AND THE WINNER IS...........

1970 Plymouth 'Cuda Convertible w/ 426 Hemi Engine

(original color paint called 'plum crazy')

Jeff's Car Story

Ever since I have known Jeff, he has had a fascination with cars.  In college, one of his buddies was rich enough to own a brand new muscle car, and it was fast and loud.  They would cruise the streets and watch heads turn.  I think that was when Jeff determined that one day he would own such a car.  

Of course as the years passed, there was no money for such a car, especially with the responsibilities of supporting a family, but he never forgot his love of cars, particularly one type of car.   More years passed and eventually they stopped making muscle cars, so Jeff knew that if he ever had the opportunity, he'd have to restore one.  

He came to know everything there is about the type of muscle car he was interested in.  As his knowledge grew, so did his reputation and people who were restoring cars or who wanted to buy cars to restore, started calling him to ask for advice or information.  He began driving down the back roads of small towns where ever we traveled, looking behind barns and garages and in wrecking yards, hoping to find long forgotten treasures on wheels.  Jeff is a 'wheeler and dealer' and began buying, selling and trading car parts that most people didn't want but car buffs did want.  He eventually built up a considerable 'car parts' business that pulled us through during some pretty tight years.  

As the years went by, the word spread about his expertise and he has become the local expert on his type of car.  I often joke that you could show him a single bolt or screw and he could tell you exactly where it fit...and that is true!  Car wholesalers from England and Australia found out about him, and for years he acted as a broker and found and shipped vintage American cars oversees.  His 'fame' for his knowledge of these cars, where to find them, how to restore them, where to find the parts, continued to grow.  He is asked every year to judge various car shows in and out of the state.  

About the time Jaron became a teenager, there was a little extra money, so Jeff found an old car and they spent many hours restoring it.  What a wonderful bonding experience.  They put his car in several car shows.  Then when Dalin was about ready to drive, Jeff found an old car for him and they spent many hours together restoring it.  Another wonderful bonding experience.  They put this car in several car shows.  While Dalin was on his mission, Jeff was contacted by a motion picture company who was shooting a film in Utah and they wanted to use a specific muscle car and when they asked around town, they were led to Jeff.  The car was in the movie, and Jeff and I went to Hollywood for the premier.  We felt so bad Dalin wasn't here for this.  And continuing the tradition, Jeff has spent equal time with Tyler restoring cars.  I used get irritated that Sunday dinner conversation almost always revolved around car talk.  Now I know this was a great blessing.  There is nothing our sons like better than to be together with their Dad with their heads under the hood of a car, or going to a car show together.  They are all best friends.  

But I digress.....Over all these years Jeff has helped his friends and his sons restore cars, but still no car for him.  Then about 10 years ago, through a series of unusual circumstances, Jeff heard of someone who owned Jeff's dream car, a rare and highly sought after car.  The only problem was, he didn't know the person's name.  He only knew the car was stored in a little town in Idaho and the owner lived in Alaska.  Jeff was not going to let that stop him, so one day he took off for Idaho.  He started asking all around town, and by some miracle found the owner who was in town visiting his mother.  And there in a rickety, old garage, covered by a tarp, under a ton of junk, there was.....another piece of junk, at least that's what any normal person would think. But Jeff knew better.  He knew that this was a diamond in the rough, and when restored to it's original beauty, it would be a very expensive car.  The owner was no longer interested in the car, they struck a deal, and driving home with that old car on a trailer, I don't think I've ever seen Jeff so excited.

 Finding the car and its owner

Jeff stripped it down to this.  Is it really a car?

 

But with family, work, and spare time spent helping the boys restore their cars, Jeff has only worked on his car from time to time, so for many years, it mostly sat in a garage gathering dust.  Now after about 10 years, it is still not complete, although almost.  (I keep teasing him that if he doesn't get it finished soon, he'll be too old to drive it!)   Okay, we are almost to the climax of this story.  One of the local car shows where he has acted as a judge for years, took place several weeks ago.  Jeff decided, finished or not, he was going to pull the car out of the garage, get it washed and polished and finally put it in a car show.   

Drum roll please.........he won the two most prestigious awards,  First Place in his Class, and Best Car of the Show.  Congratulations Jeff!  

Now the only thing left is to take it out for a cruise and watch heads turn!!!!   

(In the above photo, the purple car is Jeff's and the yellow car behind it is Dalin's that was in the movie.) 

Desert Neighbor!

We've been down to our new little casita (small winter vacation home) in the southern Utah desert, trying to get a bit of furniture moved in and working to get things organized and ready for when we want to spend time here in the winter.  I think we managed to be here during the hottest day so far this summer when the temperature hit 110 degrees F.  I've been waiting for a hot, dry summer since I've spent the past several summer seasons in rainy, humid, lukewarm New Zealand weather, which is probably why that country is so green and beautiful.  Anyway, walking in the desert a short distance from our home I found this little guy sunning himself and he didn't seem too concerned about me.  I was able to get about 4 feet from him.  Of course I didn't have my camera, and it was in the middle of the day with harsh light, but this is what I got with my iphone.  I have no idea if he is a gecko, a lizard, or something else.

Big Horn Sheep - Zion National Park

We were lucky to spot a herd of Big Horn Sheep while we were driving through Zion National Park.  There were mostly females and babies and they hung around the same spot for quite a while, nibbling on leaves and scrub for their evening meal.  This guy was the largest of the group, and had the largest horns, but was very elusive, staying by himself and usually hiding behind shrubbery and rocks.  I was lucky to be in the right spot to snag a couple of shots when he came out in the open briefly.

OH MY! WHAT HAVE I DONE!

Second Place

Auckland Photo Contest - 2012

This week is the one year anniversary of one of those 'what was I thinking' moments, that at the time, I couldn't believe I did.  They say confession is good for the soul, so here is my closely guarded secret, that for the past year I've only shared with a few.

Shortly after we arrived in New Zealand for our mission in 2011, I was delighted to hear of an annual, month long photography festival.  There were special events, classes, photography shows, renowned photographers from all over the world presenting classes and lectures on all aspects of photography, throughout the Auckland area during the month of June.  

As part of the festival there is one day designated as a contest day.  Any one can enter photos relating to the theme, 'My Day in Auckland'.  The main requirement is that the submitted photos must be taken only on that day.  Since it was a Saturday, Jeff and I decided to explore downtown Auckland, and of course, I took my camera.  It was fun to see multitudes of photographers everywhere we went, taking photos for the contest.  At the end of the day, I decided to enter a few of my photos, and as I expected, I won nothing!

Fast forward to the next year when I started receiving emails announcing the events for the festival coming in June, 2012.  I clicked the link to the festival website and looked at all the winning photographs from the last year.  I noticed many of them were not typical photos of the beautiful scenery and sights of New Zealand, but often included people in compositions that were more unusual or even quirky.

The day of the festival photo contest I was up earlier than Jeff, and as I walked past the bedroom door and glanced in, I saw Jeff in bed, with his feet sticking out, and beautiful blue sky above his head.  I immediately had this composition come to me, with his feet in focus, (showing the havoc New Zealand weather had on his skin), and the rest of him in soft focus.  I hurried and got my camera and got the shot.  I thought it was a funny photo and on a whim, asked him permission to include it with the other two photos I was going to submit that I really liked and hoped might catch the judges' attention.  

I didn't think anymore about it until a few weeks later when I received word that I was awarded second place with this photo over around 1500 other entries.  First I was shocked, then I was pleased, and finally I was horrified!  Although there is nothing revealing or wrong with the photo, this certainly is not a very dignified pose for a missionary!!!  To add to my dismay, the photo and my name were published in the newspapers and on the web.  I held my breath for about a month afterwards, waiting for someone at church, or our other missionary friends, or some one at the church area office building where we worked, to mention they had seen the photo, but if any one did see it, they never mentioned it to me.

At the time, I did tell a close friend and photographer who lives in the Auckland area.  About a month ago she sent me a copy of the brochure used to advertise this year's festival, and sure enough, they used my photo.  Sigh!  Luckily Jeff is a good sport and was not too concerned about the whole thing.  

There now, I feel much better with that off my chest.  By the way, below are the other two photos I entered in that contest:

      

Garden Bouquet

Flowers From My Garden and Mom's Tea Cup

You know, sometimes snapping the shot and trying to 'get it right in the camera', is just not enough for me.  Don't get me wrong, I love taking pretty pictures and I try to improve my 'in camera' skills, but sometimes that just doesn't satisfy my creative side.  I'm one of those photographers who love the artistic possibilities that technology has given us, and sometimes I find great satisfaction in using a photo as a starting point, and then creating my interpretation of the image.  

I was enjoying my garden this morning and decided I wanted to remember my peonies and yellow roses before they disappeared.  As I snipped a few and stuck them in a green plastic glass and set them on the counter, I remembered how much my mother loved flowers and gardening, which she did until about 6 months before her death at age 96.  Growing up in California where we had flowers year round, she would always have a camellia or two floating in a bowl of water, or a single hibiscus or gardenia, or a couple of roses in a bud vase, adorning our kitchen table.  But only a few at a time, because she would really rather enjoy them outdoors in their natural setting.  As I looked at my bouquet, I remembered a tea cup of my mom's, that complimented the colors of my flowers.  (She collected tea cups and was a china painter.)  I added the cup and saucer to my composition and took my photo.  When I downloaded it to the computer, it just begged me to add some editing pizazz, and the above photo is the result.  Below is the shot SOOTC (straight out of the camera). 

(In addition to the dust specks and light switch detracting from this composition, it is also under exposed.)

Sea of Sego Lilies

Sego Lily - State flower of Utah
Between 1840 and 1851 food was very scarce in Utah due to a crop-devouring plague of crickets.  During this time the pioneers learned to dig up and eat the soft, bulbous root of the sego lily. 

This past weekend we had a wonderful time in Moab and Arches National Park with family.  While on one of our RZR rides, (side-by-side 4 wheelers), we came upon this beautiful field of yellow wild flowers followed by another beautiful sea of sego lilies.  I don't think I've ever seen so many sego lilies in one place at one time.  As is typical when we travel, I see some of my favorite scenes in the middle of the day, and this was no exception.  Here it is mid day with glaringly bright sun creating harsh shadows and washing out all the colors.... not at all conducive for great photography.....or for that matter, even semi-good photography.  As Joel Sartore, (a photographer for National Geographic), said in a workshop I attended, "good light is good and bad light is bad"!  So true!  Anyway, I did more editing than usual to try to make this less bad!!!!

June Desktop Image

Arches National Park, Utah

Usually when people photograph this rock formation, Balanced Rock, (just right of center), is the main attraction.  The day we were there, (however), the airplane contrails definitely decided that the formation on the left side should have a little attention.

As usual, feel free to go HERE and download a higher resolution copy for your desktop.  Share with friends, but please do not use for commercial purposes.

Ocotillo Cactus

Ocotillo Cactus

(It is not a real cactus, however, and has other names which include coachwhip and desert coral)

For much of the year this strange looking plant looks like a bunch of long, dry, gray sticks reaching from the ground toward the sky.  But in spring, especially during a rainy spring, tiny green leaves cover the canes and a beautiful orange flower adorns each tip, making these plants strikingly beautiful against the backdrop of the red desert cliffs.

Snow Canyon

I took this photo last night in Snow Canyon, just outside of St. George, Utah.  It was a beautiful evening, around 7pm and the 'golden hour' enhanced the red cliffs and sand.  
 (I thought I would like this with a 'soft' background so that the yucca in the foreground would stand out, but now I'm wondering if I should have had a greater depth of field so the red cliffs would be in sharper focus.  Humm, decisions, decisions.)

Did I mention that we have just had a Casita built, which is a small vacation home?  Snow Canyon is about 10 minutes away from our Casita.  We are about 45 minutes to Zion National Park,  about 1 1/2 hours away from Las Vegas, 3 1/2 hours away from our home in northern Utah, and closer to our married kids in Arizona.  There are ATV trails everywhere, (great for RZR riding year round), and most important, there is NO snow.  This will be my 'happy place' during the winter months!

Happy Mother's Day

Mother & Son

Daughter & Grandson

I have two daughters and one daughter-in-law who are wonderfully devoted mothers,   (I also have a daughter-in-law who will soon be a mother, and another daughter-in-law who is looking forward to being a mother).  I am so grateful these young women see the value in spending the majority of their time mothering their children.

Please send the following video to all the mothers you know and love:

Phun Phriday

I thought this was funny......two types of transportation, one slow and one fast!

    Here's my philosophical caption for this photo:

"It doesn't matter how fast you are going if you are headed in the wrong direction"

Thanksgiving Point - Part 3

Several of the numerous falls that make up the huge Waterfall feature at Thanksgiving Point, Utah 

The Thanksgiving Point Waterfall structure is one of the world's largest man-made waterfalls, featuring man-made rock formations over 500 feet long and with peaks 25-50 feet tall. The four story pump station drops 40,000 gallons per minute over the formations, creating a dramatic waterfall backdrop for weddings, performances, and other events. The Waterfall Amphitheater can seat up to 3500 guests. This waterfall is a popular tourism spot with many festivals and events.

Thanksgiving Point - Part 2

Looking for an 'S' curve!

Finding a curving line that leads the viewer into the scene makes for an interesting photo.  

(By the time I took this photo the sun was fairly high in the sky creating bright, almost harsh lighting,  so I used a little post editing magic to soften it up a bit.)

Looking and finding something different, often makes for an interesting photo.  And this composition also includes an 'S' curve.

This tulip was/is growing in a bed of tulips right at the edge of a path.  Someone had either stepped on it or bent it so that it was laying horizontal and resting on the wet walkway.  I loved the dark textures of the path that created the background.  There were reflections in the water puddle that were distracting, but were easily eliminated with a twist of the polarizing filter I use when shooting outdoors.

Thanksgiving Point - Part 1

I have to get my Spring tulip 'fix' quickly, because they don't last long, so Saturday morning I spent a couple of hours at Thanksgiving point.  This is my second favorite place to photograph spring flowers.

Last post I mentioned a couple of ideas to help add some pizazz to your flower photos.  Here are a few additional ideas about flower photography.  

When you are shooting outdoors without a flash, you are at the mercy of the natural light available.  And as you know, lighting is critical.  I rarely if ever take photos of flowers in the middle of a sunny day because the light will be harsh, flat, and the colors will look all bleached out.  So as with most outdoor photography, the golden hours of dawn and dusk are best.  

I didn't manage to get out this day until early morning, but certainly after dawn, and so I had to play 'cat and mouse' with the sun to find attractive light.  In this photo, the sun was still soft enough that it highlighted these two flowers beautifully.  I try to find compositions where my subject flowers are in light, and the background foliage is in natural shadows.

This single tulip was lit by a ray of sun, while surrounding foliage is in shadow.  In addition, water droplets can add dimension, reflections and interest to flower photos.  These are natural, but no one says you can't carry a spray bottle of water as part of your photography gear!

  

If I am shooting in large flower gardens, I try to to find 'the loner', that is, the one that doesn't belong.  This flower becomes my focal point and makes for an interesting composition.  I also look for flowers that are back lit which creates dimension and a soft glow.

I love when I can capture water sprinkles glistening through the sun.  Another part of this composition that makes it interesting to me is that I've included a layering effect with the second row of flowers at the top.

Sometimes a single color palette with different shapes and sizes of flowers is eye catching.  Here the tulips are the subjects and the forsythia is the backdrop.  I also like that there is a soft diagonal line through the photo.

This photo combines several of my favorite things:  a simple composition with one flower as the main subject, with several 'supporting' flowers, beautiful side lighting on the subject making it stand out from the shaded background, and dewdrops.  A perfect combination for me! 

FLOWER POWER!

I just taught a photography class two nights ago.  The title of the class was 'How to Shoot a Publishable Photo.'  In other words, how to shoot a photo that a photo journalist would have a chance to have accepted by a newspaper, magazine, website, stock photo site, etc.  Here is my definition of a 'publishable photo':  A photo that catches (grabs) the viewer's attention, tells a story or is relevant to the main objective of the story, and will entice the viewer to stay and read the story.  Usually one looks at the photo that accompanies a story before reading the story, so the photo plays a critical part in whether the viewer will actually continue to read the story.  This means that the photo must be different, eye catching, or unusual in some way that will attract attention.  

This isn't only important for photo journalism, it is important for most photos in order to be really good photos.  In other words, the photo must have something unique that makes the viewer want to stay and look longer.

Lets talk about flowers and sunsets, for example.  They are beautiful and colorful and often photographers can't resist shooting them.  But they are so commonly photographed that to take a photo of a flower or sunset that really stands out from the millions of photos of these subjects, the photographer has to get his creative juices flowing.  

Creating a unique photo can be achieved in many ways such as with composition, lighting, mood, perspective, depth of field, etc.  The possibilities are endless but the photographer must take the time to think about how to accomplish this before she clicks the shutter.

Like many photographers, I can't resist taking photos of flowers.  I have hundreds (thousands) of them and part of the joy of photographing them is just seeing and enjoying such beauty.  But how do I try to make my flower photos stand out?  There are many ways, as I mentioned above, but two of my favorites that serve me well are as follows:

1.  Literally, get down close and shoot sideways or up.  Most people look down on flowers from a standing position.  They rarely look at a flower from ground level up.  The most interesting photos you will take will be the ones where you hold your camera either four feet above or four feet below your eye level.  I can't remember who said this or something similar to this, but it is so true!

2.  Use a narrow depth of field and a wide angle lens up close, to emphasis your flower focal point.  Once again, people viewing a flower garden from a standing position, see a mass of color and shapes, all competing for attention.  They don't see the details of one flower that stands out from the rest.

The photo above and the two below were taking several days ago on Temple Square and demonstrate these techniques.  Of course, these are not the only techniques to use to create good flower photos, but they might give you some ideas about how to make your own flower photos more interesting. 

Spring on Temple Square

Salt Lake Temple

One of several photos I took a couple of days ago on Temple Square.  It was a beautiful, warm day, and I was sure that Spring was finally here to stay.  WRONG!  I woke up this morning and it was snowing like crazy.  At first I thought it was the 'cotton' flying from the neighbor's big cottonwood trees, but not so.  Winter is not going to give up gracefully this year!

May Desktop Image

Where did April go????  I can't believe I only posted twice this past month.  Sigh!  I hope I'll do better in May.  

Anyway, here is my Desktop Image for May.  Today I took a few minutes to enjoy Temple Square and shoot a few photos.  Because I try to take photos here every Spring it is always a challenge to find new compositions and artistic ways to show the peace and beauty that is here.  

 As always, you may go HERE, right click and download to your desktop.  Share with your friends but please don't use for commercial purposes.

Upside Down

Spring has finally arrived in Utah, even though it is still chilly and rainy, with a few snow flakes added to the mix.  But the tulips, daffodils, and other spring bulbs are in full bloom, bringing some welcome color to replace the drab winter landscape.  I don't know what these spring flowers are called, but they are sure pretty and interesting.

Desktop & Calendar - April 2013

Spring Comes to Temple Square

There is nothing so glorious as Spring on Temple Square.  I look forward to spending some time each year enjoying and photographing the beauty and profusion of colors and scents in abundance.

As always, feel free to go HERE, right click and download this image to your desktop.  It should fill your screen and not be blurred or pixelated.  Feel free to share with friends, but please do not use for commercial purposes.

Remembering Spring........

..... in Christchurch, New Zealand.

A memory of our first trip to Christchurch was one of shock and sadness as we viewed crumbled buildings and devastation beyond imagination, everywhere we traveled, caused by multiple major earthquakes that hit the Christchurch area several years ago.   

Our last trip to Christchurch was filled with the beauty of spring, renewal, and the tenacity and determination of the wonderful people living here who are rebuilding their homes, their city and their lives.