Awesomeness and a Beercan (lens)

Shootin' the Rapids with a Beercan
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Recently we made our first ever visit to Niagara Falls, a truly awesome site. But equally amazing were the rapids of the Niagara River leading right into the Falls. I wanted to capture this incredible sight with an image that deserved to be something more than a touristy looking point-n-shoot photo. That's where my trusty Beercan came in. :-)

What's a Beercan? That is the affectionate name of a classic Minolta zoom lens. (it's appearance is similar to a tall beercan) This lens is quite old now. A legacy lens to be sure, that harkens to the old 35mm film camera days. But it still produces stellar images. The sharpness, the color and the continuous f4 aperture across the zoom is what made this lens a legend. And it still works with Minolta and Sony-Alpha digital bodies!

But another feature of this lens that enabled me to produce this image is that you can stop down the aperture to an impressive f32! This super small aperture, together with a polarizing lens filter is how I was able to capture the unique look of the rapids themselves.
Too see other Niagara Falls images, type NIAGARA in the "search my photos" box.

Enjoy!
www.martinboling.photoshelter.com

Sarah's Zinnia
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Never put images of a butterfly or flowers in your Portfolio. More on that later . . . . 

So why am I featuring them on my blog? They're gorgeous! But wait, there's another reason also. These beautiful Zinnia's are from the gardens of Sarah McGee. Sarah has raised an awesome floral garden in Lawrence County Indiana and shares them at the Farmers Market in Bloomington Indiana each Saturday. Yes, you can buy fresh cut bouquets of flowers from Sarah on most Saturdays, as well as fresh produce.

But why no flowers or butterflies in your portfolio? Because both are naturally beautiful no matter who the photographer is. So it doesn't really showcase your talent.

Swirly the Kitten

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Professional advisors say, "Do not put cats and dogs in your portfolio". Well this isn't my portfolio. :-)
Kittens and puppies are so adorable it's hard to resist, but they do make good subjects for stock images. A feral cat brought this little kitten to our back door, so it made a good photo opportunity for my stock photography file. Enjoy!

Ferguson Farm, Lawrence County Indiana

Ferguson Farm
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Barns will always be a favorite subject for artists. I often photograph them for an artist friend of mine. I was drawn to this particular barn by the prospect of colorful blooming fields of chicory in the foreground. Unfortunately the cows found the chicory tasty and ate it this year, but a picturesque sunset saved the day.

There's also a little history connected to this farm. According to one website, "The farm, located west of Springville in Lawrence County Indiana, is one of the oldest farms in the state. Since it was homesteaded in 1816, it has continuously been owned by the Ferguson family."

Super-moon Sunday

Almost Super-Moon Monday

Photographing a full moon is a very tricky proposition.

To get the detail in the top image, you risk turning your landscape black.

Or in the second image, over-exposing the moon.

Choosing a landscape closer to the actual horizon and moon-rise time might have given me a better chance at capturing a better combination of the two.

Practice, practice, practice.

I am pleased to announce that my "Jalen" portrait was accepted for exhibit in the Grunwald Gallery of Art. Inspiration came from the film noir Humphrey Bogart era.

In addition, my New Mexico print titled "Blue Door" will also be on exhibit.

Indiana University School of Fine Arts, Grunwald Gallery, is hosting this 22nd annual juried photography exhibit July 19 - July 27 2013.

The opening reception will be Friday July 19, from 6 - 8 pm.

The event is free and open to the public.

Click this link for more information about Grunwald Gallery