That Summertime Feeling
June 21, 2008 | Filed Under everyday life, family | 1 Comment
Ah, summer. You remember those days as a kid don’t you? Being out of school and running out of the house in the morning, feeling the warmth of the sun on your face, wondering what that day of fun would bring.
Unfortunately, I’m not a kid anymore and those days of three months of vacation are only a memory. However, I can relive those moments watching my kids experience it as I once did.
No matter what type of camera you own, keep it handy, and take photographs of your family. You, your family, and future family members will appreciate it in the future.
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Wash Me
June 13, 2008 | Filed Under everyday life | 1 Comment
I admit it, I am not an auto detail freak. I have neighbors and friends that wash their cars all the time, keeping them looking their best. I probably wash my car on average 8 times a year — and rarely between December and March.
Today was my Honda Element’s lucky day (Friday the 13th no less), for the old gal was getting a spring cleaning. I usually let Mother Nature do my dirty work, but with the windshield covered with bug guts and dust forming on my dashboard, I thought it was time to spruce her up a bit.
I’ve had this Element for just under 2 1/2 years, and I hit 50,000 miles on her last month. I really like this car and probably will buy another when this one is ready for retirement (around 150,000 miles). Many think it is ugly looking, but for hauling around photo equipment, it’s awesome. The fact that it does not have carpet is perfect for a non-auto detail person like myself. Just vacuum and wipe down with a wet towel. Good as new.
Photo Information: ISO 200; 1/125; f/4
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Shallow Depth of Field
August 24, 2007 | Filed Under everyday life | Leave a Comment
The tomatoes are in high production mode and I was out picking some this afternoon. I happened to have my camera around my neck for I was taking a few pictures of my daughter and her friend as they were playing.
In looking down the fence and knowing I had my 135 f/2.0L lens on my camera, I thought I’d take a very low depth of field picture on a long fence railing — and see what sort of an image would come of it.
I focused down the fence about 4 feet away and snapped this shot. You can see very clearly what a narrow depth of field produces. The depth of field at f/2.0 from 4 feet away is only about 1/8″ in front and behind the focus point. The small area in-focus looks more like stitches rather than wood.
This narrow depth of field is really great when taking portraits, for you can focus on the eyes and have the entire background blurred out to not distract from the subject. This blurring of the image produced by the lens is called bokeh. If taking a group of people, a very narrow depth of field is not what you will want to achieve, for one person may be in focus, but the other subject will be blurry.
Blue Ribbon Winner
August 19, 2007 | Filed Under everyday life | Leave a Comment
On Saturday, the weather was absolutely beautiful — sunny and about 82 degrees — so I rode up to Havre de Grace to see the Art Festival. A friend of mine, Brian Krista, staff photographer for The Aegis had a booth at the show.
I just purchased a new Sigma 14mm f/2.8 lens and had it along with me, so grabbed this quick shot of Brian and his booth setup.
Brian took first place and the blue ribbon in the photographers category — Congratulations Brian!
Full Moon
January 6, 2007 | Filed Under ambient light, everyday life | Leave a Comment
One night before the official full-moon I ventured outside to capture the moon. Most people think you need a long exposure for this, but that’s not the way to do it. The moon is being illuminated by the sun and even though the sky is dark, the moon is quite bright. Here are the settings used for this photo:
Canon 70-200L w/1.4X
ISO 200; f/5.6; 1/800