Playing with Small Radio Control Planes

Ever since I was a kid I have always wanted to fly. As an elementary school student, when asked what superpower I would have if I were a superhero, I would immediately reply, "I want to fly." The possibilities of invisibility, living forever or being the strongest person in the world failed to register as a blip on my radar. The idea of seeing things from a different angle always has and always will intrigue me.

Recently I have spent a lot of time chasing buzzing RC planes around fields, climbing trees, gluing plane parts back together, and soldering electrical components after frequent crashes, all in the hopes catching a few glimpses of ordinary objects from a few hundred feet up.

With a quick toss into the wind, the foam plane soars into the air as the electric motor buzzes. The plane bounces around on the breeze, slowly gaining altitude. I relax and the whir of the plane's motor slowly fades to faint hum.

For aerial photography I have been using a Pentax Optio A40 velcroed under the wings of a small electric plane. With a flick of a switch on the radio, an infrared trigger hooked up to the plane's receiver fires the camera shutter. Driving along I-95, these black lines in the pavement, tar patches, register as nothing more than an annoying vibration, but from an altitude of 300 feet they look like something from movie 2012.

Test firing the Optio A40's remote shutter. The plane's tail is barely visible in my Vuarnets sunglasses.

Tucker and Dan's eyes to the sky.

My shoes from a different angle on a chilly December afternoon.

I think it's very important to pursue things that are fun regardless of apparent face value practicality. I have no idea what will come of taking photos from small RC planes, but it sure is fun to see them fly around above.

Here are some more links,
Playing with Planes (Picasa),
A Sunday Flight (Picasa).

A Bench by the Sea

Sitting on a stone bench, I watched the cold morning's wind skip across the Atlantic like a stone on a pond. I kicked some moss into the wind, stretched my back and nestled my fingers into the depths of my down jacket to protect them from the constant nibbles of the late fall breeze. For an untold amount of time, I repeated this process in a distant daze known only to a morning person with ADD. I pondered this and contemplated that.

This Thanksgiving I forwent the 3,000-mile jaunt back to the Northwest and instead made the 75-mile drive down to Cape Elizabeth. For the first time in my 21 years, I spent a holiday without kin but with a close friend and his family. In the mornings I would wake early and wander down towards the crashing waves and whistling wind.

The constant sound of waves crashing against the jagged shoreline formed a rough melody for my daydreams. Suddenly avoiding the occasional overzealous wave and staying out of ankle-deep tide pools whilst hopping from one kelp-covered rock to another replaced my superficial worries.

Meandering down the shoreline one morning, I climbed over a large rock to see a rock bench set into the a hillside. Despite a dilapidated sign offering a halfhearted warning, I kicked back and made myself comfortable.

Oh life's simple joys...

Here are some more links,
A Bench by the Sea (Picasa).

A Wall in My Room: Part 2

Used things have stories more dynamic and textured than anything bought in a store on black Friday. They may be harder to find and have problems, but this only adds to their story. Here are some of my favorite used things that I have found over the last few months.

I picked up these white bucks at the Kiwanis in Ann Arbor this summer. The Longwings are my tried and true Ralph Lauren's. I found this trading blanket at a yard sale for 8 dollars. Somewhere along the line, pink edging was sewn on to protect frayed edges.

Rust and white.

I got these overalls at Stock Vintage. They are from the 30's and have decades of blood and grease worn into the denim.

I found this flag at a flea market near my school. It's now displayed front and center. Red, White and blue.

This holiday season, find gifts that tell stories.

Here are some more links,

A Wall in My Room: Part 2 (Picasa),

A Wall in My Room (ART).

With Me At All Times

I started taking photos a little more than a year ago. Since then I have tried to have a camera with me at all times. Sometimes I see nothing and sometimes I slam on the brakes while going 60 to have another look. Here are some images from the last two months that have caught my eye and made me drop what I was doing in order to try to capture the moment.

I don't know what I like in these pictures. In some I like the colors, in others it's the contrast or the objects in them. A very smart person once told me to not try to rationalize why you like something, just listen to your instinct.

A tidal bay in Maine.

This feels like Maine..

On the Oregon Coast, walking back after looking at waves.

Wet leaves in the Columbia River Gorge.

Here are some more links,
With Me at all Times (Picasa).