Laughing Frog Images Archives - Page 10 of 15

Dinner!

Posted on April 4, 2015April 2, 2015 by Kurt

Some of our flowers are hosting unwelcome visitors – aphids.

Mrs. Frog purchased some ladybugs to help in getting rid of the unwelcome guests naturally.

It’s really kind of interesting…

The container on the counter that I thought might have been a pint of ice cream for me was actually full of 1500 ladybugs.

So much for the ice cream munchies.

It’s best to release them at dusk when things are cooling off – you set the container near where you want them to go, take the lid off, and the theory/hope is that they climb the plants you want them to climb and either move in or leave their larvae. In the process, you hope that enough of them stick around for dinner – that being the aphids.

In the process, I thought I’d have some fun photographing the dinner rush.

So, it was off to get the D5100, the 60mm f2.8 micro lens, the flash and the Gary Fong Lightsphere diffuser (so I would have even lighting and I wouldn’t get any hot spots).

To provide for even lighting, I shot with the flash aimed straight up and let the diffuser do its’ thing. I know that sounds counter-intuitive – but see for yourself. It works! I could and should do a post about this diffuser – it’s a phenomenal addition to the camera bag for anyone who regularly uses any shoe-mounted flash.

From there, I figured out that it’s not as easy as it sounds…

First off, ladybugs have the attention span of a cat. They don’t stay in one place very long.

Second, I was trying to shoot them with a short micro lens with a flash and with diffuser as it was dusk. Not the greatest combination. All of this meant a wide aperture – which also meant my depth of field wasn’t going to be very much.

Let’s just say that I had a less than 5% success rate that night. I’ll chalk it up to a learning experience, as I’d never tried this before. This image was made at ISO 100, 1/160 second and f3.5.

I didn’t get any images that will end up in the Galleries on Laughing Frog Images. But that shouldn’t stop you from paying a visit anyway…!

More importantly, I learned that night. (I’m not much for reading photography books – right or wrong, I like to learn new photographic techniques by trial and error. I’ve never taken a class or lesson, so why start now!?

I’ll try this again – but it will be before dusk when there’s enough natural light that I don’t need a flash and can get my aperture above f8 – then I’ll at least have a fighting chance of success.

Fifi in pictures

Posted on April 2, 2015March 28, 2015 by Kurt

Fifi is the only operable Boeing B-29 Superfortress Bomber in the world as of March 2015.

I was privileged, honored, and fortunate to see Fifi at the Van Nuys Ca Airport as part of the CAF AirPower History Tour. That event went beyond expectations, as I was able to watch (and smell) her start up (video here) and to see her fly. I wasn’t able to take a tour, so that remains on my Bucket List, but in no way can I complain about the living history I saw that day.

All images were made in color using a Nikon D-90 and Tamron 18-270 lens.

Then, I did something different for this gallery.

Fifi is a product of the black and white era – black and white television, black and white newspapers, and (predominantly) black and white photographic film.

To maintain the spirit of Fifi’s era, I used two different black and white effects in Perfect Photo Suite 9 by on1 Software to create most of the images of Fifi that I’m sharing with you.

The first is a gritty and grainy effect that mimics how these images might have appeared to the readers of a 1940’s newspaper. The second is a cleaner effect that mimics Kodak’s legendary Tri-X black and white film.

There are a few color images as well, and these are along the lines of a chrome slide film.

I’m curious to hear feedback about the black and white images, particularly which effect you like better and why.

Instead of placing these images in the Military section of the Planes gallery on Laughing Frog Images, I decided that it was more than appropriate for Fifi to have her own gallery – you can check Fifi’s gallery out by clicking here.

The Commemorative Air Force are the folks that keep Fifi going, and made that day and these images possible. My thanks to all who make Fifi happen.

Smartphone Sunset

Posted on March 30, 2015March 26, 2015 by Kurt

Here’s a little “how to”post.

I was at Ontario (CA) International Airport at sunset recently, and saw the sunset, and you can guess what happened next.

Out came my Lumia Icon, and I made a few images. Let’s take a look at them, and talk about how you can make great smartphone sunset images. Both images were shot on “auto” and are straight from the camera.

Details of the above image: ISO 80, f2.4, 1/40 second.

Details of the above image: ISO 64, f2.4, 1/12 second.

So – how did I get the “ooh, aah” first image and get a “so-so” second image?

Many (most) smartphones allow you to select a focus area by selecting the area you want the camera to focus on by tapping the screen with your finger. This also controls where the camera meters (measures light)! Proper metering is the trick to great smartphone sunset images.

In the first image, I selected the brightest area of the sunset as the focus and metering point. As a result, the camera thought everything was really bright and reacted accordingly – this caused the camera to let in less light. This made most of the image darker, and allowed the reflected color in the clouds to appear in the image.

In the second image, I let the camera decide everything. The result is “blah”, at least to me.

The images are shown in the order they were taken. There are 90 seconds between the two – I was taking images and metering off of different points. The first image is the best of the bunch.

Next time you see a great sunset, try this! It’s a way to control your smartphone camera for sunsets even if there are no control options.

(This simple technique will also work for sunrises. It will also work with pocket digital cameras that allow you to lock on to a focus point.)

Remember, film is cheap these days. Shoot often, and have fun.

This concludes your smartphone sunset lesson.

As always, shares and likes are appreciated, and don’t forget to visit Laughing Frog Images for your decorating and gifting needs (and your own indulgences).

With a sneer of derision…

Posted on March 28, 2015March 23, 2015 by Kurt

Ever get “that” look from a cat who really doesn’t care if you think it’s a nice cat or not?

As Dr. Sheldon Cooper would say – “a sneer of derision.”

In the category of pictures that say a thousand words, I think this qualified as one of those looks…

And, perhaps there were only four words behind that look “Pretty kitty my a$%…”

All that said, if I come back in life as a feral cat, I want to make sure I end up at the Lihue Marriott on the island of Kauai….

Fifi Awakens

Posted on March 26, 2015March 23, 2015 by Kurt

Wondering just what the title is about?

Well, now that I have your attention…

I recently had the fortune/privilege of seeing the only operable Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber in the world (at least as of March 2015), Fifi.

It was a strange day in some ways.

On one hand, there was the awe of what was the biggest and baddest bomber of its’ time.

There was the awe of watching her awaken from a slumber and prepare for flight. The smell of unburnt fuel as the revolutions built, the puffs of sweetly acrid smoke dissipating into the air. The vibration at my feet.

The realization that not only was I watching a machine, but one made for war.

As I said, it wasn’t just a “let’s go take airplane pictures” kind of day. It was a day of reflection.

There were World War II Veterans there, including at least one who flew in one of Fifi’s kin, a member of a P-38 Ground Crew, and a P-51 pilot. There were people of all nations and colors.

Many cheered when Fifi’s fourth engine reached full revs. I wonder if they were cheering for Fifi as she is or what she represents to each of them.

It made me think of something related, but not.

My mind went to the the smiling boy I remember from across the street went to war as a young man, and didn’t come home. I was probably reflecting differently than most that day. I’ll stop there, because we all reflect upon war and loss differently.

But, let’s look at Fifi for what she is – an aircraft of a bygone era. Technologically, the B-29 was at the leading edge of bomber design at that time. And, I got to see her fly in 2015.

If you’d like to learn more about the B-29, click here for Wikipedia’s page, and here for Boeing’s page.

If you’d like to see Fifi as she awakens, click here to be taken to the Laughing Frog Images YouTube page or click here to be taken directly to the video. It’s not the greatest video in the world, as I had to hold my phone above people, and try to keep it steady for about four minutes – so I apologize for the technical quality, but not the content.

I am working on a gallery of Fifi for Laughing Frog Images. In the interest of being true to Fifi’s era, all of the images will be in Black and White. There will be two versions of each image – one will mimic Kodak Panatomic X film (“Pan-X”), and one will mimic the grainy reproduction of a newspaper of the era. It will be interesting to see what the feedback is on the two versions.

Automotive Safety Improvements

Posted on March 24, 2015March 21, 2015 by Kurt

You’ve looked at the title of this post, and you’re wondering just what automotive safety improvements have to do with Laughing Frog Images.

If you think “nothing” – you’re right.

So, why the post?

I remember sliding around the metal floor of the “way back” of my Grandfather’s 1958 or 1959 Ford Station Wagon. I have several memories of that car – and, since the Statute of Limitations for Child Endangerment has probably run out for my parents, I can probably tell them now.

Anyway… where was I going? Oh, yes, it’s about automotive safety, and nothing about Laughing Frog Images.

A co-worker shared a video with me the other day. It’s from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and it’s quite interesting. And scary. And, makes you realize that even if you long for the old days, you might not want to long for the old days of automotive safety.

The IIHS does some interesting things, like crash tests. Some of you would characterize that more as fun than interesting…

The video shows the difference that 50 years makes when a 1959 Chevy meets a 2009 Chevy in the most unpleasant way. It’s well worth the minute or so of your time to watch.

Click here to be taken to the video.

And, next time you see an automotive safety engineer, give ’em a hug…

The “Recent” Page (new feature!)

Posted on March 22, 2015March 21, 2015 by Kurt

Thanks to Michael at Visceral Concepts, the Laughing Frog Images web gallery and store has a new feature – the “Recent” page.

Somewhere out there, someone is saying “huh?”

There’s actually a very easy and logical answer to that question.

Until the addition of this page, a visitor or customer had no way of knowing what had been recently added to the Galleries on Laughing Frog Images unless I wrote a post about the new gallery or images that I had added to the site.

You’d all probably hate me if I wrote a post every time I added a picture to a gallery – this is a better way for everyone.

Now, by clicking on Recent at the top of the home page – you can easily see any gallery that’s been added, or that’s had images added to it.

We hope this new feature makes your viewing and shopping experiences more convenient and enjoyable.

Looking down at a frozen Lake Erie

Posted on March 9, 2015March 7, 2015 by Kurt

As a significant part of the U.S. continues to be hammered by snow and cold, many of us don’t think about ice covering the Great Lakes and connecting rivers. It does happen.

This hasn’t been a good year for the lakes or the lake boats. You can check out Boatnerd.com if you’re curious about what’s been happening on the North Coast.

In early April of 2014, I flew from New York’s La Guardia airport to O’Hare in Chicago, and had a window seat.

As we were nearing Buffalo, NY, the pilot made an announcement about much of Lake Erie being frozen over, and that we could see it from the right side of the plane. As luck would have it, I was on the “right” side for a change!

What you’re seeing in this phone photo is Lake Erie in the foreground, and Lake Ontario in the background. All that gray/white stuff in the center/left-center is in fact ice on Lake Erie! You’ll see a squiggly gray line that splits in two and then rejoins itself toward the top right – that’s the Niagara River leading toward Niagara Falls. Fort Erie and the Niagara Region of southeastern Ontario to the left of that, Buffalo NY and its’ suburbs and surroundings are to the right and in the lower foreground. And, that’s dirt on the window in the very foreground as the sun sets to the west…

Something different to share and talk about is always nice. This is certainly different, and something that most of us have probably never thought about or heard about.

This image will never make it to the galleries on Laughing Frog Images – I know that.

But, sometimes a picture, regardless of the technical and aesthetic quality, is well worth sharing because of the thoughts, wonderings, and conversations it brings about. This is one of those times.

Thanks for visiting.

New Videos posted to LFI YouTube

Posted on March 7, 2015March 7, 2015 by Kurt

As I was moving and archiving files this morning, I came across a series of short videos I shot on my iPhone while waiting for a train. I was actually at the station a little early that day! I had actually forgotten that I took these. I was always a little leery about “cell phone video”, but I’ve since learned (evolved?).

It’s kind of funny to say that you took these videos on your phone – at least to those of us of a certain age who remember the first mobile phones were the size of a shoe box!

And to others, it’s as normal as a sunrise.

And, who would have thought you could share things with the world in a matter of mouse clicks and minutes?

These are all short video clips of normal things if you travel by train on the Northeast Corridor. For those who don’t, this is a glimpse into the life of some commuters’ daily routine between Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD.

The Amtrak locomotives you see – the AEM-7’s – are nearing the end of their service lives, and within a year or two, catching them on video won’t be possible. That’s what led me to post these. They’re not the greatest quality videos – I get that. But now, they’re memories. And soon, they’ll be history.

These were all hand-held. Yes, I know, I’m not using a tripod – but you can’t easily carry a tripod on a multi-city business trip.

You can check the videos out on the Laughing Frog Images YouTube Channel.

Sunrise Done Different

Posted on March 3, 2015March 1, 2015 by Kurt

Most of the time you see a picture of a sunrise, the photographer is looking at the sun…

Always having to be different, the Frog presents an alternative way to capture a sunrise. Look the other way!

While on vacation in Hawaii (before you East Coast folks start, it’s closer to me than Boston is right now…) on the island of Kauai, I awoke to a very bright day (which is easy to do when you’ve traveled west).

I looked to the east, and the sun was hidden by a cloud layer. No shot there…

But, as I looked to the west, well, here’s what I saw:

The mountains were in shadow, the clouds were lit by the sun, there was a faint rainbow, and the moon was still out!

Being 2015 and all, I did what most anyone would do – I grabbed my phone to take a picture! I would have grabbed my camera, but the phone was closer and the rainbow was changing (for the worse) before my eyes as the sun rose behind me.

This image is straight from the camera’s raw file (Nokia Lumia Icon), and was cropped to a square image and converted to a jpg for posting and sharing.

I tried to play with it a bit in an editing program to bring out the rainbow, but as every action has a reaction, and the reactions were not favorable, I decided against that train of thought.

You can find the image here on Laughing Frog Images.

Thanks for looking!

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