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It’s cloudy today. Again. Which tends to put a damper on projectSunrise.
So I was reluctant to troop outside to take my daily photo, which is surprising because I thought that once the flowers bloomed I’d have ample cloudy day subjects. But I’ve discovered that I can only take so … Read the rest →
Today marks the 200th day of projectSunrise. Even more momentous, it’s also the day that the projectSunrise postcards become available for sale!
You may remember having the opportunity to vote on which photos would be featured on the postcards. Now’s your chance to see the winners. Thank you to everyone who … Read the rest →
Cari needed a cover for her newest eBook, Risen from Low Places. She wanted the cover to be black, white, and red with the main font to look “lean, but strong.”
Cari wanted a dark door to convey the theme and emotional content of Risen from Low Places. Which is … Read the rest →
I don’t have a favorite bird yet. I have several. My heart’s a revolving door, some birds sticking around, circling and circling in my favor, while other birds exit, less prominent but no less admired. Which birds garner my attention and affection at any moment is a mix of the qualities … Read the rest →
I love postcards. I love how they have nothing to hide. I love that they have just the right amount of space to send love, even if you don’t have much to say. And it’s probably no surprise that I love that they feature a photo front and center.
As part of the
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I think the birds have it right, starting each morning with song. They perch in the very tops of trees, infusing their feathers with the rising sun. So full of inspiration and purpose, they burst with every note, puffing out, stretching up . . . amplifying harmony.
Many birds, many songs: … Read the rest →
I had no idea when I started taking a daily photo what would come of the exercise. My photos aside, the discipline of using my camera everyday has demanded character traits such as persistence and perseverance. When it comes to camera operation, I’ve given more thought to exposure settings, white balance, and focus.
The dancer … Read the rest →
I know, I know, the holiday season is over. Even Groundhog Day is behind us. But look at it this way: my procrastination in sharing a Christmas post is a good thing, because it’ll help break up the several weeks of ordinary ahead of us.
The four days before Christmas were cloudy … Read the rest →
I’ve been through two pairs of pants, have flushed cheeks, and am drinking hot cocoa as I write. That’s right . . . it’s a snow day!
And it turned out to be the perfect day for a collision of two blog features: Good Done and All Aflutter. … Read the rest →
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I’m starting to realize that birding is somewhat of a passive aggressive undertaking. Aggressive, because the more I go out looking for birds, the more birds I’m bound to see. Passive, because sometimes–usually–it’s better to be still and wait.
The other day I was walking by a park with a line … Read the rest →
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Say hello to the little guys that are peaking my interest right now: house sparrows! I’ll admit that house sparrows are a pretty humble beginning to my journey in birding, but they’re a natural starting point as they’ve been the easiest birds for me to spot just by their sheer numbers. … Read the rest →
I don’t know if you knew this or not, but once you take on one self-prescribed quest, it’s quite easy to take on another one.
For months I scrolled through photography blogs encouraging me to give myself assignments, an exercise that was guaranteed to engender much personal and professional growth. I wasn’t into … Read the rest →
Edith turned 90 years young and her daughters threw an amazing party to celebrate, including a singer and keyboardist, a touching toast by one of Edith’s grandsons, and plenty of good food and fellowship.
Candid shots predominated the afternoon, allowing me to capture special moments without interrupting the flow of the … Read the rest →
Almost a month ago I began taking photos of the sunrise every day. Some days were lemons: overcast and gray. Other days have been breathtaking. Today was incomparable.
All along I’ve been committed to just keeping one photo from the day and sharing it. Today I couldn’t pick. So I thought you could … Read the rest →
Canine Therapy Corps held its annual benefit, Unleashed!, in an event space featuring over 30 collectible cars around the perimeter of the floor. One of the attractions of the evening was for attendees to have their photo taken with a therapy dog inside a vintage convertible.
The main consideration with regards … Read the rest →
A photo of Alex and her family had gotten wet, causing the print to stick to the glass of the frame. In addition, the glass of the frame had broken, tearing the print.
Unable to scan the print due to the broken glass, a photo of it was taken. The Photoshop … Read the rest →
A photo of Juan Jr. and Juan Sr. was creased, smudged, and in need of some TLC.
Just plenty of stamp and patch tool action in Photoshop to replace the damaged pixels and blend the new with the old. To see the results after editting, please hover your cursor over the … Read the rest →
A photo of Malvina’s daughter and future son-in-law (from the day they first met) needed new life.
We were again working from a print, so the photo was first scanned, cropped, and touched up.
Black marker was originally used to try to correct red eye, so the daughter’s eyes had to … Read the rest →
Malvina wanted to merge two of her photos, replacing one image of herself with another, to frame and post on Facebook.
The photos were first scanned and touched up to remove dust and other artifacts. The image of Malvina in Photo 1 (to be replaced) was painted over with black to … Read the rest →
A photo of Malvina and her sister needed a little TLC.
The scanned photo was cropped and slightly color corrected by desaturating the red channel.
Then a lot of touching up was done to remove scratches and nicks on the print, primarily using Photoshop’s patch tool. To see the end results, … Read the rest →
Heidi has a new puppy! Brutus is a mastiff, so we had to get in a photo session before he got too big to fit in the viewfinder!
Brutus was friendly and mellow and just an absolute doll, but not the most cooperative puppy. The photos ended up being more … Read the rest →
Juan had several plaques and awards he wanted photos of to put on Facebook. He had difficulty getting good shots of them himself due to glare off the glass and engraved sections.
With all the different reflective surfaces–glass, gold metal, black metal, lacquered wood–every plaque required its own lighting conditions. I … Read the rest →
A few months back I took some before-and-after grooming photos for Heidi, the owner and head pet stylist at a local grooming establishment.
This time around she had some handstripping photos (taken by someone else; see photos to right) that she wanted touched-up and edited to “make them look better.” The photos were … Read the rest →
The goal was to design a postcard to promote the creative services I can offer pet businesses such as dog groomers, supply shops, and animal shelters.
The vertically-slanted titles add interest and, with the lists of services, create an impromptu framing effect. Bold colors based loosely on the color palette of … Read the rest →
From the Illinois Safety Fire Alliance website, Camp I Am Me “provides the setting for burn survivors to share their common experiences while being able to play and not feel self conscious about their scars. The benefits to the campers–physical, psychological, and emotional–have been enough to inspire a long list of eager volunteers … Read the rest →
I love thinking about what Moon is seeing. The morning routine for her and Zoey involves romping and playing, relishing an eagerly anticipated breakfast followed by more playing, and then a joint gaze out the window. More often than not lately, Zoey has tuckered out first, leaving Moon to hold solitary sentry duties.
As far … Read the rest →
I retract my previous statement. Yes, slalom is a fun word, but photomacrography is funner.
I plummeted into a photographic low last week. (“I hate photography.” “No you don’t, Joy.” “Yes, I do, I really really do.”) Part of it was my own fault for building up months of anticipation to dive back into … Read the rest →
I think every photographer has a Loch Ness Monster, a scene that appears abruptly, astonishes you, and then dissolves before you can get photographic evidence. It’s a scene that defies description, and the rapidity with which it is there one moment and gone the next makes you wonder if you ever saw it at all. … Read the rest →
Sometimes I like to keep things close.
It’s not that I don’t like to share. Not exactly, at least. But some things come with a certain degree of sanctity, and I think it’s best for others to just respect that. Like secret family recipes: you can enjoy the dish, but the ingredients are strictly off … Read the rest →
Leaves alit, lick the sky; smoldering embers aflame with change.
They’ll shiver down, adorn the ground, with ashes of a season. … Read the rest →
Photo highlights from a recent trip with my dad to Mitchell Park Conservatory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin . . .
(Left) An Orange Bishop. (Right) A shrimp plant.
Birds of paradise.
Orchids.
(Left) Backlit leaves. (Right) An agave.
(Left) An antherium. (Right) A pink flower. … Read the rest →
Speed bumps in Chicago:
Oof!
Speed bumps in Ecuador:
¡Oof! ¡Oof! ¡Oof! ¡Oof! ¡Oof! ¡Oof!
Now, imagine yourself sardined into a van or bus for 3.5 hours. In fact, somebody call those CIA agents who authorized torture strategy at Guantánamo; I’ve got a few pointers for them.
Yet there’s something about being homeward bound, your last chocolate Casero already reduced … Read the rest →
gringo [gring-goh]
n.
1) term used by persons of Latin American countries to denote a foreigner (especially those from the United States); therefore, my moniker in Ecuador
2) this fish:
See the resemblance?
To tell you the truth, my mouth actually was agape much of our last day in Ecuador. My pre-trip research … Read the rest →
If you’ve ever wondered why cielo means both sky and heaven, you can find the answer 13000 feet up Volcán Pichincha.
Veró and I shelled out eight bucks apiece, one of the more expensive excursions of our trip, to ride El TelefériQo up into the sky to just this side of heaven. I’d … Read the rest →
Ecuador is the smallest country in the Andes, yet its geography still accommodates three distinct zones, banded like neapolitan ice cream across the land: the Pacific Costa, the mountainous Sierra, and the lush Oriente. All told, Veró and I spent five days along the coast in Guayaquil, Manta, Montecristi, … Read the rest →
I’ve watched Deal or No Deal a couple times without much enthusiasm. But on the plane from Miami to Guayaquil, they aired an episode that snubbed my skepticism of the show’s success. It seemed that the contestant just couldn’t go wrong; each suitcase she chose left her with better options for the next round, until … Read the rest →
Veró and I didn’t know it, but we were desperate. And $3 is a bargain, right?
We had exhausted the festivals at Mitad del Mundo and the eggsperiments at El Museo de Sitio Intiñan. The helado de paila back at the monument was suspect, our feet were weary, it was too soon for another … Read the rest →
As much as I enjoy the challenge of reading and speaking another language, just as delightful were the English translations Veró and I came across at museums and on menus over the course of our travels . . .
Oswaldo Guayasamín was born in Quito, Ecuador, on July 6, … Read the rest →
Abandoning my humita and Fanta, I sprinted up a stairway that opened out onto a pigeon-infested balcony with a view of the Summer Solstice celebrations at Mitad del Mundo. Canopy supports and light poles obstructed my shots, forcing me to pitch my camera into angles I hadn’t yet risked, and focus on expressions … Read the rest →
I’m exceptionally impressionable, which leads me to be moderately gullible. That’s why magic acts have continued to entertain me all these years.
I still have a Marshall Brodien magic set. Great fun. (Image courtesy of WGN Morning News Blog.)
But there’s only so much redirection and good-natured deception a person can take before the … Read the rest →
If I learned anything in Otavalo, home to the largest outdoor market in South America, it was that neither Verónica nor I were barterers. In a situation where haggling and compromise were expected, find yourself a different set of traveling companions, because Veró and I were polar opposites on this issue of economic etiquette.
Veró, … Read the rest →
It’s true, like just about everyone in America, I used to take piano lessons. I really enjoyed it, too, at least until my instructor said that she’d taught me as much as she could and handed me off to a woman who insisted her pupils take part in recitals and keep time to a metronome. … Read the rest →
. . . climb La Basílica del Voto Nacional.
An ascent not for the faint of heart–or head, for that matter, given Quito’s already high altitude of 9000+ feet.
I don’t have the guidebook handy that made that profession, but I swear that’s what it said.
And although I might admit that the exact … Read the rest →
Verónica said she would have never noticed the dogs in Ecuador had it not been for my incessant, “Oo, look at that dog!” Enjoy a couple of my favorites on this dog day of summer . . .
(Left) A cocker spaniel hanging out on a balcony near Fundación Guayasamín in Quito.
(Right) A hopeful … Read the rest →
A thundering rumble in the dark, and Volcán Tungurahua erupted (or, if you’re in a more festive mood) in a late night wash of sparks and lava!
Or, I just got bored during our $3 tour* up an adjacent mountain for a nighttime view of the volcano (which happened to be shrouded in obscuring fog) … Read the rest →
I didn’t know how late it was when I woke up on Veró’s and my first morning in Quito, so I tiptoed out of my room and checked the clock in the office, only to find that I had quite a bit of time to kill. The office had a view of the street below, … Read the rest →
Female Crimson Finch along the Malecón in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
One thing I love about photography is that it’s all about the moment. Take the moment captured above. Verónica and I were strolling along Guayaquil’s Malecón and had just started down a set of stairs when my eye caught sight of this little fella. One of … Read the rest →
We had been in Ecuador for fewer than 12 hours, and already I was enchanted. You could have tied me up in a potato sack and shoved me in a closet for the remainder of the trip, and still I would have walked away satisfied. And I hadn’t even spied blue footed boobies, sea lions, … Read the rest →
I took Spanish classes for many years in school. Don’t mean I know a thing, though. Surprisingly, my desire to refresh my abilities in college by taking a couple of courses seemed to do more harm than good. The combination of the intervening years and my simultaneous study of German bungled things up quite a … Read the rest →
I was enjoying my first breakfast yogurt in Manta, where Verónica and I would be staying with her tío’s family for a few days before continuing on to Quito, and something was nagging at me.
A little, persistent tickle at the back of my mind, and it took me a moment to identify the trigger: … Read the rest →
I did it. This morning, I had Lechera on bananas. It only took 4 days and 5 blog postings before I peeled back the foil covering on the bottle and tried to get a little authentic Ecuador back in my life. I was utterly, utterly disappointed.
Here’s Harry enjoying a banana, which was grown in … Read the rest →
Verónica and I had agreed: we would not be dining on the customary celebratory dish of Ecuador: cuy (koo-ie). Aside from its prohibitive price tag ($18-25, far above the $2-6 lunches we had so far enjoyed), both of us had had these culinary delights as mascotas and were not keen to see them belly-up on … Read the rest →
I think one of the most important things in life is your motives, and I made a concerted effort before leaving for Ecuador to check my motives. If photography and travel were what I was supposed to be doing, then I wanted to do them for the right reasons, and it should be an undertaking … Read the rest →
Traveling.
But I also love . . .
“Do you want to go to Ecuador with me?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to go to Ecuador with me?!”
“Yes!”
I can’t even remember if Verónica asked me a third time, but I’m sure what my answer would have been all the same. Pack your bag, Joy, you’re going to Ecuador!
I may be guilty … Read the rest →
