Shades and Swan

Shades and Swan

April 8, 2012. Shades and Swan.

A man walks his dog by one of dozens of swans resting at Orlando's Lake Eola park downtown.

Description. Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/1000. f/8.0. ISO 200. LR 2.

It's not a monkey. It's a lemur.

It's not a monkey. It's a lemur.

April 8, 2012. "It's not a monkey. It's a lemur." Orlando, Florida, at the Orlando Farmer's Market on Sunday by Lake Eola.

It's pretty common to see someone walking a dog through the Farmer's Market. Sometimes, you'll see a parrot. Lemurs, however, are fairly rare.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/11. ISO 400. LR 2.

Dogs Not Allowed

Dogs Not Allowed

December 26, 2011. Dogs Not Allowed. A man plays with his dog outside the Fort Matanzas National Monument, about an hour and a half outside of Orlando.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/250. f/8.0. ISO 100. LR 2.

Wine Shop Open

Wine Shop Open

December 26, 2011. Wine Ship Open. A man and his loyal dog wait to greet newcomers at The Monk's Vineyard in Saint Augustine, Florida.

 Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/30. f/2.8. ISO 800. LR 2.

Is that a fanny pack

Is that a Fanny Pack?

December 26, 2011.
Man: "Is that a dog that you're bringing on the boat to Fort Matanzas?"
Dog: "Is that a fanny pack?..."

There are "No Pets Allowed" signs all over Fort Matanzas National Monument on the way to the ferry boat. One creative family decided to dig in their heals to get their poodle aboard by putting the lapdog in a "Service Dog" leash harness and claiming that the dog was a medical necessity.

As a vacationing chiropractor in an Aloha shirt stared at the dog, wondering if it would work, I couldn't help but think that the dog was staring at him, wondering, "Is that really a fanny pack?"

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/8.0. ISO 100. LR 2.

Cafe Canem

Cafe Canem

December 30, 2011. Cafe Canem. Winter Park, Florida.

The Romans were known to have mosaic signs warning "Cave Canem" or "Beware of the dog," not because their pets were fierce, but rather because their pets were small and easy to step upon.

Orlando's nicer and less-touristy neighborhoods are known for their dog-friendly sidewalk cafes. This owner was just sitting down and scooping his pooch up so that he wouldn't get stepped on by the people walking down the sidewalk.

I am trying a new technique with my Leica X1 when shooting shots like this to compensate for its extremely slow focus times. Instead of trying to autofocus, I zone focus to a distance before starting my photo walk and set f/8.0 to give good clarity and depth of field. I set the shutter speed to somewhere around 1/500 of a second and adjust it as needed. I've found ISOs of 400, 800, and 1600 work well for these settings. I try to avoid 1600 to avoid excess noise.

This shot would have been better had both the owner and the dog been looking up. Still, I like diagonal formed by the five main subjects, along with the dark/light/dark alternation between what they are wearing.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/8.0. ISO 800. LR 2.