Assistant Wedding Photographer

Yesterday I helped our daughter Jen take photos at a wedding.  The Bride is a friend of Jens.  Jen usually only does photos of babies and graduation photos…weddings are a bit more stressful, you only get one chance to capture the moments during a wedding.

I was photographer number 2 …the assistant.  Having photographed several weddings with Jen before…we know that each of us sees things differently.

The ceremony took place on a hill near the Red Lake River.  There was a bit of a breeze and it was partly sunny and 80 degrees. Guests were asked to bring their lawn chairs.

These Orchids surrounded huge Calla Lilies in the bridal bouquet.

The bride was beautiful.  The ceremony was short and sweet and to the point, it was also very musical…with trombones, a flute and even a violin.

Thumbs up! Yes for sure… she was looking for her new husband to give her a ride back to the reception.  They hosted the wedding guests at their new home just down the road from the site of the ceremony. Shortly after their arrival they donned aprons and served their guests a wedding meal.

Here is my best shot of the day…the flower girl.

Sometimes you are in the right place at the right time with the right light.

It was a fun day…the newlyweds presented their guests with butterflies to release.

Not sure what kind of butterfly…a Skipper of some sort maybe.  It was fun to watch them fly away.

I wouldn’t want to be a wedding photographer…but I enjoyed being an assistant!

Camera Shopping

I hate in store shopping..but I had a list..checked it twice and wrote down what I thought I needed and the sale prices if I would have ordered off the Internet.

Next stop Best Buy..I was searching for a new point and shoot.  I have been researching them. So many choices. If you have to shop..then shop..I tried every Canon camera out..I even set off one of their alarms..I knew almost as much about their cameras as they did.  Far Guy paced around..he knew I needed a little time to try them all out.   Some were scrawny..some were too heavy..some had awkward pop up flashes…up and down the row I went.  None were exactly like my old sticky button point and shoot.

My old point and shoot a Canon SX 110 IS is temperamental..sometimes the on /off switch works and sometimes it doesn’t.  Then I gently shake it and it works again for awhile. I have loved that camera…I think it is about four years old and it has served me well.

I do not like to take my other fancy smancy new camera out when it is cold..it is heavy and just not what I need on a walk in the winter..one slip and fall and the camera and I would be upset.  All the lenses and the huge camera bag are sometimes a pain in the butt.

I  needed a little camera to stick in my pocket. A fit in your hand comfortable camera.

I chose a Canon  (of course) a SX160 IS  and I think I will like it. The cover for the SD card and batteries is a little stiff for arthritic fingers..I swear every camera they design has a different cover and mode of operation…( a woman did not design them.)

Far Guy is the lucky recipient of my old point and shoot…I can borrow it back any time.

Anyways..I wanted to share with you that when I was shopping at Best Buy..I told the salesman that I could order it off the Internet for $10.00 less..he said tell the cashier..so I did and I got the 10 bucks off.  Everything else was as priced as advertised..Flash drives and SD cards.

The only thing I didn’t get was a new camera case.  I like a case with a strap so I can sling it over my shoulder or hide it under my parka in the winter. 

It takes good photos of Chance.  He wasn’t very impressed..but at least his eyes are mostly open…he wanted to ignore me.

Time will tell.  I ordered some extensions tubes for my fancy smancy camera and haven’t had time to try them out yet..but I am done camera shopping for awhile:)

Waterfalls and Night Shots

One of the things I wanted to learn to photograph was waterfalls. I wanted to shoot some soft flowing water.  A tripod is a must..or finding a stable place to set your camera. 

I had a tripod at home..and I forgot it there..unfortunately..so I bought a new one..but it was missing parts. Between the instructor and Jen they cobbled together a workable tripod for me for the first morning.  When we returned to Duluth I bought a new and improved tripod.

I set my camera on the rock wall to take the Gooseberry Falls photos..I was pleased with them.

There was a happening at Gooseberry.

How romantic..

I just stayed at the lower falls..the girls went up to the upper falls.  I visited with some very nice people and rested on the benches along the walkway and watched people and their dogs.

This is my best night shot of the city of Duluth.

I have to make myself a “cheat sheet”  that has my settings on it.  I like to do night photography at Christmas Time..perhaps I can get some really nice photos.  I used my new tripod for this shot. 

Jen wanted to go up to the Enger Tower for a look at the city.  Enger Tower is an eighty foot observation tower made from blue  stone.  It is beautiful at night. I was standing under a tree and got the leaves in this shot!

My main photography goals were met during the photography workshop.  It is all about experimentation..and getting comfortable with your camera.  I have a long ways to go..but at least I am on my way:)

 

Update:

Far Guy is still sick..I spoke with his Doctor who prescribed another medication for him yesterday.  He is struggling to recover from this illness whatever he has..earache that feels like he has an ice pick in his ear/body aches/temperature/cough and stuffy head.  He spent only about three hours upright yesterday..I kept bugging him to drink more fluids and take deep breaths.  I cooked him some chicken for supper.  So far knock on wood I am free of symptoms…perhaps this is the same thing I had back in May…maybe I am immune. This is the sickest I have seen Far Guy in a very long time..if he gets any worse I will have to take him to the hospital.  This is day twelve..he rallied for the weekend and we thought he was on the road to recovery..but I guess not:(

Sunrise on Lake Superior

I had a wonderful time on the photography trip with my daughter Jen.   The photographer who we met up with was very knowledgeable and kind.  (He didn’t call me stupid..or ask me what I was doing with a camera I knew so little about!)

We began at O’ Dark Thirty.  I need to put a small flashlight in my camera bag..our instructor wore one of those headlamps.

This was one of the few places where we did not hike for miles.  We just traipsed up and down the beach.

We learned all about aperture and histograms..and ISO..I am not sure that I will remember it all.  BUT with practice I will get better…stepping off the automatic photographic bandwagon..and trying different settings will make me a better photographer…I think.

The sunrise was beautiful.  I love the sounds of the waves coming ashore.

I loved being able to capture the water in motion.  It was a wonderful beginning to our photo adventure.

On this trip I had two goals.  To photograph “soft looking” water and get some hints about successful night photography. More about those adventures later in the week.

Far Guy and Chance survived without me..Far Guy has a terrible cold and is on medication. Chancy was happy to see me..  he didn’t stop watching me until my suitcase was unpacked:)

Painting with light

Jen, Andy and the boys are here.  Jen is learning all kinds of things about her new camera.

Far Guy made these two hearts for me..all together now ahhh isn’t that sweet!  The exposure time is 25 seconds so he made one heart then stepped over and made another.

All four of us got involved. We used plain old flashlights.  The camera is set on manual and manual focus and on a tripod.

Andy, me, Far Guy and Jen

As you can see I have much to learn..I was holding my flashlight in the air pointing upward.  Far Guy was trying to make a cross. The ghostly figures toward our feet are the dogs moving around.

I got one shot of the blue moon…since it was one day late..is it still a blue moon?

I am still practicing with the new camera..Jen and I are going to escape in October and take some private photography lessons up on the North Shore.  I am sure I will need an extra battery..and  more UV filters.   I had one UV filter that I was using with all my lenses..switching it back and forth ..and managed to lose it someplace.  I am still reading the manual:)

Old Lady Camera

A week ago, My loyal HP Photosmart M627 (7mp) Digital Camera died. My lens stuck, it would not retract. It was stuck..lens error. I looked up the error on the Internet..and did everything I was advised.. low and behold Far Side the Camera Repair Woman was successful. For a whole five days.. about 200 photos later..until it died again..and no matter how many times I did the suggested sequence..it is still dead. I was sad. I was comfortable with my tried and true camera, however I did yearn for a better camera. HP stopped making cameras.. I complained to my brother.. apparently it was a division that was expendable. He didn't care as long as it wasn't his division. He is camera savvy..or used to be..guess not so much anymore. I complained directly to HP..they are truly sorry but they have no plans to resurrect their Camera division anytime soon.

Far Guy offered to give me his camera..which in reality is my old HP Photosmart (2.1mp.) He is so generous. But it still works..and it does take good photos.

I did some research.. and had my choices written down..now for the shopping part..gosh I hate to shop. I walked around, looking at all the choices. Nikon or Canon?? A camera with lots of dials and settings..I barely understand shutter speeds ..I am camera stupid. I was discouraged. Then I found my old HP Camera, it must have been stuck in some warehouse someplace..I almost grabbed it and ran to the checkout counter. I stopped myself..and said self "You need a better camera..Perhaps not a Canon Mark III..but a better camera."

I compromised and got another old lady camera. One with automatic settings, but with the capability to choose my own settings..for when I am comfortable enough with ISO and all that technical jargon. When I have time to read the entire manual and feel like experimenting. I have thirty days to decide if this is the camera for me or not..and I will probably go back and get that HP Photosmart M627 and see if I can get a service package for ten years..because I really liked that camera..I can send my old one in for repair..but that will cost as much as a new camera.
One of the reasons I wanted a new camera was to take bird photos.. In my old camera they would have looked like this...honest..there is a bird in that photo.

TA DA! A BLUEBIRD!
The new camera...

A cropped photo.. with practice... I should get better..maybe.

The camera I ended up purchasing was a Canon (9 mp) Powershot SX 110 IS ..thirty days will tell the story:)