Chicago Pictures

I have finally added some of our pictures of Chicago. You’ll find a good sample of some of the city’s sights there – including the famous Buckingham Fountain. I know Laura and I had fun there for our anniversary in May of this year, so I’d like to share some pictures of one of my favorite cities with you as well.

All I know is that I have a long way to go before I’m done with our picture backlog.

[Update: I like the bigger pictures – I think I’ll do this from now on.]

Web Site Back

It’s nice to have the web site back under my control so I can post updates on a daily, or even hourly, basis. Laura and I have been working on the look and feel of the new Gallery and have finally found something we like. The speed isn’t quite up to par, but I’m hoping that by the time of the final release that it is better optimized.

We have added some new pictures for the first time in months. We’ve added pictures of Washington, DC and will soon be adding more. Keep checking back for more updates!

The Blossoms

They are comin’ out now. Those famous little cherry blossoms of Washington, DC. I drove by one of the groves tonight on my way into town and saw several trees all… well, blossomed. Most, however, are being lazy. I suspect that I’ll be able to get some good pictures mid-week or so. It was dark, so I couldn’t really tell what the state of “blossoming” really is, but a least a few trees did have a bit of a “glow”.

I must say that the weather has warmed nicely for just such an event as taking pictures of trees outside. It’s much more mild than it’s been in a long time here. I guess that’s what they call Spring. Living in Houston, we just kinda skip straight on to Summer, so I don’t really have too much experience with it. It’s rather nice.

What Happened To The Snow?

It used to be cold here. There used to be white powder everywhere. No more. Today, the high got into the mid-sixties. That’s rather warm for Washington, DC in the winter – almost Houston warm. It makes me feel like I’m home… sort of. Well, not quite.

I am getting used to being here, however. I’m learning to navigate the Metro and a general feel of where things are. I even walked up to the White House and took a picture. No, it’s not posted yet. Since I’m using my film camera these days until I save up for the digital SLR I want, it takes time to get the film developed.

Professional Photography Site Complete

I have [mostly – there are a few tweaks I might make to it…] completed the modification and population of my new photography site at jeffphillips.net. On this site, that means that some of my best photos will go away – only to be available on my new site. However, you may still view them there if you wish. [This will of course be only 600 or so out of the 6000 pictures here – you may not notice at all.] This will not affect my Friends & Family albums – those are for all to enjoy!

If you know anyone who purchases photos or is in the publication industry, I would just love an introduction!

In the mean time: have a happy but safe New Year’s Eve!

Going Pro

I’ve decided to try to become a professional photographer. I know it will be a slow transition, but I’m hoping that I can market and sell some of my photographic stock. On top of that, I’m going to offer some of my best pictures for print to individuals. I’ve started by setting up a new site: http://www.jeffphillips.net. This might help me earn enough money for a decent digital camera… well, one a bit more professional anyway.

Flower Gardens Dive Pictures Posted

I have finally finished posting my pictures of the Flower Gardens Banks National Marine Sanctuary on this web site. It’s taken a bit long since we have been moving and time has been at a premium, but we finally got some picture processing done. When you get a chance, you might want to check out the Flower Gardens pictures. They’re pretty cool.

Holga!

Who is Holga? Holga is my new friend. Holga is small, compact and likes to travel with me. Holga is very simple, though. Holga doesn’t think. Who is Holga? No: WHAT is Holga is a better question. Holga is a plastic medium format camera. Really horrible quality, but great, artistic uniqueness on the film: light leaks, distorted plastic lenses… all kinds of fun. I’m trying this one out for the first time here in Portland. I’ve never actually used medium format (120) film and I thought it would be expensive, but it’s actually pretty cheap unless you get the professional stuff. I got a plain roll of black & white and loaded it up.

As you can see, the features of this camera are quite simple. This window is showing the number “7” upside-down since I’m about to take picture seven. I missed the first exposure since the “1” didn’t look like “1” but instead looked like a line. So, next time, I’ll know what to look for. I can’t wait to see what these pictures look like.

I Can’t Believe It…

I forgot my camera! Here I am in a rather picturesque place – where I could have driven up to the top of Pike’s Peak for the best view in miles… so, what do I do? I leave my camera at home… It’s sitting on my kitchen counter. I’m quite disappointed. There was a beautiful sunset last night and I would love to have captured the way the clouds played around the peak… But, alas… ‘Tis not to be.

Argh!