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Hello Down There. While waiting for someone to come and unlock the van, I thought I'd try something a little different. I think that this top down view picture turned out better than I expected. I really like how it makes it seem like you're way up high.

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Through the Looking Glass. With all of the rain and puddles around, I thought it would be fun to take a self portrait. I think it turned out pretty cool.

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The Great and Spacious Building. One thing I like to do is try and shoot partial silhouette shots. This one turned out okay, although it could be a tad bit darker. But, over all, I think it turned out pretty good.

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X Marks the Spot. Eat your heart out, Jack Sparrow. I found the treasure and I ain't gonna share it. But, you can keep the ice.

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Is That You, Mr. Sun? I really don't like the winter, all the cold and bad air. But, I have come to realize that without the winter, I would not be able to really appreciate the other three seasons we get to enjoy—unless of course you live in Arizona, then it's just hot and bloody hot.

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Down the Sewer Drain. With all of the snow, it is inevitable there will be water. And, with the water come a certain number of immigrants and other travelers of the water-ways—some waiting at the ports, some rush through without stopping. So is life.

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If Father Time Were a Tree. Okay, okay, so it's not one of the giant Redwood trees, but I look at this image and imagine all the stories this tree could tell us if it could talk. I really enjoy large trees—good for climbing (at least as a kid).

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Oh Captain, My Captain. I really like this shot—it's probably one of my top ten of all the shots I've taken so far. To me, when I look at this, I see truth, grit and strength—all ready and willing to stand the test of time.

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Way Up There. I'm always looking for new and interesting things to photograph, and thinking of different ways to shoot them to make them even more interesting. This is a light pole in the Novell parking lot. I got up close and personal with it for this shot...

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Flying. This is not just a cool shot of the sun setting amidst the gathering clouds—if you open it up (just click on it) and look close at the center of the picture, you can see a flock of geese flying along. I waited until they were somewhat visible before taking the picture.

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Friends Stick Together. No matter how much you rake, there are always leaves that escape you and get to experience the cold winter months. Leaves are like friends; they come and go, but only the good ones stick by you when you need them the most.

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Nothing Can Keep Me Down. Even when a few of my kids got swine flu (probably from someone at school), nothing could keep them from watching cartoons. Got to love kids.

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Lift Your Eyes Up and See. Ever go out to eat and look up at the ceiling of the place you're at? This is what I saw when we went to eat at Red Robin. Kind of fun.

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Curb Appeal. Took this cool shot when I was stopped at a red light the other day. Thought the detail was cool, yet subtle. It's the small things in this thing we call life that make the large things appealing.

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I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up. Nostalgia. What would do without it. This cone was probably blown over by the wind. How will it survive? It should have purchased Alert 1 at Walgreens.

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Busted. Three year olds are stealthy, at least mine is. She has the uncanny ability to sneak unnoticed down to my office and place herself in front of my computer. Thank goodness for screen savers that require a password.

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Life in Motion. (series) Trying to time a shot from a moving vehicle is tricky. You really have only one shot. Thank goodness I don't have to drive at the same time.

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The Art in Chaos. There is something to be said about a messy desk. I like to think of it as "matter unorganized" or "art in chaos". This is not my desk, but non-the-less, I thought I'd share it with you.

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Don't Step on the Cracks I absolutely love the simplistic grunge feel that this photo has. I can totally see it being a CD cover for Alice In Chains or some other rock group.

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Life in Motion (series) All I have to say about this picture is that I am glad I am on the opposite side of the road and not heading into that semi.

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Now That's a Lot of Bling I have a jar that I keep the tabs from the cans of soda and juice that I drink in. Since I no longer drink soda (as of January 1, 2010) it's growing a lot slower, but I feel a lot better.

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Life In Motion (series) Here is one of a series that I am going to start taking—I really like the motion blur look in photos, if they are done right. Not all of them that I have taken have turned out, but that's life.

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Interesting Angel. I like finding little odds and ends to shoot and then tilting the camera to give it that much more interesting. This one isn't that hard to figure out. Any guesses as to what it is?

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Accommodating. (forgot my keys) This is the first time I have ever seen something like this—where the cement goes around the manhole cover. Usually, they are either in the street or in the grass. Nice to see something different.

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Up, Up, and Away. (forgot my keys) Don't know why I like shots like this. Maybe it's a perspective thing? Who knows? The trick here was to hide the street light. It's behind the metal pole on the left.

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Land of the Free. (forgot my keys) It's funny how much difference in temperature there is when the wind blow, especially in the winter. I am thankful for the home I have and the protection it affords me and my family.

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Bleacher Sunset. (forgot my keys) This was an interesting shot to take. It makes the house seem a lot farther away then it really was. As soon as the sun was down, it got really, really cold—which is not ideal when taking pictures without gloves.

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Tiered. There's a funny story behind the next few pics I will be posting. I will follow the title with (forgot my keys) so you know that they all go together.

This past Tuesday, I left work and forgot my keys. I called home for a ride and then started to walk. This world is truly amazing, full of awesome details—we're just too busy to stop and pay attention. This gave me a chance to use my legs and take in some of that splendid detail we often times miss.

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Life Unraveled. While wondering what my next shot should be that wouldn't be a rerun of the past, I looked down at my comfy and worn jacket and thought, "I wonder...". And what do you know, it turned out pretty good.

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Almost Twilight. Again, leaving work, I am reminded of how blessed I am to be able to walk out the door of a job that I really enjoy and see this. This scene accompanies me on the short walk to where the van is parked that takes me to my car—which in turn takes me to my family.

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Dine in or Drive-thru? If you have ever eaten fast food (and I know you all have) and waited in line at the drive through, this might look familiar. I chose to take this shot because I liked the three types of stone together.

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Cold Morning Fill Up. Getting gas in the winter time is no fun, but it's something we have to do. I am just glad that gas isn't $4.20 a gallon anymore. That was ridiculous.

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Desolation. Sometimes you only get one chance for a shot and then it's gone. This is not one of those shots, although it could have been. I don't know how many times I drove by this spot on 13400 South before I forced myself to stop and snap a few photos. I'm glad I did.

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At a Standstill. There are ample opportunities for photos while stopped at a red light, but you have to be quick, real quick. I think the texture of the metal alone was worth the time it took to get this shot. The roads this tire must have traveled.

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Gone But Not Forgotten. Like one of my earlier flower photos (#003), this is also on my way to work. I really like this one—the way the light hits the flower, the sad drooping of it's head and the detailed but not overbearing appearance of the backdrop. Morning walks to work are truly filled with life's littlest treasures.

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Wild. It's amazing that anything can survive in the winter, especially with the air quality we've had the past while. Yuck. This plant is on my way to work; it's not in bloom, but waiting for spring to arrive.

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Down the Sewer Drain. Metal and asphalt make a great combination, especially when it comes to black and white shots. I think the two things that I like most about this shot is the slight tilt to the picture and the two rocks lodged in the grate.

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Early Morning Ice Fog. Arriving one morning through an entire valley of fog, I noticed that the fog in this area wasn't just fog, but you could feel little pieces of ice in the are. Creepy. You can actually see the "ice fog" in the picture—it's not film grain or pixely because of a low-quality camera, it's ice.

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Better Than Man's Best Friend. Okay, this may not be everyones best friend—maybe it's just one of mine. This is a close shot of my murse (man purse) that I took on the 20 minute ride home from work. Love the way the light from the end of the day hits it.

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Something Wicked This Way Comes. While waiting for the other riders to show up for the van, I happened to luck out and capture this huge, black rain cloud looming overhead. That's one wicked looking rain cloud.

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The Giant Land Squid. When I showed this picture to my daughter Mallory, she said it looked like a giant squid. Come to think of it, it really does. Kids have the best imaginations ever.

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Resting. This is a tree that has fallen along the path that I walk to work. It is resting against the other trees and bushes. I think the snow in the background ads depth to the photo, plus it helps with the contrast.

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Minor Flaws and Perfection. Flaws? Perfection? What? Check it out. The reason I like this picture, and the reason I think it works out so well, is that with as crisp and perfect as the logo itself appears, there are enough minor flaws around it to balance it out.

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The Path Less Traveled. This is the view I get to experience most everyday after crossing the barren wasteland of the Novell parking lot. In the winter, there's usually some steam coming of the canal to the left. The rest of the year, this path is frequented by ducks and a mean gander of thug geese, looking to steal my lunch.

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Sunrise, Sunset. This was late afternoon. I looked up from my work and glanced out the window. Wow, what a sight, I thought. I'll go take a picture for the blog. What I didn't realize, or remember, was that my old office had a screen on it to block out some of the glare from the afternoon sun. I rushed out the door into some really blinding light. But, the picture turned out to be a keeper.

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Locked. Despite the semi-medieval appearance of this image, I doubt that it's that old. Amazing what a little tweaking can do for the character of a photo. There's so much detail.

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Sunrise. There are some pretty beautiful things that I get to see on my walk to and from work. I took this the other morning. I think the clouds really help set the mood.

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Down the Drain. Again, I return to the sink—this time with ice. We are drinking a lot of ice water these days, especially now that I am off soda. Lots and lots of ice water. Makes me cold just thinking about it. Brrr...

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Pure entertainment. I took this picture the other night wondering if it was even going to be a candidate for this blog, and you know what? It is. I think this picture turned out a lot better than I expected. The Wii and the Xbox360 are a great way to relax after a long day of work.

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Ah, my beloved wall of soda cans. Back in the day (2009) when I used to be a hard core soda (mainly diet) drinker, I would finish a can and then tape it to the large window in my office (this was mainly to cover the elevator shaft that covered two thirds of the window). Since I am now no longer in my office and out in "general population", I decided to transport my cans. Just as the Statue of Liberty came over from France piece by piece, so did my Great Wall of Cans, which now covers the window in my new cubicle overlooking the warehouse.