San Diego Chicken Pie Shop

(Images "borrowed" from my daughter)

Alright... I'm on a roll... so here's another restaurant for you!

The San Diego Chicken Pie Shop is another real treat. This restaurant originally opened in 1936.  I recall going to this restaurant many times with my wife when we lived in San Diego in the late 1980's! While there are other things to order at this restaurant, we always ordered the Pie Dinner.

This is nothing fancy. It's basically just a pot pie with gravy on it and you get mashed potatos, a roll with butter, mixed vegatables (peas, corn and carrots), coleslaw and a slice of pie or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. And all this is very reasonably priced as well. Some people can't stand this place. But for me, it's great. Basic food. It's almost like food you can get just out of your own freezer, microwave it and eat it. But the Chicken Pot Pies are freshly made and so much better than that.

There are mixed reviews on this one compared to The Green Fly, but if you aren't a fussy eater and you want something that reminds you of the 50's... try this place in San Diego!

Back when I lived in San Diego (in the late 1980's...) the price for a Pie Dinner was around $3.65. Now in 2016 it's $8.99.  (I updated this post with my daughter's photos in 2016... originally wrote it in 2009). Still a great deal in my opinion!

My daughter said that it was nothing fancy, but she loved it as well.  Not sure her friend was as impressed though.  But, if you like simple, basic homestyle food, you can't beat the San Diego Chicken Pie Shop!

The Green Fly - Las Cuatro Milpas - San Diego

(All Images "borrowed" from the Internet)

(All images "borrowed" from the internet)

I just had to post this one and I can't wait until Thursday.

When I think of authentic Mexican food, the first place I think of is Las Cuatro Milpas in Barrio Logan in San Diego. This place is affectionately known to local law enforcement diners as "The Green Fly."

I was working at the San Diego Police Department back in the early 1990's and my supervisor, Gary Avery, took me to "The Green Fly" for lunch. With a name like "The Green Fly," you can't just let that go without asking, "Why do they call it The Green Fly?" Well, it's not really named that... it's a nickname that local law enforcement personnel call it. If I remember the story correctly, there used to be these huge green colored flies that hung around the restaurant and the nickname just stuck. It's not too appetizing of a nickname for a restaurant, don't you think?

Well, I have to tell you, this place is a definite "hole-in-the-wall" if I've ever seen one. Totally not what I would have thought to be a good restaurant. You can see in the photos I've "borrowed" from the web that the decoration there is non-existant. Not only that, you can see the kitchen when you are ordering your food because it's right out in the open! You have to wonder how this place can still be in business without being shut down for some kind of health code violation!

So having said all this, you would think this is probably the worst restaurant around right? WRONG! If you want totally authentic Mexican food at a ridiculously low price... this is the place to go! There is always a huge line of people waiting to get in. Why? Because the food is THAT GOOD and so is the price. I always thought that this is probably the safest place to have lunch because it seems every law enforcement agency is represented there for lunch! Police officiers, detectives, DA investigators, FBI, Sheriffs Deputies, CHP officers, you name it, they are there!

I had an email exchange with one of my friends from the San Diego Police Department this evening and this place just popped back in my mind. I could not remember the real name of this restaurant so I simply typed into Google a search for The Green Fly San Diego and the restaurant was found! Yes, even Google knows it's called The Green Fly! Do your own search for Las Cuatro Milpas San Diego and read all the wonderful reviews of this place. Very few people give it less than 4 or 5 stars out of 5 and that's so surprising considering the look of this place. But it's been around since the 1930's... so something has to be right about it!

If you are ever in San Diego go here for lunch. Get there early because you don't want to get stuck in the long line! Everything is good there, but I particularly like the buritos. Now I'm getting hungry!

My daughter went here with her friend in 2016.  They both loved it!  My daughter had heard me talking about this place all her life, so she just had to go.

For more great San Diego food, check out my post on the San Diego Chicken Pie Shop!

Here's my daughter's photos from 2016:

I've Been Really Tied Up These Past Few Days

Sorry to everyone who checked my blog for a post this past Monday and found nothing.

I've been extremely tied up working on the details of something and unfortunately can't share that here just yet. But it's a good thing and once I get the approval to share it, I will. Suffice it to say, it's something I'm going to really enjoy (I love my job!) and it will take me back to a place I been longing to be at for a long time.

Check back on Thursday for the next blog post. I promise to have something to post that day!

Dayna Malow

Dayna Malow is an up and coming country singer that I think you should know.

If you check her website, you will find that she grew up in Skokie, IL. Yes, that's local for us here in the Chicagoland area! While I suppose we all may wonder how a girl from the midwest could possibly sing country music, I have news for you... she does and does it well too!

Go to her website to hear for yourself. Dayna has streaming music running on her site and the songs are full versions of her latest CD. I became an instant fan after I checked out her site!

This evening, Dayna purchased a pair of speakers from me because I was selling them at a great price. While I continue to play live, I don't do it all that often anymore and so I wanted to sell the speakers while they were still popular. Dayna saw my ad and responded. She spent something like 30 seconds listening to them before saying, "I'll take them!" Fastest sale I've ever made! :)

Besides paying me more than I asked for them (I didn't have exact change for her and so we were off by $2.00) she also gave me a copy of one of her CD's! Wow, I made extra money and got a free gift as well! But stupidly, I forgot to have her autograph it for me. So I suppose one day, I'll have to surprise her at one of her concerts and get her to do that for me!

Dayna's website has her concert schedule as well. She's consistently booked, so that means she's in demand. That's great! She's even opened shows for such artists as Billy Ray Cyrus, The Doobie Brothers, John Hiatt, Alana Davis, Michael McDermott and Blake Shelton.

Thanks again to Dayna for the speaker purchase and the free CD. I'll return the favor with some photos one day!

Multitrack Recording on a Computer

After holding off for years, I've finally moved to multitrack recording on my computer.

I've always been one to prefer hardware for recording purposes. Having a mixer in front of me and an open-reel multi-track tape recorder at my side was the way I learned how to work in a studio. Years later, that equipment was replaced by an "all-in-one" digital workstation recorder. It still had a mixer and recorder, but it was all built-in as one unit. See my February 12, 2009 post on these recording items.

Now, I'm recording music using my computer and software designed to replace all of that hardware! While I have used my computer for years to work on forensic audio cases and to work on the final mix after recording on the digital workstation, I resisted doing multitrack work on the computer. Something about it just felt foreign to me because I always liked to put my hands on a mixer. With the recording program on the computer, everything is done on the keyboard or with a mouse. But to be fair, there are some mixers available that can be used in conjunction with computer software, but it just adds cost to something that can simply be done just with a computer. Luckily, the audio soundcard that I use for forensic audio work is of a high quality and works just fine for multitrack work as well.

I knew eventually, I would have to learn to record music via multitrack recording software, and so this weekend, through the encouragement of my daughter, I decided to do it. While I'm still a novice at it, I'm picking it up rather quickly because my years of working with recording hardware all applies to this method of recording as well. All the functions are the same as using actual hardware, but it does take a little time learning where everything is located. Wow, computer recording programs are very sophisticated! What would have taken up an entire control room with gear now resides in my desktop computer. That's a big plus!

The sound quality is top notch as well. I recall all the "tape hiss" I used to get from my old analog tape recorders and having to apply dbx noise reduction to control it. Not any more! Digital is so quiet that any noise you hear today is probably noise recorded through the microphone of the ambient room noise!

I had always hoped that one day I could work with 24 tracks but I never thought I'd be doing it on a computer. I had owned 4 track and 8 track equipment since I was a teenager and always wished for more tracks. Now I have more than 24 tracks at my disposal on the computer. This program has unlimited tracks, not just 24. Cool!

I'll keep you all informed when I finally have something recorded that's worth listening to!

Baby's First Picture

No Admittance

Saw these guys guarding a door today and couldn't pass up taking their photo. :)

Camera Image Sensor Cleaning

Last Friday, I set out to clean the image sensor on my Nikon D3 digital camera. I have cleaned my own image sensors for years and have never had any problems doing it. But these past cleanings were done on APS-C sensors (smaller sized sensors) on cameras like the Fuji S-5 Pro, Fuji S-3 Pro, Nikon D200, D100, etc.

The Nikon D3 is a "full-frame" camera which uses a much larger image sensor. This is one reason why my images today are so much sharper than my past images on the older cameras. But cleaning this larger sensor proved to be a lot more difficult than with the smaller APS-C sized sensors.

The full-frame "DX" sensors go from one edge to the other when the camera's mirror is retracted. This makes it very difficult to get a cleaning swab to cover every part of the sensor. I typically use a Pec Pad cleaning cloth dampened by a cleaning fluid called "Eclipse" which dries almost immediately. The Pec Pad is wrapped around the handle end of a plastic knife from Wendy's (yes, the hamburger place!)

What I found after numerous attempts to clean the D3 sensor was that the Eclipse fluid did not dry "cleanly" enough leaving behind "dried" residue. It was very faint by the naked eye, but when test shots were taken, you could clearly see the darkened "splotches" that the residue caused on the image. These were mostly gathered around the outer edges of the frame because it was difficult to manuver the cleaning pad near the edges. Very frustrating! On APS-C sized sensors, the sensor is small enough that one swipe from edge to edge could be made making it less likely to leave behind any fluid residue.

In the end, I found that I needed to clean the sensor with more wiping of the Pec Pads without fluid. The problem is that this "dry" cleaning could cause scratching on the sensor which could damage the sensor. Needless to say, I was a little nervous about this! Luckily, I did a good job and now the sensor looks nearly perfect.

The D3 does not have any built-in sensor cleaner and that's too bad. The newer D700 has this however. While the D3 is a model that's considered the "better" camera over the D700, the performance of the D700 does rival the D3. So if you want to get a camera that's easier to clean, get a D700!

It is also important to remember that before cleaning any sensor, be sure to blow off any loose dust with a bulb blower. NEVER blow air from your mouth! You could accidentally spray the sensor with spit and that would be disasterous to a sensor! Invest in a bulb blower. One came free (is anything really free?) with my Fuji S5 Pro cameras, and it works great!

HDR Image Vs. Standard JPG Image

Standard JPG Image

HDR Image

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It's a technique of creating a photographic image by combining several different exposures of the same scene into one image. Typically at least three images are combined... one exposed as indicated by an exposure meter to make a "proper" exposure and then one taken one full f-stop above and one taken at one full f-stop below the norm. While it is possible to make an HDR image look extremely dramatic, I believe the best HDR images make the scene look more natural.

In these examples, the first image is a standard image taken with the exposure settings indicated by my handheld exposure meter. The second image is an HDR image made from combining seven exposures into one. You can clearly see that the HDR image shows both the inside boardroom as well as the outside through the windows. Even the "shadow" areas are easier to see as well. Take a closer look at the details you can see of the chair closest to you. The standard JPG image exposes the inside scene nicely, but everything outside the window is totally "blown out." And, the chair closest to you has no details that you can see. It's just black. Now look under the table at the chair legs of the chair on the right. Which image can you see details? The HDR or the Standard JPG image?

Which image do you like better? Only the natural ambient light is used on these images. A flash was not used.

HDR images take a little more work (ok, a lot more) than a standard image. It requires multiple photos be taken and a lot more post production work to create the final image. But the results are often spectacular.

By the way, this is an image of the boardroom at my office. I meet my clients here as well as teach photography out of this room. Be sure to click on each image to take a closer look.

Me or I

It seems a lot of people don't know when to use the word "Me" or the word "I" in a sentence.

Too often, I hear people saying things like, "My mom and me went to the party." That's wrong. It should be, "My mom and I went to the party." People also say, "Me and my mom..." That's wrong too!

Or how about this one, "The party was for my Mom and I." That's wrong too. It should be, "The party was for my mom and me."

So what determines the right way to say something? Well, just think of what the sentence sounds like without the other person being in the sentence.

For instance, would you say, "Me went to the party" or would you say, "I went to the party?" The latter of course is correct. So by adding in your mom, it would then be proper to say, "My mom and I went to the party." By the way, you always put yourself LAST in the sentence, not first!

The same thing is correct with the other sentence. Would you say, "The party was for I" or would you say, "The party was for me?" Again, the latter is correct. So the proper sentence would be, "The party was for my mom and me."

I think people sometimes use the word "I" wrong simply because they think it sounds more "proper" to use I than me. That's just wrong.

So, I hope me have helped you. That's wrong too. :)

Is This Really Film?

Is this really film?

Think about it... if this was truly a strip of film, would it be a positive image or a negative image?

This was created from a series of digital images I photographed and then inserted into a template which creates the look of a film strip.

So no... this is not film... it's digital.

Is It Monday, Already???

You may be wondering where all my "new" photos are.

In the past couple of weeks, I've worked on a couple of new projects, but can't show the images because of nature of the photo shoots. Some are commercial and some are private sessions. As much as I would like to post these new photos here, I can't.

Sometimes as Mondays and Thursdays come along, I struggle trying to come up with something interesting to post for my blog readers when the past week has generated some interesting photos, but I can't show them.

So considering that, let's just talk cameras!

Recently, I have been doing quite a bit of tutoring of new photographers at my office. Each have different cameras... Nikon, Canon and Sony and of course, each have different models from these three companies. While most of the things I teach can be applied to any camera, finding the way to do it on each camera is different.

I am spoiled now that I shoot with a Nikon D3. Being Nikon's top-of-the-line camera, the D3 has just about everything you can imagine in terms of features. (OK, the D3x is technically Nikon's best camera, but it's exactly the same as the D3 in terms of features, except it costs $3000 more and has 24.5 megapixels instead of 12.1 MP. But it is a slower camera than the D3 and it has lousy "high-iso" compared to the D3... it's not designed for the wedding or portrait photographer or for a sports photographer, it's a studio camera really.)

What I noticed is that the basic camera offerings from these companies make you do a little more work to get a similar result. Whereas I can find virtually anything I want to do on a Nikon D3 fairly quickly, I need to go into the "menu" system of the other cameras to accomplish a similar task. Some cameras may not even have as complete of a series of options either.

This is why the big cameras cost what they do. While there is some cost involved in making such a rugged camera in these high-end price ranges, other cost factors involve including convenience features and having more in-depth options to make the camera more precise.

Some cameras offer features that aren't really necessary too. I've noticed that many of the lower priced cameras offer various "automatic" modes which can easily be accomplished manually or by just knowing what to do to get the same effect. So I suppose you can say that these lower-priced cameras offer some convenience features not found on a top-of-the-line camera. Can you get the same effect though if you know how to manipulate your camera? You sure can. But for the amateur, it's often easier to let the camera make the decision.

What I find that is a common thing among my students is many of them come from a "point and shoot" background. Graduating to a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera often requires you to really learn about photography in order to get a good photo. Sometimes, the point and shoot camera's photos come out BETTER than the DSLR camera's photos simply because the camera is making all the decisions. Having a more expensive camera does not guarantee good pictures all the time! To get that, you need to set up the camera properly. There are more controls to mess with to get a good result and that takes a little bit of "know how."

I think all photographers who move to a DSLR for the first time would benefit from a basic photography class. Knowing what various lenses do to a photo or when to change the shutter speed or bump up the ISO rating can make a big difference in your end results. What my students often find out after their first lesson with me is that there is a lot more "thinking" involved in making a quality photo! But once you have the basics down pat, you no longer really think, but rather react. It becomes natural and instinctive. But you can't get to that point without a lot of practice.

OK... now what do I write about on Thursday? :)

The Funk Brothers - Motown's Studio Musicians

Everyone knows Motown.

Berry Gordy's record company popped out hit after hit of songs that are still popular today. Songs like, "My Girl," "Get Ready," "Baby Love," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," "What's Going On," and "Mercy, Mercy Me." The groups were unforgettable too... "Gladys Knight and the Pips," "The Supremes," "The Four Tops," "The Temptations," and of course who can forget artists like, "Marvin Gaye," "Stevie Wonder," and "Smokey Robinson & The Miracles."

But have you ever wondered who were the musicians behind many of these big named artists?

The Funk Brothers were the guys who played on more number one hit records than The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles combined. But nobody's ever heard of them, right? Well, that's because they were studio musicans. They played all of the instruments behind the big names. So while you may not know their names, you know their music because it is music that you continue to hear today on the radio and TV.

Here are their names: Earl Van Dyke, Joe Hunter, Johnny Griffith, Eddie Willis, Joe Messina, Robert White, William "Benny" Benjamin, Richard "Pistol" Allen, Uriel Jones, James Jamerson, Bob Babbit, Jack Ashford, and Eddie "Bongo" Brown. These were the guys who recorded all the great music you remember from the Motown era.

If you get a chance, go get a copy of the video called, "Standing in the Shadows of Motown." It's the story of these guys.

Growing up, I remember hearing all these great Motown tunes on the radio. I even bought the 45's of the hits. As a musician, I've always been aware of the studio players. While other friends would only look at the names of the artists on the cover, I'd always go to the back of the LP covers and check out the names of the people who played on the record. I could consistently see the same names of players from one record to the next. But even so, for some reason, I never paid any attention to the names of the players on the Motown label! And, I had grown up listening to virtually every top song that label produced too!

Go around and ask anyone if they have ever heard of the names of the artists from Motown. I'll bet you'd have a hard time finding someone who doesn't know at least one or two Motown artists. Then ask them who played the music for them. I'll bet they won't know.

These are among the best studio players around. Check 'em out!

Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence happens a lot. It may just be small shove or a full out assault, it's wrong.

When I worked for the District Attorney's Office in San Diego County many years ago, I recall working on cases in which domestic violence occurred. It's not often that these cases go to trial either. Why? Because often the person who has been victimized won't press charges against the person who did the abuse! Where we might think it is the natural progression to move forward to stop the abuse, surprisingly, many do not do it.

I once went to take photographs of a domestic violence victim as ordered by the Deputy DA assigned to the case. The DA investigator and I arrived at the hospital and I took all the supporting photographs needed for the case. The victim was telling the investigator about what had happened. She was beaten by her husband. It wasn't pretty.

After we were done and we were heading down in the elevator, the investigator said to me, "Thanks for taking the pictures. But you do realize it will probably never be used, don't you?" I asked why. "Well, the case most likely won't even make it to court because the victim is probably going to go back to her husband and drop the charges."

I couldn't believe it! After taking such a brutal beating, the victim would drop the charges? But it was true. It never made it to court. The investigator knew that often, the victim will go back to the abusive relationship. It's just hard to comprehend.

However, in some cases, the victim does go forward and presses charges. Some also will divorce the abuser too. To me, that makes the most sense. Don't be afraid. If you are being abused... do something about it. Don't wait until it's too late.

No Vacancy

My brother-in-law came over this morning to help me build and install a screen to fit over the attic fan opening where our furry friend the squirrel had entered in the past. So now it's "NO VACANCY" for squirrels looking for a free place to stay.

We built a frame out of wood secured by metal corner L brackets and then covered it with a metal screen. The final product was then jammed into the opening of the vent area.

Not a bad job, if I say so myself! Thanks Ed! :)

Deportation or Relocation?

POE (Point of Entry)

The vent on the other side of the house

Recently, we had a visitor who decided to make a home in our attic.

We could hear him walking around in the attic. At first, he would stay directly over our bedroom area. Then he got braver and moved further because I could hear him walking around over one of the other bedrooms.

No matter what I did to try to scare him off, he stayed.

I'm in no condition to go up into the attic. Besides, we had blown in a lot of insulation in there just a few years back. I didn't want to deal with that mess. Besides, I didn't know what the visitor was... it could have been anything. Ghosts? Nah... Animal(s)? Most likely.

I called several animal control companies and the cost was pretty high to get them to remove an animal. There's an initial cost to come out to inspect and set a trap... outside. None of the companies seemed to want to set the trap inside! Then there's another fee to remove the animal once it's in the outside trap. We'd have to monitor the trap daily and then call to get the company to come out to remove the animal.

I thought long and hard about whether to hire one of these companies to come out to set a trap... but in the end, I could not get myself to pay so much money to take out a single animal. My gut feeling was that it was a squirrel. The opening by our attic fans is only large enough for something the size of a squirrel or smaller could get into.

Well, I had trapped several squirrels in the past who had gotten into our eves by chewing through our roof tiles and the old plywood. The roof was old and it needed a full tear off and replacement which we did less than two years ago. We saw the damage those animals did too. Luckily, it didn't go into the attic itself. But this new intruder got into the attic. Most likely, he crawled in through the attic fan area of our home, on the side of our bedroom. The other side, looks like it's totally sealed off as you can see in the photo above, but the one near the bedroom doesn't seem to have anything covering it. So on Friday, my brother-in-law and I are going to seal that opening up.

I set the trap on the ground near the attic fan area, and in two days, I had a squirrel. I baited this squirrel and the ones in the past with peanut butter. If you ever need to bait a squirrel use peanut butter. Works great!

Once he was inside and stepped on the trap release, the door closes behind him and he's trapped. It's the most humane way to do it. Each of the squirrels I've trapped have been relocated (or deported if you want to look at it that way) into the forest preserves a couple of miles from my home. Once you open up the trap door, they usually run to the nearest tree. This one was no different. I should have taken a photo of the trapped squirrel, but I was too anxious to get him out of the trap and totally forgot to take a photo of him. Sorry!

Afterwards, I had to wonder if I caught the right animal because the trap was set on the ground, not 14 to 15 feet above ground, where the attic fan is located. After several days of listening, I don't hear the sounds of anything walking around up in the attic, so I'm pretty sure we got the right culprit.

Now after we seal off the fan opening on Friday, if I hear any more walking around up in the attic, we'll have to call Ghostbusters, because I don't know how to catch one of those...

The Fairlanes Rock Gino's East

The Fairlanes took Gino's East - Lake Zurich by storm, rocking out tunes from the 50's through the 80's.

The group has an obvious following as witnessed by the numerous fans who turned out to hear them play. Not only did Gino's East have new patrons who may not have heard them play before, but an entire group of Fairlane fanatics were there as well. Obviously, there must be something to their performances that command that kind of dedication!

Also interesting is the fact that their drummer is a woman! Not often do you see or hear that, and drummer Gail Allen did not fail to lay down a solid backbeat for the rest of the band to play with. Keyboardist Dan Boulos, Guitarist Greg Nashan, Bassist Sam Mulvey and vocalist Jim Fletcher easily filled in the rest of the sound and together, they covered tune after tune of memorable music.

This group plays a lot... so get out there and check them out! (Be sure to click on each photo for a closer look!)

Etch-A-Sketch

Some friends and I were discussing Etch-A-Sketch recently. I thought it would be funny to show up to a wedding one day without my camera and just bring an Etch-A-Sketch and announce, "I'm ready to do your pictures!" I wonder how well that would go over... No? How about just showing up with a cell phone in hand and saying the same thing? Better?

My Best Report Card in Elementary School

This is my second grade report card. While you may wonder why someone who got so many "E" marks would be proud, consider that the Chicago Public School system (at least back then) didn't use the ABCDF system. Instead, they used the EGFU system. This means, Excellent, Good, Fair and Unsatisfactory. (Math and Reading also have grade levels which use an A through I rating... it's easy to confuse that with the grade, however. I think they should have come up with a different lettering scheme to differentiate it more.)

After second grade, I was "double promoted" into fourth grade. I skipped third grade.

I asked a number of my former classmates who had double promoted with me what they thought about being double promoted. Looking back, was it a good idea? It seems only I felt it was. Everyone else didn't.

Skipping third grade put all of us at a disadvantage both academically and also socially. A lot of foundational material in subjects like math and science is covered in third grade. And, being one year younger than everyone else, socially we may not have been ready as well. But for me, I adapted to the situation around the fifth grade. I did struggle in the fourth grade though. My grades dropped and for that I wasn't happy. But by the fifth grade, I think I had caught up. Socially, where others did not feel they fit in, I was ok with it. I didn't mind being a year younger than the other people in my classes, and quite frankly, most never knew either.

Would I do it again if I were given the chance? Yes! All of the others (so far) have said no. Would I allow my own daughter to do it if she had the chance? No. Double standard? Maybe. Although I was ok with it, that doesn't mean everyone would be. Why take the chance? (Be sure to click on the image to get a closer look.)

So Why Do Photos Cost So Much?

Look at the post I did below on Pro Shots versus Snap Shots.

If I were to sell the photo below, perhaps I might ask for $20 for an 8x10. Or maybe I'd ask for $50. Or $100. There is no set standard for selling a photograph.

So why do photos cost so much?

Well, consider this:

1. The equipment used to take that photo cost a lot of money. It was done with pro quality gear.
2. Training. I've had years of training which cost a lot of money. College classes, seminars, etc.
3. Experience. It took years of taking photos to know how to compose and expose properly.
4. Printing. Pro printing isn't necessarily all that cheap. Doing it at a drug store might be though, but the quality isn't always there.
5. Parking, gas, entrance fees. Sometimes this plays a factor in even getting the shot.
6. Access. Sometimes you need a pro photographer's credentials even to get the shot.
7. Time. Time is money and sometimes you have to wait around just to take the photo.
8. Advertising. Can't sell anything if nobody knows you are trying to sell it.
9. Other vendors. At times a stylist, hair dresser, or make up artist might be needed. $$
10. Other Overhead. Pros often have studios or offices that require rent. That is expensive.
11. Errors and Omissions Insurance. Costly, but protects the clients.
12. General Liability Insurance. Protects the pro, but also costs money.

These are just some factors as to why photos cost what they do. It's sometimes more than you might think. If you think, "It's just a picture! Why does it cost so much?" Now you know.

Can A Pro Shoot A Simple Snapshot?

St. Louis Science Center

Can a pro photographer shoot a simple snapshot? Sure! To me, this is a simple snapshot. But to others, this is a pro shot.

I suppose you can say that because the image is properly exposed and the composition is pleasing, there had to be some kind of thought made before the shot was taken. So does that qualify this as a simple snapshot?

Some people believe a snapshot is simply that... a quick snap of the shutter release. No thinking, no nothing. What typically is used for snapshots is a "point and shoot" camera... you know, the ones you can put in your shirt pocket. But what about this shot? It was taken with a Fuji S5 Pro digital Single Lens Reflex camera with a Tamron 17-50 mm f 2.8 lens. The camera was "set up" to optimize for ambient light photography... auto white balance, auto ISO, aperture priority exposure, fast camera lens.

So is this truly a snapshot?

With a point and shoot camera, most likely the built-in flash would have been used for a shot like this. That would have made the shot look totally different. A bright light in the front would have lit the kids in the foreground just fine, but the background would have been totally darkened. With this shot, the lighting is even throughout because the existing ambient light was relied upon. It looks natural and it looks basically like what the true scene was in real life.

So is this truly a snapshot?

To me, this is a snapshot. I shot it fast. I didn't think much about it. I didn't spend more than perhaps 3 seconds to stop, aim and fire. While you may argue that I was equipped with a camera with more capabilities than the typical person might have with him for a vacation shot, it's still a snapshot... to me.

If this is a snapshot, then what would this shot have looked like if it were a "pro shot?" Well, perhaps I would have hired professional models. Then maybe I would have positioned them in the photo so that each person had a specific reason to be there. Maybe I would have played with changing the lighting by adding additional lights or reflectors so that the kids in the front would not be so dark in the photo. And maybe I would have thought more about the composition.

With all that effort to take a shot, I'd consider that a pro shot.

This is a snapshot... to me at least. But it's not a bad snapshot at all, for 3 seconds worth of effort. It took me a lot longer to write this post than it did to take the shot. (Click on the photo to get a closer look.)

What Have I Been Up To Lately?

Since finding my former classmates on Facebook, I've been reminiscing about all the fun times we had growing up. It almost seems like we never were apart, but it's been something like 38 years!

I am excited at the thought of seeing them all again. We plan to do some kind of reunion soon.

While some of us had fuzzy memories, others filled them in for us and the memories came back. Still others had great memories and even remembered names of other classmates. Lots of stories have been told already and some even were a bit shocking.

Still the jokester, I could not help but insult each and every one of them. Luckily, they are all taking it well. No death threats against me... yet. :)

Recently, I had a problem with my knee and so I'm now resting and hanging out at the computer. With all that "free time" sitting around, I could not help but write a bunch of things on the Facebook site. Hopefully, none of it will come back to haunt me in the future because as we all know, things said in cyberspace stays there forever. And photos posted remain as well.

So that's what's been happening lately. Sorry, no photos to post today. When my knee feels better, I'll be sure to make up for that and post a bunch of things for everyone to see.

Friends from Grade School Contact Me!

Grover Cleveland Elementary School

Yesterday, I was contacted by two of my past friends from grade school! I have not seen these two old friends in something like 37 or 38 years! Being back in contact with them brought back so many memories.

You see, these two dear old friends and I had gone through most of our grade school classes together. We all "double promoted" from 2nd grade straight to the 4th grade. Essentially, we skipped 3rd grade and went directly to 4th. And yet another friend of mine (who also has been in contact with these two friends and me) skipped not only 3rd grade, but also 7th grade as well.

It seems the internet does indeed put old friends together again. I can honestly say that without the internet, I cannot think of another way to easily get back in contact with people. Technology is amazing!

Both of my old friends are people who attended Grover Cleveland Elementary School in Chicago. We grew up together and experienced the same things that only childhood schoolmates can. Just talking over the old times, I am remembering more and more about being at the age of 5 to 11. It's surprising how much I still remember from that time period. But my other friend Randy, has an even better memory... for names! Whereas I could remember the kids from my old class photos, he remembers their names too!

I hope that one day we can all get together again. One of my friends actually lives in the same suburb as me! We just have to get together one day!

I'm very glad to be back in contact with them. Who knows, in time, perhaps we can locate our other classmates as well. (Edit note: I was just in contact with yet another friend this morning! That's three in the course of less than 24 hours!)

Chicago Chinatown 5K Run - July 11, 2009

This girl has the right idea.

This is the only way that I could do a 5K run too..

Being pushed in a stroller!

Don't leave after the main race. The kids have one of their own!

(Photos from the July 11, 2009 Chinatown 5k Run are now on-line at www.russlowe.instaproofs.com)

It's been a couple of years since the last Chicago Chinatown 5K Run was held. I had the opportunity to photograph one in 2005. Today, I got an email announcing that this race will once again be held in 2009! Besides the big race for grown-ups, they also hold a quarter-mile Youth Run for ages 6 to 10.

This year's prizes include a Ninendo Wii and Apple iPod Nano.

I've been to two of these races in the past. No, I didn't run... but I did help out. It's fun to see everyone getting ready before the race and then standing right up in the front to take photos of the runners at the starting line. Then, as the race progresses, it's just a short wait before we see the first runners coming in to the finish line. Wow! These guys are fast!

If you've ever wanted to try a race, this is a good one to do. It's 5K, so it is relatively quick. As a spectator, you aren't waiting around a long time for the runners to return either. And the best part? Well... hey, it's Chinatown! After the race, think about all the great restaurants and shops you can go to afterwards! :)

Click here to see the details of the upcoming race! Photographers... how about meeting in Chinatown to do a photojournalistic coverage of the event? Who's up for it? Currently, I'm not booked for a wedding that date. So there's a good chance I could be there this year!

Tutoring Sessions Going Strong

I never realized that so many people wanted help with their photography until I put a small ad on Craigslist to see if anyone wanted my help.

I don't charge a lot for this help... and it seems that my students have all benefited from this little bit of help. I had a couple of my students tell me that they had learned more in one 3 hour session with me than some full day seminars they attended. I think that's because I concentrate on areas that my students need the most help. And, they are getting individualized attention.

Too often today, many people who buy a digital camera want to become a professional photographer. You wouldn't believe how many people come up to me and say, "I just bought a new digital camera and I'd like to get some business taking photos for people!" Unfortunately, I've seen some of the photos that these "wanna-bees" produce and they are far from professional. That's not to say they can't be improved. A little training goes a long way.

Still, some others who buy a new D-SLR don't want to be a pro, they just want to be able to take good photos for vacation or other family events. That's great! I'm always glad to help someone try to take better photos.

If you or someone you know could benefit from some training, email me or call me. I'd be happy to see if I can help. While most of my students have preferred to get one-on-one training, I'd like to see if some others might want to save a few dollars and try a classroom training of perhaps 4 or 5 people instead. Spread the word!

John Hersey High School Orchesis - Feb 26-29

Images taken with a Nikon D3 and Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR lens

Starting tonight, John Hersey High School Orchesis will be presenting their annual dance show.

I had the opportunity to photograph them this year and got some great shots! During their practices on Monday and Tuesday, I shot nearly 4000 images. Why so many? Well, the first day was done for me to get an idea of what to expect during the show. Many of those shots were done "wide" so that I could review the images and see what to shoot the next day. So on Tuesday, I shot "tighter" and got more close ups.

Often in events like these, a lot of images are taken. That's not to say all images are good! We're looking for the few that stand out and often that's done within milliseconds in timing. So while a grouping of images are taken of a given scene, perhaps one will be a "keeper" out of the bunch.

These two images are examples of what you can expect to see at the show. Come out to Arlington Heights, IL and see the show yourself! The shows startat 7:30 PM. My daughter choreographed several of the dances too!

St. Louis Science Center

This museum reminded me of a combination of the Museum of Science and Industry and The Field Museum (both from Chicago.) In fact, the "Sue" dinosauer exhibit was being shown here when I went to visit last week. Well, the real Sue is probably still in Chicago, but a traveling version was in St. Louis last week.

Definitely a facility designed more for children perhaps in the middle school age, the Science Center still had interesting things in it for the adults too. Lots of hands-on exhibits besides just static displays, the Science Center offered a lot for free. Parking was $8, but that's still reasonable.

All images were taken with a Fuji S5 Pro camera and a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 lens.

Godin - Multiac Grand Concert Duet

This is the guitar I usually go to when playing a solo live.

I prefer to play nylon-stringed guitars when playing smooth jazz tunes and the Godin works great in a live setting. Since there isn't a large sound hole in the guitar, the chance for feedback is slim. But this guitar is "chambered" internally. The pickup is an LR Baggs Duet system which is controlled by one of the sliders on the top of the guitar. The other sliders control volume and tone. You can even null out problem feedback frequencies by using the notch filter and/or phase switch.

The guitar is set up like a standard classical guitar with a 2" nut width and a neck to body connection at the 12th fret.

Besides being powered by a battery, the guitar can also be phantom powered with 48 Volts from your PA mixer via a mic cable instead of the standard guitar cable with a 1/4" plug. This allows constant power without fear of a battery draining out.

While it does look a little different than most classical guitars, it plays very well and sounds great when plugged-in. The body is just a little thicker than a typical electric guitar, but much thinner than an acoustic. Plays well and sounds great with lots of control over the tone of the guitar!

Fingerprints and the Polaroid MP4 Copy Camera

 (Image found on the internet)

Polaroid MP4 Copy Camera

(Image found on the internet)

I recall when I was first interning as an Evidence Technician that I was tasked to take some photos of any fingerprints I found on some evidence I had just recently dusted for fingerprints. The camera that we used in the crime lab for this function was the Polaroid MP4 copy camera. This huge camera system was mounted to a copy stand which had incandescent lights positioned to eliminate as many reflections as possible.

The camera could take both standard Polaroid photos as well as take photos with large 4"x5" sheet film (large format film.) For this work, I was asked to take the shots with 4x5 film.

Being new at all of this work, I didn't know at the time what constituted a "good" fingerprint from a bad one. I was, after all, just a new intern. So every smudge I found, I photographed. I must have taken 50 or 60 shots. Well, after the film was developed, my supervisor called me over to tell me that not a single shot I took was worth taking! He explained to me that there were certain qualities in the fingerprints that needed to be there in order to make any kind of identification. Often in court, fingerprint examiners will be asked by the defense attorney, "How many points are needed to have an identification?" This is a difficult thing to answer, but in general, I'd say you'd need around 9 points to make a decent identification. But some experts can do it with less.

Back to my story... None of the prints I found on the evidence had a significant amount of points to make an ID. Most were just smudges. Totally worthless. I had basically wasted 50 to 60 sheets of 4"x5" film. That was expensive and time consuming! I felt awful!

But my supervisor said that everyone who comes through the lab makes this same mistake. In the hopes of catching a criminal, interns without any experience will document anything and everything. While it was a costly mistake to make, I learned an important lesson that day. Take photos of only the prints that had a chance to be identified. This meant that even though I was not a Fingerprint Examiner, I had to make the decision in the field as to which fingerprints found would actually get sent to the fingerprint examiner to examine!

From that point on, I made sure I learned more about what was considered a "good print" from a "bad one." You can find all sorts of "bad" prints on evidence. But it's always exciting when you find a good one and it get's identified. Yes, my work in the crime lab has sent criminals to prison. I did that even when I was just a lowly intern. By the way, it would be a terrific find to get a print on a piece of evidence that had the kind of ridge detail that you see in the image above. That would be an incredible find! Most likely you'd only get a small portion of a print and chances are it would not be as "clean" as you see it above. FYI: fingerprints are catagorized as "Whirls," "Loops," and "Arches." What kind of print would you call the one above?

Film

Kodak Portra Film

Years ago, I shot only with film. That's because that's all we had before digital!

Kodak VPS film, later replaced by the Kodak Portra series of film was what I used to shoot weddings and any work I needed which might want to be retouched. The film had a great lattitude allowing me to be "off" in my exposures and still be able to be brought back to full image quality.

But when digital became a medium where the average professional photographer could afford it, I moved to the new format. Still, film was something that was familiar and comfortable to me. But I haven's shot a single frame of film in many years.

While film has it's following, I've long abandoned it. I recall when my family used to own a stereo store, when Compact Discs first came out, all the high-end audiophiles panned it. "Too bright! Too Sterile sounding! It doesn't have the warmth of analog!" Yeah, we heard it all. But some of what was said was true. CD's did sound a tad too bright... initially. But as producers got more familiar with the new format, and new technologies were being developed to help tame the new digital format, the CD became accepted. Still, analog vinyl enthusiasts still exist and people still buy high-end turntables, cartridges, pre-amps and vinyl recordings (if they can find good copies.)

Is this what's happening in film as well? Are the only ones still using film the "die hard" enthusists? Yes and no. Many commercial photographers still shoot in film. There's a certain "film quality" that exists and it's hard to capture the same look with digital. But for most practical purposes, digital has taken over. It's easier to shoot and delete images you don't want or need and it doesn't cost you any extra money. With film, every frame you shoot is costing you money. So should film be abandoned simply because of cost? I don't think so.

If you want a certain "look" to your images, film can be the answer. If you like to shoot a lot and don't want to spend for every shot you take, digital is the way to go. So why not move totally to digital and forget film? Well, film is a totally different animal compared to digital. You can overexpose a shot with film and be just fine. If you do that with digital, the details will be gone and you can't get it back. With film if you underexpose a shot, it will print up looking "muddy." If you underexpose a little with digital, chances are, you can make it look just fine in Photoshop.

It's totally opposite with film compared to digital! Schools still teach film. If you take a photography class, there's a good chance you'll be taught film. They'll teach you the basics of photography and they'll teach you how to develop B&W film. Why? Well, it's a good way to see and learn the fundamentals of photography. Too often, people today buy digital cameras and all of a sudden, they think they are now pros in photography. I hate to tell you, but it takes a lot more than just a new shiny camera to be a pro. Learning the basics is very important. And there's no better way to learn than to be forced to shoot on a medium where you can't immediately see the results (unlike digital which have LCD screens on the back of the camera for instant gratification.) And, having to learn to develop film and printing a good image using "burning and dodging" techniques will teach you the fundamentals of what makes a good image.

Today, I use all the things I've learned in the past with film and film developing and printing when I work with digital. I try to get the best exposures I can and then I "fix" things in Photoshop by using the knowledge of what looks good when I used to shoot in film. Had I not had the experience of learning to develop and print in B&W and Color films, I don't think I would be as good a photographer today. Other photographers have commented to me that I know so much about the technical aspects of photography. Well, that's just because I come from the "old school of film." You'd be surprised how many of today's photographers have never shot in film! They went straight to digital! That's ok, but there still something about having first learned with film that is so satisfying.