Day 334 of 365 - SSL

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/2.0 (lensbaby)
Focal Length: 50mm (lensbaby)
ISO: 400

Macro Monday 11/30/09 - Security

Posted for this week's Macro Monday challenge, the theme was Security. The image is of a digital certificate used by a web site to provide encryption between a browser and the server. I thought it appropriate for this week's challenge but it is a shot I could have basically screenshotted so I may post something a bit more photographically interesting as well later today.

This was done with a lensbaby composer, no aperture ring which I think makes it f/2.

Day 333 of 365 - Stringing Garland And Lights

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.04 sec (1/25)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 100 mm
ISO: 100

As I promised more Christmas decorations for my photo a day. This isn't quite what I had envisioned but it's ok; especially for a Sunday night when I don't have a lot of good ideas :). Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Details: 580exii 1/64 camera left bare (aimed at background)
Vivitar 285hv 1/16 gelled with 2 full red gells aimed at banister .
Triggered with cybersync.
Lotsa mucking around with photoshop and nik color efex until I get somthing I sorta liked.

Day 332 of 365 - Biking Brookelynn

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 38 mm
ISO: 400

Nicer Large on Black

This is just a quick snapshot I took today at my Neice's birthday party. She got her first new bike and was quite excited :)

Day 331 of 365 - Officially Christmas Time

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.5 seconds
Aperture: f/8.0 (lensbaby)
Focal Length: 50mm (lensbaby)
ISO: 100

Well with Thanksgiving over (in the US) in the Golden household we have begun our Christmas season in full :). The tree went up tonight. This is undoubtedly not the only Christmas shot you will see from me as my 365 comes to a close :P.

Day 330 of 365 - Dayna on Thanksgiving

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO: 800

Today we celebrated thanksgiving and I took a quick snapshot of my wife that I thought I would use for the occasion. I am truly thankful for her :)

Day 329 of 365 - Lollipop

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 43 mm
ISO: 800

Not a lot to say about this; I liked the colors.

Day 328 of 365 - ;)

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO: 800

Day 327 of 365 - All For One

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO: 200

Macro Monday 11/23/09 - My Gang

This is an image of My hand, My Wife Dayna's Hand, My oldest son Jeffrey's hand and Finally (my youngest son) Trevor's hand from bottom to top. I shot this for this week's Macro Monday theme which was "My Gang". The idea is an adaptation of one my mother suggested (thanks Mom).

Shot Spex:
Lighting -- 1 580exII 1/2 power into reflective umbrella camera right and high
Processing with Nik Silver Efex Pro and Photoshop

Day 326 of 365 - Pump Up The Volume!

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 10 seconds
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO: 100

More Nik Silver Efex Goodness with this one. This is an old receiver I recently put back into use for my TV. Still sounds pretty good, though I usually am a bit more conservative with the volume than is depicted here :)

Day 325 of 365 - Shawna

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO: 400

We had an early thanksgiving with my parents, siblings and their children today. This is a shot of my sister, Shawna, that she agreed to sit for before we left.

Lighting:
580EXII Camera right (I can't remember the power on this one)
Vivitar 285hv Behind and camera Right that really didn't do much for the exposure.
Triggered with Cybersync

Edit:
Sharpened Eyes a lot to make them POP in photoshop.
Applied Nik Color Efex Glamour Glow effect.
Nik Viveza to pull down the brightness on the stairs.

Day 324 of365 - Solar System

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 145 mm
ISO: 800

Silly but I still liked it...

Day 323 of 365 - Boy Behind The Lens

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.04 sec (1/25)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO: 800

I have seen this done a lot but wanted to try my hand in it. So I grabbed my favorite model. He complains a lot but works for free :) and gave it a shot. Processing is with Nik Silver Efex, Nik Color Efex Bleach Bypass and Photoshop. Light was just room light. I sort of like how it turned out.
Done!

Day 322 of 365 - Putting Bread On The Table

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO: 400

Simple shot for today.

Day 321 of 365 - Golden Path

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/320)
Aperture: f/11.0
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO: 400

(alternate title Yellow Brick Road)


Gonna leave you guessing on this one for a while. I just liked the pattern and color in this.

Day 320 of 365 - Pull My Finger

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO: 400

Macro Monday 11/16/09 - What's That Smell?

For today's macro monday group :) The theme of What's that smell. :D

Shot Spex:
580exii 1/64 through shoot through umbrella high Camera Left triggered with Cybersync
Converted with Nik Silver Efex Pro

Simple Sunset

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 1/8000 sec
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 185 mm
ISO: 400

Day 319 of 365 - Springs & Curves

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.4 seconds
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 105 mm
ISO: 400

Since it is raining outside I decided to shoot something random in my house. I settled on this old folding chair; I liked the texture and patterns here as an abstract.

Day 318 of 365 - The Box

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.8 seconds
Aperture: 2.0 (lensbaby)
Focal Length: 50mm (lensbaby)
ISO: 100

Large On Black

My wife and I went to see the movie, "The Box" today. I won't put out any spoilers or anything but suffice it to say it is one of the strangest movies I have seen in my life. And, I don't mean that in a good way. It was like a bad twilight zone for 2 hours (and I am a big sci-fi fan who doesn't think there were many bad twilight zone episodes). Maybe others would like it, and I can't say I was bored with it. It just was too strange for my tastes. I know this isn't much of a photo but I couldn't think of much else and I am still processing this movie in my head LOL.

Shot Details:
Lensbaby without aperture disc (2.0 aperture) + 12mm kenko extension tube. Used the lensbaby to add weirdness to the focus to match the weirdness of the film. Converted to b&w in Nik Silver Efex.

Day 317 of 365 - Trevor Modeling Again

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 43 mm
ISO: 100

Large On White

I wanted to experiment with using an umbrella as a backdrop. So I had trevor stand in front of it and used another to light his face. I Like the results quite a bit. Couldn't do much more than a head this way but it was cool that it worked . I only had to lighten the edges a bit in photoshop (whre the umbrella didn't cover) Converted this in Nik Silver Efex after that.

Lighting: 580exii 1/64 in a shoot through umbrella behind subject. Vivitar 285hv 1/16 through a shoot through umbrella camera right and a little high. Triggered with Cybersync

Day 316 of 365 - Landing

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture: f/20.0
Focal Length: 134 mm
ISO: 100

As part of Veterans day celebrations this week at the place where I work they had three military helicopters land in a field on the property. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get outside to take the shot and I was stuck using a cheap zoom (my good 70-200 was at home as I don't usually cart it back and forth to work with me). So this is through a dirty window with an average lens. That said the subject is interesting so I am posting it for my photo of the day today.

EDIT: I edited another that I am a little happier with.. Here it is :)

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture: f/14.0
Focal Length: 112 mm
ISO: 100

Day 315 of 365 - Thank You

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO: 400

Thank you. We will remember your sacrifice your service and your commitment.

View from The Tractor

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 70 mm
ISO: 100

Posting a second shot today since my photo of the day shot is a bit abstract and unusual -- I thought I would go a bit more traditional here.

This was shot on a hayride that my Wife's family does every year (well before it really). It was in November but it was unseasonably warm as you can see bugs and stuff in the shot here due to that.

Day 314 of 365 - Zoom Zoom

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 3.2 seconds
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 51 mm
ISO: 400

As a flickr contact of mine, Chewie2008, likes to say this is through my most expenseive lens filter (windshield). I tried a few long exposures while driving (slowly with no traffic people don't freak out!) tonight on the way home. This is the only one that remotely turned out I'm not 100% sure I love it but I like it. It's got the abstract feeling I was looking for and I like how it fades into the light at the end of the photo. In any case I thought I would post it up for today's shot.

Day 313 of 365 - Dream Book

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/4.0 (lensbaby custom aperture disc Star shape)
Focal Length: 50 mm (lensbaby)
ISO: 100

Macro Monday 11/09/09 - Dreamy

I had a tough time coming up with something for this week's Macro Monday's theme but then I saw my B&H catalog and new I had something. This book contains many 'Dream's come true' items for me :) (as I am sure it does for many of my other photographer friends)

Setup: This was shot with a lensbaby composer using the Star custom aperture disc. 1 580exii 1/64 camera right triggered by cybersync. White Christmas lights provided the bokeh. And I fogged things up a bit in the star area with Nik Colore Efex Complete.

Day 312 of 365 - Deep Thoughts

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 21 mm
ISO: 800

Yup... another of Trevor. My mind is not working in very creative ways today so default subject once again :). Hope everyone had a good weekend.

Fenceline Sunset

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1000)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO: 400

Another shot from the hayride with my wife's side of the family last night.

Day 311 of 365 - Reflections From A Pond

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 70 mm
ISO: 400

We had our annual hay ride with my wife's side of the family down at the family farm. The ride started about sunset but I managed to get back to the pond in time to catch the colors and the reflections coming up from the pond. I have a few more that I caught of this pond and the reflections as well as other places on the farm at sunset I will sprinkle in over the next few days but I thought this one was the best one so I am using it for my photo of the day today.
Done!

Day 310 of 365 - Honest Abe

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/11.0
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO: 100

Large on Black (much more detail)

In addition to today's photo being day 310 in my photo a day project for 2009 it is also representative of a new project I intend to start in 2010.

The project will basically be to try to document, celebrate or otherwise note common and obscure dates in the calendar for 2010 or interesting days in history corresponding to that date. I intend to post most days but I don't intend to make it another photo a day project.

I have also started a flickr group, which anyone is free to join, to collect images from others who would like to participate in the project with me. You may participate with as much or as little as you like. Feel free to join the group even if you don't think you will add a lot of images to it; the more the merrier.

Today's event is commemorating the election of Abraham Lincoln to the Office of the President of the United States on this Day in 1860 (November 6, 1860)

This will probably be the only photo along these lines (other than major holiday's I would have done for my PAD anyway) until 2010. I am only doing it today to share my plans and invite you all to the group :D

(for those dying to know.. No I don't have three arms and this isn't quick focus Jeff.... There was a string..... wonder where it went :P)

Lighting.... hmmm i forgot the specifics.. 580exii lit the background vivitar 285hv lit my hand and the coin, both bare (should have diffused the vivitar)... triggered with cybersync.

My 2010 Photography Project

My photo a day project for 2009 is not even over yet and I am already looking forward to what I will do photographically in 2010.   I have a lot to say about the 2009 photo a day project but that is something I plan to save for another blog post and another day.  My 2010 project is going to be similar in some ways and very different in a lot of others.   My plan is to make photographs and post them around the theme of this day in history or other calendar events.

Photo Credit: Your Secret Admiral Flickr
CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

If you look at a calendar, a physical one like you hang on the wall or put on your desk, you will note that, in many cases, there are all kinds of obscure holidays and events noted.  If you look at two of them you will see that often there is a difference between what is in one and what is in another.   Additionally if you look at online resources, like wikipedia, you will note that there are usually a lot of interesting days in history for any given day on the calendar.   This provides and interesting theme choice for a photograph literally every day of the year.

So my plan is simple.   I will, most days, post a photograph relating to that day in history, a major or obscure holiday or other calendar event.   I am giving myself a bit of a break as I have no intention of posting every day of the year as I did in 2009.  I am also not limiting myself to exposing, processing and posting the images on the same day as I did in 2009.   The project, for me, is focused on posting content related to the current day in history on most days of 2010.

One of the reasons I decided to go this route is that one of the main things I struggled with in 2009 was coming up with creative ideas for photos each day.  I think having a list of things to choose from will help provide a framework and actually improve the creativity of my shots and my creativity in general.  It sounds silly that less options will equal more creativity but I really think that is the case.

In late 2009 I started participating in a flickr group called Marco Mondays; that group provides a theme for each monday.  I found that my photos for Macro Mondays were among my most creative even though they had to conform to a theme that was provided to me and not something I came up with on my own.  I am hoping a similar thing will happen with this project in choosing a theme from a finite list rather than starting each day with a completely blank slate.

I have also decided to open this project up to anyone else who wants to participate.  I have started a new flickr group called This Day In History 2010.   If you would like to participate head on over to flickr and join up the more the merrier.

Day 309 of 365 - Fell

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Aperture: f/4 (lensbaby)
Focal Length: 50mm (lensbaby)
ISO: 100

My lensbaby experiment continues today; with some degree of success finally :). I pretty much nailed the focus through the viewfinder on this. I am just psyched I got what I was trying to get from the lensbaby. I have ordered a magnified eyepiece which I think will help a bit in focusing too.

This was also cross processed with Nik Color Efex and tweaked a bit with Nik Viveza.

On another note I have come up with a project for 2010. I'll post more about that tomorrow

Day 308 of 365 - Fading Focus

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/2.0 (lensbaby no aperture disc)
Focal Length: 50 mm (lensbaby)
ISO: 400

I am still playing with focusing this lensbaby. I took a lot of shots on my lunch break at work today but none of them were really worth doing much with so I decided to try to do one at home tonight. The focus here isn't too bad, not perfect but not horrible, and the exposure was kind of what I was going for but it sort of minimizes the in focus part so not sure about that. Still a lot of work to do with this lensbaby but I am having fun doing it. Not so sure my wife was thrilled about being in my photo but oh well :-)

Day 307 of 365 - Looking Forward

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO: 400

I have been thinking a lot about what I am going to do for 2010 related to photography. So far I haven't found the inspiration for that one thing it will be.

I am really looking for something that will challenge me to focus more and develop a vision and style of my own. I have done some of that this year but, with whatever project I begin in 2010, I want it to really focus on that and help me drive toward an insipriation that is perpetually feeding itself.

Have any of you thought about your photographic goals for 2010? What are you planning to do as this year moves into its sunset and we begin to look beyond 2009?

Day 306 of 365 - All Work And No Play

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO: 100

Macro Monday 11/02/09 - Stephen King

I tried to recreate a still I found out of the movie; in retrospect not sure the hand works here but it's ok. You get the idea.

Here is another shot, many of you have seen, which seems to fit too :=) I did this a while back.


The texture I used for the paper was provided by borealnz. Thanks!

Day 305 of 365 - Read On Mr. Potter

Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/4 (lensbaby)
Focal Length: 50mm (lensbaby)
ISO: 100


Those of you who know me and know my 365 project will not be surprised that when presented with a prop like Trevor's halloween costume I would not be able to leave it being used just once. Thus I give you the spectacles from the costume in this composition. It is also a part of my learn how to focus the flippin lensbaby project. I think that part turned out well though I might not have chosen such an extremely small sweet spot for it in this composition. In any case I give you day 305 :) Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and halloween!