Postcard from this Week

Postcard from this Week

View an image gallery of more schooners and sailing images,
all shot that same day, click here: Schooners on the Chesapeake

Schooners on the Chesapeake

Had a chance to sail the Chesapeake last week with some friends, Detroit Slim and Jane, on their beautiful 44' Ocean Going Catamaran, Cat Maudy. Capt'n Slim shot me an e-mail from his quarterdeck advising me the Pride of Baltimore II, with cannons firing, had just pulled into Baltimore Harbor and would participate in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race the next day. Would I like to come aboard and observe? It was a tough call. Should I stay here and stare at my computer screen all day or head out on the Bay and chase full blown schooners sailing the Chesapeake? I've done entire hotel decor projects with images of sailboats, sails, and pieces of sailboats so knew the images I could make would be like having stacks of gold bullion in the vault. Thanks to Capt'n Slim and Jane it was a wondrous day. I'm just now editing through them and my head is spinning with so many good (and marketable) images. I shot hundreds of images, here's just a few quick selections, just a quick pass through Lightroom, no special treatment yet. I can't wait to work on some of these!
(click images to enlarge)Read Jane's account of our excursion here: Cat Maudy Chronicles

Crabs in Baltimore

Went out Wednesday night with my brothers Chris, David, and my son Brady to our favorite crabhouse, Bill’s Terrace Inn. Bill’s is a classic real downhome crabhouse, the best in all of Baltimore. We’ve been going there for many years, I don’t know how he does it but Steve, the owner (seated at the bar below), always has the biggest and best crabs anywhere. We ordered our usual line-up, cream of crab soup ( I passed since I’m on a health kick to regain my girlish figure), super jumbo spiced shrimp steamed w/valdalia onion, and the big mutha crabs. The crabs were great, Huge and Heavy. The crab pictured below was my first of the batch and then opened to show how packed it was with Prime Grade A Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Jumbo Lump Backfin Goodness.
When we arrived the evening light was so perfectly beautiful I couldn’t resist a few photos in the parking lot. Waiting for the crabs I took a few around the inside to capture the ambience. Who doesn’t love a good Salty Sea Captain at the Wheel with pipe/Stormy Sky/Ship in Rough Seas painting? But, when the crabs arrive picture playtime is over, all conversation stops, and we get to the important serious business of consuming mass quantities of huge crabs with lots of Old Bay and vinegar. Jupiter is so prominent in the southern early evening sky this month, even clearly visible from a Baltimore parking lot as shown with Brady above. (click on any image to see larger)

BBQ in Baltimore

Had an early AM shoot in Baltimore today that wrapped just in time for lunch. Driving back through the city the wafting scents of various frying foods got my stomach growling. Started thinking about something fried, something crab, on a bun with lots of hot sauce. Feeling the urge I headed over to Cross Street Market for a Soft Shell Crab Sandwich or two. Although, upon entering the market all visions of Soft Shells evaporated as I noticed Paula at Smoke BBQ and Grill slicing Brisket and getting ready to pull freshly smoked racks of ribs from her smoker. While waiting for the Ribs to finish Paula offered me some brisket and I knew I need walk no further. Now, I don't know if it's because I was hungry, or because I was feeling especially good, or if Paula sprinkles some magic dust in her rub, but I must say these ribs were some of the best I can remember having east of Memphis. Paula has three home made sauces, I took my sauce on the side and I'm glad I did. These ribs were big, meaty, juicy, perfectly seasoned, and smoked to perfection. They didn't need no stinking sauce. I was still licking my fingers as I headed back down 95. Thanks Paula! Paula Readies my Ribs

Postcard from this week . . .

Taking the Lensbaby for a stroll

Yesterday Val decided we should do something. It was afterall in the mid 50's so we loaded up the truck and headed to Baltimore for a nice family walk around the Inner Harbor. Ordinarily I would bring a Leica for such excursions but for me nowadays film is a hassle. I have a box accross the room with unprocessed rolls of 35mm and 120 crying out to be processed and scanned. My middle son Jay is in a wheelchair so it's a little tough pushing that, lugging a bag full of heavy Canon L Lenses, and enjoying myself.

S0, I just brought a Canon 5D with a Lensbaby . If you don't know what a Lensbaby is check the link, you might like it. Yes, I know the effect is overdone and all that but I never claimed to be above cheap gimmickery to force my art upon the masses. And besides, I like the effect. Sometimes it's good to change your perspective a bit and view the world through a different lens. Here are a few images from yesterday. BTW- other than passing through Lightroom, a sepia effect on a few, these are basically straight from the camera, no additional trickery.