• People/Portraits,  Self-portraits

    Just Resting My Eyes

    June 27, 2011
    Just Resting My Eyes

    Today’s another birthday for me, which means I’m getting closer to those Social Security and Medicare woes years. This birthday is number 61 so I can start collecting a bit of cash in another year, if I wanna. I must admit I struggled last year when I turned 60 because I felt like that number was still another 10 years out and so was retirement. However, with a year in the 60’s under my belt, I’m more comfortable with this one. I’m looking into what all this retirement hoopla is all about. How much will there be? When do I want to start collecting? Do I still want a “Sugar Mama?” How many more years do I want to work? Do I want to work and also collect social security? Questions, lots of them.

    Actually the book I’m reading, “The Complete Idiots Guide to Social Security and Medicare“, I’ve found to be quite interesting and informative. So, for another year at least, I keep on working and putting money into that fund and figure out what I want to do. I start a 4-day trip today and will be in Santa Barbara tonight. We will be getting in about 11 pm so I’ll be resting my eyes then. I like the hotel and they serve up a mean breakfast on their patio in the morning. After breakfast I’ll get a walk in, maybe down to the beach and then back in the air.

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  • People/Portraits,  Self-portraits

    January 21, 2011
    Contemplative Mood

    On a cold and snowy day last week I played with some self-portraits using soft window light, then played around in Lightroom and made spaghetti with hot Italian sausage. A productive day? And, yesterday I finished a trip just as it started snowing, yes more of the white stuff, and watched it continued throughout the night leaving 4-6 inches in it’s wake. Along with that the snow came cold temperature, 9 degrees this morning. I didn’t want to get out of bed but there is a ton of stuff to get done before moving.

    I dropped off my old car for a tuneup and to get 2 new tires put on before I leave on the 31st. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and 2 days of travel will find me home. While they worked on the car, I walked over to one of my favorite coffee shops in Uptown Westerville where Ashley, one of my favorite baristas, made me a hot chocolate to warm me up. I have had a lot on my mind the past few days. Making lists, making plans, making phone calls, having address changes, getting papers done for my badges at the Denver airport, parking permits, etc.

    Hope everyone has a good weekend! Here’s my self-portrait in black and white. If you really want to see a far more interesting subject in black and white, check out Mark Grafs post here. Be sure to enlarge the image and check out those eyes. It rocks!

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  • People/Portraits,  Self-portraits

    Happy New Years

    December 31, 2010

    The Hotel Room

    This is how I’m spending New Years Eve. One of the first things I did when I got to my hotel room after a 14 hour duty was pull off the shoes and socks while at the same time taking off my tie. There’s a real knack for doing this without falling over and requires lots of practice. Anyway, the four of us were too pooped to go out so I ate some leftovers I brought along, took this silly self-portrait and then will probably be asleep by ten. We are back out again in the morning to do it all over again with new passengers and new adventures. Happy New Years to everyone and please be safe. See ya next year. Tweaked this one with Topaz Adjust.

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  • People/Portraits,  Self-portraits

    A Gray Afternoon

    December 11, 2010
    Curled up with a book

    Yesterdays offering was mostly dull gray skies interspersed with teasing moments of warm sunshine. With the still frigid temperatures there was no motivation to venture outside for any extended period of time, and I could hear the voice of reasoning whispered suggestions of making my way to one of the local coffee house. Once inside I found myself willingly being swallowed by a tattered and worn brown leather chair located in one corner. I gently placed my cup of hot chocolate, heaped with whip cream, on the table beside me. It was now reading time so I curled up with my e-book, confirming that life is good on this gray afternoon.

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  • Cityscapes/Urban,  People/Portraits,  Self-portraits

    November 21, 2010
    Out there somewhere

    My life is good. I’m healthy, I’m rich but not in a monetary way. However, I must admit there are times when things seem a bit out of focus, a little blurry, sort of like this image. I was in my hotel room and about to go to bed when I noticed my reflection in the window with the city lights as background and took a quick photo. I’m on the fifth floor so my reflection has the feeling of being suspended. I think it reflects how our lives can be at times. We are not quite rooted in present and may be a bit out there, suspended, not here nor there.

    It’s not written down anywhere but my body clock has let me know that today would have been our 38th wedding anniversary. Seems so long ago, suspended, out there. It’s times like this when it’s best to turn the lights off and find time for solitude. Ground myself to the present, send out some roots.

    Hope everyone is having a good weekend and enjoys their Sunday.

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  • People/Portraits,  Self-portraits

    Inspired Twice

    November 6, 2010
    My Shadow

    Sometimes I raise my camera to my eye because I’m inspired with what I see at the moment. Sometimes there is a thought process involved before pressing the shutter and other times it’s more of a reaction. The above image was a moment of reaction and about 3 seconds worth of thought, mostly in composition. However, once loaded on the hard drive the previously felt inspiration was not there. The tall green with my shadow had nothing to say to me.

    A few weeks later while making a second pass over last months images and getting rid of the losers, inspiration spoke again of this scene. After playing around with it for a couple of minutes, I convert it to black and white and saw a completely different scene. So in this image I was inspired at shutter time and in post processing. I guess you can say I was inspired twice.

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