Pepino's Notes

Moon and trees

Some guidelines for night time shots I found on the web.

ISO 100, f/16:

• City scape at night – 2 min
• City scape after sunset – 1/4 sec
• Traffic trails – 30 sec
• Fireworks – 30 sec
• Floodlit building – 15 sec
• Neon sign – 1 sec
• Outdoor illuminations – 15 sec
• Illuminated shop windows – 1 sec
• Campfire flames – 2 sec
• Fairground rides – 15 sec
• Landscape by moonlight – 30 min
• Landscape by twilight – 30 sec
• Domestic interior – 8 sec
• Person lit by campfire flames – 16 sec
• Person lit by candlelight – 8 sec
• Person lit by 100 watt bulb – 4 sec
• Spotlit stage, theatre or circus – 1/2 sec
• Spotlit stage, school play – 8 sec
• Full moon – 1/30 sec
• Cresent moon – 1/8 sec
• Museum or Gallery – 8 sec

I would hope my camera’s automatic settings can pick the right exposure for me. I do like using the aperture priority mode on my Olympus OM-4Ti much more then I use the camera in manual mode. But it is good to know manual settings.

Rule of Thirds

This is a good general rule-of-thumb for composing photographs. Wiki entry.

Michael Freeman: The Photographer's Eye

Great photography book by Michael Freeman. Subtitle should say “Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos.”

I am using this post to jot down some mental notes from reading the book that will help me remember some of the techniques I can use when making compositions.

• Balance
• Frames within Frames
• Horizon – more sky or landscape
• Fill Frame
• Movement/Direction
• Vectors
• Contrast – Hard or Soft
• Dynamic Tension – like two people facing away from each other
• Vertical Lines
• Diagonal Lines
• Curves
• Eyes, Eye Lines – Where are the eyes looking
• Circles
• Triangles
• Focus – Use limited Depth of Field
• Diffuse (low contrast) or Concentrate (high contrast) for Attention
• High Key or Low Key
• Clear or Ambiguous subject
• Simple or Complex composition
• Colour
• Colour Relationships

I can highly recommend this book to anyone interested in photography. Get it here on Amazon.

Aprilia, Vespa, Piaggio

I still wish to own a nice Italian scooter someday. This picture was taken by my wife outside of Rockridge TwoWheels over in Oakland, CA.

 

 

Ford Motor Company

My grandfather worked for Ford, my father worked for Ford, I worked for Ford, and many of my friends like the Mustos, the Krafts, and even long time childhood friend Butch Kirkham worked for Ford. It is good to see that Ford is doing what it can to keep it’s integrity good during these hard times for the big three motor companies in the US. I’ve always known Ford and the United Auto Workers union worked together much better then those other two companies.

Even though Ford is not borrowing money from the government, it had been expected to seek and receive whatever concessions that the U.A.W. granted G.M. and Chrysler, which are now asking to borrow a total of $39 billion. As it has turned out, the union has had better luck negotiating with Ford first and then asking G.M. and Chrysler to accept similar turns.

Earlier this month, after talks broke down between the union and G.M., Mr. Gettelfinger reached a deal with Ford on issues other than retiree health care and used it to broker terms with G.M. and Chrysler several days later.

Taken from Ford and Union in Accord on Health Care in The New York Times.

Hang in there, Ford Motor Company!

Well, this was unexpected. I am a Coke drinker, but if this makes it easier for me to get a real sugar product (like Wrigley’s chewing gum), I’ll give Pepsi a try. I have been drinking the Mexican Cokes when I want a good soda.

http://www.kottke.org/09/02/sweet-sweet-sugared-pepsi-throwback

I purchased this camera in 1981 from Adolph Gasser in San Francisco. I’ve used it on and off over the years and usually use Ilford HP4 Plus Black & White film with it. That is why I have the yellow and orange filters. I never did get the green filter. I keep thinking to sell it as I don’t use it as much as my other cameras anymore. Anyway, it is still working fine after 28 years of use. I cannot imagine any of the new digital cameras even being moderately useful after just half that time.

Active in my other blogs. Still have future use of this one planned.

I think I will start using this blog as my retro blog where I will post about things relating to my past.