12-11-13 The End of the Season

When Deb and I paid the entrance fee for the Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha, Nebraska, a few weeks ago, we weren't expecting much given that the gardens were past bloom and prepared for winter. But we were surprised by what we found. And even if we hadn't found anything worth seeing, it would have been good just to stroll through a largely deserted landscape on a nice November day.

I suspect that many gardeners would feel that what you are seeing here is a mess that needs to be cleaned up. But I see a great mix of lines, colors and textures. This isn't quite like Monet's famous lily ponds at Giverney but this but perhaps a way to pay tribute the one of my favorite artists.

Canon 5DIII 1/250s f/5.0 ISO200 100mm

03-06-13 Kennedy Half (Obverse)

"Obverse" is coin talk for "front." And this photo is where my Kennedy Half project started. Frankly, I got smarter about lighting the coin as I experimented over a two day period. But I'm posting this because I figured some would want to see the Kennedy side of the Kennedy Half. (Yesterday, as you may know, it was the reverse side of the coin.)I didn't photograph this with the little symbol under Kennedy's neck in mind but you certainly can see it here. I can remember that when the coin was released in the 60s, some saw nefarious intent in this symbol. If you look at it in just the right light, it appears to be a hammer and sickle, the symbol of the Soviet Union. Heaven forbid!It turns out that what we are really looking at is the engraver's mark, GR, standing for Gilroy Roberts, the designer of the coin. But we have to remember that the 60s were rife with communist takeover theories. And what better way for the insidious Commies to work their way into our culture than to put a tiny communist symbol on every 50 cent piece? Talk about subliminal. . .The good news is that in the 21st century Americans are much less likely to believe in conspiracies. Right? But wait, are we sure that President Obama isn't a Kenyan Muslim Socialist Black Panther bent on destroying all that is sacred in our blessed USA? And How about the $10 bill? Is that an Odd Fellows symbol in Hamilton's bow tie. . . ?

03-05-13 E Pluribus Unum

"E Pluribus Unum" is Latin for "From many, one," which no doubt has many meanings, especially in the context of American democracy. But in this photo, the meaning is a little more literal: there is only one coin oriented and focused in such a way that it has complete meaning.So is this photo art? Or is it a mere document? It is probably more the latter than the former, though I worked hard to get the look I present here. The focus is very specific. And the lighting was the result of considerable experimentation. Here's my set-upI am using a medium soft box on the left with a honeycomb grid. And to provide fill, I am using a Canon Speedlite and a snoot. A snoot is a nose-like attachment that focuses the light very precisely and in this photo helps accentuate the three dimensional properties of the coin, including the ridges and the feathers on the eagle's wings.The narrow depth of field allows for very interesting bokeh, both in the background and in the foreground. And for those who crave true wisdom and insight, here's a bit of a look into the lighting:The coins, incidentally, are Kennedy Half Dollars, vintage 1965 to 1970. That means that these coins are 40% silver and are worth much more than their 50 cent face value.Canon 5DIII 1/200s f/3.5 ISO100 100mm

Where's George?

This is a composite picture of two scans I made of a dollar bill I found in my pocket yesterday. I have seen the "Where's George" stamp on money before but today I decided to track this bill. I went to the web site wheresgeorge.com, put the serial number in and found that this particular bill had traveled to Watertown from Ohio. How it got here I don't know.I told my students about this project and gave this dollar to a student who is going to Florida for Christmas. She needs to spend it there and with a little luck, I'll be able to follow my dollar's journey.