The Barefoot PhotographerⓇ

Chasing June Bugs

2009-07-11T11:32:00.003-04:00

About a week ago I was sure we were being attacked by a swarm of bees.

From the porch I could see these insects buzzing around under a tree in the far corner of a planting bed. They zig-zagged so much. Later that day when I took Sadie out for a walk, I was trying to keep her away from them. I knew she would snap at them and try to eat one.

A few days later after my husband mowed the grass, I saw them again. I told him that he needed to be careful on the mower the next time that there are bees out there some where in the yard.

Yesterday I saw them swarming around again. So I started inching closer and closer to them to try to see what kind of bee it was. We have had yellow jackets in the yard a couple times before. I knew they go underground. These looked larger than a yellow jacket. Are they hornets? There

is some odd thing built on a limb in that tree -- nope -- it is just a bird's nest.

Then I saw one land on the ground. They are June Bugs! The first thing I thought about was how older people had told me that for fun when they were little they would tie a string to a June Bug's leg and let it fly around 'on a leash' for a little while -- then let them go.

Then I thought about my camera! I found them to be a little difficult to capture -- unless they were (ahem) busy -- and I don't feel like shooting photos of the sex life of a June Bug....so here is one I caught just hanging around. When I got a little too close for too long -- they would take off.

Maybe today I can get a better shot........(what is with those Bullwinkle things on their heads???)

From the Barefoot Files...

2009-07-10T09:14:00.003-04:00

Stafford Springs was located in the northwestern corner of Stafford County, Virginia (part of the property was also into Prince William County). My father's family owned this property for over 100 years until the government took it (yeah they did pay for it -- but you know how that goes) to become part of Quantico Marine Base.

The property was listed on state records as early as 1820. It was considered a health spa and inn. On the property were springs (thus the name) that were reported to have healing properties. In some of the old family papers I have there is a letter to a researcher discussing the benefits of the springs and the content. The family rented rooms in the large farmhouse to those who wanted to come and seek the benefit of the springs. The farm was also a stop on the stagecoach line from Manassas and Centreville.

Later on there have been rumors of the property being used by Confederate spies during the Civil War. I don't believe this -- although it sounds romantic. As a child I remember my grandfather telling me numerous stories of his father (pictured above -- on the left). Some of these stories included information about the war. Great granddaddy was part of the Virginia Calvary -- but nothing was ever mentioned about a spy ring operating from the family farm. In one report of this spy activity, the author mentions that the family never talked about it -- but the author reported the activity. I think it is a story and nothing more. I never heard this until one person wrote something about the property.

This photo shows the property. It also shows my great grandfather, great grandmother, one of my grandfather's brothers, and his sister. I like the photo a lot. I like it because it shows the property. But something else I like -- my great grandfather obviously moved his arms during the taking of the photo. From the elbow down he is a blur.

The date of this photos is unknown. Knowing that my great grandfather died in March, 1914 -- I know this is prior to that date. In the family papers that I have -- there is the deed to this property and the sales information from the former owner.

Watermarking Your Photos

2009-07-08T08:40:00.003-04:00

Many people are a little leery about putting images on the internet. There is so much theft with intellectual property. To give some peace of mind when placing a photo on the internet sometimes they will use a watermark on the photo. I don't usually do this. Yesterday in Elements class we went through doing this and setting up a brush so all you need to do from then on is click on the brush, adjust it for the size of your photo, and stamp it on.

Here are the instructions for Photoshop Elements:

Create a blank document (File>New>Blank File) in RGB mode choose a resolution (I set mine to 150). Select 'background' in the background contents pull down menu. Click OK.

Click on the foreground color in the left hand toolbox. Select a gray – click OK. Then click alt/backspace to fill the new, blank item with the gray color you just selected. Press “D” to set the foreground color to black. Press “T” to switch to the horizontal type tool (if your type tool is not set to horizontal, right click on the tool and then select horizontal version). Choose your font/size from the menus at the top of the window. For alignment – choose “center.”

Click the cursor on the background and while holding the alt key type 0169 to give you the copyright symbol. Remember if you are using a laptop you will need to use your function key and the number pad that is kind of hidden in the keyboard. The numbers across the top of the keyboard won't do this. For a trademark symbol you will type 0174. Press Enter to get to the next line to type your name or keep the whole mark just one line. If you need to adjust font size – highlight the name or symbol and use the menu at the top to change the font size.

Click the eye on the background layer in the layer palette to hide that layer. Go to your effects palette and from the drop-down menu choose “stylize.” Double click emboss. You can also get here from going to Filter>Stylize>Emboss. A window will ask if you want to simplify the type – click yes. Set the angle to 135, height to 3, and amount to 100%. In the layers palette – click on “lock transparent layers.” In filters choose Blur>Gaussian Blur – select 2 or 3 pixels. Back in the layers palette click on the drop down menu and change from normal to hard light.

To create the special brush tool – while the watermark is open, click on the brush tool then go to Edit>Define Brush. Give your brush a name. I gave mine "copyright" and I have one that is named "trademark." It will save as the last brush on the list that is open (I suggest “default”). Then when you wish to place the mark on a photo – open the photo – select the brush tool and select the brush you created and stamp it on the photo. Be sure to adjust the size of the brush to fit the photo.

As you can see from the photo -- I have stamped my mark all over this photo of my mother's cat. I even changed the color of the mark a couple times. I kind of like this look. I don't know that I will ever use it to mark photos -- but to know how and to have one like this for fun -- I like it.

I set up brushes for my name and for "The Barefoot Photographer" -- my name brush uses the copyright symbol and The Barefoot Photographer uses the registered trademark symbol. But think about it -- how fun to make a brush of any word (like "Christmas" or "Thank You") or any name (like your last name or kids' names to make creative notecards) and create a photo with that brush stamped all over and in different colors (like the one on the blog today). The way to change the color of the stamp is to click on the foreground color at the bottom of your tool bar. When the color selection window opens -- just pick the color you like best!

A Novel Experience

2009-07-04T07:34:00.009-04:00

Last Thursday I posted a photo and said to check back this weekend to see where it was taken -- well here is where....A Novel Experience in Zebulon, Georgia. Actually -- this photo (above) shows exactly where the other photo was taken.

A Novel Experience is a delightful shop in the delightful town of Zebulon. The store offers new and used books. It is also a gallery. They have a book club. And, you can even find a cup of coffee there. Check out their website to see what is on their calendar.

The gallery part is my focus this post. During the month of July I have twenty-two photos hanging in the store. The photos hanging are:

‘It’s a Daisy’ black and white Lensbaby image printed on canvas gallery wrap (daisy)

‘Purity’ black and white floral macro (rose)

‘The New Dog’ color macro

‘Charleston Weekend’ black, white, and orange floral macro (daisy)

‘Emilie’ black and white image

‘Pop’ digital art from a floral macro (daisy)

‘Line Creek Path’ color Lensbaby image (Peachtree City, GA)

‘The ARC’ black and white image, digitally enhanced (St. Simons Island, GA)

‘Carl’s is Closed’ black, white, and blue image (Fredericksburg, VA)

‘Followed by a Spoon Shadow’ black and white macro (from the Kitchen Series)

‘Self-Portrait’ digitally enhanced portrait triptych

‘The Old Kitchen’ black, white, and red image (from the Kitchen Series)

‘Opening Dance’ black and white botanical macro (sunflower)

‘Is the Devil in the Details?’ black and white Lensbaby image (Methodist Church, Senoia, GA)

‘Jelly’ black and white digitally enhanced image (Georgia Aquarium)

‘Opening Night’ black and white long exposure (Fayetteville, GA)

‘Prince’ black and white image printed on watercolor paper and hand tinted with watercolors

‘Peachtree’ black and white image (Pike County, GA)

‘Pleated’ black and white macro

‘Bonsai’ black and white Lensbaby image (Panola Mountain State Park)

‘Top of the Tower’ black and white Lensbaby image (Methodist Church, Senoia, GA)

‘Rosebud’ black and white

Stop in, browse the books, browse the photos, and say hello to Chris, Brenda, Susan F., Karen, and Susan C. For directions to the store, check out the link to their website above. I hear that Zebulon is having a nice 4th of July celebration!

From the Barefoot Files...

2009-07-03T07:03:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it is Friday again so soon!

Today the photo from the file is of my father in law with his college buddies. Last November we lost him and this past Father's Day was kind of sad at our house. My father died right after I got married -- so my father in law was the only father I have had for years.

He was a Navy veteran and a pharmacist.

Sometimes I believed he could do anything. He refinished furniture pieces for me that seemed too damaged. I remember one piece that came from my Aunt Anna's home. The wood on the top of the piece was cracked and bowed up severely. He used steam to flatten the wood and make a repair that no one would ever know about it they had not seen the piece before he worked on it.

He loved to work in the yard. The back yard of their home was filled with azaleas and boxwoods that he had propagated. He had a special little 'hot house' built to keep the babies until they were ready to go into the yard (or into my yard!).

We have a grandfather clock that he made with his own hands. I remember seeing him carving the details for it. The rosettes (that are actually dogwood blooms) on the top are very ornate and beautiful. He made a clock for each of his children.

He loved pound cake. I used to make one for him on holidays. This past Father's Day when we had pound cake it was the first one I had made without him around to have any.

It was always nice to have him in our lives. If we had a question about how to do just about anything -- we always knew we could call him and get an answer. In this photo he is in the front row, second from the left.

Where is This?

2009-07-02T14:44:00.002-04:00

Check back over the weekend to find out where I took this photo...

Playing With Photoshop Elements

2009-06-30T07:31:00.006-04:00

Many people want to rush out and buy the big Photoshop program. I am completely satisfied with Elements -- it does way more than I will ever need, want, or use. The last Friday entry shows a tough restoration completed with the aide of Elements.

When I teach a Photoshop Elements class I will show how to make a water background. I believe I originally found the directions for this in Photoshop Elements User. I have never used it for

anything except to show what you can do with Elements.

A couple years ago I took a photo of my mother's cat -- I use that photo in the class often as my example. Here I have placed Rora's head in the swirling water (the created background).

I have also used Rora's face to merge it with my daughter's. My daughter all of a sudden will have cat ears and eyes. I have also used Rora to show how you can blur a background and keep the subject sharp -- but of course when I do it -- I do it to the extreme! Besides blurring the background -- you can completely remove the background and replace it with what you would like. Here the back of the couch was removed and it kind of looks like a weird sunrise behind Rora.

Making Belt Buckles

2009-06-27T12:07:00.003-04:00

I have always enjoyed doing any kind of craft project. Over the years on my own and doing classes with children I think I have tried just about everything -- except making a belt buckle. Last night I did it!

Dogwood Gallery and Framer has started a Ladies' Night at the gallery. These nights feature an art or craft project -- hands on and how to. Jenni Horne was the instructor this evening for the belt buckle class. She had quite a collection of papers to use to create your own one-of-a-kind

piece.

As usual, I had just as much fun taking photos of people working on their buckle as I did making my own.

When it came to making my own -- I decided to go with simple black and white -- typical me. I did think about taking my photo from my ad in the arts & expressions magazine. I think it came out nicely with the black and white ad on the black and white background paper. A few words thrown in and dates. I like this -- and I do plan on making more with my photos on the buckle!

From the Barefoot Files...

2009-06-26T07:59:00.005-04:00

When I first started playing around with digital photo editing my main purpose was to work through the mountains of old family photos restoring where necessary and just digitizing the rest. (Am I finished -- NO!) Every now and then I will get a request from someone to restore a cherished family photo. Just being able to digitize a photo is a great way to insure it will be around for generations.

OK -- I hear you on copyright (and everyone knows how big I am on protection of intellectual property). You can check this link to read about how long certain works are protected. There are certain rules in effect for work created after January 1, 1978 and those created prior to that. In some cases of photos the original copyright owner is either dead or cannot be found to secure a release. Most of the photos (probably 99.9%) I deal with were created prior to 1978. It is my feeling that in the case of some that still might be protected by copyright -- if the original photographer is not around or can't be found -- the family needs a good photo. Perhaps the caretaker of the photo did not know the best way to care for it or perhaps there was a tragedy like flood or fire.

In contrast to my feelings on this -- when I hear of someone getting school pictures of their child, purchasing one of the least expensive packages, and then copying the photos to get more without compensating the photographer -- well -- we all know -- that is totally wrong.

Back to the photo on the blog. My dentist was one of my first big clients. In her office hang many of my backyard photos. She has been a great supporter of me as a photographer. She told her assistant about me. The assistant had some photos of her mother and other family members that were damaged. She wanted a "fixed" print. The one on the blog is her mother. This has been one of my favorite restorations. I love being able to take something that is what many feel is beyond help and bring it back to almost as good as new.

The photo was restored using Photoshop Elements (my editing program of choice) and using Silver Efex Pro to tweak it back to the original black and white. Some people are amazed that an inexpensive program like Elements can do the job. I used to use Microsoft's Digital Image to do it until I switched to Elements. You don't need an expensive program -- Elements does way more than I will ever need or want. Just some basic cloning and healing got the job done here. I did not scan -- I took a photo of the original photo and then want to work.

Since I repaired this one -- they have given me a stack of photos! I think I will be busy with those for quite a while!

(and if you did not notice -- Vintage Photo Friday has a new name)

Kitchen Series

2009-06-24T07:48:00.010-04:00

I like to cook and spend time in my kitchen. I also like to take photographs. Combining the two is perfect. During the past few months I have been working on photos of simple kitchen items. The main items selected so far have been forks, spoons, a ladle, and a tea kettle. There are more to come.

Many people like to have art in their homes. To be able to have something artistic in your kitchen is a plus. The photos I am working on are unique and eye catching. Of course, these photos are in black and white. I think being it black and white it also adds a dimension of something different. The black and white also compliment the choices we have today in kitchen decor; the stainless appliances and natural stone counterops.

In addition to the kitchen implements -- I am taking photos of veggies and fruits. It sounds rather trite to have photos of an apple in your kitchen -- but I think the photo I have of a Granny Smith is a little different and really gets your attention.

The studies of the fork, spoon, and scissors are very compelling. Not only is it s study of the object, it is a study of light and shadow. When composing the photos of the object, great attention is paid to the shadow of the object and where it falls in the composition.

Some of the items are sentimental to me. The ladle came from my grandmother's kitchen. I have written about it here before. I used the wonderful new search feature on the blog to find the ladle post and link it in case you wanted to see that photo. (I love the new search -- how handy is that?) I love the photo of my old kitchen. This was taken the day before the white-white-white kitchen was literally torn out and replaced with nothing white. This photo of the old kitchen -- taken in black and white with the color accent feature selecting red it a nice reminder of the old kitchen. The only thing remaining in the new kitchen is the red tea kettle.

These images are a study of subject rather than technique. I have used various lenses and photographic techniques to get each one. When framing my photography, I am kind of boring leaning toward the simple black frame and white mat. That choice -- especially when grouping a series of photos adds to the group. Even if the frames are different (and I like when they are), if they are all black -- they are "the same."

I have quite a series of kitchen images -- but this group will always be a work in progress.

Blog News

2009-06-21T21:18:00.002-04:00

Just a quickie post to bring to anyone's attention that I have added a search box to the blog. This search is for the blog only -- but does go back to all old posts. So if you feel like searching -- just look to the top left.

Also -- the blog is available at Amazon for the Kindle! How cool is that? Here is the link to get the blog sent to your Kindle.

Vintage Photo Friday

2009-06-19T12:25:00.004-04:00

This past week there were a couple birthdays in my family. One member is no longer with us. My great grandmother pictured in the photo (with me on her lap) was born in 1888. We all called her Mammy, my granddaddy called her "Old Edith."

When I was a little girl I would spend time at her house with my grandmother. My great grandmother was known for her needlework. She crocheted and hand quilted. In the early 1970's her cathedral window quilts fetched over $200. I have one of those quilts and I have a few afghans she crocheted. Two of those afghans are a rose pattern. One has a red rose center in each square and the other has a yellow rose. The backgrounds in the afghans are green and white. Somewhere in my house I have a basket made from bread wrappers (Wonder Bread most likely) -- they were crocheted to make the basket. I believe she made a lot of things from other things -- she was reusing, repurposing, and being green!

She had a large organ in her living room. There were two small wooden canes always by her fireplace. I used to play with them when I was at her house. Those little canes are by my fireplace in my home now.

In the Woods...

2009-06-17T12:27:00.004-04:00

A few days ago I walked around the edge of the woods with Sadie. I cannot take photos while I have her with me on the leash. This day -- when walking Sadie -- I spotted a pretty, little, bright blue flower at the edge of the trees. After taking her back to the house and grabbing the camera -- I returned.

The little blue flower was blooming at the end of what looked like flat grass -- about 12 inches in length. After looking it up in my field guide, I find this to be Pointed Blue-Eyed Grass, AKA; Blue Star, or Eye Bright. It is a member of the Iris family. The grass like plant part did resemble the green part of an Iris -- but much smaller. The flower is only about 3/4" in diameter.

Also, I was checking out the wild cherry trees that bloom all along the edge of the woods. In the spring the trees are full of very fragrant, pale-pink blooms. In early to mid June the fruit ripens to a deep plum-red. These are small cherries, about the size of my pinky nail. I have been looking up wild cherry varieties to see what they are exactly. I am thinking they are a pin or fire cherry. Not many of the cherries are left -- the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks have been dining on fruit. As soon as these are gone, the blackberries will be ripening.

Also on this short photo walk I took this photo of the tip of a pine branch. I really like the abstractness of this photo.

The photos on the blog today were all taken with the 50mm 1.4 attached to an extension tube to get extra close to the subjects.

Printer Issues

2009-06-13T08:43:00.005-04:00

From time to time we all have to deal with printer issues. Last week I had a small one. As soon as I printed a contact sheet I knew what was going on. I have a bad habit of not turning my printer off when I am not using it. If you print infrequently, you should turn off your printer until you need it. This seats the print heads and keeps them from drying out and, of course, clogging.

You can see from the contact sheet that there is a pinkish tint to the photos. Then looking at the contact sheet after I cleaned the print heads -- true color.

The do-you-need-to-clean-your-print-heads test print shows no yellow at all; and the dark cyan is very spotty. If a print head is clogged -- even slightly -- the color in your photo will be off.

After I cleaned the heads, I printed another test to check the effectiveness of the cleaning. Everything checked out and the test is perfect (my photo is a little icky, but you can get the idea).

After I printed the contact sheet -- I turned off my printer until the next time I need it.

Vintage Photo Friday

2009-06-12T06:58:00.004-04:00

Today is my parent's wedding anniversary. They were married in 1960. They were married in a small church and the reception was held in the small activities building next to the church. This photo shows them walking down the steps in the activity building. I can't remember who the guy in the background is -- I know my mother will tell me later.

I was married in the same church twenty three years later. (Photo of that coming on a Vintage Photo Friday in August) My reception was in the small activity building next door as well. When I got married in August, the temperature was 105 degrees. There was no air conditioning in the church or other building. At the reception I remember my dad saying if it got any hotter he was going to take off his tux and finish out the rest of the reception in his underwear. Knowing my dad, I was afraid he was serious. I hope that when they got married in June it was much cooler -- I am sure it was.

Macro Master Class July 25

2009-06-09T15:22:00.005-04:00

I have scheduled a Macro Master Class at Dogwood Gallery & Framer for July 25. Space is limited. The class will begin at 10am and end at 4 pm. We will have an hour break at 12 for lunch. There are many places close by the gallery to go for lunch or bring something and have lunch at the gallery.

The class will explore all of the wonder of macro photography. You will learn about using other lenses as a macro lens, the Lensbaby macro kit, and more accessories to get that very sliver thin depth of field.

We will look at subjects -- beyond your usual bugs and flowers. Ever wonder why the symbol on your camera is a tulip? Everyone takes macros of flowers -- it is very overdone and hard to be unique with a flower for a subject. Of course, the fact it is overdone does not stop me from doing it -- but I do like to think outside of the macro box from time to time.

You will need to bring your camera and fresh batteries to the class. Also a flash drive would be helpful. I will have my laptop and projector for review of photos. Yes! We will take photos!

To sign up for this class email me as soon as you can. As I mentioned, space is limited for this event. The cost of the day is $85. I look forward to hearing from you -- email me with your questions or to reserve your spot.

Spinach Lasagna

2009-06-08T20:41:00.006-04:00

I am reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a very interesting book. And it is funny, it is kind of how I remember eating as a child. Both sets of my grandparents had gardens and would can vegetables and fruits for use in the winter. You ate what was in season -- and it was good! I remember visiting a hen house to get eggs. (I also have a memory of a chicken, minus a head, running across the side yard.) My granddady had hogs that became bacon, he fished, and he hunted deer to fill the freezer. Much of what was consumed in their homes was very local. Having vegetables out of season is something that I don't remember much about until recently.

You might think what does this have to do with photography? Well, so far, not much. But I have been looking at a variety of blogs lately -- many (even the photography blogs) feature a lot of food. I admit I like to read cookbooks like a novel and the more pictures -- the better. These blogs with luscious photos of the food -- many are showing the steps as you go as well as the finished dish -- are very enticing. They make me want to cook the dish -- but they also make me want to keep my camera handy in the kitchen.

Tonight we had spinach lasagna. The recipe was very simple, few ingredients, and delicious! I found the recipe on the website for Animal, Vegetable, Miracle a couple days ago. I like veggie lasagna but have a hard time finding some I really like, if you know what I mean. This is something I will make again. And -- it made for some nice photos.

Loving The Extension Tubes!

2009-06-08T14:59:00.005-04:00

There are so many cool things outside to take photos of these days. Plants and flowers, bugs, rusty metal yard things in my backyard and more. I have found myself more and more reaching for the extension tubes and the 50mm 1.4. I can get very interesting macros with this set up and I have written about it before and I am sure I will again. One the blog today is a trio of photos from the backyard just a couple days ago.

I need to get back out there and look at the Black-Eyed Susan that had a few blooms ready to

open. When I was out on the deck

yesterday I noticed the hydrangea was full of pretty blue blooms. And the baby Mr. Stripey tomato is getting larger!

The Black-Eyed Susan; shutter speed 1/250, f5, ISO 250, Red Rose; shutter 1/250, f5, ISO 400. Coneflower Bud; shutter 1/160, f5, ISO 400. All were taken with the 50mm and the 21mm extension tube.

Vintage Photo Friday

2009-06-05T08:31:00.004-04:00

Since it is near another birthday, I am posting a photo of my grandmother (my father's mother). She was born in 1915 and had a twin brother. I remember spending time at her house as a child. She had a tiny kitchen -- very tiny! Along the top of her wardrobe there were hat boxes that held the hats she would wear to church. Behind the door to the bedroom I had a library (stack) of Little Golden Books.

When I think of her in the kitchen I remember her making coconut cakes and lemon meringue pies. She would give me a taste of the coconut milk and coconut meat. It was very exotic. Her lemon pies were also delicious. After they cooled, there would be small dots of a sugary, carmel-colored liquid collected around the meringue. There was a cherry tree in the yard. I would help her pick cherries and then she would make a delicious cherry roll with them.

My grandmother was one of the church ladies. It was fun for me to hang around with her at church. On the days when we would have a big pot luck after service was over, she would leave church early to help set things up. She would let me leave early to also come along with her. Of course she would have made a coconut cake or lemon pie to bring along with potato salad and ham biscuits.

Grandma Mildred (what my kids called her) had Alzheimer's in her later years. She did not know me for the last few years of her life. Throughout her life she was a healthy person. I remember the last time I saw her. When I visited I did not try to get her to remember me or certain things. I talked to her about cakes and pies. She smiled a big smile when I asked if she liked chocolate pie (yes, she made those too).

I am not sure when this photo of her was taken -- she looks around 6 years old. The background of the photo makes me think it was taken in the yard at her home. I remember that fence.

Dinner Tonight

2009-06-03T21:19:00.006-04:00

In the summer I like to grill dinner as much as I can to keep the heat out of the kitchen. I had planned to grill steak tonight...until I remembered the bok choy in the refrigerator.

Steak Stir Fry --

lean steak sliced very thin, two cloves of garlic, bok choy, carrots, broccoli, soy sauce, fish sauce, thin spaghetti (cooked), oil

Stir fry the steak in a little oil with garlic and soy sauce in a very hot skillet. Take out of the pan and reheat the pan for the veggies. When the veggies are just about ready, put the steak back in. Toss with the veggies and add a tiny bit of fish sauce and more soy if you like it. Toss in pasta. Serve. I like mine with red pepper flakes sprinkled on top.

I don't take many photos when I cook. A few years ago I put together a couple family cookbooks, without photos. I wish I had taken the time to add some! Lately I have been peeping at a lot of blogs and I am really liking the ones with the food photos. So tonight, with my husband standing over me waiting to dig in, I took photos of dinner. It was delicious!

Baby Mr. Stripey

2009-06-01T12:18:00.004-04:00

Just days after bringing home a few plants, I have loads of material for photos. The Mr. Stripey plant has a couple babies and some new blooms coming soon. Over the weekend I spent a few minutes out on the deck taking some shots of the baby tomato.

One of those photos is on the blog today. This photo was taken with the 50mm 1.4 lens attached to the 21mm extension tube. My settings were aperture priority, 1/250, f2, ISO 250, auto white balance. I have no idea what my minimum focus distance was for this shot. The way I am working the lenses on the ProOptic tubes is to go manual focus and move the camera ever so slightly to get the point of focus I am looking for in the shot.

Last year I planted sunflower seeds -- to enjoy the sunflowers -- but also for subjects. These plants were on the deck -- easy to get to and set up a tripod. I documented the buds, blooms, and the dead flowers. Don't wait for the bloom of a flower -- take photos of the entire plant and the buds as the open.

This year I am taking photos of all the plants, of course. But the tomato plants on the deck will get more attention than any of the other plants.

Vintage Photo Friday

2009-05-29T08:43:00.005-04:00

Since I have been featuring photos from my side of the family the past few weeks -- today I dip into the smaller stash of photos from my husband's family. This is one of my favorite photos. This is my mother in law's army nursing unit. My mother in law was a nurse during World War II on board the ocean liner the Queen Mary (it was converted into a hospital during the war). In this photo she is in the third row from the front and is the fourth person in from the left.

One day when we were visiting her, she got out her photo album. This is a photo from the photo; it is not a scan. The original photo was not true black and white, it had yellowed a little with age. I used Silver Efex to convert the photo to true black and white and to slightly adjust the contrast. We have another photo very similar to this -- but the nurses are in their fatigues.

Planting Photos

2009-05-26T19:50:00.006-04:00

By now many of you have been busy planting in your yards for the spring and summer. Spending time at the local nursery or home/hardware store you can find many beautiful additions to your landscape. As you are planning, keep in mind plants that attract birds, butterflies, insects, and such to your yard. Many places that sell plants will have information about the best to choose to attract wildlife to your yard. Also think about the plants themselves. All of these things -- plants, birds, insects, etc. can be your subject matter for the next 5 months or so.

I still have a little taming of my outdoor area to do -- but I am busy thinking of where I need to add a little color. Also, I need to toss out some parsley seed. Parsley plants are the food for the black swallowtail butterfly caterpillar. Parsley is also a biennial -- blooming and going to seed in its second year. I think the is the first year in quite a while that I do not have any parsley coming up in any of the beds in the backyard.

Along the back of the house, inside the courtyard area, I have three old iron urns that I like to put coleus plants in for good color against the house. The urns are old, black, and rusty. The bright colors of the coleus are a nice contrast to the container. I bought some red coleus and the pink and green variety to mix in the pots. The coleus colors I bought were the Rustic Red and Watermelon. Coleus plants grow fast. Pinch the buds or tops of a tall, leggy plants and they will become fuller.

For the front porch I chose deep, dark, scarlet geraniums. In the pot with the geraniums I added a white verbena plant and a couple of the Rustic Red coleus plants. The leaves of the geranium plants are just as interesting to photograph as the blooms are. Also for the front porch I bought some portulaca plants for hanging pots. These are excellent in a spot with hot summer sun -- not like we have seen much sun lately!

For the deck I bought yellow grape and Mr. Stripey tomato plants. These sounded good to eat in salads this summer and good to take photos of as well. I like to take photos of the tomato plants as they bloom and as the tomatoes grow and ripen. I hope the tomato worms don't find them -- I hate the tomato worms -- they are very creepy and gross. (But if they show up I will take photos before I "remove" them -- once I removed them into a plastic zip bag, forgot the bag on the porch until the next day -- went to get the bag and found a big hole and no worms!)

The backyard is already filled with butterfly bushes and many types of daylilies getting ready to bloom. I like daylilies -- they are easy to care for and come back year after year. Last year I also added some canna lilies, lizard's tail, and other plants around the pond. Already this year I have seen two white water lilies and one pink bloom. The white ones usually bloom a lot -- but the pink one is not as prolific. The lamb's ear is almost ready to bloom too -- that means bumble bees are coming soon. There are a few cosmos and zinnia plants that continue to return thanks the the previous year's seed. Or should I say -- the seed that the goldfinches missed! Those little yellow birds love to hang on the old stems to get seeds, and drop a few. Look closely at the plants to spot the crab spiders whose color will match the plant so they are not easily seen. Toads, tadpoles, skinks, dragonflies and more will be all around the pond.

Plant! Then charge up your batteries and get outside with your camera.

Vintage Photo Friday

2009-05-22T07:28:00.003-04:00

This is the photo that started my interest in restoration. About 10 years ago I was in my grandmother's basement looking at things and thinking what is there that I would like to have at my house. I opened an old trunk and found it basically empty except for a couple small shells, buttons and a tiny photo about the size of a postage stamp.

The little photo was of my grandmother, her older brother, mother and father. Her younger brother had not been born yet. The tiny photo was not in good condition. There was a crack going from top to bottom and through my grandmother's face. The corners were also cracked and damaged.

No one in the family had ever seen this photo before. I took the trunk home with me, and the photo. As soon as I got home, I took the photo to a local camera/print shop. They told me that they could repair the photo for me (actually they had to send it to the lab in Atlanta). The charge was $45 for the repair, the photo on a disk, and a couple 5x7 prints. A very reasonable price for what needed to be done. But I started thinking. I had a digital camera and did very limited editing on the computer --I could purchase a program that did more for less than the price of having two photos repaired and I could do it myself. So from that point on -- I did it myself.

This photo shows my grandmother's mother and father. Aunt Anna (last week's VPF) was her sister -- remember sisters married to brothers. Trying to date this photo -- I am looking at my grandmother for help. She was born in 1916. In this photo she appears 2 or maybe a little younger -- so the photo is from 1917 or 1918. I wish it was clearer so you could see the clothing better. I have other photos of these great grandparents wearing very fancy clothing. The photos were most likely taken at a studio on Washington, D.C. around the turn of the century. I do have a little dress that was my grandmother's that I believe is the same dress she is wearing in this photo.

Protecting Your Camera at the Beach

2009-05-19T09:28:00.005-04:00

Again -- I am looking at the blog posts that get the most hits from Googling. One that is getting a lot of action these days is the post about protecting your camera. Here is the link to that post. This post was mainly about colder weather and wet weather. This time of year many people are heading to the beaches and really need to worry about heat, water, and the real problem; sand.

So what about the Hurricane Hood that I bought for the camera? It is OK. I used it once. I find it clumsy and hard to deal with -- but it does protect your camera. I suppose if you had to be out in the rain or other bad weather situation -- it would be worth dealing with the hassle of it. What if you don't want to hassle with this but you do want to have your camera at the beach? Here are some things to think about to keep your camera safe.

Never expose the interior of the camera while on the beach. Don't change lenses on the beach. Choose the lens you wish to use for the time you will be there and keep that lens on while you are anywhere near the sand, wind, sea spray, etc. Don't change memory cards while at the beach. I don't care what anyone says -- a breezy day at the beach -- your camera does not need to be opened for anything. If you need to do something like this -- head to your hotel room, inside a restaurant, or car.
Keep your camera safe from the heat and direct sun for prolonged periods of time. Use a small personal sized cooler to help with this. Keep the camera and anything the camera is in shaded as much as possible.
Keep a filter on your lens. I will let you know that I have one circular polarizer that went to the beach with me on a windy day -- it still makes a nice grinding sound when I turn it from small grains of sand that got into it.
Be careful of sand sticking to the camera body. This may happen if you have sunscreen on your hands, if the sand is damp, or just from your body oil.
When you return to an indoor location, brush the outside of the camera thoroughly with a small brush and use a bulb blower before you open the camera or take off the lens. If you have a zoom lens, be sure you have cleaned it completely -- especially if you had been zooming with it.
Keep micro fiber cloths on hand to help clean the outside of the camera and lens. These are excellent since they are so good for cleaning things without any cleaning liquid. When you wash them remember to leave out the fabric softener.
Never throw away the silca gel packs that come in products you buy. I got a new camera bag the other day and one was already in it! I put these into my camera bag and would also put one in a ziploc bag with my camera.
Speaking of ziploc bags -- keep them handy. When we go to amusement parks and have to ride the water rides -- I pop my camera into the bag and put it in my tote to keep it safe while getting soaked on the ride. When you step outside into the heat and humidity from an airconditioned hotel, home, or car -- your camera will collect condensation. To combat this, wrap the camera tightly in a ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much of the air as possible. When you go out of the a/c, keep the camera in the bag until it comes up to the temperature outside.
If you live near the water or spend a lot of time near it -- you should consider purchasing a plastic housing for your camera that is watertight. Maybe you still would not want this for your big DSLR -- how about a smaller digital and the housing for it for those times when your are at, near, or on the water?

Be aware that many of those camera warranties can be voided if the repair service finds any evidence of sand in the camera.

Don't be afraid to get the camera a little dirty -- use it and enjoy it -- but also take care of it. I brush and wipe down my camera on a regular basis. I use an artist's brush to get into the tight spots all over the camera. A lot of the above advice is also appropriate when you are dealing with those days when the pollen count is high. Pollen can be worse than dust since it is sticky and will adhere to the camera (and your sensor).