Non Photographer

Confused?

2011-06-30T21:00:00.002-04:00

No, just ready for a race. Seems that my self-portraits are nothing but me with race numbers, but I kind of like doing this. Gives me something to remember for races.

Up close and personal

2011-06-29T21:10:00.002-04:00

I've had the opportunity to go to the North Carolina Zoo three times in the past couple of years, but not until recently did I get to see the giraffes get fed. It's quite an experience.

It's just me

2011-05-05T15:14:00.002-04:00

Back in January, I thought I might start a series of self-portraits. That obviously didn't happen. Anyway, here's a photo I took of myself last summer after picking up a race number in Lynchburg. This was actually with my Blackberry.

Window seat

2011-04-29T21:19:00.002-04:00

My dog, who is almost 6 this year, didn't stick his head out the window for years. All of a sudden in the past year, though, he loves it. This was on the way to a park on Easter.

Blue, blue skies

2011-04-27T09:17:00.000-04:00

You'd never know that this is in a neighborhood with houses close by unless I told you that, which I just did. Otherwise, it's kind of like getting lost in a forest.

Spring in the mountains

2011-04-26T20:51:00.002-04:00

I ventured to the Peaks of Otter over the weekend with the family and got some photos of Sharp Top, as if I don't already have enough. It's just such a great place to go though!

A summer running memory

2011-02-05T17:42:00.004-05:00

While I was training for my second marathon this past summer, I took quite a few photos with my Blackberry on my runs. This is one of my favorites from an early morning in July. This is the Peaks of Otter in Bedford County -- it's a very similar spot to my Mile 100 photo from April 2010.

The combination of the sun coming up behind me, coupled with the fog made for a pretty decent photo. I'm so glad I had my phone with me to capture the memory of this run.

Craving Spring?

2011-02-04T08:36:00.005-05:00

Enough of this stuff with snow and cold weather. In looking back at my posts, there's a lot of that. While I do love it, I was suddenly craving warm weather when looking through some photos I posted over on Daily Mile.

Looking a lot like Christmas

2011-01-29T13:13:00.003-05:00

Nothing says the Christmas season like a little bit of snow. Yeah, I know ... Christmas was more than a month ago, but what's wrong with still being in the Christmas spirit? And this photo was a spur of the moment photo as I headed to a kid's birthday party in Lynchburg, Va., the same night of the Christmas parade in downtown.

If you look close enough ...

2011-01-27T19:49:00.002-05:00

... it's not my wife's face that you see ... but instead you'll see me in her sunglasses.

I haven't posted in a while, but I think it's time I start again. Perhaps I'll do a series of self-portraits? We'll see.

Mile 100

2010-05-01T11:54:00.002-04:00

In April I did something great with my running -- I ran at least a mile every day, and I also ran more than 100 miles. Here's a view of where I was at mile 100.

For more on my running, visit www.runningbecauseican.com.

Another foot of snow ...

2010-01-31T10:42:00.002-05:00

Bedford, Va., was once again slammed with a foot of snow this weekend. Forecasts were for about 6 inches or snow, perhaps a little more, but it just kept snowing and snowing and snowing ...

One final snow photo

2009-12-22T21:09:00.002-05:00

This is the final snow photo I'll post from this snow storm. This is my son's hand after he got a little snow in it. Sometimes the simplest photos say a lot, and for some reason this photo says a lot to me. Not quite sure what, but it does ...

Elks Home under the snow

2009-12-20T07:56:00.003-05:00

I grew up going to the Elks Home in Bedford during Christmas, but I think yesterday was the first time in my 31 years that I've gone with snow on the ground. It's a great sight -- if you're in the area go check it out while the snow is still around.

The great snow of '09: Your photos

2009-12-19T15:17:00.003-05:00

In a bit of an experiment on Twitter and Facebook today, I've asked followers and friends if they'd like to share some of their photos with me to post on this blog. So far I've gotten two responses. Thanks to @CherylSmith999 (first photo) and @RodDempsey for sharing their snow photos from the Lynchburg area. If you have something you'd like to share, send an email to me at runningbecauseican@gmail.com. Have fun out there!

Storm of the century?

2009-12-19T07:19:00.005-05:00

For anyone who may doubt that this isn't the storm of the century, remember that the century is only 10 years old. So as of 7 a.m. there's a foot of snow on the ground in Bedford, Va., and I'm pretty sure it's only the second time this area has seen that much snow so far in the 2000s. And to all my friends from the north, yes, I'm going to make a big deal about this. Plus it's still snowing ...

... more to come once it stops!

Snowy Peaks

2009-12-06T20:16:00.005-05:00

Sure it's been three months since I last posted, but I'll hope you'll forgive me. There's nothing like a little snow storm to get me back in the photo-taking spirit. These were taken at the Peaks of Otter in Bedford County. While it was raining in the city, the mountains saw plenty of snow this weekend.

Nothing beats a good sunrise

2009-09-07T21:31:00.004-04:00

This weekend I got another chance to spend a weekend at Virginia Beach for the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. On Saturday I went for a short run along the boardwalk and go to see a cool site -- the sun rising to the east and a full moon setting to the west. Here's a look at the sunrise shortly after I got back to my hotel room:

Lights on I-95

2009-08-07T19:54:00.004-04:00

Don't worry, I wasn't driving when I took these. I was just bored on a ride from Washington, D.C., back to Richmond.

Summer fun with Duke

2009-07-03T20:50:00.003-04:00

Duke has a little bit of fun with my niece's birthday present. This dog -- who just turned 4 -- loves fast-moving water!

Blue skies over Richmond

2009-06-22T20:35:00.004-04:00

It's late June and we're officially into summer. Usually at this time of the year in Richmond, it's hazy, hot and humid. But in the past couple of days we've been blessed with some great weather. It cooled off yesterday and today after a fairly miserable Friday and Saturday, leaving the skies nice and blue. While it's still fairly warm, the skies reminded me today of a fall day. Enjoy it while it lasts ...
... I was fortunate today to be able to be outside for about a half hour at work. I was standing under a tree and looked up and saw this gorgeous site. There's something about a blue sky that makes any photo look good.

Butterflies II

2009-06-06T12:30:00.002-04:00

Here are a few more butterfly photos from Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden from Memorial Day:

Butterflies All Around

2009-05-26T20:43:00.008-04:00

Some of the coolest things to take photos of, but also one of the most difficult, are butterflies. At Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, the Butterflies LIVE! exhibition is currently going on through October. It's an awesome site -- dozens of butterflies silently flying around. It has sort of a calming effect. Here are a few more shots. Check back later this week for even more photos:

Sham Rockin' at the Beach

2009-03-23T19:13:00.003-04:00

We had some great weather this weekend at Virginia Beach in which I took part in the Shamrock Half Marathon and my wife had a work conference to attend. I'd live there if I could afford it.

Snow Dog!

2009-03-02T18:51:00.001-05:00

This has instantly become my favorite photo of my dog. His smile says it all about how he feels about snow!

10 inches and counting!

2009-03-02T08:28:00.002-05:00

It's been quite a while since I've seen a good snow fall. So there's good reason to be excited about 10 inches or so of snow in Richmond, Va., today. On top of a snow day from work, my dog loves it, my wife from snow-filled Ohio loves it and it finally proves what I've been trying to tell my in-laws for years - it does snow in Virginia!! I'm looking forward to heading out for a run later in this mess.

Duke does his usual snow roll!

Right in the kisser

2009-03-01T20:58:00.000-05:00

When winter and spring collide

2009-03-01T18:06:00.002-05:00

With up and down temperatures in February, some flowers started showing their colors a tad early, only to shutter during today's snow.

And now, the inside of the mouth

2008-12-03T20:32:00.003-05:00

Earlier you saw the tongue ... now see the rest.

My nose is tasty

2008-11-30T17:31:00.001-05:00

Dogs ... when captured at the right moment, they're hilarious!

November Snow

2008-11-24T10:27:00.002-05:00

I love taking photos of snow, but unfortunately it seems that Virginia never gets any anymore. Last week, though, the Richmond area saw about a half hour's worth of snow ... nothing spectacular, but it gives me hope of bigger things to come this winter. So, here's to hoping that we get more snow! In the meantime, here's a photo to prove that the white stuff did indeed fall from the sky recently.

Oh Happy Dog.

2008-10-21T11:53:00.002-04:00

My dog says "hi" and wonders why I haven't posted in a while. It happens! I haven't forgotten about this blog ... I just haven't had time to devote to it. I'm trying!

Round and round we go

2008-09-19T20:44:00.002-04:00

Where did the time go? I had all these plans to post my Virginia Beach photos and then all of a sudden two weeks have passed since my last post. Anyway, here's another Virginia Beach scene from Labor Day. I was experimenting with available light ... something I'm slowly getting better at.

Fired up over fireworks

2008-09-04T20:51:00.010-04:00

One of the cool things about this past weekend at Virginia Beach was having fireworks over the ocean each night. But at the same time, what you see here is what you get. However, with the long boardwalk, tons of hotels and drunken runners who were watching an awful B52's concert, I was surprised that on the last night there weren't more. They could easily have a quarter-mile of boats lined up shooting fireworks.

Anyway, I guess this isn't the place to complain ... it's just a place to show you what I captured. You'll have to excuse these photos from not being a little better -- I was battling high humidity and a foggy lens. I basically just held down the button and hoped for the best.

Weird skies and rides

2008-09-02T21:00:00.003-04:00

I just returned from a weekend at Virginia Beach and captured some interesting shots that I'll share over the next week or so. This first one is near a so-called amusement park. The photo makes it look cooler than it really is. What I like about this shot, though, is the eerie sky. It looks like a tornado could just pop out.

All in a morning's work

2008-08-14T13:22:00.005-04:00

BEFORE
HALFWAY DONE

AFTER
My landscaping skills aren't the best, but I think I did a pretty good job this time around.

The new Geico spokesman

2008-08-14T13:21:00.002-04:00

Longing for fall

2008-08-08T21:30:00.001-04:00

It's August ... fall can't be far behind can it?!?! By the way, this is somewhere in Vermont. Absolutely beautiful.

Let it snow!

2008-07-19T10:06:00.002-04:00

It's so hot, so I thought some snow photos would cool everyone off a bit. And don't you just love my dog's demon eyes above?

"Daddy, I didn't start the fire"

2008-07-13T19:32:00.004-04:00

My dog has a bed right next to our fireplace and for whatever reason last week, he laid down and then put a paw on top of the bricks. He also rested his head on the bricks, but I wasn't able to catch that image quick enough. While it was hot outside, the inside is nice and cool. The bricks are even cooler. The only thing I can think of is he was still too hot and used the bricks to cool down. Or maybe he's just plain weird. Although the more I look at this picture, the more it looks like he's begging for something. Unfortunately for me, he's got a little red eye here.

More sticks

2008-07-08T10:45:00.000-04:00

This is how my dog gets his daily fiber needs ...

Happy Fourth!

2008-07-04T09:50:00.000-04:00

Nothing says American than something weird like this, right?

The Boston Skyline

2008-07-01T20:19:00.001-04:00

Boston ... such a great small, big city. This is from a 2006 trip to the Northeast.

Brotherly love

2008-06-27T21:30:00.001-04:00

"I can bark louder than you!"

Duke won't tell

2008-06-25T14:15:00.000-04:00

I tried, but he wouldn't tell me the secret family recipe either!

Another amazing view

2008-06-22T18:25:00.001-04:00

The views are amazing

2008-06-21T12:08:00.000-04:00

A wonderful view atop the Currituck Beach Lighthouse in the Outer Banks...

Flower power

2008-06-19T15:46:00.000-04:00

Just a simple shot of a flower at a recent wedding ... in the Outer Banks.

Sunset by the fire

2008-06-17T19:23:00.004-04:00

So if you live anywhere from Virginia down through South Carolina, you're probably well aware of the wildfires going on in North Carolina. With an ever-changing wind, the smoke seems to be all over the place. On my recent trip to the Outer Banks, the smoke settled in the first three nights I was there. While it was annoying and prevented any major outdoor activities, it did provide for a very unique sunset. I captured this image while I was in a hurry to go out for dinner, and my lens cap kept fogging up because it was so humid. It's not the best, but I think you get the concept of it being a fairly dramatic sunset.

Currituck Beach Lighthouse

2008-06-16T10:34:00.002-04:00

Sorry it's been a while, but I was in the Outer Banks for a week, visiting places such as the Currituck Beach Lighthouse in Corolla, N.C., above. If you've never been to the Outer Banks, it's a wonderful place to get away from the world as you know it ... except for $4 a gallon gas.

Sticks ... again

2008-06-05T19:32:00.001-04:00

In case you missed it, click here to see the original stick. The damage is well under way in this photo.

Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.!

2008-06-03T07:36:00.004-04:00

On a one-day trip to Boston a couple of years ago, this was the only photo I got of anything related to the Boston Celtics. I'm sure things are different now and there's probably Celtics stuff all over. As a lifelong Celtics fan, I wanted to post this in support of the C's who are back in the NBA Finals ... finally! I've waited most my life for this to happen again! And the fact that they're playing the L.A. Lakers makes it even better.

Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.!

Just a happy dog

2008-05-29T20:27:00.003-04:00

Like a young child, I think he was posing for these shots ...

Hens and chicks

2008-05-28T12:30:00.005-04:00

Hens and chicks have long been a part of my family ... I'm not sure why, they just have been. They're very interesting plants -- they're not pretty, but you can't stop looking at them. What's above doesn't look like much, but they're actually thriving compared to what we've tried to grow before.

Baby birds

2008-05-22T19:02:00.001-04:00

This spring my wife and I had the pleasure of seeing baby birds grow up. Currently in the same flower there's a slightly revamped nest with five more eggs. The birds must love us this year!

Mmmmm ... sticks!!

2008-05-20T19:42:00.005-04:00

"Hey dude, I'm going to eat this stick no matter what you say."

Signs of Spring

2008-05-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

Just another day and this thing will be blooming!

Posing for a picture

2008-05-18T20:07:00.004-04:00

OK... so I love taking pictures of my dog. This one above and the one below I posted a few days ago were taken with a 2.1 megapixel camera -- you know, that HP that everyone seemed to have a few years ago.

Smile!

2008-05-16T11:02:00.003-04:00

Here's my lovely golden retriever when he was about 8 weeks old.

A late winter beach visit

2008-05-14T19:50:00.004-04:00

If you want to get away to the beach and not have anyone bother you, head to Virginia Beach in March. You just won't want to get in the water, but you'll often find sites like this with no one around.

Lovin' the snow

2008-05-13T13:04:00.002-04:00

One of many crazy photos of my dog. Additional ones are below and more are yet to come!

Mmmmm ... Chili!

2008-05-12T09:22:00.002-04:00

This doesn't actually look that great, but it was. In fact, I think it's hard to have "bad" chili, especially at the fall chili festival in Richmond.

"Cousin" Carl

2008-05-08T09:24:00.003-04:00

If you've ever gotten a chance to be in the pits at a NASCAR event, you know that it's hard to get decent photos of drivers in action. Generally, in the pits, they're not focused on getting pictures taken or giving autographs. The best thing to do is just stand still and eventually they'll walk by. Above is Carl Edwards in Richmond last fall. I have a few others to share down the road.

Obama or Clinton?

2008-05-07T09:19:00.005-04:00

In what seems like forever ago, I had the chance to get very up close with the Democratic candidates for president -- Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, for those sleeping under rocks these days -- when they were at the same dinner. It was a very interesting experience and one I won't soon forget.

Creepy Christmas

2008-05-05T12:08:00.003-04:00

Halloween? No. This was actually taken this past Christmas Eve. It was kind of creepy, but the full moon allowed for a perfect evening stroll to look at Christmas lights in the neighborhood.

Mystic, Connecticut

2008-05-04T09:53:00.004-04:00

One of the secrets of the Northeast has to be Mystic, Conn., and the surrounding casinos. Before we went and wasted money in the fall of 2006, we visited the Mystic Aquarium. From the outside it seemed like I was stepping back to the 1980s, but inside was pretty cool. Now, about that $100 or so I lost at Mohegan Sun ... there is not, unfortunately, any photo evidence of that.

Sleepy Time

2008-05-03T13:16:00.003-04:00

Note to anyone who knows me: Don't fall asleep near me if my camera is around ...

To Oh-So-Sad Golden Retriever

2008-05-02T09:37:00.007-04:00

I love how golden retrievers can look so sad one minute, then ecstatic the very next. How can you not love a dog like this??

Fall in western Massachusetts

2008-05-01T16:20:00.006-04:00

Well, nothing like some weirdness to kick off this blog. These were taken in western Massachusetts while on vacation in the fall of 2006. Nothing like some fine blue sky for the background. There are more in my collection that I'll eventually add.

Welcome

2008-05-01T10:24:00.000-04:00

Somewhere along the way, I probably chose the wrong career path. When I was in high school and first got involved in journalism, I loved everything about the field - from writing to editing to taking photos, it was a ton of fun. Gradually, I dropped the photography side of things and focused on writing and editing.

For a short time a few years ago, I got the chance to take photos again as part of my job. I loved it, but once again it wasn't the main focus. And I don't have the courage right now to pursue photography as a career, but I can be convinced otherwise.

To be honest, I don't know that much about cameras -- when it comes to lighting, F stops, speed and whatever other lingo is out there, that's not for me. But quite honestly, I feel like I've taken some good photos over the years of various things. So instead of keeping photos on MySpace or Facebook where only a select number of people can see them, I thought I'd give this a try.

So here's to attempting something new ... my next blog posting will come soon!