New month. New post. New blog design.
Poking around the Blogger interface and realized they’ve tuned up the back office a lot, with many more options for how this thing looks. Played around with it and spruced the place up a bit.
Voila.
Actually, Blogger did such a good job that it’s somewhat mitigating my desire to get my standalone blog up and running. Will have to see.
As for the pics I had shot this last weekend for a couple of reasons. First, for use in a compositing experiment. Second, because it sports such cool (literally – really cold arena) architecture. I had taken an iPad photo of it some time ago but it deserves better treatment. So here’s the community arena in quaint Oakbank, Manitoba…
This is a high-dynamic range capture and is clearly heavily processed. Hey, I’m not a photojournalist. Who says I have to be bound by reality?
But I like the look, and it got me thinking (unfortunately late in the year) that this could make for an interesting collection: The Arena. So during our next game I jammed my lens against the glass before anyone came out, while the ice was still freshly Zambonie’d, and produced this from the Stonewall Arena from a 5-shot bracket…
Doesn’t have the flair of Oakbank, but has its own steely vibe going on. So now with the twilight of the season upon me I think I’ll need to make a concerted effort to grow this collection.
Stay tuned.
If asked what would make an ideal monument in the middle of a state-of-the-art casino and entertainment complex I’m quite sure most would immediately think of the same thing…
Canoes.
Many canoes.
Bright, colorful, arranged in a big fireball of boating just begging to be portage’d across Las Vegas. And so we have such a thing at The Aria.
Only in Vegas does this make sense.
Wow. This place has become stagnant. Too little time to create. Just back from a whirlwind three days in Vegas (8-10 days Vegas Time) and still trying to get my bearings. One of the sites I was looking forward to seeing was the new City Center, located in the heart of the strip between Bellagio and the Monte Carlo. It is an absolute marvel of modern architecture and a complete playground for a photographer. I have many abstract views that I need to sort through but wanted to do at least one.
This is the Aria Resort & Casino. Great place, lots of fun with excellent food, shops, beverage establishments and so forth. Slick, cool, and ultra-modern.
…is the one you have with you.
That being an iPhone.
This was a striking alleyway entrance to a bar that immediately caught my eye. The shapes and texture were all really cool. Carrying around an $X,XXX DSLR camera and lens all the time? Not practical. But a cel phone with a decent (all things considered) camera certainly takes a better picture than nothing at all.
Captured and processed in camera using a couple of apps.
Quick trip out to Vancouver this week. Quick but busy. During short time there had little time to shoot. It was a letdown fairly early as I realized during my early flight that I should have opted for a window seat. The sunrise kissing the peaks of the Rocky Mountains below was beautiful. Alas, all I could do was lean over my sleeping neighbour as much as I dared to illustrate the point…
Was muttering “sonuva” for a good period of time after that. Return did have me in a window seat, but day’s end and the light nowhere near as interesting. Still had to take advantage of the position, though…
Other random shots in town, starting with a beautifully lit courtyard at the hotel. Love touching down at Christmas time. Very comforting to have the lights and decorations around.
Unfortunately, Vancouver = Rain this time of year (at least while we were there, was apparently sunny the days prior and forecasted following). Wet was of course a familiar theme…
That was a tricky one as I cuddled The Best Cappuccino in Vancouver in one hand. Puddle would have mixed with tears of pain had I dropped that.
On a brighter note, this big blank wall at the airport. All graphic and such is sure to catch my eye.
Such a great city, despite the rain.
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