Stripped/Raleigh f/8 @ 1/160 sec

Posted 10 more images in the Whitaker Park set.

Core/Chicago f/9 @ 1/125 sec

f_4_t and I were in Chicago over the weekend for my cousin Jackie's wedding. As per custom, I've started a city photo set on Flickr. Right now, it's all Sears Tower-related, but I'll have more from around downtown, the Art Institute and Millennium Park in the coming days.

The New York Times reports on New York City's Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting is proposing new rules governing photography that would, "require any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour to get a city permit and insurance."

The permits are free and the stated intent is aimed more at professionals and intended to ensure they have insurance. However, it isn't hard to see a group of Flickr photographers crossing the "professional" threshold and getting stopped and cited because they lack a permit. Thankfully, I didn't notice anything about "enhancing security in a post 9/11 world."

Closer in, and more pleasantly, N&O photographer Takaaki Iwabu has a gallery, Drive-by America, photographs taken while driving.

Try out Gir, from IconFactory.

Robin just brought up that I might want to recrop some of my photos for use on iPhones... Tempting. Someone could also do some LOLCats, say.

All Quiet/Bethlehem f/8 @ 1/400 sec

I've posted a small set of photos from our recent trip to Bethlehem, focusing on Bethlehem Steel. Shaun O'Boyle has his own photo essay.

Robin/Bethlehem f/6.3 @ 1/60 sec

f_4_t and I were up in Pennsylvania visiting her folks over the Father's Day weekend. All in all, a great trip, if we set aside two incidents at the bookends. First, a DUI checkpoint on a two-lane road in Quakertown [1] off of I-476 Friday night (well, Saturday morning) that took about 30 minutes or so, at 1 a.m. and then the 25 minute wait for food at the Ruther Glen Wendy's off of I-95 at Va. Route 207 on Sunday [2].

We packed a few things into a day and a half of actual visiting time before driving back. Robin's dad used to work at Bethlehem Steel, so Sunday morning, Robin, her parents and I drove and walked around the old plant and photographed as he told stories about some of the different buildings. A pretty good way to spend Father's Day.

Finding the Name/Washington DC f/3.5 @ 1/1000 sec

Uploaded a few photos from a DC trip Robin and I took back in March, including the NSA mascot for kids.

Ferris Wheel/Raleigh f/32 @ 5 sec

Robin and I got out to Triangle Town Center this evening in just the nick of time to get a few long exposures of a little carnival set-up in the parking lot before the full brunt of the evening's thunderstorm hit. Surprisingly, they were still running the rides with lightning in the area, Ferris Wheel included. I wouldn't have ridden.

Right after getting a few set-ups taken and Robin returning with some cotton candy, the tolerable precipitation turned into a deluge and it was time to go, camera shielded by an umbrella.

Otherwise, generally slack day. Took in parts of the American Tobacco Campus for lunch (Tyler's Taproom, with some Abbey-style ales on tap). Worthwhile, including seeing the four or five pieces of Nelson Mandela's time at Robben Island prison [1]. We discussed a remote cam project involving a small boat and camera, floating down the campus' "river." It's worth some further pondering.

1. Smaller than I imagined, but held over until July 31st

Holding Tight/Raleigh f/5 @ 1/160 sec

The Raleigh Flickr Group got out to the rodeo at Carousel Farms Arena on Tuesday. I have a set up from the trip. The rest of the group has some great work, check it out.

Also of note, my parents were out from Memorial Day weekend until last Saturday, which kept f_4_t and I very busy. Good times though. I think we got them to quite a few Raleigh and greater Triangle highlights, but not all of them.

I have another development cycle starting at work Monday. This time, we actually have some competition for one of our products, so, it's unsure if we're going to be working on the last version before the company decides to use an outside vendor or not. Since earlier versions were hamstrung by a customer with complete veto power over anything we wanted to do with the product, my team's excited that we (and they) can move on independently. And rather than worry about the ultimate decision, I'll be happy knowing that we're going to kick ass on the upcoming dev. cycle.

Finally, in some of the spare time, I'm looking at redesigning and relaunching my domain. The initial design is coming along, but I've been lazy about getting the software to drive it in place. We'll see how it goes.

Trousers Drummer/Raleigh f/3.2 @ 1/250 sec

More from today</strong>

A lovely day outside and a nice change of pace, being able to have some positives related to photography instead of the myriad wallowing in the mess of JPG Magazine from the last week. I've taken the day off from tracking what the latest goings on are.

Instead, at the invitation of a friend from work, Robin and I packed the car with photos from my Jan./Oct. show at Kulture, reading material and a couple of chairs and headed down to RebusWorks for RebusFest. For $40, I figured it was worth a few hours of our time to sit outside on a nice day and have people see if they were interested in my work. We got there a little after 1:30 and a few minutes and two Jacksons later, I'm set-up across from Antfarm Studio's Amanda Humphries, selling her 3D sculpture and Kirk Adams, selling his silk-screened t-shirts.

Buddha Sleeping/Raleigh f/6.3 @ 1/320 sec

Robin and I managed two photo outings over the weekend in addition to Retrofantasma, a bike ride, getting Rex to the dog park, etc. etc. Busy, but very enjoyable time. I have more photos from our Sunday photo outing, to Phật Tích Vạn Hạnh, up over at Flickr.

Two Leaves/Yates Millpond f/5 @ 1/60 sec

The day went right in so many ways. Even the weather broke enough for photography. Robin and I hit Yates Millpond south of downtown for a late afternoon shoot with some Flickr friends and the severe thunderstorm cells were gracious enough to stay north of where we were for a while. A few more photos from the afternoon are up now.

Kip/Carrboro f/2.8 @ 1/50 sec

Added a few more shots to catch up on photos from the recent TV on the Radio / Noisettes show.

Stan/Raleigh f/5.6 @ 1/30 sec

I'm well behind on some updates about how life's been going the last little while. Some rough stretches yielding to very good. Finding more time to tackle photo projects again after completion of my Technological Failures class (on my list of things update about).

Of particular note was Robin buying a road bike this week and as it's first major outing, joining me for the 60 (really 64)-mile AIDSWalk+Ride Saturday. That was followed by a much more leisurely 12-mile ride on the greenway today. Beautiful weather for it, too.

Crowd/Carrboro f/3.2 @ 1/13 sec

Finally had enough time to wade through the Noisettes' set from last week's show at Cat's Cradle with TV on the Radio. Oh, wait, no that's almost two weeks tomorrow. Yes, life's been that crazy the last little while. A 16 hour day during the week, for instance.

Anyhow, there's more from the show over on Flickr. I'll be adding some more from both bands over the next few days.

Hooks and Shadows/Glenwood South f/8 @ 1/250 sec

Nice, relaxing evening at home. Brought in Chinese food. Read some. Robin and I decided that a 120-square-foot house would not work for us. Still, I like the design and thought involved.

... accurately describes how I feel about physically seeing one of my photos excellently printed, surrounded by excellent work from other photographs. JPG Magazine Issue 8 is out now.

"... Not too much. Mostly plants."

So begins Michael Pollan's article, "Unhappy Meals."

I don't believe I've read a better piece about the importance of food as communion, not merely as fuel composed of isolated nutrients.