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Group shot – Click photo for hi-res:

And, we’re off!

“No, I’m not going to smile, and yes, this is your one shot at taking a photo of me in with some leaves as a background.”

Batmobile needs some quick adjustments to the turbos, and a quick call back to the Batcave:

Back to the Batcave:

Danielle making a dramatic entrance (had *me* fooled!):

Hard part is over, now let’s have some FUN!:

Photog of the photogs:

Ring Bearer and Flower Girl doin’ their thing:

Sun going down, music going up!

Batman never hesitates to show the guns (or pizza sauce):

Batman sizing up a jump off the bench:

A cape, a mask, a tatoo, some pizza sauce, AND a sword!!

You want Batman to show you a CHOP?!?! You GOT it!!!

No more sword?!? Then NO more pictures!!!

Started off an early Saturday morning with a drive in the vette, in search of a new playground.  Not so coincidentally, we chose the one on the other side of some curvey country roads   Just south of River Road in Hillsboro, OR, is Rood Bridge Park.  There are currently MANY improvements being made, with small streams flowing around, a frog pond, a nice play structure, nature trails, etc.

This past weekend I attended the memorial service for Rich “Pa / Pops” Sowers. He was an old friend of mine who loved computers and taking photos of his family.  He was a true old school gadget guy, and he told me several times about all of the early model computers he had back in the day when you had to buy them from Radio Shack. He passed away two weeks ago on a motorcycle ride at Detroit Lake, which lucky for him, was exactly the way he wanted to spend his last moments in this life.  During the service, his son David read “A Bikers Prayer”, which really hit home with me in how I remember Pops, and how I remember the life journey of my own Pop (who passed away 6 months before I met Rich).

If someone who attended the service could please scan and email a copy of the card that was handed out, I would greatly appreciate it.

A BIKERS PRAYER
May the sun rise in front of me
May the rain fall behind me
And the wind follow me
May the angels of my brothers and sisters
Who have gone before me
Guard my travels
For they know the perils
Of the road ahead of me
Keep me safe through the rough city streets
On my way to the land of swirling turns
And rolling hills
Let the colours of fall keep me warm
Let the eagle guide me to the mountaintops
Let the moons light guide me
Through the night
May my tyres not fail me
Nor my engine grow old
May my bike draw life
From the streams i pass
Keep my seat soft and my mind sharp
Let the air of spring breathe life
Into my soul
To journey to another adventure
Besides my brothers and sisters

After realizing that the Canon 1D MKIII was a little too much for my wallet to chew, a good compromise looked like a Canon 40D and some new lenses to cope with the 1.6x crop factor on the new sensor.  The Canon 35 F/2.0 was a major workhorse for me, accounting for probably 40,000 photos taken at National Racquetball events.  Through some research on Fred Miranda, I quickly noticed the 1.4′s benefits of faster USM, sharper photos, and of course an extra stop of light (extremely crucial for low-light sports – like racquetball).

I quickly sold the 2.0 to a colleague, and turned to a “WTB” ad on craigslist to find a primo copy of the 1.4 locally.  Within about 5 mintues of posting the ad, I had a reply from a local photographer wanting to sell his mint copy at the right price.  Needless to say, this lens didn’t dissapoint.  Solid metal construction, tack sharp photos, and wonderful contrast have turned this into one of my favorite Canon primes.

Here is my son learning how to compose with the Digital Rebel (taken with a Canon 1D MKI, F/1.4, 1/30, hand-held):

Every year in downtown Hillsboro, OR, a festival is held which shuts down the streets over the weekend.  The main focus in a 3 on 3 basketball tournament, with courts taped in on various streets / intersections.  Also included are booths for food, military recruitment, local artists, and a skateboard demonstration featuring athletes from a Texas-based Jesus/Skate troupe.  They had some pretty decent moves!