April 27, 2010

I can't believe I've never read this book until now. 1984 was brilliant, and this is right on par with it. The entire concept of a utopian society has always intrigued me, and I've always believed that in theory, communism can work, but unfortunately the human factor won't allow it. Human nature is the major uncontrollable flaw with communism. Greed, jealousy, envy, feelings of superiority, all parts of human nature, and all elements that stop communism from being effective, stop the possibility of a utopian society. This book is doing a fantastic job of proving that. A great theory, but an impossible reality. "All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others."

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5.3
1/4 sec.
800 ISO

April 26, 2010

My g/f accidently knocked over a tub of cinnamon hearts today while we were getting ready to make dinner. It wasn't until after we started sweeping them up that I realized I should have taken a picture of them spread out across the floor. And it's not something you can just recreate without doing it all over again. Instead I opted for a Heart of Hearts.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5
1/6 sec.
400 ISO

April 25, 2010

This weekend the Comic Book and Entertainment Expo was in town, and my g/f was there both days for it. Celebrities, comic books, panel discussions, Q&A, she took it all in. I had thought about going, but decided not to. None of the panels interested me, and I'm not into comic books. My interest lay in getting autographs from 3 of  the celebrities and ended there. Instead, I gave money to my g/f, and asked her to get me what she could. She knew which one I mostly wanted, and said she'd definitely get me that one. The other 2 were touch and go (especially considering that one of the celebs creeps her right out). To my surprise, I got all 3. Sure, I didn't get to actually meet the stars, and she did (despite her lack of interest in them) but I'm not bothered by that. A 30 second encounter doesn't do much to excite me.

Pictured above are the 3 autographs I wanted, plus one my g/f got for herself.
From left to right, top to bottom:
Tony Todd (movie: Candyman. He's the one she thought was to creepy, so his was a big surprise), Sid Haig (movie: House of 1000 corpses/Devils Rejects, the one that I really wanted), Malcolm McDowell (movie: Clockwork Orange, one of my personal favourites, and only got this one because the lineup wasn't super long when she went by him), and for her, Tahmoh Penikett (TV shows: Battlestar Galatica and Dollhouse).

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5
1/4 sec
400 ISO

April 24, 2010

I was supposed to go to the Day To Remember concert today, but the weather made me change my mind. Heavy, wet, sticky snow and a strong cold wind really put me off. The tickets were free, and it's a band I'm not overly familiar with, so I wasn't very disappointed. Where I park for concerts, is about a 10 - 15 minute walk away from the actual venue (worth it for free parking) and I just didn't want to hike through the muck for a band I was unsure about. I stand by my decision.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5.3
1/20 sec.
400 ISO

April 23, 2010

The other designer in my office asked me if I could do a cover shot for him. We went for a bit of a walk this afternoon to one of the buildings down town, and I managed to get this photo. Unfortunately, I don't know much about what it's for, but regardless, it's still an interesting sculpture and should make for a neat cover.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5
1/80 sec.
200 ISO

April 22, 2010

Random sighting on my way in to work this morning. I past by this post box every day. Today....it had attitude!

Canon Powershot SD1200 IS
f3.2
1/80 sec.
80 ISO

April 21, 2010

It's about 8:30pm, and the sun is still on the utmost edges of the horizon, holding on for as long as it can before darkness settles over the city. For the next couple months, it will take hold of more and more hours, inviting us out onto our patio before it finally slips away.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 55 - 200mm
f5.6
1/2 sec.
800 ISO

April 20, 2010

I've really got to get back into using my weights again. Climbing (and using the climbing centre's gym) 2 nights a week just isn't enough. These have been sitting long enough that junk is actually starting to pile on top of them. Time to get motivated again! It's almost warm enough to start climbing in the mountains, so I've got to make sure I'm fit enough for it!

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5
1/2  sec.
800 ISO

April 19, 2010

Not the most visually interesting photo to date, more of a coincidental photo. A customer phoned the office today looking for information about a map that we produce, of gas plants in Alberta. She required a couple of photos of it just to see exactly what it entailed. Because I have my camera with me all the time now, I was chosen to take several for her. This is a sample of what she got.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f7.1
1/10 sec.
200 ISO

April 18, 2010

My g/f received a new blanket in the mail today. Never seen mail delivered on a sunday, so it surprised us for sure. It's a custom, hand made blanket that she requested from someone in the States. It's actually quite large (she asked for a single, and received a double) quite light and very well made. And it was surprisingly cheap!  The colours in it match a painting we have above our bed quite nicely too.

Canon Powershot SD1200 IS
f2.8
1/8 sec.
400 ISO

April 17, 2010

Today was my nieces 10th birthday party. We started with taking the kids climbing at the climbing gym me and my brother go to. They loved it, but after 2 hours they were pretty tired out. Then it was back to my brothers place for dinner, home made ice cream cake, presents, pinata, and all sorts of other madness. All in all, a good day.

Cannon Powershot SD1200 IS
f4.9
1/40 sec.
400 ISO

April 16, 2010

More road construction by my office. Now their turning a 1-way into a 2-way. That should make for some fun traffic moments monday morning.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5.3
1/3 sec.
200 ISO

April 15, 2010

The most random things appear in the most random places sometimes.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5.3
1/400 sec.
200 ISO

April 14, 2010

The tennis courts for the apartment building behind mine. Every couple months, they power wash or paint the compound, and within days, it's back to this. Every couple months, a new clean canvas calls out to anyone with a spray can, cannon marker, or pack of sharpies, and to much time on their hands.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f14
1/100 sec.
320 ISO

April 13, 2010

On her way out the door, to the doctors office no less, my g/f fell and kicked the back of the couch, breaking (or at the very least, spraining) her toe....Now she limps, and can't put much pressure on it. Not exactly what I planned on for a daily picture, but how can you not show this one off.

HTC Touch Pro cell phone

April 12, 2010

Over 20 years worth of several magazines published at my office. Along with digital archives, we also keep a few hard copies of each title. Looking back at some of the older issues can be really interesting, but in some ways, also painful and depressing, but in a rather humourous way.

Nikon D80
18 - 55mm
f3.5
1/3 sec.
800 ISO

April 11, 2010

I know, I know...You're tired of seeing pictures of snake enclosures...Not to worry, this should be one of the last. A friend of mine has recently picked up a couple of pet snakes, and has been asking all sorts of questions, in particular about housing them. I promised her I'd send some photos of one of my setups. This is the newest setup I have. It's the same enclosure that I had Kihone housed in, before we put her down. It has since been cleaned, disinfected and completely made over, and is the new home of Onyx. Hopefully she has better luck in it.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f6.3
1/8 sec.
800 ISO

April 10, 2010

A friend and fellow graphic designer has begun a project on her blog, revolving around a smoke theme. In order to promote creative thinking, she has invited other to join her on this project and submit their own contributions to the theme. I have decided that I want to actually photograph smoke as my piece.

These are just some of my practice shots, to figure out the technical side of things. When the real project is done, it will be properly lit, and have a proper smooth background, but for now, I think I've at least worked out the kinks. My initial thoughts on how to do it were only half right. I've since learned what to correct, so we'll see how the final project turns out.


Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5.3
3 sec.
1000 ISO

April 9, 2010

Coffee with a friend tonight. It's been a while since we've hung out so it was fun to see her again. And she brought along her new toy. Hope she has as much fun with it as I have with my Nikon.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f3.8
1/100 sec.
1600 ISO

April 8, 2010

Merry Christmas Everyone! Wait....this is APRIL isn't it? Yes....yes it is. Somebody should inform the weather that it is now spring. And this was only the start. About a half hour after this was taken, it was full white out conditions, and we couldn't see the houses across the street. The wind was blowing it completely sideways and the cold weather made the roads pretty dangerous.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5.3
1/400 sec.
1600 ISO

I was just about to head out to a hockey game when it got really nasty, and decided to wait it out. It only lasted about 10 minutes then went back to what you see above. Everything was covered in ice when I got out to my car, and parts of the city lost power. Our lights flickered for hours, but never went out. We weren't sure how well the trains would be running in this, but mine was fine. However, the guy I was going to the game with wasn't so fortunate. His train stopped, and didn't get going again for almost 20 minutes. We missed the opening puck drop.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f4.5
1/400 sec.
1000 ISO

April 7, 2010

It's fundraising season again. Last year I raised $1700 for the Alberta Easter Seals, a charity organization that helps children and families living with disabilities. All money raised goes to help send the kids to Camp Horizon, a camp that caters specifically to these kids, and helps provide the families with much needed equipment. As part of the fundraiser, I rappel from the roof of a 30 story building in downtown Calgary, that's approx. 375 feet! It's so fun, and I look forward to fundraising again this year.

Any readers who wish to donate can do so here:
Easter Seals Drop Zone

All donations over $20 receive a charitable tax receipt. And for any Americans that wish to donate, you will also receive a tax receipt in American Funds for your donation.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5.6
1/5 sec.
640 ISO

April 6, 2010

Yep, still feeling like Hell. I've resorted to tea in the mornings instead of coffee. It definitely makes my throat feel better, and the rest of the aches and pains slowly slip away with the Chamomile and Citrus.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f4.8
1/20 sec.
200 ISO

April 5, 2010

Ugh...Hit like a ton of bricks by this cold. Felt fine going to bed, woke up and everything ached. Lets hear it for throat lozenges!

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55 mm
f4.5
1/13 sec.
200 ISO

April 4, 2010

Small hands working diligently to figure out his newest Bakugan toy. Oh, to be amused by something so simple again.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5.6
1/125 sec.
800 ISO

April 3, 2010

Easter Dinner at my g/f's parents place. During conversations I noticed the perfect reflections in my spoon and spent my time playing with it.

Canon SD1200 IS
f3.2
1/10 sec
400 ISO

They seemed to find it a little odd that I was taking pictures of the spoon. Thankfully, I think her family knows that I'm not what you would typically call "normal" and that seems to work fine for them. Also the fact that she and her brother are also in artistic fields probably makes it a little easier to understand "artistic vision"


Canon SD1200 IS
f3.5
1/8 sec
400 ISO

April 2, 2010

My nephews birthday was more than a month ago...and we still haven't seen him to give him his present. I feel bad for the poor kid, having to wait this long for his gift, but with everything else that's been going on, we just haven't had the time. At least we haven't forgotten, and I'm sure he hasn't either.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5.3
1/10 sec.
800 ISO

April 1, 2010

This is just yet another site I see on my way to or from work everyday. It's about the only actual phone booth you see in this city anymore. But all the glass as been broken out of it and there's no door. More often than not, there are gig posters stapled to the wood inside.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5
1/32 sec.
200 ISO

March 31, 2010

Yet another show, yet another cell phone photo. This was a planned concert tho. And a little more my speed than Muse. This was the Korn/Five Finger Death Punch concert that I've been waiting for! I love a good heavy metal concert, and this one was right up there. Ever since I bought my 5FDP cd, I haven't been able to stop listening to it. I was so excited to see them live.

HTC TouchPro cell phone

March 30, 2010

A complete stroke of luck for this photo. A last minute phone call from a friend got me tickets to the Muse concert tonight. It took some serious rushing to get home, changed and to meet up with him to get the tickets before the show.

They say Muse is "the band to see" right now...and I completely agree. They put on one of the most impressive stage shows I've seen in a while.

HTC TouchPro cell phone

March 29, 2010

You never really realize how much money you save up in just coins. Rolling them tonight, I discovered I had more than $200 just sitting on top of my dresser. Who knew.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5.3
10/25 sec.
500 ISO

March 28, 2010

Tonight's dinner turned out so well I just had to capture it. BBQ halibut, vegan potato salad, and asparagus...everything came out perfect.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f9
10/25 sec.
500 ISO

March 27, 2010

Out with the boys today! Decided to do a double header movie night. Shutter Island to start, and Alice in Wonderland 3D to finish. I'm not going to get into a review about either one, but I did thoroughly enjoy both!

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f5.6
1/30 sec.
500 ISO

March 26, 2010

There is no photo today. Today I had to finally put down the snake that has been sick. I'm in no mood to take pictures. Instead I've decided to take the day to myself and not worry about being creative.

March 25, 2010

There wasn't much for climbing today, so instead my brother and I decided to boulder. This is his first experience with it, and my second or third. It's a whole new beast, completely different than climbing. More technique, and a lot more arm and hand strength, but so much fun. Trying to follow the correct route (in this case, orange tape with silver stripe) just ads so much more to it. You've really got to think  your route out and where you're going to place your hands/feet for which move. It may look simple enough, but rest assured, when you're at a 35º angle, it wears on ya pretty fast.


Canon Powershot SD1200 IS
f2.8
1/60 sec.
250 ISO

And here's my attempt at a different route. Despite the great hold I'm using for my right hand, the left hand is a little more challenging. A smaller hold, I could only use 2 fingers, and from that position, I've got to pull my weight up high enough to reach the next available hold up and to my right.


Canon Powershot SD1200 IS
f2.8
1/60 sec.
250 ISO

March 24, 2010

How lazy can you be that you need a stencil to help you with your graffiti? These are all along the bridge that I cross every day.

Nikon D80
Nikkor 18 - 55mm
f10
1/200 sec.
500 ISO