From point A to point B

Last night was the annual school carnival fund raising event. Lots of fun! Of course, we partook in the tradition of the circular musical walk for baked goods. My oldest daughter, Maddie won a strawberry cake. The other tradition of school carnivals is the guarantee that before you leave the event, your pockets will be filled with Tootsie Rolls, cheap little toys, erasers, and pencils: All the spoils of winning the ring toss, duck pond, fishing wall, “Plinko,” and other wonderful games the quality of which can only be found at local school carnivals. It’s nice to see that some traditions haven’t changed. I remember these same games and little plastic prizes when I was a kid. My youngest, Gracie was on a mission to collect all the colors of gel frogs available; she ended up with four. These little guys look pretty neat with the sun shining in behind them on the kitchen counter. Thanks to Gracie for the inspiring frogs!

I’m working at home this afternoon, trying to get some photo work done for a few clients. It’s nice and quiet, and I am getting a lot done. But my work buddy, Scout seems to want to go out and come in every 5 minutes. (I think he’s trying to tell me that it’s too nice to be sitting inside behind the computer. Perhaps he’s right…) This got me thinking… I set up my camera and shot this using a long timer. After a long pause without seeing me through the window, I wondered what he’d do. It’s kind of funny to see Scout’s expression when he doesn’t think he’s being watched.

Not only are the contrast of colors great in this image, there’s also a nice contrast between the organic natural leaves and vines and the man-made, industrial rusted steel cage.

So this blog has helped me work toward a goal of posting a photo (most) every day. Today I was at a loss for what to photograph. So, I grabbed my camera and took a walk around the yard. Considering that the grass is still pretty dead-looking, the trees are yet leafless, and it’s kind of an overcast day, I didn’t find much of interest to photograph. So, I took a look around the garage, where I found my old tool box sitting below the only window in the garage. It’s not a stellar subject, but I like the grittiness that the light spilling into the darkness creates.

Falling down on the job? Lacking Energy? Perhaps a few of these guys are in desperate need of 5-Hour Energy.

“Working together we can achieve great things!”

It’s interesting to note how many green things are just lying around… These are all things I found in the studio. For the most part, these are all tools of the trade. So, I guess you could say that we are a green operation… (Yeah, that’s a pretty lame joke, I know.)

For many people, signs of Spring include birds, green grass, and warm sun. For others, the site of chrome is more than enough to know that Spring is here!

Detail from a glass portico on a new building in Bloomington, MN. The combination of the colored glass and the blue sky sort of reminds me of the ocean. Even though this building is in the heart of the Midwest, it has the feeling of being on the West Coast.

Thanks to Maddie for the inspiration of the name of the photo.

We had another foggy morning on Monday, and another great opportunity for photography.

We have an awesome view from our dining room, looking West. In the past 6 years, I’ve taken hundreds of sunset shots. The beauty of the sky as the sun sets never ceases to amaze me.

A shot of kids doing the Hokey Pokey at the K-5 dance I attended with my oldest daughter. The back-light effect from the DJ and the motion of the kids is pretty cool.

I like the distortion of the neon glow in this reflection on glass block.

Motion, light, beauty and grace.

This is another shot taken yesterday morning during the sunrise in the fog. Although there’s nothing highly conceptual going on here, I just like the softness of the sun against the silhouette of the tree, and the natural colors.

If you live in the Sioux Falls area and were out and about this morning, you no doubt saw the thick fog. The fog creates a nice filter for the sun. Normally, it would be impossible to see anything but a glare if you’re staring into the sun. I like the contradiction between the name of the street and the rise of the sun.

Neon signs are designed to stand out against a dark backdrop. What’s behind the neon tubing is rarely seen. A look deeper into this image, past the bright orange neon, reveals an interesting view of the supporting cast.

A nail driven through a stop sign. The nail is hardly noticed on a daily basis. But from this angle, the nail seems to make much more of a statement.

This is a unique view of a lamp in the office. From this view it seems as though the light bulbs are in the wrong place.

Sunday morning, about 30 minutes before service began. Beautiful sunlight coming in from the Northeast.