One of my goals for 2010 is to overhaul my site & blog. Eliana and I went to Disney World for vacation the first week in January. Last week Eliana had her adenoids removed for the second time, a turbinate reduction and her tonsils removed. We are halfway through recovery. The studio renovation is on it’s way and hope to be done with it by January 31st. I’m also hosting a workshop for local photographers February 13, 2010 in the new studio. I was hoping to have the site and blog updated by the end of the month. It just isn’t going to happen. My new goal is to get it done by March 1, 2010. Please come back then and check out the new site and blog.

Today the last day of 2009 is the blue moon. I was hoping the sky would clear so the moon could be seen. This was not my original photo idea for the last photo of the year. But I ran out of time {light} to get what I truly wanted. This isn’t the best moon photo but I like it nonetheless.

Eliana and I will be heading to Orlando with my parents and won’t return until January 10, 2010. Since my laptop died I won’t have any internet access while I’m gone. It’ll be a nice break really. I’ll be taking photos for POTD daily but won’t be able to edit or post until after I get home.

Also, my website and blog will be getting an overhaul. I was hoping to have it done by tomorrow so I didn’t have to worry about it. It’s just not going to happen. But I will get it done by the end of January that is my goal. So, check back after February 1 for a whole new look.

Hope everyone has a Happy New Year. See you all next year.

Next year’s list was posted today and I can’t wait to get started with this again. I’ve been slacking a bit lately but have been busy and allot of things going on. If you are a photographer or someone who enjoys taking photos. You might give this a try. Every week there is a theme. So, everyday or as often as you like you follow the theme of the week. It’s fun and gets you to think creatively outside the box.

01/04 beginning
01/11 hats
01/18 sweet
01/25 handmade
02/01 signs
02/08 comfort
02/15 books
02/22 cloudy with a chance of…
03/01 time
03/08 simple pleasures
03/15 the human body
03/22 hello spring!
03/29 then and now
04/05 shoes
04/12 dreams/goals
04/19 nature
04/26 favorites
05/03 buttons
05/10 keys and locks
05/17 snacks
05/24 bokeh
05/31 series (a 3-5 set of images that tell a story)
06/07 talents
06/14 color
06/24 the middle
06/28 action
07/05 sunrise/sunset
07/12 peas- human, canned, garden fresh, or frozen
07/19 bloom
07/26 round things
08/02 from the vine
08/09 play
08/16 twist
08/23 where the wild things are
08/30 on a stick
09/06 style
09/13 destination
09/20 shadows
09/27 fall’s beauty
10/04 windows and doors
10/11 paths
10/18 listen
10/25 family
11/01 the little things
11/08 old school
11/15 words
11/22 illumination/ light sources
11/29 funny face
12/06 soft
12/13 loose ends
12/20 brrr!
12/27 ending

This is a close up of the side of a steel building. Of course the dark lines on this are rust in the color version. But b&w really brought out the silver look it in.

When driving along and sight seeing you never know what you’ll come across. And it’s a good thing to always have a camera with you. This brand new train track is in Dugger Indiana. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. it is not everyday when you see a brand new train track with new rails and all. This track is being built by Bear Run Mine. It’ll be awhile until a train runs on it as they have a long way to go to finish the track.

This week’s theme is “Silver”. While driving around today we came across this culvert waiting to be put in. I did not crop this photo. I used my new Canon 50mm 1.4 lens today.

Sigma 30mm 1.4. It is 10 months old. Great lens and takes great photos. $300 shipped – paypal.

Canon 85mm 1.8. It is 26 months old. It has been dropped but the AF works perfect. The MF does not work. It still takes great photos. I use it all the time. $275 shipped – paypal.

I’m selling these for a different lens. If you going through my photos on the blog here you will see photos taken with these 2 lens. Either in the post or in the tags you will find which lens I used on a photo.

Check out another give away by The Savvy Photographer.

It’s that time of year so I thought I’d post this year’s holiday special. If you have any questions please email me.

These doors are at the local IGA. But they look kinda secret to me. You know this is where all the overstock of food and products hide.

We were gifted this awesome dog house for Nola. It was super dirty but cleaned up like brand new. It even has a bottom to it. This way she can have a blanket & it’s a bit warmer in colder weather. Nola is not sure what to think of it LOL.

This week’s theme is Secret Hideouts but it is also macro Monday. You never know what you will find hiding until you you look up close.

Today has been a gloomy day and I couldn’t bring myself to really pick up the camera. It’s been raining most of the day. With a few dry spells but nothing to write home about. I’ve got tons of photos from the last 2 months I have not edited so I decided to pull one out from a couple weeks ago. Yes the background is a wall and it really is that color green. I just did my basic editing but not sure I’m fully happy with the outcome. How would you edit this photo?

**Edited 9/21/09 @ 1;40pm to Add**
Upon suggestions to do a layer mask my first I might add. Here is the new photo.

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Well today we headed out to the Apple Orchard. Only to find out that they don’t have You Pick. It’s an hour or so to the nearest you pick orchard. It was too late to head out to another one. Maybe we’ll give it a try in 2 weeks when Caroline is back to visit for the weekend. So, we ended up at McDonald’s that has this neat decor. It had these black and some tan cushiony booths. Some tall metal bar stool type chairs. It was really cool. So while we waited for the food I snapped 2 photos of each of the girls. Especially since I didn’t get to my orchard fall shoot today with them. Might try something tomorrow before Caroline goes back to her mom’s. I again could not decide if I liked color or b&w better. Let me know which you like.

Eliana

Caroline

Today has been one of those days where I didn’t want to really get out to shoot. It’s eggs stacked on plates on a bowl. The wall boarder also has a sugar container, teapot and a stack of teacups. Now tomorrow I’ll be doing Eliana and Caroline’s fall shoot. I’m already exhausted just thinking of 2 little 4.5 year old girls. I couldn’t decide if I liked this better in color or b&w. Let me know which one you like.

It’s that time of year so I thought I’d post this year’s fall special. If you have any questions please email me or post a comment here on the blog.

Have you checked out The Savvy Photographer blog lately? If not you should take a look. I’ve only read some of it and can’t wait to read more. I know where some of my time will be spent today. The Savvy Photographer

Last week I took of a photo of this same barn. This time I got up close well not really. I used a different lens and manual focusing. I changed a few settings on my camera today. I just did some basic editing on this photo. Not sure if I see any difference. I’ll have to take some more tests shots to see if I see any difference.

Corn, corn, corn it’s everywhere. Although this is Indiana what did you expect? LOL There is a huge corn field across the street from the house. As I sit here and type this it’s 80 degrees and the corn is almost ready to be picked. Hard to believe it’s this warm and it’s mid September. I’m not complaining in the least. The weather being better then Michigan is one reason I have been in Indiana for almost 6 years.

This week’s theme is People, Places and/or Things. Last week I was not able to post for 2 days so I will include those in today’s post. Saturday Matt and I flew to Sumter South Carolina to drop off the old plane and pick up the new to us plane. It was quite an interesting trip to say the least. I just did a quick edit on these. I’ve got 190 photos to edit from this 2 day aerial trip. With the new plane being a biplane {no top} I was not brave enough to take photos on the way home. I’ll have more time flying here at home to get more aerial photos.

Lake not far from our house. Right now I can’t remember the name of it.

Downtown Louisville Kentucky & the Ohio River.

The mountains coming into Tennessee. It was a bit hazy out Saturday.

Rutherford County Airport – Rutherfordton North Carolina. We took off at 6:03am to head to Sumter South Carolina.

The sun rising over parts of South & North Carolina.

The new to us plane we flew 6 hours home. And YES I’m terrified of heights but got in the plane anyway.
This was taken at Sumter Airport – South Carolina.

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When we lived at the farmhouse we had corn in the back yard. And now we are surrounded on 3 sides by bohnenfeld. In english you can guess it is bean fields. I should have taken this photo this morning as this is NW from the back yard. And you guessed it I just took it now and the sun is going to be setting soon.

ISO 320
SS 1/1600
Fstop 8
Sigma 30mm 1.4

I thought I’d pull out the flash and give it a session. So, I grabbed my only model available at the moment. After editing these photos I have come to the conclusion that I need to practice some more with Ms. Flash. I haven’t used her since March or April when Jess & Kaitlyn came over for the Rock Session.

And the background is one of the walls in my living room. My house has hardwood floors no carpeting anywhere. Eliana is a little pink in this as she was crying as it was such torture to spend 10 minutes getting photos taken. Ah well we all know the photographer’s child syndrome. Eliana has it real bad.

I’m not sure what happened. But the color is way off on this blog for some reason. They don’t look this bad in photoshop. If anyone cares to play let me know and I send you the RAW files.

*** ETA ***
I did a re-edit and uploaded the new photos @ 10:25pm.

Wolken are so big and fluffy. Sometimes I wish I could just grab one to use as a pillow. Once in awhile I lay on the ground and look up. And try to see shapes, people and etc in the wolken. It certainly makes me forget about life at least for a little while.

ISO 500
SS 1000
Fstop 10
Sigma 30mm 1.4