Creating a Candlelit Photograph

I believe this was around the Christmas holiday in 1981. I had some friends over to share in a bit of cheer and memories. I had not used slide film much at this time and I wanted to experiment with it a bit. I was using Ektachrome for this picture. I was also attempting to take a picture unlike any other I had taken before. I set this up with the candles on my Mom's living room marble table. I also included a bottle of a favorite supplied by my friend John and a knife that I had purchased. The results are in the image below.

I ended up taking several images (adjusting the exposure time) in order to get this shot. At the time I did not have a light meter and the camera meter averaged the amount of light coming into the lens. So taking several shots was worth the effort. The problem then was that this was slide film and I had to wait several days before I saw my results.

These days, with digital technology, you can take several bracketed photos quickly and see your results instantly allowing you to adjust the camera settings and get that perfect photo.

I have another candlelight shot I want to take in the near future. I intend to set that up and post the results in the near future.

For the current project I am working on please visit my Facebook Page at TMSphotos

Isle of Capri Photo Presentation

Today I created a picture presentation of the tour that includes my pictures along with those from a couple of tour books I purchased while I was there in 1979. The audio tracks for this presentation came from InternetArchive.org. It's amazing that I was able to create this to share with family and friend.

I hope you enjoy this. Comments are welcome!

Easter Circa 1980

It was Easter time in 1980 and I was home on leave from the Navy. Friends and family got together for the usual preparation and egg coloring. We were in a different mood on this particular night and the results are best said in the following photos ...

HAPPY EASTER!

Creating A Photo Presentation

When I was on a Med Cruise on the USS Seattle AOE-3 in 1979 I took many photos and purchased the local tour information. Initially, years ago, my intent was to create slideshows using the old fashion projector. Technology has changed all of that for me. Plus I did not really have time to do this years ago.

Today, I present what can be accomplished with photos, tour book and postcards from Naples, Italy. In addition, I obtained the audio for this presentation from InternetArchive.org a recording created around 1910. It's amazing what you can find on the internet.



If I can do this without much effort, just image what you can do. BTW, the image resolution for this video is not the highest, that was done intentionally.

Enjoy Life, Take Pictures!

Sunsets Are Natures Art

I have been taking pictures of sunsets for a number of years and I am always amazed by the beauty I see. My son has also taken an interest in photography and takes sunset shots with me. I told him once that God creates this beauty for all of us on earth both good and bad. So not only is this natures art, it's God's art.

I like this sunset image even though there is a small boat in the distance off to the right. It helps remind me of how it really was when I was there in Naples, FL. Some might say that I should have waited for the boat to move to take this picture. Others might have recommended that I crop the image so the boat is not there.

Me, I like it just the way it is. Sure it's beauty with a bit of a blemish, but is life perfect? You can think about it.

Sometimes I Like Simplicity

This past November we went to Naples, FL and I took a lot of photos. Besides taking the pictures of sunsets, nature and the children I just look through the lens and try something different. Below is one of the photos of a beach scene.

Now granted this is not a great photo, it was not intended to be. There is nothing that makes this picture stand out from others and let's face it, I did not even think of framing anything in particular when I took this shot.

A couple days after taking this photo I was looking through the lens again. This time I was zooming in and out on different scenes when I came across this.

When viewing this on the screen of the camera I did not think it was all that good of a photo. When  got home and look at this picture on my monitor my thoughts about it changed.

This picture struck me with with its simplicity and sometimes I like simplicity. Sometimes we get so caught up on taking that great picture that we overlook something so simple, something that unknowingly turned out to be a picture I really enjoy.

This is actually a photo I am going to enlarge and frame to hang in my house. I understand that this type of photo may not be enjoyed by everyone but that's why it is said "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Get a Photo of Yourself and the Unusual

Taking a photo of yourself like the one above is hard to do without a tripod. So to get this photo I asked a friend to take it for me. Well, like me (back then), he really did not know how to compose a photo.

This photo of me was taken in 1979 in Palma, Spain. Having been traveling around the Mediterranean for a spell it was always good to get out and see the sites when in port.

Now taking the time to critique this photo, right off the bat is a common problem that I had discussed before and that is framing the subject. In this particular case there are two items to frame for a good shot, me of course and the cannon.

Fortunately, since I am doing a Scan-A-Day photo project I can crop this image in Photoshop to get a better image, like the one below.

All things considered, this is a better photo of the two. Since this is not a portrait type photo it is expected that the clarity of facial features are not to be expected. In this case, I was not looking for a portrait type photo. I was looking for an image of me with the cannon and the outcome is good.

Beyond getting a photo of yourself while traveling it is sometimes a good idea to capture the out of the ordinary photos.

Had to Take Some Spring Pics Today

Spring seems to be making a slow entrance in the Chicago area this year, but I had to go out and take pictures of something. So after looking around for things like birds I remembered the trees are budding. That became the subject matter for today. Here are the results ...

Then while walking around out back this little fluttering creature came along. Probably my most challenging subject in quite a long time. This little bugger just did not want to be still and pose for me. I finally captured the image below.

At least the day was not a total waste. I managed to capture a few images that I enjoyed. I was hoping for more but the subject material seemed limited today.

Ships at Sea

In January of 1979 I boarded the USS Seattle AOE-3. The ship was loaded up in Rota, Spain then we went out to sea. It was not long before I new what the mission of the ship was. We were a replenishment ship. The AOE stands for Auxiliary Oiler Explosives we were the mother ship that provided food, stores, oil and explosives to the ships at sea. 

The photo above shows ships that have lined up to pull along side of us for replenishment. It provides a sense of the rough seas and wonder of what these ships are doing in such a formation. 

Keep in mind that my camera was a Pentax K1000 with a fixed 50mm lens. I was able to wait until the ships pulled closer and take a picture that shows some of the feelings of the sea we were in.

With the digital cameras of today with the zoom lens features pictures like this may not require the wait time I went to for the ships to get closer. 

So take the time to learn and understand how to compose photos in the frame. The pictures you take will make for good memories and stories down the road.