[+24 | Slideshow] I was kicking myself when we decided to go to the Atlanta Zoo and I realized I'd left my 100mm lens at home. Not that I have any real interest in nature photography but there are some shots that are simply obligatory. Of course, I'm even more disappointed that I didn't even bring my camera to the Atlanta Aquarium, which was really awesome - although it's not like I would have taken any photos that haven't already been taken a thousand times before. Overall the Atlanta Zoo isn't really that great. I much prefer the Woodland Park Zoo here in Seattle if only because the habitats feel much more natural. The big attraction at the Atlanta Zoo is the baby panda which was cute - although Katie and I got more out of the reptile exhibit which included tons of baby turtles.

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[+24 | Slideshow] Photos from the Friday Night Social back in November. Back when I still through threw parties.

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Like half the photos on my camera were from that week in December when it snowed and everyone decided it would be better to hang out with friends than go to work. Everyday should be snow day. Unfortunately, most of the photos fall under the "had to of been there" category but I managed to salvage a few. I think this is the only picture I have of the outside of my house. Everything looks so pretty in the snow!

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I totally forgot that I owned a camera. I have photos going back to like December! These two were taken in January after Katie and I finished hanging my peacock screen. It may not look like much but it took us a couple hours to get it mounted and level, so were were pretty proud. I think it fills out the room nicely. Now we just need to get a new bedspread and rug. (The sheepskin rug was actually intended for this room but we put it in the library until we find a cowskin rug for that room).

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[+230 | Slideshow] uncelestial had a pretty epic birthday party at his new home last night. The best addition (which I'm totally going to gank for my next theme party) was a greenscreen photobooth with 20+ backgrounds. Of course, the 9/11 background was the most popular - you just can't go wrong with exploding planes. I was in a quiet mood last night and took quite a few photos, although my camera managed to make the rounds so I'm looking forward to what debauchery found its way onto my memory card. Of course, I still haven't posted photos from my halloween party yet so we'll see if I ever get around to going through them.

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The other day Katie threw a pumpkin carving and dinner party for her friends (as well as a few of mine) at our house. I wasn't feeling particularly social, which means you actually get photos. [+29 | Slideshow] Oh, and this set includes probably my favorite photo ever of meowlet.

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The unholy offspring of getlocalgirl and caseyplusplus.

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I've been together with sarevilo for over three years now. Historically, I tend to get bored quickly, with most relationships ending before the one-year mark. I've put together a slideshow of my favorite photos of Katie from this time. ( Highlights from 2005-2008 ) [+45 | Slideshow]

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[+116 | Slideshow] Matt's wedding turned out fantastic. The bathhouse at Golden Gardens was the perfect location for the event, and worked quite well for the photography as well. For Katie and I it was a nice balance between work and fun. It's also the first wedding we've ever shot where some family member didn't get on our case for drinking the alcohol or eating the food (inevitably someone treats us as the hired help, not realizing we're also on the guest list). Our new equipment is proving its worth; I think the wedding shots turned out nice. I really love my 40D and Katie's 1D has proven useful due to the 1.3x crop and extremely fast 15fps. We rented the 85mm f/1.2 as usual as well as the 15mm fisheye. The latter was nice to have, although we only used a handful of the shots since they look a bit gimmicky in bulk. Still, between the lens optics and the wide angle it was a lot of fun to use. We'll probably buy both lenses eventually, although Katie would rather get the 14mm rectilinear - it's hard to justify buying two $2,000 lenses, though. I still believe, at some level, that you're only as good as your worst photo - and by that yardstick I have a long, long way to go. But looking at the top 10% of my photos I'm pretty happy with this set.

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[+145 | Slideshow] After our plans for Eastern Europe got postponed we were anxious to get home. Due to the airline strike, however, we had an extra week in Europe. We decided to drive north east from Munich in the general direction of Frankfurt, with the intention of cutting back down through eastern France and then back to Munich via Switzerland and up through the Black Forest. That proved ambitious. In actually, we spent half the time on the so-called "Romantic Road" which hop-scotches through a series of medieval villages. Some are simply towns that date back to the middle ages. Others are tourist attractions that are so polished and popular that they feel like you just stepped into Fantasyland in Anaheim. Still others are now modern cities that happen to have an ancient core. While in Rothenberg, we stopped by the Crime Museum, which included a fascinating history of criminal law including torture devices, shame masks and even a chastity belt. After that, we headed up past Frankfurt to Koblenz and then south along the German Rhine. This fifty-mile stretch of the river is amongst Germany's most dense in terms of castles. Many are ruined or inaccessible, although still lording over the Rhine and its villages. Others have been restored to mimic their original state. Quite a few were "rediscovered" in the nineteenth century (new by European standards) and remodeled to that periods aesthetic. This set is chock-full of landscape photos that would probably look good in a larger format, but lose definition at web resolutions. It also contains a handful of ironic photos and signs - including my favorite: a pickup truck on the Autobahn with a Confederate Flag on its tailgate. Last, there are a handful of photos from Munich, including obligatory shots of river surfers at Englischer Garten.

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[+25] Since we were driving to Pompeii anyway, we decided to brave the nearby Almalfi coast - despite the heat, hoards of European vacationers and, of course, the prices that go with that. All said, I'm glad we did it because it was certainly beautiful - although I'm sure there are plenty of similar places in the world that aren't as widely publicized and, therefore, a lot less crowded. We ended up paying more for our room here than in overpriced Rome - and while the place was, admittedly, overlooking the ocean, it was also not nearly as nice. One consolation to this was that the food was surprisingly cheaper and notably better. I don't usually post vertically oriented photographs, but this is one area that's especially hard to capture in a landscape format and so I'm breaking with tradition. We had been told (by our tour book) that while it's worth driving in Italy, only an idiot drives the Almalfi Coast. This scared Katie since we heard no such warnings about the dirt logging road we took across a mountain range in Guatemala which, while beautiful, was truly hair-raising. By contrast, though, this road was a dream: paved, guard rails, two lanes, painted lines, no boulders or sink holes, etc. The only piece remotely similar to Guatemala was when two busses tried to pass on a tight corner. That said, both Italy and Guatemala roads did have 500 foot cliffs that the roads wound around which offered amazing views - and, between the two, this is one case where Italy wins: combine the heights, oceans and cliff-side villages and you end up with something quite spectacular. Nonetheless, it's worth noting that due to Amalfi's popularity, many Europeans are starting to take their summer holiday in Latin America since it offers surprisingly similar landscapes at 1/10th the crowds and costs. And, for Americans looking to travel to Italy, I strongly recommend considering Central America instead - and particularly Guatemala. That remains my best travel experience to date in terms of adventure, beauty, culture, history, and even food (surprisingly). More and more people are going to Central America, though, and I think there's a small window before treasures like Guatemala become no different than any of the Caribbean Islands or even Costa Rica.

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Katie took this photo of me mocking the dead. [+36] Katie's had an obsession with Pompeii since childhood, so after Rome we rented a car and headed down the coast toward Napoli en route to Pompeii. It was much, much larger than expected and, like the Vatican, while it didn't transfer to film very well it was an impressive stop. I was surprised by how many intact frescoes and mosaics had survived; when you're able to see 2,000 year old ruins with not only plaster but also paint and tile in good condition it gives you a totally different perspective on how modern these civilizations were. (Although Pompeii isn't really a good example of how the everyman lived since it was, essentially, a luxury resort town). We spent at least four hours at Pompeii and could easily have spent two days there had we not already been exhausted and overwelmed by Rome. One of the interesting things about Pompeii was, like many archeological digs across the world, how many thousands upon thousands of pottery shards could be found in the dirt walking around. This only surprised me because of how popular of a tourist destination Pompeii has remained over the decades; I'd have expected most of these remnants to have been taken or crushed by constant foot traffic, as you see in most larger ruins (such as Lamanai in Belize).

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[+89] Photos from Vatican City. Nothing terribly impressive as far as photographs go, but I must say that the Vatican proved to be far more awe inspiring than I expected it to be. I've seen a lot of photos of St. Peter's Basilica but none of them (including those I've taken) convey just how large it is. In photos it looks like every other Renaissance cathedral - in person it's no different, only you feel as though you've been shrunk to 1/3rd your height. Seeing St. Peter's Basilica is free, but you pay 5 Euro extra for the privilege of hiking to the top. We did. A few hundred steps later we found ourselves on a thin ledge inside Michelangelo's dome - a couple hundred feet above the floor of the cathedral. Since I'm afraid of heights, though, and Katie's claustrophobic, we decided to keep climbing to the very top of the cathedral. The route takes you through tunnels inside the dome - meaning that as you climb, the walls start to bend. Once you reach the top, however, you get a fantastic view of Rome. The photo of me is from this vantage point - if I look uncomfortable, it's because I am. We also visited the Vatican Museums, which require something like four miles of walking to take in. They're overwhelming, especially after a week in Rome. We didn't take many photos, although Katie and I were most impressed with the painting gallery as well as the early Christian art - although I found the organization confusing as it was grouped by religious significance as opposed to artistic movement. Go figure. This set also includes photos of Bernini's Ectasy of St. Teresa, tucked away in a corner of Santa Maria della Vittora and almost missed due to its omission from most of our tour books (one contained a footnote to it in a foreword). This church also contained my favorite Holy Relic as well as my favorite piece of Religious Kitsch.

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Piazza del Popolo, built in 1818 by Giuseppe Valadier. Arco di Settimio Severo from the third century. I crashed a wedding at the basilica of Santa Maria del Miracoli. So many statues, so many churches - not sure which one this was in. [+89] Considering that we did zero planning, Rome is treating us exceptionally well. While Katie's been at her conference, I've walked pretty much everywhere in central Rome at least twice (I've put an easy 125 miles on my shoes). At this point, I feel like I've gotten a very solid feel for the city. ( Accommodations ). ( Acclimating ). ( Tourism ). ( Food and culture ). ( The night life ). ( Money ). This set includes everything you'd expect: ancient Roman ruins, gothic cathedrals, Renaissance palaces, a variety of statues covering two-thousand years of history, Etruscan art, fountains, piazzas, ceiling frescos, etc, etc. The only notable item it doesn't include (yet) is Saint Peter's basilica and other sights from the Vatican City - that'll happen in the next couple days.

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[+16 | Slideshow] I haven't taken many photos in the last year. I thought it might be because I had bumped up against the technical limitations of my equipment, so I went out and bought a Canon 40D. I really like it; much more professional and better built than the Rebel line; certainly worth the extra weight and size. I've realized, though, that the problem wasn't my equipment so much as I've come to prefer being engaged in the moment; hiding behind a camera creates a buffer with the world that I used to appreciate, but which also interferes with the now. Anyway, regardless, it'll probably take me a few days to get back into the habit of taking photographs - especially while learning a new language as I go. I flew into Munich a few days ago to visit my friend Heather. Now we're in Rome; Katie is giving a presenation on "Stability of Periodic Solutions to Euler's Equations for Surface Gravity Waves" at a mathematics conference. While she's doing that I'm going to brave the pickpockets, humidity, price-gouging and, most notably, the legions of tourists by wandering around the historical district. If anyone wants a souvenir let me know. I plan on taking some bricks from the Colloseum to use as patio pavers, and I promised Ashley I would grab her Pauline Bonaparte's marble nipple while I'm at Galleria Borghese.

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[+33 | Slideshow] When we were in Louisiana for Christmas, we drove around the rural areas in the southern part of the state checking out the swamps, plantations, churches and villages. I didn't take too many photos and of the photos I took I don't think it's that interesting of a set - which is unfortunate because it was an interesting trip. This was also the first time I tried out my half neutral density filter which I bought like three years ago but never got around to using. A lot of these photos show an obvious abuse of the filter; lesson learned. Others, however, did effectively compensate for a blown-out sky - which is exactly what the filter is intended for. Highlights from the set: me with a baby alligator, nappy headed angels, my spider friend.

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[+92 | Slideshow]

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[+22 | Slideshow]

Last night at goldfischegirl's birthday, where it was rediscovered just how much fun one can have with whipped cream. Unfortunately, no one got photos of sarevilo as she was pretty damned hot - and she vetoed the three I took of her.

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[+70 | Slideshow] I'm sure the legend of hotcrab and Ryan's wedding is now old news to most of you, but for those who weren't able to make it here are some photos to give you a taste of the debauchery. The short of it: caseyplusplus, sidspencer, herbaliser and velvet and I stole a Mercedes, loaded it up with various forms of entertainment and headed straight for San Francisco. Three sleepless nights, scores of friends, a handful of crack whores, two inappropriately placed manikins, a ruined swimming pool, a marching band, a marriage, a few hazy moments and countless photographs best forgotten later we returned home. Edit: Oh, and courtesy of niftybitch, here's one of me right after fierceflawless pulled me into the pool. This was back when you could still see the bottom of the pool, which didn't last long.

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thaumata

so, i am curious about something: as a woman, every time i post any kind of even slightly risque photo, i can expect sleazy comments from strangers that i've never even heard of. i mean, i can post an empty shoe and get six comments from the foot guys, and there are obviously tons of men trolling for boobies on flickr, which entertains me to no end. (they are called lives... look into it...)

but as a girl, i'm really used to this. i expect it. but i always wonder what, as a guy posting photos of women, you think about comments like this, and what it makes you think about the other people who share your gender.

thoughts?

ps - someone should tell that guy that beautiful has a U.

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[+102 | Slideshow] A few weeks ago, Katie and I went up to Vancouver to shoot a friend-of-a-friend's wedding. This is the first wedding we've shot together since discussing starting a wedding photography business and so Katie took the lead and I assisted; while it was all-around a learning experience, she did a great job organizing the group shots and keeping track of the schedule, which are the parts I'm terrible at. On the downside, very few of our ceremonial shots turned out. In the future we'll be taking a more active hand in coordinating the location and placement to make sure it's photographer-friendly. Also, I was a bit overambitious with my depth of field and so many of my photos are fuzzy - that's always a risk, but on hindsight I should have played it safer. There were also some technical difficulties with flash, batteries, memory cards, etc; if we do this professionally we'll be doubling up on equipment to help safeguard against that. Most of all, though, we learned a lot about our process. There were mixups w/ uploading cards during the ceremony causing duplicates. Also, in trying to share the processing between two machines we discovered some really bizarre behavior (likely bugs) in Adobe Lightroom which we have yet to isolate and work-around - this resulted in us having to process the photos twice due to lost metadata. That all said, I'm satisfied with the photos that turned out. I experimented more with exposure than I usually do and I think the results were nice. Also, apparently the wedding party felt really comfortable with us which was good to hear. I don't think anyone who reads this blog knows anyone in the photos, but they might be fun to skim; it was a good wedding.

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I actually took this photo a long time ago, but I think I forgot to post it. This sign found near goldfischegirl's house on an abandoned factory.

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[+43 | Slideshow] Cooper's about to have his first birthday, so we returned to Bothell Landing (where we took prego-photos last year) to photograph the occassion. Katie also photographed her department's graduation on Saturday and so she rented the 85mm f/1.2 lens from Glazers for the weekend. This is the lens I'm contemplating buying, but wasn't sure if it was worth the $2,000 sticker price. The optical quality of the lens is amazing; the photos posted here have no adjustment to contrast, curves or saturation - it's really impressive how much of a difference good quality glass can make. My only concern about the lens is that the autofocus performance is really poor (which is a popular complaint); I really didn't think this would bother me as it's mostly a portrait lens and thus better used with manual focus, but it made shots where the subject is moving toward the camera really difficult (like this one, of Cooper chasing a dog).

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[+30 | Slideshow] One more from the Mexico set (the links are to the same set as the previous post). This was the beach outside our hotel which was really a perfect spot. Katie and I spent a couple days snorkeling and ended up getting sun burns - oops.

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[+30 | Slideshow] Katie and I headed down to Isla Mujeres, Mexico with Reg and Laural last week for a quick break from the cold. It was a fun trip, although it verified that I'm definitely not the beach-vacation type; it's fine for a few days, but after that I was getting pretty restless for some tromping through the jungle. I mean, it's just not Central America without swarms of mosquitoes, giant spiders and poisonous snakes you know?

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[+4] I haven't been taking many photos lately. Here are a handful I found on my memory card, four of caseyplusplus and getlocalgirl's toy doll and two from warrend's birthday party.

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[+14 | Slideshow] A handfull of photos from Eastern Washington this weekend. A couple of these turned out way better than I expected, but as a set I think this is crap. As I've said before, though, I really can't stand landscape photography; I just don't have the patience for it. We only found one genuine ghost town, out in a field off Highway 2 (easy to miss if you aren't looking for it). The photos didn't turn out that great, but it was really cool.

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[+25 | Slideshow] I'm only so-so on these photos. I generally find that my landscape photos not only work better in larger sizes but also require a lot of manipulation to make up for environmental factors (like rain and fog in this case). I dialed down the colors a tad in this to compensate for a heavy blue cast from the rain, but outside of that haven't spent much time with them. The set does include some fun signs, though. This is a photo of Katie taking a photo of Diablo Lake.

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[+59 | Slideshow] Photos from the halloween party last Saturday.

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[+77 | Slideshow] Photos from my thirtieth birthday party. In addition, there are 41 photos from Ang, including quite a few of me sweating profusely (ugh! Alcohol + heat = ew). Some photos may not be safe for your work.

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