Monday ~ July 20, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on July 20, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , , , .

July-19-2015

Happy Monday!

I went out to the Dubuque Regional Airport yesterday morning to photograph the war-birds on their last day here.  I was told on Friday that they would more than likely take off and do a group formation between 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

I arrived at the airport around 8:30 a.m. with cameras, lenses, lawn chair, umbrella, and lots of water, full of anticipation.

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I shot 1,000 images yesterday and the first image I’m showing you is a bumblebee. Not only is it my first image, it’s all I’m showing today.

This little guy or some of his buddies were working the small wild flowers all around me.  The action at many times was non-existent on the air field so I amused myself by photographing the bumblebees and a little ground squirrel, which I’ll show later.

I spent 4.5 hours at the airport and never did see the group take off or fly over.  I finally packed it in around 1:00 p.m. as I had other things I had to do.  I met several nice people while I was there including a very interesting man from Germany.

As we were watching a couple of the war-birds taxi out for take off he said to me, “Those planes use to shoot at me when I was a boy.”   He introduced himself to me but the only part of his name I could hear was his first name, which was Reinhardt.  I doubt if I have spelled it correctly.

He said he was born in 1937 near Düsseldorf, Germany and towards the end of the war the American fighter planes would seek targets of opportunity after escorting the bombers. During this period of the war they did a lot of strafing of the German country side and he remembers that.  Fascinating gentleman and I wished we could have visited longer but he had to go.

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I did shoot lots of airplanes yesterday so I have several of those to show during the week.  I just liked the bumblebee images so that is what I share with you today.

Notice the “pollen” bags on their back legs.  I didn’t notice those when I was taking these images.  The lens I had wasn’t really suited for macro photography but it seemed to work.  These images were shot with: Nikon D750 | Nikon 80 – 400 mm f5.6 VRII lens | ISO 100 1/1000 sec @ f8.0

Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

Sunday ~ July 19, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on July 19, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , .

July-18-2015

Happy Sunday!

Hot and humid here yesterday.  I went out to the Dubuque Arboretum yesterday afternoon to shoot some more flowers.  I was wearing a tee-shirt and shorts and I was uncomfortable.  I tell you that only because at the same time I was at the Arboretum there was an outdoor wedding going on with people wearing suits and ties.  Ugh!

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I stopped and watched some of the procession of the wedding all the time thinking how happy I was that I didn’t have to attend the wedding or worse have to be the photographer.  He was working hard and it looked like he had two back up shooters as well.

I spent about an hour at the Arboretum walking the grounds and photographing different things.  I’ll show some of those images during the coming week.

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When I got home from the Arboretum I didn’t think I was warm enough so I suited up and went for a 25 mile bike ride.  It was very humid with a heat index of 105 degrees.  I stopped every five miles and re-hydrated so I made it just fine with no ill effects from the weather.

I only saw two other bikers my entire ride (which is very unusual) for a Saturday afternoon.  I guess they were all smarter than me.  🙂

That’s it for today.  Heading out to the airport this morning to capture some more images of the war birds before they head for Oshkosh.

Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Enjoy your day.  Stay cool and be careful.

Friday ~ July 17, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on July 17, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , .

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Happy Friday!

It’s hot and it’s mid-July so that means the war-birds are here to practice for their presentation at the big air show at Oshkosh.

I got up early this morning and drove out to the airport.  My hope was that there would be an early morning flight of the war-birds.  I was lucky in that respect but unlucky in that the wind was such they took off on the far runway and I couldn’t get a good shot of them.

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I walked into the Jet Service entrance and they were nice enough to let me out on the tarmac long enough to get some static shots of the aircraft.

Once I got a few shots I headed for the observation area so I could watch them.  I thought at first (from looking at the wind sock) they might use runway 130 but they used 180, which is the furthermost runway from the observation area.

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They only made one pass over the airfield and then flew out away from the airport to where ever they practice their maneuvers.

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So it wasn’t the best photo shoot opportunity but anytime I can combine photography with aircraft (especially) old war-birds it’s a pretty special time for me.

Got to spend a little time with Angie and the grand kids this morning and read them some of their favorite stories.  Great time.

Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Enjoy your day.  Keep cool and be careful.

Thursday ~ July 16, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on July 16, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , .

Tess_Nisen

Happy Thursday!

One of my very favorite types of photography is portraits or head shots.  I really enjoy working with the light and posing people to create the best image that I can.  Unfortunately I do not get to do it very often so It is constantly like learning for the first time.

I was asked to take “head shots” of our young interns for their future use.  For things like Linked-in, or other social medial outlets as well as posting them for other uses.

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So the question always becomes how much to you enhance or alter the original image to make the person look as good as they can.  Because what happens when you take a picture of someone you in essence freeze time.  You can have the time to look at every little blemish and imperfection that a person has.  And we all have them.

When in the normal interaction with others we never focus or stare at someone long enough to notice them but with an image we do.  It is kind of like taking a landscape image and then in post processing you notice all the power lines running through the image.  You can either remove them or keep them and let them detract from the image.

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I always struggle with how much is too much.  Remove a slight blemish, brighten the eyes, teeth or remove fly away hair.  It i all a matter of judgement.

Yet as a photographer I want to present the very best image I can and make the person I am photographing look their very best.  So at the end of the day I guess you will have to make the final decision.

I just tried to capture what I saw in the camera and let people enjoy what they see.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

Wednesday ~ July 15, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on July 15, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , .

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Happy Hump Day!

Getting ready for work yesterday morning I looked out of our bedroom window and saw the soft rays of the morning sun bathing the bird bath with its golden light.

I’ve heard professional photographers say that it doesn’t really matter the subject as long as it is lit correctly.  Light reveals, shadows define.  So I put that to the test with this image of the bird bath.

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On Monday when it was so terribly hot and humid I actually filled the bird bath 5 times during the day.  The birds were sometimes 4 deep waiting their turn to cool off or get a drink of water.  I love watching the birds “frolicking” in the bird bath.

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So last night after dinner I decided to take my long lens out to the patio and sat semi concealed by other lawn chairs.  The birds are reluctant to visit the bird bath if I’m sitting outside.  I was very lucky to capture this robin taking a bath and “frolicking.”  🙂

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Revived and refreshed this robin is ready for the evening.  Monday I actually saw a robin and a morning dove sharing the bird bath and splashing water on the little finches waiting their turn.

Many times during the day the birds will swoop in, grab a drink and then gone just as quickly.  Now if I could just train them to poop somewhere else.  🙂

Camera Specs:  Nikon D4 | Sigma 150 – 600 mm 6.5 | ISO 200 1/160 sec @ f6.5 | Nikon SB900 flash with softbox

That’s it for today.  Thanks for stopping by the blog.  Cooler today but be careful.

Tuesday ~ July 14, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on July 14, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , .

July-13-2015

Happy Tuesday!

I shot the above image with the little point and shoot camera I keep on my bike.  Even though the heat index was 105 degrees I decided I needed to get a bike ride in.  Just goes to show that the best camera is the one you have with you.  🙂

I did an in town 20 mile ride without any big hills.  Stopped every 5 miles and re-hydrated so I made it just fine, but OMG was it hot!

I had planned on going to the Dubuque Arboretum yesterday as they have a bunch of new flowers out, but after cooling down and getting a shower I didn’t want to get hot all over again.  🙂

Hopefully they’ll still be pretty this coming weekend.

That’s all I have for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy your day and be careful.

Monday ~ July 13, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on July 13, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , .

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Happy Monday!

I thought I would show you a couple of aerial shots from the Ridgeway reunion.  I’m still struggling a bit with the video portion of the Phantoms.  I can’t seem to get the results I want.

One of the things that you will notice is just how much green space there is on Main Street.  When I was growing up there Ridgeway was a vibrant community with an active and thriving downtown.  Two cafes, a pool hall, two grocery stores, two gas stations, a bank, a wonderful drug store and soda fountain, a beauty shop, a doctor’s office, and a variety of other stores.  Not bad for a little town of only 450 people.

It’s sad to see the state of downtown now.

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On Saturday there was almost always a dance at the Lion’s Hall.  Various bands would come to Ridgeway and play at what was called “Teen Town.”  At one time there was even a movie theater in Ridgeway and my Dad ran the projector.  I got in free.  🙂

Well those days are gone but the memories remain and those will be with me to the end of my days.

Thanks for stopping by the blog.  I’m not happy with the quality of the video but it will give you an idea of the community.

Enjoy your day and be careful.

Sunday ~ July 12, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on July 12, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , , .

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Happy Sunday!

Yesterday we drove to Ames and picked up Jeanne’s Mother and then headed for Des Moines for a Christmas in July gathering.  Unfortunately we only seem to get together at Christmas time and that is only for a few hours.  So Angie came up with the idea of Christmas in July.

Not everyone could make it.  Mark had to work and his cousins Brooklyn and Jackson were not able to attend.  But we had a pretty good turn out.  We missed getting a group photo for Christmas so we did this one first thing before anyone had to leave.

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That’s a lot of driving for one day but you can never pass up the chance to spend some time with family.

On the way home I saw many photo opts but wanted to get home so I didn’t stop.  I did pull over one time when the light was so pretty.  I shot some farm buildings but when I got them into post processing I was not happy with the subject matter.  The light is significant but you must have a worthy subject as well.

My favorite little subject.  She will let me just shoot away while she does her thing.  🙂

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My other favorite subject.  I wonder how many images I have taken of Angie over the years.  Here’s hoping I take tens of thousands more before I hang up my camera.

We left Des Moines around 5:00 p.m. and took Jay back to Ames and then headed for home.  We stopped in Independence for dinner and made it home around 9:00 p.m.  So a long day but no complaints.  It was a rewarding experience.

That’s all I have for you today.  Enjoy your day, its supposed to be a hot one.  Thanks for stopping by the blog and be careful.

Saturday ~ July 11, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on July 11, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , .

July-11-2015-06-27-2015

Happy Saturday!

Seems like forever since I last posted something on the blog.  A series of early / late meetings last week left no time for photography or anything else for that matter.

I caught up on some sleep and took a long bike ride yesterday, which helped clear my thoughts, so I have some images from a few days ago to share with you today.

Last weekend’s all school reunion was such a great experience.  I still have not processed the video of the parade.  Perhaps tomorrow as we have a family event today.  The memories of that day and high school experience are still prominent in my thoughts.

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I mentioned earlier that I did a long bike ride yesterday.  One of the things I enjoy about riding a bike is the amount of distance you can go in a given amount of time.  As I traveled around the city I get brief snippets of conversation from the people I pass and see small vignettes of activity people are engaged in.  I like to fill in the gaps as I ride (it helps pass the time.)

The route that I took yesterday takes me along busy city streets, through the downtown area, on some isolated bike paths, along the river to the Lock and Dam and then back on a long (almost all uphill) bike path to my destination of home.

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When I processed these images they were first in color and then the more I looked at them the decision to make them black and white became the obvious choice.  There are some shots (in my opinion only) that black and white simply cannot do justice to, but on the main black and white convey more emotion than color.  Again that’s just my view-point.  Ansel Adams would probably disagree with me.  🙂

Hope you have a wonderful day.  Thanks for stopping by the blog and be careful.

Tuesday ~ July 07, 2015

Posted by Dave Updegraff on July 7, 2015
Posted in: Daily Posts. Tagged: , , , , .

July-04-2015-2A

Happy Tuesday!

If you didn’t grow up in Ridgeway, Missouri or go to school there let me apologize for today’s post because it is all about the extraordinary all school reunion that was held this past 4th of July Holiday.

These are my two closest mates in high school.  Terry Maxwell and Everett Harding.  Seems like anything I can remember about those days these two guys or at least one of them was involved.  🙂

I haven’t seen Everett for 30 years and yet when we talked on Saturday it was like I had just seen him a couple of days ago.

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Jeanne wanted me to tell all my friends just how special you all made her feel.  We talked about each of you and the event all the way home and she said that she felt like she connected with so many people who now seemed like close friends.  She has heard me talk about you for the last 39 years and then to meet and visit with you helped her connect all the dots.  🙂

July-04-2015-2BThe “other women” in my life.  All dear friends one of whom stomped on my heart in first grade.  🙂

Jackie (far right) and I grew up as neighbors and were friends all through high school.  They were all like my younger sisters and I loved them very much.  To see them again after 30 years was a delight that I cannot describe.July-04-2015-2DI actually didn’t take all that many pictures.  I had intended to make as many images as possible so that I would have them in later years but I got so involved with each new encounter the camera just stayed on my shoulder.  In fact most of the images I have were taken by other people with my beloved and highly prized Nikon D4.

The above image is of my friend Lane Smith.  Lane graduated two years ahead of me with my sister Becky.  He never looked at me as an under class-man and we always had such good times together.  He portrays General Robert E. Lee in Historical Reenactments at various venues.  Wonderful human being.
July-04-2015-2ERoger was one year ahead of me and his wife Linda was in my class.  Roger and I were always good friends and he was a superb ball player.   He played short stop and third base.  I always got put in the outfield because I couldn’t do anything else.  Occasionally I got a hit and the ball went a long way.  I could turn any home run into a single.  🙂

Roger and Linda just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary!
July-04-2015-2CFinally I’ll leave you with this image of my great friend Kathy (Middleton) White.  She lived two houses up and across the street and her Mom and Dad ran the drugstore in Ridgeway.  They were beautiful people and everyone loved and respected them.

Kathy was my little sister and I enjoyed her company when ever she had the time for me.  She was so active in high school and later we reconnected when she attended college at NWMSU where I was a police officer and a student.  Such memories of life long friendships that will never fade.

I’m still on a memory high and Jeanne and I talked about that magical weekend this evening at dinner.  Thanks to my non classmates for indulging me this trip down memory lane.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.  Enjoy your day and as always be careful.