Month: August 2011

I never hope to see one.
But I can tell you anyhow
I’d rather see than be one.

I have always loved that nonsensical poem. I learned it as a child, and until just a few minutes ago, I thought it was written by Ogden Nash. Not so. It was penned by Gelett Burgess, in 1895. Who knew? Obviously not me. But, what’s with the purple cow, you ask?

Well, today I was busy finalizing trip details, and pampering myself: massage, lunch with a friend, my first ever professional pedicure. So my photo today slipped my mind. When I walked outside to look at my patio to make sure no plants were dying out there, I glanced over at the purple garden table my husband built years ago. I was not thrilled with the prospect of having a purple table in the yard and he built two! He carefully selected the paint color and then painted them to make them look weathered. At that time, I recited this poem to make myself realize that if it was something Ron wanted to do, what difference could it possibly make to me? I’ve come to love those tables. And now, they really are weathered and a bit wobbly.

The late afternoon sun striking the side of one of the tables caught my eye and I remembered that I hadn’t photographed anything yet today. So, out came the camera. I tried adjusting the white balance to get the exact color of the table but now realize the camera’s LCD screen does not render accurate color. So, I made a slight purple hue adjustment in the color panel in Aperture and got the exact color of the table.

Focal Length 200mm
ISO 100
f/5.6
1/80

While cleaning up around my parrot’s cage today, I thought that the colorful toy that she ignores by the way, would make an interesting subject because of its form and color. I haven’t used my 35mm prime lens in a while so I attached it to my camera and set the aperture wide open and put the camera on the tripod. I laid the toy on my black kitchen table. This reminds me of those Chinese finger traps.

Focal Length 35mm
ISO 100
f/1.8
1/13
SOOC

Kansas is the Sunflower State and the sunflower appears on the Kansas State flag. Those facts made an article I found with a priceless quote all the more interesting to me: “That plant on our state flag is not a marijuana plant, but a sunflower.” This quote is from the attorney for a former mayor of a place called Bel Aire, Kansas, whose home was raided by police and whose sunflower plants were confiscated as contraband, the police believing they were marijuana. I thought the quote seemed a little Wizard of Oz-ish and the huge field of sunflowers I discovered at the intersection of Highway 99 and Elverta Road when I drove home from Redding this afternoon, was perfect to illustrate the quote.

Focal Length 200mm
ISO 100
f/9
1/100
Adjustments with Curves and Levels

This lovely water lily is blooming in my brother’s koi pond. This post is another iPad test posting.

Focal Length 200mm
ISO 640
F/5.6
1/50
SOOC

And the same water lily 14 hours later

Focal Lenth 200mm
ISO 100
f/5.6
1/60
SOOC

My Italian lessons have fallen by the wayside, but, oddly enough, one of the first words I learned when I was diligent in my Italian lessons was bicicletta, the Italian word for bicycle. Today, as Peggy and I left Lucca, the Italian restaurant that is our favorite for lunch before Music Circus, we encountered these two white bicycles chained to a bicycle rack just outside. I thought they made an interesting subject for my photo today. And, at least now I know the word if I need to hail a bicycle or two in Italy.

I made a few exposure adjustments in Aperture because it was slightly underexposed.

Focal Length 52mm
ISO 250
f/5.6
1/250

Today I met Tassie, my step-daughter’s Australian shepherd. What a sweetie, and those eyes!

Focal Length 200mm
ISO 250
f/5.6
1/60
Exposure increased +1

I tasted my first Ambrosia melon about 30 years ago. I think it’s a cantaloupe hybrid but it is sweeter and more fragrant and simply more luscious; in short, it truly is ambrosia—the food of the gods. They are hard to find but today, a farmer from Wheatland at the Thursday Farmers’ Market had a basket full of them.

Focal Length 200mm
ISO 100
f/16
1/100
SOOC

Since I started my 365 photo project, my friends have become used to me shouting out things like, “pull over, I want to take a picture of that inflatable gorilla,” or “oh, look, the water’s almost over the banks of the creek, I need to take a picture of that,” or “I’ll catch up with you as soon as I take a picture of this dandelion.” They’ve all been very understanding and very cooperative, often even suggesting photo opportunities for me.

This morning, when I raced past some friends talking at the front desk at the gym, dropped my stuff, and ran by them again with my camera declaring, “I’ve got to go out and take my photo of the day,” no one batted an eyelash. But I may be pushing the tolerance some friends have for my enthusiasm for photography. When I came back inside a few minutes later they were curious about what had caught my attention that required me to dash out the door to capture an image before it got away. The expressions of obvious incredulity, and yes, disappointment, on their faces when I showed them the photo of the empty bench outside the gym door, were painfully apparent. They were unimpressed with my efforts. “You mean you rushed outside like a bat out of hell to take a picture of an inanimate object?” I started to explain about the angle of light and shadows but thought better of it.

When I got home and looked at the 6 photos I took of the bench at various focal lengths, I, too, was unimpressed. But after cropping and changing from color to sepia tone, I decided I liked the result.

Focal Length 62mm
ISO 100
f/14
1/125
Cropped/sepia and vignette added

This morning I rescued my first owl. An injured barn owl. I got the call at 8:15 this morning long after I’m normally at the gym but today I kept finding reasons to delay my departure and the owl rescue won out over the gym. It was close by, just a couple of miles away and I threw on some clothes and drove over. He was leaning against the fence, his wing and leg injured. According to the home owner, he’d had to defend himself earlier this morning when her dog decided to investigate.

I took the time to take a photo because he did not seem agitated; he seemed resigned. I didn’t approach too closely when I took the photo. I’m glad I didn’t because he tried to get away from me when I approached a few minutes later to towel him. But as soon as I covered his head with a towel, he relaxed and didn’t struggle as I placed him in the picnic basket which has become my raptor rescue carrier. When I dropped him off at the Bird and Pet Clinic of Roseville, headquarters for the California Foundation for Birds of Prey, the raptor organization for which I volunteer, he was assigned number 11-161, the 161st raptor brought in this year to date.

I wish I’d had my 70-300mm lens on the camera but my 18-200 did the job and I cropped this photo. This isn’t a happy photo but I’m hoping he survives. He was moving in the carrier as I drove and they had started to examine him as I left the clinic.

Focal Length 200mm
ISO 400
f/5.6
1/50
Cropped

A shot in the light? Whatever! My friend Susan gave me these shot glasses for my birthday last year. I plan to serve my limoncello in them when it’s ripe. . . is “ripe” the correct term for limoncello that’s been setting in a dark closet while it reaches its perfection? I won’t try it until I return from Italy and have tasted lots of limoncello in its birthplace, Sorrento. We’ll be there four nights so we should have ample opportunity to do taste tests. I hope mine measures up. Okay, my pretties, nirvana awaits.

Focal Length 35mm
ISO 100
f/16
4/5 seconds
SOOC

This sun spinner is very Mayan looking to me. The unflinching expression conjures up sacrifices atop Mayan pyramids. No blood here, though. Just some afternoon shadows cast across its face from its own edges. I set the auto focus to continuous to make sure the focus was good despite its spinning in the light breeze. The exposure was challenging as well because the light changed drastically as it spun. This one captured the most accurate color without over or underexposure.

Focal Length 90mm
ISO 100
f/11
1/100
SOOC

When Governor Ronald Reagan moved into the California Governor’s Mansion in 1966, his wife declared it a firetrap and they quickly moved out. No California governor has lived there since. We walked by it today on the way to lunch. It’s an interesting building from the outside. I’ve never been inside and may never get the chance since it is on the list of California state parks slated to close, the result of the current budget crisis. I found myself shooting into the sun so I moved to get the sun flare emerging at the top. I could see the California Bear Flag unfurl through the viewfinder and wanted a closeup but when I zoomed in, the wind had shifted and the flag was limp so I cropped this photo to get the effect I wanted.

Focal Length 18mm
ISO 200
f/11
1/80
Cropped

I used to love to sew and made almost all my clothes from the time I left home until I discovered Macy’s “additional 50% off already drastically reduced” merchandise in the late 1980’s when it became clear to me that I could not save a cent sewing my own clothes. And, in recent years, the pleasure I used to derive from tailoring jackets, making the perfect bound buttonhole, and browsing at Britex Fabrics in San Francisco has lost its charm. So today, I did not look forward to a chore of hemming a couple of pairs of jeans. However, I managed to hem the jeans quickly and without breaking a needle which usually happens when I sew several layers of denim, so maybe I haven’t lost my touch. My camera was already upstairs as was the tripod, so I took a photo of myself threading the needle. I am happy to report that I can still thread the needle easily, thanks to my mono-vision contacts!

Focal Length 200mm
ISO 200
f/9
1/6
SOOC

This morning as I refilled my fountain which was desperately in need of water, I admired the beauty of the early morning light shining through the privet leaves. Then I realized that the water drops I was seeing on the leaves were actually shadows of the droplets showing through. I had to touch the leaf and turn it over to believe that the drops were not on top of the leaf. Since I am fascinated by water drops, I just had to take a photo. These drops really are only shadows from the underside of this leaf. I titled a recent post “Trompe l”oeil” but this one truly deserves that title.

Focal Length 200mm
ISO 100
f/5.6
1/80
SOOC

It was mid afternoon (not exactly early) when I encountered this brown leghorn outside my dentist’s office in Fair Oaks. My post for Day 178 (June 27, 2011) also features a brown leghorn that I photographed outside the Folsom Zoo, but then I didn’t know what kind of chicken it was. Thanks to Murray McMurray Hatchery’s on-line presence, I now know what it is.

I was climbing into my car when I noticed this guy strutting around the lawn next to the parking area. Fair Oaks is famous for its local chicken population which is protected and free to roam. My husband used to entertain himself while waiting for me to emerge from my dental appointments by feeding and hypnotizing the chickens that approached him. He knew poultry and on more than one occasion I came out to find a chicken in a trance standing in front of him. Today when I saw this rooster rooting through the grass, I grabbed my camera and started shooting. This photo was underexposed because I’d set the camera for a sunnier spot but he moved to the shade. I applied curves to adjust the exposure.

Focal Length 200mm
ISO 250
f/5.6
1/125
Curves applied

I’ve often thought I should start a “Men at Work” series of photographs because I have taken so many photos of “men at work!” Starting with the remodel of my house 3 years ago, I have taken thousands of photos of men hard at work. On my recent trip to the Pacific Northwest, some of my favorite photos were of people, both men and women, doing their daily jobs. This afternoon, while contemplating what today’s photo might be and whether I needed to leave home to take it, the doorbell rang. It was a SMUD (Sacramento Metropolitan Utility District) contractor advising me to turn off my computer and air conditioner so he could install SMUD’s new “Smart Meter.” While I turned everything off, I realized a photo op awaited me.

I ran out and asked permission to take his photo. He agreed but harrumphed (in a good way, actually) and said that if I was going to take his photo, he needed to put on his gloves and hard hat and he was already suffering from the heat resulting from his fire retardant uniform. “But,” he said, “for you, I’ll do it.” He pulled on his gloves and donned his hard hat complete with full face cover, snatched off the old SMUD meter, and asked, “Did you get that?” I did but it wasn’t much so he told me he’d install the new meter a bit more slowly. It took all of 15 seconds to complete the job. The meter actually plugs in with four prongs. Who knew? I could have done it myself. I did get a couple of shots, this one showing the most action (he’s pressing it into place) and then he was gone.

Focal Length 18 mm
ISO 100
f/5.6
1/200
SOOC

Well, not exactly but it seemed like the sky was falling when I decided to take a few quick shots of my hens and chickens for my photo of the day after my planned photo op with Fabian [yes, THAT Fabian] fell through because my friend, a charter member –perhaps a lifetime member?– of the Fabian Fan Club was unable to accompany me to Fabian’s Italian Bistro for a “meet and greet” over Philly Cheese Steaks. Since I’d just been there for lunch and I’m NOT a former, let alone lifetime, member of the Fabian Fan Club I decided to skip the festivities and find something around here to photograph.

What I thought would be a couple of quick, easy shots, turned into an hour of in and out, setting up and setting up again. Sheesh! I am always amazed at what I encounter when I try to take a couple of quick photos. This afternoon was no exception. The late afternoon sun cast some interesting shadows onto the patio and the pinkish green hens and chickens in a pot on the patio table were lovely in this light.

I set up the tripod and first discovered that I was too close for proper focus so I placed the pot of succulents on the lawn. I soon realized that one of the tripod legs cast a shadow directly over the plant. Note to self: check out shadows from all sources and remove undesirable ones before shooting! When I finally downloaded the photos, they were out of focus. I’d set the tripod on the lawn and when I depressed the shutter it caused a bit of a jiggle. Back out again, this time moving to the patio concrete. This batch was also out of focus. Oh no! I guess I didn’t tighten the tripod fittings sufficiently and that probably is what caused the slight movement. Third time’s a charm so I went back out but this time I used my shutter release remote and got the photos I was seeking. I also adjusted the white balance to direct sun and tweaked the color until I got the exact color of the hens and chickens. However, the sunlight changed while I fiddled and I failed to recheck the settings so the final few, in focus, photos were slightly underexposed. I made a slight adjustment in Levels to get the correct exposure. So, Chicken Little can rest easy tonight. The sky isn’t falling.

Focal Length 200mm
ISO 100
f/25
0.4 seconds

This day lily in dappled shade caught my eye. I’m glad I saw it today because it will be gone tomorrow.

Focal Length 200mm
ISO 100
f/14
1/100
SOOC

While relaxing on my patio with a glass of old vine Zin after going to Music Circus this afternoon (today’s “Annie Get Your Gun” is my favorite production so far this season), I realized I hadn’t taken my photo today. So, it’s not much, but I really like these shoes!

Focal Length 105mm
ISO 200
f/5.3
1/60
SOOC

Well, I think it’s a yew, anyway. I was on the go with appointments starting at 8:30 this morning; they took me from Roseville to Newcastle, back to Roseville and then to Sacramento. I got home at 5 PM with dilated eyes; my last appointment was with the eye doctor so my vision is a bit off and I decided that the few photos I took in Newcastle this morning will have to do for today. I took several of a huge yew but none were interesting to me until I shoved the camera into its interior. At least this photo’s got bokeh going for it!

Focal Length 200mm
ISO 100
f/5.6
1/40
SOOC