Camera-go-Round

Merry-go-Round, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Step 1: Locate a suitable merry-go-round

Step 2: Locate a suitable kid

Step 3: Hand the kid your expensive camera

Step 4: Show the kid what button to push

Step 5: Spin the merry-go-round as fast as you can

Quite fun.....!

Dixie the Umbrella Cockatoo

Dixie, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Dixie used to live with us, but has since moved on to my brother-in-law's workshop. She has such a vivacious personality and loves to show off. Here is a capture of her sitting atop an office divider recently as she was visiting a local scout troop.

A Bee!

A Bee!, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

This fellow showed up alongside the pool while we were swimming recently. Needless to say, he caused quite a stir with the children in attendance.

Even though I didn't have a lens capable of extreme close-ups with me at the time, this capture does show quite a bit of detail, especially in the wings.

Scouts and Birds

Scouts and Birds, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Michelle and I had the opportunity to bring a few of our birds to visit a local scout troop this evening. It was quite enjoyable to see the excitement of the kids when we walked in the room with the birds.

Dixie the cockatoo, featured in this capture, was definately the star of the show. She is so friendly and loves showing off in front of a crowd. Here she is asking for a kiss from one of the scouts.

More photos of the scouts with the birds can be seen by clicking this link:

http://flickr.com/photos/richlegg/sets/72057594117289233/

Wagon Wheels

Wagon Wheels, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

My daughter Sarah and I refer to oranges cut this way as Wagon Wheels. My wife doesn't get it.

After cutting these last night for Sarah's dessert, the color and juiciness of the orange just begged to be captured. I used a flash with a diffuser to spread the light evenly and avoid harsh shadows.

Do you call these Wagon Wheels?

Wading at Sunset

Wading at Sunset, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Featured today is a capture of my daughter playing around in the water during a very nice Arizona sunset. I was at the beach taking photos when she came down and began splashing in the water. I happened to catch this moment before she ran off.

Rolling Thunder

Rolling Thunder, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

While driving in Southern Utah this past week, we heard reports of a storm ahead. As we neared a mountain pass and approached the storm, the looming clouds became increasingly formidable.

Featured here is a capture I made on the trip. The sepia toned black & white helps to accentuate the subtle details in the clouds. While I shouldn't admit it, this shot was actually made while I was driving (without looking through the viewfinder).

Serendipitous Interruption

Interuption, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

While taking long exposure captures (30 seconds each) of the London Bridge in Lake Havasu last week a boat drove through one of my shots. This is the resulting image. I particularly like the interesting shapes that the wake of the boat made as it reflected the light.

Lonely Swings

Lonely Swings, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I made this capture at a local park. I really like how the one swing is moving while the others are still.

I added the grain to the photo by taking an actual scan of film (remember that stuff?) grain and overlaying it on the digital photograph in Photoshop. It adds to the mood I was seeking in this digital capture.

Taking Flight

Havasu Duck, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Michelle (my wife) made this capture of a duck taking off this past week while we were boating on Lake Havasu in Arizona. This particular member of the local waterfowl community had been following us as we drifted while eating lunch. I suppose he was hoping for a bit of bread or chip.

This was shot with a Canon 350D SLR and a 100-300mm zoom lens. If you've ever tried to make a shot like this, then you know how difficult it is to achieve the near-perfect timing and focus.

London Bridge at Night

London Bridge at Night, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

We're back in Utah after spending 6 days in Arizona. Featured here is a nighttime capture of the famed London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. This photograph required a 30 second exposure. Note how the long exposure makes the water appear so smooth.

Sunset on the London Bridge Channel

London Bridge Channel, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Greetings from Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

This capture was made last night on the London Bridge Channel. If you're not familiar with the story, the original London Bridge (yes, the one that's falling down) was dismantled in the sixties and sold to a businessman who had it re-assembled in Lake Havasu City, Arizona in 1971. It now serves as the central point of the London Bridge Channel on Lake Havasu, a western mecca to boating enthusiasts everywhere.

The whispy clouds add dramatically to the color reflectiveness of the sunset. I like how the waves in the clouds are nearly symetrical with the waves on the water.

Springtime Meadow

Stream through a Meadow, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

This capture was made in Bluffdale (Utah) alongside a major road. While driving through the area, I noticed this serene scene and stopped to make this capture. The softness of the light along with the lushness of the meadow draws me into this scene. It's hard to imagine that just one week prior, this meadow was covered in a layer of fresh now.

Crown of Thorns

Barbed Wire on Fence Post, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Behind my home sits an empty field representing what is left of a farm that used to occupy this area. While walking in this field recently, I came across an interesting old fencepost. The indentations surrounding the post from the years of supporting barbed wire caught my eye.

Maybe because this is Passion Week, but I continually see Christ's Crown of Thorns when I look at this capture. I think the tone and detail add to this.

At the park

...at the park, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I haven't featured any photos of my children for awhile, so I thought I would share this recent one made at a local park.

What draws me to this capture is her eyes and how they are looking so clearly at the camera. Elisabeth photographs very well, but seldom has a cheesy "take my picture" grin.

Bridal Veil Falls in Black & White

Bridal Veil Falls in Black & White, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Cold and snowing on Thursday, warm and sunny on Friday. That pretty much sums up the past two days in Northern Utah.

Featured here is a capture of Bridal Veil Falls located East of Orem in Provo Canyon (Utah). The falls are currently running very strong with the snow melt contributing to the nice water flow.

Dripping Fence

Dripping Fence, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

It's been raining here quite a bit lately. I made this capture of a raindrop on a barbed wire fence in the field behind my house yesterday. The green in the background is the springtime grass that has been thriving in all the moisture.

Green V8 Ford

Green V8 Ford, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Featured today is a close-up of the front of an old Ford cargo van. I'm not sure of the age, but it appears to be from the 50's. It is painted "Krispy Kreme" green and sits in front of a local doughnut shop for advertisement. If you look closely, you can see a reflection of my car on the left side.

Boxcars

Boxcars, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Caught these boxcars travelling by on a recent trip up north. I panned the camera to follow the train as it went by, causing the blur effect on the background. Adding the copper/sepia tone and the saturation created the 'antiqued' look I desired.

Time

Time, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Here's a bit of trivia for you.

On Wednesday of this week at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 a.m., the time and date will be:

01:02:03 04/05/06

This won't happen again in our lifetime.

Leland the Mad Scientist

Mad Scientist, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

Leland is a good friend of mine and deserving of his very own blog post.

This spontaneous capture was made last night at a dinner party while I was showing someone the different types of strobe settings (this one is bounced with no diffuser).

This is pretty much the expression Leland has all the time :)