The Coffee House

[davidharmier60]

I still feel bad for California!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[Frank F.]

Acccidentially I revised my photos of last year in a backup process. I must admit that I was impressed. I have seen some genious strike when I was just trying to do justice to something's or somebody's impression on me.

It might be I found something about photography beyond design or technique.

People who love are creative by destiny. Those who do not love will never be creative. Love is a gift for those who dare to jump into the unknown. Fascinating. D850? Unimportant! Love what you do!

 

[Frank F.]

Here is my current Work:

 

[Designer]

Wifey and I attended a wedding on Saturday. We arrived just as the photographer was wrapping up the last of the "pre" shots in the sanctuary. I was interested in her technique and work flow, so I watched as the wedding progressed.

She was using a Nikon D750 with a zoom lens, and had the assistance of a second shooter who had a Canon, and also a zoom lens. The main photographer had a flash bender (IDK the make?) on the shoe-mounted speedlight. The second shooter had her speedlight pointed up to the ceiling, even though the ceiling of the sanctuary was a light brown wood, and sloped up very high. I suspect that almost no light at all was actually helping illuminate anybody's face.

The reception was held in a community center, with a white ceiling, and not quite as high, so maybe some bounced light was getting to our faces. When the SS approached our table, I noticed that her speedlight was angled somewhat backward from vertical, and I wondered about that, but then thought that when she was standing, and angling the lens downward toward seated people, maybe the speedlight was actually almost vertical. But it wasn't. So she was basically bouncing the light behind her.

Yes, they both ate dinner along with everybody else, and then resumed their work.

They did not wear tee-shirts with printing on them, but the cleanup crew did.

On Sunday I went to the photographer's website to see what she had posted. Nearly everything was what we would call common snapshots.

But she had a professional camera and a big lens.

 

[Gary A.]

The rains are back with some decent winds. Yesterday the snow was down to 8,000’. Today it is down to 5,000’.

Ugh - it's been nothing but terrible weather news in CA for months on end now, it seems. Extended drought, then raging wildfires, loss of homes and businesses, now the rains finally appear only to inflict further destruction... stay safe over there, Gary! I know you love your little piece of it, but I wouldn't live there as a gift. Too nerve-wracking. Earthquakes will be next!

I expect Miss Maggie isn't really going to know what hit her...once the wound heals, she'll be just fine and never miss it. Critters bounce back wonderfully that way - the younger the better.

Gary loves California. A land of extremes plus everything in between.

Geologically, one can stand in the lowest spot in North American (Death Valley) and look up to the highest spot in CONUS (Mt. Whitney). A four hour drive will take from one of the hottest and driest deserts in the world (Mojave) up to glaciers. 800 miles of coastline encompassing everything from sand dunes to cliffs hundreds of feet high. While driving a friend from Maine on Highway 1 through the Central Coast, he tells Gary "... in Maine we have pine trees and cliffs too, but nothing like this. Cliffs 300' high with a 200' Redwoods on top".

Biologically: the tallest trees reside in California (Sequoia), the oldest living thing call California home (Bristlecone Pine), the largest animal to have ever roam the Earth swims off our shores (Blue Whale), the bird with the largest wingspan in North America (California Condor). Ecosystems range from Alpine to deserts.

Climatically: because California runs more vertical than horizontal with extremely high mountains on one side down to sea level on the other side ... you can find most any clime at most any time. One can snow ski through July and sometime August yet sunbathe at the beach nearly all year long. The best weather in the world is San Diego, (arguably).

Culturally: California has three world-class cities, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. Each of these cities offers cultural experiences equal and often unequalled by any city in the world. When Gary was a L.A. City Commissioner, he would entertain delegations from other nations who's first question was "How can so many people from so many different countries live together so peacefully?" (Except the Ruskies, they wanted to know how we managed parking all our cars.)

Educationally: California's public and private universities, by most any measure, easily rank in the top ten worldwide and top two nationally. (as in ... what the top two engineering schools in the U.S. - (blank) and CalTech, what is the top two public universities in the U.S. - (blank) and Berkeley ... what are the top two private schools in the U.S. - (blank) and Stanford, et cetera. Gary vividly remembers attending Cal Day, (opening day for freshmen at Berkeley), the SBA president welcoming the new students. He punctuated his ending with "This is the best university in the world." Gary thought that he is quite sure that most SBA presidents from most universities would end their speeches accordingly ... but here, in this place and time ... it could most likely be true.

As to: " ... but I wouldn't live there as a gift. Too nerve-wracking. Earthquakes will be next! "

There is an old California saying "Give me men to match my mountains." Because California is a land of extremes and bests ... many who come here will become lost in the pace and competition.

Winston Churchill wrote a book on the United States. In it he devoted an entire chapter to California. There is a school of thought of ... had Europeans landed in California instead of the east coast, there wouldn't be any Manifest Destiny. Gary has lived in many places worldwide, but he keeps coming back here. Yes, there are many negatives, cost of living is extremely high, taxation is one of the highest in the nation, way too many people on the freeways ... but the positives of this state far outweigh the negatives. Whenever Gary returns 'home' he thinks to himself of California's state motto ... "Eureka".

 

[Gary A.]

@Gary A. if the water gets to high, you can share our mountain top. If the water reaches us, it won't matter anymore.

Gary will keep that card in his back pocket.

If Terri's earthquakes crumble our 10,000' high local mountains ... Gary will play that card. (But no arguing/debating. )

 

[Gary A.]

Wifey and I attended a wedding on Saturday. We arrived just as the photographer was wrapping up the last of the "pre" shots in the sanctuary. I was interested in her technique and work flow, so I watched as the wedding progressed.

She was using a Nikon D750 with a zoom lens, and had the assistance of a second shooter who had a Canon, and also a zoom lens. The main photographer had a flash bender (IDK the make?) on the shoe-mounted speedlight. The second shooter had her speedlight pointed up to the ceiling, even though the ceiling of the sanctuary was a light brown wood, and sloped up very high. I suspect that almost no light at all was actually helping illuminate anybody's face.

The reception was held in a community center, with a white ceiling, and not quite as high, so maybe some bounced light was getting to our faces. When the SS approached our table, I noticed that her speedlight was angled somewhat backward from vertical, and I wondered about that, but then thought that when she was standing, and angling the lens downward toward seated people, maybe the speedlight was actually almost vertical. But it wasn't. So she was basically bouncing the light behind her.

Yes, they both ate dinner along with everybody else, and then resumed their work.

They did not wear tee-shirts with printing on them, but the cleanup crew did.

On Sunday I went to the photographer's website to see what she had posted. Nearly everything was what we would call common snapshots.

But she had a professional camera and a big lens.

Bouncing off a back wall works well. It creates nice, natural looking shadows, but you need a lot of flash and everybody behind the photog will get their eyebrows singed.

 

[Gary A.]

PS- California has the sixth largest GNP in the world, greater than France and Russia.

 

[Designer]

Bouncing off a back wall works well. It creates nice, natural looking shadows, but you need a lot of flash and everybody behind the photog will get their eyebrows singed.

Hers was pointing basically upward, and angled back a bit.

 

[Designer]

There is an old California saying "Give me men to match my mountains."

It isn't the mountains that would keep me out.

 

[smoke665]

But no arguing/debating

But, but, but, that wouldn't be any fun!!!

Guess we could sit on the deck drink shine and watch the pines grow. Our only debate being if we can get to the fridge to get another jar!

 

[limr30 3]

The rains are back with some decent winds. Yesterday the snow was down to 8,000’. Today it is down to 5,000’.

Ugh - it's been nothing but terrible weather news in CA for months on end now, it seems. Extended drought, then raging wildfires, loss of homes and businesses, now the rains finally appear only to inflict further destruction... stay safe over there, Gary! I know you love your little piece of it, but I wouldn't live there as a gift. Too nerve-wracking. Earthquakes will be next!

I expect Miss Maggie isn't really going to know what hit her...once the wound heals, she'll be just fine and never miss it. Critters bounce back wonderfully that way - the younger the better.

Gary loves California. A land of extremes plus everything in between.

Geologically, one can stand in the lowest spot in North American (Death Valley) and look up to the highest spot in CONUS (Mt. Whitney). A four hour drive will take from one of the hottest and driest deserts in the world (Mojave) up to glaciers. 800 miles of coastline encompassing everything from sand dunes to cliffs hundreds of feet high. While driving a friend from Maine on Highway 1 through the Central Coast, he tells Gary "... in Maine we have pine trees and cliffs too, but nothing like this. Cliffs 300' high with a 200' Redwoods on top".

Biologically: the tallest trees reside in California (Sequoia), the oldest living thing call California home (Bristlecone Pine), the largest animal to have ever roam the Earth swims off our shores (Blue Whale), the bird with the largest wingspan in North America (California Condor). Ecosystems range from Alpine to deserts.

Climatically: because California runs more vertical than horizontal with extremely high mountains on one side down to sea level on the other side ... you can find most any clime at most any time. One can snow ski through July and sometime August yet sunbathe at the beach nearly all year long. The best weather in the world is San Diego, (arguably).

Culturally: California has three world-class cities, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. Each of these cities offers cultural experiences equal and often unequalled by any city in the world. When Gary was a L.A. City Commissioner, he would entertain delegations from other nations who's first question was "How can so many people from so many different countries live together so peacefully?" (Except the Ruskies, they wanted to know how we managed parking all our cars.)

Educationally: California's public and private universities, by most any measure, easily rank in the top ten worldwide and top two nationally. (as in ... what the top two engineering schools in the U.S. - (blank) and CalTech, what is the top two public universities in the U.S. - (blank) and Berkeley ... what are the top two private schools in the U.S. - (blank) and Stanford, et cetera. Gary vividly remembers attending Cal Day, (opening day for freshmen at Berkeley), the SBA president welcoming the new students. He punctuated his ending with "This is the best university in the world." Gary thought that he is quite sure that most SBA presidents from most universities would end their speeches accordingly ... but here, in this place and time ... it could most likely be true.

As to: " ... but I wouldn't live there as a gift. Too nerve-wracking. Earthquakes will be next! "

There is an old California saying "Give me men to match my mountains." Because California is a land of extremes and bests ... many who come here will become lost in the pace and competition.

Winston Churchill wrote a book on the United States. In it he devoted an entire chapter to California. There is a school of thought of ... had Europeans landed in California instead of the east coast, there wouldn't be any Manifest Destiny. Gary has lived in many places worldwide, but he keeps coming back here. Yes, there are many negatives, cost of living is extremely high, taxation is one of the highest in the nation, way too many people on the freeways ... but the positives of this state far outweigh the negatives. Whenever Gary returns 'home' he thinks to himself of California's state motto ... "Eureka".

Tl;dr.

Seriously, sell it all you want. Some of us still don't want to live there.

 

[smoke665]

But she had a professional camera and a big lens.

I bet it even had a "P" rofessional mode setting

 

[Gary A.]

Miss Maggie is home.

 

[smoke665]

Miss Maggie is home

Bless her heart!