Recently I spent a few hours at 'PAWS' in San Andreas, California (Performing Animal Welfare Society - wild animal refuge). I managed to capture this male African Lion.  He was about 300 feet away up on a hill.  In the past it would have been very difficult (let's be honest.... IMPOSSIBLE) for me to take a photo like this because of the distance and fact I shoot with a Pentax DSLR.   With the new K mount lenses that are available that fit the Pentax cameras, the updated DSLR sensors, shake reduction features, and improved auto focus (I usually shoot manual - but at that distance I tried the auto focus feature) it came out better than I could have done shooting manually and hoping my eye would be able to get the fine features.  As I have stated on many of my postings, it's a good idea to try several different settings when taking photos.  Shoot until you find what is best for you and for the conditions.  Because it was impossible to get any closer to this beautiful lion it was important that I use/have a lens that will compensate for the distance.  Even if you don't, take the photo anyway and see what you come up with...  you can always enlarge the object and crop it. 

These are some photos that are in the Modesto Camera Clubs End of the Year Competition Program that I have submitted.  The Camera Club is a great place to learn how to take better photos.  If you're ever in the area, you should stop by...   check out the meeting information: 

http://www.modestocameraclub.net

Lady passing by while coat changes color

Another example....  Woman passing by and her coat changes color.  By taking the same

photo over several times and having the object move just a little in each photo, you can

stitch the photos together into a movie format and make the movie look like an old style 

film.  Photos don't have to be stagnant... having them move within one photo frame makes

the photo just a bit more interesting.  Try it...  be creative and don't forget to share your

photos with others.  

First you don't see it... then you do

First you don't see it, then you do, and then you don't.
Experimenting with photos is fun.  Taking the exact same photo
and adding a feature, then taking it away can make for an
interesting short for a photo.  It gives the viewer something
to compare and it distracts from a long still photo without
shifting the viewer away from the photo.  Just something to
do to change things up.  

To view older photos on another one of my posts... go to:     http://bmoore3photos.blogspot.com

Just some recent submissions -

 The Grand Finale.... 

 Can You See My Little Face?  (on the lower left corner of my photo of the moon shot  you can see a small face in the middle of a crater)....

 African Cape Buffalo (shot at Safari West near Santa Rosa, Calif. - Great place to visit and photograph wildlife).....

 This is titled "Ring Tail Lemur"....   (Lemur Catta)....   again photographed at Safari West.)

 
"Psychedelic Bodie Grill and Hood"....  This photo was shot at Bodie State Park, Bodie, California...  This is why I love photography (and all the things that you can do once you are back with your computer ... the creative part of photography).   The photo was originally of an old rusted out car in Bodie.  Fenders, grill, hood, headlights, windshield.... all twisting and turning to create something different.  I enjoy playing with images. 

 "Two Points of View... Mr. Rushmore".  Most of the time when visitors go to Mt. Rushmore they just go to the observation platform and take their photos; and to me, that is missing the entire adventure of Rushmore.  Step away from the norm and peek around corners, boulders, tree trunks an you will see a different Mt. Rushmore.   This one I call "Two Points of View" because of the directions the four Presidents are looking.  Two to their right and two off slightly to their left.  Yes, nothing seems to change in politics... not even in granite. 



It's been a crazy month here at "Looking Through My Eyes"...  Had one of those “opps” days a few weeks ago when my computer crashed and I had to replace my hard drive...  Like any PC user I had backups (even to my backups).  So, rather than being able to do what I enjoy the most (going out and taking photos) I was working on getting my PC back up and running, reloading all my photo tools, and searching high and low for many of the photos I had taken and still not "saved" to external hard drives.  Now that I'm back to the point where I can again get back out and shoot... I thought I'd post some photos that I have been submitting these past months for competition at the Modesto Camera Club (I stopped selling photos because that was taking up too much time and the "business" part of photography became too much like "work"...  After all, in real life I'm really "retired"...)  Hope you enjoy these photos.  I'll be posting more often over the next month or so (it's the slow season)......

PS... just as a reminder... all my photographs are  "©"....   Thank you for respecting my photography by not copying photos without permission (you can seek permission by contacting me at my posted hotmail Email address).  No commercial use of these photos is permitted without permission.  Again, thank you.   ...

Still Life

I'm a member of the Modesto Camera Club (http://www.modestocameraclub.net) and after having the past couple of months off to enjoy the summer; it is time to get back to work taking photos.  The club has monthly competitions where specific types of photos are submitted for judging and where points are given.  Every month there are three categories.  Two categories always stay the same and one is new each month.  The categories are "Nature" where you photograph wildlife or something relating to nature.  No sign of any human hand can be in the photo... no building, no roads, and no telephone wires.  A second category is "Pictorial"... can be anything that makes up a great photo.  The other category is the "Challenge" category where specific themes are presented.  Some months it may be photojournalism, black and white, something old, architecture, seascapes, or travel, or as the next challenge date is on "Still life"...  This is just one of the many I could have chosen to submit (however it is not one of the two being submitted).  After the competition I'll submit the photos I entered for your review.   This one is called "The Gallo Plate"... (Meaning: the Rooster Plate).  The photo was taken at a distance of eight feet from the subject.  I used two side fluorescent photo lights and a bounce flash light for some back fill.  Focal length 53mm at F/13 (3 second exposure).  ISO 100.  Spot metering mode....  The subjects were placed on a draped black background with a crumpled tablecloth wrapped around the objects.  I did use a very little bit of Photoshop to highlight the color in the fruit in the front....  

 If you live in the Modesto area, you might just want to take a look at the Camera Club… it has been one of the best photography learning groups I’ve come across.  Each member brings his or her experience (the very experienced to the newbie) to the meeting and sharing the “how to” is the focus of the Club.  Each month they have one meeting that is for competition and a second meeting where guest speakers and professionals come and give presentations on photographic techniques and various editing programs.  From time to time we have outings and it’s just a great group to be around.  I find I learn something new at every meeting.   

 LIGHTS 

San Francisco Wharf Daybreak From The Bay

While returning through the Golden Gate on the very early morning of July 22, 2012 (returning from Alaska) I took this panoramic photo of the San Francisco Wharf from the top deck of the ship.  Time was 5:29 a.m., with a light fog surrounding the Golden Gate Bridge.  This is actually a composite of 12 photos stitched together to form this panoramic photo.  It was taken with a focal length of 39mm at F-7.1 and an exposure time of 1/100 second (ISO 200).  No exposure compensation. I took each photo in a portrait orientation to give the panoramic photo more height.  I've taken several photos of the Wharf area from the city side however this was my first opportunity to take photos from the Bay side.  Just my luck... there were wispy clouds with a very light fog to the right and the red glow of the sun coming from the east.  Could not have asked for much more as far as lighting.  Just click on the photo to see a larger version....

Just a reminder (in case you haven't check them out)...

I have some other web sites where I post photos.  Take a look at:
http://bmoore3photos.blogspot.com

and

http://www.redbubble.com/explore/Images%2Bby+William+Moore

and some video shorts of photos I've taken located on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yInkr1soPVE

(just cut and past the http: address on your search.....  Thanks for stopping by.  

This is a photo I call "Alaska Background".  I think it speaks for itself. 
Most of the time while in Alaska it did not rain; however there were
clouds and heavy overcast.  Sometimes you just get lucky. 

In July of this year I was able to take a trip to Alaska.
The first of the photos is one I took near Haines, Alaska.
Photoshop layers allowed me to place this totem pole
next to a second photo I took of Chilkoot Lake.  The
actual location of the totem pole was about 3/4 of a mile
away (the view was not as good as the lake).  I try not to
relocate items from one location to another... however, in

this case... well, I just like it better in front of the lake.

 These spider shots were taken at F-13 (1/60 second) - focal length of 300mm . with flash.  The web was over four feet across between a fig tree and a fence.  It didn't seem to be concerned that I was there......

Recently I've been interested in photographing insects and because I have so many plants and flowers in my back yard, I have the opportunity daily to just step outside and take my pick of dozens of these strange (yet beautiful) creatures.  Above is a common Californian Garden Spider that has created an intricate (and large) web where it sits and waits for its meals.  Most spiders will scurry away when approached.  This little (less than 1/2 inch) spider doesn't seem to mind my daily approach or the fact that I stick my lens within inches or the flash I use to illuminate this creature in the night. 

This Praying Mantis has made its home in a large hydrangea bush.  It's been doing a great job of hiding because it is now over three inches long.  This is a female Mantis and she doesn't seem to have as much patience as the spider above.  She'll allow me to approach; however will only stay still for a few moments.  I have to use a fill flash because it stays in the darker parts of the hydrangea bush.  I took this photo at F-16 (1/125 second), and with a focal length of 158mm (using a flash).   It was on the move at the time so there wasn’t much set up time.   

One of Modesto California's most beautiful sites....  Driving into Modesto on Maze Blvd. you'll pass Saint Stanislaus Catholic Church.  With surrounding grape vineyards and open space, you'll get the feeling you are in the Tuscan area of Italy.  This is one photo I took and created dozens of moods for various effects.  Hope you enjoy the short video.