Iron Kettle Farm, Candor NY

( from my facebook post )

Out and about earlier today we happened upon the Iron Kettle Farm which is a local landmark in this part of the state, especially with families (kids) for the annual Fall / Halloween decorative theme thing that they do every year.

Walking around I found myself inside of a barn that has TONS of old (like really old) tools and farming equipment. They have stuff hanging off of rafters, on the walls, on the tops of built in storage sheds. etc ...

The shot I included here I posted because I'm kinda happy with how it worked out. ( Switch to camera speak for a second ) I have no idea how I've managed to use a camera to this point in time without a rear screen that can be pulled out and tilted away from the body. The little Fuji has one and man is that thing useful. ( Back to the old farm equipment picture ... ) I'm not a naturally tall guy and this stuff was up on top of a roof. Using the tilt screen I "made myself taller" and framed it up as best as I could, and held as steady as I could as the ambient light in there was iffy.

(photo types) Handheld (as high as I could reach above my head) 1/25th at iso 1600, f/5.6. I'd though about stopping it down to 8 or more for better DOF / focus cheat but shutter speed would have really fallen off ... yeah I could have jacked the iso but ...

Anyway ... ! lol! I think it worked out pretty good considering. 

( Actually - all of the photo's taken in the barn were handheld and 1/30th or so was about the fastest shutter speed I was able to use for the given iso ...  )  I wouldn't mind going back there with a tripod and shooting it proper ...  it's pretty neat.

Click on the photo's to view them larger.

Red Robin Diner Johnson City, N.Y.

My wife, mother-in-law and I found ourselves in Johnson City earlier today ...  wife was getting treated for an issue at the hospital.  Mother-in-law and I decided that we needed to find some chow ...  she doesn't know the area.  Now I've lived in and around the greater Binghamton area on and off for over 40 years.  In all that time the Red Robin diner has always existed (as far as I know) on Main St. in J.C. but I'd never been there so that is where we decided to go.

Cashing out after lunch at the Red Robin in J.C.  Photo types - this is actually a composited / HDR.  While waiting on the cashier to get change, I just set the fuji on the counter top, flipped the display screen up so I could see & compose and then started twiddling the shutter speed while watching the various elements in the scene come and go in and out of exposure.  I took about 4 or 5 shots and then blended them using a combination of photomatix and photoshop.  Final cleanup and export out of lightroom. --- Click the photo to view it larger

It is a neat, interesting, throwback kind of a place.  I had my little fuji with me ...  grabbed a few random candid shots, most with the camera just sitting on the table and/or counter top and using the excellent live view mode (display on the back of it) to compose and meter with.  I'd like to speak with the owner of the joint about getting some time to shoot the place - that might be kind of neat.

Every booth and/or table had its own little (functional) jukebox - this was the one at our booth.  ---  Click the photo to view it larger

"...  so whats on this menu?"  ---  Click the photo to view it larger

 The kitten in the window - well - thats exactly what it was.  ;)  We had parked the car a half block or so away and were walking to the diner.  We were crossing the street when I happened to notice this little kitten pop into a window so I ran back across the street and <click> shot him/her.  Yeah -- thats me in the reflection too at the top of the frame.;)

Meow .....  ---  Click the photo to view it larger

NV Varsity Football - vs Tioga

Whoo hoo!  It's Football Season!!  | Click the photo to view it larger

...  and the HS Football season is underway!!  Valley's Varsity Squad hosted cross county rival Tioga today at the Birdcage and ... lost.  Had the game ended at halftime ... the Cardinals would have won - but as everyone knows games don't end at the half.

Valley lost the coin toss but got first crack at offense as Tioga opted to defer its winning possession till after the half.  This would prove to be a premonition in hindsight - but back to present tense. Valley senior, team captain and QB, Vinnie Darpino wasted zero time with the opportunity and immediately electrified a well attended home opener and got everyone in the house cheering when he zigged and zagged his way through Tioga's D on the very first play of the game and grabbed a real quick 6 points.  The PAT was no go -- with less than a minute into this one the Cardinals were up 6-0.

Valley's Darpino got loose on the opening play and put Valley up on the board early | Click the photo to view it larger

The home side of the crowd was stoked with the early score  | Click the photo to view it larger

( I'm rusty having not followed any football to this point in the year -- I'll have to get back into practice of keeping track of the game so from here on out ..  pretty much just synopsis and opinion. )

Tioga Tigers Jesse Manuel runs the ball during the Tigers victory over hosting Newark Valley | Click the photo to view it larger

Tioga really hurt themselves pretty badly on their opening possession with nervous twitches on the line that kept drawing false start flags ...  they literally went backwards by about 25 - maybe even 30 yards.  Ouch.  Mistakes and inconsistent play would hamper the Tigers throughout the half and the hosting Cardinals would capitalize on this.  Early in the 2nd quarter Tioga ( I'm thinking the #7 of Jesse Manuel ) found the end zone and tied it up 6 all.  The PAT was no go.  Headed into the half and with time running down on the clock, Valley was driving and senior Blake Novi wound up with the ball.  I don't think he got in - I think he came up just a yard or so short (?) - but anyway - Valley did score one more time taking it to a 12-6 lead going into the half.  PAT was no go - this was not a day for field goal kickers ...

Valley senior Blake Novi dives for the end zone in a scoring drive for Valley | Click the photo to view it larger

...  until the start of the 2nd half.  As mentioned earlier - Tioga won the coin toss but deferred on the opening possession until the 2nd half.  Less than 2 minutes into the 3rd they scored paydirt AND did convert on the PAT.  Tioga went up 13-12 and would never look back.  Tioga's game really opened up in the 2nd half of this one and they simply out played the hosting Cardinals.  They demonstrated a depth at running backs with a burly senior #3 Brad Jump, and the aforementioned #7 of Manuel.  Thier O line created lanes that these two exploited on a number of times.  The tigers QB, senior #2 Sam Burn - well - he burned the Cardinals on a few plays as well.

Tioga senior and QB, Sam Burn and the rest of the Tiger's team really came to life and played well in the 2nd half  | Click the photo to view it larger

This was a game of tides ...  the Newark Valley Cardinals rode the tide in the first half, the visiting Tioga Tigers rode it for the 2nd half.  They rolled too winning this one going away 25-12 in the end.  Congrats to the Tigers on their season opening win in, what can be a tough place to win in, Valley's Birdcage.  Hopefully NV will grow and learn from this tough loss and use the experience and knowledge gained as they stay home and host Elmira Notre Dame next week.

There is a full gallery of game day photo's available at the galleries right here.

*****  GO VALLEY!!!  *****

Big & Bad ... and Oh So Cool

I saw this bad boy on the way home from work earlier this evening / late afternoon. How cool is he?

(?) ... route 26 - Otselic / Pitcher'ish ... somewhere in that area (I think).

Click the photo to view it larger | Click here to view it full sized (1800px)

Click the photo to view it larger | Click here to view it full sized (1800px)