Re-Return To Photography!

Well, a several months ago I attempted a return to photography. That lasted about a week.

So now I am attempting a re-return to photography! This time, I think it has a better chance to "stick" because I actually have really invested some money into it. A new DSLR and lenses, as well as a brand new quad-core computer with the new Photoshop CS5 and both Nik Silver Efex Pro and Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0 Complete are now being put to use.

Now the "reboot" has only been taking place this week, but I am already having some fun and it seems the creative juices are starting to flow again.

This flower picture was taken this week with a Pentax K-7 and Pentax Macro lens. I try to do "in camera" cropping so I didn't have to adjust the composition of the shot in Photoshop, but I did do some manipulation obviously. Some B&W conversion and Selenium toning in Silver Efex Pro, then I tweaked the curves to give some contrast. I also did a little digital "dodging & burning" just like I used to do in the real darkroom.

The gorilla shot is from the Cincinnati Zoo. I liked the look the gorilla had plus I really like the nice diagonal sweep of the stick he was holding, so all I did was put my 70-200 f/2.8 lens on to zoom in close enough for the shot. He seemed interested enough in what I was doing so he kept watching me which gave the shot nice eye contact. I did a pretty heavy "bleach bypass" effect on the shot which resulted in the strong contrast look which is what I wanted.

Next, this shot of a hockey goalie. Taken at Sports Plus in Evendale, Ohio. Sports Plus is an "ok" rink to get shots, but I much rather prefer shooting (and playing for that matter) at Northland which is just a bit down the road from Sports Plus. I used to work at SP and was the photographer for the Cyclones for a season when they used to practice there, so I know where the best places are for shots, plus since I also play hockey I think it gives me an advantage when photographing it.

I also like to fool around and make "wierd" images such as this one - "Crossroads" which actually started out as just a snapshot of a Baby Taylor acoustic, and ended up as what you see above. These kinds of images are really hit or miss, sometimes you might get something kind of cool, alot of times you get a reject!

I will probably post some pics now and then on here just to help keep my interest up. Feel free to comment if you like.

My B-Day!

Well, my birthday has came & passed.

Now that I'm older, it is really just another day. Birthdays lose their luster a bit in my opinion after you get passed your twenties.

Though this year, I have to admit I had a pretty nice birthday.

Nichole made me a delicious cake and went with me to see "Devil". The cake was much better than the movie! I got several really nice gifts, especially from my parents and the Reds / Diamondbacks game, but I gotta admit that the cake & time spent with Nic was the best part.

I also got myself another baseball glove to me from me...a sweet Rawlings Pro Preferred PROS17ICB with custom Oxblood web & Primo laces...a real beauty! Shit, sometimes ya gotta spoil yourself, right?!?

Add in the fact that I'm 30 pounds lighter & in better shape than I was the last time my birthday rolled around, got great friends and a beautiful, young woman to share life with...I like to think that life is pretty good!

It's Nichole!

(pics by Eric Brock)


Meet Nichole.
Or Nic.
Or Nic Nac.
Or Nicki.

She answers to them all. She is awesome for lots of reasons...

She's hot.
She's super sweet.
She likes GOOD music.
She's funny.
She likes cartoons.
She has a killer collection of t-shirts.
She's caring.
She likes tattoos.
She always smells good.
She's intelligent.
She likes Chinese food.
She's unbelievably hard working.
She changes her hair alot.
She knows "Boondock Saints" by heart.
She's uber-sexy.
The list could go on, but I'll stop there. :-)

Tune Of The Week - 8/9/10

"Tusk" by Fleetwood Mac

When I first heard this tune, I thought it was odd as hell.

Now, years & years later I still think it's odd, but I find it fascinating too. The beat is what gets you in this song obviously and Lindsay Buckingham's tortured "vocals" are great.

Hunt it up and let me know what you think in the comments.

Pic Of The Week - 8/9/10

"Brocker"

Pics taken with the front-facing camera on the iPhone 4, then transformed to a "drawing" and colorized with iPhone apps, and finally put together with the Diptic app.

Tune Of The Week - 7/28/10

"Fly By Night" - Rush

"Why try? I know why. This feeling inside me says it's time I was gone."

From Rush's second album, the first with Neil Peart, "Fly By Night" is one of my favorite songs and one of the first Rush tunes I learned to play complete on guitar, and then on drums as we covered it in a band I played drums in.

"Clear head, life ahead, it's time I was king now, not just one more pawn."

Iphone Pic Of The Week - 7/28/10

Breitling Chronometre Watch

Taken with the iPhone 4 and edited with iPhone apps - Tilt Shift Generator and Photogene to shift focus, adjust curves, and add grain.

Tune Of The Week - 7/23/10

"Mr. Blackwell" - Kiss / Music From The Elder

From the highly under appreciated album "Music From The Elder", this tune oozes with atmosphere and attitude, cool bass from Gene, and is fun to play along with on guitar. I like this album a lot more now than I did when it came out when I was a kid.

Whenever I hear the last beat of this song, I always hear the beginning of "Escape From The Island" in my head! Kiss fans that played this on vinyl know what I mean.

"...you're rotten to the core, you're not well Mr. Blackwell."

Post your thoughts and comments.

iPhone Pic Of The Week - 7/22/10

Well, I'm a few days early for another pic of the week already, but who gives a shit? Not like anybody pays attention to this blog anyway, right?!?

This pic is actually a shirt that Nichole wore the other day and I took a picture of it and did some iPhone-app manipulation of it and ended up with this.

If you look close enough in the grunge, you can sorta make out the shape of a boob...but maybe it's just cuz I know where to look!

iPhone Pic Of The Week

I decided I am going to post a picture taken with my iPhone (and sometimes 'post processed' with various iPhone apps) here on my blog.

I am finding that it is very fun to do photography with my iPhone, and I always have it with me. The new camera on the new iPhone 4 is actually really nice and capable of some cool stuff!

July 19, 2010
"Salt & Pepper" - taken on the table at Smokey Bones in West Chester, OH

Tune Of The Week - 7/18/10

This week's Tune Of The Week is:

"Give A Little Bit" by Supertramp.

You occasionally catch this one in a movie or a commercial, but that doesn't change the fact that it has a great hook and some catchy acoustic guitar work.

So, whatdya think?!?