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Guest Shooter – Cairns Through Karen Simmons’ Eyes
Image by Boogies with Fish
www.messersmith.name/wordpress/2010/08/22/guest-shooter-c…
Today was a good day, because we would be very alone without our friends and two of our best are here with us in a time of need. Yesterday I worked a bit in the afternoon and later in the evening with Karen Simmons, who has a very nice Olympus SP590UZ camera, but wanted to learn how to do some things a little more exciting than snapshots. I was only too happy to oblige.
We started out on the balcony with lessons about shutter speed and aperture, probably the two most important fundamentals one needs to understand about a camera. It’s not rocket science, but they are things which casual shooters are probably not thinking about.
After a while, Karen was understanding it all, but getting restless. We started on the fancy options of her camera. One is a highly tricked-out panorama mode which actually builds the shot inside the camera so that you don’t have to fiddle with it in Photoshop. You just download the finished image onto your computer: That’s a very respectable image of the Cairns Marina from the balcony of the apartment. So far, so good. We’re into the advanced shots already.
Of course, we had to go down into the streets in the evening for the really fun shots, such as this UFO candidate which is actually the blurred lights of a passing car. Once Karen started to use the shutter speed priority setting on the camera to select a very slow shutter and she learned to brace the camera securely, she was able to take shots such as this until the novelty began to wear off:
It doesn’t take long. One thing leads to another.
There is a big festival on in Cairns now. On the Esplinade was a big tent sporting some action. It was good for Karen to have a go a what I would consider nearly impossible shots:
Though just about every condition for a decent shot is missing here, she still managed to grab a decent image of some Torres Straits Islanders performing a traditional dance.
This is my favourite of Karen’s shots for the night. Simply placing the camera on a flat surface for bracing allowed this beautiful low shutter speed image, as long as the girl didn’t move:
Fortunately, she was sitting quite still.
This is another real beauty. The lighting and composition here is very pleasing. Karen was amazed at the shots she was getting with just a little understanding and practice:
She managed to catch the single swimmer playing with the water gushing from the fountain.
Karen wanted to shoot the fountain close up to catch the water spray. I told her that I didn’t think it would be possible with the amount of light available. I was both right and wrong. There was not enough light to freeze the drops, but what she wanted was the impression of the flowing streams:
After fiddling with the camera for a while, she got exactly what she wanted. Frankly, I would not have thought to do this, but it is an excellent image technically and the composition is very interesting.
One thing that people who fancy themselves as good photographers sometimes lose is the crazy spontaneity that sometimes produces a very amusing image. Here is a beautiful example of what I’m talking about.
Again, I would never have thought to try this shot. It’s nearly impossible to get the timing right.
Fortunately for me and you, Karen didn’t know that. My advice is don’t learn too much. You’ll start thinking like a geek.
Good on ya, Karen.
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Tonight we see an oncologist for the first time concerning Eunie’s condition. I can never remember feeling more anxiety in my life. It is the first time that we may have a chance to catch a glimpse of the future. If you know my wife, you very likely already love her. She is simply that kind of person. If you are a thinker, think good vibes in her direction. If you’re a prayer, pray for a merciful verdict this evening.
Claire, Todd, and the Cutest Little Tank in all of Russia
Image by Hryck.
About 170,000 people have served in the Peace Corps since it began in 1961. Since then, more than 250 people have died in their service. That’s about one every month. Car accidents are a pretty major cause, but volunteers have been killed by snipers, trampled by elephants, and crushed by earthquakes. Once you take into consideration potential instability of the respective governments and sometimes the attitudes of the people towards America, violent acts are a factor. For this contingency, the Peace Corps has a plan.
You get a telegram that reads "You Are Invited to a Party".
If you get a telegram from the Peace Corps that read this, you are to pack a bag with your essentials, and get ready to be picked up, immediately. Transport will be by shortly, and you will be taken to an undisclosed location for an indefinite period of time.
I got my telegram in the winter of 2000. A marine that was stationed in Vlad to guard the consulate decided to buy a girl a drink. Unfortunately, her shotgun toting boyfriend was nearby and expressed his disdain for this action with both barrels, at close range. Due to the quick action of his fellow marines and our Peace Corps nurse, Carmen Redlin, he’s doing fine right now. Last I heard, he was working security at the Dublin Consulate, but the fact that an American was shot in a city that many Americans were unpopular in, remained. Thus, the precautionary telegrams were sent out. I packed my bag and waited for the party to begin.
All of the Vladivostok volunteers were sent to Khabarovsk, a city about 9 hours north of Vlad, while the Peace Corps assessed the situation. All in all, it wasn’t so bad. There were volunteers in Khabarovsk that we all knew. I was pretty fortunate, in that I was sent to live with Claire, a professional expat if there ever was one. Claire has pretty much spent her life making the best of bad situations, and me crashing on her couch for the next several weeks was no different for her. Our days were spent trawling the city for hilarity and kitsch, and our nights were spent trying to cook American food out of Russian ingredients and killing each other in Scrabble. Claire was never without her camera, and has many of the pictures I wish I would’ve taken. Flickr was made for people like Claire. This tank, which held a midget at best, was the stuff that she sought out on a daily basis to keep herself amused, and her sanity in tact. She had a great eye for the absurd, and I try to mimic that whenever I go looking for something to shoot. If I have any imagination as a photographer, it’s because of Claire.
A month later, the shooting was determined to be an isolated incident, and we were allowed to return back to our respective sites.
The shooter was arrested immediately. It was quickly discovered that he was a member of the local mafia, and was released on a ridiculously low bail. About a year later, his case came to trial. The judge, being a very patriotic man, dismissed all of the charges against the shooter, as they were both veterans of the Russian Army.
Take Miner Home !
Image by rikkis_refuge
Miner is now 10 weeks of age and the sweetest baby girl in the whole wide world! Weighing in at a meager 2 lbs, she has a big purrsonality and a lot of determination! She was hit by a car a couple of weeks ago and brought to the shelter with a broken right front leg. She hopped about in her big red cast until this morning when she was given her freedom to move around (giving herself a bath was her first order of business!).
She has permanent nerve damage and may or may not require amputation in the future. Basically, when she was run over, her leg went one way and her body another so that the nerves are permanently damaged and her tendon stretched. Despite this, Miner runs and plays with the best of them and is quite the active child! Social with other cats and with nice dogs, she loves attention and wants to be "with" her people!
She flips over for belly rubs and she purrs frequently and loudly! Miner is looking for a loving home where she will always be spoiled and can live an indoor life. She would prefer to have at least one other animal (or more!) in the household with whom to play and snuggle. She would benefit greatly from some physical therapy.
Please take her home today, contact Beth Hamilton, at the Orange County Animal Shelter 540-671-1124 or bhamilton@orangecova.com
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