Bluetooth

One of the things I really dig about my new MacBook Pro is the built-in Bluetooth. It allows me to do cool things like sync my cell phone to the computer so I can put photos and ring tones on it very easily, and it also gives me the ability to use wireless accessories like this Logitech mouse wirelessly without a USB dongle. Sure, it's a little thing, but it's the little things that count. By the way, this is what you get when it's 11:45 pm and I haven't shot a picture or even thought about what today's post will be....

Training the Eye

I decided to take a walk today to look for something to shoot. While I was walking, I started to think about how sometimes, when I look at something, I can just see the potential for a great photograph in my mind. What I mean to say is that I can see there's something there, but it doesn't necessarily mean I'll be able to photograph it. It can be really frustrating looking at something, knowing that there's an awesome shot there, and just barely missing it. When I took this shot, I could see there was something there, but I couldn't quite get it. It's like having a word or a name on the tip of your tongue and not being able to get it out. It can be maddening, but when you finally get that shot or remember that name, it's very gratifying. I'm pretty happy with this shot, but I know that this isn't what I was seeing. I could spend a lot of time here trying to get that shot.

May: In Review

Well, another month has come and gone. I'm five months into this little project, and the year is just flying by. This month I was able to go to a concert, play some cards with friends, and expound on the sale of my employer. I showed some of the unique features of our home and spent some quality time with the family. I really feel like this was a great month photographically, with some of my best shots being taken in the last four weeks. Bring on June!

Here's my favorites for the month:

Tulip Tree

We have quite a few trees on our lot, but we have one that is quite unique. It's called a Tulip Tree, or Liriodendron, and from what I understand, it's very rare to have one in this area. According to Wikipedia, these trees are common in Eastern North America, so finding one in the Midwest is pretty uncommon. The flower you see is all over the tree, but mostly in the higher branches. They bloom about this time every year, but like the tulips it's named after, they never last long. The first time we noticed the flowers was in our first spring living here. I was mowing the grass, and a low branch was really needing to be trimmed back. I pushed the mower towards the tree, reached up to move the branch aside, and found myself looking directly at one of these flowers. It was a pretty cool discovery.

Favorite Shots #8: Abandoned

I have a thing for old, abandoned buildings. I'm not sure exactly why, but I really enjoy shooting stuff like this, and around here, there's a lot of it. Many farmers have buildings on separate lots that are run down or out of use and there are countless factory buildings in downtown Rockford that are no longer occupied. Eventually I hope to shoot an entire series focusing on the abandoned factories in Rockford. Rockford used to be a manufacturing city, but now, since it's much cheaper to purchase imported garbage from other countries, that is no longer the case. Like countless other cities in this country, Rockford's jobs have slowly shifted from manufacturing to the service industry. It's very easy to say that many jobs are being created in the city right now, but when those jobs don't even pay $10 an hour, that's not helping anyone.

Landscaping: Before

We decided to take this horribly overgrown mess out and replace it with evergreen bushes. Considering my schedule, doing stuff like this is really difficult. Luckily, we had a three day weekend, so I was able to get up earlier today and do some work. I got everything dug out, got the area tilled, and planted a tree and 3 bushes. We're putting a tree in the front corner and the back corner, then three bushes in between. It wont look good now, but in the next couple years it should look great and serve to hide the ugly foundation.

Cookout at the Campgrounds

Steph and I spent most of the day at Blackhawk Valley Campgrounds with my family, cooking out and enjoying the beautiful weather. First, a little background. My grandparents have been going to Blackhawk Valley for about 35 years. They go out for about 4 days a week every week throughout the summer. When I think of camping, I think of a tent, sleeping bag, cooking over a fire, etc. This is nothing like that. My grandparents' camper is like a smaller, second home. Full size bed, air conditioning, full bath and shower. It's crazy. It's really a beautiful place they go to, nestled in the valley of the Rock River. It's surrounded by trees, and there's something about the smell off the place that I just love. I really can't explain it, but I really love it down there. This is their last year going "camping". I'm really going to miss going out there.

We got to the campgrounds around 3:30, and we ate around 5. They always have a ton of people to their lot on these holiday weekends, and today was no exception. There were probably about 30 people eating. My brother Dave and his girlfriend Chrissy were there, and they surprised us all by bringing their new pet, Charlie. Charlie is a pygmie goat, is about 8 weeks old, and is totally adorable. I spent most of the day petting him, and he loved it. After dinner, Uncle Bob and my cousin Rob played music at the shelter for everyone attending. We stayed for about an hour after they started, then headed home. It was a pretty great day!

View the rest of the shots HERE