Dream Tomorrow, Live Today, Cherish Yesterday

Memorial Day - Saluting our Armed Forces

Canon 5D Mark II, 70-300mm, f/5.6, 1/400, iso 500

The blog and I support our armed forces. One of the benefits of living where I do is seeing these great Americans regularly. On board submarines, carriers, Coast Guard craft of all kinds, even the Air Force.

The biggest thrill are the carriers, in this case the USN Carl Vinson. You should see how many favorable replies I get when I post pictures like this on the ship's Facebook page. Parents and loved ones of our enlisted are very passionate. As they should be.

Thank you to all of you in the Armed Forces!

Happy Easter 2012

 

Wishing each of you a happy Easter day!

2012 - A Sign

Leica M9, 50mm F/2, f/8, 1/3000, iso 160

New Years day 2012. 2011 was a blockbuster year for me, and I have shared many high moments here and on Facebook. Our move to Washington State, our kids doing well in college, some great photo trips, old friends and new ones too, acquisition of a dream camera system. Life is good. Great in fact.

However, something really despicable happened within my extended family. Without going into details, it seems this issue is having a bigger effect than is healthy for me. So my goal for 2012 is to move past this.

So I chose this image for today very specifically. Today I will print this image and put it on my wall in my office where I spend the daytime hours.  It represents a sign that all is well and I'm capable of resuming my normally happy existence.

Photographically, my resolution this year is (once again) to slow down while shooting, and focus on getting the highest possible quality images I am capable of. As my friend Dan Sniffin told me (and I'm still trying to learn): "Don't get every shot Bob, get the shot."

My best to all of you in the coming New Year!

 

Last Call 2011

Leica M9, 50mm F/2, f/2, 1/90, iso 400

Happy New Year's Eve everyone. Stay classy!

Merry Christmas 2011

Leica M9, 50mm F/2, f/3.4, 1/350, iso 160

For a major holiday I usually want to post a representative type image. Looking for today's image, I kept coming back to this one. Sure it has the holiday theme going. I think I'm also kind of amazed we have a tree in fall color, with all its leaves, at the end of December?

But I think too I like the fact that it is a city image. The only time I lived right in a city was back in the 80's in Sydney, Australia. I enjoyed the city very much, walking miles nearly every day. Despite the fact that I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Francisco never really was my kind of place.

But Seattle is, and I'm so pleased to have the opportunity to live close and to be able to enjoy it. Kinda photogenic, too!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all my friends everywhere!

Happy July 4th America!

Canon 20D, 60mm F/2.8, f/5, 1/200, iso 100

I took this shot exactly four years ago today. On vacation with the family in Seattle. They were having a wooden boat festival by our hotel. I certainly had no idea that four years later we would be living here. Life is pretty amazing.

Hope all my friends have a great fourth.

Honoring Memorial Day

Canon 1D Mark III, 70-200mm F/4, f/4, 1/200, iso 320

Count me as one very lucky American who has counted on those that serve in the military to protect our freedom. These are a special breed of people that will lay down their own life if necessary for the promise of America. You have my admiration and thanks.

I took this shot back in 2009 in Norfolk, VA. Was with my great friend Cliff on board his boat Oasis, and we did quite a bit of exploring of the shipyards. Have always thought this was quite a nice image.

Happy Mother's Day 2011

Happy Mother's day to those moms and grandmas that read my blog. I hope you have a wonderful day! This year marks 10 years since my own mom died in 2001. I think she would be proud of what my own family, my wife and two kids, have been up to since then. Pretty successful overall.

If she was alive today, she'd love to be strolling in a garden. That was probably her favorite thing. And so that is why I picked today's image. It's from a garden of a friend of mine. Nice bit of whimsy. And yes I used Topaz Adjust on the orb itself, it just needed it.

Those of you that still have your mom here - enjoy your time with her too!

Happy Easter 2011

Happy Easter everyone. I hope you have a wonderful day with family and friends.

Happy Valentines Day

Canon 1D Mark III, 24-70 F/2.8, f/8.0, iso 250, 1/50

For Valentine's Day I'm bringing back an image from an engagement shoot a few years ago. I haven't done many weddings, but this was one of the best. I had just met them minutes before this shot, and you can see we all had a pretty good connection right off the bat. It's not work when it is this easy!

Have a nice Valentine's day everyone!