2008 in Review

Please be patient as the images load - there are a lot of photos in this entry.

The year sure went fast, didn't it? It was a tumultuous year to say the least, not only economically and politically, but personally as well. As I've done for the past couple of years, I'd like to capture the year in sort of a photographic review. This year, however, because so much has happened with my family, I'm including more family images to help capture the flavor of the year.

January was mostly a bust, photographically. I didn't do much photography at all. That's not unusual for that time of year as it's usually quite wet and cool here in Oregon. I hope to change that in 2009 and actually get more photography done by working on some experimental projects using a table top studio setup.

I did get to spend quite a bit of time with my granddaughter in January though. She thought it was quite amusing to steal my glasses from me and pretend to be near-sighted like her "Papa." I sure spent a lot of time cleaning my glasses this year.

In February, I made an effort and got out of the house to scout some locations for future photo shoots, but the big event of February was a total lunar eclipse which I photographed from my bedroom window. It was actually, quite a bit tougher than I thought it would be, even with my Canon 40D which has a Live View mode. Even with a remote release, mirror lock-up, and a heavy tripod and ball head, I still had some trouble getting sharp images. It was fun to shoot, though.

I guess the other big event in February was my 50th birthday and the surprise party my family threw for me. While I was out shopping with Wanda, the kids came over and really went to town. They filled my office with black balloons, replaced my desk chair with a wheelchair, hung black streamers from the ceilings and had a walker waiting at the door for me when I arrived. There were all kinds of decorations on the walls - mostly telling me how my life was now on the downhill slide. They really had fun setting everything up and the party was quite fun - mostly at my expense. We had lots of friends and family over, so it was all good.

Unfortunately, a week later my Aunt Joyce passed away. She was like a second mother to me. She took ill quite suddenly and just never made it out of the hospital. My mom had lived with her for the past 20 years or so, and when my mother passed in August of 2007, I knew Aunt Joyce wouldn't last too many years longer, but it was a bit of a shock for her to go so quickly.

March was a happier month. Wanda and I went down to Florence on the Oregon Coast to visit Mark and Bridgett for a weekend.

Those two always cheer us up, and I did a little landscape photography while we were there. A couple of small storms passed through while we were there that gave me some dramatic lighting, and we had a good just hanging out with them and their kids.

We stayed in a little hotel right on the Suislaw River. There was a great little coffee shop right next door, and the harbor and the historic district shops were within easy walking distance.

Later in March I got to work with three lovely models for some glamour photography. First there was Lisa:


Then I got to shoot with Sierra again (a lovely model I had first worked with the previous August):

And then I finished up the week working with Ashley, a young lady I've worked with a couple of times in the past:


As the weather warmed, I took my granddaughter to the park and for walks around our little community. She was delighted when the daffodils began to bloom.



April was much warmer and the clouds began to slowly clear. The sunlit days came more frequently and the ground began to dry between the rainstorms.

Dandelions began to shed their puffy seeds:



We decided to get rid of our satellite system and get fiber optic internet and television (highly recommended if your neighborhood has that capability). Wanda "volunteered" to climb up on the roof and disassemble the parts from the dish that needed to be returned to the satellite company. She wasn't at all nervous.



As the days got warmer and longer, we were able to wear shorts and to play in the backyard:



And to spend even more time at the park:



By the end of the month, the trees and flowers were in full bloom.



May was even more productive from a photographic sense. I began the month shooting some portraits of the ladies in my family (though Kristin wasn't here to join us). Here are 3 generations of my girls:



Later that month we sent to the zoo with some friends. This lovely fellow posed almost perfectly for me:



Unlike Stephanie who was constantly trying to avoid my lens:



Though she has subsequently agreed to model for me (later this year she will be my Dawn or Mist Fairy).

Warm days at the zoo call for a snow cone (and a messy shirt):


Later in the month, Michelle (a very close friend of my youngest daughter) and her husband, David, came up for a visit and I did a few portraits for them.



I also shot some Senior Portraits for Gabriell:





As well as a few fashion/outdoor glamour shots:



I would shoot with Gabby again later in the year when she became my Sand Fairy, and I will be shooting with her several times this year, I hope, as well as I'm trying to help her get started in commercial modeling.

Since her mom always teased her by calling her a spoiled princess, we decided to add that to our images:



And toward the end of May, I met the first of the young ladies who would help me with my fairy project. This is Lilly who became my Woodland Fairy:



June was a lot of fun photographically. That's the month that I started the first of my Fairy shoots. The first of the 2008 series was shot with London Andrews, a young lady who was traveling the country modeling for various projects. I used her for my Garden Fairy, and she was a lot of fun to shoot. She is very professional and experienced and need very little direction.





Then later in the month, Lilly and I went out to a lovely piece of property owned by a friend and shot our Woodland Fairy series:







On the family front we had a shower for our son and daughter-in-law:



And I took the opportunity to get both my mothers-to-be together for a shot together. This is Kristin (daughter-in-law) and Amber (youngest daughter):



I also wanted to do a family portrait for my daughter, and I thought this came our rather well:



And then toward the end of the month, our granddaughter had her 2nd birthday (my gosh, has it been that long?).



July was a very prolific month for me. As usual we held on annual 4th of July cookout and had a great time with our friends. We had lots of food, plenty of guests, and a great game of Frisbee after we ate.



Shortly after the 4th, Wanda went back to Georgia to visit with her mom (and dad) who hasn't been in the best of health in recent years. She had a good time and got her mom out of the house and helped with some needed repairs around their home. She even took her mom and niece to an outdoor museum.



While Wanda was gone, I was able to complete several more shoots in my Fairy Project. First I met with Holly for a test shoot. It went quite well, and she later posed for my Waterfall Nymph. Here's an excerpt from Holly's test:



Shortly thereafter, a young lady named Ashley contacted me and wanted to be my Summer Fairy. My friend, Mark M., agreed to let me use his property for the shoot and also provided me with some great assisting and I was able to create a lovely set of images for that series. Here's Ashley in her guise as the Summer Fairy:



Then it was time for a road trip to Southern Oregon and another set of shoots. First I stopped in Cottage Grove for a shoot with Heather and Morgan. Heather posed for my Bubble Fairy and as my Spirit Fairy.





A couple of days before the shoot with Ashley, I received my Canon 20D back from being modified by Lifepixel for infrared photography, so the shoots with Ashley and Heather were my first opportunities to try infrared portraiture.






I also shot with Morgan who primarily acted as my assistant during the shoot with Heather, but the photos I took, just didn't' do her justice, so I'm planning a reshoot of that fairy (the Spring Fairy) this year. Still, I had several more shoots ahead of me, so the next morning I left Cottage Grove bright and early and headed down to Florence for a photo shoot with Gabriell. I had shot her Senior Portraits at no cost to her in exchange for a few of photo shoots later in the year. This shoot was to be first (and unfortunately, the only) of those bartered shoots.

The plan was to shoot a Sand Fairy in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Gabriell's mother, who is a good friend of mine and a sometimes model as well, had scouted the location for me earlier in the month. I had purchased costume jewelry, costume material and wings to use in the shoot before Wanda left for Georgia. Wanda then took the wings and gave them a sandy texture with various paints and materials. I think the wings turned out quite well.

Bridgett had picked and excellent location. It was a bit tough to get too, especially since I had a bum knee that week, but we managed it. Bridgett acted as my assistant and help me with the cameras, reflectors and other materials. What we hadn't expected were the 30 mph hour winds that were buffeting that area of the coast on the day we shot, nor the much cooler temperatures that were expected that day. Gabriell was a real trouper, though, and we shot for at least an hour. Bridgett spent much of her time chasing down flying wings, reflectors and protecting my cameras from the blowing sand. She was a real help, and I couldn't have done the shoot without her help.



Despite all the travails, I think we got some really great shots and the blowing wind added to the effect of the images. Later that evening, after we got all cleaned up from all the sand, Bridgett and I did a glamour shoot.



After the shoot, Bridgett went home to study for a test, and I packed away me gear and finished planning for the next day's shoot - the Water Fairy. I was to pick up the model in Salem on my way back home. I was really looking forward to this particular shoot as Jen, the model whom I would be shooting, had some great ideas and an exotic look that I thought would go particularly well with my concept.

I got up very early the next morning and on my way east from Florence along the Suislaw River, I just had to stop for a few photographs. The mist was rising off the river and the dawn light was skimming across the top of the mist and along the tops of the mountains that flank the river. I think the images I took were my best landscapes of 2008:





Jen was right on time and waiting for me when I arrived at her apartment. We went back to my home where she got into makeup and we headed west toward the Oregon Coast and to this secluded but lovely stream where I had shot in the past. We spent nearly 3 hours playing in the water and on the shores of the stream and had a great time with the shoot. We were both very pleased with the images we got that day.



Jen and I plan to shoot together a few more times this year as well.

I was able to get in at least two more Fairy shoots done before the month's end. Holly and I went out to a little waterfall I know about just off the highway to Tillamook and I shot her as a waterfall nymph. The images taken in infrared were particular good in my opinion.



Ashley came over to the house and I was able to do a couple of variations with her. First we did Art Fairy:



And then I wanted to try a different version of the Bubble Fairy:



Wanda came home before the end of the month, and it was a good thing because not only was I missing her intensely, but so was Makayla, who definitely monopolized her grandmama's time when she returned from her trip.



I did get to shoot one event in July. Mark (he of the lovely property where I often shoot fairies), invited me to an SPCA event where I managed to capture some melee images as well as to purchase a couple of lovely statuettes for Wanda.



The end of July brought a truly special gift. On July 31st our 2nd granddaughter, Jocelyn Serenity, was born.




That pretty much ended the photography for July. It was a busy, busy month.

August wasn't quite so busy, though there were some photographic opportunities. We did go to a local festival and listened to a pretty good band:



And I met up with a bunch of fellow photographers from Photography-on-the-Net (POTN):



for a shoot in the Columbia River Gorge:



We had a great time shooting the waterfalls and streams of the Gorge, but the temperatures hit over a hundred degrees that day. Fortunately, the mists from the falls kept us all pretty cool and it was fun to get together with other photographers for a shoot. We had lunch in Cascade Locks and called it a day, or at least most of us did. Others went on to shoot windsailors and boats along the river.

In August, Jocelyn came for her first visit to Oregon to see her grandparents and aunts:


So August was over and we were moving quickly toward Fall. I wasn't sure how many additional photo shoots I would get in for my fairy project, but I did know that September was going to be a busy month. First of all, the roof on our house absolutely had to be replaced before the winter rains set in, so that project had to start in early September.





Also, our first grandson was due before the middle of the month, and he came right on time - just a day before his due date. Ryker was born on September 10th (right in the middle of the roofing project).



but that didn't stop us. We managed to see him the very same day--in fact, Wanda was there at the hospital the whole time my daughter was in labor. I left the roof to its own devices and got over to see my grandson when I was allowed to show up.



Eventually, the roof did get finished, and it looked pretty damn good.



A little later that month, we managed to get to the Portland Pirate Festival, which was the only festival I managed to shoot in 2008.



Toward the middle of the month, Krisa and I worked on the Danse Fairy, and Mark was gracious enough to let me use his property yet again, and even mowed a fairy circle for me in his field.





Krisa was a great model and tried just about anything I suggested. I was totally amazed when, on our return trip from the shoot, she told me that this had been her first nude shoot. In the case of Krisa's shoot, I had both a male and female assistant as it was a rather complicated set up. I don't know if that helped her be less nervous, or contributed to some jitters. But, frankly, if she was nervous, I didn't see it. In any case, we had a great shoot and Krisa was a pleased with the images as I was.

Later in the month, Jeremy and Kristin brought Jocelyn back for visit and for the first time we had all three of our grandchilren together. As you can see, Wanda was totally delighted, as was I.


That just about wrapped it up for September except that toward the end of the month, I managed to touch base with Sierra who was quite eager to join my project and to acquire some new images for her portfolio as well. So, on the 29th we went out to the Tillamook waterfall for a glamour shoot.



Then the next day we went to Sauvie Island to shoot the River Fairy:






As well as a new version of the Sand Fairy (which in the photo below is unedited for the most part).


October, November and December weren't really photographically productive for me with regard to my personal projects. The weather was too bad for outdoor photography, and though I had had some hopes to do some pinup photography with a couple of the models I had worked with earlier in the year, there simply wasn't the time or opportunity to take advantage of it. Wanda and I spent most of our time with our new grandkids, and in fact, at the end of October, we took a little trip down to California to spend some time with Jocelyn. Before we left, though, we took time to visit the pumpkin patch:







And to take some baby pictures:



To carve some pumpkins:





And to go to the Fall Festival at the community college near our house:



When we got to California, we spent most of our time with little Jocelyn:




And we carved some pumpkins with her too:






And made Grandmama a birthday cake:




Took a trip to the Academy of Sciences;





On Halloween we handed out candy and watched for ghosts:



We had to head home at the beginning of November, and it was sure hard to say goodbye to little Jocelyen:



Once we got home, though, we got busy again. We had to bake:



Play games:



Watch basketball:



And cook Thanksgiving dinner:



In the meantime, in sunny California, Jocelyn was taking mommy to the park:



After Thanksgiving, we put up the Christmas tree and hung our lights:



When December arrived, so did the snow. Someone just had to have a snowman:



And the snow just kept coming:



Jocelyn made it to Oregon okay, as did her parents, and Grandmama had cookies all baked and ready for her:





And she was all ready for Christmas:



As was Makayla and the rest of the family:



And Grandmama and Papa were just happy to cuddle the babies:

Winter Play

Winter has definitely arrived here in Portland. We've had the biggest storm in nearly 40 years, from what I understand from the news. Many major highways were shutdown over the past few days due to falling trees, white out conditions, jack-knifed tractor-trailor trucks, and just generally bad weather. My son and daughter-in-law, and more importantly, my granddaughter are on their way here from the coast were they were visiting her parents, but they've got to take a detour to get around an area of Highway 26 where the road is closed due to fallen trees.

There are people stuck all over. In Portland, only the main roads get any service during a storm. The residential sideroads are left alone and it's up to the ingenuity of the residents to determine how to cope with the conditions. Lots of people, like me, choose to walk to get anywhere. Others have chains, 4 wheel drives, studded snow tires, etc. and manage to get around reasonably well. Others just get stuck (like my granddaughter, Makayla).



The children were certainly having fun. My oldest daughter, Nikki, decided she had to have a snowman. So she badgered her mom until she got her to go out into the backyard and build a guardian snowperson to patrol the area:

Yes, that's one of my good hats, but I let them use it in hopes that it will survive a few days in the cold. As soon as it starts to thaw, though, my hat comes in to dry!

The kids next door had a sled, and as we live on a fairly steep hill, the big kids here managed to borrow the sled for a while (payment was a plate of home made cookies and chocolate covered pretzels).

That's Nikki above, and Wanda below:

Of course, it's a pretty good walk back up the hill:


But it's certainly lovely:



And it's certainly cute when little girls play in the snow:


And the littlest ones can only dream about playing outside:

Winter Weather Blues

We've been snowed in for the past week. We live on a hill and with the exception of Friday, the snow and ice have been bad enough that we didn't want to risk driving in it. We did manage to get out yesterday and over to the other side of Portland to pick up one daughter whoe was somewhat stranded there and to visit with two of our grandchildren and our other daughter. Also, our son, daughter-in-law and newest granddaughter flew in and met us there before heading to the coast to visit with the in-laws. For a brief period of about 20 minutes, we had all three of our grandchildren in the same room. It was delightful.

Unfortunately, we had to forgo dinner plans with some very good friends of ours whom we haven't seen in several weeks, but we're going to make every effort to see them in the next couple of weeks. We didn't get home until later in the evening, and slept in this morning. By the time we got up for the day, it was already snowing again and there was about 3 inches of snow on the ground here at the valley floor. Three inches isn't much really, especially since we lived in New England for several years before we moved to Oregon, but the snow removal capabilities of the county and cities in the area don't compare at all to those of the Northeast so the roads are quite treacherous. I did buy chains for the truck, but unless I have a real need to leave the house, I just can't see driving in this mess.

We had hoped it would warm up and all this would be gone by Christmas so we could have all our grandchildren and children here on Christmas Day, but it's looking iffy right now according to the latest weather forecast (which haven't been terribly accurate). We're keeping our fingers crossed, though.

One advantage of this nasty weather has been that it's given me some extra time to work on post-processing the images I've taken this past year. I usually shoot quite a lot during the warm months then work on the images over the winter months - and not being able to get out of the house has given me some extra incentive to work on the images. The two sets I've worked on most recently have been the River Fairy and the Sand Fairy. If the weather keeps up like it has been, I'm sure I'll get on to the Water Fall Fairy and the Spring Fairy as well.
Here's the Sand Fairy:


With any luck, I'll be able to shoot the Winter Fairy too. Wish me luck.

Current Work

Finished working on Danse Fae:



Started working on Bubble Fairy 2:

Vote 2008

I don't normally write about politics. My blog is primarily reserved for my photography projects and family events. This year, however, I feel that the state of our country requires me to speak out. Since my blog is where I share my opinions and comments, it seems most appropriate that I speak here.

Let me preface the remainder of my post by stating that I would never presume to tell anyone how to vote. That's an individual and very personal decision and depends greatly on your world view, your perception of what is needed to make your life, and the lives of those your care about, better. But, I will tell you what it is that has lead me to my vote in hope that it might persuade others to rethink their positions or at least to consider the options.

I'm sure that because of the banner above, you already know how I plan to vote, and many of you have immediately labeled me as a liberal. You may be correct from your perspective, but from my point of view, I'm both moderate and independent. And before you assign to me any particular stereotype, consider my background and my beliefs.

I retired from the US Navy after over 20 years of active duty service in the Submarine Force. I was trained as a Nuclear Reactor Operator and worked my way to the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer before I retired. My military background has reinforced my belief in a strong national defense, but certainly within limits, and I know the pain of long separation from my family on the orders of others. I understand the dedication of our nation's service men and women, but I also know the arrogance of many of our nation's leaders when it comes to using these men and women for their own agenda.

My years in nuclear engineering have shown me that nuclear power can be a safe and clean energy source, but it has also taught me how important it is to have strong regulations and control of the industry and the disposal of the hazardous waste.

I was born and raised in the rural south and began attending school before they were desegregated in my county. My family was not well off. Neither of my parents ever finished elementary school, much less high school, and they struggled to get ahead. Both of my parents worked, and my dad took on extra jobs during the holidays to provide for us. Eventually, life did get better, but only through my parent's hard work.

My father is a devout minister and my family is by and large devout Christians. So, I have seen first hand how faith can help people get through hard times. I've also seen the ugly side of religion when people start to believe they are better than those around them because they believe their particular dogma is superior to all others.

I have a strong belief in family, and I have been married to the same woman for over 30 years. We raised three children and now have three grandchildren who we adore. Family is important, but the "family values" espoused by the religious right have less to do with family and everything to do with political power and imposing their beliefs on others.

I'm an Independent. I've voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past, choosing to cast my vote for the person and not for the party. I still feel that way, but the modern Republican Party and its current affiliation with religious fundamentalists, xenophobes, and run by a small coterie of NeoCons frightens and disgusts me.

This is a party who policies of unilateral nationalism and corporate cronyism and enfranchisment have lead to:

1. A military stretched thin by two wars, repeated and extended deployments, and inadequate care for our veterans. The slogan "Support the Troops" meant nothing when it came time to vote for veterans health care, educational benefits, and body armor.

2. A squandered budget surplus and trillions of dollars in national debt. Corporations and CEO's have been enriched, while banks and stock markets have careened out of control with little or no oversight and predatory lenders have convince millions of otherwise smart people that they could afford more for less with "creative" financing schemes that have turned out to be deceptive and ruinous.

3. The Bush tax cuts that the Republicans want to make permanent have help to create the greatest gap between the rich and the poor in this country in history. The theory that tax cuts are a panacea for all our ills has been proven to be false and the concept of "trickle down economics" is simply silly.

4. An erosion of civil liberties and personal freedoms that should scare every American citizen to their core. American citizens have been arrested (on American soil) and imprisoned by the military with no access to a lawyer and no charges lodged against them on the mere assertion of the president that they were "unlawful combatants." The government, under the leadership of this Republican president, has tried to destroy the concept of habeas corpus, posse comitatus (through the 2007 Defense Authorization Act and via a signing statement on the 2008 Defense Authorization Act), and has authorized wiretaps on American citizens without warrant. Additionally, the integrity and moral authority of the Justice Department has been undermined by the appointment of Attorney Generals like Alberto Gonzales and the influence of polital appointees who have intervened in and circumvented the recommendation of non-politcal career lawyers. These troubling activities continue today under the tenure of the current AG who has done little to restore the independence and integrity of the Justice Department.

I could go on about other issues such as the erosion of the principle of Church/State separation, the underfunding of educational mandates such as the No Child Left Behind Act, the use of torture and disdain of the Geneva Conventions, as well as the lack of a coherent and realistic foreign policy and the loss of America's respect among its allies and friends around the world.

What bothers me most, though, is the extreme partisanship, dirty tricks, dishonesty and arrogance of this current administration, and I just don't see that changing under a new president whose voting record supports that of the current president in all things that matter.

I believe in the Constitution of the United States of America. I swore an oath in 1975 to protect and defend this instrument of our freedom against all enemies foreign and domestic, and I renewed that oath several times during my subsequent 21 years in the military. This means I believe in the freedom of expression (not in free speech zones), the freedom of (and from) religion and the separation of Church and State. The right to privacy and the rule of law, and the right to be secure in my person and in home (not in warrantless searches wiretaps, searches, and seizures or in indefinite imprisonment without charge or a trial by a jury of my peers) are paramount liberties in my book.

It also means that I believe in the principle of checks and balances designed with great forethought by our Founding Fathers who personally experienced the capriciousness and arrogance of a "unitary executive" known as the King of England. Our Constitution was designed specifically to limit and balance the power of the executive branch with strong judiciary and legislative branches of government. The concept that a president, of any political stripe, could unilaterally declare war, imprison citizens, and override legislative acts through executive signing statements would be an anathema to the patriots that envisioned our democratic process.

For these reasons, and many more, I am voting for Senator Obama. I believe he will restore dignity and honor to the presidency by restoring the rule of law and the principles upon which this country was founded. And yes, my vote for Senator Obama is as much against the Republican Party as it is for him personally, but John McCain has shown by his voting record and by his choice of the divisive, and unqualified Sarah Palin (fundamentalist and supporter of the Alaskan Indendence Party), that he can't be trusted to right the American Ship of State. His erratic actions during the current financial crisis, his continued support for the war in Iraq, the Bush tax cuts, and his abrogation of previously stated principles to gain support of the fundamentalist base of the Republican Party give me no confidence in his ability govern or to bridge the partisan divide that currently strangles our country.

So vote how you will, but remember, one definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and yet expect different results.

Moving into Fall

It's getting cooler, wetter, and the leaves are slowly turning into the muted yellows and reds that herald the fall season in the Northwest. The Willamette Valley stays fairly green throughout the fall and winter. With so many evergreens in Oregon, that's not surprising. But the grass also stays pretty green, as do the ferns and many other plant species.

Usually this means it's time to move my photography indoors. This year, I'm going to try to do more outside shooting, including a great idea for glamour in the fog that a good friend of mine gave to me. I'm also hoping for a good snowfall in the valley this year, as I have a couple of ideas I'd like to try in the snow as well.

With the arrival of fall, and definitely with the arrival of grandchildren, we've enjoyed going out to Sauvie Island to visit the Pumpkin Patch to choose our pumpkins for carving to let our granddaughter play in fields and on the hay pyramid. This year, we got to take our grandson as well. The only thing that would have made it more fun, would have been to be able to take our other granddaughter along as well. Her mom and dad took her to a pumpkin patch in California where they live, though, and I'm sure they had fun too.

We're going to visit that granddaughter next week. Our son and daughter-in-law think we're coming to see the whole family, but Wanda assures me that we're going there to see the baby. We haven't seen her in about a month (except for on video sharing), and Wanda is getting itchy to hold her again. The period between this visit and Christmas is going to be very difficult for her. It's a good thing Ryker, (our 6 week old grandson) is around for her to cuddle. Of course, it's fun for me too...

Being a grandfather is great fun, and I really enjoy holding and playing with my grandkids. My maternal grandfather died before my mother was born, and my paternal grandfather had very little to do with me, so I've had to wing it. I'm going to try to be as much a part of my grandchildren's lives as they and their parents will allow. Fortunately, they've all been great.

Something to Consider

What is normal?

Last Shoot of the Summer

I have time for one more shoot before the weather turns gray here in the Pacific Northwest. I've been trying to find a model to shoot with me tomorrow. I thought I had a couple of prospects, but they have failed to follow up with me, so I don't know if I'll be able to pull off another outdoor shoot this week or not.

"My concept for this shoot would be to achieve a series of glamour and outdoor nude shots in a wooded and rural setting. The idea would be to compare and contrast the beauty of the nude female form with the beauty of nature for the nude images. For the outdoor glamour, I would want to shoot some images that used the smooth female skin juxtaposed with rougher materials such as weathered wood or stone."

These were the words in my last casting call posted a few hours ago. I wonder if I'll actually get anyone to join me for a shoot. As of late last night, I had no responses, and I also contacted a couple of models I have used in the past to see if they were interested, but got no responses. I do know the middle of the week is a hard time to schedule shoots, especially at the last minute, but I figured it was worth a shot.

The Tillamook Waterfall

Just off OR Hwy 6, about 22 miles southwest of the junction of Hwy 6 and 26, on the south side of the highway there is a little waterfall and a pool set back into the high hills along the highway. A large fallen log crosses the pool, and two large stumps stand on either side of the pool. It is not easily seen from the road, and therefore it's usually quite private and available for glamour photography.

I found these falls about 10 years ago, when my wife and I were regularly traveling to Tillamook for personal reasons. One day, on a trip back from the coast, we just happened to pull over into the large flat area along the highway and wandered back to find the falls. Since that day, I've used these falls to shoot various glamour and fantasy scenarios.

It's a dark, cool place, so you I have to shoot there during the middle of the day, when enough sunlight streams through the surrounding forest to light the area such that reasonable ISO settings can be used. And, because it's cool, it's best to shoot there during the warmest summer days, as the models can get cold quite quickly given the temperature of the water and the way the mist from the waterfall is trapped by the surrounding trees. Still, it is a beautiful place to shoot and one of my favorite locations.

I suspect I'll be shooting there for many more years to come, and if anyone else would like to use it, I'm sure you can find it from the directions I've provided about. So far, my models have loved shooting there, and it's always a fun place to shoot with lots of opportunities to experiment with light, water, and mist.

Shooting with Sierra

I'll be shooting with Sierra again next week. We're doing a glamour shoot in the Columbia River Gorge at some of the waterfalls. They will be mostly bikini and perhaps some wet t-shirt shots, as well as some simple barefoot glamour images.

The weather is looking pretty good for the shoot, and if it holds, we maybe shooting on Sauvie Island on Tuesday as well.

It should be a lot of fun.

2008 Portland Pirate Festival

The 3rd Annual Portland Pirate Festival started yesterday. I've been attending the festival since its inception (I covered it for the St. Johns Sentinel newspaper the first year), and have enjoyed attending ever since.

The event is very kid friendly. There are many booths and games set up to amuse the children (of all ages) and several of the bands that perform there play music that is specifically geared to the little ones. My granddaughter has attended with me for the last couple of years, and she loves the bands and the atmosphere of the event. She always has a great time.

The event is essentially a big costume party for Portland with a pirate theme. Many, if not most, of the attendees come in costume or at least in outfits that with some sort of pirate paraphernalia. Quite a few of the costumes are not only quite elaborate, but are historically accurate.

If you're so inclined, you can easily buy a pirate costume on site as many of the vendors that set up shop during the event sell all sorts of pirate wear. It's really a photographer's paradise with all of the elaborate costumes and events.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to stay for very long this year. My youngest daughter came along with our new grandson, Ryker, who is only 10 days old, and she was tired and he couldn't sleep with all the noise. So we made an early day of it. We plan to spend quite a bit more time there next year, though, as we're going to get the whole family to dress up and attend in mass.

If you haven't had a chance to visit, you should do so. The festival continues today, and is held every September in Cathedral Park beneath the St. Johns Bridge in North Portland. If you decide to go, I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun.

He's Here!

Ryker was born this morning after his mom was in 25 hours of labor. This is my first grandson and my 2nd grandchild this summer. Details will follow later after I have a chance to go to the hospital for a visit with my new boy!

Okay, more info:

He was 6 lbs, 15 ounces and was 19 inches long, and looks healthy and strong. He didn't breath right away when he was delivered, but the good doctor's and nurses took care of that and by the time I got to hold him in my arms yesterday, he was fine, if a bit hungry. His full name is Ryker Scott, but I already have a nickname for him.

His mom is doing fine as well. She didn't have to have a c-section this time, so she's very grateful for that. He and his mom should be leaving for home tomorrow and his big sister will get to spend some quality time with him. That should be interesting as she has been an only child and grandchild for most of her past 2 years.

Dancing in the Field

I had the distinct pleasure of shooting with K this past weekend. We had met several times planning this shoot, but it got delayed twice. First by her trip overseas, and then by a business trip of my own. But we finally pulled it altogether this weekend and completed the shoot.

K was a natural in front of the lens, and was a willing trooper throughout the shoot. She danced barefoot in a mown circle of thick grass and scotch thistle with a smile on her face and with commendable grace. She also climbed onto a makeshift platform designed to raise her into the air without complaint and still managed to balance carefully on the two planks while striking a graceful pose.

I was quite surprised to learn on the drive back to her apartment that this particular shoot was actually her first nude or semi-nude shoot. Given her composure and willingness to comply with my directions, I would never have believed it until she told me so.

I do hope to be able to shoot with her again in the near future, especially when I begin my pin-up project anew this fall. I think she would make a lovely pin-up model in the 1940's & 1950's pin-up style.

I have another shoot with a different model on Saturday, and I do hope the next model works out as well as K did in her shoot. On that note, here's another image to share:

Technological Frustration

My LG phone died yesterday. It had been having some trouble for a while. It all started when it took a bath with my granddaughter. I thought it was going to last until my next upgrade cycle, but it didn't make it. I had insurance on it, and it would have been covered for the loss, but I decided I wanted to upgrade to a phone that would be not only useful for calls, but that would be able to synch with my computer and help me manage my calendar and contact data.

My son and daughter-in-law have both been using Blackberry Pearls and loved them, so I decided I would try a Blackberry device. I chose the Blackberry Curve 8330 as my upgrade choice and paid all the additional fees and signed all the additional contracts needed to get the upgrade (what a racket the cell phone companies have going here). The Blackberry was able to take my current mini-SD card so all my images were moved, and my contact data was quickly transferred and I was on my way with a new phone and a simpler and more versatile way of contacting people....or so I thought.

Don't get me wrong. The Blackberry is a fine phone. It is not, however, an intuitive device when it comes to settings and the user interface. You would think that Blackberry would provide a comprehensive user guide with the phone so make up for this shortcoming, but all that comes in the box is a Tips, hints and shortcuts booklet (very lame) and a couple of CD's, neither of which contain a pdf file of the users guide.

I'm pretty technologically savvy though. I operated and maintained nuclear reactors for the Navy for 20 years, before retiring and starting work for a computer chip company. I've also owned all sorts of complicated electronic devices and had a home computer many, many years before they were popular. I was fairly certain I could figure things out.

My first stop was the Blackberry website where I downloaded a pdf file of the user manual. That was simple enough. The problem is that the manual doesn't match up with anything on the phone. For example, I wanted to set speed dials for each of my contacts. The manual told me to press the menu button, choose the speed dial list, and add the contact to the list. Guess what? You can't choose the speed dial list from the main menu, and lets not even get into the instructions for adding a custom rings tone (so I know which if my family members is calling when I choose to ignore them).

I did manage to get the damn thing to synch with my computer calendar and contacts - once! Since then, none of the updates I've made have synched at all. I've tried two different programs in an attempt to make it work and one of them cost an additional $40. At one point, I got so frustrated, I packed the phone and accessories up and went back to the store to exchange it for a different device. Once there though, one of the techs showed me how to access the correct menus for what I wanted to do, so I decided to keep it for a while longer to see if I can get it to work for me.

I still haven't figured out call waiting or call forwarding though, and I'll probably spend most of my evening trying to figure out how to get the damn thing to sych with my computer again. I think I'd rather be starting up a reactor.