Peace on Earth.....

Another year is winding down, and it went by rather quickly. We get so busy with the many medical appointments that goes with the territory of getting older, that we hardly notice the passage of time. It took a while for it to hit me that I am now in my 80's, and learning to accept is a large part of coping with things now. As the song says, I hurt now in places I used to play, pretty much sums it all up.....anyway, it is what it is. Tonight, I thought I would do a little image for the Christmas and New Year, but for obvious reasons, the wishing of a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year seems somewhat trite, given that there are two major wars going on at present. Added to that, there are homeless folks living in tents, in communities large and small, from coast to coast in the country. Sooner or later the piper must be paid, and it is usually someone else who foots the bill, instead of the ones responsible.....but I won't go there, except to say that in 1981, I found myself having to renew a mortgage at 23.5%, up from 4.75%, and guess what.....as the sole income wage earner for the family, the same thing happened to me....it ain't fun! So this year, my heart goes out to folks who through no fault of their own, find that they are caught up in the machinations of life that are beyond their control, and having to visit the local food banks for something resembling a Christmas Dinner for their families. I cannot bring myself to wish folks a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year this year, but instead would offer wishes for Hope and Peace on Earth....Cheers!
 

Back Yard Abstract.....

Autumn arrived rather abruptly this year here in Windsor. One day it was +28 C., and the next it was +12 C., and it has stayed there since the Thanksgiving Weekend. However, for me at least, it was welcomed, as I do not do well when it is unbearably humid, which is often the case here. So I have no problem breaking out the sweaters and warmer clothing. Back home, there is a saying that goes...."there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad choice of clothing." Anyway, this little image is one that I grabbed while the roses are still in bloom, and I used the Illustration mode of my camera to give it a more painterly impression. We might still get a few more warmer days yet, but my guess is that we are in for a rather cold, snowy Winter this year. Get out the snow tires for the truck, and tune up the snow blower! Hope the NHL hockey games are great this year.....Canada has 2 seasons, Summer and Hockey! Cheers!  

Fruit & Flowers Still Life.....

 This image was the result of enjoying about 3 baskets of really delicious peaches that were locally grown. It is the time of year when local produce is available on the grocery store shelves, as well as many roadside stands all over Essex County here in South Western Ontario. When the urge hit me to do a little studio still life photography, this is the end result.....a little food for the body and mind. Hopefully some will find it enjoyable.....Cheers!

Rosebuds Illustration....

The days are getting a bit shorter now, so just before sunset tonight, I went into the back yard to grab a few shots of the Roses of Sharon, and the other Roses as well. This little image appealed to me for some reason, and I decided to do a little work on it, to see what the outcome might be...and this is it. Hope everyone had a great long August Civic weekend, and arrived back home safely. This weekend, I started it off on Friday afternoon by joining in with some of my old music pals, and we did a little 2 hour gig at a retirement home out in Wheatley, Ont.. It was a lot of fun, and nice to see some smiling faces in reaction to our efforts.....the pizza was great also....Cheers!

 

Hosta Blossoms Still Life

If anyone was watching, they must have thought that I was really losing it, as I was out in the back yard in the dark, snipping blossoms for this little still life endeavour. At any rate, when have I ever done anything normally? After the snipping phase, I went into my lair again, and proceeded to set up for this little image. It was shot with my full frame SONY a900 DSLR, with my Minolta 85mm f1.4 lens attached. The lighting was from my LED lighting kit, and I was tethered to my computer via Capture One Express for SONY software. Sounds rather complicated I guess, but it really isn't once you take the time to wrap your head around all of the digital nonsense that goes with photography these days. Anyway, it was a fun little exercise, and for a little while, I got the feeling I used to get when I went into the glow of the wet darkroom safe light, with the radio playing in the background. Soooo, this is what I did tonight to keep the old mind active, and avoiding the troubles of the world, while playing with the lighting for this. Hope you enjoy....Cheers!
 

Portrait of a Talented Lady.....

This image was originally done about 30 years ago, and again, I recovered it from an old box stored in my garage. It was shot on Fuji Reala 120 film with my Mamiya RB67, and enlarged to 11 x 14 inches. A few days ago, when I happened upon it, I took a very quick hand held existing light shot of it, and downloaded it into the computer. My Corel software pretty much did the rest. It was converted to Black & White, which I liked equally as much as the coloured version. She has many talents, and is an industrial seamstress. If you fly Air Canada First Class, you are likely sitting on seating that she has sewn and assembled. She also is an artist, having studied art history etc. at university, and is responsible for the abstract art that I posted below. It is wonderful to be surrounded by her art pieces when I enter my "cave", and escape the world. I love my girl....she endured through being asked to pose for the old man for years! I'm a lucky old dude! Cheers! 

Fleeting Innocence Captured.....

This image is one that I found in an old box stored in the garage for many years. It is from about 40 years ago, when the world was much less complicated, and the bad guys hadn't taken over yet. Childhood innocence is such a fleeting thing, and before long, they are grown, and their world changes without their realizing what has happened. The expression of wonderment on this little lady's face, as she gazes into the bubble that I blew to her, just as I clicked the shutter button, is a frozen moment in time that will never be replicated....and I am so happy that it gave me so much happiness at the time, as well as all these years later....it still makes me smile. The original image was in colour, and this is a photograph of an 11 x 14 inch photo that I used for display.....in my other life. Cheers!