365

In the world of photo-blogging and Flickring, 365 day projects are common. The goal is to take one picture every day for a full year. Since I've spent such a long time being out of the habit of taking photos, I think I need something like this to kick me in the ass and get working on something I really enjoy again. So, starting tomorrow, I will begin my own 365 day project.

I will try to post every day as well, but there will obviously be times when that won't be possible throughout the year. If I can't post, I'll still be shooting, and you'll see the results eventually.

Wish me luck!

Warning:

Warning:, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Erica: revisited

Warning:, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

I took so many great shots of Erica on my trip out to Chicago, it was really hard to narrow it down. Since I couldn't keep it to just 2 or 3, I had to split it all up into 2 posts. Enjoy.

Office Attire, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Erica

Comics are Hot, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

So these are some pictures that I took of my friend Erica almost a month ago. I've been dying to get these up here, but I just haven't had time until now.

I'll be adding more of her on Friday or on Saturday. Remember, for full size shots, click on the photos and view them in Flickr.

Smile, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Erica and Emma, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

First Christmas

Creepy Tree, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Kathleen and I spent our first "Christmas" together. We celebrated it on the 18th because she was supposed to fly out to NJ on Sunday morning. If you know anything about the weather on the East coast, you know this didn't happen.

Anyway, hooray for being almost done with my work for this semester and finally having time to post some new(ish) pictures. Soon I'll have some shots up of my friend Erica that I took a month ago in Chicago but haven't had time to look at until just now. Good thing I love my job, because otherwise this sort of thing would drive me crazy.

(2nd photo, by the way, is just an abstract version of the first.)

Christmas Abstract, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

Warning!

After the full intensity of this semester is over (this is the last week of class, and next week will see the end of all the grading I have to do), I will finally return to the world of photo blogging. Stay tuned.

Fall Drapes

Fall Drapes, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

My second and potentially last fall shot. This was taken in the parking lot of my apartment complex. It was a little breezy, so I couldn't get the leaves as crisp as I wanted, but I think the effect still works.

Funny story. As I was taking this, this really sketchy guy came out from the playground that's on the other side of these leaves. I didn't even see him back there until he came forward because, you know, it's dark. He said, "I really don't like having pictures taken of me." And I'm thinking to msyelf, you clearly know nothing about cameras. After him mumbling something about whether or not I was doing a movie (???), I said, "I'm not taking pictures of you, I'm taking a picture of this," gesturing toward the pretty leaves. He finally figured it out and said, "Oh, well good luck then," and wandered back to the playground and proceeded to stare at me until I was done. Creepy, creepy time.

Fall Carpet

Fall Carpet, originally uploaded by RLHyde.

The view from my living room is lovely this time of year.

Puppy on Pink

Puppy on Pink, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Kathleen found this cute little guy on the floor of the North Side Grill last time we got brunch there. He was too cute to leave around, and he was just begging for a close-up.

Dear Idiot

Dear Idiot, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Kathleen's sister sent her a fancy Llama finger puppet during her recent trip to Peru. This fantastic note came with it. They have a special relationship.

Llama Puppet, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

It's been a while

It's been a while, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

With life being as crazy as it's ever been, it's been hard for Cammila and I to find time to do a shoot. Fortunately tonight we both ended up at the same social engagement: watching TV at my place. Photos were taken. Life was(is) good.

Publication!

Exciting news, everyone!

First off, it's been a busy week so I was not able to post a new shot on Wednesday. Many apologies.

However, recently I was solicited to publish one of my photos of Cammila in a free, online magazine called Talent Photo. It's largely a central/south American publication, but this photo was found through Flickr and apparently they wanted it in their glamor section. I gladly give them a copy, and the issue just came out today. I'm on page 16!

Please take a look, and look at past stuff as well. They're a pretty decent little publication. Lots of great material.

Karaoke

David and Cammila: Karaoke, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Saturday we celebrated Cammila's birth by singing karaoke all night long. I kicked some ass, by the way, but I also took some photos. Above are Cammila and David, my previously un-pictured roommate, and below is Charlie Slick, the people's synthesist, singing someone else's tunes for once.

Charlie Slick: Karaoke, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

These were a gift given me by a nice girl named Nicole back when I was just starting my Freshman year of high school. They also made for a great last minute photo idea.

View On Black

Encroachment

Encroachment, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

The leaves are piling up.

Class

Class, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

This weekend I bought a love seat and a new bed set with coordinating bed skirt, shams and decorative pillows (two of which are pictured here). I felt classy, so I tried to take a classy shot. It was a lot harder than it looks.

Lovers

Lovers, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

It's been a rough week at work. I love my job to death, but good lord has there been a lot to do.

I didn't have time for a shot for Wednesday, and really today I just had time for something quick. This is an HDR shot . . . basically an evenly exposed, overexposed, and underexposed shot merged together so you get detail in the shadows and details in the highlights. I should have accounted for the splash of pure sunlight at the base and done an even more underexposed shot to get more detail in the grass, but you live and learn.

Enjoy your weekend. I'm going to.

Sulley

Sulley, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

I meant to post this earlier in the day. I actually took it last night, but apparently I can't keep track of anything now that school has started.

I'm still adjusting.

First Days of School

First Days of School, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

This first day of school wiped me the hell out. End of story.

View On Black

Where in Japan will the Cat Bus take you?

Where in Japan will the Cat Bus take you?, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

I went on vacation this weekend with Kathleen. It was pretty great. We saw some pretty weird stuff.

Last Day

Barn, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

As those close to me know, I've been working as a nanny, or "manny", if you will, all Summer. Been working there for the past three Summers now, actually. Today was my very last day. This is one of the images I'll miss the most . . . this barn is absolutely beautiful, and it's not even the only one on the property. Maybe some time I'll ask if I can bring a model over and do a shoot in and around this old horse farm.

Frog Party!

Frog Party!, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

These were once Kathleen's grandmother's figurines. I thought they were perfect subjects for a sparkly bokeh shot.

In Other News

Yesterday I got an email on Flickr. It said that the shot of my water bottle was going to be used by the NBC affiliate in Washington in an online article about Sigg's water bottle liners. No seriously, I have proof. It's a blog-like writeup, but I'm exceedingly pleased that my work is being used. Hooray for Creative Commons! If my stuff had to be paid for to be used, this wouldn't have happened!

Hip Reaper

Hip Reaper, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

I woke up today and realized I had no picture to upload. After deciding to give up, Kathleen was very firm on the notion that I should shoot one today and keep to my Monday/Wednesday/Friday routine. She was right, and this is the result.

Hip Reaper 2, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Palm Pre - Endorsed by ICE-BAT

Palm Pre - Endorsed by ICE-BAT, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Recently I bought the Palm Pre. So far I love it. So does ICE-BAT!

Poser Superstar

Poser Superstar, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Cammila really is the best at posing. When I'm working with her, all I have to do is worry about my lights and my camera. She takes care of everything else.

This was a shot taken the other night. Judy and Cammila both modeled for me that night, so I have a few "rainy day" photos in my back pocket for when I'm too busy to take a new shot the night before a posting day :P Conveniently, it's actually raining outside.

This is just one of many awesome shots from this set. To see more, go check out Cammila's site.

A Series of Tubes

A Series of Tubes, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Kathleen and I went to the Detroit Zoo on Friday. It was, to her recollection, the first time she's ever been to a zoo, so the fact that it cost extra to do such things as ride the train was appalling to her :P Still, we had a good time.

This shot was taken at the new seal exhibit there. This was probably the best exhibit they had . . . hopefully this is indicative of better exhibits overall in the future. 'Cause let me tell you, the penguin exhibit is simply sad. Looks straight out of the ending of Happy Feet.

Now For Sale

This is an experiment. I wonder how many people would be interested in purchasing some of these prints, and so I've started using a site, fotomoto, to allow folks to make purchases. You'll notice new links underneath each photo which should be self explanatory. Note: If you want a cheap 5x7 of something, click on "card".

If I get no sales, and/or my viewers just hate this interference on my site, I'll remove the app.

Oh, and if you're one of my models, you already know that you have all the rights to do whatever you want with the shots I've taken of you.

First Time for Everything

Parked Trailers, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

This is Judy, and this was her first time trying to be a model. Everybody has had pictures taken of them, but being expected to do something interesting and/or attractive WHILE someone is taking a picture of you can be a little bit . . . intense. And she was a bit tense and nervous at first, but as the night went on, she loosened up more and more. Cammila also came along for the ride to give her some pointers and bolster her confidence, which was great because I was very focused on the photography (manual focus lenses at night when you can hardly see your model are a pain in the ass; I'll be buying an autofocus 50mm lens soon, even though it's going to cost me just under 4 times what I paid for my manual focus one!).

Overall, a successful night was had by all.

Sit like an . . ., originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Cross Over

If you liked the stuff I shot on Monday, go take a gander at Cammila's blog. She posted a ton more from that shoot and had a story of her own for them!

Construction Season

Construction Season, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Michiganders, you all know that there are two seasons in Michigan: Winter and Construction. This is a representation of the latter.

Bokeh Balcony, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

And this is a fun impressionism shot. Enjoy.

The Prom Nightmare

The Prom Nightmare, pt.1, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

The prom was going so well, until the drive home. Without any warning, Cammila's date pulled off into a parking lot and pushed her out of the car. She was shocked and infuriated. What sort of joke was this? And where in god's name was she, anyway?

The Prom Nightmare, pt.2, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

It didn't take long for her to notice that something was very wrong with her surroundings. There were noises like people whispering coming from the shadows, but she couldn't make out the words. There were scraping and clanking noises. She was too afraid to call for help, too terrified to move.

The Prom Nightmare, pt.3, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

The lights went off. All that could be heard, if indeed there were anyone to hear, were a flurry of raking and slicing noises, and then nothing.

All Natural

The last moments, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

I looked out of my patio door and saw this great lighting, so I had to take advantage of it. This was taken from inside my living room (had the camera on a tripod, triggered with a remote trigger). It was kind of weird having my sliding glass and screen doors wide open with a camera pointed toward my neighbors, but I don't think they noticed. And besides, it's not like I was taking pictures of them. Totally.

Behind the break is a pic of just the patio, sans me. Click on "Read More" to see it.

Patio, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Favorite Things

Favorite Things, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Books are treasure. That's always been my view of them. Even though I'm a Literature teacher, I'm not the most prolific reader in the world (both my girlfriend and my roommate read a ton more than I do), but what I do read I really dig into and fall in love with.

These are a few of the books that have made big impressions on me. If they weren't out on loan, either Poisonwood Bible or Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver would be in this shot as well. Oh, and while I haven't actually read all of that anthology of Ray Bradbury short stories, I'm exceedingly glad I have it.

Dan

Dan, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Dan is one of the coolest people ever made. He used to be the guitarist in Out of the Water, an old band that I was in that was remarkably influential in my life. That was just the start, though. In recent years he's been in the Peace Corps in Bolivia and has worked as some sort of civil engineer (the details escape me at the moment) in Chile. Now he's back in town for a little bit, but soon he'll end up at Princeton, taking classes for the first time since he graduated from UofM. He's pretty hardcore. If anyone deserves super-dramatic, totally badass lighting, it's him!

Dan: now that you're back in the states, I expect more frequent visits. Nay, I demand it.

Through Her Fingers

Through Her Fingers (color shift), originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Kathleen and I took a walk through the Arb yesterday evening to try out a style of photography that I haven't really experimented with before. The idea is to create pastel, blown-out portraits, but still have them sharp and clear enough to work as portraits. So far I like the results. I'm sure I'll be using this more in the future.

Also, this is a slightly photoshopped version of the photo. I used a trick to add sort of a pink hue to the shot. If you click on Read More, you can view the original as well!

Through Her Fingers, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

A Tip of the Hat

To view today's picture, click on "Read More". It is behind a cut because some may deem this not safe for work.

A Tip of the Hat, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

This is another shot from the boudoir set I did with Amanda a couple of weeks ago. This is going to be the last of them I post up. I just met with her on Sunday to go over the proofs, and she has selected a dozen of them that she's going to turn into 16x24 prints (they're going to be great at that resolution), and she was exceedingly happy with everything. This entire experience has been fantastic, and I look forward to doing more paid work on the side in the future.

How could would it be to be a teacher with a Summer photography gig?

A Series of Lines that Intersect

A Series of Lines that Intersect, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Clearly I've struck upon a theme when it comes to self portraits. I haven't exhausted the possibilities with it yet, so look forward to some more surrealist/creepy stuff with me as the subject matter in the future.

David, my roommate, helped me decide which pics should go up tonight. He liked the first one here because of how my fingers are splayed out. He thinks it makes it difficult to tell which way is up, and I like that. Here it is large and on black

This second one, he says, appears as though I'm coming through a portal from another dimension. And I am.

From Another Dimension, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Prowler

Prowler, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

Kathleen is moving to a new apartment soon, so I finally decided to break in through take a photo in her window well like I've always wanted to since I first saw it.

This one looks pretty good large and on black.

Happy Friday. Lock your windows.

Curious Cats

Curious Cats, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

The big tree in the back lot of my apartment complex grows a massive mushroom on it about this time every year. It probably doesn't bode well for the tree, but it makes a fun platform on which to put tiny plastic cats which were originally cupcake decorations.

Also, shooting something this small makes me wish I had been using an autofocus lens. A 50mm autofocus is definitely on my "buy before the year is out" list. That, and at least one more flash.

Swinging By

Swinging By, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

I realized quite late in the day that I needed to post up a photo for today, and the shots from the boudoir set I did on Wednesday (my first paying gig!) aren't ready yet, nor have I screened them with the client. So, as it turned out, Kathleen and I headed out to a nearby playground that we like to take walks through (and play on), but we had only about 20 minutes to get a shot off before a thunderstorm blew in. The thunder storm failed to really come our way, but it was threatening, and I didn't feel like having my equipment out, or be surrounded by a metal play structure, while there was lightning in the sky. Call me nervous.

Dish of Beauty

Dish of Beauty, originally uploaded by RLHyde [breatheindigital].

I've been big into building my own fancy light augmentation tools lately. I could be spending many hundreds of dollars on professional tools, or I could just put together stuff for free or nearly free. Such is the case with this photo.

There are these things called "beauty dishes", which, as you might imagine, are meant to make girls look radiant and beautiful, or rather more so than usual. They're mostly out of my price range, and most of them are built for studio lights anyway, not little flashes like mine. So, I built one out of a turkey pan. Presto, awesome light. Took about 5 minutes to make.

Of course it helps to have people like Cammila on hand to let you experiment with all your new photo equipment, but hey, at least the hardware is easy to come by.