Photographing fireworks is incredibly easy, and it impresses the daylights out of your friends when it works. If they only knew how easy it was. You point the camera, and open the shutter. Fireworks (the explosion) is easy. But strong composition and showing the crowd which is there is another problem entirely.

Of course, the people in the foreground will all be facing away from you. And they'll be backlit, just a fraction of the light in the sky reaching the crowd on the ground.

Photographers get plenty of silhouettes, a few people lit by a fill flash, or buildings lit up with enough existing light to show up in the frame.

The above exposure was about 30 seconds-- for the bottom of the frame. And maybe five or six seconds for the top. I used a black card to block out the top (fireworks) while keeping the shutter open for the bottom. No double exposures or computer manipulation is allowed.

I'm all for trying something new to get better photos. If your fireworks photos look terrific, and you'd like to share your expertise, let me (us!) know how you did it.

Posted in outdoors people photography strictly scenic

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A while back, one of our intern photographers noticed my ancient 500mm mirror on my desk. He picked it up, inspected it like an geologist looking over a fossil and asked, "Where's the autofocus?" There was no autofocus. That lens is older than most of the reporters at the Daily Record.

The photo above was taken with the 500 mm mirror lens. I bought it used nearly 30 years ago, and it's still one of my favorites. It's less than six inches long, fits nicely into a small belt pack and weighs almost nothing, making it wonderfully handy on walks through the woods. I don't think Nikon even makes mirror lenses anymore.

The Record's 400 mm lens weighs almost 12 pounds, and is optically shorter, but at least a foot longer in real length. The 400 is a favorite among sports shooters,and one that's seen along football sidelines. It's huge and heavy. But it's a beautiful lens. It's quick, sharp, and at least three f-stops faster than the mirror lens.

I couldn't carry the 400 through the woods and survive unless I'd find someone to haul around this massive hunk of glass.

So, look at my 500 as a short cut. The picture above wouldn't have happened without my 500, and it would have been impossible with a shorter 80-200.

The problem, of course, is that the 500 is awfully slow at f8. Once the sun goes behind the trees, put this lens away. And another problem is obvious in this photo-- all those circles. It takes away from the heron here, but sometimes, it's an unusual element to the photo. The circles are just the result of the mirror images bouncing around inside the lens.

It's the lazy man's long telephoto. And if you find another 500mm around, let me know. This old girl should have been put out to pasture years ago.

Posted in nature outdoors photography strictly scenic

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While in Loganville shooting another assignment, I wandered onto this scene. Now, one would think that shooting photos all day for eons would get old. But it's always another challenge, getting the best possible picture out of a particular situation.

It is frustrating, however, seeing a pastoral scene that begs for a terrific photo and I can't quite capture it. My eye sees it better than the camera.

Does this happen to you?

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While tooling through central Pennsylvania over the weekend, I heard over the radio and air conditioning what I thought was a squeeky, roaring sound from under the hood. What else could it be?

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Took a weekend jaunt to the Tyler Arboretum, a place I've never visited, or known, before Sunday. In Media, Pa., just outside Philly, it is overshadowed by its more famous neighbors like Longwood Gardens, Winterthur and others.

More than 600 acres, this wonderful collection of greenery is now featuring Totally Terrific Treehouses through September. Don't go with the idea of seeing 12 treehouses perched in trees, there are none. It is what the PR director calls a 'fanciful collection' of treehouses, most on the ground, some not even touching a tree.

Still, it's a great way to the get the kids outside and away from the computer screen. Even if they don't like treehouses, it boasts 20 miles of hiking trails and plenty of things to keep the family happy.

More on Tyler Arboretum in the YDR later in the summer as an Excursion.

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Many years ago, a good friend and I put together THE BEST RICE, or 11 steps to good composition. THE BEST RICE is the first letter for each rule. For example, the first T stood for "Thirds, Rule of", and continued with the other letters. It's elementary, but simple. lt was used to help York Daily Record correspondents in their photography, explaining that getting a good picture was more than hitting the shutter release.

Sometimes, you shoot a picture that works. It's pretty, pleasing and, well, it just works. Can't explain it. This photo is one that breaks all the rules, including the Rule of Thirds.

Was shot Monday on the Great Allegheny Passage, a bike trail that runs from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland. Hand held at 1/2 second and f11, 200 ISO.

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Not interested in losing my mortgage payment on the tables at Atlantic City, we cruised instead to Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge recently, so close to AC we could almost hear the quarters in the slot machines.

The fine folks at the visitors center there warned me that it was a lousy day for birding. "It's cold, windy and rainy," he said, repeating what I already knew. It was, indeed, a miserable day. The wind was so strong on the dikes I couldn't hold the camera steady; rain was 'falling' horizontally, and fortunately I had a pair of gloves with me to keep the fingers warm.

Why spend a full day in those conditions?

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With the price of gas crippling my travel budget, I've not gone on any long distance trips lately, so I 'make do' with locations close by.

This male cardinal was photographed in my backyard on Monday. It was shot with a 70-300 mm lens, at about 1/250 and f4.5, I think. No tripod.

Bright cloudy days are terrific for photography. No shadows, highlights retain their detail, the recent rain washes the dust off everything, and the colors pop.

Don't put away cameras because it's damp or cloudy. You might be surprised with the results.

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The Pennsylvania Resources Council invites student and adult amateur photographers from the around the state to be part of the 24th annual Lens On Litter Contest designed to highlight litter and illegal dumping problems in the Commonwealth.
“This is the only contest I know where photographers can use their creativity to show something ugly like litter, old tires and rusting appliances and win,” said Larry Myers, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Resources Council. “It is a unique combination of art and promoting awareness of an important environmental issue everyone can see.”
The Lens On Litter contest is open to amateur photographers taking photographs of litter in Pennsylvania. Entrants must submit entries by October 31.
Send entries (limit three per person) to the Pennsylvania Resources Council, 3606 Providence Road, Newtown Square, PA 19073.
All entries must contain the following information on the back of the photo: entrant’s name, address, telephone number, title given to photo, and location of litter site. If the entry is from a school age child, the school grade and school name must be provided. Photos will not be returned and will become the property of the PRC.

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Baseball isn't really high on my list of sports to photograph. Rather boring. The pitcher throws 100 pitches, and the other team hits six of them. It's just not very exciting. And our job is to best video a sport in which most time spent waiting for something to happen. Lovely.

But in Lakeland, Florida, the York Revolution is in the middle of spring training. It's hot, the hours are very, very long for reporters and photographers, and it's baseball. Sounds like three strikes, eh?

Personalities like Matt Dryer, Keoni DeRenne, Jason Olsen and Travis Ezi make the sweltering days in Florida bearable. Stories like Dave Veres, above, the 41-year old with an aritificial hip, who's trying to climb back into the 'bigs' should inspire even the most anti-baseball cynic.

Now, I'm no baseball coach, player or even a fan, but players like Matt Esquivel, the big, smiling and speedy right fielder, and Mike Padgett, the handsome third baseman/left fielder, won't be around long. They're playing like they'll be signed somewhere else very soon. Some players, like those two, are just fun to watch but you'd better catch them quick.

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