July 28, 2011 -- Where's my Dad?

She is the daughter of one of my students. Her mother defended her thesis in May and at the time of this photo was awarded her graduation stole from the Master in Health Professions Education program at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Department of Medical Education.

f4.3 | 1/160s | ISO 400 | Panasonic Lumix

July 27, 2011 -- Summer Job

These guys have the perfect summer job: painting all of the fire hydrants throughout our small town.

f3.7 | 1/60s | ISO 500 | Panasonic Lumix

July 26, 2011 -- On the Blue Line iPhone panorama

A panorama of several shots taken with my iPhone and stiched in the iPhone with "AutoStitch" app. Additional post processing to add pixels (72 to 240) using Perfect Resize 7.

July 25, 2011 -- No More Studying

She was lying on the grass at the Jay Pritzker Pavillion at Millennium Park, Chicago. My friend and I were wandering around taking various photos (there was a band practicing). I spotted her and thought it would be a fun photo. Never did get her agreement, but then she never saw me and we cannot see her face. 

f5.6 | 1/2500s | ISO 100 | Nikon D200 | Tamron 28 - 270mm lens

July 24, 2011 -- Pat and her Mother

This is my mother-in-law with my wife. I have been documenting my mother-in-law's progress over the past several months. We recently moved her from the town where she has lived her entire life to an assisted living center with help for people with memory and dementia problems. She seems to be doing well in this new location. She doesn't like the other people on her floor because "they all are so old". 

f4.5 | 1/30s | ISO 640 | Nikon D200 | Nikkor 50mm 1.4G

July 23, 2011 -- Pink Boots and Mushrooms

She is selling mushrooms at the local farmer's market. I liked the shot, which I took with my iPhone in HDR mode. The images were blended in Photomatrix 4 using the fusion mode. 

f2.8 | 1/60s | ISO 80 | iPhone

July 22, 2011 -- Wampa

Wampa is a rescue. By the gray on her muzzle I would guess that she is 8 or 9 years old. Getting older for a Boxer. But she is still spry and fun and loves to love.  Wampa is my son's dog. We recently "dog sat" her and her "sister" Monkey. Monkey is a small dog with a fancy breed name that I can never remember: a Saint something something terrier. 


It was difficult to shoot Wampa because she is always moving, so this shot is slightly out of focus. But it does capture her personality. Who cannot love that face?

f1.4 | 1/10s | ISO 640 | Nikon D200 | Nikkor 50mm 1.4G

July 21, 2011 -- Ellie and Jan

Jan with her almost 1 year old daughter #2, Ellie. What great eyes Ellie has!  It is wonderful to see the great love that exists between them. It is obvious in this photo that was taken with natural light. 

f2.8 | 1/40s | ISO 640 | Nikon D200 | Nikkor 50mm 1.4G 

July 20, 2011 -- Tow Zone

Some notices are found in interesting places.

f6.3 | 1/125s | ISO 400 | Panasonic Lumix

July 19, 2011 -- Poverty, Homelessness, Loneliness

Poverty, homelessness, loneliness. These are terms that have been with us for at least the past several centuries. The problem has increased in the past several decades; at least since the 1970s. It is a major explosive problem now, again, as it was in the depression and immediate post depression 1930s. 


These shots were taken on North Michigan Avenue, Chicago's Magnificent Mile studded with high-end stores,  and just west where the riche live. It hurts me deeply to see such suffering. I know what I am doing about it. What are you doing about it? No responses necessary, just posing the reflective question.

Loneliness

f3.3 | 1/100 | ISO 80 | Panasonic Lumix

 Poverty

f6.2 | 1/125s | ISO 320 | Panasonic Lumix

July 18, 2011 -- Day or Summer Lilly

Still practicing with my new 50mm prime lens. I love the look of these two flowers. Time was about 8:05pm with sunset at about 8:25pm. You can see just how much light that extra stop makes. Amazing! I am still amazed at the shallow depth of field I can get. 

f1.4 | 1/350s | ISO 640 | Nikon D200 | Nikkor 50mm 1.4G

f2 | 1/320s | ISO 640 | Nikon D200 | Nikkor 50mm 1.4G

July 17, 2011 - Train Station

Yes, another train photo. I am drawn to the tracks and to iconic Americana. To me this is just what trains are about: tracks, a station and a draw towards somewhere.

f4.5 | 1/500s | ISO 80 | Panasonic Lumix

July 16, 2011 -- Daisy

I was experimenting with a new lens. A very fast "prime" lens: Nikkor 50mm 1.4G.  I like how I was able to take this shot at 10:15 pm, only using existing light. Also, I achieved something else, the shallow depth of field. 

f1.4| 1/1250s | ISO 100 | Nikon D200 | Nikkor 50mm 1.4 G AF-S lens

July 15, 2011 -- Lunchtime soda

Simply captured at a breakfast/lunch only restaurant here in Park Ridge.

f3.3 | 1/30s | ISO 125 | Panasonic Lumix

July 14, 2011 --- Field of Queen Anne's Lace

Walking early in the morning in Iowa.  The sun had been up about an hour. This field was sparkling with Queen Anne's Lace, the very flower that was prominent in my wife's bridal bouquet.   iphone fused with Photomatrix 4 from 2 images.

f2.8 | 1/250s | ISO 80 

July 13, 2011 -- His Tattoo

Something about tattoos for me. I wouldn't have one, but as anyone viewing this blog knows, I am fascinated by them. Kind of like a Philip K. Dick event they seem to exist in their own realm while at the same time performing some sort of adulterated adornment. 


I met this guy at at Blue Line station. He wouldn't let me include his face, but he was clearly pleased to have me take shots of his amazing tatoo. Fused from two images using Photomatrix 4.

f3.3 | 1/80s & 1/100s | ISO 100 | Panasonic Lumix

July 12, 2011 -- Robin

While I love birds, I am not a birder. Catching birds through the lens is hard. It's not that I don't have the patience for it -- I do. But I haven't yet gotten the skill set down to adequately capture birds doing their thing. But on this day, Tuesday July 12, I was in the right place at the best time. I shot a large number of images of this male Robin. To anthromorphose the guy, I think, in the end, he felt sorry for me. He actually jumped to perch on this rain spout and then posed for me.

f4.9 | 1/500 | ISO 800 | Panasonic Lumix | 

July 11, 2011 - Jones

Graffiti is always interesting. There are thousands of graffiti photos. Some graffiti is sloppy. Some artistic and lovely. Some political.  Much is gang related. Often I think of graffiti as tattoos for walls. Some graffiti, like this one, seems self-serving, but who knows.  

f5.6 | 1/15s | ISO 100 | Nikon D200 | Nikkor 24 -120mm lens

June 10, 2011 -- Fallen Tree and Perfect Y

This tree fell across a path in the forest preserve near me. I was surprised at how perfectly the "Y" of the main branches fell perfectly against the large upright one that was still standing. I've been watching the tree that fell for a couple of years. It has clearly been dead for at least 4 years. It's time came suddenly, I think. 


Shot with my iPhone in HDR mode. Not very well stabilized. I was in the middle of a workout. 

f2.8 | ISO 80

July 9, 2011 -- Half-moon night

Half moons are nice. There is brightness, but much more muted than the full moon. Saturday night was a half-moon and I thought I would try to capture some more nighttime shots.  Tripod in hand, I shot a few of the sky and then just one of the house.  I like the house outcome much better than any of the shots I took of the half-moon sky. I used no flash and no fill in post-processing. The only major adjustments were to crop (I removed a tree on the right that darkened the image) and I adjusted the temperature downward to 2400 ^ok.

f3.5 | 14s | ISO 400 | Nikon D200 | Nikkor 24-120mm

July 8, 2011 -- Tracy at Wines Styles Booth

My friend Tracy who owns Park Ridge Wine Styles with her husband Doug (& where I work part time). Here she is manning the Wine Styles booth at the Taste of Park Ridge. It was really hot that night, but Tracy was having fun.

f3.4 | 1/25s | ISO 200 | Panasonic Lumix

July 7, 2011 -- Wine Bottles

This photo is almost an abstraction. I have been trying to do some still life photos in an effort to begin more "contemplative photography."  After taking several shots from different angles and heights, I felt this was the most  interesting and abstract, although abstraction and contemplative photography do not seem to be highly correlated. 

f3.3 | 1/15s | ISO 1000 | Panasonic Lumix

July 6, 2011 -- Under a Tree

Photo shot in a park across from Cook County Hospital, Chicago. The building is empty and you can see part of the new structure to the right of the old building. Plans had been to demolish the old building and to enlarge the green space, which would have been wonderful. However there are those blocking that because they believe the old place has historic character and relevance.

 

iPhone HDR image constructed with ProHDR app for iPhone in phone | f2.8 | variable shutter speets | ISO 80

July 5, 2011 -- Tree peeled like a banana

Another post storm photo that I grabbed while riding in a forest preserve. Shot using HDR mode on my iPhone. I managed the HDR using Photomatrix 4.

f2.8 | 1/15s | ISO 80 | iPhone 

July 4, 2011 -- Melange of Flags

In honor of the Fourth of July, a group of image opportunities I gathered over the day.

July 3, 2011 -- Heron Twins

My friend Paul and I took a ride through prairie and forest preserves. In the past when we have ridden I have not had a camera with me. Fortunately this time I brought my little Panasonic Lumix. We did a large elongated loop and twice came upon this pond. The first time I caught some photos when there were two birds present, one a dusky blue Heron and this white one, which could also be a Crane. Actually I have read about these birds and it is difficult to know if they are Cranes or Herons, having to do specifically with beak and feet differentiations. But I digress.


The second time around we were like horses back to the barn. It was getting hotter and I was ready for a beer. But I asked my friend to stop so I could grab a few of this solitaire bird. In the end I got three decent shots. But this one stood out. It seems to be two birds, like twins or perhaps a shadow of memory, searching for existence from within the pond. 

f4.9 | 1/250s | ISO 200 | Panasonic Lumix

July 2, 2011 -- Water play at 95 degrees

It was hot on Friday. I thought it would be good to go to the community center where a couple of large pools would be packed. I was correct. Although hoping to catch someone jumping off a diving board, in fact I was deterred by a new fabric wind shield covering the chain fence surrounding the operation. 


Pat spotted a hole in the fabric near the children's pool. Perfect. I shot about 50 images. This one brings to life the fun that kids can have in the water. What?  I can have in the water, especially at 95 degrees!

f9 | 1/320s | ISO 400 | Nikon D200 | Nikkor 24-120 lens

July 1, 2011 -- Kelly us over 21

Kelly was ecstatic that she was carded at the Taste of Chicago. She showed off her wristband to prove it. Kelly is lots of fun. She is also not 21. 

3.3 | 1/30s | ISO 160 | Lumix

June 30, 2011 -- The Storyteller

A sculpture outside our local library. I rather think of this form as arms enfolded around the listener. 

f4 | 1/320s | ISO 80 | Lumix

June 29, 2011 - Sunrise, Peoria Bridge over Illinois River

Here is another iPhone photo. Good capture of color range. Nice details. It really is amazing. I took this on a very early morning walk. The opportunity to catch this light on the bridge was a fortunate one. I only wish I had had my Nikon and a tripod.

f2.8 | 1/40s | ISO 80 | iPhone

June 28, 2011 -- Sunset on the Illinois River from Peoria Bluffs

Prior to this, I had never created a panorama with iPhone images. Using Photomatrix 4, I was quite impressed with the result. 

f2.8 | 1/190s - 1/250s shutter speed range | ISO 80 | iPhone