2 Things Challenge: Hot/Crack

This past week, I photographed the two-day Blaine Safety Camp.  The camp is for kids going into fourth grade and teaches them about being safe around fire, electricity, the internet, and many other things.  It is a fun event for the kids, and even some of us adults.  It also affords me an opportunity to work on my 2 Things Challenge.

Connexus Energy brings out their demonstration trailer to show the kids the dangers of electricity.  One of the more stunning displays involves one of the presenters intentionally putting a CRACK in a lineman's glove and then putting a hot dog at the end of their stick, in the glove, to simulate a finger.  After the glove pulls away from the power line, the ensuing arc makes the inside of the glove so HOT, it burns the hot dog inside and out.

2 Things Challenge: Dry/Boom

The recent wet weather has allowed for a BOOM in vegetative growth.  This sunny, DRY day allowed the tree to show it true colors.  Happy to be back submitting at 2 Things Challenge.

A leaf on the wind.

2 Things Challenge: Table/Holiday

'Tis the season to gather around a Table with family and friends for the Holidays.  Over at 2 Things Challenge, the very appropriate theme was Table/Holiday.  Our family table is always filled with food, love and good times.  And no Scandinavian holiday celebration is complete without lefse.  Thank you Eeyore for allowing me some extra time on this.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.

2 Things Challenge: Delay/Early

So, it has been way too many months since I added anything to this blog, let alone taken many pictures.   This morning presented me with an opportunity to get outside, in Minnesota, in December and play with my new camera, Nikon D5100.

The weekly challenge over at 2 Things Challenge was Delay/Early.  The fog EARLY this morning was thick and no doubt caused DELAYs all around the Twin Cities.  It was especially thick near the Rum River Bridge in Anoka, MN.

2 Things Challenge Home/Image

A little over a year ago, my father retired from his job at Anoka County and began an 8 month journey to creating his retirement house on Third Silver Lake in Minnesota.  He officially moved in after Christmas 2011 and had all of the landscaping finished in the past month or so.  He has created more than a cabin, it is truly a HOME in every sense of the word.  It is comfortable, beautiful, and a place I am in love with.

A couple weeks ago, while sitting around a late-night fire, I was playing with some long exposure settings and captured this IMAGE.  This weeks 2 Things Challenge was Home/Image, so this seemed like an apt entry.  You may see more of these as time goes on, but that is only because I photograph things I care deeply about.

2 Things Challenge Blue/Fresh

For this weeks 2 Things Challenge the words were Blue & Fresh.  Blueberries were the first thing that came to mind, so I bought some blueberries and raspberries and played around with them a little.  For some reason, the idea of photographing still life is still foreign to me.  I don't think I had enough natural light for really effective photos.

Any constructive criticism would be much appreciated.

2 Things Challenge Road/Shadow

I am lucky that my wife has really taken to baseball in the last few years.  Because of this, we spend a lot of time at Target Field during the summer.  Sitting there, in the hot sun, I am always amazed that I we are watching grown men play a game for a living.

The ROAD to the "show" can be a long one for many of these players.  However, when that call comes to step onto a major league diamond and have the sun cast your SHADOW across a lush, perfectly mown patch of grass, it is all worth it.

2 Things Challenge - Ghost/Art

I can't draw.  I can't sing or dance.  I don't write all that good well.  That means, any ART I attempt will be in the form of photography.  That being said, this weeks 2 Things Challenge is Ghost/Art.

While down in Mexico this past April, I awoke to an amazing morning.  The sun was just off the horizon as this cruise ship made it's way to Cozumel.  The backlighting and sharp outline, made it look like a GHOST ship that had risen from the sea.  All the poor souls on board, sentenced for all eternity to sail the seven seas.  Passing close to beautiful ports of call, but never making landfall.  The horror.  The horror.

2 Things Challenge - Saturday/Hard

It has been a long while since I have participated in the weekly photo challenge over at 2 Things Challenge.  I am finally getting back to messing with my camera, so it was nice to get out this weekend with a goal in mind.   The two topics for this week was Saturday/Hard.

The City of Blaine Parks & Recreation Department sponsored a triathlon on Saturday, May 19th, at Lakeside Commons Park.  The event consisted of a 1/3 of a mile swim, 16.7 mile bike ride, and finally a 3.5 mile run.  Needless to say, an event of this magnitude is Hard on a body.  It is made even harder by the fact that the winner did it in 73 minutes.  Wow!  These athletes are amazing.

2 Things Challenge - Value/Abstract

This challenge this week over at 2 Things Challenge is Value/Abstract.  Admittedly, as an art form, I struggle with anything abstract.  I tend to gravitate to art that is more straightforward, but I am opening my mind to the concept.

My first submission is of a sculpture at the Walker Art Center Sculpture Garden.  As a whole, I find the whole piece beautiful.  It is very Valuable and just walking around I gained Valuable insight in to Abstract sculptures.

I have a second submission that I think is an Abstract view of something that is Valued on a sailboat.  I will let you be the judge.

2 Things Challenge - Abundant/Emptiness

This weeks 2 Things Challenge was Abundant/Emptiness.

The housing collapse has drained a once ABUNDANT city budget, creating an EMPTINESS on an entire floor of the City Hall.

Abundant / Emptiness

2 Things Challenge - Sharp/Dull

This weeks 2 Things Challenge is Sharp/Dull.  When I saw the words, all that came to mind was pencils.  I built a little box with an upper light and bounced an external flash for more fill.

Sharp then dull, sharp then dull, sharp then..........

Sharp focus on the tip, fade to dull background.

2 Things Challenge - Emerging/Satisfaction

It has been a couple weeks since I have touched my camera.  I finally got back into shooting with this weeks 2 Things Challenge, Emerging/Satisfaction.  It was taco night in the Johnson household Friday night, so I decided to try my hand at shooting food.  Below is a picture of a couple stuffed tacos with the the melted cheese EMERGING.  Soon, I will have the SATISFACTION of devouring their goodness.

2 Things Challenge - Instant/Delay

This weeks 2 Things Challenge topic is Instant/Delay.  This week I actually took the picture, instead of using an old photo.

In the morning, my hatred for INSTANT coffee always
creates a DELAY in my caffeine satisfaction.

2 Things Challenge - Bumper/Crop

Another 2 Things Challenge entry.  This weeks theme words are Bumper and Crop.  The two submissions I have are both from a car show that coincided with Pie Day in Braham, MN.

This is a cropped bumper from a 1953 Ford Pickup.

I believe this is from a 1959 Chevrolet Impala.  

2 Things Challenge - Wooden/Eye

This weeks 2 Things Challenge words were Wooden & Eye.  While walking around the Great Minnesota Get Together (State Fair), there was this large wooden clown statue.  The clown was very colorful and I especially love the blue in the eye.

2 Things - Master / Control

For this weeks 2 Things Challenge, the topic was Master/Control.  This is one of my older photos of my nephew walking my dog.  

2 Things Challenge - Fringe/Focus

While walking around Fort Snelling today, I stumbled upon a feather. For this weeks 2 Things Challenge, I FOCUSED on the ends of the feather and cropped it to the FRINGE of photo. I have a color image, but I preferred the contrast of the black and white.

Said / Done (Poem)

G od, I can't believe the word came out
O ur love was fading into the night
O bvious in thought, oblivious in action
D enial was all we had between us
B lame is equal and weighted
Y our silence tells me you agree
E ndings should end and not linger

Poetic attempt for this weeks 2 Things Challenge, Said/Done.

2 Things Challenge - Organic / Chaos

This is my first posting to 2 Things Challenge. This weeks topic is Organic / Chaos. Dunes and ripples are created on the Organic beach, but because of the Chaos of wind and sand, no two "ripples" are the same.