Looking through my eyes ~ ~ photos by Bmoore3

Yosemite Falls Creek Bridge

2011-01-24T14:26:00.000-08:00

Using any excuse to just get out and start photographing, Martin Luther King Day (Monday, January 17, 2011) was no exception. It had been well over a week since the last good snow hit the Central Sierra Mountain range. The sky was clear in Yosemite, the sun was warm, and for the third week in a row, the Central Valley was fogged in. That was more than enough to get me packing.
My wife and I spent the day going from one spot in Yosemite to another. This is one location I never tire of. With every curve in the road or twist in a trail there is another breath-taking view. This first photo is of a stone bridge that crosses over Yosemite Falls Creek (just down stream from Lower Yosemite Falls). It's not one of the Valley's more famous bridges (that's probably why no one was taking photos of it); however when the sunlight pokes its way through the trees and reflects off the creek creating a golden glow on the under curves of the bridge, you just have to stop and spend a few minutes watching the reflection ripple upward.

Another location in Yosemite Valley that is missed by many is Fern Falls. Unless you know what you are looking for or where this very small falls is located, it is easy to overlook. Even in the summer most Yosemite trekkers overlook this spot. Winter shooting (even if the sun is shining) is difficult because of the deep shadows and flashes of bright lighting that fall on the snow. This photo was taken in a very shadowed light. Even with fill flash it was almost too dark to capture. ISO was bumped up as were the exposure and sensitivity settings.

White snow against dark green moss, granite rock, and dirt... I was happy to even be able to capture what I did...

Going to the north side of the Valley from the south side created a totally different view and lighting. Here in the meadow in front of Yosemite Falls is a view of the snow, the tree line, and the falls. The skies were clear and deep blue. At the bottom of the falls was formed an ice dome (about thirty to thirty-five feet high and about forty feet across.

Here is a close up of the ice dome from just under the Lower Falls. The spray off the rock where the Falls reaches bottom is what causes the freezing water to form a egg shaped dome of ice.

I'll be posting more Yosemite photographs soon... check back for a view of a panorama I took from the Merced River looking back toward the east end of the Valley. Sunset, full moon rising, and a low misty fog hovering over a meadow.

There is just something about "PANORAMA"...

2011-01-23T18:46:00.000-08:00

January 22, 2011… it should be cold and it just was not. Well, not unless you were in the Central Valley of California enduring the very thick and frigid fog. After days of seeing fog, the call to the warm sun was just too hard to resist.

Early in the morning it was off to the Sierra’s. Taking my wife and my two oldest grandchildren to Dodge Ridge for a day of snowboarding, I dropped them off and headed back down to Pinecrest Lake for a quick few shots.

The lake was semi-frozen (with a very thin crust of ice on the top and dozens of signs warning people to stay off the unstable ice). Ignoring the fact that the sun was directly over the south side of the lake, I spent a couple of hours walking the north shore from the west. This panoramic shot was from the western edge of the lake at the Pinecrest beach area.

The warning sign said it all: “WARNING: Unstable Ice & Snow – KEEP OFF”. With that kind of a warning, and the fact that you could visibly see cracks in the ice, you would think that people would pay more attention to the warm conditions and how the affected the thin ice. On my shoreline trek I saw people walking their dogs and following the rules of “Keep Off the ice”… Just before I left there was a young couple with their three small (very small) dogs… Suddenly, SPLASH! In went one of the dogs. Yelp! Yelp! Then a second and a third SPLASH!!! I was about thirty feet away when I heard the young woman screaming to her dogs to get out of the water. The man kept shouting “Where did he go?” As I got closer, one, then two, then all three appeared between the rocks… shivering and shaking. I’m sure glad the small dogs got out when they did as the air may have been warm, the water was not. The guy was just seconds away from trying to reach into the freezing water to get them… I think he saw the water was deeper than he expected and chose not to chance it.

It was an exciting few moments at Pinecrest Lake that day. The warning signs said it all: “Unstable Ice & Snow – KEEP OFF”. Well, all’s well that ends well. The views were fantastic.

New Melones Lake and Bridge Panographic

2010-11-08T17:24:00.000-08:00

With the first chilling rains of Fall I figured it was time to do some experimenting with my photos. I'm working with larger format photos and doing "Panographic" landscaping. I hope to get over to Yosemite Valley right after the first snows of winter and taking photos of the Valley using the Panoramic process. Have you ever look up at the sky or an expansive landscape and wish your photos could capture everything you can see with your eyes? Well, that was what I was thinking when I saw this view off Hwy 49 and looking southward to the New Melones Lake and Bridge area on the border between Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties..

Past reflection on Ripon Balloon Festival

2010-09-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

Color the Skies Balloon Festival – Ripon California

Just another early morning rise and shine to catch this shot of the beginning of the Color the Skies Balloon Festival that benefited the Children’s Hospital of Central California. So many thing need to come together to allow my camera to capture the excitement of this event. The skies (must be clean and clear - yet filled with color), the wind (there can’t be any... often these events shut down before they begin due to the winds), and the crowds. As you can tell from this shot, this was one of those moments that just begged to be stopped for people to enjoy for a long time.

Yosemite Skies....

2010-08-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful trip to Yosemite was what the day called for. The call was too strong, so on August 21st my wife and I headed out, bright and early in the morning on what looked like it was going to be a clear and sunny day. As we entered the Valley from the Merced side of Hwy 140 and past El Portal we could tell that this day would not just be what we expected for 92 degrees and the California Central Valley filled with bright sunlight. As the day progressed and we wandered up the Mist Trail toward Vernal Falls (and back again), then over to Mirror Lake, it became more and more apparent that the expected sunshine was fading fast. These are a couple of photo I took from the Valley floor.

One of the things I like most about Yosemite (beside the unbelievable beauty) is its unpredictability. I have been going to the Valley since around 1964 and it is one place I never tire of (the crowds yes… the Valley, never!)

Still Boats on Calm Waters

2010-08-17T15:34:00.001-07:00

"Still Boats on Calm Waters". This is one of the photos I will be showing at the Mistlin Gallery (1015 J Street, Modesto, CA) this coming October 2010. I'm still going through the hundreds of photos I took in Ireland and all those who have view the photos have urged me to print many of the photos and to present them at gallery showings. Well, I'm going to follow their urging.

Irish Spirit - Set 3 ... the beauty that is Ireland

2010-08-04T00:17:00.000-07:00

After two (plus) weeks at the beginning of June 2010 traveling all over Ireland (from Dublin through the North of Ireland, across the top of the world and down the West Coast and back to Dublin, I've put together 3 sets (Irish Spirit) and I hope you take a look at each one as each set tells a different story of the Irish people that I came to know. The Spirit of the Irish people is one of courage, commitment, and sacrifice; it is a spirit that grows stronger each day. These photos can't even begin to tell the story or express the beauty that is Ireland. I hope you enjoy my effort to give you a hint of what I experienced.

IRELAND - Two Nations.... One People

2010-07-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

This is the second set of pictures on the Ireland theme and the musical background quite frankly states the new Ireland that I have come to love. Being of Irish heritage (Moore, Handlon, Moran) part of the reason for my visit was to bring a full circle to my family history trek back to the land of my forefathers. Jeremiah Darby Handlon (Great-great-great-great grandfather)was born in 1765 in Dublin, Ireland and came to America as a very young man (like so many Irish did) with only the clothes on his back and a very few Pounds in his pockets. No member of the family has been back since he left (even though there are hundreds of his descendants in the States). Our family follows the tree back to his marriage to Mary Betsey Young on September 21, 1787(they had three children); and to the year of his birth. I had hopes of tracking the line further, however that was where it stopped. The music is titled "Irelands Call" and I thought the words were appropriate to express (even though still divided) the spirit of the Irish people.

I hope you enjoy Set two of my "Ireland" photos.

IRELAND.... a trip to remember forever

2010-07-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

In between May and July 2010 has been a month of excitement and travel and the opportunity to capture well over 3,000 photos. Beginning in early June and ending at the end of June my wife and I were able to visit Ireland (both the North and the South ) and to spend a couple of weeks weaving in and out of its big cities and tiny villages (mostly the tiny villages).

Dublin (the Guinness tour and The Book of Kell in the old Library at Trinity College were must sees; and for a great a dinner, Gogarty's Pub - great traditional Irish food... and it didn't matter that it rained cats and dogs... that's Ireland. Dun Loughaire (ya have to stop by Walter's for some fish and chips and a Guinness). A short drive up the M5/A2 to Belfast and through Ballystruder to Carrickfergus Castle and then a stop in Londonderry (or for the rest of Ireland just Derry) - Oh, a must see church in Londonderry is St. Augustine's Church - on top of the wall where the Troubles happened (their motto is: "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers "Hebrews Ch.13 V.2" and I can tell you after meeting and talking with a woman greeter there they certainly take that message to heart. The woman was a joy to listen to and she told us of the history of the city, the church, the times of Troubles (she was married at the time when bullets where flying past the front of the church doors)- We could have talked with her for hours, but after our hour visit, we realized we needed to move on to see the rest of the city. We were there when they were about to announce the results of the British inquiry of the shootings in the North. It was then up the Northern Coast to Portrush (a beautiful village at the very top of Ireland. We stayed there a few days and made day trips to Dunluce, Bushmills (and yes, we did the tour... and a wee bit of the taste... a very wee bit). Balleycastle, Causeway Coast, Mourne Mountains and Fermanagh Lakelands, miles of one lane roads on our way to Antrim and Bellymona and so many other towns - a breathtaking experience (not to mention they drive on the left - opposite from the US).

One of my biggest fears is "HEIGHT"... One of my greatest joys is a fantastic view. Both come together at Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (it's a rope suspension bridge near Ballintoy and the bridge links the mainland to the tiny Carrick Island. Bridges usually don't bother me (like the Golden Gate, San Mateo, Brooklyn etc... this one did... 65 feet long and 80 feet above the crashing sea and rocks. Oh, did I mention that it's a wind swept bridge? What fun! (Oh and I walked that rope bridge - one inch at a time...)

On the way past the Giant Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede is the little harbor of Ballintoy. Peaceful little village that, like on the day we were there, you can look out across the sound to Rathlin Island and beyond to Scotland. Well worth the short out of the way wander.

Well, I could go on and on and on about the Irish portion of our trip, however, the theme of my blog is "Photography" and "Looking Through My Eyes". I'd probably best get on with the "Looking" part. This is the first video compilation of our trip and my photo memories. There will be more as I review the over 3,000 (plus) photos I took. There will also be photos from the Normandy and North Eastern area of France, and our little side trip through Belgium. I hope you enjoy these. If you do, your comments are appreciated.

I mixed the Ireland photos around so some are from the North and some from the South... Ireland is so beautiful that for this blog it doesn't matter... it's IRELAND! (BEST VIEW IN NON-FULL SCREEN FORMAT... I used low resolution for posting)

Dragonfly up close and personal

2010-05-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes don’t you just like to get up close to nature and zoom in on the small things in life? Macro photography is just that. Getting a close up view of nature and seeing things just a little bit differently than you normally do. Many years ago (too many to want to count) I remember the fascination I had with the microscope. Small details that the eye doesn’t notice just jump off the screen (or once printed “off the paper”). This dragonfly that I noticed in my back yard is such an example. I’ll have to thank the little critter for staying so perfectly still and long enough for me to capture its image. Once I downloaded the digital image onto my computer, the once unnoticed colors and shapes came into view. The golden browns, the blues, the minute veins in its wings; all the way down to the invisible hairs on its body and legs. Things you would not notice if you just saw it flying bye. I did not even have time to go get my regular camera (Digital SLR), I just had my “carry where-ever I go” point and shoot Sony Cybershot 8.1 mega pixel camera. Just shows you that you can capture very good images with many of the newer simple to use cameras.

Photography is not always about the camera (although quality and great lenses really do help); most of the creative part of photography comes from the person behind the lens. Angle, lighting, focus, patience, and often time’s just plain old luck play a big part in taking good photos. I was fortunate this time to have all those elements. I don’t know if having my Digital SLR and macro-lens would have made a difference with this one photo as time was a factor that I just could not risk. Shoot with what I have, or risk loosing the shot all-together by going for the high end camera. I think I made the best choice.

Amgen Tour 2010 Modesto CA - Team Radio Shack

2010-05-20T01:35:00.000-07:00

Well another year and another fantastic Amgen Tour of California race here in Modesto, California. I had the best spot for seeing the faces of the racers as they slowed to round a corner near Enslen Elementary School. A few sprinkles of rain didn't dampen the crowd. This year I managed to capture Team Radio Shack and Lance Armstrong during Stage Four of the Tour. Unlike past years, the race circled three times giving me (and the hundreds of others who were next to me) the greatest view (short of the finish line) possible. Here are just a few of the photos I took. I hope you enjoy them (and the song by Queen - "I Want to Ride My Bicycle"). It just fits the tone of the race. Makes me "want to ride my bicycle" now also. Just click on the clip, turn up to volume, sit back, and let's go for a ride.

Three Dimensional Illusions

2010-02-22T14:57:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wanted to make photos in 3-D? It's not that difficult and really not that expensive (especially with digital cameras). Sure, you can go out and buy a 3-D camera (like the 10 megapixel FugiFilm 3D camers; or a Holga Sereo Pin-Hold camera (using 120 film); or ever a high priced 3D World Medium Format Stereo Camera (about $1,750), but with just a little effort and your existing camera (preferably digital), you can make some amazing 3-D photos.

The example here was made in less than 10 minutes:

The steps I used are simple... The first thing I did was set up various objects at different distances against a background that was stationary (doing landscape will wake a little more practice to get the effect down, however, most of us will be taking 3-D shots of family and friends (or pets) so I'll save the long distance landscape 3-D how-to for later.

The basics of 3-D photos is to remember that you already have a built in 3-D in your head... Your eyes! When taking 3-D photos, just remember the distance between your eyes. Each eye angle of view is ever so slightly different, so when you take your two photos, you may want to mark the distance between your eyes on a ruler (or paper) and then take your first photo shot at the distance of your left eye, and the second photo at the distance of your right eye. Focus your center of the photos at the same spot on both photos (as in the case of my sample, I used the center candle as my focus and then just took both shots focusing on the same spot on the candle. Then keeping my head stationary, I shifted the camera from one eye to the other (you could use the same eye to shoot, but just remember to only move your head the same distance as the space between the center of your two eyes.

Technically the name of the difference in the space and angle is called "parallax" which just means that the object being photographed (or the objects nearest the camera) change their relative position as it relates to the subject in comparison to the other background objects in the photos (just like your eyes do). You can see the difference even without a camera just be looking at something close to you and switching between your left and right eye... you'll notice the object furthest from you doesn't change that much (the background) while the subject you're focusing on does (by approximately the width between your eyes). When taking your photos, be sure to keep the objects parallel to your eyes to get the 3-D effect.

After you've taken your two photos, you can either print them and tape them together (no boarders if possible), or put them side by side (both equal sizes) and then focus on the center of the photo (I put a red dot on the sample). Adjust the photo closer or further away until both photos become one (if you cross your eyes the photos will merge into three photos... the center photo that appears will be a compilation of the two original photos and that compilation will be a 3-D image). If you have a pair of 3-D glasses (Polarized like the kind that were used when viewing the movie Avatar) and you have a program such as PhotoShop CS series, go into Layers and superimpose one photo layer on top of the other photo, then put on the glasses to get a cool 3-D effect... (I know, too much work!) There are mirrored devices that can be purchased that will merge the two photos together (like the "Multipurpose Pokescope Viewer", the "Loreo 3 D Pixi Viewer" (which is really cheap), or an "Adjustable Stereo Wide Viewer" side-by-side BIG print viewer like the "SS-1" - (all these can be found at 3Stereo.com - "http://www.3dstereo.com/viewmaster/3dl.html" and "http://www.3dstereo.com/viewmaster/sv.html" (and a dozen or more sites by typing in 3-D cameras or 3-d viewers)...
(changing the colors heightens the 3-D effect)

With very little practice you can learn how to see the 3-D photo without the aid of a viewer or special devices... just remember to put the two photos at a distance (all depending on the size you made of your photos - the bigger they are, the further away they will need to be - however the better the effect will be with bigger prints) where you can move forward or back to have the two photos merge without straining your eyes. A good way to start is stand close to the photos and move either the photos away from you (or you move away from the photos) until they merge into one picture (focus in the center)... Remember also that three pictures will "ALWAYS" be seen when the proper distance is met. The picture in the center is the 3-D photo. You'll be amazed how much more detail you'll see in the center photo verses the single photos to the right or to the left of the center 3-D photo. Colors will be brighter and the depth-of-field will pop! This all happens because each eye picks out the information presented in the photo on that side of the eye... When the two pictures meld together, each eye is picking up the information in the photo on its side and your brain creates the 3-D image. Cool - isn't it! As a bonus, while looking at the center picture, move your head from left to right and back again (just sway back and forth). What you will experience is the illusion that you are actually moving around the objects.

One of the biggest problems with doing all this without the viewers is that your eyes fatigue quickly and you can't just talk long looks at the photos (hint... spend a few dollars and get a viewer)... I have an antique Stereoscope viewer and I made photos that fit in the viewer... that takes a little getting use to and experimenting putting larger photos in a 3 inch by 7 inch landscape format. The one thing I discovered with landscape photos is that to get the same effect as close up 3-D photos is that the distance between your two photos is in comparison to the distance of the object (the further the object is away from you, the wider the two shots have to be taken: (example... if I'm 50 feet away frojm a tree that I want to photograph in 3-D, I have to shoot several feet apart focusing on the same spot in both photos. You just have to experiment on that (which I'll hopefully write on soon).
(adding an object in on photo also intensifies the 3-D illusion)

Well, as I've said so often before, with photography you just need to look at things differently and experiment with your camera. Half the fun is trying new and different things that give your different perspectives and effects. That's what makes it fun!

Experiments….

2009-12-27T21:18:00.000-08:00

It's always fun to experiment with different lighting. On Christmas night I was having dinner at my son's home and he has this huge tree in the middle of a very large field. Using a thee million candlepower spotlight and painting the tree with light in the darkness created this scene. It's always fun to try something new. You never know how it's going to turn out until you try it.

Modesto is BEAUTIFUL at night during Christmas...

2009-12-18T22:09:00.000-08:00

Here it is Friday night - December 18, 2009 and I just could not resist the lights of Christmas in Modesto. I started off just driving around and looking at the lights. My first stop was the McHenry Mansion and took this shot:

You can't help but view The Modesto Bee Newsboy and his dog from across the street"

Just around the corner and down the block across from where 10th Street meets K St. I spotted a beautiful display of lights by the Double Tree Hotel.

And where there a lights in the trees, you just have to have the old style street lights decorated too.

If you haven't had the opportunity to view the lights of Modesto... get out soon while they are still aglow.

On Satruday night (December 19, 2009) the McHenry Mansion had an open-house. The best open-house I've ever been toat the Mansion. It was billed as: "Christmas Candlelight Tours".
The docents were dressed in period garb and the lights were dimmed to reflect the late 1890's to early 1900's. Every aspect of the tour was great... I hope they have it again every year. FANTASTIC!!!!

(I wish they would have had a one half hour period before they opened when photo buffs could go in and take photos (with flash)... No flash was allowed and t was impossible to use a tripod... so, with the dimly lit period lighting, it was very difficult to get a well lit shot (even with high ISO)...

MAYBE NEXT YEAR?

Christmas Greeting

2009-12-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

My 2009 Christmas Greeting to all those who have taken the time to view my photos and links. I want you all to know that I do appreciate you and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Joy-filled New Year. God Bless you.

Saint James Episcopal Church at 42 Snell Street, Sonora, California is the most Christmas beautiful church I have ever seen. Driving up to the church just says... Merry Christmas. A must see when ever you are in the area.

End of October 2009

2009-10-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

Just couldn't resist... October is almost over and I just had to get out and have one more shoot before Halloween. This time I was going to head back to the Sonora/Twain Harte area.... after passing Knights Ferry on Hwy 120, and just before reaching Jamestown (California), I guess I got a little distracted.... There it was, the turnoff for Chinese Camp and the Hwy 120/49 southern route. Next thing I knew, there I was having a hot cup of coffee in Bucks Meadow. By that point I figured "Why not? I'm almost there!".... So off I went, further south and on to ... yes, you guessed it... YOSEMITE.

Considering I was just out for a drive looking for more Fall color, and after checking the Yosemite web site (don't ever trust a web site that tells you there is not color: "The trees are all evergreens.") I had decided not to go to Yosemite, however something was just pulling me to the Valley floor. Am I ever glad I let the moment drag me along. Here are some of the views that greeted me on this very lazy Thursday. Next time you have that voice in the back of your mind say... (well, at least when it comes to photography) "Oh, what the heck, just go!" Well, "JUST GO"....

(I'll be adding more images over the next few days)...

More images from Plumas County area....

2009-10-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to wonder if God is giving me a sneak peek at what Heaven will look like. Every season I am discovering new and magnificant views, and with each changing season I'm seeing this beautiful Earth in greater detail. Photography (even though I have been shooting images for over fourty years) really does cause (force) me to look at my souroundings in a different light.

Here are some more images I captured this past month in the Quincy/Plumas County area.

I say this with each passing season, however true, there is so much to shoot and so little time to catch it at its peak. The days I was able to visit must have been the most perfect for this season. The week before here in Northern California we had heavy rains and high winds. The winds this week (today) are again high (with gusts up to 40-45 miles per hour). The days I was in Plumas County were perfect. The air was calm, the skies clear and bright, and the color.... WOW! Such color!...

(An old barn on Bucks Lake Road outside of Quincy, CA.)

Meadow near the Middle Fork of the Feather River near Gaeagle, Califonia (end of October 2009)

A quick catch-up after a long busy Summer 09

2009-10-26T12:55:00.001-07:00

(View near Clio, California off Hwy 89 in Plumas County)......

WOW! Is it the end of October already? Where did the time go! Well, for me it's been a very busy summer and early fall 2009. Beside having taken more trips to the ocean and the Sierra Mountains, I've been trying to get my " imagesbywilliammoore.smugmug.com " photo web site up and running and adding some of my most recent images into that sight.

(Yes the rock jump with color near the Sardine Lake Road - Sardine Lake, California)

This past week I spent a few days in the Quincy, California (Tahoe National Forest) area. Yes, it's that time of the year again.... FALL COLOR! The Quincy/Plumas County area of the Sierra Mountains is one of the most colorful and spectacular viewing areas in Northern California. Over the next couple of weeks I hope to be adding dozens of photographs to both this site and the "images" site.

(You don't have to go far off the beaten path to capture some of natural beauty of Northern California - this photo was taken just to the east of Lower Sarine Lake... The utility company was nice enough to clear a path through the forest for low growing and very colorful plants to thrive and display their color.)

(After returning from the Quincy area I still had the bug for fall color so I took a quick treck up to Twain Heart, California (just east of Sonora)... Several miles up a gravel road (Middle Camp Raod - Longway Rd. just past Phoenix Lake Rd. to be exact).... I took this photo. Being that I'm never totally satisfied with just taking an image (like this one)

I often times will convert the photo image to an oil paint image. On canvas these photo conversions look as if I had spent hours painting the canvas from the photograph. You can see every curve and brush stroke.

In case you hadn't seen my other photo site, hopefully these photos will inspire you to take a look. It's time to get back to taking pictures. I hope you drop in from time to time as I add more photos for you to enjoy. If you get the chance to get up into the hills, this is the best time of year for capturing the splendor of Mother Nature.

Too many photos ----- Too little time.

2009-07-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

(Bodie - Before the Storm).... (Note: just click on the photos for a larger view)
For the past month (or more) I have been in one of those great dilemmas for a person who loves to take phots. Too many photo opportunities and so little time to process them. Over this (what seems like a very short summer), it has been "go ~ go ~ go!". A few days shooting from just south of Morro Bay up to Monterey. Then a few more days from Monterey to Half Moon Bay. A quick week trip to Lake Tahoe and Virginia City (Nevada). Not even back a week or so and then a Highway 1 trip from Bodega Bay to Fort Bragg and more fantastic views of the Pacific Coast (sunny days all - which the locals say never happens in a row). And then, this past week it was off with some photo friends for a few days at Tioga Pass near Yosemite, Mono Lake (and the amazingly beautiful "Tufa" that spring out of the lake); the ghost town of Bodie and back over Sonora Pass and the rugged beauty of the high Sierras.

"Bodie in Decay"(Bodie School)

Well, as I said, too many photos and no time to process them. These pictures are just a tease of some of the shots (and at last count for the past six weeks the count is over 3,000 of them) I have been fortunate to capture.
(Tufa on Mono Lake - Light Painting) (Point Arena Lighthouse) (Friends at Glass Beach - Fort Bragg, Calif.)
(Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, Mendocino, California)

Over the next few months I'll be posting more of this summers shots. Right now I'm working on several for the Modesto Photographers Collective's showing at the Mistlin Gallery (this will be the gallery's final show after many years of presenting local artists in the Modesto area). Hope you enjoy this tease. Just a view "Looking throught my eyes..."...

Lake Tahoe and Virginia City - opposites attract!

2009-06-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

It's funny (as in peculiar) how you can go weeks (and months sometimes) and kind of feel uninspired (photo wise), then go in spurts where you just can not get enough time behind the lens. The family (all the kids and grand-children) just returned from a week at South Lake Tahoe (and day trips around the lake and into Nevada (around Virginia City). The weather was cool at the lake and the skies (especially the sunsets like this one) were beautiful.

(South Shore sunset)

Those all allusive bellowing clouds that are so few and far between here in the Central Valley were in abundance in the Sierra range. Sunsets were spectacular and the views from the mountains around the lake were breathtaking.

(Still snow capped peaks in late June)

I shot until I could shoot no more (actually, I shot until my wife told me we needed to go)... I shot hundreds upon hundreds of photos (these are just a very small sample). Everthing just seemed to shoult: "Over here! Shoot there! Look here!".

I did and these are some of what I saw. I probably have at least a months worth of work to catch up on not that I'm back home and slowing down (it's near 108 degrees here today so this is a good time to just stay indoors and do a little work getting some of my photos ready to post on this blog.

(Beauty even after the fires)

(The water really is Emerald Green).

(At every turn there is a suprise)...

(Shooting in black and white and using different colored filters gives you great effects)

(Virginia City, Nevada) Boot Hill - history all around)

(Old saloons and bars dot main street Virginia City)

((Not to mention all the candies you can haul away in a truck)

Back to the lake and some of the other two legged critters I attracted with my camera.

I hope you enjoy viewing the photos as much as I did taking them. Living in this part of California is really great. Just a couple of hours (if that) to the vast Pacific Ocean; a couple of hours to Yosemite Valley, San Francisco, the gold mining country, the rivers and lakes (just out of town), the wine country, and the coastal range mountains.

There is just so much to see and so much beauty all around. It's difficult sometimes to decide which way to go. I know.... life is rough! I feel very blessed to live where I do and to have the choices I have to be creative.

(Until next time)......

May and June 2009 ~ Very busy months

2009-06-29T15:53:00.001-07:00

(Faces in the rock - Natural Bridges State Beach)

(The three sisters)

(Pigeon Point Lighthouse)

Where did the time go? It's been a very busy month and a half since my last posting in early May. I took a few days away from Valley life and went along the Pacific Coast (from just south of Morro Bay up past Monterey and a short stop at the mission at San Luis Rey (that was May 20th through 22nd). I guess I needed to get back to the coast as it was starting to warm up in the Central Valley of California. Just a couple of weeks later I was back again, this second trip started just south of Santa Cruz and meandered up past Half Mood Bay along Hwy. 1. Just a couple of days. Beautiful weather and great views!

(Natural Bridges State Park - Santa Cruz)

(Morrow Bay Rock)

(Natural Bridges)

(Just another stop along Hwy 1 north of Morro Bay)

(Beach head)

(Fox tacks in the sand)

(Elephant Seal Beach)

(Warm glow at a cold sunset)

Is it the East Coast or the West Coast?

Black and White photos can be interesting and bring a different perspective.

(Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk June 2009.... looks like the 1940's)...

(Small boats along the Monterey Bay pier)

(Under the Boardwalk near the cement ship)

Well, rather than just ramble on; here are some of my photos... I hope you enjoy.

Also look at the next post of the Lake Tahoe and Virginia City, Nevada area)....

IS IT "STILL LIFE"..............

2009-05-08T01:04:00.001-07:00

As the picture stated.... you don't take still photos, at least not
in the conventional meaning of photography. Being able to create
still life photos is having the ability to - yes; first of all be able to
take a photo; however, it's also an art form all by itself. It's a very
demanding art form where the person taking the photo is also
expected to look at the inanimate subject matter and form
the final photograph based on the photographers sense of lighting,
compositional skills, and the relationships with the objects to each other.

You don't take still life; you make it and then allow the camera
to capture the photograph. It's more than just taking a snap
shot of what has already been created, it's the full expression of
the photographer and their view of what they see and feel
while taking the still life. It's much like the painter or composer,
only this time with the use of a camera (digital in this case).
You're only restricted by your own mind and the limits you
place upon yourself.

With a change in light and filter, a silver serving set suddenly
becomes pitchers and goblets of gold... fit for a king.

Wooden strings and tarnished horns become old or new
with just the right lighting.

You control the form, the light, the tone, the mood.

Christmas ornaments transform any season.....

You can even change your still life photo into a still life

work of art....

Something plain and simple can catch the eye and create

the illusion of something unique and different.

Adding a cloth can make the simple - eligant.

And it can make something new seem old and as if were

painted by the Masters.

Background change the mood... and you have control...

It's all up to what you'll let your creativity try....

Still life photography can be simple or very complex. Your

choice! It's fun - try it...

More Pics from Washington D.C. (Part 2)....

2009-04-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

(Photo: Congress opens it's doors to the public)
In the first part of my photoblog of Washington D.C., you probably noticed that there were very few people in the pictures. Most of the photos I take have few people in them. For some reason, when you take a photo with people in it, immediately the photo becomes dated. Clothing, hair, accessory styles change, however, usually the basic subject matter changes little over the years. Here are a few of the pictures I shot where it was impossible not to have people in the picture. I try to either keep the distance or find a way to obscure the faces so they are not recognizable. After taking a photojournalism class by a well known photojournalist (Al Golub ~ retired former head photojournalist for the Modesto Bee newspaper) I find it easier not to have people indentified without their permission. Well, anyway, here are some additional pics:
There were thousands of young children and older youth on the Mall in front of the Capitol for a chroal group singing contest. These tents in the background were where the groups warmed up and got ready to go on stage to be judged. Along with the main stage, there were an additional ten or so large tents to accomodate the singers. You could tell who the competitors were as they all wore red tee-shirts with the organizations name on them (sorry, I didn't write the name down).... From what I had heard, these groups had compeated to get to this Washington D.C. event... great sounds.
While walking the underground passage from the Longworth Congressional Office Building to the Capitol, I passed by a gallery of art. I was told the art work was from across the Nation and was the result of the 2008 Congressional Art Contest. My Congressional Aide host pointed out the works of a local high school artist (local to the 18th Congressional District which is represented by Congressman Dennis Cardoza)… The artist name is Mercedes Martinez and is titled “Stanislaus Live in Color”. (Here is a link to all of the California winners for 2008:
http://www.publicgov.org/art2008/gallery.php?File=California.xml - this photo is listed as "CA18".). I can tell you that because of the multiple lightings, it was difficult to capture this pictures beauty. Ms. Martinez did a great job representing the Stanislaus County area.

This last picture just had to bring me back to my roots... back to where the view is the subject. This shot is the view I had outside my hotel window looking West over Thomas Circle in Washington. In a later posting I will show this scene in the daylight with color and a night view. One location had dozens of views (rain soaked streets with shimmering light, cloudy skies, bright sunlight... morning glow or evening ambers, if you didn't like the shot, you only had to wait a short time for the picture to change.

That's it for this posting.

A WEEK IN WASHINGTON D.C.

2009-04-26T00:42:00.000-07:00

During the week of April 15 through 19th, I had the opportunity to go to Washington D.C... The following were some of the photos I took while in Washington. Over the next week or so I will be posting more photos of some of the sights I visited while at the U.S. Capitol. These photos were taken in the usual lighting of Washington. If I didn’t like the lighting I only had to wait a few hours and I could go from dark, heavy rain soaked days (and nights) to bright (almost too bright) days where the rays of the sun bounced off the many marbled and glass buildings and monuments which made the contrasts in the photos different from what I usually take. New experiences with each shot. That's a lot of what I like in photography... no two photos are alike.

I was very fortunate to have been provided a tour through the office of my local Congressman (Dennis Cardoza) on my very first day in the Capitol. In several of the photos I’ll be presenting, you’ll notice that there are some locations you’ll see only with a pass and guide from an assistant to Members of Congress. I was very fortunate have been assisted by a very bright staff assistant to Congressman Cardoza. So, rather than bore you with the details of how I got from point "A" to point "B", I’ll just post some of the over 900 photos I took during my stay. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did taking them.

Over the next few days I'll be adding more to this section of photos and then there will be a section for Mount Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery, and other sights within Washington, D.C. Thanks for joining me on this photo trip and please feel free to comment or make suggestions.

During my trip I would have to say that Arlington National Cemetery was the most beautiful and restful place of all the places I've visited. There were several thousand people on the grounds at Arlington, yet it was peaceful and quiet. The beauty of the cemetery was only eclipsed by the respect the visitors showed those who are buried there. This was my first visit; it will not be my last. The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was more than I had expected. Each step of the twenty-one steps that were taken by the military person on guard could be heard, and every movement made ~ you could tell was being made with purpose and honor. Those who serve should be proud of the heritage of their actions. Arlingon is a great reminder of what sacrifice really is. If you can't get to Arlington, make a point of visiting one of the many National Cemetery locations.

Between the garden and the camera lens…

2009-03-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

Between working in the garden and taking time out for

photography, Spring is really a busy time of the year for me.

Having a perennial English garden to look after and having a

hobby like photography, is really a double blessing. I am

allowed to grow many of my own subjects.

In this posting I'm just going to share some of the many

varieties of plants I am able to grow in my part of the country.

Over the years I've traveled extensively and seen many

beautiful gardens and fantastically beautiful plants. I've

brought some of the plants into my own little corner of the

world and have been able to adapt many that I was told

would not grow in the heat of the Central Valley of California

(the climate I live with for four to six months of the year).

After all the hard work in the yard, comes the fun part… sharing. In the years since I first moved here (1971), there have been many redevelopments in the garden. Today, through photography, I’m able to capture many of the changes and share them with others. I hope you enjoy what I am able to view every day and you get as much pleasure out of the pictures as I do with the actual plants.

As the year goes forward, I'll be posting more and more pictures of the garden... It has a habit of changing throughout the year... so each posting will be just a little bit different. It changes constantly between the garden and the camera lens...

And yes.... "Memories are the Sweetest Flowers in the Garden".....

TIME LAPS (INTERVAL SHOOTING)

2009-03-19T19:51:00.001-07:00

What a great time to live in the Central Valley of California. We are right at the beginning of that time of year when thousands of varieties of flowers are breaking open from their buds and giving us the greats show on Earth.

This is also a great time to experiment with your camera. If you have a DSLR camera, take a look in your Operating Manual for ideas on what you can do with your camera and then just go out and practice. Just today I ran across a section titled "Interval Shooting".... in the old day of video that would have been called "Time Laps Photography". I didn't know that a DSLR had that capability. Well, it seems some do. I set my camera on a tripod, set all the functions, adjusted the lens and meter readings and then set up about two hours of automatic shots set about 8 minutes apart. The result is this short video. This is not a digital video, it is a series of actual photos placed into a movie maker format with music added. Just one more fun thing to do with the camera. I can't wait to go to the ocean and try this on some sunset shots....

As I said, open the Operation Manual... you will be surprised just what your camera can do.

INSPIRATION ~ TAKES YOU WHERE YOU FIND IT...

2009-03-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

Inspiration comes from many sources. In our local newspaper (The Modesto Bee) on Thursday, March 12, 2009, a local “Community” columnist by the name of Yvonne Holt wrote an article titled: “Poppies paint the hills with vibrant springtime color”. The Bee in a promo on the front page of the “Local News” section had a photo titled “Sea of Orange”. As I’ve often said: “Take inspiration where you can”, and I often follow my own advice.

The article came out on March 12th and bright and early March 13th (and it was a Friday), off I went on a drive to where the article spoke. I’ve driven this route many times and had seen the wildflowers of the Central-Western side of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. It had been a long time since the last time I saw (as Yvonne Holt wrote: “a phenomenal sight along the Merced River Canyon”) where the poppies covered the hills in full bloom.
Never wanting to let an opportunity go by to take a photo or two (and in this case I ended up taking about 500 photographs in the four hours I was in the Merced River Canyon east of Mariposa, California on Highway 140 (stopping just before going up to the Yosemite National Park entrance). An interesting side note to the Merced River that I did not know prior to this recent outing is how the Merced River got its name. In 1806, a Lieutenant Gabriel Moraga (yes, the same person the city of Moraga near Oakland is named after) was at the end of a forty mile march when he and his exhausted thirsty men came upon the river and in gratitude he called the river “El Rio Nuestra Senora de la Merced” or “The River of Our Lady of Mercy”.

Well, rather than bore you with all the details of the trip, I’m just going to post some of the pictures I took. These were taken with a Pentax K20D with various focal lengths starting with 24mm all the way up to 600mm. F-stops from 1.4 to 8, and because I like to experiment with different filters, I used everything from Polarization filters, Neutral Density filters, warming filters, and a variety of other filters I carry in my bag. I also had my ISO settings all over the board: 100, 200, all the way up to 800 just to see the affect it had on the photos (experimenting really helps me learn because then I can adjust what I think would be good for a shot, to what actually is good in the shot). From time to time I even doubled up on filters using a Polarization filter with a Neutral Density 2+ the 4+ filter (just to see what adding exposure time to a photo – which does require the use of the old tripod - would look like)… I took some of these shots as slow as 1/30 of a second to as fast as 1/250 of a second. I encourage everyone to do this every once and awhile just to remind themselves what they have in their bag and what changes it makes in your photos.

The only thing missing from these photos were the clouds I love… Using the Neutral Density and Polarization filters allowed me to capture deep blue skies. I guess if you can’t have big puffy clouds in your pictures, the next best thing is to have deep blue skies. Well, I hope you enjoy the photos.

(I often carry poster boards with different colors and place them behind objects that I shoot for a contrasting view. This is a matte black board to highlight the poppies. Try it, it's fun, it's different, and every once and awhile, you'll see something when all the background is gone.)

If you know of any good areas (areas of interest) for a photoshoot, please let me know in the comments section of this blog. I'm always looking for new "Inspiration" and really appreciate ideas. I specifically am interested in Northern California from Fresno to the Oregon boarder. Hope my photos gave you some inspiration to go out and take photos.

Winter turns to......

2009-02-27T17:27:00.000-08:00

There is just something spectacular about the first blossoms of spring. Well, it’s not quite spring yet, however the almond blossoms in my neck of the woods have started to bloom and the weather today was calling me out to enjoy the sun and the views.

My youngest daughter (who is a very accomplished photographer) and I just took off for a five hour ride into the countryside. Through the valley and the rolling hills, past the still barren grape vines and old gnarly walnut orchards, and finally up over a rise until we came upon what can only be described as a sea of pink and white. It’s almond blossom time and it was just what I needed to get the camera out and ready to go take pictures.

Recently I had been reading up on various filters that photographers use to create these special shots. One (and one which so many photo enthusiasts forget about when creating a photo bag) is the “Neutral Density” filter. As with so many filters, there are so many grades and sizes (differing in as many ways as there are different lens a photographer can use). I had to pick one to experiment with so I picked a mid-range ND 4X (each “X” reduces the f-stop on your lens so less light comes through the lens allowing for a longer exposure time and a different effect in the photo. It’s too long to explain here, but trust me… if you’re using a DSLR, you should look into getting at least one Neutral Density filter for your camera… pick the lens you use the most).

Here are just a couple of shots I took today. Over the next couple of weeks the intensity of the blossoms will only grow larger as more blooms burst open. I’ll add a comparison photo later so you can see the difference. Today was a very bright sunny day with only a few wispy thin clouds. Next time I hope to have those thunder-heads that I like to photograph in the picture to bring more interest and form. Spring is a great time to get out and start shooting.

The first photo was facing north by north west. I was using a Pentax 28-105 mm telephoto lens and shot at 1/30 sec at f 4.5 at 68mm (that's 102mm at 35mm film). I did use flash, spot meter,auto exposure, and an ISO at 100. I used my new Neutral Density filter 4X, along with a UV(O) filter and a Circular Polarization filter (PL-CIR). Considering the density of the lens and the polorization filter, I really had to shoot at a longer time length even though it was a very bright sunny day. (It would have been easier if the wind had cooperated... however, the shot came out well in spite of the movement.

The second shot (of the almond orchard) was facing south (this was about 9 a.m.) and into the direction of the sun. Again I had all the filters on the camera. Facing the sun did make the shot a little more challanging. I shot again at 1/30 of a second (do to the filters), and at f 6.7. Auto mode, ISO 100. The lens was wide open at 28mm (42mm for those familiar with 35mm film). No flash this time as it would have taken a lot of flash to compensate for the back lighting of the sun (LOL)... Spot metering is the only way to go with that many filters. It was fun trying out new equipment and trying to get different effects. After I got home I was able to take the orchard photo and expariment with PhotoShop and this was the result... Ah, so much to shoot, so little time to play.

The Amgen Tour in Modesto, California

2009-02-17T17:05:00.000-08:00

This post is just a little off my usual photos... The reason? The Amgen Tour of California just finished in Modesto, California (February 17, 2009 a little after 4 P.M.) and I just wanted to share the moment with others. I was on the East side of Sycamore Ave. at Coldwell (just down from Enslen School). The race circled in front of the school twice. The first time throught I took still shots, however, for the final sprint to the finish in Downtown Modesto, I decided to take short segments of video. These biker were within inches of where I stood on the turn and when they emerged in mass - well, just click on the video and see what I mean. Even with the heavy rains we've been having this was well worth being wet. The streets were lined with thousands of spectators.... Enjoy.

Here is one of the many still shots I took.

A quick look back to the dark ages of my digital photography...

2009-02-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

Recently I’ve been thinking about going back and looking at some of the photos I took when I first started working with digital. My first digital camera was an Olympus Camedia C-4000 (4.0 Megapixel) point and shoot. It didn’t have many whistles or buttons (nothing like the DSLR that I currently use. It only had 3X optical zoom and the lens was an AF zoom 19.5-65 mm lens. It was fun going back over the photos I took (all the way back to 2004…. seems like a lifetime ago in camera innovation years). Even with only 4.0 Megapixels there were many photos that even by my standards today are very enjoyable to look at. Here are two that I took in July 2004 while on a vacation in England and Paris, France.

The first photo is a picture I took at Stonehenge. I put it in Photoshop and using a filter/plug in tool called PhotoTools (Pro-Edition) I converted what was a normal color picture into an infra-red photo, and using a layers filter I brought back the color of the stones from the original photo into the infra-red photo. Then in the crop tool I converted the photo into a “two to one” ratio photo (15 inches by 30 inches). It looks eerie with the conversion. I’ve included the original untouched photo and the conversion. As I’ve said in other photo posts, some time you should never throw away a photo just because it was taken on a low resolution camera. With all the new photographic programs and plug-in filters that are coming out, you never know when you may be able to turn an old ordinary photo into something useful in the future.

The second photo was taken at night at the base of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I was waiting in line to go to the top (height – not one of my favorite things). Even at that early stage of digital photography I was constantly looking around and trying to imagine what a specific photo might look like. Most people take photos (like the one attached) of the full Eiffel Tower and just leave it at that. I planted myself directly under the tower and directed my view directly upward. No fancy programs (PhotoShop/Light Room2 or any of the other programs), just a direct photo. I liked it then and I still like pulling out the CD I saved it on and look at it every once an awhile. Nothing fancy, but something enjoyable for me. I guess that goes along with why I take photos… the remembrance of people and places I’ve been.

The only photos I regret are those not taken... then wishing I had.

Another view of the South of France in Winter

2009-02-08T20:10:00.000-08:00

Please, please, please.... excuse my multiple flicks (slide shows) of Southern France (Arles to Lyon). There are just so many photos that I took that if I were to have a separate post for each, this post site would run out of memory before I ran out of pictures. So, rather than just post my pictures, I thought you'd enjoy watching while listening to some French music. The first song is by Charles Aznavour (Reste); and the second is one of my most favorite French female singer - Edith Piaff (Sous le ciel de Paris). I hope you enjoy not just the photos, but the music as well.

A View From The Top

2009-01-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

The village of Vivier Sur Rhone ("Vivier" for short) has so many beautiful vistas and scenes. Every turn of the corner brings on another breath taking view. At the top of a hill overlooking the "new town" stands the "old town" and a very old church and yard. From the stone wall surrounding the church you look down and across the old section of the city. This is a photo I took on December 30, 2008 at about 3:45 p.m.. I'm still using the point and shoot camera with the ISO set at 100 (with the overcast and mist below, it was best to use this lower setting with a longer time exposure (1/30 of a second with a maximum aperture value of F3.3). The main focus was on the town in the foreground so the hills in the background just drifted off.

A Path To Nowhere - Viviers Sur Rhone, France

2009-01-30T10:51:00.001-08:00

Every once and awhile you'll take a photo that you really don't expect to have unexpected nuances. Where what you thought you saw was more than what you really saw. For me, this was such a picture. While on a recent trip to Southern France (Viviers Sur Rhone) I turned a corner in this very old, very beautiful French town (only about 7,000 in population, but over 2,000 years of history) and there it was, the"Allee Du Rhone" (Alley of Rhone)....

It had been very cold and rainy that day (December 30, 2008) and the sky was very overcast and gloomy. The streets were wet and pooled with icy water. Because I chose not to bring my DSLR on this trip, I only had my trusty point and shoot (Sony Cyber-shot DCSW150 (8.1 Mega Pixel camera). It didn't seem to matter though. I took this photo at 1/100 of a second using an ISO setting of 100. Because point and shoot camera lens are very different than DSLR lens, the setting was F3 with a focal lengthe of 3 (which would be somewhere in the 50 mm range of a DSLR. No additional contrast or satruation were set (Landscape - Auto Exposure)... As I said, just a simple point and shoot. Although I prefer to shoot with my DSLR, I'm not that much of a photography purest when it comes to which camera I use. Which ever is more convienent and less cumbersom is my choice for the shoot.

The reason I say this photograph has unexpected nuances is because the longer I looked at it the more drawn into it I became. Little odd things started to appear that I had not noticed when I was physically on this little tree lined alley that lead from the Rhone River to the center of the town. The longer I gazed the photo actually had my mind mentally turning the picture and giving the photo a different look and feel. The photo above is actually a flipped version of the original photo (which I posted below)...

I don't know, maybe the original says it's not that dark of a day and it was only the standing water that made the trees dark. The flipped version really reflected more of how the day looked and felt. No matter what direction the photo is in, the feelings I experience change with each shift in position. What ever is going on, it's photos like this that cause me to see the world differently than if I was just walking along and not observing changes around me. Years ago this would just have been another street; today, it's a story.

A Taste of Southern France December 2008-January 2009

2009-01-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

(~Vacation with a camera ~)

These photos were taken with a simple point and shoot (I really didn't want to carry a heavier DSLR with me... so much to see and so little time to shoot). I took over 1,600 photos on this 9 day trip (two in the air) and I wish the skies were as blue (and cloud filled) as some for these photos. Most of the time it was very overcast and rainy... it's amazing what a small point and shoot can do given the ever changing weather conditions. I still prefer the DSLR when it comes to quality, however, the point and shoots are quick, versatile, and just very convenient. Some I've printed on 13 x17 high gloss photopaper with very good results even at 8.1 mega pixels.

Wolf At The Front Door

2009-01-05T16:14:00.001-08:00

Here is a recent photo I took while in Southern France (Arles). This wolf like dog was sitting at the front door of a large church in the center of Arles. The locals said it is a beggar's dog and that the dog will lay in this doorway until his owner comes to the spot to beg. I observed this dog for close to 20 minutes and it did not move from this spot. Later that morning (December 28, 2008 at 11:59 a.m. - a Sunday) the beggar was in that spot and I saw this dog going toward an alley near some older ruins. While on vacation I chose not to take my larger DSLR with me (to much equipment to haul and just too heavy to move). I shot this with a Sony Cybershot DSC-W150. The exposure was at 1/125 of a second at F4.5 (ISO speed was 125). Focal length was 18.7mm. This camera (a point and shoot) is an 8.1 mega pixel camera... fit in my shirt pocket and enabled me to shoot with ease and without having to lug around various lenses. I saw several other photographers who were using their DSLR cameras, and when we compared pictures, I'd say about 90% of the time, this little point and shoot held its own.

If you look closely, you will be able to see the doorway at the church in Arles. The arrow points to the location of the dog. There was a film being shot in the square that day and you can see the lighting equipment that was set up.

Bodie Ghost Car

2008-12-23T22:26:00.000-08:00

Black and white photography can give you a different perspective on life and how we view it. It can be stark and ominous, or it can (even in its opposite light forms) be warm and inviting. Bodie, California affords you more than a days worth of shots. This shoot can be done in a day; however it will take more than day to get in a days worth of discovery and memories. Get their as early in the morning as you can (may want to come up the day before and spend the night in Bridgeport). Winter is rather a tough time to visit this old California ghost town (someday I’d like to try that), but I find the spring and fall to be the most hospitable times to visit. Summer can be hot and windy.

This old car was a subject I spent some time with; first in color, then in black and white. The color was nice; however, when I started converting over to black and white, I saw a different side of this car I had not expected to see. Because of the various shades in the photo I imagined it was alive and waiting to be taken for a ride. Here you can see the dim lights of its low beam begging to light the way out of this old forgotten town. All this happened on September 12, 2007 (about 11:12 A.M.). This was a hot and dry day without a cloud in the sky.

Bodie is a small state park on the eastern side of the Sierra Mountains. It’s just north of Lee Vining (near Mono Lake) and south of Bridgeport, California on Hwy. 395. It’s not on the main highway, so you have to look for the turnoff or you’ll miss this great experience. There is a small (dirt type road that the State of California has named State Route 270) that takes you from Hwy. 395 to the town of Bodie (Bodie State Historic Park)… There are several old cars near the cross section of Union Street and Park Street. Don’t worry about missing them; if you’re in Bodie you can’t miss them.

Well, I shot this picture with my Pentax K10D with an ISO speed rate of 200. I shot at 1/350 second with the F-stop at 9.5. Lens focal length was 73mm (from about 25 feet away) – that a focal length in 35mm film of 109mm. I had the sun almost directly over my back and I used a polarizing filter to get the sky to darken a little (it was almost powder blue and very flat without it).

------Car as first shot.

Car as art..................

Monterey Bay Boats ~ Photo to Art Work

2008-12-22T22:09:00.000-08:00

One of the projects I enjoy doing is converting a simple picture into a work of art. Several months back I took a class that told me that there is more to photography than just printing a good photo. One of the techniques I learned was how to take a photo and by using various programs, I could change what was once a picture (a photograph) into a work of art. Over the months I have converted several photos into art work, even adding matt and gloss gel medium to the top of the photo conversion using a small artist brush and layering the gel medium over the photo using the brush stokes created on the photo. The end result to this process (especially if I print the photo on canvas paper) is something that looks and has the feel of a hand painted piece of art. The gel goes on white and dries clear with a look that mimics a painter’s pallet stroke. There are additional techniques I can use to give the finished product a crackled look (as if it were very old).

Here are some examples of the steps I use to create the finished product. There is a video of the transformation at the end of this photo post.

The first step, and one of the most important parts, is the actual taking of the photo (you have to start off with a good subject and photo to get the desired finished art look). I took this photo of twin sail boats that were docked in Monterey Bay Harbor. The photo was taken on August 15, 2007 around 1 P.M. (the fog bank was just off shore). Because of all the light and glare off the water, I used a polarizing filter. The ISO setting was 200 and the exposure was 1/180 of a second at F16 (the boats were brightly lit, however the background area was muted. I was about 35 feet away from the front of the boats and I used a focal length of 28mm (focal length in 35mm film is 42mm).

The second step was in my computer. There were a couple of areas that were under exposed so I bumped the exposure level up about 5%... not a whole lot, just enough to bring the whites out.

You will notice in the pictures that the photo went from a flat look to a more radiant white.
After the bump in the exposure level, I put the photo into PhotoShop CS and went to my filter menu. I have a program downloaded called “Alien Skin Snap Art” and within that program there are various types of artistic conversions (charcoal, pen and ink, pastel, posterization, and my favorite “Impasto”). I chose Impasto to convert my photo to look like a Monet style of painting. After adjusting the paint brush stoke length, texture, curvature, and a few other things that just take too long to explain, I print the photo on paper that gives me the desired look I want. Sometimes it’s high gloss professional photo paper, other times it’s matte, and at other times I use a canvas type of professional paper. Each type of paper gives the final photo a different look and feel… Sometimes I just have to do it the old “trial and error” way – print it and if it is what I like, I do the final step (the one that takes the longest amount of time and patience).

The final step is the gel. Like an artist (painter) I pick the furthest point in the photo and start the short painter’s strokes, building outward until the entire photo is covered in the gel medium. On an average 11 by 14 inch or 13 by 17 inch photo I might take up to an hour or even two to finish the strokes. On landscape photos it is much easier as nature is more forgiving than portraits. Those can take longer trying to match the texture of skin and hair. The time is worth it when you see the final piece. Its fun when someone asks you if you painted it and you explain that you didn’t and then tell them how it is a photograph conversion. I have an entire wall in my home where I have converted photos of my grandchildren into classical works of art.
Step two:

Step Three:
Step Four: The Conversion ~

Mavic Team ~ AMGEN TOUR 2008

2008-12-22T11:40:00.000-08:00

With the 2009 AMGEN TOUR bike race about to kick off (February 14 through 22 with Modesto being the finish line for the San Jose to Modesto leg of the race – Tuesday February 17, 2009… finish line between 3:30 and 4:55 P.M. (depending on weather and road conditions), memories of the 2008 AMGEN TOUR came to mind.

Digging back to the February 20, 2008 photos of the tour, I came across several that I wanted to post. This one I liked so I thought I’d pop it in here. I took this at 9:58 A.M. while the riders and their teams were lining up and getting ready to start the Modesto leg of the race in front of the Gallo Center on I Street (just east of the “Water Wealth Contentment Health” arch). It had been raining earlier in the morning; there were clouds in the sky that said “more rain”... However, during this period between the rains, Modesto was amazingly dry. I lined up with the thousands of others who wanted to see and photograph the start. I was testing what ISO to use (as the clouds were playing trick with the light). I ended up setting it at 400. I know the racers would be flashing by in front of me and that I’d need a little faster speed. While waiting for some of the racers to arrive, I looked across “I” Street and saw one of the ride-along support teams (the one’s that can ride with the racers to repair the bikes if something should happen). This one was carrying extra wheels and other parts. As they went by, about 35 feet away, I set my focal length at 63mm (focal length in 35mm film equaled 94mm). I had adjusted the contrast setting to “+2” to get a richer color. I followed them for about 50 feet taking pictures as they passed. This shot enabled me to capture both riders and the extra tires on the back of their motorcycle. It helped that they were wearing bright yellow as it made the photo pop just a little.

This year, if I’m lucky, I’ll be able to go to San Jose and catch them at the start line again, or I may just go over to Del Puerto Canyon just west of Patterson, California and catch them as the round some of the hair-pin turns of this narrow canyon road from San Jose to Modesto. That should be somewhere around 2:30 P.M. Either way, I should have enough time to get back to Modesto to catch the racers crossing the finish line.

ART OF THE BUILDING

2008-12-21T22:13:00.000-08:00

Eureka, California is a very unique city. Here is a photo I took of the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts on September 15, 2007 at 5:44 P.M. The sun was south west of the building and it gave the building a golden tone. I did use a polarizing filter and set the ISO at 400. Because I wanted to capture the richness of the painting on the side of the building, I set the speed at 1/250 of a second and the F stop at 11. I stood with the sun slightly over my left shoulder and about 150 feet from the building. Focal length was 31mm (focal length in 35mm film terms was 46mm). I took this with a Pentax K10D camera. This is one town with a thousand locations to shoot. Very attention-grabbing setting. Bring lots of memory with you and charge those batteries.

2008-12-21T21:47:00.000-08:00

Color, color, color…. For a fantastic splash of color, there is nothing like a trip to Duarte’s Poinsettias Nursery east of Ceres, California just before Christmas (mid-November on). They grow over sixty-thousand plants and 30 varieties and colors of poinsettias. I took this shot on an old Olympus Camedia C-4000 (4MB) point and shoot camera. The camera did most of the work; all I did was pick the subject and make sure what I saw, was something I liked. The control I had was the ISO (which I set to 100); the camera adjusted to 1/200 of a second at F2.8, and the focal length was at 68mm. No flash (there was plenty of light radiating through the overhead plastic panels). Nothing really technical here, just taking the time to find the grouping I wanted to take a photo of and getting close enough to capture the shot. Something so simple, yet so vibrant.

Villa Toscano Winery

2008-12-19T17:13:00.000-08:00

In a remote small hillside, near the town of Plymouth, California, there is a winery that will take you away to the Tuscan hills of Northern Italy. The view from the winery across acres of rolling hills filled with grapevines and old oaks is breathtaking. The view of the winery is something also.

Ponds and Roman statues and a building right out of and Italian romance film. Villa Toscano Winery (off Hwy. 49 on Shenandoah Road) is beautiful any day of the year. It’s especially beautiful just after a good rain (and especially late in the day after a good rain).

This picture was taken on just such a day back on January 3, 2007 (about 1:49 P.M) and just between two giant storms. Again, being at the right place at the right time can (and for me often does) make for a better picture. This photo was taken with my DSLR camera with an exposure of 1/45 of a second at F/13. I was about 50 feet from the building and my lens focal length was 23mm (focal length in 35mm film is 34mm).

Any day is a great day to visit the Shenandoah Road wineries, however, if you want to avoid the crowded roads (and packed wineries), venture out on a day when the weatherperson says you can expect large cumulus clouds (you know the kind – those puffy cotton balls floating in the sky – the bigger, the better).

For some special shots, you may want to make a video.

2008-12-18T22:24:00.000-08:00

There are so many things you can do with one view and several exposures. Here is an example of the Barn at Deavers. Several exposures within just a few seconds and you can string them together and make a video, add music, play it on you PC and just loop it for a few minutes of relaxation and visual beauty...

St. Hilary's Church - Tiburon, California

2008-12-18T20:21:00.000-08:00

It’s hard to describe the beauty at St. Hilary’s Church in Tiburon, California. Sitting on a hill, facing the west and the Golden Gate Bridge, you have some incredible views of the San Francisco Bay and Marin area. This church is simple, elegant and peaceful.

I was in Tiburon back on April 27, 2007 for a commercial shoot for PG&E. It was about 1:10 P.M.. I wasn't the photographer, just an actor/model in a commercial ad shoot. Because I was at the shoot location about an hour and a half early, I decided to take a look around this beautiful town. Rounding a curve in the road I saw this little old church perched on a bluff overlooking the town and the Bay. Winding through the streets I found it sitting at the end of an old worn out road.

No one was there, just me, and the church with the sun warming the front of the building. It was still early spring and everything was fresh. As usual, I had my camera with me. I set the ISO to 100, took a couple of quick shots to see what the best exposure was (ended up being 1/60 of a second at F22). Focal length was 28mm (focal length in 35mm equaled 42mm). I used a UV and Polarizing filter on the lens to soften the effect of the sun and intensify the sky. Click, click, click… There it was.

I’ll have to check back when there is a storm brewing on the Bay. Love those clouds

2008-12-18T19:30:00.000-08:00

Some photographers try to narrow their field to specific areas. Some prefer portraits/people as their subject, other prefer landscapes, nature, birds, flowers, or still life. I try not to get too fixated on any one area. I was once told by a photographer friend of mine that if I want to shoot good pictures, I just needed to photograph what I like. Well, since I like all sorts of photographic environment, I just shoot whatever hits my eye that I think will look good.

Because so many things are not practical to shoot in their natural state, sometimes I find the need to just stage a shot. Still life photography really isn’t a difficult as it may seem. I look for color combinations that have similar hues and tones. If the arrangement looks good through the lens, you know, it might just look good in print. Here are a few examples of some still life photos I’ve arranged. As Ansel Adams was once quoted: “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” I guess I took his simple words and used them to my advantage… if I don’t see it naturally, I “make it”.

The first still life photo is titled “A bottle of 04 Syrah and the fixings”. This was shot on a dinning room table with two 150 watt photo lamps (one on each side of the table) and a spot flash on the back for just a hint of sparkle. I used my DSLR with an ISO speed rating of 200. Focal length was 39mm (focal length in 35mm film was 58mm). Exposure was for 30 seconds at F22. The longer setting requires a tripod and a remote shutter release to insure the camera does not move during the exposure length.

Again, not a big expense, the lamps cost less than $150 and the background is just a dark velvet piece of material I got form one of the local sewing centers. During this one shoot I made well over 30 different arrangements. Doesn’t take much to keep me busy!

Some times I even convert the photos from just a photo to a work of art and print them on canvas photo paper. Their are just so many possibilitis when you're printing your photos. What use to cost a small fortune to have someone paint, you can create in just a couple of hours of creative work (by that point it isn't work, it's fun)...

2008-12-18T18:20:00.000-08:00

Another one of my favorite shots to take is just before sunset or just after sun rise. The angle of the sun can make or break a shot. This one if of Lake Don Pedro (just East of La Grange, California off Hwy 132 (between Bonds Flat Road and Zarzamora St). Shot was taken on January 1, 2007 about 4:36 P.M.. Again, the DSLR Pentax ISO 100, Focal length 20mm (focal length at 35mm film was 30mm). Timing was 1/90 of a second at F6.7. Angled my camera parallel to the sun and shot across the lake with a slight fog/haze bank in the distance. The sun just played with the lake, hills, and sky. Timing was everything. A few minutes sooner or later would not have produced the same results. I was very lucky to be passing by when I did.

The Barn at Deavers Winery

2008-12-18T17:24:00.000-08:00

I get a lot of joy when I see a storm coming. The bigger the clouds, the better I like it. This is a photo of the barn (thus the title: The Barn at Deavers Winery) at Deavers Winery in the Shenandoah Valley near Plymouth, California. This was shot about 12:46 PM on Saturday, December 17, 2008. I didn't have my DSLR with me (only my 8.1 MB Sony DSC-W150). Auto focus took this shot at a focal length of 5mm (talk about a wide angle) and F 3.3 (1/1000 of a second exposure). You really don't need an expensive camera to get a great shot. You just need to keep an eye open and if you see something that interests you, well, that's the time to stop and take the shot. This enlarges to an 11X14 print very nicely.

2008-12-18T15:56:00.000-08:00

This picture is titled "Birds on the Beach in Flight" and was taken at the California State Park Beach at Half Moon Bay, California on July 29. 2008 at 10:04 A.M.. I used my Pentax K10D camera with an exposure setting of 1/250 second and a lens setting at f8. Shot it at while panning the birds as the took off around me. ISO was at 100, with a focal length of 115mm (that translated to 172mm with a focal length in 35mm film). Shot it with a spot metering mode and no flash for fill. Really didn't have a lot of time to think about the shot or focal length. Just pointed and paned and when the pelican was in view, click. This was the result.