Mattheissan State Park Upper Falls

Just below the Upper Falls at Matteissan State Park is a series of smaller falls and this is one of them. Shot taken from a trip way back in 2009. Have to get back there soon.

Mattheissan State Park in the Way Back Machine

Going into the "way back" machine to pick a shot from 2009 taken at Mattheissan State Park in Illinois. You can't get this shot anymore as the trees forming the "x" have fallen down. Going to have to take another trip there soon to see what the falls look like in the winter.

Hermosa Surfer in Silhouette

This is from way back in September of 2009. I have shot this surfer statue in Hermosa Beach a number of times in different light but never posted this shot with the surfer in silhouette. I thought it was a sunset shot but my metadata says it was early morning. Love walking the Strand at Hermosa Beach before sunrise. Easier to do when you get an extra 2 hours to wake up in the western time zone.

Gingerbread House

A gingerbread house with an old time feel. Thanks to the Hacker family for throwing the yearly cookie party.

New York Showing Her Colors at Night

New York City was showing all of her nighttime colors a few weeks ago on a previous trip to the city.  

Nice Sentiment from Montreal

Still in the "way back" machine. Here is a shot from a 2010 trip to Montreal, Canada. Most of my travel is in the US but back in 2010 we were selling taxable munis to the Canadians. I thought this chalk message summed up my experience up north quite well.

Way Back Machine: San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge in Blue and Gold

I am trying to clean up my catalog and go through shots that I haven't posted from the distant past. This is one that I missed somehow as it is one of my favorites from way back in 2010. The bridge was just coming out of fog as the sun was starting to rise. On the west coast, I am a morning person, at least for a few days before adjusting to the time change. I love the yellow and blue colors that naturally appeared as the sun started to rise.

Eckhart's First Good Portrait

I feel like I caught the transition here from a baby to a little boy.

Seattle Space Needle

What do you do when you have a classic (ie, boring) tourist shot? The same thing you do when you are eating some bland food. You juice it up. You put some hot sauce on it. So here is a fairly boring shot of the Space Needle in Seattle, taken from a ferry on Puget Sound. Beautiful in person with the wonderful skyline and the mountains to the south but a bit of a yawn, photographically, in this view. Sun was up high in the middle of the day and not all that interesting. So, I put and little hot sauce in a filter and you get a more dynamic shot. Still not an award winner but, at least to me, a little more interesting.

Olympic National Park Dreamy Evening

Sometimes all you want is some nice light, a comfortable chair and a good book. Taken at Olympic National Park earlier this year.

Beautiful Mount Rainier from Puget Sound

Here is another shot that didn't make the blog this year. Beautiful Mount Rainier taken from the ferry to Seattle in Puget Sound.

That's a lot of red

Wow. When you walk by that much red, you have to stop and take a shot. So, I did. This shot was taken on a trip earlier in the year out in Las Vegas. Restaurants need a lot of color to attract customers. I wasn't hungry. I just liked the red.

Baltimore Inner Harbor at night

Baltimore Inner Harbor at night is a very nice view from a Marriott across the street. Sometimes your hotel room has this view. Sometimes you get to see a rooftop with an air conditioner unit. This is better.

Always a good day waking up by an ocean

Found myself in Annapolis a few weeks ago and got to stay at a Marriott along the Severn River, which cuts through the city. A little touristy but a beautiful area with the Maryland State House serving (briefly) as one of the first capitals of the United States, just a few minutes walk from this spot. Very historic as the Treaty of Paris was signed here, ending the Revolutionary War. Always a good day starting off by an ocean.

Kildare at Live Wire

About a week ago, I got to shoot the band Kildare's official debut at Live Wire where Davern's Tavern bused a bar full of fans to watch Southside Jack (on the mic) and the Szlachta brothers, Matt (shredding the guitar) and Paul (the talented drummer) tear down the house. Quite fun being up past my 10pm bedtime and playing at rock and roll photographer.

Here is the link to the full gallery :https://mdavern2001.shootproof.com/gallery/5414394/

Blackstone Ballroom

I got to shoot in the ballroom of the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago. An amazing room and I chose this shot as I loved the details in the lights around the room. Quite a beautiful place to shoot.

National Cathedral

Caught the National Cathedral on a wonder blue sky day (with a contrail) out in Washington DC last week. Not surprisingly, you find this building on top of a broad hill overlooking Washington and Georgetown. Quite a bike ride on those city rental bikes to get there. However, the ride back down is quite fun, except my rental's brakes weren't the best. That was interesting.

Ex Nihilo--out of the void

I don't like taking pictures of other people's artwork but this sculpture above the main entrance of the National Cathedral in Washington is stunning so I couldn't help myself. It was carved by Fredrick Hart, originally a mail clerk of all things at the National Cathedral who became a stone carver. Depicted here is Adam and Eve being born out of the void. Quite realistic male and female forms.

Here is a color shot from further away:

Men of Annapolis

I got the feeling last week when I was staying at a Marriott in Annapolis, Maryland, that I was being watched by 17 big, strong, strapping men--rugby men, who were very comfortable with themselves and didn't mind if you knew it. Not that there is anything wrong with that.