Week 21 – Theme: “In the Fridge” – Another year older…

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The theme for week 21 has us taking a peek into the fridge. I had originally planned on using some strobes gelled and hidden in the back of the fridge to make some fun colorful shots, including one of my cake all ablaze in the dark, but after a hectic and long week I was ready to settle for a little less work on my shot and instead took a few simple pictures of my birthday cake as I celebrated (mourned) my last year of being a “30 something.”

My daughter wanted it to say “Daddy” but it wouldn’t fit…

My wife and daughter were pretty sick all week so celebrations were somewhat limited in their exuberance, however Red Velvet cake makes everything better.

yummy!

Gifts were some much needed shirts and a surprise (although I knew I was getting it weeks ago, as my wife left the browser open to the amazon.com page- doh!)

The Gorillapod Focus with X-Ballhead

Not exactly the new PC I want and need, but a fun and really useful piece of kit to own. I’ve already put it to good use and find it incredibly quick and easy to use especially when I want to get really low. It’s so much faster to do so than with my Benro tripod, and the best part is that the quick release plate I use for my regular tripod works perfectly fine with the Gorillapod X-ballhead! So I don’t need to be switching tripod plates – Yay!! It’s sturdy as well I used it with my 70-300mm racked all the way out without any problems.

Another gift I got was also supposed to be a surprise but I answered the door when my friend/neighbor/shooting buddy Heather Webb came to pick up my copy of Scott Kelby’s The Digital Photography book #4  to take with her to the Google+ Photographers conference she was attending that week. I had thought of asking her to take it to get Scott’s autograph but I didn’t want to burden her with another thing to carry or the worry of trying to get an autograph from one of the busiest men in the world. However that all changes when she offers of her own accord, so I gladly handed it over and she got more than just Scott Kelby‘s autograph, she also got the autographs of RC Concepcion, Matt Kloskowski, Trey Ratcliff, Scott Bourne, Michael Freye, Karen Hutton and Colby Brown!

Autographs

Scott Kelby and Colby Brown

How cool is that? I’m so grateful to her for doing that and for all those people signing my book (not to mention it was a book written by someone else) I’m incredibly jealous that she got to meet all of them (I’ve met Karen and Colby of course, but I’d love to talk with them again)

All in all a good Birthday and a fun assignment for the week. I had hoped to cap it off with some awesome airshow pics from over the Memorial Day weekend, but my wife was still too sick and I ended up staying home to take care of her (plus the weather was lousy) so I’ll have to try for those next year…

Happy Shooting!

Howard

Week 20 of 52: Theme – “Jump” – Jump and Run!

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This weeks theme was “Jump” During the week a few opportunities to shoot for it were presented,  I took this shot as my family and I were viewing the partial solar eclipse from a park located on the foothills east of Salt Lake City. Unfortunately it was a very cloudy evening which complicated taking pictures of it so as the eclipse waned to a close and the clouds obscured the view I asked my wife to jump off some swings at the park. She was a real trooper especially as she doesn’t like swings too much, the sunset was breaking through in glorious colors and I halfway laid on the ground to get her and the sunset in frame of the 10-20mm. Unseen to me at the time was another visitor who was shooting the sunset with his i-phone, and had started to run over the small hill in the background, I love happy accidents and I’m not afraid to use them to my advantage. I really like how his silhouette adds an element of mystery to the shot combined with the shadowy movement of my wifes “jump”.

Jump and Run!

The other opportunity came earlier in the week when I chaperoned a field trip for my daughters class, we visited a local grocery store for a behind the scenes tour followed by a visit to a local care facility so they could sing for the patrons that lived there. It was a 3 mile round trip walk on the hottest day of the year (up to that point anyway) and despite many complaints of being tired they all seemed to have a good time.

A panorama of a very small portion of the students and parents at the halfway point as we waited to cross an intersection. 5 shot handheld panorama

Once the kids had sung and eaten lunch they were able to play on the playground where I caught my safe jump shot.

That’s a “T” for hanging on the rim!

That’s it for week 20, next week’s theme is “In your fridge” hmmmm think I’ll be using a strobe or two for that one. Coming soon will also be the eclipse pictures that I got despite the clouds! Stay tuned, and as always thanks so much for stopping by and looking!

Happy Shooting!

Howard

Week 19 of 52 – Theme: “Shoes” Shoes of a different breed

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Week 19 ‘s theme of “Shoes” finds me back at Wheeler Farm where I shot last weeks theme “Shadows”  I promise that I’m not planning on becoming a farmer anytime soon it’s just that this week we had our monthly family get together to celebrate Mothers Day and all the family birthdays for the month of May (Lucky me I get May all to myself) It was a beautiful spring day and getting out of the house seemed a fitting way to celebrate, plus kids love farms and farm animals. After all the party type activities were finished we took a stroll around the farm. I was on a quest to find some horse shoes for the challenge as I felt it would be a fun spin on the theme, surprisingly it was harder than I had expected to find horse shoes, even the horses were shoeless.. Go figure.

Eventually we ran across this old weathered outlying cabin/shed and its door was decorated with a number of horseshoes. I set about trying to capture it differently than flat on.

“Shoes of a different breed” These were so old and battered I can’t imagine them ever having been on a horse. – 3exp HDR with the 10-20mm.

“Infinite Luck” 3 exp HDR (sometimes straight on works)

My more conventional take on the theme:

The “safe” shot.

“Shoeless!” – My not so safe shot. 3 exp HDR – handheld

Now a collection of random images I made as we wandered around the Farm:

“Piggy back ride” Is there a more fitting place for one of these?

Of course they are…

We weren’t the only ones having a family get together.

I counted at least 12 “pro” photography sessions going on while we were there. (PS: She probably shouldn’t be wearing white…)

3 exp HDR – Handheld

This one’s for Toad of Toad Hollow Photography who has the greatest knack for photographing old rusty farm/industrial equipment! 3 exp HDR

The horseshoes were on the door of the cabin to the right. 3 exp HDR Handheld

This poor guy was shedding so badly he was begging for anything to scratch him, even silly guys with cameras. 3 exp HDR Handheld

The original farmhouse of Wheeler Farm, I would love to shoot the interior of this someday. 3 exp HDR handheld

The front yard, where the Duck and Geese roam… 3 exp HDR Handheld

One of many irrigation ditches that run around the entire farm. 3 exp HDR Handheld

A photography magnet! I can’t imagine how many portraits have been made here. 3 exp HDR handhled

This old timer was mumbling in his sleep. 3 exp HDR Handheld

Awake! For an old timer he’s still got perky ears… 3 exp HDR Handheld (isn’t golden hour backlighting just gorgeous?!)

Well that’s it for this weeks adventure. Thanks for taking yet another spin around Wheeler Farm with me. I have plenty more to explore there some other day (so much rusty goodness to really dive into when I have more time to do so) I’m sure I’ll share more pictures from the farm someday, but for now I’m planning on the next theme “Jump” and a partial solar eclipse.

Happy Shooting!

Howard

Week 18 of 52 – Theme: “Shadows”

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“Light illuminates, Shadows define” renowned photographer Rick Sammon often uses this quote when talking about photography and I definitely agree. So when this weeks theme of “Shadows” came up I was really excited especially as the Photowalking Utah group was having a photowalk in the newly opened mega shopping complex in downtown Salt Lake City the City Creek Center. The walk would start at 7am giving us great opportunities for some dramatic sunrise light and of course lots of shadows!

Didn’t happen.. it was a conspiracy I tell you… OK, it was really my son and his friends needing a ride to the late (11pm) showing of Avengers and that meant staying up late, so waking up early was a no go. Enter Plan B, only I didn’t have a Plan B, but we did need to scout out a place for the family party we were hosting next week and that meant a trip to Wheeler Farm and lots of shadows (I hoped!)

My wife and daughter came along and here’s a bit of what we saw.

This sign on the side of a barn caught my eye immediately! – 3 exp HDR handheld
“Light illuminates, Shadows define” -Rick Sammon

My daughter on her tippy toes to see some horses, when I looked behind me after taking this shot I saw the sign on the side of the barn, so here’s a free photo tip – “look behind you” It’s an oldie but a goodie!

One of the many pastures around Wheeler Farm. – 3 exp HDR Handheld

Wheeler Farm’s most abundant wildlife… 3 exp HDR handheld

She loves horses! 3 exp HDR handheld

“Can I please have a horse?”

Every year I go to the farm we see the lambs crawling in the trough to the complete and utter annoyance of the adults trying to eat. 3 exp HDR handheld

I guess we can be annoying as well…

Watching the cows.

Thanks for taking this shadow scouting mission with us, we’ll be headed back to Wheeler Farm for week 19′s theme: “Shoes.”

Think I can find a few of those on a farm?

Happy Shooting!

Howard