Clear Light Bulb

This collage is a collection of left over images made while experimenting with f stops and shutter speeds.

Recreated and posted for lensday.com: Experimental
Also submitted to Photo Friday: Experimental

Q: Are Photo Friday and lensday in cahoots? Congressional Anti Trust Investigators want to know! Film at 11!

"I'm 99 percent sure it's nothing"

I don't usually do photo dedications but THIS is dedicated to a friend, editor, and Gentle Viewer who was told the above words by her breast specialist and ended up undergoing a double mastectomy one year ago today.

This is dedicated to her for the quiet dignity and grace which she has exhibited in the face of terrifying and life altering decisions, all of which she made alone.

This is in SHARP contrast to her USUALLY INCREDIBLE kvetching and bitching about such mundane things as getting rid of books or buying new furniture.

She can now return to her primary task of attempting to overthrow the Bush Administration.

It's Suntory Time

gkirlin DOES love his Mountain Crack®. He and I have a relationship not unlike the birds that I feed and I do. I am a provider of some tasty treats. I'm not sure if this is one that his Mom allows but he seems to enjoy it. It's a very dangerous place to be, between gkirlin and a can of this stuff.

If This Were Me and My Family, This Would Be My Christmas Card.

Sort of like the old Russian saying "If we had ham we could have ham and eggs if we had eggs." Heh heh

Regardless, this is a co-worker who graciously asked me to take photos for their family Christmas card.

She gave me permission to post it here so she could see it online but really, Gentle Viewers, I wanted to post it for YOU alone. Yes. Just you. You look great, by the way. Have you lost weight, Gentle Viewers?

Third in a series of photos blog-harrassing my friends in order to increase my Gentle Viewership.

Sometimes It's Only About The Eye Candy

Yes, Gentle Viewers, sometimes I just want to engage in a little visual onanism. There is no other reason to post this other than I wanna see it again. This is a photo from my friend Nicky's wedding. I'm her blogfather. Heh heh. I got her to make a blog. It's here.

Maybe I can justify using this photo because the colors are sort of Christmassy? Or maybe because Marcy on the left would make the most delicious Christmas Elf EVER. I even think her ears are ALREADY pointed. Today I took some photos of another friend and her husband and baby for them to use on Christmas cards. I think I'm going to use this one on mine.

Second in a series of posts blog-harrassing my friends.

YAY! The Bangor Metro is HERE!

Hmmm....I don't see it....

George Hale! I LOVE HIM!!!!!

Flippety Flip Flip......Flip..............Flip

No mention here...

No editorial thing.....no essay...no reminiscence....

....they must not have used it....rats.

George Hale!!!!!! HE's the BEST!

HEY! HERE THE FOOL IS! The Lucerne Inn

I got an email a few weeks ago asking for permission to use this photo of the Lucerne Inn in the December Issue of Bangor Metro which I, of course, INSTANTLY granted. I mean..I have it Creative Commonly Licensed for NonCommerical Use and as long as Credit is given...

Where's the credit? *flippety, flip flip*

Wait, I dropped a french fry... HERE IT IS!

In the MARGIN!! :)

But what part of the magazine is this, anyway? It's almost the BACK....

THE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE?????

THAT'S NOT EDITORIAL USE! THAT'S COMMERCIAL!

OOooOOOOOoOOOOooh...I get it now....

The LUCERNE INN didn't have a photo of itself suitable for use! The Snow Weasels! So now they get FREE copy from MEEEEE. Because I have photos of EVERYTHING!

In fairness to Bangor Metro I DID say "Sure, feel free to use it for anything you want" not thinking they'd want it for a PROMOTION!

I had this photo to show my photo editing skills. I took the photo and liked it but there was an El Camino in it.

"Anytime you take a photo and there is an El Camino in it. Your eye will be drawn to the El Camino." Henri Cartier Bresson told me that once.

So here is with the El Camino..and here is without.

Speaking of promotion, Marketing Media, one of the companies involved in Bangor Metro, used to be known as Marketing Media and Wellman. A rather grandiose title. Mark Wellman is the publisher of Bangor Metro and SUCH a promoter that years ago unbeknownst to him, myself and some friends in the radio business came up with our own promotional line for HIM that I've yet to see in print: "And on the 8th Day, Wellman created God."

"Screw the Holiday, It's the Prep I Live For" - Anonymous Christmas Tree Dealer

The Gimme.

Bear with me for a moment, Gentle Viewers. The Thing of the Moment was born on December 16, 2004. I have earlier archives, but I lied to you, they are false archives used for a lame attempt at making galleries. My first real honest to goodness, no cheating allowed photoblog posting was of the Reverend Louie, Christmas Tree Dealer and Finder of Lost Souls. He's a man of God and he loves the baby Jesus and he'll help you tie the tree to your roof of your car for free.

My brother tkirlin sold trees in Connecticut for a couple of seasons. He said they had a big sign reading Genuine Maine Christmas Trees and everytime they needed more they called a supplier in Nova Scotia.

Yes, before the Carnies there were the Christmas Tree Sellers who captured the curiosity of this Brownie wielding photoblogger. Who are they? Where do they come from? Where do they GO? What do they WANT?

I was too chicken to ask last year. I think I said I needed pictures of trees for some school project or for an aunt with a busted hip. God only knows what spewed forth from my mouth. But this year, it's to make those transient tree selling bastards FAMOUS!

Here at The Thing of the Moment.

The Office

Setting Up

Dead Again

That Pretty Much Sums It Up.

PUT DOWN THAT GRAVY, YOU PIGBOAT!

Happy Holidays from the Maine Department of Transportation. David Cole, Commisioner.

(Photo courtesy the Maine Department of Transportation to the Bangor Daily News to illustrate a story about a weight limit change on a local bridge)

Thursday Challenge: Sound

See the pilot? Wanna know just ONE of the differences between he and I? He has headphones offering SOME ear protection. Anyone who knows the Unholy sound of the C5A Galaxy will know why this is the last photo I'm taking like THIS. Heh heh 

Chains

Inspiration* from Tudor at Broken Images.

(* Total and blatant rip off)

Fork Issues

I have an odd collection of forks which I pick up here and there, but I rarely use them. So they just sit in the silverware drawer. I thought they'd be interesting to photograph but they really aren't. Some are from Airlines, others from Hotels, a few came from eBay. I don't eat at home that often and when I do I use plastic forks so I can just throw them away after. I have a horrific aversion to forks scraping on the bottom of a stainless steel sink.

YEAH BABY!

My blog is worth $0.00.
How much is your blog worth?

THAT'S what I'M TAWKIN ABOUT! Heh heh

Swirly* Frost on a Window

Posted for Macroday: Winter

* Swirly is the officially recognized scientific term for swirly frost as determined by the 1968 Frost Summit in Oslo, Norway. Frost which is MORE swirly is termed 'Wicked Swirly'

The comments reminded me of this image.

Andy Planted an Oak Tree

Sometimes I Like It, Sometimes I Don't.

At the moment, I do.

Diversionary Tactic

Ooo..look at the pretty blue picture! Pretty sky! OooOoo.

Now skip right on past the next image I posted for Thursday Challenge.

I won't do it again, I swear to God...

I thought I could sneak ONE crappy photo past you vigilant Gentle Viewers but zbjernak busted me. I beg his forgiveness and yours.

Photo Friday Gentle Viewers may see the offending photo here.

(This image submitted to Photo Friday: Imperfection) Now scoot!

Thursday Challenge: Pattern

 

Imagination

The Ring Master and "Lovely Assistant"

A series of 5 images for lensday.com: imagination.

I know you are only supposed to submit one but I never win anyway, heh heh, and this is the one...

(psst...here is 2, 3, 4, and 5.)

Walking the High Wire

Play Dead!

Roll Over!

Rar!

SStout and BStout, Unsuited Up

This is the photographic equivalent of being told at 9pm that you need a diorama and 5 dozen chocolate chip cookies for school in the morning.

Thomas Hill Standpipe

Reposted for Alexa, because it reminds her of her Mom and home.

Landing

This is harder than it looks. And I don't mean the flying.

CyberStalked! Heh heh...

Yes, my Gentle Viewers, unless you have just been featured on the CBC, which alas, I haven't, and a post like this triggers a flurry of Google Searches in your name from a couple of spots in New Brunswick, AOL, Maine, and the University of British Columbia all within minutes, you are either A) A prominent Canadian ala Mr Lorne Green or Mr William Shatner, or B) being stalked.

I'd say I best be getting an email.

Moody Monday: Pure

"Pure as the Driven Snow" a cliche which SHOULD read, "Pure as the Driven Snow that Momentarilly Incites a Panic Reaction Mixed With Self Flagellating Thoughts for Continuing to Live In the Snow Belt"

Pxite: Yellow

National Geographic Yellow. If John Deere gets it own color, so should National Geographic.

Photo taken expressly for Pxite before I remembered I had THIS TREASURE!

Thanks, merlinprincess!

L'homme de Bois au Soleil.

JKirlin est fou.

Church Driveway by guest photographer J

Photo taken from a school bus by a K-4th grade student who had asked to take my camera on a field trip. I've tried taking photos of this church but this is better than any of my efforts.

Photo Friday: Worn

Bar Harbor Inn

Shh...Patrick Kaine was married here. Don't tell him it's posted again.

End of Season

Storm and Alistair (shot at 10x zoom)

Submitted for Lensday.com: Confident. Alistair admitted before climbing up the Giant Gondola Wheel that he was terrified of heights. Storm exuded enough confidence that Alistair knew he was in good hands.