Monday, July 16, 2007

Meanwhile... 24 years later...

Ayup... it's extremely scary reproducing the same photograph 24 years after the first one.

Yes... it's the same woman (me), the same spot, the same month, and even the same photographer. Only the car and the weight of the model has changed, but it's all good.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Screw the kittens... Got Convertible?

OK.. OK... So I'll try and not turn the blog into "All Convertible.. All the Time"...

But it won't be easy.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Yes another car pic BUT...


Meet Jenny
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
If you wanna read the really funny stuff about my car shopping expedition you gotta go to the Masslive blog. DEFINITELY don't miss the comments that have been posted to the main story... It's a great "not to be missed" read! :)

Just follow the shiney convertible by clicking HERE!

Man Fun - Puppy Sad


Man Fun - Puppy Sad
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
Take 2 men, add a bag of colorful balloons, some string, a tank of helium, and one Stupid Little Angry DogTM, and this is what you get. Gretchen was NOT amused... but the rest of us were!

Friday, July 06, 2007

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Over the Junkyard...


Over the Junkyard...
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
Fireworks and the planet Venus shot from the edge of the local Junkyard. It was just all SO patriotic!

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Wreath of Sparks


Wreath of Sparks
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
A semi-Goth Dude I used to work with a few years ago used to play his ipod so loud that I could hear his music from his earbuds all the way across the room as clear as day. A little Marilyn Manson and a whole lotta EB. I actually started to like it and got him to give a sample cd of some of his favorite stuff. I re-discovered it in my truck the other day and have been listening to it again. I really like it. My favorite... "Wreath of Sparks". Not that I could tell you who screams it.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Room to Fly...


Room to Fly...
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
You'd think the freakin' balloon was a rattlesnake that I suggested he hold on to by the tail... sheesh.. ;)

So.. this is the new project "The Chronicles of the Blue Balloon"... See the balloon meet the pets, join the family, and tour the countryside. Who knows, maybe the Blue Balloon will even make an appearance at a venue near you!

Friday, June 29, 2007

Summer Fireworks


Summer Fireworks
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
Sometimes when you use the option in Photoshop to allow it to adjust the exposure automatically you get unexpected results. It killed the bright orange of the tiger lily, but it turned the grey cement background a beautiful sky blue. I love it.

Speaking of fireworks... Ware's fireworks are scheduled for tomorrow nite.. I was hoping to do a little scouting about for a really cool location to get some good shots of them but time is running a bit short.. you know.. someplace not too close but yet not too far.. I'm not a fan of those "just the firework" pictures, to me, you really need a building or river or something else in the frame to make the pictures more interesting. I'll have to think on it tonite and tomorrow and get Mr. 9 2 Bay to do the same... if you have any recommendations.. I'd love to hear them!

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Yellow Moon.


Yellow Moon.
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
After a day of 90 degree heat we had massive thunderstorms last nite. Once the storms had cleared, the fog and haze was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Unfortunately, the image of the fog with the fireflies failed miserably... Oh well, the upside is "The moon was spectacular"!

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Handwoven Weekender Basket

Another of a friends handwoven baskets. She weaves. I photograph. It works for both of us!

Not much going on around here these days, it's just too darn HOT! I am hoping to get outside tonite and do some long exposures of all the fireflies that inhabit my side yard. We're supposed to have a heavy fog and the fireflies have been thick as thieves out there at night. It should make for some interesting photos. I suppose we'll see!

Monday, June 25, 2007

With dog you get eggroll...

The Stupid Little Angry Dog™ actually won't eat it but she'll be damned if she'll let those barn cats get it... This was taken thru the kitchen door window as she was begging to come in... I don't think so... I know I would sit down on the couch only to find the eggroll hidden behind a pillow!

Friday, June 22, 2007

Patience pays off.


Patience pays off.
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
I pass this barn every day. Every day I say "I have to shoot that barn." Everyday I keep driving. Today I took my ride downtown. I took the camera. The sky was gorgeous and I thought "I need to shoot the sky." Then I headed up toward the barn and noticed they had just hayed the field. Then I spotted the turkey.

Today I stopped and shot the barn.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Summer Solstice


Summer Solstice
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
Welcome to summer!

The little Waterfall.

I realized I posted the picture of me shooting the little waterfall here on the blog, but I didn't post a pic of the actual waterfall. I guess that's the hazard of writing two different blogs, sometimes I can't remember which pics I've posted where. So.. here you go. This is what I was shooting while Mike was shooting me.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Get the kiddie pool ready...

It's gonna be a hot time in the backyard tonite! :)

Shades of Green. . .


. . .
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
The light was really funky this morning, I went back to the bedroom to get dressed and the shades of green were just screamin'... OH.. and I got a new shirt and new pants and what better way to get a feel for how they look than to take a pic and be able to study it on the computer... I think they work... it's become my new obsession... buying pants in the Girls Department... I'm trying to figure out a way that I can comfortably leave the tag on them that says "GIRLS SIZE 14 1/2" and yet be subtle about it... I don't think it's gonna work... LOL

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Shootin' the waterfall...

While I was shooting the waterfall, my husband was shooting me, and the mosquito's were eating us both alive!

Saturday, June 16, 2007

BelAir


BelAir
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
My Dad actually had one of these beauties but in a soft powder blue.. for years it sat in our garage, gathering dust, acting as a playhouse for us kids, and it even hid our Christmas presents within its trunk (I bet you didn't know we found them did ya' Dad! HA!)...

Thursday, June 14, 2007

City Scape


City Scape
Originally uploaded by DigitalTumbleweed
No.. I haven't run away to the big city (although I'd love to!)... This is courtesy of my very first "Guest Photographer" here on 9 2 Bay... DigitalTumbleweed.. aka Brad... my buddy & ex-coworker... he's normally located in California but is in NYC for the week for his Google job... I requested both day and nite pictures of the city and like a trooper he not only obliged, but he posted one of the most beautiful night shots I've ever seen of the city! Those clouds just blow me away!

Thanks so much Brad! Awesome pic!

Hurry home...


Hurry home...
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
I really like how this one turned out... I was panning along with the crow (meaning moving the camera to match the speed of the moving object) which then blurred the leaves... the steel grey icky sky today was the perfect backdrop for a change.. a little "over exposure" added in photoshop and we get a white background... I like it!

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

reclamation


reclamation
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
Rusty crusty beauty from the side yard... In most people's yards it would look like a pile of junk that the homeowner was just too lazy to haul away but throw that same pile of stuff in the yard of a log cabin and it instantly becomes "artistic atmosphere".... Heh...

Monday, June 11, 2007

15 Seconds of German Fame...

I got my copy in the mail today... This German beekeeper's journal contacted me to see if they could use my image of a honeycomb in exchange for a byline... I was happy to contribute! :) And even happier that they actually shipped me a copy of the journal... It looks great... full color, glossy 33 pages! The pic on the inside page, top left, is mine, featured nicely on page 3! Very cool!

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Friday, June 08, 2007

Berries in the making...

I'm sure I'll be photographing the berries once they emerge as well... I bet you just can't wait, can you? ;)

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

I'm a bit excessive...


I missed me...
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
Not sure if I posted this selfie to the blog as yet... but I figured it was easier to dig thru the archives and post one than it was to shoot another one for this post... Yup... this post is about me... Lucky you...

Seems I'm a bit excessive... I finally had that job review that the Wally World "forgot" about... and apparently.. I exceed at just about everything... well... of course there are some things that you just can't exceed at but only "meets expectations".. I mean... what can you say... "I worked the heck outta that dress code." Yeah... ok... Good for you... So anyhow... I managed to get the full raise that according to other associates "no one EVER gets the full 60 cent raise." :)

Oh... but it gets better... during my review I was also told about a possible promotion, pending approval of the boss man, that they wanted me to consider... Well... I considered it... and considering the new job is 80% stuff that I already do... uuummm... yeah.. I'd be interested in the pay grade increase... (clever how I figured that out isn't it?) Well... long story short... I got called into the Manager's office last nite to accept my job offer... and my additional 20 cent raise...

So... apparently... I am an extra 80 cents an hour worth of excessive... and it hasn't gone unnoticed... imagine that!

NICE!

It's all Harry Chapin's fault...

When Tim heard the song "30,000 Pounds of Bananas" he couldn't resist making a wish...

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Ugly Monkey Fight Club...

When Frank and Tim joined the Ugly Monkey Fight Club neither of them realized that one day they might have to fight each other.

Monday, June 04, 2007

She's got MAN HANDS I tell you...

It isn't easy being a finger puppet...

It's Household Hazardous Waste Day... WOOHOO...

So.. gather up your aerosol spray cans.. your old motor oil and let's have us a parade people!!!

Yup... they really know how to have a good time in Monson.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Gardening...


Gardening...
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
Here's todays pic... I thought I'd add the list of descriptive tags that I used in Flickr here so you all could enjoy them as well.. ;)

gardening [x]
selfie [x]
me [x]
all of my favorite things [x]
my house [x]
my electric company yellow truck [x]
my silly hat [x]
my pepto pink crocs [x]
my new Mothers' Day tree [x]
it's a crabapple [x]
do you think they were trying to tell me something? [x]
and my new pants [x]
they are from the GIRLS department [x]
YAY [x]
ok... so they are really from the 'Girls PLUS' department [x]
and well [x]
they are the biggest size in the 'Girls PLUS' department [x]
but they ARE from the GIRLS [x]
so there! [x]

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Every May 29th she wanders the graveyard

looking for the man who married her only to strangle her in their wedding bed with her bridal veil.

Nope... I haven't lost it... this was supposed to be another "Iron Photographer" shot... This time the ingredients were:

1. Shot in Film Noir style
2. A weapon
3. A liquid

So.. I got out my wedding dress... drove to the graveyard... set up the camera on the tripod... calculated how long of an exposure I would need to get a ghostly transparency of myself... and had Mr. 9 2 Bay hit the shutter release and tell me when I was in and out of the frame...

So... here is the Film Noir style... The wedding veil was the weapon... and the liquid... uummm... the liquid is.....

DOH...

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Gretchen enjoys the spotlight...

750,000 Candle Power of portable light.... If I can stay up past dark again it should be fun to play with!

OH... and do I ever have a really cool idea for this new bit of lighting technology... now I just have to see if my wedding dress still fits (yeah.. like that is gonna be bloody likely) and then come up with a good story to tell the cops when they show up to shag me outta the graveyard! :)

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Memorial Day


Memorial Day
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura
Not sure what the uploading is gonna look like over the next couple of days. So... A wonderful Memorial Day to you all, please take a moment out of your day's activities to remember what this day is all about! OH... and to "Hug a Veteran!" :)

Friday, May 25, 2007

Meet George.

He was sitting all alone on the shelf at a store called "The Final Markdown" in Deerfield. He looked so sad. I couldn't resist taking him home with me. I'm sure you'll be seeing quite a bit of George.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

I'm late.. I'm late....

no time to stop for a photo op... I'm late!

Ok.. not really... it just fits the photo... Sorry for the lack of postage yesterday... it's just been crazy nuts around here... I took Saturday off for the washout of a craft fair so the Wally Mart boss Lady scheduled me for an extra nite during the week to make up for the missing hours (or at least I think that's why she did it). Very nice of her really, so many of the Associates depend on keeping the same amount of hours per week to make the bills, but I'd rather have had the time off. Her heart was in the right place anyway.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Monday, May 21, 2007

Blue Basket...


Blue Basket...
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura.
A lovely handmade basket and a new project for me... One of the ladies that I work with (Super Stalker Sue - ok.. so it's actually Strategic Stocker Sue) makes these lovely baskets and we've decided to collaborate... she weaves.. and I photograph the outcome... It will make some lovely "country style" pics for me and she'll get some nice photo's out of the deal... we haven't quite worked out all the details as yet... but here's one I took at the craft fair on Saturday.. Which by the way... pretty much blew.. it went back and forth between light drizzle and heavy drizzle... but drizzle it did.. ALL DAY LONG... the Walmart where it was held was uber busy... but they set us up in the farthest parking lot and we sadly watched as people pulled in, ran quickly into the store... came back out... quickly ran to their vehicles and drove outta there... not wanting to deal with the cold wet rain... I don't blame them a bit... but it was awful for us...

I'm just SO glad I took a double booth... *sigh** I was hoping to set the tent up in one space and then do an outdoor display in the other, but ended up having to strategically arrange everything under the tent... OH well.. at least it was for a good cause (the Children's Miracle Network) and I did make my booth money back plus enough to have covered my gas and tolls to get out there...

OH.. and the best comment of the day was from the lady that bought one of my "Hello from the Girls" bra cards... She was very complimentary and as she walked away she again said "Your stuff is REALLY good - and I work for a photo studio."... and bam... she was gone... doh... I'd love to know which studio but unfortunately I didn't get a chance to ask her...

Anyway.. MANY thanks to those of you who stopped by...

Friday, May 18, 2007

YAY... OH MAN.... YAY... CRAP... LOL

An exercise in mixed emotions.... YAY.. I"m the featured blog on the front page of Masslive.com... but crap... it's my giant "man feet"... LOL

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Socks in Crocs or My Squeaky Left Foot...

YAY!! New Crocs! I'm tellin' you people... if you do tons of standin' and walkin' these are the shoes for you... I did learn something tho.. I wore them for my 5 hour shift last nite at the Wally World - sans socks - and my left one squeaked to no end... it nearly drove me nuts.. strolling amongst the bras and panties - thump - squeak - thump - squeak... GGRRRR.. I was ready to return them... then today.. I tried them with socks... not a squeak to be heard... so.. apparently... I have a squeaky left foot.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

A Table for Two...


A Table for Two...
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura.
A damn lucky shot... I couldn't have timed my trip to the back room any better... This is the very first time I've ever had them both at the feeder at the same time.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Flowerfall


Flowerfall
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura.
I'm so excited... yes.. excited... in a way that only watching grass grow can excite you. Well, not grass, but flowers. Lots and Lots of flowers. I got my gardens planted last nite. YAY!

I've got 9 tomato plants and 6 beans in on the side of the house. 3 rows of summer squash and a row of Jack-Be-Littles in the front edge of the yard, then all along the edge of the woods at the front of the house I put in thousands of wildflower seeds & cosmos, backed by a row Mammoth & mixed tall SunFlowers... OH... and then more SunFlowers planted in front of Mr. 9 2 Bays pile of plows, truck caps, old pallets and other assorted junk.

Woohoo.. now all I have to do is sit back and watch 'em grow...

*sigh**

Well.. maybe I'll find something else to do.

Later...

Monday, May 14, 2007

Abandoned


Abandoned
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura.
but not un-loved!

I'm really liking the early hour shift at the Wally World... well.. the getting up at freakin' dark thirty not so much... but the getting done at 4pm stuff is pretty nice... Sunday we actually went up to McCarthy's... had an extra large beer... a pot o' gold giant basket of appetizers for supper... and then still had a couple hours of golden evening light to ride around and do a little bit of shooting... here's a pic from the trip... just one you say? Yes... just one pic... **see the bit about "extra large beer"... don't try this at home people...

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Ford 85


Ford 85
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura.
They just pulled this wonderful old beauty out of the woods down the street from me... She's beautiful.. and I'm sure you'll be seeing much more of her!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Ask me how my day was yesterday...

I dare ya!

Keep in mind.. I worked at Wally World last nite... All I can say is... she stopped screaming at her kid... and began screaming at me... and my manager... and she says she'll never be back to this sh*thole cause it's employees like me that are turning it into a sh*thole...

and I can only hope she's telling the truth...

And I'm really proud of the fact that I refused to apologize.

So there.

B*tch!

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Look into my eyes...


Look into my eyes...
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura.
He was doing his best to distract me from photographing the black swan...

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Ghost of the Forest


Ghost of the Forest
Originally uploaded by BayRoadPhoto/Laura.
Ok.. so she wasn't in the forest, which is for the best I guess, I'm sure she wouldn't last long out in the wild... Just beautiful!

Monday, May 07, 2007

Mom went to Georgia, and all I got was this stupid coupon.

It's like a credit card commercial:

Web work to purchase 2 Tickets to Georgia: 55 dollars

6 hours of phone calls to change the flights on the tickets to Georgia: 210 dollars

40 plus miles of driving to drop off the info on tickets to Georgia (time and gas): 80 dollars

Reward: a $3 coupon to Olive Garden

My Mother: Priceless