Rockin & Rollin

I had my annual physical today and my doctor says everything is looking good. That surely helped me to feel better, especially after hearing about my dad falling again and my younger brother getting admitted to the hospital because he lost his vision. What a week.

Monday I needed to photograph a town building at a park complex in Babylon. The schools were closed because of a holiday and the skateboard park was rockin’ an rollin.’

It’s wild! Some of the older boys are really good at what they do on those boards.

Today’s picture is from the skateboard park at Tanner Park in Copiague. I used ACR to pump-up the contrast.

Autumn

Autumn is a reflective time of year for me. I think about life and about death. With two sons in college and the third just starting high school I think about age more than I want to. Every ach means something different now.
Calls to my parents in Florida are not like they once were. My mom tells how dad fell again, how she’s getting too old to look after him. She wants to find a senior care facility they can live in. Autumn in their lives doesn’t look the same as autumn in mine.
The feelings I’m having are best summed-up by Carrie Newcomer’s song
“Leaves Don’t Drop, They Just Let Go.”
Leaves don’t drop they just let go,
And make a place for seeds to grow.
Every season brings a change,
A seed is what a tree contains,
To die and live is life’s refrain.
It’s a song about letting go, and that’s what autumn is to me.
I’ve quoted this song before on this blog. Carrie is a awesome songwriter.

Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009

I’m home again after a great time at parents weekend up at Norwich University. The leaves are starting to change and nights are getting colder in Vermont. Adam seems very happy and well adjusted, Norwich is agreeing with him.
Parents weekend included us seeing the school football team win and the rugby team lose. We met Adam’s wrestling coach and team and went to dinner with all the parents.
That’s a story in itself.
Today’s photo is the view from the third floor of the Kreitzberg Library; made with the Canon G10. Post processing was with Canon’s Digital Photo Professional and Photoshop.

40

Here’s another number post. It’s from the track around the football field from Tuesday’s game. I was drawn to the design, color and the opportunity to compose the number and lines and create negative space.
I used the Canon 20d and processed it with ACR.
My wife and I leave in the morning for parents weekend at Norwich University. Adam called twice tonight. He's looking forward to our visit. I miss him.
Because of the condition of my laptop, I wont be able to post again until Monday. Have a good weekend.

Pop football

Yesterday was a busy day. I hade a press conference in the morning, Evan’s football game late afternoon and a little league team getting a proclamation from the mayor photo in the evening. I was wiped when I got home.

Today’s post is from Evan’s football game. (They won!) I used the Canon 20d so I could take advantage of the magnification factor the small sensor has on the telephoto lens. The 200mm becomes a 320mm.

I used ACR to process this image.

Stemware, less stems

Well, it was bound to happen. After six years, I finally dropped my laptop and now have a smashed corner. What’s worse is my Power Book doesn’t recognize the airport card, long story short… no more internet on the laptop. As of right now, everything else is fine. I am considering repair at this point, I can’t afford a new laptop right now.
Today’s picture is a still life of wine glasses lined up in two rows. I made it with the Canon 5d and processed it with ACR.

Bay Shore

I just returned form the surf fishing tournament and now I’m watching football with my son. It’s what he lives for. Unfortunately his favorite team is not playing a good game. Oh well.

Today’s post is from last night. Babylon Volunteer Fire Department’s Annual Inspection and Awards Dinner held in Bay Shore. While I was waiting for things to start, I saw the reflection of the American flag in the window. Bay Shore is one of Long Island’s struggling communities. Once a prosperous community with a thriving downtown and a beautiful waterfront, it fell early due to a large shopping mall. It’s had several eras of revitalization, but it still suffers.

Looking out the catering hall window one would never know you were in the same Bay Shore. The harbor boat slips are all full. I guess it’s the economy that’s keeping, many of the boats moored on such a beautiful night.

Made with the Canon 5D and processed with ACR.

Chasing Butterflies

It’s that time of year when butterflies and yellow jackets are abundant. I went chasing butterflies twice this week and both times I wasn’t successful in my quest for a photo. I guess I need to get up and out earlier.

Today’s post is of another Gazania in the yard. I really lucked out when I found these at Lynch’s Garden Center in town.

This is a straight photo from the Canon G10. I tried to fiddle with the color in Photomatix, but nothing looked better than it God given color.

17 to 23

Friday, the end of another week. I have a light weekend with a fire department inspection dinner Saturday evening and the end of a fishing tournament on Sunday. As a freelance you take work when it comes around. Next Friday we are going up to Vermont for parents weekend. I can’t wait to see Adam. He sounds so excited about college.

Today’s post was made at self-storage units at Gabreski Airport in Westhampton. These units were ammunitions storage units in building D, which was a post, a few days back.

I used the Canon 5d and post processing was with ACR.

Raindrops

We had some rain yesterday right before dusk. I was able to make this image of the sky reflection and raindrops on the roof of my car before the sun set. I made this image with the Canon G10, processed it with Canon’s Digital Photo Professional and Photomatix Tone Mapping programs.

Fence and Wall

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I was intrigued by the color of the fence post and the peeling painted bricks. This was the back wall of a law office in Hempstead. I made this image on Sunday when I went to see Kara’s photos in the group show. The photo doesn’t do the area justice. As I walked the block to the gallery, the smell of urine and bleach assaulted my senses. I needed to step over litter and broken bottles. Needless to say Hempstead is a very poor community.

This image was made with the Canon G10 and processed with Photo Digital Professional from Canon and Tone Mapping from Photomatix.

Sunset through the Pines

I’m always a sucker for the glow of the setting sun through leaves or grass or anything really. This is a Black Pine with yesterday’s sunset behind it.

Made with the Canon 5D and processed with ACR.

The letter D

I had a rough day today. I accidentally erased a compact flash card without downloading the photos first. It’s very embarrassing to have to call a client to tell them. I should know better, this is the second time I’ve done this. I think it’s time for a portable back up. I started looking at them today.

My post today, the letter D, I found at an old ammunitions storage unit in Westhampton. They use the property now for self-storage units and when we were between homes we stored our stuff there.

This image is an HDR creation from three exposures. I finished the HDR file with Photomatix Tone Mapping program.

East End Vinyard

What a day. A former student invited me to a juried photography exhibit; she was awarded Best in Color for a wonderful abstract. It was good for me to see some quality printing; it has been a long time since I saw good local photography. Kara Reyes has a great eye and is a talented photographer.

Today’s picture post was made yesterday on my way home from Greenport. The east end of Long Island has become our own wine country. At one of the vineyards along Main Road in Southold I saw these grape trellises with white netting. Most of the vineyards use black netting. The white looked cool and I thought it might make an interesting photograph. So here it is after being processed with both Canon’s Digital Photo Professional and Photomatix Tone mapping program. I made this image with the Canon G10.

Push Down Hard

We had another rainy day today. But I was able to get in most of my son Evan’s football game and an outside photo-op. Later I was in Greenport for the Suffolk Count Police Department’s Annual Conference where the Presiding Officer of the Suffolk County Legislature was honored as Man of the Year. Bill Lindsay is definitely the Man of the Year.

Today’s photo is from Greenport. I had some fun with the color in Photoshop.

Queen Ann's Lace

We had buckets of rain today, buckets. My morning assignment was cancelled after I got there. And my afternoon assignment was moved indoors. Between, I was able to make a few personal photographs of a barn.

Today’s photo was made a few weeks ago. It was inspired by another blogspot. Georgia is very talented and her blog is an inspiration.

I made this photo with the Canon 5D and processed it with Photoshop.

Bohemia

I didn’t make any personal photos today. It started out as an ok day, but it declined fast, even though I did get a lot of work done.

I needed to drop off a disk of headshots in Bohemia, the town I grew up in. While I was on Church Street, I stopped by St. John Nepomucene’s cemetery. I have a bother buried there, a brother I never met. Thomas was born early and died a day or two after being born. He would have been 46 years old this year. I just was wondering what he’d be like, married, children, what would he be today if he had lived?

All my family live down south, I don’t get to spend any time with them. I wonder if we would have been closer.

Today’s photo is from the comedy troop job. This is a worked photo, processed with Adobe ACR.

Habanero Peppers

I was given some pepper plants this spring from an acquaintance and four of the plants turned out to be habaneros. I am going to attempt to make a habanero pepper sauce. If nothing else, I was able to get a nice photo.

This image was made with the macro mode on the G10. It was processed with Canon Digital Photo Professional.

Nails, screws and staples.

Tuesday and it’s back to the routine for most. Here in Southampton it’s called tumbleweed Tuesday. That’s the day after all the city folk return home and the village is empty.

I had a busy day, hence the late post. This image was made today with a Canon Rebel T1i with the packaged lens. I like the camera, but the lens seems soft. Anyway, it was processed in Canon’s Digital Camera Professional and then in Photomatix Tone Mapping program and further in Photoshop.

Sasha

Cats are funny animals, and Sasha is no exception. She is the dog in the family. Isabel, our adopted Greyhound is a couch potato, even though she’s not allowed on the couch.

(She has been found on the couch many times, it’s a favorite spot when we are not home). Sasha makes all the noise in the animal part of the family. Her loud meows wake Isabel and I up in the morning, “time for breakfast.” Isabel sometimes whimpers, but rarely barks.

This is Sasha on the windowsill being a cat. She’s always been an inside cat, so the sill is her view of the big outside world. She sits up there and watches the birds and she’ll meow at Isabel as she runs around outside. Sometimes, like today, she just enjoys the heat of the sun. I made this image with the Canon 5D and processed it with ACR.

sunlight

What a day, I am very tired. The Town of Babylon had its’ annual Beach Blast with live music, ice cream eating contests, water balloon tosses and more. I’m exhausted

from photographing all of it.

Today’s post was from a walk I took yesterday morning. I liked the way the sunlight illuminated just what I was to see. Made with the Canon 5D and processed with ACR.

Clouds

Driving home from Potsdam on Monday these clouds were in the sky in front of us for almost six of the eight and a half hours. I couldn’t help thinking of Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now. A favorite song by a favorite artist.

Years ago I heard a Pete Seeger version of this song with a verse that he penned for Mitchell. If I remember correctly it was a live recording on Folkways Records. Although I haven’t see that record in decades, I often think about that version as well,

This was made with the Canon G10 and processed with Canon’s Digital Photo Professional and Photomatix Tone Mapping programs.

September 3, 2009

What a beautiful day weather-wise. Unfortunately I was only outside for a press conference in the morning. Te rest of the day I spent processing photos and framing an enlargement.

I’m tired of sitting at the computer; it’s the one aspect of digital photography I hate. Working in a wet darkroom was a lot different. I miss it.

Today’s photo was made on Tuesday at the golf outing I worked. This photo was made with the Canon 5D and processed with Adobe Camera Raw.

I llove photographing these grass plants. I've posted two other photos of them, After the rain and A Day Late which were both early in my blogger career.

Windshield Rain Drops

I had a fun assignment today photographing an improv troop. It’s a whole lot different from politics and elected people. After I process them. I post one or two.

Today’s photo is of water on my windshield. I took the liberty of processing it with canon’s Digital Photo Professional and Photomix Tone Mapping programs.

Church & State

For some reason I’m always drawn to the flag and church steeple photos. This was made in Warrensburg New York on the return trim from Potsdam. There are two churches across from each other, and I made this photo when we stopped to gas up the car.

We do have a beautiful state if I may say so and not sound like I’m bragging. Many parts are really run down; some are almost ghost towns. I don’t know why more economic development isn’t done in many of the distressed upstate towns.

This photo was made with the Canon 5D and processed with Adobe Camera Raw.

Everyone should visit my friends The Homegrown String Band, Rick's latest post features one of my photos of them. They are one talented family.