Sunday ~ November 15, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on November 15, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , .

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Happy Sunday!

I have some black and white images for you today from my River Walk on Friday.  I saw this couple sitting by the water’s edge conversing about who knows what and it appealed to me so I made the image.  In post processing it did not convey what I thought I saw until I made it black and white.

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If I make one image in black and white then they all have to be black and white.  At least that’s the way my brain works.  🙂

I love this old iron railroad bridge that crosses the Mississippi River.  Every time I see it I am reminded of the great drone loss.  That doesn’t ring a bell?  Click here if you want to learn more about the great drone loss.

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I have shown images of the riverboat Twilight on this blog many times.  It is a wonderful excursion boat that makes the trip from the Quad Cities, over nights in Dubuque and then returns to the Quad Cities.  I have never seen it in dry dock.

When I first saw it I thought it was just floating in the ice harbor but as I got closer it was obvious it was actually in dry dock.  I thought it made for an interesting image even though I was shooting directly into the sun.

That’s it for today.  Enjoy your Sunday.  We’re having nice weather in the mid-west right now so I plan to get out today and do some photography.

Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Be careful.

Saturday ~ November 14, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on November 14, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , .

November-13-2015

Happy Saturday!

I enjoyed a great day yesterday.  One of the highlights of the day was having lunch with Angie and Austin.  It took awhile but he finally warmed up to me and we had a good time.  It also helped that his Mother was close by and always in quick eyesight of us.  🙂

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I finished up a project that I’m doing for our Company’s Christmas Celebration and then decided to take my camera down to the river.  Every time I go to the river I think of that singing fish on a plaque singing, “Take me to the river, throw me in the water.”  Weird I know.

I always find something to photograph at the river.  It was cold yesterday, in the mid 40s and a pretty good wind blowing.  I had on a stocking cap and a warm jacket.  As I was heading toward the River Center on the River Walk I saw a bride and her bride’s maids posing for pictures.  They had a lot of skin exposed and when I went past them I said, “Aren’t you guys cold?”
“Freezing was the reply!”  The bride let me take an image of her, which I thought was very gracious.  I’m not sure the photographer liked it but she didn’t say anything.

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On the way back to the car thoroughly frozen I saw this lonely leaf on the river walk.  Its life over, waiting to be blown into the river and taken who knows where to become one with the earth again.  Like all things.

That’s it for today.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

Thursday ~ November 12, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on November 12, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , , .

November-11-2015

Happy Thursday!

I enjoyed the day off yesterday because of the Veterans Day Holiday.  The weather wasn’t all that nice so I didn’t venture out to do any photography.

But having the day off did afford me the opportunity to finally go watch Josh play hockey.  So Jeanne and I went to the beautiful Mystic Arena (which is an amazing facility) and it was filled with pint-sized hockey players whose uniforms, helmets, and padding almost doubled their size.  🙂

Camera Info:  Nikon D750 | Nikon 80 – 400 mm 4.5 lens | Nikon SB 910 speed light | ISO 800 shutter 1/60 sec @ f5.6

I got this shot because it was photo night and they had a professional photographer there taking portraits of all the kids.  His wife was helping keep things organized so when it came time for Josh’s image I asked her if I could go out onto the ice and make an image and she was gracious enough to say sure but if you fall I’m not coming to help you.  🙂

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They never really play a game.  It is just more practice and learning how to skate and use the stick to hit the puck.  I got as high in the arena as possible but even so they were skating in the lower part of the ice so that part of the safety glass got into the frame.  I did my best to minimize it but it is still visible.  😦

Josh did very well and has really taken to skating and the whole hockey thing.  Ben said that while watching football over the weekend Josh asked if they could find a hockey game on TV.

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Gabby decided that she was going to carry Josh’s gear bag to the car.  It was bigger then her and weighed more as well.  She managed to get it several feet and was upset when Dad told her he would get it.

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The proud parents watch Josh learning a new skill.  I found out last night that Ben played hockey in school.  He enjoyed it very much and I suspect he was pretty good at it.

Just as we were getting ready to leave the arena a terrible storm passed through with torrential rain and strong winds.  So we had to wait several minutes for the storm to pass.  It was fun watching all of us looking at our cell phones trying to determine when the storm would let up.  Armature weather men.  🙂

That’s it for today.  Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

Wednesday ~ November 11, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on November 11, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , , .

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Happy Veterans Day!

The way this government treats our brave Veterans is at the very least shameful and more on the order of criminal.  Illegal Aliens are given more benefits and treated better than our own brave Veterans.  Of course there are more of them that can vote!

It is Wednesday and that means I have black and white images for you today.  I found this wonderful old 1948 – 52 Ford pickup setting at the end of a farmer’s drive and had to turn around and photograph it.  This old guy has seen some rough use but my guess is the owner got a lot of value for his money.

I came across this pickup last Sunday as I was wandering through the countryside.  I never know what i might find when I’m out on the road.  Jeanne is convinced that she is going to get a call from law enforcement some day saying that they pulled me from a ditch and she needs to come get me.  🙂

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My Dad always bought Chevrolet products.  He wouldn’t be caught dead driving a Ford but he loved them because there was a time when their quality was really bad and since he had a vehicle repair garage he enjoyed the business they gave him.

That’s it for today.  Remember that we are the land of the Free because of the Brave men and women who gave so much for us all.

Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

Tuesday ~ November 10, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on November 10, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , , , .

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Happy Tuesday! 

Jeanne got home last night around 5:00 p.m.  She had gone to her Mom’s early Saturday morning.  Her Mother is doing much better now and is actually back in her own home.  It was so good to have Jeanne home again.  🙂

By the way I meant to thank those wonderful friends who expressed concern for my well-being since I had not posted on this blog for several days last week.  There was nothing wrong, just had a lot going on and a lack of new images.  I really appreciate the concern though.

I have harvest images for you today.  I captured these on Saturday after finishing my project for the city.  I probably drove over a hundred miles on some pretty (“back”) back roads looking for harvest images.

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This weekend I finished a 7 hour course on portrait photography and lighting.  It is my favorite style of photography but I rarely get the opportunity to practice or do it.  When I ask folks if they would like their portrait made most will say no and since I am not yet into selling my work I cannot afford to pay people to pose for me.

So as I was reflecting on my current style of photography I decided I am a road photographer.  By that I mean I drive around a lot and when something catches my eye I get out and photograph it.  Some times that is good but a lot of the times the lighting is not right nor other conditions so I don’t have a high keeper rate.

I would really like to get into head shots because I love to do that type of photography and I believe there is a need for quality portraits.  I mean if you look at Linked-in some of the images people use for their avatar, well they leave something to be desired.  🙂

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Okay, I’m pretty much just rambling now so I’ll thank you for stopping by the blog.  I hope you enjoy your day and be careful.

Monday ~ November 09, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on November 9, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , .

November-08-2015

Happy Monday!

I have barns for you today.  Well barns and a machine shed, but use your imagination.  🙂

I apologize for the lack of activity of late on the blog.  A combination of things have prevented me from making any posts.  I was out most of the day yesterday finishing up a photography project for the City of Maquoketa and so I took a long slow drive through the country on the way home.

It was like I had not where in particular to get to and all day (afternoon) to get there.

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Sunday was a beautiful crisp autumn day with not a cloud in the sky.  It would have made my job easier yesterday if there had been clouds because I was constantly fighting the harsh light of a washed out sky.  But I’m not complaining.  Days like yesterday in November are rare and to be enjoyed.

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I saw lots of deer on my travels.  I came very close to hitting a huge buck deer chasing a doe.  He had one thing on his mind and was frothing at the mouth.  It was the largest deer I have ever seen and he cleared a high fence in one effortless leap and was gone.  It was stunning to see something that large bound so high and so effortlessly

I also saw lots of doe running across the road and through the fields.  I could never get a camera on them and the one time I did it was late enough in the day that I didn’t have time to change my ISO so I ripped off about 40 shots at 1/80 of a second and that produced a lot of brown blurry things on green grass.  🙂

Here is a question for you Miss Marilyn.  Is the plural of doe – does?  or did I use it correctly in the sentence above?  I searched the internet but there were as many contradictions as there were answers.

That’s it for today.  I’ll be spending most of the day processing images for the project.  I have to deliver them tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

Wednesday ~ November 04, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on November 4, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , .

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Happy Wednesday!

Some black & white images for you today.  Monday  I visited the river on the Illinois side and captured these images.

I’m not really much of a river person.  I would much rather be around a large lake then a river.  I have nothing against the river mind you just prefer the aesthetics of a lake.

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To my dear friends Kathy and Melinda, thank you for your wonderful words of encouragement.  I am reminded constantly just how important relationships are to the very fabric of life.   As I have aged I have a tendency to be more cynical of people and their motives.   I don’t like that tendency and need to remember the value of having quality people in my life.  🙂

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Interesting day ahead of me.  I have to learn a new piece of software.  Normally I do not find learning new things uncomfortable but today may prove to be a challenge.  I am so comfortable and confident with the present way of doing things that I am no relishing the coming struggles of trying to figure out a new system.

Life if full of challenges and it is how we react to those challenges that define the outcome.

That’s enough pontificating for one day.  Hope you enjoyed the images.  I might just start making ever Wednesday a black and white day.  One of the blogs I follow is by a wonderful photographer who lives in Australia.  She has what she calls Monochrome Madness every week.

Her name is Leanne Cole and she has over 39,000 followers of her blog.  Amazing!  If you would like to see some of her work just click here.  But please come back.  🙂

That’s it for today.  Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

Tuesday ~ November 03, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on November 3, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , , .

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Happy Tuesday!

Another Selfie.  I had a great day yesterday.  Played a couple of levels of the new Halo 5 game.  Awesome game so far.  Excellent story, which makes one want to get to the next chapter, to find out what’s going to happen next.  To me, that is what a great game is.  I’m really not much into running and gunning, but enjoy the immersive story of the game.

Then I grabbed a couple of cameras, lenses and a tripod and headed out to see what I could find.  Mid-way through my photographing I called Angie and was delighted to learn that she and the grand kids could join me for lunch.  We had a wonderful time at Champs.  It’s always a delight to spend time with my children and of course the grand kids as well.  🙂

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I have three HDR images for you today.  I was out at mid-day which means the sun was harsh and the sky was pretty boring.  So I looked for interesting things in the shadows.  Of course the problem is the camera can only capture so much detail in shadows so I thought these landscape images lent themselves to HDR Photography.

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I found this small tunnel located under a railroad track at the end of a dead-end road.  I missed the sign that said “dead-end” but no matter.  When I was turning around I caught a glimpse of this old structure that looks like it has been there for a long time.

I would have liked to have gotten a closer look at the interior of the tunnel but the land was heavily posted with “No Trespassing” signs, so I stayed away.

After three hours of driving and photographing (and I really didn’t get that many usable photos) I came home and went for a 4 mile walk.  🙂

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So a really great day filled with a lot of the things that enrich my life.  I thank God everyday for all of his blessings.

That’s it for today.  I hope you enjoy your day.  Weather wise it’s going to be in the 70s in our part of the world.  Really nice for November.  Thanks for stopping by the blog and be careful.

Monday ~ November 02, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on November 2, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , .

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Happy Monday!

It’s been awhile since I have shown any images of the Grand Kids so that is what I have for you today.  I didn’t feel very well over the weekend so I didn’t get out to shoot.  That and the weather was rainy and nasty for a couple of days.

This is a typical look for Josh.  I call it his deep thinking mode and you will see him do this a lot.  Sometimes in the middle of something you will see that his mind is working on something and he gets this look.  🙂

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It’s hard to get a good image of Gabby because she rarely stays in one place long enough to get a good composition.  So I take what she gives me and shoot what ever I can.

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Even Austin was enjoying the play ground this day.  Ben swings with him.

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Gabby tried her hand at pushing Angie.  I was concerned that when the swing came back it would knock Gabby down but fortunately she couldn’t push it high enough for that to be a concern.

Yea for the Royals!!  30 years is a long time to wait for a championship but sweet none the less.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

Thursday ~ October 29, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on October 29, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , .

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Happy Thursday!

A single image for you today that reflects, at least in my mind, the weather of the day.

I was on my way to one of our banks to do training and it was late in the afternoon, the sky was gray, dark and cloudy and the wind was blowing hard.  I had just missed hitting a big buck deer when I came over the hill and saw this lowly old combine sitting alone in a harvested field.  Its work done for another year, seemingly abandoned by its owner.

After I had passed the scene I had to turn around (my mind works slow) and photograph it.  I couldn’t get close without trespassing on private property (something I won’t do) so I parked as close as I could, walked a quarter of a mile and used the 80 – 400 mm lens.

The wind was blowing between 20 – 35 mph so it was really difficult to hold the camera steady enough to get a sharp image.  I had to bump the ISO up to 800 just to get 1/60 of a second shutter speed so the image has a little more noise than I prefer.

Training was over around 5:45 p.m. so it was about 6:50 p.m. when I got home.  It was dark and sleeting and it occurred to me that in 4 days that would have only been 5:50 p.m. and it was dark.  😦

On that note I’ll say thanks for stopping by the blog.  Enjoy your day and be careful.