absent and absent-minded

Friends, it's been way, too long. I apologize for not having visited you. I have been painfully busy, and I sure hope things settle down to a more manageable level soon.

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I do not even have a lot of photos to show for the absence, but here is one from last week.

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As usual, there is a story behind the pic. I went fishing with five kids from church. When I arrived at the desired spot, they jumped out of the minivan and started running towards the water. I called out to them and recalled the young fishermen because although I had a tacklebox and even some worms, I had forgotten all of my fishing poles!

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Okay, so we all went back so that I could retrieve the poles from my house, and then we had the normal amount of activity, helping them all get set up to fish. I began casting as well, but half-an-hour into it, a chill ran down my spine. I suddenly realized that I did not have my fishing license with me.

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Children under sixteen years of age do not need a license, so I set my pole down, and let them continue as I walked back and forth checking on them, untangling line and typical troubleshooting. My wife's camera was in the van, so I hovered over and around them, looking for a good shot.

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As the sun was setting, I was aiming to get something with a colorful background and fill-in flash. I think this was a test shot of what I was trying to get, but I played with post editing, and liked this one better.

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Oh, and as it pertains to the fish... we all got skunked!

happy campers

A few of our young people attended a week's worth of intensive training to supplement their home education. These are a few of our scientists. As we drove back home from Wisconsin, the incessant download of information kept switching back and forth between the academic experience and social exchanges. I'm glad my daughter had a good time while she was learning. In case it is not obvious already, my daughter is the one in the middle.

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Clear, blue skies made way for brilliant sunlight as the students packed their bags in their respective minivans. I already had my new Pentax in hand, because I had been taking pictures of the trees, so I asked if I could get a shot of these girls together. They lined up on one side of the road, facing the sun. They were squinting at the camera, with cabins and busy-ness behind them. I suggested they take a few steps to the other side of the road. Wanting to avoid silhouetting from the strong backlight, I used an external flash for fill-in.

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I guess they had already traded emails and phone numbers, because presently, they were just engaging in light conversation. Perhaps they had already said their goodbyes. I finished my second cup of coffee, and hopped in the Caravan, ready for two and-a-half hours of cheerful gabbing.

gateway greetings

While I was visiting St. Louis, I nearly buffed the nose right off my face with Kleenex. Sunday and Monday were the only times I went out walking. Here, I used a secondary flash in an attempt to compensate for strong backlighting at the Gateway Arch. No tripod... I just propped the camera up with a bag, and held the second flash in place with goose poop and leaves. Seriously, there was a 20° slope where I placed it, so I had to use a stick to push a couple bird turds in place, and top them off with leaves for a place to lay my flash. I was hoping to try the shot again later with a bluer sky, and with a different solar perspective, but decided it would be wiser to drown myself in tea and rest quietly in my hotel room. I feel much better now.