The theme for the month of April was "Your Favorite Photos."
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Don traveled all the way to downtown Paso Robles for an event shoot and captured the heart and soul of some classic vintage cars, as well as sidecars. He says, "I managed to sneak off to the sidecar rally in the park and got a few pics, but not much. The weather was wet early morning, and I was surprised that so many people showed. They also had a few vintage cars."
Without the sun's glare, the overcast skies provided just the right lighting to catch all the detail and color in these vehicles. Have you driven a Jaguar lately? Nice angle, Don. The low and wide angle makes this car look a lot heftier than it really is and emphasizes the front end detail of British pride.
Some of us have owned Grease Slappers if it refers to dirty, greasy cars and trucks we've had the pleasure of cleaning. Or if we used Dixie Peach Pomade back in the 50's and 60's to keep our hair slicked down. I assume this is a sidecar or gas tank logo. The American mind: it's a creative thing.
Wet and wild green thing is next up. The proverbial and ever-popular MG. Another British icon. Looks like a 1952 model to me. But what do I know?
Just what are we looking at here, Don? Is this like a surfboard that you stand on while scooting down the freeway? Isn't there supposed to be a seat attached? Must be detached due to the rain. Looks like a smooth ride.
I think Don is musing the possibility of adding a sidecar to his Harley. That was the shortest muse he ever mused. Janet is happy.
Don's last photo is accompanied by a story: "The lady in the last pic rode in from Prescott, AZ. she mentioned camping out at the Paso RV park north of town. I asked her if she was tenting it. She said no, she's 5' 3" tall and her side car is 5' 7" long. She takes all her gear out and sleeps in it. I'd guess she was in her mid 50's. The lady has some grit!"
True grit: it's a rare commodity these days. Thanks for sharing, Don.
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Dave's photos are the usual stuff - nature - local university - more nature. He can't get away from the same ol' thing. This first shot of the moon was taken during the last part of the most recent full eclipse we had. As the moon 'descended' toward the horizon, earth's shadow descended also. Taken at Cosumnes River Preserve before sunrise - geese in formation in the distance.
I stuck around after the moonset and found a pair of American avocets, foraging in the water. This bird has very striking colors, easy to spot and very active.
The rose garden at the local museum had its premier showing a few weeks ago. Sometimes the abstract is worth capturing, even if it does have an ugly fly in the frame. As I look at it now, I probably should have cut back on the cyan from the sky reflection on the lower petal, limiting it to three main colors (including white - sorry, all you artists out there). Putting an insect in your photo sets up a tension between the soft, serene and beautiful and the rough, alien and threatening. This ruins the whole picture for most people, but I like a little shock and awe here and there.
And so for you purists who love perfection, here you go: no distractions!
I competed in a Black and White photo challenge for the Stockton Record and sent this photo, along with others taken at UOP, a local cemetery and local marina. A fun project, trying to pre-visualize what your color shot will look like after converted to B&W. I so wished there had been a bit more cirrus clouds overhead, but am happy with what God gave me, anyway.
I returned to the Preserve mid-month, the day after it rained, hoping to get some nice sunrise shots, but no clouds were to be seen. But the rain had drenched everything, especially the tall grasses in the fields. Its weight bowed the grass so it looked like waves being blown about.
Watching nature's wonders is one of the reasons I like visiting the Preserve. I spotted three freshly emerged Green darners sunning themselves on the cattails right after sunrise. The were good little posers, so it was pretty easy to get as close as I could (about 5'-6'). I like the detail in this picture, the left over water drops on the reeds and the shadows. These guys won't bite and if you've got the knack, will perch on your finger. Ha!
My very last picture is taken under one of my favorite oaks at the Preserve, complete with viewing bench which overlooks a backwater filled with floating plants, reeds and critters. You can usually see an egret or heron here. This tree is massive and gnarled. It's missing some branches after all these years, but it still maintains a majestic shape. I opened up the shadows in Photoshop for more bark detail.
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And so ends this journey and adventure. I hope you learned some stuff, were encouraged, and smiled at the shenanigans. Over and out, fellow fotogs. May your best photos be right around that next bend in the road.
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Hey, it's spring again and time to relish the greens, the flowers and the warmth of a special sunset. Or sunrise. Dave starts out with a SPRINGTIME theme - a sunrise capture of grasses in the foreground and a nice set of clouds overhead. Hoping for more color in the sky, I was disappointed since the morning before was a blazing red here in the valley. You never know what's going to happen at sunrise or sunset - that's half the fun of shooting them. I purposely placed the sun behind the tree trunk to eliminate any glare or blown highlights. Shooting manually, I chose a couple of exposures - one for the sky and one for the foreground - then married them in Photoshop Elements to bring out the rich green of the grass and trees starting to leaf out. There's also a bit of a silhouette here, but not a 100% black subject. Nikon D90; 12-24mm lens @ 12mm; 200 ISO; f8; 1/160.
We're going to mix these pictures up this month for a little variety. Don is going to liven things up with this nicely balanced sunrise photo of three blooming daisies for another SPRINGTIME submission. It also fits the SHAPES category. Nikon D300; ISO 400; 1/2500 sec.; f10; 95mm.
Dave's annual jaunt to Knight's Ferry wouldn't be complete without a few covered bridge pictures. This one is inside right after sunrise and features the plank board shadows framing a band of sunlight, fitting the SHADOWS theme. Note how shadows rob the color of the wood and cool the overall feel of the photo. D90; 12mm; f8; 1/4 sec.; ISO 200.
Here is Don's interpretation of SHADOWS - a Morro Strand selfie of him and Janet. Pretty cool composition and color. D300; f8; 1/250; ISO 200; 18mm.
Dave's SILHOUETTE is purposely underexposed so the oak tree loses it's brightness, color and detail. When shooting a silhouette, try to render it as dark as possible while retaining the background color and brightness. I really don't like this shot, except for the shape of the tree. The contrail is really distracting, the sky isn't blue enough and there's no interesting detail in the foreground to see. D90; f8; 1/320; ISO 200; 18mm.
Don's SILHOUETTE on the other hand is beautifully composed and exposed. He definitely gets the top prize for this shot! I hope to see it on his wall the next time I visit. That's Morro Rock to the left. Wow, Don! You must have grabbed some incredible shots that night. D300; f11; 1/500; ISO 200; 31mm.
Adding to the SPRINGTIME and SHAPES themes, Dave was intrigued by this solo light colored bush lupine surrounded by the darker blue species. It may be what they call chick lupine, but I'm not sure. Taken on the old Stanislaus River bed, just west of the covered bridge at Knight's Ferry. I was struck by it's light magenta color and shading. D7000; f11; 1/500; ISO 400; 220mm.
Don's next picture reminds us that the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics is on parade everywhere, especially on vintage fences that have a modicum of moisture during the year. He didn't specify a category on this one, so we'll use SHAPES as a good guess. D300; f11; 1/50; ISO 100; 18mm.
These Yanks have been routed from their attempt to capture an artillery cache at the Civil War re-enactment at Knight's Ferry on the 21st. They're retreating into the SHADOWS of the covered bridge. This young soldier is looking back at the battlefield, wondering what happened. D7000; f7.1; 1/640; ISO 800; 210mm.
Ah! The proverbial doorknob in all of its worn and wizened glory. Don has captured its SIMPLE SHAPE perfectly and framed it with a reddened weathered door. It's always good to tell a story if you can or offer a mystery to be solved. Did someone remove the screws and try to pry the plate off, too? Or did they fall out from old age? And who and how many times did they enter here and when? God only knows. D300; f13; 1/160; ISO 100; 48mm.
Dave's final photo is another SPRINGTIME/SHAPES rendering. Ithuriel's spear is a striking floral setting. I saw these about 25' from the large Confederate cannon at Knight's Ferry. I wish I could have been there earlier, before the sun was directly overhead. There was a dark clump of shrub in the background which I positioned for the best contrast. This shot is a little overexposed, with the highlight on some of the petals somewhat too bright, but I'm not complaining. It was a fun find and a fun shoot. D7000; f7.1; 1/500; ISO 400; 195mm.
Don's almost final picture portrays the warmth of another SUNSET, a fitting way to say 'thanks for looking' and 'until we meet again.' D300; f7.1; 1/200; 90mm.
Don's final final picture is another SILHOUETTE/SUNSET entry. This oak portrays a wonderful character of age and grace in a world full of chaos and confusion. Let it remind us of the strength and faithfulness of a God who hears our prayers, forgives our sins, and puts a song of praise on our lips. "O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!" Psalm 8:1. D300; f16; 1/1000; ISO 500; 42mm.
The monthly Challenge for April will be an easy-peasy, care-free FREE FOR ALL. Just go out there and have fun shooting your favorite subjects. If you want to give your pictures themes, that will work, too.
April theme:
- FREE FOR ALL (whatever you want)
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Don graces us with a number of EYE theme photos, courtesy of the local Atascadero Zoo. He writes, "We went to the Atascadero Zoo for these. I wanted to get a photo of the tiger, but he was off in a corner of his cage snoozing. Wouldn't even open his eyes for me!" Don, you needed to offer him "Steak on a Stick" during your next visit. We'll let everyone guess who these eyes belong to:
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Yours truly, Dave, found it difficult to target the ROMANCE theme, especially when mainly shooting nature. But even nature has its romance, so there is one photo that may apply. This happy couple was inseparable as they foraged in the February grass at the Preserve. There weren't any other quail around as they scratched and kept watch about 15' from me on the trail. I kept expecting them to fly off, but they just went about their business. Ah, true love!
You don't need much explanation for this Cosumnes Preserve portrait of a little tree, other than to say, "UPSIDE DOWN." Sorta looks like a fast shutter speed with the wind blowing leaves around in the air, but we know better.
A bit of red for February's RED theme is next. This guy was feeding on last season's cattails, flying from one to another, calling/singing when perched and enjoying the morning sunlight. I used a fast shutter speed to freeze the action and retain some detail in the feathers.
I didn't plan for the WORDS theme, but had taken this sign photo after driving by it a number of times but never stopping. Walnut Grove Road, just west of Thornton, CA on I-5.
The last February category was EYES. Now this shot was planned (although planned on the last day of February). I had Angel and Elizabeth stand side by side in front of the sliding glass door to get enough light. I boosted the ISO to 800 and used my new (new to me) 60mm AF MicroNikkor. This was the best of about 6 shots. I took out the face color, because Liz is a lot darker than Angel and was partly shaded. I used the dodge tool on to lighten the dark areas under Liz's eye. I accentuated and isolated the color in Angel's eye to add some interest. The depth-of-field is very shallow, so only a few areas are in sharpest focus. That's okay. P.S. The girls thought I was nuts posing them, but there was a method to my madness.
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Okay, that was fun, and the March Challenge will be even funner. Themes will be:
* SILHOUETTE (thanks to Bruce for this suggestion)
* SHADOWS
* SPRINGTIME
* SUNSET
* SHAPES
* SIMPLE
Hope your month is filled with God's blessings. Take time to thank Him for them. Happy shooting, folks!
]]>January's challenge themes were Yummy, Abandoned, White, Trio and Low Tech -- a wide array of choices for our shooting pleasure (aren't clichés wonderful?!). We were given five Saturdays to venture into the known and unknown haunts of our little worlds to grapple with the dilemma of 'what shall I shoot today?'
Looks like it will be another Don and Dave show again for January. That's okay -- not everyone is bitten by the shutterbug. We'll just have to put up with their panoply (monopoly?) of pictures one more time. If this bothers any of us, we know what we can do to protest.
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Don's first submission fits the Abandoned theme. He says, "For abandoned, we have an old house that is slowly falling." This was taken on Klau Mine Road, west of Paso Robles. We can certainly see the power of entropy here as years of destruction tear down this place that was once a happy home. It's strange to think that left unattended, our homes will end up like this as well.
Low Tech is captured in Don't second photo. Once a common fixture across America, the windmill is now a relic of the past. Frozen with rusty gears, a few still stand here and there, reminding us of the ever-moving wheel of progress. Hey, this would look cool in my backyard, though.
Can we guess Don's reason for shooting these mailboxes? If you're thinking Yummy or White, you're wrong. Note there are exactly three boxes. Hey, it must be the Trio theme! Nice cedar tree and fence to compliment them.
Well, what do you think about these cupcakes? Should they be in the Trio or Yummy category? Don says, Yummy, and so be it. Are your taste buds aroused, trying to think of what these would taste like? I can taste each one in my mind - and not intake one calorie! Pretty cool, but not much fun. Wonder if he and Janet actually paid good money for any of these. Don says, "I'll start out with Janet's Yummy pics. We went down to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory with the Nikon Coolpix for that category."
More yummies coming up.
"We also ran across this abandoned TV. As you can see, it works perfectly including the picture, in picture, in picture. I believe that qualifies it for the trio category, also. This was done by layering in Elements11." Now we know what Don does in his spare time. Very creative, Don. Note the touch of the sunglasses placed on the TV. Not sure about the significance there, but am sure there was a method behind his madness. Hey, that looks like my old 32" Toshiba!
Don's White themed photo features a white fence and bare tree canopies. Nice composition. Note the Round Up swath protecting this fence from melting if the field catches fire this summer or someone tosses a cigarette butt that catches the field on fire. Either way, that's a lot of Round Up getting into the water table! Ha!
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Yours truly did a lot of shooting in January, so you'll have to grant him a few extra photo submissions. Thanks.
Low Tech can be seen in these first two pictures, both taken in Sutter Creek. The first at an antique store and the old gauge at Knight's Foundry on Eureka Street. Please help me identify the heart and circle shaped items and the 'Asbestos' piece. I didn't ask the three old ladies who were minding the store. They were too busy admiring my aussie hat, anyway.
Knight's Foundry is one of my favorite places to shoot in Sutter Creek. I've taken pictures of this gauge before. This time I removed all the color, then added the light yellow back in on the gauge for another Low Tech photo.
Northeast of Pine Grove, on Shake Ridge Road, we found this abandoned Ford pickup, so I had to stop and take a few shots with my telephoto lens, since it was 'parked' away from the road. The color version just didn't look too eye-catching, so I used Photoshop 9 to give this rendering for the Abandoned theme.
An Abandoned oak leaf and telephone pole are the next subjects in this macro shot taken at Cosumnes River Wildlife Preserve. I was drawn to the angles, weathered wood and the red blush of the leaf. Plus, the blue on the metal is striking.
My last Abandoned theme photo is of homeless Mark from Oklahoma sitting on a Sacramento River promenade bench watching the world go by. We didn't ask for his story, but he was more than willing to talk about incidentals - like he has two blankets to keep him warm at night. Nikon D7000 and 12-24mm wide angle lens, cropped.
Sometime we're surprised by ordinary things, like this apple core on the side of the road at the Preserve. Not worth a second glance, except when I saw all the ants on it. This is first thing in the morning and the ants weren't moving, it was so cold. Fitting the Yummy theme, we could also toss it into the Abandoned category as well.
More in the Yummy domain (also fits the Trio theme) with these three custom soda bottles. These were in a candy store in Old Sacramento.
The following photos fit the White category. The first two were taken in Old Sacramento, which is a great place to find a wide variety of memories to take home with you. People are friendly, fun things to do, big selection of eateries, and history all around you.
White Delight with a little red accent:
My last White picture was taken at the Preserve when it was very foggy in the morning. Used a little creative license here to fool the eye and add some interest. Title: Three Faces of Eve
The final two photos fit the Trio theme for January. We can name them Down Below and Up Above.
I heard these sandhill cranes flying overhead and quickly aimed my telephoto at them, but they were barely visible in the fog. This should have been a throwaway picture, but with a little Photoshop work, it was worth keeping.
Here's the original I had to work with. Don't bee too quick to toss a picture that's poorly exposed or out of focus. You can use Elements or other programs to find something worth showing.
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And now, another month is ahead of us, although it only has 28 days in it. We're off to a good start and with the weather turning warmer, we'll have little excuse for not taking our cameras with us here and there.
February's Challenge Themes will be:
1. ROMANCE
2. RED
3. EYES
4. WORDS
5. UPSIDE DOWN
If you'd like to see all of the Challenge photos at their original (sent) sizes, you can go here: http://wordydave.zenfolio.com/p960307740
Happy shooting, everyone.
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It looks like Don didn't get out much, the poor boy. I can say this because he's told me as much when he sent his pictures for your viewing pleasure. "Just a couple of pics this month. We spent pretty low key Christmas. I thinks me needs to get out more." You're forgiven, my boy. But you need to make amends by submitting more in the January Challenge.
Here's Don's favorite kitty, Callie, enjoying some couch time while waiting for that special Christmas present: sardines in a can! She will certainly be jolly after feasting on some scrumptious, stinky fish tails!
Don used his flash for this shot, but didn't get things overexposed. Note that Callie isn't looking at the camera. Can you guess why?
Don's second photo is pretty creative and proves you can actually have fun with your camera. I'm going to let everyone guess how he captured this bird's nest, keeping it in perfect focus while the tree lights are streaked. Put on your logic caps and figure it out. He'll let us know exactly how he did it, I'm sure. Don, you're a real magician. Isn't that real snow I see?
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Dave took his days off as an opportunity to head into the wilderness (careful to be back around 9:30 each morning) and discover the blessings of being cold and miserable. With gloved fingers stinging, nose running, and cataract-plagued eyes blinded by the sunrise, he was still able to get a few favorites.
This first one was taken while visiting Tom and Barb Birks in Sonora. Their house is at the top of the hill above this tree line. We were at this place in the valley below them, visiting an Xmas boutique in the farm/ranch house. Pretty cool. I was intrigued by the pastoral scene, fall colors, pond and the two 'cowboys' riding their horses on this small spread. Nikon D5100, 55-300mm zoom.
This second photo was taken at sunrise on Staten Island Road, west of Thornton, CA. The cornfields are flooded after harvest for the winter waterfowl to call home, so thousands of geese, sandhill cranes, swans, ducks and other assorted birds feast and frolic, waiting for spring so they can fly north again. When I shoot birds, I try to get the best compositions possible. This means setting up for the landscape and waiting for the right amount of birds to be in the right place before snapping the shutter. Predicting flight patterns helps here. I don't use the continuous shutter feature - guess I should, though. The larger challenge is focus. If using auto focus with a telephoto lens, there will be a lot of 'lens seeking' if you're focusing on just a few birds. Better to pre-focus, then switch to manual focus. Just remember to switch back to auto-focus afterwards.
This heron hangs out at a backwater pond between the main road and parking lot at Cosumnes River Wildlife Preserve. Easily spooked by the slightest threat, it takes some stealth to get close enough for a good shot. After spotting him when driving by on the main road, I turned back and pulled into the parking lot. Walking out of the lot and across the main road, keeping as far away from him as possible, I used a 3' diameter tree at the water's edge to sneak up on him, carefully keeping the tree between us as I crossed the road and went down the bank to the tree. There was a fork in the tree at head height, so I slowly raised the camera into it for the picture. A few branches were in the way, but I was able to get this capture from that position. Then, wanting to have a clearer view, I crept toward the side of the tree. Before he was in the viewfinder, the big boy jumped up and flew away. Camera shy and a large part chicken. But I was happy with the pose he let me have before saying sayonara.
Fog is a challenge. Very little color. Very little contrast. Very little warmth as you're bundled and gloved. This particular photo was taken right when the sun was starting to peek through. It bathed everything with a pinkish brown cast. I could see the sandhill cranes coming into the composition and waited until they were right where I wanted them. Tripod. Zoom lens.
My last favorite shot was taken on Staten Island Road just as the sun was rose. These willets were flying in unison, partly in the shadow of the levee road, with the sunlight bathing half of them with a reddish glow. These birds are gray when the sun is high. I like the contrast of the pink and blue water reflections. This is the only capture (out of dozens) where they are in a turn. I'll have to go back and try to get more of them in this position where you can see their white wing banding.
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Unfortunately, this blog site limits the width of our posted pictures. They would be more impressive if we could view them at their original sizes. Such is life. We who beg cannot be choosers as well.
The old year has now vanished, leaving behind its memories. That's all we have now. Tempus volat, nunquam repetiit. Time flies, never to be repeated, but we hold those treasured thoughts in our hearts, the good, the bad and the in between. May God give us His grace as we look to this new year and trust in His wisdom, mercy, blessing and hope.
Heads up and write these down: the January Challenge themes will be . . .
1. Yummy
2. Abandoned
3. White
4. Trio
5. Low Tech
Happy New Year, everyone! And Happy Shooting!
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The winter rains have started in earnest, thankfully. I have a feeling it will be open storm doors until March, which will either dampen (PI) our spirits or challenge our commitment to shoot no matter what - a Post Office mentality for some. I'll try to focus on more indoor challenges to keep all of us wusses dry and comfy.
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Mr. Don will start off the Challenge with his submissions. He says, "Here are just a few of the shots from the Maui getaway. I have finally recuperated from the ordeal. Came home with a raging sinus infection probably brought on by snorkeling and flying. I took about 700 shots and spent days in processing them down to 127 'keepers'. In the Green category, we have my favorite tree, the palm where it belongs..... in Maui."
Don and I have a mutual disgust for any palm tree north of San Luis Obispo in our fair state. Northern California hasn't been tropical since before the Noahic Flood, and it is insulting to imply otherwise.
The next three submissions are in the "Strong/Bold Color" challenge category. "For the strong color, there is the Bird of Paradise, Pink Hibiscus and the Rainbow Eucalyptus. All were shot with the Nikon D300 and 18-200 lens. I filled the distracting background on the Hibiscus to make the flower pop."
I always picture a green Maui and environs dotted with these floral bursts of color everywhere. I've never been there, so can't say for sure.
The pink hibiscus has been isolated by Don's use of blacking out here and there in the background. The alternative is to carry a 12" x 12" piece of black velvet in your camera bag to use as a backdrop. The hard part is finding someone to hold it for you! And, no, I don't use one either.
These rainbow eucalyptus are beautiful and very photogenic. I think there are some in Morro Bay down at the landing parking lot below the natural history museum. Maybe not.
Don's Close-Up photo captures the intricacies of an unnamed leaf in Hawaii. I'm going to guess it's a Ti plant with a radical Photoshop hue slider going on - from green to red. That's one way to spice it up. Don, let me know if my guess is correct (about the slider). He didn't say, but I assume he used his 60mm macro lens on this one.
For a final photo that meets the Challenge theme of 'Angle,' here we have Don capturing Janet's favorite burger hang-out. "Shot on a clear starry night with the Nikon Coolpix." Note the starry sky and sharp focus. That means he either used a tripod or propped his camera on something while shooting. Great shot, Don. Pretty cool that there are burgers in space.
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Old Davy's shooting was extremely limited in November, but he tried to cover all four Challenge themes while doing the 'back to nature' thing. With the changing (and still warmish) weather, fall leaves are still holding on here and there. Blue skies are turning gray, which can be a big plus - no horrible shadows and blown-out highlights to deal with - evenly lit landscapes and close-ups - morning dew drops. The waterfowl here in the valley increase, and their habits offer interesting opportunities. Winter sunrises and sunsets are the best, especially before and after storms. And fog can add a somber, ethereal touch.
So let's not give up taking pictures just because it's another dreary looking winter out there.
There's a lot of Green at the Cosumnes River Wildlife Preserve. With so many waterways, ponds and flooded fields, you can't help but run into it. These cattail reeds (and others) are home to red-winged blackbirds, but are frequented by other foragers who flit here and there, like this red-capped kinglet who's giving me the once-over. The kinglets land for maybe 2-4 seconds in one spot before flying to another a few feet away. It's almost impossible to zero in on them. And using auto-focus in the reeds is mostly a joke because it's almost impossible to focus on a bird when it's surrounded by them. This little guy/gal landed in the perfect spot for me to get a pre-focus, then move my camera to the left for the composition. I've used the Paint Daubs filter to give it a grainy look.
This shrub at the water's edge was screaming for me to take its portrait, and since it was Green, I obliged. You can still see some remnant yellows and reds in the foreground trees, but I've purposely let them partially silhouette against the bright green.
My final Green photo shows some of the variety of green in nature. Moss, lichen, leaves - each contributes different shades (tints), intensity (chroma), hues and lightness. This oak branch scheme struck me as worthy of shooting. I could have taken a close-up, but chose to keep the full identity and strength of the tree by including its shape.
Shooting into the sunrise on a foggy morning on Staten Island Road (about 5 miles SW of the Preserve), I've intensified the colors slightly in this next entry to fit the Bold Color category. The original photo included the sun and more field grass to the right, both of which were cropped out.
Here's the original picture. Note that lenses do weird halo things when you shoot directly into the sun. That's one reason for the crop. And I wasn't really happy with the dirty yellow color. I wanted something warmer.
Driving back home from the Preserve one day, I pointed my telephoto toward this power line parade just north of Eight Mile Road on Interstate 5. [Warning: Do not attempt to take pictures in a vehicle traveling 65 miles per hour unless you're an expert like me!] I've cropped and colored it (remember, the sky is gray overcast). This fits the 'Angle' theme for November.
While stumbling through the underbrush by the kayak/canoe launch at the Preserve, I found this wonderfully rare (I think) anomaly on a blackberry bush. The leaves didn't separate at birth and formed the appearance of a butterfly. Pretty cool. This is both a Bold Color and Close-up entry. Taken with the Nikon D5100 and old MicroNikkor 55mm close-up lens.
Here's another macro shot, taken on Bruceville Road at the Preserve. Everything was dripping wet. Tripod, manual focus and settings. Nikon D5100. Nothing spectacular, but it's fun to see water drops on spider webs. Note the extremely shallow depth of field, due to using an f3.5 aperture.
One more 'Angle' theme shot, taken in the middle of Franklin Blvd. at the Preserve, near the oak tree photo I posted above. I was intrigued by the hexagon pattern in this manhole cover. The oak leaves added a sense of place and color contrast. D5100 Nikon and MicroNikkor 55mm.
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Ginnie has skated in just under the wire to add a most unusual macro capture of a poor victim of the fly swatter. She says, "You should know better than to give me a beautiful hand-tooled leather flyswatter for my birthday, little brother. Canon S3 IS, f/8, 1/1600 sec, 400 ASA. Set on Super-Macro, lens touching the window."
What a way to go! My sis has a terribly warped sense of humor, but we all still love her!
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Again, we've come to the end of the show, sans Bugs Bunny. Hope you've learned a little more about what to look for when you're clicking away and been encouraged to get into the spirit of giving by making more memories for yourself, family and friends.
Our December Challenge theme will be "My Favorite December Photos." Easy to remember. I know we're all extra busy this month, so you won't be hurting my feelings by not participating.
Let's all remember the Reason for the Season: celebrating the birth of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - loving each other - and giving out of that love.
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October's challenge themes were:
- "O" for October
- Event
- Black and White
- Aged
This was one of the busiest month's of the year for me. Barb and I headed to Paso Robles for a week of visiting friends and family, enjoying the Pioneer Day festivities and traveling to the coast a few times. Thankfully, Liz and Angel were able to go also. Good memories and great shooting. Don and I traveled the area, looking for great sunrises, moonrises, fall color, old barns, sentinel oaks, and ocean spray. My cameras got a real workout after taking more than 1500 pictures. Great fun.
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We'll start with Megen's submissions, noting that only pumpkins were injured in this first photo. "O" for Orb Launch is the title, and let's note that Meg didn't really have a choice but to include another orb - that small star, otherwise known as the sun - in her picture. Her camera is shooting at a rather high shutter speed, freezing the mid-flight pumpkin and launcher to a large degree. And I'm guessing the flash was on since the launch posts are showing a lot of detail in what would normally be dark.
Meg's second entry is called Aged Extreme to fit the "Aged" theme for October. Looks like this guy has been left in the weather for a few years and getting ready to celebrate another Xmas.
Meg's family went to Yosemite and had a wonderful time biking around, seeing the wildlife and being awestruck by the beauty of God's creation. The drought is affecting all of California, even Yosemite. Here's her shot of Mirror Lake, sans water - much different that when Don and I were shooting there in February, 2013. She's entered this in the "Event" category with the title, "Drought."
Pumpkins also qualify for the "O" theme since they're "Orange" in color. Nice detail in Megen's close-up:
Meg's "Black and White" theme entry fits the bill, as her pup, Timber, smiles for the camera.
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Let's peruse Don's photos next, starting with "O" for Old Guys Rule. Check out that guy with the red hat on, looking like a photo geek in the middle of the street. Don used Photoshop Elements to add the 'flash' on my camera. I like the slower shutter speed, which added movement to the little Chiquita's swirling dress.
Here, Don worked hard to balance the light in his Cripple Creek barn for the "Black and White" theme. This barn is located east of Paso Robles and is a favorite spot for photographers and artists with brushes. The grizzled oaks add to the western aura of the scene, and the low sunlight position makes for great shadows.
One of the biggest "Events" in Paso Robles is the Pioneer Day Parade. Here is wonderful example of Mexican American horsemanship, which was an important influence in the area's early ranching days. It looks like Don was using his flash for this shot, as the rider's face is perfectly lighted, and her black horse shows a lot of detail. Great photo, Don.
I guess we can fudge on this Caterpillar Yellow tractor by saying it borders on "O" for Orange, and thus fits the "O" theme. Whatever it is, it's sure BRIGHT! Did we say BRIGHT? So bright that the driver had to wear sunglasses. Nice details here, too. Don shoots with Nikon's 18-200mm zoom, a great lens.
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Dave has culled four shots from his October vacation time in Paso Robles. The first is for the "Aged" theme, taken at the park by the Pioneer Museum, where the old steam engines were on display. These two old birds were chewing the fat while their picture was taken. Dave should have been a little lower for a better angle, but he's still learning the trade.
Hearst Castle is a true diversion from the mainstream tourist spots. Extravagance on display. Dare we say "Opulence?" Here we have the "O" theme covered with a montage of art and architecture.
Dave really likes shooting events, but more so, the people at the events. These girls capture the fun of girlhood, the spontaneity of the moment, and pure American patriotism! Unfortunately, they'll probably never see this photo.
Dave's favorite vacation photograph was taken on Ranchita Canyon Road, northeast of Paso Robles. He and Don were out before sunrise, scouting Hog Canyon and vicinity for some great shots. When this bend in the road offered a nice minimalist abstract with clouds doing "the Dance," Dave knew this would be a memorable composition and decided to convert it to "Black and White." He'll probably get this one printed and framed, even though it's not perfect (a bit too much empty space in the upper left).
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Miss Ginnie is our last guest for the month's Challenge, but certainly not least. She wasn't going to send anything in, but this reflection shot of her patio chair and table during an "O" for October Rain caught her eye, and she had to get it. Thanks, Gin.
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Well, another month is in the can. Thanks to everyone for sharing their favorite photos. It's fun to see each other's handiwork.
November's themes will be pretty simple:
- Green
- Close-up
- Bold Color
- Angle(s)
This will let you get all the fall color you want, do a food shoot of some split-pea soup, put a magnifying glass in front of your eye and take a selfie, and find a few buildings to focus on. Easy-Peasy. Have fun, and be sure to thank God for His beautiful world and the fact that you can enjoy and appreciate it and the fact that you are healthy enough to get out and capture it on 'film.'
". . . God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." I Timothy 6:17b
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Yes, September is past - October is here. Change is in the air, as John Updike aptly put it:
"The breezes taste
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze."
~ John Updike, September
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Whatever month it is, it's a great time to take pictures, but September usually isn't too hot or too cold or too wet or too crowded with families with kids. And the Challenge themes were tailor-made for it. We've received a good number of photos to peruse and enjoy, starting with Don's "S"s and Reflections.
He says, "I stuck with the "S" and Reflection categories. I was going to try to shoot some star trails for "Over my head", but the weather conditions weren't cooperating.....until this morning. Unfortunately I got up too late. I've been getting up early every morning for almost 2 weeks now, only to see fog or high overcast. I got up at 5:30 this morning and didn't even bother to look outside right away. By the time I did, I knew I'd missed my opportunity. The sky was just starting to go from black to deep blue and it was crystal clear. Not enough time left for a long exposure. I've got 2 days left....don't count out one more submission."
We're still waiting for that star trails shot, Don! But we aren't holding our breath.
Don says, "Four of the photos fall into the reflection category. Janet and I were coming back from a jaunt to Morro Bay when we pulled up behind this polished tanker truck. I would entitle this, "Objects in mirror are much closer than they look". The last two are in the "S" category, "sea" lion and "sea" otter. These 2 were posing for the tourists in the harbor. All were shot with the Nikon D300 and 18-200mm lens. Cropping, contrast and color enhancement done in Elements 11.
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Megen is our second featured artist for September. She monopolized the "S" theme with all of her entries, using creative alliteration to title each one.
Sometimes, getting in really close is the best choice for a portrait, as you can see here. It allows for extra detail and a realism.
September Slumber
Shabby Shed
Screen Shadow
Spidery Splendor
Spider in the Straw
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Linda, you're next up with a September "S". You said, "a sad smoky sunset. There is so much smoke, it turned the sun brilliant orange. Beautiful except I knew the reason. And then I saw the reflection of the sun in the water running down the street in the drought."
For the Over-My-Head theme, you said, "This tree is dead and brown on the outside, so it was a surprise to see so much green inside. Hope it survives this awful drought."
Poor redwood. There are two redwoods on our north side over the fence. Beautiful, but super messy.
And we finally have a Morning theme photo! But look who our sunrise subject is! Linda says, "The beetle landed on the window before my eyes. So I snapped its picture, since I was standing there with my camera hoping to get a good sunrise." Wow! Looks like an alien to me. Great catch!
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Bruce's new digs in Redding is a nice little development with lakes and access to hiking trails. We'll enter all of his photos under the "S" theme: "S" for Serenity, Stillness and Solitude. Thanks, Bruce. Great composition and color.
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Ginnie also submitted a few pictures for the month, including our only flower photo - California Fuschias. She took it in the morning, so it fits the Morning theme. Note the complementing/contrasting swatch of color behind the flower on the right. Now what if it had been red - or blue?
She also went crazy with the "S"s as these next three shots prove: Sea Splash, Sentinel and Sky, and Seagulls at the Seashore.
What makes this zoomed in crashing wave composition work? It's taken with a fast shutter speed that freezes the water droplets, adding interest, but the dark band of shadow running diagonally across the top of the photo is the reason why. You wouldn't see the water drops in detail without it, and it adds balance to an otherwise non-interesting, uniform cacophony of spray.
I rarely put my subject in the exact center of the picture. But it works perfectly for this shot. Why? First of all, because Ginnie has cropped it to a square, which is more suited to portraiture than landscapes. So she's taking a portrait of this wonderful lonely oak. But she's also blending the simplicity and uniformity of the subject below with an abstract group of clouds, which force our eyes to wander all over the picture, and not just focus on the center. This photo speaks symbolically as well, as we consider the loneliness and weariness of this old sentinel, stripped of any friends, open to the harshness of sun, wind and rain, soon to die --- contrasted with the beauty, wonder and promise of what's above. That's one interpretation of many, I hope.
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At the bottom of the totem pole is yours truly, lover of the frozen narrative, laborer in the visual vineyard, long time hunter of carpe momentum.
Mornings were made for photography and painting (in my most humble opinion). The air is clear, the colors warm, the wind is still and the surprises are wonderful. This Morning theme shot was made to order as the clouds were arrayed spread-eagle, there was no direct sunlight (cloudy behind me with the sun rising), and a warm tone was in the sky. I'm not happy with the little oak tree in the foreground, but couldn't get far off the designated pathway for a better shot close to the water. Nikon D7000, 12-24mm lens, f7, 1/200, ISO 200.
I didn't expect to see this Over-My-Head theme vintage craft flying above the drag strip in early September. My camera settings were less than optimal before this shot. I had been shooting at 1/200 when I first saw the plane. It looped around while I followed it, shooting it while it left a trail of 'smoke' on its first flyby. Then, as it looped around again for a second time, I finally realized how slow the shutter speed was and bumped it up to 1/640, making my last few shots sharper. Nikon D5100, 55-300mm, f5.6, ISO 100.
This next capture fits the Reflection theme. Here is a black-necked stilt plying the shallow waters at Cosumnes River Wildlife Refuge. I placed him to the right to accentuate the water movement and ripples behind him (or her?). These are really fun birds to shoot, especially when they're fighting over females or territory. Nikon D5100, 55-300mm, f13, 1/320, ISO 1250, E.V. +1.3 (which was a big mistake - I ended up over exposing a number of shots).
Here's another Reflection photo, taken at Lodi Lake during General Mills annual Fun Run for kids on a Saturday morning. Nikon D5100, 55-300mm, f11, 1/400, ISO 800, monopod. When shooting telephoto, I try to keep my ISO moderately high so I can maintain a fast shutter speed and keep the details as sharp as possible.
My "S" theme photograph finds a sunset silhouette for the subject. Couldn't resist shooting the golden sky over the neighborhood, including this one taken over the backyard fence. Nikon D5100, 55-300mm, f4.5, 1/320, ISO 800.
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Another month in the can, and October is on the calendar. Should be another great time for capturing your world, making memories and sharing them with us. Thanks to everyone who sent photos. I know it's not easy to plan a photo shoot for most people, especially busy people like you all.
October's Challenge Themes will be:
"O" FOR OCTOBER This seems to be a good way to give folks more latitude and variety in their picture choices.
EVENT Any event that you happen to attend, like Pioneer Day, a birthday party, or your local police arresting a desperado.
BLACK AND WHITE This is self-explanatory, but you don't have to convert a color picture to black and white to be in compliance. A color picture of a piano keyboard (close up), a color picture of a black and white sign, whatever. Just make sure the photo emphasizes something or black and white.
AGED This can be an aged person, aged barn, aged tree - anything or anyone that is experiencing their vintage years.
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Rules are flexible, but the best guidelines are:
Maximum width = 1600 pixels
Maximum .jpg file size 500kb.
I can make adjustments if necessary, though, so don't worry if you're having a problem re-sizing.
As always: Keep shooting and have fun!
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It's hard to believe we started this Challenge blog three years ago this month. Wow! That's over thirty posts and a lot more pictures. I'm going to ask a favor of everyone: Please email me and let me know if you want to keep receiving the Challenge results. Some of you may have lost interest and don't want to participate any longer, which is fine. Just give me some feedback. Thanks. Email me at: [email protected] Going forward, I'll only send the results to those who reply.
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We had ample opportunities before us as the August Challenge themes were far ranging. "A" for August would have been enough to choose from -- a whole dictionary letter filled with nouns. "Blue" didn't only present color, but emotion as well, although no one went in that direction. "Reminds me of Childhood" focused mainly on nostalgic toys, but could also include a can of Spam or birthday cake. "On the Wall" was more specific and pointed.
Let me remind everyone: the plurality of Challenge theme choices should make it easier for you to choose your subject. They are not meant to be shot inclusively. You can select either one or more or all - whatever you feel like. Most photo challenges only offer one choice, thus limiting the subject and making it much harder to plan and capture it. But we usually let you have a wider field of themes, so you're more motivated to get out there and shoot. Has it been working?
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We'll highlight Don's photos first. He says, "Most of this months pics were shot in Morro Bay. Janet and I took a drive over to pursue one of our favorite pastimes....the antique shops. For things that begin with the letter "A", we stopped at the avocado farm on Hwy 41."
"The antique shops had possibilities for all the categories. The pedal car reminded me of the one I had as a kid."
"The "Antiques" sign covered 3 categories: Begins with "A", is blue and on the wall."
"While Janet shopped in one of her favorite stores, I had plenty of subjects for the "On the Wall" shots."
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Megen's choice for "Reminds Me of Childhood" theme is a picture of her daughter, Jordan. Jordan's dance troupe participated in the annual Pinedorado Days parade in Cambria, CA. When it's hot, the imagination goes to work. Ah, refreshing! She'll love seeing this in another ten years!
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We want to highlight Linda's entries next. She says, " We were driving down the street in San Francisco, and there's a lot of construction going on. You can say there's some blue, there's a letter A, and it's a wall. I thought the angle was interesting."
"Also in San Francisco, which always evokes childhood memories, because my dad used to take us there, and he always told us about when he was stationed at the Presidio. He also has pictures from Coit Tower 20 or so years apart. This day we were obviously at Pier 39."
"This beautiful Automobile was part of a display in Lodi."
"An Angler at Lodi Lake. The clouds were amazing that day. I spent many days at Lodi Lake during my childhood."
"Experimenting again with unusual angles (see #1 LOL), this Arrow will tell you which way to go. Also at Lodi Lake."
Be sure to visit Linda's blog: http://lindyslovelies.blogspot.com/2014/08/photo-challenge-for-august.html where she has more pictures taken for this month's challenge and gives us more comments on them. Thanks, Lindy. Looks like you were having fun.
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We all remember the thrill of jumping on the swings at school or in the park and getting as high as we could. We experienced the rush of wind in our face and new perspective of our little world from such great heights. Some of us were brave enough to launch into the blue, splashing down in the sand feet first - hopefully. Our friends were impressed and we could enter the hero ranks alongside them. Of course, bad timing would reward us with a pride-crushing crash landing. But we'd get up and try again.
John sent us two "Reminds Me of Childhood" photos, featuring his two young flyers in action. It was deja vu all over again. He says, "I think we all can remember taking the leap."
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Adding to the "Blue" theme, Ginnie's entry comes with a warning: don't look if you're a bit squeamish about seeing all things dead as doornails. It's only one picture, but she's figuring it has a little of each of our four Challenge themes in it, so she gets the Everything But the Kitchen Sink Award. I'm not sure whether this is a blue-belly fence lizard or an alligator lizard, but I do know it's not posing for the camera.
She says, "My personal challenge this time is to wrap all categories into one photo as explained:
"A" for Aesthetic response, or emotional response to image.
Something Blue, this guy is either a Bluebelly or a California Alligator lizard.
On the Wall, I'm sure he had been.
Reminds Me of My Childhood, several little brothers used to chase me with these, just to hear me scream.
Sorry about the quality, but I still don't like these creatures and couldn't go back out and do a retake."
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Let's all welcome Sharon to our Challenge Group. It's fun to see another perspective, and Sharon has captured all the theme flavor needed to keep the ball rolling. It's not often you see an ["A" for] almond blossom rendered in metal, especially ["A" for] aluminum. Hence, her title for this shot: Aluminum Almond Blossom. Nice detail and composition. Now we're all wondering about the 'rest of the story.' Just what is this? A picture frame? A vase? A trivet? Such a mystery!
None of us can forget the View-Master travel reels as they ingeniously spun around inside that plastic viewer. Click, click, click. We clicked our way from the Pyramids of Egypt to Yosemite National Park in a matter of minutes. All in glorious color and 3-D! High tech in our low tech worlds. Makes me want to run out and buy one. Thanks for sharing these "Childhood Memories."
Sharon shows her humorous side with "Blue Boy Revisited." Note her choice of composition. She's emphasizing the "Blue" theme by adding the blue sky to the scene. The main subject isn't centered, but placed at the left to balance the two blues so neither is overwhelming. The man logo on the door adds to the message, making it more personal and relational (does that make sense to anyone but me?). Bordering on the abstract, there is an artsy feel to it, as well.
Sharon's last entry reminds us of childhood, also. Looks like this little guy has a lot of memories of his own. Note the complementary colors, use of available light and rule of thirds used here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds Thanks, Sharon. We look forward to seeing more of your photos next month.
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As you can see, we've broken the record for posting the most pictures for a monthly challenge. Thanks to everyone for their participation and enthusiasm for the project. Nota bene --- You don't have to shoot EVERY theme in a given month. One will do. So don't feel intimidated or overwhelmed if you see four themes posted. I only do that to make it easier for you to choose what you want to shoot and add variety.
Wow! August was a long month -- with five weekends. So there was no shortage of picture taking for me. I'm pooped, especially after shooting the Ripon Hot Air Balloon Festival yesterday morning to round out the month. These first two photos emphasize both the "Blue" and "Childhood Memories" themes.
The Stockton Record also hosts reader photo challenges. The latest one was entitled, "The Blue Hour." This is one of two pictures they posted that I sent to them, Burns Tower on the University of Pacific campus before sunrise. It's always fun to wander the grounds when no one is around but the campus police! They let me alone when they saw my tripod.
Another "Blue" capture. This time from work. This is the dumpster bin that sits by the cutter machine I operate. Blue, with a modicum of rust to make it interesting and keep your eyes moving. Yeah, that prop bar used to be straight many moons ago. The recycling company that provides the bins is well known for it's heavy-handed beating up of these poor containers. Ha!
One more "Blue" shot - this time from the Sundial Bridge in Redding. An amazing piece of architecture, you don't want to miss using your camera on it (literally) if you ever scoot by the city. It's less than a minute from the freeway.
I made this shot with my telephoto lens propped on a ground level light fixture, guessing at what was in the viewfinder. It was a trial and error attempt to get an abstract that emphasized both the bridge engineering and blue hour sky after sunset. I didn't have a tripod, so had to resort to any available prop I could find. Don't be afraid to experiment like this. You'll be surprised at the results compared to trying to hand hold your camera when you don't have enough light. I also used the back of a bench seat, the bridge railing, and planter box as make-do tripods that night.
We also visited Weaverville with cousin Bruce and Penny. Their museum is a must-see destination, as well. First class displays. These next three shots were taken with the "A" for Antiques in mind. An old trunk, a bottle display and the guts of a grand piano. You can see the full set of old stuff here: http://wordydave.zenfolio.com/p413007466
For the "Reminds Me of Childhood" category, I chose this old phonograph with the green wool record protector. Lots of brass, dark wood and an easily replaceable needle. Grandpa Skinner had an old Victrola that we kids could use when we got older. Loved playing everything from Irish bar songs to Roy Rogers westerns. All at glorious, scratchy and monotone 78 RPM. Those were the days our kids and grandkids will never experience, sadly. Although, Sister Ginnie bought a portable (retro) player a few years ago so she could play some of the old kid's records for her grandchildren. She was hooked, also. Hopefully, the tradition will continue.
Another childhood memory is lining up for a race. I captured this bunch of kids sprinting off the start line yesterday at the Balloon Festival. It was difficult jockeying for position with so many parents taking pictures as well. Sometimes it helps to carry a big camera and get down really low for the shot. Lots of fun watching them run a false start, being herded back to the line, then getting them ready to go again. Nikon D90, 12mm lens, on camera flash for fill. You can see the full set of Festival photos here: http://wordydave.zenfolio.com/p170207956
Last, and certainly least is my shot of something "On the Wall." This was taken on the wall of the Burger King in Willows, CA where my grandfather Skinner was born. I don't think they had carbonated beverages around in 1894, but maybe. The "Nu" in the NuCO2 isn't a new element. It's the name of the beverage company that provides the CO2. This was taken with my trusty point and shoot, then played with in Photoshop to get this spongy look. An added bonus: the pigeon feather in the right corner. Hey, photography is about having fun, not like so many of those other - boring - hobbies, like playing chess or collecting tiddlywinks.
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Update: Cousin Bruce also sent some of his photos of Weaverville and the Sundial Bridge in Redding. The bridge photos emphasize the blue in the twilight sky, and the museum and classic car pictures remind us of "A" for Antiques, "On the Wall" and "Reminds Me of Childhood" themes. Thanks, Bruce. Keep shooting more shots of the bridge: one of the September themes is "S".
Now, this is camping in style!
That's Barb and Penny watching us take pictures and before they realized there were zillions of spiders right below them, ready and waiting for the lights to come on so they could have their dinner!
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Well, that was certainly a veritable variety of showman(and women)ship. Thanks to everyone who went the extra mile. It was worth every step.
September's Challenge Themes will be:
Morning - a picture that is taken in the morning, like you in the mirror when you first get up! Or not!
"S" for September - anything that starts with the letter, 'S.'
Reflection - we've done this before and it's time to revisit it.
Over My Head - everything from Combinatorics (high math) to the moon and stars.
Again, as a reminder, we need an update on whether you want to continue receiving the blog posts each month, so please email me if you do at [email protected]
Enjoy your September - you're as young today as you'll ever be!
Happy shooting.
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There was little trouble finding subject material for July's challenge themes, especially the one for 'Hot, Hot, Hot.' 'Water' also played a big role in trying to stay cool when it was swelteringly blazing. Hey, it's August 1 and still over 100 degrees today where I live. The monsoonal moisture added some humidity and sprinkles to the mix - and great sunrises and sunsets for us 'photo pholk' (another moniker for lovers of beauty in nature who also happen to own cameras). It was a wonderful month.
This challenge blog was started a few years ago with the hope that it would encourage everyone to get out and shoot the world around them - make some great memories - and learn more about their camera gear and technique. It has a counterpart on Facebook: Holding Your Breath. I've started this new Facebook group to give everyone an opportunity to post their photos at any time. There are no challenge themes to deal with; just add any picture you want to share. Very simple, easy and hassle-free.
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I also enter challenges posed by the local newspaper, the Stockton Record. It's a fun way to stay 'in shape' thinking and planning what, where and when you're going to shoot. The last one was 'The Golden Hour' - pictures taken either right after sunrise or right before sunset. Since I really like taking sunrise photos, I headed out one morning to 'Celebrate' (July Theme) another sunrise at Cosumnes River Wildlife Preserve, which hosts a number of sentinel oaks dotting the landscape along the grazing fields by the river. This photo isn't the one the editor/photographer, Clifford Oto, chose to print and comment on, but this one below gives you the feeling of that morning's light as the clouds were forming and moving to the east. I had to laugh after reading the two paragraph comment about my early morning trek and camera gear and then seeing no picture on the page. I got top billing in the story that featured five or six photographers, but the layout editor must have goofed (or Oto never sent them the file). I'm the old kid on the block for these challenges and don't mind the youngsters getting published ahead of me, though. Humility is better than pride.
Clifford has a blog, as well, that replicates what's printed in the paper. The photo is in his blog, anyway. Not my best choice of shots from that morning - I like this one a lot more! Okay, statistics: Nikon D90, 12-24mm lens, ISO 200, 3 bracketed exposures married in Photoshop to bring out the grass and keep the sky dark. Hints: Sunrise and sunset sky colors, clouds and drama change quickly. Be patient, but don't miss the best light, either. Sunrays (and shadows) are fleeting: grab them when you can. You can see the whole series here.
My 'Selfie' for the month was also taken here at the Preserve. This viewing area overlooks a backwater area that usually entertains a number of birds. There are mostly herons and egrets here, but the tide must have been out (yes, the tide affects the rivers even this far inland), along with the birds the morning I was there. This old oak is huge and gnarly, housing squirrels, big ants and local fowl. A nice, quiet place to sit and remove all of the stickers from your socks.
Before going to the theater downtown last Saturday to see Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (how irrevocably stupid was that!), we walked along the waterfront promenade to get pictures of The Sherman, a 20's vintage boat that has been a restaurant in different locations over the years. Now, it's in Stockton being refurbished (it's a mess right now). They have it moored in front of the Stockton Arena at the end of the Channel across from Weber Point. It was excruciatingly 'Hot, Hot, Hot,' so I had fun taking pictures on Weber Point of the young people playing in the water fountain that displays a number of different scenarios for your cooling pleasure. This kid was really getting down to business as he briskly walked by. The water display is about 25' x 25'. I used the telephoto for these shots, so I could stand back and not get wet. Nikon D5100, ISO 400, f16, 1/1000.
My last shot highlights the 'Water' theme at the same fountain, but on the other side. Mr. Brawney had just walked through the water and turned around, waiting for the mood to strike to return, I guess. Thankfully, he stood there long enough for me to grab this shot. Most of the pictures taken were 'wait and see' photos. Everyone was moving so quickly, it was hard to compose and get thoughtful shots. I converted from color to black and white for a minimalist, high contrast look. Nikon d5100, ISO 800, f22, 1/1000. Series here.
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John is a water lover and you can find him surfing and frolicking in the wild and wonderful Pacific Ocean when his adoring wife lets him go. Here are a few shots he took while 'Celebrating' in Santa Cruz recently. 'Water' and 'Selfie' captures are added to the mix as well.
Cooper is looking for the next big wave, while John bites his tongue. Is that how you trip the shutter on a GoPro camera? Very cool shot.
Scary GoPro selfie: this is what the sharks see. Be careful out there, boys.
And the question is: Where is the sandy beach?
Addie and Pops - nice color here, John. Hey, where can I get a t-shirt like that? Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. It's like we were there in the freezing water with you, wondering 'when can we get out and find that warm, cozy restaurant for dinner?'
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Our month's submissions include those of Mr. Don, who thankfully added the 4th of July 'Celebration' to his photo repertoire. He's used two pictures here to really bump up the theme value. Like, 'Wow!' You're having way too much fun on that computer, buddy.
More celebrating going on here at a July wedding. And more computer fun to boot. Nice composition here, using the oak tree theme in the background to tell a story within a story. Nothing like a wedding to bring out the smiles and the cameras. Hey, have you photogs ever shot a wedding? As the number one photographer? It is a huge undertaking, not to be entered into without courage, physical fitness, a long list of shots, patience, camera knowledge, a good flash unit, and willingness to NOT get to eat a piece of cake (you're too busy shooting). Ask a lot of money for your photos - they're worth every penny and more! If you love stress, you'll love shooting weddings.
Now, on the lighter side, Don has captured a nice little water drop for our 'Water' theme. As an aside, he has calculated the water usage of a drip system and says, "A little trivia: 26,000 acres of vineyards, with 1/2 gph emitters, will use approximately 15,730,000 gallons of water in 1 hour." I'll let you argue the finer points with him. Photo spec note: How fast a shutter speed do you think Don used to record this single drop in focus? Yes, you're right! 1/250th of a second, ISO 500, f11 at 70mm.
Water and more water from the pump. Don says, "I wish my water pump was actually hooked up to a well. I'd be watering my yards with it......free." Don, you couldn't afford the well drilling. Some San Joaquin Valley wells are over 3500' deep. Groundwater levels are the big problem right now. The Central Valley farmers usually pump about 40% of their usage from groundwater each year. This year it will be 65% or more. Can't keep this up. Oh, nice picture, by the way.
And speaking of 'Hot, Hot, Hot', it gets really hot in Paso Robles, in spite of it being only 20 miles from the foggy Central Coast. But Don is tricking us on this on, saying, "For the "hot" theme, I put the heat to the old thermometer in Photoshop Elements 11. Hot enough for you?"
Naughty, naughty, Mr. Dahl!
Don's last photo is a selfie. I'll let you decide for yourself what kind of comments should accompany his picture. Wow! When does the TV series start?
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July was a great month for picture taking, and I'm pretty sure August will be the same. We're all looking forward to some eye-pleasing submissions and stories about them. Theme choices will be:
- "A" for August - Let us see something that begins with the letter, "A."
- Reminds Me of Childhood - Toys, vintage photos, places, faces, etc.
- Something Blue - I think we've done this before, but let's do it again.
- On the Wall - Have fun shooting outside or inside. Just make sure your subject is on a wall.
Happy shooting and enjoy the adventure.
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The June Challenge was a big mix of themes again: Technology - Nature - Big Smile - and Architecture. Pretty fun and easy subjects to capture wherever you live.
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Yours truly purposely headed to Hwy 49 Saturday after working four hours - just to get some architecture shots. Not the wisest decision, since I was dead tired when we got home and pretty good for little to nothing on Sunday. However, there was the added bonus of a few 'Technology' pictures, like this one shot on Hwy 88 between Lockeford and Clements. I didn't remember seeing this tower before - at least not jam-packed with communication gear, so I pulled over and zoomed in. Nikon D5100, 55-300mm, f13, 1/500, ISO 400. Paint Daubs filter.
So this was new technology, but there is also 'old' technology to consider, like this at-one-time-state-of-the-art fuse box, sans box. This was taken in a little town called Plymouth, north of Sutter Creek, Amador City and Dry Town. Boasting the Fly-on-the-Wall Restaurant, a Fairgrounds, and the huge 49er Trailer Camp, there are a number of old buildings on their main drag worth seeing.
Admittedly, there's nothing artsy or clever about this photo. But it is a one-of-a-kind artifact worth highlighting, IMHO. Little wonder these old relic buildings were prone to going up in flames.
You can't go wrong when 'Nature' is a challenge subject. From your backyard to the horizon and beyond, we're surrounded by the glory of natural beauty (and the not-so-beautiful). I'm fascinated by singular character of oak trees and like to preserve their personalities for viewing (I almost said, 'on film'). The oaks around our area have long been cut down and removed by farmers and city developers, but there ARE a few original, undisturbed groves left in the San Joaquin Valley, like Oak Grove Regional Park here in Stockton and Cosumnes River Wildlife Preserve about 20 minutes north of us.
I recently made a pre-sunrise trip to the Preserve and found a number trees worth capturing, including this one. Tripod, Nikon D90, Tokina 12-24mm, f10, 1/400, ISO 400. It was wonderfully cool and quiet, the moon setting, clouds forming in the west, and a golden sun creeping above the horizon. No mountain lions or park rangers to scare me off, thankfully.
Our Hwy 49 trip is the perfect way to go back in the time machine 150 years or more. Much of the architecture of that era is preserved in storefronts. I'm pretty sure the homes aren't that old, though - maybe 100 years or so. Erected in 1912, the Placerville courthouse isn't as ornate as its ancestors, but still carries its stately head high. I converted this from color to black and white to emphasize the architectural lines without any color distraction.
Unfortunately, this blog site downsizes the pictures, so you don't get to see them at their original sizes (if they're larger than 1200px wide). Bigger is better when it comes to photography. It irks me to see people using their cell phones to cruise the Internet and Facebook looking at great photos. They might enlarge them on their little screen, but they only see a portion of the picture then. The bigger the computer monitor, the greater the impact of just about any capture.
Next are more architecture views from Sutter Creek. You can see the whole set here: http://wordydave.zenfolio.com/p188471343
And the last photo from yours truly was taken in Weberstown Mall parking lot here in Stockton when we were on our way to a sushi restaurant. I pulled out my Canon SD980 point and shoot when I saw some clouds over the Sears store building and had to get the shot.
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Next up is Mr. Don - our inimitable Norwegian paparazzo, who will explain the methods of his madness for this month's Challenge. Don loves technology and has an eye for what makes things tick (or not). He says, "Since I'm old school, I went with old technology....the wheel and the pay telephone. Actually, I guess the wheel is timeless."
The iconic Acorn Building in downtown Paso Robles can probably boast of being the most popularly posed edifice in town. It calls us back to a time when life was much different (I won't go into detail). Don says, "In the architecture category, I chose a couple of Paso landmarks. If you study the Acorn Building, you may notice it's not a straight forward shot. It's a reflection in a window across Park Street." By "study' he means look closely at the backward running clock and signage. Thanks for cluing us in on this, O Great One. Don converted this to black and white, which you'll rarely see of this tower - unless you're looking at a really old postcard from the 19th century!
The next architecture photo is a great late afternoon photo of Don's alma mater -- the International Oooniversity of Odd Fellows. Note the nice light and depiction of ornamental accents you'd see in a building this old. This kind of intricacy is pretty much anathematized in our day (note all of the newer establishments in Paso Robles). But maybe we'll see the pendulum swing in the future.
Now it's time for another Nature theme rendition, and Mr. Dahl asked his pet lizard to pose for us. Of course, he couldn't refuse because he's a . . . . . you guessed it . . . . a yellow-belly! Actually, it's a blue-belly, a western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis).
Don's final picture fits the Big Smile theme in the monthly challenge. This photo lets you get a glimmer of what happens in the creative mind --- mayhem and magic, all mixed together. He says, "The braces came off last week. It's amazing what a good orthodontist can do. Everything was shot with the D300 except for the pay phone. That was with the Coolpix. The smile shot required learning layers in Elements 11." Great work, Donnie.
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Be sure to think about taking some 4th of July celebration photos for this month's new theme: Celebrations. Fireworks, picnics, birthdays, anniversaries, retirement, wedding - whatever fits the bill.
Theme #2 will be: Selfie. Take a self-portrait that will have people guessing about who you really are. It doesn't have to be the traditional Facebook foto - try something unique, creative, even scary.
Theme #3 will be: Hot, Hot, Hot. Lots of leeway here, so have some fun with it.
Theme #4 will be: Water. Cold, hot, running, frozen, colored, dripping, flowing - just make sure it's H2O and capture it for our viewing pleasure.
Remember, the only huge rule when sending me your pictures is: No .jpg file sizes over 1MB. The lesser rules are: black and white is okay, photo manipulation in your favorite software is okay, nudity is not okay, photos must be taken in the month of July, and have fun.
Also, it's great if you send a blurb about your picture: where you took it, time of day, what suffering you endured to get it, or camera settings (last on totem pole).
Happy shooting, fellow fotogs.
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May Challenge Themes
Nostalgia, Trees, Where You Live, Refrigerator
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May whizzed by in all its springtime glory, punctuated by gardening, working, and vacationing (at least for me and Barb). The Skinners ventured to Paso Robles mid-month to attend Dave's 50th high school reunion. So there were hundreds of pictures taken, but few which met the monthly themes criteria. Oh, well, that seems to be the story when you're distracted by the bigger fish. It was a wonderful time visiting with the Dahl's, Guffey's, and antiquated classmates.
Without further ado, let's see what the month has to offer. It looks like it will be another Don and Davy Show. So, fasten your seat belt and be prepared for awe-striking photography. Ha!
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Old Davy will go first with his "Nostalgia" offering.
I was shooting a band concert on Memorial Day, but the exposure conditions were less than wonderful. Firstly, the setting was a dilapidating cemetery in Woodbridge that I had visited before, but was never able to get inside the locked gate (they try to keep kids and their beer bottles out of it). So this was an opportunity to get up close and see things from a different perspective (other than through a fence). Unfortunately, this poor place is a dusty remnant of its former glory, and even though I've seen people working in it when I've visited Lodi Lake before (it's right on the edge of the lake), it's still a mess. Many of the gravestones are fallen and broken as you see in this first "Nostalgia" shot. Note the unfinished poem(?) on the bottom of the stone and misspelled word. Letty Taylor was born in 1806 - a true California pioneer.
Nikon D90, 12-24mm zoom lens.
While shooting the Memorial Service, this tree caught my eye (thinking of the "Tree" theme), so I zoomed out, framed it and shot. Nikon D5100, 55-300mm lens. Let me say that I take two cameras for most of my shooting now. The D90 sports my 12-24mm wide angle lens, and the D5100 wears the 55-300mm long zoom lens. It looks weird, wacky and nerdish with one camera on my neck and the other on my shoulder, but it works great - they don't crash into each other, are lightweight and I have a huge advantage of not having to change lenses. This tree is nothing special, but the yellow leaves provided a stark contrast to the oak backdrop.
Here's another "Nostalgia" picture, taken Saturday night at a two-band concert in Lodi, where my friend Rich was playing trombone in both bands (he also played at the cemetery venue). A huge dance floor was provided for frolicking to the old Swing Music songs, but very few took advantage of it. Maybe it was due to the fact that most of the attendees were in their 70's and 80's. Wonderful music, but horrible lighting conditions. I used my SB600 flash for this shot. In Photoshop Elements 9 I used the "Dodge" tool to lighten the band group. Nikon D5100, 18-70mm lens.
The "Where You Live" theme can have a wide range of opportunities. I noticed a dragonfly land on a branch of my birch tree out front here at home and thought, "Dragonflies don't land in birch trees." I quickly retrieved my camera and shot with the 55-300mm zoom before changing the lens to the 55mm MicroNikkor close up lens. After taking a few dozen shots, there were only a few in pretty good focus with good exposure and background. This female California Darner had pretty ragged wings, with spider web remnants scattered here and there. Pretty distracting, so I used the "clone" tool and erased them. Nikon D5100, 55-300mm @ 220m, f5.3, 1/200, ISO 400.
The last "Where You Live" photo shows the proud, screaming parents and relatives attending Angel's 8th grade graduation. Delta Sierra Middle School is in North Stockton. Every school in North Stockton (north of Hammer Lane) is in the Lodi Unified School District, not Stockton Unified. The area around the school is middle class (like the one I live in), non-gated, and a big mixture of cultures. I wanted to capture this in the picture. Nikon D5100, 55-300mm lens @ 195mm, f18, 1/500, ISO 400, using the "Posterizing" filter in Photoshop Elements.
My final entry is another "Nostalgia" photo, taken in Don and Janet's backyard. The wooden wheelbarrow, blues, rust, old metal and composition were calling my name and I couldn't resist the invitation. Nikon D5100, 55mm MicroNikkor lens, ISO 200, 1/125 sec, about f8 or f11. The added grain and moire patterns were added in Photoshop Elements 9.
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Okay, Don, it's your turn to show your stuff.
Don's "Around The House" photos are a mix of eclectic decorative items, including this jelly bean dispenser. He says, "I seem to be hung up on things made of glass. I also realize I need to restock the Jelly Belly dispenser." So here are my questions:
- Who gets to clean all the glass?
- Why didn't I see this when we visited last month? Maybe you keep it in your bedroom.
- Did you use your macro lens or 18-200mm zoom for these pictures?
- What did you do to 'de-highlight' the main reflection on the logo?
The bright reds and yellow carry this shot. And the added multi-colored jelly beans add interest as your eye roams around the picture. Were you 'tasting' them while looking at the different colors?
Glass and more glass create a perceived vanishing point in this next picture. My guess is that Don shot this through the rounded cabinet glass, using a really small aperture (note that everything is in focus, near to far). Overhead kitchen light and available window light (note the green reflected in the back boards) were all that was necessary to capture this essentially warm-touchy-feely composition.
Another Don 'shelfie' composition adds book title interest. Land Warfare details how war methods have evolved, specifically in the 20th century. Don bought this because he has a love affair with big metal objects like Army tanks. They Felled the Redwoods has a lot of great photos in it, kind of like a comic book for grown-ups. Paso Robles area history is a Twisselman forte. Don enjoys boning up on all the local trivia so he can impress people with his vast knowledge on Facebook. I'm trying to come up with a good reason that The Redneck Joke Book is in the collection, but am afraid of offending anyone, especially Don! The Cat Who Went to Paris was written by a former cat-hater. Go figure. And Cats in the Parsonage is a light hearted look at Taffy and Tiffany, who spend their time teaching their owner about life: "Ask the animals and they will teach you" (Job 12:17).
All of which is to say, you can learn a lot about a man from his library. And what does this have to do with photography? Absolutely nothing.
I really like the painterly rendition of Don's newest glass collectible. He says, "Janet picked this jar up at an antique store a few days ago. What do you serve when the revenuers come calling? White lightnin' and pretzels. Actually, it's pretty weak.....she watered it down a lot."
This is a masterpiece of still life composition, especially with the addition of the pretzels. Take away the pretzels and a lot of interest and intrigue is lost. The golden browns in the bottle compliment the wood slat panel in back. And the cork and wood handle add to the 'softness' of the picture. Great photo, Don.
Don's last entry emphasizes the 'old time' feeling provoked by this close up. This also fits the "Nostalgia" theme category. I'm curious about the light source in this shot. There is a lot of blue and strong direct light from above on the handle and wire, indicating it was taken outside. But the cork and glass look a bit muted. Don, did you burn in the cork and some of the glass in Photoshop? Inquiring minds want to know the secret here.
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Well, that's it, folks. Another month and another Challenge have come and gone. It's time to face the hot summer with a smile and thank God for air conditioning. June should be a wonderful time of going, doing, sprucing, visiting, buying, eating, enjoying family and friends, and all the other blessings given to us so fully and freely.
June's Challenge themes will be:
- Big Smile
- Nature
- Technology
- Architecture
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The April theme of Bold Color caters to those of us who love flowers, and especially yours truly who is blown away by macro photography's hue intensity in a close up shot of a rose. Wow! So I apologize to you ho-hummers out there who would rather see a turquoise shoreline or an Irish redhead. I wasn't able to make either of those destinations this month.
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Unfortunately, I've only received photos from one of our old faithful shutterbugs, Don. And again, unfortunately, only one of the two pictures he sent had a file type that I could open. I've told him about it, so if he resends it, I'll add it.
Don says, "The first of these is out on Jardine Rd. Have you ever noticed that Lupines and Poppies rarely grow in large bunches together? Maybe it's a segregation thing. I cloned in a few more Poppies."
This is an interesting composition that includes the barbed wire fence the flowers were behind, the road and trees in the distance. Your eyes are drawn to the flowers immediately, then backward along the road to the trees. Don had to crawl through the fence to get this angle, so he's standing in the wildflowers while shooting, trespassing on private property and killing living flora at the same time! What a guy! Nikon D300; ISO 200; 1/125th; f22 (for maximum depth of field).
Okay, Don resent his second Bold Color entry for posting. I should let you guess how he took this. Not too hard to figure out, but I'll let him tell how he did it. Very creative, Don. He says, " I suppose I could entitle the second pic, "Traffic Light Out of Order". It's actually a triple exposure on the tripod. Take the first photo during a red, run over and trigger the cross walk light, run back to the camera and catch the green and then the yellow on one frame."
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Little question what yours truly, Old Davy, will submit after visiting the Stockton Rose Garden and Electra Road this month. His backyard provided an array of bold and vivid flower fare, as well.
But this first entry was taken at Buckley Cove Marina in Stockton, where sailboats are berthed. Walking on the levee across from the menagerie of masts and namesakes, it's pretty easy to use a telephoto lens and capture some abstract shots. Red is one of nature's boldest pigments, easily drawing attention. Hence, the fable that the police stop red cars more than any other color. The cyan/turquoise stripe is really the award winner here, though. It divides the composition perfectly (IMHO) and balances the hot red with a cool blue. Nikon D5100; 55-300 Nikkor @280mm; f13; 1/400th; ISO 400. I try to keep the shutter speed up past 1/400 when shooting this zoom, which means I have to increase the ISO sensitivity to 400, 800, or sometimes 1600. This camera can handle the noise at these levels, thankfully.
Again, forgive me for throwing in a few flower pictures. I just can't stop taking them. The rose garden downtown boasts its best blooms in April - the first blush of healthy and audacious hybrid teas, floribundas, miniatures and climbers. The early morning sprinklers had adorned most of the blooms with dew, adding to the production. This is my favorite photo of the set. Nikon D5100; 55mm MicroNikkor; either f3.5 or f5.6; 1/250th; ISO 400. I really like the softness and harmony of the yellow as it supports the pinks. For those of you wanting to plant this beauty, its name is Arizona. Full set here: http://wordydave.zenfolio.com/p120596508
The Cambodian New Year is the big, local, week-long celebration of Cambodian culture and Buddhist religion. I wanted to visit (first time) just to take photos for this Challenge. I had seen what the Buddhist temple looked like, along with all of the 'angels' and reclining Buddha statuary located on the grounds (Huell Howser production) and figured I couldn't miss getting bold color and unique images (see the set here: http://wordydave.zenfolio.com/p708207351). It was quite the experience.
This umbrella caught my attention. Someone had hung it outside a tarp-covered booth for some reason, making it look out of place. But it makes a great abstract (optical illusion) and cries Bold Color. Nikon D5100; 55-300mm Nikkor @110mm; f16; 1/500; ISO 800.
Just so we aren't overwhelmed with red, here is a backyard close up of our iris. One of the most important aspects of my macro photography is making sure the background is just right. Color, texture, arrangement and bokeh are all play a vital part in a balanced composition. I often spend more time looking for the best background than taking the picture. A good photograph is much more than just capturing the subject. Nikon D5100; 1/100th; ISO 400; f3.5.
Flower photography can also have an element of fun. This same iris bed was the source for this next shot of an iris bloom, the 'tongue' petal specifically. The sun was backlighting the bloom (as the leaf above), so the color and texture were rich and detailed. That made for a nice picture in itself, but I wanted to accentuate the colors for the Challenge theme. Opening the 'Mosaic' filter in Photoshop Elements, I converted the composition to small sized 'stained glass' artwork. Camera specs same as above.
This next Bold Color photo was taken at work. Can you guess what it is? Hint: the silver band at the bottom is baling wire. Yes, it's a bale of paper trim with NCR pink paper mixed with 60# white bond. Nothing too special, but it made for a great composition after cropping and using the Paint Daubs filter in Photoshop Elements to soften the final image. Colors were intensified, also. Trusty point and shoot Canon SD 980; f2.8; 1/20th; ISO 500; no flash.
Okay, one last entry from yours truly (there were more, but I've already monopolized to the max). This was taken at San Joaquin Delta College's Demonstration Garden early one morning. I tried to put both flower centers in the same plane, so they'd both be in focus while everything else would be softened. Note the strength that pairing makes compared to shooting a solo flower. The element of relationship enters the scene and steps up the interest (IMHO, again). This works with a trio as well, but things start to get confusing and impersonal to a degree after that. Pastels aren't the definition of Bold and fit the softer side of the color spectrum, but when they fill the frame, they come close to the real deal (I'm tired of looking at red, anyway). Nikon D5100; 55mm MicroNikkor; f3.5; 1/125th; ISO 200.
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The May Challenge will present more variety in the themes as we will have four to chose from (or mix): Trees, Nostalgia, Where You Live and Refrigerator. Black and white is okay, along with software manipulation (cropping, color and contrast adjustment, HDR, filters, etc.). Thanks ahead of time for all the pictures you're going to send for posting. I'm sure you're getting tired of seeing mostly mine.
Have a great month enjoying the warmer weather and God's creation. "[Don't trust] in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." I Timothy 6:17b.
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Our first shot is a belated entry that was taken by John from his house in Paso Robles showing a rainbow over the Parkfield hills. Nothing like stepping out your door and seeing this. Wow! Unreal.
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And here are Ginnie's best shots of the month, including some added comments for the last two pictures that I missed in her e-mail. She says:
"These photos are certainly not my best, but might be a bit interesting to include for the March Challenge. Mostly I just go thru whatever I've taken during the month and try to make something fit. Uninspired, maybe. Lazy, probably. First one was taken over in Harmony right before I almost stepped on the snake (dead, but I didn't know it at first). I had spotted about 15 head of cattle lined up on a nice green grass hill and was walking along to get the best angle and don't even know why I looked down. Yuck! Anyway this one steer was watching me hop around so I got his picture. The story is better than the shot."
Here is a San Miguel Mission picture - good early morning light to accentuate the shadows. Plenty of light on the left wall and roof. Great composition in a 1x1 dimension. Is there a pastel coming? Very nice.
"This one was taken at San Miguel Mission one morning. Everything there is so over-photographed, over-painted and over-romanticized, but I still love it."
"The last one is a shot of these 2 hens sharing some gossip on the way in to lay one. Kind of reminded me of girlfriends at the mall."
~~~ G.G.'s WORDS OF WISDOM ~~~
"I still long for the old days of SLRs, film and being in charge of the shot 100%. I know, I know. BUT, out of a roll of 24 I would get at least 2 or 3 keepers. Taking time, framing the shot, getting the light just right, watching the depth of field. Was a lot more fun. Now we take 150 shots, sit at the computer for hours figuring out which ones may be best and how to improve them and still only end up with 2 or 3 keepers."
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Old Davy had plenty of opportunities to capture and share his best shots for the month, including tiptoeing through the tulips (literally), visiting a concert, and watching a Civil War reenactment. Quite a variety of venues and shooting challenges.
The tulip farm was a real dud if you wanted to get a landscape scene - not many blooms and city street background. So it was time to get out the MicroNikkor 55mm close-up lens and move way in, filling the viewfinder with explosive color. I decided to apply the "Brush Stroke" filter to this shot to make it a little dreamier. Ha!
I like shooting events, especially reenactments because the people don't mind if you take their pictures. They expect it, I think. The Union troops were lining up, getting ready to deploy onto the battlefield when I went down low in front of these three young kids using the 12-24mm wide angle. I knew the sun was in the photo and would produce a lot of flare, but that's the nature of this Sigma lens. I was happy with the expressions of pride and determination, and having a little sister in there was icing on the cake (looks like that's her brother on the left). When I processed the shot, the lens elements flare was green, so I selected that area and took most of the green out in the largest spot.
The wildflowers were beautiful that day at Knight's Ferry - I could have missed the reenactment and spent the afternoon just chasing them with my camera. I've never seen so many poppies and bush lupine painting a hillside. This picture accentuates the lupine with a blurred poppy background. Again, I've used the Brush Stroke filter for more of a painterly effect. Here, I'm using the 55-300mm zoom, ISO 800. More of these photos here: http://wordydave.zenfolio.com/p655841936
A friend invited me and Barb to a band concert in Lodi, so I knew I'd have to use the 55-300mm to zoom in on the stage from about 100' away. We sat way up in the second row from the back of the auditorium. During the intermission, people moved around a bit - one lady decided to prop her feet up on the seats while playing Solitaire on her cellphone. Her eye-popping socks caught my attention, and I had to grab the shot. I used a special filter on this picture, too, but can't remember its name.
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Did you know that Don served his country in the 60's, bravely signing up for a crack at the enemy, ready to go into harm's way at a moment's notice, willing to travel the ends of the earth for Uncle Sam? Now, that same adventurous spirit nerves him with his photography, as he heads out in the middle of the night to shoot in critter country or meanders the streets in the urban jungle. These next two photos were taken in downtown Paso Robles at the train station when only the owls and crazies are wide awake.
Don says, "The train station shots required some early morning shooting. Note the time on the depot clock. The moon was double exposed into the depot pic. There's been a lot of railroad tie replacement going on. Hence the stack of old ties. Janet wasn't too crazy about me going out at the early hours. I think she suspected if I didn't get mugged I'd at least get arrested."
Very cool shots, but would have been much better if you'd been arrested.
"This [next photo] was with the macro lens on the tripod, 8 seconds @ f22 in the shade. I was trying to capture as much depth of field as I could without the wind moving it during the exposure."
Shooting macros is a lot of fun. But the closer you get, the depth of field is pretty miniscule. By stopping down your aperture, you allow more of your subject to be in focus. It worked pretty well for Don in this beautiful iris picture. Wow!
Don's last shot is of a carpenter or wood bee foraging on some wisteria. These big guys are actually harmless, but may fly around you or into you during mating season:
"One behavior can be alarming, though. The males compete with other males to mate with females. This involves them chasing males away and chasing females to mate. During these chases they zoom about crashing into windows, people and anything else in their path. Humans in the way of all this may think they are under attack, they are not, they are just in the way. Males may also hang around waiting for adult females to emerge, and again they behave in what might seem to us as an aggressive way, by chasing other males away and investigating anything that gets near the exit hole. You might be buzzed around and checked out to see if you are a rival that needs chasing away or a female that needs mating. However there is no danger as males cannot sting, so like much male mating behavior it's all bluster and show." http://www.bumblebee.org/OTHERbees.htm
The colors in this shot are superb - no direct sunlight to overexpose anything. Thanks for being so brave, Don.
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Well, it's already April and spring is here. Thanks to the Lord for the recent rains and snow. It's all about color this month, so the April theme will be Bold Color. Should be pretty easy pickings. And you don't have to limit yourself to nature photography. Signage, buildings, clothes, birds, anything will qualify. Just make sure it makes a bold statement with color.
Happy shooting!
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There isn't much to motivate the photographer when outdoor life is dull and gray. February's challenge theme of capturing anything that begins with the letter 'F' hopefully broadened the possibilities and opportunities to take pictures. I was surprised at the variety of submissions, but shouldn't have been. Browse through your dictionary and you'll find thousands of ideas.
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I'll start the ball rolling with my entries. Our boss, Roberta, brought in some daffodils for Jan at work. Their freshness faded after a few days, so when she threw them in the garbage can, I plucked them out and brought them home, hoping to use them in a "F"lower/"F"ork still life photo. I grabbed a plate with blue rings, a flower (along with other petals that had fallen off other flowers), and a fork and got to work arranging. I'm horrible at arranging still life pictures, so forgive me. The setup was Grandma Skinner's old card table by the living room window. There is a fluorescent light above it and window light to the side for fill. I shot with the Nikon D5100 and my old macro lens. It was really difficult to get good, sharp focus - even after a dozen takes - so I used the "Dry Brush" filter in Photoshop Elements to make it look more like artwork. 1/30, f8.0 or so, and 3200 ISO.
My second shot of a peacock "F"eather was a little easier. Using the same camera and lens, I was hoping to get a much better rendering of the iridescence in the feather, but couldn't do it. The colors are bumped up in an effort to bring more life to the original. So, I'm not happy with this one at all. Should have taken a close up of the dead duck I found on the fire lane in back of our building at work (tossed it into the adjacent field). Not as much color, but the detail might have been better! Ha!
This next picture is one of those surprises that you see when you open it on your computer. Barb and I had just seen The Lego Movie in Lodi and were walking down the main street back to the car when I saw a planter box full of oriental poppies. Well, I just happened to have my Canon point and shoot in my pocket and had to shoot a "F"lower picture for the Challenge, of course. It's simple to put the camera in macro mode (and it's always in no flash mode). Just move way in and presto! These poppies are one of the most striking flowers you can shoot. They just explode with color and symmetry. Canon SD980, ISO 80, 1/160, f2.8.
Admittedly, flowers are one of my favorite subjects to shoot - they're just standing there, waiting to model for you. So, I'm submitting one last one for the Challenge. Sorry. There weren't a ton of blossoms on our purple leaf plum this year, which is okay - won't have as many little fallen plums to pick up this summer. The pastel shade of pink is hard to pass up, and I think I've taken pictures of these blossoms for the past 10 years or so. Always fun to be patient and wait for the breeze to stop, get positioned exactly for the best focus with multiple blooms, find the best background colors and then press the shutter. Nikon D5100, macro lens, ISO 400, 1/100, f3.5 or so.
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Next, we see what Mr. Don has been up to - shooting everything from "F"rogs to "F"irehydrants. Busy guy, that Don. But he didn't get much exercise taking these - all shot at his house or down at the corner. This first photo of his favorite frog is a masterpiece of frog photography - but don't expect National Geographic to be interested. Ha! Poor guy looks a little like he's "out of water" though!
Nothing like a yellow fire hydrant to get your attention. Don, speaking of 'attention,' it looks like you need to do some touch-up work on this piece of utilitarian art. Your neighborhood property values will rise accordingly, and you will be heartily admired by all your neighbors, and someone will call the Paso Robles Press and they'll send out a reporter for a story with video, and someone will see you on YouTube, and girlfriend from out of your past will see the video and give you a call, and Janet will find out about it, and . . . Better yet, DON'T get out your paint brush!
Don has also sent a few "f"stop fotos. Pretty ingenious use of Photoshop Element in the first one. Don, can I have your permission to 'steal' this one? Should come in handy sometime.
Don loves his Photoshop Elements 11 program and had fun with this 10-second exposure of a ceiling fan. Using his flash and software, he came up with this artsy version of this whirl-a-ma-thing. Very cool, Don. Now just paint this on canvas and you can show it down at the Studios On the Park Gallery!
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And last, but certainly not least . . . is Ginnie's masterpiece of, "'I SPY, all things 'F'. Can you name all 22? Cooper and Adi hunted all over the house finding things for this picture. Was fun and exciting." Let's see what we can come up with here: I think I got 21. Thanks, Ginnie. Very creative!
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Thanks for the submissions to everyone, and to everyone who thought about it but were too busy. Maybe March will give you more 'free' time to get out there and shoot.
The March Challenge Theme will be Your Best Shot(s). Feel free to photograph any subject, use any post-processing, and take it in color or black and white. No real rules this time, just keep your entries .jpg files around 300MB-400MB and 1000-1400 pixels wide max.
Enjoy the Spring celebration out there. We've received enough rain to make sure the blooms are blooming, the vacations are viable, and the smiles keep smiling.
Happy shooting!
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Personally, this was a very busy month for shooting (I've posted 5 times on my photo website). Sunrises, mostly. Below freezing this morning on Hwy 88, about a mile north of the Mokolumne River. Barb and I had been to Sutter Creek and Jackson last Saturday, so I scouted the best trees to shoot when we drove. The latest Stockton Record challenge is 'silhouettes' so that was my plan. Oak tree silhouettes at sunrise (http://wordydave.zenfolio.com/p947176127). Went pretty well except for no cloud drama in the sky and my fingers got numb and wouldn't work right before I called it quits. Didn't know your fingers hurt so much when they're 'waking back up.' Ha!
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Our first entry was sent by Ginnie, but belongs to her granddaughter, Jordan, who was using Ginnie's camera at the time. It is a fashion photo of a magazine page. "This month's contribution was captured by granddaughter Jordan while on her own with my camera. I think it fits all four categories; Fashion, Texture, Abstract and almost High-key. Not to mention the cornflake near the bottom." Pretty cool, Jordan. I think you'll do a great job with our February Challenge theme: The letter "F." Shoot anything that is associated with the letter "F."
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Don did a masterful job creating a number of High Key photos. High key is a style that incorporates a maximum of white and a minimum of contrasting color or black, like when your flash fires and everything is super over exposed. It is popular in portraiture and abstract, bordering on line drawing artwork. He says, "The topics this month were a bit of a challenge for me. Elements 11 got a work out! I have 3 shots that fall into the high key category, 1 that falls into texture/fashion and the landscape would be texture. The high key shots I over exposed in the camera and then tuned them in Photoshop. I think the first pic is my favorite. It almost takes on the appearance of a pencil drawing."
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It's interesting that just about everything around us has an element of texture. Dave's 'Fashion' photo of Liz was taken with the 55-300mm zoom lens with a large aperture. This did a great job of blurring the background, so the entire focus is upon her, and not the fence in back of her. You can see the whole set here: http://wordydave.zenfolio.com/p749960269 She did a great job of posing. I used a few posing positions from an app I downloaded to my hand-held device.
This next photo fits the high key theme with some abstract thrown in for good measure. Taken on a horribly cold and miserable morning at the Cosumnes River Wildlife Preserve, I waited for the Coot to get in the right space before getting the shot. Like Don, I de-saturated the color a bit, bumped up the brightness and contrast, and kept fiddling until I was happy with the balance.
Also taken at the Cosumnes River Preserve, this next grab would have been overlooked if I hadn't seen the feather lying on the leaves by the trail. So there are two textures at work here, both contrasting or complementing each other, depending on your point of view. They compliment each other philosophically (both found in nature), but contrast in that leaves feel and look entirely differently than the softness of a feather (my point of view).
Close up photography is an easy way to create an abstract, and a lot of what I photograph focuses on finding the unusual in the usual by getting close. These next shots were taken in Sutter Creek at the now-closed Knight Foundry. They combine abstract and texture. Again, taken with the 55-300mm zoom lens. You can see the whole set here: http://wordydave.zenfolio.com/p594527627, where there is a lot more of these two themes captured.
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That's It, Folks! As mentioned earlier, the February Challenge is wide open, as long as you shoot something that begins with the letter, "F." Using generic terms like "fauna," "flora," are okay, but it's much more fun to be specific, like "fedora," feathers," "food," or "Fred." You get the idea. Be creative and have fun.
Again, try to keep the pictures you email me ([email protected]) under 500kb in file size and under 1300 pixels wide. If you can't, don't let that stop you from entering them. Black and white, color, HDR, artistic filtering, whatever you want to do is okay with me.
Until we meet again, have a nice month and happy shooting!
Dave
]]>Anyway, our Monthly Challenge themes were Bare Trees, Thanksgiving and Transportation - a real hodge-podge. Let's see how we fared.
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Old Davy will start us off on a humorous note with a few Thanksgiving photos of corkscrew cuisine. I might make this an assignment some time: Make a cartoon of one of your pictures. It's a lot of fun and easy to do if you have a 'Brush' tool in your photo software. You can caption it if you have a 'Font' tool, as well. Try not to let this poor dead and soon-to-be-toast turkey gross you out. He really isn't feeling a thing. Nikon D90, 12-24mm lens.
The teenie weenies are the rage here with the girls - me, not so much. I ate two and put two back in the crockpot, I think. Those are the happy faced ones! Nikon D90, 12-24mm lens.
After taking pictures at Cosumnes River Wildlife Preserve Thursday morning, I grabbed a few while driving home. If your window glass is pretty clean and you don't have any reflections and don't look through the viewfinder, and just hold your camera out and guess at the best place to point it, who knows what you'll get. Caution! This is an unsafe and probably illegal procedure. I don't advise it for anyone else! You can shoot your eye out if you're not careful.
This next shot is of my favorite row of poplars on Peltier Road on I-5, about 15 miles north of Stockton. With November being so warm all the leaves hadn't fallen yet, but a few trees had dropped most of them. This picture was pretty blurry at 70 mph, so I played with it a bit, added unreal colors and tried to make it as striking as possible. Nikon D5100, 55-300mm zoom lens.
Another grab shot out the window features my Transportation theme entry. A lot of people had to work on the Holiday. Nikon D5100, 55-300mm zoom lens. This is a great lens. I'm so glad I have it.
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Don's Transportation theme photo sports a restored classic. This is his neighbor's '36 Ford. Very nice shooting angle and background color, Don. Nikon D300, 18-200mm zoom lens set at 18mm (my guess).
Don's final photo is of a bare birch tree, with "Just a few die hard leaves hanging on." Good composition and angle. Winter will soon knock off those remaining leaves.
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World traveler, Ginnie, rounds out our entries for November. "Meg, Cath and Stacey were in charge of food this THANKSGIVING. It was great. My only contribution was turkey and gravy. The Martha Stewart method works best for me: turkey covered with cheesecloth, basted every half hour with melted butter and white wine. Yum. No flash, just the halogen light from the hood, had to lighten it up a bit."
Ginnie drove all the way to the Grand Canyon to find a Bare Tree for our Challenge. What a girl!!!! Great shot! Good contrast and composition. And check out the color array. Very nice.
Another Canyon capture tweaks the Transportation theme a bit. Just say your spirit can be easily transported to praise God for the wonders and beauty of His creation. You can also say that one step too far and you can be easily transported to the next world. Yeow!
Ginnie's last photo is a freebie. I've lost her email that explains all about how she got this picture, so maybe she'll tell everyone more about it. It was taken out the window as they were driving by the big solar array at Carrizo Plain. Pretty cool - or should I say hot?
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Now that was fun, wasn't it, boys and girls? I know how busy everyone is in December, so we'll have a hiatus/break so everyone can focus on the reason for the season - God's wonderful gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus. Messiah, Savior, Redeemer, King of heaven and earth, in spite of the evil we see around us.
Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year. May God's blessings be on you and your family this holiday season.
Old Davy and Barbie
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I was glad Ginnie and Jack were able to vacation on the east side of the Sierra with Monte and Stacey. The color displays are wonderful right now, both there and on the west side, too, as you'll see. Thanks, Ginnie for sharing these. The first was taken of glowing Aspens on the June Lake Loop. Postcard perfect for a Fall Color theme.
Aspen distribution can be seen on this map - for those of you who would like to check things out.
Monte and Stacey also enjoy the Sierra and can be seen in the back country with full packs quite often. I don't think they roughed it too much on this trip, but I may be wrong. This is a nice shot with subjects in the shade, the tree canopy framing them, and the special golds, reds and yellows adding to the feeling of being there with them.
Ginnie also captured the changing color of one of my favorite trees in Yosemite Valley - the Cook Meadow sentinel elm tree. This is one of the most photographed trees in the world, and it's extra special when Half Dome looms large in the background. Don and I were shooting from the same spot last February - with snow on the ground!
Regal El Capitan towers over the Valley floor and color. Ginnie spotted five climbers on the rock face - all having a great time wondering who talked them into their crazy adventure. If you haven't been to Yosemite, put it on your bucket list now! And be sure to take binoculars so you can get a true perspective of how massive this rock is when you see climbers dotting along.
UPDATE: Apparently, only the first of Ginnie's posted photos was for the Challenge, so we're adding three more that have found their way to my Inbox.
She writes: "Jack and I recently met brother Monte and sister-in-law Stacey at June Lake for a weekend, then drove home hitting Bridgeport then backtracking to Tioga Pass to spend a night in Yosemite. The fall colors were spectacular! Especially the aspens on the eastern side of the Sierra. There were dozens of photographers out complete with tripods and high-end looking equipment. All of these were shot with the trusty D40."
She took the next photo in Yosemite that fits the Backlight theme.
"The Number shot was taken in Bridgeport while waiting for Jack to scope out Ken's Sporting Goods. I was surprised to find a phone booth, thought they were all taken out. On retrospect should have taken a picture of the gas pump where we had to fuel up....$5.09 a gal."
This is a nice use of reflective color and a tight crop. These pictures are proof that you don't need a super-expensive camera to get great shots!
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Yours truly had fun with the Numbers theme. I've collated five pictures into one, which somewhat lessens their impact compared to viewing them one by one in a large format. But this way I can call it just one photo and move on to another! Besides, they all have something in common: they were all shot at the Dahl House in Paso Robles. A few of them have been Photoshopped to death. The one at the lower right corner is a white ruler that I spiced up the color on. And his house number sign really has black numbers, so I de-saturated the color, then painted the leaves and berries with the Fill Tool, then picked some pastel colors that would balance and used the Fill Tool on them, too. We'll see if Don likes it enough to paint the real ones to match. Forget it - Janet might, but it looks a little too foo-foo for the old man.
For the Fall Color theme, I'm choosing a sunset shot I took last night at the Isenberg Sandhill Crane Refuge just northeast of us. The cranes fly in to winter here in October. There were a few heavy duty photographers there when Barb and I arrived a little before sunset. One of them, Mike Corlew of Folsom had a Canon rig on a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod. He had 'borrowed' from Canon Corp. a new $12,000 200-400mm lens with a built-in 1.4 teleconverter that you could just switch on and off. His camera probably cost him $5000. So I talked to him awhile because the cranes hadn't started flying in yet. Actually, they didn't start until the sun had set and it was getting dark. Mike also races (or 'raced') hot air balloons, not an inexpensive sport. In fact, he called it the world's most expensive, non-recognized sport. But, I digress.
I started shooting when the long lines of birds started coming in from the south and east where they'd been feeding all day. You could pick them up at probably a mile away and follow them in. Since there was so LITTLE light, I set the ISO on my Nikon D5100 to 1600 to try to keep the birds in focus. Almost impossible, but I kept shooting probably over 100 pictures. I told Barb afterwards that I'd be lucky to get one or two good ones. I was right. Nikons crave lots of light. I used my monopod - big mistake. I had thought the fly-in would be before the sun had set and I wouldn't have any problem hand-holding some panned shots. I was wrong here, too. So I used Mt. Diablo in the background as a stationary focus point and waited until bands of birds would fly in front of it. The monopod worked okay in that situation.
Interesting that the three guys with the big gear all left without taking any pictures! Ha! I couldn't believe it! A few of us with little cameras, spotting scopes and binoculars (Barb) stayed until dark. The mosquitoes were impressed! I'll post the other pics on my website - all 6 of them!
Here's my favorite shot of the month, taken before sunrise at the same Refuge. So this fits the Your Best Shot theme, I guess. Monopod used here, too.
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Senor Don brings up the rear here with a couple of Backlight theme shots. Don, you've employed the sun for the backlight on the leaves, but there is a strong light coming from the front as well, like a flash. Note the shadows behind the water jug and on the pail in back of it. Looks like either an off-camera flash or some direct sunlight reflected from a window. What's the deal here? Did you use your 60mm macro for this and the next one? Nice.
Don says, "Walking around the house, I snapped one of Janet's plant projects and Cali (Aka Missy) was craving attention, so I did a no view finder point and shoot. I was quite surprised by the result....a little cropping and viola. As for my best shot, I haven't taken it yet."
It's surprising how great some grab shots can be. Missy's portrait is also a fine example of backlight. The auto-focus feature on the lens was indispensable here. Even though the sky is washed out, the exposure is purrfect for her face and whiskers. Very cute. Can you recommend her dentist? She has nice teeth!
And for our last picture of the month, Don has combined both the Backlight and Numbers themes into one with this photo of his Harley's 'dash' lights. I think you can almost throw in the Fall Color theme as well with those orange numbers. Very striking, Don. I like the close cropping and extraneous lights in the background.
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So another month fades into the annals of history and our feeble memories. I'm glad we can preserve some of the excitement in our picture sharing.
Our November themes will be: Thanksgiving, Transportation, and Bare Trees
Remember: Your pictures can be up to 1500 pixels wide, 500kb in file size, Black and White or color, software manipulated or Plain Jane if you want.
Happy shooting to one and all.
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Let's see who did what, where and why as we peruse the latest and greatest photo fare for the month.
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We'll start with Old Davy's limited entries. Thanks to lots of work, being sick and a general busy-ness, the old man didn't do much target shooting. Oh, well - life goes on, bumps and all.
This first shot was taken on Clements Road as I waited for the sun to rise behind some storm clouds. If you've seen this set on my website, most of the pictures are in color, but I wanted to see what fortune I'd have converting to black and white to accentuate the contrast between the trees and sky. I filled the lower portion of the picture with black, eliminating all the detail, and worked with the contrast and brightness to make the clouds really stand out. This was taken with the Nikon D5100 and 55-300 telephoto lens. Settings were f11, 1/640th, 55mm, ISO 400.
My second shot is another black and white. Taken indoors with the D5100, ISO 200, 1/30th, f?, and the 55mm MicroNikkor lens. Walking into the living room as the sun was setting in the backyard, these shadows caught my eye, so I ran to get my camera and arranged the crane on the opposite side of its normal position to get the shot. I wasn't really happy with the orange-peel wall texture, so I used the blur tool in Elements 9 to soften them, then really tweaked the contrast and brightness to maximize the contrast.
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Let's all welcome Brian to our team. (Group clap here!) Brian is a budding photog who sent me two pictures that fit our themes of Shadows and Cemeteries. He says this of his first picture:
"The first picture features me in the Marin Headlands near the Golden Gate Bridge. We only had one flash so it was a long exposure. I was hit with the flash first, then clambered through the iron bars-flashed-then passed the flash to my friend who lit up the last doorway. I thought it hit the themes of shadows and weathered nicely."
Brian gets extra credit for this team effort photo that involved a lot of planning.
Brian's second picture was taken by his friend and fits the cemetery theme.
"The second picture features an early morning of Soldier Hill(?) near Lafayette Bart. Although not an actual graveyard, the crosses represent soldiers lost in the war which I thought went well with the theme of cemeteries. This picture was simply done by using a flashlight. My friend Aaron took this one."
Great composition and contrast that really set the mood. Nikon D40x was the camera of choice.
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Don's recent trip to Montana afforded some great photo ops to fit our themes. Thanks for keeping us in mind, Don, while you could have been enjoying yourself! Ha! He says:
"We spent a few days at the Runamok Ranch in Montana with my 1st cousin Rod and wife Susan. All 3 of this month's themes were there and then some. There was so much, I didn't know which way to point the camera. What more could I ask for? I'll start with the small family cemetery on the ranch. Baby Simon died 2 weeks before birth due to umbilical strangulation and is buried here. The morning sun was casting a shadow of his cross."
Here are his other photos:
"With 18,000 acres [on his cousin's ranch], there is a wealth of weathered things to photograph. These are my favorites. There are many old structures that are deteriorating since being abandoned. The log cabin is one of these. You want weathered? Check out this wagon wheel. And lastly, I think I heard this wagon begging to be in the Pioneer Day Parade. It's certainly from the pioneer era."
Don shoots with a Nikon D300 and 18-200 Nikkor lens.
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Ginnie's fabulous fare include some artsy views of shadows. The lower, violet portion of this sunset (looking east) is the shadow of the earth rising under what's left of the sunlight. Pretty cool.
Nice composition and shadows made by this crystal close-up.
"Our Friday painters group had scheduled to meet east of Paso at the intersection of Cripple Creek and El Pomar Roads. Got there at 9AM right along with asphalt trucks and workers who were repaving El Pomar. The painters left and I took pictures of an old weathered farm shed and some cows. Was a bust."
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Thanks to everyone for another outstanding month of entries. What will October bring? A change in seasons hopefully, along with more opportunities for capturing your world through the lens.
The themes for October will be your choice of: Backlight, Fall Color, and Numbers. Nothing too exciting here. Sorry. If none of these suit your taste, just send in Your Best Shot.
Happy shooting to all, and to all a good night!
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I've been thinking about moving this challenge to a group Facebook page, where folks can submit their photos directly, and our group will be able to comment on each submission. This will be much easier than the current format and will be much easier to access. It will also mean you can post as many pictures as you want (within reason). The only problem with this is everyone in the group isn't on Facebook, and would require them to get an account, if only to access the challenge page.
So that's the proposal - what's your opinion? This would be a closed group (only those who are invited can join through my okay). What advantages or disadvantages do you foresee?
The advantages from my perspective:
- I wouldn't have to take around four hours to design and post every month. Right now, the Zenfolio blog site I'm using is horribly unfriendly to use and crashes 50% of the time when I try to add a photo. I have to get out of the program, then get back in fresh. I've learned to save everything right before adding each picture, or I lose the previous stuff. Very bad website.
- More photos could be submitted.
- We could enjoy photos all month, instead of having to wait to see them every 30 days or so.
The disadvantages from my perspective:
- Everyone isn't now on Facebook.
- Folks may not want their photos on Facebook.
- People don't like change.
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We'll look at Don's pictures first, all of them taken at the Hayes' family reunion up in the Sierra. He says, "The 'rearview mirror eyes' is my sister in law. It was taken from the cargo area of a 5 passenger SUV. I was seated there by virtue of being the nimblest of the senior citizens." I'm pretty sure this shot comes under the "Peeping Don" category.
"The four 'Sunny' pics are of a dog down at the creek. Sunny loved to fetch sticks out of the creek and had no problem if they were on the bottom. He would feel around with his feet in 12 to 18 inches of water and then dive for them. He'd come up with the stick and then shake vigorously to clear his ears."
"'Black and blue eye' is a young lady who bumped into a wall with her swim goggles on.....got a nice shiner for her effort." Oh, the sweet innocence of youth - inevitably traumatized by unexpected blows and bludgeoning. Cute picture, Don.
"Lastly is Calista who was a trouper and great model for posing for the blue/eyes/water trifecta....." Congratulations, Don - you win the prize for getting all three into one picture. And the prize is: a one month's vacation at your expense to see America, visit places you've never seen and enjoy experiences you've only dreamed about!
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Dave's (my) submissions were varied after shooting almost every weekend in August. September will be a different story, thanks to an all-month scheduled overtime at work. That should include Saturdays, my main day to scout around. Oh, well, hopefully others will step up to the plate and get some name and fame recognition.
Nothing like a car show to find some blue paint to enjoy. I usually like to use my zoom lens and marry a few hoods together for contrast, color and perfect lines. I really like the stand-out blue here in this shot that graduates from cyan to more of a process blue color above it.
The next picture is in "The Eyes Have It" category. Erica was one of the re-enactors at the Civil War Encampment at the old Lockeford schoolhouse. This was her second venture into the world of petticoats and corsets. Thankfully, it wasn't too hot that day. After presenting/showing me what women's apparel consisted of in those days (specimen undergarments were on display on a blanket on the ground), I told her about the photo challenge and asked if I could get a close-up portrait. I didn't realize her eyes had so much color until I processed the picture later. This was taken with the Nikon D5100 and 55-300mm lens, ISO 400.
More blue to enjoy next. I looked out the north man door at work and saw some swirling clouds straight up, went a got my little point and shoot and captured a nice design. Canon SD980.
The next picture is a heavily processed portrait of another re-enactor in Lockeford. He was just sitting in the 'sewing' area where a woman was showing girls how to use an ancient hand-cranked sewing machine. His pipe smoking really added to his character. Sorry, I didn't ask him for his name.
The final entry was taken at the Civil War Camp as well. I took pictures of this Dalmatian last year also - in the same tent. Nothing like a white tent to give you nice lighting! This wasn't an ordinary tent - it was a Sibley tent, designed and patented by Henry Sibley in 1856. It's about 10' wide at the bottom, so there's plenty of room inside for an officer's belongings.
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Our September Challenge themes: --Shadows--; --Cemeteries--; and --Weathered--
Again, this should be a wide enough range of subjects so everyone can participate. Black and white is okay, and will actually accentuate the first two themes. Be creative - use double exposures in a cemetery, take a macro of a weathered face, fence or Ford, wait until sunset and get some shadows - whatever. It's up to you. Remember, we aren't critics and won't be hammering your pictures - unless you absolutely request a critique.
So, happy and adventurous shooting in September. Bookmark this page so you won't forget the monthly themes. And thing about doing this on a closed group Facebook page. All opinions are welcomed, but yours truly will make the final decision. Email me at [email protected].
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Don gets an 'A' for sending his photos in before anyone else - actually he requested it: "Do I get extra credit for being a little early this month? Deanna Bradshaw would be proud of me." Miss Bradshaw was our senior class English teacher in high school, who commuted every day from San Luis Obispo (her hubby was going to Poly). Famous for her Texas drawl and charm, squinty eyes and buzzard-tough grading. Oh, did I mention that she was the beauty queen in the teacher queue? Anyway, Don felt she had it out for him. Sorry, Don. And especially sorry that I had a cozy dinner with her when I lived in SLO for one quarter of my senior year. A night to remember - particularly when said it would be best if I'd leave early.
Don's first entry was taken at the Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles. "My Cousin Chris is quite the floral decorator and enters the fair every year. This year, she decorated a small wheel barrow I gave her and earned a Best of Show award." Note that Don moved in tight to eliminate any distracting background clutter, captured the main elements, and had the right 'white balance.'
Don's second and third pictures were taken on Park Street in Paso Robles at first light (check the shadows). "Last Thursday, the 20th annual pancake breakfast was held in the city park. Went down and got a couple of pancakes and a few pictures. There was a 5 horse power wagon cruising around the park. Kind of like the old days except the dirt streets are now paved and the hooves go clippity clop instead of clumpity clump." Note that using a low angle in the first shot Don was able to include the top of the Mastagni Building in the background, adding to the Americana look and feel of the picture. Note in the second photo, Don zeroed in on the pancakes - which sound pretty good right now ) as it's 5:19 in the morning when I'm putting this together- I think I can smell them, too!). Again, the rule is: get in tight and keep out the fluff.
Don's last photo is of the American flag that rises on the north side of the City Park in Paso Robles. "Lastly, another night time visit to the park to capture Old Glory on an almost windless night." Note his use of framing, using the trees to balance the shot, give place and perspective, and point the viewer to the main subject. Also note that the flagpole is perfectly vertical. When shooting verticals or horizons, always try to get them straight (unless there's an 'artsy' reason for not doing so). I always have the 'grid lines' showing in my viewfinder to help me when I'm shooting. See if you're camera has this feature.
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Looks like Ginnie also went to the fair, braving the hoard of cotton candy connoisseurs and general mayhem. Her first photo is an action shot taken at dusk where she perfectly captures the fun, excitement and energy of the American county fair experience: the roller coaster. She says, " The not so brave can ride the CrazyMouse. No upside downs, not too fast, but people screamed anyway." The flying hair really makes a difference here, adding movement to the shot. It almost looks like these girls were expecting a photographer to be there and posed for the picture. Wow!
Here's Jordan in Ginnie's second photo, sporting the all-American cowgirl look during a dance routine. Again, tight composition is used. A fast shutter speed is a must for action shots as well.
The American railroad is iconic, although not unique to our country. We've grown up with it and haven't seen much evolution in its original purpose or design. Some of us grew up by the 'tracks,' and have a familiarity and affinity for this historical legacy. Freight trains have rumbled and chugged over the backyard fences where I've lived for 66 years now. In Oak Park; in El Paso; and now here in Stockton. Just can't get away for the smell of diesel fuel, screaming of bad wheel bearings, house shaking and 110 decibel whistles. Ginnie's last photo needs little comment.
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Yours truly got an early start by shooting a 4th of July parade here in Stockton on Pacific Avenue. Miniature by most standards, very small-townish and not well attended, but patriotism was in the air. The karate club was handing out little flags to everyone. People certainly dressed the part, as did a few pets. Lots of well-behaved dogs at this shindig. People were friendly and didn't mind me taking pictures of them, thankfully. Hey, go to a parade and expect crazy photographers to take your picture - just part of the territory.
My favorite of the morning was this shot of a youngster with his grandmother (along with two sisters). He didn't know what to do when his grandmother tried to position him for the picture, so his expression is pretty rare. One of the few kids I've seen who didn't ham it up in front of a camera. I was using on-camera flash for fill light in the shadows and got in as close as I could. I was shooting from the hip, so this little guy is watching me tell him to look at the camera. Ha!
My second entry emphasizes patriotism as well. This is a still life using a flag, my grandfather's WWI dog tags and a leather pouch with what looks like '?' 9 PA - or '9', '?', A. I'm very lame when it comes to still life and knowing how to stage items and apologize for that. I used a Nikon D90, my old 55mm MicroNikkor lens, window light and 60th of a second shutter at ISO 400. Pretty much the same settings for the second shot as well.
Ah, let's hear it for Kodachrome and the old days when life and travelogues were tinted with this iconic look! I think there are plug-in filters now for Photoshop the produce the Kodachrome look. I think the compass belonged to my dad.
Nextly, we turn to another American icon: the Harley Davidson motorcycle. Co-worker, Miguel, rode his bike to work yesterday, so I jumped at the chance to get a few more Americana photos before July was in the history books. I used my point and shoot Canon SD980 IS to get a number of close-ups, which I then married together for a montage. That's Jan standing behind me in the lower right photo.
Made in America is becoming rarer when it comes to machinery, vehicles, tools and lots of other stuff. In trying to save a buck, Americans have unwittingly sent most manufacturing to China and other foreign countries. But some things continue the American tradition of Made in the Good Ol' USA, like Miguel's Baby. (Don, clue us in on whether the whole bike is made or just assembled here).
Anyway, I talked Miguel into taking his portrait, surrounded by all things American: The press he was running, his T-shirt logo, and the Craftsman 7/8" wrench that says, "Forged in USA" on the back. American Exceptionalism at work.
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We have one more entry that wasn't sent in. Bruce posted his Newport Harbor pictures and I 'borrowed' one that has an American flag in it. Newport Beach is an Orange County community in Southern California, famous for its rich lifestyle and famous people who were born there. Most of us (all of us?) couldn't afford to live there and probably wouldn't want to live there, either. Looks like a different world culturally. I really like the sunset glow and lights in the background.
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Thanks to everyone who submitted pictures for July. Hopefully, the themes for August will spur interest as well.
The August themes will be:
- The Eyes Have It- Use your imagination for this one. Bonus points for creativity.
- Water- All things H2O.
- Blue- All things the color blue.
If you're really good, you'll be able to have all three themes in ONE photo!
Rules:
- Try to keep the file size under 400KB, 1400 pixels wide maximum.
- Black and white will be okay - except for the Blue theme, of course.
- Photo must be taken during August.
- Have fun and happy shooting!
E-mail your photos to me at [email protected]
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In Summer
Oh, summer has clothed the earth
In a cloak from the loom of the sun!
And a mantle, too, of the skies' soft blue,
And a belt where the rivers run.
And now for the kiss of the wind,
And the touch of the air's soft hands,
With the rest from strife and the heat of life,
With the freedom of lakes and lands.
I envy the farmer's boy
Who sings as he follows the plow;
While the shining green of the young blades lean
To the breezes that cool his brow.
He sings to the dewy morn,
No thought of another's ear;
But the song he sings is a chant for kings
And the whole wide world to hear.
He sings of the joys of life,
Of the pleasures of work and rest,
From an o'erfull heart, without aim or art;
'T is a song of the merriest.
O ye who toil in the town,
And ye who moil in the mart,
Hear the artless song, and your faith made strong
Shall renew your joy of heart.
Oh, poor were the worth of the world
If never a song were heard,—
If the sting of grief had no relief,
And never a heart were stirred.
So, long as the streams run down,
And as long as the robins trill,
Let us taunt old Care with a merry air,
And sing in the face of ill.
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Our June summer theme warranted a bit more than eye candy. Paul Dunbar was born in 1872 to former slave parents. He didn't have enough money to attend college, but this didn't hinder his writing career, which started when he was first published at the age of 14. He won the attention and encouragement of James Whitcomb Riley and Frederick Douglass. One of the first nationally known 'colored' writers, well-known for his novels and poems, he died of TB when he was only 33 years-old. Your history/culture lesson is over. Hope his poem helped get you in the mood for our assignment.
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Let's see what picture poems were submitted for our June Challenge. We'll see everything from Vacations, to Clouds, and plain ol' Summertime fun. So sit back and enjoy the ride.
We'll let Don lead the pack with his cloud/vacation pictures and a little rule bending: "Nothing but generic clouds this month from my house. Maybe I need to get out more. So, I'm bending the rules slightly and sending you some cloud photos from our vacation in 2010. If it helps at all, I enhanced them this month in the new Elements 11 program. I'm starting to love this now that I'm learning how to use it. I'm even getting the hang of Windows 8 after coming close to tuning it up with a hammer."
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John's vacation photos feature the cool of the beach, something we all would like this blistering week. He says, "A couple of shots from our recent vacation in Santa Cruz... No clouds but we did have some fog and rain. It was a great adventure and a nice way to beat the recent heat wave."
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Old Davy didn't get to go on any vacations in June, but there was plenty of summer fun to enjoy, including an outdoor wedding and an excursion to the county fair. I used my Nikon D5100 and 24-85mm for the outdoor ceremony shots. This lens has its pros and cons. Not as wide as I'd like, and not as much reach as I'd like, but it was pretty good for the occasion. And I rarely use it, so thought I'd better not let the cobwebs get too thick on it. This first photo is one of the guest shots as everyone was sweltering in the 95 degree sun while waiting over 1/2 an hour for the entourage to golf cart it to the scene. This one girl was hugging her mom while cooking in the sunshine. I zoomed in to a full 85mm, and this is a 100% crop of a much larger scene.
My second summertime photo was taken at the county fair - after the barrel racing and mutton busting events. I used the D5100 with a 55-300mm lens with a 1/1000 shutter speed at ISO 400 to get this action shot of this flyboy. I suspect this kid used to tie a towel around his neck and jump off his roof like the rest of us when he was younger.
This next picture was also taken at the fair during the barrel racing event. They didn't mind if you went down to the fenced arena area and staked out a place to take your photos, so I scouted for the best light on the east side, but sometimes, the riders were only showing their shady side. I increased the exposure value on the exposure to a +0.7 while using a 1/1600 shutter speed and 400 ISO.
Just one more to add to the summertime theme of kids being kids at the fair. This shot was taken in the small livestock area, where the rabbits, roosters, other assorted varmints congregate. Rather than chase girls or ride the rides, these boys would rather impress each other with their gaming skills. Oh, well. Here, I've switched lenses to the 18-70mm for a wider view. I held the camera over the top of them while taking the picture. I do this a lot, actually, and have found that a high angle of view works great. People look at me cross-eyed when I do it, but too bad for them.
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Megen's two girls are enjoying their summer break by keeping Mom busy. Question is, "Where's the pool?"
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Our last guest is Miss Ginnie, who took advantage of her vacation on the north coast to capture some wonderful shots of the area. Ah . . . I can feel the cool breeze. Thanks!
"We went up to Point Arena for a week early in June. Was incredibly wild and beautiful in that area and not so touristy as we see around here. We drove west along the Russian River to the coast then headed north on Hwy 1. Our cabin was about 2 miles from the lighthouse and on the edge of a huge open space preserve where you could hike for miles along the cliffs (watch out for cows). It was windy and cool, but wonderful the week we were there. Took side trips to Ft. Bragg and Mendocino. Didn't see any pot farms. All shots were with my D40 and a polarizer. No shots were enhanced except for the rain forest which I darkened and added some contrast."
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So that's it for our June Challenge. It was great seeing a bit more of our wonderfully beautiful world. Thanks to everyone who sent in their work.
Now for the July Challenge theme: Americana. This can be things political, historical, social, traditional -- anything that is unique to this grand country of ours. So get out there and shoot pictures of the flag, men and women in uniform, rodeos, museums, cars, and anything else that America lays claim to as its own. And be sure to send me a blurb about your pictures if you want. Explanations and shared feelings go a long way in 'communicating' your photos.
Remember, you can see all of Old Davy's pictures of the recent wedding and county fair on his photo website. [Shameless plug, I know]
Until we meet again, enjoy the wonderful world of photography. Happy shooting!
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The Black and White theme photos are much easier to negotiate. Removing/processing a color photo is pretty simple with most software programs. Tweaking it to get the best skin tones, sky, etc. is a little harder. Some of your cameras may have a Black and White mode setting that takes most of the work out of it. Both my Nikon D90 and D5100 have menu choices that include Monochrome, although I've never used the feature. I'd rather adjust everything in Photoshop Elements.
The Frontyard/Backyard theme photos were the easiest to take this month. No stress, no playing with photo editing software, no nothin'.
So let's see what the results were from those happy campers who submitted their pictures.
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I'll go first this time. May was a busy month for me, as I added way over 1000 pictures to my file folders. We enjoyed the Lodi Street Faire and National Rail Day in Sacramento: I purposely was thinking Street Photography the whole time at both events. When you have a plan, your eye is going to be looking and planning for those unique captures. And when you are in crowds, most folks don't even know or care if you're taking their picture. Lots of fun spying on them, too.
This first photo at the Lodi Street Faire was a situation begging that I record it. The local Mr. Popular was doing some perpish things when the police were called to investigate. I was waiting for Barb to come out of a second-hand store, and was standing by the door with my big camera in tow. Mr. Popular was ranting about someone following him and demanding that I trail him and take pictures of the perceived tail as the police arrived and started questioning the guy. They checked his pockets and convinced him to leave the Faire and not come back. While they escorted him to the nearest alley, he kept wanting me to take pictures of him. Just another day in the life of a street photographer, I guess. Pretty fun experience, I do admit.
I converted this shot to B&W as well, to give it more of a newsy look - something you might see in a 1960's magazine. This silhouettes the main characters and draws your attention to the action in the center. The color rendition is just too busy and distracting. That's the genius of B&W - it simplifies and amplifies at the same time.
My second entry is also in the Street Photography genre, as well. Sitting on a planter box in Old Sacramento waiting for Barb to get and eat an ice cream cone, I fired away as nonchalantly as possible at a number of characters. I really was taken with this boarding couple as they sauntered along the boardwalk. Reminded me of the old days for some reason.
My third offer is another Street Photography shot with a twist. It is taken from the hip while a skateboarder was walking in front of me at the Lodi Street Faire. I worked it in color, then tried it in B&W to accentuate the kid's expression and hair. Guess I could have kept the color in the balloon, though. Shooting from the hip is always fun. Just hold your camera at waist level and hope for the best.
The last entry is in the Black and White category, also. Don and I got up early from our comfy hotel beds at the CalNeva Resort in Lake Tahoe after our first night there and walked down to what they call Speedboat Beach, about 1/4 mile away to check things out. There were plenty of clouds for some great sunrise shots, so we stayed for about 1/2 hour, shooting different angles, compositions and color. The huge boulders at the shoreline were awesome (one of the reasons I wanted to stay at the north end of the lake). This boulder silhouette is much more striking in B&W than color. I purposely darkened everything while dodging the clouds to make them stand out more. This may be a little too dark for most tastes, but I didn't want to distract from the drama going on in the sky.
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Next, we'll look at John's submissions, the first being a B&W close-up of a friendly crab. He says, "Hello from the Beach! Attached is my contribution from a photo shoot today, B&W and public. Shot at Chaney's which is my usual surf spot at the very end of Studios Drive. Cooper is trying to scoop up the crab using a nice abalone shell we found." John didn't tell us the rest of the story, so you'll have to imagine it. My guess is that Cooper carried it to a safe place and let it go.
John's Street Photography entry converts the street into a nice walking beach rife with people and pets. Everyone's bundled, so it must be pretty cool yet. One person (at least) is taking a photo. I'm counting ten dogs here. No cats. I like the mist, which gives the photo a softness, and the linear striations of wet and drier sand in the foreground. And is that kelp on shore, or a lot of unbagged doo-doo?
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Ginnie's entries include a nice still life Black and White of lilies in a pond. Again, there is power in simplicity and accentuation that pleases the eye. The lighter colored pads in the foreground balance the darker ones in the back. Thanks, Ginnie.
"Try it. You'll like it" is the title of her second entry, which was taken at the Paso Robles Festival of the Arts event at the city park. Looks like plain ol' popcorn in the bag. The boy doesn't look too impressed.
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Harry, back in Kentucky, sent me a few photos from his latest adventure at the Indianapolis Speedway. He says, "I had the opportunity to go to IMS for practice and qualifying for the Indy 500. I finally found a good place for shots on the 2nd day - gosh this place is like really huge and did the best I could. My kingdom for a good super tele. Race car photography is a totally new experience for me not the standard landscape or still life. Hope you enjoy." Wow, Harry! Wish I could have been there with you.
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Don rounds out the entries for May by really stretching himself in the Street Photography category. He tells us, "Okay Dave, you've done it....forced me out of my shell. Janet and I went downtown looking for subjects. The park was virtually empty, so I drove over to the train depot. I had seen this homeless guy over there before, but never interacted with him. I introduced myself, and after assuring him I had nothing to do with law enforcement he agreed to a few pics. His name is Bill...."Dollar Bill". He was given this name by a co-worker because he was always borrowing a dollar for a beer. This was taken through the front wheel of his bike. I did a couple of versions on this one." Don, both of these compositions work and have their advantages. The first gets more of the bicycle in, which frames Bill perfectly. The second zeroes in on his face, expression and belongings - a little more personable. Thanks for both.
Don also found a willing 'victim' at a local restaurant in Paso Robles. "Kerby was our waitress at Monteverde's Restaurant on 13th Street. It was her first day on the job......she got a good tip."
And our last offering is another one of Don's girls. "We also went across the street to the Cheese Shop to sample some cheese. Since this young lady was gracious enough to let me take her pic, we came home with some bread and cheese." Good man, Don. You win the prize for most money spent to enter the May Challenge. Ha!
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So that's it, folks. Thanks so much for making this a fun month of shooting (at least for me!). Hopefully, we've learned a bit more about our cameras, how they work and what they're capable of.
The June Challenge themes will be "Vacation Photos," "Clouds," and "Summertime." Take your pick or mix them as usual. Enjoy.
And if you want to, send me a note with your picture with details on where you were, why you took it, the camera you used, what you did (if anything) when you processed it, etc. As you can see from above, adding a story to the picture is a great addition.
Happy shooting and remember to give God thanks that we can have these opportunities to enjoy His creation, our families, friends and each experience He blesses us with.
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Wow! Another month has whizzed by for some of us. Spring has sprung, the winter is done, and we're feeling alive again - able to get outdoors and enjoy God's creation, work in the yard, take a trip, or enjoy a BBQ. Summer will be here too soon, so enjoy what cooler weather we have before we're beaten up by the Dog Days.
I was able to shoot quite a bit in April, thankfully. Barb and I took Angel to the foothills a few weeks ago to shoot wildflowers on the river. That was a lot of fun, even though the show wasn't overwhelming. So some of the photos for the challenge will be from that trip.
We have a newcomer this month. His name is John Guffey. He lives in Paso Robles. He has two kids. One wife. And at least one surfboard. You can find him at the beach, at the nearest triathlon, working hard, or being the best father and husband. Welcome, John. Oh, I should say that he's Megen's brother and Ginnie's son and my nephew. It's a family thing.
April's themes are Vivid, Negative Space and Motion Blur. I assume most folks understood the meanings for each since I didn't receive and "What!!!???" emails asking about them. Which proves beyond a doubt that this group weighs in on the intelligent side of the equation. Of course, you may have been shooting randomly and later said, "Hey, that's a good example of negative space." That's okay, but you don't get any extra points for it. And I don't dock your intelligent quotient.
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Don will start us off with his versions of 'Vivid.' Vivid black and vivid sunset. Looks like he's using his 'star' filter here, which he bought in SLO at Jim's Campus Camera. Pretty cool, Don.
Sunsets are everyone's favorite sky-color pictures. Add some foreground silhouettes and you have a masterpiece. I think this one almost qualifies for a negative space shot as well as vivid, since there is so much sky in it.
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Angel was a bit limited to lens choice when we went to Electra Road for picture taking. She used my old Nikon D70 and 55-200mm VR zoom lens. But she likes to zoom in on things, like her grandpa. Her first shot is a negative space rendition of the Mokolumne River. The white water is contrasted with the darker foreground to show a minimalist rendition of the scene. The camera automatically underexposed the picture since she focused on the light area, but that brought out the detail that would have been washed out if it had been exposed otherwise.
I had spotted this Live Forever in the shade with a glimmer of sunlight on it and tried to explain to Angel about contrast and what a great photo it would make. She got the shot, a good example of negative space, even though the leaves might be too dominant in the frame.
Her last entry is in the Vivid category. Sun Spurge is a shrub whose leaves turn yellow and look like flowers.
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John's first photo fits the Motion Blur theme pretty well. When you leave the lens open long enough, you can't really see the subject. Can you guess what made the light streaks here? No, it wasn't Rudolph.
A second entry of John's was also taken at his winery from inside one of the tanks. With just a small area of light contrasted with blacks and grays, it is a good example of negative space. John, are you really down in the tank, or did you just stick your arm in one of the drain holes?
Symmetrical rows of Monterey Pinot line the horizon for this picture that we'll put in the vivid category since the grape leaves are pretty green. Or is it motion blur? Didn't you see that golden eagle just fly by?
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Ginnie was really into the motion thing - must be that artsy/crafty mode she's in a lot. Plus, it's just plain fun to swing your camera around with a slow shutter speed and keep the neighbors guessing about your sanity.
And here is her negative space submission, which is quite interesting. Kinda looks like a stainless steel strawberry! Cool!!!!
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Dave's negative space entry incorporates a bearded iris and a poppy. He has this thing for poppies, if you hadn't noticed. They're always screaming, "Take my picture! Take my picture!" Right, Dave!
Second on the list is a purposely taken photo for the Vivid theme in Sutter Creek.
Ginnie's right: motion blur is fun. Ha! More poppies. It's all about flowers with this guy!
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Thanks to everyone who participated.
Folks sent in a few more pictures for April, but I've limited the posting to only three each. Sorry if I didn't put up your favorite. I think it proved to be an enjoyable challenge for everyone. You're all thinking more about what you're doing. That's progress. You're all taking more risks and stretching a bit. That's great. Keep it up.
For May, let's really stretch ourselves and try some Street Photography. And if you're a bit too chicken (or don't want to get beat up), how about Black and White? Or if that doesn't fit your bill, you can try Backyard/Frontyard. Three choices.
Keep shooting and have fun!
Dave
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Our two themes for the month were Green and My Other Hobby. Thanks to everyone who ventured took the time to shoot one or both of them.
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Ginnie was a bit late, so we'll squeeze her pictures in, starting with what looks like spring in her backyard. The neighbors help themselves to a free salad bar down the hill. "Sorry to be late. I really did consciously take a 'green' photo for the March challenge. Like Angel, Don and Meg, out in the backyard."
Ginnie's main hobby is painting, with weekly jaunts with the other aspiring Van Goghs and Monets. Looks like fun.
Here are Angel's entries. She scouted the front and back yards for these, so she said it wasn't too difficult. Her intentions were mainly to find anything interesting, without thinking so much about the Green theme, but didn't come up short in that department. She told me it takes a good imagination to know how to compose a good photo. When quizzed about her exposure methods, she told me she didn't change the aperture or shutter speed, which is the reason a number of her shots were overexposed. She found if she shot in the shade, the exposure was just right (more training needed here, for sure). One disadvantage is that she was using the old macro lens that has to be used manually, both for focusing and aperture.
I walked her through the process of cropping, adjusting contrast/brightness, color, and sharpening in Photoshop Elements 9.0. Her reaction: "Kinda hard." Her first photo is her favorite.
Her second picture is a stylized version of Grandma Skinner's miniature ivy (yes it's still growing around the backyard). It wasn't in perfect focus, so I had her render it with a brush stroke filter.
Her third entry isn't within the theme parameters, but is still fun to enjoy. It is a close up of a miniature rose bloom.
Angel also likes to draw, so she took this picture of one of her latest creations:
Megen also had fun in the yard taking pictures in her garden, with fruit, veggies and flowers on the menu. Here's her favorite flower:
This girl is ambitious with watermelon, zucchini and lemon cucumber ready to plant! Oh, wait - she's only got 5 zucchini plants. Better make it 10, Meg - just to show how good a neighbor you are!
Her all-green entry (or is it entrée?) is Salad Bennett - yummy!
Bruce is back with us. Welcome back, Bruce! Missed you. Your first photo features a nice classic truck - that happens to be green. What a coincidence! 1957 Chevy stepside with nice whitewalls and sun visor. Bruce, this would look great parked in your driveway! Camera: iPhone
Bruce is a hobby guy also and has manufactured a number of Shaker style furniture pieces. He says, "Some of the projects I built over the years. All Shaker projects (all wood joinery except for the hinges and knobs). Glad to be back to work with the D5100. I’ve really enjoyed the photos over the months. Your team has really shown improvement. A lot of the photos submitted look like they could go in a Photo magazine. Great work everyone!" The first photo is his blanket chest.
And don't forget the hall tree:
He also constructed his fireplace mantle. And the picture on top of it (an original watercolor of Mission SLO) was given to him by an artist friend. Wow!
Okay, Bruce, I've overextended your entries - your reward for re-entering the fray. Our next challenge submissions were sent in by Don, who also uses a MicroNikkor lens on his D300. 60mm - the expensive AF one. More yard photos to add to the mix. He blurbs, "The first one is deep in the jungle of my recently fertilized lawn. The second one is thanks to Janet's green thumb. Both were taken with the 60mm macro. I don't use it much so I thought I'd try it on this month's assignment."
Note: the closer you get, the shallower the depth-of-field. Only a small slice of the photo can be in focus. You can stop down the aperture and use a slower shutter speed, but at this distance it won't matter much. There is a technique where you can take a series of shots, re-focusing through the frame so you'll have a bunch of pictures with each area in focus separately. Then you use a certain plug-in software that let's you marry all of them so everything is in focus. Way too much trouble for me, too.
Ginnie sent a nice shot of Morro Rock with nice framing.
March's last challenge photos are from yours truly. I think the human eye can detect more shades of green than any other color (read that in a photo mag, of course). It is so taken for granted that we can easily overlook the beauty in its variety. I look for the unusual when I shoot, starting with using a different angle, a dose of contrast and color between the subject and background, deciding whether to use a telephoto, wide-angle or macro lens, and more. I usually just take one or two pictures, maybe a few more if it's a macro to get the sharpest image. If it's blurred, but meets all of my criteria for a good shot, I'll stylize it, bump up the color and contrast and use it as an art shot. Or if the color isn't doing anything for me, I'll convert it to black and white to see how it looks.
Stylizing will save a slightly blurred photo:
This young oak leaf close up isn't perfectly focused, but is close enough to make a statement. Adjustments made to contrast, brightness and color, with sharpening. Nikon D5100 and my 55mm lens for these.
These plum blossoms were purposely lightened (along with the background) to accentuate the details in the flowers. The yellows were enhanced a bit, also. Sorry, off theme here, but these kind of pictures make me smile a bit. Close up lenses open a world of beauty we don't usually see.
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Thanks again to all who expressed themselves this month. I was expecting a few Irish-St. Patrick's Day photos, but only received one - taken by Meg (or Ginnie?). Pretty cute, and plenty of green!
April's Challenge will also offer a choice of themes, to make it a little easier on everyone. They are: Vivid, Motion Blur, and Negative Space. Vivid has to do with bright color or colors; Motion Blur will demand a very slow shutter speed or purposely moving your camera (or zooming) while taking the picture; and Negative Space is all about domination - like a small object on a big, monotone background. Google "negative space photography" and see what you come up with.
Life is short. "Glorify God and enjoy Him forever" should be our lifework. We can glorify Him when we capture the beauty He has created around us and share it with others.
Happy shooting to one and all.
]]>The January Challenge 'Sign' theme proved to be a big success - colorful and creative. Thanks again to everyone who participated.
Since Barb and I were on vacation for a week, I didn't think too much about the February Challenge themes. Shooting in Yosemite and around Paso Robles, I figured the 'Nature' theme would be covered. But I wasn't zeroing in on anything specifically, like 'Hands' or 'Artwork.' For those of you who did, my congratulations for going that extra step thinking about a theme.
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Don writes: "Hey, Dave. Okay, I'm late with my assignment. Please don't grade me as harshly as Mrs. Bradshaw." A few of us old timers had Deanna Bradshaw for English in high school for a short time. Her husband was going to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, while she secured a teaching position in Paso Robles. She had beautiful, glaring dark eyes, short dark hair and a thick Texas accent. But she threw a hard curve when it came to grading. Poor Don must have got knocked out by one (or more) of her pitches.
Here's an action shot of a pair of lesser yellowlegs taken at Guadalupe Dunes State Park. Good composition and shutter speed.
Don's second photo is the proverbial Family Pet portrait. Note that the photographer is trying to hold and shoot this with his LEFT hand, no small feat of dexterity and balance. This must be one of those 'Something That Makes You Smile' pictures.
Don's third shot was taken on Adelaida Road west of Paso Robles. We were out there shooting together, so I also zoomed in on these Red Maids. Very small, but very pretty wildflowers. Note the clover leaves on the far left and right to put the flowers in perspective. Good composition - nothing in the center to stop your eyes from roving around the picture. All of Don's photos were taken with his Nikon D300 and 18-200mm lens.
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Linda also submitted three pictures and says, "First picture . . . family pet. Taken from outside the house. Should have cleaned the window, LOL . . . she hears us coming home and peeks out the window when we drive up. Never had a cat do that before." Good centered portrait composition, and the underexposure adds a bit of mystery to the mental machinations of cats.
"Second picture . . . nature that made me smile . . . the violets cover half the back yard!" Good composition for a 1x1 photo. A bit overexposed causing the color to bleach out a little. But many folks like the look.
"Third picture . . . my hubby woke up with a dream that his hair was short and curly and rainbow colored. When I got to work that morning there was a new wig on display. :)" Good story, Linda. Just wish you would have bought (borrowed) the wig and had Kerry pose for us! Wow!
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Ginnie's subjects varied between a beautiful sunset in Paso Robles and a boisterous turkey.
Her second picture must be in the 'Family Pet' category. Wonder where this big bird sleeps at night.
Ginnie's last photo is one that 'Makes You Smile.' Her son, John, is always willing to model for the camera. Note the subject here is John's shades. The overexposure adds to the abstract element of the shot. Ginnie's reflection is part of the story, too. Ginnie's camera of choice for these was her Canon PowerShot S3 IS.
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Our final submissions from Dave round out this month's photos.
The Skinners and Dahls spent a few days in beautiful Yosemite Valley, so Dave and Don had a blast scouting for opportunities to get some good shots. Rain, snow and sun - all played a role while we were there, making any shooting an adventure - especially when sliding on the ice while carrying your expensive gear. Don went down once on the road at the base of Yosemite Falls, but was able to hold his camera high as he was landing on his backside. Poor guy. Dave didn't get to see this mishap, unfortunately - would have made a great 'Things That Make You Smile' shot.
This first photo was taken after Tuesday night's snowfall - the top of Half Dome in the mist. Cold, dreary and foreboding. If you see only a thumbnail of this picture, it looks like an eye. Pretty interesting. Taken from Cook's Meadow with a Nikon D5100 and 55-300mm zoom lens.
Dave's second picture makes him smile as Barbara is bundled during the snowfall at Yosemite Village. We're walking to the Adam Ansel Gallery with Don and Janet. Photo is taken with a Canon PowerShot 980 IS, thus the blown-out sky.
Lastly, we have Dave's rendition of the cottonwood trees in Ahwahnee Meadow. This is the magical photo that has been taken scores of times by photogs from around the world. These trees stand out from the evergreens behind them and can be captured at any season with excellent results. My favorite is right after a snowfall. Unfortunately, there wasn't a whole lot dumped the night before, so the trees don't stand out as they might have. Taken with the Nikon D5100 and 55-300mm zoom.
The main purpose of the Yosemite trip was to get pictures of Horsetail Fall at sunset, when its mist turns to a golden glow on the side of El Capitan. We were clouded out for that shot, unfortunately. Had we been able to stay one more night, we would have got it. Oh, well, just another reason to go back next February!
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Thanks to all submitters. March is before us now, and we look forward to its challenges with the strength God gives to those in need. Many of us face health problems, financial woes and uncertainty. In these times we need to depend more on the One who knows our every need and is there to weather any storm if we trust in Him during the worst times along with the best.
The tougher Challenge for March: "The Green in Your World" and "Your Hobby". As the weeds resurrect and spring arrives, March is the perfect month to get your green on. You can include other colors, but green must be primary. And it doesn't have to be flora. Green paint, buildings, signs, faces - be creative! And pictures of one of your hobbies will tell us more about you. Try not to take a picture of a camera. That's too easy. No 'Photography is My Hobby' pictures, please! We want to see you playing bridge, surfing the Internet, shopping, and adding to your tiddlywink collection.
And until we meet again - happy shooting to all.
Dave
]]>We start the new year looking for direction on our long journey. Many paths, a myriad of directions. We're surrounded by these visual markers. Many would say we're bombarded and overloaded with them. Signs - they're everywhere we go. From Post-It notes to neon storefronts, we can't escape their messages and influence.
We've stretched our camera skills this month, recording cultural history in a number of places. Thanks to everyone for entering and capturing your little corner of the signage world. Angel went out shooting with me, so I'm including a few of her shots as well.
Our first entries are from our friend Don's repertoire.
"The Buena Vista sign is on the old 101 between Paso and San Miguel. The cabins are still there, but are in pretty rough shape. I believe at one time they were called the Moon Valley Cabins."
"The Drone signage is someone's opinion on the front of the boarded up Fox Theater."
Then there is the perennial tagger photos. This one was taken by the Paso train depot. I think Don thoroughly enjoyed the "Thrill of the Hunt." Don't you?
Linda stepped outside of the box for her picture. Her "sign" had nothing to do with the printed/artistic work we commonly call signage. Hers was a seasonal sign - winter in full cyan bloom, cold and icy.
Angel's creative skills are coming along. Here are two shots taken at the waterfront warehouse complex on the channel in downtown Stockton.
Her last photo is one she and I have wanted to get for a long time. We finally did it!!! She couldn't get over the irony of two different businesses, side by side, displaying an amusing combination of verbage. She had me Photoshop out the "Collision and Restoration" subtitle on the BUGS sign.
Megen wandered around 13th and Spring St. in Paso Robles for her captures of the Children's Museum in the old firehouse. Thanks, Meg.
Yours truly spent a Saturday afternoon in Sutter Creek looking for appropriate pictures. He can report there were opportunities galore as you can see in his recent posting: http://wordydave.zenfolio.com/p648599014 Here's one of them, taken with his new 12-24mm Tokina wide angle lens. Fun day. Perfect weather. He gives free tours!
The next two shots were taken on a shopping day in the mall with Dave's Canon SD980 point and shoot. Great little camera!
Ginnie reports: "Jack and I spotted some old signs in San Miguel earlier in the month when he rode shotgun on one of my plein air painting trips. So late yesterday afternoon we gassed up the car and the camera batteries to drive the 9 miles north. It brought back memories of long ago car trips when we drove thru little towns desperately looking for a place to stay the night. The Shady Rest looked private and promising, the old Hotel looked quiet, but then we came to the feed and grain at the end of town and had to turn around. We decided to eat Mexican food at Los Padres located on a side street where they serve the best chile rellenos ever (fresh big green Anaheim chiles). Then drove back thru Paso and spotted one of the few old neon signs left in town at the Foster's Freeze. Was fun. Topped off the evening with Tums and a movie."
Wow! What a collection of great shots! Thanks to everyone for their participation. I know it's not easy to get out there and take the time to trip those shutters.
This month's challenge (February) will be "Multiple Choice." There will be a number of different themes you can choose from, and you can submit for more than one theme if you want.
The themes: "Hands," "Artwork," Family Pet," "Something That Makes You Smile," and "Nature."
Should prove to be a great month for variety. Have fun and happy shooting!
Dave
]]>Here are some examples that I took in Oregon in 2011.
Have fun, fellow fotogs!
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Thankfully, we don't have to wait until a holiday to be thankful. God has given us this wonderful capacity to see the world around us, the good and the bad, and offer Him daily appreciation for the many blessings in our lives. Limiting ourselves to one day a year, Thanksgiving Day, to lift up our hearts in gratitude is absurd.
Surrounded by our world of big and little blessings, it seemed the time was right to record some of them in digital form with our cameras for this month's Challenge. Thanks to everyone who submitted their pictures. Remember, December is a No-Challenge month, so we can enjoy food, family, fun and give more thanks for the God who is here - Immanuel - God with us, Jesus the Messiah.
And speaking of food, family and fun, Ginnie's first shot epitomizes that theme perfectly. She says, "Things I'm thankful for include the obvious grandchildren category." This is Rileigh in all her glory.
"Then there's the turkey soup pot representing God-given bounty." Food, food and more food in December! When will it end? Imagine a world where our tastebuds were limited to oatmeal. No sugar, salt, spices, sweet, sour - you get the picture. Thank you, Lord, for a full-orbed sense of taste!
"Finally I'm including some local shots of fall peacefulness and beauty."
Thanks, Ginnie. As the seasons change there are always beauty in the world around us.
God gave us the gift, responsibilities and wonder of marriage, where true and lasting unconditional love should be enjoyed. Don reminds us of this with a picture of Janet. He opines, "I have many things to be thankful for, but my wife is right at the top of the list. Janet has been a huge blessing in my life." Note: you can tell how much he loves her by that big rock on her finger and the fact that he lets her talk on the phone so much! Of course, this thanksgiving and praise MAY lead one to believe Don is priming the pump for a special Christmas gift from Janet, but I'm not talking!
Linda says, "The first picture (after the storm) represents that I am thankful for the fact that the storms don't last forever, that God has mercy on us. The second was dinner at Thanksgiving at my stepson's house (the table taken through a glass) and there's so much to be thankful for-- my kids, grandkids, in-laws... The third is because I am thankful I have a job I enjoy, and great co-workers :)" I really like this stark silhouette of the brooding sky and glimmering sunlight.
A little creativity shines through Linda's second photo. I can hear everyone saying, "Mom, what are you doing!?" and Linda saying, "Oh, it's just part of my November Challenge assignment that Old Davy gave us - He keeps telling us to be CREATIVE!"
Thanks to Linda again for reminding us of God's provision and good friends He has blessed us with. "There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24
Okay, one more from Lindy. I know I'm putting up more than the two maximum that I usually allow, but I'm in a good mood.
I've got this thing about clouds - God's hand at work, painting the sky with drama, color and original designs. I stuck my head out the north door at work a few weeks ago and saw this strange arrangement of wisps intersected by jet trails. I took a few shots for a panorama and stitched them together so you can see the whole thing at once. "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament [sky] shows His handiwork." Psalm 19:1 This picture was taken with my little Canon SD980 point and shoot, which I take to work with me most every day. I never know what I might see!
Most of you know that one of my favorite places to scout and shoot is Cosumnes River Wildlife Preserve, just about 30 minutes north of our house on Interstate 5. I'd never been on Desmond Road before and was treated with a nice sunrise and a few great shots right before a park ranger drove up and had me get off the levee. Rule #1 when taking a wide angle shot like this: Always put something interesting in the foreground. I used these broad leafed plants to balance the long view in the background. Camera: Nikon D5100. I'm trying to use this new camera more so the buttons and setting come more naturally. So far, it's a real struggle after shooting the D70 and D90 so many years. But I like the dynamic range of this camera best. See how it doesn't underexpose the foreground very much.
So, I'm thankful that this area is close to where we live and I can visit it, shoot and be home before Barbara starts breakfast! Ha! God is good!
And I can't forget the blessing of family along with the rest of you. I took this of Angel and Dalton on Thanksgiving Day out front, using a low angle to put some chinese pistache color in the background. I also used the on-camera fill flash, which works well if not overly bright. Most new cameras use TTL [through the lens] fill flash compensation and balance it out pretty well. But when I use my big flash unit, I usually have to manually adjust it up or down to get it just right.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the November Challenge. There will be NO assignment for December due to the hussle and bustle of the month. But hey, if you take a good picture and want to share it, send it to me anyway.
May this Christmas season find your spirit of thanksgiving undiminished and strong as ever. There will be disappointment, pain, and some crazy things that happen, but remember that God is bigger than our circumstances and will be there for you to call upon when you need Him!
Happy New Year to all and to all a goodnight!
Dave
]]>Harbinger of winter, our fall season is pretty shocking when you think about it. All that was lush and green we enjoyed through the long spring and summer is suddenly transformed by a lack of nutrients and chlorophyll. Here in the San Joaquin Valley, the indigenous trees don't put on much of a show compared to the aspen in the Sierra or mountain states. Cottonwood, California black oak, California sycamore, California grape, and a few others can't compare to the aspen and maples from other parts of the country (or state for that matter). Most of us enjoy fall colors in our cities, where all sorts of colorful trees have been planted, though.
Don's first entry captures the bright blushing reds of the season. Emily Bronte penned, "Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree." I don't think I'd go that far in my definition. There is also a death theme that must be considered. "There is no season in all the year so beautiful, so radiant with glory, as the early autumn. There is no time when the human soul drinks in so fully the glory and beauty of nature. All objects of beauty are more beautiful while passing away from us. The closing up of a beautiful life—the fading of the holy stars in the dim light of morning—the ending of a quiet summer day and the passing away of the bright summer glory, are all more sweet and lovely as they are lost to us." - The Northern Advocate
Don's second picture qualifies for both the Pet and Fall Color challenges. Pretty sneaky, Don! This is Miss Cali, Ruler of the House, dressed in her perennial fall color fur coat.
Megen visited the local Chesebrough pumpkin farm near Templeton. Pumpkins join fall's colorful leaves as signature icons for the season. Note the vertical format, textural feel and bright colors. Nothing extraneous - perfectly thematic - memorable. Thanks, Meg.
Megen didn't enter the next photo, but it qualifies as Fall Color anyway. Great shot of two great kids!
Your challenge host forgot to add this photo to Meg's submissions. Sorry, Meg. Here's your second pumpkin/gourd pic. This photo declares that even the most unattractive things and people in the world have their own unique and special value and place in God's creation.
Linda procrastinated in last month's Self-Portrait assignment, but finally submitted a photo, which is being added to this month's collection just for fun. Here's looking at YOU, kid.
On the serious side, Linda sent this still life for all of us persimmon lovers. Bright sunlight streams through the window and renders sharp contrasts of color and form. Speaking of persimmons, did you ever read my old poem about these delightful fruits? Sorry, but you will right now! My apologies to all poetry haters out there.
My Persimmon - 1983
Orange orb, seasoned - sweet.
Baby soft - my treasured treat.
I confess that I enjoy
Thy jellied juices as a boy
Would love his corner candy store.
Maybe even much, much more!
Am I too cold in baring thee?
Am I too bold in paring thee?
And if appetite offends,
Would heartless nibbling make amends?
I hate to watch thee go to waste,
And so my tongue desires to taste
Thy blushing best
With avid zest!
We also have Linda's kitty picture that fits both themes for October. Looks like a Giants fan to me with that orange stripe going on. Now, I doubt if the photographer was laying on the floor while coaxing her subject to pose for her. This is a stoop-and-grab shot, one of the best ways to enter the world of pets and little short people. This is a FUN photo. Unfortunately, the model is both unappreciative and unimpressed.
Dave traveled all the way to San Simeon on Hwy 1 to get this fall sky color photo. He and Don were photo trekking, following a bank of clouds as they drove south from Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park farther north. Dave told Don to pull over at one spot. The clouds were ominous and flowing, but no color. "Keep going - maybe we can make it to San Simeon before the sun sets." Well, we DID make it and were rewarded with one of the most striking sunset skies to grace the shoreline. Lots of fun trying not to get wet while getting as much reflected sky in the receding water, running back and forth to stay out of the incoming waves. This shot was taken before we got on the beach. It's a vertically taken panorama of three separate photos. The sky kept getting pink/yellow, then red/yellow. Glad we didn't have to pay for film and processing like in the old days or we'd both be in the poor house after taking so many pictures.
Dave's second shot is a macro of a wild California grape leaf at Cosumnes River Wildlife Preserve between Sacramento and Stockton. Early morning. No direct sunlight that causes areas to be blown out. Just a few colors. This photo is more about abstract composition than anything else.
Ginnie's submissions include this one of reflections on a lake. She says, "Our painting group was invited to the Chimney Rock Ranch a few weeks ago. Nice, cool and foggy morning. The cows were on the way in, the pasture was truly a bright gold. The lake was as still as could be with everything very gray, but since the Challenge is 'color' I went crazy on the computer. I need to start packing the good Nikon for these outings. Quality just isn't as good on the little Canon."
Very nice, Ginnie. Post-processing can be a plus when you're transforming a picture into something more artful.
Ginnie's third photo is an October look at her backyard bloom bonanza. Cosmos, Mexican sage, California fuschia, and New Zealand flax - all still sporting their summer colors in Paso Robles. Thanks, Gin.
Robert didn't send in any photos, but I'm stealing this one (from Facebook) that he took on South River Road near Sacramento. He and Becky love driving here and his camera is always with him. Nice shot, cousin.
Thanks to everyone who participated in our easiest challenge yet. Hard to believe this is the 16th challenge we've enjoyed. Time is flying by for sure. Hopefully, we've learned more about our camera and the world around us during our journey. The assignment for November is "Thanksgiving." Take pictures of what you're thankful for. This opens the opportunity door pretty wide for all of us. And, please write a little blurb to say WHY you're thankful for something/someone in the pictures when you send them. Should be another easy month since we have so much to be grateful for.
Happy Thanksgiving and happy shooting to all.
Snap Happy Dave
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The current challenge was met with an infectious fever of timidity by all but two brave souls who sacrificed their humility to keep this ball rolling. Granted, the ball is now rolling downhill for now, but next month it will be on a level playing field again and everyone will feel free to express him or herself without compunction, fear or feelings of inadequacy.
I've been shooting self-portraits for so long now, they seem second nature to me. And really, when you're about the only one taking pictures of people (family included), it's really rare that anyone gets to see the photographer in print, which is a not-too-often complaint of my dear wife and friend, who has put up with my shooting all of these years, having to trail behind the trailblazer while he's scouting the best views and angles and folks to capture for posterity. So, thanks, Barb, for never complaining about traipsing along hither, thither and yon.
These vintage S-P's have been added to fill up the space that would be there if more folks entered their work.
So, here we go with September's official entries, starting with Dave's mirror reflection at a sandwich shop in the Downtown Plaza in Sacramento. This was the best of three shots. When you're holding your camera at your waist to get a self-portrait, odds are it won't be what you want. You have to keep shooting until there's something you can work with. I cropped this photo to remove the extraneous stuff, then flipped it horizontally, so you could read the sign normally. Man, where has all that dark long hair gone!!!!??? Not too mention the bloom of youth. "To know how to grow old is the master-work of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living," --Henri Amiel
Dave's second attempt was taken just inside the big open doors that lead out of the side of the Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento. All of the trains inside the museum are on tracks so they can move them outside if they need to. The tracks connect to the turntable that lines up with other tracks outside. This was shot using my 18-70mm zoom lens that I'd just dropped on a track outside while changing it. The autofocus wasn't working and the aperture was stuck on the smallest opening, f22, so I had to shoot with a very slow shutter speed of 2.5 seconds. When life throws you oranges, make orangeade.
Don sent a couple of pictures, three actually. The first is this Olan Mills style headshot where you want to look your best because you're going to buy a $50 canvas print to send to your mother-in-law. Note that a tripod was used, along with a flash (check the catch lights). Great exposure and focal length. Thanks for your efforts here, Don.
Saving the best for last, Don's creative genius might land him a full-time job at the county. Always a quick wit with a flair for the funny, he employed his tripod again for this deer-in-the-headlights mugshot. Let you're imagination run wild as you wonder why he would be arrested. Of course, there's the deeply psychological reason, but he may not want to talk about that. Or maybe he would. Good job, Don!
Okay, October is here and it's time for the fall colors to begin (if it will just cool down a bit). So I'm going to give two choices for your challenge this month: either FALL COLOR or PETS. Your dog and cat will be around even if it stays hot. Rules are the same, except your fall color shots can't be in black and white! Ha!
Happy hunting.
]]>[Note: I'm going over the limit of posting two photos this time.]
There is are various definitions for symmetry. In the art world anything with similar lines, objects, forms, colors, etc. that is emphasized visually can fit the role. Look in the mirror. Your face falls into the definition: two eyes of equal shape and size (hopefully); a perfectly centered nose with two matching nostrils (hopefully); a mouth that looks the same on each side; teeth that are aligned (I flunk on this one, though); cheeks, jawbone, ears - you get the picture. So a self-portrait would fulfill the Symmetry theme. I call facial a lot of other symmetry liberal or flexible symmetry. It doesn't have to be perfect.
And then there is the perfect symmetry that can be seen in architecture, perfect circles, snowflakes, checkerboards, and a lot of other God-made and man-made creations. (Please, no theological arguments here: I know God created man, too). I think this is what we think of first when we think of parallel or equidistant lines and balanced form. The tall skyscaper, the spiral staircase, the hot-air balloon, freeway lines, wine glasses.
Enough discussion. Our first entry is from Mr. Don. Here's the old restored Carnegie Library building in Paso Robles, a fine specimen of early 20th Century architecture. You could easily draw a line through the middle of the picture and find complimentary, matching designs on both sides of the building (except for the lettering, of course). The landscaping is even symmetrical. Now, if there were a nice big oak on the right . . . but that would take away the 'natural' setting and overall pleasing balance of the picture. [Note: we've now learned that the perfection of this picture's proportions was due to Don's having a little fun with us. None of us noticed his handiwork.]
He says, "If you are not familiar with the library, it has a basement with a stairwell entrance in front . . . The right side wing was flipped and pasted over the left side and to my amazement was almost a perfect fit. Cloning out the stairwell [and getting rid of the sunshine in the little tree] finished it off."
Here's the original shot:
I'm pretty sure Don took his second photo in Morro Bay. Note the various elements of symmetrical design: the kayak, the boards it's resting on, the railing and the railing iron work. So all of these elements are working together for this shot and none of them seem out of place. My favorite part of this capture is the old, weathered blue surfboard at the bottom. It adds complimentary color and a bit of mystery to the scene.
And who doesn't know where this is? The PG&E power plant in Morro Bay. I think this is the millionth photo taken of these stacks, Don! You win the prize! A no expenses paid trip to . . . you guessed it - Morro Bay.
Linda's pictures include the beautiful lines on a Ford Cobra. Here we have color as well as linear symmetry. These cars prove that men (and women) can appreciate high art. "It is my husband who is the car enthusiast. It was taken at the Hot August Nights car show in Lake Tahoe. He says it is 1967 (give or take a few years, we didn't take notes) Ford Shelby Cobra. I just liked the color, LOL."
Linda's second picture is a bit whimsical, but she likes whimsy. She says,"This other picture was Kerry's idea. LOL It's a bathtub toy from Greenbriar International, based in China. Kerry insists he went through at least a dozen before he found one that was reasonably symmetrical. Silly husband. Happy grandson!" Not perfectly balanced, but will still fit the 'flexible symmetry' definition.
"This was taken at Hearst Castle, in the billiards room. There was a lot of symmetry at Hearst Castle. Beautiful place." Thanks, Linda, for thinking of us while you were there!
From Hearst Castle to the Dunnihoo Castle and the living room lighting.
Sister Ginnie offered this mysterious underwater picture of the goldfish that ate Manhattan.
"Taken thru a cheap plastic kaleidoscope. Not perfect, loosely symmetrical and fun," Ginnie says. I see a blurry sophistication here and really like the colors. This is real thinking outside the box and inside the tube.
Dave's first entry was taken at the University of the Pacific in the quad, where there is a rose garden, a Roman column motif area, and this fountain. A slow shutter speed and fallen leaf add photo interest in an otherwise pretty boring picture. The concrete 'bricks' aren't perfectly symmetrical but are similar enough in size, shape and color to qualify.
Dave's entries included this flower from the zinnia bed at SJ Delta College. You can imagine the small, tightly curled petals getting ready to unfurl. Again, not perfectly symmetrical, but close enough.
Finally, a human being enters the challenge. Megen sent this picture of Rileigh at the pool - Arms, legs, ears, swimsuit - all fit the symmetry equation. Thanks, Meg.
Thanks to everyone for your wonderful additions to the Monthly Challenge. I know this can be a real chore once in awhile.
Next challenge: Self-Portrait. Yes, "vanity of vanities . . . all is vanity." But for this one, we want humble pie, if that's possible. This will involve a tripod and a timer on your camera (or someplace solid and safe for your camera to sit). We DON'T want the "hold camera at arms length" pose. Sorry. Take some time and think this through. Pretend you're taking another person's picture. Or actually take a portrait of someone else, using a tripod, then have them move and take their place using your timer. Should be fun --- and a little humbling, I hope. And do it in at least two locations (for the entries). Be creative. War-paint is acceptable, but no masks. You should be able to post these shots on Facebook. Ha!
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Certain things fit perfectly in a square format, like a flower closeup. Or a face that fills the frame. Landscapes are much harder because we're used to seeing panoramas of scenery and appreciate a wide-angle view.
Our first entry is from Ginnie, who tackled the challenge head-on with both of her pictures. The first was taken on the coast. She says, "Taken in Cambria above Moonstone Beach. Beautiful old cypress blown back by the prevailing winds." This photo balances the main subject with a colored swath of iceplant below it. There a lots of interesting places for eye movement, and the shape of the tree shows its age and many battles.
Ginnie's second entry demands our attention: the square format accentuates the subject. She says, "FUN WITH GLOW STICKS! Two granddaughters were making swords and bracelets one evening so I got inspired. Canon PS SD 1300 IS set on 'program'. Dark room, mirrored closet door in background, no flash. Exposure was around one second." How cool is that!!??
Next is Don's rendition of a window with a neon sign. Instead of giving us a straight view, he bedazzles us with a cockeyed angle and adds interest to the shot. Very creative (or did he see that in a magazine? Ha!). Note the exposure is perfect and colors are complimentary, lending a warm ambience to the scene.
Don's second submission needs no explanation. The square format and various circles in the picture move our eyes to Spike's happy smile, nose and eyes. There's little doubt who is getting our attention.
Megen went flower crazy in July and offers us two beauties in the square venue. The colors are really emphasized with the macro closeup views. Had she been standing back about 5 feet, the flowers would have been little dots in the frame. Always shoot individual flowers as close as you want. Dave's Rule #10.
Dave's pictures include this first one of a sunrise landscape. He cropped his telephoto shot to include the most important elements in the scene. Note that many photographers use telephoto lenses to capture landscapes, like Bryce Canyon shots that zero in on just a few hoodoos, instead of a whole canyon full.
The last picture is a portrait of Angel enjoying her pizza during her birthday party. Dave selected the piece of pizza for emphasis, while turning everything else to black and white. Kind of a dated look, but it still has its place here and there.
Thanks again to everyone who sent photos for this challenge. Next month's (August) theme will be - Symmetry.
Defined as: "the correspondence in size, form, and arrangement of parts on opposite sides of a plane, line, or point; regularity of form or arrangement with reference to corresponding parts."
Sample:
Happy shooting, fellow photogs!
Dave
]]>June's formidable challenge is now behind us, and the 'winning' entries are below. Motion is another 'take for granted' part of our busy, motion-filled lives. God made us to enjoy a life packed with activity, although it's more on the observation side when you get older. Cameras put us all on an equal level when it comes to expressing the world around us, and we don't have to be the active participant to capture the sense of movement.
Don's first entry required some planning, a backdrop, and tripod - plus the added ingredient of sheer genius. "I decided to try something a little different... spinning the camera body while the lens zoomed. After about 50 unsuccessful shots, I made a quick cradle to steady the lens barrel. This resulted in the pinwheel." Congratulations, Don, on your action artwork!
Don's second picture is of his friend, Topaz the Wonder Dog. Using a high shutter speed, he was able to 'freeze' the action and catch all four legs in the air. Well, maybe three. The local dog park is a great place to get this kind of shot.
Linda noticed water dripping from a plant and decided that was an action item worth getting. Thanks, Linda.
Even snails suggest motion and action - if we're patient long enough. I guess if you had a snail's brain, you'd think you're really zooming along. Thanks, Linda, for reminding us that action is relative.
Ginnie's first entry of a backyard bee is another action photo, but this one has been cropped to an almost square format, just like Don's flower picture. Using 1:1 or 1x1 for a photo forces you to really think about your composition, and Ginnie has done a great job in that department. Maybe we'll incorporate this format for the July Challenge.
Her second picture is of Jordan, the little ballerina. "Jordan loves to dance! She'll be 6 in July and starts 1st grade in the fall." Get a tutu, get on stage, get some music going and see if you can stand still very long. Action is inevitable. GoGo JoJo.
Dave had Angel put on her duct tape helmet (over the real one) and scoot around the cul-de-sac a few times so he could get some shots. He used 1/20 of a second shutter speed and a 125mm zoom to blur the background and still capture a few in-focus areas.
Dave's last shot was taken last Saturday morning right before sunrise at Cosumnes River Preserve north of Stockton. Mr. Wiley Coyote was romping through the dry oats and other grasses looking for breakfast. 1/320th of a second shutter speed, zoomed to 280mm, ISO 800.
Okay, that square format sounds like a good idea for July, so whether your picture highlights some fireworks, kids at the beach, butterflies, mountain scene, or whatever (anything goes), make sure you send it to me as close to a square format as possible! If this is above your pay grade, email me and I'll help you out.
So, for July's Challenge: Square Format - using any photo you like. Send up to five pictures, but only two will be posted. Happy shooting, fellow photogs.
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Linda's first entry shows the contrast of young and old.
"Old and new....This picture is of my mother in law and her brand new great-great granddaughter. Not a great pic but you get the idea...I can think of several old and new ideas... just a thought." Actually, this is a photo taken in late March, but since she is the one who came up with the idea of Contrasts, I'll include this one.
This post of Linda's is a black and white contrast in full color. She says, "The little guy, Fergus, is a rescued dog, he was in pretty bad shape but now is doing great. He's really tiny, still a pup but they think he could be 4-5 months old. The other one is Dexter, who is about 15 years old. He's one of the best dogs on the planet. ;) and is a trained therapy dog. They both belong to my "other" daughter Genevieve. She lived across the street from us when she was a little girl and spent countless hours at my house helping me out, even though she was only a few years older than my kids. She is a precious member of my family. She and her husband live in Modesto not too far from Paul, so I get to see her pretty often."
Don was surprised to see this lost couple on one of his motorcycle jaunts in the Paso Robles area. The folks were trying to find their way to Creston to meet up with some other vintage vehicle vacationers who were on a run. They trusted their map more than Don's directions and arrived at their destination after everyone else did. Must have been a "_____" driver. Do you recognize the car? It's a 1913 Pierce Arrow.
Dave's first entry was taken at Sutter's Fort in downtown Sacramento. There is a huge hospital just to the east, where a construction crane was parked. The new architecture contrasts with the old fort buildings.
Dave's second photo is a panorama (three photos) of the Estero Bay Estuary just south of Morro Bay. He and Don hiked there before sunrise to get a few shots of Black Hill, Cerra Cabrillo, Hollister Peak (1200' high) and No Name Hill before the girls woke up at the motel. Great fun getting landscape and shorebird pictures.
Thanks to everyone who entered this last month. Sorry to hear that Bruce is having major trouble with his left knee and isn't able to tiptoe through the tulips like the rest of us. Please pray for him and Penny as he visits the neurosurgeon this week.
June's Challenge is now open: Action. June is great month for picnics, vacation, events, parties, sports. You get the idea. Go for it. Freeze the action. Blur the action. Whatever. Rules are the same: Pictures must be: 5 or less; shot in June; related to the theme; black and white or color; post-processed to your heart's desire; try to send 500kb resolution or smaller; enjoy what you're doing - if it's a pain, just skip it without feeling guilty. I'll understand.
Happy shooting!
Dave
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April's Photo Challenge wasn't all that challenging for most of us who only need to step outside to see flowers blooming everywhere. Note: I'm trying a new blog that will make it easier to post text with pictures. Let me know if it works for you.
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One of the first color explosions in April is the iris, or bearded iris to be exact. With a long history, it has been appreciated through the ages. Iris is the Greek word for rainbow. Just do a Google image search to see the many varieties and hues. Robert sent this picture with a camophlaged bee enjoying a late lunch. "Here is my only entry for this month (I didn't get to go out much). Becky and I took a walk down to Effie Yeaw Nature Center on Saturday. I took my Olympus micro 4/3 camera because I didn't want to weighted down with a large SLR. I was taking a picture of this flower and that be was nice enough to stop by. How lucky can you get?"
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Linda says, "This is just a quick picture on my phone...teensy flowers about the size of a fly." I like the pea family of flowers, everything from vetch to lupine to clover to this little guy (I'm guessing pea family).
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"Gorgeous" indeed is this drenched hybrid tea rose that Linda also submitted. You can't go wrong shooting America's favorite flower. All of the details are preserved because this was captured in the shade. It is rare to get a rose perfectly exposed in direct sunlight and it's best to underexpose a little so the highlights aren't blown out. Sunlight would have accentuated the droplets, but not the finery of the petals.
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Don writes, "Janet and I drove out to Shell Creek a few weeks ago. There wasn't the profusion of wild flowers as in the past, although there were some. I took a ride out to New Pleyto Road (off Jolon Rd.) yesterday and found these Lupines and Poppies along the road."
"The Bee pic is from our yard. The bees is a buzzin' this time of year." Don didn't say what kind of flower this is. Looks pretty exotic - maybe a type of anemone. Just beautiful.
Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival - Woodburn, Oregon 2012 Now here's a place to squeeze every last drop out of your creative juices. I'm sure all of us would like to visit.
The amount of color here is amazing. Again, these were shot with some overcast and so we can see a lot of detail and saturated color. You can see Bruce's series of these tulips at his Zenfolio website: http://tomlinandersonphotography.zenfolio.com/p952329012
Camellias are the perfectionist's dream flower. Almost perfectly symmetrical, with starched white petals and a lightly tinted center, they reveal God's creative genius and attention to detail (actually, every other living creation does the same thing in one way or another). Dave took this shot after hiking off the sidewalk, carefully stepping over the groundcover and getting back in and close up to the camellia bushes that are planted against the north side of the Haggin Museum in Stockton. There are almost always rust spots and blemishes on some of the petals, though. These were cloned out in Photoshop to present a more pristine flower.
Dave also has this thing about roses, after a long-time relationship with them. "I remember Mom loved them and put me to work on Tucker Avenue digging and planting for her when I was about 12. Then again in the back yard when I was about 19. But then she moved to Tennessee and complained about them never 'working' for her (bad soil and bugs)." The Haggin Rose Garden has over 200 varieties to feast your eyes on! Note that rose petals are somewhat transparent and will filter backlight perfectly. Shoot them early morning if possible with some dew still on them (bring a mister if you want. Ha!). This shot above was taken about 3:00 in the afternoon, though.
Thanks to everyone who entered this month's challenge. I'll email everyone with May's assignment soon. And don't forget to see the beauty around you and remember it with your cameras! Dave
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