Day 120 Summer Drink

120/365

TGIF! To celebrate the end of the week, make an artistic shot of your favorite beverage or libation today. 

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture:     f/2.0
Focal Length:     35 mm

Day 119 How To Video Chat

119/365

Yotsuba trains her dragon to video chat from the MacBook, Toothless is a very good trainee and can learn online!

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.067 sec (1/15)
Aperture:     f/8.0
Focal Length:     35 mm

Day 118 Mac Attack

118/365

MacBook has arrived, too bad it's not mine!

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.003 sec (1/320)
Aperture:     f/2.0
Focal Length:     35 mm

Day 117 Energizer

117/365

Today’s Daily Shoot assignment is:
We get energy from a variety of sources. Make a photograph of the energy that's most important to you.

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture:     f/2.0
Focal Length:     35 mm

Weekly 365 Update Week Sixteen

1. 109/365 Simply a Watering Can, 2. 110/365 Today's Task, 3. 111/365 Yotsuba Rocks!, 4. 112/365 Happy Earth Day, 5. 113/365 Day at the Track, 6. 114/365 Pooped Pup, 7. 115/365 Rebel Hunter

Day 116 Seeing the Plastic Connection

116/365

Today’s Daily Shoot assignment is: Plastic is everywhere. Make a photograph that illustrates a use of plastic in your life today. #ds162

What else would you expect from a geeky tech?

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture:     f/1.8
Focal Length:     35 mm

Monday with Maddox

This shot is from January... he looks so pensive in this one.

Day 115 Rebel Hunter

115/365

Adamant that he WILL find the droids they are looking for.

Today’s Daily Shoot assignment is: Challenge: Side lighting can emphasize texture and add depth to a photo. Make a dramatic photo with side lighting today.

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture:     f/5.6
Focal Length:     55 mm

Day 114 Pooped Pup

114/365

Maddox was pooped after spending a day away from home. He didn't like sleeping over at his uncle's yesterday. He was very happy to be home.

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture:     f/5.3
Focal Length:     42 mm

Day 113 Day at The Track

113/365

A little spot at the Atlantic City race track to relax. We had a wonderful day out.

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture:     f/16.0
Focal Length:     24 mm

Day 112 Happy Earth Day

112/365

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture:     f/16.0
Focal Length:     78 mm

Day 111 Yotsuba Rocks!

 111/365

Today’s Daily Shoot assignment is:
What's your favorite type of music? Make a photo today that in some way conveys your taste in music.

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture:     f/2.8
Focal Length:     35 mm

Weekly 365 Update Week Fifteen

Day 110 Today's Task

110/365

Today’s Daily Shoot assignment is:
Make a photo of something that isn't there. #ds156

Just so happens I had a laptop in for a keyboard replacement today... How lucky is that?

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture:     f/5.6
Focal Length:     50 mm

Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart

Another hidden gem in Newark, NJ. A Flickr contact mentioned that the Cathedral was very close to Branch Brook Park and that it would make for an interesting stop for anyone going up to the park. I'm glad I listened, especially after seeing it from the park! I stopped there for a few moments after leaving the park, I don't think I did it justice as it was an amazing place.

Originally planned to be built in the English/Irish Gothic style, the plans were changed to the French Gothic style in 1913.

Read more at Wikipedia

Day 109 Simply a Watering Can

109/365

Live simply, so others may simply live. - Gandhi

The Daily Shoot assignment for 2010/04/19:
It's metal Monday! Find a metallic subject today and make an interesting photo.

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture:     f/5.6
Focal Length:     95 mm

Monday with Maddox

I know there are legions of dog lovers in the blogosphere, so here's a picture just for you!

My little munchkin and his characteristic "Smile", the under-bite that does it every time!

Day 108 Bird on a Fence

108/365

There were a couple of Robins in the yard this afternoon. This one just hung out on the fence so I could take it's picture!

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture:     f/5.6
Focal Length:     175 mm

Cherry Blossoms

Last week I took a few hours and visited Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ. I've been hearing about the Cherry Blossom Festival and how lovely this park was for years, but never had the opportunity to visit until now. Turns out I was missing out on the beautiful display of cherry blossoms and a park that is the first County Park in the nation!

You can visit the Cherry Blossom Center and learn all about the trees that are part of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival each April. This year the festival began on April 12, my visit was on the 8th a little early but hoping to catch blossom before a pending storm did damage.

The park is 4 miles long, with lakes and trails along with recreational areas for use of the local sport teams.

The southern part of the park has a fabulous lake, with views of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Basilica, one of the largest cathedrals in the United States.

 What a great place to relax and maybe even review some important reading material on lovely spring day!

A great view of the Cathedral from this vantage point!

The lake also provided a wonderful color show in the fountain!

Walking along the path, there were quite a few visitors on this late Thursday afternoon. It's nice to see people out and enjoying the wonderful weather we were having!

And the Cherry trees were all in their colorful spring outfits!

The Cathedral framed with blossoms

Late afternoon light made this tree shine!

Day 107 Crackers

107/365

Close crop of graham crackers

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture:     f/5.6
Focal Length:     55 mm

Day 106 Is It Just Me...

106/365

or is it really DEAD around here?

Happy Friday everyone!

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture:     f/4.5
Focal Length:     32 mm

Day 105 Train Your Dragon to Ride a Bike

105/365

Yotsuba has been bonding with Night Fury and today she's training him to ride a bike. She's very happy with his progress and said "he's not so bad to train!"

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture:     f/5.6
Focal Length:     55 mm

Day 104 Training the Dragon Trainer

104/365

Yotsuba was enthralled at the movie, she wouldn't let go of her ticket. She said she was going to keep it in her memory box, because now she knows how to train dragons!

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture:     f/5.3
Focal Length:     46 mm

Day 103 Yotsuba Meets Night Fury

103/365

Yotsuba had a close encounter with Night Fury today. Now she is insisting she must see the movie so she can train him. Anyone else going to see How To Train Your Dragon? Looks like a blast!

Camera: Nikon D40

Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 50 mm

Weekly 365 Update - Week Fourteen

1. 93/365 Luggage Cart, 2. 95/365 Clip, 3. 96/365 Maddox Needing a Grooming, 4. 97/365 Sewing Kit, 5. 99/365 Panchero's, 6. 100/365 Strategize, 7. 101/365 Give a Little Bit

Day 102 Masquerade

102/365

“Society is a masked ball, where every one hides his real character, and reveals it by hiding” 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture:     f/5.6
Focal Length:     50 mm

Day 101 Give a Little Bit

101/365

SugarPup: This weekend was the Annual Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll Drive. Our council members worked long and hard to raise funds to help those who are less fortunate.

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.1 sec (1/10)
Aperture:     f/5.3
Focal Length:     165 mm

Day 100 Stategize

100/365

“In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate” ~ Isaac Asimov

Wow, day 100! There were times I didn't think I'd make it, but with the help of many of my flickr and twitter friends I'm still hanging in there. Thank you all for your support, your comments always help me to move along while your photos inspire!

Now it's time to strategize the remainder of this project... just 265 more days!

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture:     f/22.0
Focal Length:     24 mm

Day 99 Panchero's

99/365

Today's Assignment: Make a photo without composing by looking through the viewfinder: 

over your head, from the hip, on the ground, etc.

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture:     f/4.8
Focal Length:     90 mm

Day 98 Branch Brook Park

98/365

“Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.” ~ Douglas Pagels

Branch Brook Park boasts over 4100 Cherry Trees, far surpassing Washington DC's count, and the Blossom are said to exceed that show!

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.001 sec (1/1600)
Aperture:     f/5.6
Focal Length:     55 mm

Day 97 Sewing Kit

97/365

SugarPup helped sew a button on Kate's work shirt. She liked all the different color thread we had.

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture:     f/5.0
Focal Length:     100 mm

Speaking of Gems...

While browsing through TweetDeck yesterday morning, a contact posted a link to a wonderful presentation that we all can learn from Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids Video on TED.com.

Reminded me of this fortune I got a few months back and was the Photo of the Day 32/365

I really do enjoy my toys, that inner child is just trying to break through all this grown-up baggage!

Day 96 Maddox Needing a Grooming

96/365

Maddox has become so shy around the camera, always looks away when the camera comes out.

Camera:      Nikon D40
Exposure:     0.1 sec (1/10)
Aperture:     f/8.0
Focal Length:     120 mm

Gems on the Hudson

“That's what it takes to be a hero, a little gem of innocence inside you that makes you want to believe that there still exists a right and wrong, that decency will somehow triumph in the end”

  Lise Hand

Saturday afternoon I met up with a group of Flickr friends and walked through a bit of Liberty State Park. With beautiful views of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and NY it was a fun afternoon. Saturday afternoon finds cruise ships heading down the Hudson, to enter the Atlantic at NY Harbor. Here is the ship that we saw heading out

Weekly 365 Update - Week 13

1. 87/365 The Bunnies Shop, 2. 88/365 I Can Hear the Bells, 3. 89/365 Have You Backed Up Lately?, 4. 90/365 Brainless, 5. 91/365 Health Care?, 6. 92/365 Magnolia, 7. 94/365 Easter Loot!