8/5/13 – Majestic
Found in a random spot in the outside wall of an abandoned church in Albion, Mich.
8/4/13 – Red to Black
Early- to mid-June is raspberry season in Michigan. Everyone knows that.
But I didn’t know that blackberries ripen in late July. And there they were. Smaller than the kind you usually buy in the store, and not quite as sweet. Finding a bush full of free ones, though, was all right.
My grandmother’s house growing up had one of every kind of berry: red, white, and black raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and grapes. Diving into the pricker bushes was so worth it, just to get at those suckers.
8/3/13 – First Big Crop
It took a while, but this year’s garden crop is finally starting to produce.
The plentiful rain, the sunshine – a totally different than the hot and dry weather we had last year here in Michigan.
Tomatoes, squash, green beans, zucchini. All the usuals. This year’s new edition is cucumbers. I’m not a huge fan, but it’s fun to grow something new.
Nice to see my vegetable budget pretty much disappear during these months, too.
8/2/13 – Waiting for Action
I pass almost nothing but farmland on the way into work. Vast soybean and corn fields.
Not sure exactly what this machine does, but it looks like it’s waiting for something.
Really, I liked the colors of this scene on my way into work Friday morning. Stop in the middle of the road, check behind me for approaching cars, snap the photo, and drive on.
Bingo.
8/1/13 – Driveway Grass
Today’s photo was a quick one – I hadn’t pulled out of the driveway for my morning commute when I saw the sun reflecting (as it so often does) on my front lawn grass.
There are lots of pretty views on my way into work each morning. Usually the sun is rising over some mist-covered field, or the sky is painted with dawn colors. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day, my morning drive.
It’s getting to that time of year where the sun wakes up a little later each day, so by September the mornings will be perfect. Just perfect.
7/30/13 – Tagged
Sure, the big stuff in Detroit is great. The bridges, the Renaissance Center, the athletic fields, the Fox Theatre.
But so is the stuff in the alleyways between those great monuments. Everything is tagged. Right down to the dumpsters.
There’s not a surface that doesn’t have spray paint on it: from billboards to the stands that hold them.
‘On Taking Pictures’ Project
This Friday, I started the photo-a-day challenge from the guys at On Taking Pictures.
One photo. Each day. For at least a month.
This shot, from Woodward Ave in Detroit, isn’t the first. But it’s the first one I’ll share, along with some catch up from this weekend.
I’m in Detroit for some Google Adwords training, and spent my time after the seminar to do a little photo walk around downtown – something I’ve been meaning to for ages. And with the unseasonably cool temperatures here in Michigan this week, it made for a nice walk.
On the project: Taking a photo every day shouldn’t be too hard for me, usually. Usually I have my iPhone on-hand to grab an Instagram shot while I’m out and about.
What will be hard is taking some time and putting some thought into each shot. If I grab a bunch of photos, like I did tonight, which one will I share? What will I do if I’m not somewhere fun like Detroit?
The way I see it, this project will give me a perfect chance to play with my newest toy: the fire-sale’d Canon EOS M (only wish they hadn’t discontinued the white model!) with the 22mm f/2 lens. So far, so good, as you can see above.
It’ll also give me an opportunity to flex some creative photography muscles. Maybe try some different things.
When I get a chance, I’ll also share the photos on Google+ – and to the OTP Community.
Here goes nothin’.
7/28/13 – Slant of Light
I’ll say this about my photography hobby: it’s taught me to see the light.
Not just see it. See It.
I’m lucky in that, around my house, the light hits the main rooms in a lovely way, morning and sundown. The front and back yards, too. Just gorgeous light comes pouring in during sunrise and sunset. It doesn’t matter the season either. The Light is there.
7/27/13 – Almost There
A summer garden has been a tradition for me since 2010 – even before I had my very own garden.
While this year’s has had a bit of a late start, it’s going much stronger than last year. More rain. Plenty of sun. A bit of tending.
Here come the tomatoes.