Backlit Beauty

Backlit Beauty [265/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

265/366

The brilliant backlighting really caught my eye here. A totally different alternate, similar only in that the light was so nice, is in the comments.

Taken Sep 21, 2012 in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₈₀₀ sec at f/4.0, ISO100, no flash.
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM @ 50 mm

Old Burying Ground

Old Burying Ground [264/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

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The Old Burying Ground in Harvard Square. I have no idea who Gamage is, but liked the composition with the church door in the background.


Taken Sep 20, 2012 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
15.0 sec at f/13, ISO200, no flash.
Lens: EF28mm f/1.8 USM @ 28 mm

Clouds and Sun

Clouds and Sun [263/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

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The sky yesterday was stunning, filled with marvelous clouds and blue sky and sun. My walk home took considerably longer than normal as I was constantly stopping to admire (and photograph) the view.


Taken Sep 19, 2012 in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₆₄₀ sec at f/9.0, ISO100, no flash.
Lens: EF28mm f/1.8 USM @ 28 mm

Beets

Beets [262/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

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Fall is clearly hear, now, as the produce in my CSA pickup shifts from many pounds of tomatoes and summer squash to an abundance of roots. Beets are one of the more colorful and IMO delicious of the early fall crops, and it has been a while since I've included a vegetable shot in my 366 project.

Taken Sep 18, 2012 in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₁₀₀ sec at f/7.1, ISO200, no flash.
Lens: EF28mm f/1.8 USM @ 28 mm

Eye of the Heron

Eye of the Heron [261/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

261/366

Decided I should expand my macro range a bit and shoot something that isn't edible or a flower today. Looking around my house, I thought this paper filigree Great Blue Heron might make an interesting subject. This is a piece from the artist Caroline Spellman we got several years ago when we were living in Ithaca, now hanging in our living room. The intricate details of the quilling reveal themselves in a macro.


Taken Sep 17, 2012 in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₁₀₀ sec at f/18, ISO100.
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM @ 50 mm

L'shanah Tovah

L'shanah Tovah [260/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

260/366

I will get caught up with the rest of the weekend tomorrow, but wanted to get this up today. Tonight is the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Traditionally, apples and honey are eaten to symbolize a sweet new year, and at our family dinner we often have a variety of apple desserts. This year, my aunt made this amazing apple sharlotka, which was so beautiful I had to feature it in my 366. It was incredibly tasty. May you all have a sweet new year!

¹⁄₆₀ sec at f/5.0, ISO200, flash fired.
Lens: EF28mm f/1.8 USM @ 28 mm

Number 41

Number 41 [259/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

259/366

There are 48 mountains higher than 4000 feet in New Hampshire, and summiting all the peaks on the list is something of an obsession among a certain class of hiker in the Whites (about 10,000 people have done it over the past 50 years).

Ten days ago, my wife and I hiked Mt. Passaconaway, which is the 41st 4000-footer I have summited. These days it is hard to find the time for more than one hike a year, so although I am getting close it will be another several years at least before I finish the list.

The weather was perfect, and we had a great time with some wonderful views. This is the start of the trail. A few more shots from our hike are in the comments.

Taken Sep 15, 2012 in White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire, United States
¹⁄₂₀₀ sec at f/8.0, ISO200, no flash.
Lens: EF-S17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM @ 20 mm

Apple Picking

Apple Picking [258/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

Day 258/366

Getting caught up with the weekend pictures. On Friday, while we were up in central New Hampshire, we went apple picking at Cardigan Mountain Orchards. A beautiful place, and lots of fun.

Taken Sep 14, 2012 in Alexandria, New Hampshire, United States
¹⁄₃₂₀ sec at f/6.3, ISO100, no flash.
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM @ 50 mm

Milky Way

Milky Way [257/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

257/366

We are spending the weekend in central New Hampshire (going to do some hiking). It is really dark in the middle of the woods, especially with all the lights of the house turned off, which gave me the opportunity to try my hand at astrophotography. Here is my first attempt at shooting the milky way. It won't hold up to serious pixel peeping, but I am pretty taken with it for what it is.


Taken Sep 13, 2012 in Alexandria, New Hampshire, United States
45.0 sec at f/3.5, ISO3200, no flash.
Lens: EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM @ 10 mm

John Harvard's Foot

John Harvard's Foot [256/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

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This is probably the most famous foot in Cambridge - the foot of the John Harvard statue in Harvard Yard. Tourists flock to this statue to take photos and touch the foot for luck. Interestingly, this is also known as the statue of three lies, since no part of the inscription (John Harvard, founder, 1638) is true - the statue, although meant to represent John Harvard, is not of him as no pictures survived; he was not the founder of Harvard, but rather an early benefactor; and Harvard was founded in 1636, not 1638.

Regarding the photo: this is something I've been wanting to shoot since near the beginning of this project, but because of the alignment of buildings it is rare for direct sunlight to be falling on the statue. When I happened to be passing through the yard and saw the light today, I had to take my shot. However, I didn't have a clear vision for how I wanted to shoot this, and I feel like with more time and thought there is a stronger composition to be had along this theme. Today was very busy, though, and I only had about five minutes to shoot something quickly. Maybe I will try again later.

If you are curious, I have several straightforward shots in my stream: see here, here, and here.

Taken Sep 12, 2012 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₁₆₀ sec at f/7.1, ISO100, no flash.
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM @ 50 mm

Scotland the Brave

Scotland the Brave [255/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

255/366

Tonight felt like a night for a cocktail that hinted at autumn. Cold weather generally makes me think of brown spirits, and djwtwo's photo from last week has got scotch on my brain. There are not a lot of great cocktails made with scotch as the base spirit, but this one is one of my favorites (and potent!):

2 oz Laphroaig 10 Years Old Scotch
3/4 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz orange liqueur

With scotch and two bitter herbal liqueurs, and only a bit of orange liqueur for balance, this is an intense drink, but a delicious one if you are so inclined. The recipe is from here.

Taken Sep 11, 2012 in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₁₂₅ sec at f/10, ISO100, no flash.
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM @ 50 mm

Cloves

Cloves [254/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

254/366

The first crisp, cool nights after a long hot summer really make it feel like the season is changing. I always associate cloves with autumn, and especially with apples and pie and mulled cider. So when searching for a shot last night, naturally cloves came to mind.

Taken Sep 10, 2012 in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₁₂₅ sec at f/18, ISO200, no flash.
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM @ 50 mm

Isaac, the Northern Fur Seal

Isaac, the Northern Fur Seal [253/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

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On Sunday morning, Isaac and I went to the aquarium, where we saw this Northern Fur Seal, also named Isaac. Apparently Northern Fur Seals are pretty rare in captivity, and are quite interesting in that they are one of the few species of seals that actually rely on fur, instead of blubber to keep them warm.

Taken Sep 9, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₁₀₀ sec at f/6.3, ISO400, no flash.
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM @ 50 mm

Cousin Playdate

Cousin Playdate [252/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

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On Saturday, we spent most of the day playing with my cousins who live up the street, and their two kids. This is the younger of their kids (Isaac's second cousins) at the playground with us. I may be biased, but I think I have some pretty adorable relatives.

Taken Sep 8, 2012 in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₄₀₀ sec at f/5.6, ISO200, no flash.
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM @ 50 mm

Dewey, Cheetham & Howe

Dewey, Cheetham & Howe [251/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

251/366

Still a few days behind...such is life these days. This is from last Friday.

The offices of Dewey, Cheetham, & Howe in Harvard Square, otherwise known as the home of the public radio show Car Talk.

Taken Sep 7, 2012 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₁₀₀ sec at f/6.3, ISO200, no flash.
Lens: EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM @ 95 mm

Crimson

Crimson [250/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

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I've gotten a bit behind again with uploading, the combination of a lot of work last week and a busy weekend. Last Thursday, I was working fairly late, and as I was heading home decided to swing through Harvard Yard and see if anything caught my eye. These banners hanging outside Memorial Church did the trick.

Taken Sep 6, 2012 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
4.0 sec at f/5.0, ISO400, no flash.
Lens: EF28mm f/1.8 USM @ 28 mm

Escalator Art

Escalator Art [249/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

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Happened to be in Porter Square today. I've always been intrigued by the public art associated with this subway stop. I've already featured the most notable work on Day 219, so today I decided to focus on something a bit more intimate and amusing: Glove Cycle, by Mags Harries, featuring bronze sculptures of gloves throughout the station. These are at the base of the elevator.


Taken Sep 5, 2012 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₂₀ sec at f/2.2, ISO400, no flash.
Lens: EF28mm f/1.8 USM @ 28 mm

Spiral Light

Spiral Light [248/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

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I spent a decent portion of the evening last night replacing old light bulbs and otherwise optimizing the lighting in our new apartment, so this seemed an appropriate shot for the evening.

Taken Sep 4, 2012 in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₄₀₀ sec at f/10, ISO100, no flash.
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM @ 50 mm

Oil Abstract

Oil Abstract [247/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

247/366

On the Labor Day holiday, I had a bit of time to play around with something I've wanted to do for a while: a macro shot of oil and water. I'm not sure I've totally got this down yet, but over the course of the evening I was pretty happy with how my shots progressed. I need to experiment with different setups and backdrops to really explore the potential of this technique. I was just trying out different colorful book covers to see what worked best, and using my desk lamp for light, which worked well enough but could be improved upon.


Taken Sep 3, 2012 in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₆₀ sec at f/10, ISO800, no flash.
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM @ 50 mm

Reading Triptych

Reading Triptych [246/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

246/366

A typical nighttime scene at our house, captured in three parts. It is such a pleasure to watch the joy Isaac gets from his books.


Taken Sep 2, 2012 in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₆₀ sec at f/3.2, ISO100, flash fired.
Lens: EF28mm f/1.8 USM @ 28 mm

Touch-Me-Nots

Touch-Me-Nots [245/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

245/366

Golden orange blossoms in the fading summer light.

Taken Sep 1, 2012 in Lexington, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₈₀₀ sec at f/5.6, ISO200, no flash.
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM @ 50 mm

Summer Fades Away

Summer Fades Away [244/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

244/366

Although summer is not officially over, the end of August marks the beginning of the transition to fall. While the tomatoes are still plentiful, the peak is past now and the abundance of September hints at the coming winter in a way the fruits of August do not.

Taken Aug 31, 2012 in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₆₀ sec at f/3.5, ISO400, no flash.
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM @ 50 mm

Bruschetta

Bruschetta [243/366], a photo by timsackton on Flickr.

243/366

Tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, cheese, bread = heaven. I love tomatoes in August.

Taken Aug 30, 2012 in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₁₆₀ sec at f/8.0, ISO200, no flash.
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM @ 50 mm