2 Things Challenge: Pin/Hole

The 2 Things Challenge this week was Pin/Hole.  Saturday rolled around and I still did not have an interpretation, so I jabbed a pin through an index card and made a hole.

Not terribly satisfying, although perhaps a fairly neat photo.  Then, even though Saturday was a very busy day, I got a wild hair to try to make a pinhole camera.  I had an idea what I wanted to do, but it took a little playing around and internet study to finally get what I wanted.  The viewing screen is a piece of waxed paper taped over a square hole in the back of a sealed up cardboard box.

                      

The "lens" is a pinhole punched in a small piece of Diet Coke can using the same pin and taped over a smaller hole in the other end of the box.

   

The subject, since by now it was 9:00 at night, was the light fixture by my back door.   This first image is not from the pinhole camera, but using my SLR.



Next I set up the pinhole camera and photographed the viewing screen.  I thought it was kinda neat.  This image is straight out of the SLR.

  

Then I went for a more wide angle shot (backed up.)

Considering the viewing screen was waxed paper and not frosted glass, the box was taped up cardboard, the pinhole was punched in a piece of Diet Coke can with a pin instead of machined, and I put it all together in about an hour, I was sufficiently satisfied to put it here.

Shadow Walk

Curious little Mason and I went for a short walk on a bright sunny day.  He now grabs your finger and takes you where he wants to go. 

Red Shoulders

 This red-shouldered hawk rules the ridges and valley where Kristina lives.  He will perch for hours on a high tree branch, but . . .

he doesn't like to get his picture made.

2 Things Challenge: Key/Word

The challenge this week is Key/Word.  Join us at 2 Things Challenge to see other interpretations.

Mulched Possum

Monday was a beautiful day in Alabama, clear blue sunny skies, temperature around 70F, only a slight breeze.  So I decided to spend the afternoon mulching up some of the very thick layer of oak leaves which has covered our yard since October.  I have a mulcher, but I was just using the push mower and mulching them pretty much in place.  Late in the afternoon I was trying to get my riding mower started (getting ready for spring, since some of the crocuses are already blooming) when I heard something moving around in the mulcher, and I knew it wasn't the cat.  It was this rather large possum.  I tried and tried to scare him out of there, but he felt pretty secure down the chute in his little plastic and steel den and he would not budge.  I dragged the mulcher outside near the woods and lowered the chute so he could just walk out, but no luck.  I left it there, and he was gone the next morning, hopefully to some more appropriate den.

Breakfast!

A group of men from church gather early each Monday morning for breakfast and a devotional.  Yesterday we had three skillets of quail, fried in butter, soft scrambled eggs, potatoes, gravy, and biscuits.  Most of the breakfasts are pretty hearty, although not necessarily heart healthy, but this is one of everyone's favorites.  Just watch out for the bird shot.

Fourth Time

Wednesday night Central Alabama was hit for the fourth time this winter with snow or ice, VERY unusual.

Fortunately, this was the best kind, the roads were absolutely clear the next morning.

I do worry about the 21st Street bridge over the railroad tracks in downtown Birmingham, though.  Note the sign for a bridge with 3 lanes of traffic and parking on both sides of the street.

2 Things Challenge: Shadow/Play

The 2 Things Challenge for this week is Shadow/Play.  Click the play arrow for my interpretation.  

Try as he might, the kid just couldn't shake his shadow off the playground bridge. 

I did a little playing myself with Movie Maker and couple of playground shadow photos.

Join us at 2 Things Challenge for other interpretations and challenges.

Ice Hair

A few mornings ago the temperature was several degrees below freezing when some atmospheric quirk caused a thick fog to suddenly roll in.  Within minutes everything outside, from cars to trees to rose bushes, had grown a coating of "ice hair."  A short while later, as the fog dissipated, the air warmed, and perhaps a slight breeze came up, chunks of ice hair began to float from the big oak to the deck, like large snow flakes.

Iron Butterfly

Butterfly Yard Art

2 Things Challenge: Minus/Plus

The 2 Things Challenge this past week was Minus/Plus.  This is a pile of exhausted minuses and pluses from old alkaline batteries.  Most of them have a little symbol of a garbage can with an "X" through it, which I presume means don't throw them in the garbage, but that may be a European requirement.  So I've been keeping the old ones till I could either find a place to "recycle" them or figure out what I really should be doing with them.  Wal-Mart used to take them, but no more.  As a photographer, even though I use rechargeables as much as possible, I generate a lot of these things and it would be nice to know what I should be doing with them.  Put them in the landfill, or waste gas driving them to Batteries Plus or somewhere that will take them?

My Job Is Done Here.