The Blue Angels Give Me Goosebumps!

I love the BA's. Something about jets doing incredible maneuvers.. If you have never seen a show in person..it is unlike anything that I can describe. It is not just about flying.. it is about the human spirit, the military, daring to dream. At least for me it is. My dad got me interested in shows when I was a kid, after all he was a defense contractor! We would go to shows, and we would go to airports to watch the planes take off and land and we went down to the cape for Apollo 11's lift off. So I was lucky the Jennie's brother has ties with the coalition forces stationed at Centcom on McDill.. so he had (and has had for the past several years) VIP passes for McDill airfest. VIP passes are the best. They park you in the front right where the maneuvers are executed. You basically have front row, center seats. Also, by having VIP passes, you are allowed to bring in back packs so it was easy to bring in my photography kit. (regular entry disallows backpacks). So this was my first try at photographing them. My lense (Nikkor 80-400 vr) is not known as the best lense, but I read up and I believe that this lense is capable of getting some good shots, with some major practice on my part. I only really use this lens to photograph whitewater boaters. So here are a few from my first try. I am going to try and get to a practice session or two this summer while visiting with Debra, and look forward to next year and hope that Ben invites me again to McDill Airfest!




For those interested in the photography aspects.. it is tough shooting.. You need to expose to the right more than you think.. because you are essentially facing into the sun, your camera will want to meter off the sky, spot metering is not possible because of the speed.. so you must over expose so that the jets don't wind up as a silhouette.. well I still had to beef up in PS. Also I would be too tight and lose them.. again, it is a matter of practice. I knew what a lot of their maneuvers would be, but I was too slow, or would lose them. It is a wonderful exercise and even though I don't have that many keepers... I know with practice it will get better.. I can't wait for the next opportunity!

A Nice Break from the Routine

I had a nice little pat on the back this week. I am a reader of Pioneer Woman the last few years (since her first SXSW recognition)and thoroughly enjoy her site. If you aren't familiar with her, google her and you will read quite an incredible success story in the blogging world. Anyway, she has a pretty good photography section to her blog and periodically runs assignments/contests. PW is infamous in the blogging community for her contests across all of her web site, she is very generous. I have entered a few pictures over the last year in her photography assignments, but this one hit home for me. The assignment was dog pictures. Well since my animals are my main models, you bet I had a few I could enter for that. I entered 4 pictures and she chose this one as one of her final 10 (out of approximately 10,000 entries). I feel a little special right now.. and very much inspired. It's amazing what a little positive recognition does ones soul. And for those who are interested in the technical aspects: shot with a Nikon D300, 70-200 2.8. I shot this the first week I had this camera and the second week I had the lens. I believe I was wide open and probably at 1/1500 at ISO 200-400 (my standard outside although I may have been on auto ISO at the time since the camera was new) I loved my D50 but the focusing system on the D300 is excellent for action of my calibre and for driving the 70-200 and I knew I wanted to be able to capture more pictures like this, hence the move up in equipment.

But there is sort of a downside to this story.. I don't have my raw file of the above shot. In fact, I had to download the picture off of my smugmug account, as I didn't even have the jpg. In December I made a major boo boo and blew away (like the alliteration?) my external hard drive with all of my photos on it. I have a general backup here in Florida, but it didn't contain this shot (I lost most everything I had shot last summer)and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I backed up the photography external to another general external that is at the cabin. I remember distinctly backing up before we came down, but I am thinking I was backing up from my hard drive rather than my photography external.. so I am bummed.. in a bittersweet kind of way. I also blew away the photos in the previous post of the dogs in the snow last spring.. and only have the web sized photos of those too. Not a good year - but I have learned my lesson and now have good a good backup procedure in place so I hopefully won't ever be in that position again.. makes me so mad at myself. But hey! Watchya gonna do? I know that I would never be able to enter any picture in any professional contest (if I ever choose to) without having the raw file to back me up.. Anyway - it was fun to be a small part of PW's site and see the comments from her readers. It has inspired me to keep on keeping on!

For a good photo - a little somethin' somethin'

Here's a really quick and easy way to make your photos "pop" - oh you didn't know your photos could "pop" you say? Well, yes they can. If you have a photo you really like and want to share it, on the web or with family and friends or even print it, before you send it off try this little trick in Photoshop (either Elements or the regular version). I do this with both my wonderful Canon P&S pics and with my Nikon DSLR pics...It's easier than messing with the contrast and saturation settings (or even curves for the advanced users) if you have a photo that is good in your eyes but you just want to give it a little "oomph".

Go into Filter/Sharpen/Unsharp Mask and set the amount to 20, the radius to 60, and leave threshhold at 0. Here's an example SOOC (straight out of Camera - my P&S)This little trick will make your pictures go from
This:





















To This:






















Another Example:















Now you can also do this in Gimp and maybe some of the online editors, I haven't really looked at those..but I know many of you have Elements as it comes with a lot of cameras..Technically the term for this is "Defog" and for the Lightroom/ACR users - this is what the clarity slider does..

Brought to you by: Your own personal Geek: NGG

Independance Day - the relaxed way...

Our life here is very quiet and very relaxed. We don't have a social life.. period. We have nice neighbors and on rare occasions we will socialize with them, but it is rare. Which is fine. Cap'n Steve is not known as a social butterfly. Me, on the other hand, well I like a bit of socializing. So when my friends (what few I have) decide to venture up to the cabin, spending the 2-8 hours that it takes to get here (depending on origination point) I get excited. It is like a breath of fresh air to hang with my girlfriends. It's a wonderful break for me and the same for them. So when two of my favorites decided to come up for the 4th... I was thrilled. Rebecca and Christiane are two sisters that I love dearly and vicariously live a career through each of them. You might recall my Memorial Day post about Christiane and I hanging with our buddy the timber rattler... Well Rebecca took a break from doing good in the world and finally made it up this past weekend. It's been far too long, and she has had a rocky road these past few years, but this spring things started to really look up and now she can look forward. She looks so great - the best I have seen her look in three years. These two girls are gorgeous, smart, artistic, smart, caring, smart, insightful, oh did I mention smart? Spending timing with both of them together is such a treat. They arrived on Friday accompanied by their "3rd sister", Cheryl - who loves Marines - and who grew up about 45 minutes from here. When they arrived we had a beer and loaded the tubes in the truck and off we went to launch for our 2 hour tube trip down our little river. Drinking beer and slowly floating, keeping cool on a hot summer day.. that's about as far away as you can get from their high pressured careers and there were smiles all around. Coming off the float I made my signature margaritas while they prepped dinner. These girls can cook. I have nicknamed them the Silver Palate girls. They were kind enough to bring up all the fixins for an absolutely wonderful meal.. I am still stuffed... We then took up on the lawn while Cap'n Steve entertained us with a small showing of our leftover fireworks from a couple of years ago. What fun. Wish we had more - it was a short display... it is so much more fun when you have an audience... I guess I just can't ooh and aaah enough for Cap'n Steve to play pyromaniac just for me..and we didn't really think to go get any...but alas it was a wonderful relaxing day and I do believe everyone sleeps very well here at the cabin. Most guests choose to sleep on our porch, where they can hear the rapids that are just upstream. High class camping to say the least! The next day, after saying our goodbyes to Cheryl who headed for her parents, we headed for the Ocoee whitewater center. We brought our cameras and beverages and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon whatching the rafters and boaters. I really miss running the Ocoee with Cap'n Steve. We had a lot of fun in our boat. We still run the Nanty a couple of times a year but no more Ocoee... boo hoo.. Also I won't guide our friends down. I don't feel comfortable doing it, and I would hate to make a bonehead move and hurt someone.. Told the gals next time they came up - we would grab a guide from one of the companies and we would all go down.. so looking forward to that...So here are some shots from the afternoon...

These guys must have thought they were out west... an oar rig and no helmets are much more common on western rivers... Eastern rivers are known as narrow and rocky - western rivers are wide and only rocky in the major rapids. You wear a helmet because the chances are very good that if you come out of the raft or boat - you could easily slam your head on a rock - so brain buckets are standard... usually..These guys also had a dog with them - can you see him? Remember you can click on the pictures to see a larger version. Nobody said paddlers were smart...



This looks like guide in training or private boat - can't tell for sure - they all have good form and look like they know what they are doing... I am jealous to say the least...




We decided to hike upstream from the whitewater center and decided to stop at this small rapid, seeing how there appeared to be some recent carnage here, we thought there might be some action to come..Rafts pinned and abandoned lead to many tales...




The looks on guides faces were priceless - and the customers going by are wondering WTF? I can hear those guides now.. spinning some tale...

Here lies good ole raft 17 - it was a workhorse until that new guide from Sunburst threw it under the bus...



Uhh, they told me there would be days like this..



Man, I am glad it was them and not us...



I wonder if they still tipped the guide?




And last but not least.. The guide pointing to the raft and talking to his customers.. "Now this is what will happen if you don't do what I tell you- NOW PADDLE FORWARD - HARD"...

Tips for taking group photos

I don't have many people around to practice portrait photography on, and even less opportunity for group portraits.. but I have run across some tips for taking group photos that I am going to try out in the upcoming weeks...

Tip 1: If shooting pics of people at the dinner table - get your shot set - then tell everyone to look down at their plate, no smiling, and then on the count of three they should all look up at the camera with big smiles on their faces ... that way - you are ready and they have fresh smiles!

Tip2: When shooting a group - get everyone situated in the position that you want them in, get the camera set..have everyone then leave the position and come to you at the camera, then set the camera timer on and have everyone race back to their positions and smile - you get much more natural looking rosy cheek smiles.. this might be more difficult for a huge group - for for say 10 people or so - should be a hoot.

Tip3: Tell everyone you want to get a picture of them jumping. Get the camera set up and say, ONE TWO THREE……JUMP!!! The picture of everyone up in the air is hilarious, and then, when everyone lands, say, “Ok, real quick, a group shot,” and take it - people will be rosy cheeked and laughing.

Tip4: for smallish groups, if you can get some height, have everyone lay down head to head - and shoot the group from overhead or if the group is young have them huddle, with you lying down in the middle - shoot upwords - or have everyone place their arms around each other's waists and lean to one side...that huddling tip won't work for women of a certain age - we never want to see that angle...

I thought these looked like fun and different ways to capture some group photos.. Beware friends who come to visit - I am going to be trying some of these out on us!

The More You Know - The More You Don't Know - Don't Ya Know

I sometimes wish I was in my 20s during this time...but only for one reason. Photographic Technology and Information. With the digital age, there is so much information on everything photography related and a lot of it is FREE! It amazes me, and awakens the desire to learn and do more. I now understand much better what typically goes into most of the photographs that I admire.

Now when I look at my pictures, I look to see if there is a photograph there. Does the picture tell a story, evoke an emotion, or provide a depth beyond 2D. I've come to the conclusion I shoot snaps, once in awhile a photograph, and I can make my snaps look a little "snappier" with the aid of digital darkroom techniques. I am coming to terms with that. Sadly, but I am. The more I learn, the more critical of my pics I have become and very few evoke the "I really like that" phrase from me.. I am a bit depressed over this.

I don't have small children (or any children for that matter) hanging around. So much of photography is practice and small kids can make such great subjects. So I shoot Mattie and the cats (yes I will post on the cats soon) the cabin, flowers etc., all the while trying to improve technique. But I just can't seem to get the emotion to come through the pic. Cap'n Steve isn't a whole lot a help, though sometimes he can be a kid himself.
I take that back - I do have a small child.

Happy Father's Day - Daddy

Yes, I am Southern to the core and don't mind you knowing that..I am a fi...fi...fi..(I still can't say it) something woman who calls her father "daddy"... JEALOUS??? I love tradition... probably would call my mom "mommy" if it didn't sound like I was still.. well we won't go there...

I hope my dad doesn't mind me posting this. He has been a great father, even during the tough times (my hard headedness when it comes to math). And while we can't pick our parents, I am thankful for both of mine. I feel like I have their best traits ( and a few of their not so great ones too). I have been lucky in that my dad and I have shared some wonderful memories, but as I was going through my pictures - I realized I did not have many of them documented.. especially with pictures of the two of us together... for that, I am sorry, and I can remedy going forward. But Daddy, know that our experiences are wonderful pictures in my memory.

I love you,
m.

Baseball in the Rain

Well it's a suprise that the Braves and the Phillies got their spring training game in.. My dad and I thought we would mix it up a bit this year and I got tickets for here in Clearwater (Phillies spring training home)- it was a very wet day.. built for water foul (pun intended!) - daddy and I had fab seats - go figure.. I left both cameras in the car - but he brought his - so I shot a few.. and he shot a couple of me... Daddy is trying his halloween costume for next year - a vision in orange, don't ya know..

I am modeling my new extravagant purchase - A tilley hat - those who know me and know I love to shop the thrift stores, you will be surprised I forked over the buckaroos for this lovely piece of head wear. I did it for sailing and because I do love to wear a hat and ball caps just don't have the allure to me they once did. For those who don't know about Tilley's - they were originally designed by some guy for sailing - they float, they are fitted to your head, they are washable, crushable and come with a guarantee.. these hats are 'da bomb... I know I can't believe I paid this for a hat - but it will be worn a lot - from mowing at the cabin to sailing in the Gulf.. and everything in between..

Oh yeah - this is a post about baseball in the rain.. here are a few shots...These were taken with my Dad's Canon S2IS - nice little camera except can't go more than 400 on the ISO (at least that I could figure out) Shot on manual -
I post processed this shot - I really like it - I think it looks like a classic old style baseball picture.. Baseball really is timeless. When you look at the photographs - pros or kids - they could be just about from any year - sometimes the crowd shots look a bit dated - but only slightly - as a background - they don't change. Wood Bats, Baseball stands - the game - a nice constant in a world that prides itself on moving all of the time...

Fun With My Pics

Ok - you probably don't hang in facebook or myspace - which is where I think this app is getting popular - but if you like to have fun with your pics - check out animoto...

Blue Skies

These last few days have been what I term, "Chamber of Commerce" weather. Lukewarm (mid 70's), abundant sunshine and mild breezes. Florida markets this stuff like it used to market a glass of Florida Orange Juice. We watch the weather like a hawk now, looking for just the right mix to go for a sail. And yesterday was it. It was perfect. I had to pinch myself a couple of times. A little work in the morning, a quick trip to the Chiropractor (a quack??), take the puppies out, and out the door at 12:30 and launch at 1:10. Hard to beat that, unless of course you had money coming out your ears and other openings.. and could afford that home on the beach and walk across the street to where you keep your boat on an inland canal... maybe my next life..But for right now this is pretty darn good.

A Tradition Continues:

My dad introduced me to baseball about 40 years ago. I can remember going to my first professional ball games at about 9 years old in Minneapolis. The Twins of the day had Harmon Killebrew and John Roseboro. Why did those players stand out? Well Killebrew became a legend and Roseboro lived in our apartment complex in Mound, Minnesota (on Lake Minnetonka). Anyway we have been going to spring training games for the Atlanta Braves for the last 8 years or so. It's been a fun rite of spring. Great weather, a 1st class ball park (Disney Wide World of Sports) and the beloved Braves, along with Hot Dogs and Beer make for a wonderful relaxing way to spend time with my father. He too, was a shutter bug in his younger days, and now has embraced digital point and shoot with ease.

I would like to become better at photographing action sports, along with birds in flight. One of the nice things with my dslr is the 3fps (3 frames per second) though sometimes I think I would like 5 (or more) like the "big boys" have, but until I max out the camera capabilities I will continue with my "lowly" 3 fps. What does FPS have to do with shooting sports? It allows you to capture the subject in sequence and come up with some shots like you see the from pros.

Take the snap to the left: I think the objective to a good action sports snap is to show the athleticism and grace at the same time. I definitely need practice getting subjects in focus and in positions that show their athleticism and grace. The light was not my friend this day, nor were our seats, but once a leftie came up I had to make the best of the situation. (Remember you can click on the picture and it will bring up a larger more detailed version)

We were also treated to a special event. After the game they let the kids run the bases. Well we know kids make for some of THE best photographs, and having none of my own, I try to take advantage of the opportunities to shoot kids being kids. These days you really can't point your camera at a kid because everyone is afraid the picture will wind up on the internet in some sordid way. What a sad state of affairs, but I very much understand this and I don't typically point my camera at kids unless everyone is pointing their cameras at the kids... I have a series of 4 that I want to share if I can:

I made it!!!

Uh Oh, who's this behind me?

Well, I'm not moving!

Mom? R U gonna take the picture?

Sorry about the alignment of the pictures - I'm not an html whiz and blogger doesn't easily help you do these types of postings. Remember, for any picture you see on my blog - just click on it to see a larger, more detailed version.

My World and Welcome To It

I love this picture. To me it epitomizes my world, which I dearly love. Our 8.5 acres borders on a small peaceful river. The cabin is small and cozy. And the room this place has is dog heaven. The first time I saw it I said, "if it was half as good on the inside as it was on the outside, it was ours".

This picture is taken with an extreme wide angle (10mm digital which is equiv to 15mm in film slr). I love that wide angle, though you have to be careful with your composition or you get very mundane shots. Wide angle landscapes should have an interesting subject in the foreground without distracting your eye from the grandness of the 'scape. I think I accomplished this. Mattie, our aussie, is such a good model and a natural ham in front of the camera.

Inaugural Posting

Sometimes I like the pictures I take and I want to remember why I liked them. It might be a fleeting moment. I am shy about posting my pictures publicly as I know they are not technically perfect, but if they elicit emotion from me, then I am happy. I take pictures for myself.

I enjoy taking pictures of our animules, so amongst the hard core photography crowd, one of my favorite subjects is de rigeur...

This picture is of our newest cat (kitten) who literally jumped out of the gutter and into my arms. Moe (as in one Mo' kitty) is quite the devil amongst our menagerie of two dogs and two other cats. He has provided new poses for my collection.. The smallness of this space doesn't do this picture all the justice it deserves. I love the detail in the eyes, fur and tongue.

Unless asked, I won't get into what I shoot with. It's about the picture, not the gear. And for those who know about this stuff, I usually don't strip my exif info.

Welcome aboard. I hope you enjoy the ride.