Flower Study at 50mm

I got a new lens. I've been working toward this one for a while. It's the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4. Man, that's fast glass. Had to try it out, and Jenn had some flowers on the counter. I also have a set of macro lenses that stack on the front of my lens, so I piled them and gave it a whirl. I think they look pretty good for a quick set up in the kitchen. A great advantage to using these macro lenses is that the flower now fills the entire sensor in my camera; this means maximum resolution without cropping to get the composition I desire like I would have to do if I shot from farther away. Can't wait to work this lens on portraits.

Nikon D90, 50mm lens, f/16, 1/30s, ISO 200.

Great Blue Heron

Nikon D90, 70-300mm lens @ 300mm, f/11, 1/500s, ISO 200.

Vancity

This is Vancouver from Stanley Park--an island of natural habitat in the city.

Nikon D90, 12-24mm lens, f/8.0, 1/800s, ISO 200.

Lions Gate

Vancouver is a wealth of vistas. The toughest thing about this trip was deciding where to go to make images. Stanley Park is situated on an island next to the city, and is a reserve of gardens and old growth forests. The First Narrows Bridge connects North Vancouver with the city proper. But no one calls it that; it's the Lions Gate.

Nikon D90, 50mm lens, f/7.1, 25s, ISO 100.

Flower Friday

It's full Spring in Vancouver
Nikon D90, 50mm lens, f/4..0, 1/400s, ISO 200.

Photoprecocious

Little C. was a doll to shoot with. She and her sister and their friends were all running amok in the Studio, and it was fun...for me, at least. C. was so helpful, and just kept helping her little sister (pics to come); that is, she kept standing in all the pictures. As a result, I had lots of C. to choose from, but it's not an easy choice. Look at that tight mouthed smile, and those huge eyes, then try sorting through the pictures yourself. Anyway, here are some favs.

This is done with the lighting at the Studio. I use continuous lights, not strobes, so kids don't get nervous, and there's not waiting time for the lights to recharge. The huge lights make the soft shadows and window-quality light. The kids can run around and they are always in the right place. Kids love it, too because they can see the pictures on the camera and become excited about what they are doing right there.


Nikon D90, 70-200mm lens @95-200mm, f/4.5, 1/125s, ISO 320.

Alleys of Gas Town

It's a part of Vancouver. Lots of souvenir shops, and lots of folks from around the world; and lots of interesting alleys with interesting things...

Nikon D90, 50mm lens, f/2.8, 1/40s, ISO 400.


Click through for more images...

The Man Behind the Magic II

Mel Torrie's work is currently adorning the walls of the Ibis (near the Studio). It's real treat to have so much incredible work in one place (and at such an affordable price!). Friday night there was a reception opening the show, and Mel was there, greeting and thanking all who came. J&L Jazz was playing, tasty food was on the table, and everyone enjoyed the time. Thanks, Mel.


Click through to view too many more images from the evening.

What I'd Rather Be Doing

So, there I am at Smilie's Szechuan Buffet, enjoying an unidentified hunk of chicken on a kabob, kind of pulling it apart along indistinct seams in the tissue, kinda wishing I hadn't taken it, but not wanting to not eat it because I had been chatting with the owners in Mandarin and being all friendly and didn't want them thinking, "I can't believe he didn't eat all his food! Doesn't he know that there are kids starving in Shandong Provence?!"

Anyway, I'm struggling through this little tough piece of meat when the when the mom and son at the table next to me starts talking about Siamese twins, and if they can be separated and live if they share a head, and weather they can have two heads on one body, and how it would be such an exercise in sharing...I didn't finish my kabob.

I was thinking I'd rather be doing a lot of other things. Like sitting alone at the Seattle Tacoma Airpost watching the planes while eating pastries form Seattle's Best Coffee, like this gal:

I also thought I might rather be driving an Indy car on the tarmac, like this dude:

Heck, I'd even prefer to be piddling along in a little cart:

I'd much sooner examine these light fixtures:

I'll see what else there is on this trip to keep my mind occupied when I get grossed out, and I'll show you what I find.

Untitled

R. is a dream to shoot with. He'd pose how I told him--only, he'd not unpose from the previous, so he was always getting tied up in knots--he was funny, and he was observant. He's welcome anytime I need a model.

Nikon D90, 12-24mm lens @16mm, f/4.0, 1/2500s, ISO 800.

Two.

Little E. just turned two. He's a ball of energy and single word sentences. You will know where every rock and tree are if you go for a walk with him. And you're in for a treat if the moon is out. Here he is swinging with his Uncle H., cruising around and around, aging far too quickly.

Nikon D90, 50mm lens, f/3.5, 1/50s, ISO 400. Careful making this kind of image--you'll get motion sick pretty quick; and 372 of these really sets your head swirling.

Flower Friday II

Just feelin' orange, I guess.

These images are both from the Desert Botanical Gardens in Scottsdale, AZ.


Nikon D90, 70-300mm VR lens @ 300mm, f/11, 1/25s, ISO 200

Flower Friday

Nikon D90, 70-300mm VR lens @ 300mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 200

Watchman

We found B. behind his restaurant downtown tonight. Actually, he found us...with an axe...we had the axe, not B. We were just making pictures, but B. can't be too careful these days: Last night someone stole the ignition out of his car. 


Now he's on the lookout.

B. is a lot of fun, and I think we'll have some more images of him to come. Maybe even some from the setup with the axe...


Nikon D90, 12-24mm lens @17mm, f/4.0, 1/50s, ISO 1250, SB-600 camera left. The slow shutter speed and the high ISO allow the ambient light from the street light to burn in.

Sweetly Divine

North Main Street in Logan, near Shopko--you should really check them out.


Nikon D90, 50mm lens, f/1.8, 1/125s, ISO 400

Imperial Troops

Here are a couple of images from the Alpine Garrison's annual retreat. Click through for a little surprise...

Flower Friday

Nikon D90, 50mm lens, f/4.5, 1/1250s, ISO 200.

Flower Tuesday, Too‽

What can I say? Flowers don't run away.


Nikon D90, 50mm lens, f/4.0, 1/500s, ISO 200.

Flower...Monday‽

Nikon D90, 50mm lens, f\1.8, 1\25s, ISO 200

Flagstaff

I really thought Arizona was going to be hot, sunny, and baking me to the point I would want to return home to cold, crisp Logan. Nope. Pretty much the same as Logan. Eight inches of snow while I was there. Still, it is a pretty place to be snowed on.

Nikon D90, 70-300mm lens @ 98mm, f/11, 1/250s, ISO 200

Rally

North of Phoenix, Arizona, just off the freeway is an In-n-Out Burger; fine dining, right? I mean, who else makes a chocolate-strawberry shake for a buck or two‽


The dining experience is only made better when the guys rally there each weekend. Friday and Saturday nights anyone with a good looking classic car is invited to park and relax while any passersby are welcome to look and enjoy (though, they appreciate it if you wipe up your drool). They're welcoming fellows, and the cars are very cool. S. even provides live music. 


One thing about these old cars: Ornament. Like the figurehead charging ahead of a ship, breaking the wind and boldly charging forward, hood ornaments were a significant feature of older cars. Not being a cat lover, I lament their passing. Click through below for a few more images.

Flower Friday

A little desert bloom from last week's trip to St. George.

Nikon D90, 50mm lens, f/4.0, 1/1250s, ISO 100

Snow Canyon I

Gorgeous and accessible. I love Snow Canyon.

Nikon D90, 12-24mm lens @ 12mm, f/8.0, 1/80s, ISO 200

Kolob

Nikon D90, 12-24mm lens @ 12mm, f/8, 1/1600s, ISO 200

Studio Fun

The Studio is SWEET! anybody can walk in there and make pictures like these in mere minutes. At only $25 an hour, it's a steal.

J and M are a couple of BFF's. M's mom is in one of my classes at Bridgerland. I think that tonight some things clicked for a bit as she made some excellent images of these two lovely ladies. I always say, the best way to make better pictures is to make more pictures, and S. made a few hundred tonight, I think. We set our cameras on manual mode so that nothing would change without our knowledge, then we dialed in the same settings and went to work. We moved lights, and tried different poses, and bobby-pinned hair do's--it was a blast. J. and M. are welcome anytime! 

I've got a new Facebook page, and I'd sure appreciate it if you became a fan--there are several more pics from tonight's shoot over there, and I think you'll really enjoy seeing them. Thanks for looking...

Nikon D90, 50mm & 85 mm lenses, f/5.6, 1/100s, ISO 400.

Easterner West

We enjoyed a trip to St. George, UT this last weekend. St George is not only a home base for visiting several national parks, but also boasts some excellent parks of its own. Snow Canyon State Park is such a place. At only $5 per car to enter, it is an affordable alcove of red rock, lava flows, and white sandstone where visitors are allowed to scamper on the mounds and petrified dunes--definitely not like a National Park. And yet, this park has kept a remarkably wild feel about it. There is literally a neighborhood at the gate, but the solitude a mile up the road is real. This is one of the things that drew M. to the park day after day during his visit from New York City. Maybe it's one of the things that's drawing him back as he considers how he can make the move here from NYC.

I met M. the first afternoon I was down there; it was actually the highlight of my trip. He allowed me to shoot images of him, both with my camera and his single use film camera. We chatted about what to do in the park, what brought him to St. George, what brought me, etc. It was enjoyable, and I learned volumes talking with him. He may have picked up a tip or two from my buddy Gary and me, as well: I caught him on his belly next to a desert puddle recreating the image Gary was going for. As you can see, he just looks like the picture of contentment--like those little people painted into grand Chinese landscapes.


Click through for a few more images of M., as well as some other stragglers we found...