Odds and Ends 2: Photographic Year in Review

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My successful Picture-A-Day project for 2009 contains 365 photographs taken with my Pentax Optio W60 camera. (Well, I think there are a few exceptions – there’s one Halo screenshot in there, and there might be one iPhone photo).

The goal of this project was to take at least one photo for every day of 2009. In 2008, I only managed to get 182 photo-a-day shots; 2009’s effort has smashed that number with a 100% success factor.

The quality of the photos runs the gamut from blurry or grainy or terribly composed to uniquely-lighted, almost properly composed, or downright artistically pleasant to look at.
frosty moosehead E&N Railway
There are rainbows, fireworks, pink elephants, meals, olympic torches, grassy fields, flowers, leaves, books, boats, buildings, parking meters, newspapers, retail items, business signs, desserts, cats, dogs, squirrels, birds, planes, trains, and automobiles.
one of these things is not like the others old guy fiddle maquette san pellegrino Crab shell on the beach at Clover Point
I documented myself fishing, kayaking for the first time, getting married (I suppose it was only hinted at in these photos), having a stag party wherein an *actual stag* showed up (although I ended up using a colourful fishing reel photo instead of a blurry zoomed photo for that day), getting my new computer, honeymooning at Disneyland, and (in a way) celebrating the successful completion of the project.
Vancouver - Skyline Panorama
I am considering taking the photos and making them into a book. While that might end up being a bit too pricey, it would make a nice cap on an already impressive project follow-through.

Self-portrait

This concludes our broadcast day. *Click*

Odds and Ends

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A few leftover photos in this post.

olympic torch at mile zero
We went and saw the Olympic Torch at Mile Zero here in Victoria. It wasn’t exactly what we expected, and the weather was pretty wet, but it was fun. Apparently the torch had been re-routed at the checkpoint prior to mile zero, due to protests, and we happened to luck out in our positioning such that it didn’t skip over our lookout spot. Quelle chance.

i haz a ponchobike flask

A kitty in a strange bind, and a very unusual bike accessory that was pointed out by a coworker.

proof I rode California Screamin'the moustache

Photographic proof that I rode the California Screamin’ rollercoaster at Disneyland.

Additionally, on Nov 30th, I participated in the Movember fundraiser for prostate cancer research, and I raised a small sum of money thanks to that hideous and horrifying moustache. I’d like to extend a special thanks to my primary donor, “b!” from SlackerTalk. Thanks, b!

Clover Point

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Just some quick pics from a recent trip to Clover Point on a windy day.
clover point - nov 22, 2009clover point - nov 22, 2009clover point - nov 22, 2009clover point - nov 22, 2009
There was a mighty wind – it was very difficult to get the car door open. That windsurfer must have been having a heck of a time out there. Shockingly, at one point, I noticed a kayaker out in that weather as well – he was disappearing into the swell, though, so I didn’t get a good photo of him.

Eventually, I retreated to the safety of the car.

clover point - nov 22, 2009

The Times They Are A-Changin’

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Winter is on the way to Victoria, but it’s not quite here yet. I managed to snag some great photos this fall, which can be very difficult to do in the dreary gray conditions of the season. The six photos I’m about to link all have colour that pops, despite the conditions (or, in several cases, because of them).

orange clouds, blue skymaple leaf on broad street
A brilliant orange sunset one day, and a rain-slick leaf laying on the street soon after. October had a lot of weather surprises, but altogether it was very enjoyable.
fall in the bushesFall colours
Trees were dropping seed pods and leaves all over the place.
traffic stop in the distancehighway 1
Despite the randomness of the weather, however, I found that I was able to take striking photos in both gloomy and radiant conditions.

Ironically, in the bright and seemingly cheerful highway photo above, I was on my way to a funeral. My aunt Bridget passed away this October, after a long battle with cancer. My mom flew all the way out from Nova Scotia for the funeral service. I’m glad that the weather was so nice for the day, and that my mom was able to make the trip out to attend. She had visited almost exactly a month prior, for my wedding; thankfully, she was able to visit Bridget for a bit during that trip.

Yellow Pages for Victoria, BC