San Francisco Fleet Week

Today is the official start of Fleet Week in San Francisco. Yesterday was media day, and a practice for most of the scheduled demonstrations.

Here is a shot I took yesterday from the Golden Gate Yacht Club.


This is a movie my wife put together of last years San Francisco Fleet Week 2008. Potos and the movie clips were shot by me, but she put it together for here third grade class.

San Francisco Fleet Week October 2008 from Goldi Loxs on Vimeo.

Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library

Magellan and I finally made it home from our trip to Southern California. Our journey home took to the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library. Our main reason for going was that Magellan is taking a summer class from UCSD that will give her one credit and move her up on the pay scale at work in October. The secondary reason is we wanted to see the Air Force One, tail number 27000.

It was amazing to see this huge Boeing 707 perched three stories above your head. This massive piece of machinery was literally standing on three pillars.

If you find yourself in Simi Valley, California and on Hwy 118. Take some time and visit the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library, no matter what political party you belong, you will find the history amazing, and the history of his career for the early days of radio and movies through his political career.

OpenRoadTV talks with Michael Adams

Green Sea Turtle

Green Sea Turtle
Originally uploaded by Kirk Howard

This was taken with my new Canon PowerShot G10 camera and Canon WP-DC28 underwater housing. It took a week to get somewhat familar with all the controls and buttons and knobs.

However by the end of my vacation I was able to capture moments like this free diving with an very buoyant housing. I need to get the weights to help make the camera neutrally buoyant.

Yosemite Night and Day

Sunday I drove to Yosemite just for the night. Just like last year in June I went to capture a Lunar Rainbow or Moonbow. This time I went in May on the night after the full moon. The difference from the two months June and May, May has a lot more water coming out of the waterfalls. Here is a link to last years post on Lunar Rainbows or Moonbows June 2008.

Here is a Shot that I took from the pathway in Cooks Meadow parallel to the Merced River. It was almost 2:00 AM and the Moonbow was starting to disappear.

This video was shot on the same day May 11, 2009. It is a 360º view from the highest point on Sentinel Dome.

Sentinel Dome 360º from KiHo on Vimeo.

Sentinel Dome 360º May 11, 2009

Schmap Destination Guide: Photo Inclusion

Pumpkin Pile
Originally uploaded by Kirk Howard

One of my photographs has been selected to be included for the Schmap Destination Guide.

I have personally never used this guide before, but I checked them out to make sure it was on the up and up. It seems to be directed to the mobile phone market specifically the iPhone.

I have included the letters that were sent to me via Flickr mail.

************************************************************************

From: Emma J. Williams
Subject: Schmap: San Francisco Photo Short-list


Hi Kirk,

I am writing to let you know that one of your photos has been short-listed for inclusion in the sixth edition of our Schmap San Francisco Guide, to be published mid-March 2009.

www.schmap.com/shortlist/p=66304943N00/c=SJ20012965

Clicking this link will take you to a page where you can:
i) See which of your photos has been short-listed.
ii) Submit or withdraw your photo from our final selection phase.
iii) Learn how we credit photos in our Schmap Guides.
iv) Browse online or download the fifth edition of our Schmap San Francisco Guide.

While we offer no payment for publication, many photographers are pleased to submit their photos, as Schmap Guides give their work recognition and wide exposure, and are free of charge to readers. Photos are published at a maximum width of 150 pixels, are clearly attributed, and link to high-resolution originals at Flickr.

Our submission deadline is Tuesday, February 24. If you happen to be reading this message after this date, please still click on the link above (our Schmap Guides are updated frequently - photos submitted after this deadline will be considered for later releases).

Best regards,

Emma Williams,
Managing Editor, Schmap Guides
www.schmap.me/emma.williams

***************************************************************************

From: Emma J. Williams
Subject: Schmap San Francisco Sixth Edition: Photo Inclusion


Hi Kirk,

I am delighted to let you know that your submitted photo has been selected for inclusion in the newly released sixth edition of our Schmap San Francisco Guide:

Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival
www.schmap.com/sanfrancisco/events_outandabout/p=20581/i=20581_4.jpg

If you use an iPhone or iPod touch, then this same link will take you directly to your photo in the iPhone version of our guide. On a desktop computer, you can still see exactly how your photo is displayed and credited in the iPhone version of our guide at:

Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival
www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=sanfrancisco&sid=events_outandabout&p=20581&i=20581_4

Finally, if you have a blog, you might also like to check out the customizable widgetized version of our Schmap San Francisco Guide, complete with your published photo:

www.schmap.com/guidewidgets/p=66304943N00/c=SJ20012191

Thanks so much for letting us include your photo - please enjoy the guide!

Best regards,

Emma Williams,
Managing Editor, Schmap Guides
www.schmap.me/emma.williams

Reflection at Dawn

Reflection at Dawn
Originally uploaded by Kirk Howard

An early February snowy morning in Yosemite National Park. This is a photo from Stoneman Bridge take with my Panasonic Point n Shoot.

What attracted me to this image is the glassy calm of the Merced River and the dawn colors in the reflection.

Snuffleupagus

Snuffleupagus, originally uploaded by Kirk Howard.

Young Male Elephant Seal at Ano Nuevo State Natural Reserve. He was tucked into a nice cozy bed of sea grass that washed up on the shore during high tide.

JPG has been revived...

For all those who were not aware. JPG magazine or (8020 Media) had sent out a blast email at the end of the year stating that the Magazine and Online site no-longer had the capital to continue doing business.

They explained how they had exhausted all possibilities of finding backers. So on January 5th, 2009 they were officially done.

However today I received an email stating that with the help and support of the readers and on-line friends they may have struck and deal for continued life of the magazine and website.

I enclose the actual letter for your review.

REF:
A Future for JPG
1 message
________________________________________
8020 Media Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 12:40 AM
To: Kirk Howard
We couldn't ask for a better community. In the week or so since our last email, the outpour of support has exceeded our wildest expectations. Your efforts, such as starting savejpg.com, writing blog posts, commenting on Twitter and Flickr, and generally making your voices heard, have provided exciting new opportunities for us.

We're thrilled to say that because of you, we have multiple credible buyers interested in giving JPG a home. We will be keeping the site up after all, and hope to have a final update in the next week or so on who the acquirer will be. Thank you for making all of this possible.

Laura Brunow Miner
Editor in Chief

Holiday Message...

BLACK FRIDAY…

I dreaded the holiday shopping season as a retail employee. In celebration of “Black Friday”, and that I haven’t worked retail for over 150 full moons, here are some shopping ideas for the photographer in your life.

1. Books are always a good idea. How to’s: for better technique. Amazon.com com has a great selection of photography books. Some great authors are Scott Kelby, Joe McNally, and Annie Leibovitz. Also, some other books are the Photo Workshop series.

2. Magazines are another gift that keeps giving for at least 12 months. There are a plethora of Photography or Photoshop magazines. Most of these can be purchased or ordered from the websites directly. Popular Photography (PopPhoto) is a great general magazine.

More specific are magazines like Photoshop User or Layers magazines. National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) puts out these magazines. NAPP also has a membership that will not only get all the Photoshop User issues for the year you also get discounts to buy gear and on-line tools and training.

2. Glass Blow Ornaments are always a good stocking stuffer. Here are some VINTAGE CAMERA ORNAMENTS.

Another great gift resource comes from the guys at NAPP and Layers Magazine. It’s the Gonzo Holiday Gear Guide. You will have to navigate to different pages to see the entire gift guild, but it worth the looks. This is the 2007 Gonzo Holiday Gear Guide. The 2008 Gonzo Holiday Gear Guide version has been released, but you will need to purchase the Layers magazine to see this years toys. Stay tuned for an update.

Now if you haven’t noticed already, everything I posted can be had over the internet. I try to do most of my shopping this way. I hate having to deal with holiday shoppers and the nastiness it brings out in the average Joe.

If you know what you are looking for and have a good idea what retail is for items, you can score some good deals on-line. Warning, be smart and wise and make sure the product and company is reputable.

That’s if for me. I will be braving the crowds at the Apple Store today. Apple usually has a one day sale on “Black Friday”. Apple is notorious for never selling anything under MSRP, except for “Black Friday”.


Good Luck and may the shopping be with you…

24 Beams of Light...

This was my first year to Pigeon Point Light Station to watch and photograph the light of the old first order Fresnel lens. It was a fantastic opportunity to capture the beams of light emanate from the 24 prism panels in the lens.

They light was lit at 6pm and for the first five minutes they held the carriage still to keep the lens from rotating. Giving an untold amount of photographers the opportunity to capture 24 beams of light. After the first five minutes the lens rotates beaming a signature flash of light every ten seconds.

The closer you stood the lighthouse structure the more the beams were pronounced. It was amazing to see the beams of light streak past on the distant hillsides and in the ocean.
In the lantern room the bull’s-eye lens is 100' above ground to the focal plane of the lens. Also 150' (about) above sea level to the focal plane of the lens. This height compensates for the curvature of the earth. On a clear night, light has a visual distance of 24 miles from the ocean.

It was announced on Saturday that this might be the last lighting of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse Lantern. With further investigation it may be discontinued until the necessary renovations are completed to fix the damaged lighthouse structure.

The reason why they may not light the lamp in 2009 is a safety issue and not a cost issue. The Coast Guard engineering studies report the structure may collapse if an earthquake or a very strong wind storm were to batter the lighthouse.

Over the years the sea spray and salt air have slowly decayed the exterior structure. In 2001 part of the west facing caprice fell (cornice on the exterior of the lighthouse fell off). The result was the closure of the Lighthouse Structure to the public.

According to Staff and California State Parks, lack the funding needed it to fix the lighthouse and lantern room. Current estimated figures are around 5 million dollars to repair and renovate the structure and rework the lens. Most of the funds required, have to be provided by private funding.
Donations can be made to restore the Pigeon Point Light Station or to Cal. State Parks Foundation.

Galapagos Diving...

I found this on Vimeo. I thought it was awesome. It's seven minuets long but worth watching. Kirk Out

Galapagos from Darek Sepiolo on Vimeo.

Photographer of Light…

One of Magellan’s favorite artists is Thomas Kinkade, the Painter of Light. She loves him so much just his spoken name wants to make her puke. Actually even though Magellan thinks the guy is paint by numbers artist, she admires his business skills and the ability to make a fortune out of a pile of crap.

Last weekend for our anniversary we drove south on Hwy 1 on our way to Cambria. During our trip we stopped (Forced at Lens Point) at famous landmarks i.e. Bixby Bridge, Point Sur Light Station and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.

Last year I set out to work on a photography project. This project was to help me keep my focus on an idea while improving my photography skills. My project I selected for myself was to photograph all the California Lighthouses and Light Stations.

During the Point Sur stop we took a Three Hour Tour of the Light Station. The Point Sur State Park offers two tours, one at 10:00AM and another at 2:00PM. Once you begin the tour you can’t leave, nor can you not go and stay in your car. This tour is either all or none. I recommend the tour it is well done and the restoration is almost complete.

The Point Sur stop gave me the opportunity to get closer to completing my project. While on the tour I made the remark I was the Photographer of Light. It was a spoof of Thomas Kinkade and his paintings of Lighthouses.

Here are some images I have taken since I started. One of my favorites is not of the Lantern (light) itself, but of the glass prisms from the Prism Deck at Point Sur Light Station. To see more images got to my Flickr Set California Lighthouses.

Have a good weekend…

Pigeon Point Light Station
Point Arena Lighthouse

Where's Matt...?

While Magellan (wife) was going through my blog she clicked the link on the front which took her to another random blog. On this blog where some very interesting items. One of which was a video that she shared with me that was called "Where in the Hell is Matt?" It was a You Tube video that had over 11 million views. Here is the latest work by Matt. As Magellan said "It makes me smile" The video and the link to Matt's page are below. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did...

To visit Matt's web page Click... Here.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

M.B.A....

Taking pictures can be difficult enough with lighting, proper exposer, focus, subject matter and the list goes on. Going to a

public aquarium in very dim light without the use of a tripod doesn't make it easier.

My wife and I recently went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I took my camera gear with me to try and capture images of the life in the aquarium. While there was much to see and to photograph trying to capture the best image is a challenge.

First the M.B.A. doesn’t allow tripods or monopods into the building. The reasons for this are clear. Can you imagine with all the visitors to the aquarium, gawking at all the displays and then have some photographer(s) setup a tri-pod in front of said display. It would be a mess. People kicking the legs of the tripod, gear crashing to the floor. It would be complete chaos.

Some displays in the aquarium won’t allow use of a flash. In the large display tanks the M.B.A. discouraged the use of flash, because it drove the large pelagics to the rear of the tank. It seems the bigger fish are camera shy.

This is what I recommend for taking photographs in an aquarium setting:

1. Use the highest speed wide angle zoom you have access to. I used my Nikkor 18~70mm f3.5-4.5. I found this lens was not fast enough. I could have used my Nikkor fixed 50mm f1.8, but the wide angle wouldn’t be enough to allow the coverage of most display tamks.

2. Increase your ISO between 400 to 800. The higher your ISO the more digital noise will be seen on the image.

3. Use an off camera flash when possible. I used my Nikon SB-600 strobe. I had it hand-held and tethered to the camera. This gave me the ability move the strobe around the outside of the tanks to shoot through the glass and minimize the amount of reflection back into the lens. For more information on use of off camera flash, read the Strobist.

4. Also to help minimize the light being reflected into the lens (lens flare), I recommend a soft rubber lens hood. not only will his help eliminate lens flare, this will also give you a very soft seal when you push the lens up to the aquarium glass. I purchased a rubber lens hood for less the $10.00.

To be continued…

Monarch…

Photo by: Kirk Howard Copyright© 2007
The butterfly species Danaus plexippus is commonly known as the Monarch butterfly. The western population of the Monarch butterfly overwinters in various sites in central coastal California, United States, notably in Pacific Grove and Santa Cruz. In San Leandro they have set up tours to view the Monarch butterfly.

In San Simeon I took a few images of the Monarch butterfly while I was waiting at the entrance of the Hearst Castle visitors’ center. The butterflies really like this yellow daisy looking flower.

The images I took were not the greatest. I was hurried and didn’t have the proper equipment. Typically I would have a tripod, cable release and my macro lens to capture the best “Tack Sharp” images I could. However, I had to work with the tools I had at hand. I had my 80~200 mm f2.8 Zoom attached. I had the ISO set to 400 with a circular polarizer attached to the lens.

The zoom lens was perfect for this type of image. It allowed me to shoot closer to the subject without physically being close to the subject and disturbing the butterfly. The focal length and the large aperture allowed me to create a very shallow (DOF) depth of field. This allows the subject to stay in focus and the distracting background to be slightly out of focus.

A macro zoom lens would bring out more detail.

Tripod…

Copyright© 2007 Kirk Howard

Tripod, monopods choose your weapon…

One of the most important items in the arsenal of a photographer is a tripod. In photography, a tripod is a three-legged stand for a camera, used to stabilize and elevate the camera. The word stabilize rings loud in my mind. Unfortunately I didn’t have a tripod with me on our tour of William Randolph Hearst’s San Simeon home.

I spent the last weekend in Cambria and San Simeon, with my sister, her son and my wife. We all went for a tour of Hearst Castle. We decided to embark on the Tour number two. All of us had already been on tour number one. Tour two is 95% and inside tour of Casa Grande, and mostly on the second and third floors. The California State Parks Service will not allow the use of camera flash inside any of the buildings. You are forced into using available light only.

Copyright© 2007 Kirk Howard

My sister and I had an opportunity to go back and do the night tour. If you ever get the chance I recommend the night tour. It is a longer tour and the interior of the rooms are better lit then during the day. The art work and tapestries’ are more vibrant and colorful. I didn’t have my tripod on this tour either.

Copyright© 2007 Kirk Howard

I order to allow enough light in to expose the image properly; the shutter has to be left open longer. Unfortunately without the use of a tripod it is most likely you will have a picture that is not “Tack Sharp”.

Copyright© 2007 Kirk Howard

I was forced to hand hold my camera and hold my breath as I tried to capture a properly exposed image… You win some, you lose some…

Copyright© 2007 Kirk Howard