MAnderson.com: March 2005 Archives

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March 31, 2005

Tree Mulch

I spent most of the day on Tuesday outside getting the yard ready for Spring. I'm still feeling the pain this morning from my exertions. I'm really ready for Spring.

Posted by Mark Anderson on March 31, 2005 07:45 AM Permalink

March 30, 2005

Almost Spring

It's officially already spring, but none of the trees in our area have begun to flower. Yesterday I mulched all of our new trees and one of our Cherry trees is sooooo close to blossoming. These buds are just aching to open and we are only just a couple of days away. That is when it will really be Spring for me.

Posted by Mark Anderson on March 30, 2005 08:26 AM Permalink

March 29, 2005

Phone

Here is a closeup of a circa 1980 AT&T "Misty Cream" phone. This one is plugged into my Vonage VoIP Business account. I like the idea that I'm using a phone that is over 20 years old for a service that is built for the next generation of telecommunications.

Note to self: you should really dust off your subject when your taking macro closeup photos.

Posted by Mark Anderson on March 29, 2005 08:45 AM Permalink

March 28, 2005

Wire Cup

It has been raining for the last couple of days and I haven't had a chance to get outside yet to test my new macro lens. So I decided to take pictures of stuff on my desk as a test. This is a wire cup that I use to hold paperclips.

In low light conditions the depth of focus on this lens is very tight. This can make for interesting composition. It can also be a limiting factor in certain circumstances.

Posted by Mark Anderson on March 28, 2005 11:31 AM Permalink

March 25, 2005

Macro Lens

I purchased two new lenses for my Canon 300D. This is a picture using my new Sigma 105mm F/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens.

This is a fixed focus lens that can be used as a 105mm telephoto. It also has macro capabilities. I will be on vacation this Easter week, so I should have plenty of opportunity to test it out.

The other lens I purchased was a Canon 70-300mm zoom lens. I will post more about this one later.

Posted by Mark Anderson on March 25, 2005 09:31 PM Permalink

March 20, 2005

Happy 9th Birthday Emma

Happy Birthday Emma!

Posted by Mark Anderson on March 20, 2005 09:01 AM Permalink

March 19, 2005

Flowers for the Table

Here is a flower arangement Michele made for the table. Emma is having her Birthday party today and the girls should be arriving soon.

Posted by Mark Anderson on March 19, 2005 02:20 PM Permalink

March 13, 2005

Cozy Kitty

Emma went a little crazy keeping Teddy warm with her Beanie Babies. Teddy didn't seem to mind.

Posted by Mark Anderson on March 13, 2005 01:51 PM Permalink

March 12, 2005

RC Jessie

While I don't condone the destruction of nature, this still made an interesting photo.

Posted by Mark Anderson on March 12, 2005 08:13 AM Permalink

March 11, 2005

Stark Trees

Here is another shot I took from the trail last weekend.

This photo had a nice stark contrast between the dark trees and the blue sky. I took the original and wanted to see if I can increase the contrast to add more starkness. I tried several contrast settings in Photoshop and was not able to get the effect or style I was looking for. I then experimented for a while using several other filters. Finally I took a fresh original and added some film grain noise. This was the picture I had in my mind.

I can see this photo being used for the background of a new mystery thriller or a Steven King novel.

The original photo can be found after the jump.

Posted by Mark Anderson on March 11, 2005 08:22 AM Permalink

March 10, 2005

Nail Post

Last weekend Emma and I went back to our favorite trail. Since I have photographed every conceivable angle of the trail, I decided to try and concentrate on interesting close-ups. This was the best of the bunch.

Here is a view from the other side.

Posted by Mark Anderson on March 10, 2005 08:59 AM Permalink

March 9, 2005

Disney Neon

This photo was taken during our recent trip to California last Christmas. I knew I would like the shot the moment I took it. But once I saw the results I was not as happy. It was very dark and the neon just didn't pop like it did in real life. There was also a distracting palm tree in the background. So I finally got around to fixing that.

I have been wanting to expand my knowledge and skill with Photoshop and this was a perfect project to practice with. You can see the original version after the jump. I'm pleased with the final results.