Shadowman Rides Again

This morning was perfect for a bike ride. It was 48°F and blustery when I started out at 9:00 AM. And it sure felt great to be outside again!  My ride took me from Willow Grove to Doylestown and back, a total of 36 miles. Sure beats riding the trainer and watching Spinerval videos!

An FB friend uses RunKeeper to log his run workouts. I gave it a try, too. After three months of use, I can say with confidence, I no longer look like my profile photo on that site!

You can download the RunKeeper app for your iPhone or Android device here.

Play For Drinks?

Play For Drinks?
Originally uploaded by jomak14

"Now chalk-up and let's see you break up that cluster there!"

Photex 80mm f/2.8 S&T lens on a 1Ds
[ 0.05 sec (1/20) | f/2.8 | FLength 80 mm | ISO 400 | Manual exposure ]

A Rainy Night At The Bus Stop

A Rainy Night At The Bus Stop
Originally uploaded by jomak14

Still learning how to use this tilt-shift lens effectively.

Photex 80mm f/2.8 S&T Lens on a 1Ds
[ 0.05 sec (1/20) | f/2.8 | FLength 80 mm | ISO 800 | Manual exposure ]

The 1Ds & The Tilt-shift Lens

The 1Ds & The Tilt-shift Lens
Originally uploaded by jomak14

'Bokeh-fying' the Russian-made tilt-shift lens.

EF 135mm f/2 L on a 1D
[ 0.01 sec (1/100) | f/2.8 | Focal Length 135 mm | ISO 200 | Manual exposure | Off-camera strobe ]

Mesmerizing Highlights

Mesmerizing Highlights
Originally uploaded by jomak14

A crumpled piece of aluminum foil and two multi-colored LED lights were used to create the background highlights.

Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 Ai-S on a 1Ds
[ 0.02 sec (1/50) | f/1.2 | FLength 50 mm | ISO 100 | Manual exposure | Off-camera strobe ]

Strobist info: a bare Speedlite 580EX on the floor at camera right, triggered by an ST-E2.

Double-decker Parking

Double-decker Parking
Originally uploaded by jomak14

Valet service had difficulty maneuvering the cars into the 'double-decker' parking facility at the recently concluded auto show. The place was packed to the brim as you can see here!

Make your own fake tiltshift image at tiltshiftmaker.com.

Tokina 27-70mm f/2.8 ATX-PRO SV
[ 0.003 sec (1/400) | f/2.8 | FLength 70 mm | ISO 800 | -2/3 EV ]

Being Eleven

The best thing about turning a year older on a Friday is you get to celebrate on your actual birthday and let it spill over into the weekend.

Before heading off to school, we made a stop at the local doughnut shop to buy some goodies to share with her class.

Her godmother sent this birthday card in the mail. It also included a bracelet depicting the life of Jesus Christ in a succession of beads & charms.

There were only two items on her 'wish list', one of which is this doll that we got at a large-box store.

*Update: Mom got her a radio with a CD player.

Her closest friends arrived with pillows & sleeping bags in tow. And they spent a few minutes goofing around while opening her presents.

Then off we went for some ice skating fun! Did I mention it was cold there? Well, it was FREEZING cold!!! Free-skate time ended at 10:15 PM. But not before meeting another friend at the rink. The girls had lots of fun. And the 'thumbs-up' says it all!

She got an overseas phone call from an aunt in the Philippines while her friends were posing for the shot.










We had to make do with whatever candles were readily available. Hence, the skull & tea light! Home-baked brownies and chips kept them up until 4:00 AM.  She needed as much sleep as she could get! Saturday was a big day for her!




A 2-mile run at 12:00 PM and a sparring day at Karate Class were still on her schedule.  Here she is at the start/finish of her 2-mile run. Then Karate class at 12:45 PM.   An awesome first day at being eleven it was indeed!

They Grow Up Too Fast!

They Grow Up Too Fast!
Originally uploaded by jomak14

She turns eleven today. Happy Birthday, Mariel!

EF 85mm f/1.8 II USM on a 1D
[ 0.008 sec (1/125) | f/1.8 | FLength 85 mm | ISO 400 | Manual exposure ]

In Denial

In Denial
Originally uploaded by jomak14

It's getting to a point where it's a 'no-brainer'. I say, embrace it for all its worth! My eyes will thank me for it. ;-D

EF 85mm f/1.8 II USM

[ 1/16000 sec | f/1.8 | FLength 85 mm | ISO 400 ]

Framed & Wired

Framed & Wired
Originally uploaded by jomak14

Mastercard, VISA or MAC are accepted here for purchases. SEPTA Train Station, Willow Grove, PA.

EF 85mm f/1.8 II USM

[ 0.013 sec (1/80) | f/1.8 | FLength 85 mm | ISO 400 ]

1966 Ford GT40 MKIIA - Alan Mann Racing Ltd.

The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969 (1966 being the Mk II, 1967 the Mk IV, and 1968-1969 the oldest chassis design, the Mk I). It is so far the only American car to win overall at this race (Although the Mk I and the Mk II were actually designed and built in the United Kingdom). (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_GT40)

Ford's entry at the 1966 Le Mans 24-hours is the strongest works entry ever seen: no less than 8 factory Fords MkIIA are sent to La Sarthe.  The #1, #2 and #3 are entries by Shelby American Inc., aligning 3 American and 3 New Zealand drivers. (It's not clear why Lloyd Ruby, winner at Daytona and Sebring was not selected by Carroll Shelby). The #4, #5 and #6 are entries by Holman & Moody using four American racers (among them NASCAR specialist Dick Hutcherson), one Australian and one Belgian. Finally Alan Mann Racing Ltd., located in England, shows with two cars (#7 and #8) with its traditional racers: F1-world champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Graham Hill, Sir John Whitmore, dr. Dick Thompson and Australian Frank Gardner. (Source: LE MANS 1966 FORD DRIVERS by Ken Miles) 

Car #8 clocked the second fastest grid qualifying time behind eventual winner car#1 but DNF'd due to clutch problems.

Pos Car # Drivers Car Entrant Laps DNF Reason Grid Qual.Time 1 2 Bruce McLaren/Chris Amon/Bob Grossman*/Dan Gurney* Ford Mk II [1046] Shelby American Inc. 360 4 3m32.6 2 1 Ken Miles/Denny Hulme/Lucien Bianchi*/Richard Thompson*/Lloyd Ruby*/Mark Donohue* Ford Mk II [1015] Shelby American Inc. 360 2 3m31.7 3 5 Ronnie Bucknum/Dick Hutcherson/A.J.Foyt*/Bruce McLaren*/Peter Arundell* Ford Mk II [1016] Holman & Moody 348 9 3m34.6 DNF 8 John Whitmore/Frank Gardner/Mike Salmon^/Jack Sears* Ford Mk II [XGT-1] Alan Mann Racing Ltd. 31 Clutch 3 3m32.2 (Source: http://www.teamdan.com/archive/wsc/1966/66lemans.html)

Porsche 911 GT3 RS

A tricked-out GT3 RS was at the auto show but this burly security dude prevented me from capturing its rear-end! Tried my best to work around his leg but the photo's perspective was askew! Wasted photo opportunity it was.  

The new 911 GT3 RS passes 60 mph mark in 3.8 seconds. Short ratios increase the acceleration potential in all six gears. Consistent aerodynamics, designed for downforce, allow high cornering speeds and excellent driving stability and performance. However, the top track speed is still an impressive 193 mph. The 911 GT3’s weight to power ratio is 7.1 lb per hp. In the new 911 GT3 RS it is 6.7 lb per hp. (Source: Porsche GT3 RS Features)
 

A Classic Pony Car

A Classic Pony Car
Originally uploaded by jomak14

The paper-thin depth-of-field and the out-of-focus areas' rendering into a pleasing blur is what draws me to wide-aperture lenses. The creamy smoothness and fascinating circular highlights are certainly a visual delight!

Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 on a 30D
[ 0.001 sec (1/800) | f/1.2 | FLength 58 mm | ISO 800 | +1/3 EV ]

Pre-Valentine's Day Breakfast

Roses and chocolates, nothing could be more cliché for Valentine's Day.  Nevertheless, the combination always finds a sweet spot with my girls.

 

Since 'heart-day' falls on a Monday, we wouldn't have time to sit down and have breakfast together.  So, I decided to pamper them a little on Sunday morning.  Heart-shaped pancakes, bacon, sausage links and a cheese omelette were ready and waiting.  Fresh strawberries plus a choco-chip cookie brownie for dessert afterward!  *nom* *nom*

 
I can cook but I can't bake if my life depended on it!  But to my surprise, it wasn't all that hard to follow the instructions on the back of the box.  Duh!  And the end result was very satisfying, if I may say so myself!

 I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day with your loved ones!

Subaru Impreza WRX STI

Featured here is the 2011 Impreza WRX STI which boasts a 305 hp 2.5-liter DOHC turbocharged engine with a high-cross-flow-design intercooler, maximum boost pressure: 14.7 psi, 18 x 8.5-inch, multi-spoke aluminum-alloy and performance-design front seats with fixed integrated head restraints.

Rear spoiler (4-door / 5-door)

Ken Block Gymkhana Video Demo in an Impreza WRX STI

Performance-design front seats with fixed integrated head restraints

Turbocharger with high-cross-flow-design intercooler. Maximum boost pressure: 14.7 psi.

With all that horsepower on tap it still manages decent mileage!