Eclipse

This photo was taken at 8:47PM CST just west of the Nebraska State Capitol Building. The sower statue atop the capitol is in the foreground. The moon is about three quarters eclipsed; it is blood red from the last rays of sun filtering through the earth's atmosphere. Click to enlarge.






This photo was taken at 9:13PM CST from roughly the same spot. The moon is just entering total eclipse. Click to enlarge.

York Minster's Buttresses

Today's photo is of York Minster's flying butresses at sunset. Constructed in 1338, York Minster in York, North Yorkshire, England, is the second-largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe. Click to enlarge.

York Minster (I)

This is the interior front entrance of York Minster in York, North Yorkshire, England. Constructed in 1338, York Minster is the second-largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe. Click to enlarge.



This is an HDR photo created with 10 photos in 1 stop brackets, tripoded and cable released, merged and downsampled in Photoshop CS3.

The Corn Exchange, Leeds, UK

Today's photo is of The Corn Exchange in Leeds, England (click to enlarge). Built in the mid 1800's, the building was originally used as (surprise) a corn exchange. It was converted into shops in the 80's (fetching a strong patronage from counterculture clients) and is currently being renovated (i.e., ruined) into a food plaza. It is a beautiful building.

Electrolier, Victoria Quarter, Leeds

This is an HDR photo of an electrolier hanging inside the Victoria Quarter shopping center in Leeds, UK. This photo is composed of 8 images, shot tripoded and cable released with a 20D and a Canon 10-22 lens, assembled and downsampled with Photoshop CS3. Click to enlarge.

Mossfall

Moss in the cracks between masonry atop a friend's home in Hebden, UK. Click to enlarge.

Idols

Today's photo is of a golden statue of a rather animated Paul from St. Paul's Cathedral in London, UK. Click to enlarge.

R. Mutt

I don't normally take too hard a look at the loo, but this was one of the most visually interesting bathroom installations I've ever seen. Found inside a pub in the middle of nowhere, Cumbria, UK. Click to enlarge.

Minuteman Missile Launch Control Panel, Kimball, NE

Okay, okay, just kidding. This is actually the control panel to a medium sized offset press in England. It did seem like something out of Doctor Evil's secret lair, though.

Penrith Castle

This is an HDR photo of Penrith Castle in Penrith, Cumbria, UK. (Click to enlarge in new window.) The castle was built over a period of around 70 years, between 1399 and 1470 as a protection against those wily Scots. Today, it's only a ruin. This was assembled from 8 photos shot at 1 stop brackets, tripoded and cable locked, on a Canon 20D with a Canon 10-22 lens. It was assembled and downsampled in Photoshop.






Here is one of the 8 photos used to assemble the HDR. This is what the shot looks like without HDR -- as you can see, you entirely lose some of the shadows.



Did I mention I love Cumbria?

Carriage

Candid of bus passengers in Leeds, UK. To view full size (you can't really see much in the thumbnail), give it a click. I don't usually go after candids with my superwide lens, but that's what happens when you only have one camera body and no time to switch to telephoto. :)

Preen

Today's photo is of a duck preening itself in Hebden Water in Hebden, UK (click to enlarge). I liked this one more turned on its side. :) I think more people should experiment with turning pictures on their side -- it can have different effects on the image. For example, doing this to this image completely confuses the sense of perspective; it seems more two dimensional this way.

Layers

A telephoto shot from downtown Edinburgh, Scotland. I like the fashion shop; seems like an odd juxtaposition. Click to enlarge.

Descending

Riding down an escalator in the London Underground. Shot with the Canon 10-22 at 10mm. on a side note, some of the newer tube stops had flat panel video monitors in the escalator stairwells instead of the more traditional paper poster adverts; I have a feeling that in another 10 years, poster adverts in the tube will be a memory of the past.

Yes, Mamn

Jazz, on the tube train from London to The Ridgeway 'burbs. I was a bit surprised just how far out the tube ran; I'm fairly certain one would get by perfectly well in London without owning a car.

Street Seagull, London, 2007

A seagull takes off near the Tower of London. Click to enlarge. (Thanks to Andy T for the heads up :))

Cabin Near Ashness Bridge, Cumbria

My wife and her friend, Becca, stand next to a stone cabin near Ashness Bridge in Cumbria, UK. This is an HDR photo created from 9 photographs, tripoded, converted and downsampled in Photoshop CS3. Props to the girls for holding so still. :)

I'm Not the Droid You Were Looking For

These two chaps were working security detail near the London Eye. :) I think there was a Star Wars exhibit going on inside.

Omega

Dodging cars underneath a stone bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland, on a wet, snowy night. Flash fired up and forward.

Derwent Water

The view of Derwent Water from Suprise View near Ashness Bridge in Cumbria, UK. Our friends Keith and Liz drove us up here; I think it's called Surprise View because until you reach this vantage point, your view is almost entirely blocked by trees. Click to enlarge to Desktop Wallpaper size.

Ascending

One of the escalators leading up from the tube at the London Underground. The tube is a surprisingly clean, contemporary looking place. It's like a doctor's office compared to the New York subway.

Ceiling, Saint Mary Aldermary, London

This is the ceiling of Saint Mary Aldermary church in London, UK. Saint Mary Aldermary is an old, out of the way church that was mostly destroyed in the great fire of London in 1666, then rebuilt in 1682. Far from a tourist destination, this church was mostly empty when we went inside to photograph it. There are so many old churches in London that the locals don't consider this to be anything out of the ordinary.

Vessel

Today's photo is of my better half standing on the stairway on the underground escalator system for the Tube in London, UK. Taken with a Canon 10-22 at 10mm on an EOS 20D, handheld. Click to enlarge.

Over the Face of the Water

The view of Derwent Water (with Keswick and Skiddaw in the distance) from Suprise View near Ashness Bridge in Cumbria, UK. This is an HDR photo composed from 8 photos, tripoded and mirror locked, shot at f/9 with a Canon 70-200 2.8L IS on a Canon 20D. Combined and downsampled in Photoshop.



Click to enlarge to wallpaper size.

Tube Riders

Today's photo is of tube riders on the London Underground. Subways are kinda fascinating to me; so many people forced to be together for a short amount of time, and the proper etiquette is to pretend that you're all alone.

The London Eye

Today's photo is of the London Eye -- that ginormous ferris wheel the city of London has erected on the Thames. I didn't end up taking a ride in the thing ($40 a person? no thanks!), but we did hang around in the chilly river air long enough to snap a few night photos. Click to enlarge.

Follow

Today's photo is from the London Underground -- a pedestrian tunnel between tube tracks. There are about a bajillion pictures to be found down here. Click to enlarge.

Great Dun Fell, Cumbria

Darren recently loaned me a book about Ansel Adams -- it made me want to give the ol' black and white landscape a shot. I can see why he preferred large format cameras -- there just isn't enough detail here. One could stitch a panorama to get more detail, except with a shot like this you're already at the limit of what most telephotos can zoom to -- this is effectively 320mm. I shot this as we were coming back from the Lake District. The white dome atop the mountain (Great Dun Fell, 2782 ft) is the Civil Aviation Authority's ATC radar.



Click to enlarge to 1024x768.

London, 2007

Today's photo is a night shot of Big Ben and the houses of parliament in London, England, taken from Bridge Street. A passing doubledecker bus created the light streaks. I think Bridge Street is one of the most photographed places in London, as it has most of the iconic touristy landmarks in view -- Big Ben, Parliament, the London Eye, etc. And it's a stone's throw from Westminster.

Westminster Abbey at Night (free wallpaper)

Westminster Abbey in London at night, December 5th, 2007 (click to enlarge). This is an HDR photo composed of ten separate photos shot with a Canon 20D and a Canon 10-22 lens, tripoded and cable released (with numb fingers, thanks to the British cold!), combined and downsampled with Photoshop CS3.



Note that although you may use this as desktop wallpaper for personal use, any other uses require a license. As with all of my images, this image is (pending) registered copyright. :)



*edit* Here's a perspective corrected version (pan and tilt simulation) -- which one do you think works better?

Wigs!

My wife tries on wigs in the basement of a fashion clothing store in Harrogate, England. I like the French mousey look, myself. :)

A few people pics

For today, I've picked a few snaps of people wandering around the Tower of London. I love the photographer; I know the feeling -- despite actually being there, you just can't help looking at the little preview screen to see what you've just taken a picture of. :)

Chapel of St. John the Evangelist

Today's photo was shot from inside the White Tower of The Tower of London. Built of French stone some time around 1080, Saint John's Chapel is the oldest church in London. Click to enlarge.

Children

This is shot from inside the armory at the Tower of London. Off to a side in an out-of-the-way nook, there was a window full of purple stained glass with one pane missing. Click to enlarge.

American Airlines

A jumbo jet flies low over London, framed by two cranes. Telephoto snapshot; click to enlarge.

Ginormous London Panorama from Bridge Street

(Click to Enlarge)


Today's photo is of Big Ben, Parliment, and the London Eye -- a 360 degree panorama taken from Bridge Street. 16 photos total, stitched together with autostitch -- a very handy program! Note that this is a very large image if you click on it; however, it's still scaled down quite a bit, as the original is over 20,000 pixels wide!

Saint Mary Aldermary, City of London

HDR shot of the interior of St. Mary Aldermary in London, England. There has been a church at this site since at least 1200 A.D. This is a view to the east. John Milton, the poet, married his third wife in the church in 1663. I asked the man running the church what the story was on the slanted wall at the rear. Apparently, after the great fire of London in 1666, much of the church burned down. When they rebuilt it, there was a dispute between the city of London and the church as to where the property lines lie. The church, fed up with the city, just built the back wall directly along what they argued was their property line, figuring the city wouldn't knock the church down just to settle a dispute.



This is an "out of the way, completely normal" church in London. That is, it's a working church and is considered nothing special and definitely not a tourist destination. There are literally dozens of churches just like this, dotting the city.




Shot using a Canon EOS 20D with a Canon 10-22 EF-S lens, ISO 100, mirror lockup, tripoded, 13 shots at 1 stop bracket steps, merged and processed with Photoshop CS3.

Just got back

I just got back from a two week honeymoon in England, so I should have some new pictures to post soon. :)

Lanette the Geisha

Lanette dressed up like Geisha recently at work and asked me to come along and take a few snaps. Pretty convincing if you ask me -- she looks a bit like Bjork! :)



This was with a wide angle lense, up close. I'm a big fan of centering the subject and going for the tunnel vanishing point effect you get when you do this; it reminds me a bit of Kubrick's cinematography when he'd do backwalking tracking shots.






See! Bjork!






A closeup of her eye with the glittery lashes. I don't have a macro lens, so this was a shot with a 200mm lens almost wide open from 6 or so feet away.