Breathe in Digital

Boss, I swear . . .

2012-01-23T18:21:00.001-05:00

Boss, I swear . . ., originally uploaded by RLHyde.

This is what Scout would look like if she had a real job. And if she got caught embezzling.

Bad dog.

(2/52) Winter Has Arrived

2012-01-14T18:55:00.001-05:00

(2/52) Winter Has Arrived, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

The first half of January here in southern Michigan has been marked primarily by low 40 degree weather and rain. This is highly abnormal. So yesterday, the temperatures finally dropped and we got a couple of inches of snow. It's not much (at least not on this side of the state), but it'll do.

(1/52) Alternative Energy

2012-01-06T18:24:00.003-05:00

(1/52) Alternative Energy, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

So for my first week, I'm back to my old tricks from my 365 project (e.g., I'm using lots of restricted light). I'm looking forward to experimenting more in the weeks to come.

Announcement

2011-12-06T20:08:00.001-05:00

Announcement, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

This is more than a simple statement of mathematical certainty. This is an announcement of an impending project, one that I hope you will enjoy.

I tried my hand at a 365 day project back in 2010, and I did pretty well, but the reality of teaching in the Fall semester at my school was too much to handle, and I couldn't finish it. I think limiting myself to one photo per week next year will allow me the space and flexibility to actually finish what I started, this time.

So check back here in the first week of 2012. I'll have more to show you then.

A Wedding Day

2011-08-25T09:54:00.004-04:00

Down the Aisle, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

My best friend got married on Saturday, August 20th. Kayleigh has been my longest standing, closest friend, and this was the first wedding I *very nearly* cried at. She and Greg are an amazing couple, and I love them both!

Congratulations!

Presentation, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Newlyweds, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Cake, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Curious, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Cut the Cake, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Love, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Happy, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Dress, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Sorry for the Delay

2011-08-25T09:34:00.004-04:00

The Fam, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

These two photos were from our trip to Letchworth earlier this summer. I meant to upload them soon after the rest, but totally forgot! Enjoy :)

4th of July, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Engaging

2011-08-16T18:50:00.001-04:00

Engaging, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Kathleen and I have been engaged for about a month now, but we just got the ring today. We decided to forego diamonds in lieu of something more symbolic - our birth stones.

I think pearl and amethyst looking smashing together, don't you?

(Also, this is white gold, but the wood table makes it look more yellow)

4th of July 2011 (post 1)

2011-07-07T10:40:00.007-04:00

Letchworth upper falls, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Over the 4th of July weekend, Kathleen and I went camping with Kathleen's parents and sister at Letchworth State Park in NY. The main feature of this park is a massive gorge, often called "The Grand Canyon of the East." It's not quite as deep as the Grand Canyon, but it's pretty impressive. I'll post some more gorge-like photos later on. Here are the first three in this set.

Letchworth middle falls, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Vaguely Troubling, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

This last one was just too awesome to pass up :P

Gardening

2011-06-13T16:17:00.008-04:00

The corn is as high . . ., originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Kathleen and I have planted our first garden together, and this is the first time that I've done any kind of gardening in more than a decade! Crazy. I'm having a lot of fun with it, though. This year we've planted corn (pictured above), tomatoes (flowers below), an onion patch (below), hot peppers, cantaloupe, zucchini, summer squash (none of which are pictured here), and we're trying to get some spinach and swiss chard to come up, but the spring was so wet that we didn't put the seeds in until two weeks ago, so we may have to do a late summer planting and try for a fall crop of that stuff.

Anyway, I'm delighted by our progress so far!

Onion Patch, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Tomato Flowers, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Oh, and Scout is our supervisor while we're gardening. She does a marvelous job at it . . . also, she eats a lot of grass.

Task Master, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Yep

2011-06-11T12:32:00.004-04:00

Yep, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

That's dog hair.

And for reference . . .

"Yep" reference shot, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Brown Eyed Girl

2011-05-14T19:22:00.004-04:00

Brown Eyed Girl, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

She did a pretty good job for her first time under the lights. It will definitely not be her last.

Scoutypants Marie, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Scorcher

2011-05-14T19:21:00.001-04:00

Scorcher, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

This is a partly burnt tennis ball near an extinguised controlled fire in the Ann Arbor arboretum.

Spring Light Abstract

2011-05-05T07:54:00.001-04:00

Spring Light Abstract, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Every morning I wake up to this, I want to get the perfect picture of dappled light coming through the tree outside of my 3rd story apartment bedroom window. It's hard to capture exactly what I want, but this comes close.

Allergic Dog

2011-04-30T11:28:00.001-04:00

Allergic Dog, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Scout itches her feet a lot, as well as other parts of her body, so when we took her in to the vet yesterday for a checkup, it was suggested that she may have allergies. Figures. Kathleen and I both have pretty bad spring allergies - it's only fitting that our dog does as well.

Later today she'll have some benadryll.

Scout, our new dog!!!

2011-04-24T11:08:00.008-04:00

Scout 3, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Yesterday Kathleen and I rescued a puppy from the Humane Society of Huron Valley. We named her Scout. So far, she's an absolutely wonderful adult dog who is nicely house trained, is energetic yet can calm down, and she's making us both very happy pet owners :)

Scout 4, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Scout 2, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Scout 1, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Pizza Time!

2011-02-21T13:32:00.008-05:00

Pizza Perspective, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Kathleen bought me some awesome Christmas presents: a pizza stone, a pizza peel, and a huge and very sharp pizza cutter. With these tools, I have made it my goal to make awesome pizzas.

I like what she and I have come up with so far.

Pizza Full, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Pizza Closeup, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Shattered

2011-02-21T13:30:00.001-05:00

Shattered 1, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

So many years ago, when I used to work for SEEUS at EMU (google it if you want), I found this set of plates abandoned in a vacated set of married couple dorms. I took them home, boiled all of them (you can't be too safe) and put them to use. I started with 4 big plates and 6 little plates. I still have all of the little ones, but this here represents the 2nd to last big plate. I only have one functional one left, and I think it has a chip in it.

I still wonder why someone would leave behind these awesome plates.

NSRNDR

2011-01-22T16:28:00.001-05:00

NSRNDR, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

So this one time, Kathleen and I saw a license plate that said "NSRNDR," and for the life of us we couldn't figure out why some guy had "Nose Reindeer" on the license plate of his little sports car. It took us a while to realize it meant "No Surrender," and our honest misinterpretation of the meaning was hilarious to us. I have thought many times about what it would be like to ask that guy, "Hey, why do you have 'Nose Reindeer' on your license plate?'" I think he would probably punch me. Which would be funny, too, really.

Today I saw a real reindeer's nose. I thought of that time.

Cactus V5 Review - an amateur hobbyist photographer's take

2011-01-17T08:08:00.003-05:00

So, A few months back I was contacted by Harvest One / Gadget Infinity, the company that manufactures the Cactus line of wireless flash triggers. I have been using their Cactus V4 triggers ever since I started getting into strobist photography, and apparently they liked what they saw because they asked me to be one of the beta testers for their new Cactus V5 triggers! I was pumped.

The following is my review from the point of view of who I actually am as a photographer: an amateur and hobbyist. I will do the following:

1.) Compare them extensively with the Cactus V4
2.) Describe their increased functionality
3.) Describe shooting scenarios where they would be the most effective
4.) Describe their limitations from my point of view
5.) Give you my buying recommendation.

Part 1: New features in the V5

There are some fairly cool new features of the V5, some of which are more useful to me than others, but still, they're worth mentioning.

Transceivers: the new state of the art

Alright, this might not be a brand new idea, but it's still pretty cool. So, instead of having separate transmitter and receiver units, you now get transceivers, units that can either transmit or receive based on what position you have the switch on the side in. All V5s, therefore, look the same. Here's a shot of the contents of the package that was sent to me as a bet tester:

The single biggest benefit of this design is that you can have an on-camera fill light along with off-camera flash due to the presence of the hot-shoe that is on top of every transceiver. What's even cooler is that, for me, as a Nikon D40 owner, I can now have on-camera flash that syncs up to 1/4000 (the D40 has a digital shutter at high speeds - if your camera doesn't, you'll be limited to probably 1/200 or 1/250). That's a nice feature. Here's what water coming out of a faucet looks like at 1/4000:

Problems with the transceiver

Nothing new comes for free, so here's what you have to watch out for: battery life. Apparently when in receiver mode, these bad boys suck down a ton of juice. So if you leave your transceiver in receiver mode over night, chances are you're going to be getting a low battery warning (a flashing red light, which in and of itself is a nice new addition) when you look at your tools the next day. Always set the switch to "off" after use.

New multi-channel triggering:

Alright, this one is a little hard to describe and harder to photograph, so try to follow me here.

First off, there are still 165 channels you can set the V5s to, but instead of fiddling with 4 switches like on the V4, you have a simple and easy to use dial. Now, here's where things get interesting. The numbers on the dial for the first 5 channels are painted on in blue, where as 6-16 are painted on in white. These "blue" channels allow for multi-channel firing.

So, okay, let's say you have 5 transceivers, one on your camera and 4 connected to off-camera flashes. Let's also say that you had a shooting situation set up where sometimes you would want all of the flashes to fire, but sometimes you would want only one flash to fire (imagine shooting a concert or something like that). You could have the 4 off-camera transceivers set to channels 2-5. The on-camera transceiver, when set to any one of those 4 channels, would, of course, only trigger the corresponding transceiver. However, if the on-camera transceiver is set to channel 1, it will trigger all 4 of the transceivers.

So, channels 2-4 (which are 4 of the 5 "blue" channels) can all be triggered by a transceiver transmitting on channel 1. This is kind of cool, if you can think of scenarios in which you would use this functionality. I have maybe had one or two of these shooting scenarios in my life as a photographer, and while this feature would have officially made it easier for me, I don't know if it alone is worth the upgrade for you. If you can immediately think of a ton of common shooting scenarios for you where this would come in handy (I can see wedding photographers using this feature a TON), then I'd snap up as many of V5s as you need immediately.

Range and reliability

Alright, first off, range: the V5s are certified to work up to 100 meters (328) feet away. However, many of the beta testers indicated that they were able to get reliable firing up to 600 feet away! I did not personally test this feature, but I trust the folks who did do the testing. If you need long distance triggering, these are the way to go (especially considering the price difference between these guys and Pocket Wizards, the usual go-to trigger for long-distance triggering).

As far as reliability goes, I have yet to have a single misfire with my V5s. Now, my V4s only rarely misfired, and that generally had more to do with my battery charge than anything hardware related, but still, you will absolutely not have to worry about misfires with the V5s.

Moving on to the hardware features:

The batteries in the V5 sit inside of this compartment instead of being hidden behind a standard plastic door, like one would see on the bottom of a remote control. To eject the battery compartment, you simply push in on it until you hear a "click" and then the tray ejects. This definitely keeps the batteries in position, especially if you were to accidentally drop your V5. However, this also leaves you with one more part to break. If this plastic drawer does break, there's no way to seat your batteries and have a functional V5. Now, Gadget Infinity has assured the beta testers and I that replacement trays will be on sale on the web site in case such a thing should happen, but given that you have to order these parts from Hong Kong, you're going to be out a crucial component of your lighting equipment for a few weeks before the package arrives to you (assuming you're ordering form the states, YMMV). So, I like the concept in theory, but in practice, I prefer the V4 design because if I broke the plastic door holding the batteries in on a V4, I could just slap on some electrical tape and call it a day.

Part 2: Form Factor, V5 vs V4

V5s are an entirely different form factor when compared to the V4, and for me, this is really worth thinking about.

Size

Frankly, as a small-scale photographer who does a lot of stuff out and about (I have no at-home studio, unless I move a lot of furniture), form factor and ease of use of my triggers are of utmost importance. So, with that said, let's take a look at the Cactus V4 and V5 form factors.

The V5 is on the left (with the shoe it comes with) and the V4 is on the right. You can pretty clearly see that the V5 is much wider and taller than the V4 (the height problem is exaggerated due to the shoe being on, but I think it's still fairly clear in this photo). Now, in practical use, this added bulk doesn't really mean much - the V5 does not look absurdly large sitting on top of your camera or on a tripod - but it does take up a lot of extra space in my camera bag. In the space that I could fit 1 V4 transmitter and 2 V4 receivers, I can fit exactly 2 V5 transceivers. That means rethinking what I can take with me or buying a bigger bag (and I only JUST bought this bag).

Here's a shot of all the V4 hardware with a V5 transceiver:

Ease of Use

Here's my biggest beef with the new form factor, though: they are actually difficult to use on a tripod! The reason is that on the V4, the tripod thread was mounted inside of the male cold-shoe portion of the underside. Since there is no male cold shoe on the transceiver (it's a hot shoe, and you can't exactly drill a threaded hole into a hot shoe), the threading is located toward the front of the transceiver, and the hot shoe juts out, making the whole setup pretty clunky. Here, let me show you:

V4 Receiver - works great:

V5 receiver - clumsy and ineffective!

So, to get the thing mounted on a standard umbrella adapter, you have to raise the spigot part way out of the shaft, causing the entire thing to get off-kilter:

As you can see, this setup causes the receiver to be tilted backward a bit, which when you're shooting into an umbrella results in the flash not shooting directly into the center of the umbrella. On top of that, it's just a pain in the butt to set up in the first place, making these things much more frustrating to use in my sort of day-to-day shooting situations than the V4.

Note: You CAN easily set these guys up on an umbrella adapter if you use the little aluminum cold shoe that comes with most umbrella adapters and just mount the spigot on to that. However, this is one more piece to setup and potentially lose, and it's still not as ideal as the V4 construction.

Party 3: Backwards Compatibility

First and foremost: Cactus V5s are Not native backward compatible with the Cactus V4. You CANNOT trigger a V4 receiver with a V5 transceiver. With that said, it's not difficult to think of some totally non-manufacturer supported ways of getting these two things to work together, especially considering that your on-camera V5 transceiver has an active hot shoe on the top of it, and your V4 transmitter just needs a simple signal from a hot shoe to fire. The following shot was taken in this unsupported method (note: again, the Gadget Infinity / Harvest One does NOT support this usage, but it seems to work all the time, every time, with no problems):

Part 4: Pricing and Conclusions

The pricing has been recently made publicly available, so I'll go ahead and mention it here:

2 V5 transceiver package: $59.95 US

1 V5 transceiver package: $34.95 US

The V4s are NOT being discontinued, though, so compare them at:

V4 1 transmitter / 1 receiver pack: $39.95 US

V4 1 receiver pack: $23.95 US

So, here's where I'm left as an amateur hobbyist photographer. I don't see myself needing the multi-channel firing feature too much, and the form factor of the Cactus V4 is just better for my needs. Add to that the fact that the V4s are notably cheaper than the V5s and that the V4s are still, in my experience, way more than 90% reliable and frankly, I'm going to have to go with the V4.

If you're more of a professional, though, and you can see using that multi-channel firing method, and you don't mind the form factor issues (you can always use a sync cable with your strobes instead of mounting them on the V5's hot shoe, if that helps you at all - Pocket Wizard people have been doing it for years!), then scrape together the extra bucks you need to outfit yourself with the V5s and go for it.

Simply put, the V5s really are very useful for a lot of people, just not for me. They don't really suit my needs, and I'm very glad that the V4s are not being discontinued.

Splash Time

2010-12-22T13:30:00.001-05:00

Splash Time (Teaser 3), originally uploaded by RLHyde.

I'm using some new equipment to trigger my off-camera flashes lately, and I can do some pretty neat stuff with said equipment (like stopping water). I can't divulge any more information than that right now - stay tuned for a future update where I'll describe what in the world I'm talking about.

Advent Christmas

2010-12-21T12:21:00.005-05:00

Red Bulb, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

So usually Christmas stresses me out. However, this Christmas has been a little better. For one, Kathleen and I got our very own for-real Christmas tree, and we decorated it with all of our ornaments. It's pretty great. I hope you enjoy these few shots of a few of the prettier closeups of the tree :)

Bokeh Out, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Green Bulb, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Fall Abstractions

2010-10-30T18:19:00.002-04:00

Morning Light Abstraction, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

So I've been taking a few photos lately. Nothing big, just when I have time, I take some shots. Me and photography are still going strong, but I needed to slow things down while I manage these other things in life (like, you know, my psychotically busy job).

Anyway, I like doing abstract things, and I've been experimenting a bit, so I hope you still like me, world.

Fall Leaves Abstraction, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Guest Post: Kaija's "another time"

2010-10-20T10:47:00.002-04:00

another time., originally uploaded by kleine_moewe.

This is not my photo. It belongs to a Flickr pal of mine, Kajia, and I absolutely adore it.

Some day, folks, I promise I'll put photos up again. Maybe in late November? That's roughly when I found time to get back into photography again last year. We'll see.

In the meantime, click on this photo and look at her other awesome work!

Stains (in which I announce the end of my 365 project)

2010-09-12T17:19:00.001-04:00

Stains (in which I announce the end of my 365 project), originally uploaded by RLHyde.

251/365 FINAL PHOTO - I'M DONE WITH THIS PROJECT

Well, it looks as though I have fallen off the wagon in 365 land. I have gone days without posting or taking a picture. And the truth of the matter is that I've been very happy with the past few days. So, even though not many people follow my every move here, I feel it's important to announce that I am through with my project. I got almost 70% of the way through the year, but with school starting back up and all the pressures related to being a teacher and a masters weighing me down again, this project has become more stressful than it's worth.

And on top of that, I think I've learned all I can learn in a project like this. I've grown a lot since January 1st, and I'm super glad I went through this process, but just the other day I found myself comntemplating building a white-box so that I could do a ton of simple object photos with white backgrounds. I know how to do that. I've done that before. I'm not going to spend another 114 days doing shots like that because there's nothing to learn in that, and really, that's all I'd be able to consistently do throughout this semester.

So anyway, thanks, everyone, for your comments, your favs, and your support. It's been real. I won't disappear or anything, but I won't be posting daily. Maybe next January I'll starta 52 week project :P

(oh, and this photo is of a stain a blueberry tea bag left on a little saucer)

Time Management

2010-09-08T18:13:00.001-04:00

Time Management, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

250/365

I'm trying to get myself back on track with these posting deadlines, and now is the time, as school has officially started.

Victory Burrito

2010-09-07T19:38:00.001-04:00

Victory Burrito, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

249/365

Today was a harrowing day. It was orientation day for the students at my school, and really, the students were great. The bussing situation, though was ridiculous. Pop quiz: If it takes two busses to get a group of students to a rope course in the middle of nowhere, how many will it take to get them all back? These idiots' answer? One. It takes just one.

Incompetency = fail.

P.S. This photo is sub-standard because the rest of my day is in such a goddamn rush because of said incompetency.

Saugatuck Dune Grass

2010-09-06T11:30:00.001-04:00

Saugatuck Dune Grass, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

248/365

I love the dunes on Lake Michigan. It's just about the only place in the state you can climb real hills!

Holland Pier, Lake Michigan

2010-09-06T11:29:00.001-04:00

Holland Pier, Lake Michigan, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

247/365

Yesterday Kathleen and I took a mini vacation / day trip out to Lake Michigan. We spent a little time reading here on the beach at Holland State Park, but it was too cold and too windy to really stay for very long.

It's Coming

2010-09-04T13:06:00.001-04:00

It's Coming, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

246/365

And you know it, too. Today the high here in Ann Arbor is 66 degrees (and the start of UofM football . . . gag).

I hate it.

Stacks

2010-09-03T10:47:00.001-04:00

Stacks, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

245/365

This goes in the category of my brain labeled "Things I haven't done in way too long."

Two Birds, One Blade

2010-09-02T13:54:00.001-04:00

Two Birds, One Blade, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

244/365

This morning I realized that I hadn't shaved and I hadn't taken a photo, and I had to be out the door in about 30 minutes. Hence, photo.

Just Clap Your Hands

2010-09-01T08:13:00.001-04:00

Just Clap Your Hands, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

243/365

Where it's at.

Pips

2010-08-31T10:16:00.001-04:00

Pips, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

242/365

This is a domino set I had when I was a kid. My parents recently dropped it off with a load of other stuff I used to have when I was a kid. I forgot how beautiful this set was, though. Such brightly colored pips.

Foundations

2010-08-30T09:31:00.001-04:00

Foundations, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

241/365

This is the new underground parking structure being built in downtown Ann Arbor. I didn't have my Nikon d40 with me, so I shot this with my Palm Pre. I'm continually impressed with the kinds of pictures this thing turns out when the lighting is right. If you look at this at its original size, you get an almost painterly, impressionistic view of the details. It's nice.

End of Summer

2010-08-28T20:47:00.001-04:00

End of Summer, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

240/365

Had a day at the parents' place today, and got to spend some quality time with the nieces and nephews. This is Lydia, who was happy to help me with my photo project today. Thanks!

Exuberance!

2010-08-27T21:19:00.001-04:00

Exuberance!, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

239/365

I told you I'd do one where I was smiling. I didn't tell you it wouldn't be creepy.

Watson Redux

2010-08-25T19:17:00.001-04:00

Watson Redux, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

237/365

Last time I visited Watson, I forgot my real camera (as you may remember). This time I brought the right tools and got a very fun shot of him. Also, he's 30 lbs now!

Serious Face

2010-08-24T18:44:00.001-04:00

Serious Face, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

236/365

I should have been smirking in this one. Next time I promise I'll do a self portrait where I don't look sad, mad, mean, or angry.

Dark Giraffe

2010-08-23T20:03:00.001-04:00

Dark Giraffe, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

235/365

When he looks at you, run.

Gorillas are the Weirdest

2010-08-23T10:43:00.001-04:00

Gorillas are the Weirdest, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

234/365

As proven yesterday at the Toledo (Ohio) Zoo.

Over the Shoulder

2010-08-22T09:13:00.001-04:00

Over the Shoulder, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

233/365

I titled it this because otherwise it may be hard to tell exactly what orientation my head has to the rest of my body.

Lies

2010-08-21T09:52:00.001-04:00

Lies, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

232/365

When your product is definitely going to last up through your new, ridiculous labeling starts hitting the shelf, you may want to tone down the deception a little bit.

Humidity

2010-08-19T20:58:00.001-04:00

Humidity, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

231/365

I need to stop deciding to do closeup self portraits when it's this mugy. The other side of my face comes out so bad in this lighting that I had to crop it out!

Basil

2010-08-17T20:16:00.003-04:00

Basil, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

229/365

Yesterday's photo got 2 views. Let's hope this does a little better.

Study in Line and Value

2010-08-17T20:16:00.001-04:00

Study in Line and Value, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

229/365

Tea Set

2010-08-15T20:17:00.001-04:00

Tea Set, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

227/365

I very nearly titled this photo "tea party," but then I thought better of it.

Nightmarish Vegetation

2010-08-15T16:33:00.001-04:00

Nightmarish Vegetation, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

226/365

View Larger.

This is fresh corn from the farmer's market. Kinda crazy when you get all up close, 'eh?

Sharp

2010-08-13T20:28:00.003-04:00

Sharp, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

225/365

So I've finally assembled the final pieces (to accompany the others) to become a certified shaving enthusiast. This is my new Merkur safety razor (the 38c variety). I haven't actually used it yet . . . that's what I'm going to do once I'm finished here.

Strobist:
1 sb600 camera right, 1/16 power, 1/2 CTO, through 12'' snoot.

Triggered with Cactus V4s.

Supreme Court

2010-08-13T20:28:00.001-04:00

Supreme Court, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

224/365 (substitution)

I haven't posted the last couple of days because Kathleen and I went on a quick trip to Washington DC. She had business to attend to, but we found time for sight seeing as well.

This is the spiral staircase in the Supreme Court building. I'm pretty proud of myself for having steady enough hands at 1/30 shutter to get it to be this clear.

Library of Congress

2010-08-13T20:27:00.001-04:00

Library of Congress, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

223/365

The Library of Congress is an absolutely gorgeous place. I highly recommend you go if you're ever in the DC area.

(By the way, this was taken on Friday, not Thursday. I did take a photo on Thursday, but I didn't like it. So here you go.)

Nearsighted

2010-08-10T19:25:00.001-04:00

Nearsighted, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

222/365

Kathleen and I have many pairs of glasses between us. Here are all of them. (If you look closer you can see all the distortions through the lenses more clearly).

Vacancy

2010-08-09T20:33:00.001-04:00

Vacancy, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

221/365
Large and On Black.

This is just a little idea I've had bouncing around in my head for a few days.

You Seem to have Misplaced Your Spoon

2010-08-08T20:24:00.001-04:00

You Seem to have Misplaced Your Spoon, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

220/365

Much better if you look closer.

Walking into the apartment today, Kathleen noticed this spoon wedged inbetween two of the pickets of our downstairs neighbor's patio fence. So I ran down and took a photo of it. Too good an opportunity to pass up.

Green Bottle

2010-08-07T21:06:00.001-04:00

Green Bottle, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

219/365

Kathleen's new water bottle is green. View larger.

Beaded and Bubbly

2010-08-06T20:48:00.001-04:00

Beaded and Bubbly, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

218/365

View this close up.

So I do a lot of shots of alcohol, I've realized. I'm officially making a whole set of those shots.

Security Measures

2010-08-05T20:36:00.001-04:00

Security Measures, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

217/365

Every night I put the chain on the door, knowing full well that if somebody has taken the time to get through the deadbolt, a tiny little chain isn't going to do anything to stop them.

Needlessly Moodly Self Portrait

2010-08-04T20:50:00.002-04:00

Needlessly Moody Self Portrait, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

216/365

Also, I'm officially 28 1/2 years old. Maybe that's why I'm so moody. Or maybe it's because it's so effing humid lately.

OMG, WHA?!

2010-08-01T20:58:00.001-04:00

OMG, WHA?!, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

213/365

This is one of those "running out of ideas" days.

Hats

2010-07-31T20:43:00.001-04:00

Hats, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

212/365

these are my hats. I know I've appeared in one or two other hats before, but these three are the only ones I really wear out and about. I contend that the short-billed "conductor" hat is the only kind that I look good in.

Plastic Flamingo

2010-07-30T20:20:00.001-04:00

Plastic Flamingo, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

211/365

The Matthaei Bottanical Gardens was advertising "Frolicking Flamingos" as we drove up their driveway today. However, the gardens themselves were overrun with some banal wedding or something, so I only got to photograph the ones out in the entryway

Holy Crap

2010-07-29T21:53:00.001-04:00

Holy Crap, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

210/365

It got suddenly late, and Kathleen made me realize that I hadn't taken a photo. Oh vacation, how you knock me out of my routine!

Old Technology

2010-07-28T21:17:00.001-04:00

Old Technology, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

209/365

These things just stare at me uselessly every time I'm in front of the TV. Things change so quickly.

This one needs to be seen as big as possible.

Mosquito Bite Cure

2010-07-28T21:08:00.005-04:00

Mosquito Bite Cure, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

208/365

Some of the effects of the vacation are still wearing off - specifically, the dozens of mosquito bites on Kathleen's legs and feet. She looked up a recipe for treatment, though. Apparently you need to swab each bite with rubbing alcohol and then cover the area with scotch tape and leave it covered. She said it works pretty well, but it might not be worth the bother of having your legs covered in strips of scotch tape, thus making it uncomfortable to walk.

Comptometer

2010-07-28T21:07:00.003-04:00

Comptometer, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

207/365
(vacation set: 12/12)

I had originally intended on taking pictures of the Saugatuck Dunes in Michigan on the last day of our vacation, but I forgot to grab my camera before we went hiking. However, next to the dunes is this old mansion that is open to the public. The builder of the mansion was Dorr Eugene Felt, inventer of the Comptometer, an invention I had been unaware of but now love. They had a ton of them on display, and this was one of them inside a glass case. I liked the dreamy effect the shallow DoF and reflections on the glass created.

And so ended our vacation. It was a phenomenal time, and I'm still sad that it's over.

Farewell to Camping

2010-07-28T21:07:00.001-04:00

Farewell to Camping, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

206/365
(vacation set: 11/12)

We woke up at home on a Sunday morning, having driven 20 hours the day before. Our vacation was cut 2 days short. We were both saddened by this, so on a whim, I said, "Hey, let's drive to Fort Custer, camp there, then spend the next day at the Dunes." We both raced out of bed, into the shower, and grabbed breakfast. So we got one more good day of camping in another beautiful state park. This photo is of the top of our trusty little tent.

Mushroom

2010-07-28T21:06:00.003-04:00

Mushroom, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

205/365
(vacation set: 10/12)

Alright, truth be told, I didn't take a photo on this day. Why? Because we were driving originally from Camden, Maine to Niagra, New York, but when we realized the camp ground we were going to stay at was disgusting, and after a reservation we quickly booked through Hotels.com fell through, and after the lady at the hotel we thought we were going to stay at told us that no hotel in the area (Canadian side or US side) had vacancies due to a giant rowing competition or something, we decided to continue to drive through the night until we got home. So this photo was of a mushroom growing in our camp site in Maine. This is all natural light, btw.

Penobscot Bay

2010-07-28T21:06:00.001-04:00

Penobscot Bay, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

204/365
(vacation set: 9/12)

Desperately wanting more awesome views, but not more mountain climbing, we decided to drive up to the top of Mount Battie, which wasn't quite as high up as Mount Megunticook. I just couldn't get enough of these stunning views of the harbor.

Camden Harbor

2010-07-28T21:05:00.001-04:00

Camden Harbor, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

203/365
(vacation set: 8/12)

We decided to stick to the low lands the following day. This is a shot of beautiful Camden Harbor. See, the rain only really came on in the evening, so our days were full of beautiful sky and light, thankfully.

Atop Mt. Megunticook

2010-07-28T21:04:00.003-04:00

Atop Mt. Megunticook, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

202/365
(vacation set: 7/12)

On the first full day at Camden, we decided to walk from the edge of the bay (sea level) all the way up to the viewing ridge of Mount Megunticook (elevation 1300 ft.). Now, I like hiking, but let's be serious - I'm from Michigan. Hiking in Michigan is basically taking a long stroll through the woods. I was not at all prepared for the high grade slope up the side of a frickin' mountain! But once we got to the top and got to see the view, it was all immediately worth it, and I look forward to doing it again (though next time I'll train on the stair climber for a few weeks).

Token Camp Fire Shot

2010-07-28T21:04:00.001-04:00

Token Camp Fire Shot, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

201/365
(vacation set: 6/12)

Finally we reached Camden Maine, where we were to spend the majority of our vacation. I love camping, camp fires, and cooking over said fires. I can't wait to go camping again!

Vacation Disaster Summary

2010-07-28T21:03:00.004-04:00

Vacation Disaster Summary, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

200/365
(vacation set: 5/12)

Our vacation met with many disasters, among them a failing phone and a case of strep throat (as represented above). Other disasters on this vacation included: torrential downpours while camping, an exploding lawn chair, a broken train, breaking camp in the rain, tornadoes, hotels.com failure, driving for 20 hours straight, the heat wave, a general head and chest cold, and probably a few others things I'm forgetting. With all that said, this really was the best vacation I've ever been on :)

Progression

2010-07-28T21:03:00.001-04:00

Progression, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

199/365
(vacation set: 4/12)

We visited Yale, Kathleen's Alma Mater. It was a lovely place, but I particularly liked the Women's Table Fountain, designed by Maya Lin (who also designed the Vietnam War Memorial). From the center of the fountain (placed in on an oval piece of granite) radiates the number of women admitted into Yale every year. You can see some of the numbers in this photo. Look at it larger to get the full effect.

Croquet, Not Today

2010-07-28T20:59:00.003-04:00

Croquet, Not Today, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

198/365
(vacation series: 3/12)

On the third day of our vacatoin, I met virtually all of Kathleen's extended family (at least those who lived in New Jersey). We had a croquet set outside in case anyone wanted to play. We didn't, opting to listen to her grandfather's stories for hours instead, but as the sun began to set, the light on the mallets was just too good.

Name That Ad

2010-07-28T20:59:00.001-04:00

Name That Ad, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

197/365
(vacation series: 2/12)

This old advertisement was found near the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side of NYC.

Rest Stop

2010-07-28T20:58:00.001-04:00

Rest Stop, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

196/365
(vacation series: 1/12)

This was taken at a rest stop in Pennsylvania on our way to lovely New Jersey. I didn't have much time for anything more fancy than this.

Vacation Mode, Activate!

2010-07-14T20:17:00.001-04:00

Vacation Mode, Activate!, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

195/365

Alright, folks - my daily posting is about to go on a 11 or 12 day hiatus. Kathleen and I are going to be driving and camping in and around the New England area, and I'm exceedingly excited to get out of town. As far as the 365 project goes, I'll still be taking photos, and I may even get the chance to upload a few from the road, but most will wait until I get back to go up.

Until then.

Watson

2010-07-13T21:08:00.001-04:00

Watson, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

194/365

My friends Christa and Ryan have a new puppy. His name is Watson, and he is the adorablest. Also, I forgot to bring my Nikon D40 with me to their house today, so this was taken with my Palm Pre. After a little bit of work in LightRoom (same sort of stuff with my DSLR images), I was surprised at how nice the quality is, all things considered.

Stay Hydrated

2010-07-12T20:58:00.001-04:00

Stay Hydrated, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

193/365

It's important for your health.
(view it larger)

I need your clothes, your boots and your bike.

2010-07-11T20:04:00.001-04:00

I need your clothes, your boots and your bike., originally uploaded by RLHyde.

192/365

Large and On Black.

This photo brought to you by my apparent desire to look like the Terminator (while wearing my girlfriend's sunglasses).

What the Crap, Bird!?

2010-07-10T19:53:00.001-04:00

What the Crap, Bird!?, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

191/365

That's MY screen! Not yours!

Tha'll Do

2010-07-09T20:05:00.001-04:00

Tha'll Do, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

190/365

I've been told that this little guy was bought for 75 cents at a garage sale hosted by an interior decorator and that there were a bazillion of these little guys hanging out. If only I had been there with my camera all those years ago!

Heat Wave Redux

2010-07-08T21:42:00.001-04:00

Heat Wave Redux, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

189/365

Kathleen and I have different approaches to dealing with the heat and humidity around here.

Heat Wave

2010-07-07T18:59:00.001-04:00

Heat Wave, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

188/365

Kathleen is dodging the heat wave by staying in our apartment, where the air conditioning is turned down to a blustery 78 degrees! "It's too cold," says she.

Large and on black.

Rough Patch (again)

2010-07-06T19:51:00.001-04:00

Rough Patch (again), originally uploaded by RLHyde.

187/365

I've gotten to the point again where I just don't want to take a photo. So I end up with my strobes on the floor and my camera on a tripod and I try to do something with my features to make them look interesting. Bleh.

Pull Me

2010-07-05T19:46:00.001-04:00

Pull Me, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

186/365

This is a quick and simple shot of the lightbulb chain in my bedroom closet. I promise I'll start doing more interesting stuff soon.

Vegetable Boat

2010-07-04T19:38:00.001-04:00

Vegetable Boat, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

185/365

I thought these foods were pretty in their little porcelain bowl. This looks like it could be in a magazine . . . a very boring magazine :P

Bombs Bursting

2010-07-04T09:51:00.002-04:00

Bombs Bursting, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

184/365

A special two-fer for you. I went back and forth on whether or not to actually take photos at the fireworks display last night, since it's kinda cliche, but then I decided that I'm doing this project to learn how to take different kinds of photos, and I've never done this kind of photography before. So here you go - fireworks.

I didn't post this last night, btw, because Kathleen and I decided to go to a fireworks show near Lansing (more than an hour away). I don't know why we did that :P

In Air, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Little Stones

2010-07-02T21:12:00.001-04:00

Little Stones, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

183/365

Well, I'm half way done with my project! The photo doesn't really represent this idea - it's the home for one of our Lucky Babmoo (which isn't actually bamboo, as it turns out) plants. I liked the dirtiness of the vase contrasted with the clean lines of the water and rocks.

Bird Village

2010-07-01T20:26:00.001-04:00

Bird Village, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

182/365

There's an older man by the name of Roach who lives down the sidewalk from us a bit, and he's spent a good portion of the last 10 years building, maintaining, and selling his birdhouses. This does not represent half of the birdhouses currently up or being built in his front lawn. Awesome. I only hope I'm this into something when I get to be his age.

Bigger.

Creature

2010-06-30T19:05:00.001-04:00

Creature, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

181/365

Holy crap, what is this thing!? Look closer and tell me what you see.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Okay, it's just a plant (the roots, specifically). But seriously, it's creepy looking.

Lemony Goodness

2010-06-29T21:19:00.001-04:00

Lemony Goodness, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

180/365

We decided to make something new tonight - lemon drops. How summery :) Look closer.

The Pile of Spider-Man

2010-06-27T21:43:00.001-04:00

The Pile of Spider-Man, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

178/365

Please view this large and on black.

I went through a bit of a comic book phase in the mid 90's, during the "Clone Saga" years. This represents most of my collection, so I wasn't that big of a nerd, but I'll gladly own up to whatever label these give me. Spider-Man was and is the bomb.

Schwinn Collegiate

2010-06-26T20:00:00.001-04:00

Schwinn Collegiate, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

177/365

View Larger.

I'm digging the high detail shots these days. This is an old dead Schwinn Collegiate bicycle I found sitting upside down on my apartment grounds. I may revisit this guy later in the summer to do a more detailed shot of the spokes or the chain or something.

Acquire

2010-06-25T22:01:00.001-04:00

Acquire, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

176/365

Bigger.

This is a little known, out of print, yet really fun board game. It should be noted that this photo in no way represents how the game is actually played - I just used the pieces to sculpt an image.

Birthday Surprise

2010-06-24T20:24:00.001-04:00

Birthday Surprise, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

175/365

Tomorrow is Kathleen's birthday, but as she's flying out to visit her sister for the weekend, I'm giving her her present tonight. And no, it's not just a towel and a bow - that's just what I wrapped the present in. Towels (especially ones with people's names already on them) are the greenest way to wrap :)

Watching

2010-06-23T20:42:00.001-04:00

Watching, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

174/365

My skin is oilier than I thought. Better bigger.

This might make a nice desktop background

2010-06-22T22:00:00.001-04:00

This might make a nice desktop background, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

173/365

No seriously - give it a try (and look at it closer).

Best

2010-06-21T20:20:00.001-04:00

Best, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

172/365

Much better when viewed larger.

This is the lock to the back door of my apartment building. I love the aged look it ha

Reading

2010-06-20T20:47:00.001-04:00

Reading, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

171/365

Today Kathleen got the final serious piece of furniture for our new home - a chaise lounge. It's now the lovliest place to read in the apartment. I foresee many frustrated sighs as one person comes into the bedroom to see the other already occupying this space.

Eaten Alive

2010-06-19T22:39:00.001-04:00

Eaten Alive, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

170/365

Take a closer look.

Behind the wall at my back is the trash compactor for the apartment complex I live in. Yet somehow I was shocked at how many mosquitos there were flying around and sucking my blood. Maybe I'll learn to pick better settings in the future.