thewoodenshoes' photostream  

<> Happy weekend everyone!

Here are the gentleman I spoke about in yesterday's upload. After observing them chatting it up on the other side of the pier space, they made their way over to the side where I was photographing and became very curious about what I was doing and for what purpose. They found it quite interesting that I was making photographs for pleasure (Hacer photo). So after introducing myself and telling them a bit about me they asked that I make their photograph. I proceeded to pull out an SU-800 and an SB-900, which I configured in iTTL mode to accomplish the most decent exposure I could muster considering the harsh backlighting I was getting from the setting sun and the crazy UV to their rear. Pretty simple exposure, all things considered. I just used a VOL (voice operated light-stand) to hold the SB-900 with half a cut of CTO (Color Temperature Orange) and exposed a few frames. I chose a black and white conversion because I wanted to focus on their expressions and the contrast in the image. You may ask yourself, "Why use half a cut of CTO when you're just going to convert to black and white?" I wanted to maintain the same shade of orange the sky was turning at the time; had it have gone any further, I would have probably used a full cut of CTO, but alas, this worked just fine.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! Thanks for the visit! -Doug

::IUSM FAMILY:: XOXO

Funny thing is about traveling abroad, you never know what you may come across during your travels. I found this scene in front of me interesting because of the way the workers were gathering on the docks after a long day at work much like we as Americans would. They each had a cooler, much like an American Longshoreman would. No doubt, they will each have a story to tell their families about the way their day went. People around this planet are so much like Americans and yet some of us fail to reason with it and accept it. In fact how many people would invite you into their home for dinner after talking you for five minutes. I'll go ahead and take a stab in the dark and say *maybe* 1 in 20.

Though minimalistic, is a representation of the scene as it unfolded in front of me; a man with his foot resting on the front of a truck and the rest of the group engaged in good conversation. I later was able to make a photograph of them, perhaps tomorrow I'll share that. For now, thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend! -Doug

May your Christmas truly be blessed with the company of family and contentment. God Bless!

Taken in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, I found this scene to be one of the juxtaposition between our symbol of freedom and what veterans have done for it. The rusting piece of iron the eagle is sitting upon is part of the remnants of embattlements left over from WWII.

"The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing." -Abraham Lincoln, April 18, 1864

Focus today, not on what liberty means to you, but rather, what liberty means to those that serve and have served. We live in a nation of entitlements and compensations; not for what we have done, but what we are about to do and what we desire for our own lives. The decision to give your life for your nation isn't one that any of us expect to undertake. Those that have, merely consider it as doing something that needed to be done in the persuit of a free nation.

Thank you to all veterans...past, present, and future.

Ah, to be care free and not worried about getting a bit muddy from time-to-time.