The White Cliffs of Normandy - Photo 52 - Project 365

Again the amazing French countryside! Maybe you're heard of 'the white cliffs of Dover,' but south of the English Channel, the cliffs are made of the same chalk. Together, the white cliffs and the green sea and the blue sky make for an impressive sight.

Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Lens ID: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Exposure: 1/500 sec
Aperture: ƒ/11
Focal Length: 55 mm
Flash Used: No
ISO: 400
Filter(s): HOYA UV(0)
Date and Time (Original): 2010:10:20 15:29:15

The Shire - Photo 51 - Project 365

Not the Shire from The Hobbit, but the countryside just a few miles from where we live. The French countryside is simply amazing, and quite the constrast to the flatness closer to where I grew up. The other amazing thing for me was the fact that everything is still this green into late October. (That has changed only here in late December as everything is now covered in snow.)

Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Lens ID: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Exposure: 1/400 sec
Aperture: ƒ/10
Focal Length: 55 mm
Flash Used: No
ISO: 400
Filter(s): HOYA UV(0)
Date and Time (Original): 2010:10:20 15:25:26

French Protests - Photo 50 - Project 365

The strikes here in France seemed to be nearly constant. We spent our first month in France wondering whether we would have public busses the next day and double checking modified inter-city train schedules. When we asked our French friends about it, they would shurg and reply "Welcome to France!" with a wry smile. The retirement reforms (moving the minimum retirement age up to 62) have since passed and with Noël (Christmas) upcoming, things seem to have quieted down considerably.

Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Lens ID: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Exposure: 1/250 sec
Aperture: ƒ/11
Focal Length: 53 mm
Flash Used: No
ISO: 400
Filter(s): HOYA UV(0)
Date and Time (Original): 2010:10:19 11:21:35
Postproduction: Crop

The Shoes Left Behind - Photo 49 - Project 365

These are the sort of pictures one sees set among the islands of the Pacific, and every time I see one, I want to be there! If pictures tell stories, then I think the story here is this: The shoes represent the responsibilities and rules of "normal life" left behind; Our heroine is left to play out her care-free dreams in the sun and the sand. I think it's a dream we all have from time to time. In some ways, that life is what I have right now, although both sun and sand have been in rather limited supply; instead I find clouds and gravel. But the ocean is still there!

Tell me the story this picture coveys to you...

Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Lens ID: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Exposure: 1/250 sec
Aperture: ƒ/13
Focal Length: 29 mm
Flash Used: No
ISO: 200
Filter(s): HOYA UV(0)
Date and Time (Original): 2010:10:17 14:38:03

The Cliffs and the Tide - Photo 48 - Project 365

Living right off the ocean is fascinating for me, in part probably because I grew up over 1000km from the sea! Add to that that the ocean is rarely still, continuously moving rocks and sand and sometimes people too. This picture was taken as the tide went out, causing water to drain off the beach. What I love about this picture is its ability to show a camera's ability to mask scale. How high do you think those cliffs are? 10 feet? 50? 200? In reality, they are about 4 inches tall!

Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Lens ID: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Exposure: 1/250 sec
Aperture: ƒ/11
Focal Length: 27 mm
Flash Used: No
ISO: 200
Filter(s): HOYA UV(0)
Date and Time (Original): 2010:10:17 14:28:41

Strawberry Tart - Photo 47 - Project 365

My Honey has taken up cooking as a hobby and I have become the lucky recipient of much of that goodness!

The strawberries and the grape juice make for lovely vibrant colours. The angle also allows a little bit of playing with what's in focus and what's not quite. :)

Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Lens ID: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Exposure: 1/13 sec
Aperture: ƒ/4.0
Focal Length: 27 mm
Flash Used: No
ISO: 400
Filter(s): HOYA UV(0)
Date and Time (Original): 2010:10:12 18:38:59
Postproduction: Crop

Streaming Lights - Photo 46 - Project 365

Still in Paris, I've always been fascinated with the Metro system. It proves to be a difficult place to take pictures because the light levels are so low (I guess what should I expect from an underground tunnel?) and you're typically moving. Rather than fight it, I figured out how to make it work for me! This picture is taken using a longer shutter speed and the few lights in the tunnel (mostly emergency lighting and traffic control, I presume) plus the movement of the train to get the light streams. Enjoy!

Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Lens ID: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Exposure: 2.5 sec
Aperture: ƒ/5.6
Focal Length: 55 mm
Flash Used: No
ISO: 400
Filter(s): HOYA UV(0)
Date and Time (Original): 2010:10:10 16:41:10

The Eiffel Tower of Light - Photo 45 - Project 365

I made it back to Paris and the icon, of course, is the Eiffel Tower. At night, they have a rotating spotlight from the top, which is fun enough, but then on the hour, they make the Tower twinkle like a Christmas tree! Well done, I say, for “The City of Lights!”

Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Lens ID: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Exposure: 1/3 sec
Aperture: ƒ/3.5
Focal Length: 18 mm
Flash Used: No
ISO: 400
Filter(s): HOYA UV(0)
Date and Time (Original): 2010:10:09 23:05:35

Glass of Light - Photo 44 - Project 365

This was just a fun composition with the candle light behind the glass. I was also trying to have the candle in focus rather than the glass in front.

Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Lens ID: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Exposure: 1/8 sec
Aperture: ƒ/5.6
Focal Length: 55 mm
Flash Used: No
ISO: 400
Filter(s): HOYA UV(0)
Date and Time (Original): 2010:10:05 08:07:29
Postproduciton: Crop

Château de Dieppe - Photo 43 - Project 365

This is the castle sitting on the cliffs, overlooking the sea and standing guard over Dieppe. When the city was walled, the castle had a prominent place in the wall. Today, the walls are gone (save one gate only) leaving the castle.

From Wikipedia:

The exact origin of the castle is [somewhat] confusing, [but] it was certainly built on the site of an earlier castle, built by Henry II and Richard the Lion Heart [of England et al.], then destroyed by Philippe Auguste [of France] in 1195. ... The site was restored in the 14th century. The castle was later in large part reconstructed in 1433 by Charles des Marets.

The town walls were built around 1360. ... Although the town was largely destroyed by an Anglo-Dutch naval bombardment in 1694, the castle survived.

The castle was classified as a Monument historique [Historical Monument] in 1862. ... It was bought by the town in 1903 and today is home to the Dieppe museum with its collection of ivories, maritime exhibits and the papers and belongings of Camille Saint-Saëns.

Taking a photo of the castle is a little tricky because the sky (the background), even when cloudy, is surprisingly bright. Thus, if the camera isn't set right, the detail of the colour of the castle is either washed out or covered in darkness.

Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Lens ID: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Exposure: 1/200 sec
Aperture: ƒ/7.0
Focal Length: 55 mm
Flash Used: No
ISO: 400
Filter(s): HOYA UV(0)
Date and Time (Original): 2010:10:03 15:28:56