Val and I took a trip to Olympic National Park last week. We spent the first few days in Port Angeles, taking in a whale watching tour, and then spending a few days in the north part of the park. Below are some images from the whale watching tour.
Read detailsOne of my favorite places has to be Palisade Head. A 300+ foot rock face on the MN North Shore along Lake Superior. Anytime I am nearby, I have to make my way to the top and take in the view. I headed over that way for sunrise photos earlier this week, and while the sunrise was pretty bland color wise, I walked up the path to the top once again. This time, I took along a drone, so I was able to get a shot at the shore line from an angle I never could before.
Read detailsMy grandfather passed away recently. His greatest craft/hobby was woodworking. From functional items like tables, cabinets, beds and other furniture, decorative items like vases, cups and teapots all the way to toys like Jeeps and trucks for his grandchildren, he spent much of his time working with his hands creating beautiful pieces from blocks of wood, with his loyal shop cat always nearby.
His memory will live on with each person that has one of these finely crafted pieces of artwork and craftsmanship. Through the hours and love that he poured into each item throughout their creation and giving, he will not be forgotten.
Read detailsI made my way over to Duluth to meet up with some friends last week, and took the opportunity to photograph the moonrise behind Split Rock Lighthouse. The better day to take a shot at this would have been the night prior, but unfortunately it was cloud cover across the shore that day. Next month is the next chance at this image, and I will be hopefully trying again if the weather holds clear that afternoon.
Read detailsOn the last full day we spent in DC, I took the shuttle to the National Mall with Val, and then took the DC Circulator bus over to the Monuments and Memorials. I started at Lincoln, hoping to catch the right light as the early morning sun would light the inside of the Memorial. From there I went to Washington Monument, where I discovered the Elevator to the top was out of service waiting on repair. After some checking out the area and some photos, I went to the Jefferson Memorial.
After Val got out of class, we headed down to the Lincoln Memorial as well. It is beautiful when lit up at night, but there were far too many people. The warm morning sun lights the front of the memorial nicely.
The trip to DC was the first time I have tried to use my Tilt Shift Lens off of the tripod. I found it easy to manipulate the controls and focus through the viewfinder (which was my biggest concern), but I had a heck of a time knowing if I was perfectly level. When this lens is on a tripod, I use a bubble level in the hot shoe to make sure everything is level. It made for an interesting challenge, but by the time I was done, I felt I was getting pretty good at it.
Read detailsDay 2 started with Val heading to class, so I headed over to the Smithsonian Castle, Air and Space Museum and finally the National Gallery of Art. I spent far more time in these locations than I had originally thought I would. The National Gallery of Art is quite massive, and the large collection of works from around the world make it easy to lose track of time. This took me well into the afternoon.
Once I left the Gallery, I headed over to the Supreme Court. I really wanted to tour the Court, but there was a large group of students that were going through, and I didn’t want to fight the crowd.. So I decided to go to the Library of Congress, and I am glad I had time for it. Externally it is a very elaborate building…but the interior has to be one of the most amazing structures I have ever been in. The detail and artwork overwhelms you. I, again, spent far more time here than I anticipated…only this time I actually took a number of photos.
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