Epilogue: Closing Thoughts

Well, it's over.  I made my first post exactly one year ago today, and it's finally come to a close.

Doing a 365 project was not as fun and as easy as it seemed at first.  It started out pretty exciting because I saw only the romance of embracing something fun and creative that I could share with the world.  There was something about the "anything goes" aspect of choosing the picture to post each day.  I never dreamed that it might actually be hard to come up with one measly picture per day, but on several occasions it was.  I had so much trouble getting a good shot for my very first post that I almost didn't even start it that day.  I had been working overtime all week and struggled badly.  I barely got it done before my bedtime.  I remember thinking that I hoped it wouldn't be that hard every time.

My shortcoming:  I'm not a creative person.

I think my quality standards made it hard on me.  I have seen a lot of people's 365 projects on the web, and believe me when I say people will post a picture of anything. I've seen some of the worst crap you can imagine posted on 365 project sites.  Photography is art, and everyone knows art is in the eye and mind of the artist.  I'm not talking about creativity in this case though.  I'm talking about grabbing a camera and taking a picture that is poorly composed, poorly executed (wrong settings), or just a stupid, stupid picture subject.  For example, taking a picture of a doorway to a 7-11 store you happened to stop at on your way home, or a flash picture of your dog looking up at you.  Many of the people do 365 projects are just average point-and-shoot camera types and are just chronicling their day-to-day lives--For those it's okay.  I'm talking about the ones that consider themselves "photographers" and should have higher standards.

I didn't want any of my pictures to be that way.  I wanted to put thought into my pictures.  Did I succeed?  Not entirely.  Day 197 comes to mind.  Bad Ricky...

Many times it was almost bedtime and I had no picture.  Sometimes my "last minute" pictures ended up being very good--surprising even me.  Other times they looked, well, like last minute pictures.  One of my favorite "last minute" pictures was the shot I took of an old pair of my glasses on Day 329.

One thing you don't think about when you start a 365 project is the winter months.  The lack of daylight, the rain, the cold--it will all wear on you.  It will keep you from getting out and wandering in search of good subject matter.  It will also depress you and stifle your creativity and inspiration (if you have any to begin with).

I've learned a lot.  Doing a 365 will force you.  It will stretch your skills.  It will make you bend a little farther and try something you might not otherwise try.  Some things might be out of your comfort level.  It will teach you do's and don'ts about lighting, settings, and many other things.  I will teach you how to "save" a picture by creative use of filters.  It will teach you how to use your post-processing software with confidence.  It might teach you to browse the web for ideas and tweak them a little to make them your own (Day 212 comes to mind).  It will teach you to carry your camera with you everywhere.  It will teach you that you seldom get a second chance in photography.  When you see something good, don't file it away for next time.  Stop or turn around.  Get the shot NOW.

Sometimes it's as if real life and the camera's viewfinder need a translator.  It's funny how many times I took several shots knowing that I had some good stuff, only to be shot down when I viewed them at home on the computer.  For whatever reason I wouldn't like any of them.  Conversely, sometimes I'd be looking at my "catch" from a day of shooting and something I didn't really even consider just totally POPS when I see it.

I have learned my shortcomings as far as photography goes.  Sue will always outgun me with her photography skills because she is very, very good at spotting and composing a shot.  We can both be walking on the same sidewalk and she'll see things I won't.  We seldom choose the same shots from a lineup either.  Our taste is different.  I find myself now going more for a monochromatic look in pictures.  I'm drifting more towards black & white photography.

I believe my photography has gotten better in many ways since I began this project.  I find myself looking at light and shadows now.  I find myself ignoring ISO settings now too.  It used to be that I always strove to get shots at the lowest ISO setting I could for the sake of clarity.  The trouble is, it was usually self-defeating.  Instead of the low-grain clarity that a low ISO could offer, I ended up getting high-blur because my ISO was too low for the light I was shooting in.

Will I do another 365?  No.  I do think I'll do another project of some kind though.  The fun is still there--I just don't want the pressure that the forced picture-per-day presented.  I'm leaning more towards some kind of project that uses a common theme.  Maybe some sort of photo-journalism like pictures of disappearing Americana or something.  I really like candid pictures of people out in public, but I lack experience getting those shots.  Maybe I'll throw some of that in.  I dunno.

I did find it sort of a bummer that I rarely got a comment from anybody.  From my vantage point it meant that nobody was watching and I was doing the project solely for me--just for the sake of doing it.  Although that is true, people do appreciate a nod from the audience every now and then.  Anyway, even though this one has ended, the Leftovers blog has not.  I will continue to post things there.
At any rate, I hope those of you that have followed this project have enjoyed it.

Now, get off your butt, blow the dust off your own camera, and take some pictures!

Day 365 - The End.

There are a lot of different ways you can go when you decide that you're going to take a picture with a number theme.  The first one that comes to mind is a house address (which I already did on Day 306).  This idea popped into my head several days ago.

I was somewhat surprised at how these type of post office boxes have gone away.  The first place I stopped last week (I was preparing for today's shot) didn't even have the number 365.  Apparently it had to do with fitting certain amounts of certain sized boxes into the space they had to work with.  I found this one in Kent yesterday.  Even these are different from what did originally looked like--The original combination locks have been replaced by key locks.

Anyway, I stopped on my way home, knowing exactly where it was so all I had to do was casually stroll into the post office, past the line of customers, and hone in on my target.

Mission accomplished.  Blog completed.  Woohoo, I did it!

Day 364 - Comfort Kitty

It's funny how everyone associates their critter with camping out in front of a comfy wood fire.  Thing is, it's usually a dog.  We always associate hound dogs (pronounced "dawgs") with laying there sleeping in front of the wood stove.

Well, we have a kittycat that feels the same way.  Cookie loves to stretch out in front of our cozy fire.  She rotates herself around in such a way that she looks like shes twisted inside out.  Like I said in Day 16, she turns into Crescent Kitty when she's feeling comfortable.

There just ain't much more comfort in the world than a comfortable wood fire on a dreary day is there?  Just ask Cookie.

Tomorrow:  The LAST day!

Day 363 - Keepin' it Dry

This guy was really moving along when I saw him.  He was obviously in a hurry... Timing the crosswalks to his advantage by hitting one late and the next one early so he wouldn't have to stop.

What strikes me is how he's all wrapped up from the rain already, but he needed that cheesy little worn-out mini umbrella too.  I guess it's just to keep that cigarette dry.  After all, they're expensive nowadays.

Only 2 more days!

Day 362 - Just a Babbling Brook

This is someone's "back yard" brook for lack of a better explanation.  It's next to a road that is fairly well-traveled, but it's within a fence so all you can do is look or take pictures.

It's early spring and this particular spot was so green I actually had to tone down the green slightly so it didn't seem unnatural.

Only 3 more days left!

Day 361 - Colorful Schnapps

These two bottles of Icelandic schnapps came home with us.  I didn't plan on buying any schnapps while we were there, but while we were waiting to board our plane we fell victim to the classic airport conspiracy:  The placing of the duty-free shop right there in front of us at the boarding gate.

We had both heard of Brennivin before--It's the brand they affectionately call "The Black Death".  The other variety was something new to us.  The Brennivin nickname is pretty accurate--It's like pure poison.  It's basically fermented potato mash and flavored with caraway seeds.  It's interesting at best.  The other is much better.  While the Brennivin is cheap enough the be their local choice of alcoholics, the orange Icelandic Schnapps is much better.  It was twice the price of the Black Death, which actually put it at what you might call a standard price for a pint of liquor.  Believe it or not, it is flavored with lichen moss!

Only 4 more days!

Day 360 - Stalag 13?

We were out driving around in Tacoma today, looking for the infamous Kalakala ferry.  We didn't find it, but we did find this building in the heavily-industrialized port district.  The barbed-wire fence coupled with the nasty-looking boarded up windows gave this place a prison camp feel.

I just had to go black & white with it.

Only 5 more days before this project ends!

Day 359 - Heron Condo

I was driving in Kent today in the work van when I passed by this stand of trees.  I have known there were several nests in it for quite a while because in winter there is no foliage to hide them.  The empty nests in those barren trees were easy to see.

Today was a different story.  I couldn't believe how many Blue Herons I saw in these trees!  There still aren't any leaves on the trees, but it's apparently nest-building season.  I counted something like 9 of these huge birds in just a few trees all grouped together.  They were quite a ways away, but I snapped a few pics of them anyway.

Too bad I don't have a better lens!

Day 358 - Stones of the Past

This is the town cemetery in Black Diamond, Washington.  This is probably the 3rd or 4th time I've been here shooting pictures, and I know Sue has been here a couple times at least too.  Even Sarah has been here once.

I went for "feel" this time... Using a Photoshop filter called "grunge" which is part of a downloadable pack from Filter Forge.  It's really good with things like this.  If something isn't gritty or isn't gritty enough, it comes in handy.

Day 357 - The Gazing Ball

Out in the back yard in a little patch of garden there sits this gazing ball.  It's not in a very big patch of ground really, just a small meandering stepping-stone pathway and an antique door standing all by itself.

I liked the reflections of the sky and trees but it still lacked a little punch so I gave it a little bit of the Photoshop Topaz adjust treatment to spice it up a bit.  Nothing very dramatic other than adding some more color.

Day 356 - The Camel from India

Sarah brought this handmade camel back from India for me.  It's got a metal head, and the blanket that's formed over the hump is also metal.  It's pretty detailed.  Anyway, I figured I'd probably use it in a 365 post eventually, but obviously it took me a while to get to it.

I tried a little something odd on this shot (duh).  I used Photoshop to replicate some ghosts of it.  I don't know if I like it much, but it was something different.

Day 355 - Fishin' on the Green

All up and down the Green River in our area you'll find these little fishing huts that dedicated fisherman have constructed to make their fishing more pleasurable.  I like the added touch the owner put on this one when he added the fish cutout to it.  It even has plexiglass windows and cedar shingles.

A couple months ago the river was right at the top of its banks.  I remember seeing this shanty before the river rose and it was no different than it is now.  I guess the construction of this thing was better than most.

Day 354 - The First Day of Spring

Well, what else are you supposed to take pictures of on the first day of spring?  It's got to be flowers doesn't it?  I think it's a requirement.

These poor ol' Crocuses are always first on the scene.  Sometimes they're so early they pop up right through the middle of snow.  They don't look before they leap.  When I went out to see what flowers I had to pick from, they were the only ones blooming.

Day 353 - Reflections

Today was supposed to be a better-than-average full moon.  A rare occurrence in a full moon is all the reason we need to consider scouting out a good vantage point for when the evening moonrise came along.

In the course of our exploration we came across this small pond.  The smooth water created a nice reflection of the barn and trees.

The moon?  Sure, we managed to get some shots.  Truth is, if any of them were any good I'd probably have one of them posted here.

Day 352 - Tidbits from Iceland

When you come back from an air trip to somewhere you always end up with stuff.  It's here and there, some of it is just regular stuff, and some of it is, "Cool, I want to keep that!" stuff.  Either way, it ends up being a collective of sorts.  By the time you get home you realize you have a lot of stuff.

This is just part of the array of tidbits that we gleaned from our 4 days and 3 nights in Iceland.

Day 351 - Boy on a Footbridge

This footbridge is spanning the Green River at Isaac Evans Park in Auburn.  I took quite a few shots of it but didn't really care for one until I saw this one with the guy in it pushing his bike.

It's funny how putting a human in a picture can add so much to it.  I still wasn't quite happy with it so I gave it a little bit of a blur effect.

Day 350 - Colors of Spring

When plants are the first to pop this time of year it's very apparent.  They catch your eye because they are so bright and so few.  This was a good example.

I was driving down the road and saw these kale plants and daffodils in a beauty bark island.  They were much brighter than what you usually see blooming in an industrial park.  It's hard to believe how bright kale can be.  Their leaves are as bright (or brighter) than some plants' flowers are.

Maybe this means that spring is here!

Day 349 - Wet and Cold

I can't help but feel sorry for horses that are stuck outside in the driving rain.  I see these particular horses outside all the time because they're not all that far from our home.  I'm not positive, but I don't think they actually have any real shelter to speak of.

Today when I drove by them I doubled back and took a few shots.  The poor things were just standing there in pouring rain, looking miserable.  In the back (slightly visible in the pic) three other horses stood under the dripping limbs of a tree.  I know it was a cold rain because it was making my windshield fog up slightly where the wipers weren't clearing.  Poor horses...

I used a little bit of a "grunge" filter that I have to add a little more feel to this picture.

Day 348 - Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran Church

This has apparently become the most popular photo destination in Reykjavik since it was it was completed.  I don't think it's so much what it is, but what it offers.  What it does offer is a place from which you can look down on the city of Reykjavik, Iceland.  There are no other places you can get a birds-eye view of this city from.

The Hallgrimskirkja church is an odd thing to me because it's exterior is all concrete.  While not the most aesthetic choice of building materials, it's apparently very popular in Iceland.  If I have the story right, the outer design was chosen to resemble basalt columns.  While we did take lots of pictures from up in the church tower, I chose to show this one of its interior.

This was shot from the front of the church, and besides capturing the immensity of it, it also shows how big the pipe organ is that inhabits the back wall over the entrance doors.

While it was somewhat stark, it was also very beautiful.

Day 347 - Dyrholaey Lighthouse

This lighthouse is up on the edge of a sheer bluff overlooking the North Atlantic ocean near Vik, Iceland.  The view from up on this ridge was totally amazing.  What was equally amazing was the amount of wind we had to endure to get close enough to it to shoot it.  We literally had to lean into it and wait for a spot of less wind so we could step forward--No exaggeration!

It was a beautiful two-tone blueish green and the camera actually captured it pretty well.  Click for full screen!

Day 346 - Tourists at Lake Thingvellir

This is the second picture I'm presenting from the amazing country of Iceland.  This one was taken while on a bus tour of what they call "The Golden Circle".  While neither Suzie or I care much for the structure of organized tours (actually, I think this may be the first one I've ever been on), they do make for a relaxing, fun day.

This is a particularly important part of Iceland, both historically and geologically.  It is right near here that the early Vikings held their first regular meetings of government.  Also, the large rift at the right side of this picture is the jagged edge of the North American tectonic plate.  Way over at the other side of the lake is a similar "wall" which marks the edge of the Eurasian plate.  The middle, which includes the lake, is kind of a geological "no mans land" which is constantly in a state of flux.  From what the guide said (and I just checked it on the web), the two plates are moving apart at the rate of 2 centimeters per year.

The weather was so gorgeous it was almost hard to take a bad picture that day!

Day 345 - The Blue Lagoon

Today we went to a very unique and and interesting place:  Iceland's famous Blue Lagoon.  It's a place you have to see to believe but this picture will give you an idea.  While the water has some spots that are hotter and cooler than others, it's basically the biggest natural hot tub you can imagine.  The milky blue color of the water was enhanced by the fact that there was snow on the ground everywhere.

I chose this picture today for it's photographic quality.  It was one of the few I took that captured a feel rather than show what the place actually looked like.  For that you'll have to stay tuned for other pictures.

It's really a magical place!

Day 344 - Iceland Bound

It's funny how some things look when you're stuck in the last row of an airplane.  Especially when it's the only plane you've ever been on that had touch-screens in the back of every seat.  It was a sea of glowing lights as far as the eye could see.

We were on our way to our visit to the country of Iceland.  When you get going on a day full of non-stop activity, this is the kind of shot you get!

Day 343 - Survivor in the Hot Tub

Every week Sue and Rachyl do the mother/daughter thing and enjoy watching Survivor in the comfort of the hot tub.  I have been meaning to attempt a hot tub picture for quite a while, and this was the perfect opportunity.

Originally, I thought the bluish light and the swirling, cloudy water would be the picture I wanted, but I didn't really work with the glaring light of the television.

Day 342 - American Stars & Bars

Okay, I admit--I stole that line from Neil Young.  I made quite a transition from yesterday's picture to today:  From no color to lots of color.

I was on my way home from work (how many times have I said that in this blog anyway?) and passed this flag flying at the golf course.  The sunlight was hitting it just right so I had to go back and take a few shots of it.

Day 341 - Earthworks Park Footbridge

The city of Kent has had this park for quite a few years.  I don't remember the last time I was there--probably close to 20 years ago--but it looks pretty run-down now.  Sure, the lawn has been mowed, but almost everything else was in a state of disrepair.  Most things have been marginally maintained like this bridge, but other things they just blocked off instead of fixing them.

I like this shot a lot better in black & white than in color.  It shows the shadows and grain a lot more.

Day 340 - Skate Park

The City of Kent parks department put in a pretty nice skate park when they built this one (which I first featured it back on Day 44).  It's a good quality layout with lots of cool features, and pretty much any time you stop by there will be good photo subject matter.

Even though I took quite a few shots of the activity going on, these little guys got my vote for today's picture.  They show how tough it is to be a little guy in a big skate park.  Climbing in and out of one of these bowls can be quite an undertaking!

Day 339 - Cops

We were out shopping today and happened across what looked to be a sizable emergency.  Well, it did have lots of activity, but it was far from an emergency.  There were 2 city cop cars, one State Patrol car, two tow trucks, and a fire truck--all for a minor 2-car wreck at an intersection.  It must have been a slow day.

I wanted pictures of the people milling around, but it just didn't work.  Everyone was smiling and jovial-looking like they just met at that intersection to tell jokes.  Even the lady that owned one of the vehicles looked like she was having fun.  I decided to just go with a couple of the cop cars to keep the feel.

Day 338 - Bright Color in an Ordinary Setting

What else could you call it?  I took the picture because of the red wall, but now that I see it here on the computer the trash bins are just as colorful as the wall they are parked in front of.  Originally I was turned off somewhat by the bright, shiny door hinges that punctuate the solid red wall but I decided I'd shoot it anyway.

I'm glad I did.

Day 337 - Old Truck

Gotta love those old trucks!  This one is almost directly across the street from Old Truck #1 that I posted way back on Day 29 (which is still there by the way).  It's a farming area so there are always going to be trucks around. I've seen this one out there along the road for a couple weeks now and I've just been waiting for a good time to stop.

I gave it a little more character with a color preset filter in Adobe Lightroom.  I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I like to play with making old stuff look even older and more forlorn.

Day 336 - The Lucky Tree

Shouldn't there be a pot of gold somewhere among the branches?

Today was one of those days when we had weather like Oklahoma: Rain, sleet, hail, sun--you name it.  It was changing all the time too.  I knew it was rainbow weather and I was on the lookout for it.  I almost used a picture of a full end-to-end rainbow but this one won out because it ended in the tree.

Click it for full size--they're always better that way.

Day 335 - Doors from the Past

This is the front of a very old building in Auburn, Washington.  Originally the Auburn Public Library, it currently houses the Auburn Dance Center and has for several years.  It's featured in the National Register of Historic Places too, but apparently they haven't made it to the W's for Washington yet as far as digitizing their records goes or I'd include a link to it.

I like peeling paint, so I guess I'm lucky that they have neglected to do much with this building while they have been in it.  It makes for very good photographic subject material.

Day 334 - Low Scoring Photography

This was a fun idea I got off the internet this evening.  No, it wasn't a real game.  If it was, it would be a pretty bad game for all those involved.  Not many points for the words I put together are there?

Still, you can have a lot of fun with something like this.  If it had numbers I could have worked 365 into it.

Day 333 - Help Me!

We spent some time in the Stupidmall again today.  (That's the affectionate name I have given to the Supermall in Auburn.)  Seriously, there's nothing super about this mall.  We have taken pictures in this mall a few times before though--Usually when we just happened to be here for some shopping reason.  I guess you could say it was during times of photographic desperation.

After taking several pictures of several random things as we walked the mall we were finally headed out the door of the Burlington Coat Factory store where we were parked.  That's when I saw this one, lone pink glove lying there begging to be noticed.  It was a study in contrast.  Everything around it was black & white or something similar.  Here was this bright pink glove that just screamed for someone to look at it or pick it up and put it somewhere safe.

Not me--I just took its picture.

Day 332 - Best Friends

Okay, there's no way I could really know they're best friends.

We were out driving today and I stopped to take a few pictures of a particular snowy pasture/barn scene.  True to what always seems to happen when I do that, a horse ambled on over to see me.  After enjoying a fair amount of scratching from me, the light-colored horse wandered over to see what all the fuss was about.  The dark colored horse nickered and greeted the other one with a little nuzzle.

Day 331 - Frozen Drain Chain

You know those chains that people put up instead of downspouts?  The water follows the chain to the ground instead of rattling around in a hollow downspout.  They add a little bit of style to an otherwise ordinary necessity.  Well, at least here in the rainy Pacific Northwest it's a necessity...

When I walked up to the entrance to my bank after work today their drain chains caught my eye.  There is one on either side of the entrance, and because of significant cold snap we're in the middle of right now both of them were encased in solid ice.  Had they been in the bright sun they would have been even more striking!

Click on it to check it out in full size.

Day 330 - Snowy Street

It was just snowy enough this morning to make an interesting drive to work.  By interesting, I mean not humdrum.  I left plenty early enough so I wouldn't have to hurry and stuck to the slower streets just because I found it more enjoyable.  When I got to downtown Kent I noticed I was almost 20 minutes ahead of schedule so I stopped and walked around with my camera.  I was really liking the way the old-style lighting on the street was making the snow glow.

Instead of my regular-sized tripod I grabbed the little pocket one I had... Hence, the low level perspective.

Day 329 - My Old Glasses

If you have worn glasses for any length of time during your life, you know that a good pair of glasses is hard to come by.  When you consider fit, quality, and function, it's rare to have a pair that meet all the requirements.

These old things were one of my favorites from days gone by.

Day 328 - Lights, Seagulls, and Stormy Skies

It was one of those days when we had snow showers forecast.  Just before I left for home this afternoon one of those showers had dumped a bunch of heavy snow/rain mix.  As I started home, I was following it.  In front of me was a massive dark wall of clouds, and from the other side I saw sun coming in.  I decided I would head to the top of one of our parking garages in Auburn in hopes a rainbow might appear.  By the time I got up there, the storm was but a memory.  Hardly a trace remained except for these thick, moody clouds.

While I was there, the spacey-looking lights that surround the top of the garage caught my eye.  The seagull in the background just added a little something extra.  I softened the picture a bit and added some more color saturation.

Still, a rainbow would have been pretty cool...

Day 327 - Waiting for the Patties

It's burger night here at our house. (Yep, you guessed it--I didn't get out anywhere for any good pictures today.)  Actually, Sunday is really our burger night, but because of the holiday and me being off work today we opted to let it slide until tonight instead.  We enjoy our burger night.  Our favorite 1/3-lb. patties from Costco fit together right nice like (<--southern talk) with our old gas grill on the deck.  We grill rain, shine, snow, dark--You name it.

I ran this picture through a "pseudo-HDR" filter in Photoshop to give it a little something.  Kinda weird eh?

Day 326 - Begonia Masoniana

This is a cool-looking plant!  Suzie has had this around for almost 20 years.  It took me a long time on the web to track down what it actually is.  According to what I found, it's also known as the "Iron Cross Begonia" due to its unusual leaf markings.

I shot this in our light box using a single light on the left, a black background, and the 100mm macro lens.  Be sure to click it to view it full size.

Day 325 - Abandoned and Forgotten

We found ourselves in a different area than usual today.  One wouldn't think to look for a cemetery in this particular area because it's a 4-lane road with very heavy traffic, but I knew it was there and I suggested we stop and take a look.  It was a small one, and it was on it's own little street just off the highway.  The day was very cold, but beautifully sunny.  When we were finishing up with our cemetery pictures, a derelict house caught my eye right across the little side street we were on.

Bonus!

We have been very interested in finding an old house we could take pictures inside of, but most good ones are blocked off and clearly marked with a multitude of No Trespassing signs.  This one was just sitting right there in plain sight and surrounded by shade trees.  Imagine our surprise when we found a bigger house behind that one!  It was a very big house, still sturdy (and therefore not dangerous) and was perfect.  It was full of the 'feel' we were looking for.  Peeling paint, water stains, broken plaster, and floors littered with debris.

We just have to go back!

Day 324 - Piggin' Out at Jimmy Mac's Roadhouse

This is Carol.  I don't know her at all, but because she was our server her name was printed on our receipt.  She's a very good waitress and seems to really enjoy her job.

Jimmy Mac's Roadhouse is the place where you get your bowl of peanuts when you come in the door and as you eat them you throw your shells on the floor.  Remember?  It has already been featured twice in my 365, on Day 23 and Day 233.  We felt it was time we went up there again and sampled their happy hour finery.

I took a lot of shots of the hustle and bustle of the waitstaff.  We were sitting near the area where they pick up the orders to deliver to the tables so it was pretty busy.  I was setting my camera on the edge of our table and clicking away--hoping to get the perfect mix of 'ghosting' to show the movement of everyone.  I didn't necessarily get that but I do like what I got.  I gave it a slight softening in the foreground to take your attention from the boxes that live there.

Day 323 - Forgotten Paint

I took a few little zigzags through some of the alleys of downtown Auburn on the way home today.  I probably looked pretty suspicious, but I didn't care.  When I saw this peeling paint I stabbed the brakes and jumped out.  Even the drab color of paint worked.

Just what I was looking for!

Day 322 - Sunny Greenhouse

The clouds and sun were dramatic this afternoon as I headed home from work. I stopped at the edge of a farm field that I go past all the time with the intention of capturing the long greenhouse they had standing there with no roof on it.  It's one of those round-top varieties that they stretch plastic over the top of, but that part of it had pretty much disappeared quite a while ago.

This captured a pretty good section of sky in it as well.  It looks pretty striking in comparison to the bright green ground and the sun-lit end of the greenhouse.

Day 321 - Old Kodak

It's almost like poetic justice when you take a picture of an old, old camera for your 365.  It's like photography coming full circle.  This is my newest addition--just added this week.  I'm not sure of the age because they sold them for several years, but it's got a 1916 patent on the inside.

I did some very minor tweaking here and there and added the slight vignette around the edge.

Day 320 - Visiting the Library

Maybe he's a "gentleman of the road" or maybe he just doesn't spend money on the way he dresses--I don't know.  I do know that libraries tend to attract people without much means--especially during the cold months.

Again I went for the heavy grain black & white look.  I'm liking it more and more.

Day 319 - Just a Ditch

I can't believe that I used a picture of a ditch today.  Why?  Well, because we were out taking pictures and I ended up with several interesting pictures containing barns, a Christmas tree farm, Mount Rainier--even some Alpacas.  What do I choose?  The last picture I took while we were out was the steel-lined ditch running alongside the road where I stopped to take some pictures looking down on a tree farm.  I figured hey--a ditch--now that's something you don't see just every day!

I ran it through a smoothing filter after I cropped it slightly.  After all, even something as exciting as a ditch needs a little fluffing...

Day 318 - The Castle Wall

Okay okay--it's not really a castle, but then you all probably knew that anyway.  This is a wall in our bathroom.  It's totally Sue's creation, and a fine one it is.  She has painted the walls to look like stonework, and has a real stone backsplash around the sink.  She did it all!

This is the coolest thing about it though.  It's the view we get during those times we lose power and the royal candles light the way to the throne.

Day 317 - Gage

Gage lives down the street with his master, Denny, and the rest of his small family.  Denny is Suzie's son, so we see him often, and Gage loves to come with him whenever possible.  He is the best dog you could imagine--a total lover, and smart as a whip!  I caught him splayed out on the dining room floor this evening, and he was totally fine with having his picture taken.

I ran this picture through a preset filter to give it this unique look.  It's just called Color Creative - Color CP 3, and it's a one of the default filters in Adobe Lightroom 3 if that helps.