ALTERNATIVE TO WINDOWS BLINDS

Coolaroo Roman Sun Shade, Mocha, 8-Foot by 6-Foot

Coolaroo Roman Sun Shades combine unique knitted fabric with the classic design of Roman shades. Unique, knitted HDPE fabric in traditional Roman shade styling blocks up to 90-percent of damaging UV rays. Breathable fabric allows air flow, substantially reducing temperatures and saving up to 40-percent on energy costs. The weather resistant fabric and components resist fading, mold, and mildew, ensuring your shades will look great for a long time, no matter the weather they are up against. Light filtering knit reduces glare without darkening a room's interior. These Roman shades provide a fresh, unique, stylish addition to any decor.

I by no means want to come across as being unappreciative of Shelley (the subject in the photo) with any comments I make. She put the pressure on me to photograph her so that I would have my 365 photo, instead of going home and having to figure something out after a long, long day. I'm so glad she did, because I would have struggled trying to come up with something. So thank you for that Shelley.

I'm going to write a little more than I normally do, because I sometimes like talking through things out loud... hoping that maybe its a benefit to someone else that chooses to look at my images and read what I write. So here it goes...


When I got home this evening, I went back and forth about whether I should post another image of Shelley in my 365 (I photographed her and used that image as my "Day 37" photo). However, I eventually realized that from a technical perspective this photo definitely qualifies and I should use it as my photo of the day. The process of creating this image, from the moment Shelley talked me into doing it, until the moment we took the final image, was 15 minutes. The reason why 15 minutes was significant to me, was because I thought about how many technical problems were solved in those 15 minutes... and that's when I became extremely appreciative of the education, and studying, and learning, and teachers, and investment of my time/life to become better at photography (at least from a technical perspective). Keep in mind too as you read this, that Shelley and I walked across a fairly large parking lot twice, and drove our cars across it once, all within that same 15 mintues.

Here are some of the technical things that I had to deal with, and what I did to deal with them:

Scene - I knew I didn't have a whole lot of time to do any "story telling", so I just decided that I would try and create a pleasant scene. I saw this neat looking building across the river and figured I could use it somehow. Knowing that I want to use it though, and knowing "how" I want to use it, are two different things. I sort of knew what I wanted, here's how I got it...

Lens - I knew that I wanted the building in the background to fill-up the frame. The building is quite a distance from us, in fact there's a waterway that separates this building from the parking lot we were in. Anytime I hear myself say I want my background to "fill up my frame", it usually means I'll need a lens that can do some compression (a long focal length). I immediately changed lenses to my 80-200mm.

Exposure - It was dark... very dark... almost 10pm dark. In most cases that means a slower shutter will be necessary, but I didn't want a slow shutter because I was being lazy about getting my tripod (I needed to hand-hold the camera). My aperture was about as low as it could go, so the only option left is to use ISO and pray it will allow me to keep my shutter fast enough to help me avoid camera shake/motion. ISO definitely got me the exposure I wanted, but left me at 1/40th on the shutter, which is not good when shooting at 145mm. Somehow I managed to get a pretty sharp image, which I'll chalk-up to luck (because I drank 4 cups of coffee at dinner).

Lighting - I wasn't worried about the light on the background building, it was fine. The lighting on the subject though was less than ideal. About 4 feet in front of the model is a street light (and many more street lights in the immediate area). The illumination on the model actually isn't bad... but it's direction (downward light) doesn't flatter the subject. I could use a flash to light the model, which will cure the light direction problem... but here's where it gets tricky. The exposure on the model (from the street light) is very close to the exposure of the building in the background. If I just light the model with a flash, it will have an additive effect (the light from the flash will add onto the light from the street light), which means my subject will now be significantly brighter than my background (which isn't what I want). One solution would be to put something over the model (to shade her from the street light), but the problem with this is I don't have anybody else to help me shade her, and it's WAAAAYYY to windy to think I'll be able to suspend something over her with a lightstand. So I looked at the ground and I noticed that there was a shadow coming from the street light's post. It was a faint shadow, but it was a shadow nonetheless. I told the model to stand in that shadow to see how it would affect the exposure on her, and I could see right away that it brought the exposure on her down enough so that she was now under-exposed in comparison with the background. That's a huge win for me, because now I can use a flash to improve the direction of the light, AND, any additive effect is a win for me because I need more light anyway to get the exposure on the model to be just a bit mor

The real story has more than six words.

We had just sat down in the shade of an outdoor street cafe in a section of Vancouver that I had dubbed “Thunderdome” for its collection of colorful characters and eclectic architecture. We had observed and enjoyed many of these characters all morning in Stanley Park and along the waterfront in downtown Vancouver. As we ordered, we noticed a man across the street, out in the sun, speaking loudly with a street lamp pole. Not kidding. We could not hear what he was saying to the lamp post. To his credit, it appeared he was winning the argument.

Despite the extremely warm weather, the man remained in the sun. He removed his vest, but kept on his long pants and long sleeved shirt. His long hair was pulled up to the top of his head and tied into a sumo topknot. He had a wad of white cotton material stuffed into each nostril in an unexplainable deterrent for too much oxygen to reach his lungs. Folding his vest, he set it on the curb next to what appeared to be a box of crackers…unopened.

As we waited for the lunch, he began stepping through a series of what I will call “exercises.” They were not random routines. He had done this before. There was a long pole and he had plastic bags on each end with something heavy in the plastic bags that he used as makeshift barbell for increased resistance to his muscles. He went through sets of ten repetitions of each exercise, pausing between each to rearrange the barbell/plastic bag weights.

Crazy street person or a genius beating the high Vancouver monthly gym fees?

After about twenty minutes of this, the man dismantled his barbell and opened one of the plastic bags of weight. Removing a full water bottle, he washed his hands with water from his “weight.” The street was his sink. It was very ritualistic. When finished washing his hands, he put on his vest and picked up all his belongings. He walked down the street about 100 yards and then crossed to our side. Pushing back his shirt tail, he pulled a key ring out with about a hundred keys on it. He unlocked a door to an apartment building and walked in. It is a mystery.

Look closely at the photo above. The man’s chambray shirt has been ironed. The clothes are all new. It appears he had just come from the grocery store. Except for the cotton stuffing in his nose and the extended discussion with the street light, I have to choose “B”…genius beating the high Vancouver monthly gym fees.

The sign in the back posing the question of the day was completely serendipitous to the photo. I did not realize it was even in the shot until I saw the photo in the computer later. As serac said, it makes the shot.

Touch On. Touch Off. Touch20 technology in the kitchen enables you to turn the flow of water On or Off with just a tap of your wrist or forearm. So when hands get messy, you can start the flow of water while minimizing cross contamination. This distinctive Pilar pull down kitchen faucet coordinates with any decor. Delta's exclusive DIAMOND Seal technology will give you worry free, leak free long lasting durability. This Pilar faucet also features the MagnaTite docking system to keep your pull down spray wand firmly in place with a powerful integrated magnet, so it stays docked when not in use. The Brilliance stainless steel finish compliments any kitchen. 3 hole installation, matching soap dispenser.

Save water and stop the spread of bacteria with the Delta Faucet 980T-SSSD-DST Pilar Single Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet with Soap Dispenser. The sleek, easy-to-use stainless faucet features Touch 2 0 Technology, which means the faucet is responsive to gentle pressure. You can turn it on and off with a simple touch, even when your hands are full or messy. The faucet's pull-down wand provides flexibility for cleaning and fits snugly into its magnetic dock when not in use. A stainless soap dispenser also keeps your countertop clutter-free. And designed for durability and safety, the Pilar features an electronic valve with tough diamond coating.


Streamlined with sleek, diamond-coated handles, the
Pilar looks clean and smart in any kitchen. View larger.


The pull-down wand has a 360-degree swivel range
and lets you toggle between spray modes. View larger.


This faucet lets you tap anywhere to start or stop water flow, helping keep bacteria from spreading.
Touch 2 0 Technology Prevents the Spread of Bacteria and Saves Money
With Pilar's Touch 2 0 Technology, it doesn't matter if your hands are full of dishes or if you're up to your elbows in cake batter--just use your wrist or forearm to tap anywhere on the faucet's spout or handle to stop and start the flow of water.
This smart technology can help prevent the spread of bacteria in your kitchen. If you've been working with raw foods and your hands are a mess, you can just tap the faucet with your forearm, wash your hands, and keep your surfaces--including your faucet!--as clean and safe as possible.
The faucet will also help you conserve water and save money. As you prepare food or wash up in the sink, just tap the faucet to keep water from running when you don't need it; touch it again to start the water flowing. , the Pilar features a flow rate of 2.2 gallons per minute at 60 psi, 8.3 liters per minute at 414 kPa.
Intelligent Design Fuses Technology and Nature
Inspired by natural beauty and aided by innovative technology, the Pilar will complement any kitchen. Its patented Brilliance Stainless finish is guaranteed not to corrode, tarnish, or discolor for as long as you own your home.
Adding to the Pilar's good looks is a single, sleek, easy-to-use handle. Simple right-to-left movement of the handle adjusts water temperature, while up-and-down movement adjusts flow rate. A ready-to-install chrome soap dispenser completes the faucet's sleek design, enhancing usability and keeping your kitchen countertop tidy and clutter-free.
The Pilar's pull-down wand has a swivel range of 360 degrees as well as a toggle push button that allows you to choose between aerated spray and stream modes. An added bonus, the wand head is equipped with Touch-Clean: soft, rubber nubbins that allow you to wipe away calcium and lime buildup with the touch of a finger. Additionally, the wand's 59-inch hose ensures that every corner of your sink will stay clean. For ease of use, the hose is fed by gravity, extending and retracting without friction points.
Delta's MagnaTite docking keeps the Pilar's wand in place with a powerful magnet, so the wand stays right where it should, and your sink stays neat and tidy. As you raise the wand to dock it, the magnet embedded in the spout will pull the wand precisely into place; the wand comes free with a gentle tug.
Diamond Seal Technology for Durability and Safety
The Pilar features Delta's Diamond Seal Technology, which uses an electronic valve with a diamond coating for durability. Designed with this smart technology, the Pilar is built to last up to five million uses.
Plus, Diamond Seal Technology keeps water that's inside the faucet out of contact with potential metal contaminants, keeping you and your family as safe as can be. Also, the handle limit stop makes it easy for you to limit the range of the handle motion for hot water and protect your family from accidental scalding.
Diamond Seal Technology features one-piece InnoFlex waterways with PEX-C tubing, making the Pilar simple to install. This faucet has three-hole, 6-to-16-inch installation; 32-inch minimum supply lines below the deck are included.
The Pilar Single Handle Pull-Down Faucet with Soap Dispenser is ADA compliant and comes with the Delta Electronic Faucet Limited Warranty. Four alkaline 'C' batteries (not included) are required for operation.
What's in the Box
Delta Faucet 980T-SSSD-DST Pilar Single Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet with Soap Dispenser (Stainless) and installation hardware.