Monthly Archives: January 2015

365 Day Photo Challenge Day Seventeen “HDR”

17 Saturday Jan 2015

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HDR, High Definition Resolution.  Some people love it while others hate it.  I’ve been interested in this for quite some time.  In my opinion, some people over use it and abuse it. They over process it way too much. It can be be used to make an interesting effect and make a dull photo more interesting.

I finally broke down and purchased the software last night and after a day at a car lot shopping for a car, which is an entirely different story, I got a chance tonight to go out and play some.  This is at our local high school.  the sun had just gone down below the horizon and the street lights had just come on.  My camera is a Nikon D7000 and is able to do bracketing.  By taking three photo’s, one under exposed, one metered and one over exposed, the software stacks the three photo’s together and creates this image. I know I’m over simplifying the process and I know some of you already know the process but there are those that don’t.

I’ll go ahead and warn everyone that I will be posting some of these from time to time.  Let me know what you think.  I’m willing to learn and hopefully get better.

365 Day Challenge Day Sixteen “Redneck Ski Slope”

16 Friday Jan 2015

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That’s what my co workers call it anyway.  Cloudmont is located in Mentone, Alabama.  It’s nearly 2 hours from where I live.  Last year I took my two daughters and one of their girl friends there for an afternoon of skiing.  It’s all man made and it’s all ice.  They call it “red neck” because nearly everyone there skiing was wearing camouflage.  A deer hunters paradise.

Personally, I’ve never skied and I’ve never really cared too.  I used to roller skate and I’ve went ice skating once but I stayed on my butt the whole night.  Snow skiing to me is just asking for trouble.  I’ve always said that the good Lord was gracious enough to give me a lot of things and one thing He gave me was common sense. As Mike Rowe is fond of saying in dangerous situations, “It’s ill advised my friend”.

Both my daughters and their friend all learned how to ski that day and in fact went down the bunny slope.  I was a proud dad to see them do this.  My son, being in the Boy Scouts, got a chance a few years back to go to Cloudmont and not only learned to ski but got his Snow Sports Merit Badge.

365 Day Photo Challenge Day Fifteen “Longing for Warmer Days”

15 Thursday Jan 2015

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I’m so ready for some warmer weather.  Today was another cold and miserable day.  Granted, I know some of you are dealing with much colder temperatures but it just seems like the cold will not go away.  We’re supposed to see some warmer temps this weekend and I’m so ready for it.  There were even reports of snow and ice just north of where I live.  It’s funny how we are so not prepared for any depth of snow here in Alabama.  They got a dusting of snow in Huntsville today and our satellite office there sent everyone home.  It’s funny I know but we are not prepared to deal with it.  All we have are sand trucks that put sand on the bridges to help with traction but the ice and snow is still there.  Some people here are so hard headed that they think they can drive in this mess that all the do is stall the traffic with their wrecked vehicles.  I just have to laugh at their stupidity.

365 Day Photo Challenge Day Fourteen “It’s an Up Hill Battle”

14 Wednesday Jan 2015

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Loosing weight has always been a battle for me all my adult life.  I decided on the first of January that I would start trying to loose weight again.  I was doing good until I found out that I was going to have eye surgery.  To me there was no since trying to get myself in a habit of exercising if was going to have to stop for a couple of weeks after the surgery.  I know I’m just getting back in the same routine and looking for excuses not to exercise.

I go downstairs and I see that treadmill and I get this sickening feeling down in my gut.  I really hate that thing but all it’s doing is collecting dust.  I’ve lost a lot of weight on that treadmill but I just can’t get myself to get back on it.  I love being outdoors and being on my bicycle so much more.

I will have a three day weekend with no doctor’s restrictions and the temps are supposed to break the 60 degree mark.  Come Hell or high water I’m getting on my bicycle and getting some miles in.  I might even post a short video of my ride.

This photo was taken last night at the same place of Vulcan.  It’s the path you walk up to to see the city’s skyline.  Some day soon I’ll hopefully capture an image that I’m proud to share of our great city.

365 Day Photo Challenge Day Thirteen “Icon”

13 Tuesday Jan 2015

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I had to take my daughters to a meeting tonight.  The meeting lasted three hours and there was no sense of me going home and then back out to pick them up.  I took this time go take a few pictures.  The main thing I wanted to take pictures of didn’t come out the way I wanted but this one turned out pretty decent.  I tried to tone down the top but then the rest of the picture looked under exposed.  Anyway, still playing with the new camera. Hopefully one of these days I’ll figure it out.

This is Vulcan, one of Birmingham’s icons.  The park around him has been newly renovated and it’s the first time I’ve been there in over twenty years.  In fact, none of my three kids has ever been there.  Looks like a field trip is in order.

Years ago, the light at the top of Vulcan’s extended hand would change color from green to red when ever a fatality would happen on the roadways.  It stayed red a lot in those days.

For those that are following, I got released from the doctor’s care today and I’m going back to work tomorrow.  I’m not really excited about it; I got kind of used to not going in and being Mr. Mom.

365 Day Photo Challenge Day Twelve “Corn Bread”

12 Monday Jan 2015

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Can you tell that I’m board?  Now I’m down to taking pictures of my food.  I made some corn bread for dinner last night and I’ve always having trouble getting the corn bread out of the skillet whole.  Looks like I did a pretty good job of it last night.  It’s all gone now.

I get to get out tomorrow to go to the eye doctor so it looks like I’ll be going back to work on Wednesday.  I’ve really enjoyed being off and I’m really looking forward to retiring from my current employer even more.  Just three years and six months to go.

I promise that tomorrow’s picture will be something other than food or my cats.

365 Day Photo Challenge Day Eleven “Getting Board”

11 Sunday Jan 2015

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I’m getting board stuck in this house.  I’ve got a brand new camera and I’ll I’ve got to take pictures of are my cats.  Let’s just say my wife and daughter are camera shy.

I’ve got two cat’s.  I spotlighted Clyde the other day and this is Sophie.  She was hiding under a pillow on our bed.  She does this sometimes but I was ready for her when she did this today.

Eighty percent chance of rain tomorrow so it looks like I’ll be stuck in the house again tomorrow.  Doctor appointment on Tuesday and I might get to go back to work on Wednesday.  Not really looking forward to that but at least it’s something to do.

365 Day Photo Challenge Day Ten “Wishing it Was Spring Already”

10 Saturday Jan 2015

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This was taken last year about this time.  We are in our 36th hour of being below freezing.  We don’t deal with these kind of temps much so it’s a big deal down here in the deep south.  We are expecting to get above freezing tomorrow but then the rains come in.

I’m so ready for spring time so I can get out and feel human again.  I feel like a caged animal not being able to get out and ride my bike.  Having eye surgery the other day is compounding the effects because I can’t drive anywhere.

I truly hope everyone else is doing fine and able to get out and do things.

365 Day Photo Challenge Day Nine “One of Those Days”

09 Friday Jan 2015

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Ever had one of those days?  I’ve been restricted from work until next Wednesday due to my eye surgery.  Got to catch up on my TV watching if that’s anything to brag about.  Going out tomorrow to do some running around with my daughters tomorrow so I’ll at least get out of the house for a while.

This is my cat Sophie.  She’s doing what she does best, washing her face.  She likes to stay clean, nap, eat, poop and clean again.

365 Day Photo Challenge Day Eight “Old Howard Bike Ride”

08 Thursday Jan 2015

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Just signed up for a 45 mile bike ride.  It’s in April so I still have time to do a little training.  This is me during one of the few rides that I did last year.  I’m out of shape but I think I can get where I need to be in a couple of months.

The eye doctor took my eye patch off today and all the floaters have been removed.  I can see now without having to look through a composition notebook.  No bending over, lifting anything more than 10 lbs and not going to work until next week.