31/366 - "Bette"

(F/4, 45mm, 1/125 sec, ISO 100, Canon 7D)

We went to a dinner party tonight with some friends and all the kids.  One of the people there was Bette, who is 80 and has 10 kids.  I snapped some photos and this is the one that I liked the best.  I think I caught  her by surprise a little.

30/366 - "Heart"

(F/2, 50mm, 1/80 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

I have seen this done many times, typically as a wedding photograph.  I thought I would try and set it up in honor of our 8th wedding anniversary that is tomorrow.  I would have done this photograph tomorrow, but we have plans and I will not have time to mess around with this stuff.  I think it turned out pretty well, and hindsight being 20/20 I would have chosen the middle of the Bible rather than Corinthians 13 ("Love is patient...").  Corinthians is towards the end of the Bible and the heart came out a little lopsided.

I applied a square crop, a black and white preset, and a vignette preset.  I tried to sharpen the engraving that Sue put in my ring which simply reads "Loving 1.31.04".

Happy Anniversary Sue 

29/366 - "Nittany"

(F/4, 105mm, 1/100 sec, ISO 400, Canon 7D)

Sue and I did not have the kids this weekend, thanks to Karen and Pat.  Our cat "Nittany" (Sue went to Penn State) will not come down stairs if the kids are around.  So we usually do not see him until later in the evenings.  This morning while we were watching the news and having our coffee Nittany was enjoying the sun coming through the back windows.  I grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots.

28/366 - "Matt's Haircut"

(F/4, 97mm, 1/100 sec, ISO 400, Canon 7D)

(F/4, 105mm, 1/80 sec, ISO 800, Canon 7D)

(F/4, 47mm, 1/80 sec, ISO 800, Canon 7D)

Today, Jonah and my nephew Matt had some hairs cut.  Here is a series of photographs of Matt before, during, and after.  He did a great job and really enjoyed the after part the most.

27/366 - "In Trouble"

(F/4, 92mm, 1/125 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

Harper got in trouble after school and she had to sit in timeout.  She was very upset and I was trying to get a picture of her crying.  When I pull out the camera, she immediately turns off the tears and smiles.  She loves the camera and does not want her picture taken when she is crying.

I have also spent the last 2 days moving my .cr2 files around so that I can start using Lightroom.  I think this is the correct way to go and I will be re-learning some things in Lightroom, that I used to do in Aperture.  Oh the fun!

26/366 - "Soft Box"

(F/4, 24mm, 1/125 sec, ISO 400, Canon 7D)

To make my portraits of the kids, macros, and product shots look more professional I ordered a soft box. I will use my flash guns instead of dedicated lights like I have setup in this shot, and maybe one day I will have actual lights.

25/366 - "Naveaha"

(F/5, 60mm, 1/160 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

This is my niece Naveaha.  We were visiting grandma on her 92nd birthday and all of the great-grandchildren were running around having fun.  For whatever reason Naveaha thinks I am interesting in some way and is always giving me the eye ball treatment.  This makes it very easy to take her picture.  Just a square crop and there it is the picture for today.

24/366 - "Ellie May"

(F/4, 50mm, 1/100 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

This is a picture of Ellie May.  She belongs to my dad, Pam, and little brother Seth.  Ellie May was laying on the couch that morning looking out the window.  I was able to get her attention so she would turn to me and I snapped the photograph.

23/366 - "New Toy"

(F/7.1, 100mm, 1/250 sec, ISO 100, Canon 7D)

It's finally here!  I have been upgrading my gear little by little.  This past October I upgraded the body to a 7D.  This is my first lens upgrade and hopefully not my last.  I am guessing that many of the posts this year will be done using this new lens.

22/366 - "Craft Time"

(F/5.6, 50mm, 1/100 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

As mentioned in post #20 "Nora", we have the twins this weekend while Pat and Karen are in South Carolina.  This morning we had craft time which involved stickers and crayons.  I had a piece of seamless paper that was getting wavy so I donated that to the cause.  Speaking of seamless paper, I am not sure how I photographed anything without it.

21/366 - "Poppy"

(F/8, 100mm, 1/250 sec, ISO 100, Canon 7D)

I  received a call last night from mom letting me know that grandpa 'Poppy' passed away, he was 94.  Besides the legacy of his family that he leaves behind (too many to name) and his incredibly long list of accomplishments, he leaves me with an enormous amount of memories.  This morning I have been looking around the house for common place things that remind me of him or a memory we shared.  I could only find a few.  His life was much more impressive than the items I found.  He is an inspiration to me on a personal and professional level.

Grandpa was an author and publisher, and his book that he published is the base of this picture.  I remember playing in his home office in Houston.  He was always impressed by the latest technology of the day.  During that time it was his new computer that was replacing the electric typewriter, I think it was a Commodore.  The airplane represents his travels for work and liesure.  He was a world traveler and I always enjoyed hearing about the trips to Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the Far East.  Grandpa loved his wine and always had a glass with dinner.  I am sure we will be drinking some wine as we gather together over the next several days.  The last item that I found was the golf ball which is especially dear to me.  He decided to learn how to golf later in life, and in true grandpa fashion he did it by reading a book.  Yes, a book.  We started playing golf together when I was about 13 years old on vacations or when we visited Houston.  Even as my game improved I could never beat him.

These are just a handful common everyday objects that represent many extraordinary memories.

20/366 - "Nora"

(F/2.8, 100mm, 1/200 sec, ISO 400, Canon 7D)

Pat and Karen are off to South Carolina to try and buy a house and we get the kids for the weekend.  This is my niece Nora eating her dinner.  Unlike Jonah she loves to have her picture taken and is very aware of the camera.

19/366 - "Colorful Potatoes"

(F/7.1, 100mm, 1/250 sec, ISO 100, Canon 7D)

Tonight we had meatloaf for dinner, one of my favorite dinners that Sue makes.  With that meatloaf...you guessed it, fingerling potatoes.  She cut them up, fried them in a little olive oil, garlic, parsley, and parmesan cheese.  They were so good.  When Sue was cleaning and prepping the potatoes, I saw the colors and decided that was the photograph of the day.

18/366 - "Black IPA"

(F/2.8, 100mm, 1/250 sec, ISO 100, Canon 7D)

So several months ago I was to take part in a home brew with some guys from work.  They even let me pick out the kit, and I picked out a "Black IPA".  Well, when it was time to actually brew this batch I had to be in Dallas for a conference.  The guys were nice enough to let me help in the bottling process in December.  I have been waiting patiently to open and try one and tonight was the night.  I will have to say that it is quite nice and will only get better the longer I let them age, which will be tough.  Even though that I was warned that it might be lacking carbonation and I could return them to Jim for a quick fix, I think that it is fine.

17/366 - "Natural Consequences"

(F/5.6, 100mm, 1/250 sec, ISO 100, Canon 7D)

Sue and I parent with the attitude that there are natural consequences for your behavior.  So when our son Jonah thought is would be a good idea to write his name and draw on his walls and doors in his bedroom last night, he certainly knew that there would be a punishment.  His punishment you ask?  After dinner tonight, before playing with any toys, he had to remove the markings from his wall with this wonderful product pictured above.  We love you Mr. Clean, and often wonder how our parents lived without you.

16/366 - "Shadows on Snow"

(F/7.1, 28mm, 1/640 sec, ISO 100, Canon 7D)

We finally have a little bit of snow and this untouched snow still exists on the deck.  It has been here almost and week and I am really surprised the a squirrel or bird has not left some tracks.  I worked from home this morning and decided to look out the back window as the sun started to shine through.  I am glad I did, as I saw the shadows on the snow created from the sun shining through our railing.  I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots.  I did a little cropping and vignetting to clean this up.

On a side note, I helped a friend dig a ditch for a wall last year to protect his house from zombies.  I have been giving him a hard time that I will need some help this year on a project.  Well, it may just be sanding and staining the spindles on the railings around my house.  My estimation is that there are about 400 spindles.

15/366 - "The Answer - Day 15"

Several of you said rock salt, and you would be correct.  I have an idea for the next one that hopefully will be a little tougher.

15/366 - "What Am I?"

(F/9, 100mm, 1/250 sec, ISO 100, Canon 7D)

This one may be a little tougher, at least I hope.  You can either wait until I post the answer tomorrow or you can Click this link for the answer.

14/366 - "Lone Candle"

(F/3.5, 100mm, 1/250 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

At the end of the Friday chapel service during camp, they turn down the lights and pass the "Light of Christ" throughout the church.  Everyone, even the children have a 5 inch candle that they carry back to the cabin line.  With their cabin mates they melt wax on the ground to hold the candles and they form a cross.  As the candles burn down to the ground it forms a giant pile of wax.

I think it is fitting that as many of us head to Father John's memorial service this afternoon, my picture for  today is that of a lone candle.

13/366 - "C"

(F/4.5, 50mm, 1/200 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

Sue has been on a decorating the house kick for the past year, and one of the items she requested for a gift was a large "C", 18 inches to be exact.  She received this for Christmas and it is now in our hallway.  I have had the notion of photographing this since I started the project and figured I would get around to it at some point.  Considering the passing of Father John on Wednesday and his relationship to camp I decided to take the picture today and correlate it to camp.

There is a campfire song that the campers and staff at Calvary Camp (SCC) sing that begins with the lyrics "C that's the way it begins".  Not only is this fine letter the beginning of probably the only camp song I know, it is also the first letter in my last name.

12/366 - "FJ"

(F/7.1, 50mm, 1/100 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

Yesterday, Father John Thomas passed away.  Only being associated with Sheldon Calvary Camp for the past 11 years, my interactions with Father John were very few.  However, my wife Sue and her friends had a much closer relationship with Father John.  Last night, today, and I am sure for the next several days reading Facebook posts will make us all smile and cry as we remember the man we called "FJ".

For those who don't know Sheldon Calvary Camp (SCC) sits next to Lake Erie.  Every year campers and staff collect rocks that have been made smooth over time by the water and sand of the lake.  These rocks are painted during an elective, painted wings, or whenever there is time.  For the 75th Anniversary Celebration there were some of these rocks for sale, and we were fortunate enough to get one for our home.  The painting on the rock is that of the stained glass cross in the chapel at camp.  There are many things that represent camp to everyone and they are different based on the experiences that they have had.  I think everyone would agree that this cross and FJ would be at the top of the list.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Obituary

11/366 - "547"

(F/3.4, 1/50 sec, ISO 400, Canon PowerShot SX200 IS)

I think Sue said it best last night when she posted to Twitter and Facebook the words "Mixed Emotions ~".  Sue has a small family.  Karen her only sister, Karen's husband Patrick, and their twins Matt and Nora, just received an offer on their house yesterday.  The house is under contract and a closing date sometime in the middle of March has been set.  They will be relocating to Columbia, SC, which happens to be "547" miles from Oakmont, PA.  We are happy for their new adventure to begin in South Carolina, and we are excited to visit when we can.  However, we are very sad that the in person interactions will be reduced to a handful of times a year, and augmented through the use of Facebook and video conferencing.

This morning I mapped Oakmont to Columbia on my iPhone and it returned 547 miles.  After I got ready for work, I grabbed the blocks from the kids toys, and set up a quick shot before I left for work.  It turned out okay considering how rushed I felt.

10/366 - "The Answer - Day 10"

Most of you had part of this correct.  It is a used bike chain that has been recycled into a bottle opener.  Shawn was on the right track with jewelry.  I snapped this on the way out the door this morning so the quality is lacking.

10/366 - "What Am I?"

(F/16, 100mm, 2 sec, ISO 100, Canon 7D)

So I am going to concentrate on learning better macro photography skills as part of this 365 project.  Therefore, I will be posting quite a few of the "What Am I?" type of pictures.  I think this one is pretty easy, and is you know me and what my hobbies are, then it should be really easy.  This actually combines 2 of my hobbies, and I would only expect you to guess part of the correct answer.  Guess away, and I will update the post tomorrow with a picture of answer.

Also, if you would like to be a guest poster send me your picture and the story to john.carenbauer@gmail.com and I will post it.

9/366 - "I Hate You"

(F/10, 16mm, 1/200 sec, ISO 100, Canon 7D)

Such a pretty day today.  I was working from home, so at lunch I walked outside and snapped a couple shots of the trees that I love to hate.  I love the shade they provide, but I hate the pollen balls, falling leaves (spring and fall), peeling bark, and falling limbs.  I believe these trees are the dirtiest trees EVER.  The type of tree is a sycamore and according to the Shade Tree Commission (Oakmont's Tree Police), they were transplanted from the Allegheny River to the streets all around Oakmont some 100 years ago.

8/366 - "Water World"

(F/3.4, 5mm, 1/60 sec, ISO 200, Canon PowerShot SX200 IS)

(F/3.4, 5mm, 1/60 sec, ISO 160, Canon PowerShot SX200 IS)

Today I am posting 2 shots.  The photograph on top is the actual post to be counted as my daily post.  We went to my cousins birthday party today in Akron.  They have this awesome facility that has pretty much anything you can imagine in it.  We spent our time at the pool.  There is a full gym, competition pool, track, conference rooms, and Subway restaurant.  Needless to say everyone had a great time.

7/366 - "Jonah, Tired of Being Photographed"

(F/4, 100mm, 1/640 sec, ISO 100, Canon 7D)

Two days in a row we have had outstanding weather in Pittsburgh, another 50 degree day.  Jonah and I headed outdoors while Harper was napping.  Bikes and tennis were the order for the day.  This is not my best picture of the day, but it is the one that I like the best.  He is beginning to get annoyed with me taking his picture and we are only seven days in.  This is going to be a long year for him.

6/366 - "Blue Sky"

(F/5.6, 135mm, 1/200 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

Wow!!!  When I left work today it was 58 degrees in January.  So I decided to walk and pick up the kids. On my walk I passed a church and snapped this shot.  A little straighten and crop and here you go.  Happy Feast of the Epiphany!

5/366 - "Crazy or Cool?"

(F/1.8, 50mm, 1/80 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

We have a neighbor who will remain nameless.  She gave this to Sue for her birthday and it is displayed in our hallway.  At first I thought this was creepy, crazy, and weird.  It has grown on me since then and has been in our house for about 2 years now.  It is quite the conversation piece!

4/366 - "Let's Go Mountaineers!!!"

(F/8, 100mm, 1/200 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

Today's inspiration was easy.  Tonight WVU plays in the Orange Bowl.
Let's Go Mountaineers!!!

3/366 - "Light"

(F/2.8, 100mm, 1/200 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

I think I need to determine a daily theme or some method for inspiration.  I took this shot by accident while preparing for another shot.  I actually liked it better after I straightened and cropped it to be more symmetrical.  The light is actually a hanging light fixture in our kitchen.

2/366 - "Swedish Horses"

(F/3.2, 50mm, 1/80 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

Every year we celebrate the holidays (usually post Christmas) with the Gilchrist, Lower, and Olar families by enjoying a feast of Swedish meatballs and assorted side dishes.  In honor of this holiday feast which we had on 1.2.2012, here are some Swedish horses. 

1/366 - "Harper"

(F/2.8, 100mm, 1/200 sec, ISO 200, Canon 7D)

This is my daughter Harper. She is 2 years old and already knows how to get whatever she wants, and I am not sure how this happened.

My Project

I have decided to take on a 365 project and because this is a leap year it happens to be a 365+1 project. I hope I have what it takes to make it through the entire year without missing a day. We will see! Feel free to comment, critique, and share with family and friends.

The name of this blog was partly inspired by another blog by Jim Callender called "Foto Everyday", partly because I am lazy, and lastly because it is very difficult to find a blogspot name these days. So I reversed the naming and called it "Everyday A Foto".  Thanks Jim!

Note: I did start this on Google+ on 1.1.2012, and decided to move it to a blog on 1.4.2012. Therefore, some of the content may seem to be posted all on the 4th.