Wedding Photography Special

Tags

Award Winning Photography, Destination Wedding Photography, San Francisco Wedding Photography, Wedding Photographer, Wedding Photography Special

In addition to the special that I currently have for those of you getting married at City Hall in San Francisco, I now have one for those of you getting married elsewhere.

This special is valid for the greater San Francisco Bay Area, if you are getting married elsewhere, travel expenses and additional costs may apply. Please contact me for further information.

More from Canine Companions for Independence

Tags

Canine Companions for Independence, Canon 40D, Canon 430EX, Canon L Lenses, CCI, Companion Dogs, Cute Puppies, Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro

I gave you a teaser last weekend of some new photographs of the latest litter of puppies that Celine (the momma dog) has given birth to. Like her previous litters, these are destined for training as service dogs with Canine Companion for Independence. I recently signed on with CCI to volunteer my time and talents as a photographer and attended an orientation last week at CCI’s headquarters in Santa Rosa, California. Canine Companions for Independence is the largest provider of companion dogs and provides the dogs free of charge. It operates solely from private and corporate donations. Please visit the CCI website for more information about this fabulous organization, or to make a donation.

Enjoy the photographs and stay tuned for more of Canine Companions for Independence and the fabulous dogs in the future.

I’m So Stinkin’ Cute! - Camera: Canon EOS 40D – Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @18mm – Exposure: 1/640 sec @ f/3.5 ISO 100 Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted for fill

I’m not sure what it is about the cinder blocks, but the puppies from all of Celine’s litters seems to love playing with them and crawling through the openings.

Looking for Shade – Camera: Canon EOS 40D – Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @18mm – Exposure: 1/640 sec @ f/3.5 ISO 100 – Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted for fill

It was a very warm spring afternoon when I was taking these photographs and the puppies were most interested in spending as much time as they could in the shade. This is why it is always a good idea to use a flash to fill in the shadows when taking shots like this. In fact, unless I’m shooting landscape or architecture, I almost always use a flash to bring out detail in the shadows. This may sound counter-intuitive to most people, but give it a try and I think that you will be pleased with the results. If you can adjust the EV of your flash, you can experiment and see which results you like best. For outdoor portraits I usually use -1 EV or 0, but for a different look I will crank it up to as high as +2. If shooting with a lot of sunshine, you’ll need to set your camera and flash for high speed sync if you are shooting with large apertures to get the shallow depth of field that you see in most of these photographs.

Doin’ Me Some Explorin’! - Camera: Canon EOS 40D – Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @50mm – Exposure: 1/400 sec @ f/5.0 ISO 100 – Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted for fill

New Heights! - Camera: Canon EOS 40D – Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @50mm – Exposure: 1/640 sec @ f/5.0 ISO 100 – Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted for fill

Hangin’ in the Shade - Camera: Canon EOS 40D – Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4.0L @135mm – Exposure: 1/125 sec @ f/4.0 ISO 100 – Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted for fill

Here we see Hula, who is an older sibling to the puppies, and the puppies hanging out in the shade. The one puppy with the lighter coat and whose face you see is Stinson. Canine Companions for Independence volunteer puppy raiser Leigh Anne will be raising him from the age of eight weeks until he is about eighteen months old. You can read about her puppy raising experiences by checking out her blog.

Hi! - Camera: Canon EOS 40D – Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @18mm – Exposure: 1/320 sec @ f/3.5 ISO 100 – Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted for fill

What’s In The Ball? - Camera: Canon EOS 40D – Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @50mm – Exposure: 1/800 sec @ f/5.0 ISO 100 – Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted for fill

What’s Up There? - Camera: Canon EOS 40D – Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4.0L @172mm – Exposure: 1/125 sec @ f/5.0 ISO 100 – Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted for fill

Tango No.6 - Camera: Canon EOS 40D – Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 – Exposure: 1/2500 sec @ f/2.5 ISO 100 – Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted for fill

Keeping a close eye on the puppies is Tango, a very photogenic and sometimes neurotic border collie. While she seems interested in the puppies and their antics, she would be much happier if they didn’t invade her personal space.

Will You Be My Friend? - Camera: Canon EOS 40D – Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @33mm – Exposure: 1/640 sec @ f/5.0 ISO 100 – Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted for fill

Yummy! - Camera: Canon EOS 40D – Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4.0L @184mm – Exposure: 1/160 sec @ f/4.0 ISO 100 – Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted for fill

I’m not quite certain that they have much flavor to them, but all of the dogs seem to enjoy chewing on the hard plastic balls. This is Hula, a sibling of the small puppies from several litters ago. Not only is my friend a volunteer puppy breeder, but a volunteer puppy raiser as she (and her family) is raising Hula. The puppy raisers have them for approximately eighteen months and teach them basic commands and socialization skills prior to the puppies going into their formal training as companion dogs.

Hula and her Siblings - Camera: Canon EOS 40D – Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L Macro @118mm – Exposure: 1/100 sec @ f/5.0 ISO 100 – Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted for fill

After chewing on the ball for awhile, Hula decided to see if the toy bone was more suited to her discriminating palate!

Nap Time - Camera: Canon EOS 40D – Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L @109mm – Exposure: 1/250 sec @ f/5.0 ISO 100 – Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted for fill

After a rough afternoon of playing and posing for pictures, the puppies have decided that it was nap time.

Be sure to click on the ‘Follow’ button to receive notifications of new blog postings, including future writings and photos about Canine Companions for Independence.

Exhibition Update

Tags

Fine Art Photography, Kodak Ektachrome 100G Professional, Landscape Photography, Large Format Film Camera, Photographic Exhibition, San Rafael, Toyo Field 45CF, Westamerica Bank, Yosemite National Park

Yesterday I made my way to the Westamerica Bank branch at 1177 Francisco Boulevard in San Rafael and put my Yosemite exhibit up for all to see. They have never had an artist reception in the past, but the assistant manager is eager to have one for me. So, stay tuned for updates as to when the reception will be…I’m quite excited about it!

Puppy Raiser’s Blog and a Sneak Peek!

Tags

Assistance Dog, Canine Companions for Independence, Canon 40D, Canon 430EX, Cute Puppies, Fill Light, Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro

For those of you that enjoy the photographs of dogs on my blog, please check out Donna Black-Sword’s blog, Raising a Super Dog. She is a volunteer puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence, which is one of the same organizations that I volunteer my time and talent as a photographer to. Puppy Raisers play a vital role in the development of the future assistance dog by providing them with initial obedience training and socialization.

Canine Companions for Independence is the largest provider of assistance dogs and operates solely from donations made by private individuals and corporate sponsors. And, CCI provides companion dogs free of charge…which makes it even more special. Please visit their website to find more information (like information on being a volunteer puppy raiser) or to make a donation.

And now for the Sneak Peak…Yesterday I visited Celine and took more fabulous photographs of her latest litter of puppies (now five weeks old) that are destined for training as assistance dogs with CCI. Since I’m somewhat behind in work, I’m going to give you just a sneak peek below at what you can expect later this week, once I’m all caught up.

Will You Be My Friend? - Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @33mm - Exposure: 1/640 Second @ f/5.0 ISO100 - Lighting: Camera mounted Canon 430EX for fill

Stanford Life Flight

Tags

Air Methods, Aviation, Canon 350D, Canon 430EX, Canon L Lenses, Eurocopter EC145, Flight Medic, Flight Nurse, Kaiser Hospital, Medical Helicopter, Medivac Helicopter, Stanford Hospital, Stanford Life Flight

Some of you know that I am a helicopter pilot and flew medivac for a number of years. Earlier today one of my friends called to tell me that there was a helicopter in the field by Kaiser Hospital about a mile from where I live. So, being the aviation geek that I am…along with being a photographer, I grabbed my camera bag, jumped in my Jeep and headed over to Vallecito Elementary School to check it out.

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @18mm - Exposure: 1/400 Second @ f/11 ISO100 - Lighting: Camera mounted Canon 430EX for fill

The helicopter that I found is a Eurocopter EC145 from the Stanford University Hospital Life Flight program that was doing an interfacility transfer of a patient from Kaiser back to Stanford. While the helicopter flies for Stanford, it is owned and operated by Air Methods based out of Englewood, CO. Air Methods is one of, if not, the largest medivac operator in the country.

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @20mm - Exposure: 1/40 Second @ f/11 ISO100 - Lighting: Camera mounted Canon 430EX for fill

Besides being twin-engine and single pilot IFR certified, the aft cabin is one of the largest in the medivac industry. Having room for a medcrew of three ensures that the patient will get only the best of care. Medivac helicopters have many of the same specialized medical equipment that is found in hospital emergency rooms… defibrillators, suction, medical oxygen, the ability to intubate the patient, and many life saving medications.

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @50mm - Exposure: 1/80 Second @ f/11 ISO100 - Lighting: Camera mounted Canon 430EX for fill

The speed that helicopters brings to patient transport can mean the difference between life and death in many cases. The pilot told me that the flight from Stanford to San Rafael took all of 23 minutes. The drive to Stanford, which I do from time to time as my primary care physician for the past 22 years is there, takes about an hour and a half. Needless to say, when transporting a critically ill patient from one hospital to another, or taking a seriously injured accident victim to a trauma center, speed is of the utmost importance.

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L @180mm - Exposure: 1/250 Second @ f/6.3 ISO100

The standard medical crew for most medivac operations consists of a Flight Nurse and a Flight Medic. All programs have minimum requirements for each position that usually specify a number of years of experience. The Flight Nurse is usually required to have several years of experience in either the ER, the ICU, or the CCU. The Flight Medic will usually have a minimum of two to three years experience in the field either working with a fire department or with an ambulance company. Having a RN and a Paramedic working in tandem ensures that the patient is well taken care of. The nurse has the clinical skill and knowledge, while the medic has the street trauma experience and is usually the crewmember that starts IV’s and intubates that patients. For many medics and nurses, being a crewmember on a medivac helicopter is the pinnacle of their career.

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon 70-200mm f/4.0L @70mm - Exposure: 1/160 Second @ f/11 ISO100

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon 70-200mm f/4.0L @200mm - Exposure: 1/125 Second @ f/11 ISO100

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon 70-200mm f/4.0L @200mm - Exposure: 1/160 Second @ f/11 ISO100

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon 70-200mm f/4.0L @200mm - Exposure: 1/640 Second @ f/6.3 ISO100

Just know that if you, or a loved one, are ever is in a situation where you are transported by a medivac helicopter, you are in hands of some of the best professionals in the business.

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon 70-200mm f/4.0L @70mm - Exposure: 1/200 Second @ f/11 ISO100

Canine Companions for Independence

Tags

Canine Companions for Independence, Canon 350D, Canon 40D, Canon 430EX, Canon L Lenses, CCI, Companion Dogs, Sigma Lenses

As previous readers know, I recently started volunteering my time and skills as a photographer to a dog rescue organization, The Dog Shack. I’ve done two sessions with them so far and the results have been amazing, with several of the dogs being adopted almost immediately after having quality photographs of them posted to several websites that The Dog Shack utilizes. I’ll be doing another shoot for them next week and am looking forward to getting some great shots of some great dogs.

This leads me to another dog based program that I have now signed up to volunteer my services as a photographer to….Canine Companions for Independence. CCI is the largest provider of assistance dogs and provides the dogs free of charge, while operating solely on donations from individual and corporate sponsors. I have a friend that is a volunteer dog breeder for CCI and I have gotten some very cute shot of the puppies of the last two litters that the momma dog, Celine, has given birth to.

I’m not certain how often CCI will be calling on me for my services, but I am quite proud to be associated with an organization that does so much good in the world. Although, I did mention to the volunteer coordinator that there is probably more times that they could use my skills than what they realize. I’ll be attending an orientation at CCI Headquarters on March 6th, and will hopefully be able to start working on some projects with them shortly thereafter. I will be certain to share with you any great shots that I get from my work with CCI.

For now, I will leave you with a few shots of some of the wonderful puppies destined for training with Canine Companions for Independence.

Cuteness Overload No.1 – Here we see one of the puppies from Celine’s fourth litter at the ripe old age of four days old. – Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @46mm - Exposure: 1/30 Second @ f/4.5 ISO400

Cuteness Times Three! – Here are three from Celine’s fourth liter, now a whole sixteen days old. – Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @26mm - Exposure: 1/100 Second @ f/2.8 ISO100 - Lighting: Canon 430EX camera mounted with custom light modifier

All The Toys Are Mine! - Two of the puppies from her third litter at six weeks of age. – Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM @84mm - Exposure: 1/400 sec @ f/4 ISO 400 - Lighting: Canon 430EX at -1 with custom light modifier for fill

The Canine Sleeper Hold! - Here we see Hula, at six months of age playing with one of her younger siblings that is six weeks of age. – Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @50mm - Exposure: 1/200 sec @ f/4 ISO 100 - Lighting: Canon 430EX at -1 with custom light modifier for fill

Celine – The momma dog to all of the wonderful puppies. After her fifth litter, she will be spayed and adopted out to a loving family. – Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @50mm - Exposure: 1/25 sec @ f/3.5 ISO 800 - Lighting: Canon 430EX at -1 with custom light modifier

San Francisco City Hall Wedding Special

Tags

San Francisco City Hall Weddings, San Francisco Wedding Photographer, Wedding Photography Special

This package price is for photographs captured with digital cameras, however I can provide you with a customized quote if you prefer the classic look that only film can provide. If you prefer film, your day will be captured with Mamiya medium format equipment and you have the option of portraits taken with a large format camera that produces negatives that are 4″x5″ in size for unbeatable image quality at sizes as large as four feet by five feet…or larger! I will meet with you at City Hall prior to the ceremony. This will allow me to get shots of the two of you going through the process leading up to your wedding. With this package you also get two hours of shooting after the ceremony at both City Hall and other locations of your choice around San Francisco.

The Dog Shack

Tags

Animal Rescue, Canon Camera, Dog Rescue, Marin County, Northern California, The Dog Shack

I was reading the KEH blog last week and they had a posting that was about charitable and non-profit organizations that photographers can get involved with and donate their time and professional services to. One that caught my eye works with matching photographers with animal rescue organizations. This would allow the rescue groups to have high quality photographs to help enhance an animals chances of finding a forever home. The organization had different levels that a photographer could sign up for, and pay a fee to join their service. Each level had different requirements and there was an application process to go through. After twenty-three years in the military, I’m kinda tired of jumping through hoops to get to do what I want to do. So, I did a google search of animal rescue organizations in my neck of the woods and started looking for one that looked like it could use the services of a professional photographer. It didn’t take long until I came across the website for The Dog Shack. The image below is the one that really spoke to me and had me contact The Dog Shack.

Curran (Image courtesy of The Dog Shack)

I sent them an email and introduced myself and told them that I was offering my services, free of charge. Almost immediately I received a reply and last weekend I met with Saskia, who founded The Dog Shack after becoming involved with animal rescues in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck. It was then that I learned that the above image of Curran was actually provided to her by the shelter that he was rescued from. She told me that The Dog Shack places about 100 dogs a year into forever homes and runs on a shoe-string budget. They just received their 501(c)3 tax-exempt status and are now trying to find ways to increase donations to the organization. Almost all of the dogs that they rescue are saved from being euthanized at kill shelters in Northern California just before they are to be put down.

If you are a photographer looking for a way to give back to your community and are interested in helping animals up for adoption find a forever home, please contact HeARTsSpeak. Or simply do what I did… find a local rescue organization that could use the services of a photographer.

What if you want to do this and you are one of those people that has never taken their DSLR off of the ‘Auto’ mode? Now would be a good time to try some new tricks. The first thing that you are going to do is put your camera in ‘Aperture Priority’ mode. This allows you to manually set the f/stop that you will be using. Set the f/stop to the lowest number that your lens will go, usually f/3.5 if you are using a kit lens that came with your DSLR. This means that the lens is wide open and will throw the  foreground and background out of focus. This allows the subject to stand out against the background. When shooting wide open like this, make certain that you focus on the eyes. That is the most important facial feature to have in focus and this goes for shooting both people and animals. If you find that your lens is a bit soft when shooting wide open, or you notice that the focus is a bit in front of or behind the eyes, use the Unsharp Mask in Photoshop to bring the eyes into focus.

When possible, shoot in the late afternoon as that will provide you with the best light to shoot with. If it is an overcast day, then it is not that relevant. You will want to use a flash to help fill in the shadows, especially if shooting in the sunshine. You may have noticed when you set your aperture to wide open, the shutter speed has jumped way up. This will require you to set your flash to ‘High Sync Speed’ for it to function properly (check your camera and flash manual if you are unsure how to do this). If your camera/flash is not capable of doing this, do not use the flash as the wide open aperture is more important to producing a quality image than using fill flash is. If you are having problems with harsh shadows without fill flash, then find some shade to shoot in. You can also adjust the shadows in Photoshop and this is an excellent reason to be shooting in RAW as opposed to jpeg. The ‘Fill Light’ slider in Adobe Camera Raw was made just for situations like this.

Many dogs that have spent time in shelters can be skiddish and a bit wary of strangers. Have a pocket full of treats, as giving the dog a couple of them can go a long way in dissuading their fears of you. Also, when you reach out to pet them, it may be advisable to reach out from below their head (like you are going to scratch their chest) instead of reaching over the top.

If the dog is on a leash when you are shooting, try not to take shots when the dog is pulling against the leash. A shot of the dog pulling against the leash can give the impression that the dog is difficult to control. If the dog is sitting, have the dog handler put some slack in the leash (if possible), or completely drop the leash if the dog will stay seated or has good voice recall. When getting shots of a sitting dog, make sure that you are not using the ‘Bulls-Eye’ method by putting the dogs face right in the center of the photo. You will want to ensure that the entire dog is in the frame and that you have not cut off the feet at the bottom of the image. When getting close-ups of the face, be sure to get shots that show the entire face and do not get only profile shots. This is especially important when each side of the face has different colors or has different markings, as in the close up shot of Bonzo seen further down in this post.

If you have a dog of your own that you can practice on, head outside and give it a try. Keep practicing until you are comfortable with what you are doing and can get consistent results. If you don’t have a dog, I’m certain that you probably have a neighbor/friend/distant cousin that has a dog and is willing to let you practice (especially if you offer them copies of the best shots).

Below are some of the shots that I have taken for The Dog Shack.

Curran No.1 - Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II - Exposure: 1/800 Second @ f/2.0 ISO100 - Lighting: Camera mounted Canon 430EX for fill

Yes, the above shot is of Curran, the same dog that is in the example of a bad photo earlier in this post. While the earlier shot may tug at your heart-strings to go and save him, the new shot shows Curran more favorably and will go further in finding him a forever home.

Update: Curran has been adopted into a loving, forever home.

Tipper No.1 - Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM @70mm - Exposure: 1/60 Second @ f/4.0 ISO100 - Lighting: Camera mounted Canon 430EX for fill

Tipper No.2 - Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM @200mm - Exposure: 1/160 Second @ f/4.0 ISO400 - Lighting: Camera mounted Canon 430EX for fill

To get a dog to look straight at me like Tipper is doing above, I use a small squeaker toy that I held in my hand and squeezed just before I took the shot.

Dustin No.1 - Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM @140mm - Exposure: 1/320 Second @ f/4.0 ISO100 - Lighting: Camera mounted Canon 430EX for fill

Update: Dustin has been adopted and is now living in his forever home!

Coda No.1 - Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM - Exposure: 1/500 Second @ f/2.0 ISO100 - Lighting: Camera mounted Canon 430EX for fill

UPDATE: Coda has been adopted and is now living in her new forever home!

Bonzo No.3 - Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM @154mm - Exposure: 1/500 Second @ f/4.0 ISO400 - Lighting: Camera mounted Canon 430EX for fill

If you are in Northern California and are looking to adopt, or can foster a dog, please contact The Dog Shack. They are always accepting donations for those that would like to make a financial contribution to support the excellent work that they do. The Dog Shack is a 501(c)3 organization and your contribution is tax deductible.

Note: If you go to visit The Dog Shack’s website and do not see any of the pictures that I have taken, we are still waiting for the volunteer that handles the website to post the new shots and take down the old ones.

Exhibition Update

Tags

Benro Tripod, Exhibition, Fine Art Photography, Kodak Ektachrome 100G Professional, Large Format Film Camera, Toyo Field 45CF, Yosemite National Park

My exhibit at WestAmerica Bank at One Mitchell Boulevard in San Rafael will be coming down this week. For those of you that came by to take a look, a big thank you. For those of you that have not, do not worry as my exhibit of Yosemite National Park will be going up shortly at the WestAmerica Bank branch located on ‘The Loop’ at 1177 Francisco Boulevard in San Rafael. I’ll update this update as soon as the prints go up at the new location.

Update January 23, 2012: My prints have come down at the branch located at One Mitchell Blvd. However, they will not be going up at the new location until the beginning of March. This is due to the artist that is currently on exhibit at the new location is out of state and broke her leg. As a result, she will be unable to take down her work until she is back and her leg is healed. I will make a new post to let you know when my exhibit of Yosemite prints is up at the new location.

Happy New Year & 2011 in Review

Tags

Aviation, Benro Tripod, Canon 40D, Canon L Lenses, Fine Art Photography, Fleet Week, Ilford Delta 3200 Professional, Kodak Ektachrome 100G Professional, Mamiya C220f, Rodenstock Lenses, Sigma Lenses, Yosemite National Park

First, let me wish each and every one of you a happy and prosperous New Year. I’ve been looking back over the thousands and thousands of shots that I’ve taken in the past year to come up with some of my favorites.  Some of them are faves for obvious reasons, and some are favorites for personal reasons.

So, take a looks at some of my faves and enjoy!

El Capitan in the Late Afternoon - Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @18mm - Exposure: 1/125 sec @ f/11 ISO 100

Waiting for Spring - Camera: Toyo Field 45CF - Lens: Rodenstock 150mm f/5.6 Sironar-N MC w/Copal #0 Shutter - Exposure: 1/8 Second @f/64 - Tripod: Benro A-169 w/B-0 Ball Head - Film: Kodak Ektachrome 100G Professional - Scanner: Epson V750-M Pro

Yosemite Winter Storm – The Valley Floor in Black and White - Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @50mm - Exposure: 1/30 sec @ f/3.2 ISO 200 – Black and White conversion in Photoshop CS4

Yosemite Winter Storm – Tunnel View No.4 – Large Format Film -Camera: Toyo Field 45CF - Lens: Rodenstock 150mm f/5.6 Sironar-N MC w/Copal #0 Shutter - Exposure: 1/8 Second @f/64 - Tripod: Benro A-169 w/B-0 Ball Head - Film: Kodak Ektachrome 100G Professional - Scanner: Epson V750-M Pro

Yosemite Winter Storm – Branches and Bokeh - Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 - Exposure: 1/250 sec @ f/2.2 ISO 200 – Conversion to Sepia Tone done in Photoshop CS4

I’ve always considered myself fortunate to be one of the few that can say that Yosemite National Park is their hometown. Yes, I was born at the hospital in the park back when it was Lewis Memorial Hospital. My father was a park ranger in Yosemite at the time. Unfortunately, I was not raised in the park as my parents divorced when I was quite young. Fortunately, most of my mom’s family has worked in the park at one time or another…I’m about the only one that hasn’t. My maternal grandmother, who recently passed away, worked in Yosemite for fifty-three years. Having family working in the park allowed me the ability to spend a lot of time there over most of the past fifty years.

The above shots were taken in Yosemite over a two day period in February 2011, during a major winter storm that hit the area. I shot with two DSLR’s, as well as a medium format and large format film cameras.

Blue Hour at The Bridge - Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @18mm - Exposure: 30 seconds @ f/16 ISO 100 - Tripod: Benro A-169 w/B-0 Ball Head

This shot was taken on the pier at Fort Point in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which most of is the old US Army Presidio in San Francisco.

Little Shack on the Plains – Black and White No.1 - Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @31mm - Exposure: 1/2000 sec @ f/2.8 ISO 100 - Black and White Conversion in Photoshop CS4

Little Shack on the Plains No.2 - Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @18mm - Exposure: 1/60 sec @ f/22 ISO 100

I came across this old building while traveling through southern Idaho on my way to Wyoming. I shot first with my digital so that I could post them that evening when I got to my hotel room. However, before I could get any shots on film, the sun went behind the clouds until I got tired of waiting for it to reappear and started back on my way. Most landscape shots are done in landscape orientation, but with the wonderful cloud formations in the sky, I feel that the shot in portrait orientation works just as well.

Tango No.1 - Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM @163mm - Exposure: 1/1000 sec @ f/4 ISO 250

Tango is a Border Collie that belongs to a friend of mine. I was actually at their house to take shots of a litter of puppies that one of their other dogs had. But, I just couldn’t resist taking a few shots of such a photogenic subject as Tango.

Sabella & LaTorre - Camera: Mamiya C220f - Lens: Mamiya-Sekor 80mm f/2.8 S w/Seiko #0 Shutter - Exposure: 1/60 @f/8 - Film: Ilford Delta 3200 Professional - Scanner: Epson V750-M Pro

Since going back to shooting film for most of my personal and fine art photography, I have been trying out many of the new film emulsions that have come out in the past few years. This shot with taken on my first outing with my Mamiya C220f and was my first time shooting Ilford Delta 3200 film. Many years ago, I wouldn’t have thought to have shot with any film faster than 400ASA because of the grain. However, even though digital has taken a lions share of the photography market, film technology continues to make great advances and now 3200 speed film is just as sharp of 400 speed film from many years ago. I was able to shoot at night, hand held, and have shutter speeds fast enough to not worry about blur from camera shake. While many of the new DSLR’s have the ability to shoot at high ISO settings with minimal digital noise, most of the professional models are too pricey for most peoples budget. I picked up a like new Mamiya medium format camera, with the latest model 80mm lens that Mamiya made for their TLR line for only $300USD. While there isn’t color film available at 3200ASA, I’ve gotten very acceptable results pushing Kodak Portra 800 a full two stops.

Photographer at Hawk Hill - Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro @50mm - Exposure: 1/5 sec @ f/3.5 ISO 100 - Tripod: Benro A-169 w/B-0 ball head

San Francisco at Blue Hour - Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM - Exposure: 15 sec @ f/7.1 ISO 100 - Tripod: Benro A-169 w/B-0 ball head

After many months of being closed for repair and renovation, Conzelman Road in the Marin Headlands had finally reopened. However, my favorite spot to take photos from no longer has a place to park. So, I headed further up the road to Hawk Hill and grabbed several wonderful shots, including the two that you see above.

United States Coast Guard Cutter Hawksbill - Camera: Canon EOS 40D - Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L w/1.4 Extender @203mm - Exposure: 1/1600 Second @ f/5.6 ISO100

With dark clouds and rain falling on Sausalito for a backdrop, the US Coast Guard Cutter Hawksbill is bathed in sunlight while patrolling San Francisco Bay during the Thursday rehearsal for Fleet Week 2011.

The Blue Angels Diamond Formation on Film - Camera: Canon EOS-1N HS w/PDB-E1 - Lens: Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM - Exposure: Not Noted – Aperture Priority Mode - Film: Kodak Ektar 100 Professional - Scanner: Epson V750-M Pro

With a backdrop of grey storm clouds that menaced most of the Thursday afternoon rehearsal, The Blue Angels come roaring over San Francisco Bay in the famous Diamond Formation. Luckily, the weather cooperated during the warm-up for Fleet Week 2011. Not the same could be said for the Sunday airshow as the marine layer coming in through the Golden Gate cause the Blue’s performance to be cancelled.

Visual Distortion – Close Up - Camera: Canon EOS 50D - Lens: Canon EF 400 f/5.6L - Exposure: 1/640 Second @ f/7.1 ISO100

As an aircraft approaches the transonic range, shock waves begin to build up at certain points on the aircraft. These shock waves cause distortion of light waves and a great example of this effect can be seen in this shot.

Shock Wave - Camera: Canon EOS 50D - Lens: Canon EF 400 f/5.6L - Exposure: 1/1250 Second @ f/7.1 ISO100

An F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-122′s Tactical Demonstration Team doing a high speed pass over San Francisco Bay during Fleet Week 2011. Strike Fighter Squadron One Two Two is based at Naval Air Station Lemoore and is the Fleet Replacement Squadron which trains pilots and Radar Intercept Officers, as well as maintenance personnel on the Super Hornet. When I was flying with the 194th Fighter Interceptor Squadron in Fresno, we would routinely take our F-4 Phantoms up against the F-18′s out of Lemoore.

The scientific name for what is occurring that causes the moisture in the atmosphere to be visible in the shock wave as the aircraft is in the transonic region of flight is called the Prandlt-Glauert Singularity.

Colors of Fall No.1 - Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM @200mm - Exposure: 1/250 Second @ f/4.0 ISO200

Homeless and Hungry - Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM - Exposure: 1/160 Second @ f/2.0 ISO100

One of the things that I try to do when I go street shooting is to include people such as this gentlemen. He may not be as sparkling and shiny as the displays in the windows of Macy’s or Saks Fifth Avenue, but he and others like him are just as much a part of Union Square as Macy’s. I normally do not give to individuals on the street and donate instead to organizations that help those on the street. One exception is when I capture a portrait of them, as at that point in time I feel that they are giving something to me. What I drop in their cup is my way of simply repaying them for showing me a slice of humanity that too many of us choose to ignore in our day to day life.

Thank You - Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) - Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM - Exposure: 1/400 Second @ f/2.0 ISO100

I guess that my being a veteran has me feeling a special bond with this gentleman who was working to make a buck on the street corner at Union Square in San Francisco. Sometimes I wonder what separates myself from someone in his position and to tell you the truth, I don’t always have an answer.

Next time you meet a vet, take the time to shake their hand and thank him or her for their service…especially those that are disabled due to their service to their country.

I took the two previous shots on a day that I went street shooting at Union Square in San Francisco to capture the hustle and bustle of shoppers out making their Christmas purchases. While I did get plenty of those, the images that I got of these two gentlemen seem to be the ones that strike a chord with me the most.

I hope that you have enjoyed my little walk down memory lane. May 2012 bring nothing but happiness and health to you and yours!