The Balloons Are Back !

The funny thing about blogging is that you get to see your life as it circles back around. This is the second time I have been to the Montague Balloon fair and this will be the second time I’ve posted pictures made while there with our RV group. As I tried to make images this year I found myself more drawn to the people and less to the scenery. I guess that is also the way I am feeling about life these days.

In this year I have had a good friend experience a healing in his son’s life, expected to go quickly he is now cancer free and returning to productivity, a blessing beyond what I can express in words. His family could not be more thankful for every extra day.

I have seen another friend struggle through a midlife change and emerge triumphant, he is a changed person, more confident and actually different than the man who decided enough was enough a couple of years ago. One buddy, almost beaten -- is just emerging from a hole dug so deep by the collapse of the economy I did not think he would be able to come out of it, he is not only on the way back but feeling good enough to start exploring next steps.

It is amazing what God can do, if we give him time to work and have the faith to keep going. I am not implying that all the storm clouds have passed, we have plenty of new challenges which we have just confronted, things undreamt of just last year, but if history is our guide we will get through them.

One way or another we will get to where we are supposed to be, I pray that in the end I am able to live up to God’s standard. That I may be able to quote Timothy with honesty and say:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day -- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

Enjoy the pictures, keep fighting your own good fight and accept the grace which is freely given, in the end it is all that matters.

It's time to go see the fall colors ---

Composition Class... Learning to See

The Shasta Photo Club has a new series of classes going on this year and the first one was on composition. We are trying to learn to see in new ways and apply those lessons to our images. In this first image I was trying to incorporate Triangles & Curves. The Triangles are the rocks pointing inward and the water is the curve drawing your eye through the center. The bush at the top is the Anchor, it serves to stop your eye and give you a resting place.

The day was rainy and dreary and conditions were tough so I decided early on to try and make small images isolating detail. This shot attempts to use Diagonal lines, Light vs Dark, Rule of 3rds & Bokeh.

Curves..... Since God created woman we have been held hostage to "S" curves. They are always great and never fail to grab attention. We were instructed not to make the same picture over and over and were only allowed two hours as a group. This curve caught my eye, hopefully the instructor likes trees! I like this photo but it lacks a true subject so I expect it to get criticized pretty heavily.

Diminishing Lines & Rules of 3rds, I attempted to take a simple yet classic portrait. Imagine a farmers daughter instead of a hay fork and you get the idea. With the weather and wind pounding us, isolating details and taking small photos was the only real choice.

Inside the barn there were tools to see and it was dry! This image uses geometric shapes, Rule of 3rds and Delay. That is another way of saying that you should be surprised when after a moment you notice the hole in the upper right hand corner.

That's it for now, we were required to make 5 images and stick to 4x6. The outing was tougher than I thought it would be, not having a lot of time and being forced to try and make different styles of images was a stretch, the conditions would usually send me off in search of nothing but macro shots, having an assignment made me look for more.

Thanks for reading....

The Farmers Market - It's Good For Everyone

“Laws alone can not secure freedom of expression; in order that every man present his views without penalty there must be spirit of tolerance in the entire population”- Albert Einstein

Most of my friends are conservatives. So spending time at the Farmers Market is something totally different for me.

Everywhere I looked there were Jugglers, HackySack circles, Hula Hoops... It was like a party for 500!

The vegetables were amazing.

I liked it, the people were fun to hang out with, peaceful and friendly and for the most part easy going. I think it is safe to say that liberals make the best artists, entertainers, singers and writers. There is something inherent in the creative process that insists on living with idealism as a core value.

Here is an example of an idea that has been gaining in popularity and someday will be embraced by the majority. The local farmers market. This one in Arcata, Ca and has more hippies per sq foot than anywhere in the USA. It has been running successfully for years, even decades.

Perhaps it is not an idea that can work everywhere and for all things, but the essence of the place is good. Go see for yourself, it’s every Saturday in Arcata, CA.

Thanks for reading!

Flying Fighters

I’ve been going a little overboard with the bird images lately, but it’s really not my fault. For one thing they are really cute, and they hang out in the yard all the time. They are brightly colored and easy to find, so anytime you have the urge to make a photo they are handy. Plus you get to try out all kinds of cool tricks like stop action flash photography. Someday, when I am on assignment covering a big event in a faraway exotic place (Florida?) I will have the skills needed to stop the action cold.

Besides that its neat to watch the young birds learn to relate to the older birds around the fountain. The grownups fight fiercely to protect their territory, while the younger generation scurries away at the slightest hint of trouble. I guess that’s how they get to be old birds. I believe that even a non-ornithologist can tell which is the young bird and which is the seasoned veteran. If you need a clue the one trying to backup in mid-air is the little guy.

These shots were all done on manual with the flash set between ½ and full power. The light was controlled mostly by the aperture since the shutter was a constant. ISO was set to 800 which is what it took to get a decent histogram. Developed in LR3, not much was done to them except some noise reduction.

Get out and try it for yourself, its fun and way easier than it sounds.

Only One

hbird_1_LAYERS_2-1, originally uploaded by John Platt.

This is it, I set up this shot and waited.... and waited... and waited. After a long day of waiting, at about 15minutes before dark I got exactly one shot of a hummer at the flower.

Hope you like it.

We Are Doubling Our Production

This week we headed out with the Shasta Photo Club to the Mt. Shasta Lavender Farms to see the mountain and learn as a group. Now when I say we -- I mean myself and the newest member of the family to take on the title "Photographer", my wife Kim. After watching me play with my camera for 12 months and seeing some of the other club members work she purchased her own camera and lenses.

So, as those who know both of us will assure you, it is only a matter of time before people saying "have you seen that work by the Platt's?" will mean her. It will be like teaching my youngest to play guitar, after a couple years I just gave him mine, he had become a Jedi Master.

Meanwhile, back to the Mt. Shasta trip, it was 100+ degrees outside, there were no clouds in the sky, the blooms were a couple of weeks away and nearby fires cast a smoky haze over the valley. It was not perfect. Oh well, no one said it was gonna be easy. We concentrated on enjoying being outside, the good company and close up subjects.

The owners are also starting a new vineyard, as new business owners they are doing almost everything on their own, including the gardening. They have only a couple of helpers, this fella was willing to pose in front of the mountain for me, which I thought was nice.

That's it for now, next weekend is 4th of July, hopefully there will be some fun color shots to share from our nation's birthday.

Here Comes the Sun...

It may not seem like a big deal to you guys, but we were THRILLED to see the sun after days and days of rain, it is so nice to dry out and get a little warmth on your bones. We ran (ok, we walked) to the beach and enjoyed the day, with plans to go back for the sunset. Even the dog has more pep in this step. Everyone was out this afternoon, even seagulls were slope soaring just to have a look around. It is beautiful.

Thank the Lord that sunshine always follows the rain!

More Rain, Still Beautiful…

After five days of rain we are starting to wish for sunshine, but it is the water that keeps the area so incredibly green. It truly is an oasis in the middle of a sea of brown every summer. Even when the rain isn’t falling the air carries moisture to the plants, it’s overpowering, there is just no way to get fully dry. There was a moment of sun on  this Rhodie... It was inspiring.

Nearby there is a Native American museum where they describe the migratory patterns of the early people in this area, they moved with the seasons, even then they had summer and winter homes. Life was good. When it got too hot they went to the beach to get cool, and when the weather got too cold they moved inland to get warmer. It’s the same today; just watch the “snowbirds” flock to the Southwest every summer. This tree would a make a treehouse to remember, it is at least 15 feet across the base of the lowest branches.

In the meantime I am left to photograph what I can see, and with a maximum visibility of around 100 yards that means more close up work. That means more flowers.

And a never ending supply of fungus.

If you are reading this and feel hot or muggy and want to cool off, drop everything and run to the Oregon Coast, chances are you will find cool weather and all the relief you could ask for.

Lunch With Mary...

I had lunch with Mary today. Mary D Hume is a steamer built in 1881 to run the coast between San Francisco, California and Gold Beach, Oregon. She ran well for a long time, becoming the oldest working freighter for a short period around 1970. Nowadays she waits for tourists to come take her photo and serves as the place you can walk your dog after driving Highway 101 and seeing the Pacific Ocean.

The rain this year has been unrelenting on the coast, but we went camping anyway. Due to the moisture the Pacific is brown and not very photogenic, but the wildflowers are off the hook! So instead of sunsets and birds and such, here are some flowers for you to enjoy.

 If you are in my own family and read this you are required to sing the Banana Slug Song as you view the pictures. If you don’t know the song then you weren’t there for the good times. It’s a closed club, you are either in or your not. Sorry.

Banana Slug….Banana-nana-nana.

Shasta Photo Club - HDR class

This weekend the Shasta Photo Club had a teaching field trip to Lassen Park where we worked on Panoramic shots and HDR's. The group was great and the teachers were both gracious and patient. Frank Kratofil and Jim Arnold did a wonderful job of explaining the how and when of using HDR and then led us all to do some demonstration photos. This first shot is an HDR blended in Photomatix and then Photoshop CS4.

The shot is a 5 image panorama of Manzanita Lake and Lassen Mountain in Northern California, even though it is the middle of May there is still lots of snow everywhere. After a break for snacks we headed up to the main mountain to wait for the sun to set. We had great clouds but not much color. Oh well, you can't order perfect sunsets, you just have to be ready and be there.

Even though we didn't have great color we still had weather and nice clouds. Everyone learned a little something and a good time was had by all.

 

If you are looking to learn photography a club is a nice way to advance your skills.

The Boys Of Summer

Everyone loves birds - they never hurt anyone, they are cute...What's not to like?

The best part of having a backyard is being able to have bird feeders.

These guys are the best, they are bright and colorful and easy to attract in large numbers. Unfortunately they are voracious eaters... That means they are expensive!

Oh well, they are still very entertaining and they only hang around for a few months.

That's all for today... go out and feed some birds, it is fun and a great time to take some pictures.

Back Out on The Trail

After what seemed like the world's longest rainy season Spring is finally upon us. Now that it finally seems to have dried out, off we went looking for signs of summer.

Years ago there was a plan to dam the Yuba river in Northern California. The "Greenies" had a fit and the state budget didn't have enough money, also if I remember correctly there were a couple of crooked politicians who were stealing.

Never heard of that before.

Anyway - that is enough politics... here are the sights of the Yuba River Wildflower Trail near Wildwood, CA. If you have a chance to get out there before the summer sun turns it into a desert then do it. It is a great flower year!

 

There were Butterflies and their cousins in abundance.

Flowers of every color and waterfalls everywhere.

The array of color is spectacular, reds, yellows, greens, violet the entire pallet

Bye - Bye !