BONUS PHOTO OF THE DAY ............SHUTTLE LAUNCH

I decided to post a second photo from the launch.  I enlarged one of the photos I took as large as I could because I had thought I noticed the condensation forming around the nose of the shuttle and solid rocket booster from reaching trans-sonic speed.  The image is small and grainy but I think you can see the shock waves forming.

PHOTO OF THE DAY......................SHUTTLE LAUNCH

In honor of the final flight of Discover OV-103 I am posting a scan of a print of a photo I took back on May 4, 1989 of Atlantis OV-104.  While witnessing my one and only space shuttle launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  Amazingly not many people were there.  Maybe because the shuttle launches had become pretty routine by then.  Maybe because it was  a Thursday.   Maybe because it was in the spring.  I was fortunate enough to be travelling from Miami to Jacksonville and stopped in to visit my college roommate who worked at KSC.  I rode a bus to the edge of the water opposite the launch pad.  I had to be using my EOS Elan and EF 100-300  4.5-5.6 lens.  At 300mm of course.  I took a lot of photos but have only scanned in three.  I don't remember what film I used.  I'd have to look into the archives to find the film.  So here is an old photo of Atlantis.  Remind me to tell the story of watching an Air Force satellite launch when they launched the rocket into the middle of a thunderstorm and had to blow it up.  Never saw a thing. Just a very loud roar and then KA-BOOM!!  I think I have a few photos of that event archived.

PHOTO OF THE DAY...............BUMPER STICKERS

Most of the bumper stickers I have captured have come in from right field so what a thrill to find a set of stickers from left field for a change.  As always click on the pic to get a better view.

Taken with Canon D10

PHOTO OF THE DAY..................GEESE ON THE FROZEN LAKE

Geese on a partially frozen lake.  Taken on Jan. 20, 2011 at 3:25PM 

EOS 40D F/9.0 1/200 ISO-100 EF70-200 F/2.8 IS USM 

VIDEO OF THE DAY....................................BIRD, ANGEL OR FRACTUS

Yes, a video.  For those of you who are spiritual you might say it's an angel descended from heaven.  For you imaginitive romantics a white dove of peace.  For me its a stationary Fractus cloud formed below the wind shear level under fast moving Altostratus clouds associated with a warm moist fast moving airmass from the Southwest.    But, ..."I've seen clouds from both sides.......I really don't know clouds at all." 

PHOTO OF THE DAY............................REMINDER TO SELF

A reminder to self.  Next time I complain about how cold it is remember this! 

PHOTO OF THE DAY..........LAST OF THE AERIAL SUNSET SERIES

This is the last of the American Airlines Boeing 757 from Vancouver to Dallas sunset photos from 37,000 feet  series taken back on November 24, 2010.  This last photo attempts to capture the magenta glow within the cabin. 

                 Shot with Canon D10.  Processed with Adobe CS5

PHOTO OF THE DAY........AERIAL SUNSET OVER THE WESTERN ROCKIES

I think it is time to spruce up the blog. Give it a new look and maybe a bit more boldness. If you feel the blog has gotten stale I agree. Like the snow melting outside my door it is time to melt off the winter blog blahs.



Today's photo was taken back in November from the cabin of an American 757 over the western rockies at sunset. The same time other sunset photos I have posted were taken. I wanted to emphasis the shadowing, colors and contrasts of the setting sun across the mountain peaks and valleys. Showing how late sun can bring out contrasts and details through shadowing.

    Canon D10.  Processed with Adobe CS5

PHOTO OF THE DAY.........................TRAM CAR TO WHERE?

The goal here was to emphasis the sky car by more than just centering it within the frame. With very little supporting information to place it in relation to the mountain I simplified the shot by drawing your attention to the tram by removing any reference to it's supporting towers.  I de-saturated the snow covered mountain by minimizing what little color there was and I saturated the tram car red exterior. What else could I have done? I could have removed the cables completely and suspended the car in space. I might try that next.

            Shot with Canon D10.  Processed with Photoshop CS5

Photo of the Day...................Another Beautiful Day in the Ozarks

Can you just feel the cynicism in my title?  Another beautiful day indeed.  More snow and more cold (16F/-9C)  More shades of gray. 

Snapped through the windshield using the Canon D10 and quick processed in Picassa.

PHOTO OF THE DAY..........................WILL THIS SNOW EVER GO AWAY?!

The  art of photography is to find beauty where there seems to be none.  When your days are all gray over gray where do you find the beauty?!  The snow has come and and now the snow remains.  The hazy grayish winter skies and the grayish winter snow obscures the horizon and as the days pass by the two become one and landscape becomes 18% gray broken only by darker stark shades of gray.  Boring at it's best.  Depressing at it's worse.   But, I'' keep looking.

   

PHOTO OF THE DAY...................ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE OZARKS

It took a long time to get home last night.  Rush-hour snow slowed the Queen City to a crawl.  The bad news?  It took me an hour and half to get home.  The good news?  I drive a Prius. I think I used a 1/4 cup of gas.   

 

BONUS PHOTO............................THE ENCHANTED ICE FOREST

BONUS PHOTO ......................... FAIRY ICE PALACE COURTYARD

I know it is a big stretch to turn a  power plant into a fairy palace but its all I have to work with now.  But, being snow bound for all these days and now seeing more snow falling might be turning my brain into an ice palace of silliness. 

Photo of the Day.............The Ice Palace

The ice palace itself in all it's glory.  Well the coal fired power plant trying to be a fairy ice palace.

BONUS PHOTO OF THE DAY...........THROUGH THE ICE PALACE GATE

Entering the bridge over the lake dam.  The entrance gate to the ice palace.  As the first, photo this was taken with a Canon D10 and processed in Picassa.

PHOTO OF THE DAY..........ENTERING THE ICE PALACE

It's another very cold day in the Ozarks.  With a morning low temperature of
-4F/-20C.   I am entering the Lake Springfield ice palace that surrounds the dam and power plant on cold mornings.