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November 30, 2004
The Senator
Like most people, I take the majority of my architecture and cityscape pictures when I'm on vacation. But lately I've been thinking that I really should take more pictures of Baltimore, which has some funky, photogenic areas that I often take for granted. The Senator Theatre, for instance, is a fabulous looking old building, especially when it's lit up in all its neon glory at night. Yesterday, we had a late dinner at the Vietnamese restaurant across the street from there, which gave me a chance to snap this shot.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 08:36 PM | Comments (1)
Photo Friday
Well, thanks again to all who voted for claire-obscure in last week's Photo Friday challenge for granting me my 15 minutes of fame. What can I say...my picture wasn't really worthy, but fortunately life isn't always fair.
Incidentally, while I was browsing through the list to cast my own votes, I stumbled upon a really cool picture from a photoblogger called wideangle.ca. Wow, that picture is simply amazing.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 08:33 PM | Comments (0)
November 29, 2004
Wattamola Lagoon
Canon A70
This photo, though technically rather crappy, is special to me as a memento of Wattamola Lagoon, one of the most beautiful places I visited in the Sydney area this summer. Sadly, I'm dragging out old photos from the hard drive to post, because the only landscapes I've seen lately are the inside of my office and the library.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 07:09 PM | Comments (1)
November 27, 2004
Sydney Seagull
An old favorite; A seagull stands guard outside the Sydney Opera House.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 02:17 PM | Comments (6)
November 26, 2004
Watermusic
I managed to squeeze a last minute entry into Photofriday's "patterns challenge" (listed as CLAIRE-OBSCURE). Lately, I've received some nice feedback for my droplets photos, so last night, I thought I'd explore this theme further by playing with droplets on a CD.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 11:48 AM | Comments (7)
Thanksgiving
We had a pretty quiet and pleasant Thanksgiving day. It was just M and me. We spent much of the day relaxing at home, and we made a short outing to Gunpowder Falls state park in the afternoon.
Shadows and Trees
Thanksgiving demands a feast, of course, so we prepared a very non-traditional holiday menu for dinner that included Vietnamese tofu summer rolls and vegetarian paella, along with a few traditional items like mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. I know this combo sounds pretty strange, but it was delicious. I really enjoyed cooking with M, because we don't often do this.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 11:08 AM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2004
Window on the City
Taken from the skyway downtown, this image sums up my impressions of Minneapolis--a nice city, but one best enjoyed from indoors.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 11:10 PM | Comments (3)
Goodbye, Minneapolis
It was cold, windy, and wet for most of the conference, which really didn't bother me, because I didn't have time to explore much of it anyway. One rainy afternoon, I spent an hour wandering around in the skyway, a network of indoor walkways that spans the downtown area. (I took the photo above during this expedition.) It relieved me to see that the natives had the sense to build these weather-protective tunnels. I guess they're not all masochists, after all. Though I didn't get to see much else of the city, I was very impressed by a number of good restaurants, like Dakota, Sawatdee, and New Delhi. To me, food is definitely the most important measure of any area. So Minneapolis, you get a thumbs up from me in spite of your lousy climate!
On the last day of the conference, the weather finally cleared up. So in my final hours in Minneapolis, I saw downtown from the outside and made a trek to see the famous "Spoonbridge and Cherry" sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.
Tower
Spoonbridge and Cherry
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 06:59 PM | Comments (11)
November 17, 2004
My 2-Dimensional World
For the past couple of days, I've been busy preparing for a conference in Minneapolis, where I'll be presenting my research. My flight leaves tomorrow, and although I can think of many places I'd rather be than Minnesota in late November, I'm actually looking forward to a little break from my normal routine. I've been feeling stressed lately about school and my future, and though I plan on bringing work with me, I'm hoping just a change in scenery will do me some good.
This scene comes from my living room. Canon Digital Rebel, Sigma 18-50mm-f 2.8 lens, f10, 1/10.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 09:36 PM | Comments (4)
November 16, 2004
Noteworthy?!
I entered one of my lily pictures in the photofriday "radiant" challenge (under my alter-blog-ego, CLAIRE-OBSCURE) and found out today that it made the noteworthy list. I'm so surprised. I didn't think anyone voted for it besides my fiance and my sister, because its been sitting there with no comments all week. But hurray!!! Thanks to all the people who voted for it, whoever you are. It's been a stressful week at school, and this really made my day.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 02:58 PM | Comments (4)
November 13, 2004
A cold, wet November day
I went photohunting on campus yesterday with luminouslens, and she showed me a lily-pond that I never even knew existed, and I've been on this campus for years and years. No lilies in it now, of course. It's become a somber little grave of leaves.
Canon Powershot A70, f5.6, 1/25, ISO 400, macro mode
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 10:26 AM | Comments (4)
November 09, 2004
Cats!!!
I'm pretty much a crazed cat person, and it's dangerous to mention them in my company, because I can go on and on about them for hours. I told myself I wouldn't turn this blog into a pet album, but at the risk of opening the flood gates, I wanted to show off the boys just this once. Neither of these were taken by me, but by Visual Field, whom I think takes lovely animal pictures because he has the patience to sit and wait for just the right moment.
Frosty:
Snow:
Incidentally, I came across a lovely picture of stef and rollo's cat over at hypnotic aubergines, who I think looks just like Snow.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 03:01 PM | Comments (6)
November 08, 2004
Morning Coffee
Playing with silhouettes, and exploiting the fact that I look better under dark and blurry circumstances.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 12:59 PM | Comments (4)
November 04, 2004
Colors for Sale
A display of shirts from a vendor in San Diego's old town market.
This is my entry for Photofriday.com's "still life" challenge.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 07:52 PM | Comments (1)
November 03, 2004
Old Town, San Diego
I'd really like to take more pictures of people on the street, but as a shy person, I'm usually pretty hesitant about approaching them. However, the few times I've worked up the nerve to ask someone if I can take their picture, they've been happy to let me do it. Of course, I've mostly approached street performers, who are probably natural exhibitionists. But hey, it's a start...
A musician in Old Town Historical Park.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 11:19 PM | Comments (3)
November 02, 2004
Balboa Park, San Diego
A lily pond. The color on the water is the reflection of a sand colored building in the light of the setting sun.
The Museum of Man.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 01:19 PM | Comments (5)
La Jolla, California
I just got back from a short trip to the San Diego area, where the weather was clear and sunny, and I got to play with my camera while my fiance was stuck at a conference. The next couple of entries here will be from this trip.
It’s a funny thing how the world can look so different when you’ve got a camera in your hands. It can sometimes make you notice things you wouldn't normally see, but I also wonder if it can dull certain experiences that you might otherwise appreciate. For instance, while I was on the beach in La Jolla, the other tourists were busy gazing out at the ocean. I also thought the ocean was pretty but quickly lost interest before letting my eyes wander elsewhere. Through the lens at that time of day, the beach just looked…blah. So, I went to the ocean, and hardly paid any attention to it.
I did, however, take a picture of some pelicans.
All images copyrighted, and unauthorized use prohibited. Please contact me for permission. Posted by claire-obscure at 01:02 PM | Comments (4)