Scattered Thoughts . . .

L ukey had asked for only one gift this Christmas which, on the one hand, made things easier for us but, on the other hand, created a need for some research on our part.  I knew that the specific item he requested for Christmas was junk and we're not going to buy junk. Lukey wanted his own drum kit and he knows this would be a big gift so he chose perhaps the least expensive kit he could find on Amazon and sent us the link.  Being a musician myself, I know that introducing a new student to a cheap, junky instrument almost always ends in failure and long-lasting disinterest.  I needed to do some research to find a better drum kit for a beginner. This really applies to anything though.  If you buy a kid junk, they are sure to lose interest quickly and it will leave a bad taste in their mouth for any future interest in that thing because they tell themselves, "oh man...  that really sucked" .  What really sucked was the tool and not the activity but their feel...

I've always been an admirer of Thomas Jefferson and, as an engineering and architecture student, I've also always been an admirer of his home, Monticello, in Virginia.  We have many things in our home with a relationship to Thomas Jefferson and Monticello. Among these things is some glassware. The latest additions to our glassware are two matching tankards and I thought I would try to capture some decent photos of them. Shooting photographs of glassware (as well as jewelry) is difficult so I knew this would be a nice photography exercise in lighting. Getting light where you need it and where you want it while avoiding blinding reflections while, at the same time, keeping some reflections is crucial in effective glassware photography. I knew this would be a bit of a challenge since I have not attempted this type of photography in quite some time. I pulled out some flashes. I pulled out a constant studio light. I pulled out a remote flash trigger to mount on my came...