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- Lens Settings and the Background
- Running out of Ink?
- The Smithonian Collection
- What to do with your Photos
- Same Place – New Face
- UnFramed
- Zooming In
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- Gallery Goes Live
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Lens Settings and the Background
26th June 2022
How Size Matters
When picturetaking, most often I’m concerned about the subject that is closest to me. I’ll pick the length of the lens that emphasizes the subject.
But there are often times that I’ll want the subject to fit in nicely with the background. By using a zoom lens, I can compose the subject in the viewfinder by varying the lens length setting.
While taking these photographs, I stood in the same place at the same distance from the foreground subject. I changed only the length of the lens (using a 24 to 240mm zoom lens).
As I’m not verbally astute enough to give you a proper explanation, I’ll show you visually how changing the lens length interacts with the perspective of the background.
My favorite is the last photo taken with the longest lens setting which emphasizes the mountains in the background.
For those that are interested, the foreground subject is the Moulton barn along Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park. The background are some of the iconic mountains of the Teton Range.

For reference this is a photo taken with an iPhone at 4.5mm (equivalent to 26mm lens)

full frame camera with lens set at 27mm

full frame camera with lens set a 37mm

full frame camera with lens set at 53mm

full frame camera with lens set at 66mm

full frame camera with lens set at 83mm
Running out of Ink?
15th June 2021
I quickly get tired of using my computer monitor to show others a photo or two. Of course one way to “fix” this is to make prints of these pictures. But this brings up another problem – making a bunch of prints quickly drains my ink cartridges and puts a dent in my wallet too.
A few weeks ago, I saw an advertisement for a printer that uses large, refillable ink tanks. My only hesitation was about the quality of the prints from a relatively inexpensive printer. With a money-back guarantee, I decided to go for it.
Sitting on my computer’s desktop is a folder labeled “To Be Printed”. As I take snapshots or find an interesting image, I drop it into this folder. By the time the printer arrived, I had accumulated close to a hundred images.
Here’s my experience with the Epson Ecotank 2720
Epson claims that they provide enough ink
The Smithonian Collection
28th May 2021
To My Surprise
A couple of years ago I opened an email from a curator at the Smithonian Institution. Preparations were underway to open their National Museum of African American History & Culture and she was asking for permission to use a photograph that I had taken in 1970.
Let’s go back 45+ years. Then I was a student at the University of Michigan and a volunteer for the University Activities Committee. I was assigned to cover the Martin Luther King Jr memorial concert where the popular Fifth Dimension would perform. I was armed with a press pass and free to move throughout the huge stadium. But I was careful to avoid annoying the audience as I roamed around the stage area to get to different vantage points. And so I took a few dozen rolls of film that evening.
In 1970, as a 20 year-old youngster this was just plain fun for me. Nonetheless it amazes me that an event from long ago resurrected itself so many years later.
Anyway, here are some of the shots from that evening that led to the inclusion of my photo in one of the Smithonian Museums.
What to do with your Photos
29th March 2021
Using Smaller Frames
On my computer desktop, I have a folder labeled “To Be Printed”.
Every once in a while as I’m editing my photos, I’ll drop a copy of a favorite image into the folder. As the number of images within the folder grow, I feel compelled to make prints and get them up on the wall.
Years ago I realized that I didn’t have to always make huge prints. By printing smaller sizes more photos would see the light of day and keep from setting my wallet back too much.
To make best use of the limited wall space, I started to use sets of identically sized frames. They are light weight with glass or plexiglass to protect the prints and easy to hang.
A few of the favorite photographs get special treatment – they are printed in a larger size.

these are all 4″ x 6″ prints

here is a small section of the wall with three different sizes

these are all 8″ x 8″ prints

these two prints are mounted in larger 16″ x 20″ frames

this single print is 24″ x 36″
So get those images out of your “To Be Printed” folder.
When your “To Be Printed” folder gets filled again, you can simply change the photos.
Remember that you don’t have to think big; smaller sizes make attractive displays.
UnFramed
23rd March 2021
Bringing the Feel of Paris to My Living Room
As the river Seine flows from central France to the English Channel it disects Paris the City of Light. In turn, the river is responsible for the large number of bridges that connect the two sides of the city – known as the left bank and the right bank.
By far, my favorite is the Pont Alexandre III, an elaborately decorated structure with gold colored statues at both ends, intricate sculptures arranged along the width of the arches, black elegant light posts, a generous pedestrian walkway.

From the above photo I enlarged a small section. While you can clearly see the textured surface, you can also see how the print retains its sharp detail.
What’s your favorite vacation spot? You can easily bring your past travels into your home.
Don’t let your photos sit in a proverbial shoe box. Get them out of there and show them to the world.
Snapshots
20th February 2021
I’ve taken an awful lot of photos over the years – some were for professional purposes, some as obligatory family responsibilities (wedding, birthdays, etc.) and some (many, many, many) for my own pleasure.
In this last category are a group that I consider fun photos. I’ve put a large number of them into my snapshot gallery.
I’m happy to share them with you so please click here and I’ll take you to see them. |
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