Bob Crum

Phonetographers continue their ardent clamor: Photography is dead! Emails received reveal that many have plumbed the pages of a Merriam-Webster dictionary for words such as deceased, defunct, done and bitten the dust to justify their state of mind. But camera companies - Canon, Nikon, Fuji Film and Olympus - didn't get their memo telling them to go out of business.

Hark, phonetographers! Camera companies, obviously operating in a parallel universe, are continuing to produce new and exciting high-tech cameras and tantalizing lenses for "photographers" and photography enthusiasts! Phonetographers, look at what you're missing.

The most advanced Rebel to date, the exciting new Canon EOS Rebel T8i is equipped with a 24.1mp CMOS APS-C sensor, Digic 8 image processor and ISO range of 100-25600. Designed with intuitive recognition technology, this powerful camera also recognizes and remains locked on your subject with its 45-point all cross-type AF system, EOS iTR AF (Face Detection) during viewfinder shooting and Eye Detection AF during Live View shooting. For vloggers or social media aficionados, the EOS Rebel T8i offers 4K 24p video capability and vertical video support, along with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology, making it easy to share everything you capture.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a significant feature of the new EOS Rebel T8i: AF button. Those of you who follow this column regularly know that I use 'back button' focus, not the half-depress of the shutter release button to activate autofocus. The "AF" button on the T8i is a dedicated autofocus button, a huge benefit, IMO.

Nikon’s new long-awaited flagship DSLR has finally arrived. The Nikon D6 is equipped with a 20.8-megapixel sensor powered by a new Expeed 6 processor offering burst shooting up to 14 frames per second. Other features include: 105 cross-type autofocus points, ISO range extends from 100-102,400, expandable up to 3.2 million, 4K/30p video recording capabilities, now with focus peaking and MP4 recording and built-in WiFi. Bluetooth and GPS and 14 customizable buttons. (Y'all know how much I love camera buttons!)

Olympus announces OM-D E-M1 Mark III and a new pocket camera, the PEN E-PL10. The OM-D E-M1 Mark III is the third iteration of this model equipped with a Micro Four-Thirds 20-megapixel sensor that features a new image processing TruePic IX engine.

Forget worrying about shooting in the rain. Being weatherproof and dustproof is a significant benefit! Rain forest photography anyone?

This M1 Mark III handheld can produce a high-res shot by stitching together 16 photos to create a single 50mp image. Wow! Other features include 121 cross-type autofocus points, 5-axis in-body image stabilization, up to 60fps RAW + JPEG capture and Pro Capture mode records frames right before you fire the shutter. And UHD 4k/30p and DCI 24p video. Awesome!

Why are these dynamic camera companies continuing to produce new and exciting cameras if photography is kaput? Hmm. Perhaps new technology makes photography more exciting than ever? And everyone knows that a dedicated camera can create better photos than any cellphone, right?

Even though it's a micro 4/3 sensor camera, the specs of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III are impressive. If it weren't such a hassle, I'd sell all my Canon gear and buy the new OM-D E-M1 Mark III camera and a couple of lenses. It appears to be the perfect camera for my specialty: Mermaid boudoir photography. However, specs are not always translated to shooting in the field so I need first to try out the camera.

Photo of the week is the Rincon made looking west from Faria County park during the recent king tide. High tide indeed!

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

City Planning and Community Development Director Kevin McSweeney gave a brief oral report on the status of several on-going development projects including fast-food restaurants Sonic and Wendy’s.

The City of Fillmore is undergoing a great many housing projects, homes, condos, and apartments. Kevin McSweeney, City Planning and Community Development Director, gave a brief oral report on the status of each of the following development projects:

7.A Development Project Updates
The City of Fillmore is undergoing a great many housing projects, homes, condos, and apartments. Kevin McSweeney, City Planning and Community Development Director, gave a brief oral report on the status of each of the following development projects:
1. Sonic
2. KB Homes
3. Citrus Packing House, 341 A St.
4. People Self Help, 215 Palm
5. Many Mansions
6. Alex Glasscock, 461 Central Ave
7. Iron Horse, Rio Vista Park, Traffic Circles, Levee Bike Path
8. East Bridges (133 units)
9. Iron Horse Rollover I (76 units)
10. Iron Horse Rollover II (90 units)
11. Heritage Groves (160 units)
12. Old Sewer Plant Land Use Options prepared by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students
13. Measure I, Amendment to the North Fillmore Specific Plan

The old Burger King site is expected to be replace by Wendy's.

The City Council requested to have a discussion regarding the potential expansion of residential uses on properties within the Commercial Highway (CH) zone along Highway 126 between “A” Street and Mountain View Street.

The discussion was tabled until the 2021 Housing Element update is underway, as was done for the Many Mansion project site, Citrus Packing Project site, and Balden Towne Plaza Expansion site before the last housing element cycle.

Council was asked to consider authorizing a contract with Data Ticket, Inc. to provide administrative and parking citation processing and adjudication services. The term of the proposed agreement includes the remainder of Fiscal Year 2019/20 plus the next two Fiscal Years, 2020/21 and 2021/22, and an optional one-year extension. It was stated that greater efficiency, better customer service, and a higher ratio of cost recovery can be gained by outsourcing the processing of administrative and parking citations. Council will study the plan further to decide which of three vendors is best for the city. Council is expected to contract with Data Ticket to provide this service.

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Courtesy Manuel Minjares Facebook Page

While Fillmore’s homelessness issues are nowhere near the scale that we see in other communities in our county, we do indeed have many that can’t afford housing and have no choice but to live on the streets, under a bridge, in the river bed, or in a vehicle.

The point in time count is exactly what it sounds like, a count of the homeless individuals during one day out of the year. In addition to the importance of knowing the size of your community’s homeless population, the numbers from the count are also used to determine federal funding allocations to address homelessness.

A big thank you goes out to all those all those individuals that participated in the count throughout the county and to those that work everyday to help get our neighbors off the streets.

(left) Supervisor Kelly Long with her District Representative and Fillmore City Council Member Manuel Minjares.

Wednesday, February 5th the Ventura County Healthcare Agency hosted a Town Hall meeting at the Fillmore Active Adult Center. The meeting was well attended, and the Agency along with Santa Paula Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee and HCA officials shared information regarding healthcare services available in the Santa Clara Valley, performance data on the Santa Paula Hospital, and future considerations for the location of the Santa Paula Hospital. Those in attendance were separated into small groups and asked to answer questions regarding Healthcare service needs, then shared their answers for all to hear. The Agency will compile the information from the meeting and will share them at a future City Council meeting for both Fillmore and Santa Paula. The next town hall meeting will be February 18th, at 6pm at the Santa Paula Community Center. Courtesy Supervisor Kelly Long Facebook page.

Walt Gonzales

Walt’s Jewelry has been a fixture in Fillmore for 30 years. Generations of engagements, marriages, birthdays and anniversaries have been celebrated with jewelry gifts from Fillmore’s only jewelry store.

Walt opened for business in November 1989 in the old Vons Shopping Center before moving to his current location on Central Avenue, across from the post office.

“I saw families grow over the years, and enjoyed watching them leave happy with their jewelry and repairs,” said Walt.

“I want to thank all the customers and friends who supported my business for all these wonderful years of gratifying labor. I received a lot of satisfaction offering them my services, accomplishing a job well done.”

The Fillmore Gazette first reported on Walt’s Jewelry in its December 21, 1990 edition. Walt talked about how he started out in Fillmore after Howard’s Jewelers closed on Central Avenue, and how the Persian Gulf War, when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, “put a damper” on business.

Walt’s phone number is (805) 990-5010 for any questions, advice or personal communications. Walt is offering a 30% discount on gold jewelry, and a 50% discount on silver. He will close business for good on February 29th, at 2 p.m.

Walt’s Jewelry will be missed!

Fillmore, CA – 2018 Fillmore High graduate Kasey Crawford was honored along with her teammates during halftime at a recent Dixie State University basketball game. Kasey, along with her teammates, were awarded their rings for winning 2019 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Softball Championship. Randy Simkins, the head softball coach said Kasey was "a player to watch in the 2020 season” where the Trailblazer are favored to win the championship and advance to the division 2 world series.”

At Fillmore High, Kasey earned four varsity softball letters, three-time first team All-League selection, garnered second team All-County honors, was two-time MVP, earned a Golden Glove award, and was a four-time academic All-League honoree.

Kasey is the daughter of Eric and Carina Crawford and is currently majoring in general studies.

Bob Crum

Last week I began with the repeated question: "Why do I persevere in promoting the dead medium called photography?" One can presume the question is appropriate, given the increased quality of cellphone cameras to take respectable photographs.

Remember the portrait studios in J.C. Penney, Sears Roebuck and in just about every town in America? All gone except for a few private studios! Besides most professional photo studios going out of business, professional wedding photographers are struggling to survive. To save money, a growing percentage of brides request a relative with a 'camera' to shoot their wedding. Why not, considering the plethora of mediocre photos on Instagram, the population at large is used to so-so photos. Mediocre is becoming the new standard. Also, with the continuing decrease in newspaper subscriptions, the ranks of photojournalists are steadily decreasing.

Photographer Talbert McMullen, says "tastes, attitudes and values are changing as fast as technology. Cheap digital cameras with decent lenses and powerful zooms (and phones with triple cameras) take the worries out of casual photography. Unfortunately, such opportunities give many people the wrong perception of themselves and their abilities. Now they have the DIY attitude: “Why pay someone to do something that I can easily do myself?”

Conversely, the optimistic Phoblographer says, "In my honest opinion, professional photography is far from dead. Instead, I believe professional photography is thriving. Never before have I seen a collective group of people be so excited about the industry they’re working in. Never before have I seen professional photographers be so excited about all of the stunning new things that can be achieved with new cameras and new lens technology. Professional Photography is evolving for sure, but it’s not dying. Not by a long shot." Amen! The same applies to photography enthusiasts!

Remember photo prints? Photographer Tom McDermott concludes: "For now, the pro-studio is all but dead, due to the new national motto, "it'll do". America is all about cheap, equaling mediocrity. The term photograph means "a picture created with/by light". He who controls the way light affects a subject before pushing a button, and the interaction or lack-of, is the photographer, and amateurs armed with the best camera gear will be photographers, but never will they, or their pictures, be of 'professional' standards. As the pros disappear, and the void filled by Best Buy amateurs that charge money, a sad reality will come upon the world in 50 years when there is no real record of families, babies, graduates, weddings, and large family groups that no amateur can capture adequately to create family heirlooms that hang above the fireplaces."

Though it's obvious some forms of photography are no longer viable, there are other forms very much alive. Sports photography for example. Did anyone notice that every Super Bowl photographer was shooting with a dSLR camera? Not one pro shooting with a cellphone! Hmmm. Photography, in many forms, will be performed for decades to come. Count on it!

Photo of the week was made at Faria County Park on the last day of the King Tide, an extremely high tide! I selected this photo because it's an example of what I mentally envisioned as I programmed my 'camera' to achieve the desired result. I wanted to illustrate the power of the water and some blur to illustrate motion. If I had my 4-stop neutral density filter, I could have slowed down the shutter speed further for more motion blur without blowing out the highlights. As it was, I captured the characteristics of the wave as intended, impossible to achieve with, ahem, a cellphone. But you know that, don't you?

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

Bill Edmonds of the Fillmore Lions Club

Bill Edmonds has been a member of Lion’s Club International since he moved to Fillmore in 1984. He has been the chairperson of the Student Speaker Contest since 1987. In that time he has worked with 123 high school aged youth to help them prepare for the contest. Of the 33 winners, 3 have gone on to the region finals and one to the next level. He is very proud of all of the students who have participated stating, “It is a challenge for anyone to get up in front of a group of people, many of whom you don’t know, and speak in any circumstance. But to do it on a topic not of your choice and with the pressure of wanting to win, it is even harder. Those youth who have chosen to participate are hardworking, intelligent and thoughtful. Every participant brings a different perspective and, in the process, gains more confidence in research, writing and speaking skills.” In 1991 he was proud that his son Jon won the contest.

He is very thankful for the strong support from the staffs of Fillmore and Sierra High Schools as well as that of parents, other Lions and the community at large. The contest is judged by three community members who are versed in public speaking, public affairs and willing to interact with the youth to give suggestions and feedback about their speeches, including the late Harvey Guthrie who was in the Ventura Lions Club speakers contest when he was in high school.

Bill started his career in 1964 by teaching at Liceo Monagas in Venezuela while a member of the Peace Corps. He joined the staff of the Downey YMCA in 1969 and in 1975 started teaching in Lynwood, California. He and his family moved to Fillmore in 1984 where he taught at Sespe Elementary until his retirement in 1998. His wife, Lynn, and he have four children, nine grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. He has been active in the Lions, holding many offices and receiving several awards.

Bill has enjoyed being Speaker Contest Chair. There have been many interesting and relevant topics over the year. The topics are chosen by the Lion’s State Student Speaker Committee and include such themes as environment, freedom of the press, and immigration. Each topic asks the participant to think for themselves and come up with the problems and their suggestions for solutions.

The Lions Club Speaker Contest was started by Don Snyder in 1937 as a way to encourage youth to become knowledgeable about relevant topics, to state their point of view in solving the problem, and to be able to present these thoughts to the community. The first two levels are funded by the individual clubs and the remaining contests are funded by the Student Speaker Foundation. The California State winners receive up to $21,000 for their education.

(right) 83rd Lions Club Speaker Contest winner was Anthony Campos.
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The topic of the 83rd Lions Club Speaker Contest on February 3, 2020 was “Homelessness in California: What is the Solution?”

The contest was held at the Scout House, led by Chair Bill Edmonds. The winner received $100, and moves onto the Zone #5 contest on March 14th, at the Camarillo Boys & Girls Club. The Runner-ups received $25.

The contest was judged by Sue Cuttriss, Kate English, and Cynthia King.

Speakers who participated were: Eva Vieyra, Jennifer Orozco, Fabian Arantz, Carmen Isabela Ibarra, and Anthony Campos. The 83rd Lions Club Speaker Contest winner was Anthony Campos, senior at Fillmore High ; Runner-up Jennifer Orozco, junior at FHS; Fabian Arantz, senior at FHS; Carmen Isabela Ibarra, sophomore at Ventura H.S.

Congratulations to Anthony and all the participants!