February 26 - Loudness

Loudness, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Don't have much to say tonight.

This old garage sale receiver seems to be the soundtrack to so many evenings. Rock when cooking dinner, something softer for dinner, and BBC late into the midnight hour.

February 25 - Oregon Sunshine

Oregon Sunshine, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Had a break in the rain today just as I had a break at work. The surrounding clouds left everything fairly gloomy looking, so I was looking for something bright. I was going to try the local fire hydrant next, but had too much fun with this too-clean Audi.

Note to Californians: the above was a lie. It never stopped raining. It ALWAYS rains like this. EVERYWHERE in Oregon. It's a terrible, miserable place.

In my usual quest for sharpness, I shot stopped down a bit (around f6, check the EXIF data if you really care) and mid-range on the zoom. Like yesterday, I used the 17-40 to give flexibility in composing. I tried a tripod for some shots, but it was too hard to get close to the car and it really limited the angles. So I didn't use any of those shots.

OK, I really meant to only post one shot, but I just really liked this second shot as a runner-up. Plus the red didn't look so good next to the photo in my last post.

February 24 - Some Assembly Rjekuuired

Some Assembly Rjekuuired, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Before I rant to nobody in particular about the joys of flat-pack Swedish furniture, I'm proud to announce that this is the first post of my second month of Photo Of The Day. Here's to keeping a goal! [Hoists a beer from Trader Joe's $8.99 +CRV "Mystery Beer Bag"]

So in prep for the offspring's birthday, momma and poppa are observing the time-honored tradition of assembling the gifts. This is our first exposure to IKEA, and we've been pleasantly surprised by the ease of assembly and fairly sturdy design. I was less enthusiastic about the maze of a store I navigated to pick this up, but I'm probably just jealous that I don't get to shop there more often. I'm a total sucker for clean, modern design. And I'm also a sucker for cheap.

But you read this blog to hear about photography, not about my skillz with a 10 cent hex wrench.

Strobist setup: Easy cheesy setup with two 285's bounced off the ceiling to give me a hugeungous soft light source with minimal setup time. Both were aimed slightly to the camera rear because I wanted to make sure the chair bottom (yellow, top of frame) wasn't shadowed too much. I notice now the darkening at the bottom of the frame, probably because I forgot my Cactus flash triggers on over a week or so, and the batteries are low. I was shooting at 1/200th, which is pretty much the limit for this setup when batteries are fresh.

I love how this soft light shows off the self-centering hex bolts.

The instruction manual made a nice imprompteau white balance reference, though the daylight reference has nearly always been accurate enough. [Says the color blind guy....]

I used the 17-40 to have some flexibility with the composition, and shot at around f8 and middle of the zoom range to improve sharpness. I feel like I'm getting a solid feel for manual flash, as in this case I chose the aperture I wanted, and then guessed at the flash power I needed. (I guessed 1/2 power on both flash heads, and was SPOT ON). Not that I always get that lucky, but I'm starting to get a ballpark feel for these settings, and that's a real confidence boost.

February 23 - Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head

Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Yup, two vertical posts in a row.

I'd say high ISO because I wanted to freeze the raindrop splashes, but it was honestly because I left the setting that way from last night. The noise at ISO 800 is more pleasant in B&W than color, in my opinion.

I love the look of the rings around each splash, as well as the strong texture of the lines in the concrete under the puddle.

Don't care so much for the expanse of boring rock/dirt/shrubbery, but I think it gives contrast against the sharp, clean, interesting part of the photo.

February 22 - Resting

Resting, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Caught this just as my light was gone for the day, so I had to bump the ISO. Obviously the red trim was eye catching, but what I really hoped to show was the wheelbarrow against the blurred park background.

I was traveling with my camera on a strap over my shoulder, so I had to "dance with who brought ya". I think if I had used the 20mm, I could have had more background blur since I would have been closer to the shed (for the same crop). I would have also had more background, so I'm not sure that was the look I was going for.

Shot aperature priority, wide open 'cause it was dark and I wanted blur.

February 21 - Closed for Business

Closed for Business, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

I love the shape of this sign, the way the corrogated siding is galvanized on one side and painted red on the other, the marks on the sign from removing the old logo, and the shadows from the two (slightly crooked) lights.

That sign is just dying for my studio logo. Though that would force me to come up with a business name first.

Dreams......

February 20 - Old Yeller

IMG_2026, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Nothing like a big yellow old truck to catch your eye and show off the blue-sky day. A great day to wander around and take photos.

I'll cheat again and post a second photo (to be clear, I'm choosing the top photo as the official photo of the day).

I'm really enjoying experimenting with intentional lens flare. Am I going to burn holes in my sensor/curtain/mirror if I keep pointing my camera into the sun? Anyone? Bueller?

I love the ka-ching look of the nameplate on the weathered old truck!

February 19 - That's Hot

That's Hot, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

It's late, it's post-processed to death, and I think it's just slightly crooked. (I just hate slightly crooked since you can't fix it without totally blowing your image resolution) But in the end, it was roughly the look I was going for, except without the use of flash.

I wanted to capture the gas flame, getting condensation on the pot so that I wouldn't have to worry too much about the reflection.

I used Picasa to salvage this photo, first using selective desaturation to keep the blue gas flame but remove the strange rust colors on the pan and on the grates. I cleaned up one nasty highlight on the pot using the retouching tool (which is kinda neat -- you first select the target area, and then you move around the sample source while previewing how it will look. Totally backwards from Photoshop, but works very well.) Added film grain because I think it adds interest to the expanse of pot.

Look at Batman's (Vantage Point) blog if you want a good photo from today. (see the Followers section of the sidebar at right)

(Bonus Post) New Gear

So I ought to explain the meaning of this blog name. You already know the theory (or can read it in the header). I wanted to get out and take more photos. But what I didn't talk about was that I wanted to try and take some time where I was buying less gear, and spend more time being creative with what I have. See, it's easy to spend the evenings browsing Strobist and other great sources of photo instruction. Also easy to get sidetracked into shopping B&H

Not that I stopped wanting gear, of course. Just that I wanted to make an effort.

So the first gear purchase since I've started this blog is a camera strap from Black Rapid. I wanted to mention it here because it's a great solution for folks like me who are tired of the strap that comes with their camera. In fact, when I got my 40D, I never installed the Canon strap. But with the daily photos, I was setting my camera down a lot between shots. That was making me nervous.

So Kudos to Ronald Henry for coming up with this clever strap, and extra kudos for making it in the USA (in Seattle!) I'm starting to care about that kind of thing more and more lately.....

I'll post a photo and a full review once I've had some hands-on time with the new strap. But I used it today for my "mental health break" photo stroll today, and I thought it was great. Thanks to good friends Pete and Laura for the gift card at Pro Photo Supply that let me shop local and solve my strap dilemna!

February 18 - Get to the Point

Get to the Point, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Sort of an offhand shot on my wanderings today, this became one of my favorites in post-proc. I love love love the gradients around the edges (these are natural, not added), the way the focus perfectly intersects the tip of the arrow (focus changed as I rocked the lens to recompose) and the texture of the paint.

This is just a "don't use this door" arrow at work.

I had another in close contention:

>

February 17 - Hot Lava

Hot Lava, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Noticed this line in the parking lot had a crack more or less down the center. For the entire crack. Did the line crack the pavement? Did they paint the crack? Why do the red seed helicopters look so great against the black and white?

A coworker and fellow photographer caught me sitting on the curb taking this photo, camera resting on my shoe "tripod".

Minor crop from the 50mm. I wonder what it would have looked like with a longer lens (so more depth of field)?

February 16 - The Fire Within

The Fire Within, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Wild day, so I took this only minutes before my self-imposed deadline. If the EXIF data disagrees, then the camera is wrong! : )

Sort of playing around to see if I could overpower the lightbulb with direct full-power flash. I wanted to see the filament, but also see the bulb and fixture. As it was, I had to dial down the flashes to 1/16th to get what I was looking for. As mentioned below, I used Color Temperature Orange gels on both to match the color balance of the tungsten bulb. This worked great, it's just that there wasn't much color other than some rusty stuff on the porcelain fixture -- and I though it looked better in B&W. So I could have used window green or nothing at all, and it wouldn't have made a difference.

About the shadows (aside from them obviously showing source directions of the flash...) I kind of liked the effect. I think it puzzles the eye to see two distince but dissimilar shadows from a bulb. I also like how they work with the composition of the shot.

Strobist info: 2x Vivitar 285s on Cactus Triggers, camera right and left front. Both zoomed to wide and set to 1/16th power. Full CTO gel on both, though it didn't matter because I liked this shot better in monochrome

February 15 - Deschutes in the Fog

DPP_0002, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Gonna keep this short, as I've got a couple quick edits/sends of some newborn photos I was lucky enough to get to shoot today.

This is from the start of my day -- a whirlwind tour of Oregon to shoot photos and get some errands done in Portland and Corvallis.

I liked the rock outcropping warmth against the cool fog.

Used the 17-40 for this one.

February 14 - Daily Bread

DPP_0002, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

We tend to avoid eating out on Valentines Day. The rush, limited menu, jacked-up prices, etc., are everything we try to avoid when going out.

Joined my parents for dinner tonight. And while the guys tried to do it ourselves, timing everything to finish at the same time conspired to have us beg for help from the women-folk.

So thanks to my wife for being a hand model and for helping with a dinner that we were supposed to be making for you. And really: thanks for so much more than just posing for this photo and supporting the 1/2 hour or more per day it's taken me to pursue this artistic journey. It's been an amazing year in so many ways. I love you!

February 13 - Fisheye, on the Cheap

DPP_0001, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

So I've always though it would be cool to have a fisheye lens. Lack of funds has always tempered the idea, plus it seemed like kind of a one-trick pony. (But a FUN pony, I always said!)

Then as my lens shopping continued, I reconsidered. What a unique look!

This was somewhat tempered knowing that the circular image would be cutoff on my partial-frame DSLR.

Then I found one on Craigslist. The interest re-ignited. Still, can't justify even the used price.....yet.

So as I'm leaving work, I notice two free 1/2 fisheye lenses, there for the taking. (You can just see the second at the top of the frame). And while you might say that a self-portrait is the ultimate photo-of-the-the-day cheater move?

I say that I just found the cheapest fisheye lens out there!

I especially like the whole "making of the shot" sense with the flashes in the photo. Both 285's at 1/4 power, which has been pretty much my default for bounce / shoot through applications. Or at least, my starting point. The Cactus transmitter is doing a poor job of hiding my receding hairline. Another reason to get some Pocket Wizards.....

February 12 - Chameleon

DPP_0001, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Another crazy day though less crazy than yesterday.

I noticed this effect at dinner the other night, and thought it was interesting. Didn't have a chance to play with DOF, as Dogs Don't Like Flash (DDLF) struck again.

I think it might have been nice with more depth, but it might have lost something.

Used the 50mm since it gave the perfect field of view. The 20mm and 17-40mm gave too much extra info in the photo, and it was hard to keep only the runner reflected in the pot.

That pot needs a little Bar Keepers Friend, but hey -- I'm a parent. Who has time for that?

February 11 - Still Life with Pedialyte and Infant Tylenol

DPP_0001, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Sick kiddos are a bummer, but a fact of life.

Kinda busy tonight, so wanted to capture the gear and the lighting typical of this stage in our lives.

20mm so I could close-focus. Long exposure (15s) left some hot pixels. Not much post on this one; go figure.

Edit 2/12: If anyone is wondering, real Pedialyte tastes MUCH better than the generic version. Cheap daddy here was buying the generic version and getting some terrible faces. Tried it myself: rugged! So now you know....

February 10 - Light Snow

Light Snow, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Saw this on the way home from grocery shopping, and went back out to capture. Used the 50/1.4 and shot at 7.1 to try and get the "landscape sweet spot". I raised the tripod as much as possible to drop down the flare from the lamp, but couldn't eliminate it. Probably should have tried shooting without the UV filter?

February 9 - Glass, Wood, Metal

Glass, Wood, Metal, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Shot at a local (old-skool) lumber yard here in Bend. I thought the glass-block window was a true treasure in the heart of this weathered old building. I love the checkerboard look to the glass.

I don't like that I had to cutoff the ground to get rid of clutter.

Shot with the 50, using Av mode at F7 at the advise of my landscape photographer mentor.

There's more great photography to be done at this site. Just gotta brave the train tracks.

February 8 - Drying Rack

Drying Rack, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

After a great weekend of camping in the snow, the gear gets a chance to dry out before I pack it away to await the next adventure. The REI Taku jacket (now discontinued) did great, as did the wonderful (and available in Tall!) Arc'teryx pants. Winter camping really tests your gear. This stuff passes!

February 7 - Always Ready

100_9507, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

After getting home and looking at the photos on the computer, this is my photo of the day. Again, taken with a point-and-shoot. Added B&W and film grain in Picasa.

February 7 - A Meadow With Friends

Trying to post from the field.

100_9522, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Edited Feb 8: added photo that I intended to post but couldn't figure out how to via cell phone. I'm also adding this second photo. Neither of these are great, as I took with a P&S and wasn't able to view fullsize before my original attempt to post. But both show moments from one of my absolute favorite activities: snow camping. So here's another:

100_9513, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

February 6 - F Stopped Shower

F Stopped Shower, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Lots to do tonight, so pulled this together quickly.

The white tiled shower makes for a fairly broad light source if you fire the flash anywhere in the stall. I saw a photo this week that showed a faucet running (though it looked like droplets) so wanted to try with the shower.

Used the 50mm so I could get a sharp photo and could get a reasonable amount of showerhead and drops (without getting the camera wet)

Strobist info: 2 Vivitar 285HVs on cactus triggers, camera left, firing at the back shower wall. Not sure if I needed two, but thought it might help with shadows. Burn 'em if you got 'em, right?

February 5: All Lit Up (and no Place to Go)

All Lit Up and No Place to Go, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

I've had this one on my to-shoot list for a while now. (I can hear the gasps in the crowd....."really?")

Maybe I'm a sucker for the urban decay look. Or there's something that makes me happy about a grocery store that isn't decorated like a mountain lodge. Could even be my many college memories of shopping Winco when all the normal people were sleeping.

Anyway, out of ideas today, so I thought I'd try this. I noticed the interesting cart arrangement on the way home from work.

I think this shot would be interesting without the carts. This one is dying (no pun intended) for a smoker crouched in the corner of the frame.

Technical details: Manual metering because I wanted the easy (two-dial) control of shutter speed and aperture. This happened to work well with the center-weighted average metering -- though I bracketed the exposure, I ended up using the camera selected exposure. Used the 50mm lens because I wanted the brick to be sharp, and didn't want to deal with funky flare. Also it was the perfect focal length for me to be at the edge of the parking lot. Used f7.1 to take advantage of the lens sweet spot and to be sure I got the curb, carts, and wall in-focus. Forgot to check the WB setting so I shot it on Tungsten. No white card, though I should have put on in a test shot just as a reference. I played with WB in post-processing but I really wanted the sickly fluorescent lighting and not a corrected white. Can't remember what I used for the version I uploaded, but I had one WB set to tungsten (as shot) and one where I picked WB off the white advertisement on the cart. I used a tripod for this because of the long exposure and again because I wanted everything to be sharp.

I noticed the shadows from the cart while shooting (and liked 'em!) but didn't really think about it until Seth mentioned that the additional lights helped the overall exposure. I think the parking lot lights behind me gave the vents on the roof the perfect amount of light, and another light (yeah, like they need it!) on a door to the right gave the long shadows from the carts. In a way, I got lucky because I didn't have to use flashes to supplement the lighting. I did take advantage of the great dynamic range (of a GOOD exposure) to compress the range a bit during post-processing (curves/contrast). But at the same time, I think it's this combination of "perfect" lighting that drew me this, what some might call a boring subject.

February 4: Lost in the Lots

Lost in the Lots, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Found this in one of the (many) un-built subdivision lots around here. This is near my office and used to be a farm. Now, surrounded by a brand-new road, shiny street signs, bulldozed trees and a new forest of lot markers.

Part of me is surprised that nobody has taken this. (Maybe nobody noticed?) And part of me is sad that I have that reaction. Even more, I think there's a sadness about a forgotten bit of farm equipment in the midst of a lot that won't be built soon. The farmer gone, the builders out of work, a treasure in the tumbleweed.

I used a move from Seth and applied a gradient to the top of this one. I think it helps -- anyone think it's too obvious?

February 3: Let Your Art Shine Through

After last nights' yam photoshoot, I was eager to shoot in daylight. And it turned out to be a great shooting day.

I've started "banking" interesting locations around town. Sometimes I don't have time to shoot them (excuse for not taking the camera out). Others, I'm waiting for better light (my problem....) On days where I need a starting point, or particularly if there is interesting light, I head for these spots.

Today my goal was a building that I've heard is to be used for a dental school. But when I parked in a nearby vacant lot, I found a couple interesting bigs of industrial debris. And found this:

Wildflowers and Rails, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

I was happy, but wanted to try shooting the building, since it was starting to catch the low rays of the late afternoon sun. Got this shot. Straight out of camera, it was neat, but when I adjusted the contrast and curves, oh my GOSH!

Dental School Bend, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

I'm walking away, and now I've got my photo eyes on. I see these great shadows:

Crosswalk Bumps, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

And decide to take this shot (using live view so I could all but set the camera on the ground). This last one is actually one of my favorite shots of the group, but there's something more compelling about the others. I'm proud of this one, though, because it's really letting my art shine through.

Bumps. Hills. Sun., originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

February 2: Doggie Freakout III

DPP_0001, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Behold the steamed yam.

The Cactus triggers are working again. I scared them with some electrical engineer voodoo, which is to say I opened them with screwdrivers, scowled, and they decided to work before I pulled out the soldering iron.

Got about 5 shots before the dog came to check out the food styling, and this shoot was over.

I don' t like the shadow in the background near the center of the photo.

But again, any night I get to drag out the strobist gear can't be all that bad.

Tomorrow: Daylight photo. I promise.

February 1: Too Much Information

POD_jl_20090201, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Today went by too fast. Fortunately, I've got hundreds of ways I can control how my clothes are washed, and I know to the minute when they will be done.

Some nights I walk by the washer/dryer and think we make things a little more complicated than they need be.

But they get the diapers pretty darn clean!