High Tech Security22 February 2013 -- 53/365North Providence, Rhode IslandThe fence around my backyard, including this gate, went up in 1972. It's definitely showing its age, and as you can see the gate is now secured by little more than a band-aid and string. The fence was painted - actually stained with redwood - when it was built, but hasn't been touched since. That would account for the interesting weather-worn texture in the pickets.This was not on my list of potential safety shots. In fact, I was planning on driving to Roger Williams Park at lunch for some potential street photography. The weather is cooperating today ahead of what promises to be an ugly "wintery mix" starting tomorrow morning, so there would be plenty of walkers and joggers enjoying the park. Heading out to my car, though, I saw this latch - the same latch I've seen daily for the last 40 years - and thought it would make a most interesting black and white. That's a great benefit offered by this project. It does change the way we see even the most mundane objects.Post processing started with a classic filter in Topaz B&W FX. I adjusted adaptive exposure, regions, contrast, boost black, and boost white. A levels adjustment and a sepia photo filter were added in PSE.

This gallery represents a continuation of the Photo-a-Day challenge completed in 2012. The goal is to continue to publish one photograph shot every day in 2013. There are no set themes, so the subjects will vary widely from day-to-day.

All images in this gallery are Copyright 2013 © Ronald Correia. CONTACT me for terms and permission and to use any image in this gallery.

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Fencing01 March 2013 -- 60/365Lincoln, Rhode IslandI've featured these grain silos several times, but I still seem to be periodically drawn to them. I had several concepts in mind when I stopped there today but it was the wire fence that caught hold of my imagination and refused to let go. I shot this from several angles before settling on this one. One of the angles I tried was lying flat on the ground, but there was too much of a focus on the foreground snow from that perspective. The good news, though, is that there are still plenty of good Samaritans left in Lincoln. Three different cars stopped to see if I was okay, lying on the ground photographing the silos. LOLPost processing started with a classic filter in Topaz B&W FX. I adjusted color sensitivity sliders, adaptive exposure, regions, boost black, boost white, and protect highlights. I adjusted contrast and levels before adding a sepia photo filter in PSE.

Sede Vacante28 February 2013 -- 59/365Providence, Rhode IslandCatholic School students from around the city filed into the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, for a noon Mass to mark the final hours of the Papacy of Benedict XVI. The kids were clearly enjoying the attention of the news crews and numerous photographers recording their entrance into the Cathedral. This marks the first time since 1294 when Celestine V abdicated the papacy that the Church has entered a period of Sede Vacante following the resignation of the Pope. News reports that this is the first resignation in 600 years are grossly inaccurate. While it's true that Gregory XII resigned in 1417, his resignation did not result in a vacancy. Gregory reigned during the Western Schism when there were actually three men all claiming to be Pope. Gregory resigned to end the Civil War within the Church.Benedict XVI becomes the 8th Pope in history to resign, although four of his predecessors were actually either deposed, removed involuntarily, or executed. Only Benedict XVI, Celestine V, and John XVIII (in 1009) truly resigned of their own free will.Watching Pope Benedict XVI leave the Vatican by helicopter this afternoon, my memory was jarred back to August 9, 1974. I could not shake the image of President Nixon, having become the first person ever to resign the Presidency, boarding Marine One for his final departure from the White House. I was struck by the similarities between these two events. Like Nixon, Benedict's tenure was shortened by resignation. Both presided over scandal, and both left their station to an uncertain future. It would not have surprised me at all had Benedict turned to wave and give a Victory Salute when boarding the helicopter.Post processing today started with a brilliant cold filter in Topaz Adjust. I wanted the yellow and white Papal banner to stand out against the brownstone Cathedral, and thus opted to leave this photo in color. I adjusted adaptive exposure, regions, contrast, details, and adaptive saturation. A slight levels adjustment was added in PSE.

Signed and Sealed27 February 2013 -- 58/365East Providence, Rhode IslandOkay, I know what you're thinking. "The old man has finally lost it, doing a graffiti shot in black and white." Well, I'll make no claims regarding my sanity, but I'll definitely defend the b&w choice! I set out in the pouring rain at lunch time without any specific subject in mind. Rainy days are like that, primarily because I hate getting wet. I hate getting the camera wet, too. My thought was to head to Haines Park and see if there was anything interesting to shoot there in the rain. Along the way, I spotted this graffiti on the garage door of an out-of-business bicycle shop, ironically located right next to the East Bay Bike Path. I haven't done a graffiti shot in a while, so that interested me immediately. The texture of the wood and the mold on the sides made me think immediately of b&w, though. The snow in front added dimension to the shot, but even without the snow it would make a great b&w. The trim alone would serve as the white component, and there is sufficient contrast in the wood to make it interesting with a slightly tighter crop. So yes, I did opt for a black and white graffiti shot. I'll leave it to others to comment on my sanity, however.Post processing started with a low contrast filter in Topaz B&W FX. I adjusted color sensitivity sliders, followed by adaptive exposure, regions, contrast, boost black, and boost white. In PSE I adjusted levels, contrast, and added a sepia photo filter.

Puppy Love26 February 2013 -- 57/365Lincoln, Rhode IslandI went to Lincoln Woods for today's photo, quite accidentally as it happened. I was planning to go to a section of Great Road, but I kind of zoned out and missed the turn. That lead me to Lincoln Woods. It was there that I encountered this woman with her 3-month old pup, Zoey. She was struggling to place Zoey on that boulder while holding her camera at arms length for a photo. Zoey has more energy than your average nuclear power plant, so that shot was definitely not going to happen. I offered to take their photo with her camera, and after that shot was taken she eagerly agreed to remain in position for today's Photo a Day shot. I believe this was the only 1/800th of a second in the time we were there that Zoey stood still.Post processing started with a cool tone filter in Topaz B&W FX. I adjusted color sensitivity sliders followed by adaptive exposure, contrast, regions, boost black, and boost white. A levels adjustment and a sepia photo filter were added in PSE.

Boarding in the Park25 February 2013 -- 56/365Providence, Rhode IslandI drove by India Point Park at lunch for today's photo. This skateboarder was sitting on a bench enjoying the view along the river, so I asked him if he'd mind taking a couple of passes on his board for my photo. I wanted a shot like this with the marina and old railroad trestle in the background. We spent a bit of time talking about the changes in skateboarding in recent years, and he was lamenting the loss of many indoor and outdoor skateboard parks. Some, like the one in North Providence, closed to avoid repairs, while others have closed to avoid liability concerns. While skateboarding continues to increase in popularity, the areas open to the boarders are increasingly limited. Too many parks today have "no skateboarding" signs, and they are prohibited on all of the bike / walking paths in the state. Reversing those prohibitions in our public parks would certainly benefit a growing segment of the users of those parks.Post processing today started with a neutral grayscale filter in Topaz B&W FX. I adjusted adaptive exposure, followed by color sensitivity sliders, regions, protect highlights, boost black, boost white, and contrast. I applied a dodge to his face to bring it out of deep shadow. A levels adjustment and a sepia photo filter were added in PSE.

Candle Magic24 February 2013 -- 55/365North Providence, Rhode IslandToday's photo was inspired by a conversation with a friend regarding ritual magic's role in contemporary religious ceremonies. (Yes, it's amazing what deep philosophical thoughts are inspired by a couple of beers and some hot wings.) The conversation prompted a bit of research into the history of candle magic. Not surprisingly, its roots date back over 3000 years, and the practice in various forms transcends cultures on all inhabited continents. What did surprise me was the early Christian prohibition against the use of candles, though. Christian candle usage did not become an accepted practice until the 5th century. The prohibition was to separate Christian worship from a popular worship of Isis in Rome as well as to separate it from common Greek and Egyptian burial ceremonies that used candles and torches to light the way for the departed spirit. Most recently, the use of candles has become very popular in certain Wiccan ceremonies in which the color of the candle and the preparation of the candle takes on added significance. What will surprise almost everyone is that, at least in the western world, virtually everyone has at some point participated in ritual candle magic. That, in fact, is the origin of birthday candles and the concept of making a wish while blowing out the candles. That act encompasses the three concepts involved in ritual magic: concentration (blowing out the candles), visualization (making a wish), and will power (the belief that the wish will come true.)Setup for today's shot proved a bit more challenging than expected. The background is a brown microfleece blanket. (It's dark enough to appear jet black under the right lighting. The base is a dark rust colored felt pad. I liked the wavy pattern in the front that leaves the blanket exposed at the bottom, so I chose not to crop it out of the image. In my first few shots, the flame was so overexposed as to contain no detail. By adjusting the exposure, I finally got detail in the flame, but almost nothing else was visible. I then used the HDR setting on my camera to take a composite of three separate images with a +-5 stop difference between them. That came close to getting the exposure right. The finishing touch was one of my clamp lights with a 40 watt Phillips bulb. By holding the light directly above the candle and shining it straight down, I was able to get the exposure I wanted with the HDR composite. The candle is a small brown votive candle in a fluted glass candle holder.Post processing, after the in-camera HDR application, started with a detail medium filter in Topaz Adjust. I adjusted adaptive exposure, regions, contrast, and adaptive saturation. In PSE I adjusted hue and saturation, levels, and applied a deep blue photo filter.

Pit Training23 February 2013 -- 54/365Providence, Rhode IslandI went to Roger Williams Park for my photo this morning, planning to get some historic cemetery images in the Williams Family Cemetery. I was pleasantly surprised to find this obedience school in session for rescued pit bulls. The young lady on the right is one of the instructors, and both she and her student agreed to the photo. The young pup did require a scratch behind the ears as payment, though.This class was for owners that recently adopted a pit bull. A second class is held in the afternoon for pit bulls awaiting adoption. There were about a dozen dogs and owners here, with each pup proudly wearing a tight sweater against the cold, and each one slowly beating their owner's legs to a pulp with an aggressively wagging tail. This is one of the most maligned dog breeds in the US, but the truth is, the pit bull is one of the most gentle and people-friendly breeds you will encounter. While the rare owner will train the dog for violence, it is not at all in the breed's nature. Despite their reputation, they are remarkably affectionate and extremely gentle around people.Post processing started with a classic filter in Topaz B&W FX. I adjusted adaptive exposure, regions, contrast, boost black, boost white, and protect highlights. A sepia photo filter and a levels adjustment was added in PSE.

Ladd Observatory21 February 2013 -- 52/365Providence, Rhode IslandThis is the building I set out to photograph yesterday when I was sidetracked by the freight train in Providence. It turns out that the lighting was even better today, so I'm glad I didn't waste the shot yesterday. This is the Ladd Observatory at Brown University in Providence. The building was built in 1891 and is dedicated to Governor Herbert Ladd, who served the state from 1889-1892. The first Professor of Astronomy to man this observatory was Winslow Upton who specialized in the observation of transits. The observatory was built too late to observe the Transit of Venus in 1882, however. Today, light pollution is the greatest threat to the observatory with the entire western sky being obliterated by the lights of downcity Providence. The building remains open to the general public every Tuesday from 7-9 PM.Post processing started with a classic filter in Topaz B&W FX. I then adjusted adaptive exposure, regions, contrast, boost black, boost white, and protect highlights. A brightness and contrast adjustment followed by a sepia photo filter were added in PSE.

High Tech Security
22 February 2013 -- 53/365
North Providence, Rhode Island

The fence around my backyard, including this gate, went up in 1972. It's definitely showing its age, and as you can see the gate is now secured by little more than a band-aid and string. The fence was painted - actually stained with redwood - when it was built, but hasn't been touched since. That would account for the interesting weather-worn texture in the pickets.

This was not on my list of potential safety shots. In fact, I was planning on driving to Roger Williams Park at lunch for some potential street photography. The weather is cooperating today ahead of what promises to be an ugly "wintery mix" starting tomorrow morning, so there would be plenty of walkers and joggers enjoying the park. Heading out to my car, though, I saw this latch - the same latch I've seen daily for the last 40 years - and thought it would make a most interesting black and white. That's a great benefit offered by this project. It does change the way we see even the most mundane objects.

Post processing started with a classic filter in Topaz B&W FX. I adjusted adaptive exposure, regions, contrast, boost black, and boost white. A levels adjustment and a sepia photo filter were added in PSE.

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