This old Ford pickup truck sits right around the corner from the mailboxes. Lighting was very harsh with the sun overhead so I used Photomatix to even out highlights and shadows.
mailboxes
We pass by these mailboxes alot and I’m always enticed to photograph them. Yesterday, they were surrounded by Palo Verde blooms so I took yet another shot.
that cloud looks like a…..
Fluffy clouds are a rarity here so I enjoy shooting them when they show up. Continuing to stare through my lens makes me see all kinds of things 🙂
kitchen sunset view
Palo Verde trees are still in full bloom and we’re lucky to have a large one outside our kitchen window. Below is a close-up of the blooms.
hunters
Chris hunts Cleo while Cleo hunts lizards yesterday afternoon.
lynda.com
I’m learning Adobe InDesign at the moment and was very happy to receive (free) 30 days of unlimited access to Lynda.com. This website has video instruction for an incredible number of software titles. The instructors are top in their fields. Access for a month is only $25 which is a great deal since you can check out any of the other topics if you want. Below are the titles I’m working through. Why? I want to create a book from scratch.
gambel’s quail nest
I noticed this quail nest in my little gardening enclosure more than a month ago and had hoped to photograph the eggs hatching but missed it. There were 11 eggs but only 10 hatched. So far we haven’t seen the chicks but Quail moms are very protective so we usually don’t see them for awhile.
As you can see, Gambel’s Quail don’t make elaborate nests. There is usually just a depression in the ground making them very vulnerable to snakes and Roadrunners who both love to eat the eggs and baby chicks. Click here for more information on Gambel’s Quail.
CHDK – canon hackers development kit
Do you know about the hack that’s been available to enable RAW on Canon point and shoots? I first saw it a few months ago but the directions were so intimidating that I didn’t try it. Yesterday, I found more user friendly directions and below is one of several new menus I can now bring up on my Canon S3IS. Pretty cool!
At the moment, the only feature I’m using is the RAW mode. The other seemingly endless options under each menu are greek to me….or should I say geek 🙂
Here is the link: http://lifehacker.com/387380/turn-your-point+and+shoot-into-a-super+camera
All in all? I know Canon must be aware of this hack by now. I’m hoping they finally get a clue that we want RAW capture on our compacts!
crossfit
I officially started a Crossfit program today with Chris as my coach. If you’ve never heard of Crossfit, you probably will. It’s a way of building strength. Today my warm up consisted of pushing a wheelbarrow around the block. Thankfully, most of our neighbors are not here at this time of the year! I then did some squats using the broom handle and then some pretend pull-ups. If you’re curious about the training, check out Crossfit.com.
hdr
Some lighting conditions make it impossible to get an even exposure. In those cases, give HDR a try. Use a tripod and shoot four to fives images at least one stop apart. I then processed my exposures using Photomatix Pro.
