Bobs blog

Hungry teenager

Bob — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 21:58:20 +0000

If you have a teenager at home this is probably a familiar scene.

If your kids are not yet teens you have this to look forward to.

And the answer is…. YES, she ate it all!

FIRE!!!

Bob — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:13:22 +0000

I recently took my daughter with me on a photo shoot to Pierce Mfg. She got to ride in the front seat of the truck. I just couldn’t resist adding a little drama to the photo.

Kites Over Lake Michigan

Bob — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:30:27 +0000

In Two Rivers Wisconsin I recently attended the 7th annual Kites Over Lake Michigan event. It was a windy day which was good for kite flying. I took some photos with my phone to share with you. Lots of kites and thousands of people made for a very active and fun atmosphere.

There were unique kites of every imaginable kind.

These look more like balloons than kites. I didn’t get to see these fly.

This flying fish was enormous!

A tesla coil was set up on the beach. It was surrounded by a variety of rods stuck in the sand. Also, a few grounding rods were pounded into the sand. When the coil was cranked up an arc of electricity would jump to the grounding rods and a powerful electric field caused the rods to glow in various colors. Cool!

At the end of the day people were supposed to send up hundreds of sky lanterns. Unfortunately is was too windy to keep them lit. Maybe next year.

Watch your step

Bob — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:22:38 +0000

We are approaching that time of the year when birds nest. Some of those birds build their “nests” on the ground. I snapped this photo in June a few years back. It is a Killdeer (Sandpiper) “nest”. It’s about as much a nest as a cardboard box is a mansion. We could easily have stepped on this clutch of eggs. The nest is a slight depression in the ground, that’s all. If you like to walk off the beaten path, as I do, please take care to watch your step.

Photoshop tip, make a layer.

Bob — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:11:05 +0000

Have you ever been working on a file and piled up loads of layers, each layer overlapping the others and contributing something to the end result. A file this complex can be difficult to do something to. Something as simple as cloning an area because that area may be built from several overlapping layers can be a nightmare. Trying to run a filter, warp, or distort your image can prove frustrating or impossible. Don’t run away screaming, there is an answer! There is a shortcut which will create an empty layer then stamp ALL of your visible layers on to that new layer. Here’s what to do….

1. Make sure all the layers you want included are turned on and the layers you don’t want included are turned off. That’s the little eyeball thingy to the left of a layer. If you see the eyeball the layer is on, if you do not see the eyeball the layer is off, see.

2. Next, choose a layer by clicking on it in your layers palate. For me it is almost always the top layer. Photoshop will create the new layer directly above the layer you choose.

3. Now for the magic! Click these four buttons at the same time….

(shift)+(alt)+(command)+(E)

4. You now have a flattened copy of ALL your visible layers which is easily editable, and all of the other layers have been left in tact.

Jazz At The Trout

Bob — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:51:24 +0000

Recently I was asked to photograph “Jazz At The Trout”.

The Trout Museum of Art in Appleton, WI plays host to a number of premier jazz groups. I was thrilled to be there for a performance from La Chazz, Latin Jazz. Below are photographs of every member of the group as well as a panoramic sweep of the entire venue. I hope you enjoy it, I know I had fun getting these images.

Click on this panoramic for a larger version.

Since this is an active art museum, when you come for the music, take the time to view what is on the walls. You won’t be disappointed.

Morning Fog

Bob — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 23:26:46 +0000

The cool nights of late summer have given us some magnificent morning fog. I recorded this scene on a recent ride to work. Colorful leaves are not the only beauty that autumn brings.

click on photo for a larger version

Observation #5 Oh Snap! There it is!

Bob — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:13:39 +0000

One of the many reasons I love riding as opposed to driving is that I experience my surroundings more acutely. Smells are more intense, (not always a good thing ).

I hear natures sounds, my bike is quiet. I see things I don’t see while in a car, mostly because I take the roads less traveled and I am not in a hurry. All of my senses are more alive.

I came across this snapping turtle sunning himself on one of those “less traveled roads” while on my way home. He is BIG! It took a lot of motivation from the toe of my boot to convince him to leave the road. He seemed annoyed. I think he wanted to make me pay for my insolence. Eventually he gave up and crawled to the shoulder.

Observation #4

Bob — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 14:30:32 +0000

This is a quick snap taken at a park in Sheboygan Falls. The water usually trickles over this dam. Right now it is a noisy torrent of white froth. The recent snow and rain can only add to the volume. If I get a chance I will take another photo this summer and compare to this one. Oh, who am I kidding. I am certain I will take a summer cycle trip in this direction.

NYE 2010

Bob — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 23:08:03 +0000

New Years Eve 2010. What did you do that evening? I went for a walk with my daughter. It was foggy that night. A dense fog that could be felt on your face as the air wafted by. My daughter felt is it was creepy. She is eleven. I saw a beauty which is only occasionally seen. The lights on the bridge quickly faded to black in the distance. Sound was oddly muted in the thick atmosphere. This photo is my daughter and my dog on that evening.