Saturday, February 28, 2015

I'll Make You Famous


Photo #45
As a 43 year old man, I did not have much to offer the float people to encourage them to throw me some good throws. What I did have, was my camera. I told this guy I'd make him famous if he threw me some good beads. He agreed, so I took some pictures then he gave me what is basically a string of Christmas tree ornaments.
Then he asked how would he see these pictures. I asked if he had the internet. He did. I asked what his name was. He wouldn't tell me. I asked if his name was Steve, and he agreed to that. I told Steve I'd put his picture on the internet. So, Steve, here you go. Thanks for the beads. (Week 6 - Photo 7)

Don't Need No Ladder


Photo #44
I think I did a terrible job at showing what this guy was all about. Can you even tell his on stilts? That was basically his thing. Also, I don't know what's up with that third arm. I'm pretty sure that is not his. Then again, anything can happen during Mardi Gras.
(Week 6 - Photo 6)

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Southern Bell


Photo #43
Having done it myself, I have respect for anyone in a marching band, marching in a parade. Of all the parades I did, there was nothing even slightly close to marching in a Mardis Gras parade. This was one of many great bands from the Krewe of Endymion parade which someone told me was close to 7 miles long! That's just crazy. I don't know how any of these kids do it, but especially the guys carrying sousaphones.

(Week 6 - Photo 5)

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Pickup Line


Photo #42
This will be the last photo from my New Orleans Mardis Gras trip that is not from New Orleans. It is almost time to start boarding the plane, which means it is time to get some food. I want to say we are at Quiznos, but I'm not sure. Wherever this is, I liked the sign enough to notices, or maybe I noticed it enough to like it. Either way, I feel like there is something Thomas-Hawk-esqe about this shot - but he would have done it better.

(Week 6 - Photo 4)

Reflection of America!


Photo #41
I don't what to say about this one. There was shiny floor in the airport. I also feel like I've used this title before, but I can't find it, so lets just say I didn't.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Hot Crab


Photo #40
Once again, I found myself in an airport. This time was much different than last week. It was a different airport, the trip was planned well in advance, it was not for work and I had my real camera. With some time to wait and knowing I needed to take 6 good pictures before the day ended, of course I did a little photo-exploring in the airport.

Neon is always fun to shoot, and what says Baltimore more than crabs? This sign was outside a restaurant, and I have to stop writing now because this making me hungry.

(Week 6 - Photo 2)

I Won't be Foiled


Photo #39
Even in a 365x7, the goal is still to try to take a good picture every single day. This week is almost the total antithesis of this. This odd picture of a man made of foil (hat tip to Ella) was taken on Day 1 of the week. The next 6 pictures are all from Day 7. What happened on Days 2-6? I don't know since it seems I wasn't noticing. Or maybe I just don't remember. Either way, that is not what this odyssey is about.

(Week 6 - Photo 1)

Pacificly


Photo #38
A building can be ocean-front or ocean-view, but what do you call it when you can hear the ocean but not see it? Whatever it is, that was my hotel room. Luckily it was just a short walk from my door before I could see the Pacific, or as we call it, "The Other Ocean".

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Blue Shift


Photo #37
I don't like to fly. Let that be clear. I do realize in the long history of human travel, having to sit in an uncomfortable chair with no leg room in order to travel thousands of miles in a few hours is really not something to complain about. But still, I don't like to fly. Even so, ometimes I do. Like when I get to go on a vacation to a different part of the planet. Or when I find out in that I have to be in California at 7:00 AM tomorrow for work. This was the latter case - so here I am about to fly. Up, up and away.

Red Shift


Photo #36
What does it really mean to be abstract? Does it mean putting your phone up against a lighted glass wall in the airport while people walk by with a questioning look that is becoming all too familiar? Or maybe it is something more than that. Just maybe it seeing beyond what others see, and finding the truth and meaning that lies below the surface of the ordinary.

No, actually, it is probably the first thing.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Johnny


Photo #35
Contrary to what you might suspect, I was thinking of the Men at Work song when naming this, and not a song from the 50's that was featured in a movie from the 80's. It doesn't matter either way because it is good advice, even if you have some other name.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

People Mover


Photo #34
Some days you wake up thinking you are not going to California, but then before you know it you are on your way to California. This was one of those days. Hopefully I would see things in California worth noticing. Most of the pictures you'll see from this trip however will not be from California. Like this one - it is from exotic Dulles, VA. As is the next one. And the one after that. The next one after that however is from California. So you have that to look forward to.

Flying V


Photo #33
I told you they would be back. Maybe they are trying to spell out a message. What starts with LV? Maybe they are using Roman numerals to say 55, but why? Obscure Back to the Future Reference? Lets go with that. Meanwhile, I'll tell you a secret. The sky was not this color. I totally cheated and added a graduated filter in Lightroom. I try to avoid doing stuff like that, but sometimes the picture just needs it. This post dedicated to Hoops

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Flying L


Photo #32
My mother was scared of geese. Or maybe it was chickens. One or both of those attacked her when she was a child, and she never really got over it. Despite this, I spent most of my life geese-agnostic. That is until we moved to this house, which has some walking trails nearby. These trails go by some small lakes. You may have seen these in some of the pictures I've posted. When the geese are around, these trails tend to have a nice layer of geese scat.

This makes me like them less.

Anyway, I do still like geese in the air, as long as they are not directly over me. On this morning's walk, many geese were flying by in various directions. I don't know where they were going since it is the middle of winter, and they should just be staying in The South. Maybe they are Canadian geese and is this is their South, eh? Point is, the geese flew by, I took their picture, and it became Photo 32. A short while later some more geese (or maybe the same ones?) flew by, and I took their picture, too. If you don't believe me, wait until the next post.

Life Was Such a Simple Game


Photo #31
One last shot from a fruitful Friday. For this one I ignored the rule about keeping the camera level and also gave it some extra attention in Lightroom. I'm pleased with how it came out. In fact, this might be may favorite so far. It is definitely in the top three.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Twin Peaks


Photo #30
Under the mid-day sun I went in search for pictures and food. Lunch time is a good time to get lunch, but that mid-day sun from the last sentence means it is not a good time to take pictures. Luckily there were also mid-day clouds, and that made this shot possible since I had to point the camera towards the sky. Aside: As it turns out, pointing your camera to the sky up the side of just another building will get you some strange looks. If you are trying to avoid getting strange looks, I suggest you find some other kind of odyssey.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

1900 M Street



Photo #29
I had one more stop on my morning mini-photowalk before I needed to get to work. It was a building on the corner of 19th and M Street in Washington DC that I walked past every day. I positioned myself on the sidewalk in front of the building and took this one shot before a security guard came out of the building to confront me. The conversation went something like this:

Her: "Hey! Hey! You can't take pictures of this building!"
Me: "Yes I can"
Her: "No you can't"
Me: "Sure I can. I'm standing on public property. I can take pictures of whatever I want."
Her: "You have to stop!"
Me: "Why?"
Her: "You can't take pictures of this building!"

The conversation went on like that for a couple minutes before I decided it wasn't worth any more of my time. Unfortunately it is a common thing for security guards and even police to be ignorant of the law. Ignorance is a stubborn problem to solve. Perhaps the next time any of you are in NW DC with your camera, you should visit 1900 M Street and give the guard another lesson.

Saturday, February 7, 2015

The Cranes Above Us Soarin


Photo #28
Continuing my morning photowalk, I headed over to a building that is under construction. The thing about new buildings that I like is that someone, somewhere had a idea that there should be a new building there, and now that idea is becoming reality. Can we build it? Yes we can!

Thursday, February 5, 2015

To See You Again


Photo #27
This is not the first time that I've taken picture of glasses in a store window, nor is it even the second. I guess if you take enough picture you'll start to copy yourself. This one (and the next few that you will see) happened because it was Friday and I only had 2 pictures for the week thus far, so I brought my Sony a55 along with me to work. I should do this more if for no other reason that having a real camera in your hand nearly forces you to look for things to shoot.

Beyond the Wall


Photo #26
This week's photochallenge was about man made objects in nature. Usually I try to shoot one or the other, so this was a fun challenge. One Thursday morning as I was getting ready for work I noticed how the early morning sunlight was hitting the non-fuctional wall in our backyard. I thought it would be worthwhile to get a shot of it, but my four-legged friend decided that I was in the backyard to be barked at or played with. Little did I know this was not the last time this week that I was going to be harassed about taking a picture from somewhere I had every right to be.