Jazz Fan

Thanks to a good friend I was able to enjoy some pretty decent seats at the Utah Jazz basketball game the other night. The first 47 minutes and 58 seconds were quite enjoyable. Then New Jersey's Vince Carter dropped in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Nets a one point win. Argh!

Clowning Around

Clowning Around, taken at the Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy, Utah.

Smokin' Photography

My previous post (available here) detailed some of my process for taking photographs of smoke. Today I thought I'd give a few more examples.




This shot titled Smokin' Sax has been rotated just past 180 degrees. When I saw the lined up spirals of smoke I immediately thought of a saxophone and attempted to line up the smoke to appear as one. As I said earlier, the color is added in processing, so I chose a gold color to further enhance the similarity to a sax.



On this one, I held a cup over the smoke stream for about 10 seconds then quickly removed the cup and took the picture. This created the curls at the top. In processing I then inverted the image to create the white background and added the rose color.




This picture of a smoking gun barrel was created by holding an unloaded (and magazine removed) Glock handgun over the incense stick and letting the smoke drift upward. The smoke worked its way through the gun and out of the barrel. I chose to leave the smoke its natural color of grayish white.




On this one, I allowed the smoke stream to calm down to just a single column and then gently placed a spoon over it. The smoke then accumulated under the spoon briefly before coming out around the edges.




Similar to the above shot, I placed the fork into the stream and allowed the utensil to disrupt the smokes flow. This one was also inverted to create the white background.




Here's the same shot as above, but without the invert.




And lastly, this shot was rotated 90 degrees clockwise to enhance the presentation. With the invert and the rotation, I felt it looked like silk blowing in the wind.

There you have it, my first few attempts at smoke shots. I used simple incense sticks that I purchased for under $5.00. For a background I used a black sheet and then placed my light source (a Canon 430EX strobe) at about an 80 degree angle. Feel free to comment with any questions or comments.

Purple Rose

UPDATE: I've posted more smoke shots on my follow-up post.

This past week, one of the readers of my blog (and frequent commenter) Genevieve from the Prairie Bluestem blog emailed me a link to an article about photographing smoke. The article was quite interesting so I decided to give it a try.

The first hurdle I had to overcome was finding incense sticks in Sandy Utah. After visiting several businesses suggested by my wife Michelle, I found some on clearance at Pier 1 Imports. Incense in hand it was time to start shooting.

To create the images I used an off camera flash positioned at a 90 degree angle to the camera and shot against a black background. I placed the incense on a stool and let the smoke drift upward into the shot. I then did various things to disrupt the air and create the patterns. Capturing the smoke required a bit of experimenting with exposure. I ended up shooting stopped down to f/22 with a shutter speed of 1/250 (the fasted my 30D can shoot and still synch the flash). I had the camera on a tripod and used a remote release to trigger the shots. Since this procedure involved the use of more than two hands, I enlisted the help of my frequents assistants Missy and Sarah (my daughters).

The only manipulation I did in Photoshop was to adjust the colour and a bit of cloning to clean up the edges. This particular shot was also inverted, causing the background to become white.

You can see some more examples of the shots on my Flickr account. Click here to view them.

Bovine in Black & White

Doesn't this cow have a great hairstyle? Blend in a bit of gel and he'd be ready to spend Saturday night out on the town.

You've come a long way, Mr. Kodak

I've got several old cameras sitting around my office. Most have some family history attached to them in one way or another.

This capture is of one of the cameras, a Kodak Brownie Flash Six-20. My father received this as a graduation gift in 1950 from his grandparents. As a child, I was allowed to use this camera and I shot many rolls of film through it. It's one of the first cameras that I remember using. Given the primitive camera and my inexperience, the resulting images were hideous. But y'know, I sure wish I had those photos today.

Checkers on the Porch

Life after this?

While I was cleaning up some stuff today I came across a video I made a couple of years ago for a talk I gave at church. It doesn't have anything to do with my photography, but I thought I'd share it anyway.

The video was shot at a local skate park to get the skaters' opinions on life after death. The theme of the talk I gave was The Simplicity of Salvation and this was used as an introduction. Click below to view it.

San Antonio Park, 1989

We're stepping back in time a bit today.

I made this capture of my son in the spring of 1989 as part of a portrait project in college. I have long since lost the negative of this special shot, so this is a scan of a print (partially explaining the tight crop of his foot). While I really enjoy the freedom I have with my digital camera equipment today, I occasionally miss the time spent in the darkroom working on shots such as this.

By the way, this little fellow is now a sophomore at Texas A&M University. Time sure flies.

Restore Me, Please

Happy Birthday ElisaRae

In honor of her twelfth birthday today, here are twelve captures of Elisabeth.

Pinball Wizard

Ever since I was a young boy
I've played the silver ball
From Soho down to Brighton
I must have played them all
But I ain't seen nothing like him
In any amusement hall
That deaf, dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball

- Pete Townshend, 1969

Reflective Sunset

While photographing in downtown Salt Lake City last week with a couple of friends (Harley & Diane), we came across this very unique lighting. Here is Harley's description of the reflection that made this shot special:

"This building was entirely in the shade of another building. All the light is a reflection off a glass building behind and to the right (of the camera). The sun is setting behind and to the left."

Capturing the light as we saw it with our eyes was very difficult. The reflection appeared to be almost fluid-like on the side of the building pictured here. It was a pretty cool scene.

Carefree

care▪free [kair-free] -adjective 1. without anxiety or worry.

1923 Western Charm Drive

"Neither rain nor hail nor sleet nor snow nor heat of day nor dark of night shall keep this carrier from the swift completion of his appointed rounds.

and the Word was God

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1 (NIV)

Today's capture was made in an attempt to illustrate a bible passage in a photograph. After taking some low-light photos of my daughter Sarah with an iPod last week (example here), I had the idea of creating a shot depicting a glow emanating from within a Bible.

Tech Notes
To create the shot I positioned Sarah (dressed in black) on a stool in a completely dark room. The glow lighting her face was created by taping an iPod carefully to a page in the center of the bible. To add a subtle light to the exterior of the book, I placed another electronic device (this one a Gameboy) on a stool just below Sarah. The 3.2 second exposure was then tripped via remote release with the camera on a tripod.

Lakeside in Black & White

This capture was made on the western shore of Utah Lake in Saratoga Springs, Utah. The low afternoon sun really accentuated the mountain's features with the dramatic shadows it created. While the many shades of blue I saw while taking this shot stood out boldly against the white snow (click here for a color example), the black & white version of the scene creates a timeless presentation.

Your thoughts?

Cathedral of the Madeleine

I spent some time yesterday in the Cathedral of the Madeleine with a couple friends. It's truly a beautiful and magnificent building. The photography was a bit challenging, but the results definitely warranted the effort. Next time I'm going to try some HDR (high dynamic range) captures to enhance the lighting of the interior in the photographs.

About the Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Madeleine is a Roman Catholic Church in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was completed in 1909, and currently serves as the cathedral, or mother church, of the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

The cathedral was built under the direction of the Lawrence Scanlan, first bishop of Salt Lake. It was designed by architects Carl M. Newhausen and Bernard O. Mecklenburg. The outside is predominately a Neo-Romanesque design, while the inside tends more toward the Neo-Gothic. Construction began in 1900 and was completed in 1909. It was dedicated by James Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore.

The interior of the cathedral was created under the direction of Joseph S. Glass, the second bishop of Salt Lake. Bishop Glass enlisted John Theodore Comes, one of the preeminant architects in the country, to decorate the interior of the cathedral. His plans for the interior were largely based upon the Spanish Gothic style. The colorful murals and polychrome were added at this time, as were the ornate shrines.

Between 1991 and 1993, the cathedral was renovated and restored under Bishop William K. Weigand. This included not only the removal of dust and dirt and restoration of the interior, but also changes to the liturgical elements of the cathedral to bring them into conformity with the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. This included building a new altar, moving the bishop's chair, providing a separate chapel for the Blessed Sacrament, and adding a more ample baptismal font.

(source: Wikipedia)

What's an 8-track, Dad?

"Records...8-Tracks...cassettes...what're those?" - Welcome to the digital music generation.

Somber Hillside

This black & white capture was taken in the Salt Lake City cemetery overlooking the city on a hazy day. I found the cemetery very interesting with so many notable Utahns laid to rest there. The headstones read like a Who's Who of Utah history.

Frozen Lakeshore

Captured on the western shore of Utah Lake.

Crossing History

This old locomotive crossing is about 50 yards East of the site where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads met on May 10, 1869 to form the United States' First Transcontinental Railroad. The location in Utah's Promontory Summit is a rather desolate area today. Imagine what it must have been like nearly 140 years ago.

Plane over Provo

I was taking photos on the shoreline of Utah Lake yesterday afternoon when this gentleman flew by in his private plane. I immediately recognized the aircraft as a Cessna 172, since that is the model of plane my father flew when I was a child. I'm not sure what the pilot was doing, but he flew the length of the lake at this low altitude.

This isn't the shot I hoped to catch when I left home yesterday, but I'm glad I returned with it.

Holly the German Shorthaired Pointer

Just under five years ago I received an email in my inbox with the title "Anybody need a good dog?. The note was from the president of a shooting club I used to belong to. He had a friend that had a new baby and was giving away a "chocolate lab". Making a long story short, we took the dog (Holly) into our home. It was apparent that she wasn't a purebred lab but her previous owner said she was part chocolate lab (though he wasn't 100% sure since she came from a shelter as a pup). We never really worried about what breed she was. Her personality was much more important to us.

This week it was time for our dogs to take their annual trek to the vet for shots and licensing. Their previous veterinarian's office closed so this year they went to a new doctor. Upon entering the examination room, the doctor glanced down at Holly's records (indicating Labrador) and looked up at her and proclaimed "No part of this dog is lab. She's a liver colored German Shorthaired Pointer. I'm 100% sure."

A bit of googling later and I agree, we have a German Shorthaired Pointer. We can now allow Holly to embrace her German heritage. Does that include trips to Wienerschnitzel and Oktoberfest? I doubt it, but at least now we know.

The Other Barn

Alongside the road into Park City (Utah) is the oft photographed McPolin Barn. This wonderful old structure sits quietly just begging to be captured by passing photographers. I rarely make a trip into Park City that I don't feel obliged to stop and attempt to better my previous images of the building.

I found myself in Park City yesterday (during a snowstorm) and opted to take yet another capture of the barn. This time though, I stopped a bit down the road and photographed a neighboring barn as well. Sure, this barn doesn't have the history and fame as the McPolin Barn, but it made for a peaceful winter capture of Americana.

The Woodworker's Headstone

I spotted this interesting headstone in the Salt Lake City cemetery. This is the only wooden grave marker I have ever seen. Click here to view a large image and read the inscription.

The Story Behind the Flag

Discarded Glory
Originally uploaded by LeggNet.

On yesterday's post, I asked what words come to mind when you see this image. Bryan Catherman of The Hopeless Writer blog stepped up and wrote a back story about it in the comments. I enjoyed it so much that I felt it deserved its own post.

____

She ran down the boulevard toward the coming busses, a yellow ribbon in her hair and a grin from ear to ear. At just nineteen, she had never known such a deep feeling of love before she met Sam, who was now returning from the war. As the two busses pulled near and the cheering crowed crammed forward, the women waved her little American flag from side to side.

She hadn’t received a letter from Sam in over a month. Mail was slow, but the word around the small town was not. Their boys were coming home.

Sam’s letters were so beautiful and she just knew he would propose marriage soon. They would start a family and seek after the American dream.

“What does he look like now?” she asked herself in anticipation. “Has he changed?”

Her Sam was hero, but so were all of the men stepping off the silver bus in their green uniforms. Some men rushed to women and kissed them over and over. Some were perfect strangers; others perfect lovers.

Other men got off the bus, picked up their duffle bag, and walked away from the crowd, alone. Other men looked war-torn; still others were clean and pressed. None of them were boys any longer.

Flag in hand, she waited impatiently. When the first bus emptied and pulled away, she stood up on her toes to look over the crowd. She still looked so young in her summer skirt and sneakers and ribbon tied in a neat bow in her hair. She couldn’t see her Sam.

The second silver bus drained of men, but Sam was still nowhere. The crowed thinned. Confusion lit upon the woman. She looked from side to side. How could she have missed him? Her arms dropped to her sides and she rested squarely back on her heals. The small American flag, still in her hand, now pointed downward.

A burley soldier with pins on his chest and rank on his hat approached her. “Are you Abigail Wells?” he asked.

“Yes, yes I am,” she replied.

“I regret to inform you that Private Sam Thompson was killed in action last month. On the 3rd to be specific. The battle was hard, but he fought valiantly. I couldn’t have had a better, braver private under my command.” He said it so matter-of-factly.

“What?” Abigail asked in shock. The officer executed an about face and walked to the next confused woman.

Her mouth dropped, and so did her little American flag. Discarded, abandon was the little flag, much like Abigail’s dreams. She stood in the moment. Abigail couldn’t believe. She wouldn’t let herself. But like the flag, now resting against the hard concrete reality, among the dying and dry leaves, Abigail Wells would never be the same again.

Discarded Glory

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what are some that come to mind when you view this capture?

A Spot of Milk In Your Coffee?

Things were a bit lazy at the Legg house yesterday so I played around taking some shots of splashing liquids. This photo was made by capturing a drop of milk just after it hit a vessel of coffee. I'm amazed at how the drop bounced off of the surface of the coffee to form a tower supporting the milk orb .

The lighting and exposure on this shot were a bit tricky and, to be honest, I'm not overly pleased with the result. The milk drop is a bit blurry and the overall shot had quite a bit of digital noise (which I reduced in PhotoShop). I will have to try this again at a later date with a more powerful strobe.

I do think the sphere of milk is pretty cool, though.

Happy New Year

Since this year's somewhat underwhelming New Year's Eve events involved a pizza, Ice Age 2 and a Nintendo Wii; here is a shot from last year's festivities. If you can't tell, this is a capture of a firecracker in the act of exploding.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!