12/18/09
Recent participation in some photography forums has piqued an interest in doing a Project 365. Photography has been a hobby on and off for over 40 years and in the last 18 months my interest has intensified. So I've decided to jump in, give it a shot (no pun intended) and see if I can shoot every day for a year.

My expectations for this project are that it will provide motivation to expand my skills both behind the camera and in post-processing and provide a vehicle for experimentation. My photog pal Doug has been a great mentor, so I want to publicly say thanks; this is your fault (kidding of course).

It is going to be a learning experience, so any and all comments, critiques and encouraging words are welcome.

Thanks for viewing.

Jeff

Thursday, September 30, 2010

2400 Years Later

9/30/10 - Day 286
While on top of the Acropolis of Athens today, it was hard to imagine that these ruins are 10 times older than our country. This shot is of the Erechtheion, built between 421-406 B.C.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Sister of St. Matrona

9/29/10 - Day 285
Lin & I did a serious hike into the hills above Hydra to St. Matrona monastery. Hot and tired, the Sisters invited us in for some water, candies and a tour of the grounds and chapel (built in 1865). They were happy to have me take their picture, and in this image, one Sister was showing us her handiwork.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Maybe a Clue

9/28/10 - Day 284
Came across this sign today on a hike from Plakes to Episkopi. I have no idea what it says but the barbed wire might be a clue. Or maybe it says "For Sale".

Sent from my iPad

Monday, September 27, 2010

Never Gets Old

9/27/10 - Day 283
The title says it all. Spent the afternoon on the beach and then at a taverna to watch the sunset.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Walls of Hydra

9/26/10 - Day 282
At the end of a 32 hour day, we're returning from dinner in Hydra. The white painted walls, along with the random streetlights, allow this area near the harbor to be navigable at night. Very quaint with no motorized vehicles on the island.

Also in response to DS #315 regarding fences and walls.

Sent from my iPad

Saturday, September 25, 2010

One Shot

9/25/10 - Day 281
We boarded the plane at 2:00pm Saturday and didn't arrive in Frankfurt until 5:30am Sunday morning. This the one shot I got off on Saturday!

This shot also qualifies for the Daily Shoot assignment #314 on guilty pleasures. Even though business hasn't been great the last couple of years, Lin & I have done some European travel anyway. Do we feel guilty? Perhaps a little. Is the travel pleasurable? Absolutely!

Sent from my iPad

Friday, September 24, 2010

Last Minute Research

9/24/10 - Day 280
Perfect assignment for today's Daily Shoot #313: "Make a photo of an interesting stack of books or magazines.  Consider how you handle repeating lines in your composition."

We're leaving Saturday for our trip to Greece and Istanbul.  Between the Rick Steves' guidebooks, the iPad, and a couple of maps, I'm hoping we're covered information-wise.  The image on the iPad is of Santorini, one of the Greek islands we'll be visiting.

For my friends that follow my Project 365, DS posts, and Flickr photostream, rest assured I will be shooting every day.  I may not be posting every day, so please be patient; I promise to catch up as quickly as possible.  Now, gotta go finish packing...hmmm, how many lenses to bring?

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Call Animal Control!!!

9/23/10 - Day 279
I'm being attacked by the dreaded Orange Tachosauras!

Taken for Daily Shoot #312: "Symmetry can be calm and soothing.  Make a photo today featuring symmetry, either in subject or composition. (@logista)"   This one is neither calm nor soothing, but it is symmetrical.  Taken SOOCP using the SymmetriCam feature in the FxCcamera andriod app.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Stampede

9/22/10 - Day 278
Every day between 4:30pm and 6:00pm, it is a chaotic scene in front of the train station.  Today was no exception.  Taken for Daily Shoot #311: "Communicate chaos, disorganization or messiness in a photograph.  Find some beauty in it. (@divadeb88)"

Taken with the new 10-20mm lens using multiple exposure.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Reflection Deception


9/21/10 - Day 277
Squeezed into our tiny powder room this evening to use the mirror for today's Daily Shoot #310: "Use a mirror as part of a composition in a photograph today.  Show yourself in the image if you'd like!"  Thought I'd also try a little deception on the perspective at the same time.  Check out the set-up shot at www.flickr.com/photos/jeffm211/5013034573/ to see the deception.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Moonlight

9/20/10 - Day 276
Nothing softer than moonlit clouds...other than light painted cottonballs.  Daily Shoot #309: "Make a photograph of something that is soft, or at least looks that way.  Convince the viewer of the softness."

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Nine Down, Three to Go

9/19/10 - Day 275
Today marks 9 months into my Project 365. The 19th of the month is the "anniversary" day, so that means self-portrait day.  Although it was overcast most of the day, thought I'd experiment a little with natural light high-key.  Gotta clean those glasses!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

MJ

9/18/10 - Day 274
If found this commemorative coin from Michael Jordan's hey day.  Also found an old basketball in the garage that my oldest son (now 30) used to play with when he was a kid.  Complementary objects, one small, one large; perfect for today's Daily Shoot #307.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Tentacle Tree

9/17/10 - Day 273
Part 1: Today was a crazy shooting day. This morning at 0400, I checked DS and the assignment said to shoot something with a square frame. So at 0500, I took a shot at the San Francisco airport before flying home and on the way, did the PP on the iPad. When I got home and began the upload process, discovered that the DS assignment had changed!

Part 2: A super-wide angle lens (10mm-20mm) that I ordered for our upcoming trip arrived today. So rather than upload the original shot, the revised assignment provided perfect opportunity to try out the new lens. To my DS friend Crow, thanks!

DS #306: "Showcase the beauty of living foliage! Make a photo of a single leaf or an entire "greenscape" today. (@DeForestRanger)"

America's Pastime

9/16/10 - Day 272
I was invited tonight to attend the Dodgers-Giants game at AT&T Park in San Francisco.  With the Giants leading in the 7th, and a 6am flight back to Chicago, I didn't stay for the whole game.  Walking back to the car, I was struck by the beauty of the stadium lights, the rolling fog and the reflections on the water and knew this was going to be today's post.

For those following the Daily Shoot, I did take shots for today's assignment, but am not posting one until Sunday or Monday, because it will also qualify for MacroMondays.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Thank You

9/15/10 - Day 271
I have been in this San Bruno neighborhood many times, but never deep enough to realize that Golden Gate National Cemetery was right there.  Having read the Daily Shoot assignment #304 this morning, my glimpse of the stones while driving brought forth the idea for today's shot.  I had only been to Arlington National Cemetery, and that was many, many years ago.  As I entered the cemetery and drove around, I had a hard time fathoming the magnitude before me. I didn't spend much time...but I did say "Thank You".

(Hard shadows can emphasize texture and edges. Find a scene with lit with hard shadows today and make a photo.)

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Who's There?

9/14/10 - Day 270
Checking into my hotel tonight and I had only taken a few pretty lame shots during the day.  Not wanting to go out and shoot again before midnight, I came up with this shot from my room for today's Daily Shoot #303: "Use a door or window as a framing device to contain a smaller scene today."  The scenes don't get much smaller than this.

Monday, September 13, 2010

War(hol) Path

9/13/10 - Day 269
Went out to lunch today without my camera and on the way back ran an errand through the train station.  There was a vibrant retail path thru the station, so the cell phone camera saved me a return trip.  Last week I had installed a free camera app that had several effects filters.  This one, the Andy Warholizer, was appropriate for the scene.  Shot for Daily Shoot #302: "Make a photograph of a path, sidewalk, trail, or road today and post it. Lead our eye through the scene."

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Spy Frog

9/12/10 - Day 268
I caught this guy spying on our house and was able to get a shot off before he scampered away. How coincidental is that given today's Daily Shoot #301? "Sunday challenge: Play with scale today. Make a photo of something small that looks huge."

Saturday, September 11, 2010

No Click...Vrooom

9/11/10 - Day 267
For those following the car drama, I am making this second post on P365.  I'm happy to report the patient is out of day surgery and is smiling again.

My Kinda Town

9/11/10 - Day 267
Beautiful late afternoon dinner cruise on Lake Michigan with great friends.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Perception vs. Reality

9/10/10 - Day 266
The perception is these lines are vertical but, in reality, they are horizontal on a flat surface. Taken from the 66th floor sky lobby in Sears Tower today for Daily Shoot #299: "Find a strong series of horizontal lines or elements and make a photograph of it today."

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Click, Click, Click...Doctor

9/9/10 - Day 265
In follow-up to yesterday's shot, with luck, Dr. Tony will figure out what is wrong with the patient and fix him up.  Not much of an architecture shot for the Daily Shoot #298: "Make a photograph of the front of a building today.  Could be your house, the bank, or city hall."  But, it works for my story today.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Click, Click, Click...Nada

9/8/10 - Day 264
NOT a good transportation day. This isn't supposed to happen until the winter. Submitted also for Daily Shoot #297.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

___ Beer Float

9/7/10 - Day 263
Even though it's Tuesday, I had another idea for the MacroMondays group on Flickr.  This week's theme was "Unusual Combinations".  I think this qualifies.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Cookie Tosser

9/6/10 - Day 262
Taken today at Buffalo Grove Days, our community festival, for Daily Shoot assignment #295: "Welcome the new week (and holiday in the US) by making a bright cheery photo outdoors and posting it today."

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Hands of My Son

9/5/10 - Day 261
I knew exactly what to shoot when I saw the Daily Shoot assignment #294: "A person's hands can tell a story. Take a picture of someone's hands today."  Our son's band came in from Ohio to play a set in the Buffalo Grove Days community festival.  He's the drummer and he agreed to be the subject.

I took a few shots of their show and put them in a SmugMug gallery at:

Thirsty

9/4/10 - Day 260
Of all days for the Daily Shoot guys to use my suggestion for DS #293: "Water sustains life.  Color enhances life.  Make a photo today combining color and water."  I literally had only 30 minutes all day to take some shots.  This isn't originally what I had in mind when I made the suggestion, but given the time constraints today, it will have to do.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Cherish

9/3/10 - Day 259
Taken for the Daily Shoot #292: "Make a photograph of one of the least expensive things that you cherish."  I cherish Lin all the time, but on the days she works, it qualifies as "least expensive".

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Jarbaage...

9/2/10 - Day 258
..which is a fancy way to say garbage.  Shot of my waste basket (normally considered somewhat ugly) taken for today's Daily Shoot #291: "Make a beautiful photograph of something commonly thought of as ugly."

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Asteroids Colliding

9/1/10 - Day 257
Shot for today's Daily Shoot assignment #290: "Make a monochrome photograph today.  Either use a single color subject/background or make it monochrome in post."  Subject was already b/w, however applied moonlight preset in Lightroom for the celestial effect.