The start of my third week!  It might not seem like much of an accomplishment but this is very good for me.  Sometimes work or life have a habit of consuming my day and my projects end up going out the window.  I think this photography project will be different because of how much fun I am having.  I guess once the mind’s eye is unlocked it is hard to but it away.  I see pictures everywhere I look!

It was another trip to the garage for my car to attempt a fix on the faulty sensor.  They really have been trying and I have to give them a lot of credit for sticking with it and doing everything they can to make this right.  It was also a beautiful morning and I took the time to go exploring on a trail behind most of the shopping plazas that run along the Mohawk River.  It was definitely worth the walk.  This picture is from the beginning of the trail ad I really liked the lone pine tree in the distance framed by the brush on either side.

I did see evidence of other people walking and a few tire tracks which I assume are from bikes.  I know the path is used in the winter for snowmobile riding.  My wife also informed me that it is the same path used by someone who robbed the bank and then drove off on a four wheeler.  Luckily for me no one else was awake that early on a Saturday.

I’m not exactly sure why these leaves jumped out at me.  It could just be the color against the browns all around.  I think the texture and the detail in each leaf also brought the camera up for a picture.  Not exactly an exciting image but I like it.

I found these two guys sitting on a fallen tree about half way along the trail.  The sun was making its way through some clouds and the trees to highlight their perch.  I’ve discovered over the past few months that I really like getting pictures of mushrooms/fungus.  There is some incredibly detailed varieties to be found and they always make for an interesting picture.

Toward the end of the trail the land on one side was almost as low as the river itself and there was a large swampy area to provide some pictures.  I couldn’t pass up this picture with the reflections in the water.  It looks quite busy reviewing it now but at the time the sun was lighting the tops of the trees and offsetting the darker reflection which just had to be photographed.

This last one was just to prove that even late in November there was green to be found in Upstate NY.  Actually I really liked the detail on the edge of the leaves.  I took two pictures of these leaves, one with the sky as the background and then this one.  I liked the green against the darker background which showed off the detail much clearer than the lighter background.

It was a great trail to walk and one I will do again as the seasons change.  I’ll be able to find plenty to keep my camera busy.  Maybe next time I’ll explore the other end of the trail (I stopped about halfway so I would have time to make it back to the garage).

I decided it would be better to get caught up with this blog by combining all my missed days into one post.  There is no need to stand on ceremony.  My daughter and I traveled out to my parents houses for the Thanksgiving holiday and neither of them have internet access.  I seriously think I went through a little internet withdrawal but I’m sure it was good for me.

My day 11 picture is the result of me playing with the camera flash in the house.  The weather outside was not cooperating which forced me to get a little creative.  This is a camel bone jewelry box my wife brought back from Baghdad.  It is sitting on a camel wool blanket she picked up while in Afghanistan.  My first attempt at using the flash totally washed out parts of the box.  I learned I needed to back the camera away about 3-4 feet so the flash would not be so intense.

On day 12 we were at my Dad’s house for dinner before heading to my Mom’s to spend the night.  While waiting for everything to be ready I just had to run outside as the sun was setting.  The place sure has changed over the years from the memories I have of growing up but the apples in the orchard still remain.  With the sun on the fallen apples I thought a low perspective would be interesting for this picture.  I added some selective focus in Photoshop to enhance the effect.

Waking up on day 13 at my Mom’s house the weather was again being difficult.  It was an overcast morning but I wanted to walk around the farm reminiscing about the days spent playing outside.  Not all the pictures turned out as well as I had hoped but I really liked this look down the pasture.  Most of the property is over grown now and I wanted to try to capture that with this picture.

We ended up getting back home late on day 14.  I missed a chance to photograph a nice sunrise but the time spent talking with my Mom was more important than having to ‘grab a picture’ on a schedule.  After unpacking I did manage to run out as the sun was setting to get the beautiful colors within the clouds.  It feels a little like a cheat since I have taken this picture numerous times.  I don’t want to be strict with the picture a day idea if I have to force a picture out of the camera but if it turns out OK I’ll post it!

I should be better at posting each day now that one holiday is over and the next one hasn’t been cranked up to full yet.  As long as I can get out and scratch that itch to take some pictures each day I’m not going to kill myself trying to get them posted but will work them in as I can.

Today’s lesson is about what we see and what we remember.  I was out at sunset grabbing some pictures in the great fall light when I passed by our pool deck.  The steps had some great shadows from the railings and I immediately thought it would make a great project picture.

After looking at the picture on the computer I wasn’t so sure if it was what I saw outside.  Should I have processed it differently?  How do I capture what I saw?  Something caught my eye, whether it was colors, shadows, texture, or something else.  There is a symmetry and an abstract pattern that I like but it just doesn’t jump out at me.

Even though I wasn’t entirely thrilled with the picture I posted it as my 365 project picture for the day.  It was the one I thought I would use when I was taking pictures and I stuck with it.  The picture did get a few +’s and encouraging comments which has me feeling a little better about it.  Still, it was a good lesson for me about the picture you take and the memory of taking it.  They don’t always align later.

The sunrise was just too nice to pass up this morning.  I hesitated for all of 2 seconds once I saw the color of the sky and the clouds.  I threw the cinnamon rolls I was making into the oven and ran outside with my camera.  I had about 15 minutes to grab some pictures.  I didn’t really have a defined plan like I did yesterday but I was able to get quite few nice pictures.

I really like this old lamp post in the back yard at my mother-in-law’s house.  I have tried taking pictures of it before but I never had a sunrise like this before.  I liked the idea of getting the sun directly behind the post while silhouetting the ornate top against the sky.  I actually have another picture from this same perspective but the background is in focus and the post is not.  Of the two I think this one is a better picture.  Maybe I’ll process the other one and post it as well.

There was just something about the clouds and sun that made everything look so much better.  The silhouettes just had great definition and the color of the sky played well with the darker subjects.  It was a brief slice of time but well worth it.

I know, I’m really late with this post.  I have a good excuse though, really!  OK, so it isn’t that great but we did go out of town to a place with no internet connection so I at least have that.

I did go out on Saturday morning and get some nice pictures with the snow still on the ground.  I had an idea and I think it turned out OK.  Ever since I started this 365 project I have had this thought in the back of my mind and it finally made it out to a place I could find it.  It was a part of a quote that I eventually had to look up on the internet, but I feel it sums up my philosophy for my project.

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” – Greg Anderson

My idea for the picture to accompany this quote was to photograph my foot steps in the snow.  Luckily for me the snow we received on Thursday/Friday had not melted yet.  It took quite a few tries to get the picture I wanted.

The difficulty for me in taking this picture was keeping my own shadow out of the frame. Now that I think about it I should have brought out the tripod and placed it farther away while using a little zoom.  Next time I’ll know better.

I also made it around to all the ice and icicles still fighting for survival in the rising temperatures.  Some turned out pretty nice but I really liked this one I found on the fence post.  There is just a lot of interior texture to catch the morning sun.

I did try to go out in the evening once we were settled in at the family’s farm but the sunset was uninteresting and   my attempts just didn’t cut it.

One week down and 51 more to go.

So far I am happy with how this is going.  It is causing me to think a little more about what I want to photograph and actually plan ahead of time.  It hasn’t always worked out but I think I am starting to get the hang of it.  We haven’t moved into the busy holiday season yet, so I am anticipating a few bumpy days ahead.  I guess the point is not to fret a missed day here or there.  It is about improving my skills, not a contest for the number of consecutive days with a picture

The snow we received overnight provided some great opportunities for pictures.  I waited until just before sunset and it really paid off for me.  Not only was the light the best it could be but, the temperature had moved above freezing which changes the look of the snow and ice.  I chose this picture because of the amount of detail on and within the ice.  I also liked how it wasn’t a typical icicle…

I also liked the bokeh effect and the contrast it provided with the clear, light ice.  I remember the first time I was able to achieve this effect.  I was pretty excited but not entirely confident I remembered how it happened.  Now I just have to be aware of how often I use it and try not to abuse the technique.

The next picture is a composition inspired by Mike Shaw’s The Leaf Series.  I’m hoping my imitation of his pictures is seen as a compliment.  I don’t believe I achieved the look with the same success as his but it was cool that I recognized the setup when I found the leaf in the driveway while shoveling.

The last image is another macro of melting ice.  This one I was trying to capture not only the look of the ice but the affect of the sunlight.  There is also a droplet forming at the tip and is about half way to falling off.  I find myself looking at the reflections/refractions within the ice and droplet.

We have to take a short trip to drop off my sister-in-laws new puppy and I’ll be without an internet connection for a part of the weekend.  I’ll get caught up on Sunday evening.

I’m really late with this post.  The last couple of posts have been late by a few hours but this one is pushing it to a whole new level.  This is what I get when I decide to work from home.  It throws me out of my daily rhythm and I tend to play catch up all day.

Yesterday I made a decision to stay in the office during lunch rather than fight the weather.  My idea was to play with light and shadows on various objects around my office.  I think it went fairly well and I had a few pictures I was happy with.  There was even one or two that I would have considered for my 365 project.  That all changed on the drive home…

Walking to the car I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the sky.  There were dark clouds and a great orange hue highlighted in .  I stopped numerous times to grab different images as the sun and clouds played hide -n- seek.  Review the pictures on the computer I just knew one of them was going to be my project picture for the day.

This second was only about a mile from my house.  I had to maneuver the car carefully to the side of the road so I could grab this picture.  I have overcome my initial inhibition about pulling this car stop routine and don’t even stop to think about it anymore.  When I see the picture, if there is a place to stop, I do!

This last image turned out much better than I anticipated.  It is a four image panoramic view of the sunset over the Mohawk River.  I didn’t think I should get out of the car considering the traffic going by me, so the four pictures where done hand held.  I’m really happy with this one!

Refusing to give up

This isn’t exactly the image I had in mind when I started thinking about what I wanted to do for day 5 of my project.  My plan was to go walk around the village of Whitesboro, NY during lunch.  There is a nice little park, some interesting buildings, a couple of cool fences and I was positive it would provide a great source for pictures.

There are a few photographers that I have circled on G+ that post pictures of their walks through their city.  I’m not sure I would classify them as ‘street photographers’ but they always have interesting results.  Those types of pictures were what I was hoping to get from my little excursion during lunch.  The weather once again did not get my memo about my plan and dropped a little rain on me just after I arrived.  I was able to grab a few pictures around a fireman memorial in the park.  My failed attempt did prove to me that the idea was solid and on the next nice day I will be returning.

My initial thought driving back was to grab some pictures inside but heading to the front door I noticed some of the flowers along the walk were still putting on a show.  The few early frosts had not convinced them to leave for the year so I put down my stuff on the desk in the lobby and headed back outside.  The rain had not yet started in full so I was able to get a few pictures before my camera started getting too wet.

I’m not sure if it is just a coincidence but the only Chrysanthemums that were still in bloom were the red ones.  The other colors had already given up for the year, which was OK with me because earlier in the summer they were the ones that provided me with interesting pictures.  I have also found that as much as I like a nice floral image, add a few rain drops and I can’t stop taking pictures.

Here are a few of the other pictures from my excursion that I was happy with…

Another look at the same mum

The last rose at the fireman memorial