While I'm celebrating a great weekend with my family and a new toy (that Fujifilm X-E1) I am struck by a statement made by some wise man...

"Every story that can be told has already been told" or in other words all our art is just a rehash of something that's been done before.

The difference between the art from before, and the art now, is more of relevancy to your personal experience than anything else.  Having been a musician at one point in my life, I can also say with conviction that nothing beats experiencing a live performance of your favorite artwork.  That is, unless you suddenly find your favorite star is really a recording studio digital creation!

I now have a new tool to use with capabilities beyond what I once had..it does not make me a better photographer.  In fact it raises the bar to what a good photographer is!  It says there is more of the world I can explore and shape in my lens than ever before...and more people can do what I formerly did with a point and shoot!

It is no different than when you first feel the light of Christ illuminate your heart, mind and soul.  What you once did good out of recognition of a natural need to create peace rather than discord became a duty since you now understand the word of Christ.   Now you are called to do good and share his word out of duty to further illuminate the world to Christ's call through timeless Wisdom.

Even though the Bible holds the story of salvation, it is still not complete until you add your chorus to the song of the universe.  When we all sing in key with with his divine will, it is the greatest show on earth.

-ehw

PS just a shot from the new Fujifilm X-E1 to show what a large dynamic range it can recover in a jpeg...yep a jpeg...

Into the Woods

Went for a walk in the historic district this morning in Roswell.  The summer light is harsh pretty early, but I got a few keepers using HDR techniques.

More of the fun downtown over the next few days!

Water flowing from a rock...

Water flowing from a rock?  Well..yes and no.

Our basic earth science classes remind us that rocks cannot make water, but water can pass through their layers.  This is our aquifer layer, and the birth of mountain born streams.

In a way that is a metaphor for how God works through us.  Lets take the original Christian rock, aka Saint Peter the first Catholic Pope.  He represents us all.  He is a fallible man.  The image of God, but no God himself.

Like each of us, he rose to great accomplishements and also stumbled into the depths of failure.  Remember he was the one who kept cutting through all the distractions during Christ's ministry, and first proclaimed him as our savior.  This same man then denied Christ three times.  In each of our lives I am sure you can find the same types of success and failure.  I know for me, my head bows immediately when I realize what I've done wrong in my life.

Despite his faults, and maybe because of them, Christ chose this common man, to pour his grace on the world in the early christian church.  Peter accepting the God's grace in his heart, set the example for us by letting grace flow through and around himself to enrich the lives of each and every person he met.

On this Father's Day, let us men be a rock like Peter.  Accept whatever grace filled water we can in our pores and crevasses.  As we do this, realize our ability to absorb grace is infinitesimal compared to the love God pours on us.  With every fiber of our being, redirect that great flow of grace onward to others in need.  First to our families, and then teach those children to spread the love of God ever outward to every soul in need.  Enrich each and every life we touch, so they can join us in making a waterfall of grace. The more people we touch the more beauty, power and grace of God can chance the face of the earth.

Just like a waterfall it starts one drop at at time...with water flowing through and around every rock it meets.

Happy Father's Day Dad

-ehw

The right mix

When one reads about "how to photograph waterfalls" one can come up with a dozen different ideas.  Some people enjoy the smoothed out water that looks like cotton.  Some people like the water drops frozen like ice.  Each conveys the power of the waterfall in different variations and can be beautiful.

Me?  Well I had no tripod on this trip, was forced to shoot in mid-day light, carried a 22 pound toddler on my back, and had my small Fujifilm x20 to work with.  So I went right to the middle and tried to come up with something to take home.

I was slightly envious of two twenty somethings as I unloaded my big vans.  The two young men had two cameras each, carbon fiber tripods and were intent on catching some great locations on the trail and falls.  Meanwhile I loaded up my kids, put the toddler on my back and marched off with my lightest camera.  I knew the science said their big sensors would capture images with far more dynamic range than my little combo would...and the tripods would lock in sharpness I could only dream of.

I did get some keepers by working with what I had, and the conditions in which I was shooting.  I also had the immeasurable joy of watching my children look at a waterfall up close for the first time.  It was a reminder that God gave me what I needed, when I needed it....and it resulted in much more than I would have otherwise thought I could obtain.  I knew I picked up some "cranium chromes" those incredible cameras never could.

-ehw

PS Fijifilm X20 F3.2 1/140 and ISO 100.  Post in Perfect Effects with a little natural HDR, and contrast adjustment.

Polarizing Adventure

We took the family an hour north today to enjoy lovely Northern Georgia.  Amicalola Falls lies just a few miles from the southern base of the Appalachian Trail...

Back in 1998 I was wondering through these mountains a few miles away at the Ranger Mountain Base Camp...and slid down one of these little hills through three feet of snow.  It was not what I recall as a great time.  The little slide down the mountain helped my legs get infected, and an all expense paid trip to the hospital for five days of treatment.  As I recovered, we often walked by a nearby waterfall on some short hikes between sessions.  As crazy as the day was, the sound and beauty of the waterfall always brought me back to a level of calm.  I cannot explain why, it just happened.  So this trip was a nice one, just because of those same lovely sights and sounds being shared with my wife and children.

What made the adventure polarizing was that I put a polarized filter on my camera to help me with water reflections.  I had not done this in a great while...and it was the first time on the X20 (Mr K5 forgot to tell me he wanted a freshened up battery before we left...).  Some results were stunning, some said try a little harder.  I hope you like this one.

-ehw

Happy Times

Here is a simple little shot from a four years ago...whoa you mean old photos still hold relevance?  Photos taken with old technology like a Pentax K200D 10mp CCD can still "work?"

Well...yes they can...I know people who could shoot with a pinhole camera and put my efforts to shame.  A good photograph is less about technical excellence than it is about soul...in my humble opinion.

So many iconic photographs come from a spit second decision, snapped on instinct guided settings not perfectly applied logic.

Not much different than life..always comes back to that life thing...

People we trust the most are those that we know who will do right when under duress and short timelines.  We know that their soul contains excellent guide rails, and we can trust their instinct more than our indecision.

So I'm going to get back to the good book tonight and try to strengthen my guide rails...so maybe you will trust me to do right when my next time of trials begin.

-ehw

PS This is a Pentax K200D shot with a Tamron 18-250 ultrazoom.  Good kit if I say so myself.  K200D is still my back up, although now I don't know how I ever got by with only one whiz wheel (control wheel) and not two!

Looking Forward

Planes, trains and automobiles...all can take us places.  To these boys the power and majesty of a train is awe inspiring.  I can almost hear their questions and dreams over the clickty clack of the track.  "Where is the train going?  How strong is it?  How many cars is it pulling?  Could I drive that thing?  I'd love to travel the rails and be the engineer!"

Yesterday I talked about reflecting back in time, and coming into the present in prayer.  Those reflections provide us the necessary torque to pull the burdens of our lives forward on the track God intended.  Within those boundaries, we actually get freed to obtain the greatest rewards life can offer.

To us life is one linear motion, but to the maker of all things time has no linear boundaries.  It is limitless, without boundaries, and makes sense all at once.

Just like the boys, that mystery makes me say, "Where is God's train going?  How strong is it?  How many cars is he pulling?  Would he let me drive that thing?  I'd love to travel the rails and be his engineer on the way to the kingdom!"

-ehw

PS Mr K5 working his magic...F5, 1/5000 @ ISO 1600 -3ev

Looking Back

Looking back over our lives I think we sometimes realize we went too quickly past the best moments.  Thankfully my little passion of photography lets me remember them in ways I could not appreciate in the heat of the moment.  Sometimes I think it even lets me experience the moments more deeply.

A friend recently wrote about needing to remember to take time and pray.  I could not agree more.  For some of you effective prayer might come from reciting a rosary, others pure meditation on a devotional, or for some it could be a spontaneous outpouring of music.  It is in any of the forms of prayer that we can appreciate God's works, experience his calming power, or petition him to give us strength to overcome our weaknesses.  Use that prayer to focus your efforts at coming into communion with his will, so that your works can then match his guiding hand.

I'm trying myself to follow the sage advice of my friend...just like the struggle to capture a wonderful frame...it is never easy...each time is never the same...but each frame's unique moment can open a window of reflection as you look back that can change your future positively forever.

-ehw

PS Techies...this is Mr K-5 screaming at F4, 1/8000 and ISO6400.  He's not FF, but he's one good dude...edited in Aperture with a Dusted Warm preset and minor tweeks...

Life Changing Day

Life can change in a moment.  One of those moments is when you become a father. Twelve years ago I first laid my eyes on my lovely daughter Julia Rose, and my whole life changed.  The first night she was born, I told her everything she needed to know for all of her years as we walked the floor of the ward.  She put her little hand into my shirt collar and rubbed my neck gently. Four weeks later at her baptism I became overwhelmed at the feeling of responsibility as I professed before God and family that this child was in my care.

She has had me wrapped around her pinky since then, but never abused that privilege!  Last night she had a small party with family and three close friends.  It was wonderful to see them play in the yard, make up stories filled with honor, and then hear the cards written by her friends with words of fellowship based in Christ's example.

God blessed us then, and continues to bless us now.  But watching the candles burn I could not help but think back to that first hospital cuddle, the first night of walking her to sleep, the first smiles and connecting touch...what a memory..what a wonderful life...

-ehw

PS Here is one of our first digital photos of my girl two weeks old!  Taken with an HP610..lit by Pentax glass!

Kevin at the Bat!

Kevin takes a practice swing as he steps up to the plate...looks bigger than six huh?  One of two photos I took at his last game of instructional T-Ball.  I'm glad I made them count, while I enjoyed the whole game without a large camera tied to me.  Sometimes it is very helpful to enjoy life through your own lenses.

I took this photo through the fence with my Fujifilm X20.  It is quite sharp, and provides a lot of dynamic range to pull out and play with.

I took some liberty with it in PerfectEffects, and I am pleased with the results.  I did vignette the photo as well to focus the eyes on the batter.

-ehw

Breakfast with Grandma

Moments of a lifetime...that is why you need to have your camera ready at all times.

It is not everyday you get to catch your child stealing bites from Grandma's breakfast plate.  It was just too cute to pass up.

The little Fujifilm X-20 is continuing to impress.  It is still a small sensor, but it is very capable.

-ehw

Dance Art

Last photo from this year's dance recital...I think...

As the girls get older they tend to increase their synchronization greatly, and it makes capturing artistic moments like this a lot easier.  I also enjoy how good lighting by the stage crew can make this red/green one moment and red/white the next. So you might get a chance to have two or three versions of a frame provided for you mere seconds apart.  One will usually work better for your mission of making than another.

If you can shoot your photos at the rehearsal I highly encourage you take advantage of the opportunity.  It lets you just take in the moment as designed on the big night and does not bother other guests enjoying the show.

-ehw

Photog Delight

Took a walk through Scenic Roswell, Georgia today with my wife and stopped by a very interesting store called Bilthouse.  It was very well designed, well from a photographers frame of mind.  The light was fantastic in there as well...

One of the displays held watches and trinkets galore.  So while my wife bought a gift for her parents (babysitting at home and giving us some date time), I just had to start photographing these little trinkets until I got one I liked!

Downtown Roswell is like this, lots of fancy little boutique stores.  So over time don't be surprised if you see some more captures downtown!

-ehw

From a new perspective

Down at the church for a few minutes, and saw this great image...also wanted to test the phone photo editor! -ehw

Saturday Morning Glory!

A week after I bought these flowers for my lovely wife, they are entering their full bloom.  So I just had to share a quick photo of them outside in the lovely morning light.

This week my devotional had many references to the Glory of God...his rising and the message of hope he brings precisely because he is now risen and on the unstoppable road to full glory in heaven with the father.

I must admit that after many weeks of Lent, and very contemplative devotionals this is quite a drastic change.  Lent forced me to be introspective, and  contemplate my weaknesses which could prevent me from reaching full communion with Christ.  So the celebration this week still has me wondering if I can meet the challenges ahead.  Can I obtain this rather incredible reward Christ offers us all?

These flowers though can teach a lesson about natural law we are all called to follow.

Even in the ground attached to their roots, these flowers were destined to die.  Once cut their death will be accelerated.  But if cared for with nutrients and sunlight they to can go out achieving their mission of full bloom pollination.  How does this relate to us?  We are all destined to die.  All of us walk off the path of goodness from time to time...and that hurts our growth.  Christ's gift to us in this Easter is that if we look back to his word, pay our penance, and move back to the living water we can still reach heaven.

I'll pray today that we all can find the living water we need to make the goodness grow to full potential in each of us.

-ehw

Will You Help Him?

On his way to the cross Veronica reached out to help Jesus.  Most of us today can not fathom the bravery it took to do this act of mercy.

Remember the crowd was frenzied.  The governing powers led poor in spirit around like sheep.  Any sympathy to Jesus could lead to an enforcement gang immediately targeting you for death as well...without a trial and rather brutally..especially if you were a woman.

When you accept the call of Christ, you must live it out by both in your heart and in your deeds.

Jesus dined with sinners yes, but he called them to repent in their hearts live it in their actions.  I submit to you he is calling each of us as well...

So to build his kingdom on earth we are called to be like Veronica.  We are called to risk our lives to help Christ build his kingdom.

A quick look at the television today shows us the dangers that lie in wait for us...false accusations, projections, and yes even physical violence if we preach for and walk with Christ.

Will you take the risk to walk with Christ like Veronica?  Or will you hide in the shadows?

As Easter Monday rises...what will your choice be?

-ehw

PS Techies...this was taken with a little Fujifilm X-20.  Nice little camera.  Converted to B&W in OnOne Perfect B&W

The Way of His Cross

It was all done to save each of us...the pain...the suffering...the perfect sacrifice of God's only son as ransom for our lives.

Through the suffering he delivered his last sermon.  He demonstrated his love for us while he lived out the ancient prophecies.

Now we have a long night to contemplate the way of the cross...and if we will begin accepting its calling to change our lives.

-ehw

Fun Work!

I had a chance to have some fun today while doing a quick job for a friend.

My friend's wife runs probably the most awesome seconds store I've ever seen, and they needed some photos made up for their new website.

So after taking photos of the store i got some environmental shots, and this cool red animal just stuck itself out at me wanting its photo taken.  It was also saying. "Take me home to Kevin."  I was able to satisfy the photo craving without adding to the extensive at home stuffie collection.

I'm still not sold on Lightroom as the be all, end all of photo organizing.  It certainly has a lot of rough edges left, and need for speed improvements in other areas where Aperture still shines (yep that Aperture).  It does however have one killer tool everyone should try....CLARITY.  It helps with sharpening and contrast.  It is just awesome.

So that is what I'd like to share tonight...try clarity!

PS:  If you need seconds for children in Roswell go to Ladybugs and Lizards in historic Roswell!

-ehw

Game on!

T-Ball season is on!  I've been moving up the baseball chain with my older son, and now its time for my younger son to join in the games.

This is a typical early season sight...multiple players creating a scrum for the baseball...oh that's a rugby term?  Well it might as well be rugby for the first few weeks.

By the end they will start actually making a few plays..that is just the way it is.

So the challenge for the photographer is finding the scene which captures the love of this new game...with the innocence of youth springing forth in boundless energy.

In all, it is a wonderful journey to take frame by frame.

Because in a blink of an eye they will be....ready to fly away.

-ehw

Self Portrait

Just had such a fun time this weekend, that I also snapped a quick one of me that actually came out alright...

I will not make self portraits a habit, but for a change up I wanted to toss it in.

-ehw