I used to fancy myself a bluesman.

I’m a big fan of Muddy Waters, Lightning Hopkins, Big and Little Walter, and Koko Taylor. I’m convinced that B.B. King is the blues guitar version of Count Basie.

It’s fun to listen to Eric Clapton play the blues, but I’m always left with the idea that his heart is not totally in it.

I can bend notes on a harmonica pretty well, and have played around in a bar band.

On the other hand I’m an old balding white guy.  I figure I’m the wrong race; and with little talent; I should definitely stick to medicine.

There was this guy, from Texas, who really played the blues.

He might have been the best guitarist in the modern era.

 He was a white guy. He wore sort of a modified cowboy hat, often with a plume.

I have always loved the blues, but, was focused at the time on classic blues artists.  I missed out on him.

He conquered drug and alcohol abuse, and was clean at the time of this video.

He died in a helicopter crash in 1990. What a tragedy.

He is of course, Stevie Ray Vaughn.  

He was absolutely astounding.

Here’s a cut.

Arielle at Twelve

I lost a niece, a week ago.

Arielle was my sister’s child, and a college student. She was driving, probably too fast, on a twisty back road to take an exam on a rainy afternoon. She lost control of the car and was killed.

She was always a personality. She had flaming red hair and an outgoing persona to match: a character in a family of characters.  She was particularly beloved by her siblings and cousins and as we discovered, by a large group of friends. She was from childhood, extremely animated and forthright.

Years ago, my father, who is her grandfather, affectionately nicknamed her “Whacko”. It has always seemed apt.

Often, as a middle-aged guy it is hard to keep up with the lives of your children, let alone those of your teenage nieces. Sadly this was the case with Arielle. I hadn’t talked to her much in the past couple of years.

 Despite this, you are still connected organically with the offspring of your siblings, and the news of her death was a shock. My sister, her husband and her brother and sister were beyond devastated, but handled the tragedy with great dignity.

I learned over the last week, the joy she had brought great joy to a large group of friends.  Her Facebook page exploded with grief.  A crowd of young friends, along with her large extended family attended the wake and the funeral and gave witness to the impact that she had on her peers and loved ones.

There is no good in this, but I hope going forward, that some of the kids, who were touched by Arielle’s loss, will have been given a sense of their own potential mortality.  Perhaps a young life will be saved.

Arielle, we miss you. I regret especially that I think that in your youth, you were much like your mother. I think that you would have matured, as she did, into a fine strong woman. That would have been wonderful. I will miss having that person in my life.

Goodbye Arielle. See you soon.

 

Red and Orange (Panasonic GH1, Lumix 20mm f 1.7)

 

On a day off, especially if I am awakening in the morning during a photogenic season, or in a scenic place, I have to make a decision.

Do I get up, grab my photo gear and go out early, or do I “sleep in”. This is a decision that I usually make based on the weather.

If it’s cloudy, I stay in bed, knowing that the same shooting conditions that I would encounter at 6 AM will exist at 11. I can sleep a bit, have breakfast and coffee, and still get good light.

If it’s clear, I think about it. You have to get up very early, arguably before sunrise, to catch the very best light. If I can look out the window and can already see that it’s clear, I probably already missed the best shooting. Have to wait until sunset.

If it’s foggy however, particularly if there’s no rain, I’m up instantly. For fogs, or mists, in many ways and in their many forms provide a wonderful backdrop for landscape photography.

Landscape photographers need to try to understand the weather. It’s helpful to anticipate the atmosphere’s behavior in order to be present for the best shooting conditions. I’m not a meteorologist, but I know a few things:

I know that in the fall of the year, when a cold front passes after a period of warmth, fog will form in valleys, particularly in river valleys, while the surrounding ridges will be clear. The amount of fog will depend on the “dew point” of the atmosphere.

I know that a similar phenomenon occurs anytime cool moist air passes over warmer surfaces.

I know that it is not unlikely to have fog, when there is an ice storm in the winter.

I know that fog will occur at times I cannot predict.

Fog is like free bokeh (see definition here) provided by the atmosphere. When it is thin, it blurs and deemphasizes the background detail, focusing one’s attention on the subject.

When it is thick, it can transform the commonplace into the abstract. It can change a pedestrian scene, into a more magical vision.

It helps to have equipment that is relatively moisture resistant. Don’t underestimate the pernicious effect  of water vapor on electronics. Don’t bring warm cameras out into cool moist environments. If you do, water will condense onto the electronics, and lenses will fog. At the least, it helps to have a lens cloth available.  

Better yet, let the equipment equalize to the ambient temperature (I usually leave my gear overnight in a place where that can happen). Typically then, there will be few issues.

Every once in a while, Mother Nature helps us with our craft.

Take advantage of it.

October 18, 2010

Alright , I admit it. I screwed up A number of our readers pointed out that the real danger of condensation on camera lenses, and in camera bodies occurs when cold equipment is brought into warm environments. Bang, you got me. In my own defense however, I would say that I was trying to warn my gentle readers about the perils of using electronic equipment, in ultra-humid environments.

I am greatful that people are paying attention.

 I hope you’ll continue.