McCall House – Ashland, Oregon
The interior of the McCall House takes you back in time just like the exterior.
Ashland Daily Photo - A picture a day from beautiful Ashland, Southern Oregon USA in the Rogue Valley
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Northwest Pizza & Pasta Co. – Ashland, Oregon
Northwest Pizza & Pasta Co.'s new lunch special
I have always been a fan Northwest Pizza & Pasta Co. in Ashland. They have some of the best pizza in town (behind Martolli’s and Standing Stone but ahead of Great American and Giseppi’s in my opinion). There are new owners who have recently remodeled the place and changed the lunch special (no more salad bar but the lunch special still includes a salad). The pizza hasn’t changed much.
Northwest Pizza & Pasta Co. in Ashland, Oregon - new interior
No more ordering at a counter. They have a couple of new, big-screen TVs too.
World puzzle
For some reason puzzles only seem to be started and finished around the holidays. We have done this world puzzle each of the last two years around year end. We finished it on New Year’s Day. With winter weather being as it is I was left wanting to be somewhere else…
Christmas Lights on Greystone Court in Medford
Perhaps the best place to check out Christmas light displays in Southern Oregon
We headed up to Medford and Greystone Court on December 30 to check out the holiday light spectacle. It was raining and Christmas was over so it wasn’t very crowded. I hear it was crazy the week before.
Emz Blendz Soap Co.
Nikon D7000 with Sigma 24-70mmD F/2.8 EX DG Lens EXIF: f/5, 1/640 second, 70mm, ISO 400
Last week I headed out to do a little Christmas shopping and one of the places I stopped by was the Emz Blendz Soap Co. in Ashland. They are right next door to the Standing Stone Brewing Company.
Nikon D7000 with Sigma 24-70mmD F/2.8 EX DG Lens EXIF: f/2.8, 1/200 second, 24mm, ISO 400
But today I’m not here to talk about soap, candles, or bath salts; I’m here to talk about camera lenses.
Perhaps you received a DSLR for Christmas? And it probably came with a kit lens–something like 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6? So far you are happy with it, and you wonder why anyone would need anything else? That was my thinking back when I purchased my first DSLR earlier this year. Since then I’ve purchased about a dozen lenses. I’ve sold half of them as they were more to help me learn than to use for the long term. I have found that I really only need four lenses so I’m still looking to sell two more. Today’s photos were taken with one of those lenses.
Why may you want to upgrade a lens similar to an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6? I can think of many reasons. Here are some in no particular order:
1) More reach. 55mm doesn’t get you as close to the subject in some situations as you would like. 18mm isn’t that wide either. If you really want to take wide angle shots you should probably invest in something like a 10-24mm lens.
2) f/2.8 allows for much faster shutter speed which means sharper pictures.
3) f/2.8 works so much better in low light and indoors.
4) Depth of field. An ordinary photo at 55mm and f/5.6 can look extraordinary if it is instead taken at 70mm and f/2.8. Photos 2 and 4 in today’s entry show you what depth of field can do for an image. Your subject matter is super sharp and clear while everything else in the photo turns into milky goodness.
Nikon D7000 with Sigma 24-70mmD F/2.8 EX DG Lens EXIF: f/2.8, 1/60 second, 70mm, ISO 400
Nikon D7000 with Sigma 24-70mmD F/2.8 EX DG Lens EXIF: f/2.8, 1/160 second, 52mm, ISO 400
David Grubbs Shrine in the snow
More than a month has come and gone since David Grubbs was murdered on Ashland’s Bike Path. No arrests have been made, and the police still haven’t indicated any suspects.
December has been a very dry month in Ashland–the driest on record they are saying. I took today’s photo on the morning of December 12, the only day this month in which we had a bit of snow.
Ashland Middle School Winter Concert
Ashland High School Theatre
Today’s photo is of the exact same scene, from the exact same seat, as yesterday’s photo. The only difference is the lens. Yesterday’s was at 200mm and today’s is at 10mm. Yesterday’s pic was not cropped at all. Today’s photo has been cropped a bit to make it centered correctly and to eliminate some of the ceiling so the difference of 190mm is even more extreme then this.
Historic Columbia River Highway
Historic Columbia River Highway
A beautiful highway to drive, it’s even better on a bike. In fact, the worst part of the Historic Columbia River Highway was the cars. I imagine it is lovely in any season, but with the leaves changing colors, late October was a great time of year to do this ride.
Columbia River Gorge bike ride week
In late October we went to Portland for a couple nights. On the only whole day we had in Portland we took a Pedal Bike Tours bike ride called “Columbia River Gorge Tour” (mostly) down the Historic Columbia River Highway. While I took a few hundred photos along the way, I will spare you all but seven of those pictures over the coming week.
Our first stop on the tour was the Portland Women’s Forum, a state scenic viewpoint. However, today’s photo is from our second stop, the Crown Point Vista House.
David Grubbs memorial
David Michael Grubbs reward poster
Less than three weeks ago, Ashland experienced a shock that still weighs heavy on the minds of all the citizens. David Michael Grubbs was murdered for no apparent reason. His killer remains at large.
David Grubbs memorial on Ashland Bike Path
I visited the site of the crime yesterday morning for the first time since the murder happened. When the temperature is above 50 degrees I ride the Ashland Bike Path three times a week, but I haven’t done so, due to the cold, since late October. I expected the murder to have taken place in a more hidden and remote section of the path. Actually, the location is right next to the parking lot behind the tennis courts. The murderer could have jumped in their car immediately after the act.
A memorial has been created on the spot of his death. People have dropped off photos, cards, and other artifacts from his life. Others have written things on the bike path itself. I didn’t know David, personally, but I shop frequently where he worked (Ashland’s Shop’n Kart) so I recognized him immediately when I saw his photo on the news. I’m sure he helped me several times at the store over the years.
May justice and karma be served (and soon).