365 Project 2011

March 17 2012

2012-03-17T23:23:00.003-07:00

Sailboat Regatta, Lake Washington WA.

It had snowed earlier this morning. So seeing sailboats was quite novel and fun. I wanted to be on one of those boats...but in August.
When it would be warmer...

March 16 2012

2012-03-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

Reflections

After that stretch of rain and darkness, I was desperate for some kind of image that evoked a sunnier disposition. Then I played around a bit with it with the two following versions.

This is a view I haven't seen in a few weeks - Lake Washington from the park looking towards Boeing. It was so good to get out and get a solid hour walk in, without a raincoat or umbrella.

Tomorrow may require a trip to UW, to see the Cherry trees, if I'm not too late.

March 15 2012

2012-03-15T22:51:00.001-07:00

Daffodils

I was talking color theory with an artist friend of mine tonight. I thought I might try some experiments.

March 14 2012

2012-03-14T23:51:00.000-07:00

Motion study.

Shot with my Android phone.

March 13 2012

2012-03-13T23:48:00.001-07:00

Stormy Day on Lake Union, Seattle

March 12 2012

2012-03-12T23:49:00.001-07:00

Cherry Trees, Kirkland

Today was the first day of a long stretch of wet weather, according to the weatherman. The cherry trees are blooming all over the city.

Rain is not good for cherry blossoms. Blooms on trees don't stay on as long when constantly rained on. So if you see trees in bloom, it's best to photograph them as soon as you see them. Go get 'em!

March 11 2012

2012-03-11T22:33:00.002-07:00

New Lock, Old Door, Columbia City WA

Taken with my Android Phone

It was so much brighter than the door. The colors were great, and who doesn't love a little painterly patina?

March 10 2012

2012-03-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

"The Stare Down" or
"After you."
"No, after You"

A pair of Audubon's Warblers taking turns at the suet feeder today.

March 9 2012

2012-03-09T23:45:00.001-08:00

Abstract Series

Lo-fi rocks. Taken with my Android phone

March 8 2012

2012-03-08T22:42:00.004-08:00

Earth Moving Equipment, Kirkland WA.

Found this machine on my walk today and shot with my Android phone. I like scraped up metal when it's rusted. Something about the random, organic markings just speak to me. Than I saw the business end of this machine - it was too cool to pass up!

March 7 2012

2012-03-07T23:44:00.000-08:00

Wild fruit tree in bloom, shot with my Android phone. I think it might be Cherry.

They are turning up all over the Pacific Northwest. At first, I thought it might be too early for the trees to bloom. But then I saw the cover of a newspaper on a newsstand proclaiming the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC. So I found this great article here about it. The photos are pretty cool, too.

Not much has really changed since 1939.

If you are in the DC area, check out the Festival.

March 6 2012

2012-03-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Lunch with my Grandmom.

On my last day in LA, I made sure I spent some time with my Grandmom. I took her to lunch today at a hip eatery in Culver City, Ford's Filling Station. She loved it.

March 5 2012

2012-03-05T23:58:00.003-08:00

Michele & Yahal, San Diego County CA

March 4 2012

2012-03-04T23:08:00.002-08:00

Wild flower, Griffith Park CA

I found this field of flowers near the entrance to the Autrey Museum.

March 3 2012

2012-03-03T23:24:00.001-08:00

Lori & Darien

March 2 2012

2012-03-02T23:47:00.001-08:00

Traveling Girl, Seatac.

I'll be in SoCal for the next few days. Ahhhhh. Sun.

March 1 2012

2012-03-01T23:39:00.001-08:00

An architect's dream, lobby of an office building. Shot with my Android.

Feb 29 2012

2012-02-29T23:52:00.001-08:00

Playing with my phone's photo apps.

We are preparing some citrus to go into the dehydrator. They looked so good!

I'm happy to say I have a photo to post on this Extra Day in Leap Year.

Feb 28 2012

2012-02-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

"Look around"

Feb 27 2012

2012-02-27T23:04:00.002-08:00

Sun Chair

This chair is telling me I should be on a deck overlooking a body of warm water, sipping a fancy drink.

What does it say to you?

Feb 26 2012

2012-02-26T22:45:00.000-08:00

Lines - Coulon Park.

The sun was out for a while today, so we took a walk. This is what we saw.

Feb 25 2012

2012-02-25T22:52:00.003-08:00

Bitters and Simple Syrups. Shot with my Android using the Camera 360 App.

A few weeks back, we had this idea to make our own bitters. Bitters have been around for a while and are a common ingredient in many popular drinks. You can read about them here. Tonight a bunch of friends got together at our place to taste the bitters and simple syrups we made. There were some fun mixes as you can see.

The great thing about bitters is that you can also cook with them, and the simple syrups can be used to make unique sodas. For example, the Cilantro, Parsley & Lemon syrup mixed with soda water made me think of Summer. I made the Cherry Vanilla bitters. The Habanero bitters and syrups were great mixed with tequila!

Anyone can make these. They are very easy and you're only limited by your imagination.

Feb 24 2012

2012-02-24T22:49:00.001-08:00

Window Abstract

Lovin' the bokeh.

It's been a tough week for images. I'm not able to get out much during the day, which is forcing me to get very creative with my options. I'm liking what's happening.

Feb 23 2012

2012-02-23T23:38:00.004-08:00

Abstract #11

Feb 22 2012

2012-02-22T23:56:00.000-08:00

Found composition

Peaceful placement and good color attracted me to this shot today. I needed it.

Feb 21 2012

2012-02-21T17:41:00.001-08:00

Morning shadows.

Feb 20 2012

2012-02-20T17:41:00.001-08:00

Light and angles, Las Vegas.

Feb 19 2012

2012-02-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

Wild Fungi, Cougar Mountain National Park

At long last, I was able to get out for a hike this weekend. It had been too, too long. My legs made sure I knew that it had been too long. During my hike, I saw all the damage from the ice and wind storms. Several large Maples and Fir trees had fallen across the trail and there were branches everywhere. Thankfully, the trail had been cleaned up by crews. It was great to get outside and feel the burn going up the trail.

Feb 18 2012

2012-02-18T23:58:00.000-08:00

Dot's Delicatessen, Fremont WA.

I was in the north Fremont area picking up my new glasses and right next door was this deli. It looked interesting so in I went. Being the Foodie that I am, I was immediately intrigued by what was inside the cases. However, Dot's is a charcuterie, not a deli. Miles James, the guy on the left, was happy to let me try whatever was in the case, which included pickled pig's feet (pickly), and head cheese (rich), neither of which I had tasted before. I liked them both. This is a meat lovers place.

They make their food Old World style. I did pick up a couple of items from the case - some breakfast sausage and another french style link, a tuolouse sausage.

Tools of the trade and some of the spices he uses.

Feb 17 2012

2012-02-17T22:37:00.000-08:00

Peyrassol Cafe Friday, night rush.

I live in a building with a restaurant on the first floor. A pretty darn good one by the way. Tonight, I was down there waiting for Eric to arrive home from work.

In LA, when it rains, most eating establishments languish: Los Angeleans are fearful of driving in the rain. Not here. Every table was taken, with a few people waiting. And this is in a remote part of the Greater Seattle Area (I use that term loosely). It's that good.

Check it out: Peyrassol Cafe, Renton.

Feb 16 2012

2012-02-16T23:01:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by my friend Lynne to photograph oranges. It's a lot harder than I thought.

Feb 15 2012

2012-02-15T23:39:00.000-08:00

Space Needle from Queen Ann.

The Space Needle turns 50 this year. Taking a quote from Seattle Met Magazine's current issue,

"Fifty years ago, the 1962 World’s Fair did more than just celebrate global culture. It put Seattle on display, inspired world leaders, and erected a certain needle-shaped tower".

You can read the entire story at the website link above.

It truly is an amazing building, with an amazing story to go with it (for instance, it was funded with bond money from the city, and the loan was paid back with the ticket sales within a few months after the fair closed! How's that for fiscal responsibility?).

Happy Anniversary Space Needle

Feb 14 2012

2012-02-14T20:48:00.000-08:00

Sunset for Lovers

Eric and I are apart today, but we know how much we mean to each other. Enjoy the sunset and Happy Valentine's Day.

Feb 13 2012

2012-02-13T22:59:00.000-08:00

Kiwi Fruit

Did you know that the kiwi fruit was originally called the Chinese Gooseberry? The name didn't sound very commercially appealing so in 1962, it was thought that a Maori word might be better, thus kiwi fruit.

Feb 12 2012

2012-02-12T23:01:00.000-08:00

Eric Johnson

He's wearing a hockey jersey from one of the teams he's played for in the past. Can you tell what movie it references?

Feb 11 2012

2012-02-11T23:27:00.001-08:00

Witch Hazel #2

A few posts back, I made a photo of these same shrubs. This time I used my 35mm and I had a better idea of what I wanted to capture. I didn't quite get it (crazy, horrible backgrounds), but the effort was rewarded with the beautiful scent of this flowering subject.

Feb 10 2012

2012-02-11T01:18:00.000-08:00

Wine andechocolate.

The foil wrapped items are chocolates from Intrigue Chocolate. Aaron, the owner and chocalatier is OBSESSED with creating new flavors. Julie and I were HOOKED on the Saint Basil. If you live in the Seattle area, do yourself a favor and get some of these chocolates. Like nothing you've ever had before.

Feb 9 2012

2012-02-09T23:44:00.000-08:00

Grasses

I saw the grass two days ago when I shot the yucca. I liked the dark version of this. Here's an alternate take...or two.

Feb 8 2012

2012-02-08T22:18:00.000-08:00

Wetland area, Kirkland, looking north.

Feb 7 2012

2012-02-07T21:11:00.000-08:00

Yucca Detail

Walking today, I spotted the yucca, lit by today's sun. It was so warm that I was able to walk without a coat or sweater. I was using my 50mm at 1.8.

Feb 6 2012

2012-02-06T23:01:00.000-08:00

Home made crackers - Sesame Paprika.

I knew by 3:30 that if I hadn't made my image by then, I would be doing a still life. So I made crackers. They are made with almond flour and sesame seeds and the recipe is from Elana's Pantry. I've made them several time before so this time I added some spices to change up the flavor. Since I don't eat grains as much (I'm 99% grain free), I make a lot of gluten free food and her book is amazing.

These will be EXCELLENT with my goat cheese tomorrow...

Feb 5 2012

2012-02-05T23:12:00.000-08:00

Mt. Hood and Willamette Falls, Oregon City OR.

I spent the weekend in Portland. The weather was great! There is a large cloud just outside of the frame which is casting a shadow on Mt. Hood. I visited my friend Lorita, who also has a blog here. She also has an Oregon blog called TravelinOregon.

Feb 4 2012

2012-02-04T18:19:00.000-08:00

Northbound on the Amtrak Cascade.

This was my first trip on a train. I'm in Portland for the weekend. I met Samantha on the train in the bar car this morning. She was kind enough to be my subject for today's photo.

Feb 3 2012

2012-02-03T22:47:00.000-08:00

First light on the oak trees outside our window.

It's nice to see blue instead of gray.

Feb 02 2012

2012-02-02T23:39:00.000-08:00

Look up!

More lighting fixtures to add to my collection. I made this with my phone using the Retro Camera app - Polaroid.

Feb 01 2012

2012-02-01T22:44:00.000-08:00

Catkins, Kirkland WA.

It wasn't raining today so I was able to get out for a walk. It was a strange one to say the least.

I was in a fairly affluent neighorhood on a side street. As I walked up the hill, I stopped at a trail that led to a nature path. I stood there for a while because I thought I might want to go that way. But the gardeners, who were just putting the finishing touches on the large house adjacent to the wetland area, were using their blowers on that trail, blowing dirt and leaves right up to a teenager. He was standing on the side of the trail, leaning over the rail occupied with something. He didn't pay any attention to them, nor they to him. It was then that I noticed the gun. It looked like a small semi-automatic weapon, and he was firing into the marshy area. It sounded more like an air-gun. He saw me watching him and got a little nervous. Since there were witnesses and it didn't sound like a real gun, I walked towards him to find out what he was doing.

"What are you shooting at?" I said
"It's a BB gun and you have to be 18 to buy one. I'm just shooting at tree stumps."

When he turned to look at me, I noticed his face had the telltale signs of Meth addiction: sores that don't quite look like pimples.

I decided not to stay or walk down that trail, so I left. When I turned to look behind me, the kid was gone. But not for long. During my return trip, he was in the middle of the street, racing a RC car wildly around the construction equipment that was there, some of it moving.

Crazy.

Jan 31 2012

2012-01-31T23:21:00.000-08:00

I took a walk today in a new area and found these steps.

Jan 30 2012

2012-01-30T20:50:00.000-08:00

Today's views.

In the top image, the sun was just going behind some clouds, so i was able to get that dark-light-dark thing. I love that. The lower image is exactly how it looked out the window.

Jan 29 2012

2012-01-29T23:13:00.000-08:00

Wet.

It rained all day.
It will be raining tomorrow.
And the day after that.
And the day after that one.

I'm planning my trip to SoCal.

Jan 28 2012

2012-01-28T22:06:00.000-08:00

Eyeglass shopping, the Fremont area in Seattle.

It's time for new frames. I really liked these. I was trying them on and needed to demo to the sales person how I used my eyes in my work. The selfy* was a bonus.

Selfy = a self portrait. I picked up the term from a Google plus photo peer.

Jan 27 2012

2012-01-27T22:22:00.000-08:00

The character of pine tree trunks.

Jan 26 2012

2012-01-26T22:29:00.001-08:00

Today.

Jan 25 2012

2012-01-25T23:57:00.000-08:00

Precision equipment. A requirement for the professional photographer.

Jan 24 2012

2012-01-24T23:58:00.000-08:00

A self portrait doing my other favorite thing: cooking.

Jan 23 2012

2012-01-23T23:16:00.000-08:00

A small bay on Lake Washington, shot with my Android phone

Today, the sun came out at last. After the week of ice, snow, power outages and general mayhem, it was nice to see the Pacific Northwest come back to life.

This scene looked pretty to me today.

Jan 22 2012

2012-01-22T23:53:00.000-08:00

Leeks - shot with my Android phone.

You know when your chopping up food for a meal and suddenly you see something really cool? That happened today. I was making Borscht and was slicing up the leek I bought yesterday. Then, I noticed the great pattern on my chopping board. So I stopped to make some images. I started to feel like Richard Dreyfus's character in this movie. But obviously, not to that extreme! But it is hard to just get a meal done without stopping to shoot sometimes because a part of the prep looks so darn cool! That is the case with leeks.

Jan 21 2012

2012-01-21T23:58:00.000-08:00

Leeks, Whole Foods, Bellevue WA.

The pattern is what grabbed me. Then I bought a couple.

Jan 20 2012

2012-01-20T23:09:00.000-08:00

Snow gives way to the Rain

After three days of snow and ice, we were relieved to finally get rain again. All day I heard the crashing of ice from trees and roof ledges. There were still branches coming down, too. But the roads were mostly cleared, with piles of ice and snow along roads and freeways. This storm will not be forgotten.

Jan 19 2012

2012-01-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

An icy day. Trees and tree parts came crashing down all over the area, taking down power lines, landing on roofs and creating general havoc.

I've always wanted to get ice in branches, so I ventured out. I was not disappointed. When my hands got cold, I would stop, get back in my car and warm up.

I hope will melt tomorrow.

These are my favorites.

Jan 18 2012

2012-01-18T20:49:00.000-08:00

My Snow Guy! Shot with my Android using the Retro App.

It was cold.
It was wet.

But it was fun. A neighbor, who was watching me from her balcony, threw me the carrot. He's facing the playground so the kids will see his happy face while they play.

Jan 17 2012

2012-01-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

Snow Storm, sort of.

This was how it looked driving home from Bellevue at 12:30PM. It looks worse than it actually was. Five minutes later, rain coming down instead of snow. But the damage was already done. People at work, seeing the snow falling outside office windows, rushed home to beat the storm, causing all sorts of traffic. By 2PM, there was blue skies and all the snow had melted.

We're supposed to get a really bad storm tonight, dropping several inches of snow...

Jan 16, 2012

2012-01-16T23:30:00.000-08:00

This morning's snow.

I was driving along the freeway and I noticed the delicate branches laced with snow. I took the next exit and drove down the side road I knew was there. All the images I shot had to be from my car: the road was incredibly icy and I wasn't wearing shoes with traction.

You know how you usually see something as you're speeding along the freeway, and it's really cool? You can't just pull over or stop - for obvious reasons. So you think you can get to it if you get off the freeway and try to find a road that will take you to that exact scene or similar. It never works out. This time, I took a road that I knew was lightly traveled and I could get the shot. I was even parked in the middle of the road.

Today's Photo Jan 15 2012

2012-01-15T22:52:00.000-08:00

Witch Hazel blossoms

Eric spotted two Witch Hazel shrubs in the courtyard yesterday. Since the flowers are so complex and pretty, I thought they would make a great subject. Yes, this is the same Witch Hazel that is used for your skin. I looked up the uses and its origin. you can read about it here. It has lots of great uses.

Today's photo 0005

2012-01-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

Shelf at a wine store, Sodo area of Seattle, WA.

Eric and I went to a wine tasting at Esquin. It's a very large wine merchant just south of downtown Seattle. I noticed the light pattern on the neatly arranged bottles.

Photos from today - 0004

2012-01-13T23:30:00.000-08:00

Now that I've finished the project, I can post more than one photo if i want to. Today was one of those days. Found a willow by the lake, some ever present moss in a parking lot and a bonus at the end.

If you don't get out and look, you'll miss it all...

Today's photo 0003

2012-01-12T23:42:00.000-08:00

A Winter Day in the Northwest

Looking Northwest with Lake Washington in the distance. When the sun hits these trees, it's quite pretty.

Today's Photo 0002

2012-01-11T22:30:00.000-08:00

Self Portrait, Elevator

I'll be posting my new photos here until I get the new blog set up.

Postscript

2012-01-10T20:45:00.000-08:00

My Teal Bag
Self Portrait, Tacoma WA.

I intended to have one more self-portrait to include in the project. Since I was going to be in Tacoma today, I remembered that the downtown area is full of great building facades, old and new. So right after my meeting, I drove around to find a sunny wall. I set up my tripod and did a series of poses and walks. People driving by must've thought me crazy, running back and forth, jumping, posing, etc. All in fun.

Day 365

2012-01-09T20:38:00.000-08:00

Cafe rail and shadow. Shot with my Android Phone.

My apologies for dropping this on you, but due to errors in how I numbered my days, today is the last day of the 365 Project.

I started last year on the 10th of January. So when I noticed the numbers were off by two days, I went to look for where I got off track, and found them: Days 314 and 297 post titles are repeated. So much for administrative accuracy.

I was not sure what I was going to do for the last photo. I could have gone many ways on this today. After all, I've known this day was coming...

I've learned so much over the last year. For instance, I discovered that moving the camera in mid capture can give you some great images (I'm referring to some of my favorite abstracts.Thanks to Lightroom, I was able to make these abstracts come to life).

It's a good feeling to know that I honored the contract with myself and with you all, my followers, friends and lurkers ;-). I made photography FIRST for and entire year. So that ends this project.

* * *

However, I don't want to stop making a photo a day. I would miss it. I've got a lot more trips coming up this year, new territories to explore, portraits to make and stories to tell. Sometimes it's a little bit of a challenge to get one made and posted. Actually, it can be downright stressful. But when it's up, I'm usually satisfied.So, thanks for joining me this past year. Onward we go!

I'll be making a book of the last year's images, available for purchase by the end of January. I may ask for your input. Please feel free to comment on this blog. See you tomorrow.

Day 362

2012-01-08T22:12:00.000-08:00

Mt. Rainier from the 5 Freeway.

Day 361

2012-01-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

Hydrangea leaf detail

The purple and green are what caught my eye. It's getting ready for spring, which is still a long ways off.

Day 360

2012-01-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

Lighting Elements, Black Bottle Postern, Bellevue WA

I had met the sous chef of this place in Seattle a few week ago and thought I check it out. Plain on the outside, but really nice on the inside. Open and friendly, unlike most of the other wine bars in Bellevue. They had a pretty impressive menu, too. As you can see, I was attracted to the lighting elements.

Day 359

2012-01-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

Wetlands and car park, Kirkland WA.

On the opposite side of this scene (behind me), is the 520 Freeway. There were ducks in the stream a couple of days ago. The light kept changing on this scene all day. I loved watching it.

Day 358

2012-01-04T22:36:00.000-08:00

Sunrise from the deck, Renton WA

Sometimes you get a gift when you least expect.

I went out to put food for the birds (also known as turning on the Kitty TV), when I noticed that there was a pink glow in the clouds to the northwest. That's usually the precursor for a rad sunrise. It did not disappoint. I spent the next few minutes watching the scene unfold before my eyes.

I'm finally home to post it on the blog.

Day 357

2012-01-03T20:39:00.000-08:00

Office Lobby, Kirkland WA.

For the next few days, my options for subject matter and lighting will be severely limited. Yet somehow, I have to get a self portrait in before the project is over. Challenges, challenges!

Day 356

2012-01-02T21:41:00.000-08:00

Seattle in the distance from the south end of Lake Washington. Shot with my Android phone using 365Camera App and TiltShift.

If you're wondering if I'm thinking about the final days of my year long project, I am. But I'm saving the post about it for the last day, which is Jan 9th.

Day 355

2012-01-01T11:39:00.000-08:00

New Year's Day Polar Bear Dip, Gene Coulon Park Beach, WA.

It's an annual event here in the park. A few dozen hardy people brave the 45 degree water for a quick dip.

Day 354

2011-12-31T17:53:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve Still Life

Happy New Year to everyone!

Day 353

2011-12-30T21:10:00.000-08:00

Emily and Matt

One of the several beautiful images from today's Engagement session. We had a great sky, great light, and great colors.

Day 352

2011-12-29T22:20:00.000-08:00

Lichens and Moss on a wall, Fremont WA.

A very colorful wall on our outing today. Naturally occurring.

Today is Joslyn's last day with us. She flies out tonight to Detroit on a red eye. We had a very nice time, and the ten days just seemed to fly by.

Day 351

2011-12-28T23:58:00.000-08:00

Chewy Ginger Cookies

So Joslyn also has a thing for ginger (as do I and and one other friend of mine). She found this recipe in my December issue of Bon Appetit and just had to make it. Here's the recipe. She said they were the prettiest cookies she's ever made. I would have to agree: they are beautiful! So I made them into a still life today.

Day 350

2011-12-27T22:57:00.000-08:00

Tree Row, Leavenworth WA. Shot with Android phone.

We're still in vacay mode. Eric, Joslyn and I went snowshoeing (Eric brought his nordic skis, so did that). We stopped at two locations. The first one was just off Hwy 2, nearly to Leavenworth. It looked promising, but was uphill most of the way. And it was raining.

So we went to a different location near town that was so much better. And it was snowing. Big fluffy flakes fell for the rest of the day and into the evening. The snow activities were fun! Saw a couple of bald eagles, some deer, and beautiful landscapes covered in fresh powder. The ride back - not so much: a jackknifed truck, falling tempuratures with snow and rain made for a very tense drive home.

The pixilated texture of this photo works for me. It's big and gloppy, like the snow that was falling.

Day 349

2011-12-26T23:44:00.000-08:00

Korean BBQ at home

It's starting to be a tradition that when Joslyn comes to visit us, she makes this dish. We slow roasted some pork belly, marinated some short ribs in ginger and garlic sauce, fried up some mushrooms in bacon fat, then wrapped the whole thing up in some lettuce with some kimchi, daikon, and rice (if you wanted it). Nothin' beats a good home made meal.

Day 348

2011-12-25T23:44:00.001-08:00

Yoda Snowflake cutout

Merry Christmas everyone!

Day 347

2011-12-24T23:50:00.000-08:00

Shadows

I took Joslyn to the University of Washington campus today. Since we all love architecture, I knew she'd enjoy it. After the usual touristy photos, we were on our way out when she realized she left something at one of the places we stopped so want back to get it. As she walked back, I saw this image. I wanted it brooding and dark, with an air of mystery. I hope it translates.

Day 346

2011-12-23T21:43:00.000-08:00

Kitchen Gadgets, Kirkland WA

I was in one of my favorite stores today and saw these shiney objects, neatly hanging.

Day 345

2011-12-22T23:43:00.000-08:00

Sunset, Winter Solstice

Today was the Winter Solstice and the beginning of Winter. Here in the PNW, the sunrise was at 7:54AM and set at 4:21PM . We'll be getting 8:26 of daylight daily for the next few days. The sun hung low in the sky and the signs of Winter were all around. Lots of frost in the shadows, on roofs, in ditches and on sidewalks. I was glad for the sun today.

Day 344

2011-12-21T23:37:00.000-08:00

Macy's at Westlake, Downtown Seattle

It was pretty cold standing here with my tripod. Lots of shoppers walking by, and a high school band playing Christmas songs across the street.

Day 343

2011-12-20T22:56:00.000-08:00

Two Crows on a cloudy day.

It was a sillouette kind of day.

Day 342

2011-12-19T23:53:00.000-08:00

Nostalgia

These past few days have been a whirlwind of activity, mostly centered around getting ready for holiday visitors. Although I moved here at the end of October, there were a number of little things that needed doing. Like hanging pictures, decorating for Christmas, finding places for things, etc. And then there was the actual getting the space ready for the guests. It felt good to finally be able to check some things off once and for all. However, some other areas have been ignored, namely working on the blogs and the photos. And not being involved in other people's work. I'm back now.

Today's challenge was looking for and making an interesting photo with only 10 minutes available time. I was tied up all day on an assignment that came in early this morning. And frankly, I need a new area to work on. But I was able to spot this bowl of bubble gum. I think it would make for a nice wall print.

Day 341

2011-12-18T23:41:00.000-08:00

Shopping Carts, Renton WA.

Even the shopping carts are getting in the spirit.

Day 340

2011-12-17T21:31:00.000-08:00

A gorgeous day to be fishing. A view of Lake Washington with the Olympic Mountain range in the distance. There was even a water skier today.

Day 339

2011-12-16T18:35:00.000-08:00

Lampshade #3.

Shot with Android phone using tilt n shift mode of the 365Camera app.

Revisiting an old friend, this lampshade has been the subject many time on this project. I still love it.

Day 338

2011-12-15T23:13:00.000-08:00

Tree Lights, Gene Coulon Park, Renton WA.

After reading the post at the Digital Photography School website, I was inspired to make some holiday bokeh photos. I got a lot of variety, which will be added to my stock collection and the book I'm thinking of making. The lights on the tree in the foreground were blue, but then turned those other colors when they were blended with the white lights behind them. An unexpected phenomena. Very pretty, I think.

Day 337

2011-12-14T23:54:00.000-08:00

Store Window, Renton WA.
Shot with my Android Phone using the Retro Camera App

I love this store. It's called Happy Delusions and they are right on 3rd Street in Downtown Renton. The owner was SoCal for a spell, and worked at a store that was in Van Nuys called Handmade. She styled her store with a similar concept: little booths that artists can consign and sell what they make. Most everything is unique and handmade. I love to buy gifts there.

Day 336

2011-12-13T20:18:00.000-08:00

Rose hips, late Fall

The sun was out this afternoon and the colors were poppin' . I liked the red branches, too.

Day 335

2011-12-12T23:44:00.000-08:00

Mobile Monday - Shot using the Camera360 App, Tilt Shift.

Day 334

2011-12-11T23:24:00.001-08:00

Rain droplets on my car window, Bothell WA

Day 333

2011-12-10T23:55:00.001-08:00

Studio Session, Hasselblad with Phase1 Back

I friend of mine was desperately in need of Senior photos. His mom said he wanted something different, not the usual cookie cutter senior fare. So we met, having our consultation at the local mall's food court. There we were, me with my laptop, and he with his philly steak sandwich. We batted ideas back and forth (one idea included kissing a dead fish), but nothing was really clicking. Then, he mentioned photographer Richard Avedon and that he liked that style of photography. He wondered if I like him, too. Of course! I LOVE Avedon. And so did he. So today was a very cool creative, stripped down photo session, all about connection and emotion. I was also able to shoot with a Phase1 digital back. It was my first time. We had loads of fun today!

Day 332

2011-12-09T23:25:00.001-08:00

Shot with my Android using Camera 360 and tilt n shift.