Call to vigilance!

Today I am starting a new adventure...I'm blessed to attend a three and half day photo workshop called Skip's Summer School in Chicago, Illinois (well really Oak Brook but we're close enough).

I got here exhausted, the real job kicking me me around a lot...but that is where the story begins.

I'm tired from work, I'm tired from noisy toddler making noises in here sleep down the hall, I'm tired because I'm not efficient enough or focused like I should be, I'm already missing my family and wondering if I am doing them right by being here. I wanted to feel sorry for myself, and I was tempted to say the walk over church would be too long. The Gospel today reminded me that I would be unwise to walk away from such a trivial challenge.

Throughout the bible story God provides opportunities for the vigilant to grow in wisdom and experience if we grasp those intangible moments.

Today's readings reminded us of a number of moments in time where vigilance was rewarded: Passover's short notice to leave our old world behind, Abraham's challenge to leave all behind, Abraham welcoming strangers with kindness...who turn out to be the Lord's messengers, the God fearing men and women who did not know Jesus but followed the wisdom they had, and finally the parable from Christ himself telling us directly that we will never know the hour of our final test of faith.

So instead of thinking woe to me, I must actually be thinking about how do I capitalize on each moment to act out God's wisdom in my thoughts and deeds. That is why I'm happy I did take up the three mile round trip by foot to church. I got this message because I was there to listen to his word and be nourished at his altar.

I'll share you a little secret...it is much easier to do this after a peaceful nap though...

-ehw P.S. the photo is from the entrance to Ascension of The Lord Catholic Church in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. Lovely lighting in there!

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

Wiley Coyote's last stop

Did you grow up on Road Runner and Wiley Coyote cartoons?  If not your missing a little bit of modern education.

This site at the top of Pike's Peak seemed to be the inspiration of all those falls Wiley Coyote took...Track runs all the way up to the edge and then...well it is a 2,000 foot drop.  Good for getting home in a hurry if you are not worried about arriving in one piece.

It was a fun part of the trip.  Everyone had to remember to work a little slower because it was not hard to get light headed up there in the thin air of 14,000 feet.

-ehw

P.S.  Mr. Fuji made this trip up the hill.  A nice story teller told me once that if you can get an interesting angle, like the top shot that can be the grabber.  The second shot finishes the story you wanted to tell.  So depending on the purpose of your post, share either one or both.  I thought both would work better on this little story of our trip.

Watching you!

Keeping children entertained on a 90 minute or so train ride through very dense clouds s not an easy task, but that is exactly what we did climbing up Pike's Peak.  Did you know then Captain Zebulon Pike attempted to climb this mountain in November?  He waned to do this while wearing a summer uniform back in 1806!

Kevin here took the time to enjoy the company of his grandfather for the ride up the mountain...and peppered him with questions and little "figgity" games you would expect of a six year old.  Grandad tempered Kevin's energy with his wisdom so they did have a fun journey together that taught Kevin a few good nuggets of information along the way.

I personally was imagining Captain Pike's First Sergeant looking at him just thinking he could get a tiny bit up that mountain...oh the burning eyeballs!

Looking through the eyes of a child, or in this case into they eyes of a child, can really charge us with both a fresh perspective AND energy to explore the world.  This type of energy propelled the great creatives and explorers of history.  Creatives who temper that youthful exploration with introspection are those that use their adventures to enrich the lives of those around them.  Those young creatives who don't get a safe guiding hand...well they end up frozen on Pikes Peak...with their talents wasted in the alpine air.

-ehw

P.S. Fujifilm X-E1 with the 18-55 "kit" lens.  Make no mistake...this is not your typical kit lens.

At the foot of the altar

Stunning artwork and symbols even at the foot of the altar in Grand Lake......one aspect of churches I truly enjoy are those which teach the faith through art...

I'll have a treat in a few days when I show you the Cathedral of the Plains.  The parishioners there really made art and faith sing...

Since this was a circle the square frame seemed to be the best choice for the selection.

-ehw

Wow...twins!

Today will be a full day...so I am happy to share this simple composition of a little flowers shining in morning light....

-ehw

P.S. When shooting flowers outdoors I highly suggest wind breaks and diffusers. One keeps your subject still. The other helps control the highlights by making harsh light bigger.

Places to Worship and Pray

During our trip to Colorado we went to St. Anne's Catholic Church for Sunday Mass.  The building fits right in with its rustic, mountain feel with the rest of the church.

That Sunday we heard a sermon from a traveling priest, who ironically my wife alone heard two months ago in Atlanta at the Seton Homeschooling Conference.  His sermon was a great call to action about the need to evangelize a culture of life from conception to death worldwide with all our hearts and minds.  I will use my pictures to illustrate one point he made about the horrible confusion we suffer in our society right now on this topic. (See this website for this additional information: Humanlife International)

This week, CNS News Service showed a short video where college students signed a petition for "Fourth Trimester" abortion.  Yes Fourth Trimester...there are only three Trimesters....so much for education in world class colleges...basically these men and women are convinced a woman should have the ability to kill their offspring at anytime.  Horrible, chilling, and if you pardon me sickening thoughts.

Based on the demographics and polling in the last election, the same people probably support enhanced environmental protection laws.  Laws which already make it illegal to touch an endangered bird species egg, shut down damns so fish can spawn in cold mountain streams, or to kill a doe out of designated season.  The same groups often also sponsor animal rescue missions at fantastic costs to help injured animals heal up for return to the wild.

The evangelization the priest talked about is that we need to show people the disconnect between the two concepts.  If we recognize a eagle inside the egg is the same eagle that will one day soar through the sky, how can we also not rationalize the child inside the womb is not one who could care for your dignity in old age?  We must evangelize with somber reminder that some of the greatest leaders of faith, had horrible sins in their past.  St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Augustine...and coming close to home I even know my own sins....all needed an awaking.  Some had a lightening bolt.  Some had a gentle calling.  All came home to live within a culture of life, one which they bestowed on us with more tools to build up higher with our own generation.  We are called to provide each of us sinners a chance to live out their conversion with good deeds inside the church of God.

So I encourage you today to recognize that the guidance I heard from the pulpit, is derived from the same holy words I heard as I sat in the cathedral of the mountain stream that afternoon.  Proverbs clearly state the Wisdom of God streamed before the first ray of light, the first breath of wind and bubbling brook of water.  So for those in doubt, I call you to listen to the call of life in a house of God or in grand creation itself.  As our Founding Fathers knew, natural law is the one source of wisdom which can bind people of all faiths into one people to respect the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of each other from conception to natural death.

-ehw

P.S. The priest closed his homily with a reminder that following a the Lord's calling will result in suffering and rejection from those who reject the teachings and desire to force your acceptance of their own selfish cause.  If you chose not to follow my postings anymore...I'm sorry.  You must however understand that my photographic calling directly manifests itself from my faith.  Since I respect the dignity of every person, don't post shock photos or sexed up visions of men and women.  I look for beauty where others may not.  I look for a capture which expresses a manifestation of wisdom in this earthly life and appreciates God's beautiful creation.  I seek to unify through charitas, not divide.  If you liked photos I capture, it is because of what God calls my heart to capture.  In the end, each and every photo I capture must past the family room edit test where my computer rests...and so must the words and lifestyle I chose to live.

Wildlife

After a full day of exploring (remember my version of exploring with a family ages twelve to 17 months old is not what the twenty something with no children crowd calls exploring) my almost ten year old showed disappointment .  His Junior Ranger book was called for him to see a few more animals.  I knew, and he knew, midday on the mountain near the road was not the time to see large animals interested in safety.  So I proposed a dusk big boy expedition with Grand Dad looking for big game!  As you can see we were successful!

We saw lots of caribou, one moose in the far distance, and three sunsets as we again climbed the mountain looking for the elusive mountain goats with no success.  Our little adventure resulted in rich discussions, and a chance to experience the wonders of the world through the shutter clicks and voice of an almost ten year old boy.  His seriousness on completing his ranger mission made me proud.  He is a boy focused on accomplishment, with a heart sensitive to caring for others along the way.

Those moments on this little jaunt up the mountain will be long remembered and cherished.  It is why we must struggle from time to time to separate ourselves from the daily struggles of workplace survival, to reconnect with those around us.  Even Jesus did it by walking up mountains to pray closer to his Father without the distractions of crowds and disciples!  I know my moment of appreciation would only be a shadow of what the King of Kings would feel, but then again my burdens are a fraction of a shadow of those he bore.

So as I finished this day I was happy with a few good frames, the growth of my eldest son, and generosity of my father-in-law.  It was an excellent day in of photographic discovery.

-ehw

PS This is Mr Pentax K-5 with 60-250mm at 98mm (147mm in 35mm equivalency) , F8, 1/250 and ISO 800.  Close lady caribou huh!

Tenacity of Life

At the top of the mountain, I captured a wonderful vista with my children descending off the peak.  In this seemingly desolate space, just a few feet away was this cluster of small flowers.

Throughout my trip one theme arose before my eyes time and time again, it was the tenacity of life.

On this windswept mountain, these little flowers stubbornly cling to the thin soil in the brief Rocky Mountain summer just a few feet from my position in the first majestic photo.  In the plain states it was large trees owning the low ground, avoiding the windy peaks.  In the high prairie we saw how grass and cactus eked out survival on little water.  In each case life was present and thriving where it was not easy to achieve basic survival.  Yet as you can see, the beauty and power of that little life is just as moving as places rich with plants and animals.

Today's Gospel reminded us that life here on Earth is a struggle...and every moment of success we get should be savored...and every hardship we experience should help us revel in the beautiful moments a little more.

-ehw

P.S. Fujiflm X-E1 with 14mm top and Pentax K-5 with 60-250mm below...

Top of the Alpine

Standing at the top of the Alpine Pass in he Rocky Mountain National Park was a thrill.  Above the tree line at about 12,000 feet it left your heart racing a little bit when you reached the tip top.  It was a wonderful day of learning, travel and family as the big kids and I made the "final" accent.

A rather amazing experience....

-ehw

P.S. First two photos from the Fujifilm X-E1 with the 14mm.  The one with the children was done with a in camera photostitch.  The snow is from the Pentax K-5 with a long telephoto racked out long to compress the ridge line and increase the drama of the scene.

Back on line

Back on line...finally!

Our Uverse cable was physically cut at the junction box down the road! Took four days for AT&T to find it. So the sun is up again over the Wojo Clan and it is back to work!

-ehw

P.S. this photo is a reminder to take your gear with you...Grandad took us on an unexpected expedition up the mountain and I did not have my flare resistant primes with me...so the photo was not what it could be...

Photographers Delight

The Grand Lake Museum is a photographer's delight. I could return there time and time again working new angles on various exhibits. This is really what I love to do with my travel photography, pick up a scene or environment and convey it to the world with an enriching twist. Capturing my children, and in this case their cousin as well, in wonder at grasping these new lessons just is icing on the cake....

The big lesson for the family was that everyone had to be able to do everything...and life was pretty sparse by today's standards for the "rich" townsfolk. The boys learned they had a lot of skills they had to learn as tradesmen in building, repair, hunting, fishing, and finance to keep the family afloat. The girls learned that a family lived and died on their skills managing money, supplies (something as simple as running out of lard or meat in the winter meant death), clothing, and daily management meant a smart and skilled lady was highly sought after!

In the end though, families pulled each other through...they had no government handouts or fire departments to assist them! If they messed up they died in the remote mountain country, unless someone else could assist out of their bounty and charity. What a different world, and one that did make our country great....

The first photo is of the cousins looking at an old stereotype photo viewer...yes they had three dimensional viewing too!

The second caught my eye due to the really cool window light..and then my father-in-law said the towel was like the ones his mom made, so of course I had to capture it for him!

The final photo is a pin cushion upstairs in the sewing room. I loved the color, texture and setting. I could just imagine one of the girls there working hard at mending a borders shirt or making a quilt.

I hope your enjoyed this as much as I did! I'll have more photos later!

-ehw

Shoot out! day 1 in Grand Lake

On our first day in Grand Lake we took the kids to the local museum, which was the first boarding house in town. The sights were fun, educational and for the kids enough to make them want to come back. More on the museum later, but today I wanted to share the children's highlight..the dress up area! They all dressed up and played their parts! They even played bank robber!

When they left they actually wanted to come back again for more! Both learning about the crickets old house and the games!

-ehw

P.S. Ok this shows the value of a simple program like Snapseed to process photos on the fly. I also could use the sepia setting on my camera (which I also did) to give you a fun historic shoot in just a few taps of a finger.

Rocky Mountain Colorado

The final push to our Rocky Mountain campsite took about five hours. The kids were surprised that they got the treat of seeing the Rocky Mountains up close thirty years sooner than their Dad...

They fell into their grandparents arms, Kevin (boy number two at age six) moved out of the trailer immediately to take up residence with his gran parents, and we settled down for a delicious dinner. I was thrilled to simply know I had no driving ahead of me for a few days.

Since this is Sunday I thought I'd share my wife's choice for a vanity plate on the van. It says "You're life has an owners manual" with a picture of the Bible.

-ehw

Kansas

We stopped after a long drive in Goodland, Kansas for a night on the high prairie. The KOA there is run by a lovely team of husband and wife. Alicia immigrated from Poland about 30 years ago. She was the second person in over forty years to say my name correctly!

The prairie of Kansas is incredible during the summer. It really can call to you...and make you forget about the cold winter ahead if you are not careful. The people are hardworking, the entire state seems cultivated, oil co-exists easily with wheat fields, and everything seems down to earth. In general it seems like a place that really works the land for a living and manages it carefully.

During our stay she was running the camp herself, as her husband was back in the old country attending to the funeral of his loving and kind father. She had here hands full as the park filled up, but she keep a great attitude towards everything, and longed for her husband's return. We were under a storm threat all night long, so the clouds were dramatic, the winds strong, and my worries a little higher than normal.

In the morning the sun rose with lovely color, and I captured the state flower in its glory! I told Alicia I would post that photo for her, as a memory to here kindness and hospitality.

-ehw

P.S. Evening photo with the X-E1, edited in Snapseed. Morning photos same camera but with the 60mm close up lens.

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.

Kentucky

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Kentucky....driving north from Atlanta we passed right by the first home my wife and I purchased as newlyweds. At mile marker 1 one on northbound I-24 there is a bridge followed by a rest area. I used to run there and use it as my personal mile three marker for my weekend six mile run. I'd look at people pulling in and wonder where they were headed.

On this day a few weeks ago I pulled into the rest area with four children and the same lovely bride 15 years later. Lucky guy I be...lucky guy I be...

The photo of my girl is from the rest stop...photo two is from the KOA in Paducah with my kiddos are at play. Kentucky is a lovely, lovely state. It is one I love to visit just for its sheer beauty.

-ehw

P.S. Here we have one shot with the X-E1 55-200 (the portrait). The other is with the relatively fast focusing X-20 while on a morning walk. Originals are nice, but some tweaking in Nik Snapseed for fun.

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

Working with Dad

Here are the boys with me last week out shoot our cameras.  Kalen got some pretty nice shots with that telephoto on my Pentax K200D, and Kevin did fine with our family's heirloom HP C618 digital camera.  (It was my first digital...and yes Pentax made the glass for it).  We had a great time going around town, into the woods taking photos, teaching each other to slow down, reading maps and sharing our photos later. Times like this I just don't want to forget.... -ehw PS These were shot with my new Fujifilm X-E1.  I am really enjoying the deep rich colors and perfect skin tones.

Happy Birthday America

On America's birthday I thought a little Red, White and Blue were in order to share....

I hope you enjoy America's birthday tomorrow..and if you get a chance enjoy a few chapters of one of my top five favorite books...The Federalist Papers.  The Founders had some pretty good ideas that seem long forgotten at times.

-ehw

PS:  Fujifilm X-E1 again from last weekend.  This is the RAW processor with just a little highlight recovery. Just love the colors...contrast...and recovery from the shadows.