1. 20110627, a set on Flickr. Today was quite a day. Sam was sleep deprived due to an impromptu sleep over and decided to become the poster child for oppositional and defiant children everywhere. Jocie got her hair done and then spent the rest of the day (literally) putting Sam back in time out over and over. I finally got home and by then he seemed to have been learning from his punishments (better late than never) so we went out to burgers and the park to blow off some steam. As we were playing a mixture of soccer, baseball, and running around, the sun started to set and I couldn’t help myself and shot a few photos. I used my 70-300mm and got a few nice ones during the golden hour.

    Using karate to catch fliesResting Behind the BackstopBaseball in a skirt, what's the problem with thatDSC_2035

    20110627, a set on Flickr.

    Today was quite a day. Sam was sleep deprived due to an impromptu sleep over and decided to become the poster child for oppositional and defiant children everywhere. Jocie got her hair done and then spent the rest of the day (literally) putting Sam back in time out over and over. I finally got home and by then he seemed to have been learning from his punishments (better late than never) so we went out to burgers and the park to blow off some steam. As we were playing a mixture of soccer, baseball, and running around, the sun started to set and I couldn’t help myself and shot a few photos. I used my 70-300mm and got a few nice ones during the golden hour.

  2. 20110619 Father’s Day, a set on Flickr. Today was Father’s Day.   We had a delicious filet mignon “linner” (our combo of lunch and dinner).  With storm clouds approaching we were debating whether to go to the park or take a drive and look for a hike in the foothills.  I made the call and we decided to go for a drive, but kept the baseball stuff in the car.  We stopped at Mount Falcon Park and took a short hike up to the lookout tower.  Along the way there were a few drops of rain, but the sun also poked out of the clouds once.  We took the long way home and visited an italian cafe and gelato store called Spuntino in Denver.  Sammy got one of the largest cookie-gelato sandwiches ever created.  I got the Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart shown in the picture (hey, it’s father’s day and you sometimes have to cheat when low carbing). On the drive home there was a crazy hail storm (check out the short video in this set).  We quickly parked the car under a single tree’s canopy while the kids jumped out to take a few lumps on their backs.  Once the hail subsided it actually stopped raining all together and the sunset looked like it could actually produce a pretty nice show so we stopped at Jackass Hill Park on the way home.  It has a nice overview of the foothills to the west and I shot a few of the kids and some HDRs of the sunset as did Jocie on her iPhone.  Good day to be a dad.

    DSC_1467_HDRIMG_0983DSC_1341IMG_0992

    20110619 Father’s Day, a set on Flickr.

    Today was Father’s Day.   We had a delicious filet mignon “linner” (our combo of lunch and dinner).  With storm clouds approaching we were debating whether to go to the park or take a drive and look for a hike in the foothills.  I made the call and we decided to go for a drive, but kept the baseball stuff in the car.  We stopped at Mount Falcon Park and took a short hike up to the lookout tower.  Along the way there were a few drops of rain, but the sun also poked out of the clouds once.  We took the long way home and visited an italian cafe and gelato store called Spuntino in Denver.  Sammy got one of the largest cookie-gelato sandwiches ever created.  I got the Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart shown in the picture (hey, it’s father’s day and you sometimes have to cheat when low carbing). On the drive home there was a crazy hail storm (check out the short video in this set).  We quickly parked the car under a single tree’s canopy while the kids jumped out to take a few lumps on their backs.  Once the hail subsided it actually stopped raining all together and the sunset looked like it could actually produce a pretty nice show so we stopped at Jackass Hill Park on the way home.  It has a nice overview of the foothills to the west and I shot a few of the kids and some HDRs of the sunset as did Jocie on her iPhone.  Good day to be a dad.

  3. 20110618 Rapids Soccer Game, a set on Flickr. Today I spent about 2 hours working on a side project trying to put together a do-it-yourself steadicam for my DSLR camera.  The project is pretty close and as soon as I get a first prototype together I’ll be posting a demo video.   Sammy had a baseball game today and it was the first game they won.  Sam had a nice hit that was a single but they overthrew first and he was off for second.  Instead of getting it into the catcher they threw the ball to second and again bobbled it although  not as far as the one to first.  You get the picture—he made it all the way to home using this technique.  The umpire ended up putting him back at second saying the ball had gone out of bounds and hence he was limited to one extra base.  He pitched the last inning and had 3 strike outs.  His pitching is really improving with each game.   Tonight we went to the Colorado Rapids soccer game against the LA Galaxy.  They lost 3 to 1 (Sam even now, the next day, insists it was 2 to 1 since it was clear from the replay that the first goal was crossed once it had already gone out of bounds), but it was fun to watch.  Also, Beckham and Donovan were both out so there was a little disappointment there.  All in all a pretty good day.

    Rapids Header On GoalDSC_1290Rapids on the OffenseGalaxy Goalie Punch Out

    20110618 Rapids Soccer Game, a set on Flickr.

    Today I spent about 2 hours working on a side project trying to put together a do-it-yourself steadicam for my DSLR camera.  The project is pretty close and as soon as I get a first prototype together I’ll be posting a demo video.  

    Sammy had a baseball game today and it was the first game they won.  Sam had a nice hit that was a single but they overthrew first and he was off for second.  Instead of getting it into the catcher they threw the ball to second and again bobbled it although  not as far as the one to first.  You get the picture—he made it all the way to home using this technique.  The umpire ended up putting him back at second saying the ball had gone out of bounds and hence he was limited to one extra base.  He pitched the last inning and had 3 strike outs.  His pitching is really improving with each game.  

    Tonight we went to the Colorado Rapids soccer game against the LA Galaxy.  They lost 3 to 1 (Sam even now, the next day, insists it was 2 to 1 since it was clear from the replay that the first goal was crossed once it had already gone out of bounds), but it was fun to watch.  Also, Beckham and Donovan were both out so there was a little disappointment there.  All in all a pretty good day.

  4. 20110606 Sunset While Picking Up Jocie From Airport, a set on Flickr. Sam, Fischer, and I were on our way to pick-up Jocie from the airport on her return from her half-marathon in San Diego.  On our way the sun started to duck behind some clouds.  When it started going down I wasn’t anywhere near a place to snap a few photos so I decided to wait until I got on the road to the airport.  It didn’t help that Jocie’s flight got in 30 minutes early so I didn’t even feel like stopping.  While driving North and watching the show I finally decided I should snap a few since the rays became pretty intense and I loved the blue and orange hues divided by the clouds and rays.  It would have been better if I had something in the foreground, but this is what you get with an impromptu 1 minute photo shoot on the side of the road.  Not really sure which if this is the best shot (took about 4 and that would be a post unto itself—the decision making process on how we define and decide what photo to keep versus delete).  The kids and I are glad to have Jocie back.

    Denver International Airport Sunset Glow

    20110606 Sunset While Picking Up Jocie From Airport, a set on Flickr.

    Sam, Fischer, and I were on our way to pick-up Jocie from the airport on her return from her half-marathon in San Diego.  On our way the sun started to duck behind some clouds.  When it started going down I wasn’t anywhere near a place to snap a few photos so I decided to wait until I got on the road to the airport.  It didn’t help that Jocie’s flight got in 30 minutes early so I didn’t even feel like stopping.  While driving North and watching the show I finally decided I should snap a few since the rays became pretty intense and I loved the blue and orange hues divided by the clouds and rays.  It would have been better if I had something in the foreground, but this is what you get with an impromptu 1 minute photo shoot on the side of the road.  Not really sure which if this is the best shot (took about 4 and that would be a post unto itself—the decision making process on how we define and decide what photo to keep versus delete).  The kids and I are glad to have Jocie back.

  5. 20110605 Reading Comics & Sam’s Practice, a set on Flickr. Today was day number two of our boys weekend. Jocie ran her half marathon today in San Diego and I got the call early in the morning that she did great and felt good (altitude training seems to have been a boost).  We are missing Sophie as she is in Portland. We took a breakfast run to McDonalds and then to the batting cages. Sammy is really getting better and soaks up every little piece of coaching you give him. Fischer was a sport at the batting cages and wanted to take a coin (16 pitches) himself. So I held the bat with him and we plunked a few down range. We then ran some errands (I got a haircut) including a trip to Goodwill looking for a baseball helmet and a bike for Fischer. While there the boys turned up some old GI Joe comics and after looking at the advertisements (these were from 1984) I had to get them as they were so representative of my childhood. I scanned a few into this set. The kids then played with the neighbors for a few hours and then it was off to an impromptu baseball practice (the kids need some help with both fielding and hitting). Tonight it is all about “movie night” number 2 (we watched Karate Kid last night). The boys got a small treat and are watching a movie before bed. Good day.

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    20110605 Reading Comics & Sam’s Practice, a set on Flickr.

    Today was day number two of our boys weekend. Jocie ran her half marathon today in San Diego and I got the call early in the morning that she did great and felt good (altitude training seems to have been a boost).  We are missing Sophie as she is in Portland.

    We took a breakfast run to McDonalds and then to the batting cages. Sammy is really getting better and soaks up every little piece of coaching you give him.

    Fischer was a sport at the batting cages and wanted to take a coin (16 pitches) himself. So I held the bat with him and we plunked a few down range.

    We then ran some errands (I got a haircut) including a trip to Goodwill looking for a baseball helmet and a bike for Fischer. While there the boys turned up some old GI Joe comics and after looking at the advertisements (these were from 1984) I had to get them as they were so representative of my childhood. I scanned a few into this set.

    The kids then played with the neighbors for a few hours and then it was off to an impromptu baseball practice (the kids need some help with both fielding and hitting).

    Tonight it is all about “movie night” number 2 (we watched Karate Kid last night). The boys got a small treat and are watching a movie before bed.

    Good day.

  6. Sophie Getting On Board At Sunset on Flickr. Today was airport mania. I drove the family and Jocie’s friend to the airport. Jocie’s was headed to San Diego for the weekend and Sophie was flying out to Portland for her annual trip with her grandparents. Jocie’s flight ended up being delayed so after dropping her off earlier we were able to all have dinner together and see them both off about 30 minutes apart. I shot a few architectural shots with my Tokina 11-16mm as well as some candids and this HDR of Sophie’s plane. When you drop off a minor you have to wait until it departs so it was a while from the time we said goodbye until we actually left the airport.  An advantage of the wait is we were treated to a classic Colorado sunset from out on the plains.  This is an ultrawide shot and so it makes the mountains look much smaller then they looked while shooting through the glass at the airport.

    Sophie Getting On Board At Sunset on Flickr.

    Today was airport mania. I drove the family and Jocie’s friend to the airport. Jocie’s was headed to San Diego for the weekend and Sophie was flying out to Portland for her annual trip with her grandparents. Jocie’s flight ended up being delayed so after dropping her off earlier we were able to all have dinner together and see them both off about 30 minutes apart.

    I shot a few architectural shots with my Tokina 11-16mm as well as some candids and this HDR of Sophie’s plane. When you drop off a minor you have to wait until it departs so it was a while from the time we said goodbye until we actually left the airport.  An advantage of the wait is we were treated to a classic Colorado sunset from out on the plains.  This is an ultrawide shot and so it makes the mountains look much smaller then they looked while shooting through the glass at the airport.

  7. You’re Out! on Flickr. Sophie’s choir sang the national anthem at the Colorado Rockies game today. As part of that they let use go down to the front row of the third base line. It was hard to get any decent photos of her, but Sam, Fischer, and myself decided to camp out in some premium, albeit dangerous (due to foul balls), front row third baseline seats. This was a wreck at home plate with the pitcher when the ball got past the catcher and the runner on third went for it. It was a fun night.

    You’re Out! on Flickr.

    Sophie’s choir sang the national anthem at the Colorado Rockies game today. As part of that they let use go down to the front row of the third base line. It was hard to get any decent photos of her, but Sam, Fischer, and myself decided to camp out in some premium, albeit dangerous (due to foul balls), front row third baseline seats. This was a wreck at home plate with the pitcher when the ball got past the catcher and the runner on third went for it. It was a fun night.

  8. She moves in mysterious ways on Flickr.

    Tonight Jocie and I got to go to the U2 and The Fray concert. It was a blast. It had been like a million years (I think Phish 10 years back) since I had been to anything except a small bar show a friend of mine had. The seats were general admission and provided plenty of close up photos/video opportunities. I was kicking myself I didn’t bring my actual camera and we were stuck with the iphone.

  9. Jocie’s New Dutch Cruiser on Flickr. Jocie got this pretty sick bike for her birthday. I bummed it for a couple of days to take Sam to the park to pitch the ball and it gets a of looks. I was very surprised at the overall quality of the bike. We had a little birthday party for her in the morning and the kids got to sing and give her a few spanks.

    Jocie’s New Dutch Cruiser on Flickr.

    Jocie got this pretty sick bike for her birthday. I bummed it for a couple of days to take Sam to the park to pitch the ball and it gets a of looks. I was very surprised at the overall quality of the bike.

    We had a little birthday party for her in the morning and the kids got to sing and give her a few spanks.