blog | photography by David Kennedy » Updates

Watching my step

David — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 02:44:35 +0000

Fallen Broadleaf maple leaf at Oyster Bay, Olympia, Washington.

One good thing about being slightly less than sure-footed is that I frequently look down at where I’m walking, and see things that I might otherwise miss. As much as I love breathtaking, expansive landscapes, sometimes it’s the small and quiet moments that really affect me the most–particularly on a journey of self-discovery and renewal.

How does anything dry in this weather?

David — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:54:43 +0000

Jeans hang to dry on a clothes line in Durham, NC. | Canon 7D and 70-200mm f/4L IS lens @ 135mm | Exposed 1/400 sec. @ f/4, ISO 400.

20th Annual NCSU Dog Olympics

David — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 03:06:04 +0000

(L-R) Nicole Schnell, Mason Savage, and Christine Park prepare to implant a microchip in Tonia Lutzewitz's dog, Amino, at the free microchip clinic offered by the Raleigh chapter of the American Kennel Club at the 20th annual NCSU Dog Olympics held at the College of Veterinary Medicine on September 10, 2011 in Raleigh, NC.

On Saturday, September 10, 2011 close to 1,000 people turned out on the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine campus in Raleigh, NC to enjoy their annual Dog Olympics. Five days later, after much editing and toning, I am happy to link to my NCSU Dog Olympics gallery at lightsedgeprints.com.

German Johnson

David — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 20:30:34 +0000

German Johnson tomato from our garden, Durham, North Carolina. | Canon 5D Mk. II and 24-70mm f/2.8L lens @ 43mm | Exposed 1/80 sec. @ f/4, ISO 400

Kitchen knives loom over ripening tomatoes

David — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 20:10:02 +0000

Knives loom over our ripening tomatoes. | Canon 5D Mk. II and 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens @ 27mm | Exposed 1/60 sec. @ f/5.6, ISO 100 | Key: Canon 580EX II Speedlite in 16x16" Softbox on camera right. Fill: Canon 550EX Speedlite in Lumiquest Softbox III on camera left. Triggered wirelessly using ST-E2 transmitter ratio 2:1 key to fill.

Things have been fairly quiet on the blog while I make some final arrangements to be truly “in business” as a photographer in the state of North Carolina. I am contemplating a very large order of roll paper in anticipation of opening up my HP Z3200 to making prints for fellow photographers. Hopefully, that will include some of my dear readers here!

However, most of my new work of late has been around the house, especially Elizabeth’s garden which is now producing lots of tomatoes. This afternoon I made a photo of our harvested tomatoes that are ripening on the kitchen counter…or atop the microwave, to be more accurate. In years past, other creatures have gotten to Elizabeth’s tomatoes before she had a chance to pick them, so this season she’s trying to pick them when they’ve begun to ripen, and allowing them to finish the process indoors. So far, so good!

Equipment Used:

An Assassin Bug in our lettuce

David — Sun, 15 May 2011 22:38:59 +0000

An Assassin Bug perches on a leaf of lettuce harvested from our garden. It made its appearance as we were soaking the lettuce prior to rinsing. | Canon 7D and 100mm f/2.8 macro lens | Exposed 1/60 sec. @ f/5.6, ISO 800 | Canon 580EX II triggered wirelessly, bounced off ceiling camera left.

While soaking some lettuce harvested from our garden (it makes the dirt come off more easily when rinsing), Elizabeth called me into the kitchen because an Assassin Bug had evaded her inadvertent attempt to drown it, and was perching on a leaf of lettuce. It may not be a very good attempt at macro photography with insects–see my dad’s Web site for an idea of what good macro photography can look like–but it was entertaining while it lasted.

Another perspective on the Assassin Bug. | Canon 7D and 100mm f/2.8 macro lens | Exposed 1/60 sec. @ f/4, ISO 800 | Canon 580EX II triggered wirelessly, bounced from the ceiling on camera left.

Ultimately, we set our friend free on the back porch so it could continue on its quest to rid our garden of more pernicious six-legged creatures.

Remodeling the office

David — Fri, 13 May 2011 15:00:41 +0000

Everything that had to stay in the room was covered in drop clothes. Part of the wall preparation was to fill in the cracks in the drywall. Rather than using traditional spackle, Elizaebeth has found that joint compound and tape (on either side of the closet door) provides a longer-lasting fix.

So things have been a bit quiet on the blog for a couple of weeks. I’m finally re-settled in my office after being temporarily displaced into the living room while lots of sanding, scraping, cutting, taping, and joint-compounding took place before a bucket of paint was splashed on the walls and a ceiling fan replaced a less useful light fixture.

The office was originally a less-than-attractive shade of blue. Maybe the color would have made more sense in a house right on the Atlantic Ocean, but but the Piedmont of North Carolina, it just seemed out of place. I wanted a warm gray for the walls of my office, and after looking at a few samples I found “storm,” a Pottery Barn color offered at Benjamin Moore. The Faulconer Gallery at Grinnell College switched its walls from off-white to gray in my senior year, and while it was five years ago, I still remember how I thought artwork just “popped” right off the walls with that background color.

Since receiving one as a gift from my parents, the Dremel 300 is one of the tools I use the most for our home-improvement projects.

While Elizabeth worked on preparing the walls–sanding them and filling in the cracks in the drywall with joint compound and tape–I was busy in the attic with my Dremel 300 to cut away the original electrical box brace and install one rated for a ceiling fan. Cutting through 1/4 inch metal with the Dremel takes a few minutes and sends sparks flying everywhere so I recommend a face shield, but it works in close quarters much better than does a hack saw! After spending some time upstairs, I switched out the attachments on the Dremel and cut a larger hole in the ceiling for the electrical box.

After the walls and ceiling were painted, I mounted the ceiling fan motor.

Frankly, the biggest hurdle was keeping the Z3200 printer covered and out of the way. Unfortunately, since assembling it in the office in March, it is a “ship in a bottle.” We can push it into the hallway, but it cannot go further into the living room or kitchen without being removed from its stand!

It took an entire weekend to move (most) everything out of the second bedroom and remodel it for my purposes as an office, so the living room felt like a refugee camp for all of my stuff. But the cat didn’t mind too much so long as she could get in her beauty rest!

Catface sleeps on top of a box of foam core and rests her chin on the bulletin board stacked out in the living room.

Here’s the office after finishing the paint and re-arranging the furniture:

The office after painting the walls and ceiling and installing a ceiling fan!

Home from an April Wedding

David — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:20:16 +0000

August Kryger and Amanda Shea's wedding ceremony at Alpine Park on 23 April 2011.

Last week I flew back to Columbia, Missouri to attend my friend August Kryger‘s wedding to Amanda Shea. I flew into Saint Louis on Thursday and the following day, a few hours after consulting with my committee members to figure out the right direction for my master’s project on Asian carp, a tornado touched down at the airport. By the time I flew out on Tuesday, STL was up and running once again, and plywood replaced the glass that had been shattered during the storm.

Driving up to STL in the airport shuttle on Tuesday 26 April 2011 in Saint Louis, Mo.

A few glass windows remain at the main entrance to STL on Tuesday 26 April 2011 in Saint Louis, Mo.