Summer Academy is a summer program for undeserved neighborhood youth in South Central Elkhart. The program is held at the Roosevelt Center, which is the former Roosevelt Elementary School.
I put together the video for LaCasa of Goshen.
This Photo Blog follows my paid photography projects and self-imposed photo exercises. I hope to make this blog both interesting and educational by combining my dubious story telling skills, life musings and occasional good idea.
Enjoy,
Stuart
Quick Snowy Video
A Quck Saturday Morning Video. I shot the footage with my 6D in manual mode at 24 fps and then did the editing with Adobe Premiere Pro. I got the music came from Vimeo’s Music Store.
Hey, it’s Snowing!
I cannot miss a snowy opportunity to take photos. I wanted to wait until evening, or at least until it stopped snowing, but I was worried that the winds would pick up and blow all the snow off the tree branches. All photos were taken at the woods down at the Goshen Dam. When taking photos in the snow, exposure compensation should be adjusted about one stop brighter because with all that white, your camera will automatically want to lower exposure. This is why snow photos usually look a bit dark. Exposure compensation can also be adjusted in post production. All photos taken with 5D Mark III and 16-35 (wide angle) lens. 
Late-Day Silhouettes
I headed down to my local park-area to again practice my photography and scout-out new photo ideas. I brought along my tripod and neutral density filters, thinking I might end up taking slow exposure shots, possibly with water. Once I got down to the dam, my plans changed. Just like any place, the scene changes depending on the weather, lighting and sky conditions. As I looked around, interesting clouds caught my attention. I wanted to use these clouds as one of the main subjects of my photos. I realized that this would be a good day for back-lite, silhouette photos. I set up my tripod and camera and attached my remote timer. I then set up correct exposure in manual mode and set the timer to shoot every few seconds. I typically don’t like taking self portraits but I didn’t have a model and needed someone in the photos.
Video from General Motors Aerial Photography Shoot
General Motors Shoot, Toledo Ohio
Today, I took aerial photographs for General Motors in Toledo Ohio. Their 750,000+ sq.ft. transmission plant has been added to countless times since the early 1950s. Recent improvements to the building include a large solar array installed by Solscient Energy. The photo below was made into a very large print (approx. 44″ x 72″) and hung on the wall at G.M. next to a historic aerial photo circa 1950. Toledo’s skyline is shown in the Background.
There were menacing clouds that hung around until about 10:00 am but the clouds soon dissipated, allowing me to get good photos of this huge facility. As with any photos, good lighting is a essential. Scheduling a helicopter days before a shoot can be nerve racking since the weather can change quickly. Getting the light you want is part luck and part obsession with the weather channel.
Goshen Millrace Landscape Photo
Click for Larger Version
I was lucky to find (and take advantage of ) some beautiful evening light while passing this structure along Goshen’s Millrace Path in late October.
I took this photograph just south of the the Red Bridge (which can be seen in the background). It was taken at ISO 500, 41mm, f/10 at 1/60 sec.
When framing, I print this photo on Epsons’s 13″x 19″ Hot Press Bright Matte paper with archival inks. I then dry mount it on tack board and install it in a 24″ x 16″ black metal frame with conservation glass and an acid free white matte. It looks very nice ;-).
This is a limited edition, only 25 will be printed and framed. Cost is $295 each (includes tax). These also make great gifts.
Contact Me to inquire about purchasing this or other of my photos.
Goshen Buick GMC
A new facade and interior at the Goshen Buick and GMC car dealer was the subject of today’s photos. D-J Construction was the contractor. I quickly learned that a bunch of cars lined up in front of a building don’t necessarily lend themselves to a nice composition. Unlike people, cars don’t move when they are told to (nor do they smile). This building is very long and the new construction on the far side includes a new service bay.
I shot this in HDR to make the dynamic range of the photo (bright sky and dark shadows) more workable.
Kosciusko Medical Group
This morning I took photos of the new Kosciusko Medical Group building Syracuse Indiana. This building was originally built as a fancy grocery store but went out of business after a few years. DJ Construction of Goshen recently completed an overhaul of the building, turning it into a medical building.
I took photos at around 9:45 am with some clouds in the sky. The clouds helped to soften the light just a little. I decided that the best composition would include a little of a maple tree in the foreground of the photo. To get the shot I wanted, I would need to elevate the camera quite a bit. I fitted my 6D with a 35mm prime lens and ran it up my camera pole about 14 feet in the air. Then, controlling the camera with my Android phone, I took the photos. Later back home, I worked some HDR processing to get the subtle results I wanted.
Girl and Dog
Tonight, I took photos of Maya with Lola. I used a black muslin backdrop with an Apollo Orb softbox with dual speedlights. 
