Penning Photography Daily

The sunset caught my eye as I was exiting the bathroom.

The light was an orange splash on my face.

The sunset was streaming in through the small window and bouncing all over the small room, dancing across my face.

I took a quick step to get a camera, it happened to be our new Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. I set the exposure to P for Program, which I knew was set to record a RAW file and not just a jpeg.

I took a couple of frames, with different views. This one, with the direct light at the back and side of my head with the reflected light on my face, intrigued me the most.

I converted it to a black & white to show the dynamic range that the camera can capture. The color could do that as well, but here, without color, I can see the details more clearly without the distraction of color.

100 more to go.

Sunset tonight as I was getting home.

I had just come from a visitation at the wake of the brother of a neighbor, and I was soaking up the restoration that a sunset gives my spirit.

Life is surely short, in this grand universe of ours. Each moment and part of life is preciously fleeting and vastly undervalued until gone.

Looking at light has given me an expanded sense of the moment. Like this sunset, every second changes the view completely.

Now is the important moment, and each one of them is full for the taking.

Wrinkles, folds, skin pores, and thinning silver hair.

Not sure what possessed me to take this macro today, except that I needed yet another self portrait.

It does show how nicely the Panasonic DMC-LX3, or LX3 as I like to call it, does for both macro and lower light levels.

That lens – the Leica branded f2.0-2.8 is some sharp goodness. It really makes the camera special.

Here’s your daily dose of me.

One of seven Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass windows installed in the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Illinois.

An unassuming church building at the corner of Seventh & Capitol houses these superb works of art, as well as “The Lincoln Pew.” The pew was “rented” by the Lincoln family. It’s said that Mary and her boys came to this church after the death of their second child Eddie because of the comfort given by the church family at their loss. The pew isn’t much to look at, but it’s there.

The windows, on the other hand, might be often overlooked by visitors, looking for Lincoln. I’ve lived here for 54 years and this photo was taken at my first visit to the church.

This is my favorite of the windows. The colors are magnificent.

Catching up from this weekend’s activities. This was due yesterday.

Chris took this one, of me, “chimping” at the photos that Karen took with the Pentax K10D.

Chimping comes from the monkey sounds made when reviewing photos on the back of a digital camera and going “Ooo Ooo” at the good ones. =)

When looking up close at detailed objects, I either remove my glasses and get up close, or like this depiction, look over the tops of my glasses.

The Tupperware-like appendage is a flash diffuser on my strobe. I love to use it to give the light output a nice soft rounded edge.

Bubbles were surrounding the bride and groom as they left the church.

Karen stayed behind to capture some of the scene from behind.

I love the flower girls here.

You can see Chris in the middle, as he’s capturing the moment from the front. I’m just out of the frame to the left.

Superb capture, my Karen Sue!

We had a portrait setup at the wedding on Saturday.

One of the guests said that we should have our portrait taken, so we obliged. I set it up, and showed them where to click the shutter.

Chris, Karen, and me. The Three Amigos! Really the three photographers.

Karen still has her Omega enlarger she bought in the 1970′s, which we used together to develop black & white photos. I don’t miss the chemical smells. I do absolutely love working with my family on photo assignments.