Well, it's been a while since I've done any work on the actual framework of the website, so I thought I'd do a little house cleaning over the long weekend. For a while I've wanted to put together a custom banner using my own shots (novel idea for a photography website, eh?), and after doing so realized that my site's colour scheme wasn't really working with the new banner.
So back to Photoshop to whip out another banner.
Better, but now I have 2 neat looking banners, both of which I like.
I could:

A) Use one now and save the other for when I get bored with it in a few months, or
B) Take the lazy route and simply script the site to randomly select images out of list.

... So after quickly scripting a randomizer ... I make another new banner and upload the shots and test for a couple more clicks. Unfortunately that first new banner eventually popped up and I remembered how crass the old colour scheme looked. A few more clicks with a little humming and hawing and I discovered that I was somehow back in Photoshop making another (few) banners.
Focus dude ...
Upload those. Click a few more times.
Wow, these banners look great, but some seriously clash with the site ... Oh yeah ... that's what I was doing ... ... Crap.
Some rather dull web-hunting later and I stalk upon a nice selection of colours that are subdued enough to not overpower my regular pictures and diverse enough to go with a huge range of potential shots for the banners.
I can't believe I spent 2 hours fiddling around with what colours went where, but all in all, I like the more earthy and tonal look. Much more subtle to allow the content to take centre and the frame to remain as just that.

Oh, and that first banner?
It failed the click test. I decided it really wasn't the site that was crass, I just didn't really like it all that much.
Recycle! ... sigh ... at least the other one's worked out well and I've finally found a use for some of the more abstract shots that didn't really impress me much on their own.
Yaaa, personal stock photo collection!

Now if I could just get my butt in gear to make a random pic/entry display ... and maybe pretty up the menu bar ... and adjust the gallery a little ... and set up Google Earth links for the pics ... and ...

Location: 44.0202°N, -77.8025°W; Alt: ???m (estimate)
	Photo Date: 11 June, 2005
	ISO: 200
	Aperture/Shutter: F/7, 1/320
	Focal Length: 6mm
	Camera: Fuji S5000
Category: Landscape Pics

Salem, Ontario

The old conveyor and shaker belts now lie silent where they where abandoned, stones still in place on most of them. Asuming they don't get knocked down, they will most likely collapse due to rust in the next decade or so, as they've already begun to sag and strain.

Location: 44.0202°N, -77.8025°W; Alt: ???m (estimate)
	Photo Date: 11 June, 2005
	ISO: 200
	Aperture/Shutter: F/8, 1/250
	Focal Length: 14mm
	Camera: Fuji S5000
Category: Landscape Pics

Salem, Ontario

Although from an even older period then the rest of the equipment, this building still stands watch over the railway lines that run through the middle of the pit. Either a loading or a switch house, it now sits waiting to rot (doing a good job of it, too).

It's also the Victoria Day Long Weekend here in .ca, so in order to 'celebrate the Queen's birthday' with a multitude of toasts cheers and ideally a virgin sacrifice, I won't be back on till Wednesday.
Enjoy the May 2-4!

Location: 44.0202°N, -77.8025°W; Alt: ???m (estimate)
	Photo Date: 11 June, 2005
	ISO: 200
	Aperture/Shutter: F/4.5, 1/400
	Focal Length: 25mm
	Camera: Fuji S5000
Category: Landscape Pics

Salem, Ontario

The same building as Loss of Control, but from under one of the several dormant conveyors.

"I believe in God, only I spell it 'Nature'." - Frank Lloyd Wright

Abused by rocks and surrounded by trees, the days of this building are numbered. Nature's vengence is slow (in our terms), but inevitable.
It never ceases to amaze me how easily nature covers our tracks when we're not looking. I'm absolutely certain she will fix herself in time, if we would just stop mucking about and making messes.
Unfortunately that doesn't look like it will be happening any time soon.

Location: 44.0202°N, -77.8025°W; Alt: ???m (estimate)
	Photo Date: 11 June, 2005
	ISO: 200
	Aperture/Shutter: F/5, 1/400
	Focal Length: 15mm
	Camera: Fuji S5000
Category: Miscellaneous Pics

Salem, Ontario
Now a victim of the very sand and stones it once commanded, the former control tower lies forgotten here at the head of the gravel pit. Although the windows are barred and the doors are firmly bolted against intruders, it has suffered a good deal of abuse to the exterior from the local youth. The 2nd floor platform (not visable) does provide an excellent view of the site and the interior of the master control room.
Looking inside, this building continues the place's eerie feeling of instant egress as coffee cups and work coats are still in place on and around the control panel. The panel itself also doesn't disappoint, plenty of now dark lights, knobs and toggle switches line it's 3 angular sides like the cockpit of some kind of BBC space craft. Now it simply waits to be consumed by the rapidly eroding sand left behind by the ecologically devistating process it inspired.

(See the Gravel Watch website to find information on the rehabilitation of Ontario's gravel pits.)

Location: 44.0202°N, -77.8025°W; Alt: ???m
	Photo Date: 11 June, 2005
	ISO: 200
	Aperture/Shutter: F/5, 1/500
	Focal Length: 9mm
	Camera: Fuji S5000
Category: Miscellaneous Pics

Also from the same gravel pit as this shot ("45") in Salem, Ontario.
The rust on this thing cought my eye and had a nice composition with the bright green and red plants. Of course the housing is aluminum, the rust is actually from the screws used to hold the facia on.
I'm not sure why (as I usually like clean shots), but I actually enjoyed the out of focus wild flowers in this shot. I'm thinking because it generates a good sense of depth in my mind when I look at it (they're the only thing out of focus in the shot) and otherwise allow the eye to focus as it pleases ... like it would in the real world.
Must experiment with this more ...

Location: 44.0202°N, -77.8025°W; Alt: ???m
	Photo Date: 11 June, 2005
	ISO: 200
	Aperture/Shutter: F/4.5, 1/100
	Focal Length: 6mm
	Camera: Fuji S5000
Category: Miscellaneous Pics

(Best as large image) This shot was taken in Salem, Ontario (near Brighton) at an abandoned stone quarry/gravel pit along Hwy 2 (co-ords are again an estimate).
The place is quite odd, as it appears that everyone simply dropped their tools and wandered off one day. Several pics in this set, so I'll elaborate later.

Behind the Lens Details
This was a lost shot initially, I arrived in mid afternoon with some pretty high angle of sun casting deep shadows under the truck. With most things washing out, I decided to burn the image twice, desat (via channel mixer), jack the contrast and focus on bringing out the "45" as the focal point of the image.
Some great textures came about with the high con/burn that where highlit even more with the green toning (PS/CS1 green photo filter set to around 80% or so).