This page is a sub-section of my main project – a 365 Photo Project – that is designed to capture a new image that I take each day of the full year in 2011. As the months go on, I will migrate each month’s images to a dedicated page, such as this one, so that the original page doesn’t get too large. The images are shown in reverse chronological order, just as they are on the main project page.
You are welcome to browse the project’s main page, or view them collectively on my Flickr site.
April 24, 2011
Instead of the traditional Easter Sunday fare, we decided to head out to the new Target Field stadium and watch the Minnesota Twins take on the Cleveland Indians. It was a beautiful afternoon for outdoor baseball and Target Field demonstrated that it is one of the showcases for baseball stadiums in the US.
I didn’t spend too much time fooling around with the camera, as the goal was to enjoy the day with my daughter and concentrate on what turned into a very enjoyable game.
April 23, 2011
Another break in my 365 project as life tends to be getting in the way. I’m still committed to taking photos during my rides and sometimes capture an image that goes beyond just documenting the journey. I even set this one up a little, as I wanted to show the bike in motion without me directly at the controls. That meant a no-handed position while leaning back to keep me out of the picture as far as possible.
With some luck, the upcoming photos will start to take advantage of the outside conditions, as Minnesota is finally starting to show signs of an actual spring.
April 17, 2011
There are many great photos out there that showcase the proper capturing of a liquid in a glass. Most of them involve extensive lighting setups and an assortment of tricks to bring some energy into a static glass of a drink.
Today’s shot wasn’t that ambitious, but I think it does a nice job at conveying a nice cold beer (which happened to be a Surly Furious – the most awesome beer invented today). The sun was low and coming into my porch off the back of my dining room table. I added a thick glass plate to the table to improve the reflections and proceded to capture a few images showcasing the beer.
By the time I got every thing arranged, most of the aggressive bubbles were gone. That’s OK, since my goal was to get a few shots and then proceed to drinking the beer. This gave me little incentive to tinker.
April 15, 2011
I’ve had the chance to help my brother at his new company this past week – which also gives me the chance to see a few of my nephews. They are a set of bright, talented boys and I enjoy any chance to talk with them.
Thus, today’s photo captured a quick snapshot of the youngest. He had to come with us to his dad’s company to spend the afternoon until his mom got off from work and picked him up. He kept himself busy playing with a ball, riding his trike and watching some movies I had on my laptop.
As with most boys, he appears more as a blur – since he is constantly in motion. Thus, I think this shot captures his energy quite well.
April 11, 2011
A tiny bit of rain followed by an additional bit of sunshine and warm temperatures means that spring is busting out all over here in Minnesota. It provides many welcome signs as this particular winter was one that was best forgotten. Normally, Minnesota winters produce at least a few breaks of mild temperatures – but not this one. Cold, cold, cold. I’m ready to move on.
Although I noticed that the grass in my front yard is actually starting to grow. That means mowing. At least it will give me something new to complain about during these wonderful, warm days.
April 10, 2011
My daughter and I took advantage of the unseasonal weather and headed for the Minneapolis Lakes for an extended walk. We generally target Lake Calhoun where a game is made of counting the dogs. During this trip, we hit 56 dogs before the loop was completed. It is the place to both see and be seen.
Of course, any exercise needs to be offset with a treat, so we stopped by Yum! to have an afternoon snack. Erin chose the Nut Goodly Bar while I ordered the Yum Cupcake. The cupcake is a knock-off of the classic Hostess HoHos, but brought up to a whole new level.
Not necessarily a great photo – but it does capture the moment.
April 9, 2011
For over 20 years I was using the same water bottle technology while riding. There really wasn’t anything out there to explore as the basics of a container with a generic closable spout left little for improvement.
But, one day – probably at the recommendation of the Fat Cyclist – I decided to try out a Camelbak Podium bottle. I have not gone back. There are as simple, yet awesome in how they deliver water without the hassle of opening/closing a bottle while riding. I encourage anyone that may be putting some serius miles into the bike to give them a try.
April 7, 2011
With the beautiful weather and my daughter home for the week on spring break, we headed over to the Como Zoo and Conservatory to spend the mid-day. Although most of the outdoor exhibits were still being setup for the upcoming summer season, there was plenty of access to interesting animals and plants.
Monkeys present an easy photo-op since they have such great character in their actions and their faces. This was an Emperor Tamarin who sat still just long enough for me to capture a few images.
April 4, 2011
Yes, I know. The self-portraits are wearing a little thin. Please understand that they involve my exploration in light control. I’m still learning about the various tricks within photography that generate an image with all the right characteristics. This particular example involved strong, late-afternoon sun. I needed to balance the harsh conditions with a reflector placed on my left side. It brought up the light in the shadow on my face so that it wasn’t too extreme in contrast.
The final aspect of the photo is the contrast with the background. I am learning (generally the hard way) to really watch how my subject becomes offset from the background in the final image. Two key factors are light intensity and focus. My 50mm prime lens helps tremendously with the focus, while my own maneuvering handles the contrast. It’s this attention to details that I hope will eventually make me a better photographer.
April 3, 2011
First – I must be honest and admit that this photo is a cheat and was not taken on April 3rd. I actually took it a few days earlier while out on a bike ride. But, I didn’t incorporate it into any of my normal riding posts so I thought I shouldn’t let it go to waste.
If you’ve read my posts regarding my cycling training rides, you will notice that I am now taking more and more images while on the bike. For me, the feel of the ride has as much to do with the visuals as the words that I attempt to convey in the post itself. Cycling is about traversing the countryside and I try my best to capture that feel on the bike.
I try to be very aware of the sun when taking photos and typically try to catch one where the sun is just catching the lens of the camera. You can see that technique in this photo. The end result is over-processed (I’m still learning that part of the process), but I like the composition and the structures sunbeams in the final image. You can’t forget that it was also taken at 20mph.
April 2, 2011
In an act of desperation for a photo, I looked around the kitchen and noticed a half-eaten bag of Clementines. They are a wonderful treat and one of my favorite in the citrus family. But they get a little old after eating the 20th one. I’m not sure why they have to sell them in such large quantities, but they are sweet and cheap while they are in-season.
The photo was a simple setup on my dining room table, with the afternoon sun coming in some windows to the right of the image. I setup a couple of reflectors to even out the light and took some photos straight down at the arrangement. Nothing great – but photos of multiple objects tend to offer some interest due to both the common elements and the minor differences.
