Goose Tale...

"What should we do today??

 "Damn Main Street traffic..."

"Let's just cruse Main Street"

Dog Story...

Special Cross...

Jewelry is nice but it's more special when a particular piece has a story behind it.  This cross was passed down from a Bishop to a very deserving person.  The tale of how it was passed down and the Bishop who once wore it makes this item priceless.

Quiet on the set...

The Morning Cup...

Cousin IT...

No Photos Please...

Horse or Lion...

Where I would rather be...

A Morning activity going away...

Reading the paper and doing crosswords... a whole generation or two (so far) who will never know such simple pleasures.

Passage to reading...

96 Hours...

Perhaps the finest lens I've ever had the pleasure of owning and using.

Thanks to a Blackrapid strap who's tripod mounting screw came loose, this beautiful Carl Zeiss Otus is probably going to the scrap heap.  Kudos to Nikon for making their DF as tough as their D4.

The camera survived.  The lens did not.  Although the glass appears to be in fine shape, the focus mechanism no longer works and a lens hood that looks like a parking lot fender bender.

A word to the photography community....
If you use one of those straps where the tripod mount is the secure point.  TIGHTEN the living crap out of it and periodically check to ensure it's on nice and secure.  If not, you too will be crying inside!

It's here !!!

Christmas came late....
Special thanks to CameraWest and to Carl Zeiss USA (for the outstanding customer service)

Precision...

Concentration to do highly detailed work.

Survival in nature...

Capturing the sky...

In a pinch...an iPad will do

Just seems to go together....

Sparkling Wine and Leica at CameraWest - Walnut Creek

Blue...

You gotta make do...

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men...

Luv the rain...

Year of the Horse...

Happy Chinese New Year !

Save the Farm...

Shapes and Forms...

Sing...

but don't even think about parking here!

Great name...

For a Beer Keg

Free Frosty...

Strauss

Reaching for the Ring...

Got to first pass the bar

Old and New...

What once was old is new again.  Love it or hate it.  Brilliant idea.  What a dumb idea.  These words are being used in various ways to describe the new Nikon DF.  Although tempting to jump into the chatter of opinions that are all over the place about the DF... all I will say is "try it and come to your own conclusions".

The Ol' Gal...

Ever had something from years ago that you wished you never let go?
This ol' gal gave me 7 years and 225,000 miles of fun.  Believe it or not, 26 years later she's still on the road in Colorado.

G

Aloha Sunset...

When Tenderness Strikes...

Although the frenzy of the season is upon us... everyone rushing around and focused on that conditioned behavior of "shopping", these two people seemed more focused on each other.
Perhaps there is hope that the meaning of Christmas hasn't totally been sold out to commercialism.

Dragon Head...

This ain't work...

One of the many volunteers who help keep the old trains running in Sacramento.

Take a plain wall...

 

A Second look..

Posted this image earlier in the week.  Took another look and saw that this poor bird has only one leg.

Nicknack store...

or gambling outlet for the California Lottery?

Don't mind me...

Just doing some shopping.

Bird In Charge...

Standing tall and on watch.

Oh my...

 

 

Photographic tools is just that... tools. 
Photography requires not only the tools but a lot of things human in order to create an image. 

While at a great photographer's store and hang out, CameraWest in Walnut Creek, California, a fellow tech industry and kindred spirit named Ron Harris came in.

He has been lucky enough to have his hands on one of the latest lenses that have been a buzz in the photography world for many months.  The Carl Zeiss Outus 55mm f/1.4 lens.

Initially, my thought was... it's going to be good, it's gong to be nice, it'll be nice to have but I can do ok without.

I've been really lucky to have had my hands on and used some of the finest photographic tools in the world.  I've been spoiled.

Ron, being an outstanding soul, handed me the lens to try. 

My 1st shot was of my Zeiss 50mm lens sitting on the counter.

My 1st words... "Oh my god, holly _____", followed by a lot of primal grunts, grins and unintelligible words.

Santa.... I know what I want for Christmas.  Stop off at CameraWest with a box from Zeiss to me.

Here's some low res quick shots taken...

 

 

 

Doll...