In a world of so many great photographers and writers, I am venturing into some unknown territories, leaving comfort zones, finally very willing to practice the art of seeing. By maintaining the practice of posting daily photos, I hope to continue learning about the possibilities that I trust are out there for the taking.
Erika, Jen and I spent late afternoon and evening at the Salton Sea last week. What a joy. And what a great opportunity it was for me as Erika knows so much more than I about flash. This was a first shooting with a skilled photographer. I loved it. I keep saying I need to join a camera club and not be so solo learning photography. Anyone local reading this, let me know if you want to go shooting sometime, ok?
Erika taught Jen and me a lot.
Jen.
Erika took this photo of me.
Erika knew this background would be great.
The shoreline is covered with dead Talapia.
Before we headed out to light write an old Gas Station (I posted this picture a few days ago.), I took a couple of shots out over the Salton Sea.
We just got word today that Ray’s two hour back surgery is going to happen tomorrow. He is having a laminotomy of the L1, L2, L3 and L4 vertebrae in the Marina del Rey. We come home Wednesday.
He has instructions to do no bending, lifting or twisting. His rehab doesn’t even start for 2 months. And the worst part…..He can’t pick up a golf club for 4 months!
Ray at the Salton Sea a few weeks ago.
I apologized to the MHCC hiking club I lead hikes for letting them know I wouldn’t be leading the hike this Saturday letting them know about Ray’s surgery and recovery. One of the hikers responded with the following encouraging email:
Linda
Just responding to give you some encouraging news. My husband, Barry recently had very delicate surgery on C4, 5 and 6 where they cut through the vertebrae to the spinal cord, on one side and on the other, cut a “V” which would allow each vertebrae to be opened and pinned open with a titanium spacer. Cutting up to, but not touching the spinal cord, was the challenge. His surgery lasted 6 hours. Unsuccessful surgery would have meant he would be a quadriplegic. His recovery was to have taken four months.
After much worry, his surgery was most successful and his recovery took only a fraction of the predicted period. He is back skiing, motorcycling and golfing.
They have such sophisticated equipment and competent doctors nowadays, the risks have been minimized significantly.
Not to say that your husband’s surgery is not serious but do want to encourage you by Barry’s experience. Hang in there, Linda. All the best of luck!
Shirley
My sisters came to visit this past week. The purpose of our visit was to go through old, very old, family photos dating back to the early 1900′s. When my parents died I became the keeper of all the photo albums and my sisters had asked me many times if I’d made copies (since I believe I had made this insane promise).
We went through many albums removing the photos from between plastic that was helping degrade the quality of the photos right before our eyes. It was a difficult process for me since I am emotionally attached to memorabilia of all types but especially photos. I hated seeing the albums dissembled since some photos containing only landscapes/no people were discarded and I feared not having the complete context of information available any longer.
The job was emotionally difficult and a larger job than any of us thought. We sat at the kitchen table for a few hours each of the fours days my sisters were here going through way too many photos. The last day Leila and I organized the photos into categories and then placed the photos in each of the 12 or 13 categories in large labeled baggies ready to be sent off to Scancafe to get the photos scanned into digital media.
I have to call my sisters since today I finally heard back from someone at Scancafe and found out more about the cost of this project.
Below are two very special photos I’d like to share. I was probably 11 years old in this photo. I am the eldest of my siblings. There is an 8 year age difference between me and my youngest sister Ginny.
The Saul and Dorothy Sher family photo taken when we lived in Rutherford, NJ.
I remember this day. I had had a fight with my parents, had been crying and the photographer was the only one who could get me to fake looking ok.
After an early morning hike, getting old family pictures ready to be scanned, breakfast, we went to Manhattan’s Deli for lunch. I entertained myself while waiting for our order by taking some family photos.
Leila and Dennis at Manhattan’s Deli in Palm Springs, CA.
Walid and Ginny.
And me….photo taken by Leila.
Following lunch we went to check out the Marilyn Monroe statue, now on loan for the year, in Palm Springs. Next stop… Jensen’s Market to pick up the 6 live lobsters we’d ordered for the full course New Year’s dinner Ginny, Leila and Dennis planned for us all. With the live lobsters in the back of the car we stopped on the way home and checked out some RV’s….Ginny had never been inside one before.
The afternoon plan to go to Salton Sea never happened. Back home, Gin and Lee sat outside and talked some more…they like talking….I picked up my camera…….I like picking up my camera!
Preparation for dinner started around 7pm. I got my camera out as I wanted to shoot the poor lobsters.
Dennis and sister Leila.
Walid and sister Ginny.
Ray and me.
Tomorrow is going to be the first day I get back eating right again. No sugar, no white flour…..eating mostly Paleo!
Lee and Gin on a morning Rimrock Shopping Center hike.
Next on our agenda, mani and pedi.
Late afternoon walk around the block.
Had an external flash on camera.
Brother-in-law Dennis and sister Leila.
Brother-in-law Walid and sister Ginny.
Walid, Gin, Lee and Dennis hamming it up.
The Sisters! Gin, Lee and Linda
Our mates, Walid, Dennis and Ray.
Me and hubby.
Tried some bounced on-camera flash with this hummingbird.
Ray is getting used to me testing flash exposures on him since I keep the shooting time under 1 minute! He also knows there is a strong likelihood his photo will end up on my blog consequently he is learning to pose for me:-) Isn’t he handsome.
Ray tolerates me while I continue using him for a subject. Interrupting his solitaire game is risky business.
I was practicing shooting at higher ISO’s (1600) and then taking the photo into the Nik Define 2.0 plugin to reduce digital noise that comes from higher ISOs. I read in the Nik Define User Guide that using this plugin should be done before working on your photo in editing software. Never knew that.
Here’s my little boy. Isn’t he handsome?
This is probably the only shot I have ever taken where he is letting me take his photo without him making some silly face. Obviously I took him by surprise:-)