Signs of Spring

We leave at 5:30 for Vermont. Brian and Adam both don't have more that the weekend off , so we'll take Easter up to them. Brian is getting a ride across the state and we'll meet him at the Grand Island ferry. Then on Sunday we'll get him back to the ferry.

The weather looks ok, no rain or snow but Sunday it's overcast.

Today's post comes from yesterday's walk in the light rain and the pussy willow is from a few days earlier when we had sunshine.

I made both of these with the Canon 5d mkII and processed them in photoshop.

Arrows

If you have followed the news, than you're aware of the rain the east coast has received. The puddles here on Long Island are incredible. It doesn't even seem right to call them puddles. This afternoon it let up a bit, so I went out to make some photos. Most of them were the usual, raindrops on branches, raindrops on leaf buds, etc, etc, etc.

So on the way back to my car, I saw the one way sign reflected on the puddle over the exit arrow. I used the Canon 5d mkII and processed it with Photomatix Pro and Photoshop.

The Great Atlantic

Today's photo is of one of the man-made groins along the ocean beach in Southampton. The Army Core of Engineers also installed rock jetties to do the same thing; impede erosion.

They don't install them any longer. There's no stopping mother nature, she just moved further down the beach.

They still make for an interesting photograph when they are exposed.

Made with the Canon G10 and photoshop.

More Rust

 

I went for a walk along the ocean yesterday morning. It was very cold. The Beach Club at Agawam is getting a face lift while mother nature has reduced the size of the beach. The wood groins that are supposed to stop beach erosion are all exposed from the winter storms.

Today's post is from a lag bolt on one of the groins. The morning sun light and the natural rust colors were just beautiful. I wish I had something other than the Canon G10 to make this macro photo. I had to be careful of the crashing waves as I was bending down to make this photo.

County Road 39

Today's post is two photos, the first is another number post, 39. It serves a dual purpose in that County Road 39 is the road I live on. It's a strange road. It's part of a larger road, New York State RT27 which I made the other photo on.

NYS Route 27 is said to be over 122 miles long and runs east and west. It is the only way to get to Montauk Point, and is the only major road on the south eastern end of the island.

This time of year, all the summer folks start coming out to their summer homes to open them up for the season. Where NYS RT27 merges with CR39 is right where I live. At this point the speed limit also changes from 55 mph to 35 mph.

Up until 2 years ago CR39 was a single east bound lane. The traffic situation was a horror scene then. So they made two lanes from the one lane and slowed down traffic. Now, sometimes the trade parade on a Monday morning is the only traffic we see anymore.

The car photo is typical of a Friday afternoon. I got a kick out of the big dog trying to get up into the back window.

Another rusty bolt.

What a busy day. It started at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church in Wyandanch. The Church has the largest outreach program in Suffolk County up until about twenty-six months ago. The people in need were still there, but the outreach building and rectory were destroyed by a fire.

Today was the groundbreaking ceremony for the rebuilding of both buildings. For the whole morning the sun was shinning. I'll try and post a couple of the photos tomorrow.

This afternoon, was gray and cold, there's talk of snow in the forecast. Nothing serious, but I was looking foreword to planting some early vegetables. Oh well.

Today's photo is another rust photo, made the Canon G10. I was drawn to the three different colors, the red brick, the gray cement and the blue blue plaster. I noticed the rusty bolt and snap! A photo.

Nine

 

Here's another one for my one to one hundred series, the number nine. It's fun looking for numbers with character. This was part of a phone number painted on a wall in Babylon Village.

I made this with the Canon G10 and Photoshop.

Main Street, Babylon

Today's photograph is of an old street sign along Main Street in Babylon Village. The letters are all worn off. As I go close, I noticed in the background this street sign separated the newer school building and the older white shingled building.

Made with the Canon G10 and processed with ACR.

Dock Poles

Sometimes when the bay freezes over many mariners and people with docks and boat slip lose their dock poles. The ice causes the poles to lift and eventually come loose, like this one around the block from where we live. My in-laws have a dock and have lost poles in the past. I'm not sure how they faired this season.

Some people put in bubble systems that keep the water moving around the poles and prevents the water from freezing. The system works when the winter doesn't have a long cold stretch that freezes the moving water.

Made with the Canon G10 and processed with ACR.

Sunny Saturday

  I don't want to rub-it-in, but today's weather was fantastic. After making some baby photos this morning I started with yard work and cleaning up the vegetable garden. I know it's early, but it's better to do what I can, when I can. I understand it may rain tomorrow.

Today is Adam's last day home. It was a great visit, he was a big help with the yard work today.

My photo post is of bolts in the bulkhead by the canal. I've said it before, rust always catches my eye.

This was made with the Canon G10 and processed ACR.

Friday

 

What a beautiful Friday, the perfect day to pay hooky. I took a nice bike ride this morning down to Peconic Bay. The sun was shinning, birds chirping and everything was still. What a day. I did have an afternoon job to take care of. It was an outdoor photo, Everything was good, I even did a shadow portrait.

I took the Canon G10 with me and made these photos. Both were processed with ACR.

Spring is around the corner

I was able to go for a walk Tuesday before my last job of the day. I was at a Girl Scout Camp in Blue Point called Camp Edey. When I was a Boy Scout, we camped there late September or October and we would fix the trails or tent platforms for the Girl Scouts. We always would go looking for the girls, but we never found them.

The walk did me good, actually it would have been much better to air out my head after the job. The last three days have been great weather, high 60's and sunny, spring is showing signs all around. Spring flowers are breaking through the ground and buds are appearing.

I'm getting that itch for a macro lens again.

This was made with the Canon G10 and processed with ACR.

Pine cones and moss

 

I came across these pine cones and moss and was intrigued by the colors. No story, just had a long day and it's late.

Made with the Canon 5d mkII and processed as a HDR image with Photomatix Pro.

Water and Reeds

The rain stopped, but the wind is still ripping here on Long Island. Strange weather, that's for sure. The forecast is looking good for the end of the week. I can't wait.

Today's photo I made on Friday when the I was chasing clouds.

Made with the Canon 5d mkII and processed with ARC and photoshop.

The Rain and the Wind

 

We had winds in the fifty to seventy miles an hour range Saturday night into Sunday morning; it was scary. A few shingles and a piece of fachier siding flew off the house, and we have a water stain on the ceiling in the entryway.

Brian returned to school Saturday morning, and this is where I made today’s photo. I was back at the train depot twelve hours later to pick up Adam. Spring break for both schools were different and neither will have enough time off for Easter to come home. We are considering go to Vermont and Brian will meet us there. I can’t image Easter without the boys.

Today’s photo was made with the Canon G10 and processed with ARC.

The Clouds of Michelanglo

First, I manipulated these three images. I saw these incredible clouds yesterday on my way up island. I pulled over to find a spot where I could photograph them. There were amazing to me, like nothing I've ever seen in my life.

As I was making these photos I knew what I had to do.

The took the title from Refuge of the Roads, by Joni Mitchell's. She sees the clouds as “muscular with gods and sungold.” 
I saw them a bit different.

I guess these incredible clouds are responsible for the high winds and rain we are having today. Feels like the wind is gonna rip the house right off the foundation.

Photographed with the Canon 5d mkII and processed as HDR images in Photomatix Pro and ARC.

American Flag

Maybe it’s because of sign ordinances that a lot of retailers fly super large American Flags. It would probably look very unpatriotic for someone to pass a regulation on how big the American flag is that you fly.

I saw this flag flying high from a pole in the parking lot of a McDonald’s in Oakdale.

Photographed with the Canon 5d mkII and processed with ARC.

One

This is the second time I've made photos of this door and number. I'm still not sure it's the best I can do with it. I always wanted to do a series of one to one hundred in photographs.

Made with the Canon G10 and Photoshop ACR in Southampton village.

A beautiful Monday

The weather was beautiful today, high fifty's, the sun was shinning and I was fairly busy. Covered a press conference about taking guns off the streets which was very interesting. I feel a lot better today and I'm sure the weather helped.

Today's photo is of a clammer in Cold Spring Pond. This is a scan from an original black and white negative. The image was made about twelve years ago. It's one of my favorite images.

 

Yard work and tears.

 

Trimmed most of our Butterfly Bushes today and did a little raking. After that, it was a fairly an emotional day.

My boys were Boy Scouts and we grew close to some of the other boys and their families over the years.

August 2008, our troop took our annual whitewater rafting trip. As with previous trip, scouts, parents and leaders all divide up into rafts. My wife, Dr. Bob Scheuch, Bob's daughter Chloe, another parent, Lauren and a scout, John and myself was the crew in our raft that August.

The year before, we had Bob's wife and a different scout mom on our raft. We had a blast with the Scheuch's.

Chloe, didn't have the best time in '07, her first time down the rapids. In '08 she was a year older and to add a little more fun, when the water was calm, we'd paddle in circles and make us all a little dizzy. We called it “making doughnuts.”

At one rapid, we hit a bolder and Bob hurt his foot which was wedged between the seat roll and the rock underneath the raft. Nothing serious, but he was a bit sore. We all stopped for lunch and the boys and some adults went for a swim before we finished the second leg of the trip.

On our last rapid, maybe twenty-five minutes before the end of the trip, Bob fell forward. I was seated next to him and asked if he was all right, no response.

I grabbed his life-vest and pulled him up as I yelled for Lauren who was directly in front of Bob. She jumped to the back of the raft as I was struggling to get Bob to say anything. He had a blank stare and seamed to want to tell us something. We maneuvered the raft to the bank of the river.

Tac, our scoutmaster and a registered nurse from a different group both tried their hardest to get Bob breathing again.

Upriver, Bob's two sons and the rest of the troop waited, everyone knew it was Bob. People were looking for a doctor. Bob was the doctor.

Cel held Chloe only yards away from where her dad laid lifeless on the rocks as Tac and this stranger gave Bob mouth to mouth.

Bob was pronounced dead, news we learned as we returned to camp.

Today, Robert W. Scheuch III, Bob's first son was awarded his Eagle Scout Award. Bobby, as everyone calls him was amazing. We all are so proud of the man you have become.

I couldn't post a photo today.

Our First Signs of Spring

 

 

Spring usually happens later here on the eastern end of Long Island. Later than the western end of the island. This, I believe is because the western portion is closer to the equator. Just my theory. The east end enjoys slightly less snow in winter do to the Gulf stream, go figure.

I came home from food shopping and say these little flowers. My wife and I don't remember planting anything there. They first appeared last year. Spring is right around the corner.

 

The Allspice Jar

 

I made this photo a week or so ago. I was drawn to the sunlight coming in the window and the way it illuminated the old jar. The jar is empty, it just sits in the corner china cabinet. I'm not even sure we have any Allspice.

I wanted to make a Herb Bread from a recipe I found in a book for bread machines. We love a similar recipe that came with the machine. One big difference is the new one is made with wheat flour. The recipe calls for Savory, so I went looking for some, but could only find in on the internet.

This photo was made with the Canon 5d mkII and Photoshop.

 

Phone Home

 

My snapshot today is a photo of my wife and Adam using Skype to talk to each other. We love Skype.

Norwich University, the school Adam attends, has poor cell phone reception. At orientation we were advised to get a photo with a different carrier. On top of tuition, they want me to have contracts with two cell companies. Yea right. Well, for the first semester, we lived with poor reception and Adam having to walk across the street to talk to us. But, winter in Vermont is cold. So, after hearing about free internet telephone we downloaded it.

It's great, there's a slight delay but other than that it great. We get to see each other and talk. If his room mates are in the room, we can type back an forth, with the video on. We love it. So, today's post is all about Skype. (this is not a paid endorsement, but if someone there wants to pad the wallet, I won't complain.) We love Skype.

 

One of six

 

Today's photo is one of the six different succulents my wife brought home from California. While it snowed yesterday, I sat by the window, next to the six small flower pots, wondering who wanted the warmer weather more; me or them.

I accidentally left my G10 in the car, and condensation had formed on the lens. I made a photo anyway.

In the days of film, when I needed a soft focus filter I would breath on my lens. It always worked for a frame or two. The only problem was the difficulty in getting the same look twice. Today, a lot of image editing software programs offer some kind of soft focus or blur effect. Not that I don't have a lot of hot air to spare.

After the lens cleared, I made the photo I had in mind.

lights in the trees

 

I like moving the camera during the exposure. These holiday lights decorate a parking lot at a catering hall I was at a few nights ago. I made a couple of straight exposures and then I made this one. I processed it with Photomatix Tone Mapping program. The added contrast help make the blurred orange lights look like scratches...or I've been looking at this too long and it looks nothing like scratches.

I used the Canon G10.

Snow covered brier patch

Not much to say today. I can’t believe it’s March already. The weekend was ok, I was able to steal some time and see the Homegrown String Band at the Port Jefferson Library. The 40 minutes I saw was excellent, even the part where Rick messed up his lyrics.

Today’s photo is from Friday’s snowstorm. This brier patch is next to our driveway. I wonder if rabbits are hibernating somewhere under it. It’s a favorite hiding spot for them in the warm months.

Made with the Canon G10 and ACR.

The Congregational Church of Patchogue

 

There's a stretch of highway here on Long Island that runs nearly the whole length of the island. It is known by many different names, officially it is NY27A, but in every village it passes through it becomes Main Street, and for a good length of Suffolk County; Montauk Highway. When you cross the county line into Nassau, it becomes Merrick Road.

I've always been fascinated by the amount of churches along 27A, so much that I thought one day I'd make a photo essay on all the places of worship along the road.

Maybe today's could be the start of the project. This is the interior of the Congregational Church on Main Street in Patchogue. This photo doesn't do it any justice, the church is awesome.

This was made with the Canon 5d mkII from two exposures. The first exposure was for the room and the second was for the stain glass. I used ACR and Photoshop.

Winter Wonderland

 

I had a bit of time between jobs today and had to pull over and photograph this winter wonderland. This little stream is in Blue Point near the Patchogue border. Blue Point is a great little place on the south shore of Long Island and just might have one of the best micro breweries on Long Island. Not that I'm an expert on beer, but I do enjoy an ice cold brew every now and then.

This scene was originally recorded in color as an HDR image and then desaturated all the color.

I used the Canon 5d mkII, Photomatix Pro and Photoshop for this photo.

One Red Cardinal

 

 

No surprises it snowed today, and snowed and snowed. And it's supposed to snow tomorrow. Shoveling wasn't too bad the snow was light and airy.

I'm not sure if it was the grayness of the day or all the white snow, but the Cardinals at the feeder looked incredibly red. More red that usual. Even the females looked more vivid that usual.

I tried to get a photograph of one and this was the best of the lot. He was in the front yard in a Cedar tree, I was inside.

I am posting a photo of Isabel running around in the snow. She doesn't look like she's hates snow here. She also hates her rain coat.

  I used the Canon 20d and processed both with ACR.

Rain Rain go away

 

It has been raining here for two days. Tonight the rain is suppose to change to snow. Right now it seems too warm for it to happen. They're saying only an inch or two...three at the most.

I can't get motivated to do any personal photography. Yesterday I made a photo of my feet and a puddle, today I stood in the rain looking at park benches surrounded by a lake.

The weather has everyone talking, pro global warmers and anti global warmers. I don't know what to think other than to say I need some sunshine and I need it soon.

The feet photo was processed with Photomatix Tone Mapping program and the bench I used ACR. Both were made with the Canon G10.

 

Candy Coated Building

Tired, that sums it up. I'm tired. I spent the better part of the day filing photographs, checking descriptions and ids and archiving the disks. Tonight I was the photographer for a political fundraiser for a candidate. I'd love to have a beer right about now, but I'm just too tired to get up and open one.

Today's photo was made Thursday in Hempstead, NY. I wasn't happy with the photo at all. When I first saw this colorful building, it was from the other side of a busy street and it looked good. When I went back to photograph it later in the morning the light wasn't the same. I keep telling myself now is the time, if you see something stop and photograph it now. Everything will be different later. I've been burned before, and I should have learned.

      This is the door and part of the wall, after processing it with Photomatix Tone Mapping program. I used the Canon G10. It's like a candy coating.

Drapes

I saw these drapes and the tie back and thought of the Harry Potter movies.Maybe it's all the movies we watched last weekend. The light, tone and color just screamed for me to make a photograph.

Click

I used the Canon 5d mkII for the clicking part. I processed it in Photomatix Tone Mapping Program, but was unhappy with it. I reprocessed the original RAW file using ARC and Photoshop and like it much better now. I should have saved the first so I could have posted both, it just looked too artificial.

Morning sun through the pillions

What a beautiful day today. The sun was shinning and it was beautiful out. My wife, son and I took a short walk in the village and then went to see the movie Shutter Island. I won't spoil it, it was a good movie.

Today's post is also from the Wharf. I used Photomatix Tone mapping to process this photo.

 

The Old Stomping Ground

 

I had an assignment today to cover someone I really don't care for. But, A job is a job. The best part was that I was in a neighborhood that I spent much of my time as a young adult. So, after the job I drove around the old stomping ground.

Today's photo was made in the parking lot of Vanderbilts Wharf. We knew it as The Wharf back then. It was the starting point and sometimes the finishing point for many a Friday and Saturday night.

I cant believe the sky in this photo, it looks surreal.

I used the Canon 5d mkII and processed it with ACR.

 

Are they dolls?

I came across this tree carving and so I made a couple photos and walked on. It wasn't till I started to work on the image that it dawned on me Ken and Barbara, Ken & Barbie the dolls... Whoever they are,

I bet they get teased all the time.

Made with the Canon 5d mkII and processed with Photoshop.

Driving Through The Pine Barrens

 

Driving home today I realized I didn't have anything to post today. So I thought I'd make a photo of the pine barrens. I know I've mentioned this part of my journey in other blog posts. This is the water shed area for Long Island. Rain water is filtered through the hundreds of acres of undeveloped pine barrens and becomes our drinking water. This is the reason it stays undeveloped.

A few years ago, while taking Brian up to Potsdam for school, we passed the building of a wind farm in Clinton County New York. The windmills were build on farm lands. To me, they looked awesome.

I often wonder why they can't build windmills in the pine barrens. I can't believe it would effect the ground water.

I used the Canon G10 and processed it with Photoshop.

 

Sneaky Sasha

 

Today was gray and it snowed all day. It's still snowing. I'm tired of snow.

Today's photos of Sasha were made Sunday. She likes to watch the birds from the bathroom window. It's the closest window to the bird feeder. She's never been outdoors, but I think she has an idea of where she'd head off to the moment she gets out. She's a sneak, like most cats I guess. I didn't know which photo I liked more, so I posted both. Made with the Canon G10 and processed with photoshop.

A Potter Weekend

I had a four day weekend, not good for the family finances but it sure felt good. We spent Saturday and Sunday catching up on the last four Harry Potter movies. Half-Blood Prince, we rented, Goblet of Fire and The Order of the Phoenix we watched on-line, and we own The Prisoner of Azkaban. I'm all Harryed-out for a while, even thou I'm glad I'm all up-to-date.

Really it's a well needed, once-in-a-while thing. This coming week is pretty chock-full of action, just would have been nice to have the work before the rest. Well, as a freelancer, you take what ya get!

Here's the other lone grass I promised to post.

 

Lone Grass 1

Today ends our high school wrestling season, today being the second day of the county finals. Poor Evan didn't do well and as any parent would, I felt for him. Hey, better luck next year buddy. Only a coach can put a athlete's loss in perspective for them. As a parent, all I can do is be as supportive as possible and not be an embarrassment in front of the team. Last night, a parent from another team was kicked out after his son lost. He thought the ref should have called something. Our coach used that incident to bring a smile to Evan's face. “So you lost, at least you dad didn't make a scene in front of the whole gym and get escorted out by security”.

Evan is stronger mentally than he is physically and he'll recover. It's still hard to watch them lose.

After eight and a half hours sitting on high school bleachers yesterday, my back and neck were killing me. I have upper back and neck pain from years of carrying my gear. The winter is hard enough on my back with snow shoveling, the bleachers just did it in.

Today's photo came from a walk a week ago Friday. I made a couple of lone grass images that day, I post the second one tomorrow. I used the Canon 5d mkII and photoshop for this image.

 

Ice Thursday

Yesterday's snow had a coat of ice over it that lasted all day. It made shoveling easier. Every thing was iced over. I made a few photos before I shoveled the driveway. These were made with the Canon G10 and processed in Photoshop.

 

Snowy Handrail

We had a snow day today and it's still coming down. I think Evan will have another day off tomorrow or at least a delayed opening. Evan and my wife both helped with the shoveling so it wasn't as bad as the last storm that came through. I'll have to shovel again in the morning.

Today's photo is of the handrail at the side door. The wind didn't kick-up till the evening, so everything looked pretty.

I used the Canon G10 and Photoshop for processing.