Portrait of dad
It’s Father’s day, which has me thinking of dad again. It was a year ago last Sunday that we held his wake, so he’s been close in my mind again recently. My ankle’s been giving me fits again, so this was a weekend mostly spent on the couch with the laptop wrapped in ice, but that gave me an excuse to go rummaging through the family photo collection and start working at organizing it again.
So here are a couple of photos for Father’s Day, one from 1962 and a family trip to the Seattle World’s Fair of my dad and myself. For this trip, I’m 4 — far too young to have even rudimentary memories of the trip, but I’ve always had a strong affection for the Pacific Northwest, so it was interesting to run into photos showing us up there. Someday, with a bit of luck, Laurie and I will relocate further north and get out and away from The Valley – but not for a while, there’ still so much here to get done.
For today, a couple of pictures out of the family archive, my dad and I at the hotel in Seattle, 1962, and a picture of my grandfather. These were the two fathers in my life growing up, and a huge factor in the parts of me that ended up going well; the bad parts are all my fault for not being smart enough to listen to them…
Happy Father’s day to all of the fathers out there, and to everyone, don’t forget to celebrate your father and let them know what they mean to you…
Yes, I knew you couldn’t live without it: the return of photo links
Funny thing, my company evidently launched this new product; not sure the name. And coincidentally, I’ve not had a whole lot of free time.
But I am collecting links still. And even though I’m finally comfortable in LightRoom and publishing photos again, I still have all of these links…
- Photocrati: The Kacey Beauty Reflector (looks intriguing; potentially very useful)
- Photopreneur: Photo Keywording 3.0 (one of the things that I spent a lot of time on moving to Lightroom was the keywording. I hated how Aperture keyworded (still do), Bridge had it’s strengths and weaknesses — and quirks, but worked better for me. Lightroom? I’m starting to really like, and in fact does a number of things I critiqued Aperture for NOT doing and wanted to see implemented. Some day, I’ll stop reinventing everything every year or so — but every time I do, it gets closer to what I really want)
- Doug Menuez: Notes from the Road, Walking the Talk (What am I doing? Basically I’m starting over. — And me? I’m trying to figure out how best to start, and how not to screw it up when I do; pushing myself off the plateau and taking that next switchback climb to where I need to be)
- Epic Edits: Making Fine Art Prints (read the whole series, very well done)
- Digital Photography School: Orbis Ring Flash (this one is definitely on my short list)
- David duChemin: King of What? and Other Stuff
- Digital Photography School: Moving a Lightroom Catalog.
- Photocrati: Hey, photography is legal. how about that? (how New York City backed down)
- Digital Pro Talk: A frugal man’s approach to off-camera flash (I really need to get going in the studio and practicing with flash. it’s been on the to do list for months)
- Joe McNally: Getting High (um. feel a bit. dizzy. don’t look down. DON’T LOOK DOWN)
- Kirk Tuck: What I want out of my assistants (just read his books on lighting. detailed reviews someday. thumbs up; I’ve thought some day of trying to become the world’s oldest novice assistant, just to see what I can learn…)
- Wade Heininger: Color vs. B&W (I cut my teeth in high schoo doing B&W sports photography and work for the yearbook. I also admit that for many years, I just really care much for B&W; Ansel Adams didn’t sing to me, any more than Emily Carr does anything for me with Northwest Art. But I’ve been spending time experimenting, and I’m starting to see when an image might be improved with less color instead of more. but honestly? I’m still a color kinda guy. unrepentant).
- Jim Goldstein: why social media matters to Photographers. (The downside of social media is that it can easily suck all of your time and energy into it, leaving you not doing what you wanted to use social media to promote and discuss. It’s something to keep a leash on).
- DIYPhotography.net: Studio@Home (a continuing series, well worth reading)
- PhotoNaturalist: Why timing is everything in photography
- Gary Crabbe: Should I work for free? (my policy is simple: as a way to pay forward to organizations I support, and to get exposure, I give images to non-profit and ecological organizations happily. I saw this in the writing world, though — there are far too many people willing to take advantage of the “I’d do anything to get in print” crowd, and I try to not play there. The benefits, if any, are rarely worth it).
- Duncan Davidson: Photoshelter and Color Management. (hmm… all of the photo sites seem to do some tweaking. I wish they had a “I know what I’m doing, leave it alone” preference)
- Morro Photo Expo: I’ve registered, and am looking forward to it this October. Have you?
- Chase Jarvis: When was the last time? (really. I’ve been having some frustration with my photography, partly lack of time, partly — and it took me a long time to realize — I was simply shooting the same stuff again and again, and going through the motions. I had to sit myself down and make myself focus on technique, and I’d really like to get out for a bit and shoot some new locations, but given my current committments, ain’t gonna happen. so I need to invent some opportunities. All I need is some, ahem, freee time…)
- PhotoNaturalist: what to do when autoexposure doesn’t work (This is one reason I love carrying about my HoodLoupe)
- Digital Photography School: how to get the most from a photo workshop (my first is October; I have my eyes on some others — I’m at that point where I think it’ll do my craft and vision some good)
- Harold Davis: The Photoshop Darkroom a new book. (his book is pre-ordered, and his workshops are on ym short list for when I can break free to take one).
Game 7. Tomorrow the season ends.
Game seven. Stanley Cup Final. Detroit. Pittsburgh.
Tomorrow the hockey season ends.
Part of me is looking forward to this with glee. Part of me, like most season-endings, wonders how I’ll fill the void of not having hockey to watch for a while. Part of me is really, really ready for a break.
Some of that latter is driven by “the media” — as we go further into the playoffs, more and more writers chase less and less news and still need to fill those stories and columns, and it all gets so unbelievably over-analyzed and silly. Or sad. Writers burn out on the season as well, and they take on a “can’t we just get this the hell over with?” tone that makes them sound like they don’t really like the sport. They do, they’re just worn down. Too bad they don’t see in their own attitude the players, who have to fight through a much harder, longer, more physical season and aren’t allowed the same grumpy mood.
Of course, then there are the writers who have that “this all sucks” mood year-round. Why do you folks out there read them, anyway? But that’s for later. Maybe.
Tomorrow, either Detroit or Pittsburgh takes the Cup, and the season is over. Will Detroit do the almost-impossible and win back to back? Will Pittsburgh do the even more almost-impossible and come back from 0-2 to beat the champs? You can’t script stuff like this; yet it’s real.
I no longer care who wins. Both teams deserve it. The playoffs have been some of the best damn hockey I’ve seen since I started watching hockey again after San Jose got a team. Period. I”m going to do what I’ve done most of these playoffs, and just sit back and enjoy the show. (do me a favor, those writers who hate everything about the NHL? Don’t tell them what they’re missing…)
So just sit back, relax, and enjoy the hockey. It’s been great. I expect the game tomorrow will be at least pretty good; my gut tells me no blowouts. I’d love overtime, just to give it that final edge.
And — I admit — I chose the Penguins, but I’m quietly rooting a bit for Detroit, just to see Osgood get the Conn Smythe, because he’ll deserve it, and to listen to everyone try to justify how he’s not REALLY a hall of fame goalie. I used to think that; I’m convinced. Flamboyant? No. Dramatic? no. Had rough spots? Hell, yes. But he’s running out of fingers, folks.
There’s so much that I could probably write about: the ongoing (and misplaced) whining about Bettman, the ongoing (and mostly misplaced) whining about the refs, the Phoenix problem, the Balsillie “cure”, the TV deals.
But so much of that is driven by people who seem to not actually care about the game, but only want to complain about it. There’s plenty of time during the summer to consider the challenges in the game. To me, playoffs are about the game on the ice, and that’s one reason I haven’t written much about it this year; I wanted to step back, sit down, relax in front of the TV and just watch hockey.
You know what? it was pretty damn good hockey. Too bad the people so busy talking about anything but hockey missed it.
So drop the puck, and may the best team win, and may their best players lead them to victory.
That’s what matters. And that’s why I’m a hockey fan. Tomorrow’s game sums it all up in one neat 60 minute (or more) package.
I can’t wait.
More Bald Eagle photos
catching up on my processing backlog a bit, I’ve uploaded some photos of the Calaveras Eagles from March, when she was sitting on the eggs. there are flight shots of both male and female, with the male coming in with a ground squirrel in his claw. They’re okay (but heavily cropped), so if someone has a spare 600mm Canon lens… No? Oh, worth a try, I guess…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chuqui/3605737067/
There’s some other recent uploads including photos of my trip to Morro Bay (otters, loons, spotted sandpiper and their cormorant rookery) and a few local birds up there now, too.
Red flower buds with spider web
this one turned out very abstract, but I really like it. Very different than what I normally do. Also another test shot with the Sigma 150mm macro, and I can see once I get used to the lens I’m going to like it. Not something I think is going to be handheld a lot, though.
Common Loon, Morro Bay
Loons are one of my favorite birds, and have a strong connection with Canada — look at the back of the dollar coins. Morro Bay is one of the places on the California Coast where it’s trivially easy to get photographs of loons, albeit never in breeding plumage (like most of us, birds rarely carry their fanciest clothes on vacation..)
This loon is exhibiting a common behavior, which is sitting back on its tail in the water and flapping like crazy. It’s more or less like what we do when we stretch after a couple of hours hunched over a computer. Loons, however, tend to look like funky turtles when they do it. Well, they do to me…
Black-Crowned Night Heron
My collection seems full of pictures of these herons. Does the world really need another?
Yes, if it’s a good one.
This one was hanging out on the rocks in the fog, moderately cooperative but as always, with that “you aren’t going to eat me, right?” look.
Sea Otters at rest
I think I finally have my arms around Lightroom, so I’m starting to upload stuff to flickr again as time allows.
This is from my “one day vacation” stop in Morro Bay coming back from visiting mom in SoCal earlier this year. Has a very postcardy feel to me; weather conditions (fog!) made photography a challenge, but it also forced me out of the standard grooves, and I like a number of the images I created that day. This one, though, wins the super-cute. That’s mom, and a really large youngster with her, by the way…
Bald Eagle Chick
Very busy time on a number of fronts, so little time to post, bird, or work on the photos. Something about some kind of product announcement or something… Probably won’t change too much too soon, either.
But Laurie and I did get out to see the bald eagle chick at Calaveras. It initially made us wonder if it was fledged and gone because when we got there, nothing could be seen. Fortunately, it was just napping down in the nest, and it woke up and hauled itself back into view. This kid’s now fully fledged and looking very eagle-like (when it was younger, honestly, I thought it looked like a sock-puppet vulture).
I’m estimating from my research and when I think the egg was laid about two weeks or so before it leaves the nest and disperses. We’ll see. It’s now about 80% of the size of dad, from what I can tell.
Nice to know we’ve gotten this far and unless something strange happens, we’ll have a successful nesting here this year…
Stanley Cup Final Predictons
I’ll get this in before the series counts, so people don’t think I’m doing anything funny…
Picked both conference finals, which puts me over .500 (6-4) for the playoffs, and guarantees I’m over .500. that and $5 will keep you happy at Starbucks for a bit…
Now, I’ve been pushing the western conference as the dominant conference all year, since before the season started. I still think so. And that’s why I’m picking the Penguins to win the cup in six.
Make sense? No, not really. But…
I think Fleury is playing very well right now.
Detroit’s got some injuries, adn they seem weak on depth on defense. Look at how they’re playing Chelios (very sparingly) — not sure if it’s dinged up or at the end of the road, but this is a relative weaknesss.
I think the Hossa factor, while blown way out of proportion by the media (as usual), benefits Pittsburgh. Except Hossa to try to elevate his game to prove his going to the Wings was correct. But if ten of the Penguins all elevate their game a bit for the opportunity to say “nyah!” in the handshake line, that can be a benefit for penguins. On balance, this benefits Pittsburgh.
It should be a close, fun, interesting to watch series. And then it’ll be the offseason, and everyone will start complaining about no hockey….
and any purchases you made will be treated as referrals by us.
