January 31, 2013 - A Sign that It's Cold!

Our local community center got a new sign, just in time to tell us it's cold out there!

HDR	No	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	55/82mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/200 +.3 Exposure Compensation	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/8 Aperture Priority	Flash	No
ISO	100	Stabilization	Tripod; Vibration Compensation (VC) on

January 30, 2013 - Dish of Colors

This is a dish that was given to us by a friend and that we keep on display in our kitchen.  The trick in taking this photo was to do so without catching any glare from the lights or flash.  I slanted the dish holder toward the camera and had the flash off-camera high and to the right of the dish.

HDR	No	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	55/82mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/60 +.3 Exposure Compensation	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/9 Aperture Priority	Flash	Yes; Off to the right
ISO	2000	Stabilization	Tripod; Vibration Compensation (VC) off

January 29, 2013 - Seals

This sculpture of two seals was given to us by a former neighbor and member of our church.  I experimented with the placement of the sculpture, the background, exposure settings and the placement of the flash.  This shot turned out the best, providing the best representation of the colors in the sculpture.

HDR	No	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	85/127mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/60 +.3 Exposure Compensation	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/9 Aperture Priority	Flash	Yes; Held to the left & above camera
ISO	100	Stabilization	Tripod; Vibration Compensation (VC) on

January 28, 2013 - Artwork

The local "artists" have been busy decorating the railroad bridge near our neighborhood.

HDR	No	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	21/31mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/100	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/9 Aperture Priority	Flash	No
ISO	320	Stabilization	Handheld; Vibration Compensation (VC) on

January 27, 2013 - Freezing Snow

What was to be a rainy/icy day here in the Twin Cities turned out to be a snowy day (much more desirable)!  My goal in this shot was to freeze the snow in mid-fall.  I set the camera to shutter priority, set the speed up to 1/1000 and then set the ISO up to 4000 to get some depth of field.  In general it worked, however the shot is somewhat grainy and the flakes that were close to the camera appear as blurry blobs!

HDR	No	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	65/97mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/1000 Shutter Priority	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/9	Flash	No
ISO	4000	Stabilization	Handheld; Vibration Compensation (VC) on

January 26, 2013 - Polar Plunge

The White Bear Lake (Minnesota) Polar Plunge was held this afternoon.  The temperature was 19F.  I enjoy going to this event to capture the participants expressions as they jump into the cold water of White Bear Lake.  It's as though it seemed like a good idea right up until that point!

Unfortunately the crowd was kept quite a ways away from the action, so I had to take my shots with my zoom fully extended and without the aid of a tripod, so the shots aren't as crisp as I would like.  Also, the participants and the rescue personnel were frequently between me and the jumpers, so I had to crop each image to get something useful.

HDR	No	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	185/277mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/400 Shutter Priority	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/6.3	Flash	No
ISO	200	Stabilization	Handheld; Vibration Compensation (VC) on

January 25, 2013 - Incarnation Cemetery

And now for something entirely different!  This is the marker at the entry to the Incarnation Cemetery in Lino Lakes, Minnesota.  If you are familiar with the Incarnation Lutheran Church in Shoreview, you recognize that this marker is shaped like the profile of the church building.

HDR	No	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	21/31mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/1000	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/8  Aperture Priority	Flash	No
ISO	200	Stabilization	Handheld; Vibration Compensation (VC) on

January 24, 2013 - Stoney Point

This is a photo from Stoney Point on the north shore of Lake Superior.  It was taken at sunrise with the sun behind me and the color reflecting on the clouds to the west.  It was around -17F when I took this one!

HDR	No	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	32/48mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/80	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/7.1  Aperture Priority	Flash	No
ISO	640	Stabilization	Handheld; Vibration Compensation (VC) on

January 23, 2013 - Breakwater

This is the breakwater in the harbor at Two Harbors, Minnesota.  It was about 0F with a strong wind coming off of Lake Superior, so I didn't take the time to set up the tripod for this photo.  I noticed that even the auto-focus was taking a while to perform!

HDR	No	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	78/117mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/125	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/11  Aperture Priority	Flash	No
ISO	100	Stabilization	Handheld; Vibration Compensation (VC) on

January 22, 2013 - Frozen Lake Superior

Look cold?  It was about -9F when I took this shot of the Lake Superior shoreline at Larsmont Cottages near Knife River, Minnesota.  I took it without using a tripod and with my telephoto lens fully extended.

HDR	No	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	250/375mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/160	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/11  Aperture Priority	Flash	No
ISO	100	Stabilization	Handheld; Vibration Compensation (VC) on

January 21, 2013 - Patterns

It keeps getting colder and colder outside, so I stayed inside today for this shot of a pattern in one of my wife's quilts.  There's not much to say about it!!

HDR	No	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	110/165mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/80	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/6.3  Aperture Priority	Flash	No
ISO	800	Stabilization	Tripod; Vibration Compensation (VC) off

January 20, 2013 - White Bear Town Hall

The strategy for today's photo was simple:  Take it quickly and get back into the warm car!  The car thermometer indicated that it was 7 degrees out when I took this one.  It is an HDR image of the old White Bear Town Hall in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

HDR	Yes - 3 exposures -2,0,+2	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	38/57mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/1000	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/9  Aperture Priority	Flash	No
ISO	100	Stabilization	Tripod; Vibration Compensation (VC) off

January 19, 2013 - Pond Hockey Championship

I went to the USA Pond Hockey Championship in Minneapolis, MN, this morning for this shot.  I wish it had turned out sharper.  I had set the camera to shutter priority and a speed of 1/800sec to catch the action, but I guess I should have set up the ISO so I could get an even faster speed.  I liked this photo for where the puck is located!  I have a new appreciation for anyone that can take good pictures of a hockey game while trying to follow the puck!

To see more of my photos from the USA Pond Hockey Championship, click HERE

HDR	No	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	110/165mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/800 Shutter Priority	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/6	Flash	No
ISO	200	Stabilization	Handheld; Vibration Compensation (VC) on

January 18, 2013 - Church of St. Genevieve

This is an HDR image of the Church of St. Genevieve in Centerville, Minnesota.  It would have been nicer without the tree in front of it, but the other views all had something also (lamp post, access ramp, electrical wires, etc.).  I liked this shot for the nice blue sky!

HDR	Yes - 3 exposures -2,0,+2	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	30/45mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/200	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/10	Flash	No
ISO	100	Stabilization	Tripod; Vibration Compensation (VC) off

January 17, 2013 - Matoska Park

This is an HDR image of Matoska Park in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.  It is the result of merging three photos at different exposures and then fine tuning the image in Photoshop Elements.

HDR	Yes - 3 exposures -2,0,+2	Filter(s)	UV
Focal Length Digital/35mm	55/82mm	White Balance	Auto
Exposure	1/320	Metering	Matrix
Aperature	f/9	Flash	No
ISO	100	Stabilization	Tripod; Vibration Compensation (VC) off