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I am a man who does lots of stuff... I am a father... I am a husband... I am a bicyclist... I am a guy who brews his own beer... I am a photographer.. I know a thing or two about computers...

First T-Shirt design Available NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be the first in history to have an Xvelo Designs Original T-Shirt

Based on the design from yesterdays photoshop fun, It’s my vintage Gerhard racing bike that I keep at my home in central France.  They’re printed on American Apparel shirts so they’re real American and they’ll becoming from RedBubble in Australia. Click on the shirt to go to the store to buy it.  They’re only 20 bucks!  Anyways buy two, I don’t actually make any money from it but it’s narcissistic of me to want the entire world wearing my shirts…Ha!

Thanks for looking and wasting your braincells on this site, now go buy a t-shirt!

Photoshop on Sundays

Not alot to post today, didn’t really do anything besides hang with the family, eat some delicious Messican food and play with photoshop.

My buddy sent me this link to these guys over here and though they are probably famous and I’m the last guy on the interweb to find them, they have some really cool shows.  I followed the link above to do my own version and it was a great learning tool for many different tricks with photoshop.

I started with my photo of my favorite bike in the entire world, it’s a 1930’s – 1940’s Gehard racing bike.  It’s new enough to have the Sturmey-Archer 3 speed derraileur on it so I’m not too sure of it’s real age.  I pulled from an attic of a garage in central France that was owned by a crazy scottish guy, who will always be my favorite person in central France.  He has so much cool stuff in his garage and he’ll talk cycling all day long!  In English!!

Any way, here is the before picture….

Not over all good shot but It’s my bike and I love her any way…

Here is the after from following the web show posted above

I think it was a cool effect, hopefully you do to, enjoy.

One more, no before for this one just the mid way through.  I didn’t like as much as the one above.

Until next time…Ride fast and take chances!

Winter Bike

I have been a cycling commuter for my entire professional career as a data monkey.  I never make much of a fuss about it but today was a particularly snowy day and I just got a new 60mm 2.8 Micro Nikkor lens to take photos with.  So here are the first shots from the new glass.

Here is a close up of the front brake with all of it’s snowy glory.  For ghetto brakes these things really hold up.  I have about 2-3k miles on this bike so far with it’s original brake pads and they still work!

This picture is the complete bike, the Cayne Uno, I changed the bars, stem and brake levers but other than that it’s stock and bullit proof.

More macro shots for the sake of macro photography, I must say that the 60mm 2.8 lens is as crisp a lens as i’ve ever used.  I had the priveldge of using a 70-200 VR from Nikon and I think this one is sharper.  But what do I know, most of my photos are poorly composed and out of focus anyway.  Ha ha!

That is all for today, i’ll have some more soon and possibly it might be more interesting next time!

Dinosaur Ridge with the baby Girl

We’re back in Lakewood, Colorado on a permanent basis now and boy have I forgotten how much I love my home town.  On Saturday (earlier this week) Margot and I went for a daddy & daughter hike/mission to Dinosaur Ridge near Morrison, Colorado.

Margot is very much into dinosaurs now and what a great experience 10 minutes from the house.  We started at the visitors center with all the great painted Stegosaurus’ and the little multimedia display in one of the buildings with interactive activities and great illustrations.

Welcome to Dinosaur Ridge
Welcome to Dinosaur Ridge

The walk starts right at the western side of the parking lot.  It leads up a somewhat major road towards Dakota/Dinosaur Ridge.  There are placards along the way to keep your interest and some great facts about Colorado 300 million years ago.

A long time ago...
A long time ago...

We walk right over the Golden Fault on our way up the hill.

The Golden Fault
The Golden Fault

Margot was lucky enough to be studying Iguanadon’s in the latest book she got from the public library.  Here is real evidence that they really exist and we can prove the concept of the existence of such magnificent creatures.

Dinosaur tracks are cool!
Dinosaur tracks are cool!
Cmon Dad, enough pictures already!
C'mon Dad, enough pictures already!

Some more Iguanadon Tracks

Some more Iguanadon Tracks
Daddy had to take some pictures too...
Daddy had to take some pictures too...

Dad always seems to have ulterior motives and I did need to take some photos along the way and it was quite cool.

Nikon D70

Sigma 24-70 2.8

3 exposure HDR +/- 2 ev Photomatix/CS3 Processing

Please visit the website for Dinosaur Ridge for more information about this great treasure in the Denver Metro Area!

Home again, home again…

I’m home again!  In celebration of high speed internet and nobody killing my dog, I’m going to have a beer and blog.  Man…I used to be cool, I swear!

Steve eating a really huge cheeseburger
Steve eating a really huge cheeseburger

OK WordPress has changed and I’m getting used to it as i am typing on a computer that refuses to use ‘n’ when i want it to.  Anyway a few more fotos tonight

Old church HDR in Menetou Couture France 18320
Old church HDR in Menetou Couture France 18320
Horses in Sancoins Franc September 2008
Horses in Sancoins Franc September 2008
More horses or Cheveaux as they say French in Sancoins September 2008
More horses or Cheveaux as they say French in Sancoins September 2008

Todays post is really more a celebration of high speed internet and happiness to be home in Colorado.  I will begin to put some more, of something, into the posts for a while but for now, enjoy the nothing ness that is this blog

The end of the 2008 cycling season…

The end has come.  It’s been fun but it’s time for the real world.  In reflection it seems like I have just arrived, yet I’ve been here forever and time flys.  I don’t exactly know how to feel all those things at once but I’ll sort it out.  I’m leaving for Denver tomorrow.  I’ll have a ton of photos and charming anecdotes about my summer in the coming posts.

Sunset over Patinges

The sun has set on 2008 cycling…Talk to you in a while.