Tomorrow is Christmas, the first for my baby girl. We know she will not remember this Christmas (probably won’t remember the next). It’s going to be more exciting for mom, dad, and grandma but I’m sure she will get some enjoyment playing with all the paper and ribbons.
Last week Lyla turned 7 months. She absolutely loves posing for pictures and as always, taking this picture was very easy.
P.S. This shot was taken with my new Leica 28mm elmarit.
I started this blog in May and have successfully kept blogging ever since. I’m averaging more than 1000 clicks a month now, thus the site continues to grow. I hope to continue posting weekly into the new year and hopefully will make some significant updates in the future (i.e. new logo, more reviews, and a better portfolio).
Last December I went through all my digital pictures and had about 15000 pictures in my library. After sorting through them and removing around 5000 pictures, I was left with 10000 for the new year. Over the past year I’ve taken more than 9,000 new pictures. The reason for taking more pictures is not because of this blog, it’s because of owning the Leica M9/M9-P and having a new beautiful baby girl. I look forward to shooting even more in 2012.
Below are my my favorite shots of 2011. It’s hard to narrow down to just 10 (actually 11) but here you go:
You call this talent?
ISO 160 1/45s f/1.4 50mm summilux
Our Savior
ISO 160 1/250s f/1.4 50mm summilux
Morning Haze
ISO 160 1/4000s f/1.4 50mm summilux
Untitled
ISO 160 1/250s f/1.4 50mm summilux
Essence of Cool
ISO 160 1/4000s 50mm summilux
Dad, who are these people?
ISO 160 1/360 f/8 28mm summicron
Cool
ISO 200 1/30s 28mm summicron
Untitled
ISO 200 1/30 90mm macro
Untitled
ISO 160 1/180s f/1.4 50mm summilux
Our Future @ 6 months
ISO 160 1/125 f/4 35mm summicron
Our Future
ISO 160 1/360 f/2 35mm summicron
As we were walking around the harbor during our recent visit to Tampa we came upon this dog sitting on the deck of his owners ship. I hoped that I could get him to turn around but wasn’t so lucky (I even tried to get in front of him but he decided to move). Anyway, I still liked the shot.
Here is another picture I took with my new Leica 90mm macro elmar. I have a feeling I’ll probably be posting many close up shots over the coming month because of how much I like this lens.
Recently, I purchased the Leica 90mm Macro Elmar. Leica 90mm Macro is the only macro lens currently made by Leica. When you attach the Leica Macro adapter you can shoot within .5 meters from your subject. Yes, with other dSLR’s you can shoot even closer but for the Leica M9 this is considered very close.
I purchased the lens not only for macro shooting but also for portraits. Here is one of my first shots with the lens. I think it turned out well?
P.S. This image is un-cropped (if interested in seeing the full size let me know).
One of the unfortunates of living in Northern Indiana this time a year is the consistent grey skies, rain, and snow. I can’t count how many times a week I hear people comment about how they wish they were somewhere sunny. Recently, I visited Florida and many of the locals stated the exact opposite. They get tired of the daily blue skies and would like more overcast days.
I caught this couple relaxing on the beach. Obviously, they weren’t there to swim or sun bathe.
Approximately 20 years ago my family vacationed in Washington D.C. My greatest memories of that vacation was visiting Arlington National Cemetery. Even though I was only about 10 years old, I knew of President John F. Kennedy very well and I can still remember the impact it had when I walked up to his grave and saw the eternal flame. I also remember watching the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. I was very intrigued how “in sync” the guards were (remember I was only 10).
Recently, I traveled back to Arlington National Cemetery and many of those memories returned. Although saddened to visit the graves of those who sacrificed their lives for our country, I believe it’s necessary for us to visit and pay our respects.
Over Thanksgiving we flew to Tampa Florida to visit my wife’s mother. One afternoon we ate at a local seafood restaurant and after we were finished we decided to go for a walk. We were in a harbor with a bunch of fishing boats that were used to find sponges. This picture was taken of a gentlemen selling sponges (I was amazed how many they had stacked up again this building).
Every time I come back to Des Moines, I always have to travel out to this railroad bridge in Booneville. For some reason I never get bored taking pictures of it.
Previously, I shot a HDR but I thought I would post a single shot I took this weekend using my Leica 35mm.
It can be interesting what you can capture, just holding your camera at the hip and clicking the shutter. With the Leica M9 you can set your lens focus (using zone focus) distance and can easily capture sharp pictures (this can be done with any camera with manual focus). It’s also a great way to capture people unexpectedly.
As I was walking in Chicago, I saw these 2 people sitting and smoking cigarettes. By shooting at the hip, I was able to capture them at their level, which allowed for a better composition.
