City of Angels Calendar

Now that I have photographed a few angels the design work is taking place for the calendar.  I hope to have everything done and printed so we can start selling the calendar by October 1, 2011.

Here is two of the pages and the design might change but it will at least wet your appetite.

Lighting Captured

I have always wanted to capture lighting and I finally was able to get out into a storm a fulfill my quest.  If anyone wishes to capture lighting here are some tips.

1. Please be careful we do not want to read about you in the newspaper the next day.  There really is no safe way to capture lighting but I try to wait until the storm has passed the area I am in or is far enough away from me.

2. A camera with manual settings is a must.  You have to allow the the camera to stay on manual until the lighting strikes.  Don't try to point the camera at the lighting and think you are fast enough to hit the shutter when you see the lighting.

3. A tripod is an absolute necessity or at least something to hold the camera still and not hand held.

The settings I used to capture these images:

ISO 800 - you can use a lower ISO because the lighting is so intense that it will record and it depends also of how much of the scene you want to capture with the lighting.
f/stop - f/16
Shutter speed - 25 seconds (you can use bulb if you have that setting)
Focus manually to infinity

Try to sit in the location for a few minutes to see where the lighting strikes are occurring then with your camera on a tripod aim the camera in that direction.  Generally there will be a few more strikes coming from that area so be patient.
If you are using "Bulb" to keep the shutter open you will have to hold the shutter release down with your finger until you capture a lighting strike unless you have a remote control shutter release for your camera.  That is the reason I used 25 seconds and just kept firing away until I capture the lighting.

As mentioned above the lighting generates its own light and it is almost the same as the flash on your camera.

The last thing you need is a little bit of luck so don't get discouraged if you fail to get some lighting images just keep trying.

I hope these tips help you with your lighting photographs and again please be safe when attempting to capture this amazing part of our world.

Every High School Senior Deserves A Portrait

I love to photograph high school seniors because they are just plain fun to do. 

But what happens when the senior has a disability, is in a wheel chair and cannot communicate like any other senior.  Depending on the disability they don't have the ability to pose for the photographer and generally the photographer doesn't have the patience nor wants to spend the time with them. 

Since I have been with the charity A Kid Again I have been asked to photograph children with disabilities which I have the patience and make the time for these special need teens.

Take for instance Elizabeth who is 21 years of age and is going to graduate this year.  Her parents wanted to have some photographs for her graduation.  With kindness, gentleness and a soothing voice I was able to communicate with Elizabeth to get her to become calm and make her feel that she was in a safe environment.  This technique works very well to allow the person to smile and have a good time.

The results are spectacular and very rewarding for the parents as well, as you can see here with this image of Elizabeth. 

I received an email for Elizabeth's mother and she wrote "Oh my goodness!!! It is awesome!!! I would have never imagined, I'm at a doctors appointment bawling .  I have never had anything that I will treasure more.  You are a miracle worker. Thank you"

My rewards do not always come from money but from giving a parent something that they will cherish forever. 

Congratulations Elizabeth you are a true scholar!