previous / next (12-23-09)

Well winter is most definitely here. We had around 10 inches of snow this past weekend. I cannot remember such a heavy snowfall this early in the season in a very long time. I did not get out to shoot as I would have liked. I was just too busy. It seems there is no time these days for recreational shooting.

This was shot at the Great Swamp a few weeks ago after all the leaves had fallen from the trees and although it was a fairly warm morning the barren look and mood of the swamp most definitely conjured up thoughts of gray winter days.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/640 second
F/6.3
ISO 640
65 mm

previous / next (12-21-09)

They lead us places we want to go
and sometimes places we do not know.

Whichever paths we take in life
we may find joys or may find strife.

But we learn so much along the way
and make new memories every day.

All paths lead us to what we become
and hopefully to be a better one.

So look around, take it in,
and always remember where you've been.

Joy will find us on the path
if we only recognize it and invite it in.

May you all find more joys than sorrows along the pathway of your life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well that is my semi-annual sappy rhyme.
This was shot in the Great Swamp several weeks ago.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/100 second
F/16.0
ISO 640
28 mm

previous / next (12-18-09)

You can see Old Barney in the distance.

Been having serious internet issues since last week. Still trying to get them fixed. My DSL connection resets every few minutes. Verizon was out today and still cannot figure out what is going on. Hopefully it will be fixed very soon.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/100 second
F/20.0
ISO 500
70 mm

previous / next (12-7-09)

This man seemed to be lost in thought. He stood at the edge of the pond for quite some time. Perhaps he was enjoying some fond memories.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8
1/125 second
F/10.0
ISO 320
200 mm

previous / next (11-18-09)

I love Long Beach Island and I love Lighthouses so what better place to be on a beautiful Fall afternoon?

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/80 second
F/16.0
ISO 500
50 mm

Check out my Fall Favorites Slideshow here.

previous / next (11-6-09)

Same day, same park, different tree.

Tomorrow, Thursday, is my youngest son's birthday.

HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY JON!!!

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/125 second
F/9.0
ISO 640
120 mm

previous / next (11-4-09)

Trying to make the best of the not so great weather this month I managed to steal out one sunny afternoon and grab a couple of back-lit fall foliage shots in the little park near my home.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/320 second
F/7.1
ISO 640
70 mm

previous / next (11-2-09)

I found these pretty colors playing in a puddle on the street at the entrance of a park a little over a week ago.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/80 second
F/7.1
ISO 640
135 mm

previous / next (10-28-09)

And now it is gone.

This charming little diner/luncheonette is no longer. I am really bummed. It was not exactly close to my home. It was really tiny and didn't "look" like much on the outside but it was charming inside and had great food. The one time I ate there I had a really awesome burger. It was one of the best burgers I ever had. Mark had eaten breakfast there a few times and said the breakfasts were really awesome too. This is a really sad sign of the times. Chef Ed...If you have just relocated and see this post by some miracle, please tell me where you have gone.

Nikon D200
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/125 second
F/7.1
ISO 400
28 mm

previous / next (10-26-09)

This is another one from the 2008 archives.

Nikon D200
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/320 second
F/2.8
ISO 500
52 mm

previous / next (10-16-09)

I took this when I went for a short stroll on the beach on a stormy-ish October day last week.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/200 second
F/13.0
ISO 200
170 mm

previous / next (9-30-09)

I have a fondness for classic lampposts. This was shot in the Spring in East Jersey Olde Town a charming little restored village.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 85mm f/1.8
1/2000 second
F/1.8
ISO 250
85 mm

I will be away for a few days but have readied posts to run automatically while I am away.

previous / next (9-28-09)

What a waste and a shame. Sandy Hook is the site of many protected species of shore birds. Some moron decided it would be a good idea to destroy a nest. It has been speculated by many that it was likely a fishermen. They argue that if the nests are gone then the fishermen would be allowed to fish there. I would hate to think this is true. I don't personally know of any fishermen who would stoop to such a thing. There are plenty of places to fish without fishing from restricted nesting areas.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/250 second
F/6.3
ISO 400
130 mm

I will be away for a few days but have readied posts to run automatically while I am away.

previous / next (9-25-09)

It doesn't get any better than this.

I will be away for a few days but have readied posts to run automatically while I am away.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/320 second
F/8.0
ISO 200
70 mm

previous / next (9-23-09)

This was shot back in April at the Great Swamp. I found it in the archives. I love the Great Swamp especially in the Fall. I am looking forward to taking a trip over when the leaves start to change. It is quite a show. During this trip we watched the snapping turtles swimming around in the water. That is what the couples on the boarded walkway were looking at. There were actually 2 couples, well really 3 including me and Mark.

Tomorrow Mark and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. It seems like yesterday. We will be spending it watching the season premier of NCIS though. Lol...We will do the whole dinner and night out on another day. We both have to find out what happened to Ziva.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/800 second
F/2.8
ISO 200
70 mm

previous / next (9-23-09)

In case you hadn't noticed we spend a lot of time in Hoboken NJ. :) It is fast becoming our favorite place to go on the weekends. It seems likely that we will eventually want to move there, but not until all the kids are out of the house, and if the bestest neighbor in the whole world lets us...Hmmmm...that could be a problem... :)

This was shot handheld...my tri-pod was in the trunk of the car many blocks away...doh! Thankfully the D700 does well with high ISO although I will admit that I applied a little noise reduction to the sky. The blue luminance picked up a little noise...not much noise but some and it probably would not have been noticeable when I resized it to post.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/40 second
F/5.0
ISO 3200
52 mm

previous / next (9-16-09)

On Friday evening Mark and I met up with Mary Brooks Brown and her friend Charity at Liberty State Park to see if we could get some shots of the annual 9-11 Tribute in Lghts. It was a rainy windy nasty evening so we took a little car-tour of Jersey City and Hoboken while waiting for the rain to let up and the fog and low cloud deck to lift a little before heading back to Liberty State Park to get the shots of the Tribute in Lights.

It was super to finally meet Mary and her friend Charity. They made a long trip to come see the lights and I was very worried that they would be disappointed because of the nasty weather. But when the cloud deck lifted a bit we witnessed a very eerily beautiful sight. The memorial is breathtaking and touching and the wind whistling through the buildings made the sound of anguished wailing in the night.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
4/5 seconds
F/8.0
ISO 400
70 mm

previous / next (9-14-09)

It has been 8 years since we became forever changed.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/200 second
F/8.0
ISO 500
140 mm

previous / next (9-11-09)

This sweet beagle was walking his owners in the park that runs beneath the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee. What a cute little guy he is too.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR w/Nikon 2x teleconverter
1/160 second
F/9.0
ISO 1600
310 mm

previous / next (9-07-09)

The cooler days and wonderful cool almost chilly evenings are making me think of the season to come so I decided to post an image from the archives.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 85mm f/1.8
1/160 second
F/9.0
ISO 800
85 mm

previous / next (8-31-09)

This is another shot from the Hunterdon County 4H Fair taken last Sunday. Isn't he beautiful?

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-2oomm f/2.8 VR
1/125 second
F/11.0
ISO 1600
180 mm

This weekend Russell is going back to school to start his Sophomore year at Rutgers/Mason Gross. It will be a very hectic weekend between packing him up and moving him into his dorm. Rob is still home on leave so it is sad that Russell's time with his brother is being cut short. They have been having such a great time together.

previous / next (8-28-09)

An adorable baby chick at the Hunterdon County 4H fair.

Since Rob is home we are not planning too much ahead since he wants to balance his time between family and friends. Sunday morning he was sleeping in after staying up into the wee hours hanging out with his brothers playing some new video game he introduced them to so Mark and I took the opportunity to run over to the fair for a couple of hours while the boys caught up on their much needed sleep. I don't think any of us have gone to bed before 2AM since he has been home.

It was a muddy, soggy, humid, hot, kinda stinky day, and I do mean the smelly kind of stinky. Negotiating the mud was an adventure in and of itself, but there were still lots of great things to see. I didn't take a lot of photos since we didn't stay too long but I got a few cute shots here and there. This baby chick was just too cute to pass up.

Tonight we are going to a Yankees game with Rob. I am hoping to have a few photos to share from the game. This is only the 3rd game I've been to and the 1st one in the new stadium. It should be a blast.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/125 second
F/11.0
ISO 1250
190 mm

previous / next (8-26-09)

This is from the archives. I shot this one on a beautiful warm late April evening.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/125 second
F/6.3
ISO 200
28 mm

previous / next (8-24-09)

I shot this at Ken Lockwood Gorge last Sunday afternoon. I had to do a heavy vertical crop to remove some really brightly sunlit leaves that I had to shoot through to get this shot. This heron had to stand at least 4 feet tall. We watched him for quite some time. This was my favorite shot of him and his feast, although I imagine the poor fish did not feel quite so happy.

It was a very hot humid day but the gorge is always a pleasantly shady and cool even on the very hot days. The sound of the water flowing over the rocks is so soothing. You can walk along the river for a long distance through the gorge and even make your way up to an old trestle turned bike/hike path and walk over the gorge. We did not go up on the trestle since there is safety fencing over it and that would not work too well for photos, plus it is not so shady and cool up there.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR w/Nikon 2x teleconverter
1/160 second
F/7.1
ISO 1100
400 mm

If things go as planned I should be picking Rob up from the airport today as he starts his block leave. So you probably won't see too much of me around the blogs for the next couple of weeks although I will continue to queue up posts to auto-run. We have a lot planned including going to a Yankees game, fishing, going out to Rob's favorite restaurants, and hopefully having a little party for him while he is home. I of course will be happily spoiling him rotten.

Yesterday was Mark's birthday. Happy Birthday!!! Having Rob home with us to celebrate is the best gift.

I have decided to start posting only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I think it will be a more manageable schedule.

previous / next (8-21-09)

Just a normal summer day on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant NJ.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR w/Nikon 2x teleconverter
1/250 second
F/6.3
ISO 200
400 mm

UPDATE 8-20-09

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!!!

LOVE YOU!

previous / next (8-17-09)

This was a pretty ominous sight a few weeks back.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/320 second
F/11.0
ISO 320
70 mm

I have decided to start posting only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I think it will be a more manageable schedule.

previous / next (8-15-09)

This is a window at the Burlington County Prison Museum. The window was too high to see out of.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/20 second
F/8.0
ISO 500
35 mm

A few days ago I asked for good thoughts for some pending news. Well I got the news and it was not what I was hoping. Many of you know that my oldest son is a soldier serving in the Army since 2005. His contract for active duty was due to be up in September and with terminal leave he was hoping to be home in mid August and enter his 4 year inactive reserve period. He found out that he is to be stoplossed and will deploy to Iraq for another 12 month tour this fall.

This was not the news we were hoping for but it is what it is and it was not completely unexpected. He is proud of his service but he was ready to return to civilian life, pick up where he left off, and return to college to finish his degree. Now he will not get out until early 2011.

It is tough to think of going through another deployment. I did not handle it very well last time. I think I hardly slept for those 15 months, constantly checking the computer for any message any news. Staying up until ungodly hours waiting for him to email me anything. Sometimes I would hear from him daily and then other times it would be weeks between communications. I'm not sure how I will handle it this time. I know as difficult as it is for me it is far tougher on him and his fellow soldiers. I will just ask that everyone please keep him in your thoughts.

He will be home for block leave in a few days for about 2 weeks. We are looking forward to spending some family time together before the younger two return to school and he goes back to Iraq.

previous / next (8-11-09)


This was shot at the same location as the previous 2. It was such a beautiful evening with wonderful golden light.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/125 second
F/9.0
ISO 400
70 mm

"A man may be so much of everything that he is nothing of anything." Samuel Johnson

previous / next (8-9-09)

Long Shadows at the end of a beautiful summer day in Hoboken. This was shot just minutes after the previous shot.

This was 100% processed in Lightroom...no HDR...I don't have a clue how to do HDR. No add on filters or plug-ins only Lightroom's default tools.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/125 second
F/9.0
ISO 400
28 mm

A few weeks ago my external LaCie HD started to show signs of failure. The LaCie was the drive where I kept all of my working photos. I managed to get everything backed up onto another drive and shortly after that the LaCie bit the dust...whew! At any rate I was not happy with my current back-up system. I tried one of those online services but it was going to take over 200 days to back everything up...nope not gonna work! So after debating for the past year or so I decided to get a DROBO. I received it a couple of days ago from B&H and set it up with 2 1T drives. In a few short hours all my important stuff was moved onto the DROBO and now I have redundancy on a working drive with an expandable capacity and a separate external as a 3rd back-up which I can stick in a fireproof safe. I think I have it covered now.

The DROBO seems to be working superbly and it was easy to install and get up and running. It sits nicely on my desk and I am very happy with it so far. I suggest that anyone with storage and back-up concerns look into this little device.

There are no RAID configurations to figure out, just pop in the SATA drives and go! You need at least 2 to start. If one starts to fail DROBO will tell you and you just pop out bad one and replace it with a new one and that's pretty much it. If it starts to get full DROBO will let you know and all you need to do to expand it is either add another SATA drive to one of the 2 remaining drive bays or replace the smallest drive with a larger one. All this while you are still working. Awesome!

"A man may be so much of everything that he is nothing of anything." Samuel Johnson

previous / next (8-7-09)

This was shot the same day as the previous post but from Hoboken...yes we do spend a lot of time in Hoboken. I've become very fond of that city since I've been photographing there over the past couple of years. I was shooting in the opposite direction when I heard the Ferry behind me so I quickly turned around and grabbed the shot as the Ferry started to turn toward NY. It was such a lovely evening with wonderful golden light.

This was 100% processed in Lightroom...no HDR...I don't have a clue how to do HDR. No add on filters or plug-ins only Lightroom's default tools.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/125 second
F/9.0
ISO 400
28 mm

There is a lot of stuff going on right now and I am so very busy. I have some very hopeful exciting news and I am wanting to share it but cannot...just yet. It is of a personal nature not related to photography but it is something I've been waiting for for a long time and if you have been following me for a while you will understand why I am excited about it. I should know by the end of the week if it will happen. I'm requesting positive thoughts in the meantime.

"A man may be so much of everything that he is nothing of anything." Samuel Johnson

previous / next (8-5-09)

This is a recent view of the George Washington Bridge from the Palisades Interstate Park. I know I have posted quite a few images of this iconic bridge so I hope you don't find it too boring.

This was 100% processed in Lightroom...no HDR...I don't have a clue how to do HDR. No add on filters or plug-ins only Lightroom's default tools.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/125 second
F/14.0
ISO 200
70 mm

"A man may be so much of everything that he is nothing of anything." Samuel Johnson

previous / next

This is a view across the harbor from behind Officer's Row in Fort Hancock in Sandy Hook taken just before sunset.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/160 second
F/8.0
ISO 400
56 mm

previous / next

This was taken a few weeks ago in Asbury Park. There is not much left of this building which crosses the boardwalk and used to house amusements, but there seemed to be signs that it is slowly being renovated. It will be great if they can continue to bring Asbury Park back from the brink but I am sure the current economic situation is not helping any.

I've been terribly busy these past few weeks and hope to catch up with everyone soon. Thanks for your visits and comments, they really do mean a lot to me.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/125 second
F/11.0
ISO 360
95 mm

previous / next

I think this will be the last in the Burlington County Prison Museum series for now. These scenes were part of an installation art in the museum. They really did evoke an emotional reaction. While my sympathies lie with the victims of crimes and not the criminals who committed the criminal acts, one cannot help but be impacted by the profound despair in places such as this.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/100 second
F/3.5
ISO 2500
28 mm

previous / next

Continued from the previous post from Burlington County Prison Museum.

I've been terribly busy these past few weeks and hope to catch up with everyone soon. Thanks for your visits and comments, they really do mean a lot to me.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/125 second
F/2.8
ISO 1100
28 mm

previous / next

I shot this at the Burlington County Prison Museum last month.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8
1/125 second
F/2.8
ISO 1400
70 mm

previous / next

This was shot a few weeks ago in Point Pleasant Beach New Jersey. They mean what they say. Establishment and preservation of the Dunes are important for the survival of the beachfront and once they are filled in with native plantings they are quite beautiful.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/1250 second
F/5.6
ISO 200
140 mm

previous / next

Another shot from the Macy's July 4th Fireworks on the Hudson. Those are just a few of the barges where the fireworks were launched from. In the distance is the George Washington Bridge. I shot this from the same location as the previous post.

For more images from the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks go to the slideshow here.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR w/Nikon 2x teleconverter
1/125 second
F/7.1
ISO 1800
340 mm

previous / next

This fireboat on the Hudson was shot from the Steven's Institute of Technology Campus in Hoboken on July 4, 2009. We went there to see the Macy's Fireworks on the Hudson. We hadn't planned on going but decided to hop the train and go. I really wasn't planning on getting too many images. I was tired from the long day and thought I would probably just people watch if I were to take any images at all. We found this grassy spot on the hill to be much less crowded and more comfortable than some of the other locations on the promenade and pier which afforded better views. We did get a great view of the fireworks although not the best spot to photograph them. Despite a utility pole, a lamppost, and a tree in the field of view and the fact that I forgot my remote, I did get some images of the fireworks that I have loaded into a slideshow which you can see here.

Nikon
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR w/Nikon 2x teleconverter
1/125 second
F/7.1
ISO 720
400 mm

previous / next

The July 4th Holiday was a very busy and very fun day for me. We spent the morning and early afternoon in Morristown NJ covering a "Tea Party" rally with between 3750-4250 people in attendance. It was an impressive turn-out I thought. The people were there to protest ever increasing spending, debts, taxes, bailouts, and the move toward becoming a socialist country by what they consider to be an out of control, intrusive Government.

There were many impassioned speakers ranging from politicians, to "ordinary citizens", to a surgeon, an author, a veteran, a whole host of people from all walks of life. I am waiting for confirmation of the names of the speakers from the organizers of the rally. When I get that info I will post it here.

I just got the list of speakers which I am just going to copy and paste into the post below.

11:00am: Invocation Deacon Tim Holden

Pledge of Allegiance

Star Spangled Banner Rob Kastner

11:10am Opening Remarks Rich Luzzi

11:12am Salute to the Armed Forces Paul Albanese Corp. USMC

WWII Vet: Corp. Curtis Glenn Army

Korea Vet Capt. Thomas Tierney USMC

Viet Nam Vet Lt. Col.. Michael Shield VN/Gulf

Major Robert Elton

Iraq War Nathaniel Putnam Specialist

Donald Backer Specialist

Moment of silence for fallen soldiers

11:22am History of The Green Maryann Franzese

11:25am Charles M. Payne

11:40am Assemblyman Richard Merkt

11:45am Mayor of Morristownship: Mr. Scott Rosenbush

11:50am Rep Candidate for Mayor of Morristown Mr. Jimmy Gervasio

11:55am Cap and Trade Speaker Mr. Tom Adkins

12:10pm Reading of the Declaration of Independence

12:20pm Citizen Speaker Matt Perez

12:28pm Gubernatorial Candidate Mr. Kaplan

12:35pm Assemblyman Mr. Michael Patrick Carroll – did not show

12:45pm Healthcare Speaker Dr. Alphonse DiGiovanni

12:55pm Fair Tax Speaker Linda Terczak

1:00pm Citizen Speaker Polina Maire did not speak

1:05pm Citizen Speaker Flagman does not want his real name used

1:10pm Poster Contest

1:15pm Closing Remarks Ralph Franzese did not speak

1:20pm Song: God Bless America

To see more images from the rally view the slideshow here. All images in the slideshow were shot from 200-400mm and other than possibly being cropped are unedited.

After the rally we got a bite to eat in town and then went home to unload the photos. We decided on the spur of the moment to go the Macy's 4th of July fireworks on the Hudson River. We took the train to Hoboken. We got there around 4:30PM, spent the afternoon in town eating, having a couple of adult beverages, enjoying some nice conversation and company at one of the wonderful little outdoor cafe before staking out a place on the Steven's Campus on the hill overlooking the Hudson River to view the fireworks. It turned out to be a pretty good location for viewing them especially since we went very last minute. It was not nearly as crowded as the waterfront along Sinatra Drive and we found a seat on the grass on the hill which was pretty comfortable. We staked out our spot pretty late at around 7:45 PM. I got some good photos considering I wasn't really thinking we would be in a great location since we got there so late. There was a utility pole and a lamppost in our line of sight and I left my remote in my other bag...DOH! I do have a few shots I will share just the same. All I can say about the show is...WOW!!! It was spectacular.

I have loaded a slideshow of images from the Macy's Fireworks which you can see here.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR w/Nikon 2x teleconverter
1/125 second
F/13.0
ISO 500
400 mm

Check out my new slideshow page. The link is here and at the top and bottom of every page. I am testing out several formats for the slideshows each with their own advantages and disadvantages. It will be an evolving process and I will add new ones from time to time. I hope you will stop by and check them out and feel free to leave me some feedback.

previous / next

With the 4th of July Holiday weekend fast approaching I thought it would be nice to post some hopeful images of nice summer days on the beach. Unfortunately those days have been precious few so far this year with record cold temps and record rainfalls in June. Will July finally usher in summer? I don't know but here's hoping! On the upside I have yet to turn on my air conditioning.

This was shot last weekend in Asbury Park. I was happy to see the boardwalk and the beach busy. It seems that Asbury Park is fighting to regain some of it's former glory. We saw some wonderful cafe's on the boardwalk and a funky beach bar and they were all quite busy even though the weather was not 100% glorious and rained on and off during the day. In fact if you look closely you can see where it is raining off in the distance over the water in this shot.

We saw some unique places on the boardwalk, one a glass blowing place called "Hot Sand" where you can design your own molten glass cast in sand among other things. I have a couple of photos from there which I will post later. It was a very cool shop. Another was a pottery place where you can learn to throw your own pots. I did not have time to go in but I am planning to go back and check it out.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/320 second
F/11.0
ISO 360
70 mm

Check out my new slideshow page. The link is here and at the top and bottom of every page. I am testing out several formats for the slideshows each with their own advantages and disadvantages. It will be an evolving process and I will add new ones from time to time. I hope you will stop by and check them out and feel free to leave me some feedback.

I want to take a moment to express my sympathies for the people of Iran during such turbulent times. I hope and pray that they have their voices heard and that the terrible violence against them is ended. I am including some links in this post at the request of a fellow photoblogger.

http://onlymehdi.aminus3.com
http://photoblog.com/onlymehdi
ONLYMEHDI

previous / next

It figures...The day before I got this shot I drove all the way to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in search of wildlife to photograph with my new lens set up with the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR and the 2x teleconverter and all I came away with were some images of geese...gee I could have gotten those anywhere! So I took a walk a to my little park, which backs up to a 10 lane highway and what did I get within just a few minutes? Well as you can see...I got this beautiful doe.

It is not terribly unusual to see them but they are usually running or really deep in the thicket. This doe let me come really close to her. At one point we were within 10 feet of each other. I reached out my hand to her and she sniffed the air and seemed tempted to come closer to sniff my hand but thought better of it and went back to the business of nibbling the leaves. She was totally unconcerned with my presence and would only glance at me occasionally.

I am still getting the hang of using this lens set up. It is a bit of a learning curve and I was shooting handheld with it...not too bad. I haven't used a tri-pod with it at the time of this writing, but I am planning on doing that soon...I have an aversion to tri-pods so it is not my favorite way to shoot. I feel somehow disconnected when I use a tri-pod.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR w/Nikon 2x teleconverter
1/125 second
F/5.6
ISO 800
310 mm

I just found out that someone tried to hack into my Gmail account...Grrrr! I discovered this when I tried to log in only to find that my (saved) password had changed...hmmm...so I discovered that someone tried to do a password recovery...I think they failed though because they would have needed to access another email account I have somewhere else to retrieve the reset password. I think it was just someone being a wise @$$! And I don't think they actuallly got access. Gmail details show no activity from any other computers for the account so far as I could tell. At any rate if anyone notices anything strange in their SPAM folder or regular email coming from my email address let me know...especially if it is dated later than today. I apologise to anyone who may be affected by this.

I want to take a moment to express my sympathies for the people of Iran during such turbulent times. I hope and pray that they have their voices heard and that the terrible violence against them is ended. I am including some links in this post at the request of a fellow photoblogger.

http://onlymehdi.aminus3.com
http://photoblog.com/onlymehdi
ONLYMEHDI

Check out my new slideshow page. The link is here and at the top and bottom of every page. I am testing out several formats for the slideshows each with their own advantages and disadvantages. It will be an evolving process and I will add new ones from time to time. I hope you will stop by and check them out and feel free to leave me some feedback.

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For some reason this red winged blackbird was not at all happy with this goose and kept dive bombing it.

This was shot with the same lens set up and at the same time and place as the previous post.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR w/Nikon 2x teleconverter
1/320 second
F/11.0
ISO 640
400 mm

To Mark and all the Dad's out there I hope you had a very nice Father's Day on Sunday.

I want to take a moment to express my sympathies for the people of Iran during such turbulent times. I hope and pray that they have their voices heard and that the terrible violence against them is ended. I am including some links in this post at the request of a fellow photoblogger.

http://onlymehdi.aminus3.com
http://photoblog.com/onlymehdi
ONLYMEHDI

Check out my new slideshow page. The link is here and at the top and bottom of every page. I am testing out several formats for the slideshows each with their own advantages and disadvantages. It will be an evolving process and I will add new ones from time to time. I hope you will stop by and check them out and feel free to leave me some feedback.

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A few weeks back I had mentioned that I was trying to figure out what to do about a lens dilemma I was having. I was debating whether or not to buy the Nikon 80-400mm VR or upgrading my Tokina 80-200mm f/2.8 to the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR and getting a 2x teleconverter. Well I thought I had decided on the 80-400...or so I thought...that was until I had the chance to actually compare the two set ups on my camera.

I first excitedly attached the 80-400mm to my camera and sadly I was not as happy with it as I thought I would be. I did not like the way it felt in my hands. It had a pinch point when I used the zoom where the hood is since the zoom is all external. I am also a little nervous with a zoom that extends beyond externally...I shoot in all sorts of weather and other conditions and this is a concern. I do have rain gear but sometimes...like today in fact...you can get caught in a spritz unexpectedly. The zoom ring also seemed pretty tight and I needed to really turn it quite far which required me to reset my hand position in order to zoom all the way to 400mm from 80mm...ok that is understandable...but never the less a bit awkward for me. I do suffer from some wrist problems so I was a little concerned about that.

I then decided to try out the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR with the 2x teleconverter...I was really surprised at the performance. I LOVE the quality of the 70-200mm f/2.8. VR..NO MORE FRINGING and chromatic aberrations in bright or slightly blown highlights which is something I had to deal with on occasion with my Tokina lens....WOOT! The little extra features aside from the obvious advantage of the VR also were a real plus...I love the 3 focus lock buttons on the end of the lens!!! and of course the Manual focus override is awesome...I didn't have that on the Tokina. But besides that when I attached the 2x teleconverter I saw how well they performed together immediately. I was really pleasantly surprised. I have to say that the combo proved to be sharper and I think actually quicker to focus than the 80-400mm. Granted the combo was a little (choke, choke) more money...but now I have the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR which I've wanted and know will be my workhorse lens and the extra reach of the teleconverter to bring me up to the 400mm I desired.

This shot was my first attempt at wildlife photography using the new set up. I went to the Delaware Water Gap are in search of wildlife to photograph but wouldn't you know it the only thing I came across that day were Geese...I did not want to travel an hour to get shots of geese...I could have gone 2 blocks for that!!! But such is life. It was still a beautiful day and we ended up going to Dingman's Falls which was quite beautiful and of course we had a nice lunch.

I shot this handheld...I rarely use my tri-pod...I really love to feel like I'm part of the camera and using the tri-pod doesn't give me that same connection...if that makes sense. I know it may sound odd but that is just me. I will more often use a mono-pod than a tri-pod. I will only use a tri-pod when I absolutely have to. I had no experience with the VR before as this is my first VR lens and I think it helped a great deal. None of the shots I took were soft from shake even down to 1/15 of a second which for me is a miracle when you consider that I don't shoot handheld below 1/100 sec. for the most part.

By the time this actually posts since I am queuing it on June 1 to run on June 20th, I will hopefully have had more time to use the lens and improve my shooting technique and hopefully will have found some wildlife other than geese to shoot!

Nikon D700
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR w/Nikon 2x teleconverter
1/160 second
F/8.0
ISO 200
400 mm

Check out my new slideshow page. The link is here and at the top and bottom of every page. I am testing out several formats for the slideshows each with their own advantages and disadvantages. It will be an evolving process and I will add new ones from time to time. I hope you will stop by and check them out and feel free to leave me some feedback.

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This was shot at the same location and day as the previous image.

Nikon D700
Tokina 80-200mm f2.8
1/2000 second
F/5.6
ISO 1250

200 mm

Check out my new slideshow page. The link is here and at the top and bottom of every page. I am testing out several formats for the slideshows each with their own advantages and disadvantages. It will be an evolving process and I will add new ones from time to time. I hope you will stop by and check them out and feel free to leave me some feedback.

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This bench is at a park located in believe it or not a town called National Park NJ. It is directly across the Delaware River from the Philadelphia International Airport. It was a gorgeous Friday afternoon in April when I shot this one. The flowers on the bench are silk, and there is a small memorial plaque dedicating the bench to someone's lost loved one.

Nikon D700
Tokina 80-200mm f2.8
1/2000 second
F/5.6
ISO 2000
200 mm

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This was shot the same hot April day as the previous photo. It was a gorgeous day but as walked the beach a sudden cold wind came up and swept across the beach chasing most of us off since we were mostly not dressed for it since temps that day had topped off near 90°. If you look along the horizon you can see a defined line of what looks like clouds but I think it was an anomaly caused by the cold air wave that came in since it never did get cloudy. As soon as you got inland the temps were back up in the 80's.

Nikon D700
Tokina 80-200mm f2.8
1/2000 second
F/2.8
ISO 250
170 mm

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Another critter in the mini-series.

This frog was shot in a marshy wooded area next to the D&R Canal in Princeton. He was tiny and well hidden. I had to shoot through tall grass, shrubs, and reeds to get him...or her.

Nikon D700
Tokina 80-200mm f2.8
1/500 second
F/3.2
ISO 400
200 mm

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I think I am going to do a short series of critter captures starting with this one.

Just a gull on a pole from a few weeks ago.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/400 second
F/9.0
ISO 560
70 mm

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This is the last of the shots from the Belford NJ fishing docks, at least for now.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/250 second
F/8.0
ISO 200
32 mm

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Among the debris I found at the fishing docks was this chair which looked to be in relatively good condition for being out in the elements.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/2000 second
F/2.8
ISO 200
70 mm

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Down at the fishing docks there is all manner of debris and discarded items. It is like a veritable junk yard. I think perhaps this tank had been a fuel tank on one of the fishing boats.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/1250 second
F/2.8
ISO 200
80 mm

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It said Keep Out but the people we saw working at the fishing docks didn't mind if I had a look around and took some pictures, as long as I kept them out of it.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/2500 second
F/2.8
ISO 280
70 mm

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Some neatly stacked Clam Baskets I found at the Fishing Boat Docks in Belford NJ.

Sorry for the late post but Blogger FTP publishing was big time broken.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/1600 second
F/3.5
ISO 280
70 mm

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More from the fishing docks in Belford NJ. I think Miss Julie is a clam boat but I am not certain.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/1600 second
F/2.8
ISO 200
70 mm

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Another view of the Judy Lynne from the previous post taken at the fishing docks in Belford NJ.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/250 second
F/8.0
ISO 200
28 mm

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This was shot last Saturday, the same gorgeous warm Spring day as the previous 2 posts, but at the Fishing Docks in Belford NJ.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/250 second
F/8.0
ISO 220
48 mm

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I'm still finding things in my archives that have been too long overlooked. This is from last August in Ken Lockwood Gorge. I thought it was interesting to catch the little bit of current at the water's edge where it seemed like there was no current at all. This was an 8 second exposure and shot in the afternoon.

Nikon D200
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
8 seconds
F/22.0
ISO 100
70 mm

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Shot the same day and location as the previous post.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/250 second
F/10.0
ISO 400

70 mm

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This was taken on the first really warm day in March...temps hit into the low 70°'s. It was just beautiful although there was a haze in the air due to the really cold water temps. There were a lot of people out and about including some people fishing. No one we talked to caught anything but they were having a good time just the same.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/250 second
F/7.1
ISO 400
28 mm

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Mark often accompanies me on photo shoots...almost every weekend in fact. I got this shot of Mark sitting on some old concrete, which was probably from the artillery batteries, in Sandy Hook on February 1 which was a beautiful day. He was waiting patiently as I was in search of photos. We will usually spend the day together and then stop for a bite to eat. It is our time together on the weekends. He carries my stuff when my back gets tired. He also assists me on assignments whenever he is able.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/1000 second
F/8.0
ISO 200
52 mm

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This is another one from my backlog of archived "waiting to be posted " images. This one was taken in early November 2008. Blair Hall is one of the Freshman and Sophomore dormitories on the Princeton campus. I love the buildings here. It is such a beautiful campus.

Nikon D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/250 second
F/5.0
ISO 250
50 mm

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This is another shot from the September outing with Mark, Betsy and Russ. This is a shot of Betsy as she was composing and taking this shot in one of the old barns in Hoffman Park, my Aunts former farm turned park.

Nikon D200
Nikkor 10.5mm f2.8 DX Fisheye
1/160 second
F/2.8
ISO 200
11 mm

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Well winter is starting to let up with some more moderate temps...thank God...I just got my gas bill for the past month and YIKES!!! I've never had such a high heating bill in my life. It was cccccold last month. But I digress...This is another shot of the wooden paths through the Great Swamp. You can see a slightly different view of this same walkway in black and white from Fall 2006 here.

NIKON D700
Nikkor 28-70 f2.8
1/250 second
F/5.0
ISO 360
70 mm

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From Sandy Hook taken the same day as the previous post.

NIKON D700
Nikkor 50mm f1.4
1/160 second
F/10.0
ISO 200
50 mm

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These were the trails to the beach that are behind the gun batteries in the previous posts. It was a warm Feb. 1 so we took a nice walk on the trails through the dunes on the beach.

I've been super busy the last week with work and building a new product studio for doing product photography. It is fun and exciting to see it taking shape but it is also a lot of work. I am doing this while at the same time working on some product shoots so everything is a bit topsy-turvy at the moment. I miss getting around to see everyone but just cannot manage the time and by evening I am completely spent. The good news is that the new space is just about functional although I still have to re-paint and install some new shelving...all in due time. For now I just need to get it functional so I can get the work out.

NIKON D700
Nikkor 50mm f 1.4
1/200 second
F/16.0
ISO 200
50 mm

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A different view from the top of the gun batteries. I think the hole is where the huge guns were mounted and the steps were how the gun was rotated...but I am not entirely sure.

NIKON D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/320 second
F/8.0
ISO 200
28 mm

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...of the gun batteries at Fort Hancock in Sandy Hook. These are the same gun batteries as in the previous post only this is the view from above. We found our way up here from a trail on the beach side.

NIKON D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/320 second
F/8.0
ISO 200
28 mm

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This is one of the old Gun Batteries at Ft. Hancock in Sandy Hook. We had been walking along the beach and followed several foot paths. One of which led to the top of one of the gun batteries quite to our surprise. They are supposed to be off limits to the public for a very good reason as they are crumbling and very dangerous places.

After walking along the top of the battery for a while we noticed the park rangers coming toward us chasing people off so we walked back down the path to the beach and back around to the rear of the batteries. There are fences at the back of them to discourage the public from going in and exploring. By the time we made our way there the rangers were down along the fence. We talked to the rangers for a few minutes, who were very nice. They regularly have to chase people off and out of them but they don't get nasty about it since the access is so easy especially from the beach side and they understand the "cool" factor allure of the place. The fences are also not terribly secure as most of the gates are broken or open from previous trespassers.

How I would have loved to go inside of one of the gates!

NIKON D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/400 second
F/4.5
ISO 200
70 mm

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The Great Swamp is beautiful all year round with lots of amazing flora and fauna to be found if you take the time to look. I am especially fond of this place in the fall and winter. In the fall the beauty of the place is obvious with the wonderful vibrant fall colors that abound here. In the winter the beauty is more subtle and quiet. I find the haunting quiet stillness of this place in a gentle snowfall to be so soothing and despite the cold, there is a kind of warmth in this place.

Because it is a swamp the paths are mostly an assortment of boardwalks like this one , some with railings and some without, that wind their way through the swamp leading to various wildlife viewing blinds like the one I was in when I took this shot.

NIKON D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/100 second
F/8.0
ISO 720
70 mm

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I had not originally planned on posting this shot as it seemed a little too chaotic to me and I usually prefer to focus on details for places like this...but the more I came across it the more it had grown on me.

This is a broad view of the inside of the barn barn in "Shivering". You can see the poor little stuffed bear from "Fragile" on the floor in the foreground and it is also where the photo "Silk Flowers and Rough Edges" which was off to my right and not visible here was shot. I took the shot from the large doorway, or what was left of it anyway. I think what caught my eye initially was the ladder which seemed to stand defiantly among the decay and detritus. I also love the patina of the old wood.

I did not use flash for this although it kind of looks like I did. It was shot a little before 4PM on a pretty overcast day while a light snow was falling. Ambient light and light reflected off the snow was coming through doorways and gaping holes in the walls. I applied curves adjustments to balance tone and contrast.

NIKON D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/100 second
F/2.8
ISO 4000
28 mm

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I took this in the Great Swamp a couple of weeks ago in a light snow storm from an observation blind in the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge.

The birds kept flitting back and forth and it seemed no matter how quiet I tried to be they sensed it as soon as I raised my camera and darted away. I was hoping to catch them in flight as they went to the feeder. But I did not have any luck with that.

I had been trying to catch this Blue Jay for quite some time but he was too fast and by far the most cautious. Just as I was about to give up and move on I caught sight of him coming back to the feeder so I raised the camera to the viewing slot and grabbed this one shot just a split second before he bolted again. I stayed a bit longer but pretty soon I got too cold to stand still so I moved on.

I did not have my long lens on at the time since I had not planned on taking this type of shot which might have worked better with the longer lens. I had set out that afternoon with other ideas in my head.

The cold weather brings lots of photo-ops but I find it difficult to stand still long enough to get the shots I want. I am not a fan of cold weather.

NIKON D700

Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8

1/250 second
F/2.8
ISO 200
70 mm

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Like the previous shot, this is another find from inside the abandoned this abandoned barn. It looked like these silk flowers were growing up out of the detritus on the floor.

Camera Settings:
NIKON D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/100 second
F/2.8
ISO 3200
60 mm

***Special Note***

I've gotten a couple of notes from people telling me their attempts to leave comments here have been rejected...If this is happening to you and you really would like to leave a comment, feel free to try leaving one on this post on my alternate site here until whatever the problem is gets worked out. I think it is something on Blogger's end and not anything with my settings and it seems to be occurring rather randomly. I do apologize for the inconvenience.

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This is something I found in the barn from the previous post. This is exactly as I found it, exactly how I first saw it. It made me sad to look at those pleading eyes looking up at me. I was reminded of the children's story of the 'Velveteen Rabbit' and this quote:

"...once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

from 'The Velveteen Rabbit'
by: Margery Williams

Camera Settings:
NIKON D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/125 second
F/2.8
ISO 2500
56 mm

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A word about the previous post.

Before I get into the details of this post, I want to thank everyone for the kind responses to the previous post. It was a very sensitive subject and I was contemplating whether or not it would be appropriate posting it at all, but it has become my habit to post the concert programs when photography is involved. I admit that while I really appreciate all comments and feedback, I felt a bit uncomfortable getting comments and praise for that post.

The concert dedication was intended to honor this young man who was the victim of a senseless act of violence. When I was contemplating how to design the program cover I wanted it to convey dignity and sensitivity. It took me a long time to ponder what would be worthy and not be too melancholy or showy and frivolous. I was not sure how to approach it. You saw the result. In the end I was satisfied with my small contribution.

But much, much more importantly than my concert program cover was the concert itself and what it stood for. It was dedicated to John as a way to perhaps help towards healing, at least a little, the Curry family's torn hearts so that they know John will be remembered not for his tragic end but for how he lived and the wonderful talents and gifts which he shared with so many.

The Curry family was in attendance at this concert and they were so strong and gracious. I was amazed by that. But when I heard stories of what John meant to so many and what kind of young man he was, it came as no surprise what wonderful family and friends he had in his life.

I did not know John well since we were new to the orchestra the year that he graduated but I do remember his presence there and his talent. I knew that he was not only talented, but also kind, witty, and well liked from the many stories that have been shared with the orchestra over the years.

Thanks for indulging me in this rumination...I should have posted these thoughts in the previous post but I just could not find the right words and I fear my words are inadequate even still.

Now on to this post...

On Saturday Jan. 10 Mark and I went to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Morris County NJ, not too far from my home, during a light snowstorm. On the way we passed this barn that really caught my eye. This is a very affluent area with really large manor homes on huge gated properties but every so often you come across a scene like this one.

There were people exploring the old barn when we first passed it so we decided to come back a little later to check it out. By the time we made our way back to the barn from the Refuge, at about 4 PM, it was starting to get darker and it was threatening to snow harder. The barn was in such tumbledown condition I though it almost looked like it was shivering in the cold and snow.

I don't ususally do memes but I thought this one fit Carmi's Thematic Photography for this week.

Camera Settings:
NIKON D700
Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8
1/200 second
F/7.1
ISO 6400
70 mm

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This is a shot that I took on New Years Eve in Watchung Reservation about 20 minutes from my home in NJ during a light snowfall. I had not been here in years so I thought it would be interesting to see if anything had changed.

We didn't go too far because it was bitterly cold and windy. I did see that some of the old buildings had been restored and others were boarded up and seriously decayed. I hope to go back when it is a little warmer but also snowing because the snow does make this a magical place.

There is not a lot of information on any of the official park sites about this place. I did read that at one time there were 175 people living there. Now I believe there are only 3 families living there. The village consists of eight houses, a church, a carriage house and a general store, and a small graveyard.

I believe this building once housed a general store downstairs and a church upstairs.

Camera Settings:
NIKON D700
Nikkor 50mm f1.4
1/320 second
F/5.6
ISO 900
50 mm

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This was shot at the little park near my house last Tuesday afternoon. There were a lot of geese there as usual for this time of year. I was trying to catch them in flight so I tried to run toward them with my camera ready in an effort to get them to take flight, but they would have none of it and just casually walked toward the water. For all my effort this is what I got in addition to getting my boots a bit muddy and full of goose stuff for my effort.

Camera Settings:
NIKON D700
Nikkor 50mm f1.4
1/1250 second
F/5.0
ISO 800
50 mm

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As of July 2008 I have decided to post the same photos on "Parallel Universe" as I do here. It has become too complicated to maintain two different photoblogs on a regular basis. Feel free to visit "Parallel Universe" and look through the portfolio/archives since there are quite a few photos there that were never posted here. I will continue to post on both since each one gets different viewers. I have also changed the title of Parallel Universe to Capture This Photography 2.

Check out my other Photoblog portfolio/archives:
"Capture This Photography 2"

-ABOUT ME- -LINKS- -HOME- -CONTACT-

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But they are not blueberries. I don't know what these are but the bright colors really caught my eye. This is the last of the shots from Sandy Hook...for now...maybe.

ETA...I've been busting at the seems because I just got a new camera this past Saturday...A Full Frame Nikon D700...Wow! What a great camera! I do a lot of very low light handheld photography for orchestras at ISO 1600 with my D200. The results have usually been pretty good but I've wanted better. Well now I have it. I haven't had time to really get out and use it since I have been busy processing photos from the assignment I was on last week, but tonight I had to take my youngest to his orchestra rehearsal so I thought I might just try a couple of shots to see how well it works in very low light at high ISOs. I can report that it performs well beyond what I had hoped for. You can see an example of a shot I took in the dimly lit rehearsal space in the basement of a church shot at ISO 6400, 1/125 second @ f 2.8 handheld with ZERO post processing by clicking here. This is just a quick snap I took and it is only an email quality JPEG that I exported from Lightroom without any post processing.

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News:

This photo of the Bucknell Football field is a 2 page feature photo in the Fall 2008 issue of Bucknell Magazine.

This photo of the Bucknell Quad is a 2 page feature photo in the Summer 2008 issue of Bucknell Magazine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As of July 2008 I have decided to post the same photos on "Parallel Universe" as I do here. It has become too complicated to maintain two different photoblogs on a regular basis. Feel free to visit "Parallel Universe" and look through the portfolio/archives since there are quite a few photos there that were never posted here. I will continue to post on both since each one gets different viewers. I have also changed the title of Parallel Universe to Capture This Photography 2.

Check out my other Photoblog portfolio/archives:
"Capture This Photography 2"

-ABOUT ME- -LINKS- -HOME- -CONTACT-

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...or is it beached pallet? I shot this one at the North end of Sandy Hook. I saw this odd thing from quite a distance and thought it was a crate of some sort when I first saw it. I had to go investigate and found this pallet randomly stuck in the sand. I'm not sure how or why it was stuck in the sand like that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

News:

This photo of the Bucknell Football field is a 2 page feature photo in the Fall 2008 issue of Bucknell Magazine.

This photo of the Bucknell Quad is a 2 page feature photo in the Summer 2008 issue of Bucknell Magazine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As of July 2008 I have decided to post the same photos on "Parallel Universe" as I do here. It has become too complicated to maintain two different photoblogs on a regular basis. Feel free to visit "Parallel Universe" and look through the portfolio/archives since there are quite a few photos there that were never posted here. I will continue to post on both since each one gets different viewers. I have also changed the title of Parallel Universe to Capture This Photography 2.

Check out my other Photoblog portfolio/archives:
"Capture This Photography 2"

-ABOUT ME- -LINKS- -HOME- -CONTACT-

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Taken the same day as the previous in Sandy Hook. It was a warm early fall day and there were quite a few people out and about enjoying the final moments of summer-like weather. The bucket and other gear belonged to a couple of guys who were fishing. I saw them walk up the path and when I was leaving there was no sign of them other than there gear and the sounds of their voices beyond the tall grasses and shrubberies.

I will be away for a few days on assignment so I might not be able to respond to comments. I do have some photos cued up for posting while I am away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

News:

This photo of the Bucknell Football field is a 2 page feature photo in the Fall 2008 issue of Bucknell Magazine.

This photo of the Bucknell Quad is a 2 page feature photo in the Summer 2008 issue of Bucknell Magazine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As of July 2008 I have decided to post the same photos on "Parallel Universe" as I do here. It has become too complicated to maintain two different photoblogs on a regular basis. Feel free to visit "Parallel Universe" and look through the portfolio/archives since there are quite a few photos there that were never posted here. I will continue to post on both since each one gets different viewers. I have also changed the title of Parallel Universe to Capture This Photography 2.

Check out my other Photoblog portfolio/archives:
"Capture This Photography 2"

-ABOUT ME- -LINKS- -HOME- -CONTACT-

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Shot the same day as the previous Sandy Hook photos. Sandy Hook is a really beautiful place especially when the summer crowds have gone.There are no amusement rides on boardwalks, games of chance, arcades, or fancy hotels, or rental houses. There is one Restaurant/Bar at the South end and a few snack bars here and there but that is about it.

What Sandy Hook does have is some pretty pristine areas for hiking, biking, roller-blading, and exploring. Beautiful beaches for swimming, water sports, and lots of fishing. There are some interesting historical points of interest including Sandy Hook lighthouse and Ft. Hancock and the North end along with views of NY. Oh and of course there is the nude beach...no I don't go there, at least not on purpose, although I did accidentally stumble upon it one very chilly early April day...and yes there were people in the buff on the beach even though I needed my ear warmers, gloves, and winter coat.

I will be away for a few days on assignment so I might not be able to respond to comments. I do have some photos cued up for posting while I am away.

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News:

This photo of the Bucknell Football field is a 2 page feature photo in the Fall 2008 issue of Bucknell Magazine.

This photo of the Bucknell Quad is a 2 page feature photo in the Summer 2008 issue of Bucknell Magazine.

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As of July 2008 I have decided to post the same photos on "Parallel Universe" as I do here. It has become too complicated to maintain two different photoblogs on a regular basis. Feel free to visit "Parallel Universe" and look through the portfolio/archives since there are quite a few photos there that were never posted here. I will continue to post on both since each one gets different viewers. I have also changed the title of Parallel Universe to Capture This Photography 2.

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"Capture This Photography 2"

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Pretty self explanatory. It was shot in Sandy Hook the same day as the previous photos. This was shot in the same general area on the South end of Sandy Hook as this one.

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News:

This photo of the Bucknell Football field is a 2 page feature photo in the Fall 2008 issue of Bucknell Magazine.

This photo of the Bucknell Quad is a 2 page feature photo in the Summer 2008 issue of Bucknell Magazine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As of July 2008 I have decided to post the same photos on "Parallel Universe" as I do here. It has become too complicated to maintain two different photoblogs on a regular basis. Feel free to visit "Parallel Universe" and look through the portfolio/archives since there are quite a few photos there that were never posted here. I will continue to post on both since each one gets different viewers. I have also changed the title of Parallel Universe to Capture This Photography 2.

Check out my other Photoblog portfolio/archives:
"Capture This Photography 2"

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This is an old abandoned mill in Milford NJ. I love the detail and colors in the wall and the window. The property is for sale but the building should probably be condemned. The wall on the river side is pretty much falling into the river. It is temporarily shorn up but.

Last week was a rough one. I had the flu and a lot was going on. I am much better, almost 100% although I am still very tired. The weekend was filled with events. Jon had his School Musical which was really good. I had never been to a High School Musical before and the School's production of "Evita" was quite a surprise to me. It was quite good. Jon played violin in the orchestra pit and is a member of the stage crew. The talent on stage was really impressive and the audience seemed very receptive and pleased.

On Sunday Jon had the CJMEA region II Orchestra concert and it was very good also. He played viola for that. It was quite impressive. These kids have a lot of talent and the teachers and music professionals that put this all together to showcase and promote it are wonderful. The dedication to the cause of music education for our kids is evident and is a great asset to our youth and our state.

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This is probably the last photo I will post for this series. Once again it is from Hoffman Park. Now I am not certain but I believe the low building on the right is for the cattle to seek shelter in times of extreme weather. I walked over and there isn't much left to the lean-to type shelter but it definitely looks like that is what it was used for. If someone knows better please let me know so that I can offer the correct information.

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This is a view of Hoffman Park from up at the entrance taken from the parking area looking toward Manny's Pond on the left and Heron Rd. in the middle of the frame. Off in the distance, after the tree line, and before the mountain on the left you can see Spruce Run Reservoir. The farmhouse from the previous photo would be over my right shoulder, behind, and above me.

I rarely saw my Aunt's Farm in winter since she spent her winters in Florida and Nassau in the Bahamas. We only spent summers there when I was little. In fact I actually don't remember ever seeing it with a blanket of snow. The transformation is wonderful!

My Aunt and Uncle started aquiring properties in the county in the 1930's. They would lease the land to farmers for livestock (cattle) at a monthly per animal rate. They owned land in four other townships in Hunterdon County as well as in Florida and the Bahamas. My Uncle was one of the Hoffman's from the Hoffman Beverage Company from many years ago.

As I have mentioned before here, the farm and her other properties in the county were transferred to the county by my Aunt with the stipulation that it remain "pristine parklands".

If you would like more information about Hoffman Park click here.

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This was taken on Saturday the day after our First "real" snow. It is my Aunt's old farmhouse which is located on part of the Hoffman Park Property which is now off limits. The house was grand and beautiful at one time, but has quickly fallen into disrepair and I fear that if the county doesn't restore it soon it will be too late.

I couldn't get any closer because this area is off limits to the public and it was being heavily patrolled by the park rangers because the hills were open for sledding. From this vantage point you cannot see how badly the house has deteriorated. It still looks grand to me. Last year I did "trespass" onto the property and left a rose on the porch in memory of my Aunt. It was then that I saw how really bad the house had gotten and it was pretty tough to see it.

Saturday remained gray all day. I had hoped for a little late afternoon sun, but it didn't happen. I still had a good time getting out and taking winter landscape photos. I am now really ready for Spring!

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This is from a couple of weeks ago. It was taken on a chilly winter morning near Princeton. It was really cccold that day and I was having a hard time finding inspiration and motivation to shoot.

I've been really distracted lately with lots of stuff going on around here. It's been difficult to focus on photography lately and to find the time to get around to visiting all my photoblog friends. I must apologize. I keep thinking I will get caught up but it just isn't happening right now.

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"99 Pig Balloons"

About 2000 attended

The "Big Yellow Van" from NJ101.5

"Pigs Will Fly"...and they did

"Hey Corzine...No Toll Hike Stop Reckless Spending!"

"Oink if You Want Spending Cuts"...and they did

"Stop Spending"

"Hey Corzine...Cut the Pork and Send Those Pigs Flying!"

"The Shell Game...Everybody Loses!"

"King Jon...You Roused the Rabble"

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I don't want to go too much into the politics of it here, but on Friday at noon there was a "Flying Pig Coalition" rally protesting Gov. Jon Corzine's toll hike plan to address the fiscal mess NJ is in. It was held on the Statehouse steps in Trenton NJ. The rally was sponsored and organized by NJ101.5 "Jersey Guys" and Jim Gearhart.

New Jersey's fiscal house in in absolute shambles due to wasteful spending, bloated government, and corruption among other things. None of which has been addressed with this plan. The middle class, myself included, is being forced out of the state due to the outrageous taxes and cost of living here in NJ. Even if you make a low 6 figure income you struggle to live here, and that is just wrong. 8000 NJ citizens are fleeing the state every month. We, Mark and I, will be among them if things don't change soon. We are making our exit plans. We simply cannot afford to stay here.

For more on what the rally was about look at this link for the "Flying Pig Coalition".

As for the photos, this was really my first taste of "photojournalism". It is quite different from what I am used to doing. It is very fast paced and a bit chaotic. I used an approach to it that I wouldn't ordinarily use in any other situation, but it proved to work fairly well. I set the camera menu to "Auto ISO" and set the limits to ISO 1600 (it never needed to go that high) and the shutter speed minimum to 1/100 sec. and shot full Program mode so I could get the shots quickly. I would have liked a little less DOF in some of the photos (the artistic side of me was bothered by that). The only ones I lost using these settings were shots where people or signs got into my field of view as I snapped the photo. While it wasn't the most "creative" in terms of photography, it was definitely fun, and the rally was a big success. It ended with the release of 99 pig balloons.

I have added the following video courtesy of Gellman Images.

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This is a shot from the archives that I found when I was doing some housekeeping on my computer. It was shot at the same time I shot the East Point Lighthouse series last June. Its a really beautiful place and I met this gentleman in the early dawn hours of what was a pretty overcast morning when I was there shooting. He said he comes there every morning with his coffee and his dog saying that there was really no better way to start the day. I can see why. I would love to be able to start each day in such a peaceful and tranquil spot, but this place is about a 2 1/2-3 hour drive from me.

It was a pretty busy weekend. I didn't do much shooting for the blogs. I did shoot a concert and might be able to post some of those. I did post one from a concert last week on Parallel Universe which can be seen here if you are interested.

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It seems like Fall's colors are reluctant to relent to Winter. Although most of the leaves are gone I am surprised at how many are still hanging on. The tree on my lawn closest to my house is completely bare but the one down by the road still has some green and has lost few of it's leaves. The trees in the back are just starting to drop their canopy.

This is another from Mohawk Park and is similar to one I posted on Parallel Universe on Monday. I wasn't sure which one I liked better.

I wanted to mention great, fun, Holiday photoblog that is the creation of Justin Gaynor. It's called "Tis' The Season" and it's a collaborative photoblog featuring seasonal Holiday photos from Thanksgiving through New Years from some very fine photographers many of whom you know and if you don't you will and I promise it will be worth the visit. So please go check it out. It started officially last week and there are already some wonderful photos up to enjoy.

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"Tis' The Season"

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Until I see you again there will be an empty space in my heart. I pray that you are safe and well. Every day I wait to hear that you are ok. It is my duty to worry and fret, that's just what Moms do. My baby boy you will always be, whether you are 2 or 42 that will never change.

Be safe Rob. We Love you and are proud of you and we miss you already. It was wonderful to have you home for Thanksgiving. If only the time had not passed so quickly.

This is another shot of the empty bench in the fog at Mohawk Park. The emptiness of the bench suits my mood. Rob left early Sunday morning and we are all missing him already.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We had 14 people together around the table and of course we all ate too much. I still feel stuffed today. The time together was just too short.

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This is another shot from Mohawk Park taken on the same foggy morning as the previous. This is taken looking in the opposite direction as the previous shot a little further down the path that runs between the Rahway River and the pond away from the bench. The path seems so different in the fog.

Thursday is Thanksgiving here. I have much to be Thankful for this year. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and lots of good food!

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This is another shot from my foggy Wednesday morning walk through my little Mohawk Park. It's amazing how the fog transformed the little park into something quite magical.

I have posted a black and white version of this photo on Parallel Universe if you are interested in seeing this scene in black and white. I found both versions appealing so I decided to share them both.

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful response to the last image. I am truly humbled and flattered.

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This is another shot from Millbrook Village. I loved the weathered and worn look of this place. The light was harsh but I think the deep shadows created by the harsh light added to the mysterious mood of this shot. I probably should have posted it for Halloween, but just hadn't thought to. I've been a bit distracted the past couple of weeks. There's just so much going on right now...It's a busy, busy time!

I'm still waiting for Rob to get home. I still don't have an exact date or time when he will arrive and it's making me crazy! I half expect him to just show up and every time the doorbell or phone rings I get all excited. I just wish he would get here, but on the other hand if he doesn't get here for a few days he might be here for Thanksgiving this year, the first time in 3 years that he would be here for Thanksgiving. He's never missed Christmas with us since he went into the service, but always Thanksgiving. He doesn't like Turkey dinner but I will gladly cook something he loves instead! Ukrainian Easter is his favorite "food" Holiday so maybe I will have that for him.

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This was shot a couple of weeks ago up in Northwestern NJ near the Delaware Watergap. The fall colors were really starting to show although it's not really obvious in this photo. I took this from the car because I had seen this cyclist coming up the path and wanted to get him in the shot so I didn't have time to get out of the car to get it. There was only time enough to pull over and shoot out the window.

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This was shot in New Jersey in the Delaware Water Gap area somewhere near Crater Lake I believe. We drove all over and I don't remember the names of all the places we went, but they were all in the Water Gap area. It is just so beautiful there. It was a real treat especially now that the fall colors are in abundance. It won't last long so if you can get there do it soon or you will miss quite a show.

I was shooting from on top of this mountain looking out across the valley when I saw this man perched on the edge of the cliff trying to get his shot. I loved this perspective so I took the shot. I only wish he had on a bit lighter color clothing so that he might have stood out more. What was he thinking when he chose to wear all dark clothes? Some people! I guess I can forgive him though since I still love this shot.

I took a few shots looking out over the valley as well but there was a bit of haze as it was a rather warm day and I wasn't that thrilled with them. I did get plenty of shots from all around the area that really speak fall however. I will be posting them over the next few days here and on Parallel Universe.

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so I just wanted to remind everyone of the importance of regular self exams, mammography, and anual checks by your doctor. For more information here are several links:

http://www.nbcam.com

1(800) IM AWARE

http://www.komenpeoria.com

http://www.cancer.org

Please pass on this information to your family, friends, and co-workers. It's very important and could save the life of someone you love.

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Today, October 22nd, is Rob's 22nd birthday and he is celebrating it over in Iraq. He is supposed to come home in a few weeks for R&R and we are so excited to be expecting him home soon. We miss him so much.

So Rob if you read this just know how much we love you and miss you. We think of you every day and pray for you every day. You are a true hero and we are so proud that you are our son.

This is a photo to remind Rob of home. It is the woods near our home where he sometimes played when he was a boy. If I had a scanner I would have scanned a cute picture of Rob from when he was a little boy. He was so cute!

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so I just wanted to remind everyone of the importance of regular self exams, mammography, and anual checks by your doctor. For more information here are several links:

http://www.nbcam.com

1(800) IM AWARE

http://www.komenpeoria.com

http://www.cancer.org

Please pass on this information to your family, friends, and co-workers. It's very important and could save the life of someone you love.

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Fall is here but the weather has been pretty warm. It seems like summer is somewhat reluctant to let go. There are just hints of colors on the trees teasing me with the promise of things to come.

Pumpkins and beautiful fall Mums fill the produce stands and garden shops. Scarecrows and other Fall and Halloween decorations are popping up around town. Mostly I am just counting the days until Rob comes home on leave. Less than a month now and he will be home for a few weeks. I will spoil him rotten when he is here!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so I just wanted to remind everyone of the importance of regular self exams, mammography, and anual checks by your doctor. For more information here are several links:

http://www.nbcam.com

1(800) IM AWARE

http://www.komenpeoria.com

http://www.cancer.org

Please pass on this information to your family, friends, and co-workers. It's very important and could save the life of someone you love.

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I know I've been scarce but I've been really busy. Busy is good though. I haven't had a lot of time to shoot for the blogs unfortunately.

This is from the same day as the previous shot. We stumbled upon this great fishing pier while roaming around looking for new sights. This pier goes way out into the bay and it was a pretty cool place. In the distance you can see New York. It was pretty deserted when we were there but that's not surprising considering it was a Monday and not a very nice one at that.

I got some news from Rob in Iraq, good news too. He has been awarded an Army Commendation Medal! and, he got promoted! I don't have all the details since his email was short and a little confusing, something about getting his promotion now since he was up for another one anyway. I'm not sure if that means he actually got two ranks but it almost sounded that way. I know he was due one a while back. I emailed him to try and get it straight and I'm waiting for his reply. He goes on AIM late at night here and I usually miss him especially now that I have to be up by 5 AM. I will let you all know when I hear back from him.

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I saw this scene a few weeks ago, I'm not even sure where this is. Somewhere along the bay between Atlantic Highlands and Keansburg I think. I really should keep better track of my explorations, but sometimes I just drive aimlessly around looking for interesting things to shoot.

One of the things that I took note of in this photo was the tattered flag flown by the fishing vessel. I know that many will say that a tattered American flag is a disgrace and it should never be allowed to be flown in such condition. Maybe that is so.

Russell was working next to me when he saw this photo as I was working on it for posting and he said to me that he actually has a soft spot in his heart and a deeper respect for a tattered American flag than a brand new pristine one. I asked him why and he said he couldn't really explain it in words but it just seems to have earned the respect. It's been battered and yet it still flies proudly.

I thought about this for a few moments and I actually knew exactly what he meant and had the same emotional response when I saw this tattered flag myself. It's as if it's earned respect simply by flying proudly despite the tough times it's been through, it's somehow more real to me. A survivor of many storms, still beautiful and worth fighting for.

I've been down and battered, tired and worn.
But despite the turmoils of many a vicious storm.
I will get up in the morning to face yet another day.
I will strive to do my very best or at least a little better than yesterday.

The above verse is a little something I was inspired to write by this particular photo as well as by some recent disappointments I've experienced. Thanks for asking Leigh-Anne.

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