Sax Man

See if you can tell where I totally removed a tree in the background....

Pulling from the archives again...I'm having a small surgery tomorrow. I say tomorrow, because I'm fudging the date on this again.

Nothing major, just a lump removed from the back of my neck. Not to worry...I'll be right as rain here in a few days and I'll be back to fill the missing days in later....

(c) 2006 by A1275

Downward Spiral

Staircase at one of the museums in Boston. I'm pulling from the archives here a bit.
(c) 2006 by A1275

Good Sport

This is my co-worker. Yes, the one whose had her finger up her nose, and sucked on strawberries, and hidden behind ficus plants, and smelled some daffodils. I thought by this point you guys deserved a full face shot of her... :)

Still trying to catch up after a longish absence. I know it's not the greatest portrait of all time, but it will have to do. I like it because it's a natural smile, and it's what I see on her face when I come to work in the morning.

Some days, she wears a frown...but that's (usually) not directed at me. :)
(c) 2006 by A1275

Stop to Smell the Flowers

My co-worker again...

This is some of the quickest editing I've ever done. One thing that this PAD project has done for me is to enhance my skills at post-processing. Already I look back to the beginning and can see improvement...hope you can as well!
(c) 2006 by A1275

More Daffodils

This is similar to a previous post, just shows more daffodils in the reflection. What I've learned from this experiment is that I tend to like simpler compositions. This has been a popular desktop background among my pals, so I decided to post it anyway.
(c) 2006 by A1275

Daffodil Days

I know, I know, more darn daffodils. Hey, it's what I shot, so there. I actually like this one because it represents some successful depth of field work. I know I'm still fudging the date thing a bit, but there you are. If I had some witty song lyrics, I'd post them here.
(c) 2006 by A1275

Abstract Attempt

Just trying to catch up after all the events lately. This was something I had played around with for the abstract macro challenge. I didn't wind up liking it so much, so I never entered it.


(c) 2006 by A1275

It's a Jungle Out There

Shot through a ficus tree at work. Yes, I actually do perform job duties when I'm there, but today I just had to go for some lunchtime fun, and the daffodils weren't cooperating any longer.

No long post today, I'm feeling a bit under the weather and so I'm going in search of a warm bed and some zzzz's in the hopes of recovery.
(c) 2006 by A1275

Primary Colors

Hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of spring! The temperatures have been almost balmy here in Little Rhody, and I've discovered a love for photographing daffodils. Mostly because there are a plethora of them at work, due to a charitable campaign. I totally forgot to mist them with water drops, I'll have to try that next time. Well, maybe it isn't true love when it comes to photographing daffodils...it's more of a case of "love the one you're with."

With the gorgeous blue sky today I thought a reflection would be fun. For some reason, this re-sized version looks like I over-sharpened it - the full-size is better. I actually didn't sharpen this at all - just a small levels and contrast adjustment.

So it might be a day late for the equinox, but you'll just have to get over it...I did.

(c) 2006 by A1275

Antsy

Well, I finally got my picture of an ant. If you've been following along in this little blog world of mine (and don't tell me if you haven't been - it will break my heart) you know that I've been battling these babies since the advent of spring.

This guy was loopy on Raid Ant Bait, so he wasn't moving too fast. Still a hard little bugger to capture; once I got this up on the monitor and saw the mandible on this sucker I was a bit horrified. Who knew they had such monster choppers? Yuck. I need to post something else quick because it's creeping me out.


(c) 2006 by A1275

Daffodil Days

Daffodil Days at work. Every spring we sell them and try to raise money for the American Cancer Society. This was just a quick one-off to fulfill PAD obligations - this one was the only one that was open. I'm going to try again in a few days when the blooms are a bit better.
(c) 2006 by A1275

Ready to Ride

Rusty old Dodge.

This little baby lives at the edge of a field on the property on which I live. It's got another friend on the other side of the tires, but I'll save that one for another day. There's something about living in the country...almost everyone I know who lives on more than 20 acres has a clunker in the woods somewhere.

When I was a kid in Maine, it used to be great fun to run around in the woods and look for the junkers. We'd sit behind the wheel with the spiders and assorted wildlife and pretend we could drive. I guess in the olden days it was fine to take whatever juice the old cars had left, and drive them as far into the woods as they would go and then leave them there to die. In fact, a few months ago my uncle dragged out a rotting a decrepit 1921 Ford something or other, and we looked it up on-line and it was worth $4000 as is, not running, with rust and holes and everything.

Now I'm not saying this old thing is worth even $1, but it reminds me of home and at times, when the light is right (I tried to capture it here) it even looks kinda pretty.

Maybe someday some kid will climb in the open door and pretend they are driving. And then 50 years later someone else will haul it off and make a few grand and go on vacation. Who knows? In this world, almost anything is possible.
(c) 2006 by A1275

Good Guy

I love the lighting on this, and now believe I will have to take natural lighting a little more seriously.

The only things I wish were different about this shot is that the clown in the background was missing, and that I'd taken the time to go get this guy's e-mail so I could send him a copy. I'm no shrinking violet when it comes to approaching strangers, especially when they are as handsome as this guy, but I guess I must have gotten distracted by other St. Pat's festivities.

For all the men and women in the military out there: thank you for your service.
(c) 2006 by A1275

5p

Well, it's not green and it's not beer, but it is from Ireland. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This is just some of the coins I brought back with me from my last trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland. On the left, and on top, is the old 5p from the Republic of Ireland. On the right, and underneath the Eire coin is a 5p from Northern Ireland which is now under the control of the UK.

The old Irish coin is no longer in existence, the Republic having gone Euro since then.

I suppose in a small way this might be considered a minor political statement; although I'm American my family emigrated from the townland of Clonmain, County Armagh, Ireland around 1830. My ancestor's naturalization papers refer to his homeland as (Ulster) Ireland, although in 1922 parts of Ulster became what is now known as Northern Ireland. Having studied Irish history in college, and since I'm only American due to the policies of the British government at the time, I do have opinions on a united Ireland. As a US citizen, I'm deeply grateful to today's British government for their support of my own American government.

The history is long and complicated, but many scholars agree that any hope for a united Ireland probably was dashed after the Flight of the Earls. One of my favorite accounts of the Flight appears in the book Milestones of Irish History (page 61) and goes like this:

'On Wednesday night, they say, he travelled all night with his impediments, that is his women and children; and it is likewise reported that the Countess, his wife, being exceedingly weary, slipped down from her horse and weeping said she could go no farther: whereupon the earl drew his sword and swore a great oath that he would kill her in the place, if she would not pass on with him, and put on a more cheerful countenance withal.'

Erin go bragh! (translated: Ireland Forever!)

Slainte!



(c) 2006 by A1275

Reaching

You might not have realized it by the way I've been completely lax about posting lately, but I actually have been taking pictures each day. They just stink.

Here is a failed attempt at getting an interesting hand shot for the latest challenge at DPC. Miserable, I know. I had to play with unbelievable numbers of artistic filters to get this crap, and believe me, it is better than the original.

I'm hoping to learn as much from my failures even though they won't garner any praise. So if you see this and think to yourself, "Jaysus, can't this chick come up with anything worthy?" please take a moment to remember that this is my Right Hand, I just thought you'd seen enough of My Left Hand and My Left Foot and send a silent prayer to the Lord above that I didn't make it super freaky again.

If I get enough requests, I just may do another Lip Shot.

See how I'm distracting you from this crappy picture by posting links to some of the better ones?
(c) 2006 by A1275

Momma Needs a New Pair of Shoes

One of the first bits of decoration that my Mom got me when I first moved into the very very old house that I now live in. Now they sit atop my fireplace mantel. I swear to God I'm not old enough to have inhabited these babies, but I like how they are actually ceramic but appear to be soft and worn leather.

Too much experimentation with the transparency brush, I guess. But hey - we can't hit a home run every day now, can we? It was either this, or a dead ant. You might not know this, but ants are super hard to focus on when alive because they never stop moving, and when the Raid has finally gotten them they curl up into a tiny ball. I even tried freezing a couple, but they curled up too. I will continue my experimentation in trying to get a sprawled-out dead ant for your viewing pleasure, you'll just have to be patient.
(c) 2006 by A1275

Top O' the Hub

This is another statue, this one sits on top of a sign for the "Best Pub in the Hub" on the Freedom Trail in Boston, MA. I didn't go in (shocker, I know) but I just couldn't get over the giant hand and goofy grin on the face of the Patriot.
(c) 2006 by A1275

Dive Right In

Couldn't let a month go by without a foot picture, now could I?

OK, I'm now all officially caught up from the laptop failure, I'll get back to commenting in short order. Thanks to everyone who's been patient and kind during this little fiasco....your comments have been much appreciated... and I'll be returning the favor as soon as I finish recovering the files from the other hard drive.

Edited to add: This is the famous "Wave Statue" in Newport, RI. It stands on the corner of Thames Street and America's Cup, and many local establishments use it as a point of reference when giving directions to potential patrons. Good job to those who caught on that it was a statue! Wahoo! Newport, while known internationally for sailing, is also known for surfing. The statue is meant to represent a surfer diving into a wave.





(c) 2006 by A1275

Not Your Average Joe

I know, it's a bit of a snapshot with the sunglasses and all, but I like this one a lot. This is Joe, by day a professional refinisher of tubs, tiles, countertops, concrete and more.... by night he's a fearless firefighter. You just gotta love a guy in a uniform, right?

The white square you see on his lapel is a list of fallen comrades, in whose memory he and the rest of his squad was marching.


(c) 2006 by A1275

Don't Be That Girl

This gives a whole new meaning to "I'll drink you under the table...."

Apparently, she didn't get the memo -- you know -- the one that says "Please drink responsibly." This shot was taken about 4:30 pm in Newport during the St. Patrick's Day festivities. Now, it's safe to say that a good time was had by all, but some people just can't stop until they hit the floor.

Yup, the floor. That's where we first noticed this girl. We'll protect the not so innocent here and not post the shot where butt cleavage is featured. Her friends finally managed to get her up into the chair, but as you can see she is beginning another slow and painful descent.

Bonus shot:




Check out the expression on the face of the guy in the background.

In the interest of fairness we must give mad props to the Drunk Girl, as we saw her flitting about on the dance floor several hours later, still drinking and this time not only standing upright but dancing with abandon. Her friends had left her, but she was still managing to have a great time.... That's stamina, baby! Surely she must have a touch of the Irish in her blood....

P.S. We're hoping to someday get these shots back in one of those joke e-mails - you know the ones, I'm sure, where they have all those funny and embarrassing shots with the warning... "Don't let this happen to you!"

Bye Bye Blackbird

So I'm in the middle of the park and I notice this strange little man putting peanut butter on this one tree and then stepping back to admire his handiwork. This guy was a regular Dr. Doolittle, being surrounded by all manner of squirrels and chipmunks and birds.

After watching for some time from a distance, I decided to approach the very non-scary-but-still-strange little man and get the scoop. Apparently, he comes to the park each day to give the animals their little snack. Get this: there is a definite preference for chunky peanut butter rather than creamy. Go figure.

This particular tree was unbelievably covered in squirrels, pigeons, and little black birds like the one shown here. If the sky hadn't been the sort of gunmetal gray that is so mightily boring and uninteresting that it completely ruins each picture where it's featured, I would have taken a shot of the whole tree for your viewing pleasure.

You'll just have to make do with what you got! :)

Contemplative

This is the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston, taken from one end of the glass towers and looking through the walkway.

The design of the memorial consists of 6 glass towers which sit over dark emtpy chambers from which "smoke" (really steam) rises up to symbolize each of the major Nazi death camps/gas chambers. On the walls of each tower is engraved 6 million numbers meant to represent the tattoo ID's of the camp inhabitants. It's pretty striking during the day, but is super awesome at night. If you click on the link, it will take you to one of the best night shots I've ever seen of this memorial.

One of the reasons I really like this shot is because for me, it was an exercise in patience and vision. I had to sit and wait in the cold for a random stranger to get in the just the right spot, and be reading the wall while standing within the steam but not obscured by it, and be someone who was wearing a somber color rather than the bright colors that everyone seemed to be favoring that day.... :)

Laptop Failed

Going to buy new laptop...stay tuned.

Edited to add: Yay! Found just the one I wanted at an excellent price. It's dead sexy and I'm sure I'll be happier with it than with anything else in my whole life ever.

Thanks to Pidge and Vikas who were so encouraging while I was down. :)

That Girl

Another co-worker - my boss is going to get sick of me hauling everyone into the conference room for photo shoots! Thank goodness I have the next couple of days off....

Frankly, I'm not too sure about this. I wanted all kinds of stripes on her face from the vertical blinds, but then when I got it I wasn't sure I wanted it anymore. Shakti Gawain has a good nugget in one of her books regarding creative visualization and intention; something along the lines of "if you could have it, would you really take it?" It appears along with the caveat that if you aren't sure, don't waste your time. I probably should have taken more time with this, but with a senior VP lurking about and peeking in through the door to see what was going on....oh wait -- maybe he wanted his picture taken, too! I should have asked him. :)

I think I like this less as a portrait and more as a study in composition with all the lines. To borrow from Fox News, "I shoot, you decide."

Tomorrow I'll be in Boston, MA for some general frolic. Any restaurant recommendations? I have a few favorites, but am always up for additional exploration....

Reflection

A bit of a double entendre here, with the actual reflection and a reflective facial expression. So now you now my secret, I'm a big geek.

Using reflections in shots is fast becoming one of my favorite techniques. This is another co-worker from my office. She's a real sweetheart and is the owner of the plant you saw before.

Here I had to play with a transparency brush to disguise the camera's reflection in the glass, and then further confuse things with a soft focus, but overall I'm pretty happy with this shot. It was an "A-ha!" moment for me, as we had originally gone into the conference room to play with natural light. After popping off some acceptable portraits, I then spied with my photographer's eye the potential for greatness in a different angle. Well, just trust me, it had potential for greatness before I ruined the reflection with a bounce flash. :) Next time I'll try it with a tripod.

I love the days when you get all inspired because you did something kinda cool and the person you shot is so excited about it and can't wait to see the final version in their e-mail. Yay for today!

Vive la PAD!

Talented

It's my future from a Chinese fortune cookie; therefore, it must be true....

Interestingly enough, I was told this very same thing by an old friend the same day I got this in my fortune cookie. Never one to dismiss coincidence, I had to document the concept. Regrettably, the conversation was not about photography, but one can hope there'll be some spillover...someday...eventually....

I'm trying to learn curve adjustments, so I thought I'd try to desaturate everything but the red channel. I probably should have done this on a shot that did not include skin, but live and learn, right?

Press Any Key

Saw a similar shot in one of those joke e-mails, and when my computer crashed today I just couldn't resist.

I get far too many joke e-mails, but this excerpt from another one made me laugh out loud:

While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayer s and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always said: "Glory be unto the Faaaather, and unto the Sonnn .. and into the hole he gooooes." (Author unknown)

Have a great day!

Claddagh

This is my claddagh ring, which I bought right smack in the middle of City Centre in Dublin mostly because the vendor called out as I was walking by, "Lass! Lass! Aye, you with the roan in your hair...would you have a wee minute to come over here and brighten my day with your smile?" I'm a sucker for charm, especially when it comes with a twinkle in the eye. I only found out later that "roan" means a reddish tint, and is generally a term used when discussing horses.

There are as many stories about how the claddagh ring came to be as there are Irishmen in Ireland, probably. The one that is generally held to have the most basis in historical truth goes something like this: A man named Richard Joyce, native of Galway, left his town to go find work in the West Indies. Along the way, his ship was captured by pirates and he was sold into slavery to a Moorish goldsmith which is where he learned to make jewelry. When William III (William of Orange) became king, he insisted that Moors release all the British citizens they had. Richard Joyce was allowed to return home, and brought with him the idea of the ring.

Because Richard Joyce regained his freedom from King William, the crown is said to represent loyalty to the British throne. The hands are supposed to represent friendship, and the heart of course represents love.

Because the native Irish were engaged in a battle for independence from Britain, some objected to the crown being a part of the design. There was a Fenian version of the ring that did not have the crown, but it never was as popular.

The way that a claddagh ring is worn on the hand is usually intended to convey some indication of the wearer's romantic availability. It is generally true that if the ring is on the right hand with the heart facing towards the hand, indicates that the person wearing the ring is in a serious relationship (his/her heart is closed). A ring worn on the right hand, with the heart outward, away from the hand, the person wearing the ring is not in any serious relationship (the heart is open). A claddagh worn on the left hand with the heart toward the hand indicates marriage. The other orientation (heart outward) indicates nothing.

Source: Wikipedia

I wear my ring on my left hand, with the heart outward, because I believe that a little bit of mystery never hurt anyone.

Strawberry Surprise

Just playing again at work. This isn't me, it's my co-worker again who graciously spent part of a lunch hour sucking on strawberries for our visual delight. You might recognize the nose from her previous appearance here.

Bonus shot #1:


And bonus shot #2, for the purists:


Maybe someday her entire face will be visible. :)

Feeling Irish?

OK, so again we have a shot that is Not Art. I'll try to do better tomorrow.

Last night was the End of Busy Season celebration. We were all supposed to go downtown to McFaddens, an Irish pub, but were forced to switch to the local Chili's under the Inclement Weather Clause in the party agreement we all signed. Being the Fun Girl, I of course had to bring a bit extra to the table.

These are "lottery tickets" that I picked up locally for St. Patrick's Day debauchery. I originally got them with the intent to give them out like candy at various celebrations, with the prizes being delivered at my sole discretion. Before I started giving them away to complete strangers, I thought it might be wise to test out on my friends what some of the prizes were going to be. It's a good thing, too, since apparently one of them is: "A kiss, in a hotel, when you're feeling Irish." I'll have to mark those tickets somehow so they don't get given out to the wrong sort!

They seemed to be pretty popular...I'll have to go get some more!

Fistful of Cash

This is my friend Ken, holding a fistful of cash. Ken is one of my best friends, ever since he saved me from an obnoxious Belgian in a bar one day several years ago.

Now, I love Ken right to death. He's the kind of friend that's always late, which works fine for me since I'm always late, too. In fact, we have made plans to go somewhere on Saturday morning and not actually gotten there until Sunday afternoon. That one was a little extreme, but let's just say that if you allow an hour lateness for each of us to get it together...

Another thing about Ken is that he sometimes forgets stuff. A couple of times lately, it's been his wallet. (No, he's not a moocher - really, he's actually very generous, he just forgets things like wallets and keys when he's in a rush and I'm calling him every 5 minutes berating him for being late because I'm starving to death and could he please put the move on it and get his butt out the door...I get Really Cranky when I'm hungry.) It's become kind of a joke between us lately. So this most recent time, when he mentioned he didn't have his wallet and I got that impatient look on my face he grinned and dug deep into his pockets and triumphantly said, "But I do have money!"

Naturally, I had to document the occasion.