photos from this century

I love being off. I couldn’t tell you what I’ve done so far on my vacation, except that it hasn’t involved leaving town. Like it was supposed to. We were going up to West Virginia, but we seem to have decided not to do that. It’s going to get colder, and now we’re thinking perhaps a spring drive in a few weeks to the falling-down-ruins-town of Pocahontas would be a better idea. So we’re just hanging out in town.

Yesterday and today were very pretty and springlike, and I’ve spent them wandering around with the EOS taking a whole bunch of pictures. I’m trying to learn how to use the manual controls. I bought a book (okay, I admit I bought an Idiots Guide to SLR Digital Cameras) and practically the first thing he says is "serious photographers never ever ever use the automatic settings – NEVER!!!! So I think, ummmmm, maybe I better figure out the manual controls. I’ve been studiously plowing through it. Unfortunately the numbers and settings and fractures and exposures and what have you all just start whirling around uselessly in my head, and I can never ever remember what you set at a higher number and what you set at a lower number and what dial makes it do this or that. I had this same problem with my film camera – I never could remember what apperature meant or what f-stops are (I think they’re the same thing) or how this thing makes that thing happen…. I just messed with the dials until I liked what I saw, then I took the picture. And I usually was happy with the result.

So today I just twirled dials. The book – combined with the manual – made enough sense to give me a vague idea of what dials to twirl, so that’s what I did. Taking ten gazillion pictures to compare. And as it turns out I liked a lot of the ones that I fiddled around with the controls on, and most of them did turn out better than the just plain old automatic settings. Even though I basically had no idea what I was doing. And I love messing with dials – that’s one thing I’ve really missed about my film camera. That and the snapping shutter sound, which this one makes too, and is very satisfying.

So that’s been about it, along with scanning the old pictures and reading Raise High The Roofbeam Carpenters which I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to read again. Brought on, I’m sure, by liking the Darjeeling Limited so much and finding out Wes Anderson was heavily influenced by JD Salinger who I adore.

I also decided to watch the two movies by him that I haven’t seen – Bottle Rocket and Rushmore. I thought Bottle Rocket was pretty recent, but it was 1996. Rushmore was 1998 and we watched it last night. Or, more accurately, tried to watch it. I very very rarely give up on a movie – I’ll watch pretty much anything to the bitter end once I start it – but after 45 minutes or so Baker B decided he’d rather play on the computer, and I endured it for 15 or 20 more minutes and finally realized all I was doing was wondering how much longer it was going to drag on and I didn’t care a thing about how it was going to end, so I gave up too. Now I’m not so eager to see Bottle Rocket.

What we have been watching, bizarrely, is Deadwood. This is bizarre because I’ve already watched the whole thing once and Baker B had no interest at all in it and although I loved it, I didn’t really think he’d like it. It’s grim and gruesome and pretty much exactly like I’d imagine life in a gold rush camp in the Dakota Hills in 1870-something really was. But he decided, out of the clear blue, that he wanted to see Deadwood. And he’s hooked. It IS a fantastic show – great writing, interesting characters that develop and get even more interesting as the series goes on, and it’s even very funny in spots. And it’s even pretty historically accurate. So we’ve watched the first four episodes.

Well, as usual I’ve stayed up so late I am falling asleep over the keyboard, so I’ll post a few experimental dial-fiddling pictures and go to bed:

These are all at the Cone manor, on the Parkway-

The swan was actually at Chetola, the fancy-smancy resort in Blowing Rock. But, whatever!

what / how ever you set those dials were just perfect! you give me encouragement to go digital SLR. i was afraid i would never get the hang of when to use what. you shots are excellent!that one of the reflection in the glass is really powerful.

solovoice

March 23, 2008

Nice photos. I always like a manual camera better, with a built-in light meter. F-stop (aperture) is like the iris in your eye. The more light, the smaller it needs to be, unless you compensate with a faster speed. Since I like to do portraits, I kept the aperture at f5.6, which gives the face a good sharpness, while slightly fuzzing out everything from behind. The only digital I have is a point-and-shoot with a very bad lag time between the shutter push and the actual taking of the photo.

These are your best pictures ever! The subject, the lighting, everything just came together beautifully. I can imagine Moses (standing where you took the sepia toned pic) looking up at his home from the same angle, and what he must have thought about it’s beauty. The reflection of the tree in the window with the brick arch is amazingly crisp and clear. The trees with the fluffy cloud-gorgeous. And the swan with it’s reflection is beautiful. The shadow of the branches on the grass, and the Cone mansion from above, as well as the sunlight behind the large tree branch, are all great. Emily helped me type this, sitting on my lap and almost on the keyboard, gently gnawing my thumb until I pet her again. Crazy feline!

cousin e

Mama doesn’t remember Tyler Maxwell but is not surprised since there were so many Maxwell cousins. The photo album is The Maxwell Family Photo Album – she’s very glad Uncle Wayne has it. The new photos are very excellent, oulin is right. In every area of life we all start out Dummies. Those who don’t recognize that and do something about it stay Dummies. Well, I’ve got to go now to thebookstore and buy me one of those um, you know, books so I can furtively read it quick before someone figures out I’m really a you know Dummy.

Too late – the secret is out. Oh well, I’ll order the book online.

Mama spent the week in Delaware. MJ and Mia dropped her off at our house Friday lunchtime. We left Saturday late morning to take our midshipman Beth her summer uniforms, and got to C’ville after only four stops. No one can accuse us of being speedy travelers. Today’s goal is to start lists of things she wants to take with her when she moves.

FallingDog

I can barely understand where my shutter button is on my camera; I could never, ever work a camera manually. I think my attention span is too short. I’ve yet to figure out my “new” digital camera, which I’ve had for three years.

Halley

I always love your pictures! Have a wonderful Easter!

noko

Wow. Such rich subject matter and marvelous texture in all the shots, Time off certainly suits you! Carry on.

forever in motion

I’m going to argue with the Idiots Guide book (because I actually am the argumentative/devil’s advocate sort) and say that statements like that are silly. I admit to using automatic settings sometimes, with good (I hope!) results. Only a few years ago, the “serious photographers never…” hip statement was that they “never, ever use digital – only film.” I fought that when Canon first releasedthe D60. I constantly met people who scoffed at it…but then leaned in closer, to take a look 😉 I do think it’s important to know as much as possible about all options, but the rebel in me says take pictures however you want 🙂 By the way, I thought at first glace that the manor photo there was of that historic hotel in Blowing Rock. Then it hit me that reading the text of the entry was a good idea 🙂 xxoo,

haredawg

Damn I’m jealous, you have an eos slr digital camera. Though I admit slr’s have always confused the shit out of me, I swear if I had an slr digital I would really read the manual.

Yeah, becoming a fan of deadwood is like becoming a fan of firefly, all it’ll do is piss you off that the series died an untimely death. Deadwood had sunny and I swearing even more than usual and answering anything we didn’t understand with “Swergin, San Frsisco Cocksucker” and anything warm with “Damn, burned mah snatch!”