Saturday at the Ballpark

For me, there is no sport greater than baseball. I have been a Chicago Cubs fan since I was 12 years old, and I've had year after year of heartache as a fan, but I come back every year for more. Why? Well, I became a Cubs fan because the first time I met my Grandfather when I was 12, he gave me a Cubs hat. He is from Illinois and is a Cubs fan, and I thought the world of that hat. I lived in New York at the time, but we had WGN, and as with most Cubs fans outside of Chicago, I was able to watch them play nearly everyday in the summer. I also had the option to watch the Yankees and the Mets play. I never did like the Mets, but there was a year or two when Don Mattingly was still playing, that I did watch the Yankees. A lot has changed in baseball over the years, but my love for the sport and for the Cubs hasn't.

This past Saturday I took a road trip to Chicago to watch the Cubs play host to the hated rival, St. Louis Cardinals. I was with two hard core Cardinal fans, and one other Cubs fan, so there was some trash talking going on, even more after the Cubs emerged victorious in a close game. These two shots are of Cardinals first baseman, Albert Pujols and a shot of some good sportsmanship between catcher Yadier Molina and Ryan Theriot, after Theriot hit a foul ball. We had some great seats about 11 rows behind the Cubs on-deck circle, but didn't get a chance to catch a ball. All in all, it was a great day. Two of the friends I was with are military veterans serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan, so on our way back when we spotted a solder walking in full gear with his pack on his back, we were all happy to stop and give him and his girlfriend a ride for the last couple miles of their walk. He had just returned from two weeks of training, and has also serviced in Afghanistan. I don't think we all thanked him enough for his service to our country.

Summertime

It's summertime, and I have to ask - What kid doesn't love gnawing on an ear of fresh sweet corn? This little guy is really getting into it. I think about corn on the cob whenever summer comes to mind. It means cookouts and family gatherings; two of my favorite things. This is a pretty straight forward photo, I did isolate the ear of corn in Photoshop and adjusted it's color saturation. In addition I increased the vibrance of the trees and towels on the rail in the background. I love this photograph, thanks for looking.

Mr. & Mrs. Byrd

The Byrd's were in town from the Chicago area, and we took the opportunity to do this session in the park and down town this past Saturday. We had a lot of fun, and I think the photos are beautiful. Here are some samples from the session.

WWII B17 Sentimental Journey

.50 Caliber rounds that would have fed through one of the guns on the side.
Rear of the gun. It looks more complicated than the usual gun.
View from the cockpit.






Where the tail gunner would be during a battle.
If you ever get the chance to see a B17 Bomber up close, go see it. This plane, Sentimental Journey, was used in WWII, and can be seen in the movie "1941"; I haven't seen the movie, but that is what I was told. The bomber is now a flying museum based in Arizona. It tours the country, and it in Auburn, Indiana this weekend. For $5.00, to help maintain this bird, you can climb into the plane and walk front to the back. It is very tight inside, and I can not imagine being in the B17 during a battle. To get from the front to the rear you have to walk through the bomb bay. Essentially you are walking on a piece of steel, maybe 7 inches wide with rope rails for balance. For quite a bit more money, you can take a 45 minute flight in this warbird. The plane does fly, but it's not by any means a 747 as far as comfort goes. I was told that its very loud and the winds whistles into the plane through gaps around windows and doors. Not sure I would feel secure hearing that while flying.

These photos are just 15 of the 150 that I shot in and around the plane. It was a gorgeous day, and the clouds make a really pleasing backdrop to the external photos.

Experimenting

This is some photos that I shot while experimenting with reflectors and natural light. Here's the setup. I placed her in a shaded area just after dinner hour, so the sun was low in the sky. I had a helper hold a 42 inch gold reflector behind her and bounce the sun toward her. Then I leaned a white bounce card against my leg in the line of the reflected sunlight. The bounce card helped illuminate her face. It's much easier when you have a helper to hold a reflector, it is difficult when your doing a shoot alone to position the rear reflector and have it stay put. Especially in Indiana where it seems to be windy all the time. Had a lot of fun with these shots, and I like the final results.

Photo a Day

I am toying with the idea of doing a 365 project. It pretty much consists of me taking a picture every day, then blogging it. I would have to take a new picture every single day, so it's a pretty good commitment and goal. I want to start small and do a week long trial, and want your help. Do you have any ideas for a theme that each day's photo should have for the week? What would you like to see and read about? Please share your ideas; I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you to those who follow my blog consistently. I enjoy blogging about my photos and offering you some insight into why I take the pictures I do.