Photo Friday - 'Dog'

White Bus

20/52 for Monochrome 52.

SPC - Something Blue

For Self Portrait Challenge -- wrappng up the Something Old/New/Borrowed/Blue challenge theme.

Some blue thing = Something Blue, right?

Photo Friday - 'Words'

Happy Car

I drive past this car often and I can't help but notice that it appears to be smiling at me.

I often smile back.



19/52 for Monochrome 52.

SPC - Something Borrowed

So back in 2008, I got the bug to do some "Through The Viewfinder" (TTV) shots, but didn't have any cameras that I could use this way.

A good friend from church was kind enough to allow me to borrow an old twin lens reflex (TLR) camera that he used to use but didn't anymore.

So I borrowed the camera and made a few TTV shots that I have posted here on Flickr.

I eventually bought some 120 film to shoot through the fully armed and operational battle station camera.

Ahem.

Those photos are here.

I even made a texture of the ground glass from this camera for use by those who do such things.

Come 2012 and the "something borrowed" SPC challenge and it came to mind.

I have made a feeble attempt to make it appear as though this shot was taken using this camera in a mirror, but it is not so. Just the trusty D40 and a horizontal image flip.

Bone Shaker

18/52 for Monochrome 52.

The kids and I went to the Indianapolis Children's Museum this past Saturday. They have a (relatively) new Hot Wheels exhibit that was fun to explore.

This mean-looking metallic skull was a part of the display. It is related to the Hot Wheels design, Bone Shaker.

It was cool to see life-sized versions of some classic Hot Wheels, including Bone Shaker. This particular skull was not attached to a vehicle, but I liked the light on this one and thought the conversion to monochrome would work nicely.

SPC - Something New

For the "Something New" portion of our theme this month, I had some ideas I was considering, but nothing about which I was particularly excited.

This opportunity presented itself completely by accident. But I figured I'd just go with it.

Something new could be wearing two different shoes to work, today. Didn't mean to -- just happened.

I'm sure it has been done before, but not by me.

I'm sure it has even been a trend at some point, but it wasn't established by me and this combo won't be starting it again.

I'll mention another quirk I have about things that are new and you can all have fun analyzing my psychosis: I have a tendency to replace something old with something new that is identical or very similar to the older version.

I have had new Chuck Taylor sneakers for at least three (3) years but primarily wear my old ones. 

Similar situation with these brown shoes that I usually wear to work. I usually wear the newer ones, now, but still keep the older ones in my closet. Same with my black ones.

I have a new replacement camera bag that I received as a Christmas gift (2011). It is identical to the one I carry now, only new. It still has the tags on it.

I could go on and on.

I find there is something therapeutic about getting additional use out of something old when I already have the replacement in my possession.

Anybody else do this?

Photo Friday -- 'Geometric'

@ Pilot Travel Center

Projection

17/52 for Monochrome 52.

Minnetrista Center in Muncie, Indiana currently have a glass exhibit.

This is a light projection through glass onto a blank wall in their gallery.

Because of the distance between the small piece of glass and the wall, it becomes one of several interactive art pieces there as observers cast their shadows on the projection (intentionally or not).

Venus Transit 2012

The little dot in the upper right of the Sun is the planet Venus passing between the Sun and the Earth. The next time this happens will be the year 2117.

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Oh -- and by the way. While you're observing how "teeny-tiny" Venus is compared with the Sun, don't forget that Earth and Venus are sometimes considered sister planets:

A transit of Earth across the Sun would look very similar to what we observed yesterday evening.

In fact, here is a simulated image of what a transit of Earth across the Sun will look like when observed from Mars in 2084:

 

SPC - Something Old

I love this old photo of my Great Grandfather at Lake Michigan. First of all, it is beautifully composed and perfectly exposed. But besides that, it defies most of my beliefs about him. He was a farmer. He wouldn't do something so "undignified" as standing on a bench on a beach at Lake Michigan -- let alone have his picture made doing so. Maybe he and I have more in common than I may have thought. :-)

I didn't know W.A. Stockwell. He was born in 1888 and died in 1971, a few years before I came along. Still, there are stories told at family gatherings and none of them that I recall mention the side of him that I find in this photograph. I think that's why I like it so much.

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For Self Portrait Challenge in the month of June, we are exploring the old "good fortune" adage, "Something Old/Something New/Something Borrowed/Something Blue"

Photo Friday - 'Grandeur'