![<span id="date">_08/02/10_</span> <span id="title">Cone Hat Rooster Car</span>
So, there's this car near my neighborhood that's shaped like a giant yellow rooster. This is his head, which comes out of the car's roof. For some reason, he has a traffic cone hat.
Maybe I'll take a photo of the entire car someday, but today it was more of a desperation shot.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#609373389_inBMU">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-QWjkp9b/3/b0668ca7/L/2010-08-02%20Conehead%20Rooster-L.jpg)
_08/02/10_ Cone Hat Rooster Car So, there's this car near my neighborhood that's shaped like a giant yellow rooster. This is his head, which comes out of the car's roof. For some reason, he has a traffic cone hat. Maybe I'll take a photo of the entire car someday, but today it was more of a desperation shot. [last year]
![<span id="date">_08/12/10_</span> <span id="title">Thunderheads</span>
Austin Trip, Day 0
Today we flew to Austin. The flight wasn't terribly exciting, but we did get free drinks just for having the Southwest credit card. That was pretty cool.
The sun was setting as we left our stop in PHX and the clouds were beautiful. I chose this shot mainly because I was able to capture the lightning. Did you see it?
Stay tuned for fun Austin photos.
P.S. I would crop out the engine on the lower right, but I'm on and iPad and can't do it. I'll fix all my iPad-uploaded photos when I get home.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#618501286_jPjyC">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-ndMXr9r/4/cfa59ad9/Ti/2010-08-12%20Thunderheads-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_08/11/10_</span> <span id="title">Spin</span>
Today's daily has not seen a traditional computer, only an iPad*. I used the camera connection kit (thanks Sal!) to copy a photo and then upload it to SmugMug via email, which is a cool feature. Look it up.
I am traveling to Austin tomorrow night and will be using this setup for the next few days, allowing me to use shots from my SLR for daily photos without having to wait until we're back home.
Tonight's shot is a desperation shot if 'ere there was one. I just stood in the center of my room and spun around. The light streak is my computer monitor - the shot has been rotated.
* Sort of. I was able to email/upload the shot but that process resized the photo, so I went on a computer and replaced it with the original file. I guess I'll have to do that with the other photos after our trip, too.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#617603373_oQFUK">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-GL6QPgt/6/178f6295/Ti/_DSC2106-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_08/10/10_</span> <span id="title">Piles of Watermelon</span>
After a 1 year absence due to the budget (or lack thereof) UCLA brought back the all-staff picnic today. The food was better, except they ran out of ice cream pretty early and I didn't get any. Plenty of watermelon though!
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#616584262_D3eCT">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-rZRTcM6/3/b523efc8/Ti/2010-08-10%20Piles%20of%20Watermelon-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_08/09/10_</span> <span id="title">Secured</span>
I've photographed this random lock before, but it never made it to photo-of-the-day status. Today's it's lucky day. The chain link fence is painted green, so I kept that, but obviously played around with other settings.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#615447664_Zczub">[last year]</a> <em>the end of an awesome trip...</em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-rkcZNcV/3/e0d9e5aa/Ti/2010-08-09%20Padlock-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_08/08/10_</span> <span id="title">Lamp Post</span>
One of many cool lamp posts along Broadway Blvd. in Santa Monica, right around sunset. I tried to get a simple composition with the wide angle lens of the iPhone, so it was slightly difficult to cut out the rest of the scene. I don't mind the wires too much, it kind of adds some interest.
Have a great week!
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#614643711_iKrYh">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-LNnv8X6/3/8c67ad7e/Ti/2010-08-08%20Lamp%20Post-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_08/07/10_</span> <span id="title">Concentric Concessions</span>
We saw a movie today, and I played around with my iPhone afterward and grabbed this shot of the concessions stand. It's cool because I managed to pivot the phone precisely around the camera, which is why the radial motion has a clear center. I think. This shot is straight out of the camera, which I rarely do!
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#613906931_N6x8t">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-qsRzGkK/3/381b208b/Ti/2010-08-07%20Concession%20Stand-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_08/06/10_</span> <span id="title">Rooster Loves Ann</span>
Happy Friday and Day 5 of my rooster theme! This is the last day, but I'll keep my eyes open for roosters tomorrow, just in case.
The last week has seen a roosters in the form of a <a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year3/11272102_ACXDJ#956626895_962fD">car</a> (might actually be a hen, but let's let it slide, 'k?), a <a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year3/11272102_ACXDJ#957937466_ri7j5">bottle</a>, a <em>very</em> old <a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year3/11272102_ACXDJ#959002458_q2oGH">book</a> and a <a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year3/11272102_ACXDJ#960027191_qhusC">gay bar</a>. Today's rooster was spotted at Aahs, where it gave my wife a kiss. It's a Webkinz, in case you care.
And thank you to everyone who helped me come up with rooster ideas!
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#613208052_HXxEH">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-3fNjD3q/3/799e4063/Ti/2010-08-06%20Rooster%20Loves%20Ann-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_08/05/10_</span> <span id="title">Roosterfish</span>
Day 4 of the rooster theme!
<a href="http://www.roosterfishbar.com/">Roosterfish</a> is billed as one of the oldest gay bars in the country, located on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice, CA. I'll bet this place was pretty crazy last night after Prop 8 was struck down.
Anyways, it seemed like an obvious place to get a photo of a rooster - this particular one was painted on a fence in the back. I'm not sure where I'll find a rooster for tomorrow's photo, but I have a few ideas - stay tuned!
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#612346917_NnSoR">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-QLNmVdc/3/60f07443/Ti/2010-08-05%20Roosterfish-2-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_08/04/10_</span> <span id="title">Publisher's Seal</span>
Day 3 of my rooster theme. Can you see it? It's very small, but it's in focus...
This is an Italian book about medicine, written in Latin and published in 1589. That's right, it's 421 years old. My librarian friend Russell found it when I asked about neat rooster books that I might be able to photograph. The image is of the printer's device or woodcut seal showing two roosters pecking at a cornstalk. Thanks to f/2, the second one is out of focus.
So, can I keep this up? <b>Where am I going to keep finding roosters?!?</b> Please comment if you have any ideas.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#611456723_Xnt8V">[last year]</a> <em>hipcooks! coolest chandelier ever... </em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-wLs2b4c/3/6fa9d4e2/Ti/2010-08-04%20Rooster%20Seal-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_08/03/10_</span> <span id="title">Cock 'n Bull</span>
This is the ginger beer I drank with my Rajas fries lunch from the <a href="http://www.eatfrysmith.com/">Frysmith food truck</a>. Delicious.
I've decided to start a rooster theme, apparently.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#610495795_hcwWm">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-fJZ6rw5/3/a65668b7/Ti/2010-08-03%20Cock%20n%20Bull-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_08/02/10_</span> <span id="title">Cone Hat Rooster Car</span>
So, there's this car near my neighborhood that's shaped like a giant yellow rooster. This is his head, which comes out of the car's roof. For some reason, he has a traffic cone hat.
Maybe I'll take a photo of the entire car someday, but today it was more of a desperation shot.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#609373389_inBMU">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-QWjkp9b/3/b0668ca7/Ti/2010-08-02%20Conehead%20Rooster-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_08/01/10_</span> <span id="title">Beach Bench</span>
After great results on <a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year3/11272102_ACXDJ#952158193_uMQFz">Thursday</a>, I decided to give the beach at sunset another try. Didn't get quite the same results, but I thought this was pretty interesting. It's a bench near a beach-side cafe. I stuck the camera inside and took a few shots, hoping one would come out. If I had paid more attention, I would have focused a bit closer. Oh well, the effect is still the same and you could argue that it draws the eye out towards the beach.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#608359063_M9Zse">[last year]</a> <em>happy anniversary tim and jackie! ...</em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-RQTg3JV/3/7ac5e579/Ti/2010-08-01%20Beach%20Bench-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_07/31/10_</span> <span id="title">iPhones</span>
This photo was shot for <a href="http://blog.jawsnap.net/2010/07/the-amazing-iphone-camera-comparison/">a reason</a>. I just finished a rather in-depth <a href="http://blog.jawsnap.net/2010/07/the-amazing-iphone-camera-comparison/">blog post</a> on the difference between the latest 3 iPhone models, and this is the banner image for <a href="http://blog.jawsnap.net/2010/07/the-amazing-iphone-camera-comparison/">it</a>. Please <a href="http://blog.jawsnap.net/2010/07/the-amazing-iphone-camera-comparison/">check it out</a>! Tell your iPhone-toting friends!
For this photo, I set all 3 phones so they were hanging off the edge of my desk. I used a paperweight to make sure they didn't fall off or slide around. This photo is actually rotated 180 degrees so I could shoot without leaning way over the desk. I used an off-camera flash on the side of the phones. Even though I cleaned them, there were still a lot of tiny dust particles that lit up - I took care of them in Lightroom.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#607551326_c3Wqr">[last year]</a> <em>ah, to travel by train...</em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-CHBPv5V/3/40a9b8ec/Ti/_DSC1968-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_07/30/10_</span> <span id="title">Fridge Magnets</span>
Sort of a desperation shot. The in-focus reflection is off a hard drive platter that I JB-Weld-ed a hard drive magnet to, making one heck of a fridge magnet. It's surrounded by about 2 dozen smaller, colorful magnets.
The kitchen lights weren't nearly enough for a reasonable ISO, so I ended up spending a bit of time getting the lighting right. In the end I used a bounced on-camera flash. I upped the saturation a tad in LR since the image is a bit flat. I suppose that's the price you pay when 95% of your shot is way out of focus.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#606475353_m4PNp">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-CP5SDs9/3/cbe1e671/Ti/2010-07-30%20Fridge%20Magnets-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_07/29/10_</span> <span id="title">Ultimate Sunset</span>
I drove down to the beach this evening to get some sunset shots. This ultimate-playing group caught my eye from a long way off because of the way the low sun backlit the sand that they were kicking up as they ran. I got low to the sand by leaning up against a volleyball net pole and shot away as they played. I chose this shot because it had the best action in it - almost everyone is running one way or another. Good times, good times...
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#605751195_qfs63">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-f59MCS8/3/176c5b6f/Ti/2010-07-29%20Ultimate%20Sunset-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_07/28/10_</span> <span id="title">Nut Grinder</span>
When my wife and I inherited this very old piece of metal kitchen equipment, we both thought it was a meat grinder. Turns out, it's actually a nut grinder to make your own nut butters. Boy, we were way off.
Although it has a bit of an oxidation problem, we fully intend on using this at least once. There's a big screw-type piece that inserts into the main body pictured here, and there are a variety of filter-things that you attach based on your desired level chunkiness. Maybe I'll post a photo of it in action when we get around to using it.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#604816604_krJTJ">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-4tjDdC4/3/0d7eb294/Ti/2010-07-28%20Nut%20Grinder-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_07/27/10_</span> <span id="title">Old Window</span>
I'd seen this building almost every day for 2 years and walked by it dozens of times, but never took a closer look. I finally did today and walked around the exterior, taking some iPhone shots. It's on the Veteran's Affairs property and is called Wadsworth Chapel, although the sign in front said "Protestant Chapel." According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadsworth_Chapel">Wikipedia</a>, it's actually two chapels - one Catholic and one Protestant - but I only saw the one sign.
It's a shame how deteriorated it is, especially since it's such a prominent building along Wilshire Boulevard. Of course, the deterioration is arguably what makes this photo more interesting. The cold tone preset in LR was used to get this look.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#603952738_bUguz">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-pxGXcDv/3/b36b1117/Ti/2010-07-27%20Old%20Window-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_07/26/10_</span> <span id="title">Wide Bug</span>
I noticed this piece of dead grass on our front gate as I went to get the mail. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be an insect, and a weird one at that. I grabbed the camera and fired off quite a few shots, hoping at least a few would have the head in focus, since it was such a small depth of field. I think I got most of the important stuff here, although I wish the right wing-thing was in focus like the left one. I asked the bug to bring it up a little, but it didn't listen.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#602857884_s8HYr">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-DTBbxt6/3/444d1ac1/Ti/2010-07-26%20Insect%20on%20Screen-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_07/25/10_</span> <span id="title">Water Color</span>
After months, maybe years of having it on my to-do list, I finally bought some food coloring. Photos like this are what I had in mind. I would have spent more time on this photo, but holy smokes - it's already 10pm and I have to work tomorrow! So this is it. The big thing I learned from tonight's super-rushed photo shoot is that you can't light water from the top or the side - it has to be from the back. I might try a similar shot with an all-white background instead of trying to do black. We'll see.
Have a great week!
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#601849124_7wfw5">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-H7BJGm6/3/39aa10ae/Ti/2010-07-25%20Water%20Coloring-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_07/24/10_</span> <span id="title">Rusty at the Beach</span>
This is Rusty. Don't ask me how I know his name. He was at the Santa Monica pier today, along with a herd of photographers for the <a href="http://worldwidephotowalk.com/">World Wide Photo Walk</a> that included myself.
For the rest of my keepers, check out <a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Misc/Santa-Monica-Photo-Walk/">this gallery</a>. Like one of them better than Rusty here? Leave a comment :)
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#600987992_aPNmK">[last year]</a> <em>also at the beach...</em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-w2L52Ts/3/989759ec/Ti/2010-07-24%20Rusty%20at%20the%20Beach-Ti.jpg)
warrenfam
on August 4, 2010Definitely makes me want to see the whole car.
Boobaby
on August 4, 2010LOL...Cool capture!
fotoeffects
on August 3, 2010Wonderful shot.
Donna McCommon
on August 3, 2010Too funny! But he's so colorful!
Chuck Beehner
on August 3, 2010lol....hate to be in his hen house !!
paula
fotomom
on August 3, 2010That is big and bright and I am envisioning advertising for chicken for lunch! Great find!
SchmidtHouse
on August 3, 2010Nice unique colorful capture.
papamugger
on August 3, 2010Fun capture with great colors
webstersway
on August 3, 2010LOL! Great shot...reminds me of a guy in our neighborhood, he has one of those 5 or 6 foot tall metal roosters in his yard, my wife & I were driving by one day and I caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye, I backed the vehicle up so my wife could check it out, the guy was doing some work his yard and stopped to see what we were looking at. We came back a couple of hours later and noticed he had moved the rooster up right next to his house, must've thought we were rooster-nappers or something...