02-24-13 Jungle Cat

This is Mac and he is a highly evolved animal. And because he is a hunter, he also needs rest. I figure he sleeps 21 hours a day. I also figured that since he seemed pretty ensconced in this red chair, I might be able to get an HDR photo of the sleepy cat. After all, one of the rules for successful HDR photography is a subject that doesn't move much. A sleeping cat was perfect.It turned out that Mac moved just enough (eyes go from mostly closed to totally closed; tail is constantly flicking around, etc) that the three exposures were less than perfect. Oh well.I did get one decent exposure using flash bounced off the ceiling. So here's Mac. Fierce, wily and dangerous? Nope.

Morning Light

Mac would never pose for me, of course. So any interesting photo of him is a bit of an accident. I was actually trying to photograph the shadows of the shuttered light on the far wall of the living room when Mac jumped onto the back of the sofa and blocked the very light I was playing with.At first, I was peeved but then saw the photo opportunity. I took 8 photos but this is the only one where his eyes aren't shaded. I experimented with turning this into a black and white photo because I think there is a little too much color to distract us from the focal point - which is Mac. In the end, I liked the mix of warm and cool colors, including Mac's orangish fur. To lessen the bright color of the sofa, I used Photoshop to create a vignette.And now I like the color. I especially, like the bluish tint on the wooden shades contrasting with Mac's color. And everybody knows that orangish and bluish are complementary colors.For a little insight in to the creative and artistic side of photography, watch my screencast about how I edited this photo: http://www.screencast.com/t/YAJHszOtN

Mac On the iPhone

I continue to be impressed with the photographic capabilities of my iPhone 4. It shoots pretty clean photos in marginal light. It also lets me do macro photography. AND I can selectively focus, which means I can do things with this camera that most point and shoot cameras can't do.This photo of Mac isn't exactly the best way to showcase the camera's capabilities, but I'm using it to start a shorts series of iPhone photos. Frankly, I was looking for something to do a macro photo with and I searched for some living thing that didn't move much. So it was either the plants or Mac. And I chose Mac.

Lucy

Getting a portrait of a of a subject that keeps moving and refuses to listen to instructions isn't easy - especially in low light.This is Lucy, Brian and Katie's cat. Lucy lived with us for a few months but doesn't really act like she knows me. But, being a cat, she didn't generally act like she knew me then, either.Canon 5DII 1/40s f/1.2 ISO1000 50mm

More Than Books

Books bags certainly carry more than books. In this case, I watched a young woman stuff her Jack Russel puppy into a book bag and strap it on her back. Before she rode off on her bicycle, she asked me if her dog's head was sticking out. I said, "Yes. And the dog is smiling." I found this photo op in Sitka, Alaska.

03-14-10 Puppy Love

This is my third dog post but the first time in a long time that I am yearning to get a dog. How can you not love a puppy like Max, a beautiful golden retriever?

Whenever, I tell Deb I want a dog, she reminds me that we travel a lot and that I'll have to be satisfied with Mac. And for the most part, I am. Though Mac rarely treats me like I'm some kind of god like Polly used to. I'm lucky if Mac even wakes up from one of his endless naps when I come home.