20090528

Underwater picture

I took this picture last summer in our backyard pool - with a simple disposable Fuji (film) underwater camera. Cassidy has been taking swimming lesson's since she was a toddler - and each session they try to take a underwater picture to sell to the parents. Emphasis on 'try' because it is an indoor pool and unless the light is just right - the pictures are usually pretty murky. So I was trying to take a half decent underwater picture to share with family and friends.

Skip ahead to this Spring. I post and share my pictures via Flickr. On Flickr there are groups for different interests. Several months ago I had come across the Popular Photography magazine group on Flickr and joined it. Every couple of months the staff from PopPhoto will post requests for specific types or themes for pictures that they need for upcoming issues.

In March - there was a request for an underwater picture taken with a compact camera (not with a high end SLR in a housing) and I submitted this picture. The staff at PopPhoto contacted me and asked me to sign a release for the picture.

I didn't find out that it was actually going to be published - until the June 2009 issue was published. My picture appears on page 55 as part of the tip on "How to... Dive in using a compact".

[The tips should be published on the PopPhoto web site at some point in the next couple of weeks. When it is - I will include the link to the article].

20090516

Air Force One comes to Phoenix

On Wednesday, the President came to Phoenix to give the Commencement address for ASU's graduation.

So for aviation photographers - that meant a chance to take pictures of Air Force One as it came into land. I had some vacation to use up - so I took the day off and went down early to find a good place to take pictures from. I ended up on an upper level of the airport parking garage - with a good view of the north side runway.

Below is the link to the highlights of this mini photo trip on my Flickr photostream.

20090511

Summertime - its here now


IMG_5849, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Its mid-May, the temperature has hit the triple digits for several days in a row now - and the pool is warm enough to go for a dip.

Time to start the post-work, pre-dinner swim.