365 Days of Me: Day 2

Day 2

And here's an extra one that Sonja actually liked better than the one I chose. So it's today's honorable mention:

365 Days of Me: Day 1

I just haven't felt the blogging bug lately. I don't know if part of it is the fact that it takes forever for blogger to load each photo or if I just haven't been inspired much, but I just can't seem to get in the mood to post much on here. So, I decided to try a project.

For the next year, I will try to take and post one photo every day. I'm hoping that this will challenge me to improve my composition and technical photographing skills, plus force me to get online and make a post. I'm going to keep it pretty open, so some days I might comment a lot about the photo, the process, etc., while other days I may just post the picture. I can't guarantee that I'll actually follow through with this, but I'm sure going to try.

So here it is: Day 1

試し切り

There is a word in Japanese, 試し切り (tameshigiri), sometimes associated with the Samurai. Literally, it translates to trying (試し) cutting (切り), and according to myth it refers to the act of "trying out one's new sword", often on a random passerby. It's unsure how much truth there is to this, though. I would expect that anyone living in feudal Japan would soon learn to give swordsmith shops a wide berth on the off chance a Samurai was picking up a new order.

Regardless, it's a fascinating (albeit gruesome) story. Whether or not Samurai actually stepped outside and sliced some poor chap in half to make sure their sword "worked", I'm sure many of us can relate to the concept. Who doesn't want to run right out and start playing with a particularly coveted new toy the moment it is out of the box? I have been guilty of tameshigiri, more often than I could count. Although, to my knowledge no one's blood has ever been shed as a result (except, on occasion, for my own).

While I didn't get a new sword to try out I did get a package in the mail that I'd been waiting for, a new lens for my camera (Canon EF 50mm F1.8, my first prime (non telephoto/zoom) lens). As soon as I ripped open the box I wanted to try it out. When you get a new lens, the first few pictures are always special. Here are the first two images taken with this one:

This one isn't all that great a picture, and there's a bit of noise in it from me fiddling around too much in Photoshop, but it is the very first one taken with the new lens. So it's a keeper.

This one turned out way more better. The sharpness is pretty good, even with the low light. The contrast is good between each of the objects, too. All around not bad for just sitting on the couch taking a picture of the coffee table.

Well, this morning dawned bright and clear, so I thought I'd try it out in some light, too.

I took Luna along too, although it was a bit cold for her. I think the two years we spent in Arizona made her forget she was born and raised an Alaskan dog. This is her shivering on the shore of Lake McDonald.

I hope you all appreciate what I went through to get this picture. I was up by the park's entrance sign taking some photos of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River (I wasn't happy with any of those) when I saw the sun lighting up some spruce trees down by the river. So I hopped the huge snowbank along the road and post-holed my way down into the forest. I knew we had a lot of the white stuff, but it's been a while since I tried walking through snow that was deeper than my waist. Not an easy task.

And once I got down there I was so pooped I just flopped back into the snow to take a break. That's when I looked up at this tree that was blocking the sun and thought the snow looked cool all highlighted like that.

Then, this evening I drove into town to get some groceries and caught a glimpse of that amazing phenomenon you see in the mountains during winter sometimes. When the fresh snow on the mountains captures the last rays of the sun, contrasted by the dark clouds behind, it looks like the mountain is glowing from within.

I'm really quite happy with this lens. Definitely worth the price! I think this little beauty will be attached to my camera quite frequently in the months to come.

Behind Our House

After several days of biting wind and blowing snow, today the air is bright, cold and crisp. So, despite the subzero temps I grabbed my camera, pulled on my mukluks and post-holed my way through the snow and into the woods just behind our house.






I'm still having some difficulty figuring out how to deal with the white balance and contrast between shadows and light in the snow, but I think I'm getting a little better.

Just up the Road

This afternoon I decided to drive a few miles up the road and take advantage of the gorgeous weather for a little photography. It's been a while since I've been up that way, which is rather unfortunate, really. Particularly considering I only had to drive for about ten minutes to get these pictures.

So here's what Glacier National Park looked like this afternoon.

San Diego

A couple weeks ago I traveled to San Diego for a friend's wedding. I've been meaning to post some photos from my trip for a while now and am finally getting around to it.

A San Diego sunset

Harbor seals and a Ruddy Turnstone

Brown Pelican and Heerman's Gull

Whimbrel

Willet

Sand dollar in the surf

Marbled Godwits on the beach

Wordless Wednesday

Sunset Over Saint Mary Lake
Glacier National Park, Montana
August 13, 2008

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Alpine Wildflowers

Our timing was impeccable with our arrival at Glacier National Park during the peak of alpine wildflower season. The colors of these tiny survivors have been spectacular during our hikes up above treeline. Here is a sampling of some of my wildflower photographs from the past two weekend hikes we took into the alpine tundra.

Rosey Paintbrush
Castilleja rhexifolia

Yellow Columbine
Aguilegia flavescens
Common Pearlyeverlasting
Anaphalis margaritacea
Explorer's Bog Gentian
Gentiana calycosa
Alpine Forget-Me-Not
Eritrichium nanum
Alpine Fireweed
Epilobium latifolium

A Fair Day

There's nothing like a bit of jousting to make a Sunday afternoon feel complete. Sonja and I spent the day near Phoenix enjoying the beautiful weather at the Renaissance Festival. As always, the jousting was the melodramatic highlight of the festival.

I must admit I kind of spaced out a bit during the show and sort of lost interest in everything but playing with my camera. This was really the first time I really tried to see what it could do on subjects that weren't feathered. The results were pretty darn impressive, considering how far away we were sitting from the action.

I think this is the knight who actually won. And, if I remember right, this guy won last year's joust, too. Not that I really care, but you'd think they'd let someone else win once in a while. Although, I suppose letting Sting get his way is probably for the best.

We also spent a little time birding at the Gilbert Water Ranch on the way to the festival. We weren't really sure what to expect with this place, but were both very surprised with how cool it was. The birds were everywhere, and both of us came away with some lifers. The highlight of the water ranch were definitely the Black-necked Stilts pictured below.



But the American Avocets were also very cool. Both of these were lifers for Sonja (only the stilt was for me).

The Anna's Hummingbirds were also numerous and cooperative.

This Black-throated Sparrow was actually from Montezuma Well the day before. But I liked how it turned out so I decided to post it, too. It's nice to see these beautiful little sparrows returning to the Well.

Makes it feel like spring is finally here (if the 75 degree temps and my sunburned face weren't enough).

Tavasci Marsh

Some pictures from the hike I took this morning to Tavasci Marsh at Tuzigoot National Monument.

Green-winged and Cinnamon Teals

Cinammon Teal

Green-winged Teal

Redhead

Common Moorhen and some teals

Gadwall and Pied-billed Grebe

And, two photos of what I think is a Swamp Sparrow (which, if that ID is correct, would be a lifer for me). What do you all think? Is it a Swamp Sparrow?