Happy Thanksgiving

God bless you on this holiday of thanksgiving to God for all the bounty of the year and our fruitful lives as Americans.

Signs of Thanksgiving

This downtown Roswell attraction is where I might go to celebrate finishing my healthy weight correction strategy...and I go into maintenance mode.

This might be a good time to explain one of my thought processes and creative exercises.

I used a 43mm prime on and APS-C body for most of my walk through of Roswell this weekend. This gives me about a 63mm equivalent, or mild telephoto, lens. I used this one lens for 90% of my shooting that day.

Why shoot with one lens? Why leave the standard zoom behind? The answer is to enhance my creativity. I know this sounds contrarian, but it works when I have the mission to be creative.

If you put a prime on, you are forced into looking at the world from a fixed focal length. You give up the versatility of a zoom, but you normally get a stronger optic at one focal length. The way you change the photo becomes limited to aperture, shutter speed, ISO and foot powered perspective change. Ok there are other things but you get the point...focal length is fixed. So you have to contemplate image creation with a limitation, but hopefully a stronger optic at that specific focal length than a zoom would provide.

It is this limitation that ignites my imagination. It forces me to examine options I would probably miss by taking an easier route with a zoom.

Look around the world and I think you will find this is no different than the rest of life. It is also rather important when creating spiritual growth. Many of the best retreats take away something we are used to, external worldwide communications. This separation from the rest of the world removes the noise which often prevents us from contemplating what keeps us apart from God.

As we prepare for the wall of family, commercial marketing, and noise of this season figure out how best to put some focus on giving thanksgiving to him who gave us all things.

-ehw

Family Ties

Many things in life today take us away from splendid pleasures family's used to share. My lovely wife does a very good job of making sure our family slows down whenever possible to recognize such golden moments. This photo records one of those times.

My mother-in-law spent a year learning new techniques and searching out patterns to sew us a huge quilt. The quilt says little things about American history in a very lovely, folksy and informative way. It means a lot to us because we are an Americana loving couple.

So this photo records a moment where she took the time to demonstrate this quilt. Carrie explained stories, special sewing techniques and the small attention to details Grandma put into it. We are doing our best to make sure the kids can understand the difference between this work of art, and a Walmart import special.

We only put value on things we understand and experience. This is a moment we intend to repeat from time to time to make our children and family aware of the talents and values we hold dear..we'll pray it takes root and makes trees reflecting the best sum of their ancestors.

-ehw

Happy Fall Day

Today was a happy fall day in Roswell, Georgia.  I enjoyed company of visiting family, and the warmth of their love matched the warm fall day.

Roswell is a very nice town, just north of Atlanta on the north bank of the Chattahoochee River.  Originally a milling town for textiles and lumber, it grew into a quiet suburb of Atlanta over the last 35 years.

Our downtown has a little historical center, often used for movies and promotional photo shoots.  Today I was able to take a walk down the street and catch a few photos.  While we were walking back, the setting sun was too low to obtain any good photos along most of the steet.  I didn't put my camera away though.  Just a few feet short of the car the sun poked through a cloud and illuminated this cute doll.  Since my camera was still out and on, it took but a second to frame and shoot three shots with different creative settings.

Just like everything in life, we always need to be prepared.  The best camera you have is the one you have with you.  The best camera available is the one out and powered up.

It is a metaphor for us all as we face the many challenges of our lives.  When faced with an ethical choice do we have tools needed to negotiate them ready?  Do we have the background materials available to study the problem in greater depth?  Do we have our courage up and ready to defend what we know is right in the face of serious straw men challenges? Are we ready for deep cutting personal attacks rather than philosophical or logical ones?

We will never know the time or day of our greatest crisis, but we are all called to be ready to the utmost of our abilities.  God will help carry us though the rest, but only if we prepared for the test.

-ehw

PS Stand by for a few more Roswell photos over the next week!

Dance

[slideshow] Dance poses a photographer great challenges, especially if shot during a performance.

You have to choose action, pose or some of both.  You have to search for the decisive moment, and catch it in rhythm.  You often have to watch out for rapidly changing lights and exposure.

I love the challenge.  I love the excitement of trying to get "the shot."  After a year off from the recital circuit because of the move down south, I can't wait to see my little lady back up there though my lens.

After watching her practice a few times in the last few months I've been amazed.  She improved her dedication to learning dance, and now observes things about her movements she did not in September.  She is ready to join the "big girls" in her mind, and that means growing up in body and mind.

It also poses a lesson for me to follow as a photographer and as a Dad.  I cannot reduce my attention to detail because I am comfortable with my skills and gear, but to increase attention to detail in all things.  I have to pay better attention to my children, to my wife and the environment we live in.  I also have to continue to mature and grow in faith to be the best role model I can.  I'll never be perfect, but if I put in the same type of discipline to my faith life I will be calmer and more effective for them in all things.

I cannot take for granted that I am seeing more details in the viewfinder than I did a few months ago myself.  I must focus harder, an conceive my photographic vision earlier.  I must remember the fundamentals faster, and recognize them as they appear in the scene before me.

A lifetime of learning lays before not just before my girl, but each of us as well.

-ehw

Final 2012 Veteran's Day Tribute

I am always emotional on Veteran's Day.  This year even more so since I was not with my brother Knights of Columbus in Virginia executing a Flag Retirement.  In the past we hosted over 120-140 people.  We'd provide flags to veterans, police and fire flown around the world at memorials and cemeteries.  As I am now living in Georgia, I could not be a part of that great event this year.. Tonight my Cub Scout Den held a Veteran's Appreciation Ceremony for John 'Jack' Dehaven.  We sang him songs, I gave him restored photos of him in WWII, listened to his stories and made it as special as possible for him.  He sits behind my family at church, and is the most gentle guy you could meet.  I laughed when I realized how he crossed paths with my grandmother in the Boston USO, and my Mom's family in the Leigh Valley of Pennsylvania (He is from Allentown).  It really is a small world.

I've made it a habit to review my old photo collection and some old books every Veteran's Day.  I was taken back by the power of photography to be 12 watching my Dad at Camp Zama, Japan, a 17 yr old cadet at West Point, 23 yr old LT again in Germany, 25 yr old Executive Officer in Bosnia, 28 yr old Commander in Kosovo...and the memories of the men and women I grew up with came back as a tidal wave.  I love my life now with four children and a good job, but those days really helped me become the man I am today.  They made me dream, gave me drive to succeed, care for people and a life full of experiences to take with me on my next set of journeys.  I was blessed to serve, but never called to serve like my brother or recently retired Bradley crewmate SSG Thornburg of Phoenix City, Alabama.  They gave so much more than ever asked of me, and I am humbled when I tally up the days away from "normal" life they racked up over the course of their careers.  My commanders don't know how much I learned from them...I served under some pretty darn good men.

So here are some of the photos I shared tonight.  They are a fraction of the photos I reviewed.  A fraction of the memories and family history of service...a fraction of what is needed to keep us free.  Even though some may not be in uniform...know they served with honor and distinction.

[slideshow]

Perfect Suite 7

The family did some yard work yesterday and the Little Red Wagon was calling me to make a portrait.  I liked the rich fall light, and it just suckered me in.

I am testing the Perfect Suite 7 for editing.  It is a very powerful set of utilities, in a convenient package for round tripping in and out of Lightroom and Aperture.  The "unique" thing about Perfect Suite is that it is layers for the rest of us.  Photoshop is extremely powerful, as it is pixel level editing.  The terminology of Photoshop is that of digits, and not necessarily traditional photography. Some of us out here in the real world have trouble with the multiple languages required to think Photoshop vs Photography.  Perfect Suite is a lot more photo centric, and for me personally easier to grasp. For others who are new to editing maybe it does not matter as much, but it does for me.

I used Suite 6, and I am finding a number of the new Suite 7 tools are easier to access and work with and visualize how they will make their effects.  Another thing those on a budget will appreciate is the loyalty program.  Perfect Suite updated everything at one time, and you just pay once for all the updated tools for the year.  I love Nik, but the incremental update policy means I am still spending more to updating the suite costs more than the initial purchase.

On average I can save a lot of time by using Perfect Suite when I need heavy editing.  I can do here in under two minutes what it would take ten or more in Aperture or Lightroom.  When editing my big assignments, this is a big deal.

It does have a 30 day free trial, so you can try it out for yourself.  Their information on the website explains everything in detail. Perfect Suite 7 Website

-ehw

God Bless our Veteran's

[slideshow] God Bless our Veteran's of past and present.  May this generation raise up a new and valiant set of defenders who will keep our honor bright.

A special thanks to those I served with across the world.  And another thanks to my immediate family who served:  Dad, my brother Karl, Sister Sonja, DjaDja, Great Auntie Josephine, Great Uncle Walter, Uncle Joe, My Father-in-law, Great Grand Dad (in-law), and of course the lovely Army nurse I stole from the ranks at Ft Benning...my wife.

[gallery]

His Glorious Light

Over the last few days I've felt lost.  I literally feel like the country I was born into, and raised in is gone.  I can literally see challenges threatening what I once thought was universally sacred, my choice of religious expression.

I thankfully read a post from "the Pilgrim" Bill Fortney (www.billfortney.com) and my outlook changed a good deal.  He wrote about a tough old Pinon Pine tree he stood standing tall in very rough ground.  In a place where it should not grow, it stood steady.  A guide told him it was because it had a tough bark, or skin, to protect it from the various harsh weather threats in that part of the valley.

The passage, and bible verse that followed reminded me of a book I read by Scott Hahn called A Father Who Keeps His Promises.  It reminded me that while natural law always existed, and revealed God's plan, his explicit compact for our salvation started with just one man's family.  The one family wandered amongst the great nations of the world for a hundreds of years before it formed itself as a nation.  And it was hundreds of years after that before our savior came and spread the message to the whole world.

After reading Bill's words, the Bible psalm he selected, thinking of Scott Hahn's message, and counting the people around me who believed in the law of God like me; I finally realized the obvious.  I would not be lost if I followed God's plan and not mine.  God, thankfully, put me in a time where there are others who believe and live as virtuous life as possible.  I needed to reach out to people who are role models for the life I want to build.  If I work with those people, it can be a tough skin of friendship I'll need to keep my family moving towards God's graceful light.

So today at lunch I walked, and picked up a challenge to see what I could get in the harsh light of mid-day that would be somewhat reflective of that theme.  And yes, thankfully see some of his light came through and struck my lens and sensor with his glorious light.

-ehw

Reflections

As an exercise I was watching reflections in mirrors and glass for how they interacted.  With that in mind I saw my son playing with my youngest daughter through the glass.  It made me think of a special effect in a movie.  So I grabbed a shot.

Glass causes a lot of interesting possibilities, and this was a simple fun one.  In this case a classic home moment of two children playing together with hint of through the looking glass. -ehw

EXTRA EXTRA!

EXTRA EXTRA! As of today I am in business!  Everything is in with City Hall and approved.   I can now take orders and provide photography services to you!

It is an exciting day.  I have a long way to go before I can quit my day job, but now I can grow in new ways!

So if you are looking for someone with passion who wants to tell your story...I'm available and ready to serve you!

-ehw

BOO!

[slideshow] Happy Halloween!