Bob Crum

Emails floweth forth, rushing on the cyber river with a voracious torrent. Actually, given the message from Glen P., a trickle was preferred. Glen P. is upset. He wrote to say that he puts his camera on 'A' (Automatic) mode but then can't adjust the aperture or shutter speed to get a correct exposure. Hm, I thought 'A' mode meant automatic mode. Aha, dictionary.com says: 'Automatic'; (aw-tuh-mat-ik), having the capability of operating independently. Glen, it's like your Ferrari 488 GTB. Put the automatic transmission in 'Drive', mash the pedal and go! The tranny shifts automatically, right? Your camera is like that. Frame the composition to suit, mash the shutter button and whoosh, the camera's computer shifts the aperture and shutter speed automatically for proper exposure! Eazy peazy. In 'A' mode, even phonetographers can make exquisite photos with a camera! Or not.

Why not use 'A' mode all the time? Because 'A' mode doesn't always produce the desired photo. The camera doesn't know whether or not the subject is moving or that I might want more depth-of-field than provided. According to embedded algorithms, the camera sets arbitrary lens aperture and shutter speed settings to achieve a proper exposure.

But, 'A' mode is significant when learning the exposure triangle-aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Make a photo in 'A' mode and check the settings the camera chose. Study the image depth-of-field, brightness level, blur if present if the subject is moving, etc. Practice enough and you'll soon know a lot about the exposure triangle.

Glen was also puzzled between 'A' mode and 'P' mode. Not surprised, considering that it's one of the most asked questions. 'A' mode is an entirely hands-free operation. Exposure is automatic and determined by the camera's computer. The camera's light meter measures the light entering through the lens and adjusts shutter speed and the lens aperture. In 'P' mode, many (not all) cameras provide a few exposure options depending on the shooting circumstances. Varying 'ISO' is one such option to compensate for situations like shadows, or snow scenes and such. Another option is 'Exposure Compensation' (EC) for minor exposure adjustments. I use EC a lot for mermaid portraits.

I suggest that photographers with a new camera (read the manual) and begin shooting in 'A' mode. After gaining an understanding of the exposure variables, advance to 'P' mode and play with ISO options to further your understanding of the exposure triangle. After accumulating sufficient time operating the camera, you'll be ready to go all out and take total control of the camera in 'manual' mode. You'll feel like you’re being released from a straight jacket.

The Halloween Trunk or Treat event was another fantabulous event providing a cornucopia of photo ops. And don't we learn from past photo endeavors? Because flash photography is not applicable at such events, Trunk or Treat was a fortuitous opportunity to use my Manfrotto Lumimuse 8 LED light. This mini light mounts on the camera's hot shoe. Unlike a flash, the Lumimuse is a constant light source and controllable. A four-step dimming control regulates the light intensity. It worked about 50% of the time. Problem was selecting the right intensity on moving subjects while framing the photo. Eventually the Lumimuse got knocked off the camera by a roving rhino and broke. Sigh!

Selecting a photo of the week was a struggle. Ultimately decided on this lovely little girl dressed as grandma. So adorable! Because it's a night photo, I decided to use a B&W preset in Lightroom for an 'old photo' look which included some film grain to fit the 'old lady' theme. Creativity rules!

Send comments, suggestions or questions to: focusonphotography@earthlink.net

Geiman Romero, 48, of Los Angeles

A second suspect has been arrested in connection with a lottery scam where an elderly woman was coerced into withdrawing a large sum of money from her bank.

On 10/10/19, three suspects were involved in a lottery scam in the City of Fillmore. They targeted an elderly resident by claiming they possessed a winning lottery ticket. The suspects provided the victim with a ride to her bank. The driver of the vehicle was later identified as Geiman Romero. Romero and his co-conspirators requested that the victim withdraw a majority of her balance. They convinced her that the money will be repaid when the lottery ticket was cashed. When the victim entered her bank, an alert teller felt the transaction was out of the norm. The bank employees notified the Fillmore Police Department. Upon arrival, deputies interrupted the scheme and arrested one of the suspects. However, Romero and a female suspect fled the scene.

Investigators obtained information on the whereabouts of Romero. On 10/23/19, investigators located Romero near his residence in the 500 block of Park View Street in Los Angeles. He was arrested and booked in jail for PC 664 / PC 532(a) / Attempting to Obtain Money, Labor or Property by False Pretenses, PC 182(a)(1) / Conspiracy to Commit a Crime, and PC 368(b)(1) / Elder/Dependent Adult Abuse, with bail set at $500,000.

The common methods for carrying out these crimes include targeting the elderly, suspects alleging he/she cannot cash the winning lottery ticket due to their nationality, suspects working in teams of two or three, and the request to wire, transfer, or obtain money or goods in exchange for winnings from a fictitious lottery ticket. The Fillmore Police Department encourages anyone who believes they are possibly being scammed in a similar matter to contact local law enforcement.

Nature of Incident: Second Suspect Apprehended in Lottery Scam
Report Number: 19-159713
Location: 500 Block of Sespe Ave Fillmore
Date & Time: 10/23/19 @ 8:00 am
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Investigations Bureau
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
S- Geiman Romero, 48, of Los Angeles

Prepared by: Sergeant Vince Alvarez
Approved by: Captain Garo Kuredjian

***

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

City of Fillmore

Posted Monday at 8:39 a.m. on The City of Fillmore Facebookpage:

We understand the inconvenience of having your power turned off, and the frustration of not knowing when it will be restored. Power could be shut off for hours or days, depending on weather conditions. Southern California Edison (SCE) determines when power is turned off and when it is safe to turn power back on. If you have questions, please contact Southern California Edison (SCE): 1-800-655-4555 or 1-800-611-1911, or visit www.sce.com/psps. Again, these determinations are made by SCE. The City Council is very concerned about these power shut-offs and has contacted SCE and your California State Representatives about this situation.
HERE ARE THE RESOURCES:

SCE publishes the outages on this website: www.sce.com/PSPS. Scroll down to “Ventura County” and click on any PDF that says “Fillmore” to find out which circuits are being affected.

After SCE issues the notice, Ventura County Office of Emergency Services updates this resource with info from SCE: https://www.vcemergency.com/. Click on the map. Enter your address into the interactive map to find out which circuit you are in and if you are currently affected by a PSPS.

Register for emergency notifications at https://www.vcemergency.com/

Register for power outage notifications at www.sce.com/PSPS.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

CITY HALL, FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT: Will remain open.

TRAFFIC SIGNALS: With possible power outages in our community, please expect that traffic signals within the outage area may lose power. In that case, all vehicles are to treat the intersection as an all-way stop, per state law. Stay alert and be patient while driving.

SPECIAL MEDICAL NEEDS: All residents, including those who need continuous power for special medical equipment, are strongly encouraged to visit www.sce.com/PSPS, or call (800) 655-4555, and update their emergency contact information with SCE.

On Thursday 10/24/19, at about 2050 hours, the Lockwood Valley Sheriff’s Station received a call for service regarding two dirt bike riders who became lost while riding on Snowy Trail without food or water. The Sheriff’s Office initially received limited information regarding the whereabouts of the two lost riders; however, the riders were able to provide their GPS coordinates. The riders were instructed to stay at the provided GPS coordinates until a search and rescue team could respond to their location.

The GPS coordinates showed the riders were near Snowy Trail at the junction of Piru Creek, west of Smith Fork Creek. The Fillmore Search and Rescue Team was activated and quickly responded to the area. The Fillmore Search and Rescue Team is comprised of a highly trained and dedicated group of volunteers who tirelessly and selflessly put others first.

After responding to the area, the search and rescue team utilized dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s) to get as close to the lost riders as possible. The team then hiked over a mile in the dark while navigating difficult terrain. By 0200 hours, the search and rescue team located the riders, who were in good health and no need for medical attention. They were provided nourishment and warm clothing before being guided back to the awaiting ATV’s. They were escorted to their camp without incident.

There are many hazards and risks associated with recreating in the national forest and wildlands. Many of these hazards and risks can be mitigated with proper planning and preparation. At a minimum, it is imperative to be familiar with the area you are recreating in, have a map, and ensure someone who is not with the group knows the details of your trip and when to report you as overdue.

Please recreate responsibly for your safety and the safety of our first responders.

Nature of Incident: Fillmore Search & Rescue Assist in Snowy Trail Rescue
Incident Number: 19-167858
Location: Los Padres National Forest – Snowy Trail
Date: 10/24/19
Unit(s) Responsible: VCSO Lockwood Valley & Fillmore Search and Rescue Team 1
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
Male adult, Valencia, CA 23
Male adult , Valencia, CA, 21
Prepared by: Deputy Sam Moss
Approved by: Captain J. Fryhoff

Bob Crum

I was delighted to receive several complimentary email messages about the photo of my friend John a couple of columns ago. I appreciate such notes. Regarding my resistance to go digital, Les L. emailed me to say that the Argus C44 35mm film camera that his father bought in 1958 still takes beautiful pictures, so he is not going digital anytime soon.

Nostalgia rejuvenated I began to ruminate about the film days. Whoa, I must be dreaming! Miss the hours in the darkroom? No! Miss the chemical odors strong enough to bring a wild boar to tears? No! Of course, I say this now that I know how to program my digital cameras and use my photo editing programs. Harrumph!

Another reader, Henry S., sent an email asking about how much photographic gear I have. Compared to many, I don't have a lot. Some have enough gear to fill a mini-van. I only have five cameras, seven lenses, two flash heads, three tripods, SD cards, CF cards, eight extra batteries, adapters, nine lens filters, two remote switches, and, ahem, a cellphone. Photo gearhead? Guilty as charged. And I'll get more soon as I win the Power Ball lottery!

Photography reminds me of woodworking. While living in Florida, a fishing paradise, I had many fishing rods. I needed free-standing rod racks. With none available, I designed one. I initially made them in my garage. Tools used included a skill saw, a jigsaw, a router and a drill motor — each tool designed for a specific task. Likewise, cameras are designed to accomplish particular tasks. Full frame cameras do certain things better than crop sensor cameras and vice versa. Some dSLR cameras can perform specific tasks better than mirrorless cameras.

Conversely, some mirrorless cameras can outperform dSLR camera in certain situations. And film also offers a 'look' that digital can't match. The beauty of photography is the diversity of options! Budget constraints aside, options are good.

Speaking of beauty, another aspect of cameras often overlooked: Sensuality. Uh-huh. A real camera is a beautiful thing to behold. The sensuous curves are delightfully beguiling. One does not grab a camera, but instead, hefts it gingerly, holding it softly as if one was hugging a loved one. Never grasp a camera! Once in hand, the desire to lightly touch the dials and buttons is irresistible. Aah, ecstasy.

Still more fun: Programming the camera. Observing the scene, the image is instantly visualized in the mind's eye. It comes with practice. Accordingly, the tool (camera) is programmed to capture the desired photo. Programming considerations include aperture (depth-of-field), shutter speed (if the object is moving) ISO (affects exposure), and AWB or fixed (auto white balance or predetermined). It's about "making" a photo, not merely taking a snapshot!

This is like the fun of driving a sports car with a stick-shift (manual) transmission. I once drove a Porsche down Mulholland Highway with a mermaid in the passenger seat. On the downhill, I frequently downshifted, driving to the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) using engine braking, never having to press the brake pedal. It's about executing control!

Operating a camera is like that: Fun! And executing control! I've also discovered that cameras exude a seductive nature making an intimate relationship with it an integral part of the passion for photography.

The photo of the week is the infamous Headless Horseman hoping to retrieve his head this Halloween from Trunk or Treat on Central Avenue. See you there-if you dare!

Send comments, suggestions or questions to: focusonphotography@earthlink.net

What's going on in the old Citrus Packing House building, across from the Fire Station? Maybe you've heard that there's some big issue about building safety? What are they doing in there? And what is this Secret Underground Laboratory thing?

Under the Citrus Packing House is a large basement, long and narrow, big enough that you can drive trucks down into it. It's nice and cool down here, a stable temperature all year. This building was designed for processing and storing oranges. The basement was once a giant refrigerator, powered by huge swamp coolers. Workers in heavy coats pushed carts of orange crates down the long hall and into the many close chambers. It was modern and high-tech back in the 1930's.

Today, 90 years later, the cool basement of the Packing House has a different use. A group of small craftsman shops have moved in and are quietly working away. They call themselves the Secret Underground Laboratory. These are small, mostly one-man companies that make expensive specialty hand-crafted products. Not to be sold at local markets. All the sales are online through their web sites and social media, mostly custom orders with long waiting lists. Delivery trucks pick up the boxes and take them to customers worldwide. There's no advertising on the building. And they are definitely underground.
Five of the shops down here are Luthiers; that is, they build musical instruments with strings. Guitars, basses, banjos and other odd variants. Expensive hand-made instruments.

Today I'm visiting Bruce Johnson, one of the Luthiers. Bruce's shop is the largest, right inside the doorway at the bottom of the ramp. Bruce builds his own line of electric bass guitars, and he also makes parts for the other Luthiers. He was one of the first shops to move in here, in late 2013, and he helps to maintain the building and manage the other tenants.

Bruce said, "This is a retirement business for me. It's what I want to do for the rest of my life. Building musical instruments is a very tough business. Long hours for very little money; high risk of making mistakes. But it's a fascinating field. It's a mix of Engineering, Craftsmanship, Art, and even a bit of Psychology. For me, as an Engineer and Machinist, this is an endless technical challenge. To keep my old brain going."

Walking into his shop, it's jammed full of machines of all kinds. Woodworking, metalworking, electronics. Many tons of machines, all covered with jobs in progress. It's a complete R & D lab for building musical instruments, all run by one guy. He has no employees or helpers.

Some of the machines are custom built for special jobs. Many of the machines are antiques, some going back to 1900. Bruce jokes that his hobby is collecting and restoring antique machinery.

On the workbenches are parts of his basses, in progress. Unique looking instruments, with scroll-style headstocks and intricate carved bodies.

"I like building electric basses of a particular kind, that have the sound and feel of an old upright bass. I've developed my own special pickups and structural tricks to give them that sound. I've built up a small niche market for these basses, mostly among session bassists. That old-style bass sound in jazz, blues, Nashville. I always have a steady waiting list of customers, but I can only build so many per year."

Bruce's basses sell in the $3000 to $5000 range, and they mostly go around the country. He doesn't sell many here in California. This is a modern day Craftsman business: a very small manufacturing operation, selling nationwide and worldwide through the internet. While secretly located underground in Fillmore.

Bruce's professional life, before becoming a retired Luthier, is also interesting. He's a Mechanical Engineer, specializing in advanced R & D work of machines. A real professional Inventor. He started his career building race cars, then designing heavy gun systems for an Army defense contractor. Then some years in Burbank at the Lockheed Skunk Works, on ground support equipment for black aircraft programs. Through the '90's, he worked at Walt Disney Imagineering, designing advanced robotics and ride systems for the theme parks. "I've had as much fun as you can find in Mechanical Engineering. I've worked in several of the legendary creative engineering groups."

I asked Bruce how he ended up in Fillmore. "I had my shop in Burbank for 21 years. I had built it up as a sideline business, while I was still working full time at Disney. In mid-2013, I was looking for a quiet shop space away from the big crowded city. I met David Storrs, who had just bought the old packing house building on A Street. It's a fascinating old building with a long history and this huge cool basement. It had some mild earthquake damage that needed to be repaired, but otherwise was in great shape. David's overall plan was to clean the building up on the outside, keeping it historic looking, and rent out spaces inside for storage, for small private craftsman shops. Like me. He thought this would be the best use for this interesting old building."

"David convinced me to move in, not just to have my shop here, but to help him build the place up. Bring in other craftsmen, help manage them, and turn the building into a showcase of craftsman shops and history. A centerpiece for the city. Trying to establish a theme for Fillmore. Hopefully encourage more craftsman businesses to move in here, in all these other empty old buildings. Build an identity for the city."

"So, that's what we did. David got the earthquake damage repaired and approved, got the sprinkler system certified, had the Fire Department inspect us. All the basic safety things. I moved in and got my shop operational, and started inviting my craftsman friends to move in here too. By 2016, we had about 10 small shops in and operating. We called the place the Secret Underground Laboratory and started participating in city events with open houses. Private tours of our shops for special groups. We were becoming part of the city. The local folks were surprised to find out that we were here. They thought that the old packing house was abandoned. The City Council seemed to really like us and support what we are doing here. It was fun."

In August, the City of Fillmore red tagged the building, essentially locking everyone out of their businesses for 5 days. The building was changed to yellow tag status with hour and day access restrictions after being asked by the city to install a push-bar on one of the west end exit doors and lighting two exit signs. I asked Bruce how this ongoing situation with the Fillmore Building & Safety Department is affecting him. He shook his head sadly and angrily. "My working schedule is a mess. I normally like to work through the night, doing the most precision work when it's peaceful and quiet. But they won't let us. They are limiting our working hours. I'm scrambling to get work done as I can, between all the interruptions. I'm months behind schedule on instrument deliveries. My customers are pleading for their basses."

“We're hoping that this all gets worked out and we can stay, and continue on with the whole project. But honestly, our spirit is crushed. Some of the Craftsmen have already moved out, and most of the rest are planning it. David Storrs has given up in frustration trying to work with the City of Fillmore, and is selling the building. A real heartbreak for us, because he's been the soul of this project. The sale is in process, and is hopefully going to go through. I'm going to ride it out and stay, and work with the new owners to try and get it all going again. But, I'll tell you, I'm seriously angry and disappointed with Fillmore’s city government, and how they've treated us."