Big kid baseball! (Finally)

Just before the start of my son's game on Saturday I was talking to a parent, who was very happy with my work for the team.  I said thanks, but I really did not feel I've been at the top of my game so far this season.  I had a few keepers, but I knew I could do better...and with that resolve I set out for the field.  Armed with my K-5, 60-250, monopod, and knee pads I got myself to work.

I picked up the standard nice to have shots, but I was hungry for good shooting for the first time in a while.  My head was clear, my fingers dialed in and I was shooting the best I could in bright 2PM daylight.  Yep 2PM harsh shadow pain in the neck daylight.

Since I was hungry I started looking for the good shoot I looked where I had not looked yet this season.  It is a fun season to watch.  My son is 10, but playing with kids over 12.  The difference in capabilities and skills these kids have is pretty fun to watch.  They are now picking up the fun parts of the game.  Distracting the pitcher while base running, getting base runners into pickles, and pitching hard right into the strike zone with some consistency.  It is even more fun when you have a good set of coaches like ours...they know the great range of the kids in capabilities.  They respect that each kid's dream is to play...and they make sure they all play and respect each other.  They do not give up on any of the kids.  I have not seen my son this happy playing ball in years, and that only made my desire to shoot well bigger than me.  I wanted something to give back to those helping my son enjoy the game of baseball.

The final trick of the day was in post processing.  Harsh sunlight really makes for ugly photos.  However, my camera was consistently under exposing by over 2/3 a stop.  So I fixed the exposure (yes I shoot RAW just because of that) and then went for a retro film look.  I used the same preset for all the photos for consistency.  It really did the trick, and I think the photos came out pretty well.

It was also nice that while I was processing these...my son and I had the National League Championship Series on in the background.  What a baseball filled day!

-ehw

PS  I told you all my tricks I can share for right now!  I'm going into settings on the camera and will have them fixed up shortly.  I'm sure it is something that I did when fiddling with presets on camera a few weeks ago!

In everything give thanks...even the rough times in life teach you a thing or two.  Come to think about it, the rough times probably force you to learn more out of survival needs than anything else!

I've got a healthy family, roof over our heads and a good camera or two...got to love that!

Anyone looking to hire a photographer this weekend here in the Atlanta area?  I can handle portraits, cars, events, and sports!  I would love to help you out!

-ehw

Set for Dinner

I was out on an overnight for work last night...and got the photo bug in my ear. The restaurant crew thought I was crazy, but I wanted to get the table setting. The light was just too interesting coming through the window and on to the table settings. Unfortunately I could not get the glass exactly where I wanted it in the light no matter which table I went to. So this became my next vision...a little contrast study between the light and the dark.

As with most of my travel photos I did the edits on my iPad using Snapseed and for the first time did one retouch with iPhoto for a secular highlight in the wrong spot.

-ehw X-E1 with the 35mm! Great glass when I have the time to use

Surviving Monday Morning

Ok it is Monday...we are all back to work (or I hope we are).

I had to work overnight this weekend, and it went from 9P to 4AM...yep I'm smoked and fading fast here at the desk.  I guess that does not count the chaperoning a middle school party at church Friday, helping the Blue Knights and Knights of Columbus with a Soccer Challenge, and then church and a baseball game for Kalen today.  Yes I go to work to relax a bit.  Just don't tell that to my boss would you please?

So I just wanted to share how I plan to survive my Monday morning...with large amounts of Joe!

Smiles everyone!  Good Luck this week!

-ehw

P.S.  I took this with the Fujifilm X-E1.  I've read a lot lately about this camera not being all it was claimed to be in marketing and the rest...well my advice on any camera is don't read the marketing.  Get a hold of it and shoot.  Every camera has compromises, and if you like the ones the designers chose you're in great luck!  If not find something else.  For me this camera gives some of the best B&W out of camera I've ever seen.  It has the cleanest high ISO shooting for an APS-C camera I've ever seen.  I know because I compare it to a champ of APS-C...my 16MP Sony sensor powered Pentax.  It also gives me a nice analog quality in my prints I enjoy.  I accept that it is not a fast focusing, child chasing tool.  I don't use it for that all the time.  I have Mr Pentax for that in times it matters.  I also accept that fact that the unique output from the camera, the feel of the images is a result of a complex data processing not all image processors do well.  In the long run, a new dame of a camera comes in every week...just like a movie star.  Just enjoy the one you brought, and remember it is a tool not something to worship!  Use the one you need, and enjoy the choices of others as well...if we all did the same thing and made the same choices the world would be pretty damn boring.

Saturday Morning Light

If you are a normal person...living the normal life of 7 to 5 at the job...shuttling kiddos from 6:30 to 9 around the city...taking the call from work once or twice on a crisis...paying bills and hitting the sack at 1045 only to get up at 530 to do all again.... then this photo is for you.

Not all of us really have the talents to do what we want to do and make a living.  Some of us do what we have to do, where the talents we have can pay the bills. I'm one of those type of people.  I do it because when I get the bills paid I can give the best life possible to the five I support with all my heart.

Proverbs clearly tells us this is the rule of life, not the exception.

So my photography hobby, the part time job, is really my respite from all that.  I truly believe this is what real life is for most of us.  It is also why when we see a moment, a moment that we worked so hard to reach, needs savoring and thanksgiving.

This morning with my Saturday morning coffee I saw the light, and knew it was time to act.  The kids were fed, shoes were on, and they could walk out into the yard with me.  So surrounded by happy voices, tricycles and a neighborhood cat I savored the moment with shutter click after shutter click.   Between clicks I thanked God for the moments of golden fall light and a simple subject.  I tried new combinations, I explored my camera...and when I came in I liked two images.  This was one I liked best.  With 30 seconds of post processing I said, done for today...more work to do around the house...church events to attend.

So enjoy your day!  Hopefully this makes it a little brighter!  Remember God sent such moments to remind us that all of life is hard work....but the rewards for the honest hard work are eternal moments like this little golden one.

-ehw

PS Fujifilm X-E1 with 60mm Macro, Raw processed in Aperture.

The DeSoto-Up for Sale

This weekend I participated in my second art show in Alpharetta.  I came to the event with three new large prints for sale.  The one which garnered the most interest was my 10x20 metallic print of the DeSoto at Old Car City.

Over the last few months I've realized how nice real prints are compared to screen shots.  To see and touch a photo is to have them come alive!  I really don't now how to describe the feeling I get when I see the photo come out of the box.  The closest word I can use is magic.  I first felt this when I was 16, and my Dad took me over to the photography store to meet our favorite printer at Twinbrook Photo!

If you are interested in sharing some of the magic in this print, I found a nice way to work out the deal!  As with all my sales 10% will go on its way to charity through our church.  The rest balances out the checkbook so I can make some more art!  I know shameless...but you have to pay the bills.

You can purchase the photo on the Square Marketplace, and I will have the item shipped right out to you!  If you are local here in Atlanta I might even be able to bring it on over!  Just click the link and head on over to the Square Store

DeSoto

Thanks for looking!

-ehw

PS This was Mr Pentax K-5 with the 15mm prime, tripod mounted doing their thing back in March 2013

Time with my son

On of the benefits of "working" a show like Art in the Park is my children get to come with me.  Yesterday my eldest daughter came, and today my son.  I enjoy having them with me.  I don't to take them to my real job, so this is where they get to see me relate with people and be a professional.  It is an extra classroom for them, and a place for me to be a Dad by introducing them to the world outside of the home.  It also gives a me a few moments to catch that glimpse of my children Mom gets everyday in homeschooling.  The glimpse of the real child of mine.  What good kids they are!  They each endured several hours of slow times, but they engaged other adults with conversation.  They learned a great deal, and were very courteous and respectful to all they met.  They even did a good job talking to people about the prints we had for sale.  We also had some time to laugh and talk to each other...all in the warm golden light of early fall.

To celebrate afterwards I snapped a few images of Kalen this afternoon.  I had nothing current of him in my collection, and I really was missing that.

Got to celebrate the good times...for in just a few years they'll be out and on their own!

-ehw

PS Fujifilm X-E1 with 18-55 kit lens F4.5, 1/180, -1EV ISO200 @55mm.  Post in Aperture with a few simple adjustments.

A little Art in the Park

Just doing a little art in the park....I hope to see some of the great people I met today again!

Thank God for the blessedly great day, and to visit my friend Jack down the street.  I left him a photo of Christ on the Cross he immediately recognized....which is lovely since he is battling Alzheimers...

-ehw

Art in the Park! Alpharetta, Ga

This weekend I will be selling my photos at Art in the Park in Alpharetta, Georgia.  Saturday 9-4 and Sunday 11-4.

I have a portfolio selection matted and ready for framing, and four ready to mount works ranging from metallic prints to two varieties of canvas wraps!  The photo of Tater (not Matter...this is his brother) above is one of my collection you can see!

I will also for the very first time offer portrait sessions as a service.

I am very excited to participate in the show for a second time...and I'd love to see you there!

As always 10% of my sales go to charity.  Last month I was able to help a child participate in a faith formation group for a year at our local church (we got him most of his supplies).  Hard times are all around, and he needed just a little help to keep growing in the ways of God

If you are far, far away and still would like to pick up a photo from my portfolio please contact me at either ehwphotography@gmail.com or use the form below.

-ehw

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Guest Post: Kalen and Kevin

Here is a guest post from Kalen and Kevin!  Two weekends ago we started preparing for our first Blue Knights meeting.  This is not the motor cycle gang, it is a Catholic Youth Formation group for boys!  Our first year is building the armor of God, and the first thing we had to make were the shields of faith.

So the boys got to play with power tools as we cut up the shields for them and their pals.  During our "cutting up" each of the boys took turns grabbing a few photos.  Here are a few from their work...

We'll be painting them this weekend with symbols of faith.  We talked about St. Peter and St. Stephen the night of the meeting, and they worked on their memory verse.  The whole purpose of this program is to encourage and enable fathers and sons to grow together in faith by providing each other the foundation needed to a a life time of service to God.

So far so good...

-ehw

P.S. This is the little Fujifilm X-20 going to work here.

Fall Ball

Everyone needs practice...and I mean everyone!  The boys on the field and Daddy behind the lens.  I'd been working out Mr Fuji for a while...and I almost forgot where my buttons were on Mr Pentax!

Today I'd like to make a pitch to really get to know your gear.  I know I've said that many times before, but I really mean it!  I'm looking for ways to reduce post processing time, and the best way to do that is getting the shot right in camera.  And oh by the way these cameras have a ton of features we can maximize and use if we so dare!

So today I worked on using high dynamic range and I actually played with the color settings.  Yep I took it off Neutral and played with the Dynamic setting with some curves thrown in.  Well worked pretty well, except a few were too dark from over contrast.

So get out there and enjoy the fall light!  It in an of itself is a wonderful thing to enjoy and play with!

-ehw

PS Both with Pentax K-5 using the 60-250

Patriot Day Honors

This week we celebrated Patriot Day on 9/11.  It truly is one of those few days in modern history when the course of nations changed in a matter of hours.

In the middle of the week I found myself surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the home and work.  Coming home exhausted I still could not let myself ignore this opportunity to say thank you to those who served and protected us all these years.

This Patriot's Day I had some sadness, since the week before a friend from my Infantry Officer Basic in 1993 informed me how many of our instructors met their deaths in the wars since 9/11/01.  As we talked names and faces came back to me, and how they led us in our little adventures of learning in the red clay of Fort Benning, Georgia.

So on this weekend amidst the tumult of football games, children's activities, and counting pennies in this weak economy take a second to remember the fallen...remember those who serve and remember why we are all called to serve as well.

-ehw

P.S. Fujifilm XE-1 with 18-55.  Pre-focused in the late afternoon light and shade.

Negative space in life and a portrait

Here is my pretty china doll Julia Rose...

I think the world's technology if overloading us with stimuli.  Our brains are truly wired differently now because of it. Unfortunately this is robbing us of our ability to be introspective.  Introspective people often look into what appears to be nothingness, and find the rich textures and beauty God has hidden in there for their enjoyment and enlightenment that others ignore.  While making these portraits with my daughter I was able to slow down just enough to explore what I was doing...the why...the how...the wonder of the moment before me.  Writing this article, and thinking about what I wanted to do actually made me go back and re-edit my photograph to make it more attractive..actually to make the nothingness more attractive and complementary of the subject!  I had set the stage, but only by self examination was I truly able to explore it.

Here is the story of the shot:  When I shot this portrait I wanted to explore the concept of negative space a bit.  I just finished reading about in in Bryan Peterson's book so I thought it would be good to practice.  This is one of those times where you purposely let a big set of space be empty...but in this case I filled it up with a rich texture.  Before last month I would be scared to do something with the space, wondering if I was "allowed" to by the photogurus of the world.  Bob Coates helped me walk away from that supposed stigma last month at a class I took with him.  "If the masters of art did it, why can we learn from them?" he said...and then he encouraged us all to play a little but with the concept.  Only through play can you learn, experience and find the your style in the wonderful world of photo development we have at our fingertips today.  It is a great lesson we should all grasp on in so many ways (Bob Coates website bcphotography.com)  I used Julia's eyes and body curve to compliment the negative space...she is looking at the negative space as if something is there you cannot see!  By moving Julia in the lighting space I also purposely created shadows to give the subject a three dimensional depth to match the texture.  If I had more space in the old basement I'd pull her further from the backdrop..but I am out of that vital commodity in the basement right now...to create more depth and contrast in the textures.  Next step is to do more with the lighting outside of post to make this easier.

So put down that smart phone, ipad or gameboy.  Look into the nothingness, and see what you've been missing.  Remove the man made stimuli, and look, listen and feel for the rich textures of life God prepared for us.  I think our lives will be much greater for it...I know this portrait of my daughter certainly was.

-ehw

P.S.  The Fujifilm X-E1 F5, 1/110, ISO1600, at 234mm(35mm equivalent) tripod mounted!

A tale of two portraits

It is that time of year when I need to catch up on things before the crush of school year life hits us with the power of a thunder clap.

So before my lovely big daughter grows out of her 2013 dance costumes I just had to take advantage of it to take her portrait!  This time I think she enjoyed it...at least for the first 90 minutes and four costume changes!  The last change is the one you see here.

I'll share some more over time, but this one has the emotion in the smile, the sweet innocence of a 12 year old, and the eye contact a daddy longs to get in the lens.  It was a wonderful time spent with my daughter.  This is an image I will not soon forget.

Now below you will see a photo of the little guy Kevin, he so wanted his photo taken with his dogs, the only dogs he'll ever get in my household.  I'm allergic to them, but he is not so far....and he reminds me of that every other day at least.  When these guys don't have breakfast with the two of us, one is smelling up my bed.  The miricle here is that he looked at the camera!  Grin is a little goofy, but everything at six is a little goofy for good reason!

So what do I take away from today?  Constant lights are perfect for kids indoors.  Set them and work them.  I just recommend you get as much power as you can.  I need more power from them to make the photos at a faster shutter speed, so I'll save up for a while and see what I can do.  I learned a lot, like I will not shoot portraits without my tripod.  Too much fun.  I also like how my mirrorless camera lets me back off the viewfinder and use the screen.  Much easier to keep eye contact with my subjects...and make them laugh!

Ironically the first two shots I am sharing are the only two I shot without my tripod!  The top is the Fujifilm X-E1 with 60mm Macro while I stood on a stool. The second it the Pentax K-5 shot head on a few feet back.  Both processed simply in Apple's Aperture using some Sara France Presets, and custom contrast curves.  I really concentrated while shooting to avoid eye reflections today in the glasses, and I think I did pretty well.  In both of these I actually thought through some classic posing rules as I worked the slightly more casual portraits.

I hope you enjoy them!  These are two of the five lights in my life!  Go capture some images of your blessings today!

-ehw

What does Homeschool look like?

At our house school runs when school needs to run. Momma keeps a tight ship, and it really helps the family. Right now all the children love the arrangement and the results they get....us parents are highly pleased as well. What we don't know how to help them with, we've sought and received the right help to meet the challenge. In a way showing the children how we research and devise strategies to help them is another education in itself of great value.

Since we started homeschooling the family displayed a greater sense of calmness, our children are helping us relearn the way of our faith every day, and we seem to attack challenges with a greater sense of teamwork. Heck I really don't know how we'd pull all this together without their age appropriate assistance with everything we do.

For this of you interested in homeschooling and looking for resources try the www.setonhome.com for the Seton Homeschool program. It is one choice of many, find the right one for you. After three years I still have not found a family that after starting said it did not positively help their family life.

-ehw

Just the way it clicks

Coming to the water?  Can you imagine how John felt when Jesus asked him to baptise him?  Here was the man sent to lead us to heaven asking one of us fallen ones to lead him by example!

The good people of Victoria, Kansas have this lovely statue giving us a look into that moment of service.  What I enjoy the most about these statues is the ability to walk around, below and above a scene.  When I remember or read the story of John the Baptist and then view this statue, I feel that I am starting to live the moment.  I find it easier to put myself in the scene, watching the interplay of these two great men...the great prophet and the one he was to announce at the River Jordan.

As with all things spiritual and artistic, the moment it clicks comes not from reading the story but rather from the moment it touches your personal soul.  Maybe your mind can grasp it from the words, maybe a picture might make it stick...or just maybe this three dimensional image puts these two men into our lives with the same power those people at the river bank received.  As fellow Christians we must all help each generation find the path that will connect them to Christ.  There is no right or wrong way...there is just the way it clicks.

-ehw

P.S.  I forgot the Holy Spirit dropped down and added an audio dimension to the story the statue does not..but hey we can add that today when join the chorus to sing our praises to God on high!

A 10 year milestone

10! Updside Down of Course

Another milestone in my family...my oldest son reaches the ripe young age of 10.  His sisters insisted on the bow to complete his outfit.  He wanted pineapple upside down cake after Grandma made it for him last month...and his little brother insisted he have a police command truck for his lego collection.

He is so 10 right now.  Impossibly Big and mature one minute...thinking deep thoughts the second...and then a complete goofball the third.

Right now he is watching Star Wars Episode II for the very first time!

It is a great day for him and he was so grateful for every special moment.  It made me so happy to see him get hugs from his siblings, and the joy they all shared together in his special day.  He displayed great affection for all Mom did to make it so special as well.

I can only pray God gives me many more years to watch him grow in grace and wisdom.

-ehw

Morning Colors

A few Satruday's ago Kellie got a breakfast with Dad.  She'd been up since oh 4AM....so go figure I would be the only one up with her!

While I made her oatmeal she posed for this little portrait.  What a way to make a Daddy's heart melt.

I'll admit one aspect of Fujifilm which draws me in are these great colors in the JPEGS.  I can get very accurate digital colors, and I can simulate various films.  I shot a lot with Fujifilm back in the 80's while in high school.  So maybe it is a nostalgia effect in my brain, but whatever it is I think it works.

The effect of colors, and their variations through film or digital editing, significantly effect the mood of people reviewing the photo.  It can make you in the eyes of some viewers and break you in the viewpoint of others.  Unlike my film negative days. we can change the colors most of the time to suite not only our personal taste, but our audience as well.  In any post processing development we owe it to ourselves to explore this type of photo nuance to see if better choices exist than we initially made.

This is the power of shooting JPEG + RAW.  You can obtain an in camera perspective as well as a perspective from your (most of the the time) external RAW converter.  Using the RAW you will of course have more data to work with in manipulating the photo to suite your tastes.  I will caution you though, RAW is no processed the same way in each converter.  Again you owe it yourself to really look at the results you get from your RAW converter to see if they are the best for your camera.  In my case, the ACR version of Fujifilm X-Trans RAF files demonstrate higher levels of smearing and odd yellow channel color shift in greens than either Aperture or Capture One.  I like both Aperture and Capture One's conversions.  A stand alone RAW converter called Iridient Developer shows even more promise than the other last two...it just adds another step in your workflows.

-ehw

Missouri

We travelled hard all day and arrived at the KOA in Independence, Missouri...aka the East Kansas City Kampground. It is summertime, so it was of course very hot and muggy! So after setting up shop we launched into the pool to cool off as a family.

I guess for so many of us, our best memories of summertime were around a pool, lake or ocean. We loved the hours we spent in the water, making castles or learning to dive to record depths to recover diving sticks. We cared little about what we looked like, or what others would think. We just lived those golden summer moments for all they were worth, our attitudes matched the wide grins on our faces, and those memories remain strong with us today in a lovely glowing memory.

So my photos from this day were very, very few. They were however designed to capture those golden memories, the magical grins, and fleeting moments of summer past and present. I hope Normal Rockwell would be pleased.

-ehw

All three photos from the Fujifilm X-20. Top photo is the OOC JPEG, no edits. Second had a Vignette added in Snapseed, the last one had a little drama added in Snapseed to bring back the contrast in the fading light.

Body of Christ

On this Sunday a little beauty from our Church, and a an image to meditate on!

From the sacrifice of Christ beauty springs eternally, in both thoughts and deeds, if we chose to accept the gifts he gave.

-ehw