Our kitty

Sunrise

Statue in the Rain

Testing something for work

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Beach at Night

It was pretty dark out when I shot this one from our balcony with a tripod. It's a 25-second exposure at ISO 400, f/8. The white streaks are made by someone walking on the beach with a flashlight.

Swim Time

A little too much on the flash, but I had a very impatient subject.

My wife's latest creation

iPhone sunset

Snapped this with my iPhone yesterday. The sun was still a little too bright, so I put my sunglasses in front of the lens to act as a polarizer. Other effects were added with Camera Bag app.

Baby Birds

Frog in the Road

Seen on our evening walk through the neighborhood. Shot with my iPhone because it's all I had with me.

Smile

Snapped with my iPhone...this is the inside of a light fixture at a local restaurant. It's actually a metal pail with holes cut in it for the eyes and mouth...the nose is the lightbulb, which is painted silver on the bottom part.

Fireworks

I didn't have a tripod, and this was just a backyard display at my parents' house, but I managed to get a couple of halfway decent shots.

Breaststroke

Frogs n Flowers

It's like some type of botanical garden at my mother-in-law's house.

Morning Window

Vent

This is the kind of photos you take when it's two hours between events at a swim meet.

Paramount Arts Center

This is the inside of a theater in Ashland, Ky., called the Paramount Arts Center. Shot it today as part of a work project where I have to get photos of the community. Used a 10mm lens, and a 10-second exposure at f/11, ISO 200. Click on the photo for a much larger view.

Graduation Day

May 20, 2010

Today was graduation day for Reece …he donned his first cap and gown and got his preschool diploma, walked across the stage with his fellow classmates and looked so much like your normal kid. Which, to his mother and I seems remarkable considering the past couple of years we have been through.

Reece was a late talker, and because of this people often tried to label him at a very young age. We had considered at one time or another the gamut of possibilities, from autism to any number of developmental problems. Even his preschool, which we loved so much, at one time had their doubts and tried to tag him as having some more serious problem.

He was kind of antisocial and didn’t interact with other children, we were told at one point. Today, he is one of the most gregarious children you’ll ever meet, constantly speaking up, making friends and even singing the lead to “One Small Voice” at the graduation ceremony.

He has sensory issues, which must be why he isn’t talking like he should, we were told by one “professional” who wanted to have him wear a weighted vest as some type of treatment. We declined.

Seeing him today as sort of a shining star of the ceremony (of course I’m a little biased, but he did have a big role) made me realize that not only did his preschool teach him lots of things, but he taught them something as well — perhaps a child can be different and still be fine.

He is hands down one of the brightest children I’ve ever seen. He seems to have a knack for problem solving, and a vocabulary that’s well beyond his age. Just as he taught his teachers a few things, he teaches me on a daily basis.

I’m sure today’s graduation was the first of many to come. A milestone. A time to reflect on where he’s been and where he’s going. I have a feeling that during his life, he’ll teach the world lots of things, and I can’t wait to see what those things are.

Flower shots

Peacock

at the Cincinnati Zoo