Mother in Law

This past week, my Mother in Law passed away after a year long battle with cancer. Bette was raised by her grandmother, married and raised seven wonderful children.

During the last week of her life, as she lay in bed, the family gathered around her where we all shared memories of her great life. We had collected pictures from all of the family members and were able to create a video presentation and photo books.

The day that she passed on, we brought the photographs into the room and using a video projector, showed the images on the wall. As each image appeared, members of the family shared their stories telling us the story "behind" the picture. There was laughter and tears as old family memories were recalled.

Sharing these moments while Bette was still alive brought a spirit into the room that each person felt. It was undeniable that Bette not only heard the stories, but approved of the gathering. Each child had their own confirmation of this special moment. In the past, I had always considered these images and stories something that helped us recall and remember a special life after the person had passed on.

If you ever have the chance, be sure to share these special moments with the person you love while they are still here. The comfort you receive will be unforgettable and help bring comfort during a time normally reserved for grieving.

I chose the pictures above from hundreds available because I felt that they each told a special story. Bette as a young child sitting on her grandmothers porch. Then thirteen years old, in her prime. On the Bonneville Salt Flats during her "hip" period and finally, with her grandchildren, being the life of the party.

Also From Las Vegas

While walking from my hotel to the convention center, I noticed a little sideshow in the parking lot. Three or four motorcycle riders were jumping over the Boost vehicle from a ramp set up on the right. I stopped where the palm trees framed the rider in mid air (a little hard to see because of the lack of resolution on the iPhone). Also, I had to click the camera shutter when the rider was lined up with the palm tree on the right in order to get him in the middle. Cheaper cameras often have a delay between when you push the button and when the image is captured. You have to practice a little and then try a couple of times to get it right. I got lucky and got this on the first try.

Pics from the Road (literally)

This week I was on my way to Las Vegas for the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show. Somewhere around the city of Nephi, in Utah, the sun rose lighting the sky. I quickly grabbed my iPhone and rolling down the window while going 75 miles per hour, snapped the image above. The air was clear and you can see the remants of three old hanging glaciers on the mountain.

Armenia

In Armenia they still make their bread daily. These women are making a thin flat bread called "lavash". My daughter took this picture with a point and shoot camera. The image captures a key part of the Armenian culture.

Longing for Summer

I've always had a fascination with closeup images. It seems to me that in life, we typically keep our distances, not wanting to encroach on anyone or anything. By getting closer, we can observe a whole new world of sights and sounds. Getting closer is not all that easy. First, you have to change your perspective. You need to find the level of your subject. Then you need to get close. Focus becomes key and that means paying attention. Putting the main subject infocus while allowing the background to "blur" signals your attention to detail.

Last summer, when I got out my old 85mm lens and decided to look around the yard for things to take pictures of and found this flower in a large vase on the deck. I tried a few hand held shots and then got out a tripod to make it more steady. The lighting is natural as the deck is on the north side of the house and like all north light, it is usually pretty good. I tried stopping down the lense to get just the right exposure and focus.

Airplane Windows

"There is an art, or rather a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."

Douglas Adams, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

I fly alot in my job and everyonce in a while, I'll pick up the iPhone and take a shot out the window. The top image was taken enroute to Las Vegas while the bottom image was shot coming back to Salt Lake City.

New York City

Took a quick trip to New York City and stayed at the Marriott Marquis in Time Square. This image was shot out the window using my iPhone.

The iPhone does pretty well in a pinch, but with no focus or lighting control, you get just what you expect.

While the images are not really "print" quality, they work well in a DVD production or streaming video because those technologies have a lower resolution requirement. It has to do with the difference between printing with ink (dots) and illuminating pixels (light). An image that is very small or even low quality can often look pretty good on a TV or Monitor.

Try taking an image with your camera phone and then printing it out and viewing it on your monitor. You will see the difference. Don't delete those images! You never know when you might need them.