St. John's Cathedral

Carol Freshley July 16, 2014

Ah, finally a photo opportunity that we have talked about for a long time, has taken place!! This is The Cathedral Church of St. John's. The challenge was that we planned a night shoot that would allow us to dim the overhead lights and then place lights where we wanted to highlight part of the church. Not all lights can be turned off so we had to work around that. The organ is thought to be the best in the Southwest! We wanted only three images that can be shared with the church for whatever use they wish.

This was a shared effort. Steve directed the placement of lights and perspective of the shots taken. We all participated in post editing. So, no one shot belongs to any one of us. Enjoy our final three.

Next up . . . Our drive to Cerrillos and Madrid. Heard on the news that it is going to be 113 degrees today in Phoenix. Yikes!! Stay cool.

Meet Sarah

Carol Freshley July 13, 2014

We joined my brother, Steve, for a photo shoot he had planned with Sarah on the bank of the Rio Grande. Sarah is very new to professional modeling, yet we found her to be a delightful and very professional young lady. Steve is shooting a B&W series or 'stories' with Sarah. Neither Tom nor I have taken part in a professional model shoot and we learned a lot by watching my brother and Sarah interact. In addition to composition, we discussed the nitty gritty of getting a model's consent, payment and keeping track of their time, who buys the dress, etc. Very helpful information if you are at all interested in shooting models.

Enjoy the photos.

Below you see Steve precariously positioned on the bank of the Rio Grande. I was in charge of making sure that there were no ants in her shoes when I handed them back to her. Sarah is a great sport. Not only did she face three photographers (although it was very clear who was in charge), she stood and sat among great big fire ants!! Oh, the yellow rag in his back pocket . . . used to wipe the sweat off his model's face!

We plan on being here all week for what I am feeling will be a photo-intensive vacation!! We will share as we go.

San Diego

Carol Freshley June 15, 2014

Armed with a 'list' of the best places to photograph we spent two days in the San Diego area with camera a-clickin'. Our first stop was Coronado to get a sunset shot of the San Diego skyline. We got there at the end of a sailing race with the turnaround buoy placed right in front of us.

The next morning our eyes were set on the beaches. We opted to sleep in too late to get a real sunrise shot. These were taken at La Jolla Shores.

Tom wanted to photograph at Salk Institute. I was more interested in Torrey Pines Glideport (was actually considering a tandem flight!). Photographically, he made the better choice.

If you look very carefully you can spot a hang glider at the end of the waterway!

Then off to La Jolla Cove. Most interesting place and we could have spent the whole day there. Lots and lots of people. The weather was perfect, although very windy.

Aside from the beaches, underwater life, seals and tidepools, this beach has some of the most interesting trees. Some have called them Dr. Seuss trees and I can get the idea . . .

I was tired of people everywhere. I went back to the car and waited while Tom took his usual 'just one more shot'. He got in the car. "All you have to do is just shoot above the people." Of course, DUH!

We grabbed a salad and sandwitch for a picnic at the Scripps Oceanic Institute Pier. I was very excited about that opportunity as I had seen so many gorgeous photos taken there. I was disappointed. There is construction going on at the end of the pier which could not be avoided. Graduating students were gathered to have their photos taken under the pier so access to the spot I wanted was limited. The sky was a bit too cloudy and the sunset was weak. Wah, wah, wah! I know, how much sympathy can you give someone standing on a cool beach in La Jolla at sunset? None, I hope. So best to play around a bit and perhaps set the camera to pause and enjoy the space. So, I did. But, I am going back for the image I wanted.

Finally, we met so many nice people. There is something about having a camera that makes it easy to both approach and be approached by others. We met a young couple, new to photography, that were interested in sharing their photos. Excited, with entry level cameras and kit lens, they reminded me of where I was several years ago. I shared my 9 step ND filter, holding it over their smaller lens. Their excitement and wow factor made all my wah wahs go away. What a great, great trip! Thanks for sharing it with us.