Last Shoot of the Year

Northern California had our first snow of the year on December 30th, so a friend and I headed out to the mountains to take a few pictures and enjoy an afternoon away from the computer. Although I have stayed busy entering contests and developing images I hadn't been out to shoot anything new for weeks.

We headed up to Mt. Shasta, CA and tried to get to the upper falls on the McCloud River but the roads were impassable and there was no way we were going to get stuck in the forest in late December. Night time temperatures run in the single digits this time of year, so we ended up at Castle Crags State Park and the Railroad Park in Castella, CA.

The trains are there rain or shine and always look fantastic, if you are looking for somewhere to go when traveling down I-5 the Railroad Park is always waiting, it is a fun location for an hour or two shoot in any weather. Castle Crags are in the same area and well worth the trip for any photographer. There is a wonderful trail which connects to the Pacific Crest Trail about 2 miles past the park entrance. After a torturous initial climb you can stop at Popcorn Springs and soak your feet while marveling at the magnificent creation all around you.

So that's it for 2010, thanks for reading and for sharing the world through my Nikon. See you next year!



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.