This was fun to do, LAB with Hard Mix created the heavily saturated grass and tumbleweeds but left the stone and shadows only slightly changed. Used the sponge effect as a painting because the mix alone made it look hand colored and 'voila'. I liked it although I wish the old cars weren't in the way. This castle is located in the Antelope Valley by the aqueduct. You can't get very close, this was taken at ~540 mm effective and cropped down a bit since the fence for the AD went by behind it.

I've tried this shot a couple of different ways but I thought this effort brought out the old fashioned aspect of it. Going for a vintage effect but not quite sure if I got it right.

Still getting an understanding of LAB mode, the pros and cons of it, and playing with the difference between multiply and linear burn. Of course, shooting with good light and a nice subject always helps. This fisherman was moving just a little but the long shot handheld in morning light proved just a bit soft for me. Still, I liked the color so here it is.

While this small cabin looks even smaller in the photo, there is a good deal of false perpective at play due to the light, angle of the shot and extreme telephoto (600mm eq) so I thought it was worth sharing since it was kind of unique.

This little red gas station is also one of my son's favorites and since he is reading this I have to post this one additional shot tonight. It's been a crazy night with the neighborhood a bit out of sorts but it's finally time for bed. Have a great night!

Finishing out the day, I shot this one of my oldest as she prepared to take out an opponent on the basketball court. What a day from fields to lakes, gymnastics to basketball, wouldn't it be great to do this full time?

This was one of my son's favorites of the day. He liked the way the wall looked and the trees overhead. I had to clear a couple pieces of trash via cloning. I suppose I could have picked them up but I guess I just spaced it when taking the shot.

I having to publish these directly online, the Picasa plug-in doesn't seem to be working properly. That is truly frustrating.

This tired looking tree seemed a perfect chance to try more of my newly acquired editting techniques. Unfortunately the trunk was somewhat blown out and unrecoverable but I did try to get it to work. Other than that, I really liked the overall color scheme with the browns and golds against the blues and silver of the tree.

The Home I Left Behind was an entry I did for DP Challenge. The focus was on fences so I had this shot from a photo day today courtesy of my day off and driving around the Antelope Valley in search of interesting shots. Trying a new editting technique courtesy of my friend Duane.

Tattered but unbowed, our flag stands firm. Our country seeks truth and justice, sometimes without a clear focus and that results in conflict and frustration. Centuries have passed and our country still stands for a freedom of rights and liberty that is unmatched in the world today. My prayers go out to our nation and her servants both civil and military, no matter where they serve today and in the future.

PS adjustments courtesy of my friend Duane Ellison

Reposted 1 Jan 2007

A little off center but this is one of my wife's favorites...the denim coat and pants make the outfit really trendy.

Testing a friends camera, I shot this abandoned building just off of Edwards, everyone who enters by South Gate knows it's location. I decided that it made a good subject. I don't think I've ever shot it with any of my gear. Funny what you shoot when you have no particular reason to be doing it...other than having fun.

No I said, don't eat the worms...there's too much protein in them. You have to balance your diet with some greens and carbs. Yet too late, my son decided that he couldn't resist. Actually, the Mee Grob was great that night and we actually went out on Christmas Day Eve for Thai food. The waitress knows us and we had a great time.

Spin, really fast, in low light, sure Daddy...anything you say. The result is an odd blurry but fun mix of late afternoon playground adventure. So you can't really tell who's who. That's part of the fun.

This spent nuclear power core was discovered by my children in a local playground. It seems that a small alien shuttle landed and based on the number of missing dogs in the neighborhood was intent on providing feeder stock for the local rockfish population...or perhaps it was just the new swingset that the city paid for to challenge our children with new gymnastic feats. One may never know.

Some dogs just don't like being buried in a pile of leaves, no matter how much you try to convince them that it is normal doglike behavior by doing it yourself. 

Nothing like chasing the leaves in the fall, here they come! 

Pier in Fort Walton Beach, 15 second exposure braced against a piling. The water faded out nicely and the lights from the street illuminated the beach and water while the pier lights didn't flare out too bad. 

Solo brown pelican in Florida. Sky was overcast and bright so I metered for the body and hoped for the best. Adjusted the color balance and sharpened a touch for fine detail.