The Digital Photo Guy

How to Really Honor Our Vets

When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?  George Canning

Every year, on one day out of 365 days, the United States pauses to drink beer, barbeque and carry on like any other weekend. Sure, there are still parades in some small towns and old geezers at VFW halls grumbling about “back in the day”. Somewhere, someone is reading Ragged Old Flag (see video below) at some public gathering.

But, along the way, we seem to have lost the meaning of Veterans Day. It’s not about those (like me) who served a tour, came home and picked up where they left off. It’s not about the dead although they certainly deserve our respect and gratitude. It’s not even about those currently serving in some God-forsaken hellhole though they should never be far from our hearts and minds.

For me, it’s about those who came home in pieces, mentally and/or physically. Those who struggle each and every day to piece together their shattered bodies, minds and lives. It’s for these survivors that I commemorate Veterans Day. It’s for John who, at age 17, watched his platoon sergeant die in his arms. It’s for Eric who, at age 19 had his arm torn off during a POW rescue mission. To all the men and women for whom their service has never ended, I salute you, today and every day.

Also, for me personally, I salute the memory of CMSgt John Altizer and Colonel Truman, men who helped shape me into the person I am today. Men who went out of their way to turn a 17 year old kid into an adult by entrusting him with adult responsibilities and decisions.
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Multiple Flashes & Bounce Flash

Everyone knows the dreaded “red eye” is caused by light from the flash entering the eyes thru the pupils and reflecting off the blood vessels of the retina. The primary way to avoid this is to use an external flash that offsets the flash from the center of the lens, in other words, don‘t use the pop-up flash. Another is to have subjects look at a ceiling or table lamp for a few seconds, causing the pupils to constrict and reduce the amount of light entering the eye. A third trick is asking subjects to look slightly off to one side to reduce the angle at which light can enter and exit the eye. These tips work well with compact digicams with integrated flashes that aren’t very powerful and can’t be removed from the camera. They also work with dSLRs but aren’t always convenient. A small child or pet isn’t likely to take directions too well and candid photos aren’t candid if you ask subjects to pose in a specific way.

The following photos were made today using the Canon 7D pop-up flash as a Master in a 3 flash set up which I’ll cover in the Flash Photography Workshop this coming Saturday.

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Flash in a Flash

In advance of the Flash Photography Workshop at Deer Park Winery and Auto Museum on November 13, here’s a quick MMT covering the basics of flash. I can’t cover all the details that normally take 4 hours but this will get you started.

Canon currently has two primary dedicated flashes, the 430EX II (US$280, above)and the 580EX II (US$445, below). The main differences between the two besides price are power (430 = GN43 vs 580 = GN58) and Master Mode. In multi-flash situations, the 430EX can only be used as a Slave while the 580EX II can be a Master or Slave. Is the 580EX II worth an extra US$165? Probably not unless you’re into flash photography. Having said that, my recommendation is to always buy the biggest, baddest flash you can afford as your first flash.

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Keeping Up With the Joneses (aka Nikon)

I’ve never been one to fret over features in other cameras but there was one Nikon dSLR feature that caused me a ”Jimmy Carter moment” (I’ve looked on other cameras with lust). Commander Mode, available as far down the Nikon product line as the D70, is an integrated wireless flash controller. This feature allows the dSLR to wirelessly control a compatible, off-camera flash. Canon, on the other hand, has never previously implemented this feature. Canon shooters needed a Canon ST-E2, a $230 gizmo, an extra Canon 580EX II flash for $445 or 3rd party wireless remotes.

Well, citizens, I’m here to tell you that Canon has finally seen the light (Get it? “seen the light” har-har) and added an integrated wireless flash controller to the 7D. So, what’s the big deal you ask? Well, step right up and read today’s article to learn all the cool stuff that this one feature brings to the table.

The illustration above (courtesy Canon) shows one cool application for this feature. In this scenario, the pop-up flash on the 7D can be enabled or disabled depending on what you’re trying to do. If disabled, only the three external flashes are fired by the wireless flash controller. If you want a little extra front fill on the subject, the pop-up flash can be enabled.
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International Gourd Festival

Say what? A gourd festival? Yep, you read that right. I attended the 14th Annual International Gourd Festival this weekend. You’re all probably green with envy.

Held in De Luz, CA, a tiny wide spot on the road between Fallbrook and Temecula, CA, the gourd festival is on the grounds of Welburn Farms, the largest US gourd producer. I first heard of this event 10 years ago and always thought I should check it out. This year, I finally got a “round tuit”.
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