14-SEP-2009
Day 257 - Guardians
So I am riding up the turnpike, thinking only about getting into Dover so I can find a Pharmacy to get some kind of anti-inflammatory thing for my left hand. All the riding this weekend seems to have taken its toll, my right index finger is swollen and sore as all hell. Ibuprofen didn't work either. I'd already resigned myself to yet another "In the house PaD shot" when I noticed the Asia off the highway. This place is like a fixture, its been there forever. I've only been in probably two or three times in the past ten years. I pulled off the highway and then cruised into the pretty much empty parking lot. There was an officer of the law parked at the end nearest the side road, I parked nearest the highway since I wanted to get the angle that I saw from the highway. The policeman didn't seem to care about a middle aged guy in a very bright orange jacket taking photos in the parking lot. I moved around, looking for a better angle and settled on this. I like those dog statue things, I shot with the UWA, I should have gotten a little closer to allow the dog thing to take up more of the frame, but I was shooting on the ground on my bean bag, so this was about the closest I could get AND get enough of the front of the restaurant for context.
I did wind up getting Aleve which so far hasn't done anything yet. . .
13-SEP-2009
Day 256 - More Bike Parts
I got pressed into riding service this morning by my cousins. They showed up at the door on their bikes wanting to go our for another ride. I was eager to join them (luckily I'd gotten all my stuff done earlier). Did a real nice ride, made it up to North Conway where I had to turn back to get home to take the kids out shoe shopping so that I could make a Cub Scout Leader's meeting at 6pm. In all my excitement today, I never got my PaD shot, so I went back to the bike parts. . .
12-SEP-2009
Day 255 - Overexposed
This is a complete mistake photo. I was fumbling with my Panasonic while riding and didn't notice the selection wheel was on "S" (Whatever that is) instead of "P". Luckily I caught a glimpse of the preview of one of the shots and switched the selector. I did take better shots, in the correct mode, but there is something about this shot that I really like. This is Straight Out Of the Camera even though it looks like some kind of funky Photoshop action was applied to it. I had a blast riding with my cousins today. We turned a 200 mile trip into a 300-and-some-odd mile trip by deciding to do the Kangamgus Highway in NH this afternoon. I felt bad for them because it started raining for the last two hours of the trip. My riding gear is waterproof, I don't have to stop to put on rain gear, I'm literally covered. They didn't have their rain gear. One of my cousins didn't even have a windscreen, he was on his '99 Fatboy with all of it in the wind (and rain). He is now considered Hard Core.
11-SEP-2009
Day 254 - Stopping Power
Long day at the office, I left late and had to change real fast to rush off to the High School Football game where my oldest was playing in the Marching Band. It was the first home game and thus the first Band Engagement of the season. It was raining out at work when I left and kind of sprinkling when I got up to the house. I brought the camera gear but left it in the Tahoe because I was concerned about getting stuck in the rain with all my gear. Turns out it didn't rain out (that I could tell) during the second half of the game that I got to see. Based on the success of yesterday's photos, I broke out the gear and shot more "Bike Stuff". These are my front rotors on the bike, the bike just turned over 30K miles and I have to believe these are the original Rotors (I bought it used last year with 18k on it and full maintenance records). Strobist info: 580EX2 at 1/4 power into my homegrown diffuser, above and behind the front tire.
10-SEP-2009
Day 253 - Rox Risers
I finally received my Rox Risers today. Installed them this evening. It makes quite a difference, at least in sitting on the bike on the center stand. I was able to get all the cables to fit without binding, though I will probably replace my brake & clutch lines with longer braided hose this winter to be safe (it's a 2002, the hoses could use replacing anyway). I am hoping this will help my wrists and back on longer rides. Weather permitting, my cousins & I are heading out for a nice long ride this Saturday (fingers crossed). After installing bike parts, the next thing to do is obviously take photos! Strobist info: Flash [580EX2] camera right, high, behind the handlebars, 1/8 Power. Shooting into my homemade diffuser.
09-SEP-2009
Day 252 - Joe's Garage
This garage is on one my shorter alternate routes home. I've ridden by it numerous times and thought it would make a decent enough subject. This evening I found myself chasing the sunset. I realized this was a chase I'd lose just about the time I passed by Joe's Garage. I saw enough of the scene to realize no one was there so it was safe for me to park out front and take a few shots. No use of the cybersyncs today, just a wholesome photo with some post processing. I turned it into a grey scale and applied a blue highlight, giving the sky it's blue look. Kind of a "cheating selective coloring" approach I guess.
08-SEP-2009
Day 251 - Soft
I am not all that happy with this shot or any of the shots I took this evening, but they are the only ones I have and the sun has set. In my preview window, these looked sharp enough, but I was a bit rushed again and when rushed, the shot looks as such. The tones are what I was looking for, even the lighting is pretty close to what I want, save for the blown out VStrom lettering. Oh yeah, had I waited just one more minute, I'd have a very large private jet at a 30 degree angle in the top right of the photo. After this shot, I packed up and headed straight home, or so I thought. As I was approaching the base exit, I saw these three guys on bikes pulled over at the entrance. There were two Stroms in the mix (I can tell those headlights anywhere). I pulled off and asked if they needed help. Turns out they were a group from Florida, up traveling through New England. They wanted to head into Maine to find a place to stay. I didn't understand what they were asking at first, but then I got it (they had been traveling a lot today). I rode with them, and even pulled off when they took the wrong exit, it was the correct road, just wrong state. It all worked out, the road (Route 1 Bypass) has a nice bridge leading right into Maine.
07-SEP-2009
Day 250 - Shoot thru me
I took about a hundred or so shots, even settled on one. Then took another 50 or so. I had a rim lighting effect type shot in mind. I even had a snoot set up, but it wasn't doing it for me. I then moved onto trying to do a rim light shot of my back, that didn't work either, though I did have a mistake shot that I almost posted, but couldn't get it right. I fell back to my favorite shot, draping a white sheet up between some cabinets and shooting my 580EX-2 into it at full power. I've had very good success with this technique in the past. If my wife were a little more awake, I'd have used her as my subject instead. I've done a few SP's like this before. So far, so good with the Cybersyncs. Haven't had a misfire yet. 3
06-SEP-2009
Day 250 - Relaxing
My wife took the kids to the pool and I found myself with some spare time. I'd just come back from a nice long walk/hike with the dog, we found a dirt road, a pond, and a snowmobile trail. I got back and was resting on my chair when I realized it would make a nice photo. So, I did what anyone else would have done while resting, I grabbed all my photo gear. I set up the shoot through umbrella to camera right, aiming down. My 580EX-2 is at full power. Good use of the cybersyncs here. I actually didn't get a chance to nod off after taking this shot. I believe someone popped in after I'd picked everything up and I never got my nap. The tent in the background actually housed my daughter and her friend for the weekend. I liked it for a background as it was a lot less busy than our RV.
05-SEP-2009
Day 249 - Sick Jump
After playing a round of golf with my family and friends today (that took up most of the day), I set up some camera gear and took some photos of the kids hitting a jump that they made in front of the campsite. Every year they make a jump and we suddenly find ourselves with a slew of children that we never knew existed. This is my son, we knew he existed. While it is not the best shot I took this afternoon, it is the photo that captures him going the highest in the air. The jump is the mound of dirt beneath his rear tire. He's learned how to pull back on the handlebars when the front tire hits the jump to get the most 'air'. Mitch is in the background armed with a shovel, he is keeping the jump in tip top shape. Our camper is actually in the background, though it is not actually visible.
04-SEP-2009
Day 248 - Some Clouds
First full day of Labor Day weekend. Just hanging out all day. It was very relaxing. It was also the first day I spent with my glasses on. Glasses I got about two, maybe three years ago to help me with seeing presentations. Yesterday I was on day 3 of a big headache and I decided to wear (and bring) these glasses to see if there was any help. I wore them all day today. I woke up with the headache still 'there' but it went away at some point in the late morning. I attributed it to the glasses. By the late afternoon, I began feeling bit of vertigo, something that I am guessing is related to wearing glasses at first. I started looking up and feeling a bit light-headed. I was also awestruck by the clouds this evening while I was watching the kids at the pool. So much so that I turned my attention to photographing them over the kids ;-)
03-SEP-2009
Day 247 - Tonight's Moon
I think this might be the first Full Moon during our Labor Day Weekend Camping weekend. I am so used to packing astronomy stuff (green laser pointer, binoculars, etc) that I am quite sure of it. With this full moon this weekend, there will be very little star gazing done. The largest tele in my arsenal is my 70-200 F4L. Moon shots really need something will a little more reach to make it appear a lot more daunting. I think I will pick up a 1200mm tele for just such an occasion.