Fordson Tractor

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Fordson Model F tractors were made between 1917 and 1920. They sold for $750 new, and were manufactured by Henry Ford & Son, Inc.

The tractor used a four cylinder vaporizing oil engine that developed 20 hp.

This fine example of an old Fordson tractor sits across from the Red Bluff Fairgrounds, in Red Bluff, CA.

Country Store

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Rex at Red Bluff

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Rex - One tough Border Collie. I call him T-Rex!
Owner, Trainer & Handler Merle Newton
Crystal Rose Cowdog College
Red Bluff, CA

Red Truck On Street Corner

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Corner of Hartnell and Victor, Redding, CA.

Welcome to The City of Shasta Lake

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Welcome to The City of Shasta Lake

Old Car on Highway 299

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Highway 299 between Red Bluff and Chico, CA.

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Highway 299 between Red Bluff and chico, CA

Color, or Black and White? What's your preference? 

Always Have Your Camera Handy

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A reminder to always have your camera handy. I shot this photo about an hour ago. It turned out to be a brush fire surrounded by structures. No structures burned, and nobody was hurt.

The fire was in The City of Shasta Lake, and was handled by our local, highly trained, fire department.

The Wild Sacramento

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There are still some parts of the Sacramento River that are relatively wild. This section emerges from China Rapids, near Red Bluff, CA. Just north of China Rapids is Bureau of Land Management property, where the Sacramento River runs in its pristine glory. 

In this particular photo, the river runs from the far point in the photo, to the near point. In other words, the water is coming towards you. This photo was taken facing east, so the river is running from the east to the west. 

Just out of site, in the distance, the river makes several sharp turns where it aligns itself with a more north to south flow. I have had some great fun catching King Salmon on this river. 

Old Garage

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Sharp

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Another Old Barn

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No photo editing here, just right out of the camera. I am sorry, I don't have the settings. But, it was a pretty simple shot: No filter, shot with an 18mm - 135mm lens about halfway, aperture priority at 100 ISO because of the bright day. I would guess that because the focus was infinite (minus just a titch) that I used a medium f/stop. 

I had to drive quite a ways out of my way to shoot this barn. I've known where it was for about 15 years, and I just wanted to shoot it. I made a special trip. Hope you like it. 

Unknown Dog At The Vet's Office

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William B. Ide Adobe

William B. Ide Adobe

This is the William B. Ide Adobe House, built on the red bluffs of the Sacramento River that would give the town of Red Bluff its name. Ide was one of the leaders of the revolt against Mexico. 

In 1846, after hearing that the Mexican government intended to expel all non Mexicans from California, Ide and about 30 others led a revolt, capturing the pueblo of Sonoma along with the Mexican Commandante Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, who actually supported the U.S. annexation of California. On June 15, 1846, Ide released what was to be a declaration of independence, creating the Bear Flag Republic. Ide was elected to be the leader of the new republic.

The Bear Flag Republic lasted only 25 days. Ide, and the other "Bear Flaggers" joined John C. Freemont, and the U.S. Armed Forces in taking possession of California from Mexico. 

After the Mexican American War, Ide returned to his home in Red Bluff where he resumed farming and mining. He died in December of 1852.

I shot this at 100 ISO, f-stop 22, aperture priority. I did not crop the photo. 

Cascade Theater

Cascade Theater, Redding, CA
Built in 1935

Rusty Past

Rusty Past

Back Light

Back Light With Flash

I picked this location because it was strongly back lit from the outside. This created a problem with the camera underexposing my subject, Nikki and Dart. This photo is part of a lesson project that I am learning from an online photography course produced by Lynda.com.

First, I had to take the ambient exposure down by slowing the camera's shutter speed. The two kinds of light, key light and fill light, are controlled differently. Key, or ambient light is controlled with shutter speed. Fill light is controlled with either flash or some other kind of direct lighting source. I used the camera's flash for this photo.

I shot this in manual mode for more control while I'm learning, but it can also be shot in shutter priority. After taking the ambient (outside) exposure down about two stops, I then deployed my flash to create fill light for Nikki and Dart. As it turns out, Canon typically over exposes with flash, so I had to use the flash compensation feature of the camera to reduce the flash exposure, about 1 stop.

After several tries, I achieved this photo. The house and shrubs across the street are fairly accurate, and my wife and dog are well lit. Nikki was such a good sport and subject for this photo. Most women won't allow someone to post their photo on the internet. And really, my photography does not do justice to Nikki's good looks.

As far as Dart goes? Well, Dart is Dart. What can I say, lol?

I finished the photo with a small crop in Lightroom.

john

Old Barns

Old Barns

The Golden Hour

The Golden Hour

Off Season

Off Season

R.I.P.

I have been curious for a few years about these crosses, and the lost lives they represent. As I read some of the writing on this cross, I learned that at least a few people truly love and miss this person named Cody. He died in 2012.

We probably all see these crosses from time to time, and as we drive by we might not pay much attention to them. I have stopped at a few of them, and it is heart breaking to think of all the people who die on our highways.

I am still trying to learn Lightroom, and I know there is a way to read the metadata for this photo. But, I haven't figured that out yet. This is going to be a learning year. I imagine that I used f-22 to close the aperture as much as possible, plus 200 ISO. If I shot it in aperture priority, the camera would have figured out the shutter speed. I seem to recall about 1/500.

Thanks for stopping by. Every day is a photographic adventure!

john

Tower House Footbridge

Footbridge across Clear Creek, west of Whiskeytown Lake, CA.

This photo was shot in manual mode, ISO 200, f-stop 22, 1/6 shutter speed.

The footbridge is near the old Tower House Hotel, which is now restored. Tower House was an active hotel during the mid 1800's situated along the route between Redding and Eureka, now highway 299. It is maintained by the National Park Service, and tours are available.

This was a wonderful day to shoot. There was a slight overcast which reduced shadows, and there were no people present at the Tower House, or the bridge. I had the park all to myself. I spent a little while there just enjoying the absence of humans, the sound of Clear Creek rushing under the bridge, and the birds. It was like going back in time.

john

Our Town Clock

It was getting late, but luckily I had already scoped out this beautiful clock in Shasta Lake City. I was not sure I could get the exposure correct, as it was getting late in the day. But I am happy with this. I shot this at 200 ISO, f stop 11, which yielded about a 1/3 shutter speed. 

I took a few photos from different angles, and the shutter speed varied some. I shot this in aperture priority.
The clock is near the Veteran's Memorial in Downtown Shasta Lake City. The clock was purchased witih donations from local town folks. 

I thought I would stop by and take a photo of the clock at 9:00 PM, when it was pitch black. The clock is very pretty regardless of the time of day, and it even gongs the Big Ben chime on the hour and half hour. We here in Shasta Lake are very proud of our clock in Shasta Lake.

john

Deer Creek Sunset

The day was very hectic for me, but I took my camera with me everywhere I had to go. Always searching for a new and novel subject, the day wore on until I was running out of daylight. I knew of a spot where I could get a good sunset photo. I tried last evening, but the sky did not cooperate. So, really just running out of ideas, I drove up to my spot and captured this photo.

It was getting dark, and I shot this photo at ISO 200 (aperture priority) in an attempt to get a photo with very little grain. I knew that my shutter speed would be reflected in the low ISO, but I was surprised that 1/30 seemed to work out just fine. I shot the photo on a tripod with a remote shutter to eliminate shake.

The only thing I did in post was to boost the orange just a very small amount. There is no cropping, though I did shoot this at 135mm zoom, the limit of my zoom lens.

john

Canada Goose Sees Its Reflection

A Canada goose sees its own reflection in the pond. There is not much I can say about this bird, other than the fact that I missed one of the best shots I could have gotten. The sun angle was right, and my camera was configured the way I wanted it to be. I was getting ready to snap a few photos of Mallards nearby.

All of a sudden, I heard the sound of approaching geese in flight. I looked up and saw them landing, perfect high angle of attack, feet forward, skiing to a stop - the water rippled rings outward. I was just not ready to snap the picture, maybe 5 seconds short, that's all. Darn! I even had my camera set up for burst mode!

But, the two geese that landed were willing to swim up close to me, and I shot some pictures just for fun. After I came home, I noticed this really cool reflection. All I did was crop the photo just a little.

Thanks for taking the time to come by and look.

john

Old Honda In Field

There was this old Honda in a field near Winters, California. I have thought about this as a photo subject for a while, so this afternoon I decided to stop and do some shooting. This was the best of seven, I think.

This is not a cropped photo. The changes that I made were mild changes within Lightroom. I "blued" the sky just a touch, and took the exposure down just a wee bit. But, this is really pretty close to the original.

I used a 17mm - 135mm zoom lens to shoot all the photos, but this particular photo was taken just a little ways off the 17mm stop. I should have checked, but I would guess about 30 to 35mm. ISO was 200 in aperture priority which yielded a 1/500 shutter speed.

There are more ideas waiting along I-5, some of them difficult to get to. I'm still working on how I will work out access to the locations. One in particular has no access other than a levy on private farm property. I'm pretty sure I will find a way.

john

Wired

My wife Nikki actually spotted this and suggested I take a photo. I think she's got a pretty good eye. I didn't think much of the subject matter until I got home. When I uploaded the picture, it jumped out at me. I shot the background out of focus on purpose.

This photo was shot in RAW, and I made minor adjustments to it in post. I did crop it just a little to frame the rusty wire in the lower right one third of the frame. I also changed the color curve just a tad to bring out the color of the rusty wire.

I am pretty happy with this. It required minimal changes in post editing, and besides I think it's a pretty cool picture. I'll have to take Nikki with me more often. There was nothing to hold the cross brace to this fence post besides the much-overdone wiring job. I couldn't help but wonder what the guy was thinking.

john

In The RAW

There is a first for everything, and this is the first photo that I have ever shot in RAW format, uploaded to Lightroom, and made a few rudimentary changes. I did not crop this photo, but merely played around with a few of the settings. I wanted to accentuate the blue sky, and I think I accomplished that. There seems to be a lot that someone can do with a photo that captures more information, which RAW format does. From now on, I will be learning more and more about this format.

I spent about 2 hours this morning on Lynda.com studying an online course for Lightroom. Specifically, I learned the basics of the controls in Lightroom. But, I have a long way to go. I shot about 25 photos this afternoon, this one being the first. I'll be playing around with the other photos today. 

Okay, this photo is my submission for the day. The subject was interesting to me because I like old abandoned roads and bridges. Don't ask me why.

john

More Lightroom 5 Fun

More Lightroom Fun

Okay, so today isn't so much about getting a creative shot as it is about continuing to learn Lightroom 5. This photo was originally too warm. I relied on the auto white balance and the original picture reflected that. So, I used Lightroom to select a cooler temp and the photo improved a lot. 

Lightroom is a complex program, and I'm having just a little difficulty learning it. I bought a subscription to Lynda.com and I think that is going to help a lot. Of course, I'm also having to learn how to navigate around Lynda.com, and that is a challenge all by itself.  

I did not crop this photo, or make any changes other than to the color. Otherwise, this picture is exactly the way it looked when it came out of the camera. I want to thank Nikki for being my willing subject, lol! Seriously, some people really do balk at having their picture taken. Nikki is a good sport.

I have not shot anything in RAW yet, but as I continue to learn I will. After all, it's just a setting on the camera. I just want to become more comfortable with uploading photos into lightroom, and exporting them. Thanks for taking a look.

john 

My First Photo Using Lightroom 5

We don't have a Whole Foods Market where we live, so when we travel it is a treat to visit. This one is in Davis, CA. We had a great salad lunch at Plutos, next door. Then, we stopped by to get some fresh organic oranges.

This is the first photo that I have run through Lightroom. Yes, I upgraded my operating system on my Mac to Mavericks, and then I installed Lightroom 5 and Photoshop Elements 12. All I wanted to accomplish in post was to get a photo into Lightroom, play with some minor editing features, save a copy and export. As you can see, I accomplished that.

Lightroom is going to be very cool. I am now going to spend a fair amount of time mastering it. After that, or perhaps simultaneously, I will learn Photoshop. I would like to do some wild and crazy stuff.

I shot this in Aperture Priority mode at 200 ISO. Using Lightroom, I was able to bring out some of the dark shadowed areas of the photo. Example: Nikki's dark coat against the darker shadowy area between the apple stands. The camera did a pretty good job selecting a balance between the bright sky and the darker areas in the foreground.

The camera that I used was a Canon 7D. I shot the photo with a zoom 17mm to 135mm kit lens. The lens was set at 17mm for the widest possible angle. I wanted "Whole Foods" to appear in the picture.

Thanks for taking the time to review my description, and to consider my photograph. I don't know when I am going to move up to RAW format, but I hope soon.

Happy Shooting!
john

Framing

Framing

So this is today's photo. I wanted to do something a little unusual, so when I saw this opportunity to frame this shot in this way, I jumped on it. I had a little cooperation too.

This was taken at U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. We had about an hour to kill in the waiting room with our dog Mettle Rose. I was really trying to figure out what to post tonight. I thought about a shot with the background out of focus, or maybe doing something in Photoshop. Then, all of a sudden, I saw this.

This photo was taken on my Samsung Galaxy 4. The colors are pretty true to the color of the room. I had to shoot quite a few pictures because my hands are very shaky. Finally, because I didn't have a tripod, I improvised. I found a way to steady my camera and I shot a few photos.

Okay, it's no prize winner. But I think it's pretty cool for an amateur. There will be days of extreme frustration ahead, trying to find a good picture. I really want to try to shoot good photos from ordinary subjects and situations. Anyone can shoot a famous landmark, and the photo will be fairly good as long as it is framed and in focus. But, trying to find the odd way to present the photo is what I am looking for. Hopefully I will be able to learn, and to entertain along the way.

I'm looking forward to this. I think this is going to turn out to be a really cool project. Thanks for including me. We can't help to get better if we make it a priority. I am now taking my camera with me everywhere I go, just about. I couldn't take it into U.C. Davis because I am disabled right now, and I was limited as to how much I could carry. I've got more ideas on the way, so look out, haha!

john

PS - Absolutely no post editing here. 

Light Painting

First Try

Okay, so this is my first experiment with several different light sources. The only thing I did in Photoshop is crop this photo a little. It is in jpeg format because I have not been able to load Lightroom yet. It might be a while before I get a chance to learn a little about RAW format, but I plan to shoot predominantly in RAW eventually.

The process I used to shoot this was to place my DSLR in Bulb, use my cell phone as a light source, and a separate point and shoot timer flash with a 10 second delay. I turned on my cell phone flashlight, turned off all the lights in the room, and opened the shutter with a remote shutter switch. I held the shutter open while I made circles with the flashlight. After 10 seconds, my point and shoot flashed, and I then closed the shutter. This is the only photo I took, and I shot it at 200 ISO.

The best way to do this is to purchase several torches, different colors, and a separate flash. With a separate flash, I would be able to control the amount of light that the flash produced. As it was, I was stuck with what came out of my point-and-shoot camera.

I'd like to do some more experimenting with light photography later, but this is my first try. And, I wanted to get one picture posted on January 1st. Hopefully I can think of some more interesting projects as the year goes by.

John