Aplseed's View

2011-07-25T04:50:00.001-05:00

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2011-07-25T04:49:00.007-05:00

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2011-07-25T04:49:00.005-05:00

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2011-07-25T04:49:00.003-05:00

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2011-07-25T04:49:00.001-05:00

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52 Week challenge

2011-03-31T07:23:00.006-05:00

I found a 52 week photo challenge on MCP actions blog. I havent gotten it started until week 13, but I find the challenges are fun, exciting and reasonable to do one photo a week as apposed to the daily challenges.

The perfect way to get out of a photo rut is to challenge ones self, and seeing the work that is submitted by other photographers helps to spark some creativity. The examples I have seen submitted by the photographers doing this challenge are fantastic and I am once again getting excited by photography. We will have to wait and see if I can keep up with these fine men and woman .

If you have also been in a rut and would like some inspiration head on over to their blog and check it out .

Tonight is my girls night out Bday celebration and I think I will bring along the cmaera, a tripod and some props to have my GF help me with this project. Just for some fun.lol

February Thaw

2011-02-21T19:58:00.005-06:00

Iowa is known to have a little peak of spring in mid February. A glimmer of of hope. 70 degree temperatures. Just the think to give you a break from the winter chill.

This day I took a ride with a friend to Red rock lake and Dam. This little old school house was noticed along the way. The warm sunshine was wonderful, and we spent some time in the school yard taking pictures.

An Excercise in Motivation

2011-01-15T10:44:00.006-06:00

This last year has been such a difficult one, and I have had a hard time getting back in the drive to go out for photo drives and explore my creativity. I read some tips in getting motivation back, and one was to take a drive every week looking for subjects.

This week I took off Thursday even though the skies were gray and by the time I went home i had chased the clouds away. Didn't have gas to go far, so I went to Winterset and visited a few barns again after the recent snows.

SO...this weeks installment is a Madison County Barn Tour of sorts. lol

You can see my foot prints at this barn, facing away from the road and surrounded by other smaller buildings that don't do it justice I finally gave in to the desire to find a way to the other side of her to get the angle I wanted. A warmer day and someone as company I might have been brave enough to go inside the open door and look inside...Today was not the day.lol

Milestones

2010-11-13T13:26:00.004-06:00

October 31st was little Boo's 3rd Birthday. We celebrated last weekend with a birthday party. The cousins got to play. They had a great time. Topped off the evening with the best strawberry shortcake Birthday cake I ever had. Not only was the cake decorated with strawberry shortcake dolls, but it was a Big white heart shaped cake with strawberry filling in the center and the yummiest whipped frosting. Every little girls dream cake , no matter her age.lol

Another milestone this week , Taking photos for this 17 yr old senior pictures.

A couple weeks ago my life long friend Laurie called and asked if I would help her niece. Seems her Father canceled her senior pictures . She wanted some help to get them done. No senior should be without senior pictures to remember this occasion. The last year of childhood. Saying goodbye to old friends and starting out on a life where you will meet many more.

Light was fading fast when we met, so we are scheduling a second session when we can take advantage of the afternoon light. But what we have gotten so far turned out real cute. Between us we were able to think of some real cute poses.

Retro Fun

2010-11-04T11:09:00.003-05:00

The Android retro camera so is awesome. I have a choice of 4 cameras each with different effects. My favorite so far has been the Orange box toy camera.

Grab your phone and have some real fun. All of these have been captured of random things outside at work during lunch or in my travels t run errands . You don't have to go far to see beauty.

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A Chance Random Spotting,... A Visit To Yester Year

2010-10-28T02:53:00.008-05:00

On my way to pay my water bill, Which had me going to Indianola. A 17 mile trip .

No thought in my mind of a photo destination. Somehow I had grabbed my poor camera bag that day. Maybe I felt guilty about all the neglect, maybe it was the blue skies and beautiful late summer temps. What ever the reason I was glad I had it with. Parked right there in front of the building was this bright red Chevy SS, glistening in the sun like a ripe red apple. What could I do? I had to get the wide angle lens. Standing right in front of the car with bushes up against my backside I strove to lean back and fit it all in, while minimizing the modern cars parked in the background as much as possible. She sure gleamed bright in the warm sunlight.

I just had to find out who owned her so I could get a shot inside free of reflections from the window glass. I walked into the water company, nobody there except staff. next door was a chiropractor office. It seemed to be a casual setting, the doors open while she worked on the patient. I asked who owned the car, and it was the patient. He was done shortly after that and he graciously let me shoot picture of the dash area. That was after he climbed through the trunk to unlock a car door. lol he had forgotten the second key that unlocks the door and didn't want to have to call home to his wife to bring it. I wonder how much good the chiropractor visit did after that?

But I must say, I am sure glad he got in, It was worth the wait. Only in a small town.lol

I continued on toward Des Moines. I remember wondering what the purpose of this small brick building had been. All the years I have lived in warren/ Madison Co and driven by this stretch of hwy 65/69. It was a cute building, but not until recently had I seen there were antique gas pumps placed outside. I stopped, Full high noon sun making things bright and difficult to shoot I decided to intentionally play with the flare. With a washed out sky it made it the perfect subject for some vintage color treatment.

Papers out front give more info. This cute little building was The Hastie Station Built in 1933 as an original Standard Oil gas station. Serving motorists on Hwy 65/69 between Des Moines and Indianola between the years 1933 and 1943. Its hard to believe,but it houses a grease pit for mechanics to service cars 5 gal of gas is said to be .97 cents They would check your oil, fill the fluids wash your windows and top off the tank of every car that stopped.

The Warren Co. Historic Preservation Commission is taking steps to restore the building. It looks like they have already rebuilt a falling chimney,I hope they continue to restore the glass windows, the old signs and of course find the glass domes for the pumps. They say many of the equipment remains in place. Here is a scan of a old photo when this station was in its hay day. I only wish an antique car had come along and I could have gotten a shot similar to this.lol

Trying To Get Out Of The RUT

2010-10-22T11:16:00.005-05:00

It isn't easy to find your way back from a rut that has lasted as long as this has. I love all of my dear friends that have been so patient with me during my lapse.

I have had many ideas this last few weeks, Usually when driving home and I don't have the big camera with to do exactly what I would like.lol But from ideas usually come action ... at some point.

Since I have not found the motivation to even work on the few pictures taken recently, I am posting some from this summer. A new found interest I have in old classic cars. When I see one in my daily travels I have to take a shot of the dash and also a few of the most prominent features of the car. This was a Mustang, One of my favorite cars all time , that was across the street at the gas station one fine summer day.

A Long Long Year

2010-10-15T23:55:00.002-05:00

I have been under a veil of blah..ness, lack of motivation, and lack of artistic drive. Other than my vacation my camera has seen little attention.

I need a swift kick in the butt, or something new to motivate me. I am going to try giving this blog a go again and reconnect with friends that may have forgotten Me completely.lol

Here is a recent photo to kick things off.

At Long Last ...Spring

2010-04-15T00:24:00.001-05:00

A Winter Drive

2009-01-31T17:17:00.004-06:00

A trip to Winterset for an Xray of my wrist prompted me to get up early and take a meandering drive to 3 of the Madison County Covered Bridges. The winds were blowing clouds into the sky and robbing us of the beautiful blue sky and sunlight. I had to act fast to get these in before storm clouds took over and darkened the afternoon. Lens used was a Sigma 10-20mm, and I used Hiubbies 4X4 to get as close as possible.

A Quiet Riot

2009-01-31T17:12:00.002-06:00

The winter winds have been blowing, and the overcast skies lend for a very subtle color in the horizon. Here are a couple sunsets I have een on my drive to work.

Lensbaby 2.0

2009-01-31T17:05:00.003-06:00

The lensbaby is a selective focus lens, this fun lens looks like a bellows and tilt lens combined. All maual focus and completely artistic and crative. it's alot of fun to Bend It Baby...

Winter Respite...A Trip To The Des Moines Botanical Garden

2009-01-31T16:59:00.001-06:00

Colonial...Good Bread

2009-01-31T16:56:00.002-06:00

So...I was never good at resolutions, lol I found some time so I added new posts with several recent photos.

This old neon sign is on the closed Colonial bread bakery in Des Moines. Used a standard Zoom lens shot against a blue sky with puffy white clouds.

Resolutions

2009-01-06T13:44:00.004-06:00

FAther, I have a confession....I have all but forgotten my Blog, a deep sense of lethargy set in. But today is a new day, It's a new year, and I resolve to post photography posts again on a more regular schedule.

January 3rd I met in Downtown Des Moines with 12 other photography minded individuals for a flickr meet up. Many of the faces were new, and a few had already become steadfast friends. They group was diverse in age, background, and camera equiptment, but all of them even the newest of amatuers had a definate eye and came up with some interesxting photos. You can see the photos everyone posted here. http://www.flickr.com/groups/1014797@N22/

Here are a couple of my photos, and I will discuss the different lenses and techniques for each.
This was a display in a shop window in a gifty shop called ETC. I used a 50mm 1.4 lens set at 1.4 aperature to allow the most light in. Flash was not used. With such a narrow foacal area it is only possible to focus in one particular area, making the objects not at that focal distance blur. This is called Dof (depth of field) . This also gives you thoise beautiful circes known as Bokeh, this occurs when light sorces become out of focus. Such as the light reflecting off of the pewter figures. This effect is intensional.

This was taken in the skywalks, It is a neon light fixture in the ceiling. I used a wide angle lens. The neon was white, which made for a B&W done in color. I acheived the cool blue tones in RAW split toning, by tweaking the colors & saturations.

This Christmas tree was still standing in the Hub,There were multidudes of different ways to shoot this tree and atrium.In my favorite one I used the wide angle lens again,laying down at the foot of the tree and looking up.

Neil Smith Grassland

2008-09-23T18:46:00.004-05:00

6000, acres of reclaimed tall grass prairie and savannahs.A place where the bauffalo once again roam. This day they roamed out of sight of the road that runs through their land, and we did not see a single anilmal. The beautiful autumn colors are beginning to kiss the hillsides and valleys.

Summer In Madison Co

2008-08-21T18:20:00.003-05:00

Ballon Night Glo

2008-08-03T19:05:00.003-05:00

On A Carousel

2008-07-29T19:13:00.002-05:00

The Heritage Carousel in Union Park Des Moines IA.

Charged Atmosphere

2008-07-21T03:46:00.007-05:00

A hot humid day, and a stillness in te air. Dry lightening preceeding the storms. This is my first real attamt to capture lightening, and this is the best of the lot. I have alot to learn. Definately best to have no bright street lights in view. Next time I will drive out of town.

Actions Add Wow To Your Photos

2008-07-19T04:19:00.002-05:00

Black and White Flowers?? Are You Crazy??

2008-07-13T06:22:00.006-05:00

Retro / Vintage

2008-03-24T03:13:00.001-05:00

*Unfortunately , due to recent phishing ads left in comments ,I have been forced to enable moderating on comments. Feel free to leave me your messages, They will show for others to see once I have made sure the content is appropriate. Thanks aplseed

Why I love My Nifty Fifty

2008-03-24T03:09:00.002-05:00

These new Cadbury Orange cream eggs are the bomb. I can't get enough knowing soon they will go away for another year.Happy Easter to all.

Dusk In Winter

2008-03-07T01:36:00.003-06:00

A Trip Through Yesteryear

2008-02-11T02:39:00.000-06:00

Really Should Have Gone In

2008-02-03T07:28:00.000-06:00

Sun Dogs In Clouds

2008-02-02T02:35:00.000-06:00

Mid January Thaw

2008-02-02T02:32:00.001-06:00

Relics Of Yesteryear

2008-01-19T20:50:00.000-06:00

Summer Event Revisited

2008-01-17T22:29:00.000-06:00

During Digital Darkroom class I revisited the RAW files I had taken during the mass assention at the National Balloon Classic in Indianola ,IA

Twilight Farms

2008-01-16T07:14:00.000-06:00

Delicate Winter Treasures At The Local Botanical Center

2008-01-16T07:08:00.000-06:00

Mount Shasta

2008-01-11T13:55:00.001-06:00

Phases Of A Sunset

2008-01-11T13:50:00.000-06:00

Just Ducky

2008-01-09T17:45:00.000-06:00

Flash Photography Ghetto Style

2008-01-09T09:03:00.000-06:00

I don't know what I was thinking going to a Camera club meeting for indoor still life photography practice without my external flash. My tripod was in my other vehicle,so it made some of my shots a challange. For this shot a wide aperature just wasn't enough to stop motion blur. The on camera flash is so harsh in close ups,so I wrapped a folded paper napkin around the camera flash as a make do diffuser,there for I call this photography ghetto style.

Passage Of Time

2008-01-04T03:29:00.000-06:00

Best Of 2007

2007-12-28T17:06:00.000-06:00

Christmas Spirit

2007-12-18T02:51:00.001-06:00

Jolly Holiday Lights 2007

2007-12-17T00:06:00.000-06:00

Beautiful Snow Catchers

2007-12-08T17:58:00.000-06:00

Old Man Winter Awakens

2007-12-01T18:19:00.000-06:00

Ghostly Effects

2007-11-07T21:00:00.000-06:00

Stopped along the highway trying to capture a sunset before it faded away,I noticed the traffic lights m

aking small streaks as the cars went by. I wondered what a semi would look like. I saw one coming and tried to time the shot. I loved the effect. Like the truck drove into the frame and dissappeared into a ball of light. Reminded me of the old trucking song Phantom 309.

2007-11-03T11:50:00.000-05:00

I6t has been a busy week,and very little time for photography. Friday night about midnight I finally got out to attempt capturing the red glow of the leaves on the japanese maple I had admired every night when taking out the dogs for thier bedtime run.

It has been breezy,and even this night there was a slight rustle to the leaves regularly,I was afraid I would get too much blur using long exposures. This was captured at .8 seconds during a slight lul in the movement. It took multiple attempts,as at night it is hard to focus,not only does the Auto focus struggle in the dark,but so do my eyes as I try to manually focus.

A Study Of Country Churches

2007-10-27T22:33:00.000-05:00

These two churches are 5 miles from one another on country roads in the Madison Co areaThe styles vary widely ,yet both were built lovingly by pioneer communtities that settled this area.

It surprises me the close proximity of these old churches,but then in those days a few miles by horse drawn buggy was a long distance.

The first Church is a ornamental brick /limestone building with hand crafted details. Called the Friends Church,it has the air of a much beloved building gone abandoned over the years.

The second church is in the heart of an Italian Settlement.Wooden frame building in an unusual design. The iron arch and gate reamin as well as the old hitching posts where the horses would be tied.There is a large church cemetary on the grounds,so it appears to have had a large congregation,and looks to still be of use with potted mums by the door.

What draws me to these old buildings is the history. How important these community gathering places were. Built by the community by craftsmen of the time,they are built to stand these many years. One can sense the belief and love these pioneers had for thier churches.

Playing With Traffic

2007-10-27T06:54:00.001-05:00

It was a Friday evening,and the high school kids were out. I defied al logic my Mother ever taught me,and went out to play with the traffic. Set up at the edge of town on the shoulder of the highway I attempted to capture the ribbons of light from the headlights and tail lights as the cars left town and headed back in. These were the two best shots of the session.

Autumn Colors Changing In One Tree

2007-10-25T21:57:00.000-05:00

the difference light conditions can have on a subject. The bottom image was shot on an overcast day,rendering the colors softer ,the top images are the same tree several days later in evening light on a clear day.Amazingly different yet all equally lovely.

A Window In Time...The Clark Tower

2007-10-21T06:47:00.001-05:00

A long winding narrow road leads you gradually up and around to the Clark Tower. This observation point built of rough limestone quarried from the area was built at a high point of the Park accessable only through the twisting one way road.From atop the tower one can see across the valley and hillsides of Southern Iowa for miles.

Iy was the perfect destination for a beautiful autumn afternoon.The tapestry of fall color spread across the land viewed from the top was worth the climb up the curving steps and the narrow ladder to the third floor.

City At Night

2007-10-16T00:33:00.000-05:00

SInce I found myself in the city after dark,I decided to work on a few night images I have been wanting to get.

The first image is the new Prairie Tower built at an office park west of town,to the tune of $1.5 million dollars it is "Largest Italian Glass Mosaic Tile Mural in the United States" The scene depicts the prairie grasses and wildflowers that were native to the land.To me it's top is reminesent of a huge silo.I used the longest exposure I have ever used to try and capture the overcast skies and motion of clouds in the cool mist of the night.I also liked how it smoothed out the waters choppy appearance from the wind.

The second image is of Capital Hill looking up on the new rotunda towards the Big Domes.

The third image is the face of modern downtown,with blue arched bridges framing the skyline with the blur of tail lights traveling over the bridge.

I shot all of htese at f 13 which gave me nice star effects on my light points.I used various exposure speeds with bulb settings any hwere from 8-15 seconds and a whopping 37 seconds on the tower.

Covered Bridge Festival

2007-10-14T16:49:00.000-05:00

A small town festival,when they close off the square to vendors of all kinds.Food,bands,pony rides for the kids and crafts of all kinds.It was a fun day even if the weather was a bit chilly and grey.

Fun Outdoors

2007-10-12T09:32:00.000-05:00

Just out in the yard having some fun with Pete and Rosa. I found this cute little T shirt dress for Rosa and she looks so cute. I think the light wiehgt dress may keep her body heat in when it gets chilly in the house. Unfortunately while she likes to wear these things,she also shimmies under the chair in the living room ,seems to use it as her personal den,and the dress got caught on a spring and came off. Will have to see how practical it will be to dress her in the house afterall. LOL

I Saw The Light

2007-10-09T23:30:00.000-05:00

After another interview today I drove around Warren Co. with a friend I have met this year through flickr. I met her at her home and we drove to the Palmyra church near her home. Built in 1870 it is in need of restoration that has been delayed for some reason,but still beauty can be found in these historic buildings.

I am told this church was built by ship builders and that it is truelly square still to this day.This speaks to the care that was put into the churches building at the time. They often used the finest of hard woods harvested from area homesteaders,and built by hand much in the fasion they would raise a barn.

This one maintains it's fine wood work in pews and alter areas,and can be viewed from the tall cathedral windows.

As a photographer we usually attempt to avoid lens flares and bright overhead sunlight with the use of polarizer filters or hoods.,But there are times when lens flare can be a beautiful planned element in a photo. In both these flare images I saw the colors in my viewfinder and focused in hopes the colors would come through to the image.

October is Think Pink Month

2007-10-06T13:01:00.000-05:00

October being Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Since I lost my own Dear Mom to breast cancer at the young age of 16, I wish to take this moment to remind my Sisters out here to have a check up. For the male friends out here,take care of your Mothers,Sisters,Wives and Friends.Remind them to have a checkup.

One group I have joined on flickr is raising money for every pink photo posted to thier group during the month of Oct. Yahoo will pay $1 for every photo posted up to $50,000, so I have been out on a quest to find pink this weekend.

This is for you Mom.

Natures Glory

2007-10-05T07:47:00.000-05:00

Just some of the Beauty found at a county park by the river.

Worth The Effort

2007-10-02T23:29:00.000-05:00

It has been an unusual summer here in the midwest. Much wetter than normal. In fact we had severe thunderstorms and tornado's streak through Des Moines this evening overturning cars and busting out windows.

I got this aster shot yesterday,In the area this is growing was an area the grass has stopped growing from the shade of a pear tree. To get a good vantage point I had to lay down in the damp dirt,getting my P'J's a bit dirty. The extra time I could take while I was down there to focus and recompose as needed payed off with this image.

Fall In Madison Co.

2007-09-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

After a few days of resting at home and hardly touching my camera I decided to go for a short drive in the country Friday to visit a few of our covered bridges and some early fall color.

On the way I stopped at the mum farm to see if they had some falls displays,it was a bit early for many of the potted mums,But I found some color in thier beautiful display garden. I only wish my gardens looked so nice. The tables were filled with every pumkin and gourd variety you could imagine. I only wish I could have taken a mum or two home with me.

The Clouds Floating AcrossThe Full Moon

2007-09-28T08:34:00.001-05:00

It's been a quiet week since Monday,and I haven't used my camera as much,I did go out one night to capture long exposures of the clouds floating across the surface of the moon. The sky was filled with light fluffy clouds.

Exploring Area Parks In Search Of Wildlife

2007-09-26T09:27:00.000-05:00

Monday I spent the day with a friend and fellow photography nut. We visited several central Iowa parks in search of wildlife big and small.

It was a beautiful morning ,although overcast at times. We started out the day at Saylorville Lake,just down from the dam. on the river. There we saw Great Blue Herons,a Jouvenile bald eagle,Hawk and Kingfisher. I still have to pracxtice with wildlife photography,many of my action shots were just not very clear.

We also visited Jester park,where they keep Elk and Buffalo.The park is lovely,and they had recently built a new garden/seating area that overlooked the animals enclosures.The sun decided to come out and play,and it was easier to capture the animals in the sunlight.

I had some technical issues at that point,my long zoom lens has developed some problem,and I will have to send it in for repair.

Towards the end of the outing we found ourselves at Glenwood park in Des Moines. There is a large pond full of turtles and frogs,I spotted a blue dragonfly,but he was to quick for me. There was also plantings of wildflowers,grasses and even a patch of orane mushrooms at the base of an oak tree.Lots of photo opportunities.

To sum up the day,it was a beautiful early fall day spent with a good buddy,enjoying some good natured teasing,Lots of smiles,and a few good laughs.

Step Back In Time...

2007-09-23T20:59:00.000-05:00

Saturday I met with a flickr group in my area for photography day at The Living History Frams in Des Moines. It was a beautiful day,the sky was beautiful,and it wasn't even too hot.

The farms have existed in this site for generations. They have sights form the Ioway Indian tribes that used to live there t,to pioneer settlers in the 1800's ,up to the gfarms of the turn of the century. The workers dress in period clothing,and di things as they were done back then.

The phoyo ops were many,and there were photographers on hand to discuss tips.

I walked way too much and have appreciated the day of rest that came with editing all the photos taken. Here are just a few, To see a slideshow of the day's images visit my flicr set.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aplseed/sets/72157602126964991/

Rural Beauty

2007-09-21T16:24:00.000-05:00

Just an ordinary drive home,instead of staying on the Interstate I took the last 6 miles of the trip down a small rural road. The fields of corn and soybeans are drying in the sunlight and turning the fields shades of toast and gold.The landscape at this particular farm is so lovely, It is a favorite place for me to go to take sunset images.

Still Beauty In The Garden

2007-09-20T10:40:00.000-05:00

It is quiet here in the garden these last few days. I have been staying in nursing an increase in back pain.I did get out wit Pete and Rosa and found some bits of beauty still going strang in the garden.

Night In The City

2007-09-18T11:57:00.000-05:00

I found myself in Des Moines last evening to meet with Hubby on his way through. After having dinner together I headed to Capital Hill to capture some evening summer shots of our fine State Capital. I was pleased to see all the construction at the front of the building is finished,the new landscaping with benches and plantings overlooks the city skyline,and the sunset was a lovely one. I also went to the corner to capture the Capital reflected in nthe Wallace Building,the largest funhouse mirror I have ever seen. The image was distorted like a wierd acid effect had melted parts of the building reflected.

After I left the hill, I headed to Grays Lake just South of downtown, I still wanted to capture the colored lights on the padestrian bridge in the park. The last time I tried about a month ago a thunderstorm rolled in before it got dark enough.

The parking lots were full,there were alot of people out enjoying the evening air. There was some wind, so the longer exposures I tried blurred, even though I was using a remote shutter and tripod. The first shot turned out to be the best, Isn't that the way it always goes,LOL

Road To Heaven

2007-09-16T21:40:00.000-05:00

It was a big day today,we had my nieces baby shower in the city.it was a fine day,although a bit cold.Everyone had alot of fun.The Mommy to be had alot of nice gifts to get ready for the big event.It didn't start to sprinkle till we were ready to leave. We had a rain storm along the way home,and when we drove out of it there was this huge sunburst through the clouds. Looked like we were driving towards the heavens. I was riding,so I was able to capture this through the windshield between raindrops. The color was adjusted in PSE since I had accidentally left the WB on sunny from earlier in the day.LOL

It's Officially Time To Break Out Your Hoodies

2007-09-14T19:37:00.000-05:00

There is a chill in the air today,and tomorrow morning is forcast to be the first light frost in the northern half of the state. I am not worried here,since we are so far south.It is time to break out the hoodies, and wear long pants.

Rosa loves her sweatshirt,though she will not keep the hood up. She has a few jackets appropriate for colder winter weather as well. It is so cute to see her romp and play in the yard instead of hovering at the door shivering. In the middle shot she had just chased a truck out of town on the shoulder and was running back after I yelled at her. We have a real problem with her chasing trucks and motorcycles,she hates them with a passion. Somehow she thinks she is put on this earth to tell these loud things off. In the 3rd shot doesn't she look so satisfied with herself for a job well done? LOL

A Little Night Time Goofing Around

2007-09-14T00:56:00.000-05:00

Just on the edge of town,set up on the shoulder to practice some long exposures. The wind was blowing briskly,and there was a fall coolness in the air. The flags were waving and snapping in the wind.I played with shutter speed to find the effect I thought showed the best effect.

Wilderness at Home & State Parks

2007-09-12T15:25:00.000-05:00

Got a bit behind yesterday,I had a call from a perspective job at a local Medical Supply Office and set the Interview for today. I needed to rush to town for a much needed hair cut and to pick up some comfortable shoes that would fit the carrer casual appearance I wanted to be able to show for this interview.I did however get out in the wildflower patch to capture some of the grasses and seedheads,and found a butterfly chrysalis ,the colors and patterns are wonderful.
(Thanks to ventl8r for the monarch ID.)

I feel very good about how the interview went,and I hope to hear some good news about the position in the next few weeks.

On the way home I stopped at Somerset State Park,I was looking for some wilflife and wildflowers. I didn't see any birds or wildlife,but there were some interesting grasses and wildflowers.I went down on one of the floating docks to sit and found a huge spider web,I also noticed how detailed and clear the reflections from the trees were.It was a beautiful afternoon,sun shining and mild teperatures.

The Perfect Pose

2007-09-10T22:41:00.000-05:00

My nieces kitten Levi is growing up fast.He is such a comical cat,and he spends alot of time trying to make up to the new kitten in the house,my Lily. Here he was hanging out near her on the back of the couch and had his paws draped over the back of the wicker cair.It looked so perfect I had to grab the camera and external flash and grab it quick before he could move away.

Sunday's, Quiet Days of Relaxation

2007-09-09T18:57:00.000-05:00

Today I saw a hard copy of the Welcome Centers rack card that features 5 of my covered bridge images. It looked pretty good,even if the photos were fairly small.

Around town we are starting to think about covered bridge days,so today I spent some time out in the garden trying to get things in better shape for the celebration and to get it ready for winter.

While out I found a few fall beauties starting to bloom,the new feverfew plant was covered in cheery white blossoms,the mum just beginning to bloom,and the aster that is covered in buds had just a couple flowers.

Learning Custom White Balance

2007-09-08T18:26:00.000-05:00

This last week I met someone who has a little gadget that helps you set the WB in the camera by measuring the actual light for a given shot through the use of the custom WB feature of most DSLR cameras.Since I have struggled in overcast conditions to get a proper WB,I was intrigued so I went to my local camera store to see one and see what the difference was for myself.The item looks like a filter to be put at the end of your lens,and through special glass layers accurately gives the camera a 18% grey scale to set the WB off of.It is called the expodisc.I compared it to using a grey scale card that cost $7.The difference was noticable in the lighting of the store.Besides with a grey card you have to hold the card next to your subject and shoot the photo to set the WB,making it a bit difficult unless you have a helper.w The expodisc is held right up to your lens while focusing at your subject.

Since I could not afford the expodisc at the store, I went online to check out what was available.I found the same company made a expocap,wich is similar,only made of opaque white acrylic.It too is held to the front of the lens while setting a custom WB.(There were some cheap plastic knock offs too,but they looked too cheesy to really work the same)At half the stores price for the expodisc I decided to give expocap a try.

It arrived today,and I went out in the shade of the lilacs this afternoon to attempt to do custom WB settings on the sweet autumn clematis just starting to bloom as well as a pink single rose.I was amazed at how bright and crisp the pink came,and how closely it appeared to what I was seeing,I was equally surprised at the quality of the white in the clematis bloom. With the custum WB feature you have got to adjust to any different light making it something you have to change if you move locations or the ligt changes,But when I am doing macros on subjects that are not going anywhere time is not an issue, and I can't tell you how much time I have spent struggling to find a decent WB only to give up when I could not get what I thought was a decent color no matter how hard I tried. Under indoor conditions you should be able to set it once and have consistant results from that point forward unless someone turns off a light.

Portraits Of Tobias

2007-09-07T19:59:00.000-05:00

Since Pete and Rosa stay home all the time I have gotten lots of opportunities to catch nice portraits outside this summer.Toby being a trucking dog (and preferring it that way) I have to catch it when I can.To further complicate things he has to be tied or in the play yard,since he has a penchant to roam the town if he gets a chance.Tonight we went out back and I tied him to the cable while I tried to get him to cooperate.He loves looking for kitties and birds,and who knows what else back there,so I had to chase around and wait out the perfect head tilt or stance.After 8-10 tries I got several I really liked.Here is his Furry Friday photoshoot.

Doggies & Babies

2007-09-06T20:55:00.000-05:00

As My Grand Niece is still visiting I had the opportunity to capture her with Pete this morning.Pete is such a gentle giant with the baby,and also when snuggling with my other niece who is expecting.He seems to sense there is a little one on board.

It was a grey day,and I found it hard to get up the energy to do much. I have been thinking hard about a foot image for my dear friend Sheila at Hurricane Lane,so I had some fun getting artistic with this shot of my favorite flip flops out on the front porch lounge.Some photoshop effects added for more fun.

Summer Morning On A Prairie

2007-09-05T21:08:00.000-05:00

I was invited to spend a couple hours at The Des Moines Golf & Country Club to take pictures around the course today.Iowa was once a prairie,and in later years there has been a trend toward restoring prairie plantings and wetlands.All Along the edges of the greens were wild grasses and flowers.These areas were host to many butterflies,Dragonflies and Bees.

Afterwards we were hot,tired and covered in pollen ourselves.We had a refreshing lunch and spent the afternoon sharing editing knowledge.It was a fine summer day.

A Country Drive Across Madison Co.

2007-09-04T20:46:00.000-05:00

Just a normal Country Highway drive from Winterset to Des Moines IA driving across Madison Co. This is a drive I take sometimes as often as twice a month and always plan to stop to catch a few of the views.Today I took the time to stop.

Labor Day

2007-09-04T01:17:00.000-05:00

This image of our flag against a cloud patterned sky taken this spring seems fitting on this national holiday.Happy Labor Day America

The Innocence Of A Child

2007-09-02T18:35:00.000-05:00

Babies are so soft and sweet.I had the joy of takng lots of pictures this weekend of my 3 mo. old Grand Niece .All sugar and spice...Everything nice. Her Mommy asked for some new photos, I think she will be happy.

Hummingbird Passion

2007-09-01T13:55:00.001-05:00

I have a passion for humming birds, almost an affinity with these little birds. They are aggressive and flighty, always on the move, which could describe my personality well. Their colors flash so bright in the sun as they jip and zoom along from flower to flower.

I have created an oasis for them on my front porch,they are attracted to the honeysuckle growing on the post,and the feeders hung across the porch from each other to make it more difficult for one bird to take over the feeder.A fuscia plant hangs under the eaves and there are always pots of impatiens by the front entry to attract them.

They usually return to the garden in late July and stay till mid September,with a frequent flight path between my porch and the rear neighbors garden.One can sit fairly still and they will come ,only slightly weary of us.Once while on the swing I had one buzz behind my shoulder obviously checking me out.

This yaer to capture their flights I set up on the chaise lounge about 6 ft. from the feeder they use the most and waited.I used a high shutter speed and an external flash to balance the shadows of the porch.Auto focus is a bit tricky as it wants to focus on other distractions such as the vines they perch on.I have begun to get a few good captures.In the upcoming days I will spend alot of time out there on that lounge. Sounds relaxing doesn't it?

Meeting Of The Minds

2007-08-31T20:25:00.000-05:00

Friday August 31,2007

Met a fellow Flickr contact for lunch in Des Moines today.I have found photoshare sites to be a great meeting place for peaple from all walks of life who have a common passion.We had a great visit,and a new friendship has begun.