Proj 365 Mar 31st

Hhhmmm, let's see, the larger size is 20% more (12 oz vs 10 oz for the smaller size) but the price?? (OK its up only 16.66% but the point remains the same.) BTW when did a half gallon of ice cream (which I know changed to 1.75 liters) become 1.5L? If this keeps up, they will charge me for walking out of the store empty handed!!

Proj 365 Mar 30th

 One more "2 for" day and experimenting with the camera.

THe Canon 210 has in one of its scene modes a night setting so I thought I would try it out. Went out at O'dark 30 and took some shots. The first is set on night scene with the flash on. (tried it with the flash off and it was black) . Setting came out at 1/60 second and ISO 5000 !!! WHAT!! This was not photoshopped in anyway.






Then I took the same shot (or as close as I could get it) with the camera set to Program mode and the flash on. Image is a little darker. Again nothing done in PS to it. In the end I guess a little PS adjustment would correct either one but I prefer the way the second shot in Program mode came out compared to the night mode shot.

Proj 365 Mar 29th

 Another "2 For" day.

First a shot on Duke campus of a tunnel. What I was working on is practicing getting alignment of composition lined up. Its harder than it seems sometimes. I have had some shots not centered and thus a little off. Like the blue skies (rare they aren't hazy "Tarheel Blue" - Guess its because I'm on Duke campus and not UNC!!)

Had to include this. Next there is the whatever you want to call it I ran up behind on the freeway. (Me and the world are going 60 and he's going 45!) Notice that the thing he is pulling is attached to the centered tow ball of the truck with the attachment point on the trailer apparently on the far left side!!?? Even when the wheel of the truck were more to the right, the right side of the "trailer" was over the right side of the lane.

Proj 365 Mar 28th

 Ok, more play time with the P&S. Some neat features that my DSLR doesn't have. One is a color swap mode (Swapping two Color) and a Color Accent mode (allows one color to come through and makes everything else B&W). Decided to use the Color Accent mode. How it works appears to depend on the color. In the first shot, I made the pick post it note stand out and the let everything else go to B&W. BUT in the second shot I let the purple stay and everything else go B&W. Notice that in the second shot, the pink stayed. Apparently there is enough red in the pick and the purple that it "fooled" the camera.

Overall a neat play effect but I learned to be careful as some colors "bleed through" to others.

Proj 365 Mar 27th

More experimenting and playing with the P&S. (Best way to learn). Tried the "Scene Mode set to "Miniature Effect"which " Blurs top and bottom for a miniaturized effect." First - it sets up a horizontal bar across the screen but unfortunately you can't change it to a portrait mode. When I reoriented the camera to portrait mode, it flipped the focus area that would not be blurred to a landscape mode across the screen! In other words you can't do the effect on the Hurricanes figure unless you lay it down on its side or on its back; standing it upright makes it impossible to use the effect oriented along the axis of the figure. Oh well, wasn't to wowed with the effect anyways. But another lessoned learned.

Proj 365 Mar 26th

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OK, a little humble pie time. I was already to blow yesterday's shot away. Got out the Nikon D300 with the 80-200 f/2.8 zoom. Screwed my Canon D500 lens onto the end of the lens (The ONLY Canon lens that will work on a Nikon. Actually it is more like a filter but since it is a double element glass lens, its a lens.) This changes the minimum close up focus from 6 feet (!) to a minimum of 19 inches.

Not I was able to get much closer. Neither yesterday's or today's shots are cropped at all. They are an uncropped head to head comparison.


So why is this shot not as sharp up front? Actually it is sharp just past the center of the flower. But I was hand holding and it is easier with this setup to move the camera back and forth and then fine-tune with the focus ring. But it was starting to drizzle rain. Time was ticking. I thought it looked ok in the tiny LCD screen but not when I opened it up on the computer screen. This is why you want to check the image on the LCD screen and zoom in on the image to check; I didn't; I let circumstances "push me". I needed to either increase the depth of field or move my focal point a little to the front.

So the verdict. The P&S got the overall better shot but the DSLR got the closer shot and would have been the better if I had not let circumstances push me.

Proj 365 Mar 25th

Ok, I am a little humbled here (read tomorrow post to see why). This was shot with my Canon 219 SX IS. I set it to macro focus so I could get in close. This is hand held. This was as close as I could get and focus. Tomorrow I will get out the big guns for this same shot.

Proj 365 Mar 24th

Ok, you folks have been shooting flowers and calling it the start of spring - HA. HERE is the start of spring! I've been trying to out some Scotts fertilizer with Halts that will prevent and hopefully kill this weed. The only trouble is getting the combination of my work schedule, the rain, and the temperature to match. When I get home at 10 or 11, I don't think the neighbors would take too kindly to me doing yard work and it is hard to do in the dark. I cut the front yard last week and you need to not but this stuff down for 3-4 days after you cut it. Then the rain came. Then the temp fell. It had ben 87 twice and 85 a couple of days later but now that I am off today and tomorrow, it is raining and the temperature has fallen to a high of 42 and a low of 34. Still looking at the forecast and my schedule. Things should get easier after April 4th as the last day our store (Borders books) is open will be Saturday Apr 2nd. I'm doing to the Flashbus seminar on Monday April 4th so after the 4th I will have lots of time to spread the fertilizer if the weather cooperates. Bring on the weeds! (I am tired of planting grass and watching the weeds grow so next year I am going to plant weeds and watch the grass grow!)

Proj 365 Mar 23rd

Yep, its blurred - deliberately. I had read that to get a sharp photo of the moon, you need to shoot at at least 1/15 of a second. While I was getting some follow-on shots of the moon after the "super-moon" the other night, I decided to experiment (the best way to learn photography) and I opened it up to one full second at f/18 and ISO 400. Notice that the moon has a "shadow" on the lower left. That is the result of the moon moving. That is now much the moon moved in 1 second. Now, if you shoot at 1/10 of a second, just figure that the moon will have a movement blur of 1/10 of the shadow. In other words, don't treat the moon like a stationary object, its moving like a car, abet a slow one but it is moving. If you want a sharp crisp photo that will standup to enlargement vs the tiny things on Facebook, use a higher shutter speed, like 1/30 or 1/60. A tripod is mandatory for a good sharp photos. For those interested - I used a tripod with a remote shutter release.

Proj 365 Mar 22nd

Was riding along and got some shots of another tobacco barn to add to my work on them. Some showed more of the total barn but I decided to use this as it shows the sky and the age of the wood. BTW - the next day, after I got out of the shower and was driving to work, I looked down and had a tick on my left arm! Stopped the car on the side of the freeway, pulled it off, and drove on. Did a thorough check when I got home.

Proj 365 Mar 21st

Sometimes you work to make a photo and sometimes it just stares at you. I had just finished shaving and I looked down and saw the smiley face looking at me. Figured it was a good time to try out the close up features of the Canon 210. Bottom line, got the shot but not hear as easily as with the DSLR. Had trouble get the macro to focus close up and get the focus set. It said 4 inches but that wasn't what was happening. Like I've said, the P&S is great for quick and easy but when I want to really get it, I'll get my Nikon DSLR.

Proj 365 Mar 20th

Some quality time with my son. Harris Teeter had Rib Eyes on sale half price. Add some baked sweet potatoes, some onion bread, a nice Cabinet  Sauvignon from Chili.

Proj 365 Mar 19th

OK here is my "Super Moon" shot. 1/60, f/10, ISO 200. PS exposure down 1/2, increase clarity, contrast. Think thats it. No crop. Niokon D300 with 80-200 at 200mm. Got off too late from work to get it low in the sky. (Note that when I want a "good shot" with some challenge, I used my Nikon DSLR. No way would my P&S pull this off.)

OK, here we are with some crop on it. Facebook won't enlarge the photo.

Proj 365 Mar 18th

Celebrating 160,000 miles in my 2005 Honda Pilot. Have never kept a vehicle this long. (Of course we all know what will happen today on the way to work after I post this!) Just had the OFL, Rear Differential, and transmission fluid changed. (ouch) Where did all that dust come from??

Proj 365 Mar 17th

Selling the store out. As they close our Borders store. They are also selling the fixtures. These stackable units are made of solid wood, not particle board. They can be turned as shown or horizontally. I think if two units are placed upright, a third can go across the top horizontally. They can be turned on their back with the top open for storage chests or the bottom up as a riser. Not bad for $5. Three of these are the only things I have purchased as the store closes.

Proj 365 Mar 16th

Decided to do a "self-portrait". Playing around with the fish-eye effect on the Canon 210SX. Discovered by accident that you can change the effect from none to a little to more to maximum. This is maximum.

Proj 365 Mar 15th

Why do I have 4 cracks in my windshield? Actually I didn't get one from this but this is typical of what is on the freeway and rocks on I-40 are problematic. Note the steering wheel is centered in the vehicle.

Proj 365 Mar 14th

Woo - HOO or so I thought. Months ago, somebody lost this SD card at the cash registers (why somebody would have it out from the camera at our cash registers has mystified me completely). I found it and turned it in. It was stored in the lost and found for 3 months and when nobody claimed it, I got to get it. I thought I had a 32 GB card!!! It is a 32MB card with 11 photos on it in JPEG and the card is almost filled up!!. Oh well, its good as an emergency back up when my 8GB is filled. (Yes its a little out of focus but I didn't know it until later and this is the shot for Mar 14th. Lesson learned, check the images.)

Proj 365 Mar 13th

Anybody know what this is? Don't peek below.














Saturday night a co-worker offered me a piece of chocolate. I chose the caramel. two bites later and my crown had come off. They had used temporary cement years ago because they thought I might need a root canal. It was so tight getting it one the dentist said that it might las that way for years. Well last night was the night. I had all kinds of worries like if it was so tight to get on, why had it come off? Hd I developed a cavity or something that would require a new crown? Or a implant? or...... . Dentist came in this afternoon (yes a Sunday) and looked at it; pronounced the tooth underneath fine and put the crown back on with permanent cement. Whew!!

Proj 365 Mar 12th

Sweet! SS 454 El Camino. It it sounds nice with that low rumble. Don't know what year but looks good. Actually had to use a little flash on my P&S and without it the underside was a little dark. Funny how people don't think you use flash in daylight outside.

Proj 365 Mar 11th

Breakfast on the run. Barely made it work on time. (Raleigh 55 miles away.)

Proj 365 Mar 10th

Remember that gas post Feb 28th with gas at $3.399? Wow, wish it was that now. (I know a little out of focus but the only one I took that day.)

Proj 365 Mar 89th

Daddy, what does this mean?


(Time to change the oil!!)

Proj 365 Mar 8th

Aaahh, its spring time and those cursed Bradford Pear Trees are in bloom. Have never seen a pear on them but my allergies go nuts when they come out. This is part of why I take 3 allergy shots a week. (Trees and grass, Cats and dogs, and mold.)

Proj 365 Mar 7th

Back home to hum drum Rocky Mount. Anybody ned some salt? To the car wash we go next.

Proj 365 Mar 6th

We left Louisville at 11:30 AM Sunday with the temps are 33. (The forecast high the last I had checked had been for 45.) As we neared W. Va. we suddenly noticed ice on a few cars. Ha! Later this turned into 4 inches of sno on the ground and temps at 23! The interstate was covered in water as the snow trucks were scattering chucks of ice (not salt brine solution like NC uses). I could hear it hit the Pilot a few times when I got behind a truck.

A quick self portrait.

Now the good part of the story. My wife has never used my point and shoot and was not used to the LCD viewfinder. Earlier she had tried to take a photo of Pilot Mountain and was frustrated by the controls. Once I explained them, she did very well. As I drove through the ice weather (she handed off to me after dinner. She is quite capable of driving in bad weather like this) she wanted to take some photos of the snow. Every time she put it down, she suddenly had to get "one more shot". She did quite well. Here is one of them. She wanted to get a shot of the snow covered signs.

I felt like a mid-wife and the baby photographer was born. She said she doesn't want to be a photographer. She took 93 photos. Ooopps, she has to get just one more.

Proj 365 Mar 5th

Louisville is also part of the Bourbon Trail. Several well known Bourbon makers are all grouped together there. I only had time to go to one so it was Maker's Mark.

They do not age their bourbon as many do. Instead they process them in batches by taste. When the committee says they have the right taste, it is released for sale. Thus all Maker's MArk Bourbon tastes the same.

Wonder how I can apply for a job with the Quality Control Committee?

Here is the inside of a regular oak barrel they process the bourbon in. The barrel s are only used once and then sold. Some scotch makers use them, also furniture makers. The wood is charred on the inside.

Various groups have indicated MAker's Mark needed to bring out another product. So Maker's Mark 46 will become the additional bourbon. What is interesting is that it follows the same recipe but at a certain point in the process, they pour the bourbon out into another container and they add these pieces of wood. I believe they said they were French Ash. The bourbon is poured back into the barrel where it finishes processing. The result is a slightly sweater and lighter bourbon.

Yes they gave samples.

Maker's Mark 46 is just becoming available to the public and isn't in all areas yet.

I will post on my HLD Photos blog more about this.

One more horse from in front of the hotel.

Proj 365 Mar 4th

Ok, if some of you have been watching. I haven't posted in a while as I went with my wife to Louisville Kentucky where she was one of the speakers at the regional SBL (Society of Biblical Literature) conference there. We were gone 4 days and it has been catch up around home every since. Anyway, here are some photos of the trip. (I know, one a day but I could only narrow it down to four.)

My wife worries about me, why I don't know. It was raining most of the trip but I got some shots in. Here is the bridge next to the KFC Yum Arena. I didn't get the name but I was standing in the middle of the road to get this shot. (But honey, there was not traffic behind me, I looked!)

A side note: After seeing this and knowing other things I have done to "get the shot" my wife has become more worried after hearing that the only US mainland fatality from the Japan earthquake and Tsunami was a photographer in California that was taking a photo of the wave and it engulfed him and swept him out to sea. They do not expect to recover his body. You have to be a little crazy to be a photographer.

Here we have something similar in nature to the wolves that are scattered around Raleigh, home of the NCSU Wolfpack. Since Louisville is home to the Kentucky Derby, they appear to have sprinkled horses around the town.

The water fountain in front of the KFC Yum arena. The jets of water "dance" in patterns as the lights change. I got a movie of it and will try to post if if I can.

Another shot of the "dancing lights so you can see the difference.

Proj 365 Mar 3rd

Had to drive my wife to Duke and let her run in the library while I waited. Managed to find a quick spot to park so I could get a few shots. Didn't realize they were actually conducting service until after I got the shot. Incredibly beautiful place, inside and out.

Proj 365 Mar 2nd

(hhmmm, still trying to type in Feb) This is a two shot say. The primary photo is the second one but the first adds to the "story". Not too hard getting the first shot but the second was a little trickier, especially with the wind blowing. Glad I had a point and shoot, I never would have gotten this shot with my DSLR.

But on the second photo. The minute I spotted this it brought back memories. I didn't own a bug but I remember them running around with the engine cover open at the top, perhaps to work as a spoiler in addition to letting air into the air cooled engine. You see, the engine were sooo powerful that you sometimes had to make this mod when you were driving "hard". (Rolls eyes)

Proj 365 Mar 1

Almost wrote Feb 29th (snicker). Although I love old trees, this one worries me. It appears to have an old abandoned deer stand in it but I am not so sure it is entirely abandoned. Why does that bother me. Well, my house is about 1/4 mile behind me as I take this photo. But I am sure nobody is using it (walking away keeping head low).