Travels With Charley (uh, Kenny)

Throughout my adult life, I have had the privilege to visit many of what is considered the great places in this nation of ours. At a young age, my family moved to Arizona and I came this close to seeing the Grand Canyon, but never did quite make it. If I could choose one thing to see that I haven't witnessed in person, that would probably be at the top of my list. But, the places already checked off my list run into double figures.
When I was a senior in high school, and at the ripe old age of 18, my graduating class had the pleasure of a trip to our nation's capital, Washington D.C. I have to tell you that seeing all those buildings our forefathers built and used was pretty awe-inspiring. Plus, it was the first real test of any consequence for my relatively new Minolta XD-11 camera. Here are a few of the places we saw:

Yes, we got to go inside the Capitol Building, the White House, The Lincoln Memorial, up the Washington Monument, the National Archives, The Supreme Court building and the Smithsonian Institute, among others. On a few side trips, we also got to take in George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, Colonial Williamsburg and the battlefield at Gettysburgh. A very sobering place, indeed. I don't think I'll ever forget the places we visited that year of 1979.

A few years later, my family, which by this time had moved back to Southern Illinois, took a vacation trip to Canada. The province we chose was Ontario. And if the rest of the country is as beautiful as that area, they are some very lucky citizens. Here are a couple scenic shots from that trip in 1982:

It was also during this trip that I took my first train ride. It took us into the heart of the wilderness and it was here I shot the cascading waterfall above.

Many years later, while on my second honeymoon, my then-wife and I went to the Big Apple - yes, New York City. We travelled by way of Philadelphia and it was there I witnessed another part of the historic early years of our nation. What more can symbolize the beginnings of our country than the building where the Declaration of Independence was signed or the Liberty Bell?

Don't let this get about, but I actually got to touch the crack in the bell!

Just a short, one-night stopover in Philadelphia, then it was on to the city. Many places I had seen in the movies and on television were right there - bigger than life! And, of course, I had to try and see as many of them as I could. Where do I begin? There was the Empire State Building, and then my favorite building of all in the world, the Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, (which just happens to be my mother's maiden name!) and it goes without saying but I'll say it anyway, the Statue of Liberty:

Of course, I had to visit the Museum of Modern Art - because it houses my favorite painting inside it's walls:

That is the famous painting by Salvador Dali called "The Persistence Of Memory." Of course, there were many other places that just had to be seen in person and in the flesh. These included the New York Public Library, Rockefeller Plaza, Wall Street, a ride on the subway, Ellis Island, The Battery, Fifth Avenue, Times Square, Grand Central Station, The Chrysler Building, and de rigeur appearance at Central Park. And to cap it all off, a visit to that world-famous restaurant where the stars hang out, Sardi's. (Although I didn't see any of them when I was there....)

Pictures of a few of these other buildings might grace future blogs, as well as photos from some of the other places I've been, such as Atlanta, Texas, White Sands New Mexico, Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinatti, Kansas City, Memphis, Music City - Nashville, Milwaukee, and Louisiana. But, those were other times and other places. While holding a special place in my memory, they didn't quite equal the special feelings I got from the cities and provinces I visited and spoke about in this blog.

Getting To Know Me

I figured it was about time to show you what I look like. Nobody really thought I resembled a giant Lobster, I hope. So, while showing off my photogenic mug (hardly!) I'll also describe a few of the other things that have taken up so much of my time through the years.

Flash back to the 1980's, that's when most of these images were taken. It was a time of prosperity, I guess - after all - it was the Reagan Years! The only problem with that decade was that the Trickle Down Economy never made it down all the way to my level. So, although I am right at home on the bridge of this yacht, it was not mine. (How I wish it was, though!):

But, things weren't really so bad that I had to go and live off the land like the next picture shows. That's an old buddy of mine, named David, and we were the epitome of the Great White Hunter:

Did I just hang out on street corners like a bum? I most certainly did not! But, I did think I looked pretty good in a leather jacket:

My sojourns into the woods actually brought me a little closer to nature. So much so that the little creatures became my friends. Here I tried to capture a swarm of bees that had landed in my yard, with the hopes of transferring them to a makeshift hive and collect honey:

And, it wasn't all work and no play. That would make Jack a very dull boy. I did manage to slip away to the seaside now and again for vacation. That's me, the one with the blonde hair, and a couple friends of mine, named Dave and Bob, and we're on the sunny sands of Jacksonville Beach, Florida:

No, I did not become a Paper Lion and escape to Detroit and join a football squad. But, check out those shoulder muscles! They're really the styrofoam corner protectors that came inside a television box:
I'll just let this last picture speak for itself. It pretty much sums up the 1980's for me. A friend of mine named Kent is the other figure in the picture:

Butterfly Season

This is just a quick update, as promised, to let you know that I have been out there chasing those butterflies this year! Here are just a few of the ones I have managed to capture with my camera so far.

So Let It Be Written

Well, it’s Easter and you know what that means. Yes.... the time of year when Christians celebrate Christ rising from the grave, but that’s not what I’m talking about. What I’m celebrating is the annual watching of The Ten Commandments on TV. I do it every year about this time and have been doing so since the 1970’s. That makes it around 50 times that I’ve seen it.

Now, regular viewers of my blog will know the significance of this movie – it’s my all-time favorite flick. I’ve seen it so many times, I practically know the lines by heart. "So let it be written, so let it be done." "The dead make none." "Let my people go." "Moses, Moses, Moses." "His God is God." You get the idea. So many classic lines. I’m telling you, I really like this movie! In fact, one year for Hallowe’en, I went dressed as Moses. See the picture below.

A couple stories about the picture. First off, everyone that sees it always asks how come I only have 5 commandments in my hand, e.g. – only one tablet. My response is this: I hadn’t received them yet. Second humorous story surrounding my dressing up as Moses on Hallowe’en. At that time, I played in a rock and roll band, (still do, as a matter of fact), and we had a gig on Hallowe’en night. Once I got to the bar, in full costume, of course, I had to get a drink before we started playing. So, I strolled up to the bar and when pulling up my robe, I reached into my pocket to pay for it. I had shorts on underneath the robe, but the waitress must have thought perhaps I didn’t have anything on and gasped. I assured her that it was all right. Moses wasn’t about to become a flasher after all this time. True story.
Now, my love of The Ten Commandments goes back even farther than the ‘70’s. It must have been around 1967, when I was 6 years old, I actually got to see this motion picture at the theater. This was from the 1966 rerelease. It was still making the rounds up until the 1970’s, I suppose, when it began it’s annual appearance on television. And, that’s when I started watching it every year.
I purchased my first VCR in 1984, just in time for it’s Easter showing on ABC-TV, and recorded it. Since that time, about 5 or 6 years ago, I rerecorded it from my sister’s store-bought videotape. It had been restored and was back to it’s full 3 hour and 39 minute length. Since that time, I have heard it’s been released on DVD, more than once, in fact.

One version of it on DVD includes the original 1923 silent version, also directed by Cecille B. DeMille. It was shown on television about 15 years ago, once, and I recorded that version. But, I’m thinking about breaking down and purchasing the deluxe DVD set that includes both movies and a whole lot of extra features. Since it is my most favorite movie, the clarity that DVD discs offer is just something I’ve got to have. Maybe I’ll have found a copy and acquired it before next Easter. If so, you can be sure that I’ll post that fact in my blog.
But, just in case my regular readers can’t find a copy of their own or wait another year for me to talk about it, here is a link so you can hear some of the magnificent music heard in the movie. Play it and it will be almost like you’re watching it right now! (Written on April 8th, 2007.)

Click here to download the Main Title theme of The Ten Commandments.

Computers Don't Make Errors

Well, if you've read my blog, you know I haven't posted a new message in a while. Well, since March, to be precise. And the reason (s) were beyond my control. Honest!
On March 30th, I shut down my computer because I was going out of town for the weekend, but mainly because of an approaching thunderstorm and I didn't want anything to happen to my computer that might harm it. I figured if it was turned off, lightning couldn't strike it or something like that, and it would be safe. What was I thinking!? I arrived back home on Sunday afternoon, April 1st, and turned on my computer to check my e-mail. But, it didn't come on right away. In fact, it seemed to have forgotten who I was and no longer had a profile for me. And, not only that, several other things wouldn't work like they had just two days previous, either. I tried to repair the problem. Oh, how I tried!
First thing, I couldn't open any webpage where I had to sign in. That includes this blog, eBay or any other page that requires a user name. I kept tracing problem after problem and trying to repair it, but each problem had deeper problems and nothing would work. As you might guess, I could not download repairs from Microsoft.com, because their pages worked like those requiring passwords, and would not open. I tried everything I could think of, and not a single thing worked.
Also, my firewall stopped working, as did my anti-virus software. I did manage to save my e-mail contacts and create a new user profile that worked - somewhat. But, it just wasn't right. And, I needed my computer to do what I asked of it, when I asked it to. After trying everything, I gave up and figured there was only one solution. To break it all down into one easy word - reformat. Yes, I eventually had to reformat my computer to get everything back to normal and working like it did before I shut it down to be safe.
Guess who was the April Fool?
Never let it be said, anywhere in my range of hearing at least, that computers don't make mistakes. Mine did and nobody had even heard of that kind of error. So, let this be a lesson to everyone. Always try to keep the important stuff you have on your computer backed up where it can be truly safe - nowhere near your computer!

Oh, and one other little side note: The computer problems I experienced prevented me from posting my big Ten Commandments blog like I had intended. So, be on the lookout for it anyway, albeit just a little past due.

The Cameras I Use

There are a lot of blogs out there where the writers post wonderful pictures they've taken. You might be able to guess that those are the kind I frequent most. Well, I see all those photos and I wonder what kind of equipment they used to create those images. What brand of camera, what size of lens, the speed of the film or if the camera is digital. All these things interest me greatly because I've been taking pictures for all of my adult life, and more. Looking at a beautiful image is nice, but I always want more. I mean, did they push the film to get such vibrant colors? Or did they hand hold a fairly long timed exposure? What about the lens; was it a telephoto or a zoom? I have too much time on my hands.

So, in case you're wondering these things about my photographs, (I know you are!) I thought that this would be a good opportunity to make you familiar with what I am using these days. But, before I tell you what camera I used to take the pictures on this post, we must go back.... way back.... so everybody hop on board the Wayback Machine and let's go to the beginning. A very good place to start.

At the ripe old age of 15, I acquired my first camera. My neighbor, Dan, gave me an old 35mm rangefinder camera that didn't work. Of course, I tinkered with everything in those days to see how it functioned, or in this case, why it didn't. In due course, I got it to working correctly. Here is what that camera looked like, although this isn't the same one. It's one I purchased within this last year because the original one finally gave up the ghost in the late 1970's and didn't work anymore:

Kodak 35

It was a Kodak 35 rangefinder, made in 1948. Recently, I discovered that there is a code in the number on the front of the lens that tells exactly which year it was made, as they manufactured this model from 1940 - 1951. The one in the above picture seems to have been made in 1948. So, I dug out my original Kodak 35 and, lo and behold, it was made the very same year! What are the odds of that happening? I ended up shooting many a roll of 100 ASA film through that camera. I was hooked on photography.

In the next few years, several other cameras joined my collection, mostly Kodak cameras - box cameras from the early 1900's, a Brownie Holiday, and over a half-dozen Brownie Hawkeyes, among others. I shot color film through those, and black and white, too, and learned a lot about taking pictures. This became a plus, for in 1977, when I was a junior in high school, I joined the yearbook staff as photographer. The school I went to had purchased a new Konica Autoreflex TC camera in 1976, so I inherited a nearly-new, state of the art piece of photography equipment. Several of my pictures made it into the 1978 yearbook, and I was smitten with this new technology. So much so, that I began to check into the latest cameras myself, with the thought of getting the best one out there for myself. You can bet I devoured a lot of photography magazines and read a lot of reviews.

In early 1978, the camera everybody seemed to be talking about was the new Minolta XD 11. It was revolutionary at the time because it was the first camera to offer not only aperture priority, but shutter priority and manual as well. This sounded to me exactly like what I needed. Then, I would have the best of both worlds, and manual exposure settings, too, so I could experiment to my little ol' heart's content. And, brother did I!

Minolta XD 11

When it was first released, it was only offered in black and chrome. But, I knew they were going to put out an all-black model, so I worked all summer, saved up my money and waited for it. It came out just after school started for my senior year, so I ordered one. Along with the black body, I got the dedicated flash unit for it, the power winder, (2 frames per second!) and the super standard normal lens they offered as an upgrade, a Rokkor X 50mm f/1.2. All for around $700. I was in electronic 35mm bliss!

My trusty and well-built Minolta became my main camera and I used it practically exclusively up until the late 1980's. Perhaps it was a virus or something, but then I began to experiment with other types of cameras again. I had all sorts of point and shoot cameras that I kept in the glovebox, 126 instamatics, 110 pocket flash cameras, etc. Throughout this period, though, my handy Minolta wasn't very far away for the important pictures. I even used it to photograph both of my weddings.

During the course of my second marriage and subsequent divorce, I got reenergized about taking serious photographs again. And it has been since the turn of the new millenium that I finally bought some extra lenses for my trusted old Minolta, ones I always wanted but never bought at the time. The picture of my XD 11 above shows one of those new lenses - a Minolta 70-210mm zoom lens. With it back in service, I felt I needed another camera to use so that I could shoot two types of film at the same time and have lenses that would interchange. From eBay, I bought a late-1970's release of a Minolta XG 1 - another truly well-made camera.

Minolta XG 1

This camera had the normal 45mm f/2 stock lens, so I added a 28-210mm Vivitar zoom lens to it. It's a great little camera, too, and comes in handy for just about any occasion.

Along about this time, the Digital Revolution was in full swing. And again, I started reading review after review, trying to see what was out there and would fit my needs. A chance Dell computer catalog fell into my hands and I came across a camera that seemed to have all the features I was looking for in a digital SLR. It turned out to be made by Konica Minolta, who had recently went into business together, so I knew, having used both brands of cameras before, that they made quality products. An order was duly phoned in for one Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D Digital SLR, (with the all-black body, of course!) and the standard 18-70mm zoom lens they offered from their own designers.

Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D Digital SLR

Just ask anyone who ever bought one what they think of it, and you'll hear resounding unanimous praise for this well-thought out jewel of a camera. It is well-made and has a lot of great features that I like, but sadly, they retired from the camera producing business after I purchased it. Where they were, hands down, one of the greatest innovators of cameras, they were slightly behind a lot of other manufactures when it came to the promotion end of things. This, more than anything, was what brought about their demise. I'm going to miss them.

Oh, and one last little side note: When I recently added another lens to my Minolta film camera stable, one online auction had included in the sale a classic Konica automatic rangefinder camera. As soon as I can locate a film door for the bottom of it, I fully intend to try it out, as I hear it takes great pictures! But, I wouldn't expect anything less, because Konica made some pretty good glass back in their days, too.

Konica C35 Automatic

And, after I've shot a roll or two through this little camera, you can be sure I'll be posting an article featuring some of it's pictures.

I'll end this post with a little levity that is probably applicable to 99.9% of all photographers out there. Even though I myself have worked freelance for a few newspapers, been a professional portrait photographer and shot a lot of weddings, my intense affair with cameras has hardly been able to support me in the manner that I've become accustomed to. Even though it probably never will, I'll keep snapping a shutter, trying to catch that perfect image.

Q. What's the difference between a large pepperoni pizza and an aspiring photographer?
A. A large pepperoni pizza can feed a family of four.

The Great Butterfly Chase Of 2007 Has Begun

Viceroy Butterfly

Well, butterflies are starting to emerge from their long winter, at least here in Southern Illinois they are. And once again, it's like track season for me - just to keep up with them is a marathon! I will be posting some of the ones I manage to photograph as the season progresses, but for now, here are a few of the beauties I was able to run down last year.

Red-Spotted Purple Admiral

This very distinctive butterfly has the honor of being, not the first butterfly I ever photographed - that would probably go to an Orange Sulphur or an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - but the one that got me hooked on photographing them in a serious manner. And if you've ever tried to get a picture of a butterfly, you know how hard it can be just getting them to sit still for a couple seconds. They are notorious in their utter disregard for the photographer. This one was captured sitting on a leaf in late afternoon just before the sun went down on September 4th, 2006 and I don't think I've been the same since.

Pearl Crescent

This butterfly is much smaller than it looks - it was only about half as high as my lens cap, and it's a relative small one as lenscaps go. It flew around for awhile and then alighted on this tomato vine. You can see some unripened ones in the top right of the picture.

Eastern Comma

This butterfly looks a whole lot like one named a Question Mark. You may ask, why the punctuation nomenclature? Well, believe it or not, on the underside of an Eastern Comma's wing is a little white spot shaped like a comma. And correspondingly, on the underside of a Question Mark's wing is what looks exactly like a question mark - a squiggly line with a dot below it. Both species really like fruit, which is why this one is sitting on an apple that had fallen off the tree.

Cloudless Sulphur

For a lot of the butterfly season, at least it seems this way in my part of the state, Sulphurs and Whites fly around a lot, but they don't land very often. Which makes it extremely hard to get a decent shot of one. This Cloudless Sulphur, however, came through late in the season and I suppose he was tired or something, because he sat on this leaf for quite some time to allow me to take his picture. He was about 8 or 9 feet off the ground, so I had to just hold the camera up at arm's length and point it in his general direction. It was sunny bright that day, but the tree he chose to roost in was heavily shaded. Hence the obvious use of flash to lighten him enough for the photo. It's harder than it seems holding a camera that high, with the lens zoomed in all the way, to get something positioned in the center of the frame. Not every shot actually had the complete butterfly in it, but this one did, so that's the one I used.

Red Admiral

This was another butterfly that sat still and gave me plenty of opportunities. Several different views were captured, albeit halfway up a ladder. He landed on this tree trunk, but was about 10 feet off the ground. I couldn't even hold my camera up that high by stretching way out. But, he looked content to sit there awhile, so I went and got a step ladder, placed it against the tree and climbed up to his level. Even then he didn't fly away for about 10 minutes or so. His colors were very distinct. Don't you think so?

Common Buckeye

This one looks just like he has large eyes on his wings. I guess it's to frighten off anybody that might be interested in eating him for lunch. Well, those are just a few of many species I catalogued here last year. I'm hoping that this year will be even better, so stay tuned for the results!