Window v graffiti

Window v graffiti - #49/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Iced tree and bench

Iced tree and bench - #48/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Park edge

Park edge - #47/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Balcony shapes

Balcony shapes - #46/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Boxing Day meat lovers

Boxing Day meat lovers - #45/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Fuchsia crown, empty glasses and Christmas games

Fuchsia crown, empty glasses and Christmas games - #44/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Winter Garden glow

Winter Garden glow - #43/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

We went to see the Robin Hood Pantomime today at the wonderful Elgin Winter Garden with the whole family - great fun and perfect for Christmas eve, perhaps a new tradition - www.rosspetty.com/.

Cheery hats on a very cold day

Cheery hats for a very cold day - #42/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Cello fellow

Cello fellow - #41/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

A rather serious cellist playing along to a Beatles soundtrack.

Self portrait

Self portrait - #40/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

I notice that a lot of photographers take self-portraits and since I wasn't too happy with a limited choice for my daily pic, I set up the tripod and tried to apply some tips I've learned from sites like Digital Photography School. I tried a few different poses and compositions, but decided this one was the best, technically and I was happy with my smile and the look in my eyes. The most difficult aspect of taking your own picture is focus, especially when you're working with quite a shallow depth of field as is the case here. I decided to keep the camera on autofocus and I used a remote shutter release. The one feature of my D80 I did use which I don't think I've ever really used is selecting the specific focus zone - in this case top-medium-right, which I hoped gave me the best chance of getting my eyes in focus. Lucky I didn't have anything between my teeth !

K on Blue Ice

K on Blue Ice - #39/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Blue Trains

Blue Trains - #39/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Your table awaits

Your table awaits - #38/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Da Gianni e Maria Trattoria on St. Clair West.

Olympic Heights

Olympic Heights - #37/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

An athlete performs during the Olympic torch ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square.

DJ Hero

DJ Hero - #36/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

It was my son's 13th birthday today and we bought him DJ Hero, the new interactive music game (Playstation). Similar concept to Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but very different music content. I really like it (although my wrist is already sore after just a few turns), probably because I used to DJ (campus radio, CKMS - U Waterloo) and had aspirations of club DJ'ing over the years. Plus I enjoy the beats from hip hop remixes. Music has always been a big passion of mine (fighting with photography for my attention these days) and I was always the one making mix tapes in the day...and that's where I got my alias PJMixer.

Mark

Mark - #35/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.


Mark is an old friend of mine and when he asked for a co-pilot for his Holiday Helpers (www.holidayhelpers.org) deliveries a few weeks ago I jumped at the opportunity to do a little for those less fortunate than us this Christmas time. We had a great morning and made 4 deliveries of trees, decorations and gifts to two families and 2 young single mothers.

Sheraton Affections

Sheraton Affections - #34/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Bosh fade away

Bosh fade away - #33/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Cosmic lane

Cosmic lane - #32/265, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Metropolitan United Church

Metropolitan United Church - #31/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Note - one small cheat on this "inCamera" shot, I straightened the shot slightly - I found it very tough to get it level, especially in very cold conditions today.

Boyhood dreams

Boyhood dreams - #30/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Slush - Tracks - Bike

Slush - Tracks - Bike - #29/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Downtown Home

Downtown Home - #28/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Some colour on a grey day

Some colour on a grey day - #27/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Patient

Patient - #26/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Well Kooper wasn't that patient with me today as I was trying to get my picture of the day, but he was for this shot.

The big story today was that I had another problem with my 8GB SanDisk Ultra II SD card. I'm not certain what the problem was/is and I've only had problems over the last few days. How sensitive are these SD cards, could a gentle clasp between my teeth do serious damage ? But today, not only did I lose this picture, I lost a whole bunch of shots of my brother-in-law's 40th birthday party. I almost cried when I got home as I was (by default) the primary photographer for the party. I felt horrible, embarrassed, an idiot, and much worse. But I thought - I've heard about data recovery software, there could be SD card recovery software that may work. I did a quick search and found many choices, but I felt a little uncomfortable downloading an app without a personal recommendation. But I wanted this hell to be over as soon as possible so I trusted the user testimonials and downloaded Cardrecovery - www.cardrecovery.com. It was advertised as a free download, but of course there was a catch (or I didn't read the fineprint). After downloading the software and letting it scan by card, it showed me all the found (previously lost) images. That was their sales pitch - I could see my lost images ! At this point, I would have almost paid anything, so I made the required purchase (CAD$44) to complete the recovery process and low and behold I can now have a good night's sleep. Cardrecovery saved the day.

My new muse

My new muse - #25/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Tough day behind the camera today. I went out to the movies with my daughter and took my camera along. Right at my corner there's was a student jazz band playing on the street - but I forgot to put my SD card back in the camera. Then later in the day (after I made a pit stop at home and put the card back in the camera) I run out to do a few errands and take my camera along for my daily pick before dark. I saw an old wood paneled Buick station wagon in a alley with a fire escape and some nice lighting. Took quite a lot of shots...but for some very odd reason when I got home, the photos weren't on the SD card. I'm still baffled. Temperature ? Accidental delete bag button press? So, it's getting late and I'm looking for my shot of the day and my 7 month old Australian Shepherd is just chilling out at my wife's feet. He is my new muse, never complains about having his picture taken, has a natural high contrast coat, comes up with some interesting poses and has soulful eyes. My family helped pick this shot over the next next one as the pose was some adorable.

My Mom and My Dog

My Mom and My Dog - #24/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Wish upon a star

Wish upon a star - #23/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Dewy curves

Dewy curves, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Catch the joy

Catch the joy - #21/365, originally uploaded by PJMixer.