A man's castle is..., well, his vacation home!

  

Three Inch Thick Doors

This weekend was my wife's 55th class reunion, and I attended as her other. and I enjoyed it greatly.  She graduated from a very small midwestern farm community where everyone knew one another.  I recall overhearing her classmate tell of getting a speeding ticket in high school only to discover his mom and pop found out about it before he ever got home.  (Remember, no cell phones or messaging)  Kids in this community had grown up going to grade school together so the ties among them are strong,  For me, it was an excellent experience since I didn't have to wear a name badge with my senior photo on it.  In fact, I was under no pressure to remember any of them as I am not a part of that segment of their lives.  To see them enjoy sharing their present and reliving their past was great and all I had to do was not get their way.  I didn't take any serious photos of any of them other than the one they requested.  Sometimes you need to put the camera away and just be part of the total experience. 

Handpainted Ceiling Panels

The reunion was held at a castle built in 1927 by the publisher of the Chicago Daily News as a vacation home for his family.  Its original owner, Walter Strong, lived an interesting life during the Al Capone and Prohibition era in Chicago. He was a truly an amazing man who developed a circle of influence well beyond Illinois. A dinner and a tour of the castle was part of the day's activity and the photos displayed this week are among the few that I took.  My only lense available this day was chosen for a group shot and not my wide angle that would have been outrageously fun at this place. (secret passages and hidden panels etc.) None the less, the architectual details from the painted ceiling panels in the rotundra to the rusted, aged armored doors were eyecatching.  While I couldn't get the interior photos I wanted, my curiousity and interest was stimulated enough for a return visit. 

 

"Ain't It Funny How Time Slips Away?"

Can you hear within your mind that wistful refrain sung by "Country Hall of Famer", Willie Nelson?  If you are like me, you can probably hear it in its orginal recorded form complete with the turntable noise accompanying Willy's silky smooth phrasing.  

My reason for thinking about this stems from the melding of three recent events: a random purchase of a 1936 Rockford High School Yearbook, my grandaughter's graduation party, and my wife's 55th class reunion set for this weekend.  With all of our access to social media and technology we now have the ability to instantly share highlights of our kid's sporting events or even last night's dinner with friends.  How is it that something as outdated and cliche as a high school yearbook can continue to hold relevance?   

I think that one reason why yearbooks still hold significance is their permanence.  This is the same reason why printed still photos continue to be loved.  Digital images flowing over the internet do not seem to embrace this same timeless quality.  I think one reason for this is that we are bombarded with digital images as part of our daily life. We live within a current of  unending digital feeds, and it feels refreshing to stop and be assured that this is a moment that we can hold to forever.   A second reason yearbooks remain viable, is that they represent the culmination of an important milestone in our lives while at the same time presenting a timeless liminal quality.  Yearbooks mark both an ending and also a beginning.  

The 1936 RHS Yearbook (the first year where color was used on its pages) held meaning for its original owner as evidenced by the fountain pen inscriptions throughout its pages.  Classmates, long forgotten, by the original owner, pledged to always remember our time together in Economics class, etc.  It also served as an anchor point in defining the passing years as evidenced by the clipped newspaper articles and obituary notices scattered within its pages.  

For me, that old yearbook was a chance to become a time traveler taking glimpses into the lives of high school students from a period before I was born.  I wonder if they ever gave a thought to the beginning of World War 2 that was just a mere three years away and how that single event likely changed their lives forever.  The fact that I can sit and ask such questions is one of the reasons the Class of 1936 became part of the "Greatest Generation" ever.   I'm sure their dreams were grander than the life their future offered them.  They learned what was important about living and how to adjust to changes. Without a doubt, they learned the same post high school life lessons as we did being a part of the Class of 1969. 

So here is my advice regarding yearbooks.  If  you are middle age or older, buy a yearbook even if it is not from your own high school.  As an impartial observer, you will enjoy peeking into high school life once again and reading comments written by others who never dreamed that they would be read by an outsider so many years later.  If you are a high school senior, get a yearbook  just for the heck of it.  In twenty years, you will have matured enough to tolerate having that senior picture on your name badge at the next reunion.  It will also provide an empirical benchmark on how much weight you have gained/lost, hair you have lost or is now growing in unwanted places, or even how dignified you look as an adult especially after shedding those "vintage fashions" and hairstyles.  You may even like your yearbook picture well enough to use it in your obituary notice, as some folks are want to do. 

I will close with a paraphrase of the third stanza where Willie croons "Gotta go now, guess I'll be seeing you around, but remember what I told you, in time you're gonna pay.  Gee, ain't it funny how time slips away."

PS  Still working on that Ventosa technique 3rd try.  Perhaps I can share it next week

Frustration & Fun

First Attempt Result      

 One of my favorite Michael Jordan quotes is,"I can      accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept   not trying."

 This week's blog is about failing and trying. The photo to the left is the result of my first failed attempt to produce a Pep Ventosa syle image. The Ventosa technique, when done   properly, yields an impressionistic fine art image. The image is produced by taking several photographs of the same   subject while moving around the subject capturing it   using different angles then artistically blending those photos  in post processing into a single image. This is a very  simplistic description of the process since it can be achieved   by other methods of camera movement. I wanted to use this   process after viewing his work.

                                                  https://www.lumas.com/artist/pep_ventosa/

Second Round Result

The process that I followed was found in a recent article in Digital Photography School. https://digital-photography-school.com/pep-ventosa-inspired-still-life/ It describes how to create a still life using this method. Instead of me moving about the vase, I moved the vase in small increments within the same spot on the table. The article recommended taking at least ten images, but through a combination of errors I took only eight photos stupidly thinking less is more. Though I created each of the eight images using the same exposure parameters and lighting, I balanced settings on each photo individually. I then loaded them into One1 Photo Raw 2023 and created a layer stack eventually aligning and merging the layers to get the effect --- but not the effect I expected. 

For my second attempt, I created a set of thirteen new photos. This time, I adjusted the opacity differently on each image guided by whether I thought that the yellow flower would play a more dominant or less dominant role in the final image. I didn't attempt to use any of the blending processes the author suggested or may have applied to select images. The reason I didn't do this is that I rarely use layers and have limited skill to manage 13 images at the same time. However, the result in round two (above image) was more to my liking, but still lacking in that Pep Ventosa look.

Single Image of 13 Stacked

The image to the left is one of the thirteen images used in my second attempt. Generally, this is the type of photograph I create because I do not enjoy spending more time in post processing. However, I still want to learn to use the Pep Ventosa technique because I find the result exciting and unique. Through this experience, I have come to understand that curiosity and creativity are first cousins--- and they can get you into deep trouble just like real first cousins.

As I plan my third image, I will likely take a total of fifteen images and remove all the greens to concentrate on a single stem and flower. With growing experience using the layers process, I believe that I will not let the details overwhelm me. In the future when I see a photographer who skillfully uses the Ventosa technique, I will remember my failures and hold a greater regard for their work. Perhaps, I will be more cautious about labeling similar photos as "computer art". Essentially, all photographic images are an attempt to communicate with others and although some speak using an unfamiliar language they deserve to be heard too.

  

  

                                                        

 This Too Shall Pass

This is one of a series of four images that I took about a month ago.  As you can see it was an overcast and dreary day with rain falling steadily enough to be an annoyance. I enjoy photographing wildlife under poor conditions because I am often rewarded with some glimpes into their lives that are not frequently photographed.  Just as us, the weather and our environment changes the way we go about our day both mentally and physically.  Getting an unusual shot is worth my inconvenience and builds my understanding of how these creatures endure unpleasant days.

The four photos I selected for printing are of  two Pied Grebes which happened to be at the wetlands that afternoon. Pied Grebes are small birds with a weight of perhaps 10-12 oz. and a wingspan of 20 inches.  They are rather unremarkable in their appearance and actually blended with the grayness of the afternoon.  I photographed them because I liked the look of the rain on their feathers and the raindrops falling about them.  Their small body size compared to the larger gray body of water surrounding them projected a feeling of resignation and grit.  When I photograph animals, it is hard for me not to assign them human emotions and motives.  Doing so guides me in choosing how I want to photograph them.  To me, they were experiencing a hint of loneliness while at the same time being undergirded with a healthy dose of stoicism.  Their actions seemed to tell this damp and grumpy old photogapher that "this too shall pass". 

Then and Now

This week's photo shows two cameras fifty years apart.  The Minolta on the left is my first serious camera and to the right a Nikon Z8 mirrorless.  This week's blog is not as much about the photo as it is about photography and gear we use. The gear we choose is a personal choice that goes well beyond all the technical hype promoted each camera brand.  For me it has always been about the experience and the photo.  One reason I shoot Nikon is because over the years I have acquired some of Nikon's best DSLR glass and it is that old glass that I will use via an adapter on my new camera.  I like to think that this process parallels my transition to mirrorless - same old eyes looking to interact with the world in new ways.

After months of thought and yearning, I bought my first mirrorless camera, a Nikon Z8.  In my mind, it will be my final camera. One personal reason I chose it was for the challenge and complexity it offers. Just as I want to become a more thoughtful and creative photographer, I wanted a camera that would challenge me and reward my thoughtfulness as I continue to grow.

My Z8 purchase has made me feel as I have come full circle in my hobby.  I have moved from mechanical shutters to essentially shutterless, from mirrors to mirrorless (already miss that "thunk"), from simple settings to multiple shooting banks. Many mixed thoughts accompany this transition.  

My past DSLRs were within a comfort zone and each new camera somewhat built upon what I had learned previously trending back to that old Minolta 102.  I didn't have to think much about how to use my gear, but now I will have to do just that from camera set up to field use.  For an intermediate time, I expect to miss and take worse photos because I am again a beginner as much as I was in the mid 1970s.      

That said, I am truly looking forward to shooting with my new Z8 while feeling a bit nostalgic about my old Minolta 102 which was a gift from my parents.  Little did I know how much that gift would help me open my eyes into my soul and to world surrounding me.  I hope that my Z8 will stir my imagination and press my desire to create more memorable moments and photos.  

 Down and Dirty with Dad

Being that this is Fathers Day weekend, I want to shout out a cheer and give a nod of respect and thanks to dads everywhere.

This past Thursday evening we attended an outdoor concert featuring a group called American English, a Beatles tribute band.  Do I love Beatles music?  Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!  However, I was pleasantly distracted during the concert by a young family sitting on the blanket in front of us.  

The family consisted of a mom, a infant girl, a dad, and an energetic, inquistitive 4 year old boy.  As the band sang the words "there are places I remember...",  I watched the boy discover a small mound of fresh black dirt and proceed to stomp on it, sit in it, and create freshly patted gourmet dirt cookies with his tiny hands.  He then presented this freshly created treat to his mom and dad on the family blanket.  Dad showed interest and appreciation for this gift, and later as the boy discovered the first lightning bugs of the season, Dad came off the blanket bringing a magnifying glass so he could share with his son a closer look.  I thought about how this dad embraced his son's interests and came prepared with a magnifying glass to build their relationship by exploring those interests with him.  

What an advantage children have when they are fortunate enough to have had a loving father during their childhood years!   When we get feeling all smug and proud of who we have become and made of our lives, that might be the time to take a step back and remember dear old dad. Remember the influence he had on the people we are becoming and his role in sharing values, ideas, and dad jokes.  We didn't get any choice or input into the person who was to become our dad, but we certainly changed his life and person. If you are one of the lucky ones, you got a dad who was confident enough to be playful and silly, who spoke in and displayed crazy "dadisms" that we will always remember. However, most importantly we got a dad who valued a personal relationship with us and expressed his love in various ways to show that we were important to him and that he was your dad and you were unabashedly his child.

I describe myself as and opportunistic photographer, and this week's photos were what my caught my eye as the evening's light grew dim.  The low light gave me the thought of trying to drag the shutter to create a portrait of this child's boundless energy and curiosity.  I was pleased with the result (1/6th sec. @ f5.6) and like to think that someday when the physical details of this moment are forgotten, the image will become a favorite memory of a future dirty father.  

 Harassment in Nature

I'm running a bit behind schedule this week due to many factors such as rainy weather, an enlarged social calendar and weather delayed mandatory outdoor chores.  All of these things add up to very little time to be out making photos.  For some reason, I am better motivated to write my blog if I have a recent photo or a recent photographic experience to discuss.

      

Click Image to Enlarge

I finally got out with the camera Tuesday evening and chose to visit Nygren Wetlands, not far from where I live.  I am always rejuvenated by this place even when I don't see anything to photograph.  Last night didn't start with any instant inspiration as the only critters were a pair of sand hill cranes, one mallard, a host of redwings darting from reed to reed and a full chorus of songbirds hidden away within the dense tree canopy.  As I stared at the good light being wasted for lack of a subject, I embraced the calm ambience of the early evening.  Suddenly, the redwings became incensed at the crane's intrusion into their sacred place.  Then the evening got much more entertaining for me and a bit less tranquil for the cranes.

For some reason our minds tend to romanticize nature existing in perfect harmony. Perhaps this is from watching Bambi, Thumper or others in the Disney family.  Maybe we like to believe that harmony exists in nature because it seems so infrequent within our daily lives.  However, harmony in nature is not the rule as this week's photo clearly shows. Just like us, the critters have their squabbles with those outside their group.  The only difference is that grudges seem not to be part of their composition, unlike us.

The challenge in taking this series of photos was the anticipation of the rapid and spontaneous attacks while holding focus.  I also learned that it is best to overshoot such sequences to enable easier screening in post.  In this instance, I screened out shots where the red epaulettes on the blackbirds didn't display well enough to help them stand out from the background.  Of course, capturing an angry response from the sandhill was equally important.  I hate to admit it, but it is entertaining to watch a good squabble that doesn't end in gunfire!