Day 48

This  is Emma who just turned eight and today she was baptized. She's getting a very well deserved hug from her cousin Kristen. These are both my nieces.

This is a face that only a mother could love...  Alright, everyone loves a cute baby.  This is Luke and he was having a great time today. While everyone else got to eat BBQ, Luke was loving his, well whatever he's eating. Luke is Emma's cousin.

And here is his mom Marie and brother Jack.

(Emma's Aunt and cousin)

And finally, here is an image I liked of all the soda bottles.With summer closing in, all the ice and cold water sure looks good.

Day 47

Trying out my new lens in low light. I took this image of my sweet wife, Collette, at dinner tonight.

Day 46

First of all my apologies to my good friend Angel for using his likeness in my post tonight. But he was my partner in crime today and I wanted to show off the results of a new portrait lens I got today.This is his "you're not really gonna take my picture and post it are you" look  The lens gently used and I got it at a great price -- it's a Nikkor 85MM / 1.8D. I just "happened" to have my camera with my so I tried the lens out and took this image at the camera shop. This is a good example of setting the aperature to wide open at 1.8 (this is also called the F-stop).  I focused on Angel's eye and you'll see that it is in focus. The field of focus is very tight meaning that anything slightly out of the plane of the eyes (focal point) start to go out of focus.  The background is obviously out of focus, but that is a highly desired effect. But also notice the ears and even the tip of the nose is slightly out of focus. Thanks Angel for being my test subject tonight and I'm sure you'll repay me...and yes I think everyone should have an "Angel" for a friend.

Remember to visit Angel's Project 365 and leave lots of comments...

See you tomorrow. 

Day 45

At the craft store today and this array of paint brushes caught my eye.

Day 44

So, after lunch today, Angel, Norman and I were talking about our project. Norman described this image as we walked by. So, not one to talk much, I captured the image with my BlackBerry.  The vanishing point reminds me of the endless hours spent here over the past 20 years and wondering if I've really made a difference and is there really an end in sight? I don't know the answer to either question. It's a hard thing to question the last 20 years of your life and wonder if that thing into which you've poured your heart, time, and energy is any better because of you. We all absolutely know that any large corporation will continue on even if you drop dead right now. Only a fool would really consider otherwise. And yes I know the world is full of fools and yes, I've been in that category from time to time. But, wouldn't it be nice to know that really, I mean really, you made a difference somehow, someway, sometime for someone. And as I think about it, do I have a responsibility to let someone else know of the difference they've made for me? I think it only fair to give as I wish to receive.

Day 43

I've always enjoyed these bright decorations at our favorite Panda Express.  So, I'm sharing this image with you tonight. My comments have been short or non-existent recently. Just feeling a little empty right now. You know what I mean.

Day 42

Pretty flowers or just weeds?

These are weeds. So obviously there is a section of my backyard that needs a little attention. I've noticed that some things in life purport to be something great, but you dig down a bit and find the real truth. May be pretty on the outside or alluring, but definitely not in your best interest. Be cautious!