Bruce's Pics

Cozy Cottage, Minimal Neighbors

2009-09-18T03:56:00.000-07:00

A small pond in Maine...

A house with no neighbors.

Oh, the peace and quiet.

What am I saying? It's Maine! It's blissfully quiet in most parts there!

Image year: 1994

A Man Walks Alone

2009-09-11T03:49:00.000-07:00

A solitary walk down a lane rimmed by trees.

(N. Leeds ME, 1994.

The "road" to the back of the property.

I'm off to play bear whisperer)

The Stargate at Comic-Con

2009-09-10T03:41:00.000-07:00

The Stargate Portal,
At Comic-Con

District 9 at Comic-Con

2009-09-06T03:08:00.000-07:00

District 9 at Comic-Con

It's an awesome movie!

Brandon Routh At San Diego Comic-Con 2009

2009-09-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

Brandon Routh
Cool guy. He took the time to let me take a picture of him at Comic-Con, San Diego.

Photography Products On Amazon

2009-08-21T23:22:00.000-07:00

Field Guides to Nature Photography

Digital Cameras on Amazon.com

Camera Supplies on Amazon.com

Bicycle Blurs

2009-08-21T15:00:00.001-07:00

Bicycles at speed, Velodrome near San Jose
Photo by Robert Keene

When I saw this photo, I thought it was a great speed / motion blur perspective and asked the photog to send it to me. He did. Thanks Robert!

Photography Books on Amazon.com

The City Behind Me

2009-06-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

It's what you can't see behind you,
that's best illuminated by reflection.

Much like hindsight.
(Downtown San Jose, Ca - 2009)

Wind Chimes

2009-04-14T21:34:00.001-07:00

In the shade of the porch,
in the push and pull of the ever persistent wind,
this bell makes the sounds of an ocean buoy bell on the waves.
It transports one to another place.

Spring Time Pictures and Shadows

2009-04-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

Spring presents many artistic offers
of life, sun and shade.

Making Your Point And Shoot Dance

2009-03-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

When you have a simple point and shoot, you don't always have the best ability to set your lighting to the best it could be when taking a picture.

I'm somewhat fixated on not doing post processing of my images so I needed to learn a few tricks for my older P&S. (Point & Shoot) If you need to make your camera think it's brighter than it is, or darker than it is, I've found that if you have something at the same distance that is of a different light exposure, aiming at that, letting the camera set itself, then pointing it at your true subject can give you what you might be hoping for!

These 3 images that I've strung together here show that very practice:

A View From Mt. Shasta

2009-03-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

It's 1998. Road Trip to Mt Shasta!
This is the view from Waverly Peak, looking West.
Ah, the expanse of space,
for the lucky eagle whose wings,
let him take advantage
of all that blue.
(OK, hazy bluish space.)
[this image was modified from the original scan to bring forth the trees in the foreground.
otherwise, they'd be a dark blurb. I did lose what little blue I had.]

A Mountain Town Indeed

2009-02-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite little towns:
Wrightwood, CA.

It's here that you can listen to the evening as it comes in from the East.

The gently evening breeze browsing through the tall pines
always announces the coming of night.

Like washing the deeds of the day away,
making room for tomorrow.

This is an older (2002) image from a non-digital camera.
I used Picasa to "enrich" the colors. I used the "feeling lucky" button.

From Under The Tree in Time of Summer

2009-01-19T03:11:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, trees just reach out for you saying,

Welcome to my shade,
please enjoy this glade.

The Patience of the Hawk

2009-01-12T03:47:00.000-08:00

With the new year here, the hawk sits and waits,
watching the field for the next best opportunity.
Waiting for the right moment, the right breeze, the right opportunity.
Quiet, patient, knowing.

Oh yea, and letting me get this close,
knowing he can kick my butt,

Oreo Cows - They Do Exist!

2009-01-08T12:41:00.000-08:00

They are actually known as banded cows, if you really must know.

Photography Books on Amazon.com

Starting The New Year With A Fresh Look

2009-01-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

With the new year, we must look down the river we will travel,
and plan our paddle work from what we see ahead of us,
and what we want to do to, with regards to the current of life.

I Thought You Dug Up Your Fish Bait!

2008-12-29T03:21:00.000-08:00

Modern technology lands in Idaho.
How live can it be!?

For some reason, I thought you would go out and dig up your worms.
Now, you just go dig up some coins then head down to the street corner!
Bait vending machines. Sheesh. What's next?

Happy Holidays to All

2008-12-24T14:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to All!

Thar's Elk In Them Thar Hills!

2008-12-15T03:18:00.000-08:00

This is 10 miles outside of Boise, Idaho.
That fence keeps them off the freeway.

Photographing The Moon

2008-12-14T14:07:00.000-08:00

I've been using a Sony CyberShot P150 for some time now, having taken almost 15,000 pictures with it.

It's done me good since I bought it back in 2005. But I've wanted a bit more on those occasions that call to the photographer in me.

Last weekend, I upgraded to an Olympus E-520. I will be writing on that experience later.

Right now, I'm looking at trying to take pictures of the moon. That is one subject that has eluded me with my point and shoot.

As you can see, it ain't going so well. The LR image in my Mutilated Moon Collage looks like it worked, but I have to get it focused on the subject for it to be any good. Details!

While I am trying to figure out the camera, I am having multiple issues. (There are so many buttons on it that every time I pick it up, I change some setting.) But after looking around I found a few resources on shooting the moon and have come to the following conclusions:

I know absolutely nothing and I need to learn all these new buttons and menus. It's a long cry from my Pentax K1000.

Onward about Moon shoots.
The first rule of thumb I discovered is the Moony 11 rule. That is to set your aperture to f/11 and set your shutter speed as close as you can to the reciprocal (1 / x) of the film speed.

IE: If your ISO is set to 100, set your aperture to f/11 and your shutter speed to 1/90 sec. We are reminded that the moon is merely reflecting sunlight and why this works.

Another resource I like is DPS (Digital Photography Shcool Forums). In one post here were the settings of one marvelous moon image (I'm extremely jealous.)

Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/320)
Aperture: f/0
Focal Length: 0 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/2 EV

And a great thread that touches on shooting the moon on the DPS Forums.

My own settings for the LR image in my mutilated moon collage, aside from not being focused were:

Exposure: 1/4000 s
F Number: f/5.4
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 132 mm
Exposure Bias: 0.00 EV

Enjoy the labors of my research.

Moony 11 Source: PhotoNotes.org

These Days, This Might Be A Good Investment

2008-12-08T02:46:00.000-08:00

In this housing market,

this could make a great investment.
At least they can say it's got great airy rooms with a view.

Real Estate Available!?
Oh the times and things this place has seen.

Filling in Your Subject With Flash Work

2008-12-02T21:21:00.000-08:00

Sometimes for me, natural light works for me, other times it doesn't. Every now and then I find that the subject is darker than I would like. I have a tendency to not want to modify my images after I've taken them. Call me stubborn. So I employ my flash.

Employing my flash brings the subject to the forefront in a rather abrupt fashion. Then you can see the subject clearly and still see the background as well.

I like the results it creates like this pic I've previously posted where the leaf to the left is brought to the forefront while we still see the rest of the scene.

In this case below, if I had not used the flash the leaf would not even show up except as dark shadowed highlight:

Sighing In Silence, Helping The Family

2008-12-01T03:42:00.000-08:00

One of the most confusing things to experience.
Helping the family pack and move,
stoic silence smothers your frustration,
sadness envelopes the day,
but it's not about me,
and I must help
for they are
family.

Sighing in Sadness.

Time Life Photo Archive to Go Online

2008-11-19T06:24:00.001-08:00

LIFE and Google are in the process of releasing over 10 million new pictures on the internet that have never been seen before.

These images can be found when conducting a search on Google.com or on Google Image Search. Users can also search through the LIFE Collection directly by visiting http://images.google.com/hosted/life.

The collection will be one of the largest collections of professional images on the internet and as the scanning project moves along, more images will become available. (I think I remember seeing this job position when is was open on-line!)

If you think about it, this is ~70 years of photos folks.

On top of the standard fare of Tim-Life imagery, the LIFE Photo Archive will include

The Zapruder film of the Kennedy assassination;
The Mansell Collection from London;
Dahlstrom glass plates of New York and environs from the 1880's;
Hugo Jaeger Nazi-era Germany 1937-1944;
DMI red-carpet celebrity shots;
Pix Inc. personalities;
the entire works left to the Collection from LIFE photographers Alfred Eisenstaedt, Gjon Mili, and Nina Leen.

Imagery will also be available to purchase through QOOP.com, a leader in online art sales.

All comments are welcome from Bruce's Pics readers.
source: Time Warner press release

Tipsy Turvy Cow Horns

2008-11-17T03:35:00.000-08:00

Wow, now that's a confused set of horns.

A View To Leave For

2008-11-10T03:23:00.000-08:00

Sometimes in the Fall,
It's not all the colors around you,
But the color right in front of you,
That delivers the message of the season.

A User Trick To Sorting On Photobucket

2008-11-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

A Photo Website Service Tidbit by Bruce Simmons :

Online Photo Service
Amongst all the photo services out there, I've been using a few, but have leaned towards

PhotoBucket.

In PhotoBucket I have one gig of space, can choose the limit on my image sizes, if I want to, and find it mostly intuitive.

BUT I do have an issue with how Photobucket organizes my images.

I like my images in the order that I took them but Photobucket organizes them backwards from the way I choose the file for upload. For example, if I pick images 1-10, it will upload 10 first, then 9, etc.. So far, this is the only annoyance I have with the service.

Usually, my files are ordered by the filename the camera gave them and it's an quick, emotional reference for me. So to put my images up in an order I like on Photobucket, I pick the last pics first and select backwards so that the first image is picked last. (This has been in the bulk uploader, but I suspect it would work for the standard upload method too.)

Then when Photobucket uploads and does it's thing, my images are already in the order I like and I can move on without nary a bit of maintenance on my part.

Printing Pictures
As far as printing images go, I lean towards Walgreens.

It's super fast because I've never had to wait more than 44 minutes after upload and the prices are comparable and sometimes better than the offered prices in the online services.

Not to mention, it's a nice 10 minute walk in my quaint little downtown block.

Reader comments or suggestions are always welcome.

[Image Cr: Rayanne Alves, sxc.hu.]
---

A Sunset For The Neighborhood

2008-11-03T03:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes,
You can still connect with nature,
Even if you're in the middle of your subdivision.

Neighborhood Views

A Single Fall Color Leaf

2008-10-28T04:04:00.000-07:00

A single leaf, A single color.
-----

The Colors of Fall Are Coming

2008-10-24T04:29:00.000-07:00

The leaves have changed colors
and are waiting for the breeze to set them free.

Fall is in the air,
and leaves are on the lawn,
and on the car,
and in the street,
and probably in your pool.

Fall Colors

2008-10-20T03:07:00.000-07:00

Looking for color on a drab Fall Day

Views of Nature

2008-10-13T03:04:00.000-07:00

Hello dinner!
Says the Bald Eagle to the Magpie!
This is about 40 miles NW of Boise.
Next to the highway.

Animal Photography on Amazon.com

Views From The Drivers Seat

2008-10-06T03:57:00.000-07:00

It's a view.
In a view.
With a view.
Playing with mirrors,
views from the drivers seat.

A Scenic Day Overlooking Boise, Idaho

2008-09-29T03:52:00.000-07:00

Boise, Idaho sure can be a pretty place.
We're looking SW over the city.

Photography Products on Amazon.com

A Flash Back To 1982

2008-09-06T15:02:00.001-07:00

GoldenGate Bridge: Picture Taken in 1982
Check out the cars!

Comic Con 2008: War Monger

2008-07-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

If you've seen the Iron Man movie, you know this is the War Monger armor, at the 2008 Comic Con in San Diego.

Ocean Bay View, San Diego, CA

2008-07-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

First Day at ComicCon. This is the view from the hotel room (Marriott) overlooking the bay:

Bike Ride in July

2008-07-20T19:27:00.001-07:00

A Summers Ride in the Bay Area
Sand Hill Road in San Mateo County, CA
Headed through Woodside.
(The ocean is on the other side of those small hills up ahead!)

25 mph downhill on a 70 degree day.
July 20, 2008

PS:
Where the bottom of the road at the foot of the mountains is the
San Andreas Fault!!
Yikes... tread lightly and don't wake the beast!

Sunrise From So. Cal

2008-07-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

A Sunrise from scenic
Calabasas, CA
.
.

Placid Beauty of Lake Shore Waves

2008-05-03T07:57:00.001-07:00

McCall Idaho,
Probably one of the more beautiful places
I've ever visited.
The serenity was something for the memories.

Weird 4 Horn Goat (Jacob's Sheep)

2008-04-28T23:19:00.000-07:00

Saw this guy [A Jacob's Sheep] at a fair in Idaho.
(Title & Info updated, thanks to Anon comment)

Animal Photography on Amazon.com

Da Cat Like Da Sun

2008-04-19T14:31:00.000-07:00

It's my first day of decent Sun...
Git oudda my way.

Photography Books on Amazon.com

Reflections of Christmas on the Sea

2008-04-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

A Southern California Christmas
Where the idea of a white Christmas
lay on the shore with the pounding surf.

A Sunset over Mayberry

2008-04-02T19:57:00.001-07:00

Another Idealistic Sunset
Worthy of a Thomas Kinkade painting.

OK, it's not Mayberry, it's Boise, Idaho in June of 2005.
The region lends itself to thunderstorms and when you don't have thunderstorms
you have some pretty neat sunsets.

Symmetry in Nature

2008-03-22T17:17:00.001-07:00

No matter how hard man strives for symmetry,
symmetry finds itself easily in nature.

Daytime At Night

2008-03-22T06:11:00.001-07:00

Deception Can Be Had With Night Thought to Be Day

(30 second exposure, full moon, 9pm at night.
Notice the airliner captured during the shot?)

That Tree In Your Park

2008-03-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

It's been there before the park,
more than likely,
it will be there after the park.
All in all, it has seen much and if it could,
would have much to say.

Lightning in the Grand Canyon

2008-03-12T22:07:00.001-07:00

Lightning in the Grand Canyon
An image from 1999

Foot Steps in the Sand

2008-02-17T11:10:00.000-08:00

Foot steps in the sand,
by themselves,
such as life, in the beginning or the end,
by themselves,
learning our own lessons with each step.

Artistic Photography - Amazon.com

A great Photography website for Instruction, Insight and Imagery

2008-01-22T07:31:00.001-08:00

I same across this site the other day and there was so much for me to look at that I need to go back several times to review it.
It has pointed me to the basics, and beyond basics and not just with the camera, but with using software after the fact, though my focus is getting the pic and accepting it for what it is.

Needless to say, it seems to be a valuable reference for the rest of us.

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/

Gallery, architecturally focused: Gallery
Tutorial on many facets of the art: Tutorial

Calm Lake with Still Waters

2008-01-04T21:22:00.000-08:00

The reflections of sky and trees on the still waters of the lake.

Hello to 2008

2008-01-01T09:53:00.001-08:00

Another calendar year has come and gone.
We now have only 359 shopping days until Christmas.
I want to say thank you to my 40,000+ visitors for coming by and checking out my work and efforts.
Now, let's look to 2008 and see what that has in store for us, for humanity.

Happy New Year and Best Wishes to Everyone
Bruce E. Simmons

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2007-12-30T20:34:00.001-08:00

As the New Year approaches,

Willow meditates on the Meaning of Life,

while waiting for a squirrel to pass by.

A River off a Reservoir

2007-12-30T01:10:00.001-08:00

The rugged beauty of Idaho.

A river definitely runs through it.

Holiday Eggnog Affects

2007-12-24T16:20:00.000-08:00

After so much "Eggnog", our tree starts to look like this!!

(Remember, I don't alter the image, I just manipulate the camera while taking the pic!)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

Tis the Season

2007-12-22T21:41:00.000-08:00

Being December, 'Tis the Season.

Happy Holidays Everyone

Tis But a Lowely Creature of God

2007-12-19T17:45:00.000-08:00

The majesty of nature is never ending,

nor is the desire to stay inside my truck with the windows up!

Mothers Care

2007-12-16T18:40:00.000-08:00

No matter how young or old, parents will always be there.

Know that you will never be alone.

Travels - Views From the Truck

2007-12-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

Sitting in my truck, a moment in time;
watching the commerce of the world pass me by at this junction.

Tony Stewarts Cup Car

2007-12-15T23:36:00.000-08:00

The roar of the engines is better than most rushes out there.

The Moon

2007-12-15T02:50:00.000-08:00

Peaking between leaf and cloud, the 1/2 new moon comes to the night.

A Picture in the Image

2007-12-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

Reflections of a Thought

River's Witness

2007-12-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

Leaves of silent setting, witness the passing of waters running.

Moonrise over Barn, Idaho

2007-12-09T21:08:00.000-08:00

Earth's night light rises another night.

California Sunshine - NOT

2007-12-08T12:48:00.001-08:00

Someone was enjoying a peaceful evening, enjoying the rain storm..

Then CRACK!! Fried hair and all else that comes with connecting with nature.

Granada Hills, CA (Early 90's)

Nap Time is a Good Time

2007-12-07T21:37:00.001-08:00

Ansel Adams Made Photography the Art it Is Today

2007-12-06T10:55:00.001-08:00

Observation by Bruce Simmons

Before Ansel Adams, photographers tried to make their imagery mimic art through various means of image manipulation such as coating camera lenses and scratching negatives and other types of modifications.

Along came Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984), who declared photography to be a "a blazing poetry of the real," and stated that manipulations were simply a derivative of other art forms. Ansel preached the value of "pure photography." letting us see that which he saw, through his collected images of his travels from his camera. Ultimately, and thankfully, Adams' pictures turned photography into fine art and shaped the way we see the wilderness

Thank you Ansel Adams for helping me see the art I can make from my lowly little digital camera.

http://www.anseladams.com/

(All my photos on this blog are untouched unless otherwise noted, as inspired by AEA.)

Abandoned, 5 miles outside of Boise, ID

2007-12-06T06:03:00.000-08:00

Of a time in place, if only some buildings could tell us what they've seen.

A Scenic Barn on it's Land in Boise, ID

2007-12-05T21:34:00.000-08:00