The End

Well, that's the end. When I started this project, I had the vague idea of putting together a calendar at the end of the year, and I accomplished that goal. I took around 6,000 shots on my point and shoot camera, and around 7800 on my dSLR camera, and posted 302 of them to my photoblog. I learned a whole lot about the manual modes on my camera, I can now find my way around Photoshop, and I can see a bit more potential in a lot of the shots that didn't come out just the way I wanted (but that doesn't mean I can salvage them all). I think some of my favorite types of photos are macros, nature, and abstracts... considering that, I decided to make the focus of my 2007 blog "Shallow DOF". You can follow along at by following this link.

Anyway, it's been a fun year. And, since it's now 2007, I can post a photo I didn't take. Here is a photo of the cover of the calendar I put together which shows all 12 months. I had them printed at cafepress.com, and I was reasonably pleased with the way they came out. I hope everyone has a wonderful 2007! Happy New Year! :)

Filtered Sunset

So I got a Circular Polarizing filter for Christmas, and now that I have the right size in hand, I have to figure out what to do with it. So here is a simple sunset shot out my front window. I took too many comparison shots earlier where I wasn't using the right settings for a good picture, so this is probably the nicest of the bunch. Thanks grandpa :)

For those of you who have been doing this PaD project all year... congratulations on making it (almost)to the end. And for those few who managed to make one post every single day... wow! It's been fun seeing everyone else's photos, and many, many thanks to all who took the time to leave comments!

I'm not up for another whole year of daily photos, however, I will be working on the themed Photo A Week project along with the other DPC folks. I think I've chosen my theme (although I still have 2 days to change my mind, right?), so I'll be going with shallow dof. While Blogger has been (mostly) great for these projects, I decided to move to a different site for next year, so as of Jan 1, I'll be using my Photo A Week Project for 2007 photoblog. Hope to see everyone over there for another year of photos

... and whiskers on kittens

Ok, for those of you who aren't cat fans, I apologize. I promise I'll finish off the year with something different. The cat ended up wearing all of the ribbons from the packages on Christmas morning, and was relatively tolerant of the experience. Maybe it was from all the catnip she'd been sniffing. And as for the title, I watched The Sound of Music the other night. I guess the song is still stuck in my head.

Winter's Eve Nap

Yes, another picture of my cat. Today was one of those days where curling up for a nice afternoon nap in the sun sounded like the perfect thing to do. Tomorrow will be the winter solstice, and I must say, I'm looking forward to the daylight getting longer again.

So, this makes post #300. I doubt I'll make another 52 photos to complete a full years worth of pictures, but maybe I can add a few more before time runs out!

Kaaterskill Part 2

This is the larger waterfall back the trail. There is parking near the top of the falls, but the only time I've been to the top, I was unaware of the parking, so I took the long way in... oh, and did I mention it was in a complete downpour? I've also hiked (climbed?) to the middle section, though I don't think I'd do it again. Here is a description of the falls from another website:

This is the highest two-tiered waterfall in New York State. Its upper tier measures an impressive 175 feet, while its lower tier is 85 feet tall. The falls are truly spectacular, explaining the fact that this is a very popular area - one of the best visited locations in the Catskills. Don't expect to be alone here, unless perhaps you go on a weekday when it's raining.

Water level varies significantly at Kaaterskill Falls. In late summer, the water flow can reduce to a trickle, or even virtually dry up completely.

The falls are best appreciated from a distance, where the entire scene can be taken in. There used to be a trail that climbed to the top of the falls, but it is now officially closed and unmaintained. Deaths and injuries have occurred here, so do be careful. However, with great difficulty and care, it is possible to climb to the base of the upper tier. This is a particularly nice area, as the overhanging rock of the upper falls creates a large amphitheater like area behind the falls. Also, there is a beautiful pool before the water continues its course over the lower tier of Kaaterskill Falls.

Kaaterskill Falls (#297 / #298)

This is the small waterfall near the road... the larger waterfall is about a half mile back the trail, but those shots didn't come out as nicely.

And just because I've been really slacking here towards the end of the year... here is a strange abstract mix of slinky shots. These two shots put me at 298 photos posted for the year.

Chickadee

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