Meet Garrett

Our new grandson Garrett arrived yesterday to be greeted by much love and a flurry of picture taking. He didn't really care, just happy with a dry bottom and a bottle of formula.
I took a 35-70mm, thinking that would be plenty long. Grandma Sue brought her 70-200mm. We ended up swapping lenses from time to time. That is her in the photo above with her D300, Daddy Thomas in in the background. Our daughter Tracy is showing Ann's mom Nancy some photos on a small Nikon.

This photo of Thomas I had in my mind for a week, baby Garrett in the nursery waiting to go to Mama Ann. The foot was too good to pass up, yhis was one I borrowed Sue's 70-200 for.
Proud Grandmothers Deborah and Sue beaming with the new arrival.
I am sure in the coming weeks, you will all be saying "Oh no, more baby photos." I will try to contain myself, but bear with me.
Thanks for all the wonderful thoughts and comments both here and on Facebook.

Baby Time

I have posted a couple of pictures of my children, Thomas and Tracy, when they were children. Thomas is 29 now, and Tracy about to be 26.

Bless them, they grew up in front of cameras. Both their mom, Sue, and I are photographers, so they got a double dose. Some really pretty, some pretty odd.

Tracy made the comment several years ago that no one else has family pictures like our family. Not sure exactly how she meant that.

Tomorrow we welcome a new generation, Alexander Garrett Gilleland. Thomas and his sweet and beautiful wife Ann are having their first child, My first grandchild.

Deborah and I are really excited.

I am sure he will have plenty of photos taken over the next few years, and some will show up here. So, be warned.

Spreading a Little Joy

I spent Friday Morning covering the Peach County Special Olympics. What a joy

to watch. The kids who are participating have so much fun. The volunteers who are helping out seem to have even more fun.

My first photo was of Daniel Floyd getting a boost from volunteer Clyde Campbell.

Daniel was a bit short for the full size goal, so Clyde lifted him onto his shoulders while he was shooting hoops. Daniel was thrilled. Clyde was having a blast. Later I saw Clyde lifting other children, and enjoying just as much with each kid.

I later photographed Jeames Lincoln(yes, an odd spelling) shooting free throws. He would crouch down really low, and then spring off the ground. Priceless expression each time. So determined.

I only hope my pictures brighten someone’s day in amounts equal to the pleasure I had shooting them.

Rock on.

Redwing Blackbirds

I was out east of Fort Vaalley on Highway 96 this afternoon and came upon one of those wonderful sights you see each year. Thousands of redwing blackbirds were in fields at Fenster Farms. Some were out in the fields, and a huge bunch were frolicking in a water hole. The water is really just a huge puddle where water collects any time we have a bunch of rain.

I had to stop and get out the camera. Wish I has something loner than a 300mm today. They wouldn't let me get too close.

Another Rave For Technology

I shot my first basketball game of the year last Friday night. It was in the gym at Peach County High. Also was my first basketball game with the D90. Peach County is a great gym to shoot in, except for the light. It is really dark.

There was no way to shoot decent available light back in the old film days. I could shoot available light with the D200 and barley make it work. That was 3200 ISO. The images featured some horrible color and lots of noise.

The D90 makes it work. The top image is with the D90. The bottom is from the D200. Both are from Friday night. The boys photo is with the D90 at 6400 ISO, shot 1/320 second at f2.8. The girls photo is with the D200 at 3200 ISO, exposure is 1/250 second at f2.8.

A world of difference.

Technology, Ya gotta Love It

Wow, this really ages me. This was a guy in the Macon Airport using his laptop. I think this is a Macintosh Portable. The photo is slugged as being from 1986, but I think that date is a few years too early, more like '89.

Got me to thinking about how far we have come with photography. From 1850 until the 1990's photography really stayed the same. Sure, cameras and lenses got better, film continued to get better and better. The process was still the same, silver based, wet, film and paper.

We moved into the digital age slowly. First step for most of us was shooting film and scanning it into the computer. Then digital cameras. The first good DSLR I used was a Kodak DSC620. I carried two of them for several years, and have the shoulder and neck pains to prove it.
Not a huge file, had a really small buffer, shoot more than five or six frames in a burst, and you were shut down til they uploaded.

Good quality images. At 800 ISO already better than film. Now we are shooting 6400 ISO and getting great images.

Bought a D90 last year. Wonderful little camera, great color. Doesn't break my neck.
But I still miss my Tri-X some days,

The Geyser

We had a bit of excitement in our small town today. A tractor-trailer backed over a fireplug, creating a geyser on Main Street. By the time I got to the scene, the water had backed up from the storm drain, curb deep and reaching about four or five feet out into the street.
To get the picture I wanted, there way no way to avoid wet feet. At least the temperature today ws back up above 40 degrees.

I shot my first photos normally, using a higher shutter speed since I was out in sunshine. The shutter speed was high enough to stop the spray, making a sort of lacy look. I decided to try shooting slow enough to catch the flow of the water, A smoother look to the spray. I dropped my ISO back to 100, and was able to to get an exposure of 1/20 at f29. The top photo was with the slower shutter speed, the bottom photo with the higher.

No Photograph Today

This is my first post with no photograph. Just wanted to put this out there.

Last week I was traveling between assignments when I spotted a man picking up pecans alongside Highway 96. Wonderful photo opportunity, the main photo was obvious. A really wide shot of this lone figure under the huge bare pecan trees. Then a tight shot from down low of him gathering pecans and dropping them in his bucket.
I parked and got out with my cameras. The man retreated to his truck. I walked over and introduced myself and explained my purpose for interrupting his work.
He told me he recognized my name and enjoyed seeing my pictures. He went on to explain that he was going through a rough patch right now. He is a construction worker hit by the economy. His mom died recently and he had to take care of her expenses. He lost his apartment and the last several nights he spent in his pickup. The owner of the pecan trees told him he could pick up pecans and sell them.
He was very embarrassed by his current circumstances, and asked that I not take his picture. I told him I really wanted to photograph him and tell his story, but I said okay, I understand.
The man went on to say that although he was having a hard time now, he knew God was looking out for him. He was thankful for the chance to make a little money with the pecans.
It is not uncommon for me to shoot a picture that touches me, that leaves an emotional mark on my heart. This time it was the photo that I didn’t shoot that had a strong effect on me. Should I have pushed a little harder? I don’t think so. Not this time.
But he is in my prayers. The least that I can do.

More Ice

I was headed to Perry this morning, driving down Main Street when I saw the ice hanging from the fountain. Had to stop and take a picture or two.

I know I just posted an ice photo, but I just can’t help it. Maybe its because I am from the South, and don’t have the opportunity to do many ice photos.

I shot all of these with really strong backlight, the best way to shoot ice. The ice comes alive with the light shining through. Another thing with ice photos is to keep the background a clean as possible. Dark works good, and you can use the reflections in the ice to give separation from the background.

Coldest Day of The Year

This morning was cold, the coldest morning of the year. Doesn’t sound like a big deal since this is only January 4, I know. Still something I thought should be recorded, duly noted in a photograph.

I looked around earlier and didn’t find anything that struck my fancy. Later in the morning I traveled to Byron for an assignment I set up last week. On the way I noticed a lot of ice shining in the sun. Looked like someone had left their sprinkler on over night.

I do love photos of ice with a bit of sunshine showing. Thought this one turned out okay. Really like the way the blades of grass show green through the ice.

Happy New Year.