Bread 2

 I had so much fun making bread yesterday I just had to do it again today to learn from my mistakes.   Today was perfect.  I made two loaves and on one I decided to get fancy making 3 strands and weaving them.  Both loaves are great and I had a blast again.  It's a lot cheaper than buying bread from the store and it's not hard at all.  The only thing I might try next time is to use 'bread' flour instead of all purpose flour.   I would get more 'rise' but the bread flour costs almost 3 times as much.  I'm sure I will stick with the cheaper route as I am very pleased with what I got today.  First pic is just before going in the oven, after letting the loaves rise for about 30 minutes.  The second pic is right out of the oven.  I got the golden color by spraying the loaves with cooking spray just before going in and the last one is the end cut off (after I had eaten what I cut off).


(Taken with E-PL1 with Panasonic 20/1.7 lens - ISO 500, f3.5 @ 1/30s)

Bread!

I decided to make bread for the first time today and boy is it easy and fun.  It didn't turn out perfect but it tasted great and I know how to perfect it next time.  I won't be buying bread anymore.   For one loaf I just mixed 3 cups of flour, 1 tbs. sugar (I didn't have any sugar so I used maple syrup), 1 tsp. salt,  1 package fast rise yeast and 1 1/4 cup of warm water.  You just mix all the ingredients, knead the resulting dough for about 10 minutes, let stand and rise for 1 hour, knead again for a minute or two and form out the loaf on a greased cookie sheet, let stand and rise for another 30 minutes then throw it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  My one mistake?  After I had formed the loaf and had let it rise for 30 minutes I cut the top of the loaf with several slits like you see online.  Well, I should have done that after I had formed the loaf but BEFORE I let it do the final 30 minute rise.  What happened was the loaf had all puffed out like it should have but when I cut the top it partially collapsed.  Then I cooked it and although it did puff back up some it lost the full rise that it had before I sliced it.  Still came out tasting great though.  I felt like Tom Hanks in Castaway when he had made fire and was dancing around singing.  When I finished I was thumping my chest and saying "bread, me make bread"

Halloween Fright!

Something really scary on Halloween.  I think I let this cottage cheese sit a little too long in the fridge.

Fun in the Closet

Twirling around a lightstick loop in the closet today.



(E-PL2 with Panasonic 20/1.7 lens - taken at ISO 400, f1.7 @ 1 sec.)

Snow!!!

Wow, snow up here in the Northeast and it's not even Halloween yet!

INED

Improvised Noodle Explosive Device at work.

Federal Building

The Federal Building in downtown Baltimore.

Sick Day

Great!  I just started a four day stretch of being off of work and what happens?  I wake up with a 102 degree temp with chills and an achy body. 



(E-PL2 with Panasonic/Leica 25/1.4 lens - taken at ISO 400, f2 @ 1/100s)  I'm still trying to decide on whether to keep the 25/1.4 lens which is a wonderful lens.  It is like when I had the new Olympus 12/f2 lens which I returned.  It was wonderful but expensive and big (compared with the 14 pancake which I have).  This 25/1.4 is the same situation - it is wonderful but expensive and much bigger than my Pany 20/1.7.

Paul's

Sadly, Paul's is no longer in business in downtown Baltimore.



(Panasonic G1 with kit zoom - taken at ISO 100, f5 @ 1/200s)  I really like my G1 but hardly ever use it because I like the in-body stabilization of my Olympus cameras so much.  Just give me a new Olympus, say an E-P4 with a little bit of an upgraded sensor and add a built in EVF like the new Sony NEX7 and I will never have to buy another camera again.  I still love the sweet spot that the micro four thirds cameras fill for me.  It is mostly because of the compact size of the lenses and the perfectly acceptable image quality (spectacular at times).  The NEX series is nice but you are getting those full size lenses that I sold my Nikon gear to get away from.  

Back to Baltimore/Back to Work

Big Changes Coming

That is me at the steering wheel a few years ago.  My picture taking is at a real low right now.  I am getting ready to quit my job in Baltimore so I can be at home in NC more so there are a million things to take care of.  This week I have been continuing my repairs on my house from the damage from Hurricane Irene.   After getting back here to the house permanently in January I will be putting in a solar system, a water catchment system and a big garden.  I can hardly wait!

Waiting

Just sitting here at BWI waiting on my flight to Raleigh.  Heading home for the week!  Since I fly standby I might not be getting out until tomorrow since this flight tonight is booked to capacity.  (I made it - last seat)


Sent from my Samsung smartphone on AT&T

Leaving Work

Here are all the night shift employees leaving work and heading home this morning.






(taken with Samsung Galaxy S2 phone)

Two Frogs

From the archive.  Just a cool antique store near the Virginia/North Carolina state line.  What have I been doing today?  Just sitting inside because of all the rain here and playing with my new Panasonic 25/1.4 lens.  I was going to post some pics here on blogger but I can't seem to get multiple pics to orient correctly on the screen and, in addition, when there is more than one pic in the post you can't click on a pic and get a larger view like you can when there is just one picture.  Until I figure something out (that doesn't require an entire day's work) let me just say the 25 is a wonderful lens, sharp and contrasty throughout its range.  It is probably the sharpest lens that I have ever owned.   The only things that have me on the fence are the price and the size.  Not that it's huge but the pancake 20 is much more to my liking and it is just about as good optically and I actually think I prefer the 40mm equivalent focal length over the 50.  Decisions, decisions.

Dinner at the Diner

(Canon S90 - f4.9 @ 1/250s)

Panasonic/Leica 25mm F1.4 Dilemma

One of the things that carried me into the micro four thirds world and which also keeps me there is the wonderful selection of lenses available for the format.  Just when I thought I had settled on my 'holy trinity' of lenses (Panasonic 14/2.5,  Panasonic 20/1.7 and Olympus 45/1.8) along came a new lens today.  It is the Panasonic/Leica 25mm f1.4 lens that I had back ordered 4 months ago and frankly forgot all about until it arrived today.  All I can say is "Wow".  This thing is spectacular.  It's built really well (although not all metal like the true Leica's),  it's pretty sharp wide open and stopped down a little it is breathtakingly sharp with a wonderful bokeh.  Now what do I do?  It's a little sharper than the Pany 20 which is a great lens and is a little faster but it is more expensive and it is definitely bigger than the 20.  The 12, 20 and 45 are a tough trio to beat for quality and super compact size but man this 25 is a sweet lens.  I really don't want to carry 4 lenses especially with the 20 and 25 being so close in focal length.  How often can you say in the newer camera world that you have too many quality primes to chose from.

I will post some pics soon from this lens.  I am still trying to get some comparison pics posted of my Voigtlander 40 vs. the Olympus 45 so now I have to do a comparison between the Panasonic 20 vs. the Panasonic/Leica 25.  I will get them up but only when I get the time.  I like to shoot and post daily pictures but I don't get all excited about technical comparisons as I feel there is a lot more to pleasant pictures than sharpness down to the atomic level:o) 



(Olympus E-PL1 with Panasonic 20/1.7 lens - shot at ISO 400, f/2 @ 1/3s)

Bonamassa

I saw this walking to work last night.  This is one performance I would like to see.  He will be at the Hippodrome right next door in a month.




(taken with Samsung Galaxy S2 phone)

Almost Over

Just finishing up a 3 day stretch of work, the worst 3 days I have ever lived through.  The line "abandon hope all ye who enter here" from Dante's Inferno has been coming to mind.  The pic is from my archive.

Damn, it's Bright!

A picture of my grandson, Christian.  Sent from my daughter in Houston yesterday.

Samsung Galaxy S2

I just got my new Samsung Galaxy S2 from ATT today.  I have been using the IPhone 3GS for a couple of years now and was torn about leaving the Apple universe.  Well, so far I am blown away.  The Galaxy S2 is worlds above the IPhone in almost every way.  The larger 4.3" AMOLED screen has to be seen to be believed.  My pic just does not show the major differences in the screen but the AMOLED screen is the best display that I have ever seen.  Blacks are truly black and not a lit up grey like the IPhone.  Colors are rich and vibrant.  It is like night and day.  The Galaxy is longer and a little wider but it is much lighter than the IPhone and is thinner.  It is much faster with a dual core 1.3ghz processor and all apps load and run instantly.  Web browsing is MUCH faster.  With both phones on WiFi and loading the same web page, the Galaxy was more than 3 times faster than my IPhone (like 2 secs vs. 6 to 8 secs.)   The Galaxy also has 4G capability and has NFC on board which will be enabled in the future for financial transactions.   I am more than shocked at what I have been missing with this Android world and this is coming from a real Apple fan.  I seriously can't find one negative about the Galaxy.   Oh, and the camera.  The camera is one of the best I have seen in a phone.  It is 8 megapixels with autofocus and it gives you the option of setting all controls manually such as ISO, metering, white balance, exposure compensation, image stabilization, etc.   The pics I have taken so far today have made me very happy.

Muddin

Kevin, my stepson, in a state of bliss after a little 4 wheeling fun.




(taken with Panasonic Lumix point and shoot, ISO 800, f3.8 @ 1/10s)

Just Hanging Out

Taken yesterday in downtown Baltimore.  Today was in the 40's with a steady rain so I didn't get out.  I ended up taking a bunch of pictures indoors with my Voigtlander 40 and Olympus 45 to compare the two.  I will post some of the comparison pictures in a few days.  I would post them sooner but I am selling the Voigtlander and don't want to jinx the sale.  No, there is nothing wrong with the Voigtlander.  It has been my favorite lens for some time.

(Olympus E-PL2 with Voigtlander 40/1.4 lens - shot at ISO 200, f2.8 @1/160s)

Just a Cup of Joe

Pirates!

Pirates invaded the Inner Harbor today but the U.S.S. Constellation in the background fired a salvo and ran them off.  Those scurvy dogs!



(E-PL2 with Voigtlander 40/1.4 lens - shot at ISO 200, f5.6 at 1/160s)

A Little Green

It's nice to have at least a little green in the city.  I am working today and tomorrow so I won't have a chance to compare my Voigtlander 40 and my Olympus 45 like I was hoping.  I should get to it on Friday so I will post a few comparison shots then to see how they stack up against each other.





(Olympus E-PL2 with Voigtlander 40/1.4 lens - shot at ISO 200, f2 at 1/80s)

The New Olympus 45

I finally received the new Olympus 45/1.8 micro 4/3 lens!  My first impressions are very favorable.  The body is plastic but looks like metal and feels buttery smooth.  I love that big focusing ring.  It looks great on my E-PL2 but I think I would probably have preferred a black body instead of the silver to maintain a slightly lower 'profile'.  Side by side tests against my beloved Voigtlander will be done tomorrow.



(Olympus E-PL1 with Panasonic 20/1.7 lens - shot at ISO 500, f2.8 at 0.8 secs (handheld at almost a second, that's why I love the Olympus in body stabilization so much))

Nacho Mama's

Great little restaurant/bar in the Canton area of Baltimore.






(Taken with IPhone)

Belts for Baltimore

I am setting up a new non-profit organization called "Belts for Baltimore". Maybe I can get some Federal funding.






(Olympus E-PL2 with Voigtlander 40/1.4 lens - shot at ISO 200, f2.8 at 1/160s)

Licking Her Lips

Here is a picture of Missy, our dog, licking her lips (do dogs have lips?) in anticipation of some of that candy bar.





(Olympus E-PL1 with Panasonic 20/1.7 lens - shot at ISO 1600, f1.7 @ 1/60s.  Converted to B&W in ACDSee Pro)

Looking Up in Downtown Baltimore

(First Pic from my IPhone today.  Second pic from Olympus E-PL1 with Voigtlander 40/1.4 lens shot at ISO 320, f5.6 at 1/100s)

Romance in the Park

 Ah, romance.  Nice to see it still exists.  Taken in Federal Hill Park, Baltimore.







(Olympus E-PL2 with Voigtlander 40/1.4 lens - shot at ISO 200, f1.8 @ 1/1250s and no, I didn't nail the focus.  One drawback of manual focus lenses with narrow depth of field used in a hurry.  Even though I absolutely love my Voigtlander I am anxiously awaiting the new Olympus 45/1.8 lens due out any time now.  It is supposed to be sharp wide open and that autofocus will be real nice.)

Baltimore Inner Harbor

 

Panorama I shot today of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore.  I almost never shoot panoramas so the technical quality of this one is horrible.  It is only 3 of 5 pics that I took, the rightmost 2 pics wouldn't stitch.  It was done on the fly without a tripod and with me not being very careful.  Don't look too closely or you will see a terrible cloning job I did along a bit of the top edge to even out the pic.  Let's call it a "quick and dirty" job.  (Oh, and I discovered after posting this that you can't click on the picture in Blogger and get the full size version like regular pics.  I'm not sure why that is.  Panoramas can be a pain to view and that's probably why I hate messing with them)   I plan on going back this week or next to do a proper panorama of the entire harbor though.   It will depend on weather and sunset sky conditions/look.  It was a fun day though.  This is taken from the top of Federal Hill, where a fort used to be that guarded the harbor and is now a great park.  This is on the south side of the harbor looking north.  I work in the most distant building on the very left of the image and I live (when I am in Baltimore) about 6 blocks on the other side of that tallest copper colored building on the left.  It is about a mile walk from my place to the top of this hill.  The Inner Harbor is a wonderful place full of attractions and restaurants.  I have been doing a lot of 'photo walks' the last few days so expect a lot of 'city life' pictures for a while:o)

(Olympus E-PL2 with Voigtlander 40/1.4 lens - shot at ISO 200, f5.6 I think, 1/320s)

Scary Go Round

If I was a little kid these big mean looking chickens would scare me to death.  Taken at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore today.







(Olympus E-PL2 with Panasonic 20mm/1.7 lens - shot at ISO 250, f4 @ 1/100s)

Tracy Says Hi!

(Olympus E-PL2 with Voigtlander 40/1.4 lens - shot at ISO 200, f1.8 @ 1/13s, converted to B&W with SilverEfexPro)

Harar Beer

How about a little Ethiopian Beer?  It's real good.






(Olympus E-PL2 with Panasonic 14mm/2.5 lens, shot at ISO 500, f3.5 at 1/6s)

This Video is Insane!

Back in Baltimore

Had my full flood insurance assessment done today then I drove to my apt and job in Baltimore where I sit now.  Even with all the damage to my home and all the work that place requires, I am really going to miss my NC home while I am gone.

T-Storms

Thunderstorms moving in yesterday evening.  Tomorrow morning the Flood Adjuster comes then in the afternoon I hit the road for Baltimore.



(Canon S90)

Oberon

Now I think that this was some of the best beer that I have ever tasted!






(Olympus E-PL2 with Voightlander 40/1.4 lens - shot at ISO 500, f1.4, 1/100s)

Bye Bye Irene

Everybody is just piling their waterlogged possessions out by the road.  I have spent every day for the last few weeks working on the house, stripping out wet items, hauling stuff to the dump, repairing damaged woodwork, power washing, cleaning out the garage and separating the damaged items from the clean, making lists, trying to get the air folks out to replace the flooded ducts under the house and patiently waiting on the flood insurance adjuster who still hasn't made the full assessment yet. These are the last pics I will post of Irene's aftermath.  Tomorrow it will be back to something better:o)  Quality is not the best as they were taken with an I-Phone.

She'll Buff Right Out

Tree fell on this truck during the hurricane.  I will get back to more cheerful pictures soon but my life for the last two weeks has consisted of stripping out and cleaning up a flooded house.  I haven't been in the picture taking mood and haven't even taken many pictures of the damage out here.  A lot of people have lost everything and I haven't felt right about taking pictures of the aftermath.  I will probably post a few more pictures of this area but next Thursday I will be finally heading back to Baltimore to re-enter the work force.

Waitin

Not exactly a hotbed of Democratic activity down here.

Swimming Pool

I have decided to turn my living room into a swimming pool! Pretty cool huh?

Prime Waterfront Property

Finally got power back. Hurricane Irene created a 9 foot storm surge which got into my home and created a real mess. The last week has been nothing but dragging damaged items out of the house and garage. Finally had an insurance flood adjuster come out to do a preliminary assessment. He said it will be another week to ten days until he is back for a full assessment. For now I am trying to get the air-conditioning folks out to replace the flexible ducts under the house that are full of water and not moving any air. The pic below is one my stepdaughter took out the back patio as the water was rising. I am posting this by email since I don't have my laptop with me so the pic is probably small.