chew on. It has the ability to help us look at ourselves with newer eyes. No book will fix us but this one strikes a chord for me. I’m not sure I can say what it means to me. It may be more of how it effects my creativity. Anyway I will write more on it later. Has anyone else read it? Hope everyone has a good week!

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  • Art/Design,  Photography

    The Valve

    December 26, 2009
    The Valve

    It’s plain and simple, I need exercise! One way for me get some exercise when traveling is walk the stairs at the hotels. I take the elevator with my bags but after that I usually walk up and down the stairs. I’ve noticed that in just about every hotel stairwell you will find valves. So I’m coming out the the closet and letting you know I take a lot of images of them. They are one of those manmade subjects readily available for me as well as a subject most people will overlook. Yep, need more exercise.

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  • Photography,  writing/reading

    Moleskin and Pen

    December 15, 2009
    A Journal

    This is my favorite pen for journaling and the newest and smallest journal I’ve ever used. I found a pen just like this one on the street one day and fell in love with it immediately. I carried it around for a month or two before I lost it. It was so enjoyable to use I searched around until I found one. Way too expensive but some things are just worth it. I like how the pen and the moleskin work together for me.

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  • Photography

    Here's my version

    December 13, 2009
    A Fork

    It’s not my desire to copy another photographers work but to create my own unique images. However, there are those assignments we can give ourselves that will copy or at least be very similar another’s images. That’s what this is all about. It’s my version of the all familiar studio image of the kitchen fork on a white background. With this exercise I experimented with some lighting and got more hands on time with my macro lens, a lens I don’t use often. My question for all you gurus out there who happen to find my blog is: How often do you give yourself assignments or projects? And, what are some of those? What’s their purpose? Are we wanting to learn something specific or just copying someone’s work?

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