[flowers] brightens any day

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051009-yellowtulips

1/2 @ f 8.0 ~ ISO 100 ~ 50 mm

Oh good grief! I have taken photos for POTD in almost 2 weeks! I took all of the architectural details in one day and then processed images each day that I posted. And last week I had to comb the archives for girly pics.

I was enjoying my Sunday when it occurred to me that I had nothing! Oops. We were out on Friday and I asked the boys if they were buy me some flowers if I gave them the money. SIlence. OK, the "fresh" flowers I got almost 2 weeks ago at Target are dull and I have shot most of the silk flowers. Oh wait, I have that yellow tulip plant in the bathroom. The one that I forget about since it is up high on shelf and I don't think it has ever been dusted.

Canned air is great for fake flowers with heavy layers of dust. Just be sure to go outside first or you will be coughing and sneezing for hours.

jasmine soothes my soul

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050409-jasmine

This is the view out of my bedroom window. It faces southeast so I tend to keep the curtains closed most of the winter. As the earth shifts and the sun no longer hits at such a short angle, I open up the view. I don't see the yard that needs some serious trimming, I see and smell the jasmine. It's one of the few flowers that makes me stop and breathe in deep. I can close my eyes and feel hope resettle in my soul.

[architectural details] ugly method

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050209-tiledroof

Spanish tile roofs are not usually constructed this way. Here is some more information of you want to know about it. Typically, the tiles are attached with nails through a hole in the tile, similar to the way they attach slate tiles. Gravity keeps them from shifting.

I am not sure why the chose to build the roof this way. I assume it to withstand hurricane force winds. But frankly, this is ugly. And since this is over a patio and easily seen from passerbys, they could have chosen a nicer method.

[architectural details] lighting

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042909-lighting


I love lighting. As an young architect, you find you don't have much choice in the design of the building. But you get to help choose a lot of the details. Lighting is one of my favorites. There are so many choices. Of course, most of your favorite choices get cut when they look at the budget. Then you get to find something similar, but cheaper. And hope that no one goes and touches it only to find out it's plastic instead of burnished metal. Yes, I do things like that.

[architectural details] ric rac

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042709-ricrac

1/1000 @ f 3.3 ~ ISO 100 ~ 43 mm

For yesterday's photo, I had to dig through my files to find something that would work. (I guess I should have looked ahead so I could have planned better.) And after a couple of comments, I felt the pressure to deliver some good details. But not having the time to go downtown to Ybor City, I had to compromise.

Wesley Chapel does not have a local government. We have a Chamber of Commerce. Wesley Chapel is basically a collection of shopping centers and housing developments. I decided to look at the newer shopping center, The Shoppes at Wiregrass. I thought I would find lots of great details. I didn't find great details but did find quite a few nice details. And after going through the hundreds (yes, 244 photos taken in 50 minutes) I have narrowed it down to 44. My thought was to come up with several storyboard featuring similar kinds of details like lighting or hardware or awnings. But today went by too quickly so you have just one photo. Maybe you will get some storyboards tomorrow. Maybe.

[architectural detail] mod blocks

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042609-modblocks

1/640 @ f 3.3 ~ ISO 100 ~ 42 mm

Back in the 1950's, architects used these concrete block to create a grille effect. This photo shows one of two 8'x8' openings which conceal the windows of this office building. I know these are quite dated but I think it's kind of fun as an image. To read about New York hating this then changing their minds, see this article about the Edward Durrell Stone House.

[earth wind & fire] too much beach

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042509-beach

1/4000 @ f 4.0 ~ ISO 400 ~ 14 mm


When I first approached the beach, I thought the light parts were some kind of scum or algae. I couldn't understand why people were in the water. it looked gross. Then I got closer and saw that it was just clear water over shallow bottom. This lake is another victim of the drought. The water line should extend all the way to the people sitting on the right.

the hand

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042509-hand

1/4000 @ f 2.0 ~ ISO 100 ~ 50 mm

Paige at Shutter Sisters has a photo of a cow sitting at the top of a ridge with the sun behind it. She thinks it's bizarre. I think it's cool. She asked if you had ever seen something so bizarre that you just had to stop and take the picture. I can't say I have every been compelled to slam on the brakes to do such but I have been tempted.

Having boys means you will usually find random things thrown together in way that makes you pause, scratch your head, or laugh. And boys don't grow up. I found this hand in the back yard. It's from a sculpture I had called Birder Bob. He sat on top of a post and held a pair of binoculars in his hands. I had him positioned to be "spying" on my neighbors. (My neighbor was fine with it, she liked to freak out her mother-in-law when she came too visit all too often.) Time was not kind to Bob. He lost his binoculars and eventually his hand broke off. Instead of throwing it away, my dad had it perched on this post so it looked like someone you couldn't see was grasping for help.

It reminds me of grade school. There was a house next to the school and in a window had a wood hand. Of course the stories started about it being a student's hand who had reached through the fence to grab a stray ball. For eight years, that hand never moved from the window. We never saw anyone move in that house either.