Red Oak II, Missouri

Welcome to Red Oak, Mo. We got directions from Mr. Gary Turner, the unoffical historian of Route 66. He insisted we take time out to visit this display and we were sure glad we did! A couple of miles northeast of Carthage, Mo. and just off old Route 66 is Red Oak II, a ghost town, but not really.  It has authentic old buildings, and an old cemetery, and it looks like a ghost town. Well, it is and it isn’t. Referred to as the "Norman Rockwell of Rural Art," Lowell Davis has a love for the simpler times of the past that are reflected, not only in his "new" town, but also in his paintings and sculptures. Of his re-created town, he said: "Red Oak II is a combination of a painting and a sculpture, and it is just made from things that someone else threw away." Check my video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ILsBIB4mVQ Happy Shooting! Comments welcome!   Crutch

Christmas Photo Tips !

                          

The Christmas holiday is a heavily photographed event, so it’s important to approach the subject with an eye for doing something different and compelling. Remember to charge your batteries today and check your storage cards or film. Get everything ready and organized as Christmas morning will be busy. Utilize the ornaments and the lights to spruce up the background elements of your shots, focus on your subject’s eyes and work to position your family in intimate positions that emphasizes their close relationship and the joy this season instills in everyone. The preparation is just as important as the finished product when it comes to Christmas, so get in there and take photos of the tree trimming activity as it happens. Don't forget the to catch the kitchen help while they prepare the Christmas meal. For the little guys and gals, try to get on their level before snapping the shutter.  Don't forget to include family pets ! Merry Christmas to all...and Happy Shooting!  Crutch

Madrid, New Mexico

Another pleasant surprise along Route 66....We stumbled on this little town and really liked it. This town was full of little shops and restraurants. We spent about 2 hours walking around and taking photos. There were a lot of people milling around and shopping. This was a real treat and a welcome sight after the bad weather at Santa Fe, NM. Check the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwgaU57H1jk&feature=youtu.be                Happy shooting!  Crutch

The El Rancho Hotel- Gallup, NM

This hotel was our biggest surprise along old Route 66. In it's time it served as the Hollywood hotel in Gallup for all the filmmakers and actors while filming in and around the Gallup area. The rooms are numbered and named for the most famous person to actually stay there. We were in the James Cagney room. The place has retained it's old charm and is very heavy on the old west atmosphere. If you manage to go there, it's just off the new I-40 interstate. Be sure to check out  the restraurant and the "49er" bar and lounge. The bartender said the old regulars still talk of the time John Wayne rode a  horse into the bar area. Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMPknsM-kOI  Comments are welcome....Happy Shooting!    Crutch

Scenes from Route 66

We finished our trip down Route 66. We totaled a little over 4,000 miles. It was a great trip and I have enough material for several videos. I will start with a compilation of somes scenes we shot over the total trip. I will follow with some side trips that we really enjoyed a lot. This was one our best trips. The ride, the motels, the food were all very good. I will try to take you through the places we saw first hand. Check the first video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwTgEQJP3jM As always comments are welcome. Happy Shooting!   Crutch

Route 66 Day Seven

What a treat!  We spent the night at the famous EL Rancho Hotel, Route 66, in Gallup, New Mexico. This hotel has operated continuosly since 1931. There must be at least 200 photos of movie stars that have stayed there over the years. All the rooms are named for the the most famous star to actually stay in the room. We were in the James Cagney room :) We enjoyed everything about this place including the food. Apparently, Gallup catered to Hollywood filmmakers with locations for their movies. A lot of westerns were shot near here and this is where the stars stayed during shooting. I even got to sit in John Waynes favorite bar stool and eat the John Wayne burger :)  Lots of photos and videos to come later. Got a great nights sleep and we headed home today.

Happy Shooting!  Crutch

Route 66...Day Six

Pete noticed a huge storm rolling in from the northeast and the bright sun on this mountain range. We hurriedly pulled over and setup our tripods to capture this rare scene. As this unfolded, I quickly shot 2 photos and then merged them in PS5. This is the result. Moving on to Gallup, NM. Happy Shooting! Crutch

Route 66... Day Five

Cadillac Ranch ! We we sure looking forward to this staple site on Route 66. This is a farm land setting that the owner decided to bury some cadillacs nose first in the ground. We arrived late, but the place was full of people taking photos and spray painting the cars. Since we did not have and spray paint, we just settled for taking photos. The ground had just been plowed under for next years crop to be planted in the spring. This is soooo weird. Thanks for following us. Happy Shooting! Crutch

Route 66... Day Four

Today, we decided to take a quick side trip to Palo Duro State Park in Canyon, Texas. We had seen some brochures and thought this would be some fun. We were very surprised at the second largest canyon in the USA. We timed this to get there with the light in our favor. The place was just awesome. You could just about drop your camera and take a great photo. Pete did a lot of HDR and was very pleased with the photos. I shot this photo at 1/100 at F8 and added a little saturation in post. It's on to New Mexico and points beyond! Happy Shooting! Crutch

Route 66...Day Three

Another "Giant" along Route 66. This time it's the largest totem pole. It's 60 ft tall. A nice park and a great stop along Route 66. Pete was a little under the weather today, but remained a trooper. The weather has changed for the better, with a high of 70 today. We used the a/c most of the day. Covered about 450 miles. Hopefully we will be in Amarillo, Texas tomorrow morning. Happy Thanksgiving! Hope everyone has as much fun as we are.
Happy Shooting!   Crutch

Route 66 Day Two!

Well the rain finally stopped and we were able to make some photos. We met Gary at this old service station. He had a wealth of Route 66 information for us. He and his wife have fixed up this building and some others on the grounds. They have lived here since 1957. He sure was a great charactor and we left feelng like we had known him for years. This place was a special treat and we enjoyed it and his stories. I think he knows just about everyone on Route 66. Thanks for looking and Happy Shooting!  Crutch 

Route 66 Trip Day One

We have spent all day in the rain. We planned to shoot the skyline at Louisville, Kentucky, but it turned out too foggy. We pressed on to St. Louis, Mo. and discovered the arch is only lit on weekends. Too dark for any pics.  But, we are having a great time and look forward to tomorrow :)

Crutch

"Get your kicks on Route 66"

It's time for another "road trip" . This time Pete and I have decided to hit the Mother Road, aka Route 66. This road goes through 8 states from Chicago to Los Angeles. We plan to get on near St. Louis, Mo and go as far as time will allow. I'm hoping we can get to Flagstaff, AZ before we will be forced to return. We are allowing 7-10 days, but the way we stop and photograph stuff, we may not get out of Missouri, lol. I hope to post some of each days photos with a short daily summary.

I will be limited in some areas with no wi-fi. We plan to start this morning, with our first stop in Louisville, Ky to shoot the city scape from across the river, in Indiana. Look for updates along the way. Happy Shooting!  Crutch

Night Photography & Light Painting

My good friend Pete Michael and myself are looking forward to our up coming trip down Route 66. We will be starting in St. Louis, Mo. and hope to reach Flagstaff, Arizona, before heading home. We are planning on doing several types of photography and video during this trip. We decided that light painting would be something that we will use out west, so we went over to Rankin Bottoms, near Newport, to do a little practicing. My results are to the right. I felt like that was satisfactory for my first attempt. but alot more practice is in order. To light this tree at night, I opened the shutter and painted this tree with light using a large flashlight. The shutter remained open in, bulb mode, for over 2 minutes. The full moon rising was a pleasant surprise. It was really fun and I displayed a lot of patience :)  We are planning to do some long exposure photography and some panoramas during our trip too.  I will report from the road at every opportunity. Happy Shooting!  Crutch

Lighthouse Landscapes

Just finished another book. This one has a compilation of several trips to Michigan and Wisconsin. Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state. I have always enjoyed these trips and plan to go again soon. Check it out here:
http://www.adoramapix.com/crutch1948/book/lighthouses-1

Commenst welcome  Happy Shooting !  Crutch

Halloween Tips (Not so scary)

There are plenty of subjects around to photograph at Halloween ranging from the traditional jack-o-lantern  to people in costume, to trick or treat ‘treats’ etc. It’s a time of color, emotion and lots of interesting subjects.

The keys to capturing them are not that different from the normal keys to good composition, in photography. As you photograph Halloween this year, keep in mind some of the basics, of good digital photography. Here are some tips that should be helpful in your Halloween photography: Focus on points of interest, eye makeup, mask, blood. Don't forget to fill your frame. Get close, then get closer. Find new angles, shoot up, down, tilt your camera for fun frames. Don't forget group photos. Shoot in low light without your flash. Incorporate fall colors, leaves around jack-o-lanterns, Ghouls under a tree with fall color everywhere. Just remember to have fun and create some lasting memories, for yourself and the kids. Happy Halloween and Happy Shooting!  Crutch

Photo Tip of the Week - Fall Color !

It's time to get your camera ready for the fall color season. Start charging those batteries and cleaning those lens and sensors. We live in a great area to photograph some beautiful fall foliage. Try to incorporate the colors with some landscapes, streams or waterways. Also, this is a great time to use an enhansing filter if you have one. This will make your photos really pop with color, especially the film cameras. B &H Photo has lots to choose from here:  https://secure.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=enhansing+filters&N=0&InitialSearch=yes. If you are shooting digital, you can add a little saturation in post. Most of all, fall is a great time to get out and enjoy the weather. Get with some friends and hit the road. Happy Shooting! Crutch 

The Blue Ridge Parkway (Video)

I have posted a short video of our trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOrFz0JaQCY  As always comments are welcome. Happy Shooting! Crutch

The Blue Ridge

Sorry for not posting any updates lately. I have been very busy with my work. Also, I had to replace my main computer for posting and managing my photos. I hope to catch up in the coming weeks. Pete and I took a three day trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway recently. I can't believe we just got around to this scenic highway, as we live so close to it. We had a great time and perfect weather. This photo is one of many tunnels along this route. We got on in Asheville, North Carolina and we made 320 miles before we ran out of time. I will do a short video soon :) Happy Shooting !   Crutch

New Books in print!

My good friend Pete has been encouraging me to check out AdoramaPix.com.This is a self constructing book site for your photos. I was very impressed with the books he has printed and decided to give it a try. I have finished two books of my Florida birding photos. Here is the link: http://www.adoramapix.com/crutch1948 You can view each book by just turning the pages as if you were holding the book in your hands. This is a great site and I plan to start composing a book after each of our upcoming trips. We have been home too long, so this weekend we are doing The Blue Ridge Parkway. As always comments are welcome. Happy Shooting!
Crutch

A trip through Stearns, Kentucky

We made another day trip to historic Stearns, Kentucky and the Big South Fork National Recreation area. The Stearns Coal & Lumber Company operated mines in McCreary County until the 1960s. Now, the area is a popular destination for travelers. Tourists can visit a reconstructed coal camp, hear the voices of those who lived there, and view museum exhibits that teach, about the coal itself and of the people living in its dust. We found the people to be very friendly and accomodating. The weather was almost perfect. We enjoyed the area and will most likely return soon. If you have a chance to visit, the train ride to the Blue Heron Coal Co. is a must. For best viewing, click on 1080i here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGkBr809PHQ
As always, comments are welcome. Thanks for watching ! 

Crutch

Little River at Greenbrier !

Another day trip for Pete Michael and myself. We were in the Smoky's and decided to stop by this area to see if anything was new. It had rained off and on all day, but we don't let a little rain stop us. We had no problem getting around and dodging the elements. The rain makes for some interesting fog and reflextions. See the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNVA-lyMML8 and be sure to click on 1080 HD for best viewing. As always, thanks for looking and comments and suggestions are welcome. Crutch

The Story Behind the Photo ! Roseate Spoonbill

I had been in Florida, looking for some roseate spoonbills most of the day, on November 27, 2008 over the Thanksgiving Holiday, when I came across this guy. I usually cannot get this close to the spoonbills.  He was about 30 ft away, but I could not get him to look in my direction. I was just about to pack in it when he finally turned. The moment came at 5:51 PM. The end to a perfect day. :) Canon 1D Mark 3...EF 100-400 lens at 365mm...1/100 sec at F9...ISO 400. Happy Shooting!  Crutch

Roaring Fork Motor Trail

Pete and I took off again. This time to the Roaring Fork Motor Trail in the Smoky's. We took a chance with the weather and encountered  sun, rain, fog, etc. The weather just added another element to our trip but we enjoyed every minute. We encountered a mama bear and three cubs. The cubs were maybe four or five months old and the mama bear was very protective and even charged us once, which sent everyone to their vehicles for cover. We also stopped by the Little River at Greenbriar which I will do another video on soon. Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXLSXHWQH7E
For best viewing, click on 1080i
Happy Shooting..!   Crutch

4th of July photo tip

Fireworks may be the main event, but the Fourth of July provides plenty of other photo opportunities. Start the day out at your local parade. We have a boat parade every year that we really look forward to. Photograph young kids mesmerized by the noise, the large floats, and the fire trucks. Or, maybe your kids are in the parade with decorated bikes; do not miss out on that photo opportunity. Later in the day, take candid shots at the family barbeque or party. Combine all the photos from the day with your best fireworks shots and you have some great options for a Fourth of July photo book or calendar. If your camera has a fireworks setting, be sure to take advantage of it. Take lots of photos and enjoy this great photo op. Happy Shooting !   Crutch

A Vacation Photo Tip

This is one of my favorite tips for taking photos at a well known tourist monument or location.
If you’re off to popular tourist destinations for your summer holidays you’ll get plenty of photographic opportunities. You’ll also come up against the problem of capturing both the monument and the person in front of it both in focus.
If you’re using a digital SLR, set the aperture to a value around f16 or f22. This ensures that everything in the image will be in focus. On the other hand if you want the person to be in focus and the monument attractively out of focus, set the aperture to around f2.8 or f3.6. Make sure to focus on the person and use the camera flash to light their face. With a large aperture like this you will get a small depth of field around the subject with everything else in the image thrown out of focus.
Whenever you want to capture a very large object like a monument and a person in front of the monument, you run the risk of capturing the monument at a good size and the person will be so small as to be almost unrecognizable in front of it. There are a couple of ways to avoid this happening. One is to bring the subject very close to the camera so that you get both at good size in the image. The other is to take more than one photo.
Capture the monument at full size and then place your subject closer to the monument in front of an area which has interesting detail in it. Take the second image this time focusing on the portrait aspect and using the monument details as a pleasing background. Have fun and remember to take lots of photos. Happy Shooting!  Crutch

Fall Creek Falls !

On May 14th, Pete and I made a day trip to Fall Creek Falls State Park. We had started out to shoot Ozone Falls, which is close by, but we found the falls very difficult to approach and the viewpoint was best at the bottom near the pool, but it was inaccessible and began to rain, so we started looking for another falls. We had met another couple of photogs and they suggested we make the short trip to this falls. The day was saved and we had a great time. The falls are over 200 ft. You can shoot above or make the trip to the pool 200 ft below. I can't believe I let Pete talk me into another short hike (Remember Clingman's Dome), but we both survived and it was great fun. Take a look at the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8AcHHd2tKo This is a must see if you are in the area. Plenty to do here and great outing. Camping and lots of stuff for kids. Happy Shooting! Crutch

Reason # 1,274 why photography matters !

Since it is now after Memorial Day 2011, I have some thoughts on why we should take more photos and never be without a camera. Taking photos for over 40 years now, I think of all the great places I have photographed and all the great birds and animals I have been lucky enough to photograph with somewhat pleasing results. It has been and I hope will continue to be a great time in my life. But, as I look back at some of these photos, I realize, I missed the most important subjects, I could have ever taken with my camera, and didn't. Now, I have no photos and my memory is fading. I'm refering to the very people that shaped my life and influenced me more than they will ever know. Knowing I will never be able to take their photo makes me sad. Take a look at this recent article by Scott Bourne  http://photofocus.com/2011/05/30/memorial-day-reason-number-1274-why-photography-matters/ This really hit home with me. I think I will round up my family and take some pics :)

Happy Shooting!  Crutch

Florida Birds, 2011 !

I made a short trip over the Easter wekend to St. Augustine, Fl to shoot birds in flight photos. I also had a chance to shoot some video. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBiCWUcN9bo This is aa adult Rosette Spoonbill that was nest building the days I was there. As always, comments are welcome here or at Youtube. Happy shooting! Crutch

Fort Pickens !

This is another fort we visited on our trip through Florida and Alabama. Very interesting history and we enjoyed it immensly. Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ymeu7Q4BHA If you ever get a chance to visit, put this fort on your list. It looks as if the soldiers just left yesterday. As always, comments are welcome. Happy Shooting......Crutch

Florida's Gulf Coast !

Supposedly, this is Florida's forgoten coast, but we found alot here.The St George Island Lighthouse has quite a history. It all began in 1823 when John Lee Williams sought refuge on the beautiful island of St. George. With a shortage of food supplies, the crew depended on the island’s ample store of oysters and crabs. Very soon the island experienced a surge in trading activities especially along the banks of the Apalachicola River. This led to the construction of the lighthouse in 1833. It was used in those times as a navigational tool for incoming ships. However, in 2005 a storm led to its destruction, much to the chagrin of native islanders. The lighthouse has since been reconstructed. Check my video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWjSUvT7RNA As always, comments are welcome here and on Youtube. Happy Shooting !

Crutch

Apalachicola, Florida !

On our trip through Florida & Alabama, Pete and I found this little gem of a small town. What a treat to walk around this town and take it all in. We both loved this place and hope to return one day. If you are in the panhandle of Florida on highway 98, this is a must visit. We spent about three hours walking around here. Apalachicola Bay is the Oyster Capital of the World ! Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol81eP55Rag I sure you will agree. As always, comments are welcome. If you cannot comment here, try the comments section on Youtube.

Crutch

Fort Morgan & Okefenokee Swamp !

This is a video of two places Pete and I visited on our trip to Florida, a couple of months ago. We visited several old spanish type forts along the gulf coast and this was one of our favorites. The swamp pics are the Okefenokee Swamp and wildlife refuge in South Georgia. Check the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3V_svSCOJs As always, comments are welcome.

Happy Shooting !

Crutch

Tips for great Easter photos !

Here are some simple tips for taking Easter pictures this year...

Take Pictures Before & After... Be sure to start photographing Easter a few days before Easter and at least one day after Easter.
This is because Easter is a holiday, and holidays last more than one day. Don't overlook all that takes place in preparation for the Easter holiday. Think of it as the story-behind-the-story. You'll thank yourself later.

Some things to photograph:

•Family members coming home from the store with new outfits
•The process of coloring Easter eggs
•Cooking & baking in preparation for Easter dinner
•Family members putting on their Sunday Best
•Your pet's involvement in Easter
•Family members interacting (talking, playing games, watching TV)
•Lots of candid photos of family members just being themselves
Don't forget the candids of the big "Easter Egg Hunt". This is my favorite. A great time to catch kids and adults being themselves.

Happy Easter to everyone and Happy Shooting !

Bayou La Batre, Alabama

This is a small bayou town in south Alabama. Shrimping is the main business here and most all of the gulf shrimp is processed here. The locals were very friendly and helpful in obtaining most of these photos. One guy and his wife stayed on their boat during Hurricane Katrina and went shrimping the next day. They usually stay out for 30 days are until their storage bins are full. He told me that during a routine trip they will use 8,000 gals of fuel and go through 7,000 pounds of ice. Each boat is outfitted with all the comfort amenities, such as air conditioning, radar, Sirius Radio, DirecTV and most anything else you can imagine. The shrimp boat scene from Forrest Gump were filmed here and the "Black Pearl" from the movie "Pirates of the Carribean" was built here. Out of the way, but I'm glad we decided to make the trip here. Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcHRNbwofEM As always Happy Shooting!

Crutch

Pensacola Bay

We detoured around the bay looking for this lighthouse, which was located on the Pensacola Navy Base. After asking for directions and looking everywhere, we found this wonderful lighthouse. It was worth the detour, as we really had a great time on the base.

Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VVaeGBUXvs

Thanks for looking and Happy Shooting!

Crutch

St. Marks Lighthouse

This was the first lighthouse on our trip to Florida and Alabama. We were hoping for some clouds to make the sky more appealing, but we got what we got. Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI1N_3COAc8

Crutch

Fort Gaines, Alabama

We visited this fort on our recent trip to Florida & Alabama. We had been told by some locals that this fort was in ruins, but as you will see, we were quite surprised at the condition. We visited three forts on this trip and this was the best preserved. Lots more coming here, as we visited several places on this trip. Check out the YouTube video here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwzbslmPYeM.. Watch in HD 720P.... Comments welcome and as always, Happy Shooting!

Crutch

Day Six - USS Alabama & Desoto Falls

Pete and I wound up our trip with a visit to the USS Alabama on display in Mobile. This was a fantastic experience for me. Lot's of history and very interesting. This ship served in World War II and Vietnam. Many battles and absolutely no damage inflicted by any enemy. It's was hard to image these big guns firing in anger.
We then started our journey home with a planned stop at Desota Falls, near Fort Payne. There was a lots of water and breathtaking vistas. This was truly a unexpected treat and a must see if you like shooting waterfalls.
This ends our trip and we hope to be home tonight. Thanks for following us. If you have any questions or comments about our trip or places we visited, just email me here at info@crutchphotography.com

Crutch

Day Five - We found some shrimp boats !

Last night at dinner a local suggested we go to Bayou La Batre, Alabama in search of shrimp boats. They said the bayou was one that survived Katrina pretty much untouched. It is the oldest shrimping town in Alabama. Lot's of boats and very friendly fisherman. They were ok with Pete and I taking photos. One guy said he and his wife stayed aboard their boat for several days during the hurricane. The storm surge was over 12 feet, but they came through with very little damage and went fishing the next week. They stay out for 30 days and burn over 8,000 gallons of fuel during a normal trip. No wonder we pay so much for shrimp :) Taking a tour of the USS Alabama battleship tomorrow! Happy Shooting !

Thanks for following us, the trip is almost over :( Crutch

Billy's Seafood

Well, we made it to Alabama. We shot three forts yesterday and some other stuff. This was a treat, Billy's Seafood, where all the locals and some tourists shop for fresh seafood. This guy is "Bubba" and he let us shoot some shrimp boats and other stuff at his fresh seafood store. This stuff was coming in the back door, off the boats and he was selling it out the front door as fast as he could. His motto is...If It Swims, We have It...We enjoyed our visit, but decided not to purchase any seafood. We are still looking for brown pelicans and more shrimp boats. Better luck tomorrow :)...Happy Shooting! Thanks for following us.

Crutch

Sunset at Pensacola Beach, Florida

Well, we have made it to Pensacola Beach, just in time for sunset. We have shot two lighthouses and some street scenes in the town of Appalachicola, Florida. It's been busy, but a lot of fun and great weather today (78). We also shot some shrimp boats in dock and some beach scenes. It's time for some great seafood and good nights sleep. Headed out early for Fort Pickens and the morning sun, then onward to Mobile Bay, Alabama. Happy Shooting ! Crutch

St. George Island, Florida

We have shot pics most of the day. This is our second lighthouse of the day. St. George Island lighthouse. The brick building is the old keepers house, which is being remolded and will be the new museum. The weather is perfect today (74). We plan to do some sunsets tonight. Tomorrow we will continue to move west along the gulf coast. Hopefully, we will shoot two more lights and stop around Panama City. Thanks for following and Happy Shooting!

Crutch

Okefenokee Swamp NWR

Pete and I arrived here this afternoon. We spent about 4 hours in the swamp. We shot plenty of alligators and birds. This big guy tried to ignore us, but we were persistant. We are headed to Appalachee Bay on the gulf coast of Florida. We will get a good nights rest and start again tomorrow at the St. Marks Lighthouse, in St. Marks, Fl. Happy Shooting ! Crutch

Return to Florida

My good friend, Pete and I will be leaving Monday, to make an early trip to Florida. It's a little early for the nesting season at our favorite locations, so we will be checking out some new spots on this trip. We will stop by the Okefenokee NWR in south Georgia on the way down to see what we can find in this massive swamp. We intend to run the panhandle around to Mobile Bay, Alabama in search of sunrises and sunsets, shrimp boats, lighthouses, wading birds and anything else we can find. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know at this email. As usual, Pete and I will move very fast and will be very flexible. Pete is anxious to try out his new Nikon D90 and I have a new 70-200-F2.8 IS that I intend to wear out..hehehe. Happy Shooting! Crutch

Macro for a Change

Many current and recent digital camera lenses, both SLR zooms and fixed lens cameras, have what they refer to as a “macro” capability. You can shoot very close-up so your (small) subject fills the frame. Many photographers are happy with this and shoot close-ups of flowers and bees and insects and all sorts of interesting things. If you want “true macro” which enables you to shoot 1:1 or larger, then you need a macro lens. This is typically a fixed focus lens with a focal length of 50mm, 80mm or up to perhaps 110mm. Usually the 50mm macro is cheaper than the longer ones and the quality just as good, with the additional benefit of wider depth of field and often a wider maximum aperture than the longer macro lenses. The advantages of the longer macro lenses, (say 100mm, for example) is that you can be further away from your subject and still fill the frame (kinder on the knees and the back).

With point-and-shoot type cameras with fixed lenses, you can often get a close-up lens that screws into the front of the lens on the camera and enables you to get closer to your subject and get a larger photo of small or tiny subjects.

Macro is another style that keeps this hobby of ours so interesting and challenging. Give it a try, you just might like it. Happy Shooting !

Crutch

Day Trip to Tazewell, Tn

Pete and I took off to Tazewell, Tennesse to find and shoot this Old Gulf service station. As you can see it is exactly as it was back in 40's. You could get a fillup for $5.00 and they would pump the gas for you, check all your tires and wash your windshield and really mean it when they said ya'll come back :) They no longer pump gas here, but they do have tours of the station, two days a week. This was a fun trip and we were rewarded with a nice sunny afternoon. Check out more photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=sets If you get a chance to pass through Tazewell, contact me for directions to this "step back in time" As always, Happy Shooting ! Crutch

Daytrip to Maynardville, TN

Well, cabin fever has finally caught up with Pete and I. We had to do something, so we took off to Maynardville, Tn to photograph a 170 year old general store that is still standing in Maynardville, Tennessee, in Union County. It was built back in the 1840's by Alexander Lafayette Hamilton. It was contructed with popular and hickory, native to the area. It is now known as the Hamilton Crossroads Store. It has been nominated to be put on the National Register of Historic Places. We sure picked a cold day and almost froze trying to get a few pics. It took an hour for my fingers to finally get some feeling back. This was a great trip, as usual with Pete. Check out some more pics here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53388637@N00/sets/72157625754782179/
As always, comments are welcome. I have been told that some are having trouble leaving comments on my blogsite. I have recently discovered that you must have a Google account (Free) to leave a comment:( But you can leave a comment on the above link. Happy shooting! Crutch

Photo Tip of the Week !

Since I am the proud Poppa of a new granddaughter, I though a tip or two about photographing a newborn might be in order.
First, the background matters. Sometimes a simple change of background (a colorful blanket under your newborn, long green grass, Mom’s beautiful skirt can turn a good photo into a great one.
Second, be candid. A great picture does not have to show your baby gazing at the camera. Sometimes a contemplative, peaceful moment says much more than a perfectly framed smile.
Third, keep yourself in the story. Often one family member takes most of the photos and never gets pictured. If that's you, hand off the camera whenever you can or just stretch out your arm to hold the camera at a distance, so that photos of you with the baby will be part of your archives. You’ll change, too, over the years, and that’s part of the story. This young lady here is Charlotte Clementine, my new pride and joy, that arrived just in time for Christmas. Always keep your camera handy during these precious years. They will be headed to school tomorrow :)

Happy Shooting, Crutch