Bob Crum

Faithful readers of this column (thank you) know that I shoot straight from the camera, so to speak, to help you improve your photography. Accordingly, I'm going to present a mnemonic acronym that originated with fellow photographer K. Rockwell reconstituted with my embellishments.

Composition, again, is the topic because it's the heart and soul of a compelling photograph. Ignoring the principles of composition almost always results in lackluster photos.

The acronym for better photos is: F.A.R.T. Seriously. As soon as you collect yourself let's see why... ahem... F.A.R.T.ing will improve your photography. Let's begin.

F = Feel. As you arrive at a photogenic scene you'll immediately think: 'Wow, I need to photograph this'. Amateurs promptly take the shot...click... and move on. That's a snapshot... not a photograph. Ponder why you're “feeling” compelled to shoot the photo.

A = Ask. Ask yourself what's special about what you're seeing that creates the itch to photograph it? Spectacular colors? Unique light? Something bizarre? Mentally define what is 'most' compelling about the scene.

R = Refine. Refinement is challenging! As you begin to understand why you want to shoot the photo, refine whatever the specialness is that demands to be photographed. To the degree that you can refine the specialness you 'feel' compelled to photograph is the degree that your photo's wow factor will increase. Lastly...

T = Texture. Is the specialness that you feel urged to photograph involve 'texture'? If so, capture that 'texture' robustly. Or is the compelling attraction a unique color or combination of colors? Fill the 'whole' frame with the special color(s). If the scene includes unique leading lines that attracted your attention refine that and fill the whole frame with that specialness.

As you mentally refine the image, eliminate everything that doesn't relate to or enhance the image. Everything! Creatively composing your photos will produce a strong image. Let's look at an example.

The greatographer (me) arrives at a waterfront and looks... a vivacious mermaid sunning out on the breakwater. My dream photo! Frolicking dolphins all around her. Delicate teal-colored translucent sunlit waves lapping at the rocks. Photogenic aplenty. As I slowly raise my camera... whoa... instead of “you-know-what”... you know that I can't take the photo until I first invite the mermaid to swim over and join me for lunch at Neptune's Seafood Buffet. But I digress...

What first caught my eye? The attractive color of the translucent waves? The frolicking dolphins? The vivacious mermaid? Before I raise my camera to take a photo, I remember to first... ahem... “you-know-what.”

Obviously, the major attraction is the mermaid. As I look through the viewfinder (holding up a sign saying: SMILE) I'll fill the whole frame with only the mermaid's specialness. Eliminate the frolicking dolphins & the appeal of the teal-colored waves. I'm going to zoom in and fill the entire frame with the mermaid. Aaaaaaah!
Wait. As I recall the acronym, I'll Refine' the image. By zooming out just a little I can add some context to the photo. A teal-colored wave would add a 'splash' of color and liveliness. Showing just a little of the rocks (key word: little) adds a touch of texture. Voila, with a little Refinement I just “created” a great photo.

Now that you know how to achieve great compositions, thus great photos, nothing left to do but practice F.A.R.T.ing. Besides, you'll feel better as your stinky photos improve. Just sayin'. But when you see me in Vons, probably not a good idea to yell: “Hey Bob, I F.A.R.T.ed!

Photo of the Week, and other fireworks photos at fillmoregazette.com are included now because too much to do last week on a short deadline.

Happy photoing.

Email your comments, questions and/or suggestions to bob@fillmoregazette.com

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is reminding Californians about the importance of safe food handling to prevent foodborne illness while enjoying picnics, barbecues and other outdoor activities during the summer season.

Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter are bacteria most commonly recognized for causing foodborne illness in the United States each year. Most of these cases are mild and cause symptoms for only a day or two, but some cases are more serious. However, there are some easy and effective steps you can take to help lessen your chance of contracting a foodborne illness.

“You can protect yourself, your family and your friends from foodborne illness by following simple safety tips for properly preparing and handling food,” said Dr. Smith.

Following these four “Cs” can prevent foodborne illnesses:

Chill:
• Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Bacteria can grow in foods kept in the temperature “danger zone” (41°F-135°F) / (5 °C-58 °C) for an extended period of time.
• Refrigerate leftovers to less than 41°F / 5 °C as soon as possible, but definitely within 2 hours.
• Use shallow pans and loosely cover while in the refrigerator to allow warm air to escape and facilitate cooling.
• Select cold foods at the grocery store last and put them away first when you get home to keep them cold.
• Refrigerated foods packaged in hermetically sealed or vacuum-packaged containers should always be stored in the refrigerator. Storing these types of vacuum-packaged products at room temperature could allow the production of Botulism toxin.
• Follow package instructions, especially when it comes to keeping foods refrigerated.
• Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator or in a microwave immediately prior to cooking. Never thaw frozen foods on the counter.

Clean:
• Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food. Humming “happy birthday” twice while washing hands is a good way to ensure you are washing long enough.
• Scrub cutting boards with hot, soapy water after preparing each item and before moving on to the next food. If your cutting board has deep grooves or cut marks, which make it difficult to clean, consider replacing it.
• Wash and thoroughly rinse utensils and cutting boards with soap and water. Thoroughly cleaning them with a bleach solution (made of one tablespoon of unscented liquid bleach diluted in one gallon of water) will provide effective sanitation action.
• Cover any cuts or skin abrasions on your hands to avoid contaminating the food.
• Keep pets and household chemicals away from food preparation areas.

Prevent Cross Contamination:
• Keep raw and cooked foods separate.
• Use separate cutting boards and knives for chopping ready-to-eat produce and raw meats.
• Never rinse raw poultry because it spreads germs around the kitchen sink, which can serve as a source of contamination for other foods.
• Discard used marinades.
• Use clean utensils and plates to remove cooked foods from grills and pans. Never place cooked foods back into the dish that held the raw or uncooked foods.
• Separate raw and uncooked meats from ready-to-eat items when shopping at the grocery store. Place raw meats in disposable, plastic bags away from other foods.
• If you use reusable shopping bags for groceries, designate specific bags for meats to avoid cross-contamination. Wash and dry bags as they become soiled.
• Store bags used for groceries at home in a manner which protects them from other sources of contamination such as pets, children, and chemicals.
• Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator in water-tight containers to prevent juices from leaking onto ready-to-eat and cooked foods.

Cook:
• Use an accurate thermometer to measure the final internal temperature of meat and meat products. Color is an inaccurate way to determine if meat is sufficiently cooked.
• Measure the temperature in the thickest part of the food, ensuring the thermometer does not touch bone or the cooking pan which can give you an inaccurate reading.
• Wash thermometers after each use.
• Wait until foods are completely cooked before taste testing.
• When using a microwave to cook or reheat food, be sure to rotate or stir the food to facilitate thorough heating. Additionally, some labels recommend a “resting time” for the food after cooking before it should be served. Those instructions should be followed in order to allow the heat to evenly distribute.

Visit CDPH’s Cooking Raw Meats webpage for additional information.

Alfredo Avalos, Fillmore

600 lbs of illegal fireworks were confiscated from a seizure that occurred Wednesday, June 28th.
Enlarge Photo

Earlier this month, sheriff’s detectives obtained information indicating illegal fireworks were being sold by (S) Alfredo Avalos from his residence at 656 Fourth Street, Fillmore. Detectives conducted an investigation and believed Avalos was in possession of a large quantity of fireworks that are illegal in California.

On June 28th, detectives served a search warrant at the location and seized approximately 600 pounds of illegal fireworks. These fireworks were found throughout the residence, including kitchen, garage, and the bedroom of a minor child, and posed a significant threat of injury and fire, not only to the suspect’s family, but to the public, as well. Three firearms were also found, including an AK-47, a stolen .22-caliber rifle, and an unregistered .22-caliber rifle.

(S) Avalos, who was not present at the time of the service of the search warrant, turned himself in to detectives later in the morning. He was arrested for the following charges and booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility with a bail of $20,000:

Health and Safety Code Section 12305 – Felony possession of an explosive
Health and Safety Code Section 12671 – Misdemeanor possession of illegal fireworks
Health and Safety Code Section 12700(b) – Misdemeanor fireworks and pyrotechnic devices
Penal Code Section 27545 – Misdemeanor unlawful transfer of firearm
Penal Code Section 30605(a) – Felony possession of assault weapon
Penal Code Section 496(a) – Misdemeanor receiving stolen property under $950 (Prop 47)

“Safe and Sane” fireworks, bearing the seal of the State Fire Marshal, can be legally sold, possessed, and enjoyed in the city of Fillmore between 12:00 PM, June 28th, and 12:00 PM, July 5th. All other fireworks, including altered “Safe and Sane” fireworks and fireworks that explode and/or launch into the air, are illegal in Fillmore and throughout Ventura County and the state.

Violators may be cited for violating the city municipal code and subject to a $1,000.00 fine, or they may be arrested for more serious crimes. If you witness any illegal activity, please call the Fillmore Police Department at 805-524-2233 or, if there’s an immediate threat to life or property, 9-1-1.

Nature of Incident: Illegal Fireworks and Weapons Seizure and Arrest
Report Number: 17-92306
Location: 656 Fourth Street, Fillmore
Date & Time: June 28, 2017 / 7:00 AM
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Detective Unit and Patrol, West County Investigations Bureau, Sheriff’s Bomb Unit, Sheriff’s Gang Unit, Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence
(S) Alfredo Avalos Fillmore
Prepared by: Sergeant Kevin Vaden
News Release Date: June 28, 2017
Detective Bill Meixner, (805) 947-9391
william.meixner@ventura.org
Approved by: Captain Jim Fryhoff

Fillmore Unified School District

On Wednesday, June 28, 2017, the Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) and Fillmore Unified Teachers Association (FUTA) reached a Tentative Agreement for the contract negotiations and 2017-2018 unit member work calendar. We express thanks and appreciation to the FUTA bargaining team members for their efforts to reach a Tentative Agreement. A copy of the signed Comprehensive Proposal, Article 1, and Agreement Between FUSD and FUTA regarding the 2017-2018 unit member work calendar have been posted on the District website. FUTA leadership will be working to present the parties’ Tentative Agreement to the bargaining unit for ratification.
Upon successful ratification by FUTA, the FUSD Board of Trustees will be presented with the agreement for consideration of approval.

Individuals Present for June 28, 2017 Negotiation Session
FUTA Bargaining Team:
Kassie Chambers, Rio Vista Elementary Teacher
Kristen Dewey, San Cayetano Elementary Teacher
Tammy Ferguson, San Cayetano Elementary Teacher
Mary Jordan, CTA Regional UniServ Staff
Kelly Hess, Fillmore Middle School Teacher
Brian Ricards, Fillmore High School Teacher
Donna Wojciechowski, Heritage Valley Independent Study Teacher
FUSD Bargaining Team:
Stefan Cvijanovich
Andrea McNeill
Todd Schieferle
Adrian Palazuelos

Tentative Agreement Includes:
• FUSD will sunshine openers for negotiations in October 2017 to be available to negotiate in November 2017;
• Article 1: Agreement. The collective bargaining agreement is closed as of 6/28/17 and the Successor agreement term is 2016-2019;
• Collaboration Pilot for 2017-2018 school year;
• Unit member work calendar with fall break for 2017-2018;
• 2% one-time off-schedule payment for 2016-2017 salaries paid;
• Stipend for FMS Drama;
• Stipend increase for FMS Yearbook;
• .055% pay differential for all Special Education teachers and Speech and Language Pathologists;
• Combine cheerleading coach stipends and change to a yearlong stipend starting 2018-2019;
• Status Quo on the following articles:
• Article 8: Extra Pay
• Article 10: Transfers
• Article 17: Leaves
• Article 34: Seniority
• TOSA MOU

By now, I presume that everybody knows that there was a “Car Show” in town on the 4th.

Subsequently, I photoed it in the hot brutal sun. In hind sight, I should have stayed home and celebrated the 4th with a 5th of Jack Daniels, of course. But I digress...

The sun was extraordinarily bright indeed. Uncomfortably warm temperature. Worse, bright sun makes the paint of a beautifully restored classic car look as faded as an over-boiled lobster. Blah!

What to do? Well, I simply retrieved my trusty circular polarizer (CP) filter. Every photographer should have one in their landscape kit. If I lost mine, I'd have to take up knitting. A polarizer filter is an invaluable tool for certain conditions. Like the car show.

It serves two useful functions. First, it cuts glare and reflections, allowing the vibrant colors to render with greater saturation as opposed to looking 'washed out'. In other situations, for example, those puffy cumulus clouds stand out delightfully against a deep blue sky produced with a CP filter.

It's called a circular polarizer because after mounting on the lens, it can be rotated. Hence, the amount of polarizing by the CP filter is adjustable. This makes it possible to apply just the right amount of effect. Sometimes, at certain times of the day, I notice the polarizer can make the blue sky too dark. Simply rotate the filter to lessen the effect. Very handy.

Important! The circular polarizer is most effective when shooting at a 90° angle from the direction of the sun. If you're shooting in the direction of the sun or 180° from the sun, i.e., in line with the sun, the CP filter will have no effect. When you get back home, you'll have paint the sky with blue sky computer paint (I'm beginning to bottle it so it'll be for sale soon).

One other minor issue. Because the sky is darkened the most when shooting at a 90° angle from the sun, deviating somewhat will most likely end up with an uneven sky. The sky will be darkened the most at the 90° angle from the direction of the sun and less dark at a lesser angle of the sun. Generally, that doesn't bother me, but it might you. Tip: The blue sky unevenness can be adjusted in post processing.

One other thing I also learned when I photoed Mermaids up at Big Sur. A CP will on average reduce the light to your lens by one stop. So in low light conditions, remember to apply exposure compensation to adjust accordingly. I got slapped with a mermaid tail because I underexposed her.

Lastly, all circular polarizer filters are not equal. Don't buy a cheapy. Cheap CP filters will distort your colors not to mention the overall image quality. Buy a quality CP filter and it will last 75 years. To verify this, I'm having my CP filters placed in my burial pine box so I can check the claim. Stay tuned to this space.

My CP filter of choice is the B+W (Schneider) Kasemann HTC filters. They are the best. Most importantly, they make my mermaids look gorgeous.

Speaking of gorgeous, check the vibrant reds, the rich blues, the luscious greens and the deep black in the photos of the cars I shot with a B+W Kasemann CP filter. Very cool under a hot sun. BTW, did you notice how high I jumped to get the Photo of the Week shot?

Happy photoing,

Email me your question, comments and/or suggestions to: bob@fillmoregazette.com