Day 201

Day201, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

This one fits nicely into my collection of vintage car photos. Just last night I was gathering up all the car photos I’ve shot in the last 6 months and putting together a gallery for my website. I really like the graphic qualities of the vintage cars and the compositions that are possible with the voluminous lines and large amounts of chrome. I’m thinking I’d like to sell some prints from this collection, I just need to find a gallery that would be willing to sell my work. If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them. You can view a gallery of my car photos on my website: http://terryschmidbauer.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18&Itemid=35

Day 200

Day 200, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

Day 200: Michele and me went to Snohomish for lunch and a little shopping in the rain today. Michele was on the hunt for some antique coat hooks for the upstairs bathroom and I was taking pictures in the antique shops. It didn’t take me long to get tired of the all of the clutter and closed in areas of the shops so I elected to wait outside in the rain and take some sidewalk photos while Michele finished her shopping. I had my camera pointed up the street and was waiting for people with umbrellas to pass by when I noticed this women turn around and look right into my camera. I have no idea who she was or if she knew I had her in focus but it was a great look so I snapped the picture. This shot has such a great memory feeling to it, almost a farewell look. But like I said, I had know idea who she was so the memory is implied.

Day 199

Day 199, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

I stopped at Lake Sammamish before work this morning for a couple of quick shots. The clouds were clearing and I thought I could get a shot with some drama. I started taking picture of this hand rail on the dock when this girl came up and struck this pose. She didn’t even realize she was in my frame! It was such a wonderful gesture I had to burst off 6 shots. I had a little bit of a problem developing this as it was a little underexposed but the sepia tone helps even the tonality. I like that she seems to be looking at the bright spot in the water, it gives the composition a secondary focal point.

Day 198

Day 198, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

Water drops on a black car is an open invitation to take pictures! This is my friends Datsun 280 Z that was parked in the lot this morning as I was pulling into work. He just finished having it rebuilt and it looks beautiful!

As I was working around the car taking pictures I kept finding really nice little areas. When I thought I was done I would find something else and have get the camera back out of my bag and shoot more. Even after I imported the shots into Lightroom I decided to swap lenses and reshoot this medallion. I wanted it to be tack sharp and my 50mm is the sharpest, fastest lens I have.

Day 197

Day 197, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

As long as we have brilliant colored leaves I feel it’s my duty to capture at least a couple of landscape shots even though it’s not my forte. I shot this on the way to work this morning. The sun was breaking thru the clouds and was lighting up the Sammamish Valley. I got out of traffic and found some high ground, got up on top of my truck and shot some pictures. This image still needs a little more clean up but it’s fine for now.

Day 196

Day 196, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

It was a very hard day for capturing photos here in the Pacific Northwest but sometimes when you have to work for something, it comes out better than the easy stuff. Not only was dark, dreary and raining it was cold. My hands are just starting to warm up after only an hour outside. I may have to get used to using gloves.

I was shooting the sidewalk next to the Redmond Library when this person in a red umbrella came walking down the path. I was not in position when I saw them enter my scene and I thought I missed the shot. But I jumped into action and fired off a burst of shots without regard to what anyone thought of what I was doing. I still wish I would have gotten into position a little sooner but it is what it is. When I got back to the Lightroom I got the idea of this person with the red umbrella leaving a trail of red leaves.

Day 195

Day 195, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

I tried to capture the mood of Autumn in the air in Seattle right now. I set up my camera on a sidewalk in Redmond Town Center and took photos of people walking thru the leaves. I liked the idea of focusing on the feet of someone passing by as they kicked up some leaves. Everyone can relate to that wonderful feeling of walking thru leaves which is unique to Autumn so that’s what makes this photo work. I also like the slight motion blur of the feet as it gives the feet a sense of motion.

Day 194

Day 194, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

I went to Central Market to pick up some groceries and I took along the camera just in case I found something worth shooting. As I was leaving the store I started working with the pumpkins in front of the building. I was pointing the camera down the length the of the pumpkin display when this man came up and reached out to touch one of the pumpkins, I snapped the picture.

Day 193

Day 193, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

It was raining today so I had to make up something. I walked around the garden in the rain and started doing long exposures and moving the camera to take advantage of camera mocement. I centered on this garden angle and went tried to create something with mood and movement. It was fun but my camera was covered in rain drops.

Day 192

Day 192, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

I’ve driven past this car many times in the last few weeks and didn’t think anything of it until this morning. I debated whether or not to turn around and take a picture but in the end I couldn’t resist and I went back.

There’s a story here but I can’t tell it, I don’t even know what it is myself, I can only point the viewer in a direction and let them go explore. This is kind of an odd car so to emphasize that I gave the composition a bit of a slant. It’s a Mercedes but it’s missing it’s hood ornament. How often do you see a Mercedes without it’s hood ornament? Maybe that’s where the story begins…….

Day 191

Day 191, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

Another foggy morning with some sun burning thru enough to give me something to photograph. As I was driving thru the Woodinville round-a-bout I noticed that Ste. Michelle was totally fogged in so I decided to make a quick stop. I parked outside the gates and walked up the drive to take some shots for the vineyard. I enhanced the color a little bit in this shot and had to crop but this is pretty much how I saw it.

Day 190

Day 190, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

I got a call from a friend that Marymoor Park had some great fog this morning so I grabbed my camera and took a quick ride down there. Most of the fog had already burned off by the time I got there but I managed to capture something worthwhile.

Day 189

Day 189, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

Something a little more light hearted today. I saw this scarecrow at the garden center and thought it would make for an interesting portrait. Scarecrows pose really well but they always have the same expression. They don't require a model release either so I can do whatever I like with the photos

Day 188

Day 188, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

Day 187

Day 187, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

Day 186

Day 186, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

There's a emptiness in death that's hard to understand. In a single moment the light can go from filling a room with sunshine to pitch darkness............


There's an emptiness in our house tonight. Mischu was put to rest tonight at 7:00 pm.

Sleep well my little darling, we will miss you with all our heart.

Day 185

Day 185, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

Day 185: I'm battling a cold today so I only took a little time for photos. Looks like I may need to trim my eyebrows.

Day 184

Day 184, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

I met John down by the Sammamish river while I was shooting some panning shots of cyclists flying by. He had a camera around his neck so I struck up a conversation with him. We exchanged a lot really good information about photography and I snapped a quick photo of him.

Day 183

Day 183, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

I started off the second half of my Project 365 with a really fun shoot. A friend at work wanted some photos of him and his lead singer for an album cover they're working on. I jumped at the chance to shoot some music stuff again, it's one my favorite things to shoot. I thought that Ste. Michelle would be a great place to shoot because the grounds are so Euro looking it was fitting for their techno music style.

The golden hour is now closer to 5:00 so it turned out to be a great time to shoot too. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be "allowed" to shoot at Ste. Michelle because I was accused again of being a professional photographer again.

There are so many great shots from this session but this one just jumped off the screen when Michele and I were reviewing the shots. This shot was framed in the camera with minimal amount of processing.

Day 182

Day 182, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

I’ve hit the half way point in my Project 365. I’m feeling really good about the progress I’ve made so far but I know there’s still so much more to learn, to understand and to reflect. The one thing that has helped me with my progression is reading. I’ve read more books in the last 6 months than I have in a long time. The single most important book I read was “Visual Poetry” By Chris Orwig. He not only addresses the “how” to take a photo but also the “why”. This book has not only changed the way I take pictures but also the way I look at life. One thing from Chris’s book that I think about everyday when I’m looking thru the camera is “to become a better photographer, you need to become a better person”.

This image boarders on being a peeping Tom but it really displays the idea that I’m looking beyond the surface and searching for something more. I was walking past the public library when I noticed the sun being reflected off this man’s book. I crept in closer to the window and took the shot. I’m glad I had my camera set at F8 because I didn’t take the time to adjust it. I was too excited about moment to check my camera.

This photo represents where I am and where I’m going with this project, I looking for more, not excepting the ordinary and being a little more prepared....

Day 181

Day 181, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

This is a detail from the greenhouse at Ste. Michelle. It was a beautiful sunny day so I went up to Ste. Michelle and took a walk around the grounds. I’m still working with my 50mm prime and making myself work a little more for a shot by having to move my body to zoom in and out. I’m also working with bokeh but instead of just opening up the aperture all the way, I’m making a decision on the selection of F stop to focus on exactly what I want. I chose this one because of the contrast between the soft background and the course painted surface. The bokeh gives this a nice mood and the dark and light give this a nice balance.

Day 180

Day 180, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

....again, some of the best photos are right in your own backyard! I was working with my 50mm prime and after shooting almost every plant in the backyard, I got behind the waterfall to work with the sculpture hanging on the fence. I shot a couple of close ups of just the eyes but I thought it would be more interesting to keep more clues in to help the viewer understand what they were looking at. The screw holding the plaque to the fence is a good example of that. The bokeh helps set a mood for the image and the detail on the sculpture give the viewer plenty to explore.

Day 179

Day 179, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

Today Michele and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary by going downtown to have lunch at our favorite French restaurant, attending the opening weekend of the Picasso exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum and then finishing off the day by going to one of Michele favorite restaurants, Purple in Kirkland. I couldn't represent this day with just one photo so I put together this collage.

Day 178

Day 178, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

Here's a scary one! There were way too many good shots to choose from so Michele had to help me pick. The shadows along the left edge of the pumpkin look like witches. Maybe sometime I'll actually paint in a clearer witch to make that clearer. There's a nice area at around 8 o'clock on the pumpkin that would be perfect for a witch silhouette.

Day 177

Day 177, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

I saw this on the way home and had to pull over and get on top of my truck to shoot it. I had replace the grape leaves I posted earlier but I can always take that shot. It took a little bit to make this photo work because I way over exposed the capture but I'm really happy with how it turned out. It has a nice abstract quality to it that I was striving for.

Day 176

Day 176, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

The light was great this morning as it peered thru the morning fog so I stopped into Ste. Michelle to take advantage of the light. I arrived at 9:00 am which is before the grounds open I still took a walk around the grounds. Although I was questioned as to my reasons for being on the premises before it was open, I got some great captures. As a matter of fact, I there about 4 or 5 that are suitable for printing.

I’m shooting this planter as a portrait by keeping the center of attention on the planter but letting the background give the image an atmosphere. I wanted to show the architecture of the Ste. Michelle in the background to give this image some presence so instead of blurring out the background using bokeh, I kept my aperture at F 8 and let the fog create the separation between the planter and the background. I can really see this as a really large living room print.

Day 175

Day 175, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

I shot some interesting things this morning on my way to work this morning, something that are totally different for me but I really like how this portrait of Reid turned out. We went to the Family Pancake House for lunch as a small group and as Reid was studying the menu, I snapped a couple of portraits of him. This has a nice mood about it that I like but I feel like I’m just reshooting the same images over and over again. This is the same type of portrait I’ve shot now at least a dozen times now. It’s nice to know that I can shoot this type of photo but as I’m getting to almost the midway point in the project, I need to start expanding my vision more.

Day 174

Day 174, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

This is a windmill in Woodinville behind the Hollywood School House. I waited until my drive home from work today to take today's photo. It was cloudy for most of the afternoon but I was confidant I could get sun break around sunset so I waited. When I left work it was totally cloudy and I thought I had made a mistake and should have shot something during lunch when it was sunny. When I got half way home the clouds were breaking up enough on the horizon to let some sun thru. When I saw that sun break, I looked for the first thing to photograph and low and behold I scored a windmill. I worked quickly because I didn't know how long I had before the clouds swallowed up the sun again.

This was shot with my 50mm prime. I purposely left the zoom at home this morning so I would have to work for a shot and although I wish I would have brought my zoom, it was a good exercise to move around to frame the image.

Day 173

Day 173, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

I had to go into work again today so I didn't have much time for shooting. But I did manage to grab this capture of the fiber optic light in the hallway. I've been looking at that light for weeks now waiting to take the picture when I didn't have any other opportunities.

Day 172

Day 172, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

I had to go into work today but I took the chance to photograph Downtown Redmond on a weekend. It really isn’t much different than the weekdays except there were more kids at the skate park. As I was walking back to the office a friend from work was just finishing up his smoke break and offered to pose for a portrait. I really didn’t take a good photo on the walk so I welcomed Chris’s offer.

This was the first shot I took of him and although I took a couple dozen more after this, this was the best one. I like that his face fills the frame but is offset to the left which creates the fuzzy negative space on the right that helps frame his face. This was framed in the camera and if you could see the cropping grid in Lightroom, you would see that the edge of his face perfectly follows the arc on the golden mean swirl. I didn’t plan it that way, it just happened that way. Everything in this composition moves along this logarithmic spiral which starts in the upper left and ends at the left corner of his mouth. Even the curl in his beard follows the curve!

Day 171

Day 171, originally uploaded by Terry Schmidbauer.

This image was three weeks in the making. I originally took this photo the day I discovered the greenhouse at Ste. Michelle Winery. I took a couple of sketch photos that day in the flat mid-day light with the intention of returning sometime when the light was better. The door of the green house faces South while the West side is blocked by trees for late day sun. Morning light was my only option as that was the only exposed aspect. I’ve been waking up every morning and checking the light for a break in the clouds and that break came this morning.

The light was changing really fast while I was shooting this. The highlight on the door lock was a lucky break and was gone within minutes. There were so many different options to develop this capture, it was really hard to settle on just one. I went with this color version because of the warm inner glow contrasted with the cool framework on the outside. That contrast helps to define the separation between the inside and out and gives this image an appealing mood.