I have been noticing how the faces of people are lit up at night with a bluish glow when they use their cell phones.  To recreate the effect I back-lit the model in my studio with tungsten light.  Christmas tree lights provided the out of focus blurs in the background.  The blue tinted light from the cell phone was created by having an assistant illuminate the models face with an led flashlight.  Nikon D3s at 1250 ISO and a 135 defocus Nikkor lens at f/2 to give the circular bokeh to the background lights.

Let's keep all this just between us.

Sometimes the shot is literally right outside your window.

An extreme close-up of a computer CPU chip.  Shot with a Nikon D3x and a 105mm macro on a Nikon bellows extension.

This close-up of a finger print was done by mounting a microscope lens on a bellows adapter and a Nikon D7000.  I used the D7000 because it has the smaller APS sensor which diminished the vignetting normally caused by a microscope len.

I caught my first cold of the new year today.  It inspired me to do this shot.

We packed up the studio Christmas tree today and put away the ornaments.

My wife loves hearts and cooking so I made her a 2011 calendar today that incorporates these subjects as a theme.  In the process I picked up a dozen new stock images.  Here is a brief sampling.

The bottom of the world.

These are actual tools from my toolbox.  They have a nice worn patina that I wanted to preserve so I shot them in a stark, simple light that enhances the details.

 

When it started to snow today I planned on going to Times Square at dusk to grab a shot of the falling snow with the city lights.  The snow stopped falling and started to melt so I went to the park instead where I did these macro studies of melting snow.

Both shots were done with the Nikon D7000 and the Nikkor 60mm macro.  I chose the D7000 because I wanted a longer focal length and my 105mm macro is at the studio.  On the D7000 DX format the 60mm lens is equivalent to 90mm on FX,

I brought back some one pound coins to do other photography.

The end of an era:

The last roll of Kodachrome film will be processed tomorrow.  After that, no more Kodachrome.  Kodak ceased manufacturing it in 2009, and Dwayne's Photo in Kansas was the last remaining processing lab for the film.  Kodachrome was first made in 1935.  Those of us with an early career in stock photography will remember Kodachrome as the standard of excellence throughout the 1960's and 70's. 

Dusk shot of Big Ben and Parliament, London.  I used the large lamp on the left to cover up some of the unsightly construction area on the Parliament building.

Stack of British one pound coins.



Visited Stonghenge on the way back to London...

...and after Stonehenge, we stopped at a pub for lunch and a pint.



I asked the manager of the hotel where I am staying if I could photograph the wine cellar. 

Bottles of Amantillado Sherry from the 1850's caked with dust.

Happy New Year!

A few shots from the New Year's Eve activities: