SHOTS & THOUGHTS - JOHN FREEMAN

NOV18THURSDAY
While doing some paperwork in my office today, I heard loud drilling and banging around outside the door. There was Arlindo Albuquerque, doing more "invisible work" for the College. Arlindo is officially a computer specialist, but he also seems to be an office assistant, an electrician, a carpenter, a drywall finisher, a security specialist, an all-around problem-solver...and a great asset to the College of Journalism and Communications.

NOV17WEDNESDAY
I got a call today from someone asking if my point-and-shoot had macro capability because he wanted a photo of an unusual lizard he'd found. This little guy was about three inches and in a crusty, old white paint bucket, which made a pretty decent background. The lizard was released to the wild. Update: a specialist has informed me this creature is an eastern fence lizard.

NOV14SUNDAY
I went to the Thomas Center in town today to see a photo exhibit called "A Shared Legacy." However, it turned out the main room was booked for a Suzuki recital and the exhibit room was closed. Another opportunity for a feature photo when I hadn't even expected one! I was frustrated at having to hang back without a long lens. The Olympus zooms out to about what's considered 85mm.

	NOV8MONDAY I actually shot this on Nov. 5, my first day in the San Francisco area. I had hoped to get back near the Golden Gate Bridge but never did before I left Monday. There are many beautiful postcards of the bridge, but at the spot where I stopped, this Dumpster seemed to dominate the scene. I consciously framed the bird to add a touch of life. Most of today was spent flying back to Florida. My extended weekend in the Bay area, with its rolling hills and wonderful weather, convinced me that the Oakland region is much maligned compared to San Francisco. It has a lot of offer.
	NOV7SUNDAY I spent much of the day shooting hand-held panoramas in the Berkeley area, as well as some colorful singles. Like most of the photos is this blog, this one is full-frame, color-corrected in PhotoShop only by using Auto Levels.
	NOV6SATURDAY Izzie Brown runs his own shoe shine stand at the Emeryville Public Market. I went there for lunch with several other photographers attending a Fotovision workshop. It was the most ethnic food court I'd ever seen, including vendors from Afghanistan and Ethiopia. I played it safe with Korean chicken. For dinner, I met up with friends from Alameda -- Jan Watten, her husband Clint and their daughter Emilie.
	NOV5FRIDAY I left Gainesville this morning on the 5:20 Delta flight to Atlanta, heading for a photo workshop in the San Francisco/Oakland area. Because it was so early, I figured on sleeping during that 1 hour and 10 minute flight. However, an entire girls sports team of some kind dominated the flight, and two girls behind me chattered the entire time, in "Valley Girl," like, you know? As we landed in Atlanta, the sun was just coming up. One of the plane's propellers provided a strong center of interest in the morning light and the window provided a natural frame.

	NOV3WEDNESDAY If you've been reading the blog since August, you've already met Nellie and Cheyenne, looking through the fence here into the driveway. Dogs are always waiting for you to come home--that's what makes them such good pets. Most of the students in JOU3601 always remember the stories I tell about not liking cats. I do it mainly to get their attention, but in reality, I don't like cats!
	NOV2TUESDAY I'm usually not a flowers-and-plants kind of guy, but wife Robbie has been doing an amazing job on our yard. Neighbors keep stopping by to marvel at her work. This flower -- a "Purple Passion" -- is fascinating. It slowly blooms on a vine and then seems to live for only a day. The photo was taken with the point-and-shoot in macro mode.