DAY ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY ONE

Setup:
White foamcore background
The orange is sitting on a glass 2 inches above another piece of white foamcore

Strobist Info:
- SB-600, 50mm, 1/4 power, 3ft high, 1 ft away, thru shoot thru umbrella, camera left
- SB-600 fired using Alienbees Cybersyncs
- LP160, 24mm, 1/2 power, 5 ft high, 2 ft away, bare, camera right, pointed at background

DAY ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY

I ran into Dee and Dum today in the wonderful world of Fry's! That store is very addicting!

DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY NINE

I stayed out later than I expected I would tonight but I got a chance to catch up with a friend that I haven't talked to in a while. We chatted for over 4 hours and stayed 45 mins past closing time for the restaurant....oops! On the way back home, I got really hungry and in SB, there's only 1 type of place open for food at night - fast food.

After a long day, I was as fried as the food I was eating.

DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY EIGHT

Tonight, I had the delightful pleasure of photograph one of my friend's proposal to his girlfriend. They are just the cutest couple and I was so happy to share and capture the moment for them. I wish you both the very best! Congratulations you two!

Strobist Info:
The shot was captured with my SB-600 attached to the camera.

DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY SEVEN

I was watching Primal Fear the other night (and if you haven't seen it, you really should) and Richard Gere who's a lawyer has this to say to a reporter who is always asking him how he can do what he does.

Richard Gere: Come on, Connerman, ask it.
The reporter: Ask what?
Richard Gere: The question you wanted to ask me before.
The reporter: I don't understand, Mr Vail.
Richard Gere: "How can you defend someone if you know they did it?"
"How can you defend these scumbags?" Isn't that it?
All those coy questions, all that bull.
Bottom line is: "How can you do what you do?"
You think it's the money, don't you?
The money's nice. The money's very, very nice, Jack.
The first thing I ask a new client is:
"You been saving up for a rainy day?"
"Guess what? It's raining."

DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY SIX

Today, I took my first photo of a stranger!  I was apprehensive about asking at first but I decided that I had been putting it off for far too long.

DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE

Don't really have much to say tonight. Only running off maybe 6 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours and it looks like this will be another restless night. Hope everyone has a good night.

DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY FOUR

I really wanted to do a portrait this evening after reading David Hobby's blog but after brainstorming took so long, I decided to just do a quick one of myself.

Strobist Info
- SB-600, thru DIY 18" beauty dish, 35mm, full power, camera right, 5ft tall, 3 ft away
- LP160, thru shoot thru umbrella, 24mm, full power, camera left, 6ft tall, 4 ft away

DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY THREE

When I took this picture tonight over and over in my head, I kept saying, "Cookie. Cookie." But I was saying it over and over again because I'm crazy. I was saying it because I was thinking about the Family Guy episode when Stewie falls in love with Janet and all she ever really says to him is "Cookie." He thinks that's her nickname for him because he thinks she likes him too but at the end of the show he realizes that she's been asking him for a cookie. haha

Then I came in my room to process this photo, turned the TV on to Adult Swim and that very same episode was on. What a coincidence!

DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY TWO

I know most people are jumping up and down because today is the first day of summer but I'm really not a summer person. I'm a summer person when it's not really hot and I'm thinking that this one may get a little up there. :/

Hope everyone has a great summer! Any great vacation plans?

Strobist Info:
- SB-600, thru 24" shoot thru umbrella, at my back

DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY ONE

Today I went out looking for insects to photograph but I didn't have any luck so right as I was heading home, I drove pass this church and saw this long archway as I passed it. I circled around the block to capture the shot. I didn't have the lens I wanted with me to get this shot like I wanted so I did the best I could. The fun began in the post processing when I got home.

I applied Coffeeshop Velvet Cream action and then boosted the saturation. Lastly, I applied the Wood Frame action in Photoshop.

DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY

I've been reorganizing things all day and trying to figure out why my PC keeps dying so with no time left, I made dinner tonight from a Costco entree (don't you just love Costco?). It was pretty good Chicken Florentine but I'd better not get to used to it because Costco will eventually stop carrying it. ;) haha

Strobist Info
- SB-600, 35mm, with DIY ring flash

DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY NINE

This picture isn't the best macro I've taken by a long shot but I posted it as a reminder to me of what happened this morning.

I went out early this morning (5:30 am) to catch a sunrise but forgot that it's June gloom time in Santa Barbara which means there's overcast until early in the afternoon so I decided to stalk some insects instead. Only, I turned out to be the one being stalked. Not by the insects but by this creepy guy at the Mission Rose Garden. I noticed him out there when I first got out of the car but he was far enough away from me that I could watch his movements and be on alert for any dangers. Then I moved to a section of the garden where he was out of my line of sight and when I looked in his direction again as I walking towards my car, he was gone. I got in my car and noticed that he was walking over to the direction where I was standing. He walked over to a bush and at first. I assumed he was leaving the garden but he didn't. He stood behind the bush as if he was waiting for me. I watched him from my car and then he steps out from behind the bush and still sees my car there but he's not sure if I'm in it so then he bends down to see if I'm in the car and I'm right there staring right at him to let him know, "Look buddy, I'm not your victim today." Then he steps back behind the bush again and waits a minute or two before stepping out from behind the bush again.

I left and went to another area to look for insects and then returned to the garden. When I arrived, he was across the garden in the same spot he was the very first time I saw him. He saw me but he didn't realize that this time, I wasn't alone. I grabbed my camera and proceeded to look for insects so he disappears from the bench and I just know he's walking over to where I am. As I'm walking back towards my car after taking a few shots, he decides to lie underneath the bush that's about 15 ft to the side of my car. Then I get in my car and he moves to another bush that's 5 steps away from the bush he's under and lies under that bush.

A few more people started to arrive to the garden as I was leaving but he seemed unaware of them as he seemed to only have eyes for me and I had something for him.

To all photographers and everyone in general, be aware of your surroundings. There are some crazy people in the world.

DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY EIGHT

Today, I went to the harbor to get some lobster tails and I walked out on the breakwater and took out my camera while trying to avoid the high waves shooting over it only to press the shutter button and nothing happened! I looked at the back and my camera and saw 3 words that are able to sink my heart every time I see them if I don't have my camera bag with me, "No SDcard detected." :-O

So I pulled out my trusty Droid X and processed this photo using HDR Toning in PS with Monochromatic Artistic setting.

DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY SEVEN

I snapped a few quick pics of Team #4 (yeah, that's really their name) tonight at bowling. I was going to take another photo tonight for my 365 but I'm not feeling well and I'm really hoping that it's nothing I ate because getting sick from food is no fun. So I'm going to sleep now with my fingers crossed that I don't wake up in the middle of the night from the food ills.

DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY SIX

I went out tonight to see the lunar eclipse and all I saw was a very cloudy sky. :(

DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY FIVE

I set out tonight to take long exposure shots because of the gorgeous full moon tonight but as soon as I got to my destination, the moon was completely covered by clouds and that was the end of that. So I drove around looking for places and the Arlington theater was all lit up and ready for its photo op.

The Arlington Theater is 80 years old and it is one of the most well maintained theaters I've seen. The Arlington turned 80 years on May 22, 2011.

This photo was processed with Dynamic HDR using 5 exposures ranging from -2 to 2. All shot handheld.

DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR

DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY THREE

My teddy bear was so tired today he just came home and fell on the bed without even taking off his sunglasses. Oh well, sometimes it's like that. I'm about to join him though. :)

DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY TWO

I received this bottle of Sunstone wine as payment for the family portrait I did last month. I'm not usually a red wine drinker but I absolutely love this wine! I'm almost out so I've got to get some more. There are a few recipes I'd love to try it in.

I will be releasing a link to view pictures from the family portrait session soon.

Strobist Info:
- SB-600, thru 24" softbox, 1 ft away, 4 ft high, 35mm, camera left

DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY ONE

DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY

We've been having a good 'ole time - me, my macro lens, and my speedlight. We've become quite close in these past few photos. My macro lens and speedlight were tired of being overused for macro shots of water drops and I became extremely busy, distracted, and often grew bored. Then we went out on a date to rekindle our love for one another and I began to see us in a different light and I'm thinking my creative juices are starting to flow again or at least I hope.

While this shot is very simple, the thought process behind looking for different angles, getting the right light, and getting great bokeh was enough to make me remember why I love this pair all over again. :)

Strobist Info:
- SB-600, fired from on camera, TTL BL mode

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY NINE

As you can tell from the title, I shot this picture at night. I used my DIY ring flash which I've been meaning to show you but that'll be for a separate blog post later. I have no idea what this flower is so if someone knows, I'll be grateful for the info.


Strobist Info:
- SB-600, fired with SC-29 TTL cable thru DIY ring flash, on TTL BL mode, 50mm, +2.0

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY EIGHT

Where tricks aren't for kids. **wink wink**

Lighting Info:
Bunny ears backlight by tungsten bulb - probably 60 watt bulb

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY SEVEN

This photo isn't as sharp as I would've liked it to be because I was holding the camera above my head and standing on my tip toes with my arms shaking like crazy.

Strobist Info
- SB-600, fired from on camera, in TTL, BL mode

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY SIX

What do you get when you don't feel like taking a picture and you roam around your kitchen with your macro lens and you find a steel scouring pad? You get my photo for day 156.

Lighting Info
- On camera flash

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY FIVE

We could all use a little change in our life sometimes and right now I feel like I want to shake things up a bit but I'm not exactly sure what. I'm not worried because I'm sure it will come to me. One change I know I would like to make is to get a picture up before the end of the night. I'm usually such a late poster.

I took a page from Matthew Coughlin's book and used two different fonts for the text. I like the technique and feel that it adds to the expression of the words.

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY FOUR

Here's my Denman brush. I wanted to do a macro shot tonight but was too exhausted to gather up the patience for water droplets so I grabbed one of my Denmans. Since I have curly hair, I really shouldn't use a brush that has round balls on the ends but it's the best detangling brush I have so I'm breaking the rules!

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY THREE

I've seen a good amount of night cityscapes from my fellow 365ers so I thought It'd make my contribution. This is Goleta, California at night from the top of a parking garage on the campus of UCSB.

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY TWO

This is Donkey. Donkey is a Jack Russell Terrier. He is the big brother to two sisters and one brother. He's a real sweetheart but he can be very temperamental at times. He knows how to beg and he really hates UPS (I'm not kidding!).

Donkey's sister Noodles was introduced to you in Day 21.

When I was at Donkey's house, my friend, his mom, showed me this video that I thought was pretty funny so I'm sharing it with you.