Orphan Works Act, S 2913

Fellow Photographers:

There's a bill in Congress that spells bad news for us. It's the Orphan Works Act, S2913. It passed the Senate and is heading for the House. Please read Chase Jarvis' blog post for more detailed information as well as information about who to contact to have your voice heard.

Hot Air Balloon?

Well, sort of. It is an artistic representation of a hot air balloon at the center of a very wonderful and elaborate merry-go-round at Canterbury Village in Lake Orion, MI.

Dawn and I were there (almost four years ago) when we were checking out reception halls for our wedding. We ended up going another way, but I got a few interesting shots out of the experience. The main attraction is the Castle, which is themed medieval. Out back there are some shops (shoppes?) and a building that houses the terrific merry-go-round surprise.

Last year we had the chance to shoot a wedding in one of Canterbury Castle's big rooms. Beautiful place. If you ever find yourself in Lake Orion, MI, it's worth a visit.

They Said, "Go West, Young Man"

...so I did! This stagecoach is one of several decorating a local watering hole. I guess it's fair to say that convertibles have always been, and always will be, a very popular mode of transportation!

Pain at the Pumps

This is a semi-complicated image. The gas pumps are from a crazy retro looking joint in Royal Oak, MI called the Vinsetta Garage (I think that's what it is called). Then a dusting of a poster edge effect.

I didn't care for the dull urban background, so I dropped in some desert and now, finally now(!), I am very enamored of this look. I'd been sitting on this image of the pumps for a few years, never quite satisfied with it.

So, as always, thank you Photoshop and all the PS gurus out there in Adobeland.

Pipedreams of the Obsessed

So, I spare you a picture with this post (although I thought about adding the pix to all of the equipment listed below). The big Photokina event is wrapping up in Cologne, Germany. This is where all the big guns in the world of photography announce the new gear. And when it comes to photography, I have visions of being a huge gearhead!

So I share with you my current wishlist over at B&H. Yeah, it's only like $15,000 worth of stuff. Ha! The items in italics aren't even available yet!

• Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera (1)
• Impact Umbrella Bracket (2)
• Bogen/Manfrotto 3216 Monopod (black) w 234 Head (1)
• Canon EOS 50D SLR Digital Camera (1)
• Canon EOS 40D SLR Digital Camera (2)
• Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack w/ C2 Flash Cable (3)
• Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Autofocus Lens (1)
• PocketWizard Plus II Tranceiver Radio Slave (4)
• Canon 580EX II Flash (4)
• Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF Lens for Canon
• Bunch of Alien Bees or White Lightning strobes, stands, umbrellas, softboxes and power packs!

Good Humor Man and Wife

She clearly knew what she wanted. In a husband, a wedding, and an ice cream! This was a seriously fun wedding in downtown Detroit, summer of '07. This photo was taken on Belle Isle, a park/island in the middle of the Detroit River - a great spot with terrific views of the Detroit skyline as well as Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Gotta See a Man about a Horse

...or perhaps, two horses. That's right, it's a photograph. At least that's how it started out. One fancy solarization effect later, we have this. And again, it's a case of "I don't know art, but I know what I like." It's funny how sometimes an abstraction can really capture the essence of something better, and more clearly, than a straight photograph.

I Been Working on the Railroad

A detail from the train station at the Goldfield Ghost Town near Apache Junction, AZ.  I like the way the vivid color juxtaposes with the dilapidation. 

Spooky Behavior

In the memorable words of Amy Poehler, "I don't respond well to... spooky behavior." This was a bridge to some woods in Goodison, MI, a cute little rural town north of Rochester, MI. Actually not spooky at all. Really. I mean it.

...But I Know What I Like...

I'm goin' "fine art" for the rest of the week. But as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I suppose the same can be said of art. So today I say "Mailboxes to you!" and I hope I haven't offended anybody with this shocking depiction of the tried-and-true, steadfast postal communication in this hectic age of e-mail and text messages.

Forgotten History

Just found this shot that I forgot I took probably two years ago at Greenfield Village in good old Dearborn, MI. Would have been the same day as the old-timey baseball guy below. Pictures, like history, come and go and sometimes end up in the bottom of a shoe box.

Hot Off The Presses

Killing some time yesterday wandering around Mesa and we found ourselves in the Art Center area along Main St.

At every corner, and in some spots in between, there are statues that really add some pizazz to the street. This paperboy is just one of them. Nice touch to an already pretty area.

Bomb Pop Wedding

I've heard of a shotgun wedding, but a bomb pop wedding?

CH__CH. What's missing? (YOU ARE!)

A Pre-Owned Vehicle?

Found this in the Aussie Exhibit over at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Think it has much trade-in value?

9/11 Memorial

Was in Tempe on Sunday. In the park over by the lake, they had a memorial display for 9/11 victims. One U.S. flag for each victim spread out over the whole park with a little info on the person represented. Very impressive sight. Kind of hard to see in this panorama (if you click on the picture, it may open larger depending upon your browser), but the entire middle of the picture is flags. And all those great sunbursting shadows are from the flagpoles all lined up perfectly and orderly in stark contrast to the terrible event it memorializes.

Old Rose

Old Rose here was a delicate flower. Just about ready to shrivel up and go to the old greenhouse in the sky.

I like the details within the flower as well as the good bokeh beyond. Also, the subtle gradations from red to yellow.

Ruins

I don't know if this is what you would call ruins or not.  It certainly could be more ruined.  Anyway....  This was back in '06 on Antigua (I think).  But definitely a Carribean island.  I'm not big on the notetaking.  May have to invest in one of those cameras that lets you add a soundbite to the file of each image.  Now that's some useful technology!

The Wayback Machine

So I had a little time on my hands yesterday and I decided to take a trip in my Wayback Machine. I decided a nice day with America's favorite past time might be fun (with a twist), so off I went to the late Nineteen Century somewhere in the South.

Everyone was perfectly pleasant, but I had to be very careful to keep my fancy newfangled picture box out of sight. Oh, they had photography back then, but the sight of my 40D might convince the excitable masses that I was a minion of the devil.

That may be, but gosh darn it, I wanted some pictures before I was run out of town on a rail. I grabbed this shot and then settled in with a hotdog and some lemonade to enjoy the game.

I was eventually run out of town, but not because of the camera. Word of warning: when lurking about the South some odd hundred years ago or so, don't say that Miss Larabie's fried chicken isn't quite as good as your Mom's. No, just keep it to yourself and move on to the apple pie. Yessiree, Bob. I can't stress that enough.

Frenetic Wedding Sampler!

Having a little fun with animoto.com.  Check it!