David Brooks http://virb.com/davidbrooks Virb 2.0 (@davidbrooks) en Lights of August: O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing http://virb.com/davidbrooks/audio/202304 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:28:48 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/audio/202304 Lights of August: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing http://virb.com/davidbrooks/audio/202302 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:28:07 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/audio/202302 Winter Puff Ball http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1085912 Winter Puff Ball

I was once again out in the snow trying to capture a unique image when I saw this "puff ball." With the lack of signs of life at this time of year it somehow stood out to me. Admittedly it's also a little bizarre. I really liked the texture and thought it looked especially good in black and white.

Photo Details

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: 1/320 (0.003 sec)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 135 mm
ISO Speed: 200

]]> Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:03:27 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1085912 Automatic Database Backups http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1081976 Recently I decided to write a script that automatically creates backups of my MySQL databases, and I thought I would share it with everyone else.

]]> Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:29:46 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1081976 Grape Vines and Snow http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1071041 A grape vine and tons of snow

When I was a kid I was fascinated with grape vines. I was drawn in by these curly miniature shoots that take on peculiar shapes and patterns without any rhyme or reason. Of course, the fact that they produce one of my favorite fruits helps their cause too.

This weekend I was outside taking photos in the snow when I saw the grape vines coiled up on the arbor my dad had made some time ago. I knew when I saw it that it had potential, especially when contrasted against the clean white snow.

Photo Details

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: 1/640 (0.002 sec)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 112 mm
ISO Speed: 200

]]> Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:52:35 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1071041 LuzCannon.com Version 5 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1071040 Now that Version 5 of this site has launched I thought it would be fitting to write a little about it and some of the new features and concepts behind it.

]]> Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:52:35 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1071040 Images as Content http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1067336 It occurred to me the other day that maybe I have been thinking backwards about the use of images as content. So, I gave it a little thought and came up with the new way I'm going to format my images.

]]> Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:18:31 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1067336 Fry Incorporated http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1062093 When I mentioned before that I was moving to Michigan I was a little vague. At the time I didn't know how much I was supposed to disclose about my position and fearing the worst and erring on the side of caution I decided to just remain quiet about the details.

This is where I explain what I do, somewhat.

]]> Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:11:34 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1062093 The Perfect Exposure [4] http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1058386 I have written before about the correlation between aperture and shutter speed but this time I wanted to go in a different direction. We know that aperture and shutter speed come together to make "the perfect exposure" but what if you don't want "the perfect exposure"?

]]> Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:15:51 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1058386 Icicles [2] http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1054686 icicles hanging from the roof, shot in closeup

When I started studying photography in college my first class overlapped with winter. Most of the class was devastated because it meant that they couldn't continue to take photos of things like flowers, trees and people outside in nature. I was the same way at first, but then I realized that photography is what you make of it. You can find interesting things anywhere you go at any time of the year; you just have to look harder at certain times.

This photo is one of those cases. I'm reminded that even during winter in Michigan when everything is solid white with snow and you don't want to go outside that there are things to photograph. Part of it is being there, part of it is just looking for it.

Photo Details

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: 1/800 (0.001 sec)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 135 mm
ISO Speed: 200

]]> Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:33:54 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1054686 Surviving the Snow http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1034878 For all of the people who have asked either my wife or me how we are adapting to life in snowy Michigan, here are my thoughts.

]]> Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:05:21 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1034878 Fuzzy Dogwood Tree http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1034877 A frozen Dogwood Tree

As I went to get in my car the other day I noticed that the Dogwood tree in front of our house was "fuzzy." Snow had fallen the night before and it covered the tree in millions of small ice crystals. For as long as I have lived around the snow I don't think I have ever seen this before, probably because I haven't ever paid attention before the sun had risen and melted the ice.

Photo Details

Camera: Nikon D80
Shutter Speed: 1/25 (0.04 sec)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 90 mm
ISO Speed: 800

]]> Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:05:20 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1034877 A January Sunset http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1024299 A sunset in January.

As I was leaving work the other day I saw this sunset over a frozen pond. Being an open fan of sunsets, and a secret fan of snow and ice I thought it would be a good way to start the year. Last year at this time I was in Kentucky where the snow falls occasionally. Here in Michigan things are a very different story.

Photo Details

Exposure: 1/2000 (0.001 sec)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 135 mm
ISO Speed: 100

]]> Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:40:03 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1024299 Pseudo-Resolutions [2] http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1021827 I'm not making "New Years Resolutions", I'm making "Pseudo-Resolutions." I don't know if there's an actual difference or if I will even keep them anyway... But this is where I write them down.

]]> Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:08:44 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/1021827 PHP Functions http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/995966 Awhile back I started using functions in my PHP work instead of pure scripting. It helped me immensely and I thought it might help others that may not have tried it yet also.

]]> Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:50:12 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/995966 Cows http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/995965 Cows, silhouetted against a sunset and a cloudy sky

My wife was taking photos for her photography course and I borrowed the camera to take this shot. I really liked the clouds, the sunset and the silhouetted cows.

Photo Details

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: 1/500 (0.002 sec)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO: 400

]]> Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:50:11 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/995965 Asbury Theological Seminary Version 3 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/971661 Today they launched the new site for Asbury Theological Seminary, and I thought I would take a minute to talk about it, like I usually do.

]]> Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:35:05 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/971661 Beyond the Separation of HTML http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/961096 Because I haven't seen an article about the subject before, I thought I would write a little bit about micro-HTML formatting and how it can slow you down in development. That's not to be confused with "Microformats" though, that's good stuff.

]]> Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:11:27 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/961096 Winter Sun http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/959123 A sun in late afternoon on a winter day

I took this photo while I was in Michigan last week. Though it was taken in late afternoon and not at sunset it captures what I think a typical winter sun looks like. The colors are not as bright and warm as they are in the summer, which adds to the overall coolness of any winter landscape.

Photo Details

Exposure: 1/1000 (0.001 sec)
Aperture: f22
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO: 320

]]> Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:43:28 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/959123 Ginkgo Tree http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/943734 Ginkgo Tree trunk surrounded by leaves

Since today is my last day at Asbury Theological Seminary I went out yesterday to take some photos of the campus. For the photo of the week I wanted to get something iconic of the campus. I took shots of steeples, famous buildings... and I settled on this one. That might seem strange, except that everyone I know has taken photos in front of these trees while they are in full bloom. There weren't, however, many people taking photos of them once the leaves were on the ground.

My friend Rob says that from a distance the leaves look like fake cheese powder, and I can definitely see where he's coming from. To me I think the color of them is absolutely gorgeous. I had tried to take cuttings of them so that I could take some saplings with me in the move to Michigan, but it didn't work out so well.

Photo Details

Shutter Speed: 1/200 (0.005 sec)
Aperture: f/5
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 320

]]> Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:22:25 -0800 http://virb.com/davidbrooks/posts/text/943734