Shades of gray (256, not 50)...

Last week we had a bit of snow, and I wanted to take advantage of the sunny day with all the light reflections on the buildings around campus. I took a half hour walk to my favorite places, saw how the light was filtering through the trees onto the side of the building and sidewalk along University Hall, and just waited for a student to walk into my frame. This was during the time between classes when the campus is really hopping with activities as students are rushing to get to their next class.

This photo is a film shot - using my Yashica Mat 124-G twin lens relfex camera with Ilford HP5 film (ASA 400). The bright light situation meant that my aperture was probably f/16 to f/32 - somewhere in that range. I like the wonderful depth of field and range of tones in this image. I was really concentrating on getting the subject into the golden ratio spiral position, and patience was to my advantage here. I really love it when everything works as I have envisioned it. There's no instant feedback for film, so I was doubly delighted when the negative revealed the shot I had in mind as I clicked the shutter.

After the snow - Photo by Andi Wolfe ©2015 - all rights reserved.

If you would like a print of this image, or any of my other fine art film prints, check out my zenfolio site: http://www.wolfe.photography/p422743281 - sizes for these unsigned prints are 8X8 to 20X20. If you would like to purchase a signed print for a size up to 24X24, please contact me.

Blood Moon Over Waterman Farm

This morning we were treated to a full lunar eclipse. Steve and I grabbed our gear and headed to Waterman Farm to do some photography. This image is my favorite from the morning

Campus morning in monochrome

Yesterday was the last day of classes for Spring semester. I gave my undergraduate evolution class students their last midterm. I'm still grading the papers and take-home exams for my graduate course students. But, otherwise, my schedule is a little less busy - so much so that I felt free to take a morning walk around campus on my way to my office. I decided to carry my Fuji XE-1 camera with me to school again, and this was one of the photos I made during this morning walk.

We had some more snow over the weekend. Maybe this will be the last of this extended winter? One hopes. I've been so busy at work that I've not been outside much, but I'm hoping that will change a bit - very soon....

Sunrise at Waterman Farm - 01/04/14

Sunrise at Waterman Farm - 01/04/14, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

The Buckeyes may have lost the Orange Bowl last night, but the sunrise over campus was pretty spectacular this morning....

Waterman Farm

Waterman Farm, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

A brisk walk at dawn on Waterman Farm is always a great way to start the day. Winter scenery makes the walk even more interesting.

Waterman Farm

Another beautiful sunrise at Waterman Farm. I made this photo November 29, 2013.

My 2014 Ohio State University Calendar

For the past few years I've been making custom Ohio State University calendars for people in my lab group, and as gifts for friends.  After people saw the calendar for this year I had requests for orders for my 2014 calendar.  So, I am making my 2014 calendar available for purchase (not a profit-making venture - costs cover printing and shipping).  I have three versions. The first is a generic calendar that has no OSU-specific dates marked on it. The second one has OSU-specific dates (e.g., first day of the semester, final exams, graduation, football games, men's home basketball, etc.).  The third version includes everything in the second version, but is specifically for EEOB folks who might be interested in some history of biology trivia (e.g., birthdays of famous biologists).

Here is an overview of the calendar:

Here are some examples of specific months, comparing the generic with the EEOB-specific versions.

Generic for January and September:

EEOB-specific for January and September:

Cost of the calendar is $15.  Add $3 for shipping.  Calendars will be shipped for arrival by the end of December.  You can order below (deadline is December 6, 2013).

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Generic calendar (no OSU dates) - $15 + $3 shipping:

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OSU-specific calendar (OSU dates included) - $15 + $3 shipping:

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OSU EEOB-specific calendar (OSU dates and biology trivia included) - $15 + $3 shipping:

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Sunrise at Waterman Farm

Sunrise at Waterman Farm, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

The corn is as high as an elephant's eye....

There seems to be a lot of corn planted at Waterman this year. I'm always hoping they'll plant sweet corn and make it available to the community, but, alas, that never seems to be what happens. At any rate, the sunrise this morning was beautiful.

OSU Chiller building

OSU Chiller building, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Known by several in my department as "the ugliest building on campus," but I like the interesting glass panels and the way they pick up the light from different angles. It's very true that the architecture does not match anything else on campus, but it's a bold statement none-the-less.

Mirror Lake

Mirror Lake, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

December 22, 2012; Ohio State University.

This is a view of Orton Hall from Mirror Lake. Camera settings: 8 sec exposure, f22, ISO 500, 85 mm. Canon 5D III; EF 24-105 mm f/4.0 L.

Shadow walker

Shadow walker, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

From December 26, 2012. Ohio State University Campus at night. Long exposure, no flash. This view is from near the Neil Avenue garage, looking north towards the McCracken Power Plant.

Time to harvest Jesse's fruits

Time to harvest Jesse's fruits, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

We've come full circle on the life cycle of our second Titan Arum to bloom at the Ohio State University Biological Sciences greenhouses. Jesse bloomed May 25, 2012. We pollinated with pollen from two different titan arums, and it worked beautifully well. The fruits are ripening, and the uppermost ones are ready for harvesting.


I documented the growth of the inflorescence and the bloom with this time-lapse video:

The view from Waterman Farm

Waterman Farm, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Last weekend's fall colors were glorious - especially with a bit of stormy weather and the sun peaking out after the storms. This photo is from the western part of Waterman Farm at Ohio State University. The row of houses is along North Star, and represents the eastern edge of Upper Arlington.

Autumn at Waterman Farm

Autumn at Waterman Farm, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

I know I've mentioned how much I like living near an urban farm. Yesterday was one of those days that exemplify why. The morning had been stormy, but as it was clearing Steve and I decided to do a long walk. We have these new fancy pedometers, which give us some incentive to make sure we walk 10,000 or more steps each day.

Given how dramatic the sky appeared with the potential for some sun beams coming through holes in the cloud cover plus the wet foliage and ground, I knew there would be an opportunity to photograph a dramatic autumn scene. We headed to the farm and found the spot I anticipated would yield the shot, and then we waited, waited, and waited some more. We could watch where the sun appeared in patches and then disappeared. When it was tracking the right direction I got my camera set up and ready.

All of a sudden the sun illuminated the autumn colors of the trees behind the first row of houses on the eastern edge of Upper Arlington. Stunning light, stunning colors, dramatic clouds - a winner.

Waterman Farm sunrise

Waterman Farm sunrise, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Yesterday's sunrise was beautiful. Steve and I missed our sunrise walk yesterday because he had an appointment in the early morning. However, he was very sweet to call me to let me know that sunrise might be awesome. So, I grabbed my camera and tripod, donned a jacket and hat, and did a fast walk down to the edge of Waterman Farm. It was, indeed, a lovely sunrise. The cows were so curious that they headed toward the fence straight away. That's why there are some cow backs in the foreground.

Orton Hall at Ohio State University

This is Orton Hall at The Ohio State University. It's the home of our Geology department, and it's one of the most interesting university buildings in the country. The exterior is made up of several layers of rock that were mined in Ohio, which represent geological strata from the Ordovician to more recent times.


The interior space is also beautiful. I can't imagine how much this building would cost in modern dollars. It was built in the late 1800s.

Corpse Flower time lapse - two views

My latest photography project was for a time lapse video of our latest giant Corpse Flower to bloom at The Ohio State University. The video shows two views - a time lapse sequence from the side, which covers about two weeks prior to flowering and two days after; the other view is from an overhead cam showing the three days from bloom through wilting of the spathe and spadix.  

Please share the video - thanks.

The Titan Arum bloom at OSU

The botany begins…., a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

This is a detail photo of the Titan Arum spathe, just as it was reaching its prime Friday night. The color of Jesse, our most recent bloom, was spectacular - so rich and velvety. It's truly a transient phenomenon. After the first night the inflorescence rapidly declines, but while it is opening it is absolutely spectacular to see and smell.

Pollinating a Titan Arum 1

Pollinating a Titan Arum 1, a photo by Stephen A. Wolfe on Flickr.

I had a turn at pollinating Jesse in the wee hours of the morning. Photo by Steve Wolfe.