2012, Day 274 - Arctic stream

I awoke this morning a little chilly and discovered I grabbed an extra blanket in the middle of the night.  Fall's arrival can't come quickly enough, I am worried that with my travels plans that I might miss it and will have to wait another year to see the spectacular foliage display.  Until then I will think back on my adventures of last winter as consolation should my fears come true.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
23mm, f22, 1/3 sec @ 100 ISO

2012, Day 273 - Ninja

This little guy is an assassin bug.  He has a long rostrum that he uses to find the weaknesses in the exoskeletons of other insects.  Once driven through their armor he injects his saliva that starts the digestion process.  As the insides of their prey turns to liquid the assassin bug then sucks out the contents leaving an empty carcass.  This system of feeding allows these insects to feed on prey much larger than themselves.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS with 12.5mm and 25mm extension tubes
100mm, f16, 1/200 sec @ 160 ISO

2012, Day 272 - Hypnotized

Look into my eyes, you are getting sleepy...  I took this picture months ago on an evening photo walk with my friend Garrison.  There was another one of the many festivals along the waterfront but all I could see was the pretty lights revolving in the distance.  When you see life through a camera's viewfinder some things just beckon...

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
24mm, f5.6, 1.3 sec @ 100 ISO

2012, Day 271 - Gilded shadows

Photography is all about light, the abundance or lack of it is captures by our cameras.  At night every light source is obvious and here the tracks are worn smooth and reflect the streetlamps.  The tracks provide a visual anchor for what would otherwise be negative space and help provide a sense of balance.

Canon 1D X, Canon 50/f1.2L
50mm, f8, 5 sec @ 320 ISO

2012, Day 270 - Leaping

It surprises me that after tearing down the track after a lure the dogs still want to run back to the starting point.  They're all so well-behaved about it, they don't run amok in the field, they know to come back to their people.  Even Frankie is a little angel about it; I take pictures as he runs past and at the end he turns around and comes back to me.  We walk together, side-by-side, while he cools off and then he goes off to relax in the shade while the other dogs run.  The only flaw is that he has to be in a pen or run because otherwise he would be back chasing the lure.  Still, he's a good boy.

Below is Frankie's sister Sky on the left running with cousin Randi on the right.

Canon 1D X, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II
200mm, f8, 1/1000 sec @ 320 ISO

2012, Day 269 - Deepest crevasse

I saw a great shot of Smith Rock State Park posted earlier today and thought I would revisit one of the images that I haven't shared yet.  This time I decided to process it as black and white and give it a little earthy toning.  I think the texture of the rock formations give this photograph all of the interest it needs and the reflection of the skies off the water draw the eye to the key elements.  While I am not totally happy with the clouds I am still really pleased.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f22, 1/2 sec @ 100 ISO

2012, Day 268 - Mister

Oh Eddie, what are we going to do with you?   He loves to race and he is a monster out there but between races he is a wreck.  Eddie doesn't like to leave the comfort of the house and yard, strange places make him worry.  All the other dogs are excited and when he gets to run he has a ball but when the lure stops moving he starts to worry all over again.  If only he were like most boys and didn't think too much...

Canon 1D X, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II
200mm, f4, 1/1000 sec @ 320 ISO

2012, Day 267 - Johan in repose

I love those eyes.  Johan has the most beautiful expressive eyes.  He is my evening cuddle buddy and while he may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but he more than makes up for it with sweetness.  I figured after spending all the time with Frankie yesterday that the greyhounds were deserving of some special attention today.  They got extra treats and belly rubs and we all had a great mellow day.

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 50/f1.2L
50mm, f4, 1/15 sec @ 640 ISO

2012, Day 266 - Halo

As summer draws to a close and the grass starts to crunch underfoot we all need to take a little time to get out of the house and play.  Today I took Frankie out to play with his buddies and get a little racing practice in.  He's doing quite well and gives some of the fastest dogs a run for their money.  It's impressive to watch him run because he breaks pretty well and his long strides help him to a strong finish.  We managed three practice runs but it was obvious by the third that he was getting a bit tired as it was more of a struggle for him to keep up, but that was the point.  The little monkey has been shredding cardboard boxes recently so I figured if I could get him tuckered out then it would be a nice quiet week :)

Canon 1D X, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II
145mm, f7.1, 1/1000 sec @ 320 ISO

2012, Day 265 - Last supper

I awoke this morning to a wet Portland!  Shocking, I know, but it hasn't rained in months so it is like an old friend returning.  The city seems different when it has rained and it smells so much cleaner after the precipitation and I admit that it made me a little sad.  Mostly my sadness came from the revelation that the insect life will become dormant.  I will miss my little friends but it will give me something to look forward to next spring.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f5.6, 1/320 sec @ 640 ISO

2012, Day 264 - Beware the empire

Somehow it seems a bad idea to turn your back on the empire but Brian seems to be doing that very thing, distracted by technology while his camera fires away behind him.  And it does look like some sort of evil empire with the bright blue lights in the windows, the rim of light above the roof like there is some kind of covert experimentation going on within.  I like images where my imagination can run wild.

Canon 1D X, Canon 50/f1.2L
50mm, f1.4, 1/2 sec @ 320 ISO

2012, Day 263 - Mugged

It's odd that sometimes an everyday scene makes a good photograph, assuming that you like the image below.  I liked the light, the city in the background, spaghetti of power lines, the puddles of street light, the coffee sign, the light spilling out of doorway, all those little elements.  I wish that the street was lined with vintage cars because it would have transported the scene into the past very nicely.  Conversely, it looks like somewhere that you might get mugged but this is Portland, it's safe, fortunately :)

Canon 1D X, Canon 50/f1.2L
50mm, f5.6, 1.6 sec @ 320 ISO

2012, Day 262 - Did she?

What do you do when you find a three inch long insect bouncing around your house?  Capture it and take some pictures of course!

We're still getting warm days here in Portland but the mornings and evenings are nice and cool so I have been leaving the back door open to help bring some relief to the house.  I suppose by doing so I practically invite the insects in and they do take advantage of my open door policy.  They're welcome to visit but I usually ask them to leave when they are noticed but I try to coax a little modeling from them first.  Katy did.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS with 12.5mm and 25mm extension tubes
100mm, f16, 1/160 sec @ 320 ISO

2012, Day 261 - It's all so hazy

More photos from my little urban adventure with Brian.  One of the great things about fast glass is that you can create a wonderful shallow depth of field.  In this case I focused on the tracks so that you can see the timbers, the rail and the rocks clearly while the bridges and buildings in the distance are out of focus.  It has a rather special look and helps to focus on the grain of the ties, the texture of the stone, and the smooth worn surface of the rails.

Canon 1D X, Canon 50/f1.2L
50mm, f1.4, 1/2 sec @ 320 ISO

2012, Day 260 - Like a bolt

Trains are what made this country possible, they connected one coast to the other and allowed greater expansion than the world had seen in generations.  Now they primarily move goods and materials but there is something nostalgia about train travel, maybe because it isn't a very common form of transportation anymore so it isn't something people commonly embark upon.  Air travel has lost its glamour but train travel still has a special feeling about it.

This was taken on my last-minute excursion and it was a fast moving passenger train so there was little time to set up the shot.  Still, I like the light trails, something about it reminds me of the Delorean from Back to the Future.

Canon 1D X, Canon 50/f1.2L
50mm, f8, 4 sec @ 320 ISO

2012, Day 259 - Under the bridge

Last night I got a text asking if I was up for a little urban adventuring.  It has been a while since I've gone out with photography as my purpose rather than an incidental activity so I quickly agreed.  One of the sure signs of summer's impending demise is the shorter days but the early sunset does not necessarily bring the evening chill just yet.  Brian and I headed to the industrial area and wandered, working the angles and the light with a single lens and a tripod.

This is underneath the Hawthorne Bridge.  I decided it looked best dark, moody and gritty because the eye is drawn to the intersecting lines and edges.  It was a great evening and one of my favorite things about the end of summer.

Canon 1D X, Canon 50/f1.2L
50mm, f2.8, 2 sec @ 320 ISO

2012, Day 258 - Uninvited guest

I have been having a grand time with my insect macros recently and I am continuing on with the theme tonight.  This little bugger was in my house, I found him slowly spinning a web when I was cleaning behind a piece of furniture.  If you come into my house without an invitation then you are obliged to be a model.  So he was gently coaxed into a small container and taken to the studio.  I allowed him about fifteen minutes to explore his temporary confines and then we started our shoot.  Initially I didn't notice all his fine hairs and, unfortunately they were not displayed to good effect in the head-on shots so I moved him into profile and found that I quite liked this one.

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 100/f2.8L IS with 12.5mm and 25mm extension tubes
100mm, f11, 1/100 sec @ 200 ISO

2012, Day 257 - Dance with me

This pretty little lady is Nova and in her mouth is the training lure.  Yup, she loves the lure, she thinks it is the greatest thing ever.  Not to chase, she isn't really in to that, she thinks it is just another toy to play with and finds it rather annoying that there is a string tied to one end.  It prevents her from taking her prize to a safe place to enjoy it.  Nope, Nova is forced to play in front of all of the other dogs and they may try to take her toy away.  I think it worries her and only adds to her determination.

Canon 1D X, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II
80mm, f4, 1/800 sec @ 320 ISO

2012, Day 256 - A goldblum

Sometimes, as a buzzing fly annoys me, I wonder if the irritating insect in question might not be a scientist whose experiment has gone horribly wrong.  Maybe it is pestering me in an attempt to ask to help with the hope of being restored to his body.  If that is the case then I should probably feel bad about drawing the attention of my dogs to the pestilential bug and the subsequent delight in their attempts to devour it.  Perhaps next time I will give the fly the benefit of the doubt.

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 100/f2.8L IS with 12.5mm and 25mm extension tubes
100mm, f11, 1/160 sec @ 200 ISO

2012, Day 255 - Shame

As I was perusing through my Google+ stream this morning I noticed multiple images of rhinos and thought back on this picture I took eight years ago at the Oregon Zoo.

Rhino poaching is on the rise, in 2007 only thirteen were killed while last year it was almost five hundred.  There has been a tremendous rise in the slaughter of these amazing animals for their horns due to increased black market demand is Asia.  Their horn is mistakenly believed to be either efficacious in reducing the body temperature, an aphrodisiac, and a cure for cancer.  Rhino horn does none of these things, you would see the same benefits from chewing on your own fingernails, which is to say there would be non.  Many species number less than a thousand and one less than one hundred; it is critically important to raise awareness and conservation efforts now while these critically endangered animals still have the possibility of being saved.

So today I ask you to do a Google search on rhino poaching, share the information you find, see the devastation wrought by poachers and instead of turning away in disgust do something.  Every voice matters.

Canon 1D, Canon 70-200/f2.8L with Extender EF 1.4x II
280mm, f4, 1/500 sec @ 200 ISO

2012, Day 254 - Patience

Look at that dour face!  Stuck waiting outside for his person while they get themselves refreshments, eagerly looking in the window to see when Dad is going to return.  Waiting seems like an eternity and patience is elusive.  Perhaps a little wiggling and stamping of feet will help pass the time...

Canon 1D X, Canon 50/f1.2L
50mm, f2.8, 1/160 sec @ 640 ISO

2012, Day 253 - Frenzied Frank

This morning, while cleaning up the house, I discovered a favorite chew hidden away, a piece of moose antler.  As with all chews, they only get it when I am around to keep an eye on them because if a small piece gets dislodged it can be a choking hazard.  It is unlikely with an antler chew because of how hard they are but still, better safe than sorry.

When I tossed it out into the room Hubert quickly grabbed it and went to work.  After about five minutes he had worked hard enough and walked away and that is when Frankie sprung into action.  The antler was already softened and he really worked on it.  For ten minutes he chewed and eventually I had to take it from him because I didn't want the rich marrow to upset his stomach.  Still, we all deserve a treat from time to time.

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 24/f1.4L Mark II
24mm, f4, 1/160 sec @ 1000 ISO

2012, Day 252 - Desolate

Can you see Brian bending over?  He is SO slutty, like a cat in heat!  This photo was taken with his assistance in the form of a borrowed lens, a lovely tilt-shift piece of optical genius that can do their like correct for distorted perspective.  It was a chilly evening in late winter, the rain had blessedly stopped for a couple days and we managed an evening of adventuring around Portland's east waterfront industrial area.  Winter in Portland is nice, people are active but they venture out only when necessary so the city if often quiet and there is a peace that is unusual in most cities.  I am rather eager for winter's return but before that I want a long mild fall.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24/f3.5L TSE Mark II
24mm, f8, 8 sec @ 500 ISO

2012, Day 251 - Bob and weave

It is going to be a warm weekend and the dogs will be with me, hiding in the shadows and under damp rocks where it is cool.  But some people and their dogs are more ambitious, where I try as hard as I can not to move they will be running around and "enjoying" the heat.  For my part, I think that the heat has addled their minds and their supposed pleasure is the result of a delusion.

But if you are one of those sad people I hope you enjoy your summer weather!

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f2.8, 1/640 sec @ 1250 ISO

2012, Day 250 - Icy

I had a little extra plexiglass from another project so I thought I would use it for my insect macros.  It certainly lends a nice look but I think I need to paint one side of it so that I don't get that double reflection in the bottom.  Either way, thank you Mr. Moth for humoring me!

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS with 12.5mm and 25mm extension tubes
100mm, f16, 1/100 sec @ 100 ISO

2012, Day 249 - Distraction

This is what it looks like when one dog wants to race and the other wants to play.  The red dog is Eddie who wasn't having the most fun racing.  He loves to run and is a great athlete but he doesn't like to be walked on a leash, it still scares him a big because he is accustomed to total freedom and that kind of restriction is unnerving.  Eddie's running companion is Nova and she loves nothing more than to romp with a playmate.  As you can see here she is much more interested in him than in the lure that is well ahead of them.

Oh well, they both had fun and Eddie is learning that a little time with the leash is rewarded with fun and games.  Way to go Ed!

Canon 1D X, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II
200mm, f4, 1/800 sec @ 640 ISO

2012, Day 248 - Plum

Sometimes contrast is all you have...  This was taken a few months ago at the Lan Su Yuan Chinese Garden in downtown Portland.  It spritzing and the world had that smell of wet asphalt and people bustled up and down the street as if their optimism would bring summer that much sooner.  This I liked because it was a moment of calm.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f4, 1/400 sec @ 320 ISO

2012, Day 247 - Climb

I suspect that summer is coming to a close in Portland.  We are supposed to have highs in the 80s this week and it is certainly a bit of an uptick from the past couple weeks but then we're supposed to see temperatures drop into the 70s again.  It is not something that I am going to miss, I think that summer is a rather dull season, it is warm and dry and the light is harsh.  Basically, it is bad for photography.  Plus they days are so long here and night shooting requires either caffeine or speed and I am not much of a  fan of either.  As the days get shorter my night shooting will increase and it will be easier to capture sunrises and sunsets and that is always a good thing.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 17-40/f4L
17mm, f5.6, 4 sec @ 500 ISO

2012, Day 246 - Dreams of glory

Bokeh is the technical term used to describe the quality of the out-of-focus areas in a photograph.  Not all bokeh is the same, different lenses have different effects; some have smooth transitions others leave little halos around the edges.  In this photograph the bokeh has that rather dreamy look.  At first I wasn't sure if I liked it as it is not an effect I often see with this particular lens but as I considered it the effect began to grow on me so I share it with you.  I will freely admit that the blooms of this hydrangea are beginning to fade but I still love these  delicate little flowers.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f5.6, 1/100 sec @ 640 ISO

2012, Day 245 - Deflated

I found this little Shelob in my yard, her web in shambles, feasting on her most recent victim.  With a little gentle coaxing I moved her into the house with her dinner.  I was a little worried that she might try to take off but she was so preoccupied with eating that she rarely moved more than her mandibles as she devoured her prey.  I am not entirely sure that it is that she caught, there were other spiders in the yard and most of them had flies but this hefty gal seems to have been able to snare something larger and I suspect that it tested the strength of her web.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS with 12.5mm and 25mm extension tubes
100mm, f11, 1/200 sec @ 200 ISO

2012, Day 244 - Fuzzy aerial

I was out in my backyard this afternoon with my macro and my ringflash.  It is a really small space but rather densely planted so there are lots of little places for critters to hide.  As I stalked around I caught motion out of the corner of my eye and followed it to the underside of a leaf.  There I this little pest that I believe to be a midge.  I really like his great fuzzy antenna, I bet it gets great reception!

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f11, 1/200 sec @ 640 ISO