Fall is a fantastic time of year to dust off your camera and explore the vibrant colors of the season. As someone who has retired from photography, I admit that I've become somewhat lazy during the summer months. The heat can make it challenging to lug around all the gear required for a professional shoot, and I often rely on my iPhone to capture quick moments. However, while camera phones are convenient, they don't compare to the quality of a good digital or manual camera.
In my opinion, there's nothing like a manual camera for capturing the essence of a moment. And nothing can replace the hands-on work of developing and printing the film in the darkroom. For me, that was the most enjoyable part of photography - playing and painting with light. Nowadays, I can simply pop a photo into Adobe Photo and it's done. But it's just not the same. So, if you have a digital or manual camera lying around, I encourage you to take it out and experiment with the beautiful fall colors. And if you don't, you can still use your camera phone and let your eyes be the judge of a good light. It's possible that this post will become obsolete in a few years, as camera phones continue to improve. But for those of us who are old-timers, we will always insist that a negative from a manual camera, developed and printed by the artist in a darkroom, will be superior to any machine.
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It seems everyone has been watching Ken Burns' "Vietnam War," a stunning look at a war that many try to forget. But we must never forget the brave souls who put their lives on the line in any war. The Vietnam War tore America apart, and no series can ever repair that, but it can aid in the healing process, which is a lifelong journey for combat veterans. Aurence keeps in touch with some Marines who served with him in combat. From time to time, others pop in and out of our lives. Keeping in touch is sometimes hard, even in this day and age, and though many veterans can remember nicknames (everyone had them in Vietnam), it is sometimes hard to recall a first name. If you served with MAG 16 at Marble Mt or Dong Ha 66-67, Aurence, who served as an air crew door gunner, would love to hear from you. We requested Aurence's Book of Records, a military book-of-sorts that listed his every step from his induction to the day he received his discharge papers. Since he doesn't talk much about his time in Vietnam, I was able to see all of his official combat missions by date. I never really knew what the Air Medal ribbon or the Combat Aircrew Insignia, both with 3 stars, meant. Above is a list of Aurence's medals from his DD2. I encourage all veterans to write to the military personnel office and request your BOR. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to get and preserve your records and medals for your children. Aurence will be proud to pass his on to our son and grandson. Veterans can write to National Personnel Records Center Military Personnel Records 1 Archives Drive St. Louis, MO 63138 Be sure to include your service number (or social security number if you can't remember it), birth-date, birth state, full name, branch of service, dates of service, and any other information that can help them identify you. Rather than take a chance at getting a letter requesting more information, give them whatever you think they might need to identify you. And do not forget to sign the letter of request. Oh, and be sure to state that you want not only your DD214 and replacement medals, but also your Book of Records and medical records. Remember, they will only replace your medals once, so put them in safekeeping. We have helped over 2-dozen veterans get their service records and duplicate medals. I remember it took anywhere from 3 to 12 weeks, sometimes longer, before they received their packets. Be patient, but don't forget to do it. Your children will be glad you did. If you need any assistance please feel free to reach out to us. Your cell phone photos might look good on your screen and as small prints, but blow them up to an 8x10 or larger and you will be disappointed unless you shot in a perfect light. Believe me, there are precious few 'perfect lights' in life and when you come across one, it can be gone faster than you can find your phone.
A good camera and a zoom lens may be your best bet if you are interested in taking some lasting photos. You can always find a good deal on used cameras and the Internet is full of free photography lessons. The moral of the story first: Always have an arsenal of camera gear in your passenger seat and your press pass around your neck. I was stopped for doing 55 in a 35 after this officer shot me with radar. Also, I was not wearing a seatbelt. After he properly scolded me, he handed me a warning. He was a real sport when I asked him to hold up the radar gun so I could get it in the photo. Kudos to the good cops out there.
Nothing better than a beach fire on an empty beach. Too hot for these Dog 'Days' but just right for nights when the wind brings a gentle chill to your bones. Grab a beer, dig up some mussels and clams, and forgot about hundred-degree days.
If you are in Washington DC, don't forget to visit the National Museum of American History. Check out the 3rd floor for the "Price of Freedom" exhibit. You will see this baby there. You can see more photos at: www.aurbie.com/about-aurence.html Landing at National Mall. Aurence is shown in tan jacket. He painted the artwork shown on door after she landed in our backyard. The famous White Dog, along with several other icons that appear in all of Aurence's works, can be seen on the door. For full story click on above link.
Dogs are easy. Cats, not so much. They belong to a secret club, it seems. When you see a photo op they almost certainly reorganize their bodies by the time you get back with the camera. The best advice I can give is to always keep a camera handy and make sure you have a good light before snapping. A cat is going to be sleepy-eyed when it wakes up, and there is usually a stretch and/or yawn that follows. If you are shooting with a camera phone you may get some movement unless you have great light. The best time to capture your beauty is shortly before he winks out, or is engaged in watching something that interest him enough to be bright-eyed but sleepy enough to not want to get up to investigate. Look for bright eyes, relaxed poise, and good light. Catch a cat when he is in deep thought. In this photo, Skipper is getting ready for his afternoon nap but the birds have peaked his interest. He is distracted long enough to give a quick glance towards the camera. Notice that he has a lovely light falling on his face, which is what prompted me to grab my camera. I took this with a telephoto lens. There was no great light on Khaleesi but her pose were perfect, and there was just enough light to bring out her blue Siamese eyes. Like Skipper, she was also contemplating a nap. She was in such deep thought she paid the camera no attention. I submitted this photo to the 2018 Workman's 365 Day Calendar. She won first place which make her the January 1 calendar cat.
I was organizing some photos and this one cooled me off. 2015 was the hottest on record until 2016 came along. It looks like 2017 is going to beat 2016. If you are sweltering like we are in the South, I hope this cools you off.
Before heading to a fancy dress ball, we donned our 2017 party favors and snapped a photo. Here's hoping that 2017 is a good and prosperous year for all our friends, collectors, and followers. We so enjoy your emails. Thank you for your kind words and support of Aurence's work over the past 38 years. This is my second recipe for a blue Hubbard squash smoothie. I cook squash and freeze it into smoothie serving sizes. All I have to do is take it out of the freezer the night before and it is ready for the blender.
We both stay busy with our art and other projects that seem to consume our time in a most constructive and lucrative way. The time we allow for leisure is spent chilling with friends and reading or watching a movie or getting lost in a VR game.
We are big fans of foreign films, film noir, documentaries, and daily newspapers. I seldom read fiction books unless they border on the lines of Truman Capote, John Steinbeck, or my favorite - Jack Kerouac . I like my words real. I do enjoy poetry. Hubby likes a good war novel, natural for a Vietnam Marine door gunner. I am a student of the Great Depression and the early Wobbly unions. My hubby and I both enjoy live theater and musicals. Death of a Salesman and Miss Saigon are examples. We both hate reality TV, news TV (if you want to call CNN, FOX News, and MSNBC news) anything with commercials, and so-called 'entertainment' shows. Our TV viewing is restricted to Game of Thrones (it will be missed), Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and PBS specials, including shows like Frontline. We do indulge in PBS shows like Miranda and reruns of Keeping up Appearances. We have Netflix on our Roku if we want to watch a movie or documentary. Netflix has some great docs and foreign films. And of course, we watch TPB. Hubby enjoys college football. Thankfully he can Tivo a game, begin watching 45 minutes into it, push through the commercials and watch the live ending. Oh, and call me insane but I Tivo SNL. It is a forty-one year habit I can't break. I think I keep hoping the ghosts of the likes of Chase, Aykroyd, Belushi' and Radner will be resurrected. I am always disappointed, though their openers are usually spot-on in mimicking current affairs. Thankfully, I can watch the opener and fast-forward to the skits that look funny and trash the rest without loosing valuable time. I seem to be making excuses here for the above photo. Why would two picky people who can't wait for Hamilton to play in Atlanta go see the Trailer Park Boys? Our fondness for the TPB is something I can't explain, really. Sometimes in 2005, our son, a sci-fi fan and computer geek, and another picky person when it comes to his TV shows, told us to watch Trailer Park Boys on BBCA. Even though we had a Tivo at the time, commercials made us reluctant to tune in. I can't emphasize how much we hate commercials. "Just watch the show," our son appealed to us. We did. The 'show' consisted of re-runs of the popular Canadian show that had won comedy awards. At first, it was hard to watch because every other word was bleeped out and we came in on the middle of the run, but "the boys" soon won us over. It was sad to see them leave BBC but in 2009 or 2010 Direct TV ran the entire series without the bleeps. Again, we came in on the middle of the run but we enjoyed the boys just as much as we had the first time. They left us once more but were born again with Netflix not only giving them several more seasons, but running the entire series. At first, TPB may seems like it appeals to the pot smoking, binge drinking, youth of the world. And maybe they do, but we found something not too many people see, and if they do, they don't realize it - I like to think of it as simplicity, so rare in today's living. Each season has the boys going about doing petty crime, growing and smoking pot, getting drunk, eating chicken fingers, and trying to avoid the alcoholic trailer park supervisor and his shirtless big-bellied assistant, who it turns out, are gay. We both get a kick out of watching Supervisor Lahey perform his 'drunk' act. Few people know he is a trained Shakespearean actor. At the end of each series, the boys end up going back to jail for petty crimes, enjoying jail, but vowing to change their lives when they get out. It is kind of like watching the movie Groundhog Day. In fairness, I have to say, the first few seasons were the best. The old trailer park scenes were classic, nothing seemed rushed, and no one was in a hurry. It seems that fame has projected a try-too-hard atmosphere on the newer shows. Some of the characters we loved have either died or moved on, but the boys are still the boys and Mr. Lahey and Randy are still out to get them. The boys may have reached too far in too short a time with their own channel Swearnet and a movie that broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the most swear words (not fans of that because the boys were out of character) and of course, they are now touring and even have a new show running on Netflix - Out of the Park (not fans of that because they are outta the park, but in character, so still funny to those of us who know them). Anyone tuning into TPB on Netflix should start with the early shows and not get discouraged if the first few episodes seem a little strange. It is a mockumentary. Bubbles does not really catch on well until the second season, and by season 3, if you are still around, you will be hooked, so hooked, in fact, when you finish all the seasons, you may feel compelled to start over. Sometimes, at the end of a busy day, when we don't want to invest time in a movie, or don't feel like reading, it is nice to turn on Netflix and catch the next episode of TPB for a good twenty-something minute laugh. Just listening to Ricky 'pur-nounce' his words is a hoot; and just how does Julian keep that glass of rum, always in his hand, from spilling, even when they topple in a vehicle? Once you get to season 8, you start seeing the trying-too-hard, but by then, you are hooked and just look for the familiar in the characters. By season 10, you only want it to be over, so you can go back to the way things were. Tom Arnold? Really? So, for the sake of the viewers and long-time fans, I hope the boys get back to the basics of doing the little things that made us laugh and love them. We don't need tacos or senior citizens (of which I am one), or new park supervisors, or even motels out of the park. The park, boys. Fixing carts, ganking groceries, keeping the 'rakens' out of the weed, drinking salad dressing, playing street hockey, carting a lifeless Ricky on the back of the go-cart. That's why we love you. And bring back Conky. I think Bubbles said it best in an early episode, "If it ain't broke..." And please, give us another Christmas special. Years ago, I went on a weekend photo trip with a fellow photographer. We were driving down a lazy Georgia road when we spotted an abandoned country store. Excitedly, we slammed on the brakes and rushed out of the car with our gear in tow. It was just the two of us on the site - no one else in sight. We were surrounded by open empty land on all sides. We split up and started taking photos of everything we could find. A week later, when I developed the film, I noticed something strange in one of the photos. A man's face was visible in the window pane. He had a beard, sunglasses, and a hat, and was possibly wearing a dark overcoat over a white shirt. We were both amazed by the photo and spent a lot of time discussing who or what could have caused the image to appear. Eventually, the photo ended up in my collection of black and white photos, where it was mostly forgotten. But every now and then, I'd come across it again and wonder about the mysterious figure in the window. With Halloween approaching, I thought it would be a good time to share the photo. It has not been altered in any way to include a ghost. It was a cloudy but warm day, so even if someone had walked up behind me, they wouldn't have been wearing a winter coat. As a photographer, I'm always aware of my surroundings. The photo is un-retouched, and even the dust specks and scratches on the negative can be seen. While much clarity has been lost in the scanning process, the man's face is still visible in the leaning window pane. If anyone wants to examine the negative, I'd be happy to locate it. This mystery has intrigued me for many years, and I'd love to know who the man in the photo was in his living life. So, Ghost Hunters, shoot me an email. Happy Halloween. I know a lot of good photographers who never take photos of people because they are afraid to approach strangers. To that I say, "Never pass up a photo you want." These photos are to show you that if I can take photos like these, you can take a photo of people doing everyday things. Never be afraid. The above photo, along with those shown at the end of this article (all scanned from silver gelatin prints), were taken while on assignments. I didn't have to take these photos but I knew they would make good material. Getting them was easy as asking. I can only remember a few occasions over thirty years where people did not want their photos taken. Some people are camera shy but it is always worth a try to approach people. I have found that most people are open to having their photos taken with a 'real' camera even, if like the people in these photos, they know they will never see themselves in print. The iPhone is another sort of animal. People may think you are up to no good. I love street photography and have taken my share - thousands of photos are hiding in un-scanned negatives and slides and on my computer, waiting to be discovered. One day, they will all be sorted and posted. I hope. If you are interested in photography, don't neglect life. That flower will be there for awhile, the deer will always return, and the mountain...well, the mountain ain't going nowhere. Record life as it happens and you will make for a much better photographer and won't bore people with your people-less photos. Just kidding. I love your vacation photos of waterfalls and buildings. If you read my previous you may remember I talked about newspapers wanting before, during, and after photos of storms. The below photo was taken after a flood. It made the front page of my newspaper and the Associate Press 'top-ten photos of the day' list.
I can't emphasis the importance of evacuating before a hurricane hits your area. I have been in several hurricanes, dating back to Gloria in 1985. It was only a category 1, but it was enough for me to learn to respect the power of nature. It was always one of my assignments to photograph weather-related events. News photographers are expected to cover blizzards, flooding, high winds, extreme heat and cold, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Newspapers call them 'weather shots.' In getting those shots, I have photographed from my own vehicles, rode in the backs of pick-ups, hitched rides with law officials and the National Guard, and sometimes used my own 2 feet to walk a weather related event. Newspapers want the entire story, from people shuttering windows, emptying grocery store shelves to the after-effects of the storm. They also want those up-close and personal photos of the weather, and that can be challenging when it comes to hurricanes. Knowing when to leave an area is a skill you gain with experience. With the explosion in cell phones, I have seen people doing some dangerous things to get photos to send to their local newspapers and TV stations. Don't. There is no 'safe' when you are at the mercy of the weather and an inexperienced person could be risking their lives in certain situations. Hurricanes are the worst because of downed power lines that could electrocute you and flooding that could trap you in your car. If you don't adhere to warnings and decide not to leave your home, and are in a truly safe place, go ahead and take photos, but know that the window you're standing at could be blown apart at any time. The same goes for a tornado. I hope people are heeding the warnings about evacuations. If you have nowhere to go, call the Red Cross or your local law enforcement office, or check with a nearby church. Many times, during a hurricane, I have had to pack up my cameras and head home or to the nearest 'safe' location. You need to remember that if you decide to stay and the weather worsens no one will come for you. Even the National Guard will leave a dangerous area if the weather dictates. There will no EMS, no fire personal, and no law officials until conditions are safe. As for photographing a hurricane, the media pays people to do that job. Don't put yourself in danger for 2 seconds worth of fame. |
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