News and Notes

As of January 1, 2012, I updated my Home Page displaying a new photo. It is a panoramic view of the Michigan City Lighthouse at Michigan City, Indiana, as waves wash upon the beach from Lake Michigan's winds. It was taken just before sunset on December 2, 2011.

Becky and I drove to northern Indiana on Friday afternoon, December 2, 2011 to the Super 8 Motel in Chesterton. The purpose of this trip was to meet up with eight other members from our camera club (Killbuck Photo Guild) from Anderson, Indiana, for a weekend photo shoot including downtown Chicago.

We checked into our room, then Becky and I drove to Michigan City to photograph the Michigan City Lighthouse and beach area shortly before sunset to capture the golden evening light as it cast a warm glow on the crashing waves washing ashore. We took many nice photos before darkness fell.

After meeting with everybody of our group back in Chesterton, all ten of us went to Wagners Ribs just a few miles away for dinner and socializing. I ordered a half rack of ribs, and they were tender and delicious. I definitely will go back someday as they were that good.

Saturday morning was dark and dreary and the weather forcast wasn't very promising for the day as there was a strong chance of rain in the Chicago area. Our group, Steve and Jan Wright, Ray and Barb Grimball, Mark and Julie Hogue, Kathy Stevens, Steve Branch, and Becky and I, stopped for breakfast at the Third Coast Spice Cafe, a small restaurant in Chesterton, before embarking out to take pictures.

After eating, we all drove to the beach at Indiana Dunes State Park to take photos for about an hour or so before we had to catch the South Shore Line commuter train into Chicago. The train quickly filled up with passengers headed into the Windy City to do their Christmas shopping.

We rode the train as far as it would take us to Millennium Station at Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue, about an hour and fifteen minute ride. That put us about two blocks or so north of the Art Institute of Chicago where we went to view two photography exhibits, Timothy H. O'Sullivan: The King Survey Photographs, and The Three Graces.

After eating lunch in the Garden Cafe at the museum, we then hit the streets and pretty much went our separate ways to take pictures and enjoy the downtown area. We all lucked out. The sky was only partly cloudy with some blue sky peaking through, and no threat of rain whatsoever. Becky and I photographed a huge statue of Marilyn Monroe just north of the Chicago River. Throngs of people stood around waiting to have friends or family members take picture of them standing between Marilyn's legs and looking upward.

We took many pictures in Millennium Park that afternoon of Cloudscape, also known as "The Bean" as well as other objects of interest and ice skaters enjoying the chilly afternoon and evening. We stayed until just past dark before we made our way to the train station and caught the South Shore Line back to Dunes Park where we had boarded the train that morning. Most of the rest of our group had already taken earlier trains back.

Back in Chesterton, we met up with our group and then we went to Applebee's for dinner and to catch-up on the days events.

Sunday morning, we met in the lobby of the motel and then struck out to do some photography before breakfast. We photographed an old school house, which now was a gift shop, across the road from the Furness Cemetery. From there we drove to an old farmstead, Chellburg Farm which was sold in 1972 to the National Park System. What started out as a drizzle when we arrived, turned into a heavier rain a short time later, so it was time to head back to our vehicles and be content with the photos we had taken.

After breakfast at Bob Evans, Becky and I headed toward home and drove in rain all the way to Shelbyville, Indiana.

The first week of May, 2011, my wife and I flew to Salt Lake City, Utah to do genealogy research and to also take photographs of Temple Square.

We had signed up with a small group of other genealogy researchers that call themselves "Our Little Genealogy Group." Becky, my wife, is more involved and serious about genealogy than I am. I guess I'm more of just a dabbler, though I do enjoy it to a degree.

There were a total of eight in our group. We stayed in the Plaza Hotel which is next door to the LDS Family History Library, which is also just across the street from the Mormon Tabernacle and Mormon Temple. When I got frustrated searching for my ancestors or got bored and needed to get away, I would take a break and head out with my camera and tripod to take photographs.

Most mornings, our group usually met for breakfast around 8 o'clock in JB's Restaurant in the hotel before going to the library. Several of those mornings I went out for about an hour to an hour and a half before breakfast and took pictures as the light was just spilling over the eastern Wasatch Mountains.

The Temple grounds were flooded with color from all the beautifully prepared flower gardens, which were mostly tulips.

On Sunday morning, May 8, two of our group had early flights out and departed for the airport, while the remaining six of us went out on a five hour sightseeing tour with Salt Lake City Tours which included a buffet lunch at a nice restaurant.

Our first stop was basically across the street from our hotel to watch and listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during their Mother's Day performance which was being taped and also broadcast live over BYUTV.

This was our first day of possible stormy weather and rain all week. The skies were dark and dreary looking, but the rain did hold out until just about the end of our guided tour when some light rain and drizzle was encountered.

All the pictures you will see here were taken during that tour. I decided to just play tourist and carried my Nikon D700 camera with a 24-120 f/4.0 zoom lens around my neck. My backpack with other lenses and gear was put into secured storage along with our luggage at the hotel until we left for the airport. There is nothing spectacular about these images. They are just documentary photos that anyone with a good digital camera could have taken.

When I awoke this morning, the first thing heard over the local news was about the massive 8.9 earthquake and devastating tsunami that swept over the coast of Japan. Then there were predictions that later in the morning, the Hawaiian Islands would be impacted by a strong surge and eventually the entire western coast of the United States would be affected.

I thought about my July 2008 trip to the coast of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. I remembered the sign posted at the public access to the beach at Lincoln City.

On the evening before when my wife, Becky, and I found a motel for the night in Lincoln City, we struck up a conversation with the clerk about places to see and photograph. She told us about all the starfish we could find and photograph the next morning at low tide.

She told us to go to a small parking area which holds about four cars at the entrance to the beach, and to get there early. She said we would have to hike about a half mile or so up the beach to the seastacks.

The following morning, We checked out of the motel early and drove our rented Subaru Outback to the area she described. There was one parking space left which we took.

It was a damp and chilly morning. Becky and I hiked up the beach, but had doubts if we would see many starfish. We rounded a big rock and there they were, clinging to rocks and on the sand as described. Becky was ecstatic.

Glancing around at the rugged terrain that separated us from high ground, the thought did cross my mind that there was no way we could quickly escape to safety if we had to.

We got our pictures, headed back down the beach to our car, and left town in search of more photo opportunities farther down the coast.

After this recent disaster to Japan, it makes one realize that anywhere we go, there is no escaping risk.

Taking pictures of fireworks can be a challenge for many photographers, me included. In this article I will try to explain some of the pitfalls most of us face while trying to record the explosion of color on the camera's sensor.

First though, you must find a place where you can set up your tripod without worrying about people accidently kicking or tripping over it. Yes, a tripod is definitely a must unless you can find a wall, a post, or someplace where you can steady the camera while keeping the shutter open for several seconds during the exposure. A cable release or electronic remote is also equally important to minimize any camera movement.

Set your camera on manual mode so you have complete control of the exposure and focus. Next, set the ISO to 400 as a starting point which can then be adjusted up or down to compensate for any exposure differences. Set the aperature to f/11 and leave it there. F/11 will give a fairly good depth of field using a wide angle lens. Next, set the shutter to "Bulb" setting. This will let you hold the shutter open to record multiple bursts of color on each picture.

Last night at the Shelby County Fairgrounds event, I checked the camera monitor after a couple of shots and determined that the colors were too light. I adjusted the ISO to 200 which recorded more detail in the colorful streaks.

Take lots and lots of pictures during these events and you should take home some images that you can be proud of showing off.

Shrader-Weaver Nature Preserve in east-central Indiana harbors a profuse growth of wildflowers each spring, especially Blue-eyed Mary. Blue-eyed Mary usually can be found blooming around the middle of April most years, and this year was no exception.

As I took to the trail, I was accompanied by a dog that lives in the area at a private residence. He appeared to have some Rottweiler mix in him due to the size of his head, but he was a very friendly big blond or tan dog. After allowing me to pet him, he took the lead down the trail stopping occasionally to see if I was still following. He finally went on without me as I stopped to take some photographs.

It wasn't the best day to photograph wildflowers as the light was much harsher than I would have preferred. Also there was a little too much of a breeze. Overcast or cloudy conditions would have made for better images. I limited my close-ups and took mostly overall views of the woodlands showing wildflowers carpeting the ground.

Besides seeing a profusion of Blue-eyed Marys, I saw Prairie Trillium and other trilliums, Phlox, Spring beauties, Violets (purple, yellow, white and multi-colored), Marsh marigolds, and buttercups.

The blooming of the Blue-eyed Mary wildflowers doesn't last long, maybe only a week or so, so if the weather holds out and I have a cloudy day, I may go back and try to take close-ups with the macro lens.

My wife Becky and I spent a week in the Great Smoky Mountains from October 24 to November 1, 2009. The autumn colors were the most spectacular that I have ever witnessed in the Appalachians. We took Numerous photographs to record those brilliant red, yellow, gold, and orange hues.

Every morning, we were up early so we could get out into the field before sunup. Most mornings found us in the dark waiting in line at the entrance to Cades Cove's one-way loop road, waiting for the ranger to open the gate about sunrise.

That's when wildlife are most active and the opportunity to see and photograph them are the greatest. Fog also filled the cove most mornings making for some very interesting and spectacular pictures.

Yesterday was a good example as to why you should always take a camera with you whenever you leave home for any reason. I went to the store for some groceries, and on my way back home I caught a glimpse of a low flying airplane. Realizing it was a crop duster, I immediately stopped my Jeep along the edge of the road, grabbed my camera and started shooting away.

I've made it a habit to always grab my camera bag and throw it into the vehicle everytime I leave home no matter how short or long the trip may be. Without my camera yesterday, I would not have been able to capture these images and post them here for you to see.

The Southwestern Michigan Council of Camera Clubs, commonly referred to as SWMCCC (pronounced "swim-see") held it's 35th Annual Summer Weekend Of Photography and Digital Imaging on the Hope College campus in Holland, Michigan, July 30 - August 2, 2009.

This was the first time for my wife Becky and I to attend this highly acclaimed event. We arrived in Holland on Thursday afternoon and checked into the Haworth Conference and Learning Center, a campus hotel. After eating dinner in the campus cafeteria, Becky and I went to a Birds Of Prey Photo Shoot where we took pictures of falcons, hawks, owls, and a golden eagle at a local preserve.

We ate all of our meals on campus at Phelps Hall for the three days we were on campus. After breakfast Friday morning, Becky and I parted ways, she going out into the field at 7AM on a Nature Field Trip, while I attended a Posing and Model Interaction class, and a Storm Light Photography Guide class. Our paths seldom crossed during the day except at meal-times and when we attended Friday and Saturday night special programs.

On Saturday morning I went to a Beach Model Shoot and then attended many classroom sessions the rest of the day. It was neat at the end of each day for Becky and I to finally be able to relax together back at our hotel room and share information about what we did or learned that day.

We already have made reservations at the Haworth Center for next year's event which will be held July 29 to August 1, 2010. I highly recommend this seminar and you can visit their Web site at www.swmccc.org.

The photo exhibit "Winds Of Time - Four Visions" opening reception was held Saturday evening on July 11, 2009 at the Ferrer Gallery in Nashville, Indiana. The turn out was good with about 100 people attending the three hour event.

To see a few of the photos taken during the opening reception, click here. A thank you goes out to my son Rodney A. Margison for taking the pictures.

Ferrer Gallery in Nashville, Indiana has on display a photo exhibit of Desert Southwest images taken by me and my wife Becky along with images taken by two other Indiana photographers, Paula and Tony Ferrer.

The four of us set out together on a two week photo adventure to southern Utah and northern Arizona in the fall of 2006, and returned home with four unique visions from the land that has been changed over eons by the "Winds of Time."

The "Winds of Time - Four Visions" photo exhibit opens today, July 2 through July 28, 2009 at the Ferrer Gallery at 61 West Main St., in Nashville, Indiana.
Gallery hours are: Mon - Sat 10 to 5:00PM, and Sunday 10 to 4:00PM.

An opening reception will be held on Saturday evening, July 11, from 4 to 7:00PM.

My wife Becky and I recently returned from photographing many of our nation's national monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C. during blooming of the cherry blossoms.

This year's peak blooming was April 1 through April 4, and the blooms usually last for another 10 days or so. We arrived in the D.C. area on Sunday afternoon, April 5, and met up with photo friend Dr. Edwin Flournoy from Albany, Georgia. We were supposed to have met with another photo friend, Linda Wirth, who lives just a few miles away in Burke, Virginia, but due to a family death, she was out of town for a couple of days.

We rode the Metrorail to the National Mall & Memorial Parks, and the cherry trees were magnificently hued with a delicate pink glow in the afternoon sun, especially around the Tidal Basin and the Thomas Jeffferson Memorial. Visitors to the area were wall to wall so it seemed, but we managed to take some good photos.

The following morning we had a light rain and some breezy conditions by the time we arrived at the National Mall again. By early afternoon it had quit raining, but many of the cherry trees had already lost their petals creating a carpet of pink on the ground. However, trees that had not yet reached peak, retained their blooms and provided photographic opportunities later on during the week.

Wednesday morning, the three of us met with Linda who was now back home. As a gracious host, she drove us around D.C. and other nearby areas for photo ops.

We had fairly good weather the remainder of the week until Saturday morning when Becky and I packed up and left for home, and it was raining again.

Effective November 24, 2008, a new statute by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), requires a reflective safety vest be worn by public safety officers, volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel responding to incidents on the side of a federal highway. This requirement also impacts photographers.

(Click photo to see larger image and the FHWA Statutes.)

It only makes common sense for photographers or photojournalists covering accidents or doing any kind of photography along roadways and highways to be as visible as possible to avoid becoming a traffic victim themselves.

I have two vests that I carry in the back of my Jeep. One is large enough to wear over a winter coat (shown in photo) and one a size smaller for warm weather. Both of them are ANSI Class 2 and are ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 compliant. They also will come in handy if I ever have a need to walk along a highway after dark because of car trouble.

February 23, 2009 marks the tenth anniversary of this Web site. Ten years ago in 1999 on that date, I uploaded a few pages and a photograph officially marking my World Wide Web debut. That first picture was of a snow scene taken just a few miles from my rural Shelby County home in central Indiana.

Now to commemorate my tenth anniversary, it's only fitting that this month's "Photo of the Month" be of another snow scene taken elsewhere in the county just a few miles away.

I have several file cabinets filled with hanging sheets of slides. Over the past ten years I've enjoyed sorting through those slides over a light-box reliving memories of the many trips and photo excursions they represent.

Now that I'm shooting digital images, I'm spending more time gazing at the computer screen searching for photos to show each month.

It has been a struggle at times trying to keep this Web site user friendly, up to date, and looking fresh. I hope I can continue to maintain the clean look and appearance this site provides for several more years.

Back in the winter of 1998-99, I toyed around with the idea of creating a Web site where I could display some of my photos taken over the years.

I purchased a book about designing Web pages and it came with a CD that assisted me in laying out my first few pages. They were simple and basic pages, but they worked, albeit rather crudely.

The more I played around with designing my Web pages, the more I realized that they weren't doing exactly what I wanted them to do. So, I bought more books and studied HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), and began to write my own Web page instructions. It was all trial and error at first, but I learned.

There are many programs out there today which will do the same thing plus much, much more, but I take pride in knowing that each one of my Web pages was designed and written in HTML code by me, and they all conform to strict code standards and guidelines.

I purposely kept my pages plain, clean and simple. One of my goals was to make navigating through my site an easy and enjoyable experience.

Now I'm studying JavaScript to enhance my pages even further.

My first "Photo of the Week" appeared on February 23, 1999. I published 33 weekly images, then switched to "Photo of the Month" starting with January 1, 2001.

   After January 2002's photo, I got behind and did not get "Photo of the Month" back onto a regular schedule until June of that year. Since then, I have published an image each and every month. You can visit my "Archives" page and see them all.

Last updated or revised on February 16, 2012.
Contents of this page copyright © Steve Margison 2008 - 2012. All rights reserved.