Trying out a new technique for editing pictures that I just read about. It gives the image an almost painted quality without being too obvious or cheap. Before I applied these changes, the trees in the background were so dark they were almost pure black.

September 10, 2011

We had some flooding a few weeks back in this area. This was a week after the fake hurricane came through. Our place was fine, though the sump pump was working overtime for about 48 hours. The water level in the nearest storm water management pond must have risen very high (3-4 feet?) in order to drape this pond scum over the fence like this.

September 10, 2011

Another test shot with my new macro extension tubes. I took the highchair outside and hosed it down, which left a lot of scraps of food on our back patio. It wasn't long before the ants swarmed and consumed all of the cheerios, bananas, and granola that was left. I grabbed my camera and took some handheld shots. Still nothing too spectacular, but I'm getting a feel for it. I have a feeling these would have been very sharp if I had used a tripod. It's hard to set up a tripod when the camera lens has to be ½" away from your subject. This preview image is very small because the picture kind of creeps my wife out, and she's probably not the only one. If you'd like to see the large version, just click the preview image below.

Click image to enlarge.
August 26, 2011