Morlock Photo a Day

Dog days of summer

2011-08-25T09:13:00.000-05:00

It's been a good summer to live by a lake. My daughters are practically becoming fish, always asking us if we will take them down to the beach to swim in the lake.

I got this shot with my iPhone, using the Instagram app. It is a pretty fun camera app, one of my favorite for iPhone. My daughter and nephew jumping off the dock.

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Exposure Date: July 20, 2011

Big Dan

2011-08-24T14:20:00.000-05:00

If you're familiar with Nordeast Minneapolis (or good beer bars in the Twin Cities in general), you are probably familiar with the Bulldog NE. Not only do they have great food and lots of great beers on tap, but the whole front of the place is a giant east facing window. Yep. A great big constant light softbox you can shoot with. Well, at least if you go there for a beer in the afternoon or evening. It's where I got the photos of Jordan in an earlier blog post here.

Was there in July with some friends, including my friend Big Dan (he has also been on this blog in the past, complete with his giant pancake). I had the little Panasonic GF-1 with me, along with my 40mm/1.4 Nokton for my rangefinder. On the GF-1, it is pretty much the equivalent of an 80mm, which is a great portrait length. I just need to work on my manual focus skills....especially close up and at f/1.4.

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EXIF: Panasonic DMC-GF-1, Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f/1.4 SC, f/1.4, 1/250, ISO 400
Exposure Date: July 14, 2011

Lunch at the saloon

2011-08-22T14:32:00.003-05:00

I meet friends at least once a week at a local bar and saloon for lunch and to catch up. Sometimes I bring the camera in, other times I leave it behind. This woman was sitting in some great window light when I was there a few weeks ago, so I snapped a quick one of her chatting with her friend.

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EXIF: Panasonic DMC GF-1, Voigtlander Nokton Classic 40mm f/1.4 SC (M Mount), f/1.8, 1/1000, ISO 400
Exposure Date: July 7, 2011

Architectural Photography - Christopher S Bond Bridge, Kansas City

2011-08-22T10:38:00.001-05:00

My other career as a Structural Engineer has provided me with some pretty great opportunities to get my camera into some pretty cool places, whether it is during construction or after a project has finished up. One of my clients hires me to shoot finished projects for their annual calendar. This year one of the projects they selected was the Christopher S Bond Bridge in Kansas City, MO, which is a new cable stayed bridge that carries I-29, I-35 and US 71 over the Missouri River.

I spent a couple days in KC at the beginning of July, which also afforded me the opportunity to get some photos of the bridge during a fireworks display.

Here are a few of the photos I sent in for the calendar:

Canon 5D Mark II, EF 24-105 f/4L IS @ 24mm, f/8, 1 sec, ISO 400


Canon 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS @ 24mm, f/16, 15 sec, ISO 100

Canon 5D Mark II, EF 24-105 f/4L IS @ 24mm, f/8, 1/1000, ISO 400

Canon 1D Mark III, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS @ 24mm, f/5.6, 1/40, ISO 800

Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm, f/8, 1/320, ISO 400

Canon 1D Mark III, EF 50mm f/1.4, f/1.8, 1/30, ISO 800

Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm, f/8, 1/160, ISO 400

Canon 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS @ 55mm, f/16, 4 sec, ISO 100

Exposure Dates: July 2 and 3, 2011

Catching up - Twins vs. Brewers, Jim Thome

2011-08-18T19:40:00.000-05:00

I was fortunate enough to be able to take in a Twins vs. Brewers game back in June, and we had rather exceptional seats. One of the cool things about MLB games is that they let you take in any camera you like.

Since then Jim Thome has hit career home run #600. He sure has been fun to watch the last season and a half. He really does look like Mr. Incredible.

EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, f/2.8, ISO 800, 1/1600 (all 3 frames)
Exposure Date: June 26, 2011

BWCA Fishing

2011-08-18T10:33:00.001-05:00

I finally got out on my first paddle trip of the year, to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, in Northern MN. I took surprisingly few photos (less than 50 on a 5 day trip), but it was a fun time with family and great friends.

We had a pretty nice campsite on Fourtown lake for 2 nights that included an excellent chunk of granite. Perfect for sitting and fishing on:

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EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 70-200mm 2.8L IS @ 95mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 400

Exposure Date: August 15, 2011

Spring Photo a day - #43

2011-05-26T07:44:00.000-05:00

I saw this pooch on the patio at Sweeney's Saloon in St. Paul while hanging out with a couple of friends. He was pretty friendly.

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EXIF: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1, Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 ASPH, f/1.7, 1/100, ISO 200
Exposure Date: May 5, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #42

2011-05-26T07:36:00.001-05:00

I found some interesting cloud patterns and their reflections a pretty good subject on May 2nd:

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I like my back yard.

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm, f/8, 1/10, ISO 200

Exposure date: May 2, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #41

2011-05-11T21:46:00.000-05:00

Well, I missed another one (didn't make a photo on April 29th). Bound to happen....life and such. I will make it up with a bonus photo at some point here when I find a good enough one to post.

My wife works a few evenings a week, which is often a bummer, but the fun part of it is that I get to spend time with my two daughters on those evenings. Dad is more fun to hang out with when Mom isn't around, apparently. We fix dinner together, do homework, brush teeth and put on jammies and all that good stuff.

Sometimes we make breakfast for supper. It is hard to beat heart-shaped pancakes and real maple syrup for supper.

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EXIF: iPhone 4, Hipstamatic app, Jimmy lens, Pistil film
Exposure Date: April 30th, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #40

2011-05-11T21:31:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I have posted a loon photo already, but the lake was so beautiful this night, and they were swimming within sight of the house, so I had to grab the telephoto and get a few with the great evening colors reflecting off of the lake.

I had to crank up the ISO to get a quick enough shutter speed that the scene didn't totally blur, especially using the 400mm, but one of the great things about the 5D II is it is great at high ISO's.

Loons really are fun birds to watch and listen to.

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EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 400mm f/5.6L, f/5.6, 1/60, ISO 3200
Exposure Date: April 28, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #39

2011-05-11T21:12:00.000-05:00

OK, so I've got some serious catching up to do. I have been shooting (almost) every day, but it has been a crazy couple of weeks.

I got to see David Hobby and Joe McNally a few weeks ago on their Flash Bus tour, which was all about off camera lighting utilizing small flashes (speedlights). I subsequently ordered a couple of attachments for my speedlights, so when they showed up of course I had to try them out.

Fortunately my 6 year old daughter (almost 7 now, yikes) is a willing (and capable) model for just such occasions.

This one is my favorite of the few I took. Used a blue gel on one of the speedlights to get the blue background.

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EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS @ 65mm, f/8, 1/100, ISO 200, Canon 580 EX II (2)
Exposure Date: April 27, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #38

2011-04-30T10:55:00.000-05:00

I am a pretty busy guy (which is why I go for a few days without posting sometimes).

One of the other things I do pretty regularly is Engineering work - Structural work, specifically. I spent a lot of time this week marking up a set of plans for a guy that is doing all of the drafting for me. The term in the industry for marked up plans is "redlines". It's no big mystery why:

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EXIF: Panasonic DMC-GF1, Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7, f/1.7, 1/125, ISO 200
Exposure Date: April 26, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #37

2011-04-30T10:24:00.000-05:00

To me, one of the best things about Facebook is catching up with old friends that you probably wouldn't have otherwise re-connected with. Elise and I went to the same High School (good old Hastings HHS) together but lost touch after graduation. We reconnected on Facebook a while ago, and a few weeks ago she sent me a message asking if I'd like to exhibit some prints at her friend's shop / yoga studio in Belle Plaine, MN. Monday I went down to check it out and also to take a few photos of Elise and her husband John doing some yoga right before a class.

It was cool to see her....it has to be more than (ahem) 20 years since we saw each other. She photographs quite well too:

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EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 85m f/1.8, f/2.2, 1/125, ISO 400, Canon 580 EX II (2)

Exposure Date: April 25, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #36

2011-04-30T09:23:00.001-05:00

Easter morning comes early when you have to get to church in time to make breakfast for 150 of your closest friends. The advantage to being up that early though, is you get to see some beautiful scenes.

I grabbed this shot with my phone camera just before the sun rose over the trees between trips from my car to the kitchen.

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EXIF: iPhone 4, Hipstamatic App, John S lens, Ina's 1935 film
Exposure Date: April 24, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #34 and #35

2011-04-28T19:48:00.000-05:00

Well, I knew it was coming. Friday came and went last week and the whole day passed my by without me making a photo.

Saturday I took a bunch, so you get two from Saturday to make up for it.

My wife is working on upgrading her website. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor but is also a Certified Life Coach and is building that part of her business lately. She wanted a new headshot for her website so I actually got to shoot her for a change. This was an unusual setting, because usually she shies away from being in front of the camera. (Silly for sure, she is beautiful).

I have a black and white and a color version for her to choose from. Which do you prefer?

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Color Photo EXIF: Canon 1D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS @ 92mm, f/5.6, 1/160, Canon 580 EX II (2), ISO 100
Black and White Photo EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS @ 105mm, f/5.6, 1/160, Canon 580 EX II (2), ISO 200

Spring Photo a Day - #33

2011-04-21T18:38:00.003-05:00

It's been fun to watch the loons on the lake since the ice went off. It always amazes me how quickly they show up as soon as the lake wakes up from it's icy grip. Ice out, loons in.

I think it is required for all Minnesotans to love loons. They are our state bird after all. I haven't met very many people that don't love to watch them and listen to their call.

We have a pair on our lake every year, it seems. Some years they have chicks, some years they don't. Some years the chicks don't survive. I really hope we get chicks this year, it is fun to watch them grow from little fuzz balls to young adults over the summer.

This evening I looked out the patio door towards the lake and saw these two just floating around. I grabbed the camera and laid down on a section of my dock on shore that is waiting to get put in. I called to them a bit and they actually swam closer to see what I was up to. I was tempted to hop in the canoe to see if they would let me get out and see them a little closer, but I decided to save that for another day.

Hopefully these two have a great summer on our lake.

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EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 400mm f/5.6L, f/5.6, 1/160, ISO 400
Exposure Date: April 21, 2011

**Addendum: There are 5 loons out on the lake now....for the moment. Looks like there's gonna be a rumble...

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Spring Photo a Day - #32

2011-04-20T23:47:00.000-05:00

Someone needs to tell Mother Nature we are well into spring. 32 days worth even.

We had more snow today. Fortunately not enough to mess up the roads. Just enough to make everything pretty for a few hours.

I found signs of spring, even among the snowflakes.

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EXIF: Canon 1D mark III, EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro, f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 400
Exposure Date: April 20, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #31

2011-04-20T23:24:00.004-05:00

31 days. Wow. A whole month of spring already. It's crazy that I'm already a third of a way through this project.

I have to be honest. A third of the way in, I don't feel like I've made a fantastic photo a day every day. But I've posted a relatively decent photo every day. In my mind anyway, and ultimately I suppose that is what counts. If I go back through the photos I have posted over the last month, I like them. This is my life. This is my photographic style. Room to improve? No question. Some interesting photos?

I think so. A couple anyway. You tell me.

I was chatting with a friend last night around 9:00 p.m.. "Crap, I haven't made a photo yet today. Maybe it's time to let a day slip." He encouraged me. Said I had 3 hours left and I hadn't made a photo yet he didn't like, and to get on with it.

I had already taken my contacts out. (I am almost legally blind when I'm not wearing glasses or contacts. Very VERY nearsighted). I decided to try a self portrait in the bathroom mirror with my 90mm tilt shift lens. The first ones I made were with my glases, but I wasn't getting the focus right. The 90mm TS-E is a manual focus lens. Canon cameras have AF confirmation though. When the focus is right, the little AF point in the viewfinder gets a little brighter.

I took my glasses off and tried a couple more.

When it came time to edit, I chose this one. The compact florescent light bulbs made for an interesting skin tone. My eye was in focus, and my expression wasn't stupid. Thank God for small victories.

Success? I think so. But don't take my word for it.

You tell me.

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EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, TS-E 90mm f/2.8, f/2.8, 1/100, ISO 1600

Exposure Date: April 19, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #30

2011-04-20T22:44:00.002-05:00

I ended up back in Minneapolis on Monday. Same show, different night. This time I brought my camera.

I didn't mean to make a photo at exactly the same place....but it happened. The Foshay Tower and the IDS Tower are such contradictions, yet they live in the same neighborhood. So cool.

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EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 38mm, f/8, 1/200, ISO 200
Exposure Date: April 18, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #29

2011-04-19T21:51:00.001-05:00

Sunday found me in Minneapolis again. Downtown proper even.

I didn't remember to bring my cameras with me, other than my iPhone. The light was lovely though, so I used the phone to snap a couple of photos while I was there. This one was my favorite:

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EXIF: Apple iPhone 4, Hipstamatic App
Exposure Date: April 17, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #28

2011-04-16T23:11:00.000-05:00

Today was a full day of learning about photography, but it didn't leave much time for making photos (at least not interesting ones). I got to attend The Flash Bus today and learn from David Hobby and Joe McNally. Wonderful show, learned a ton, can't wait to get out with my small flashes and start to explore some of the stuff they taught us.

My friend Dan joined me today, we met at Bad Waitress in Minneapolis for a big breakfast before the show. He limited himself to one pancake, but it turned out to be a wise decision (he'd eaten there before). I think he was hungry.

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Incidentally, you should check out Dan's photography here. (He's really good, especially at the live performance thing. Check out his theater portfolio especially...you wouldn't believe how difficult the lighting is at shows, and he seems to nail it every time...)

EXIF: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1, Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 ASPH, f/1.7, 1/250, ISO 200
Exposure Date: April 16, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #27

2011-04-15T22:27:00.001-05:00

It was a grey, dreary day in Minnesota today, but when I was looking up at the clouds I noticed the trees are starting to bud out, so I took my phone out of my pocket and snapped a few photos.

Yes, I made some photos with my phone, despite having some wonderful "real" cameras nearby. Get over it. You'd be amazed at the print quality you can obtain using a lowly phone camera.

I use the Hipstamatic app on my iPhone to shoot photos when I don't have any other cameras with me, or if I'm feeling too lazy to break out the big camera.

I really like the results I can get using it. Hope you do too. No processing on this photo after the fact (other than adding the watermark), this is straight out of the phone.

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EXIF: Apple iPhone 4, Hipstamatic app, John S lens, Black keys Super grain film.
Exposure Date: April 15, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #26

2011-04-14T21:03:00.002-05:00

My daughters (ages 3 and 6) insisted on going out in the canoe tonight even though it was rather chilly out there (40's with a pretty stiff breeze), so I bundled them up and put them in my cedarstrip solo canoe, in front of and behind me. We only went for a short paddle but it was enough for them with the cold temps.

Lots of activity on the lake again. A loon was fishing just off shore from our house but he dove and swam a long ways away as soon as we put in. We spooked some mergansers when we pulled into a bay that gave us some shelter from the wind. My sister calls them "Mohawk ducks" because of the crest on their heads. The males are really pretty but you don't see them much after spring.

**Edit: apparently I don't see them after spring because they lose their breeding plumage and look very similar to the females once spring is over. Thanks very much to my friend Heidi for pointing that out. You learn something new every day. (incidentally, check out her photography here, she is a phenomenal photographer. I love her Yellowstone photos especially.)

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EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 400mm f/5.6 L, f/5.6, 1/400, ISO 800
Exposure Date: April l4, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #25

2011-04-13T22:49:00.001-05:00

My three year old daughter called me this afternoon. When I answered, she proceeded to tell me in a very excited voice that the ice was all gone on the lake. Then she asked "Can you come home so we can go canoeing?" It made me smile.

I didn't get her out on the water today (bedtime snuck up on us quick), but I did get out for a few minutes before the sun went down. Lots of activity out there...Geese, Ducks, a Heron...lots of other birds too. A couple of Loons flew over, calling all the way. It was great.

I didn't get many good bird shots (it was getting pretty dark to try and shoot with my 400 mm, and the birds were skittish), but this one sums up the first paddle of the year pretty well:

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EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm, f/16, 1/30, ISO 400
Exposure Date: April 13, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #24

2011-04-13T22:28:00.000-05:00

So maybe I'm obsessing a bit about the ice going out, but it's late this year...and I'm ready for paddling.

Anyway, I went down to the lake last evening to check the progress (about 1/3 out, lots of water but lots of ice left too) and this floating oak leaf caught my eye:

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EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm, f/4, 1/100, ISO 400
Exposure Date: April 12, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #23

2011-04-12T22:32:00.003-05:00

I've been keeping an eye on the waxing moon lately. It caught my eye a few days ago as a tiny sliver rising over the lake, as it looked really cool with some light clouds and some pine trees framing it, but it was virtually impossible to photograph that way, at least with the equipment I have. OK, not impossible, but it wouldn't have been a good photo.

Last night was a very clear night though, and now that it is waxing and is about halfway to full it is starting to get easier to shoot.

I bolted the 400mm to the 5D II and my tripod and used live view to get the focus just right on this one. (Sometimes digital really is very convenient compared to film.)

The cool thing about shooting the moon is that you already know the exposure. Some of you may have heard of the Sunny 16 rule (on a bright sunny day you can set at f/16 and 1/ISO for your shutter speed - try it sometime). Well the rule for the moon is 1-2 stops less than sunny 16. Full moon, f/11. Half moon, f/8. Sunny 8? Moonie 11? I dunno...but it works. I opened up 2 stops for a faster shutter speed just to make sure there wasn't motion blur from the moon, adjusted accordingly, and made this frame.

Even with the 400mm on, I cropped this pretty significantly to get the moon as big as it is in the frame (this is probably 1/4 of the frame or so).

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EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 400mm f/5.6L, f/5.6, 1/400, ISO200
Exposure Date: April 12, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #22

2011-04-12T22:17:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning was warm and humid after a good bit of rain. When I got up the lake looked pretty eerie with a lot of mist and fog coming off the ice.

I cropped this one at a 3:1 aspect ratio, mostly to get rid of some uninteresting sky / and lake ice. (I composed it with the intent to crop in post).

I am anxious for this ice to get soft. I want to go paddle.

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EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro, f/5.6, 1/500, ISO 200
Exposure Date: April 10, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #21

2011-04-11T23:24:00.000-05:00

Another fantastic sign of spring - the NCAA tournament. No, not the basketball tournament. The NCAA Frozen Four, of course.

This year the Frozen Four was in St. Paul. One of my friends happened to have a spare ticket to the championship game and invited me. What a great game. Congrats to the UMD Bulldogs!!!

(They won in overtime - this is a shot of the winning goal)

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Canon 1D Mark III, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8, f/2.2, 1/1000, ISO 400
Exposure Date: April 9, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #20

2011-04-11T23:01:00.001-05:00

Friday I was driving the road between Princeton and Isanti and I went past the barn I've been meaning to shoot for the last 3 or 4 years. Sometimes the light is wrong. Sometimes I am in a hurry. Sometimes I suppose I am lazy.

Friday the light was good, the ice was starting to melt, and I had time, so I made a photo.

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EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 22mm, f/11, 1/80, ISO 200
Exposure Date: April 8, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #19

2011-04-11T22:18:00.001-05:00

We have a beautiful Red Oak tree between the house and the lake, and even though we are to the point where some of the other trees are budding out, this tree is stubbornly hanging on to last year's leaves.

Oaks bud late...turn colors late....drop their leaves late. They're on their own schedule, really.

Yep. I like oaks.

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EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS @ 160mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100
Exposure Date: April 7, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #18

2011-04-09T11:23:00.003-05:00

So while I'm a photographer, I'm also a Professional Engineer (yes, capital PE, I even have a License). As a result of that I get out on jobsites fairly often, and always carry my camera with me. It is always a good idea to get permission, but generally it is OK to be taking photos at jobsites. Another sure sign of spring is that it is getting warm enough around here to start doing construction again.

Wednesday was just such a day. Sunny...warm....beautiful. Spring is finally beating back Winter. Hopefully for good, or at least for the next several months.

On this particular project, the contractor is drilling several (hundreds, actually) wells to install geothermal heating / cooling loops for an office building in the Twin Cities area.

You will hear a lot more about geothermal systems in the future. They are ridiclously efficient compared to conventional heating and cooling (on the order of 400% efficient, i.e. for every unit of energy you put in, you get 4 units of heating or cooling energy out). They pay for themselves very quickly when compared to conventional systems. (People can talk green energy all they want, but the best way to advance it is for it to be cost competitive).

Anyway, I thought the drilling rig made an interesting subject for a photo. Decide for yourself:

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EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L, f/11, 1/250, ISO 200
Exposure Date: April 6, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #17

2011-04-07T19:06:00.004-05:00

Jordan is a friend of mine. She's my brother's girlfriend, but she has become my friend too, which is cool. We share some interests...Twins baseball, good beer, good coffee, cheeseburgers, single malt scotch. More too, I'm sure. I even got to take her on her first BWCA canoe trip, and she liked that too.

Once in a great while we get to get together and have a couple beers and catch up. Tuesday was just such a day. I had my camera with me (as usual) and the window light was excellent, so she put up with me as I made a few portraits.

I couldn't choose just one. So I chose four. You should really click to see it larger.

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As you can see, she's beautiful. If you know her, you know she's even more beautiful on the inside. If you don't....well...I hope you get to meet her someday.

EXIF: Panasonic DMC-GF1, Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 ASPH, f/1.7, 1/60 (all 4 frames)

Exposure Date: April 5, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #16

2011-04-07T14:35:00.001-05:00

Woke to the sound of heavy rain on Monday morning. Noticed fat drops on the windows so I snapped a couple of photos before breakfast, intentionally blurring the trees beyond. The rain is the focus, after all.

I lived in the desert for a few years. It totally changes your perspective on rain. Rain washes things clean and makes things green. I am looking forward to clean and green. And paddling. I like rain. A lot. C'mon April showers...

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EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 40mm, f/4, 1/80, ISO 400
Exposure Date: April 4, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #15

2011-04-06T20:30:00.001-05:00

Sunday was the last day of making maple syrup in Wisconsin - well, for us. They make syrup from the time the trees start running until they quit, but we only spent a weekend.

We also got 3" of fresh snow on Sunday morning - sticky, wet, all sticking to the trees and everything else. I snapped a ton of photos of the snowy woods but at the end of the day the photo that caught my eye the most was the one of my friend's Dad welding.

Some background...my friend and I both have engineering degrees. Nerdy geeks basically. Can't leave something alone either, there are always incremental gains to be made in the efficiency of the system - especially if there is a lot of time to sit and observe and wait for things. We started talking about making some modifications to the fire box to get more heat out of the system with less firewood and the next thing I know big Dave is welding up some pipe:

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EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS @ 148mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 400
Exposure Date: April 3, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #14

2011-04-04T22:38:00.002-05:00

Another photo from Maple Syruping in Wisconsin today. I made a lot of photos on Saturday so I am actually posting two.

This first photo is of the tractor that we used to go around and collect sap to make the syrup. It pulled the wagon that held the bulk tank that we used to hold the sap while we were collecting. An Allis Chalmers, from the 1930s as best as we could tell. I processed this photo in Photomatix to get a bit more detail out of it and to compress the tones a bit as it had a lot of dynamic range.

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This second photo is taken from the other side of the sap pan. Dave was checking the boil and I got this shot. I really liked the lighting for this situation.

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Tractor photo EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm, f/11, 1/50, ISO 400
Dave photo EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS @ 70mm, f/2.8, 1/50, ISO 400

Exposure date: April 2, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #13

2011-04-03T21:57:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posting, I have been shooting but I didn't have internet this weekend so I am playing catchup now. No April Fool though, I am still on track to do this photo a day project through this Spring. (so far) :-)

My family was invited over to Wisconsin (near Antigo, just north of Wausau) to my friend's parent's house to help them make maple syrup. They have several acres of maple trees so about Mid-March they start tapping trees and collecting sap and cooking it down. We headed over Friday evening and got there late but just in time to help take a batch off of the wood and start up the next one.

Maple syrup takes a while to cook down. After the sap is collected from the trees it is filtered and then boiled down until it hits the proper consistency. Typically it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of finished syrup. That's a lot of time and a lot of firewood. It sure is tasty though!

The photo is of them filtering the finished syrup through cheesecloth to take out any impurities.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF 28mm f/1.8, f/1.8, 1/40, ISO 1600
Exposure Date: April 1, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #12

2011-03-31T21:47:00.000-05:00

Winter is definitely losing her grip on the weather, but it is not giving up without a fight. One of the things we have loved about winter this year though is our new wood burning stove. High efficiency so it doesn't kick out much smoke when it's running well, but it really kicks out the heat. It was a little chilly around here this evening, so I built a fire after dinner. I took this shot a couple minutes after loading up with a fresh log.

(click photo to view larger)

Soon it will be time to clean out the wood stove for a few months. I'm enjoying the warmth tonight, but I'm looking forward to not needing it for a while.

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 28mm f/1.8, f/4, 1/160, ISO 400
Exposure Date: March 31, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #11

2011-03-31T11:33:00.002-05:00

I noticed another major harbinger of Spring...the boxelder bugs are coming out.

This guy was basking in the warmth on the side of my house yesterday:

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro, f/5.6, 1/60, ISO 400
Exposure Date: March 30, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #10

2011-03-29T23:32:00.000-05:00

Well it still doesn't feel or look like Spring around here....but it is starting to sound a lot like Spring.

When I was growing up I was taught that the Robin was the harbinger of spring. Once you saw a Robin, Spring was pretty much here.

I respectfully submit that (here in Central Minnesota anyway) the proper and official bird of Spring should be the Red-Winged Blackbird. As I stepped outside for a moment this evening, the air was filled with their songs. Unfortunately I noticed a little later than I should have and the sun was already starting to go down, but there was enough light to shoot this guy with my 400mm:

(click photo to view larger)

I love the way these guys contort themselves when they start yapping. They really put everything they can into it.

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 400mm f/5.6L, f/5.6, ISO 800, 1/200
Exposure Date: March 29, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #9

2011-03-28T21:32:00.003-05:00

One of the things my friends know about me is that I place high value in good food and drink (and sharing those things with friends); and that one of the drinks I especially enjoy is coffee. Not just any coffee though....gooooood coffee. Freshly roasted beans from high quality sources.

About a year and a half ago I decided to start to try roasting my own coffee beans. I did a ton of reading about it and then I ordered a roaster and some green coffee beans from Sweet Maria's in Oakland, CA. It is one of those decisions I made that I have really not regretted, as freshly roasted coffee is truly a notch above most of what you can get at a grocery store (or even a coffee shop unless they roast on site or have a dedicated roaster that gets them very fresh coffee).

Tonight I made myself a cup of coffee from a recent (roasted Saturday, just past first crack) batch of beans (Kenyan Peaberry) and thought a closeup shot of the beans would be a good photo for today. I used my macro lens and bounced a flash off of my ceiling because the interior lights weren't quite bright enough to get a good sharp shot.

(click photo to view larger)

If you are ever in the neighborhood, look me up and I will brew you up a cup...

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro, Canon 580 EX II, f/11, 1/80, ISO 400
Exposure Date: March 28, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #8

2011-03-27T21:11:00.004-05:00

Sunday afternoons are often the days of the week (or month) that my family gathers for dinner to celebrate birthdays and such (or just to hang out and catch up). Today was just that sort of Sunday. It was my brother's turn to host us, so we all gathered at his place.

As we were leaving, we noticed a very large dog hanging out just outside his door. Turned out it was his neighbor's dog hanging out outside. He was tied up so he wouldn't go anywhere. Huge dog, but extremely friendly. I'm not an expert on dog breeds but he seemed to be at least partly St. Bernard. **Edit: Several people have written in to tell me that he is a Bernese Mountain Dog

What struck me about him was that he was so friendly and gentle that he didn't make my young daughters nervous in the least, even though he had to be well over 100 lb.

He seemed sad though too. He was obviously hoping and / or waiting for someone to play with. I snapped a couple of quick photos of him and liked this one best.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 50mm f/1.4, f/1.4, 1/1250, ISO 200
Exposure Date: March 27, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #7

2011-03-26T21:24:00.002-05:00

Winter continues to hang on here in the Northland, but that is no excuse to stay inside. We find that best way to cure cabin fever is to get out and have fun in the snow.

My wife and I bought skis for our daughters for Christmas last year, but the younger one hadn't had a chance to get out and try them yet. We had finished up all our chores for our Saturday and looked outside at a beautiful evening with a nice fresh blanket of snow on the lake from our storm last Wednesday, so we put on our layers and grabbed our skis and headed outside.

Activities like skiing (and portaging) are a big part of why I bought my little Panasonic DMC-GF1 this winter. Portable enough to keep handy even when being active, but still interchangable lens and great image quality. I got lots of fun shots of the girls skiing, falling, eating snow and generally having fun.

This one I got of my older daughter and my wife as I was pulling the youngest on a sled ended up being my favorite. This is my kind of sunset shot.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Panasonic DMC-GF1, Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 ASPH, f/1.7, 1/1250, ISO 400
Exposure Date: March 26, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #6

2011-03-25T22:36:00.004-05:00

Today was a busy Friday....very busy. I took some photos this morning for a job I've been working on. Utilitarian to be sure, but not compelling in the least. Then a day in the office, followed by typical Friday dinner with friends, and all of a sudden I discovered I was running out of time to make a decent photo.

I don't pretend to think that I will really make it all 91 days this spring and make a decent photo each and every day....but failure in week one is not what I want.

So, that meant making a photo outside...perhaps a long exposure under the starlight (the moon doesn't rise til tomorrow morning early) with the snow reflecting the little bit of light. Unfortunately that means a tripod and I couldn't find my tripod to save my life.

Still, I grabbed the trusty low-light camera (the venerable Canon 5D II, which sees in the dark far better than I do) and walked down to the boat landing near my house. I immediately noticed Orion to the southwest, peeking out between a couple of evergreens near the lake. The glow of Isanti in the distance contributed an interesting glow beyond Orion's belt. I laid down on my side, used the snow to create a solid base for the camera, put Orion in the upper right corner, and gingerly hit the shutter button, holding my breath and staying as still as possible to try and make as little camera shake as possible.

(click photo to view larger)

The ultimate lesson here, for me, is that if you go look for a photo, invariably, you will find one. Probably even an interesting one. The lighting doesn't always have to be ideal. You gotta go find it though. Better late than never, eh?

Thanks for following along.

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF 50mm f/1.4, f/1.4, 1 sec, ISO 1600

Spring Photo a Day - #5

2011-03-24T21:40:00.003-05:00

Typically around here, after we get a good snowstorm things clear off and it gets cold. Today was no different. It was 3 degrees F when I pulled out of the driveway this morning. Chilly to be sure, especially for March, but it also made for gorgeous lighting.

It did get a bit sunny yesterday afternoon which was apparently enough to get a bit of melting going and raise the humidity level, because the first thing I noticed when I pulled out of the driveway (after the 3 degree reading on the dash) was the amazing hoarfrost on the trees. When I looked east, the rising sun was catching the rays and lighting up the frost. Hoarfrost loves backlight.

I quickly parked and grabbed a few shots and headed towards work. Every time I went around a corner I was tempted to stop but I kept going until I came upon a huge cornfield with the corn still sanding, and at the edge of the field was this lone, isolated tree. I pulled over and grabbed a few quick shots and then headed in to the office, appreciating the view but resisting further temptation to pull over and click away.

(click photo to view larger)

Because I was shooting into a very bright sun, I ended up bracketing this one and processing two frames together in Photomatix to give it a bit more dynamic range. Hopefully it is the sort of HDR that looks "right". If you have thoughts on it, leave your comment here on the blog!

As always, thanks for following along.

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 24-105 f/4 L IS @ 24mm, f/8, 1/200 and 1/3200, ISO 200

Exposure date: March 24, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #4

2011-03-23T20:07:00.003-05:00

Well it would seem that Winter found out Spring had arrived and decided to put up a fight. Here in Cambridge, MN we got about 8 inches of new snow last night and today. It started as rain, turned to accumulating sleet and eventually over to snow, which meant we had fluffy snow blowing around and layered over heavy wet snow, over a layer of ice. Fun stuff.

After spending a while trying (unsuccessfully) to get out of the driveway (and getting another vehicle stuck in the process trying to get my car out), I bagged it and worked from home. It was a good thing, they didn't plow our road until after 1:00, and it was impassable without four wheel drive before then anyway.

Even thought there was sticky snow on all the trees and it was pretty outside, I didn't grab my camera until this evening. I made a few photos of snowy pines with blue skies peeking through high clouds, but then as we were wrapping up dinner I noticed the blowing and drifting on the lake. We have a nice big patio door looking out at the lake to the west and the drifts were catching the last low rays of the golden sunlight, and highlighting a nice texture too.

I grabbed the camera and walked down towards the lake and got this:

(click photo to view larger)

As much as I love winter I have to say I'm looking forward to seeing waves out the window instead of snowdrifts.

EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, EF 70-200 2.8L IS @ 200mm, f/8, ISO 400, 1/500

Exposure Date: March 23, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #3

2011-03-22T16:10:00.002-05:00

Well, sometimes the photos aren't going to come to you, you have to go find the photos (more often that not, really). Today I made a very quick trip up to Duluth for a project, with a blizzard bearing down on that part of the state. I left very early and accomplished what I needed to, then stopped down at Canal Park for a cup of coffee before heading back south.

It wasn't snowing yet, but the wind was really howling off of the lake, so I grabbed the 1D and the 70-200 to see if I could make a photo of the big waves.

The trouble with photographing big waves...well, really there are a couple of obstacles. #1, if they're coming crashing in towards you, with the wind, you can't get too close or you will get doused. Not such a big deal in the summer maybe, but it was right around freezing, and the winds had to be doing 40-45 miles per hour steady. Chilly. #2, a photo of a big wave doesn't really look a lot different than a photo of a small wave if you don't include something for scale.

I snapped a few photos of the waves but I just wasn't getting anything all that interesting. I stopped to look around for a minute and immediately noticed a few seagulls just riding the wind, just above the shoreline where the waves were crashing. I followed one for a while with the camera. It flew in front of the lighthouse at the end of the harbor entrance, and as it took a turn I made this frame:

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, EF 70-200 2.8L IS @ 200mm, f/2.8, ISO 400, 1/500

Exposure Date: March 22, 2011

Spring Photo a Day - #2

2011-03-21T22:12:00.002-05:00

OK, so I got a bit desperate on this one. I was watching all day for a a good photo, and quite frankly, when the dirty snow piles are still around, and it's cloudy and dreary, and everything is brown, it is hard to find something to shoot. I made a few photos in daylight but I didn't like how any of them turned out. Even the first steak off the grill for the year. (I may have been more focused on flavor than photography...no pun intended).

When in doubt, pull out the macro lens and find something to do closeups of!

My wife got these funny little duck figures and they are sitting on an end table under an awful bare compact fluorescent light bulb...but I do love the texture of the cracked paint, and the way the light falls off behind him since the lamp was the only light source in the room. That, and ducks are pretty cool. Even painted wooden ones.

(click photo to view larger)

Hope you enjoy...and hope you are out there finding making photos even when the conditions are tough. Happy first full day of spring! Here's to longer days and better lighting.

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 100mm/2.8 Macro, f/4, 1/100, ISO 400
Exposure date: March 21, 2011

Some photos from winter camping in the BWCA...

2011-03-20T20:14:00.002-05:00

I was fortunate enough to take a short winter camping trip with a few friends in February. My friend Dan Cooke of Cooke Custom Sewing used to work at the Adventurous Christians camp off of the Gunflint Trail and hooked us up with a dogsled assist for this trip. We headed up to the camp after work on a Thursday, slept at the camp, got up Friday, ate breakfast, and headed in. Mike carried some of our gear in his sled and a couple of the dogs assisted skiiers. We skiied in about 5 miles, set up camp and did a little fishing.

Here are a few photos from the trip:

Tillman the sled dog anxiously waits to be unloaded

The lodge building at Adventurous Christians

Mike drinks a cup of coffee in the lodge as we discuss plans for our day

A big rack of snowshoes hangs outside the lodge

Heading to the trailhead

Rachel and the lead sled dog, Titus

Mike's dogsled loaded on the truck, nicely tricked out with a Cooke Custom Sewing sled bag

Titus the sled dog

There was lots of slush at the start.

Tom basks in the warmth of the wood stove in our heated tent.

Mike brings the dogs back to pick us up

Brian's 33 1/2" lake trout

Tillman the sled dog

Mike gets the dogs going again

Our cozy camp tucked into the bay. You can see the wood smoke coming out of the chimney.

Rachel and Titus

Rachel pulls up the ski mask to protect from the cold

Brian and Dan being assisted by dogs.

(click any photo to view larger)

Thanks a ton to Mike and Nicole and the rest of the good folks at AC!

Photos were made with Canon SLR's (5D II and 1D III) and a Panasonic DMC-GF1.

Spring Photo a Day - #1

2011-03-20T19:30:00.001-05:00

So today I'm kicking off a new photo a day project, committing to make a photo every day from the first day of Spring to the first day of Summer. (I haven't been shooting enough, hopefully this will get the creative juices going again). I won't necessarily post every day, but days I do post I will catch up with photos I'm making every day. Today is the first day of Spring, so here we go!

It has been quite a winter this year, even by Minnesota standards. The last couple of weeks have finally seen some snow piles softening and growing smaller, but there is still snow on the ground in my yard (more snow than grass), and there is still relatively solid ice on the lake which just out my patio door. I'm sure we haven't seen the last snowfall of the year, but winter is definitely losing her grip.

It's been misty and foggy today, which can be a wonderful backdrop for outdoor photos, so I took a walk out on the lake ice to see what I could find.

As I walked along, I noticed that every place that had an object on the ice, it had melted in to the surface. In the case of this particular leaf, it had served as quite an effective solar collector, warming the ice around it as it soaked in the sun's rays.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 70-200 2.8L IS @ 200mm, f/5.6, 1/250, ISO 400
Exposure date: March 20, 2011

Canoecopia 2011 - a couple of photos

2011-03-19T10:25:00.002-05:00

Had a great (and exhausting) time in Madison last weekend with 25,000 of my closest paddling friends. Thanks to all of you that came out to see my photography presentation. Please hit me up with feedback, especially if you have something to add that will help me improve the presentation.

Here are a few photos I made last weekend:

Closeup of a gunwale on a wood canvas canoe.

Interior of the wood canvas canoe

New Bending Branches paddles designed by my friend Darren Bush.

(link to his blog about designing the paddles here)

Yes, I admire kayaks too, especially sleek ones like this.

A few Cooke Custom Sewing packs wait for a good home

A group listening to Kevin Callan tell stories - breakfast at Darren's house

Kevin Callan

Darren shows me his "new" large format view camera

(click any photo to view larger)

All photos were made with a Panasonic DMC GF-1 and a 20mm f/1.7.

Incidentally, I'm really liking the new little camera, it is convenient to carry around when I'm not wanting to carry around my big brick SLR's and the image quality is great. (It will not be replacing my SLR's though, just supplementing them)

Canoecopia 2011 (shameless plug)

2011-03-05T11:24:00.002-06:00

I'm presenting next week at Canoecopia, which is the "World's Largest Paddlesports Exposition", in Madison Wisconsin. The title of my presentation is "How to make better photos on your paddle trips"

I will be giving away all my secrets*, including how to take photos like this:

(click photo to view larger)

For more info on the show: Canoecopia link

During the show, if I'm not presenting, you should be able to find me at the Cooke Custom Sewing booth. I'll be helping out with their booth and will have a few prints there on display as well.

For more info on my presentation: Morlock - speaker link

I hope some of you can join me! If you make it, be sure to stop by and say hey.

EXIF: Canon 5D, Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L, f/5.6, 1/500, ISO 1000
Exposure Date: May 20, 2006

*Making photos like this is all about being in the right place in the right time, and then knowing how to use your gear quickly before the shot disappears. I.E. get out there and shoot!

Video from a recent winter camping trip

2011-02-17T09:54:00.001-06:00

I picked up a Panasonic DMC-GF1 about a month ago so I could have a camera that was easier to have handy while skiing or portaging on camping trips. It's nice and lightweight and so is the 20mm f/1.7 lens I got to go with it. Image quality seems real good so far too.

One of the side benefits is that it also shoots HD video. Although my Canon 5D II shoots video too, I prefer this camera so far for video because of the autofocus during shooting.

Here is a short video of my friend pulling a 33 1/2" lake trout through the ice on a recent winter trip to the Boundary Waters:

Trout fishing in the BWCA from David Morlock on Vimeo.

I hope to have some photos from the trip uploaded soon. Trout, dogsledding and skiing...all worthy photo subjects (or at least, I think so). As always, thanks for following along.

Slideshow from Near North Symposium

2011-01-22T09:31:00.000-06:00

I presented a photo slideshow at the Minnesota Canoe Association's Near North Symposium back in December and a few folks that were unable to attend asked if I could post the slideshow to my website. Here is that slideshow:

Link to Near North Slideshow

Week #43 - Camp visitor

2010-11-03T11:16:00.000-05:00

Spent a couple of days in the BWCA last week, canoeing, fishing and generally relaxing. We were sitting around the fire when we heard this squalling noise and had to go investigate. Turned out to be this teeny little owl. Not sure of the particular variety, but he sure was cute.

Shot it at ISO 3200 by the light of a couple of headlamps.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS @ 200mm, 1/100, f/2.8, ISO 3200

Exposure Date: October 22, 2010

Week 13 - Long lens

2010-09-18T14:25:00.000-05:00

Playing catchup while I've got a little time. I'm not sure if I took a photo every week this year, but I'm looking.

These cat-tails are near my house. I love the way they look when they're backlit.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 400mm f/5.6L, f/5.6, 1/250, ISO 200

Exposure Date: March 24, 2010

September 4, 2010 - Miranda and Rob

2010-09-18T14:07:00.001-05:00

Some black and whites from Miranda and Rob's wedding:

(click any photo to view larger)

EXIF:

1) Canon 5D Mark II, EF 28mm/f1.8, f/2.8, 1/100, ISO 800

2) Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm/f4L, f/8, 1/250, ISO 400

3) Canon 1D Mark III, EF 28mm/f1.8, f/2.2, 1/40, ISO 800

4) Canon 1D Mark III, EF 70-200mm/f2.8L IS, f/2.8, 1/60, ISO 800

5) Canon 1D Mark III, EF 70-200mm/f2.8L IS, f/2.8, 1/100, ISO 800

6) Canon 1D Mark III, EF 50mm/f1.4, f/1.8, 1/40, ISO 1600

7) Canon 5D Mark II,70-200mm/f2.8L IS, f/8, 1/400, ISO 400

#12 of 52 - Emily

2010-05-26T15:07:00.002-05:00

First off, apologies to those that have emailed in or let me know that you have been missing the weekly update...and to those of you that have missed updates but haven't said anything. Second, thanks to you folks also as that shows me that yes, in fact, someone is reading this. :-)

I haven't had time to shoot as much lately, but I have been shooting some, so I will try and catch up and then start posting more regularly as well.

On to Emily. Lovely girl, asked if she could sit for a portrait shoot. This one is one of several excellent shots we got:

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, TS-E 90mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/100, ISO 200, 2 Canon 580 EX II

Exposure Date: March 19, 2010

#11 of 52 - Darren

2010-03-22T10:58:00.004-05:00

Darren runs a great paddling shop in Madison, Wisconsin. I wish Madison was closer to where I live, because I usually only get to see him once a year at the annual paddlesports show his shop puts on. Canoecopia is a great time, but because he's the benevolent King of the Show, there is much competition for his time.

A few months ago I posted on my Facebook page "I want to shoot you" meaning pretty much anyone that I know, I'd love to make a portrait of you. Darren took me up on that during Canoecopia this year, even inviting me over to his house for a pancake breakfast with some Canadian paddlers that were in town.

It was a lot of fun, Darren, and I hope to make another portrait of you sometime on a river.

(click photo to view larger)

Incidentally, Darren is a great writer. Check out his blog here

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, TS-E 90mm f/2.8, f/2.8, 1/20, ISO 800

Exposure date: March 14, 2010

#10 of 52 - Rainy

2010-03-22T10:09:00.003-05:00

Shot this with my iPhone while waiting at a stoplight. I was enjoying the spring rainfall since it had been a long time since I'd seen rain. If it had been 5-10 degrees colder it would have been a whole lot of snow.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Apple iPhone 3Gs using Hipstamatic App, Helga Viking Lens, Black Keys Super Grain Film

Exposure Date: March 11, 2010

#9 of 52 - Al's Breakfast

2010-03-04T14:36:00.006-06:00

Took the camera to lunch today, went to Al's Breakfast in Dinkytown (on the University of MN Campus). Great little spot, tiny place but fantastic food. Breakfast for lunch = awesome.

(click photo to view larger)

More info on the restaurant here

EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, EF 50mm f/1.4, f/1.4, 1/400, ISO 800

Exposure Date: March 4, 2010

#8 of 52 - J

2010-02-27T11:11:00.002-06:00

My brother and his girlfriend came up to visit us last weekend, snapped this one of the two of them while we were just hanging out.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 50mm f/1.4, f/2.8, 1/25, ISO 1600
Exposure Date: February 20, 2010

#7 of 52 - Duluth Harbor sunrise

2010-02-27T11:05:00.004-06:00

Went up to Duluth for a couple of days and caught the sun coming up over Lake Superior.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm, f/11, 1/400, ISO 800
Exposure Date: February 13, 2010

Another Week 5 photo

2010-02-16T08:59:00.004-06:00

Found another memory card that I hadn't pulled images off of until yesterday, and I like this one, so here it is. Taken out the window on the way west to Vegas.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 28mm f/1.8, f/2.5, 1/6, ISO 800

Exposure Date: February 1, 2010

#6 of 52 - Vegas plane

2010-02-16T08:37:00.003-06:00

We had a bit of rain in Vegas on our last day. I lived out in the desert for about 3 years, which was long enough to learn that rain in the desert is pretty rare, and enjoyable. Not quite the weather you are hoping for when you fly out of Minnesota in February, perhaps, but nice nonetheless.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 27mm, f/10, 1/160, ISO 400

Exposure Date: February 6, 2010

Week 5 bonus photo

2010-02-08T20:50:00.002-06:00

Another view of the Las Vegas skyline from the 14th floor of Aria:

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, EF 50mm f/1.4, f/4.5, 1/250, ISO 200
Exposure Date: February 4, 2010

#5 of 52 - Vegas

2010-02-08T13:05:00.007-06:00

Took a trip to Vegas last week. This was the view from my hotel room at Aria:

(click photo to view larger)

You might think the leaning tower is due to wide angle lens distortion...but in fact, the tower is actually leaning (that's why the buildings farther left aren't leaning too). That's just the way it's built.

This is the entry to the new City Center complex on the Las Vegas strip between Bellagio and Monte Carlo. Quite the property...

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm, f/11, 1/250, ISO 400
Exposure Date: February 4, 2010

#4 of 52 - Hello

2010-01-29T14:45:00.004-06:00

I got to be at the hospital last night as my sister and brother-in-law welcomed their new son into the world. Here he is getting acquainted with mom:

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, EF 28mm f/1.8, f/2.8, 1/80, ISO 800

Exposure Date: January 28, 2009

#3 of 52 - family portraits

2010-01-23T20:59:00.002-06:00

Did some portraits at the annual extended family Christmas party last week. I couldn't just pick one, so I put these all together...

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II (top 6 portraits), Canon 1D Mark III (bottom 3), TS-E 90mm f/2.8, f/2.8, ISO 100, various apertures and shutter speeds, 2 monolights w/ softboxes
Exposure Date: January 16, 2010

#2 / 52 for 2010 - my nephew

2010-01-14T19:30:00.003-06:00

I got to do a few shots with my sister last weekend, of my nephew. Or my niece (but probably my nephew, according to the ultrasound tech).

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, TS-E 90mm f/2.8, f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 400, Canon 580 EX II
Exposure Date: January

First week in January - Lone tree

2010-01-06T16:23:00.005-06:00

Well here's the first blog photo of the year. In case you missed it earlier, I'm doing a photo a week rather than a photo a day this year, just due to my busy schedule. I'd rather post quality than quantity, and it is still enough to keep me looking for that elusive photo.

This shot is a pretty good illustration of why I always carry at least one camera and lens with me whenever I'm out and about. The lighting was pretty great this morning as I was out driving but when I saw the way the light was hitting this tree out in a snowy field, I knew I had to turn around and get a shot of it.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 1D Mark III, EF 28mm f/1.8, f/9, 1/250, ISO 200
Exposure Date: January 6, 2009

2009 was a great year...

2009-12-31T14:13:00.002-06:00

but circumstances are such that I can't commit to posting a photo a day in 2010. I am going to rename this blog to a photo a week, because I think I can commit to that. I won't necessarily limit it to one a week...but I will try to post at least once a week.

Thanks for watching and hope 2010 is a great year for you all.

-Dave

November 21 - Katie

2009-12-05T11:10:00.004-06:00

Katie is a good friend of my wife's. The first thing I noticed about her was her eyes.

I got to shoot her wedding a couple weeks ago...

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D mark II, TS-E 90mm f/2.8, f/2.8, 1/50, ISO 800
Exposure Date: November 21, 2009

October 17 - Cheyenne

2009-11-04T21:29:00.003-06:00

Cheyenne drove up to Cambridge with her parents to take advantage of our fall colors for her senior portraits:

We did some indoor studio shots too:

(click photos to view larger)

All photos made with Canon 5D Mark II

Sept 30 - Multicolor walleye

2009-10-23T21:08:00.003-05:00

These walleye were both taken from the same spot on the same lake within a few minutes of each other. We were amazed at the color variation. The lighter color one had a definite bluish tinge to it, especially in the fins.

The color didn't affect the flavor though....they were both delicious.

(click photos to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 50mm/1.4 (both photos)
Exposure Date: September 30, 2009

September 26 - Quetico Flyover

2009-10-08T21:50:00.003-05:00

Backtracking a bit from the previous 2 photos, this is from the first canoeing day of our Quetico Canoe trip. We caught a De Havilland Beaver float plane on Saganaga Lake, just over the US / Canada border and then flew to the northwest corner of Quetico, into Beaverhouse Lake.

Here is a shot I got from the co-pilot's seat. As you can see the fall colors were progressing nicely.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm, f/5.6, 1/200, ISO 400
Exposure Date: September 26, 2009

Oct 1 - Kawnipi Lake wakeup

2009-10-05T22:28:00.002-05:00

Woke up on Kawnipi Lake in Quetico last week to a beautiful, though frosty morning. This was the last calm water we would see on the trip.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm, f/8, 1/15, ISO 400
Exposure Date: October 1, 2009

Lots more to come...

October 1 - Back from Quetico

2009-10-04T21:27:00.004-05:00

Made the annual fall canoe trip last week. Tons of wind, waves, rain and a bit chilly (pretty hard frost a couple of nights), but still loads of fun. To quote a trip mate: "I can't understand why there aren't a thousand people up here." I think we saw 8 others during our 125 mile paddle.

This is a shot I made from camp one night when the moon was nearly full and the wind was howling. Long exposures in the full moon can be fun.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 17mm, f/5.6, 30 sec, ISO 1600
Exposure Date: October 1, 2009

More to come, and some long overdue photos from the last month and a half will go up as time allows as well...

August 13 - Shy dog

2009-08-25T22:46:00.003-05:00

I was at a colleague's house last week, and of course I had my camera with me. She had a dog there that kept wanting to check me out, but was skittish every time I put the camera up to my face to make a photo of her. Finally I just put the camera down near my knees and snapped this one when she came in close to give it a sniff:

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 40mm, f/4, 1/125, ISO 1600
Exposure Date: August 13, 2009

August 12 - Christian

2009-08-25T22:01:00.005-05:00

Shot my friend Christian again. Outdoor portrait with backlight. Don't be afraid to shoot into the sun, as long as you can meter for it properly...

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D, TS-E 90mm f/2.8, f/2.8, 1/250, ISO 200
Exposure Date: August 12, 2009

August 8 - Sherburne Wildlife Refuge

2009-08-24T22:07:00.005-05:00

All I have to do to see how I am doing is look back at my blog and see what the ratio of personal work to paid work has been lately. Oops...this is not good. Don't get me wrong, I love shooting for my clients, but I can see I need to be better about setting aside more personal photography time too.

August 8th I was lucky enough to accompany a friend and another local photographer to the Sherburne Wildlife Refuge about 30 minutes west of here, near Princeton, MN. (His name is Chris Gibbs, you should check out his website here) It was pretty rainy but it didn't stop us from making a few photos as we drove the loop a couple of times.

Here are a few favorites, including two sets of alternate views of the same scene.

(click any photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II (all 5), EF 70-200mm 2.8L IS for photos 1, 2, 4, EF 400 f/5.6L for photos 3 and 5.

Exposure date: August 8, 2009

August 9 - LIbby and Dave

2009-08-18T09:49:00.004-05:00

I met Libby and Dave in downtown St. Paul on a beautiful Sunday morning for an engagement shoot last week. I'm really looking forward to shooting their wedding in November.

(click any photo to view larger)

Exposure Date: August 9, 2009

August 6 - Katie and Matt

2009-08-13T08:15:00.003-05:00

Had an engagement shoot with Katie and Matt...and then we went for ice cream. For two people that are pretty uncomfortable with being in front of the camera, they sure photograph well!

(click photo to view larger)

Exposure Date: August 6, 2009

August 5 - My Backyard

2009-08-13T08:04:00.002-05:00

I was out with my girls the other night just enjoying sitting by the lake and took a quick snapshot of this sunset:

(click photo to view larger)

Exposure Date: August 5, 2009

August 1 - A few more from Kelsey and Sam's wedding

2009-08-12T16:32:00.002-05:00

Here are a few from Kelsey and Sam's wedding ceremony on the 1st:

(click photos to view larger)

Exposure Date: August 1, 2009

August 1 - Some portraits from the wedding

2009-08-10T20:45:00.004-05:00

Some of the guests at Kelsey and Sam's wedding were also friends, so I snapped some quick impromptu portraits:

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Exposure Date: August 1, 2009

August 1 - More wedding prep

2009-08-10T17:48:00.003-05:00

A few more from before Kelsey and Sam's ceremony:

(click any photo to view larger)

Exposure Date: August 1, 2009

August 1 - Wedding preparations

2009-08-07T17:37:00.006-05:00

I got a lot accomplished on editing Kelsey and Sam's wedding photos this week, but I still have a fair bit to go. I find I edit much more effectively if I take a few days break between the shoot and critical editing.

Here are a few photos from the preparations part of the day:

(click any photo to view larger)

More to come...

July 31 - Maddie

2009-08-06T16:43:00.004-05:00

Went to Pace's in Stark for dinner with a couple of friends last weekend, and had a delightful server named Maddie. She was an entertaining waitress. In a good way.

Oh, and the food was pretty tasty too...we'll be going back.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 50mm f/1.4, f/1.8, 1/100, ISO 1600
Exposure Date: July 31, 2009

July 23 - Candids

2009-07-29T23:02:00.004-05:00

When it comes to doing portraits for people, I very much prefer that I can work with them in a natural setting so they can be themselves, rather than using formal posed portraiture. I think it works better and creates more natural photos.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS @ 153mm, f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 200
Exposure Date: July 23, 2009

July 20 - More Reflections

2009-07-27T13:58:00.006-05:00

Last week I did a second set of architectural photos at the Reflections Condos in Bloomington, MN for a client project, mostly to get a different look from the first in terms of lighting. Here are a few from that outing:

(click any photo to view larger)

July 25 - Kim and Stephen engagement session

2009-07-27T07:28:00.003-05:00

I got to hang out with Kim and Stephen for a couple of hours in downtown St. Paul on Saturday for their engagement session. My usual approach to an engagement session is similar to how I do weddings...rather than trying to do a bunch of formal poses, I try to just capture couples having fun and expressing their love for each other.

I'm still processing their engagement gallery but I really liked this one so I decided to post it before I finish the rest. I'll post a few more here later today.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D, TS-E 90mm f/2.8, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 200
Exposure Date: July 25, 2009

Some more photos from the Photowalk last week

2009-07-24T19:04:00.006-05:00

Here are a bunch more photos from the Photowalk I attended with friends in Stillwater, MN, last Saturday.

All Photos taken with Canon 5D Mark II
Exposure Date: July 18, 2009

July 19 - Car show

2009-07-22T23:38:00.009-05:00

I got to shoot a car show on Sunday for the owner of a local Auto Service shop. He really does great work and it was a pleasure to show up and see all these fantastic cars all lined up for me to shoot. It was also great to get a picture perfect weather day for the event. Instead of my usual one photo, I am posting several here. The entire gallery can be found on my website here.

Today you get 14 photos for the price of one. Hope you enjoy...

(You can click any of these photos to view them larger)

All photos taken with Canon 5D Mark II and either the EF 17-40mm f/4L or the TS-E 90mm f/2.8. The last shot is actually a stitch of 4 separate exposures. Can you see the lines?

July 18 bonus - Heidi

2009-07-21T23:39:00.005-05:00

I got to hang out with my friend Heidi for a good portion of the photo walk on Saturday. It was a lot of fun shooting together, and I managed to get a spontaneous portrait of her while she was swapping lenses on her camera. She has a wonderful laugh, I was really happy with how this photo turns out as I feel it captures a bit of her personality very well.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, TS-E 90mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/125, ISO 400
Exposure Date: July 18, 2009

July 18 - Worldwide Photowalkers

2009-07-21T23:27:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday was Scott Kelby's second annual worldwide photowalk. You can find more information about it here, but basically it was a gathering of over 32,000 photo nerds in almost 1000 cities worldwide, but limited to 50 folks per walk. I walked with several friends in Stillwater, Minnesota and had a great time. Was even fortunate enough to meet a few of the folks that work on Adobe Lightroom, which is what I use to edit 95% of my photos.

This is a photo of 3 of my good friends as we set out from the meeting point and started walking:

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D mark II, TS-E 90mm f/2.8, f/8.0, 1/125, ISO 400
Exposure Date: July 18, 2009

July 17 - Running

2009-07-21T09:37:00.007-05:00

I went to a family's house last week to do a lifestyle shoot for a them. They've got a real nice place on 12 acres, so we wandered around and found different spots to shoot. Well...I wandered. The kids ran...and ran...and ran some more. All over the place. They had a couple of their cousins staying over too, so they joined us but didn't get into the photos, for the most part. This is one of their cousins, running to catch up. I got this one as she ran past me on one of their trails. (Oh..and see? Check the EXIF. I do still use the original 5D. Some people have been asking.)

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS @ 105mm, f/4, 1/400, ISO 800
Exposure Date: July 17, 2009

July 15 - Reflections

2009-07-20T20:57:00.003-05:00

I got an architectural gig for a client's international calendar, hired to shoot this condo complex in Bloomington called Reflections. Ian and Rachel were gracious enough to come along and help out by modeling for me in some of the shots so we could give folks a sense of scale for the building. I think the people in it help to tell the story too, give it a bit more pop than a plain vanilla building shot.

Do you think that Reflections is a good name?

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 17-40mm f/4L @ 19mm, f/11, 1/320, ISO 200
Exposure Date: July 15, 2009

July 14 - Tilt shift geese

2009-07-17T16:06:00.004-05:00

Saw a whole mess of geese on the lake near our place so I figured I'd "shoot" 'em. Used the TS-E 90 for this shot. Love the blur I get with that lens tilted at the maximum...

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, TS-E 90mm f/2.8, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 200
Exposure Date: July 14, 2009

July 13 - Neighborhood flowers

2009-07-14T15:04:00.005-05:00

So there's this place I drive past all the time that can't be more than 3/4 of a mile from my house. Every summer they've got this fantastic patch of Black Eyed Susans that always blooms for several weeks, and every summer I see it as I drive by and think "I need to come over here and shoot these sometime"

Well, yesterday I finally said enough is enough and stopped, backed up the car, parked on the shoulder, grabbed the camera out of the backseat and snapped off half a dozen frames.

Even though these flowers are really colorful, I ended up trying a black and white version with some split toning for a tint, and I really liked the result:

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 50mm f/1.4, f2.0, 1/320, ISO 400
Exposure Date: July 13, 2009

July 11 - Gone fishin

2009-07-13T22:04:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posting on the blog here lately, needed to recharge after that last wedding. Don't misunderstand, the wedding was great, I had a blast, just needed a bit of a break from shooting with all the editing and all.

Spent a good share of last week up north with family and friends fishing. Here's my longtime friend Dave with a monster bluegill he pulled in on Saturday.

(click photo to view larger)

Oh, and for you photographers out there....next time someone tells you you can't shoot into the sun, tell 'em that you can do just fine as long as you expose for it. Backlight is wonderful...

EXIF: Canon 5D Mark II, EF 50m f/1.4, f/5.6, 1/80, ISO 400
Exposure Date: July 11, 2009