Photography



Last Day of Summer
Monday August 25th, 2008 by Chad Norman

Running in for dinner, he stopped for one last squirt skyward.

Discussion: 1 Comment
Posted in Charleston, Family, Nature, Photography


White Star
Sunday July 27th, 2008 by Chad Norman

I love these hardy, succulent perennials a neighbor have us years ago. I just keep dividing, and they just keep blooming. If you know what they are, lemme know in the comments.

Discussion: No Comments
Posted in Gardening, Nature, Photography


Green Chunky Goodness :: The Io Moth
Thursday July 10th, 2008 by Chad Norman

We found something amazing in our yard the other day, and it turned out to be an automeris io, or Io moth. This green spiked caterpillar eventually turns into a beautiful moth with giant circles on its wings that look like eyes. It’s common throughout the continent, but I’ve never seen one in all my years of nature gawking. Which is weird, because this thing was florescent green and the size of my thumb.

Enjoy the pics.

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Posted in Critters, Family, Nature, Photography


Twitter Glitter :: Small Bursts of July 4th Goodness
Friday July 4th, 2008 by Chad Norman

I just got back from the fireworks store where I found this “Twitter Glitter” fountain by TNT fireworks. I couldn’t pass up this explosive which shares a name with the popular microblogging service. What are the odds it goes Fail Whale on me tonight and ends up a dud?

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Posted in Humor, Photography, Pop Culture


A 4-pack of NYC Pics
Friday June 6th, 2008 by Chad Norman

Waiting on the B train at 81st, personal transportation, Graham on the block, and the Hudson.

 

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Posted in Family, NYC, Photography, Travel


Animoto Version of NYC
Monday June 2nd, 2008 by Chad Norman

We just got back from spending a few days in NYC, one of our favorite places in the world. We took along our two boys to introduce them to the city, and they certainly loved it as much as we did.

I’ll be posting a few photos this week, but I wanted to use this chance to play around with the free video software at animoto.com. Still in beta, this web service allows you to upload or retrieve (Flickr, Facebook, etc) a group of photos, set them to any song, and render a shareable video - pretty slick. You can even remix the video if you are unhappy with the results…everything is just a couple clicks.

Anyway, enjoy…

Discussion: 1 Comment
Posted in Music, NYC, Photography, Travel, Video


This, My Friends, Is Hail
Tuesday May 20th, 2008 by Chad Norman

While I knew there was no tornado, tonight’s hail storm still impressed me. The white wall coming in off the marsh was cinematic, but the real star came seconds later when the hail arrived.

I could tell right away that the chunks were big, and they looked like broken snowballs bouncing into the windows. It made me think about density, and how if this hail was made from rock, every window in my house would be broken.

It lasted a good 10 minutes, so we waited, listened, and suddenly it stopped. Out I went with a bucket for the kids, which is now in our freezer. Cooper ate some, and said it tasted like water.

This was big hail…maybe the biggest I’d seen since I was a kid. It was easy to spot actual golfball-sized hail, but it was melting fast.

Most of the big pieces had a distinct cloudy ball in the middle, about the size of a raisin, which was surrounded by thick, clear ice. This pattern was enhanced as they melted, and they began to look like sliced kiwi.

Here are some pics of the aftermath…



16 Blooms in 16 Minutes
Monday May 19th, 2008 by Chad Norman

Have you walked around lately? Flowers are everywhere this time of year, and my yard is blooming like it’s going out of style. On Sunday morning, I took a short walk around the homestead. Below are 16 of the flowers I saw, all shot within 16 minutes of each other. I saw dianthus, coreopsis, guara, hydrangea, oleander, verbena, lantana, society garlic, and a few veggies. Enjoy!

Discussion: 3 Comments
Posted in Gardening, Nature, Photography


You Can’t Miss This Meter
Monday May 12th, 2008 by Chad Norman

The parking meters around here are such a drag - all gray and utilitarian…like a grumpy uncle. But the meters in Montréal have flair, and flaunt it even on cloudy days. They are cheery, and literally smile for loonies and toonies.



A Very Carolina Sunset
Wednesday May 7th, 2008 by Chad Norman

Stars, moon, sun, and jets. Palm tree, cypress, pine, and oak.



Out There in Montréal
Monday May 5th, 2008 by Chad Norman

I spent most of last week working on Montréal (which was possibly the most fun I’ve ever had working on the road), and I’m thankful to have survived the city’s bleak weather and souring mood (The Canadians were eliminated at home that night). With the hockey Habs on life-support, my Canon followed suit and went through customs for my return flight with very few photos of the city. My only day off was a downpour, so I had no chance to really hoof it around Old Montréal. I still got a few snaps off while we worked elsewhere in the city, and here are the first three.



It Came from the Archive :: Custom House
Sunday April 20th, 2008 by Chad Norman

I love seeing something new when flipping through old stock. This shot is from the NE corner of the Custom House in downtown Charleston, SC. A low hanging January sun was throwing off some interesting colors.



Ahhhh, Termites Floating in the Wind
Wednesday April 2nd, 2008 by Chad Norman

I had a moment of food chain serendipity while playing with my boys in the front yard, which was followed by a sight both creepy and presumably moderately rare (vague enough?)

My youngest son was fussing after the cats, who were attentively stalking the mockingbirds, who were feasting on the hundreds of insects wafting up from the street garden. We naturally moved closer, and saw a light fuzzy area near the mailbox. It was moving…moving a lot.

It turns out that it was a swarm of reproductive termites flowing out of the mulch, then fluttering into the stiff breeze. Once we stepped back, we could see the termites in the air like snow. Hundreds of them, haphazardly being swept down the street in the wind (thank god!).

In the end, I think these guys were getting out because the garden became inhospitable. Let’s hope so…at least for the termites.



Lunar Eclipse Photo + Bonus Moonbow Dessert
Thursday February 21st, 2008 by Chad Norman

I have terrible equipment for capturing celestial phenomenon (a 17-40mm), but my not-so-inner geek always pulls me out into the yard. I’ve caught meteors, rainbows, and even the northern lights (rare for SC), and tonight I got two more — a lunar eclipse and a moonbow — only 90 minutes apart.

It was pretty cloudy in Mt. P, so I quickly snapped the moonbow shot at about 7:45 thinking that was that. I caught brief glimpses of the eclipse, and then at 9:15 there was a relatively clear patch. I took a few shots with my wide angle gear, but focusing was nearly impossible. Still, the moment was captured, and along with the moonbow record a wild 90 minutes up there.



Skaters are Everywhere
Tuesday January 29th, 2008 by Chad Norman

As a skater, I never stop analyzing every curb, planter, ditch, gap, and set of stairs for potential skatability - even if most of these tempting street obstacles would send me back to the hospital for sure (I’ll stick to the parks, thank you).

Anyway, because I can’t stop gawking at these urban artifacts, they really stand out over time. Waxed curbs, scuffed walls, chipped paint on hand rails - it’s like Luminol on carnage to me.

So when Coop and I walked up the East side of the Ravenel a few weeks ago, I noticed that almost every skateable feature had been hit. The benches have been ground, and the cable anchors have been carved. Definitely an interesting setting for a session, and I imagine the photos were even better.

And seriously, I swear I’m not obsessed with this bridge or anything…really. I’ll post about other stuff soon, I promise!



Happy New Year!
Tuesday January 1st, 2008 by Chad Norman

Well, we made it through another one.  Here are a couple shots from today’s excursion downtown.

The East Tower:

The Customs House:



Mount Pleasant Speedbump Slows Stopping
Thursday December 27th, 2007 by Chad Norman

You gotta wonder if this is progressive design or incompetent urban planning…or maybe you don’t. Either way, I bet this speedbump has a chronic case of braking envy. I mean, a speedbump next to a stop sign is like a Taser being followed by a bullet, right? Mount Pleasant location.

Discussion: No Comments
Posted in Humor, Photography


Always Be Thankful
Friday December 21st, 2007 by Chad Norman

It’s a fine line, even in Vancouver.

Discussion: No Comments
Posted in Photography, Pop Culture, Travel


Comfort Food
Thursday December 20th, 2007 by Chad Norman

My mom makes this stuff, but she’s from Topeka, IN.

Discussion: No Comments
Posted in Food, Photography, Travel


Wires and Bricks
Wednesday December 19th, 2007 by Chad Norman

This alley had so much detail it almost hurt my eyes.



I’ll Have What She’s Having
Tuesday December 18th, 2007 by Chad Norman

Culture, culture everywhere…just be careful what you ask for.

Discussion: No Comments
Posted in Photography, Travel


Vancouver Skyline
Monday December 17th, 2007 by Chad Norman

From a ferry, in the harbor, here is Vancouver.

I’m getting off my poogee and posting one photo from Vancouver each day this week.  I took all these shots, and kept forgetting to share.  Stay tuned…



A Quiet Crowd
Tuesday November 20th, 2007 by Chad Norman

North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, SC, 2007.

Colisuem

The strangest thing about wandering around an empty coliseum is the feeling that there could be any number of people watching your every move. Like from a skybox or tunnel…or some creepy dude sitting up on the nosebleed section. I snapped a quick photo and bolted before something went down…after all, I was in the nation’s 7th Most Dangerous City.



IOP in Flux
Sunday September 30th, 2007 by Chad Norman

I snapped some shots with the family cam out on IOP on Friday night. The whole area between 3rd Street and Breach Inlet is eroding, and there are crazy formations and wave action - I couldn’t resist. We were there at sunset, and an area the size of a football field had angled waves moving in both directions…wild stuff. Here is a shot of a cool pock-marked area up near the high tide line.

Isle of Palms

Discussion: No Comments
Posted in Charleston, Nature, Photography


Thin, Neat, and Single
Sunday September 30th, 2007 by Chad Norman

I just ran across this shot from Vancouver, BC.
The name of the building escapes me, but it’s near Blood Alley.

Vancouver