Day 163: Off Until Tuesday

Well, I may not be able to post anything for a few days while my laptop has been taken away to be updated. I will not have it back until Tuesday. I have an iMac still using System 9 on a dial up connection. I'm not sure I can succeed with that. However, I will try. As for todays photo, I was trying to capture some motion blur as this kid floated on the pool. I was using flash to freeze the subject and a slow shutter speed to create the blur that would suggest motion. As always I tried various shutter speeds and exposure compensation. Some a little over exposed, some a little under. In the end I wasn't happy with any of the results , until... the one presented here. I was luke warm on this one too, however, just for kicks I rotated it 180 degrees so it was upside down from the way I shot it. That was the trick that made it work for me.

Day 162: Guitar and Photo

So today I drove 176 miles round trip from my house to Norwod, NY, to play guitar during dinner at a benefit to raise money for a wounded soldier. It was a freebie. I paid for my gas, bought myself a beer, played for an hour, and it went well. I left the house at 3:30 in the afternoon, got back home at 9:30 in the evening. The above photo was my reward. It's not one of my best photos, but it was nice to get and finish off the day. I was just coming into LaFargeville on the drive home and saw the scene. Nice light, moon, sky. I pulled over and took the photo. I realized later that I was lazy and should have worked the scene more, with a longer lens. But the fact is, I have been real tired lately and was more interested in getting home than working the photo op. But you see, if I had not volunteered to play at the event I would never have been pulling into LaFargeville at the time the moon was in the sky, and would never have otten this photo. So that's nice.

Day 161: Walkway Project

It was foggy and warm in Chaumont, NY this morning at 7:00am. The following pictures are from a walkway I have been installing at my home. I had to dig up some large tree roots, excavate out some dirt, lay in some sand, and place the paving stones. It's been physically hard work, which I like. However, it has left me worn out, tired, too tired to give the blog any attention. There are only so many hours in a day and something must give. I am off to play guitar at Teaism in Clayton NY today, then guitar lessons at Musicology in Watertown. If not for that I could get the walk project completed today. Anyhow, the photos:

Day 154: Front Porch View

Well it's a hot one today in northern NY. It was 75dgrees at 6:30am. I don't know what it is now, however, the backyard here has lots of shade and a nice breeze. For those who do not know, Chaumont is a small village on Lake Ontario. Actually, the body of water is Chaumont Bay in Lake Ontario. My house is in the village. Across from it is a cemetary that is on the shore. From my front porch I can see the water on the other side of the cemetary.


Consequently we generally have a nice breeze blowing through our yard. So it's a pleasant place to be.
Now the other day I shot two freelance jobs. I don't think that has ever happened to me befor. I went to Ogdensburg for NYSUT, (the ny teachers union), to photograph a librarian. When I got back to Watertown the NY Post called and wanted me to shoot a job in East Syracuse, right then and there. So I went and did that. It's intersting that happened because a couple of weeks ago I photographed two weddings in one day. I had one scheduled for s few months. It was a small affair held at Thompson Park in Watertown, NY. I would be there for four hours. 10:30 to 2:30. Well, about 1:00 I get a call from a distraught woman wondering If I was available at the last minute to photograph a wedding. She said it was at 3:00pm at THOMPSON PARK!!! Watertown. It was to be a small wedding, I should be done around 7:00pm. Can I do it? It seems their photographer called and backed out on them an hour earlier. So, it was unreal that I was allready there. Yes I will be there. So I went from one wedding to the next. That was an unusual set of circumstances. Now, a couple of weeks later I shoot two jobs in one day. One which was planned, and the second one came in at the last minute.
19 montha ago my job hours at the Post-Standard were cut. But somehow, these freelance jobs have started falling into my lap, saving me from a lot of financial trouble & stress. I can only thank God for taking care of me. Thank you, Lord, thank you.

Day 152: A Busy Day

So today I left the house at 6:00am to go to Ogdensburg to shoot a freelance job. Iwas back in Watertown at 12:30. Drove 145 miles. Got a haircut. At 1:00 I get a call from the NY Post. Was I free to shoot a job for them In East Syracuse? OK. So I head out to do that at 2:15. I get home at 7:45PM. Drove 225 miles for that job. Wow, I am beat. I would love to tell you more about the days events, but I just do not have it in me.

Day 150: Fence Construction

So today I am erecting a fence in my back yard. It is the only un-fenced area, so, obviously it is where the deer entry my ayrd and feed on my garden.

Day 149: About Comics

It was 60 degrees at 6:00am in Chaumont, NY this morning. Cool. It's a pleasant day, great for getting work done around the house in anticipation of visitors from Ohio, arriving this coming Tuesday.



I grew up reading comic books and comics in the newspapers. I love how in just a few frames the artist can tell a story. Now, one of my all time favorite themes is the man stuck on a deserted island. Usually in frame one he is sitting forlorn and lonely looking. Then he sees a box or piece of luggage drifting toward shore. The stranded man is excited. Then when he finally opens the container it reveals the punchline. Well, that brings me to today's photograph. I would say 99% of all the photographs I make are unplanned. I am either up to something else when a photo possibilty cathes my eye, or, I am at an event trying to capture what is going on. This photo was from that 1% where I have an idea I wish to express, and it is my nod to the mystery packages that wash up on shore in all those comics that I love.

Day 148:

It was another lovely day in northern NY. Low humidity, sunshine. Supposed to be a cool evening, around 55 degrees. This photo was taken at my home in Chaumont, NY.

A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. ~Leopold Stokowski

Day 147: Hectic July

Well it's quite pleasant in Chaumont NY this morning. 70 degrees at 7:00am, sunny, breezy, low humidity. Supposed to hit 80 degrees later. It's been four days since my last post. You would think I could at least offer upa photo every day. The one presented here was taken in Cape Vincent, NY.

The month of July has been particularly busy and stressfull. It began with a Fourth of July visit tp Ohio. That was followed by a string of freelance photography jobs, a few guitar gigs, as well as my part time job with the Post-Standard newspaper. Then I have had family visiting from Florida and St, louis. The last of that gang leaves on Friday. Then, on Tuesday we have family from Ohio, (those we visited over the Fourth)rolling in for a few days. It's too much. Ther has been no let up. I need some time at home alone. However, this is unusual that so much happens so close together. So, I must hang in there.
Let me clarify my position. It has been great fun, but it has thrown my routine way off. Barely anytime for the blog. Guitar practice has been spradic. Going to bed and getting up at various times. So what I really miss is the routine. The schedule.

Day 143: Visitors

So, this is my nephew & his dog Ralph from a couple hours ago this morning.
Off to a big family party later today in Cicero, NY.

Day 142: My Dilemma

My dilemma is what do I do right at this moment in time? Do I go on writing this blog entry? Do I go out to the front porch with a beer and my guitar? Or do I finish up the CD's of wedding photos for the two weddings I photographed last Saturday? What I want to do is go to the front porch with the beer & guitar. But, now that I have begun to write in the blog, well, I'd like to fininsh. The problem is, it will take me awhile and then I will have no energy left for the guitar. I could do all three, but that would mean staying up late. I am allready tired and that would push me over the edge. I certainly don't need the calories that the beer offers.


Allright, some background. My niece and her family are visiting from St. Louis. Her family and her Dad, (my celebrity brother), were at my house last night. So it was a nice festive time we all had. However, I had to leave this morning at 6:30am to photograph three jobs at Harborfest in Oswego NY. Well, that meant I had to give up my morning guitar practice. I don't like that at all. I got in 20 minutes. To do my normal two hours I would have had to get up at 4:00am. anyhow, I leave and go shoot my jobs. It rained cats & dogs until 2:00pm. I'm sick of the rain. I got drencehed to the bone. I finally got back home at 6:00pm. I want to take a nap. Instead, I finish editing and transmitting to the Post-Standard the last job I shot. Now it's 7:00pm. I am also a land lord and have an apartment available. I had to meet a young soldier from Fort Drum at 8:20 there to show it to him. He liked it. I like him. He should be moving in August first. I get back home and begin writing this at 9:30. Also, I am home alone because my better half is at another brother's house in Syracuse helping them get set up for a huge party tomorrow. Big family get together and graduation party. So, the hell with the wedding CD's. They are all done, I just have to print the artwork on them & create the artwork for the packages. It is now 10:pm, I am done writing, I am going to go get a beer and play outside on the porch. In the morning I will get up bright eyed & bushy tailed, put in 2 hours of guitar, finish the CD's and then head off to the big family/graduation bash. How's that?

UPDATE: It's now 10:40pm. The phone rings, interupts some great guitar playing on the porch. It's my golfing brother and his two kids & wife. I failed to mention they are also in town visiting from Winter Haven, Florida. They were wondering if they could crash at my place tonight. They just left the Syracuse brother & should arrive here in about 45 minutes. Hey, why not. Things get a little crazy and out of the ordinary when the bros & their families all roll into town. You gotta love it. However, I'm not so sure the Cd's will get done in the morning, or my two hours on the guitar. There will be guitar, some time tomorrow. I ramble. Adios.

Day 141: I Make A Photograph

So I am sitting at a red light, waiting for it to change and for reasons I can never explain, the arrow painted on the road along with the shadow of my car catches my eye. I think there is a photo to be taken. I look through the viewfinder and the first thing I notice is myself reflected in the rear view mirror. Oh cool. I take that photo. Then I shoot several more of the pavement, changing my camera angle as best I can given the restraints placed upon me. You know, I'm behind the wheel in traffic. I can't exactly get out and move around. Anyhow, I like the result. But as always, I wonder what does it all mean? What is the relevance of taking such a photo? What's the point? What? What? What? In the end it's just pixels on a screen or ink on paper. The World keeps spinning reckelessly round and round and in the end it will all just end up in a black hole somewhere in God's Universe.

Here is the final photo: