Welcome to Chuck's PAD

A fun portrait

2006-03-19T21:58:00.000-08:00

My brother-in-law and nephew taken at a family function today. Decided on B/W for this and added some grain/noise.

I missed the last two days of my PAD due to time constraints. I am finding that trying to meet my daily photo has become a chore rather than a challenge. I will continue to try, but if I find I am just trying to snap a last minute shot every night, then the experience is not really a learning experience and may just post occasionally instead.

For those of you who have kept it up... great job! I know I have fallen way behind on commenting, but I am looking at the PADs in the meantime. I will try to get back on track with commenting soon. Thank you to all of you who comment on my photos.

Higher education...

2006-03-16T22:09:00.000-08:00

It really blows my mind when I see what they are teaching in elementary school these days. This is a page from a fifth grade math book. I don't think I learned to graph equations until junior high school or later!

And the fun begins...

2006-03-15T21:59:00.000-08:00

Well, the demolition crew showed up today to start the demo work on the pool area in the back yard. I swear it looked much better yesterday!

A little extra tonight...

2006-03-14T22:02:00.000-08:00

Nothing like a cold beer to wind down for the night :)

Second moon photo of the year

2006-03-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

Well, since we had a full moon tonight, I decided to try another moon photo for my PAD shot today. Processing included levels and sharpening. I think it's a bit oversharpened, but I like the look in this case.

More of the same...

2006-03-12T23:01:00.000-08:00

More experimentation with light.

I have been really busy and very short on time. I am not sure how much longer I can keep up my PAD... I have very little time to find shots and zero time to comment lately. If I get a good block of time in the next few days, I will try to catch up on comments.

White on white...

2006-03-11T21:53:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am, short on time and ideas again, so I decided to try something simple... white on white. Without a softbox or tent, some reflections are still visible, but overall, I am relatively happy with the how the lighting looks on this.

More light experimentation

2006-03-10T20:56:00.000-08:00

Some more minor experimentation with lights. I wish I really had more time to play around with different ideas. Yes, yes, I know the glass on the left is tilted... I just didn't have the time to set it up again and re-shoot.

Just some experimentation

2006-03-09T21:26:00.000-08:00

I had a little bit of time today, so I decided to experiment a bit and play around with a couple of different ideas and props.

Edit: For those who asked... its simply some marbles on construction paper. 30 sec. exposure in the dark, with a few passes using a laser pointer.

Button, button, who's got the button...

2006-03-08T22:41:00.000-08:00

Printer buttons....

Feed me Seymore

2006-03-07T23:09:00.000-08:00

It seems my printer has been just sucking down the ink lately... tonight's meal consisted of two cartridges. You guys get the leftovers.

Fun with Filters

2006-03-06T21:29:00.000-08:00

Just having a bit of fun with PS filters.

What's the point?

2006-03-05T19:26:00.000-08:00

Decided to shift from pencil to pen today. Macro taken of the tip of a ball point pen.

PAD and pencils

2006-03-04T22:43:00.000-08:00

Another last minute attempt to satisfy my PAD entry for today. A different view of the pencils from my DPC Heart entry.

Let us pray...

2006-03-03T21:29:00.000-08:00

Newly hatched praying mantis (about 2 days old), measuring about 1/4 to 1/2 inch total length.

I wish I could erase this entry...

2006-03-02T23:02:00.000-08:00

I thought I would try playing around with some PS tools tonight. I was short on time, so this was a quick and dirty one. The concept looked so much better in my head, but the poor result in itself is a learning experience too.

Does anyone know about this?

2006-03-01T21:57:00.000-08:00

I have had this coin sitting in a drawer for about 15 years or so. I have no idea where I got it, nor do I have any clue about its origins or age. It looks pretty old though. There seems to be some Arabic writing on the back. If anyone might have some idea, I would love to find out more about this. In the meantime, back into the drawer it goes.

I know that I have fallen behind on my commenting, but I have been really busy lately. I will try to get back on track soon!

Time for a makeover

2006-02-28T23:33:00.000-08:00

Just about every year since we bought our house, we have undertaken a relatively major project. Well, we just signed the contract for this year's project... a total makeover of our patio/pool area in our back yard. It's a pretty major project for us, and we are looking forward to having a much more enjoyable space when we entertain. Here is a preliminary drawing the landscaper drew up for us.

Two full months completed on the PAD... Woohoo!

This PAD is so taxing!

2006-02-27T23:04:00.000-08:00

Well, it's pouring rain here in So Cal today, and I again have nothing to shoot. I really envy all of you who seem to have the time to put into your daily shots... I wish I has the time to paint my face white or whatever it is you all are doing. As for me, here's my shot... I bought my tax software today in preparation of the upcoming April deadline, so you get a picture of it.

More softball...

2006-02-26T22:13:00.000-08:00

Another softball photo taken today.

Play Ball!

2006-02-25T23:35:00.000-08:00

Although my daughters are taking a season off from fastpitch softball, I still couldn't resist the lure of the diamond... so I snapped off a few shots at one of the games today.

Feelin' Groovy!

2006-02-24T21:33:00.000-08:00

Feeling a little blue, a little nostalgic... Can you guess what this is? It shouldn't be too hard, although the blue might throw you some. You young'uns probably won't know, but it was a very common item way back when :) There's a big hint in the title of this post!

Is everybody happy?

2006-02-23T22:56:00.000-08:00

Another what can I shoot for my PAD today shot... so here is a "Magic Key Coupon" from Disneyland circa late 1960's, when an adult admission to the park was $5.25 (now it's over $50) and the rides required tickets. I have an E Ticket (for those who remember them) which I think will be appropriate for the LAST day of my PAD... sorry for those who would like to see it, but you will have to wait.

Beautiful downtown Burbank

2006-02-22T21:48:00.000-08:00

Sorry, not much exciting today. We were up in the Griffith Park area today and went on a short hike. This was the veiw from that hike looking down into the city of Burbank. As you can see the usual haze and smog is beginning to settle back in.

More indoor sports (and a top 10 finish!)

2006-02-21T21:25:00.000-08:00

Took the kids to the local rink today for some skating. The second rink had a hockey practice going on, so I took a few shots. Nothing exciting, but it gave me some more practice at shooting sports indoors.

The hearts challenge just ended, and I found out I took 9th place! Woohoo, my first top 10 finish!

Mooooo?

2006-02-20T18:39:00.000-08:00

We took the kids up to the local mountains for some snowplay today. On the way back, we stopped at Charlie Brown Farms, one of my favorite places to get a shake (over 100 flavors!). Recently, they have started stocking exotic meats. They serve Ostrich and Buffalo burgers. I was going to buy some rattlesnake or alligator meat for home, but it was a bit too expensive ($15.00/lb. for alligator and $30.00/lb for rattlesnake).

Another macro shot...

2006-02-19T22:11:00.000-08:00

Another last minute shot to satisfy my PAD... a macro of the backside of a $5.00 bill.

Back to the future past!

2006-02-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

My wife and I went to a friend's birthday party tonight. The theme was the 1980's. Of course, I had to accessorize by digging through some boxes in the garage and finding my first cell phone, circa 1989 or 1990 I believe. I added my current cell phone into the photo for scale. Actually, it's even bigger than it looks here. I think I paid about $400 for this phone when I bought it. There was no monthly charge, but I was charged $0.75 per minute for usage.

So much to do... so little time...

2006-02-17T21:32:00.000-08:00

This is one of the many things on my "to do" list. I bought this drive on black friday, along with another computer... both are still in their boxes unopened. I wonder if I will ever get to them.... *Sigh*

Time to put on the brakes???

2006-02-16T21:44:00.000-08:00

I have been really busy lately and have had a really hard time coming up with ideas, much less the time to even shoot, but I'm not ready to give up yet... This is a shot of the rear axle and brake on my bicycle. Not great, but it will have to do.

A trip down memory lane...

2006-02-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

A 1969 Lesney/Matchbox truck I have sitting around. A little worse for the wear, but I needed something last minute for my PAD (again!)

Happy V-Day!

2006-02-14T22:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I was just wondering when it stopped becoming romantic... e-mail???

I had a better photo for today, but I entered it into the hearts challenge. Hopefully it will do well... hovering at about a 6 right now.

I have to apologize for not commenting as much over the last couple of days, but I have been really busy, and there are just so many PADs to go through. I will get back on track soon though. In the meantime, I am looking at photos. Keep up the good work!

Pencil Pusher

2006-02-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

As a last minute shot, I thought I would try playing around with some patterns using colored pencils.

Watchalookinat??!!??

2006-02-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

Another beautiful day (80+ degrees) in southern California, and another opportunity to wander around Balboa Park/Lake and do some bird watching... I guess they decided to watch back :) Taken with the Canon 70-200 @ f2.8.

About half the day I spent shooting at 1/4000 sec. with higher f-stops, thinking that it must have been unusually bright today... Until I remembered that I had set the ISO at 1600 when I was shooting indoor basketball on Friday night! I really have to remember to check my settings every time I pull out the camera.

What a waste of time...

2006-02-11T20:25:00.000-08:00

I was at an all day conference today with a colleague... she had brought a book of Sudoku puzzles. I had been wanting to try these out for some time, so I fired up the laptop and found a site that has them online at websudoku. I have been wasting my time playing these since... only the easy ones so far though.

They played like a bunch of girls... :)

2006-02-10T22:12:00.000-08:00

Another basketball game... the girls' team this time. I tried some of the tips you guys gave me after my last one and upped the ISO to 1600. Noise wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, and I was able to shoot at higher shutter speeds. Thanks for the tips... I was much happier with the quality of what I got (well, as happy as I can be shooting at ISO 1600 and dealing with the noise). Here's one from the game.

Another date inked...

2006-02-09T22:09:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am again, looking for something to shoot to get my PAD photo in for today. I settled on these ink bottles. Inverting the colors made it a little more interesting. It ain't pretty, but it gets my PAD done for one more day.

Simple Justice

2006-02-08T22:32:00.000-08:00

Playing around with some ideas for virtues (justice)... I played around with the shot until I got this for my PAD. I don't think the editing here would be legal for a basic challenge. I will probably play around with the concept some more.

Scavenger hunt...

2006-02-07T22:47:00.000-08:00

One of my computers died when I accidentally knocked it over. After trying to get it running again, I gave up and decided to scavenge for useful parts... It's been a busy night, so this bcame my PAD photo for the day.

Straight Razor

2006-02-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

A straight razor, strop and honing stone that belonged to my grandfather. I tried a few different shots, and this one was the best of them. I'm not happy with the composition, but I'm too tired to try to reshoot it.

Those winter blues...

2006-02-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

Oh, those cold winters we get here in Southern California! This is the view we had today from across the street, looking at our house. Note the cold, grey, ominous skies!

With an Oink Oink here and a Quack Quack there...

2006-02-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

This is just a small part of the mural around the Farmer John facility in Huntington Park. The facility walls are painted with similar scenes all the way around.

Pinheads

2006-02-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

Well, this is like the fifth time I posted this one... let's see if this one doesn't disappear like the others. Anyway, another last minute shot... I found this old pincusion in a drawer and thought it made for an interesting subject.

Duty calls...

2006-02-02T22:39:00.000-08:00

Got stuck tonight babysitting my nephew... no internet connection. Pretty much played video games the entire time. Luckily, I had my camera with me so I was able to snap off this shot and get it uploaded to satisfy my PAD quota for today.

More abstract...

2006-02-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

Continuing on my quest to find a good abstract, I came across this. I'm still not happy enough about it to submit it for the current challenge. The saga continues...

Edit: Thanks for the comments on this. If I find some time, I will try some of the suggestions you guys provided. For those who asked what it is, it is nothing more than a colored-glass knick-knack lying around the house:

Mushroom

2006-01-31T16:10:00.000-08:00

BBQing some shrooms today and took a quick macro before throwing them on the grill. I thought about entering this in the abstract challenge, but decided it really did not have enough punch and posted here instead.

Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do you?

2006-01-30T21:29:00.000-08:00

As the day winds down, I begin to think...what can I shoot??? Well, I can shoot a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and can blow your head clean off... OK, OK, it's late and my brain is not firing on all six chambers...

Edit for Linda (Shutterpug): Do you mean this one?

Welcome to Sky High!

2006-01-29T14:26:00.000-08:00

Many of you may recognize this as the setting for Sky High High School from the Disney movie "Sky High." The more common name is Oviatt Library on the campus of California State University Northridge. Taken with the 16-35mm @ 16mm, hence the distortion.

Taken with a grain of salt...

2006-01-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

Literally. I decided to try my hand at some macro using the reversed 50mm along with my 100mm macro lens. I don't have a very stable hand or a ring to join the two lenses, so I propped the 50mm above the salt crystals and handheld with just the 100mm, shooting through the 50. The salt crystals were on black construction paper, which is the background here.

Tonight's Sunset

2006-01-27T19:56:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd try something different. Here's tonight's sunset.

Corporate Perks

2006-01-26T20:29:00.000-08:00

This must be one heck of a job... you get a company car and a parking space!

My latest post!

2006-01-25T21:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have posted a post. I'm short on time and running out of ideas fast!

My turn to share some coinage

2006-01-24T20:01:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are again, I'm home this evening and I haven't shot anything today because I have been so busy. I remember several other PADs sharing different types of coins, so I decided to dig deep into my pockets (drawers actually) and see what I have to share. I found a few interesting coins, which I will share over time. Here is the first...She's 125 years old and still looks pretty good for her age! Lighting with 580EX flash.

My Preciousssss......

2006-01-23T16:19:00.000-08:00

Today is our 13th wedding anniversary, and I decided to commemorate it in my PAD using this photo of our wedding bands. I processed two versions of the image... one in color and one in B/W. I can't really decide which I like better. Let me know which you think.

Nice day for a walk...

2006-01-22T18:30:00.000-08:00

Nothing exciting today, but it was a beautiful day... so we went on a hike/nature walk (about 5 or 6 miles or so). Here's a portion of the trail we were on.

Pucker Up Baby!

2006-01-21T16:11:00.000-08:00

I have seen a lot people create similar effects using PS. My PS skills are pretty abysmal, but I wanted to see if I could recreate it on my own. I think it came out pretty good myself and have added it as my profile photo :) Any thoughts?

January 20!

2006-01-20T19:41:00.000-08:00

January 20... A great date in history!

(1892) Basketball was played for the first time, at the YMCA in Springfield, MA

(1900) The "roller coaster" was patented by L.A. Thompson, of Coney Island, NY

(1965) The man who coined the term, "Rock and Roll," DJ Alan Freed, dies

(1998) The "Mamas & Papas" and "The Eagles" are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

(2006) Chuck celebrates his ~~43rd~~ ~~4oth~~ ~~30th~~... Oh forget it!

Edit to add... And a Happy Birthday to Nordia (Android9) as well!

Saved by the Bell!

2006-01-19T20:47:00.000-08:00

I was standing there, trying to figure out what I could shoot for today's PAD, when suddenly I heard a ringing in my ears. At least for today, I was saved by the bell!

Jump Ball!

2006-01-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

I went to pick up my daughter from school. They had a basketball game going so I thought I would try some shots. I like shooting sports but my experience has been primarily with softball and other outdoor events. Indoors was tough... I had my 70-200 2.8 L... shooting at f/2.8 and ISO 400 (obviously no flash), I was shooting at only 1/30 to 1/60 with IS on; definitely difficult in a fast moving game. I'll definitely look for future games for more practice. Here's one of the shots from today.

Time for today's photo...

2006-01-17T20:37:00.000-08:00

A clock tower taken in Santa Monica. I really wish I could have gotten the corner of this head-on rather than at a slight angle... I think stronger symmetry would add to this. I also wish I could have avoided the glare off the clock-face on the left.

How now?

2006-01-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

A wooden indian in front of a local store. I thought about how I might want to process this image, but in the end, it seemed to me that no processing was the best way to go. So here it is, straight out of the camera, resized only. I would love to hear what some of you might have done with this.

Light Experimentation

2006-01-15T18:29:00.000-08:00

Just a little experimentation... light reflection off of a CD disc. It didn't end up looking nearly as good as I had envisioned it, but still learned quite a bit from the attempt.

Nothing to see here... Move along...

2006-01-14T20:44:00.000-08:00

It was raining and busy today...a double whammy... so...Yep, another one of those Let's-See-What-I-Can-Find-Around-The-House shots. At least it's colorful!

My Nephew...

2006-01-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

My nephew Jake was over for a visit tonight, so I took a few snapshots for my PAD entry. This one was the best of them. Below is my favorite photo of Jake, which was taken last summer when he was seven months old and already shark hunting! :)

Jack & Sally

2006-01-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

Jack and Sally were sitting around with nothing to do, so I made them pose for a shot. I've been so busy lately, I am stuck looking around the house for last minute photo subjects. You may see more of these types of shots from me until I can find more time to devote to the PAD.

I decided on high key processing and extreme USM for this. Feel free to bash it... come on and be honest!

Come On Eleven!!

2006-01-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

I wanted somehow to represent the number 11 today, and this was the best I could do. Today, January 11, is my youngest daughter's birthday. I also have an 11 year old daughter, who happens to have a birthday on the 11th of August. Oh, did I mention my wife was born on the 11th of April? Come on 11!

Taking stock...

2006-01-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

I was trying a few stock photo style shots... I cropped in really tightly on this one and liked the look I got, so it is my photo for January 10.

Shoot for the moon!

2006-01-09T20:21:00.000-08:00

Well, I should rephrase... When you can't think of anything else, shoot the moon! Well here it is in all its glory. Taken tonight since I didn't have time for much else. You may start seeing multiple moon shots if things keep up the way they are!

Just my two cents...

2006-01-08T16:13:00.000-08:00

Wow, now I can get that lens I wanted! LOL

Well, nothing fancy or artistic today, but I decided this one would be fun to share... It's a check for $0.02 from Sears Roebuck & Co. No date on the check, but I believe it was issued in the late 60s or early 70s. I don't know why I keep it, except that its just a fun little item.

Along the not-so-beaten path...

2006-01-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

One of the things my wife and I are trying to do is get outdoors more often and be more active. Today we took the kids and went on a short (about 5 or so miles) bike ride along the new bike path which parallels the new Metro Orange Line.

Big Brother is watching!

2006-01-06T22:21:00.000-08:00

I ran across this logo on a sign today... I thought I would share it as my photo for today. For those who asked about this, this was a small logo on one side of a larger sign which prohibits skating and skateboarding along a particular walkway.

A Fowl Attitude

2006-01-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

Got nothing but "fowl" looks from the birds at the local park today. I was hoping to run across some egrets and herons but they were nowhere to be found today. I still found plenty to photograph though. The last shot below is my favorite from the day.

Finally an outdoor shot...

2006-01-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

This one bites! At work they are erecting a new shade structure, so I snapped a few before the canvas covering went on. I thought the centered version looked better than off center. Well, at least I have 361 days to redeem myself!

Faster than a speeding bullet...

2006-01-03T16:17:00.000-08:00

OK, well day 3 is done. I decided to try a macro with an object with different types of reflective surfaces. I think the lighting worked out fairly well with a minimum of reflections. This was taken with Canon 100mm macro and 580EX flash (plus some natural light). The resized posted version looks softer than the full size. Feel free to comment.

To Serve and Protect

2006-01-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

Recent events (which shall go unspecified) inspired me to shoot this subject today. A little selective desat (or selective sat) to add interest.

Happy New Year!

2006-01-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

Well the first day of the year and it's raining out here in SoCal. I had to come up with something to shoot indoors, and decided on a salute to the new year. Best wishes to all for 2006!

As 2005 comes to a close...

2005-12-31T22:47:00.000-08:00

This is my last photo of 2005... as I start on my PAD 2006 journey.
Photo: The girls @ Staples Center for the Clippers - Celtics game.