Penning Photography Daily

Charlie is one of my 8 great nephews or nieces just on my side of the family. Karen has six.

Charlie is one smart fellow. Quiet but smart. Always listening and observing.

Charlie also gets along with his brother and cousins very well. There’s seldom a quarrel with Charlie at the center.

I see a lot of his Dad, in him as well as my niece. They’re a couple of very talented folks. Music, business, cooking, and the list could go on. Charlie has a lot going for him in his Mom & Dad, and it shows.

I hadn’t pulled a self portrait out of my hat today, when I had inspiration hit.

I was on the phone – Skype actually, with a headset on – with my brother Nick. I was playing computer help desk guy, giving him some detailed advice on getting a replacement computer. Nick & Mary Ann’s desktop died. I was going step by step through the configuration, he on his notebook, me on mine, screen by screen. We got it done in record time – for us.

In the middle of the conversation, I thought about the self portrait, and asked my bride Karen to please to the honors.

I like this wide-angle view. My big sock covered feet leading the eye up to my headset covered noggin.

I have a Thinkpad sitting on a Lapinator heat dissipation pad – gotta protect me from both the heat and any potential exploding batteries (so far Thinkpad has avoided that problem).

Just me, being the tech-geek that I am.

One of those instant grabs.

The wall was right next to me as I was in line for something. It pulled at me with the contrasting shapes, colors, and lines.

One step at a time, that’s how someone had to build this. They had a goal in mind, and carefully followed the plan to get to this conclusion.

Such is my life. I have goals, and I’m getting there one step at a time.

Sitting in my car, waiting at a take out line.

I, of course, had my camera at the ready by my side.

The lighting was bizarre: bright red lights from the brake lights of the truck in front, and a bright yellow wall to my side.

I ended up with a red face, with mustard highlights.

So I did what the inner muse directed: converted it to black & white.

For my amusement. =)

An RJ11 jack up close.

What is an RJ11 jack? Just the physical interface used to terminate telephone wires for most single-line POTS systems across the world. POTS – Plain Old Telephone Service. Really, that’s a true acronym.

I was working on taking macro photos using my Panasonic LX3. I have to use manual focus, as the objects this close to the lens cannot be set in autofocus. The camera focuses up to 1 centimeter from the lens. Amazing.

You can see the copper wires encased in colored jackets in the end of the plug.

Nice perspective of the ordinary

Just testing out the flash exposure compensation on my Panasonic LX3.

I finally broke out the online manual and figured out that there is a nice flash level setting in there. It works in almost any mode but the Intelligent Auto mode, which wants to control everything.

I dialed in a -1/3 ev and got a much better self portrait.

I need to get new glasses, as my sister Trish is forever reminding me. I tend to leave them down on my nose as my eyes have changed but the prescription lenses have not.

Me, fooling around during the lunch hour. Always learning something new.

Lewis is the younger of my niece Katherine & Chris’ children, Charlie being the older brother.

I love the lighting in this one.

Catching Lewis with a good smile, or at rest is a chore.

Youth, I remember you once!