Digital Slides

I never really thought about it but shooting digital photographs is like shooting slides back in the days of using my 35mm Minolta or my 2.25 Rollaflex. I mean that when you look at the picture you just shot you see it as a positive as you would a slide. Today's photographers completely by-pass the process of going from 35mm negative to an 8x10 print. As modern-day photographers, most people have never worked in a dark room or processed their own film. I think we're missing half of the fun that brought our work to life.

Built in 1948 the old Sheesley Supply Company concrete plant still stands next to the Stoney Creek in Johnstown, PA. Started in 1916, the company is still at its original location on Horner Street. The next three photographs were shot from the same place along the creek.

Quonset Hut

Homes.

Close-up of buildings.

Two Tulips...

one red ...

one yellow.

Young leaves on a red maple tree in our front yard.

When I got home from teaching a photography class at the Hastings Library on Thursday night, my wife had a fire going in the back yard fire pit and I got the following shots. The three pictures were all shot within .07 seconds of each other. I used the following settings to take these pictures: ISO 100 -- f2.8 at 1/1250 -- 70mm on manual with a tripod and cable release.

Demon from Hell -- in color ...

and black and white.

Fire Dragon with Rider -- in color ...

and black and white.

Flying Horse -- in color ...

and black and white.

Immaculate Conception Chapel on the campus of Saint Francis University, Loretto, PA.

On Saturday we were vendors at the indoor yard sale held at the Blair County Convention Center. Of course, I had to take a few pictures both there and on the way home.

A box of old Barbie dolls for sale at $.25 each.

My legs reflected in a mirror sitting on the floor.

Aluminum panel on a wall next to the elevators in the Blair County Convention Center.

Hills surrounding the Lakemont area of Altoona, PA.

Heading up Mill Run Road is the Mueller Auto Junkyard.

One of the things I bought at the yard sale was a 10x7" hand carved wooden statue of a knealing baby Buddha.

Another view of the baby Buddha.

Priced at $.50, this Mexican-made metal statue titled "Circle of Friends" was hard to pass up.

The newest visitor to our back yard is this White-Crowned Sparrow -- Zonotrichia leucophrys

Time Well Spent

Working to improve our neighborhood is the theme of this week's blog. From Hastings to Nicktown a lot of time and effort went into making life just a little bit better, especially for the kids.

Every year the local cable company picks out a local town and donates the personnel to help that community do some much needed improvement. This year Comcast got together with the Hastings Area Youth Association to do a bit of spring cleaning at the borough park and repainted the ball field fences.

Beverly Kowalski, Tyler Scott, Zach Ferrell, Jason Serafin
Kids from the ball teams were out early gathering dead limbs and hauling them away.

Tug Cunningham
All of the fence recieved a new coat of aluminum paint.

Chris Gibbons, Dave Osborne, John Kopera
Using big rollers and a bucket truck made the job a lot easier.

George Scott and Tug Cunningham
This job isn't as easy as you would think.

After leaving Hastings, it was on to Patton for the Fire Company's Annual Rabies Clinic.

Local vet Brian Fenchak of Ebensburg gives Winston, a Yorkshire terrier, his shots while owner Ted Lombardo keeps the dog calm.

Since 1989 the Bike-A-Thon for St. Jude's Children's Hospital has raised over $63,000. More than 50 riders showed up to ride in this year's 2 mile closed course at the Nicktown Fire Company building.

Okay, so not everyone had 2 wheels or any wheels for that matter.

With finals over and summer break in sight, several local students from Saint Francis University do their part in the fundraiser.

Break time, where's the water?

Kelly Lieb checks in with Loretta Dumm at the top of the 1 mile course getting credit for her 20 miles.

Four of the more than ten bikes that were awarded at the end of the day's work.

Budding photographer Andy Kirsch gets a few snaps of the fundraiser.

Young Mr. Hassen of Northern Cambria had 6 miles in when I shot him on his chopper.

Not only does May mean flowers and warmer weather, it also means the summer birds are back, most of them anyway.

Rufous-sided Towhee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Male and Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Female Grosbeak

Fighting Grosbeaks

Blue Jay and Red-bellied Woodpecker


Blue Jay

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Bumble Bee

Black-tailed Bee Fly

Spring Time in our Front Yard.

Remembering Adam
http://www.rememberingadam.org/

Spring Fling 2008 was held to celebrate the healthy choices of local high school students. All students in attendance participated throughout the school year in prevention activities such as SADD Club, tobacco prevention or substance abuse prevention. Over 350 high school students from local schools were in attendance. Every school received a plaque recognizing their participation in prevention activities. This is the sixth year this event has been held.