Tenryu Railroad Signals

This was taken during an incredible sunset along the Tenryu-Hama train line. (300D, AE, 1/50, f8.0, ISO 200, 18.0 - 55.0mm at 28.0mm)

Healthy Skies

This reflection is in the windows of the gym that I go to. It's called SPJ (which stands for Sports Life Complex). (300D, AE, 1/1000, f5.6, ISO 100, 18.0 - 55.0mm at 46.0mm)

Rusty Pole

This one was taken on the same abandoned lot as yesterday's. (300D, AE, 1/250, f5.6, ISO 100, 18.0 - 55.0 mm at 53.0 mm)

Powerless

Taken on an abandoned lot near the Hamakita train station. (300D, AE, 1/200 f11, ISO100, 18.0 - 55.0mm at 47.0mm)

Room for one more?

I took this two days ago on the train. The BBC has a photo contest running and one of the categories is space. I like the idea of the shot, but I might try to go back and get another picture. (300D, AE, 1/20, f6.3 ISO100, 18.0 - 55.0mm at 27.0mm)

To Infinity and Beyond (2 of 2)

The other train tracks shot. This station is just a few minutes from our apartment. (300D, AE, 1/125, f4.5, ISO100, 18.0 - 55.0mm at 3.0mm)

To Infinity and Beyond (1 of 2)

I'm really pleased with this picture. I took one that has more in focus that I'll post tomorrow. I also bought my first tripod today. It's really cheap, but I'm still excited.

Lounging around

I thought this post was appropriate given the occasion. This Saturday is my first off in quite some time. I've had one here and there for trips or because of school holidays, but this is the first one where I haven't had any plans. It's just plain old lounging around and I'm quite excited. Hopefully I'll be able to take a few pictures.

Edit: I later realized that I didn't include any information about the picture. It was taken on the sun deck of a Chinese junk that I stayed on in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.

Praying Mantis

This picture goes way back. I took it using my old Canon A80 (which is almost impossible to buy these days) outside our apartment. I'm going through pictures for a BBC photo contest. The category is environment. I think I might put this one in.

Naked Men!!!!!!

I don't know that this is the greatest picture, but I've been home for almost a month now and I have hardly taken any photographs. This one is of a festival that I went to about a week and a half ago. It's called a naked man festival, though the name is a bit more exciting than the event.

A Boy and His Buffalo

This is another picture from Sapa, in Northern Vietnam.

Talented Feet

This woman was paddling by our boat on Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. She gave her arms a rest and started using her feet to row.

Continuing my movie quoting from the other day:

"Most people don't take snapshots of the little things. The used Band-Aid, the guy at the gas station, the wasp on the Jell-O. But these are the things that make up the true picture of our lives. People don't take pictures of these things."

I've thought about this quote a lot recently. The whole photo blogging phenomenon seems like an answer to that accusation. People take pictures of the stuff they see on the way to work or around the house. You learn to see the normal things of life in a different light. I guess the photos I post don't really work towards that end currently, but it gives me something to think about.

Life's Just Passing By

Another Hanoi shot. Usually I just stick to posting photos, but I figured it doesn't hurt to expound a bit every once in a while. I've been thinking a lot about the movie One Hour Photo lately. Robin Williams' character says some interesting things about photography:

"The shutter is clicked. The flash goes off and they've stopped time, as if just for the blink of an eye."

I originally went looking for another quote (which I'll post another time), but I thought that this one suited this picture.

Follow Up

Here's another shot of the lizard from yesterday. I should probably move onto a new subject matter, but it's by far the coolest animal I've ever taken a picture of.

Another National Geographic Effort

This lizard was huge. I would guess it was about 4 feet long (it gets longer every time I describe it).

I Got Crabs in Langkawi

It's a little grainy, but the lighitng was bad and I was really close. Usually the little guys scurry around like mad, but this one seemed to want to pose.

Staying Cool in Sapa

This was taken while on a 15 km hike through the mountains of northern Vietnam fairly close to the Chinese border. The girl in the center was our guide. I haven't been very diligent with the picture posting, but hopefully as I settle back into a post-vacation routine I'll step it up.