Bill Biggart’s final photograph. He was killed when the second World Trade Center tower collapsed on top of him. He was 53 years old.
Category Archives: General
September 11th As It Happened
This compilation of news reports captures the essence of that morning better than almost any other video on YouTube.
9/11 Tribute – In the Arms of an Angel
9/11 – Let Us Pray
LET US PRAY
On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked and ultimately crashed. Two crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City and one crashed into the Pentagon. The fourth crashed in Pennsylvania.
LET US PRAY.
Dozens of people in each of four airplanes living in terror as their hijacked planes are flown to destinations unknown to them. Each ends in a terrible fiery crash.
Remembering 9/11
Photo by James Nachtwey for TIME magazine.
I will never forget staring at the screen. I was stunned. It was just a few moments after I got the phone call to turn on the TV. Then the second plane hit.
On this date, twenty-one years ago, we experienced a great national tragedy in the United States. 2,977 lives that were lost in the terrorist attacks. So many families were torn asunder. The way we view ourselves and our world changed. Emergency responders continue to suffer terrible health problems as a result of working at the scene. The way we view ourselves and our world changed too. Over 2,000 first responders have died of health issues related to 9/11.
In remembrance of that day, and to honor the lives that were lost, I am posting some tributes.
Total Immersion Nature Photography Weekend in Beautiful Northern Michigan
Are you ready to take your nature and wildlife photography to the next level? Are you ready to learn the professional secrets that make the difference between good images and great images? Are you ready for a high intensity, action packed, total immersion photography weekend? Come to Park of the Pines on beautiful Lake Charlevoix October 13-15, 2023.
By the Light of a Blue Supermoon
This article will give you some tips on taking portraits by moonlight. We have been planning this shoot ever since our moonlit photo shoot in a cemetery last November. We just needed a nice bright moon and a clear sky with stars. Last night with a blue supermoon was the night.
How to Photograph Tonight’s Blue Supermoon
Super Moon, November 13, 2016
Tonight, August 30-31, 2023, is a Supermoon. Go out and take pictures! This article will take you through the steps to getting a great image.
Tonight’s Blue Supermoon – What Is It?
Tonight, August 30-31, 2023, the full moon will be bigger and brighter than most full moons. So go out and look. I love the night sky, so in my book, any time spent looking up at the night sky is time well spent, supermoon or not.
Colorado Fall Color Photography and Travel Guide – 2023
Headed for Colorado this fall? Welcome to my complete Colorado fall color photography and travel guide with 131 photos, 18 maps, and over 100 pages of information (if you print it all out). I cover some of the best known fall color locations in Colorado, and one real gem of a road that is not widely known to photographers and leaf peepers. Spend anywhere from two days to two weeks exploring the beautiful Colorado Rockies at a gorgeous time of year.
“How To” Series: Adventures with Adobe Bridge
Why use Adobe Bridge? To quickly find a photo or photos. And it is free. If you have a hard time finding photos you want, Adobe Bridge can make that process so much faster and simpler.
Where did you take that photo?
I get asked that question on a regular basis. This time it was a photo I posted on Facebook of our extended family (20 of us) at a restaurant when we were all together in the Bay Area in California.
Total Immersion Nature Photography Weekend in Beautiful Northern Michigan
Are you ready to take your nature and wildlife photography to the next level? Are you ready to learn the professional secrets that make the difference between good images and great images? Are you ready for a high intensity, action packed, total immersion photography weekend? Come to Park of the Pines on beautiful Lake Charlevoix October 13-15, 2023.
Fixing a Photo for Publication with Topaz Sharpen AI
I was going through parade images yesterday to send to the local newspaper. The parade was over when I spotted this person on a skateboard with an American flag. I took 8 images of him with varying backgrounds, him with different body postures, and the flag at different angles. My least favorite had his head looking straight down as he checked his phone. This is my most favorite. I processed this image with Adobe Camera Raw and Topaz software before sending it off to the newspaper.
Lamoni 4th of July Parade
A selection of 16 of my parade images. Some of these images will be published in the Lamoni Chronicle this week.
Lamoni Demons 5th and 6th Grade Baseball Team – 2023
Gallery
This gallery contains 29 photos.
A Quality Camera and Two Lenses for $300 – $500
The ideas for this article started with a question about camera gear (see my Mama Killdeer article). A friend of mine was surprised to learn I used a lens that cost less than $200 to capture an image of a killdeer. So I went to the refurbished gear section of Canon’s web site to check some of their current prices. The camera and lens combination above is $200. The lens is a good, general purpose, semi-wide angle to short telephoto lens. (To keep things simple I am rounding everything up to the next dollar.)
The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
From the Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776. Written by Thomas Jefferson (1762-1826). 3rd US President (1801-09).
More images (including Thomas Jefferson’s original draft) and the complete text of the declaration are after the break.
Happy Independence Day!
How To Photograph Fireworks
The Strip, Las Vegas with Fireworks
You can point your camera at the sky in auto exposure and autofocus modes and fire away whenever you see a burst of fireworks, but for the best quality photos, it helps to know a few tricks of the trade. It’s easy when you know what to do.
Testing Topaz Gigapixel AI on a 1960s Family Photo
At a family reunion several years ago I decided to make digital copies of some old family photo albums. I did one digital picture of each page (there were several photos on each page). When I got back home I digitally separated the individual photos that were on each page. This particular image is a family favorite. I decided this image would be a good test of Topaz Gigapixel AI which enlarges, and hopefully improves small photos. The original photographic print also has a lot of damage which created some additional problems.
Yet Another Scam Out of China?
We’ve been down this road before. An over-hyped, overpriced product out of China making claims that are too good to be true. This all sounds too familiar. For the record, there is no way an app can turn a phone into the quality equivalent of a “professional camera” with a quality telephoto lens.
How to Shoot With and Protect Your Camera Gear in Hot Weather
Summer is here and that means hot weather. So it is time for a “save your camera gear” reminder. Camera gear has a temperature and humidity rating. A top of the line Canon camera body has a limit of 115°F and 85% or less humidity. A black camera on a hot day can easily exceed that limit. Less expensive cameras of any brand have lower limits so it is important to protect your gear.
The Best National Parks to Photograph in Summer
Pika, Rock Cut, Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Which national parks are at their photographic best in the summer? Here are my favorite choices, grouped by state from west to east, plus one Canadian province.
Sora at Lake LaShane
I was leaving Lake LaShane when a white flicker caught my eye. I stopped the car for a better look. Not far from a cluster of reeds, a small bird was wading in a shallow part of the lake. Its tail feathers were flicking up and down. It was the white underside that caught my eye.
Lamoni Band Concert
The Lamoni schools band concert was May 12. The 5th and 6th grade band performed first and then the 7th – 12th grade band. This is a selection of images from the concert.
Continue readingTesting Topaz Gigapixel AI
My friend Paula lost all of her high school photos in a fire. Last week a friend posted a high school photo of her on her Facebook page. It is a very blurry photo that appears to have been copied from a high school yearbook.
Continue readingGraceland University Band Concert
April 21, 2023 was the final concert of the school year for the Graceland University Symphonic Band under the direction of Dr. Christopher Brandt. This is a selection of photos from the concert.
Rate and Name Your Digital Photos!
Goldfinch, camera LCD. iPhone photo.
Sometimes I click the shutter and it might be one of my better photos. After the action dies down I go back to that photo and zoom in on the back of the camera for a better look. In this case of this Goldfinch this morning, I wanted to be sure the catch light in the eye was sharp. It was so, I pushed the RATE button (left side of the camera) three times. At the top of the photo screen you can see three little stars in brackets.
When I download the photos with Adobe Bridge (which is excellent software and it is a free download), I can click on the three star icon and Bridge will show me just the three star rated images.
Portraits 6 – Sunlight as Your Main Light
If you want to improve your portrait photography it is really best if you start with the prior articles in this series before you tackle direct sunlight. Having said that, sometimes the sun works really well as the main light for portraits. Technically speaking, this image is not a “traditional” portrait, but it is one of my favorite images of Vassanta.
Continue reading