My Amateur Art & Photo Blog

It's only been the second time I've headed out on my mountain bike this year so far but already I feel a theme coming on for a photography project this year. To capture the different terrain of the places I managed to find myself on my Trek  7100 when I head out not really knowing where the road or my whims may take me. 3/30/2013 - Mystic Valley Parkway 3/31/2013 - Lower Mystic Lake 3/31/2013 4/9/2013 4/28/2013 - Boston Marathon Finish Line 4/28/2013 - Copley Square 5/1/2013 - Spy Pond 5/13/2013 - Mystic River 6/19/2013 - Somerville 7/7/2013 - Winchester 7/11/2013 - Arlington 7/12/2013 - The Fells 7/13/2013 - Alewife Greenway Bike Path 7/21/2013 - Returning From The Fells On New MTB 9/08/2013 - Near Oak Grove Cemetery 9/15/2013 - Charles River Reservation 10/19/2013 - Mystic Valley Parkway 11/15/2013 - Arlington Center 12/10/2013 - South Beach Miami

I always like collections of objects that fill the frame and a visit to my local grocery store on this day and fresh these tomatoes caught my eye. Tomatoes - Yes they are a fruit T aken with the  Canon PowerShot SX230HS , no post processing.

Taking a break from work today and going for a walk to clear my head was just what the doctor ordered. The fall colors on Tufts University campus caught my eye and another assignment is ticked off my list for 2013. Fall Colors- Tufts university T aken with the  Canon PowerShot SX230HS , no post processing.

This posting should be entitled 'fun on the water' but it fits the category waves even though there weren't too many out there in Plymouth Bay the day we were there. Seadoo's and lots of open water protected by harbor islands and inlets makes for a lot of fun. If only I had the nerve to take my phone/camera out on the water the photo opportunities would have been endless, instead today's post is taken from dry land.  Waves - Fun on the water in Plymouth Bay Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld,  color enhanced in p ost processing.

Montreal is an amazing city, one of my favorite in the world (that I know of anyways). However, parking in this fair city can be troublesome for anyone who doesnt know the rules, even worse than Boston, if you can imagine that. Bonne chance! Signs-  Où puis-je stationner ma voiture? Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld,  no p ost processing.

The city of Montreal provided yet another opportunity for a meeting a photography goal this year in capturing the vertical lines of the Notre Dame cathedral as it reaches for the heavens in this shot. Vertical - Facade of Notre Dame T aken with the  Canon PowerShot SX230HS , no post processing.

A walk around down town Montreal is always a pleasure. From the old city to the new and in between the two is the Palais des Congrès with it's marvelous colored glass windows which on a sunny late afternoon like this one provide a splendid opportunity for fulfilling one of my goals for this year's photography project. Glass - Colored Glass Windows, Palais des Congrès T aken with the  Canon PowerShot SX230HS , no post processing.

The clock reads 5.32 AM! Up bright in early to start our vacation and 4th annual road trip to Montreal, bonnes vacances! Time - ... For Vacation! Taken with the  Canon PowerShot SX230HS , no post processing.

I'm renaming this post from simply 'Age' to 'Age/Death' because what more final way is there to reflect Age than Death? We were unfortunate enough to have one of our pets become terminally ill this year at all too young an age. Out vet, however, was super nice and recommended a great cremation place to use. What a kind and considerate job they did too of putting together a poem and card of well wishes with Asta's little box of ashes. You will be missed kitty!  Age/Death - RIP Asta Asta in better days Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld,  no p ost processing.

It wouldn't be a photography blog it seems these days without the obligatory self-shot  With everyone and their grandmother having a smartphone I'm not sure how many of my posts to this blog count as 'art/photography' anymore, but with a goal in mind of taking 52 photos of the course of 365 matching 52 different themes I will trudge on!! Selfy- Me in one of my fave places on earth, the water Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld,  no p ost processing.

Is that ship closer or further away from the camera than the Tea Party Museum? Em, It's closer and a lot smaller. Distance - Boston Tea Party Ship Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld,  color enhanced in p ost processing.

Boston in the summer, a great time to be working in the city when you can get all your work done and head out for a meal and beer after work in the North End of the city. Little Italy to those in the know has so many good little cafes and restaurants and when in Rome (well not quite) do as the Roman's did and have a Peroni (well if Beer had been around then they would have). Alcohol  - Little Italy  Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld,  color enhanced in p ost processing.

The bad part about going to the beach in Massachussets (see previous post) is of course the traffic, and dealing with the I93 on the way home. #bostonproblems Traffic - I93 I couldn't resist capturing the bad traffic on what I expected to be one of the worst commuting days in to Boston, the first day back to work after the holiday weekend that is Labor Day. Fortunately the commute wasn't that bad only taking 5 minutes longer than my average time of ~20 minutes. Traffic - First day after Labor Day Weekend, I93 Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld . Cropped for aspect, no other p ost processing.

A great summers day with a light cooling breeze from the ocean provided the first oppurtinuty I've had in a while to take a shot for my photography blog. Clouds - W ollaston Beach Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld, these 3 shots where combined in post to one long panarama. This is W ollaston beach in Quincy . P ost processing to combine images and improve contrast.

This evening was just the perfect weather for biking, not too hot, not too humid and plenty of light to be seen by the Boston area automobile drivers who simply don't give a crap about cyclists. #staysafeoutthere Into The Sun Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld .  No post processing. Another contender for this subject was the following shot taken from my back yard with the  Canon PowerShot SX230HS  handheld in landscape mode. Into The Sun I must like taking shots in to the sun, looking at my photos I've taken this year so far this one from April is another contender for this subject.  Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld .  No post processing. Statue of George Washington

The Super Moon was too much of a temptation not to try and capture it in motion. The attached image is 2 taken in quick succession with my Canon P&S and animated together to get this glimmering effect. I like this shot but wish I could have got a little more detail, should have tried with my DSLR; next time. Super Moon - Animated Gif 2 shots t aken with the  Canon PowerShot SX230HS , combined in post processing & saved as a GIF.

I had set myself the target of capturing the Rain in, but I think this shot of a rainbow is more interesting. We've not had a lot of rain this year but it is always nice to see the sun come out again when it does rain. Rainbow T aken with the  Canon PowerShot SX230HS , cropped in post processing for aspect.

Boston is a great city and there is always something going on in town. This weekend it was the domain of the nerds with the Star Trek convention! Believe it or not I've never been to any type of sci-fi convention despite being an avid fan of the genre. Luckily a mate of mine was up for it today and we headed over, on the way in this sign met another one of my photography assignments for this year. Type On The Star Trek Expo Sign   Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld,  no p ost processing.

This nerds game from miles around, myself included in that grouping to see the cast of Star Trek hit the hub this weekend. For a convention this was a very small event, although I don't really have anything to compare it to having never attended anything like this before, I'd love to see a convention in Las Vegas one day. Crowds- The Boston Prudential Center Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld,  no p ost processing.

Summer is in the air along the Mystic River as is evidenced by these Geese whom seem to think I have some food for them as I take this picture. Not today, sorry. Animals - Geese on the Mystic River  Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld,  color enhanced in p ost processing.

Living and working in the Boston area it really wasn't much of a challenge to find something to photography that exemplified the 'history' assignment. The Old State House  near Fanieul Hall in Boston is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the area. History -  Old State House, Boston Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld,  cropped for aspect and color enhanced in p ost processing.

A C appuccino  in the North End of Boston tastes as good as it would in Italy, or so I imagine. Food - C appuccino   Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite , No post processing.

I was given a rude reminder that it is still very much the early days of Spring in the Boston area the other day while on a photo walk the sunshowers catching me off guard. Trellis pattern Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite , No post processing.

I'm not sure I would want this hanging on the wall in my living room but this large framed art work from the Central Americas certainly caught my attention today at the Natural History Museum in Harvard Sq. Art - Central American Painting Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld,  no p ost processing.

You know Spring has well and truly sprung in Boston when you see the Tulips on the Rose Kennedy Greenway flowering(?) Flowers - Rose Kennedy Greenway Taken with the  LG Optimus Elite ,  handheld,  no p ost processing.