Happy Birthday America

I hope you had as much fun as I did.

Tools of the trade

You work with what you have



One thing I love about summer is drinking outside. Tables and chairs outdoors, with people and casual conversation floating in the background.

Links

A while back I finally made it out to the golf course. As luck would have it, some fog had rolled in from the river and marshes. A delightful surprise. I set up the tripod and took some exposures, but I'm still not nailing fog. I think I underexposed it. Oh well, I was shooting on bulb with a cable release. The fog rolled out, quietly.



The fog was already rolling out at this point



The fog left as quietly as it came.

Flash

Good times and a couple of cameras.

Digital Rangefinder?

There is a rumor on Wired's blog that Olympus is going to release a digital rangefinder this summer. I'm curious as to the specs, because I really want a digital rangefinder but currently there are only two choices. It would be nice to breathe some life into some old school rangefinder glass. I'm not a big fan of the 4/3 system or smaller sensors, so we shall see...

Night trails

It is funny, this one turned out so much better on the little screen on the back of the camera.



Luckily the trails are open and things are green. It is time to dig out the tripod and shoot some long exposures. Maybe this weekend?

Spring rock

Concerts can be a nice distraction. Rock and roll all night and whatnot. Local heavy metal band Luna Mortis (death moon) played with a few other bands. It was interesting to see how the crowd broke down.





A younger crowd for this band, with more girls in the crowd





Luna Mortis played to an older audience, and more guys









Funny how that works. Eventually I drank too much whiskey and walked through the double doors marked "Employees only" and to the bar on the other side of the building where they were playing house music. Someone bought me a drink, but I don't know why. People in this town seem quite eager to buy people shots, I've found.

Under the bridge

Right now is the quiet time at the park; the waters are unfrozen and the snow is melted, but the fishermen have not yet returned. I've never been under the bridge before.



It would be nice to come here on summer nights and drink bumwine, pretending to be young again. But I know that this spot will be filled with fishermen all throughout the summer months. Even at night.



Yashica 50mm f1.7 ML @f1.7

Where are my lasers?

I went to the Inferno, and there were no lasers as promised.



Those aren't lasers. Those are just lights.



It reminded me of the late nineties and being young and having a future filled with possibility. Those were good times.

The blue hour

Spring is almost here. The snow is mostly melted. The sun is in the sky longer and stronger and the blue hour lingers in the air like a precursor to warmer days ahead.



Nikon 50mm f1.4 pre-AI @f1.4

NIghttime at the Terrace

Live music

The Rubblebucket Orchestra live at the UW Memorial Union







I used my Nikon 50mm f1.4 and my Canon 28mm f1.8. Mostly the Nikon. I should really get one of those focus screens one of these days.

I should say something about the music too, I suppose. Well, the horn playing was very good. Their sound was, to me, a summery sort of affair. The bass and drums carried the music, and the guitars and keyboards were well layered. I certainly hope they play the Union Terrace this summer.

Winter driving

I'd rather walk than drive in the snow. It is very dangerous.



It snowed today, so tonight I'll probably walk.

The Tyrconnell

What more can I say?

Material Lag

Sadly, I've done most of my shooting in the daylight these days. I know, I know.

Halfway point

Winter has reached its halfway point here in the frozen northlands. Don't worry, I stay warm.



Right now I envy those folks who live in the balmy south. I could use a nice day at the beach.

Someone buy me a tripod

I finally have my Yashica ML 50mm f1.7. So far, so good. I'd still like to get that f1.4, but the 1.7 is a nifty little lens, allegedly based in part on a Zeiss design.

It is a shame that, to my knowledge, Yashica never made an 85mm prime because I'm in the market for an 85mm prime. Though I'm not sure I want to own that many Yashica lenses. I have the 200mm ML f4 C, and I toy with the idea of buying the 135mm f2.8 - but we'll see how these go first.

So how does this relate to a tripod? Well, I think I'm starting to get worn on the hand held nocturnography. It may be time to pull out the old tripod and start with long exposures again. Though I'll need to find a way to backpack it for the summer's biking. Any idea on how to ride a bike with a tripod slung over your shoulder?

New for 2009

I have 2 new lenses on their way. Actually, one is already here. I need an adapter for it, and that probably won't arrive for another week. It is like Christmas in January.

Something else for 2009 is that I have recalibrated my monitors, and they were too bright. I knew that, but now it is hopefully closer to "the truth" and subsequently all my old pictures are now too dark and unpleasing. Does this mean my 2009 output will start to look better? God only knows.



Is this still too dark for you? Well it was dark.

Night skate

When I see scenes like this, I'm always surprised that there isn't an NHL team in this state. No love for Milwaukee? It is bigger than Tampa. If they came up with a team name and colors that people liked, it would be a hit for sure.



Focusing was, for some reason, difficult with the old Nikkor. This is as close as I got.

Summer party - Winter party

I find summer parties to be a more relaxing affair.



Oh, it can get intense at times. But there isn't the same sense of urgency.



In the winter people have to make it count. We are trying to stay warm. We are cooped up inside and are ready to go nuts.

Start the night out right

I like to be prepared. When shooting in the summer, I pack a light bag. I take a wide angle and a 50mm lens, that's all. In the winter, because I cannot travel by bike, I pack heavier. These days I'm taking it all: the telephoto macro, the normal lens, the wide angle, and the functioning zoom. I even take the holga lens.

Sometimes it is good to prepare in other ways. For the summer, brandy was a good drink. Sometimes the warmth of brandy makes me a bit nostalgic for hot days filled with sunshine.

So this winter I have started a go at whiskey again. I'm partial to Irish whiskey, and I've tried a new brand this year. Finian's Five Provinces is a fine drink. It is very clean, and fairly smooth. It isn't as flavorful as a Jameson or Bushmills, but is a solid performer.

I've met some other whiskeys. Merry's is a brand that is new to me, and one I'll probably drink with my severance money.

I like to start the night out right. Sometimes people are amazed that I shoot with a few drinks in me. Really, it isn't that hard.



It warms the soul!

Funbag

A recipe for a fun night is 1 part booze (preferably whiskey) to 3 parts fireworks:



Yeah, once I loaded that up I knew it was going to be a fun night.





Seize the night.

Happy New Years

I hope you inaugurated 2009 well. For me, it was a low light hustling party.



Happy New Year!

Of course there is no better way to ring in the new year than fireworks.







Another night, another year. Sometimes, good lighting comes at you from nowhere. Candlelight partying? Who knew?



The good thing about this light is that it wasn't solely candles. There were some small lamps making good ambient light.



This is what I like about the future. The iphone as a DJ.

This set was all taken with the Canon 28mm f1.8, and mostly at ISO 800.