Upde Designs

If you remember my “Mediacom Rant” I have an update.  No it is still not fixed (4 months later and counting) but there has been progress.  I was promised resolution by December 17th, January 30th, and then finally on February 7th.  So on the 10th I called (God only knows where those calls go) again and this time they didn’t even have a record of the Issue Ticket.  Apparently after a ticket is so old it just purges itself.  Great way to solve your problems.  If a problem is still there after four months you just delete it.

I can count the number of times on three fingers in my life that I have hung up on someone in anger.  This was the third time when the guy (nationality unknown) said we have no record of your issue in our system would you please restate your problem. Slam!!

The next day I Googled the Dubuque Cable Commission and filed a complaint.  I did that at 5:00 AM.  By 10:00 AM I had received two personal e-mails from a commission member and that afternoon a phone call from an actual cable supervisor in Dubuque (who spoke English.)  They promised resolution by February 25th.  The Commission member requested I call him if I wasn’t satisfied after the 25th.

They also agreed to give me one month free service.  Yipeee! 4 months of horrible service  = one month of free.  Well it’s something.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/200 sec @ f20

On my lunch hour I went looking for some skyscrapers to photograph and couldn’t find any of course.  So as I was coming back from my country drive I saw these two barns.  It was one of the few days that the sun was shinning and the sky was a pretty blue color.  (Well maybe not quite this blue but very blue none the less.)

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/200 sec @ f20

So for my friend Betty F.  I shot the barns because she and I both like barns.  Hope to get to make some images of Josh this weekend.  Depends on everyone’s schedule of course.  Have a great Thursday.

Be careful and as always thank you for stopping by and sharing in my passion.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270mm Lens | ISO 200 1/30 sec @ f10

Can you stand another image of a barn?  I know I shoot a lot of barns.  There are reasons for that.  One, I live in Iowa and we got loads and loads of barns.  I like their structure and the way they dominate the other buildings (we don’t have skyscrapers.)   I enjoy the aesthetics of barns.  I just think barns are beautiful.

So just before reaching the church (see yesterday’s post)  I saw this barn down in the valley with the sun light reflecting on the West side of the barn and actually putting some coloration on the trees in the area.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270mm Lens | ISO 200 1/250 sec @ f10

This lonely windmill was just sitting in the middle of a field.  It didn’t seem to have a purpose for being there.  I saw no water nearby for it to pump, nor any machinery for it to turn.  It was just sitting off in a field minding its own business.  I cropped this image significantly or otherwise you couldn’t even see the windmill in the original image.  I think this is only my third windmill image so I can shoot a bunch more of them before you get tired of looking at windmills.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270mm Lens | ISO 200 1/25sec @ f10

Finally this flag pole with old glory blowing in the wind.  You remember yesterday I was talking about the windy conditions and how it got pretty cold pretty quick.  Look at how the flag is standing straight out.

I used this technique because where the flag was standing it was really an ugly scene.  Some of the snow had melted and there was  mud splattered all around.  The background was not being lit very well (the sun was going down) so it lent itself to a B&W image, but I wanted to show the red, white, and blue of the flag so this is what I came up with.

The flag itself was in a  pretty tattered  condition and probably should be retired.  Still, shot against the snowy background, I thought it made a nice image.

So that’s all from the Sunday adventure.  Thanks for checking in with the blog.  I hope you have a great Wednesday.

I’m going to leave you with a quote that I read yesterday that really touched me.  “All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don’t discover why.”  “Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself.”  It’s what you do for others.” – Danny Thomas

Be careful!

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/160 sec @ f10

The above image was shot through the far window of a country church looking through to the other side window at the sunset.  I thought it made an interesting composition.

This is from our drive up to Balltown on Sunday.  We kept following the sun untill we came to this little country church just North of Balltown.  I made an image last Fall I called “Chasing The Sun” and that is what we were doing this day.

Jeanne remarked on the way up how “harsh” the sun was because it was a very bright yellow  and just at a height that you had to look straight into it.  I told her that for a short time it would be a very soft orange color and that I needed to find something to shoot in silhouette.  We found this church just as the sun was changing.  The little church had clear windows, which gave me the idea for the above shot.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/160 sec @ f10

So after taking a number of shots like the one above I came around on the West side of the church and saw the sun reflecting in the near window.  I like how the church was bathed in the orange sunset and so I made the image above.

It was windy and as the sun was going down it was cooling down very rapidly.  I just had on a little pull over so I shot quickly.   Of course when the sun gets this color and this soft you only have a short time to shoot and then you lose the light.  You have a little longer in the Summer time but it is still relatively a narrow window of opportunity.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/160 sec @ f10

This image is a little out of context in that as I started around to the West side of the church I tried to catch a little bit of the sun on the on the edge of the structure.  The sky was just brilliant and a multitude of subtle colors as well.I liked how it turned out.

So these three images made the trip worth while in my mind.  Of course just spending time with my Queen makes any time an adventure and enjoyable.  Thanks for stopping by.  Have a safe day.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/100 sec @ f10

Yes I do know that it’s Valentine’s Day. But the images I’m posting today were all shot with B&W in mind.  Like the image above just said B&W to me.  I asked this gentleman if I could snap a couple of quick shots of him and he said sure.  But color wouldn’t have done this shot justice.  The image would be better if he were looking at the fishing hole (that was the image I had in my mind) but when I ask someone to take their image I don’t always like to tell them how to pose as well.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/320 sec @ f10

Jeanne suggested we drive over to Mt. Carmel and look at the river from that vantage point.  When I’m biking I sometimes stop there (on an in town ride.)  I like to sit on the bench and watch the river traffic and maybe have a banana or just some water.  It looked so different today.  It’s hard to make out that is the mighty Mississippi.   Although the temperature was relatively mild there is no doubt we are still in the clutches of Winter.

Then Jeanne and I took a drive up to Ball Town yesterday afternoon.  I had intended to go earlier but just didn’t get things done at quickly as I should have so we didn’t head out until 4:00 pm.  The good news was the sun was turning a softer light.  The bad news was we were losing the light pretty rapidly.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/160 sec @ f5.6

I got some reasonably good images, which I will post later this week.  But today I wanted to concentrate on black and white so those are the images I’m posting today.  The shot above is of a rusting old horse trailer sitting in a field of snow all around it and looking abandoned.  It caught my eye as it is representative of our disposable society.  It evoked a lot of thoughts as I was taking some images.  I know, I know it’s just an old horse trailer.  Perhaps I was just in a cerebral mood. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you had a great weekend and that the week ahead is full of enjoyment and satisfaction. Happy Valentine’s Day and be careful out there.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm Lens | SB800 Flash ISO 200 1/60 @ f9

One thing about writing a more or less daily blog about thoughts in general and photography specifically is it makes you look at your images a lot differently.

Case in point.  The above image is one that normally would have sit on my hard drive and never seen the light of day let alone get posted anywhere it could be seen by others.  But because I am writing a photography blog I need images to show and discuss.  Thus while not a throw away image none the less it leaves a lot to be desired.  Because of a on-line lesson I took this week I thought I would focus on “shapes” today.  Four shapes captured within the last couple of weeks.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm Lens | SB800 Flash ISO 200 1/60 @ f9

The first one I really liked in color but the remaining three are all done in black and white.  I didn’t feel good about the color but they were far more acceptable in B&W.

Besides as I have mentioned before in the cold bleak dregs of Winter B&W just seems a natural.   I mean for the last couple of weeks or more the ground has been white and the sky has been an off gray with the trees and landscape showing more black than any other color.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm Lens | ISO 200 1/60 @ f9

I was watching the photography lesson the other day featuring a world-famous fashion photographer.  He had one camera, one lens, one strobe light and one model.  With in a space (on a city street) of no more than 60 yards he took some of the most amazing images I have seen using parts and shapes of every day objects.  Hence my attempt at just showing shapes.  I’m fresh out of models.

Scott Kelby commented on the lesson by saying, “I’ve been on that same street at least 5 or 8 times a week for years and I never saw the things that Jeremy saw in his vision of what he wanted to capture. It is simply amazing.”

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm Lens | SB800 Flash ISO 200 1/60 @ f9

So that inspired me to start looking at shapes, lines and textures more than I have been.  These are not very good images when it comes to shapes but they will serve as a starting place for me to improve over the coming weeks.

As always thanks for stopping by.  Be careful.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/800 sec @ f10

I was off on a personal day yesterday as I had my annual physical and some lab work.  When I finally finished up it was about 1:30 pm and even though the sunlight was harsh and it was colder than a Witch’s brew I decided to drive around the country side for a while and try to find some wild life or a great Winter scene.

What I found instead was this guy (well I think it was a guy) riding a mountain bike on Heritage Trail in full Winter survival gear.  I can’t imagine how hard he had to work to get through the packed snow still on the trail.  I was thinking black and white all the way with the images I took.  When he/she went by me they gave a little wave of the hand but I could tell they were struggling to keep it upright.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/60 sec @ f 9

So after an hour of driving around I couldn’t find anything else that caught my eye so I headed back home.  As I was walking through the living room I noticed this growing collection of Angels that have been given to Jeanne.  I know how special they are to her so I tried to capture them in a way that reflected their importance.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/800 sec @ f10

After taking the images of the angels I was walking back to my office and Maggie wanted to show me her favorite chew toy.  Normally when I get home in the evening she will first come to the back door to make sure it’s me and then she will run to get something to show me.  Usually it is this nylar.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day and be safe.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm Lens | SB800 Flash | ISO 200 1/60 sec @ f10

The birthday is over and now it’s back to the same routine.  I had a wonderful day of doing some of the things I really enjoy doing.  Angie, Ben, and Joshua came over for dinner to help me celebrate and it was a super evening.

Above is an image of Joshua smiling at Angie as she plays ‘peek-a-boo’ with him.  He is such a good little guy and just likes to look around and take everything in.  I don’t know if it was my one day growth of whiskers, my cologne, or my voice but for some reason he was not thrilled when I was holding him.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm Lens | SB800 Flash | ISO 200 1/60 sec @ f10

Another happy face as Angie continued to play ‘peek-a-boo’ with Josh.  We have a tradition in our family as many do, that the birthday person gets to choose the dinner.  So last night I chose Cheeseburgers on the grill (one of my favorites), home-made french fries, baked beans and for the birthday cake (the cake my Mother made me every year) a chocolate “wacky” cake.  (made with water.) Love it.  In fact until Jeanne and I were married I had never had a “wacky” cake with frosting on it.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm Lens | SB800 Flash | ISO 200 1/60 sec @ f10

Above Ben is sticking his tongue out at Josh and Josh is mimicking him.  So then after dinner we get to the presents.  Angie and Ben gave me a wonderful wine kit.  Ben said after seeing my attempt of using the out dated cork screw remover he knew he wanted to get this.  Then they also gave me a new fishing rod and reel.

We’re going to Leech Lake this Summer on a re-creation of our long ago family vacations when the kids were little.  Jeanne gave me an electric wine opener.  Everyone got a kick out of that (apparently they didn’t compare shopping lists.)  It was great fun.  One of my favorite wines (from my college days) is Lambrusco, which by the way has a screw top. 🙂

One of the best birthdays in recent memory.  Too bad Mark couldn’t stay for it but he had to get back to UNI.  Thanks for stopping by.  Be warm and be careful.

Nikon D700 | Nikon 24-70 mm lens | ISO 200 1/60 sec @ F2.8

Well this is a first for me.  Actually two firsts.  I’ve never had a Mylar balloon on my birthday and I don’t ever remember a girl giving me a rose.  My wonderful bride did both this morning for my birthday.  It was quite a treat.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm Lens | ISO 200 1/60 sec F9.0

Last night we celebrated Mark’s birthday.  His birthday is actually on the 2nd but College Boy was in Cedar Falls so he and Julia came back Sunday for the Super Bowl and stayed over an extra day to have his birthday.

He wanted to eat at Vinny Vanucchi’s Restaurant in Dubuque, Iowa.  I had never eaten there before.  The service was good as was the food.  I had a little trouble with the bread (way too much butter and seasoning) and the Lambrusco was superb.  The price $$$$ “WOW!” Still it was a wonderful evening and everyone had a good time.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm Lens | ISO 200 1/60 sec F9.0

This is the dessert they brought Mark.  It was one of the most sinfully delicious desserts I have ever had.  Ben and Angie got one to share after sampling Mark’s.  If you go there sometime try it.  You won’t forgive yourself if you pass it up.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm Lens | ISO 200 1/60 sec F9.0

What about the little guy.   He was in his car seat at the left hand of his Dad.  He was asleep at first but sat there quietly during the whole meal.  I peeked over the table and got this shot of Josh.  Angie and Mark both would throw the biggest tantrum anytime Jeanne and I went to a restaurant to eat.  They would normally wait until the food was brought and then start crying loudly.  🙂

Well I’m doing absolutely nothing today.  I usually take my birthday off and just slug around the house and that is exactly what I’m doing for the rest of the day.

Thanks for stopping by and be careful out there.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/60 sec @ F9.0

Oh joy it’s Monday! 🙂  I didn’t shoot any images this weekend.   I spent most of my waking hours working on a new web site I’m building for a client.  To say the least this has been an unusual job as I had it almost done (only three pages left to finish) and they changed almost everything.  So it was like getting a brand new assignment.  Yes I did get extra compensation for the redo because I had checked with them every step of the way to make sure they were happy with the progress.

Anyway the image above is one I took a couple of weeks ago.  It is of Josh’s room.  Angie has been putting a learning tree on his wall complete with the alphabet and numbers.  It was about two-thirds done when I took these images.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/60 sec @ F9.0

This shows the wall over his crib.  She only had one star actually on the wall.  The rest are taped on the wall as she tries to decide how they will look.  It certainly makes a neat looking wall.  She told me on Friday that the project was now done so I’ll have to get a good image of the finished project.

Nikon D300S | Tamron 18-270 mm lens | ISO 200 1/60 sec @ F9.0

This is a cute little Frog humidifier in his room.  I can just imagine what a neat little friend this guy will be when Josh starts exploring his world on his hands and knees.

I did make a half-hearted attempt to shoot some artistic images of a wine bottle and glass of wine but I didn’t take the time to set the shot up correctly so I was really not happy with the results.  I want to try that shot again but this time not as an afterthought.  The one thing I did learn from the effort is that it will take some experimentation with the lighting to get it to look right.  Lighting glass is a tricky challenge so it will take some thought and preparation.

Once I get this web site done that will be a project for me to tackle.  Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great week.

Nikon D700 | Nikon 24-70 mm lens | ISO 200 1/60 sec @ F9.0 | SB800 Speed Light

We got our first baby sitting assignment last Wednesday.  Angie and Ben enjoyed their first “date night” since Josh’s arrival and Grandma and I were tapped to sit with young Josh for the evening.  So with First Aid Certification in hand we braced ourselves for the challenge ahead.

Jeanne Took Picture with PNP | Who knows

Josh has a cold and is a little stopped up.  Well a little stopped up for a baby is quite frustrating.  When he tries to suck on the bottle he can’t breathe very well and that causes  him to get frustrated.

We got along pretty well though.  Considering Josh was away from his parents for the first time.  He sneezed several times during the evening and that always seemed to surprise him.  He was fun to be around and was so alert most of the evening.  You could tell he didn’t feel all that well however.

Nikon D700 | Nikon 24-70 mm lens | ISO 200 1/60 sec @ F9.0 | SB800 Speed Light

He finally fell asleep on Jeanne’s chest.  Now I have no idea what kind of a night the kids had with Josh after we left.  But isn’t that part of being a Grandparent.  🙂

It was a great evening.  We had fun, Angie and Ben had fun, and time will tell if Josh had fun.  I’m sure he did, he just doesn’t realized it yet.

Have a great weekend.  We got mail today so apparently my effort to dig out the mail box yesterday was successful.  Yea!!  Thanks for stopping by.  Be Careful.