Coffee Shop Down

Dunn Brothers in Champlin is closed. Sad to see this happen, but sadly, a sign of the times.

http://northmetro.blogspot.com/2007/08/81707-espresso-shop.html

No, you are right, this is not a spectacular image; just a bit of news from the north metro.

Spotted Leaf

Autum in July? Not hardly. Then why has this leaf changed colors?

Tv (Shutter Speed) 0.6

Av (Aperture Value) 3.5

ISO Speed 100

Resonant Strings

The inner beauty of the Piano.

KPB's beautiful piano. Our close friends were gracious enough to allow me to photograph their piano in a different light. We mainly see a piano from the outside with it's high gloss black finish. Rarely do we get the chance to see it's inner beauty. Until now.

"Play it once, Sam, for old times' sake."

A little Chopin, please.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/13

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 41.0 mm

White Balance Mode Tungsten

Or, perhaps some Mozart, or some piano jazz.
Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 0.4

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 85.0 mm

White Balance Mode Tungsten

Daisy May

Happiness is a summertime field of daisies
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 85 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Two Things Challenge is Corner / Stone

Corner inside Grandma's Saloon in Duluth, MN. I liked the colors cast on these corner bricks. Thus the 'corner' part for this week's challenge.

Blue Stone at Lake Vermilion. I amintrigued by the color of this rock being so blue. I chose this for the "Stone" part of this week's challenge.

Wood End

Flashback to the old wheelbarrow

Tv (Shutter Speed) 1/30

Av (Aperture Value) 2.8

ISO Speed 100

July Snowball

The Dandelion.

A happy cheerful little yellow flower looked upon as a weed. But a pretty scene when gone to seed.

Tv (Shutter Speed) 1/800

Av (Aperture Value) 2.8

ISO Speed 80

Smallville

It's a small world afterall...
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 6 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Dolce

Clafouti di Pesche - 'Peach Clafouti'.

The other evening, I decided that the photo on page 56 of La Cucina Italiana looked too delicious to pass up without at least trying this recipe. The recipe didn't let us down; other than a small mishap, the peach clafouti turned out well. I only wish we could bottle the peach and vanilla aroma in our home.

Everything went smoothly according to the recipe until I was to pour the batter onto the dish of peach parts. I'm used to the old twist and lift blenders. Unfortunately, Mrs. DL has a newfangled lift blender. I twisted and turned before lifting the glass carafe off the electric base; before I knew what was happening, the batter was pouring out the bottom of the carafe onto the electric base and counter. Of course the pie dish and peaches were across the kitchen on the other counter.

Long story short, I was able to pour the remaining batter onto the peache parts in the pie plate and put it into the over for 40 minutes. That 40 minute time was spent cleaning 1/3 of the batter off the blender electric base, counter tops, cabinets, and floor. Need I say the batter consisted of 6 tablespoons sugar, three eggs, two tablespoons of peach liqueur, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 cup flour, and one cup whole milk. Yep, a sticky mess.

Historic Flight

Looking up from the tail section of this B17. What an honor it was to listen to old veterans tell their stories of flying in these planes.
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/9
Focal Length: 41 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV


Taxiing for take off. For a mere $400, you too can take an hour long ride in this vintage airplane. I sure wish I had the spare cash for a flight. But sadly, I remain grounded.
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 76 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Junior Firefighter

This little girl traded in her flip flops for a pair of fireman's boots.

Two Things Challenge is People / Watch

We went to the Blaine Airport in the north metro to see the vintage airshow. Vintage aircraft from World War II; the P51 Mustang, B25, B24 Liberator, and the B17-G. Impressive airplanes that still fly to airshows around the country. What a joy and honor it was to climb inside both the B24 and B17. Impressive to see what it was like inside, but on the ground. The B17 has a maximum speed of 300mph with a range of 1,850 miles flying at an average height of 25,000 feet. At that altitude, the air temperature was -55 degrees F. And they had the mid section windows open to man the 50 caliber guns. Electric suits 'helped to keep them warm.

Pictured here are people for our 2 Things Challenge People / Watch. We enjoyed watching the retired Service Men tell stories about their experiences flying during the war and listening to them answer questions. Shown here, seated, is Junior Gossel, co-pilot for a B17 Flying Fortress flying 20 missions over Europe.

People watch. Watching people stand in line to climb inside this B17.

Miss Gulch's Bicycle

""I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too!"

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/9
Focal Length: 26 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

New State Park

Minnesota may get a new State Park on Lake Vermilion. Location near Cable Bay.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/lake_vermilion/imagemap.html

Minnesota has 72 State parks for your outdoor recreational needs. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/map.html
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/320)
Aperture: f/6.3
Focal Length: 22.5 mm
ISO Speed: 80

Bike Shop

Bicycle fun starts here. Our local bike shop in Champlin.

http://www.trailheadcyclingandfitness.com/

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/100

Av( Aperture Value ) 8.0

ISO Speed 200
Focal Length 30.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Steam Tractor

1916 Avery Steam Tractor.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/40

Av( Aperture Value ) 11.0

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 17.0 mm

White Balance Mode Daylight

Colors of Rust

Rusting Iron ring in concrete.

Old gas burner and grate from an old Renown gas and wood stove

Walleye Report

The Lido Deck, trolling the calm waters of Lake Vermilion. protected from the wind behind an island.

Relatively calm before we head out onto the lake before the wind really began to blow.

Lake Vermilion, midday sun, and mayflys, who'd have thunk walleyes could be caught at 2 in the afternoon?

But catch them we did. No, nothing huge by Mille Lacs standards, but the fishing was consistent. The first walleye caught was a little 11 inch 'wally', cute. Then I caught a 16 inch walleye, then another 16, then a 16.5 and two more 16.5's caught by both Mrs. D Lens and I.

We got into the slot fish with a nice 17 inch fish caught. Slot limit for Lake Vermilion is 17 to 26 inches in length, all walleyes must be released back into the lake. Mrs. D Lens reeled in a fat 17.5 inch walleye, the largest of the day. I lost count, that's when we went in out of the sun, I had burnt the tops of my feet in the midday sun.

All this fishing success was during a major mayfly hatch, trolling on the bottom, 20 feet down. We trolled with the wind, into the wind, across the wind. The best maneuver was to troll into the wind at level 8 on the electric trolling motor.

We fought the waves with the bow of the boat scaling up waves, breaching the crest. The waves were quite large, large enough to produce whitecaps. As we topped each wave crest the trolling motor prop came out of the water sending spray in a whirligig manner. Down we crashed into the trough of waves, sending spray out from both sides of the boat. Water surged over the bow and onto the Lido deck where I skipper from. Mrs. D Lens fishes in back on the spacious Promenade Deck and reported to be high and dry, but bounced around enjoying the ride.

Up and down we pounded these waves, each time we hit a wave, the boat jolted and shuddered; just like the Cornelia Marie on the Deadliest Catch cable television series. Crashing into waves, frantically reeling in fish, equipment , bait cast reel over run with fish on, tangled lines. But this action in the wind and waves produced the walleyes we sought.

OK, so it wasn't quite like the Cornelia Marie on the Bering Sea nor an episode of Deadliest Catch. But we were in Big Bay and Lake Vermilion is loaded with rusty crayfish. I did get my feet wet, and my Lipton Green Tea spilled over from crashing into the waves.

The Rob Report

Reporting from the safety wihin my fabric box. Cubicle 2 Row 1

Two Things Challenge - Litter / Bug

Litter, disgusting litter in and around the pond next to Champlin's pedestrian bridge.

Lake Vermilion Mayfly

The hatch is on! The best time to be on the lake is just before and during the major hatch of the mayfly, or Ephemeroptera. The walleyes become ravenous during the hatch, feeding exclusively on this winged delicacy in larval state. The right tactic and location is key to catching walleyes during the hatch. Last weekend was no exception, with too many large walleyes caught in the slot limit of 17 to 26 inches of length. These walleyes must be returned back to the lake immediately. We caught walleyes mid day, in bright sunny on the bottom, 20 feet down. Within two weeks after the hatch, the walleyes are stuffed, unwilling to be caught for the next few weeks after the mayfly hatch. Know your bugs when walleye fishing. ;-) These bugs litter the lake, shore, buildings, roads, etc.

Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 6 mm
ISO Speed: 100

To learn more about this challenge, please visit, 2 Things Weekly Challenge

Bucketmouth

Big shovel to to remove blacktop.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/60 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/250 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/15 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

Av( Aperture Value ) 11.0

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 17.0 mm

Orange Glow

Yet another sunset from Lake Vermilion, this viewpoint has been seen often. Taken July 3rd, the day before our Independence Day celebration. Nature provides the best light show that fireworks can not compete with.

In the center, behind the island, we see a glimpse of red. That red is actually where the sun has just set behind the the distant shore approximately 2.8 miles ( 4.5km) away.

Yellow Deere

Sarah requested I provide the original photo as an example as to what it looked like.

This first image is the original photo shot metered to what the camera metered to be correct. But the parking lot is too washed out, too bright, the chinks of blacktop in the foreground are too dark as are the trees in the background. Also, the scrapes and scratches on the bucket are not very visible. Not an interesting photo lightingwise. Well, actually, compositionwise, it's not a great photo in the first place.

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/50 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

This photo is metered for the parking lot. The lot is no longer washed out, but everything is too dark.

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/200 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

This photo everything is overly bright. Except for the edges of the crumbled blacktop in the foreground. The camera metered these areas well.

At the bottom of this post is the merged combination of the three photos. The process brought out the details of the scrapes in the bucket and grease and detail of the pi in the linkage. Which is what I was after in this photo in the first place. Again, the composition of this image is rather mediocre.

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/13 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

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Toys I wish I could play with. Landscape work at the office.

Two examples of HDR, a third way is scheduled to post on Saturday. The first example is a classic HDR image over saturated and over tone mapped to create this all too bright unrealistic image that looks pretty interesting, but wears on some viewers. But this is a hoot to manipulate.

The second below is the realistic approach where details are emphasized in the dark areas. More pleasing to the eye in my opinion.

Cartoonwerks

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/50 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/200 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/13 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

Av( Aperture Value ) 11.0

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 26.0 mm

Realism at it's best.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/60 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/250 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/15 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

Av( Aperture Value ) 7.1

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 26.0 mm

Serenity Now

Deep in the shade garden amongst the hostas at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Serenity now! Follow the path to to the bench overlooking the hosta glade. Relax, take in the beauty of the shade garden, serenity now.

For more relaxing bench shots, please see this site; http://fortheloveofbenches.blogspot.com/
Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Babooshka from RAMSEY DAILY PHOTO Sent me this Arte y pico award . Thank you Babooshka.

1. You have to pick five blogs that you consider ‘deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and which contribute to the blogging community, no matter what language they are in’.
2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.
3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given him/her the award itself.
4. The award winner and the one who has given the prize has to show the Arte y Pico blog so that everyone will know the origin of the award.
5. To show these rules.

Maya Photography
Evry Daily Photo
Spatter
A Little Piece of Me
D.C. Confidential

Just copy and paste the rules above, copy, save, and paste the pic award above Ramsey Daily Photo on the right, go pick your five.

Garden Remix

I hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July weekend. We just returned home, Monday night, from a 5 day weekend at the lake. There are way too many photos to go through and post, maybe some fish pic portraits Mrs. Dusty Lens took.

Leather Ear

The hearty hosta, brilliant green and excellent patterns and texture.

Lavender Fields
Lavender colored tulips wave in the breeze.

New Wheels

My ride is fly. I finally upgraded from my old 15 year old mountain bike. It served me well over the years of recreational trail riding. But now I need a bit more comfort. I found it in my new GT comfort bike, front shocks and a shock absorbing seat post. See you on the trails.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/30

Av( Aperture Value ) 9.0

ISO Speed 200

Focal Length 17.0 mm

White Balance Mode Shade

2 Things Challenge - Work / Book

This week's challenge is Work / Book.

We, along with everyone else, are preparing for the extended 4th of July weekend celebration. I decided to recycle a few photos that depict Work and Book.

I decided not to show you my fabric box where I work Monday thru Friday. It's depressing enough to reside in a cube Farm 5 days a week. Instead, here are some photos that represent the weekend work I enjoy when not bicycling and on photo shoots.

Putting in the docks.

At the cabin, putting in the lake equipment is actually fun work. We prepare for another summer of lakeside fun. Here we are back in May 2007. That's my Pop, standing on the dock supervising. That's me in the lake at the end of the dock in my chest waders. A beautiful sunny 65 degree, (18 degree C.), May afternoon. Yes, that white stuff you see on the lake is ice. It kept bumping into me as I try to level the dock.

The wood Pile.

Nothing like taking your week's worth of commuting aggravation out on a log pile with a splitting maul. Work. May sound silly, but there is satisfaction of reducing this pile of stove length cut logs into firewood. I have a lot of work to do here.

Ah, you read me like a book. After all that work of spending the day splitting wood, a Finnish style wood burning sauna is the perfect way to relax. The 200 degree heat, (approx. 94 degrees C.), is great on the sore aching back muscles.

'nuff said


The deck at home, a place to read a book.

Actually my cook book magazines. Right now, I am reading Bella Tuscany by Frances Mayes. Next up is either Canoeing with the Cree by Eric Sevareid or A Walk in the woods by Bill Bryson. But back to my photo; on the table is my stack of La Cucina Italiana magazine. Filled with excellent recipes. I'm looking for another variation of Chicken Saltimboca to cook. The other night, my wife made Chicken saltimboca from Giada De Laurentiis' cook book. Which was fabulous.

Our bookshelf in the spare room of favorite books. Missing is the complete works of William Shakespeare. I read that just for fun.

There is is, work and Book. Hope you had a fun weekend.

Cassette Drive

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/15

Av( Aperture Value ) 6.3

ISO Speed 400

Focal Length 66.0 mm

White Balance Mode Shade

Success

Six Sigma continuum. Different Pond, different tree, different bobber and fishing line; same result.

http://northmetro.blogspot.com/2008/06/six-sigma.html

Gone fishing - Enjoy your July 4th Celebration!

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/50

Av( Aperture Value ) 22.0

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 180.0 mm

White Balance Mode Daylight

White Crown Reflection

Lillies on pond

Shooting Mode Manual - Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) - 1/640

Av( Aperture Value ) - f5.6

ISO Speed - 100

Focal Length - 300.0 mm

White Balance - Mode Daylight

Metering Gas

Parallel perspective

Gas meters at a local strip mall in Champlin. The symmetry caught my eye.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/125

Av( Aperture Value ) 6.3

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 73.0 mm

White Balance Mode Daylight

La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris
Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Royal Chapel, Hôtel des Invalides

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides
Exposure: 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

There you have it, tourist destination photos from Paris. I hope you enjoyed the virtual visit from a tourist perspective. I will continue on with our 2 for Tuesday adventure, but will change it up a bit. Stay tuned, we may return to Paris in the future.