This morning, my "Vertigo" picture won Imaging Resource's "Photo of the Day". CLICK HERE to view Imaging Resource's Photo of the Day page.

This photograph was captured less than a month ago at the Saieh Hall of Economics on the campus of the University of Chicago. The building was recently renovated. It was open for just a day or two when I visited for this photograph.

This marks the 20th time in the last 21 months that one of my photographs was recognized by Imaging Resource as its "Photo of the Day".

Tomorrow morning I begin my adventure to the Desert Southwest! My first stop is Jefferson City, Missouri. In Jefferson City, I plan to photograph the Missouri State Capitol--my 28th capitol. I also hope to visit the Missouri State Penitentiary. Old prisons can make for some very interesting photo opportunities.

My second stop involves a relatively short drive of 220 miles to Topeka, Kansas. In Topeka, I'll visit my 29th capitol--the Kansas State Capitol. While in Topeka, I plan to visit the First Presbyterian Church of Topeka--which is known for its Tiffany windows. Hopefully, the church will be open on Tuesday.

After that, I'll work my way to Denver, Colorado for a short visit to the Colorado State Capitol. From there, I will be following a flexible itinerary through parts of southern Colorado, New Mexico, southern Utah and northern Arizona. Phoenix will be my most distant destination before working my way back to Orland Park in mid-August.

I won't be posting any images for a while now as I don't post process photographs while on the road. When I return home, I hope to have a vast collection of pictures to share from this trip.

Click here for my rough itinerary.

Following is my itinerary which covers 24 days and just over 5,000 miles:

Day 1- Jefferson City, MO (Missouri State Capitol)

Day 2- Jefferson City, MO (Missouri State Penitentiary)

Day 3- Topeka, KS (Kansas State Capitol)

Day 4- Hays, KS

Day 5- Denver, CO (Colorado State Capitol, Basilica, Judicial Center)

Day 6- Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO

Day 7- Farmington, NM (Aztec Ruins National Monument)

Day 8- Chaco Culture National Historic Park, NM

Day 9- Chaco Culture National Historic Park, NM

Day 10- Farmington, NM (Bisti Wilderness)

Day 11- Farmington, NM

Day 12- Mesa Verde National Park, CO

Day 13- Mesa Verde National Park, CO

Day 14- Natural Bridges National Monument, UT

Day 15- Page, AZ (Horseshoe Bend)

Day 16- Page, AZ (Antelope Canyons)

Day 17- Phoenix, AZ (Arizona State Capitol)

Day 18- Phoenix, AZ (Basilica, Roosevelt Row)

Day 20- Gallup, NM (Route 66)

Day 21- Tucumcari, NM (Blue Swallow Motel)

Day 22- Miami, OK

Day 23- Springfield, IL (Illinois State Capitol)

Day 24- Orland Park, IL

By the end of this trip, I will have visited every state capitol west of the Mississippi River with the exception of Hawaii and Alaska. Preliminary plans have me visiting Honolulu this winter.

Earlier this week, I pulled off Spring Road in Oak Brook (a western suburb of Chicago) to capture this photograph of the woods. My car is parked just outside the left edge of the frame:

Creek in the woodsCreek in a forest near Fullersburg County Forest Preserve off Spring Road in Oak Brook, Illinois on June 10, 2014

It was the color green that attracted my eye to this scene. Whenever I take pictures in a forest, I hope for overcast conditions. The clouds diffuse and soften the light. The soft light brings out the colors. Sunny conditions introduce too much contrast--and the scene is rendered far too harsh.

For this image, I secured my camera to a tripod. Stabilizing the camera allowed me to use a long 1 second exposure. The long exposure made it possible to use the camera's base ISO of 100 for maximum image quality. It also provided the flexibility to use a narrow aperture (f/10) to maximize the depth of field. Without the tripod, I would have had to make sacrifices and compromised image quality.

I also used a cable release to trigger the shutter. The mirror was locked up as well to minimize camera shake.

I attached a circular polarizing filter to my lens. This filter minimizes reflections which helps remove the sheen from the foliage. This in turn deepens the colors throughout the image.

For those wondering if post processing plays much of a role, here's a look at the picture straight out of the camera (SOOC):

From here, I adjusted the white balance, added contrast, a vignette, applied a couple of Nik Color Efex filters and sharpened the image.

Earlier this week, I started preparing for my upcoming trip to the Desert Southwest. As part of this preparation, I purchased a few items that probably don't lead Amazon's list of best selling products!

1. The items rolled in the plastic sleeves are the window coverings for my new Prius. With the help of the attached suction cups, these Heatshield sunshades snap into place to block light and provide privacy while camping in the Prius.
2. The white fabric is no see um mosquito netting. This netting will be fitted for the side windows of my Prius and then sewn into sleeves that will slide over the windows. On warm nights, this netting will make it possible to roll the windows down for better ventilation while providing protection against mosquitoes and other insects. I will share photos of how these sleeves work once this trip is underway.
3. The box standing in the back holds specially made gaiters. These gaiters strap around the calf and cover the leg from the ankle to just under the knee. These "Rattlers Brand" gaiters offer snake protection in an area of the body most subject to snake bites. They are a precautionary measure that I plan to use while solo hiking out to a remote Indian ruin in southern Utah. Although the odds of getting bit by a snake are very low, those odds are a little higher while hiking on a more remote trail in this area of the country during the summer months. Getting bit by a rattlesnake while two miles away from the car would not be good. Next, I'll have to figure out how to protect my arms!

​I wonder what other strange items I will be buying before I leave for this adventure!

Sometimes, it's nearly impossible to remove unwanted items from a frame with Photoshop. Other times, it's possible to accomplish the task with Photoshop, but it's a lot easier to just remove the item physically at the time of capture. Here a few examples of when I rearranged things to clean up a scene:

1

This colors and textures of this garage door caught my eye as I was driving through Alamogordo, New Mexico. But, a road construction sign located directly in front of the garage door ruined the scene. So, I carried the sign out of the frame before capturing this picture.

Windows on redThree windows on a red garage door on North White Sands Boulevard in Alamogordo, New Mexico on December 15, 2012

2

I came across this stable for the Lexington mounted police, but the scene was ruined by a police vehicle (cart) parked inside the building. I asked the officer if he would mind moving the vehicle.

Mounted police barnMounted police barn at the Kentucky Horse Park at 4089 Iron Works Pkwy in Lexington, Kentucky on October 29, 2013. This photograph consists of five exposures blended together to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image. 3

I noticed the repeating chandeliers in the mirror of the reception room of the Kentucky State Capitol, but two chairs were positioned where they blocked the bottom portion of the frame of the mirror. Although the area was roped off, I worked my way over there and moved the chairs. Once I captured the shots, I returned the chairs to their original position.

Repeating chandeliersRepeating chandeliers in a mirror of the State Reception Room of the Kentucky State Capitol building at 700 Capitol Ave Loop in Frankfort, Kentucky on October 30, 2013. This photograph consists of seven exposures blended together to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image. 4

While touring the Old Capitol building in Frankfort, I asked the tour guide if he would help me slide a donation collection stand and box out of the frame. He agreed to do so, which helped clean up this image.

Old Capitol vestibuleVestibule leading to the central rotunda that features a self-supporting marble staircase in the Old Kentucky State Capitol building at 300 W. Broadway in Frankfort, Kentucky on October 30, 2013. The sculpture to the left is Henry Clay and the one to the right is Andrew Jackson. This photograph consists of four exposures blended together to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image. 5

In the St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption (Cincinnati), there were signs positioned on the stairs leading up to the altar warning visitors that the sanctuary is off limits. I temporarily removed the signs since they blocked details from the scene which would have been difficult or impossible to recreate in Photoshop.

Cathedral Basilica of the AssumptionSt. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption at 1130 Madison Avenue in Covington, Kentucky on October 28, 2013. This photograph consists of five exposures blended together to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image.

Sometimes it's just easier to remove items from the frame using the old-fashioned physical method!

Earlier in the month, my Prius was totaled when a truck slammed into the side of the car while I was sitting at a traffic light. Click here for a more detailed description of the accident. Since then, I purchased a new 2014 Prius:

I've been driving the new Prius for about a week now. This Prius is bigger than my last one. It is more powerful. And, it gets better gas mileage. This morning, I filled the gas tank for the first time. The car achieved 65 mpg for its first 500 miles. With a bit more practice, I'm projecting that I will reach 70 mpg on an upcoming tank.

I'll need to make some adjustment to continue using the Prius as a camping vehicle:

1. The front seat no longer folds down flat to the back seat. So, my new method is to push the front seat all the way forward toward the dashboard. Then, I place a large plastic crate with two pillows on the passenger side rear floor (to even the sleeping surface). From there, I lay the sleeping pad and bag from the back of the front seat to the end of the car--which allows for plenty of room for me (and I'm 6'3" tall).
2. Unfortunately, my customized window coverings no longer fit the new vehicle. So, I purchased new Heatshield shades for the front sides, back sides and rear windows. At $35 per section, the total cost of the window coverings came to $105 plus S&H. If anyone is interested in the shades for the older Generation II Prius (2004-2009 models), I am selling those for $65 (including shipping and handling). They are in excellent condition and will serve any Prius camper well. (Edit: Items are now SOLD)
3. Fortunately, my front windshield covering and my Prius tent still fit the new car.
4. I ordered some mosquito netting and magnets so that I can leave my windows open during warm nights during my upcoming photography trip to southern Utah.

I will post another entry (along with photos) with another update once I start my Prius camping again this summer.

While visiting the Arlington Racetrack, one of my goals was to capture the horses as they approached the finish line. Clearly, the horses would be moving very quickly and I would have little time to acquire focus. There's a lot of time between races (30 minutes or more), but only seconds of shooting the action. So, it's important to be prepared as the action approaches!

To get this shot, I manually set the focus by selecting an area on the track where I thought the horses would eventually pass. As the horses approached, I positioned the lens for my composition and began firing as the horses entered the frame. My only regret is that I couldn't move just a bit more to my left as I didn't want the "N" of the Arlington sign to blend into the finish post. But, there was another spectator pressed up against my left side.

1. I used a super fast shutter speed of 1/5000th of a second to freeze the action.
2. I selected the Nikon D700 for its fast frame rate. With the AA batteries inserted, I set the camera for its highest speed burst (about 8 frames per second) to have more frames to select from.

Finally, I wanted to make it appear as though my photograph captured the winning horse as it crossed the finish line, so I used Photoshop to clone out the flying dirt that appeared within the right edge of the frame from the horse that actually won the race.