Shutter Mike Photography

Built in 1968 the Valley National Bank branch at 44th St. and Camelback in Phoenix (now a Chase Bank branch) is a very organic building in both its materials and circular shapes.  This photo is part of one of the flower or mushroom shaped canopies that have “sprouted” up around the building.  You can read more about the building, its design and its architect at the Modern Phoenix site.

These are the first three in a series I am working on combining the new Lego Mini Figures and candy.  I started with the surfer and bubble gum because I liked the vivid colors.  Now I have challenged myself to match up each of the 32 Lego figures (with 16 more on the way) with a candy to create these vignettes.

Bubble Gum Surfer

With the countdown to Christmas in full swing and Thanksgiving days away that means one thing.  The Black Friday deals are upon us.  If there is a photographer on your gift list or you want to get something for yourself here is a great idea.  In the age of digital photography one thing every photographer, amateur or professional, can never have enough of is digital storage.  External hard drives make a perfect gift for photographers.  And the great thing for the gift givers is that they keep getting bigger and cheaper.  Here are a few external hard drives that any photographer could be very happy with and they are all under $100.

The 500 GB version:

If the only thing being backed up is digital photographs a 500 GB should last quite a while.  But if you add music, videos and other files to the mix it could start filling up fast.

Toshiba Canvio 500 GB USB 2.0 Basics Portable Hard Drive

Stepping it up a notch, the 1 TB (Terabyte) version:

This one is compatible with both Mac and PC and, depending on their size, can hold up to 320,000 digital photo files.  That is a lot!

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk 1 TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive

Add another 500 GB for less than the cost of 1 TB:

You can’t argue with a whole 500 GB more storage space for less than the 1 TB drive above.  We’re talking up to 400,000 digital photo files.

Western Digital WD Elements 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive

And finally, the pièce de résistance the 2 TB drive.  This is more storage space than most of us will ever need unless we are digital hoarders.  But at under $100 you can get two.

Fantom GreenDrive 2 TB USB 2.0/eSATA Desktop External Hard Drive

Happy gift shopping for the photographers in your life.  Check back soon for more great holiday gift ideas for amateur and professional photographers.  Or check last year’s post on 5 Gift Ideas Under $50 for the Amateur Photographer.  And if you are looking for the perfect gift for your favorite photo blogger the 2 TB drive would be great!