Not So Effective Teapot

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 72mm
Aperture Value: f/3.3
Shutter Speed: 1/30 sec
ISO - 150

Well nothing new here, to include photos. I've been really slacking on taking my camera out of my car, despite some potentially good shots. Well I won't promise anything but I am going to make a concentrated effort this Sunday to take some photos, of what I don't know. Hopefully I can expand my portfolio even more, as I'm running low on pictures. I should say not to expect updates this weekend as I have to work, sorry to disappoint but duty calls. That's it for today...

Jason 

Wo is me...

Pansonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length:
Aperture Value:
Shutter Speed:
ISO - 80

Here is a nice picture, though violent in nature, from the Capital Campus in Olympia. I took this on the day after Veterans Day on one of the nicest days that Washington has had in a while. The sun was cooperating perfectly with me this day, well when it was out anyways. Hope you enjoy.
As for me today has turned into a very very fustrating day. Part of my financial aid award was regected, and the failed to tell me until two weeks before the quarter ends. I've been running around trying to get a revision done. Appearently I made too much money last year to qualify for finacial aid, even though I'm an independent student. Oy... Well that's enough of me ranting, sorry. That's it from me today... I'd appreciate some good thoughts, oh and if you want to buy any pictures, as I now need the money, from my webpage (http://www.raptimagery.com) or from the blog, please give me an email. Sorry for the shameless self promotion. Thanks...

Jason 

Falling Water

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 6mm
Aperture Value: f/5
Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec
ISO - 80

I've beginning to loath the days that I forget to bring my camera. Today for instance the Olympic Mountains, with lots of fresh snow, and Mt Ranier are dying to be photographed. Regretably however, I didn't bring my camera from my car this morning. My car is parked, on campus, down a very large hill that I don't car to travel up or down, nevermind up and down. So maybe if the cloud cover stays at the same level I'll get out and take some photos after class. In other photography related news - it is supposed to snow tonight. That's right it is November 28th and it may snow in Washington. How odd. If it does you can be sure that I will skip out on work and take photos instead, ok I'll probably go to work and still take photos. Well that's it for today, enjoy the waterfall.

Jason 

The Holidays Are Upon Us

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 14mm
Aperture Value: f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/2 sec
ISO - 80

Well hate to say it everyone but the Thanksgiving holiday is over... We all know what this means, the holiday season is upon us. That's right the time that people have "Christmas Cheer" and the malls are to be avoided at all costs. It also means that my first quarter at UW is almost over and a vacation is comming my way. Of course vacations mean photography! So happy holidays everyone I look forward to taking lots of photos this Christmas. Maybe I'll makes some money off my photos someday. In the meantime enjoy the fire and relect on what Christmas is really about (HINT: you won't find it in WalMart).

Jason

Paper

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 12mm
Aperture Value: f/3.2
Shutter Speed: 1/60 sec
ISO - 100

So this is what I've been doing all weekend, working on this wonderful paper. It's been annoying having to do work over Thanksgiving break but what can you do. After close four hours its done though so I'm happy, now I can move on to other work. Sorry that the photo is kindof boring but thought I would share my pain because I'm the one the makes the blog... That's it for now, enjoy the weekend.

Jason 

Digital Photography Tips from the Top Floor

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 6mm
Aperture Value: f/2.8
Shutter Speed: 4 sec
ISO - 80

Well I choose today, the day after Thanksgiving, to do another small post. Here's a picture from a while ago that was taken at Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. I'm currently watching the Texas at Texas A&M football game and having good fellowship for family so I choose today to make it short. Sadly I also have a paper to write this weekend so I don't think that I will have time to post anything more today. Today however, I'm going to plug my favorite podcast, which just happens to be about photography. Digital Photography: Tips from the Top Floor can be found on iTunes and Yahoo podcasts; additionally shows can be directly downloaded off the webpage. Please please please check it out and subscribe. I will leave the link on the right hand side under my personal links. Again check it out the show is both interesting and useful. That's it for now.



Jason

Urban

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 16mm
Aperture Value: f/3.2
Shutter Speed: 1/100
ISO - 100

Quick update for the day. As it is Thanksgiving I don't want to do too big of an update as I'd like to enjoy the food and the time with the family. Somehow though I do feel somewhat obligated to post. So here it is. A crosswalk "button" from Olympia. Enjoy and I'll update more tomorrow.

Jason 

"It Only Happens Once A Year"

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 14mm
Aperture Value: f/3.2
Shutter Speed: 1/25sec
ISO - 100

Well I'm taking a break from talking about photography to rant about American culture, I'll apologize in advance if I sound bitter or like a "scrouge". It is the 25th of November, and not even Thanksgiving yet, and appearently the Christmas season is fast upon us. As you can see by this wonderful Starbucks cup, they actually started with the holiday cups about 2 weeks ago. What really got me was yesterday while, on a very rain occasion, listening to the radio I flipped to the local Christian radio station. First I'll preface that I rarely listen to the Christian radio station and just happened to flip to it. But what do I hear on the Christian radio station? Christmas songs. Yes that's right even the Christian radio station has fallen into the trap of starting Christmas a month ahead of schedule.
Lets just be honest here the further forward we push the Christmas holiday the less meaning it has. It has already turned from a religious holiday to a consumer holiday; that sadly is all it is anymore. I'm sure the hardliners will disagree with me and say that no amount of consumerism can shroud its real meaning. I say to them, look around and find me a baby Jesus; as I certainly didn't see what on my Starbucks cup. Oh well, that's it for now. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope everyone has a great weekend, hopefully a long one.

Jason 

Metered

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 16mm
Aperture Value: f/3.6
Shutter Speed: 1/100sec
ISO - 100

Well I was going to take a picture of why I'm posting at 11:52 pm instead of a more decent hour but I forgot my camera in my car so you'll have to wait till tomorrow. Anyways I hope you enjoy this little bit of experimental photography, or a varied composition anyways. Hope you all enjoy this image. Spending the Thanksgiving Holiday away from my dreary apartment so look forward to some pictures of that, food pictures everyone's favorite. Until then I'm signing off so I can go to bed and sleep before work and my one class. Woohoo for canceled classes. Later...

Jason 

Fun with Water

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 6mm
Aperture Value: f/4
Shutter Speed: 1/200sec
ISO - 80

Well here's another picture from my trip to Tomie State Park. Tryed to get a good perspective of the water with my camera like half an inch above the water. I don't know what I would have done if I would have dropped the camera in the water, besides cried for the rest of the day... Anyways hope you all enjoy.

I recently signed up for Google Analytics (http://www.google.com/analytics/) which tracks the amount of people that visit this blog. Before I mention the results I'll say that if you have a blog or a webpage I would certainly check this out as it works great, though it does have a bit of a lag. Appearently my blog is more popular then I thought. Most of my visitors are either random or from a forum I post off of, this is a shout out to the Tips from the Top Floor crowd, but people are at least looking. So I'm at least quasi successful in my search for fame.

Anyways it's getting to be the holiday seasons so I'm probably going to go to every other day on the posting, despite my new found fame. I'll try to keep up the daily posts though. Well I hope everyone is having a great Monday, and thanks for visiting.

Jason 

F-Stop Blues

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 72mm
Aperture Value: f/4
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
ISO - 80

Ah clouds... What more can I say... I decided that I would just go ahead and do some photography today anyways. I figure if I wait for a perfectly sunny day in Washington I might never shoot another picture again. This picture was taken a mere 2 hours ago at Tomie State Park near Olympia, WA. For being cloudy it turned out pretty well. Hope you all enjoy...

Jason 

Go Huskies

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 38mm
Aperture Value: f/4
Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec.
ISO - 80

So those that pay attention to College Football, though I'm not one of them, know that the Huskies lost the Apple Cup today. It's a sad day for my University. But life goes on... In honor of my losing Football team here is my University's flag flying high from, you guessed it, the Space Needle in Seattle. Not much new on the photo front, might do some photography tomorrow, if it isn't cloudy. That's it for now.

Jason

Capital Totem Pole

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 6mm
Aperture Value: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/500 sec
ISO - 80

Well just a picture today. This one was taken on the 12th of November at the Capital Campus in Olympia. I should be updating the webpage this weekend so stay tuned for that news. That's it for now...

Jason 

Return to Fall

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 6mm
Aperture Value: f/2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/100
ISO - 100

Thought I'd go back in time for this picture. This picture was taken back in October when the leaves were just beginning to fall. This is the main parkway that goes into University of Washington, you can see the new Law School on the left. Hope everyone enjoys. Not much of a monologe today, just a picture.

-Jason 

Photography While Driving

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 6mm
Aperture Value: f/4
Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec
ISO - 80

Ok so I know that I really shouldn't take pictures when I'm driving but unfortunately I was running late for work and couldn't stop to take the pictures I wanted. The sun was reflecting off the Olympics this morning and I just couldn't let the photo opprutunity pass by. This images was taken this morning at about 7:30 going about 50mph on the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle. Don't worry I don't take pictures while actually driving very often, and believe it or not I am paying attention to my driving as well.

So it's business as usual for me here. I did a minor update on the webpage and if you put your mouse over my images it will give you the properties of the image (the data that I provide right below the images on this blog). Hopefully everyone enjoys the changes and can get an idea of the settings I put my camera on to get some of these shots. Maybe it will be helpful for someone, if not it's at least fun to look at the pictures change back and forth. That's it for now, more tomorrow I'm sure.-Jason 

BNSF

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 12mm
Aperture Value: f/3.2
Shutter Speed: 1/50 sec.
ISO - 100

It's interesting what you take pictures of when you have your camera with you just about everywhere you go. I carry it to school, to work, and when I drive. In Seattle it comes in quite handy while you are driving as you as often not driving but rather sitting in traffic. The above picture is one of those "sitting in traffic" pictures. People probably think that I'm crazy sticking my camera out the window taking a pictures of essentially nothing but if that makes me crazy, then crazy be I.
Let see here on the webpage front not much is new. I'm working on some visual enhancements for the webpage but other then that it hasn't changed. I basically took this weekend off from just about everything. So loyal fans, I think there may be one or two of you, I'm sorry. With that said I will continue to post here and update my webpage as I am able. In the meantime if you haven't yet visit the new and improved RaptImagery at http://www.raptimagery.com. Thanks!

-Jason 

Flag and Totem Pole

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 6mm
F-Number: F/5
Exposure Time: 1/400 sec.
ISO Number: ISO-80 

The Capital Dome

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 12 mm
F Number: F/5
Exposure Time: 1/400 sec.
ISO Speed: ISO-80

Well here is the latest and greatest from me. My brother, who also does photography, and I did the "rounds" in Olympia today. This included a trip to Preist Point Park and to the Capitol Campus, see above. As it was Veterans Day yesterday the Capital Campus had their grounds decorated with American Flags, which made for some excellent photographs. I will probably post some more from yesterday's journeys tomorrow or maybe one more today. Anyways hope everyone is visiting the website, if not do so and give some feedback http://www.raptimagery.com. Well that's it for now, keep checking back as I'm actually doing a decent job updating the blog, thanks to Picassa!

-Jason

Webpage Finished

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 13mm
F Number: F/3.6
Exposure Time: 1/100 sec.
ISO Speed: ISO-80

It's finally done! After driving over 150 miles today I still managed to find the time to fix the webpage and it is now fully operational. I should say that I will be making some cosmetic changes to the webpage and begin cycling images probably next month. Please Please Please go visit and give me some feedback. This design is based largely on what people told me was wrong with the last one so I hope to be in a constant state of improvement. We'll see. I'm going to now go enjoy my three day weekend. Happy Veterans Day everyone!

-Jason 

I'm Sorry

Panasonic DMC FZ-5
Focal Length: 72mm
F-Number: F/3.3
Exposure Time: 1/50 sec.
ISO Speed: ISO-80

Ok I know I promised to have the webpage up today but unfortunately I am facing some technical problems. I had completed my webpage last night in fact however the naming conventions that I chose for my subfolders didn't convert very well so I had a page full of broken links. As a result Yahoo!, who I use to host my domain, would not load my page. I have done the necessary renaming and am working on restoring the links. Hopefully it will work this time, otherwise I may have to completely redo the website (which then would not be good). So in the mean time I will do daily image updates on the blog to hopefully make up for my failure as a webdesigner. That's it for now, I'll keep everyone updated!

-Jason