Magic Mountain has long been my favorite park simply because of the large number of roller coasters. Just announced: In 2011 it is getting better. Check out this cool video from Six Flags to see how.
I’ve never posted a political piece on this blog and while some may disagree I don’t think this is a political piece as much as it is a financial piece. There is a definite “Conservative” slant to this video most of which I’m in agreement with. Regardless of the perspective, I feel this is much needed information that many US Citizens are just not aware of.
On January 1st a great number of tax breaks allowed under previous Administrations will expire. The cumulative effect of this defacto tax increase could likely cripple our barely breathing economy. Can it be stopped? Yes! However, leadership in Washington must act as soon as the elections are over. Democrats in power or Democrats in a lame-duck session will be the ones that must make this happen as anyone newly ellected to Congress won’t be seated until the new year; after the taxes are in effect. Can Congress in the new year repeal? Possibly. It depends on if they are motivated to do so and if President Obama won’t use veto power.
I’m calling on all U.S. Citizens to contact both their Senator and Representatives to ask them to “Not let tax cuts expire”. If they do expire, 2011 will likely be a very rough economic year for everyone.
Too bad we can’t predict these like we can hurricanes. It would be amazing to rig some sort of protective shelter and shoot photos while a massive earthquake takes place.
This is story of many lives… if it isn’t your’s it can be. He’s fighting to get you back.
A few months ago a friend put me onto The Pioneer Woman Photography website. It’s good down home photography advice for the average person. Lots of helpful tips, tricks, and ideas.
Today she’s posted an article on Soft Light/Picture control from a frequent contributor Miz Booshay. It’s a fast read but is quite helpful. Check it out! The link is below.
Soft Light/Picture Control | Pioneer Woman Photography | Ree Drummond.
I remember being awakened the morning of 9/11 by a relative. When I got the TV turned on the first tower was ablaze and the second hadn’t been damaged yet. That moment was the start of a day I’ll never, ever forget.
Photo courtesy of Inga Sarda-Sorensen via TwitPic
I’ve since been to Ground Zero and I’ve worked should to shoulder with survivors. I’ve trained soldiers to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. I’ve been forever changed by the actions of men who’ve let the enemy of Heaven distort their judgement of what is right and what is wrong. The fight that brought down the Twin Towers, destroyed a wing of The Pentagon and crashed an airplane in a field in Pennsylvania has been raging since Lucifer rose up against God and was cast out of Heaven. It is Satan who encourages men to do evil. Yes, men make choices but who puts those opportunities in their paths?
While I remember with sadness the lives of those lost this day, I will also remember that this is but one battle in the greater war for the souls of men. A war in which we already know the outcome, that Jesus wins, that God loves us and that all will be made right. The only question that remains is how many men and women will fall to the great deceiver and how many will come to know The Truth?
PetaPixel is a great blog for photographers and photography enthusiasts. This post especially caught my attention as I’ve wanted a Variable ND filter for some time but just haven’t been able to pull the trigger on a $400 or higher price tag.
I’ll be building me one of these in the next few weeks and am looking forward to posting photos taken with it.
How to Build a Cheap and Simple Variable Neutral Density Filter.
This is a great behind the scenes look at what it takes to pull off large Stock Photo Shoots. Very creative. Enjoy the short video.
LeggNet’s Digital Capture | Behind the Scenes Video: Theater Photo Shoot.
Along Interstate 5 from the border of Canada in the North to the border of Mexico in the South there 39 Rest Stops where both man and pet exit their vehicles for a quick stretch and to donate the left overs from fast food diets or “stop and rob” (convenience store) purchases. Most are of these locations are simply functional but some are truly beautiful.
Baldock Safety Rest Area located 14 miles South of Portland Oregon is a peaceful location with well maintained grass and evergreen trees growing throughout. Even in the heat of the day this location is shaded and inviting.
A Place of Rest v. 1
While riding home from my marathon motorcycle journey to Southern California I pulled in to find I was drawn to how the mid-morning light was filtering through the trees illuminating some but not all of the tree trunks and casting cool shadows on the verdant grass. Of course I had to pull out my camera. I’ve post processed my favorite image from the set I took into two distinct versions. One is warm and diffused giving a feeling of age and nostalgia while the other is more vibrant and truer to what I saw with my eye and felt in my spirit.
A Place of Rest v. 2
The image was shot in Manual Mode with a Canon 40D using an EF 28-105mm L series IS lens at f/22 for 1/2 sec and an ISO of 100. I intentionally raised the camera from trunk bottom upward while the shutter was open to blur the image into a more surreal artistic image of what I visualized instead of a “true” capture of what I saw.
Use the Poll below to let me know which one of these you like better and of course, comments are always encouraged because I like reading what you post and Google likes content, content, content!
[poll id=”2″]
2,745 Miles from Olympia WA, to Southern California and back again via motorcycle is a great way to spend your vacation days. Especially when you take short detours to get off of Interstate 5 and see some of the amazing things God has created to decorate the western edge of North America.
One of the easiest to find is Castle Crags in Northern California. Just off the freeway there is a state park with a day use fee of $4 but if all you are looking for is a great view and to stretch your legs before rolling on here’s the skinny direct from the park ranger who gave me the “locals only” inside scoop. Instead of entering the park follow the road past the park as it winds along a creek. Roughly 2.5 miles from the park entrance the road makes a hairpin turn to the left and starts to climb. Within a half mile the trees will open up revealing the Crags in full view. From Interstate 5 you’ll drive about 4 miles to get there but it’s all paved and was easy going on my motorcycle.
Looking for some feedback on this photo… I’m considering cropping out some of the sky. What do you think? Please leave a comment and let me know.
Castle Crags
Here’s a link to some other great photo posts on Twitter Tuesday.