Calm Photos

An Old Man Potter.

Even though we are well past the holidays and on the better side of winter toward spring, I’ve been reflecting on one of my favorite holiday movies - Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life. And in particular, the villain Old Man Potter, played to the hilt by Lionel Barrymore.

The situation behind my recent reflection is not nearly as important as the lessons to be learned and the opportunity to move forward.

I think the reason why It’s A Wonderful Life is still so popular even after 60 years since the release is due to the fact that nearly all these same characters exist within our own lives, some more prevalent than others. And sometimes roles are switched at intermission. We grow and mature as we experience the movie that’s played out before us everyday.

Most of us strive to do our best despite set-backs, yearning to be that George Bailey who finally makes it back home again, into the arms of those who love him for who he is and not what’s in his checkbook.

Then again there’s that small percentage who were born to play Old Man Potter and never, ever change roles.

Who’s the Old Man Potter in your city, town or community? C’mon, you know you have at least one. Can’t think of who that might be? Here’s 10 tips on how to I.D. this cranky old bird:

1) It’s almost always an older man who has made his fortune playing the numbers game and playing with other peoples lives.
2) There’s usually a younger protege or two, just as miserable, following right behind in his slimy footsteps. A lot like the evil Sith from the imaginative galaxy created by George Lucas.
3) And like those now famous villains, they prefer to operate behind the scenes and in the shadows, pressing buttons and pulling strings. “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.”
4) Republican or Democrat. It doesn’t matter. The only political party Old Man Potter is concerned with is the one with the politicians who can be bought and sold.
5) They thrive in any environment where black-balling and black-listing are not only allowed but encouraged.
6) Old Man Potter gets off on other people’s misery, mistakes and misfortunes. He has no compassion. Just contempt and a perverse sense of humor.
7) If you owe Old Man Potter money, you may as well kiss your a$@ goodbye to respect, honor and decency. He’ll call his debt in, again and again, even after you think you’ve paid it in full. Unlimited interest is what keeps Old Man Potter alive and kicking. Those who fall under his influence eventually live in a world dominated by fear, guilt and betrayal, even to the point of betraying one’s own brother or sister.
9) Attacking the victim is rule #1 in overcoming the dominating conditions listed in point # 8. Character assassination is one of the more milder manifestations. Doing the ol’ set-up and railroading are also favorites.
10) Old Man Potter always has a lawyer or two in his hip pocket and/or influential contacts in the city office and county court system. They keep him and his creepy, little proteges out of the one place they belong - prison.

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Old Man Potter is the epitome and living example of that old adage.

The good news is that for every Old Man Potter there’s a Clarence and there’s a George Bailey.

We were also given the one weapon that will defeat the Old Man Potters of the world every time. It was handed it to us a little over 2,000 years ago.

It’s called forgiveness.

I’m still trying to learn to use it. It’s hard, but I’m trying. I’ll get it sooner or later, hopefully sooner. Meanwhile, keep an eye out for Old Man Potter. If you can’t meet him head-on and forgive him for being the character that he is, then turn around and walk the other way toward daylight. And if you are Old Man Potter and you’re reading this, well, I forgive you. But I sure as hell will never forget you. At least now I know who you are.

I’ve found Photoshop to be the best program when it comes to creating collages. I have several that I’ve done on display at http://www.ohiophoto.org/posters.htm.

Granted, I’m not a super-advanced PS user, however, putting a collage together is fairly simple. First create a blank page in the size that you intend for your collage to be and make sure your dpi setting is the same as the photos you will be using.

Open-up each of your images to be placed on the collage. Now simply click on the first image and drag over to your main, blank page. This action automatically creates a new layer within your main page. You can then re-size the image by choosing its’ layer, go to “edit” and choose transform or free transform. If using free transform, make sure you hold down the shift key when re-sizing so that your image does not distort. Save the re-size. Now you can move that layer/image anywhere on the page you would like. Do the same for the other images until you get them sized and placed they you want them. You can also add borders and drop shadows to each image if you are not overlapping the image/layers.

What you are basically doing is working in multiple layers. Re-size and move by choosing the layer with the image. When you’re finished, save your file as a PSD, thus keeping all the layers separate in the event you want to go back and make changes. Make a duplicate of that file (under “image”). Now with the duplicate you can flatten your layers to create one Photoshop file for printing or posting on the web as a low-res JPEG.

Hope this helps. There are probably some other tips or methods, but that’s the one that I’ve had the most success with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve photoraphed using infrared film, and I’m here to say that it’s a first class, pain in the rear. First of all the film must be kept cold up until the time it is used. That can be a bit tricky when shooting in the field or on-location, unless of course it’s in the middle of winter. Next, the film has to be loaded in absolute darkness. Once again, challenging to say the least when out on location. Then the photographer must use a specific type of gelatin filter that can only work with a specific type of filter holder. If the photographer has been successful in following all those steps, the final trick is finding a lab that will process infrared and then shipping the exposed film in tightly controlled conditions.

I went through that process last summer, for a technical assignment that I did for General Dynamics, out at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Because of the nature of that assignment I had to use infrared film and my Canon 1V 35mm film camera.

Now, ask me if I would go through all of that if I wanted to do infrared photography for my own nature and landscape photographs. No, I don’t think so.

Instead I will take the easier road to infrared images by way of Photoshop CS. First of all, I can use any original, full color digital capture and apply the effect withough altering the original file. There’s no “absolute and total darkness” or special filters involved.

I recently learned of this technique in digital alteration when I picked-up the latest edition of Photoshop User magazine, while browsing a Barnes and Noble in Denver last week. On pages 72-73 of the January/February 2006 issue is a section called the WOW! Factor, with a chosen excerpt from the book of the same title, by Jack Davis and Ben Willmore.

Rather than explain the technique verbatim, I encourage anyone who would like to learn this cool technique of applying a infrared look to digital images to pick-up a copy of the magazine at your local newstand. The price is $9.95. It’s well worth the investment. There’s lot of other cool PS techniques explained in the magazine, however, I found the infrared article the most interesting. It’s also relatively easy to learn, even if you are somewhat new to Photoshop. The hardest part is simply understanding how layers work in this program.

Posted above is an example I did just by following the step-by-step instructions in the article. The original image is a full-color, 6×7 Velvia transparency. I used a high-resolution, digital scan of the image and turned this Hocking Hills scene into a photograph that looks like it was taken with infrared film, but without the hassle.

Like meeting a long, lost friend, and finding hope and inspiration in nature’s perfection.

That’s what it was like to spend an hour, up close and personal with Aquila Chrysaetos - the Golden Eagle. The opportunity to photograph this magnificent animal came on the last day of the annual conference of the North American Nature Photography Association, held just last week in Denver, Colorado. I captured this, as well as many other, images of other birds of prey during one of the many field trips sponsored by NANPA. All in all, the conference was an incredible learning experience for me. I’ve come back with so much new material, digital imaging methods and ideas that I don’t know where to begin, let alone some great new images. I also visited and photographed Roxborough State Park during another field trip held prior to the start of the conference.

This Golden Eagle is a 12-year-old male who obviously enjoyed having his portrait taken by a bunch of crazed nature photographers. He enjoyed it almost as much as the fresh rat that he was given just shortly after this image was captured. It is absolutely amazing to observe and photograph a Golden Eagle up close. Their talons are capable of applying 1200 lbs. of pressure per square inch. The biggest bone in my leg will crush at 800! Even though these guys sit at the top of their food chain, they still need all the help and protection we can give them. Raptors are the ultimate barometer of the health of the ecosystems.

In the near future I will be posting additional raptor images taken at the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program Environmental Learning Center, located in Ft. Collins, Colorado, including a Swainson’s Hawk, American kestrel, Great Horned Owl and Long-eared Owl.

I’m posting a picture of Dayton from Denver.

Seriously, I’m in Denver for the annual conference of the North American Nature Photography Association.

I’ve got plenty of new shots that I’ve taken around Denver at nearby Roxborough State Park, however, I didn’t bring a card reader with me.

Now I know.

Anyway, this image was captured last February along Sixth Street in the Oregon District of Dayton, just at the start of the Mardi Gras season.

7:39 AM February 2, 2006

Walking to my car from Spinning class I was greeted with this scene.

Be in the right place at the right time, and have your camera equipment always ready.

It’s the simple beauty that we are constantly blessed with that often goes unnoticed in our huried lives.

Take the time to look, and listen.