Photo of the Day......Caged Chevy

I took this photo back on August 24, 2010 while driving along Walnut Street.  I have been playing with the image some so you might see a few more versions of this.  

Click image to enlarge

 

Photo of the Day......Ring around the Sun

This is a photo I've been meaning to post for some time now.  It was taken the late afternoon of April 17th.  My lens would not encompass the entire ring.  Since I wanted to highlight the clouds and ring I used a 4X Neutral Density Filter to attempt to minimize the brightness of the sun.  High altitude ice crystals form these rings.  

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Photo of the Day(4)...........James River Flooding

This is the last photo of the day,  I was waterlogged.  My camera was getting waterlogged and the light was running out and it was still raining very hard.  I was amazed to find the park still open but not surprised to find the Boat House nearly surrounded in water.  The decorate stone wall around the building almost looking like sandbags.  I felt there was still a chance the water would be licking at the balcony by morning but knowing the park was actual close to closing due to darkness decided it was time to go home and warm up with a cup of tea.

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Photo of the day(3)...........James River Flooding

The most interesting aspect of this photo is it is one of 10 shots at a rate of 8 frames per second.  This was the last frame shot.  It is also when I noticed that the water line was now about four feet closer to me.  How would the math go?  8 frames per second.  10 frames shot.  So lets say 1.5 seconds of shooting and the water came four feet closer.  Rising towards me at a rate of, lets see. 2.7 feet per second.  Multiplied by 60 to get a rate of 162 feet per minute and then another 60 to get a rate of 9600 feet per hour.   Divide by 5280 feet per mile and you get 1.8 miles an hour.  Not a speed freak pace but also not a warm fuzzy considering the volume.

This photo was created at the fishing boat launching parking lot just west of the US highway 65 overpass.  Its not in the frame of view but Farm Road 177 is just to the right of the end of the frame and it was flooding fast.  A few cars turned around but the tall four wheel drive pick ups kept barreling along through the rising water like kids playing in a puddle.  It seemed obvious that this section of Farm Road 177 would be closed very soon.

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Photo of the Day(2)......Tranquility above the turmoil

I climbed the hill back up to the road gaurd rail to get the expanse of flooding onto the sensor.  The fishing pier curves from where the walkway submerges to just past the third light post from the right.  Both of the Tranquil waters photos were created at the same time of the morning as the turbulent dam images.

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Photo of the Day......Tranquility above the turmoil

While trees were being tossed about like sticks below the dam above the dam showed no sign of the chaos below.  Smooth water belies the rush and volume of water moving past you at the very moment in time.

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Photo of the Day(3).....James River Flooding

Here is the zoom I promised.  Shooting under these conditions was a matter of serious compromising.  It was raining.  Humidity was over 90% and there was river water misting and it was very cloudy and morning light.  I decided to shot at slower speeds to capture detail and to blur the water movement to create more drama.  My intentions, when I decided to capture the dam overflow today,  was to share the sight, but I was also very interested in putting life into the images so I wanted emotion too.  

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Photo of the day(2)...........James River Flooding

This still was taken this morning at 8:55 at the same time I took the short video of the dam overflow and debris flowing with it.  Notice the extra large burbling water and splash to the far right.  I didn't see what just came over but from later shots it appears to have been a tree.  I am going to zoom into the large burble and splash in the next photo.

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Photo of the day...........James River Flooding

View of the James River flooding from the bluff overlooking the Missouri Veteran's Cemetery.  It was raining very hard at the time and both me and the camera were getting pretty water logged.  It's amazing how well a garbage bag can protect a camera.  Put it in the bag.  Punch out a hole for the lens and shoot.  

Click on the image to enlarge

 

Video of the Day.......Hydraulic Jump and Debris

This is a short rough video taken below the Lake Springfield Dam about an hour ago.  Towards the end you can see the hydraulic jump line reaching from shore to shore parallel to the damn.  Watch the trees being tossed about in the turbulant water.  Water is powerful. 

Photo of the Day......Thunderstorm Outbreak of April 23, 2011

I realize that I should be talking about storm images from Saturday April 23rd even though the storms started Friday afternoon and are, more or less still going on two days later.  This second lightning photo was taken during the same storm passing to the north of my location.  This time I burrowed a bit deeper into the storm to capture this cloud to cloud  stroke.  This image was captured at 6:51:30 PM.

 Click on image to enlarge

 Camera: Canon 40D  Lens: Canon EF24-70 f/2.8 USM  Processor: Photoshop CS5

Photo of the Day......Thunderstorm Outbreak of April 22, 2011

At about 6:37 PM another storm slipped to the north of my location with a good amount of cloud to cloud lightning.  I was able to capture a few strokes.  During this storm passage there was light rain falling and a lot of humidity misting around so sharpness is lacking.  With the time being closer to sunset and the sun setting off to the left, in the photo, created some interesting colors and seemed to create a dilemma regarding brightness, contrast and photo detail integrity. 

Click image to enlarge

 Camera: Canon 40D  Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 USM   Processor: Adobe CS5

Photo of the Day......Thunderstorm Outbreak of April 22, 2011

Mammatus clouds over Springfield, MO at 5:15 PM.  These are the only Mammatus clouds I saw last night.  

Click on image to enlarge

 Camera: Canon 40D  Lens: Canon EF24-70 f/2,8 USM   Processor: Photoshop CS5

Photo of the Day......Thunderstorm Outbreak of April 22, 2011

I wasn't able to travel far from home base last night but I tried to capture some storm moments.  The main imaging issues were trees and humidity.  Being close to a storm at each imaging attempt there was high humidity which impacted the clarity of the images.  I will post the best I have over the next few days starting with a Cumulus buildup occurring to the east of my location in SE Springfield at 2:40 PM 

                                            Click image to enlarge

 Camera: Canon 40D   Lens: Canon EF24-70 f/2.8 USM  Processor: CS5

Photo of the Day......I think its been raining

Photo of Lake Springfield dam taken April 15, 2011 at 5:41 CDT. 

Camera: Canon D10   Process: Picassa

Photo of the Day........Deep Cove British Columbia Canada

From the archives.  A photo of Deep Cove British Columbia Canada taken on A foggy Feb. 10, 2008 at 5-PM local time. 

Photo of the Day.................Happy Birthday

This month these four little furry stinkers turn four years old.  From left to right they are:  Willow McBitey Longshanks, Goosafur "Goose" Longshanks, Rooster Longshanks, and Rowan Longshanks. 

No Photo of the Day....................Last Day???

The old saying "Out of sight. Out of Mind" rings so very true for the internet.  Especially for blogging and tweeting.  

I have my photography computer back up and running.  I had to reload the operating system.  Reload all the application software.  Reload all my working photos and then reload a new anti-virus.  The McAfee would never reload so I installed Norton 360, and on first glance the Norton Anti-virus is very impressive.  Did I say that since I could not find the wireless adapter driver anywhere I installed a new adapter?     

Everything is up and running beautifully except for Flash Player so I still have video issues. I think I am on the verge of solving that issue too. 

For you who are actually reading this blog here is a wonderful video created by taking a photo approximately every 2 miles on a flight from San Francisco to Paris using a Canon EOS 5D Mark-2 camera 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j36Erxd5rc

Photo of the Day........Winter Sunset over Lake Springfield

I took this photo on the evening of Feb. 21, 2011.   Shows why the term "Golden Hour" rings so true.

Camera: Canon D10     Process:Picassa

BONUS PHOTO OF THE DAY....I KNOWS YOUR HOLDING OUT ON ME

He seems to think I have food and insists that I have some for him. 

Camera: Canon D10   Process:Picassa

Photo of the Day........Duck Tailed Drake

While on my evening walk I made friends with a couple Drakes.  I know that look when I see it.  That "You got noms?! look.  That feed me now look.  Sorry no food for you.  You got plenty all around you.  Don't be a mooch.  No matter how cute you are your not getting any food from me. 

Camera:Canon D10  Processor:Picassa

NO PHOTO OF THE DAY............ALMOST BACK UP AND RUNNING

Since letting McAfee attempt to repair their software on my computer I have had to reinstall the operating system.  I fixed everything but none of the wireless adapter drivers I have installed will work.  Fortunately everything else is working and all my files are intact.  I'll get the wireless running......there are ways to make things work. 

During the down time I've been wondering what this blog should really be about, and honestly I am not at all sure what that should be.  Maybe it should continue to be about nothing.  Just whatever photo or occasional video that interests me that day.  Maybe it should be about photography or a specific photographic subject.  I am tending towards leaving it as eclectic as it can be and posting whatever tickles my fancy.  Isn't that essentially what blogging is about?  Talking to anyone who will listen, even if it is just the wind, about whatever is on your mind no matter if anyone cares or not?  According to Dictionary.com a "blog" is:

a web site containing the writer's or group of writers' own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other Web sites.

Sounds like a good enough definition to me.  Narcissistic? Certainly!  At least I am not posting photos of myself.