Weekly Photography

Ryan's "Picture"

2012-02-13T20:39:00.002-06:00

Back in the film days I really liked shooting Fuji's Velvia 50. It was a beautiful slide film (and presumably still is). It currently sells for $7.00 a roll at B&H. Processing and mounting at a decent local lab runs $7.50 for a 36 exposure roll. Ignoring shipping and driving to the lab that's $0.40 per exposure.

Below is approximately $70 worth of CF cards. They will hold around 1,900 RAW images out of my camera, for a cost of about 3 cents per exposure. And they are reusable!

Making pictures sure has changed in the last 10 years...

/rl

Fred's "Picture"

2012-02-12T15:46:00.000-06:00

We found this photograph behind the cabinets when we remodeled the kitchen last year. The black-and-white picture isn't that old -- maybe 10 or 15 years old. We don't know who the kid is, or what he's holding, or why there are police cars down the street. All we know is that it was taken a few houses down from our home. I've seen this technique a few times and think it's pretty cool.

Cory's Picture

2012-02-12T14:57:00.002-06:00

Alas, I don't actually have a transparent laptop screen. Instead, I had to take a picture of my picture, set part of it as my background, and then take the actual picture of my picture.

Mike's "Picture"

2012-02-12T13:52:00.000-06:00

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the tree my wife killed to print out this document for proof reading is few pictures.

She starts a new job tomorrow and just wants to make sure she has something useful to do.

Next week: "Race"

2012-02-11T19:20:00.000-06:00

"Picture" is due tomorrow.

/rl

David's "Not Quite Right"

2012-02-06T00:19:00.002-06:00

It took me a while to figure it out but I think the sofa is totally blocking the energy flow of the room from the rear bedroom into the kitchen.

Cory's Not Quite Right

2012-02-05T21:31:00.003-06:00

Something's not quite right with Legoland's water supply.

I built this a few weeks ago and took a bad camera phone picture of it, but I felt pleased with the juxtaposition enough that I wanted to do a slightly better version. Get it? It's a fire hydrant!

Fred's Not Quite Right

2012-02-05T18:10:00.002-06:00

While the title of this post is definitely accurate, there's also something not quite right in this shot.

Ryan's "Not Quite Right"

2012-02-05T16:51:00.003-06:00

The owner of this flash drive carried it in his pocket every day during a combat tour in Iraq. He came back and broke it while going to school.

I think the name of it is not quite right.

I soldered a hacked up USB cable to it so he can recover his homework.

/rl

Mike's "Not Quite Right"

2012-02-05T10:16:00.000-06:00

We all know that Mike is not quite right. This is an old Colman "left handed" compound bow. I bought it so I could target practice with friends.

I am right handed, but I don't see that well out of my left eye, so I have learned to do some things left handed. You hold this bow with your right hand, but you aim with the left eye and release with the left hand.

Since I had little experience shooting a bow, learning with the left was not as difficult for me as relearning to shoot a shot gun with my left side.

Next week: "Picture"

2012-02-04T18:13:00.000-06:00

"Not Quite Right" is due tomorrow.

/rl

Not Quite Right by John Baker

2012-02-04T17:04:00.000-06:00

There is just something not quite right about my roommate sometimes. He's a good sport though!!!

Ryan's "Product Placement"

2012-01-30T20:27:00.003-06:00

This was not an easy topic. I decided to just take a nice night landscape photo instead.

/rl

Cory's Product Placement

2012-01-29T22:01:00.002-06:00

As I spent some time thinking about this topic this week, I realized something: subtle product placement is much easier to do in movies, where you can quickly flash something on the screen and be done with it. With photography, the image is set and you're stuck with people seeing the product all the time. So I decided to not even try subtlety for my shot.

Fred's Product Placement

2012-01-29T16:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, that is a bottle of Fred water.

Mike's "Product Placement"

2012-01-29T14:28:00.000-06:00

I had a little trouble with this one, because all I could think of was how often I see a Subway sandwich in a TV show. Chuck, Jimmy Fallon, etc. How do you photo that?

I ran across this when at Bakers, and only had my iPhone with me. I figure a twist on that subject would be placing your product in various places with the use of a van. Like a book or blood mobile.

Next Week : "Not Quite Right"

2012-01-28T15:06:00.001-06:00

"Product Placement" is due tomorrow.

/rl

Mike's "Proof"

2012-01-23T18:29:00.001-06:00

I have photographic proof that "Big Foot" is alive and well in the Pacific North West.

He also surfs, is made of wood and has a phone number!

Ryan's "Proof"

2012-01-22T21:41:00.001-06:00

My lack of a photo two weeks in a row is proof that I am spending too much time doing things other that photography....

/rl

Cory's Proof

2012-01-22T17:54:00.003-06:00

I found this laying in a parking garage last week. I think it is proof that just printing something on a piece of plastic doesn't make it true.

Fred's Proof

2012-01-22T14:01:00.000-06:00

Someone drove through this farm field. We know it happened. It cannot be denied.

Johns Proof

2012-01-22T02:42:00.000-06:00

Next week: "Product Placement"

2012-01-21T21:06:00.000-06:00

"Proof" is due tomorrow.

/rl

John's Wild

2012-01-15T21:45:00.000-06:00

Sooooo I had this idea when I went camping to take the headlamp and make wild designs and luckily I have red, green, and blue colors. For this specific one my roommate stood in front of the camera in the pitch black obviously and wanted to see if he could make an eight ball. Not too shabby if you ask me. I think the things you can do with light in the pitch black is pretty wild.

Cory's Wild

2012-01-15T19:59:00.003-06:00

This was a long weekend for me, so we made a trip down to White Sands National Monument for a couple of days. While there we stopped by the zoo in Alamogordo, where I found this wild beast. Luckily, they had some non-stone animals too.

Mike's "Wild"

2012-01-15T15:09:00.000-06:00

This thing is kinda wild, but I don't know what it is. Since it is along the Elkhorn, River, and owned the the University of Nebraska, I'm guessing its for the study of something "wild".

There is a lot of pluming inside, which I suppose they are trying to protect. If you take a left off of Q street just East of the Elkhorn river, you can find it if your curious.

Worlds most fancy dear stand, I guess.

Fred's "Wild"

2012-01-15T14:30:00.000-06:00

Gotta root for the local team.

Next week: "Proof"

2012-01-14T18:15:00.000-06:00

"Wild" is due tomorrow.

/rl

Surly

2012-01-08T20:08:00.000-06:00

Not only does my New Years resolution clearly need to be buying bigger pants but I also could use a tan. Sorry fellas. All I could think of really when it came to surly.

Ryan's "Surly"

2012-01-08T19:57:00.003-06:00

I was pretty surly all week as I listened to a wheel bearing eat itself in my car. I don't particularly enjoy changing them (the hub needs to be knocked off so the bearing can be pressed out and a new one pressed in), and I knew this one was my fault. I'd changed it a few months ago and didn't have a new axle nut, so I reused the old one with a bit of loctite. Unfortunately I didn't consider that the loctite would lubricate the axle nut, leading to a significantly over torqued axle nut and very over loaded bearing.

This is how I spent the morning:

/rl

Cory's Surly

2012-01-08T19:47:00.004-06:00

This is Sophie, one of the girls I share my house with. She's normally a shy kitty, but she gets pretty surly when you wake her up from a nap. I tried to capture some of that here, and you can just see a little bit of surliness in her right eye. Maybe next time I'll need to chase her around the house first.

Incidentally, I sometimes do a Google image search of our topics to see what other people have done, and I was kind of surprised by what this one came out like (hint: it's safe for work).

Mike's "Surly"

2012-01-08T16:25:00.000-06:00

Sometimes musicians get a little surly looking when they sing.

I don't know why, its just what it is.

Fred's "Surly"

2012-01-08T13:37:00.000-06:00

Surly Brewing Company is a local favorite. I'm not a beer drinker, but I hear it's pretty good stuff. For the shot, I asked to go behind the bar of our favorite local pizza place, Pizza Lucé. Mmmmmm.... pizza...

Next week: "Wild"

2012-01-07T15:03:00.001-06:00

"Surly" is due tomorrow.

Also, Happy Birthday to Mike and Fred!

/rl

David's "Christmas"

2012-01-02T01:02:00.002-06:00

Day 4 of Chanukah fell on Christmas Eve this year, when I was out looking for a good holiday photo.

Ryan's "Christmas"

2012-01-01T17:08:00.002-06:00

The ghost of Christmas Past.....

/rl

Cory's Christmas

2012-01-01T15:42:00.002-06:00

In the middle of the traffic circle near my house (featured here once before) there is a big bronze sculpture of a mountain lion. Somebody dressed it and the little tree next to it up for Christmas this year, giving us some extra festiveness on our drive in and out of town. Maddy was very excited to make sure the kitty was wearing its hat each time we drove past for the last week or two.

Speaking of Gerber baby, she and her younger sister had a good time opening presents.

Mike's "Holidays"

2012-01-01T10:06:00.002-06:00

Sandra asked me to take photos of the tree today before she took it down. A tree that I had earlier in the season dubbed Phyllis.

Every year I'm going to make the jaunt out to Village Point and get a picture of the 8 ft ornament bulbs that lay around there during the holiday, but she sort of made up for it with these giant Santa balls, or as Jimmy Fallon calls them treesticles.

->This Link<- might help you understand why I call her Phyllis. Some of you might not be old enough to get the joke.

Fred's "Christmas"

2012-01-01T09:52:00.000-06:00

Simple ornament in a tree.

"Christmas" is due tomorrow

2011-12-31T20:25:00.001-06:00

Next week: "Surly".

/rl

Mike's "Wind"

2011-12-25T22:00:00.000-06:00

You've all seen the front of my clock, a couple of different weeks. Here is something else from my grandfather that you need to wind.

Its one of the pocket watches that he used while he was a bus driver to make certain the bus was running on time.

Cory's Wind

2011-12-25T21:32:00.003-06:00

Looks like two people read this week's topic as "wind", whereas I read it as "wind". Subtle difference, eh?

This is what the wind blew in for us this week: six or so inches of snow. It actually started last week, but continued this week: the lab was closed on Monday, had an early dismissal on Thursday, and a late start on Friday all due to snow. But at least it looks pretty for Christmas!

Ryan's "Wind"

2011-12-25T21:01:00.003-06:00

My parents need to wind their clock occasionally:

/rl

Fred's "Wind"

2011-12-25T19:06:00.000-06:00

The bear says, "What am I doing among all these silly toys?"

"Wind" is due tomorrow

2011-12-24T15:27:00.002-06:00

Next week: "Christmas" (or "Holidays", "Hanukkah", "Kwanza" as appropriate.)

/rl

Mike's "Bear"

2011-12-19T08:51:00.000-06:00

While spending my lunch hour at the Dollar Tree last week, I ran into these bears, hung up like a bunch of carrots.

I only had my phone with me, but thought I better get a quick pic in case I didn't make it to the zoo this weekend. I forgot about gummy bears...

Ryan's "Bear"

2011-12-18T21:58:00.002-06:00

Bears are in short supply around eastern Nebraska. There are a bunch in the Henry Doorly Animal Prison, but I didn't have a chance to go visit them.

Instead I found glowing demon candy bears...

This week or next we will have another player posting. Fred lives up in the Minneapolis area, wrenches on a Triumph Spitfire occasionally, and had a camera around his neck when I met him.

/rl

Cory's Bear

2011-12-18T20:57:00.003-06:00

Some bears like fish, others like berries, and at least one likes hunny. This one prefers coffee and pancakes for breakfast though.

Next week: "Wind"

2011-12-17T10:55:00.001-06:00

"Bear" is due tomorrow.

/rl

Ryan's "Darkroom"

2011-12-12T19:54:00.003-06:00

This is a stretch... it's a screen capture rather than a real photo.

/rl

Cory's Darkroom

2011-12-11T21:54:00.002-06:00

This is my digital darkroom, where I do all of my photography playing (among other things). I didn't actually start playing with cameras until the digital age was among us, so I've never had an actual darkroom. I think this way is much easier for me.

Mike's "Dark Room"

2011-12-10T23:22:00.000-06:00

I'm going to dwell in the past with this one. In 1979 I bought an old Federal enlarger at a garage sale and had a makeshift B&W darkroom in my parents basement.

Of all the film reels and tanks, paper, lights I had, this lens for the enlarger is all I have kept. I'm a lens hoarder. It must be good for something.

Next week: "Bear"

2011-12-10T12:45:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow: "Your darkroom (computer)".

/rl

Cory's Stretched

2011-12-04T22:56:00.003-06:00

I ended up taking this picture in the wind during a snowstorm, and it didn't come out as pretty as I had planned. However, it does show what I wanted: one of my favorite parts of little parking lot Christmas tree yards is the lights that they stretch between poles so you can see them. It looks very festive.

Ryan's "Stretch"

2011-12-04T19:13:00.001-06:00

Stretching the truth....

/rl

Mikes "Stretch"

2011-12-04T13:20:00.000-06:00

I'm using one of those stretchy things to strengthen my inner core.

My personal trainer is helping by making sure I keep my feet flat on the floor.

Next week: "Your darkroom (computer)"

2011-12-03T20:00:00.000-06:00

Stretch(ed) due tomorrow.

/rl

Mike's "Fowl"

2011-11-28T00:18:00.000-06:00

I was amazed how many businesses use water fowl for their mascots. Crane Coffee was one option.

Another was: "AFLAC!!!"

Ryan's "Fowl"

2011-11-27T20:53:00.003-06:00

What can I possibly say about this photo?

No, really. What can I say?

/rl

Cory's Fowl

2011-11-26T13:56:00.003-06:00

Every year as far as I can remember, we've made hand turkeys for Thanksgiving. They started out pretty simple, but as we've grown up we've gotten more creative with them. Here is this year's collection of hand fowl, complete with two little ones on the right. Maddy had help tracing hers, but colored it herself. Emily also needed help tracing hers, and then she ate the crayons instead of coloring it.

Next week...

2011-11-26T13:47:00.000-06:00

Next week's topic: Stretch(ed)

"Fowl" due tomorrow!

Mike's "Cupcake"

2011-11-21T19:52:00.000-06:00

This is the cup...

I'm afraid Michigan took the cake. (I love my little light tent for topic emergencies such as this!)

David's "Cupcake"

2011-11-21T00:07:00.002-06:00

Sonya was asked to do a review of Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle for a friend's food blog, which was a happy coincidence with this week's theme.

I'll post a link to the review after it appears but for now, 1) Wild Yam (including marshmallow fluff topping); 2) Red Velvet Cake; 3) Carrot Walnut; 4) Samoa; 5) Peanut Butter & Jelly; 6) Peanut Butter and Chocolate.

Fun theme.

Ryan's "Cupcake"

2011-11-20T21:38:00.000-06:00

Studying for a test... no photography or baking this weekend.

/rl

Cory's Cupcake

2011-11-20T19:56:00.002-06:00

Deep in the night, a terror strikes the oven: ZOMBIE CUPCAKES.

Of course, there's only one way to get rid of them.

Next week: "Fowl"

2011-11-19T18:35:00.001-06:00

"Cupcake" is due tomorrow!

/rl

Cory's Fall

2011-11-13T19:10:00.004-06:00

The colors of Fall came and went a few weeks ago around here, and we're moving into Winter weather. But for whatever reason, this snake didn't get the message about finding a nice place to sleep. Instead, he was hanging out right outside my door yesterday, waiting for me to step on him when I came out. But I saw the trap quickly enough that I was able to safely move him into this nice setting of rocks and fall leaves.

Ryan's "Fall"

2011-11-13T18:05:00.001-06:00

Fall in Nebraska:

/rl

Mike's "Fall"

2011-11-12T23:24:00.000-06:00

I went out looking for fall color last Sunday. Its a little harder to find in Nebraska than you think. The rural areas are mostly winter hardy trees like ash and cottonwood that are mostly yellow.

Some neighborhoods have great color, but then your having to fight traffic, and avoid looking like a detective. If you drive down 90th or 84th right now from Center to Dodge there are some great scenes, but its hard frame a shot from the car and go back and get it with the camera. So I settled for parks, this one in Ralston.

Next week: "Cupcake"

2011-11-12T15:09:00.000-06:00

"Fall" is due tomorrow.

/rl

Mike's "Eve of all Hallows"

2011-11-07T20:35:00.000-06:00

On the day before Halloween, my son and I went and snooped around an old farmstead that has been vacant for 50-60 years. It is on the county line between Holt and Wheeler counties.

This is one of the few houses I have seen up there with a basement. The water table is kind of high.

I love to take pictures of things that are in a state of decay, and this was good place for that.

Ryan's "Halloween"

2011-11-06T21:57:00.003-06:00

Proper Halloween candy:

One of Jenny's neighbors gave that to her. Odd.

/rl

Cory's Halloween

2011-11-06T19:23:00.003-06:00

Los Alamos holds a pumpkin glow each year for Halloween, in which people and organizations put their pumpkins on display on the lawn outside the art center. We stopped by to see them this year, and this was one of my favorites - I really liked how wide the mouth was.

Next week: "Fall"

2011-11-05T19:35:00.001-05:00

"Halloween" is due tomorrow.

/rl

Ryan's "Thread"

2011-10-31T21:41:00.003-05:00

1"x20, I think...

/rl

David's "Thread"

2011-10-30T22:13:00.001-05:00

Sonya is practicing her special effects makeup skills on me again for this week's theme. She's getting to be quite amazing.

Cory's Thread

2011-10-30T20:45:00.003-05:00

Lis got a KFC bucket full of thread at a garage sale a while back, and some of it were on these pretty wooden spools. This particular one had never been used before, so I figured it was a good candidate for this week's topic.

Mike's "Thread"

2011-10-30T20:26:00.001-05:00

Barbed wire is the thread on our farm. Between 12 and 16 miles of it define the borders of it.

Probably another 15 divide the fields and pasture.

Next week: "Halloween"

2011-10-30T11:17:00.000-05:00

"Thread" is due today.

/rl

David's "Moo"

2011-10-23T20:23:00.002-05:00

This is one of the bulls on my father-in-law's small ranch at the end of our road.

Ryan's "Moo"

2011-10-23T19:57:00.002-05:00

One of Omaha's old steakhouses:

/rl

Mike's "Moo"

2011-10-23T14:00:00.002-05:00

The South Omaha Stock Exchange Building is very different than it was even ten years ago, and the area surrounding it is nothing like it was when I was in high school. When walking around the grounds, however, I can still hear the faint "mooing" of the cows that were in pens surrounding this building.

Even in 1980, the parking for this building was in a garage across the street where the basement level were cow pens. It was not uncommon for a wedding party to celebrate in the lavish ballrooms on the top floors, while being surrounded by thousands of cows who were soon to meet their doom as a tasty steak!

Cory's Moo

2011-10-23T08:27:00.002-05:00

Remember Gerber Baby? She's been growing lately and is now a full-fledged little kid, but that won't stop me from trying to use her for some easy votes. Here she is wearing her cow pajamas, and everybody knows that cows say "Mooooooooo".

Next week: "Thread"

2011-10-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

"Moo" is due tomorrow!

/rl

Q's knob

2011-10-16T22:11:00.003-05:00

Currently my middle finger looks like a knob. Full disclosure: an x-ray tech shot the original image and my doctor, who seemed amazed by this break, shot a picture on my phone so I could show it off.

Mike's "Knob"

2011-10-16T17:46:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I just typed that in for a title. Once again one of those topics that leave so many options, you can't decide which.

We passed this play ground equipment walking the dogs. I think its supposed to be an airplane. If you look closely at the center of the photo, some of the controls that have knobs on them are just painted in.

Yes, I am am still pretending I have a Russian camera.

Cory's Knob

2011-10-16T17:17:00.003-05:00

This is the knob that lets me choose between any of five forward and one backward gear on my car. The car itself is a 2004 Golf, which I suppose explains why the knob looks faintly like a golf ball.

Next week: "Moo"

2011-10-15T13:41:00.001-05:00

"Knob" is due tomorrow.

The topic bucket is due for a refill!

/rl

Mike's "Repair"

2011-10-10T20:17:00.001-05:00

It's not hard to look around the home for things we have to repair. I wanted to get out this weekend, but didn't get out of the yard with my camera. This is our back porch which received new railings this summer. Sandra bought the parts and painted, and I put in new metal balusters.

Yes, I have been a little fascinated with "lomo" lately. I found a great plugin for Gimp. It also hides my repair flaws! Before we repaired the stairs they looked like >> this <<

David's "Repair"

2011-10-10T09:30:00.001-05:00

V & L Motors General Repair, also in need of repair. This is an old repair shop off the main strip through Bernalillo, NM.

Cory's Repair

2011-10-09T23:12:00.002-05:00

Since winter tends to come kind of early up here in the mountains, Lis decided to built a little greenhouse to go over here tomatoes this year in an attempt to stretch the season a little longer. Alas, we had a big wind storm one day last week, and the next morning the greenhouse was gone. I found it on the other side of the house later in the day. Clearly, it is going to need some repair before it is used again.

Next week: "Knob"

2011-10-08T14:29:00.001-05:00

"Repair" is due tomorrow.

/rl

Cory's Hand

2011-10-03T23:06:00.002-05:00

HAND AM TASTY NOM NOM NOM.

(Not actually Cory's hand)

Ryan's "Hand"

2011-10-03T21:14:00.004-05:00

Kelcey, and her hand, in the act of the vandalism Cory mentioned:

/rl

Next week: Repair

2011-10-02T23:42:00.000-05:00

"Hand" due earlier today!

Mike's "Hand"

2011-10-02T18:06:00.001-05:00

Taking advantage of a beautiful day, here in Omaha, I went downtown. I photographed the sculptures that the Lauritzen family put up. They have big hands, and they have "cow hands" and... well then... I ran across these hands at the Zorinsky Mall, and knew I found my topic picture!

Though I keep promising myself to not take pictures that exploit the homeless, I squeezed one into the corner. Today he is one of the 99%.

David's "Hand"

2011-10-02T16:51:00.001-05:00

"I've got funny hands."

This seemed like a non-obvious take on this week's theme.

Ryan's "Sock"

2011-09-25T23:26:00.002-05:00

Sorry for last week's lack of posting. I was mourning the loss of my camera.

This is what socks do to my ankles:

Perhaps next week I will do better. I've decided that my camera is not broken... it just lacks duct tape. Hopefully that will get me through the upcoming trip to New Mexico.

/rl

Cory's Sock

2011-09-25T16:31:00.003-05:00

Los Alamos has its own little tiny airport, complete with one runway and a little shack that serves as the terminal. I hear it is very exciting to fly out of - it is built right on the edge of a mesa, so if you were to just drive off the end of the runway you would already be several hundred feet in the air. Here's the sock they use there to keep the wind's foot warm. It looks like he wasn't using it when I took this picture.

Mike's "Sock"

2011-09-25T11:38:00.000-05:00

This is our "sock transporter". If you put an even number of socks and run it on low heat for sixty minutes, one of your socks will be transported to a parallel universe and a new one will appear.

Sometimes, by pure chance, you might get one of your own socks back.