What Santa Didn't Bring for Christmas

Every bike shop should have one of these in the back:

I guess I'll have to wait for my birthday, since Santa didn't bring it for Christmas...

Closed Course- Professional Photographer

Don't try this at home, kids.

While the photographs below were taken from public property, the Rumsey Monument in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, the flashbulbs were set up on private property in coordination with the railroad dispatchers, in a safe, controlled manner.

Trains kill trespassers dead.

For more safety information, visit Operation Lifesaver.

Long Live O. Winston Link

It was a crazy, sleep-deprived, caffeine-fueled, cold, wet weekend. I only managed to burn my fingers once on a flashbulb, but it was worth it.


Alex, Luke & I set flashbulbs up across the trestle, in addition to the flashbulbs & electronic flashes on solid ground. I dare say it's the most complex & rewarding night shoot I've done to date.


All images shot on a Nikon D3. Trains illuminated with artificial light, everything else captured with ambient exposures in excess of 20 seconds. We lucked out and got some great moonlight on Saturday night. Final images are digital composites.

Light Up Your Ride Contest!

From Instructables-

Days are getting shorter and with the loss of Daylight Saving Time bike riders will be riding home from work in the dark. This makes riding around much more dangerous and to encourage everyone to ride a little brighter and safer we are having a Light Up Your Ride Contest!

Show us how you make your bike or yourself much more visible at night to the cars passing you and win a pair of the brand spankin' new Bike to Work Pants from Cordarounds! These pants aren't just stylish for work, they also keep you safe while riding your bike. Flip up the pant cuffs and pull out the pockets to instantly become more visible.

So how do you make yourself a safe rider? Have you replaced the LEDs in your blinkies, installed reflective materials in crazy places, made your own turn signals? We want to see it!

We're giving away three Bike to Work outfits! These will include one pair of Bike to Work pants and one Instructables Robot t-shirt. One for the most votes, one selected by Cordarounds, and one selected by Instructables staff. Four runners-up will win an Instructables Robot t-shirt. Good luck!

Catholic Worker coffee Line

While the Norfolk Catholic Worker serves breakfast on the streets to the hungry and homeless three mornings a week, I only make it out to work on bikes on Thursdays.


Last Thursday was particularly joyous- Obamamania was in the air. To mark the occasion, some kind soul had bought a hundred or so fair trade, organic chocolate bar. After receiving soup, sandwich and a cup of coffee, Catholic Worker Steve Baggerly handed each person a chocolate bar, solemnly intoning, "To mark the election of the first African-American president, a chocolate bar." I think I've heard Steve speak in the same gravitas when distributing Communion wafers...

I spent an hour truing wheels and adjusting derailleurs.
Here are a few of the guys I've come to know through their bikes:

Melvin with his mountain bike on the repair stand.

Even though it's too big for him, Melvin still posed for a portrait next to my bike.
(Complete with full fenders, aero bar, lights and a Bob trailer.)

Lee always has a good bike.
His aluminum Red Rock is on the work stand behind him.
What Lee needs now is a decent bike lock.

Steve needed a new tube.

Will.
Looking for a good beach cruiser.

And lastly, Curtis.

Sometimes it's hard to distiguish between the Catholic Workers and the hungry...

Still More Election Day '08 Timelapse

Any day now,
Any day now,
I shall be released...

More Timelapse at the Polls

Ran into a DAM SNAFU- Digital Asset Management Situation Normal: All F***ed Up. I should have some better movies up later today.