I took this shot of Dr. Raney, a history professor at Hillsdale, during the honors trip to Charleston.
Two final exams down, three to go.
Blog
-
Day 121 – Dr. Raney
-
Day 120 – Chautauqua Lake Bridge B&W
I took this photo last summer on Chautauqua Lake while visiting my friend Brad. I took this from his boat while we were out on the lake one beautiful day. Click the photo to view it large.
I took the first of five exams today–American Heritage. It was the one that I think will be most difficult, so I am glad to have it out of the way. Tomorrow is poly econ, Tuesday is Dr. Jackson’s freshman honors English and Dr. Steele’s microecon, and Wednesday is Dr. Treloar’s calc II. I will not be home until Saturday, May 9, though, because I have a few things to do on campus.
-
Day 119 – Club Euro
Last night, a fraternity on campus threw a “Club Euro” themed dance party to celebrate the end of classes. In between studying, I went to take some photos. I tried out a few new techniques, so I thought I would post the results. The photos below are not edited. They are straight out of my camera. What I did: 1/2 second exposure at f/5 and a rear-sync flash. In one of the shots, I twisted the camera while the shutter was open. Click on the photos to view them larger.
-
Day 118 – Magnolia Trees
The magnolia trees in Hillsdale are blooming! Most of the other trees are as well. It is a beautiful sight! I can see why students here look forward to spring.
Today was my last day of classes for the spring semester. I only slept for two hours last night, but I finished my final paper for Dr. Jackson. Now it is time to start studying for finals. I am doing preliminary work tonight so I can get a good night’s sleep and get started right away in the morning. My first exam is Thursday at 1, and I think it will be the most difficult one.
On an unrelated note, we discussed Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince for our last English class. It is a children’s book, but great for all ages to read. If you have not read it, I recommend doing so. It is a quick read, but full of things to think about. Three of my favorite quotes from it:
“You are not at all like my rose,” the little prince said. “As yet you are nothing. No one has tamed you, and you have tamed no one. You are like my fox when I first knew him. He was only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But I have made him my friend, and now he is unique in all the world.”
“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”
“Men have forgotten this truth,” said the fox. “But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose . . .”
-
Day 117 – If My Computer Could See Me…
…this is what it would have seen in the last week. A tired Charles A. Grimmett, drinking coffee and typing. After tomorrow, this magnificent view will no longer be owned by my computer, but my American Heritage notes.
Photo taken with Photo Booth.
-
Day 116 – Gennady & Wendy Photoshoot
This morning I did a short photoshoot with my friends Gennady and Wendy. They are getting married shortly after they graduate from Hillsdale in a few weeks and wanted some semi-casual photos taken before the wedding. Luckily, it turned out to be a beautiful day, despite the threats of rain early in the morning. It was a little windy, but I think the photos came out well despite this. Above are my favorite shots.
They have been wonderful to spend time with during my first two semesters at Hillsdale, and I am going to miss them. I wish you the best, Gennady and Wendy!
I am still developing my portrait skills, so let me know what you think and where I can improve. Click on the photos to view them at a larger size.
-
Day 115 – Long Jump / Musings on Wide-Angle Shots
*Note: It is necessary to view the large version of today and yesterday’s photos to understand what I am talking about in this post. You can do so by clicking on the photos.
I use my wide-angle lens often, and almost always at the risk of taking too much in. The frame gets so many things in it that it becomes too busy. Therefore, I typically try to use it to get very close to my subjects, while still getting all the necessary components into the frame.
Yesterday, I tried something else. I used my wide-angle to try and capture the action and excitement of a track meet, where there is always something happening and never a dull moment. In the photo I posted yesterday, I put my wide-angle lens on and got as close to the water pit as I could, and tried to capture multiple stages at once: runners approaching the barrier, runners jumping over it, runners in the air, runners landing in the water, and runners exiting it and continuing on. Instead of taking multiple photos, I was able to get it all in with one shot.
I tried to do the same thing with the photo above, only there is just one athlete. By being able to see the approach, the sand pit, the sand raker, the ref, the stands, and part of the in-field, I think it tells a more complete story of what happens at a track meet in just one shot. I especially like the jumper’s shadow here. I know I risk having too much in the photo, but I think it works well in some situations. I think these track photos are one of those situations. I don’t plan to use this all the time, but I think it is a useful tool when one can pull it off.
What are your thoughts on this? Leave a comment.
-
Day 114 – Water Barrier
This is a shot of the water barrier in the steeplechase in the Gina Relays, which are going on this weekend at Hillsdale. I recommend you view this photo at a larger size by clicking on it.
The water on the other side (which starts deep and has a gradual slope, which rewards runners with better jumping abilities) had fish in it! Someone caught about 20 bluegill and bought some goldfish and had them swimming in here. It was quite amusing. For the record, all fish were still alive after this event.
By the way, it got up to 84 degrees today. The weather was beautiful!
…and I got a 95% on a calc II exam I was worried about!
-
Day 113 – Overexposure
I took this shot for an art class last year in high school. I was dealing with ways of using overexposure and underexposure, and I liked the way the color faded in from the white. Click the photo to view it large.
-
Day 112 – Earth Day
I took this photo somewhere in the Bighorn Mountains a few years ago.
To celebrate Earth Day, the Foundation for Economic Education posted these articles, which anyone who cares about the environment should consider reading:
Articles- “Controlling Pollution,” by Hans Sennholz
- “Saving the Environment for a Profit,” Victorian-Style, by Pierre Desrochers
- “Chemical Hysteria and Environmental Politics,” by Doug Bandow
- “Thank You, Internal-Combustion Engine, for Cleaning up the Environment,” by Dwight Lee
- “Freedom is the Environment’s Best Friend,” by John Semmens
- “The Impossibility of Harming the Environment,” by Roy E. Cordato
- “Government Versus the Environment,” by Russell Madden
- “Economic Notions: The Perverse Popularity of Command and Control,” by Dwight Lee
- “Is Greed Green?” by Pierre Desrochers
Audio
- The Fable of Environmental Apocalypse, Doug Bandow
- Global Warming and Environmental Issues, Gene Callahan
(Hat tip to FEE)
-
Day 111 – Art Show Poster
Above is a poster for Hannah Stone, Jodi Olthouse, and Tricia Schoon’s senior art show coming up this weekend. I took the photo for them, but they made the poster. As always, click on it to view it larger.
-
Day 110 – Mighty Pig Carvers
Above are Trevor and Stephen, the mighty pig carvers of the Mu Alpha pig roast I attended Saturday, complete with the pig head and war paint, err, war charcoal. Click the photo to view it large.
I have been working on two papers, studying for an exam, and beginning to study for finals, so I apologize for the lack of content posted lately. Until finals are over, I will most likely only post photos, but they should be interesting.
-
Day 109 – Charger Baseball
Click the photo to view it large.
I am glad that the spring sports (baseball and outdoor track) are here, not because I enjoy watching them, but because I love taking photos of outdoor sports! Above is a shot of the Hillsdale Charger Baseball team taking on Saginaw Valley State on Saturday.
-
Day 108 – Ultimate Frisbee Tournament
As always, click on the photo to view it large.
Mu Alpha, a music honorary on campus, held their annual Ultimate Frisbee Tournament fundraiser today. Unfortunately, I had to finish up my volunteer hours this morning, so I didn’t join a team. I got back in time to take photos during the championship match, though.
I am going to work on a paper for a while, then spend a few hours at Dr. Stewart’s house for the Mu Alpha pig roast. It should be exciting! It is a beautiful 73 degrees and sunny outside.
-
Day 107 – Where I Want to Be
Click on the photo to view it large. Taken at Ft. Moultrie, SC. Pictured: Aaron Mortier
Today was beautiful! It was sunny with a light breeze and got up to almost 70 degrees. I had a two hour break between lunch and American Heritage, so I sat outside and read. It was wonderful. I also went out for ice cream with some of my friends after dinner, which was a lot of fun.
The end of the semester is coming up quickly, so the last round of exams before finals are coming through, as well as final papers. I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed by what I have to get done in the next week and a half, so like a good Hillsdale student I am spending my Friday night working in Lane Hall instead of relaxing or going to the SAI concert.
Tomorrow afternoon/evening I am going to a pig roast, so that should be fun. Perhaps I will take my camera along and shoot photos of people enjoying themselves. Then, I will put my camera down and enjoy myself, too.
-
Day 106 – Beautiful Day
First of all, Happy Birthday, Will Clayton!
It was in the mid-60s today! What a nice change from 30-40 degrees and rain. Unfortunately, I did not get a change to go out and take photos today. Spring Convocation was this morning, then I had a meeting with Dr. Jackson, microeconomics, 15 minutes to grab lunch, work for two hours, then a 1.5 hour phone meeting with a few people at TSI. Good news: I got an A on my second microecon exam! I am currently in a room on the third floor of Kendall preparing to work on my third paper for Dr. Jackson. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything I have to do in the next week and a half.
Something to look at: Hillsdale College held an unveiling ceremony for a Jefferson statue that a donor had made and placed here. Since I was at work during the ceremony, I did not take any photos. Will Clayton was there, though! Check out Will’s blog post for today to see a photo of the new statue.
-
Day 105 – Tower Players
I took this photo last night at a dress rehearsal of the Tower Players’ production of Six Characters in Search of an Author. Performances will be 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday.
In other news, anyone who makes an income in the United States knows today is Government Theft Day! (I made up that name, of course… for those who resent my constant jabs at the government, it is tax day.) In celebration of this day, I encourage you to read 94 Years of Serfdom by Paul Craig Roberts.
I came across a joke on David Friedman’s Blog this morning: “How to get smaller government: Move election day to April 15.”
-
Day 104 – Self-Portrait in Chrome
This is a self-portrait taken in the chrome grill of a new Ford Edge. My aunt bought one, and the reflection in the chrome caught my eye as I was walking by with my camera.
As always, click on this photo to view it at a larger size.
It is a rainy day at Hillsdale! It has not stopped raining since yesterday evening.
-
Day 103 – Daffodils
Click on the photo to view it at a larger size (recommended).
This photo was taken at my aunt’s house in Wellington. I went outside and took photos to occupy myself after the pre-Easter dinner we had over there. I am back in Hillsdale now after a nice weekend at home. Hopefully spring is actually on its way now. The forecast says it is supposed to be in the 60s this week. I hope it is true! (Last week it was 20 degrees and snowing!)
-
Day 102 – Barn Fire, Take Two
Click on the photos to view them large; especially the first one. The sunlight shining through the smoke looks magnificent, and you can still see flames at the bottom.
The bottom two photos are members of the volunteer Amherst Fire Department.
In addition to being on the news, one of my photos was put in the Elyria Chronicle today!
-
Day 101 – Barn Fire
Click on the photos to view them large.
While my parents and I were driving home from my aunt’s house after an early Easter dinner, we spotted large billows of black smoke in the sky. We quickly figured out where it was, so we decided to drive by and see what was going on. Also, I had my camera with me, so I wanted to see if there were any photo opportunities.
It turned out that a barn on Dewey Road in Amherst was on fire, and we were on the scene before the fire department got there. In fact, we pulled up at the same time as the first policeman in the area did. I was able to get a few photos before the structure collapsed, then I got photos of the fire department preventing the flames from spreading after the barn did collapse. I will post a few photos tomorrow of the later stages of the fire, after it died down.
EDIT: Two of my photos were aired on Cleveland’s 19 Action News at 11 p.m. tonight!
-
Day 100 – Favorite Photoblogs
I know that my blog frequently lacks interesting and quality photos, so here are my favorite photoblogs for you to check out:
- WilliamClayton.com
- Brent Pearson’s My Photographic Journey
- Kristen Leigh Wedding Photography
- Lydia Jane PhotographyArchived Link
- Appalachian Treks
- Elizabeth Thacker Photography
- Daily Dose Of Imagery
I admit that I only know one of these people, so the rest of these photoblogs were referrals from friends. I plan to take some photos of my extended family tomorrow, so I will hopefully have an interesting candid for you. In the mean time, the above links can occupy you for hours!
Hillsdale closed the college offices at noon today, so my afternoon classes were canceled. Also, one of my morning classes canceled to keep the schedule balanced, so I only had one class this morning and I drove home early! I was home by 1 p.m., so I spent the afternoon helping my dad and uncle clear roots out of the main drain that goes out to the road. The tree in our front yard somehow gets its roots in through the joints in the pipe and causes issues every so often. So, today was the first time in a while that I crawled under our house.
I have a little bit of work to do tonight, so I am going back to it. It is wonderful to be home, even if for a short time!
-
Day 99 – Cascarelli’s Pizza
David, Richard, and I went to Cascarelli’s Pizza in Homer for dinner tonight. This pizza had green olives, turkey, jalapenos, red onions, and an excellent, spicy red sauce.
I all of my classes except 1 are canceled for tomorrow, so I am driving home tomorrow morning for a short Easter break. I also have Monday off for travel, so I will be at home until Monday night. I am looking forward to it! I do have some school work to do, but it will be nice to be home, see family, and relax.
-
Day 98 – Fall ’09 Schedule
- ECO 203-01 Macroeconomics T-TH 1 p.m. Lea
- ECO 412-01 Austrian Economics T-TH 9:30 a.m. Steele
- HON 251-01 Lost art of Epistolary Communication W 2 p.m. Wenzel
- MTH 400-01 Linear Algebra MWF 8 a.m. Webster
- PED 393-06 Basic Shotgun Sat. 10-11 a.m.
- POL 101-05 Constitution T-TH 2:30 p.m. Krannawitter
- MUS 204-01 Understanding Music MWF 1 p.m. Jones
That’s right. My college has a shotgun class that counts for PE credit.
This is my schedule that got approved for next semester. I am pretty excited! I am most excited about my Austrian econ class. I will take the second level of it in the spring.The weather turned nice again here at Hillsdale. Almost all of the snow is gone and I bet it will be gone by the time I go to bed tonight. It is still almost 50 degrees here. I am currently sitting inside, however, because I am covering a 4 hour lab assistant shift in the new graphics lab. There has not been anyone here for almost an hour now, so it is peaceful. I have music on and I am working on a writing reflection and a few short pieces for The Seasteading Institute. This is a beautiful lab. It is filled with new Mac Pros with 6gb of RAM and cinema displays. I need to get a permanent LA shift here next semester.
-
Day 97 – Soft Despotism, Democracy’s Drift
Tonight I had the privilege of going to a lecture and panel discussion of Dr. Rahe, Dr. Birzer, Dr. Morrisey, and Dr. Arnn on democracy’s drift into soft despotism. The talk was centered upon Dr. Rahe’s recently published book, Soft Despotism, Democracy’s Drift: Montesquieu, Rousseau, Tocqueville, and the Modern Prospect. (Timely, because the 250 year anniversary of Tocqueville’s death is next Thursday.) The talk and all of the speakers were excellent. I purchased the book and I will comment on it once I read it (which will most likely not be until this summer).
At the book signing afterwards, Dr. Rahe made an interesting comment to me that I have to think about for a while. He said that for freedom to work in America, social conservatives need to be libertarian, and libertarians need to be socially conservative. I think he is making a great point there, but I need to think through the short justification he provided me. Look for my thoughts on this later in the year when I have more free time to write. This comment really intrigued me, so I intend to think about it in the coming months.
