The Mad Scientist

I'm still working on making my night bikey shots like my drivey shots.

The problem I'm having is getting the camera stable enough. My carbon-fiber tripod, strapped to my rear rack flexes too much (I'm guessing the zip-ties attaching it aren't of much help either...).

When I was in Junior High School, I won the "Most Likely to be a Scientist" Award from the Science Department. I guess they were as close as could be expected - I mean, I doubt they have a "Most Likely to be a Mad Scientist Creating Arty-Farty Digital Imagery on a bike with a tripod zip-tied to the back." or "Most Likely to be a Mad Scientist Creating Arty-Farty Digital Imagery in a bike with a tripod jammed into the backseat."

I love coming up with an idea (or usually half and idea based upon some silly inspiration I had while out riding... or driving to work night after night...) and then playing around with it (experimenting, if you will) until I find the right formula (f-stop, shutter speed, ISO, camera angle, etc.) and then playing yet more.

So I guess, in a way, those science teachers were right.

Now I just need to figure out a way to mount the camera to the bike the way I was able to mount it to the car. If it's securely attached, the bike will remain in focus better than it has.

Stay tuned...

Reasons to love my bike commute

Rowing On The Willamette
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

I've been tweeting recently about reasons I love my bike commute.

My ride to work is just shy of five miles, with 3.5 to 4 miles (depending upon my route) of it on dedicated bike and pedestrian paths - The Springwater Corridor and the Eastbank Esplanade.

This morning, on my ride to work, I watched an Osprey dive down to the pond at Oaks Bottom and pluck a hapless fish from the muddy waters. It then flew right over my head with the fish grasped tightly in it's talons.

Yesterday I watched a Bald Eagle fight off some crows over the pond.

Another sight I see frequently is crew boats on the Willamette. Most of the time it's one or two-person sculls, but there are also the 8-person boats (as well as the twenty-something-person Dragon Boats, kayaks, canoes, jet skis, wakeboarders, stand-up paddle surfers and tug boats).

I like to race them down the river. You'd think 8 against 1 would be a bit unfair, but I totally kick their collective ass.

attack of the killer robots

attack of the killer robots
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

After months of discussion, weeks of back-and-forth, days of planning and hours of blood, sweat and tears, I present Liam and Camper's Halloween 2009 costumes:

Robots!

They were the hit of our short spin around the block (after about five house, both boys wanted to go home - they wore the helmets for all of a block). People were stopping us to tell us how much they loved them.

It's amazing what you can do with some cardboard, aluminum foil and duct tape!

Photos:
Last year, two years ago,three years ago, and four years ago.

under the moon and stars

under the moon and stars
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

I like to take pictures at night.

Sometimes I go months without taking pictures at night.

Last night I looked out, saw the moon and the wet roads, and told Nikki that I'd be back in a few hours.

Showers were moving through the area, but so were amazing clear patches of sky. I drove over to a hill in Beaverton that I once drove over and thought "this would be a cool place to take pictures..."

I'm going to have to get out more at night.

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I have some more photos on my Facebook page.

what's wrong with you?

me_beard
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

Last week, I used this beard picture of me as my Facebook icon.

I got several comments that said something to the extent of, "Wolverine!"

A little history
The picture was taken in the spring of 1994 by my father in my dressing room, backstage at Western State College. I had grown the beard out for a part in a play. I was playing Snug in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

This was the last night of the show, and I was going to shave.

But first, I was going to have a little fun...

Flash-forward fifteen years
A few days after posting the beard picture, I switched my Facebook icon to my awesome, super-suave mustachioed self (from fifteen years in the past!).

Within hours, I received this Facebook message from my mother.

subject: what's wrong with you?
You look like you are out of your mind. Is that the image you want? Or have you lost it?

Oh, Mom.

I love you.



... But I think we all know that I lost it a long time ago. That fact aside, I was just trying to have a little fun, and, as we all know, it's always easiest to have fun at one's own expense...

Mac Pro for sale

Mac Pro for sale
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

I'm selling my computer (and monitor... and speakers).

It's an Apple Mac Pro with 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon, 3GB RAM (expandable to 16 GB) and two 500 GB hard-drives.

It has two DVD-RW "SuperDrives," a bunch of USB and Firewire ports, WiFi and Bluetooth (the mouse and keyboard are Bluetooth).

The display is a 24-inch Apple Cinema HD and is beautiful. It also has a bunch of USB and Firewire ports.

The speakers are JBL Creatures and match the aluminum finish of the computer and display.

I love this computer (I polish the monitor and aluminum at least once a month with iKlear...), but if our gypsy thing is going to work, I need to downsize. My plan is to sell this set up and buy a 17-inch MacBook Pro.

I'd really like to sell it to someone who will love it and care for it the way I have.

Interested? Send me an email. I'm going to list it on eBay in a day-or-so, but I thought I'd see if anyone in my "social-networking" circle was interested first.

crimson [and] clover [over and over]

a crowd
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

I've been a bit obsessed with clover recently.

Trifolium incarnatum to be precise.

It began a couple of months ago when I noticed that it was growing in many of the fields that had wheat in them last summer. About a month ago I noticed that this clover seemed to grow taller than the clover I'm used to.

And it has gigantic leaves, such that, when viewed as a whole present a lush, verdant field undulating under the ripples of wind that move across them. I'd be riding my bike on roads with acres and acres of the stuff all around and would find myself starting at it.

A couple of weeks ago, they flowers started to bloom. Slowly, at first, but then, within a few days, the giant, green fields turned to a reddish-purple. While out riding, I stopped and took some pictures in midday sun, with my phone, but I knew I'd have to come back in better light.

Last Friday, at sunset, I went out to capture that golden hour glow in the fields. Standing in the midst of them made me feel like Horton looking for the Whos (I always wondered why he didn't simply leave the clover they were on in the midst of all the other clover - seemed like a safe place to me...).

I believe the clover is planted for the hay, but according to this web site "the main reason is to provide biologically–fixed nitrogen" to the soil.

winter[riding] season begins

winter[riding] season begins
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

I went out for a ride in the rain today.

The rainy season set in about a week ago and I've been dying to go out and play in it. Camper and I have been taking the Breezer/Chariot combo out for some fast laps around the neighborhood, but we haven't hit upon any serious rain - just a drizzle-or-two.

I've been wanting to take my road bike out in the wet conditions, but haven't had the chance to until today. It poured this morning, which was a little more than I was prepared for, so I waited until the clouds broke and the sun came out.

The pavement was wet, and while the sun was shining at the moment, there were still scattered showers all around. Perfect.

I put my bike stuff on, grabbed my bike and set out on my usual route.

I quickly made a discovery
Skinny bald race tires are not the best option for wet riding conditions.

Compensating for the lack of surface contact, I continued on.

As I rode toward the hills, I noticed the fact that I really couldn't see them, and the way the sun was making those low-level clouds ahead of me glow, was spectacular. I then realized that was not clouds ahead as much as it was a wall of water.

I plowed headlong into the water and was quickly consumed by the downfall. It was pouring, and all the while, the sun was pounding down on me. I had a shadow!

The sun was on one side of me, and on the other was a huge, double rainbow. One end was i a stand of trees amid a wheat field, and was making the trees glow. The other end was on the barn and silo of a farm and was lighting them up.

I rode out of the rain after a few minutes, but looking towards the hills, could see that it was raining. A fifteen-hundred foot descent on wet roads with my current tires was already discouraging. Doing it in the pouring rain was out of the question.

I detoured onto SW Johnson School Road and rode back towards Rood Bridge.

The sun was shining and I quickly dried off in the breeze (of my totally-hauling-ass speeds!). Wool is good for that. I kind of like riding in cooler temperatures. In the summer heat, it's hard to regulate your body temperature, but when it's 55 degrees out, it's easy (wool tights, long-sleeve poly shirt, wind/water resistant jacket - add a layer if it's cooler, open vents of it's warmer, etc.).

It was a good first-of-the-season ride.

bike tatts

bike tatts
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

Something I think many people are familiar with.

Even if you try to avoid them, they will happen. At least this time they didn't hurt. I've returned from other rides with blood mixed in with the grease and dirt.

Either way, a good scrubbing with soap and water generally does the trick.