Day 304 — Halloween

I was interested in highlighting the gnarled stalk capping this grand pumpkin.

Nikon D80 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/500, f6.7, ISO 100

Day 303 — Rudiments

Made for each other. The foundation of any great meal; olive oil and lemon.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 18-200) 1/1250, f5, ISO 400

Day 302 — Stacked Chairs

Side view of the stacked kitchen chairs. See the even more abstract rear view here from Day 296.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/50, f2.5, ISO 100

Day 301 — Party of Three

These three succulents are having a party in a pot bursting with unbridled joy.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/60, f1.8, ISO 100

Day 300 — Teapot Projection

Another image of an unseen object. I first shot this teapot way back on Day 24. Its mass extends beyond it's silhouette in refracted light cast below it.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 18-200) 1/320, f9, ISO 200, 42mm

Day 299 — Sprightly Succulent

These are the succulents that appeared in only shadow from yesterday, This perky little plant seems to defy the odds by growing its fleshy leaves vigorously in an almost dry pot.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/400, f8, ISO 100

Day 298 — In the Shadows

This potted succulent appears only in stark shadow form in this shot this morning.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/400, f8, ISO 100

Day 297 — Cupped

This precious little head fragment is cupped gently in Mikael's hands for this shot.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/400, f11, ISO 400

Day 296 — Spine

Whenever we wash the kitchen floors, it's best done by first stacking the dining chairs. Here they all are sitting on top of one another and the light is just highlighting their left edges. The random curve looks like a spine to me.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/500, f1.4, ISO 400

Day 295 — Regalia

Ife rolled in today in swathes of fabulous fabric. I asked her to sit on a cushion on the floor for this shot while I stood on a step ladder.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/500, f1.4, ISO 400

Day 294 — Cocktails II

Same glass as yesterday, but a much more luscious set of radiated tones exhibited in this shot.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/80, f16, ISO 200

Day 293 — Cocktails

The etched circles are almost invisible on the glass but become blatantly obvious in the resulting shadow projected upon the wall.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/400, f16, ISO 100

Day 292 — Nest III

Ellipses spill forth across the floor from this cute little table.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/125, f2.5, ISO 100

Day 291 — Nest II

A continuation of yesterday's shoot of a small side table. Loving the play of geometric shapes.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/200, f16, ISO 100

Day 290 — Nest

Playing with circles and light with one of a small nest of tables.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/125, f16, ISO 100

Day 289 — Gala Lamp

Do you remember the single pair of haunting lips from Day 270? This is the same lamp base seen in profile.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/100, f1.4, ISO 100

Day 288 — Deckle

Palpable leaves of an old book. Before modern paper trimming processes all books had deckle edges, but it became a status symbol post industrialization. This exquisite edition sports the abhorrent title of Nigger Heaven (penned by Harlem Renaissance guru Carl Van Vechten in 1926). The title refers to the balconies of 19th century churches, when balconies were reserved for African Americans, as the white members of the congregation sat below. 

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/200, f16, ISO 200 plus screw on closeup filter

Day 287 — Shaft of Light

One shaft of light gets fractured into segments by the obstructing furniture.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/80, f6.3, ISO 200

Day 286 — Sunday Bloody Sunday

This is the crucifix brush which also appears on Days 238, 235, 59 and 46. This is probably the most straight forward snap of it. I am attempting to be contentious by placing it on it's side in waning light.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/320, f13, ISO 200

Day 285 — Pre-Columbian Head

This small Pre-Columbian fragment looks even more dramatic when only lit from one side. Remarkably, it still retains some original paint across the headdress.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/200, f6.3, ISO 200

Day 284 — Dried Protea II

My favorite dried protea again takes the spotlight.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/320, f11, ISO 200

Day 283 — Luminous Leaf

This leaf is shot from behind and the full sun is shining directly through the leaf's membranes.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/200, f5, ISO 200

Day 282 — Convergence

The strength of this photos lies in the pinpoint convergence of the shadow to the pot right in the center of the frame, I also lined up the frame so that the shadow appears diagonally from the exact bottom left corner.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/320, f11, ISO 200

Day 281 — Volcanic Mortar

The molcajete was used by pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican cultures, including the Aztec and Maya, stretching back several thousand years. Traditionally carved out of a single block of vesicular basalt, molcajetes are typically round in shape and supported by three short legs. Today they are used extensively to make and serve guacamole and salsa.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/320, f9, ISO 200

Day 280 — Selfie III

Anyone who knows me knows that I am almost always smiling — probably because my straight face is a little sinister looking. I like to think of it as my secret weapon. I am staring into the rising sun in this shot. Selfies have appeared on Days 29 and 95.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/320, f9, ISO 200

Day 279 — Up-Close and Ornithological

The original photo (this is a detail) appeared on Day 51, and again in its printed form on canvas on Days 83 and 185. I wanted to see how striking just one of the birds would look when isolated from the rest of the flock.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/125, f4.5, ISO 200 + screw on closeup filter

Day 278 —Black on Black on Gray

Maria Marinez's pots are exquisite. She lived from 1887–1980 in San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico. Her coil-built pots (no pottery wheel) are hand burnished with a river pebble to a high gloss and then a slip decoration is applied to create the contrasting overlay design. There is no glaze used. On this pot the repeating pattern is a stylized feather motif.

At art college my first major was in ceramics, I was already hooked on photography since the age of eight. The two arts coexisted throughout my high school and college life — one inherently clean and dust free, the other an all-in mud bath. The clean one won out, although I would like to revisit ceramics at some stage in the future. You can see other versions of Martinez ceramics on Day 251.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/125, f5, ISO 200

Day 277 — Java Jive

I love the process, the smell and the look of this Italian marvel of manufacturing. I get a jolt of pleasure when it comes alive at the point where the liquid fires through the chamber of coffee and the kitchen fills with its life giving aroma.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/250, f2.5, ISO 200

Day 276 — Alocasia X Amazonica

This is the shadow of a potted African mask plant. I particularly like this image because as the sunlight faded, the shadow became less defined and more ethereal.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/125, f1.6, ISO 200

Day 275 — It's Only Your Shadow!

Don't be afraid!

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/250, f4.5, ISO 400

Day 274 — Babycakes

Babycakes (among a plethora of others), is the first pet name my partner and I have for each other. I quickly set up this scene to reflect our current situation. He is working and living on another coast and is represented here by an empty chair painted by my sister Linda.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/500, f16, ISO 400

Day 273 — Adler on Arad

I love this little bud vase by Jonathan Adler. I placed it on a similarly ribbed Tom Vac chair by Ron Arad.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/200, f11, ISO 100

Day 272 — A Bunch of Bananas

These bananas are delicious.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/100, f6.3, ISO 100

Day 271 — Dried Protea

Although long dead, this dried protea still makes a striking pose.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/100, f3.2, ISO 100

Day 270 — Mouth

This is a closeup view of a lamp by Jonathan Adler called "Gala" after Dali's infamous wife. The shadows helped flesh out a realistic face image from the pure ovoid form. The whole lamp can be seen in the link above.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/100, f10, ISO 100, + screw on close-up filter

Day 269 — Cement Pedestal

I photographed this once before on Day 202 but not in direct sunlight.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 18-200mm) 1/200, f8, ISO 100, 18mm

Day 268 — Morning Sunlight

This is just the white back door but the rising sun from the opposite window creates a cacophony of shadows through the spiral staircase.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 18-200mm) 1/200, f5, ISO 100, 18mm

Day 267 — Butt Ugly Vase II

I don't often get around to venturing downstairs early in the morning, but today I had to get ready early for a doctor's appointment and I'm glad I did. A slender sword of sunlight was shining the length of the apartment and finished in a blaze of light on the bottom of the vase.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 18-200mm) 1/200, f5, ISO 100, 80mm

Day 266 — Mums

Final chrysanthemum shot.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/320, f11, ISO 100

Day 265 — Wanton Lascivious Petal

A single petal droops down from the chrysanthemum.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/320, f11, ISO 100

Day 264 — Blue Train

Another record cover of a classic that should be in everyone's collection, John Coltrane's Blue Train.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/320, f11, ISO 100

Day 263 — Final Days

This chrysanthemum has almost come to the end of its blooming cycle, yet still cuts a striking image against the cement floor.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/320, f11, ISO 100

Day 262 — Tracks of Miles

One of my favorite albums of all time. The soundtrack to Louis Malle's 1957 movie "Elevator To the Gallows." Remember when we just had a sliver of an album sleeve to rummage through titles of records in our collections?

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/320, f11, ISO 100 + screw on close up lens

Day 261 — Golden

Chrysanthemum is derived from the Greek words chrysos (gold) and anthemon (flower). A symbol of the sun, the Japanese consider the orderly unfolding of the chrysanthemum’s petals to represent perfection, and Confucius once suggested they be used as an object of meditation. 

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/1000, f11, ISO 100

Day 260 — Protea

Proteas are like individual pieces of complex architecture.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/250, f4, ISO 100

Day 259 — Web of Life

Web of Life was my high school biology textbook. This is a actually a shot of the frying pan this morning. I must have used a lot of butter when frying the tilapia last night.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/160, f4.5, ISO 100

Day 258 — Work Boots

My well-worn boots are comfy as all get out!

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/640, f1.4, ISO 100

Day 257 — Blunnies

Anyone who knows me knows that I am dedicated to one particular pair of footwear, the traditional Taswegian Blundstone boot. I have worn the same style for 20 years; day in, day out. This shot features their telltale bootstraps. My current pair have been in daily service for over two years now and have developed quite the rustic patina since I never polish them.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/125, f1.4, ISO 100

Day 256 — Fake

I received a humorous birthday card in the mail that had fake fur on it, so why not photograph it?

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/160, f16, ISO 100 + screw on close up filter 

Day 255 — Shot Glass

Refractions on a table from a shot glass with engraved designs.

Nikon D7000 (Nikkor 50mm, 1.4) 1/1250, f9, ISO 100