Ah,

School.

Class starts back up next week, I believe 10 days from now.

To be completely honest, I’m actually ready for this semester. I’ve had a very slow summer and am just ready for some challenges to keep me feeling alive. I’m going to approach this semester completely different from my norm. Usually I will just go to campus when I have class, leaving in between and returning after breaks. This worked for a while, but then I got lazy and decided against returning to the campus. My biggest excuse is the -pain in the ass- it is to find a parking spot at UCA, that isn’t 3 miles away from class; which, if you know where I live, totally negates driving in the first place.

Therefore, I will now be turning in early and waking up early; early for me anyways. I’m going to start arriving on campus at 7:30 regardless of whether I have class or not. I will be staying until 1 on MWF and 6 on TTH. I’m going to be on campus, a lot. Which, in turn, will help me focus on my studies rather than other things that I’ve become accustomed to doing. For example, coming home after my morning class and playing computer games, watching tv, etc. therefore completely skipping my later classes. I don’t know why I do these things, but sometimes I just don’t feel the urge. I don’t feel the challenge, which, with me, is a feeling that I need in order for me to accomplish a goal. I’m very good at getting things done once I have my mind set on them, it’s just that way too often I’m not challenged, and therefore not motivated to work towards a certain goal.

I think, since my goal is to now stay on campus and work on my studying, that the challenge will come from doing just that, staying on campus. Therefore, my motivation will come to get my work done and focus on my classes. Something that I definitely need to do. It’s like my great late advisor, Dr. Mac, told me; “You just gotta dig your heels in and keep on pushing for that goal, graduation.” I haven’t forgot that since the day he told me, it’s been motivation enough to get me through last semester with good grades. Unfortunately, I took the advice too late and had to drop out of 3 of my classes. However, that left me in good standing with the other two, and now it’s time to take charge.

Welp, that’s my two cents for now.

On a lighter note and for the photographers watching this blog, I’ve purchased a new lens. It’s the 17-55mm CONSTANT f/2.8 lens from Canon. It’s a beast, It should be arriving Tuesday, but Newegg.com has surprised me before. I’m looking forward to it, and it should help me take better portrait photos, indoor and outdoor. I can’t wait to replace the ol’ 18-55mm kit lens that the XSi’s come with, with the 17-55mm f/2.8, it’s going to become an awesome addition to the outfit of lenses I have so far.

You can see a great review of it here:
The Digital Picture – Canon EF-S 17-55mm F/2.8 IS USM Lens Review.

I’ll probably take some photos of it and post them on the blog later during the week.

I guess that’s all I’ve got for now, hope everyone had a great weekend.

Back to the daily grind.

View the original post here

So, to whet my pallet, I took the camera with my trusty 70-200mm F/4L into the backyard for a series of shots at 200mm F/4. The long focal length and short stop help to produce some great backyard blur. I got some fantastic shots that you can see below.

I also got some pretty decent shots of my nephew who is usually very hard to photograph. He has such a high amount of energy and rarely stands still enough to get a decent photo.

It feels like it’s been forever since I posted last ( 3 days! ) I hope you enjoy this short and sweet series.

This is one of the numerous flowers in my mothers garden. I exposed the shot in infrared for the surreal colors.

The pecan tree in our backyard is very slowly changing. I helped the process along with a bit of photoshop and I love how the colors came out. Fall is my favorite time of year and I can’t wait till the colors start changing.

A leaf that has already fallen victim to the colder weather we have been having lately.

My new passion is infrared photography. I have a filter on photoshop that produces the same effect you would receive from $300 glass filters for the camera. What’s cool about the filter I have though is that I can change between 5 different color infrared modes, therefore it gives me a wider range of outcomes.

Another of the pecan tree, I love the way the bokeh came out in these. That’s one particular thing I love about my L series lens, the bokeh it produces at 200mm F/4 is amazingly smooth, smooth like butta’.

Another good representation of the beautiful bokeh of this lens. Sometimes it’s just fun to look through the lens and see how the bokeh looks depending on which way you point it. Of course this can cause you too look like an absolute fool; spinning about madly with a camera attached to your face.

Last but not least, a photo of an elusive creature, Toxey. He’s my nephew!

I hope you enjoyed this series. I have a trip to Pedestal Rocks planned with Brian Cormack this weekend. I hope the trees have changed enough to make it a great time. I’ll produce the explore page for the location and photos sometime on Sunday. Look forward to that, I know I will.

Take care!