4x6photo

Portsmouth Granite Block

2012-01-25T23:38:59Z

The letter L

2012-01-19T10:04:24Z

Here's a picture of a swimming pool cover shot with the I-phone. Who would have thought you'd be doing everything with your phone other than actual talking, including photography. Certainly not Kodak or else they might not have filed for Chapter 11 this morning.

Dog

2012-01-18T21:42:06Z

I watched a movie today about the photographer Paul Strand. I liked the first and last part of it, not so much the middle part about movies. I identify with his earlier photography but I think I most admire the portraits. I'm looking for more of his series of portraits of famous people, he was quoted as saying they would go to their house and take a quick snap. It was not very comfortable and very often it wasn't what he wanted or expected. One photograph that stands out was a picture of Picasso, here is the picture. He said it was an awkward moment as Picasso was on his way to dinner or lunch and was dressed for the occasion. It wasn't as if you could say 'Change your clothes, I want you in your work clothes.' So the picture was taken just as it was. I find it to be a glaring photograph that cuts through the lens. I think Picasso was ticked off a little bit. Strand's third wife helped him during his later years when cataracts prevented him from seeing well enough to print. Apparently he had the same moments that I have, when you're not certain and so you call for help by saying 'Honey...look at this, what do you think?' Strand's wife said she never particularly liked photography but she really learned to hate it then.

Car engine

2012-01-16T21:09:55Z

Here is an I-Phone photograph of a car engine, I think a Toyota, that a relative had just cleaned and detailed. If we dwell only in our suffering, we miss paradise. Tich Nhat Hanh

Tony's Bowl

2012-01-13T00:02:08Z

I was trying to work out some lighting in the kitchen and was ready to delete these blooper bowl photos when I remembered the story behind it. Back when I was young and not too bright (as opposed to being the same but old), I thought I could do just about anything. We had this dead tree near the house and so called up a friend and said come over and lets cut down this tree. The crucial thing is this friend had a chain saw and could climb a tree, I didn't and couldn't. So we made our plans that included hooking my truck up to the tree with a rope or else the tree might fall through the porch roof if the aim wasn't good. We got 'er hooked up but then realized we couldn't hear each other and I wouldn't know when to jerk with the truck so the tree would fall the right way. So, enter the wife as the 3rd player. I guess it's a built in thing with men to use sign language on the job but maybe not so with women. The chain saw was buzzing loudly while I sat at the wheel just waiting to give a gentle tug with the truck at the right time when I hear the wife shouting 'no, no, no, no....' That had me confused and so I was saying 'What?' and the 'no' was now frantic. I saw the tree falling the wrong way and realized that she was actually shouting 'Go, go, go, go!' instead of 'no'. A big jerk from the truck brought the tree right into the middle of the wife's ornamental pussy willow tree but spared the roof. The poor truck bumper was bent into a big upside down V shape. This willow had lived its last season. Another friend sawed and picked up the wood and turned this bowl for me as a remembrance of the event. I now hire things done.

Grease

2012-01-12T22:30:31Z

'They don't call it trial and success....' Jay Maisel (as said on a Scott Kelby training video)

Lego girl at the top

2012-01-11T01:34:29Z

Bizarro Food Photography

2012-01-06T08:53:27Z

Been talking about foods and menus for the new year, here's a shot of the aftermath. To talk about or to desire more abundance of anything has probably always been dangerous, but it seems particularly dangerous now. In an age of materialist science, economics, art, and politics, we ought not to be much shocked by the appearance of materialist religion. We know we don't have to look far to find people who equate more abundant life with a bigger car, a bigger house, a bigger bank account, and a bigger church. They are wrong of course.' Wendell Berry 'The Burden of the Gospels' The Way of Ignorance (and other essays) 2005

At the feeders

2012-01-04T21:16:32Z

Here's another bird photograph from the backyard feeder. The weather has been really cold but I've resisted putting on the winter coat until today. It sure has been hot tea weather.

Tufted Titmouse

2012-01-01T22:16:01Z

Boy was it windy today. Took a short walk through the woods and met a young lady with a toddler in a backpack. She was really doing a quick step on her way out and muttered something about branches falling out of the trees. Nothing much was stirring because of the wind, so I had to settle for bird shots out the kitchen window. I can say I've now posted a photo for every day of the year so far.