Yes, this is sophomoric, I know. It was just one of those weeks... I'll leave it up to your imagination....just don't jump to obvious conclusions....errr, well, maybe. sort of.



On the afternoon of the week in question I was heading off to a poetry reading on UNC campus. Parking is a nightmare experience, so after checking out some church parking lots, and deciding not to jam my head worrying about getting towed, I opted for an available place a long distance away, but a nice walk. The area I walked through is the historic district here in Chapel Hill. As it implies, there are wonderful restored homes replete with large old trees of various varieties....most of which I have no idea of identity. This little stand of trees will go unclassified (probably better, considering their public indecency.)

i really like equations; digital=faster learning curve. i could not imagine trying to figure out shutter speed and f on old slr's. i can take 900 pictures in a couple of days, keep 20 pictures and be completely content without having to spend $150 on snapfish or even more at wolf's. however, friends and family are starting to get a little frustrated with the kid that always has the camera. well onwards to this issue;s pix (ohhh. it is absolutely ok to shorten pictures to pix in a photo blog entry... not to be confused with entree). sorry for the tangent.

I revisited my alma mater to take a few quick pictures and this is the result. two things i learned from this excursion:

1) no matter how sweet the camera is, it can't make up for a dreary, dusty day in the south. i fidgeted with settings for hours trying to pick up the academic hall with only results of misty-appearing roofs.

2) parallel lines are fun. sidewalks. columns. archways. all very fun and create a great final product. monocular depth cues (flaunting that psych b.s. degree a bit) really are key for illusions and clarity.

the "ye old well" on the left is a personal favorite of mine because of the tradition, the legends, and the pranks we would pull on friends who really believed if they pushed hard enough the well would start back up for them just as you pressed the button and sprayed them in the face.

i guess i will keep the tradition going (tradition having one preceding entry... again not entree) and get my dogs involved. below is the beloved fergie. do not call her fergilicious, she will not respond. this picture marks the move away from auto focus and an attempt at good lighting with the manual settings. as opposed to drunken party pocket size random picture taking, this is when it hit me that this is photography thing is about patience. waiting for the fergmeister to get where you were focused instead of chasing her around and trying to focus on the fly. hurray and thank you ferg.

moving to black and white. last time i promised a forest shot. i deliver like dominos. the simplicity of black and white is what continuously brings in fans and creates instant classics. not saying this is a classic but it is one of my top 3 favorite pictures i've taken. the contrast from the sun being behind the tree and the somewhat mysterious latter all add to the mystery and beauty of the forest scene. the cool thing was i stumbled across this while on an ultimate frisbee course, walking with my good friend and her dog. cheers to you buddy.

well that about wraps it up for today's edition of baby photography steps with the kid with the camera. next time we explore a lovely art gallery in atlanta with a good ol' republican named clinton kennedy. i kid you not.

cheers