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.

Forgotten Bench

A bench in the woods.

The bench, a place to relax and visit for a moment. We take these outdoor furnishings for granted not really noticing the designs and styles we view on a daily basis. To see more benches stop by and visit this blog;

http://fortheloveofbenches.blogspot.com/

Exposure: 0.02 sec (1/50)
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 66 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

2 Things Challenge is Round / Square

Round and Square

Square display, round buttons in this Canon point and shoot camera. Square buttons on this round Canon EFS 18-85mm USM IS lens.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 0.3

Av( Aperture Value ) 16.0

ISO Speed 1600

Focal Length 165.0 mm

White Balance Mode Tungsten

Round handle in a square print. This is the damper handle to our sauna stove.
Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 0.3

Av( Aperture Value ) 6.3

ISO Speed 400
Focal Length 85.0 mm

To learn more about 2 Things Weekly Challenge, visit this site; http://2thingsphotochallenge.blogspot.com/

Flakey

Corrosive Power. How many years are left before rust renders this dock pipe useless?
Exposure: 0.04 sec (1/25)
Aperture: f/9
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Summertime Blues

Banded clouds over Lake Vermilion. Summertime Blues.

On a photo shoot for an evening sunset. Setting up the tripod, I happened to look eastward and decided this was worthy of a shot. The intense blue sky and clouds reflect on the lake surface.

Close by, a lone loon breaks the silence with a mournful song. The answer is met from across the lake. They keep up this Loon Serenade bidding each other a pleasant night.

I have captured a quick moment of their serenade to each other.

Click here to listen to my "Loon-Serenade"

(I hope this works and I apologize for the external link to putfile.com. Blogger does not support .wav sound files.)
Exposure: 0.4 sec (2/5)
Aperture: f/22
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Gossling Party

" March of the baby geese", at a park near you.

These geese are growing up at Doris A kemp Park in Champlin.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/50

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 400

Focal Length 300.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Run away!

I tried my hand at panning these shots. I wasn't all that pleased with them, but I like the expression on that one baby goose. He appears to be yelling "run away!"

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/80

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

Focal Length 300.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Cold Stone Steps

Scenes from Lake Vermilion

Manmade stairs seeing minimal use.
Exposure: 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 70 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Musee

11:30 AM

Clock at Musee D'Orsay

Exposure: 0.04 sec (1/25)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 28 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: -1 EV

Pyramid View

at the Louvre Paris, France.

Exposure: 0.02 sec (1/50)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Carbon Offset

Campfire!

Nothing is more enjoyable than sitting around a weekend campfire with cold refreshing adult beverages.

Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 85 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Two Things Challenge - Parallel / Perpendicular

Riding the Rail

The wheel flange rides parallel to the rail and perpendicular to the wheel hub.

Exposure: 0.077 sec (1/13)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Boat Cart

The cart is used to get a boat into a boathouse. Perpendicular supports keep the rails parallel to each other. Parallel wood bunks supports the boat. The cart is both in parallel and perpendicular to itself.
Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Dominos

Exposure: 0.25 sec (1/4)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 75 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Gold Coast

As the sun sets on Lake Vermilion in northern Minnesota.
Exposure: 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture: f/22
Focal Length: 70 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

The BBQ

GRILLING RULES:

We are about to enter the summer grilling season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity, as it's the only type of cooking a 'real' man will do, probably because there is an element of danger involved. When a man volunteers to do the cooking the following chain of events are put into motion:

Routine...

(1) The woman buys the food.

(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.

(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - drink in hand.

Here comes the important part:

(4) The man places the meat on the grill.

More routine....

(5) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.

(6) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she will bring an other drink while he deals with the situation.

Important again:

(7) The man takes the meat off the grill and hands it to the woman.

More routine....

(8) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.

(9) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.

And most important of all:

(10) Everyone praises the man thanks him for his cooking efforts.

(11) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed 'her night off.'

And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women....

Enjoy your weekend with a little BBQ grilling humor.

Beer and BBQ go so well together.
Sirloins, Asparagus, Vidallia Onions, Red and Yellow Bell Peppers drizzled with olive oil, sea salt and minced garlic with a pair of goblets of Secco-Bertani Valpolicella Valpantena Ripasso; its whats for dinner.

Mother Goose

Talk to me goose!

Old Mother Goose,
When she wanted to wander,
Would ride through the air
On a very fine gander.
Jack's mother came in,
And caught the goose soon,
And mounting its back,
Flew up to the moon.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/60

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 200

Focal Length 210.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Views of the Seine

From the second level of the Eiffel Tower


As seen from the parapets of Notre Dame

Evergreen Drapes

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Fra la la la la....Christmas in June?

Although I like the brightness of this photo, it is too overexposed. Of course cropping would take care of this problem. I left it uncropped to show the upper edge overexposed and burned out in bright white. It doesn't help that the sky was brightly overcast in white/grey tones.

A good lesson to learn from this photo is to remember to preview your images, which i neglected here. If I had, I would have seen the bright white ares blinking as glowing beacons in preview mode, indicating over exposure. A good tip, preview and check to see if you get Blinkey the overexposure goblin. Take corrective measures, change the settings and reshoot. Histograms are another good way of checking for over / under exposures.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/30

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 200

Focal Length 85.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Stormy Weather

A view from our deck above our patio. Ominous storm clouds reach across the sky above our neighbor's home.

-



"Stormy Weather"
Dont know why theres no sun up in the sky

Stormy weather

Since my man and I aint together,

Keeps rainin all the time
Life is bare, gloom and misry everywhere

Stormy weather

Just cant get my poorself together,

Im weary all the time

So weary all the time

When he went away the blues walked in and met me.

If he stays away old rockin chair will get me.
All I do is pray the lord above will let me walk in the sun once more.

Cant go on, evry thing I had is gone

Stormy weather
Since my man and I aint together,

Keeps rainin all the time
.
as sung by Billie Holiday

-

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/30

Av( Aperture Value ) 11.0

ISO Speed 200

Focal Length 30.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Washbasin

The washbasin. The working crew needs a good place to wash up after a good day of maintaining the grounds and flower beds at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. They were provided with this architecturally pleasing washtub. Both images are HDR images.

Spitting Lion

-

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/320 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/1250 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/80 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

Av( Aperture Value ) 4.5

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 30.0 mm

White Balance Mode Daylight

Washbasin

-

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/250 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/1000 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/60 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 20.0 mm

White Balance Mode Daylight

Floating Tulip

More views from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. I thought this one turned out fairly nice in macro. I only wish I had a speedlight. Maybe Mrs. Claus is listening for a gift idea. ;-)

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/200
Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 200

Focal Length 68.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Rain Dance

Fountain top.

Yes, we are still at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. I was there with Mitch from Mitchster.com, Matt and Bob. I lost my cheat sheet to incorporate html links. Check their blogs out of my Minnesota Photo Blog listing. There is so much to see at the arboretum, so much to photograph, so much to take in. I hope to retrun on another trip when the rose garden is in full bloom. I hope you enjoy my scenes from the MN Landscape Arboretum.

-

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/160

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 200

Focal Length 59.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Sky View

Gargoyle Roost protecting Notre Dame.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/80

Av( Aperture Value ) 9.0

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 72.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Sacre Coeur View from Arc de Triomphe

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/125

Av( Aperture Value ) 11.0

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 85.0 mm

White Balance Mode Daylight

Periwinkle Pillow

Soft purple colors compliment a white iris. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/250

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 50.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

2 Things Challenge is Symmetrical / Abstract

This week's 2 Things Challenge is Symmetrical / Abstract. A 2 for 1 special, 1 photo to cover both themes. I was uninspired this week sitting here at the 'puter thinking ahead for this week's 2 Things post. I must have snapped off 32 photos before I tilt aimed at the window in our office.

Can you figure out what it is?

.

.

.

Mini blinds.

There you have it, symmetrical and abstract.

Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/8

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

Exposure Compensation -1/3

ISO Speed 400

Focal Length 300.0 mm

White Balance Mode Auto

Water Spout

Green Eye

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/320

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.0

ISO Speed 200

Focal Length 41.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Image Quality RAW

Invertible

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/800

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6
ISO Speed 200

Focal Length 50.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Six Sigma

Five steps of Six Sigma methodology, "Define - Measure - Analyze - Improve - Control," the road map of achieving goals.

Lessons learned the hard way as shown on June 1st. Sometimes new methodologies produce similar results.

Six Sigma Black Belt

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/200

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 400

Focal Length 300.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Six Sigma Green Belt

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/500

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.0

ISO Speed 400

Focal Length 160.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Prolonging problems with preposterous paperwork.

Rock Creek

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/125

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 26.0 mm

Image Quality RAW

White Veil

Waterfall at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. A symphony of cascading water over moss encrusted rocks.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/20

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 64.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Image Quality RAW

Inside St. Chapelle

Today, we take a day tour inside Sainte Chapelle 4, boulevard du Palais, surrounded by Palais of Justice. The chapel was built by Louis IX in the 1240's to house relics from the Holy Land believed to be the Crown of Thorns and part of the True Cross.

You will not be disappointed by the ground level Lower Chapel with its brightly colored ceiling. Words can not describe the Upper Chapel, perhaps stunning stunning. There is simply too much stained glass to take it all in. Although the wide angle on my lens is 17mm, (Rebel XTi crop factor of 1.6), I regret not having a 10-22mm wide angle lens. Maybe another trip.

For more information about this chapel, please see this site,

http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Cathedrals/Paris/Sainte-Chapelle.shtml

Upper Main Chapel
Exposure: 0.4 sec (2/5)
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV

Upper Main Chapel statuary.

Exposure: 0.04 sec (1/25)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 53 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: -1 EV

Field of Tulips

Tip toe through the tulips! (more alliteration) A trip to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/6

Av( Aperture Value ) 9.0

ISO Speed 100
Focal Length 26.0 mm

Two Things Challenge is Alliteration / Alike

Alike: Olympic Swim Team

All four little swimmers are alike, identical. Only a mother would know their differences.

Champlin's Mill Pond sports a multitude of suburban wildlife. Learning to swim and forage on the pond. These young mergansers will soon be on their own.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/160

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 400

Focal Length 300.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Alliteration: Bobber and Bait Bound to the Branch

Higher Learning. Lessons are learned the hard way. This person has learned how not to cast the bobber out into the pond. Trees must be avoided.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/80

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

ISO Speed 400

Focal Length 300.0 mm

White Balance Mode Cloudy

Guardian Oak

Hillside Cemetery, Minneapolis.

Its the end of May; all we have to show for May was the memories. May proved to be cold, damp, and windy. The Minnesota Fishing Opener was delayed in northern Minnesota due to the lakes being locked in with ice. The ice finally receeded mid May. More cloudy days than sunny with below normal temps. A sign global warming is over? We shall remember this cold dreary May 2008 as the year we didn't go fishing on the Opener.

Yep, another HDR image, this time in black and White:

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/45 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/125 - Autoexposure Bracketing -1 1/2

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

Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6

Autoexposure Bracketing 0

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 17.0 mm

White Balance Mode Daylight

High Blue

Water water everywhere, too much to possibly drink. High water season, too high for adding the deck onto the dock.

Shooting Mode Manual Exposure

Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/50

Av( Aperture Value ) 8.0

ISO Speed 100

Focal Length 28.0 mm

White Balance Mode Daylight

Ledgerock

From the rocky shore of Lake Vermilion.
Yes, this is another HDR photo. I need the practice at this type of photography. I will spare you the intricate details or tutorials. Other fellow photographers and bloggers have excellent tutorials you can search out. HDR can be taken to two extremes; over saturated and tonemapped for a surreal cartoonish look, or processed in a realistic manner.
There is a place for HDR photography when there is a high range between the dark and bright areas in the subject you wish to shoot. Such as this photo. No, its not a great composition or photo, but a good example of bright and dark. The camera senses the brights skyline, but the rocky foreground will become a black blob shadow.

I wanted to show the rocky shoreline with the cracks and crevices in the rock against the bright pre-sunset lakeside sky. I took 3 photos, information shown below, and merged them into one image. That's where the tonemapping fun begins with Photomatix to bring out the details. But there is a fine line to watch for, otherwise you will cross over into the cartoonish look seen in this Arbys photo post.
I do find it fun to create a cartoonish image, I prefer the realistic look that shows more detail that would be lost to the shadows.

Three photos taken at:

Tv( Shutter Speed ): 1/13 - Autoexposure Bracketing 0

Tv( Shutter Speed ): 1/50 - Autoexposure Bracketing -2

Tv( Shutter Speed ): 0.3 - Autoexposure Bracketing +2

Av( Aperture Value ): f11.0

ISO Speed: 100 Focal Length: 17.0 mm

White Balance Mode: Daylight

HDR merged into one image via Photomatix

Colored Textures

Variety of moss on granite.