Bob Crum

If I had a dollar for every time someone said “to get such great photos you must have a great camera” I'd have enough money to buy a bungalow on a Cambria cliff with ocean views from the front porch. Oh, and mermaids for neighbors.

Truth be told, my cameras and lenses are average. No high-end stuff. Anyway, I once read: “It's not necessarily about the camera. Often what makes a good photographer is the... ahem... personality of the person behind the camera.” Ahem... now you know that it's my charisma that make my photos exceptionally fantabulous!

Seriously, it's possible to capture good photos without having to take out a second mortgage to buy a camera. Camera? Who needs a camera when a mobile phone takes great photos!?!? Phonetographers use mobile phones to take snapshots. Some of my friends are phonetographers. Admittedly snapshooters. Sure, snapshots are OK. I even engage in the practice occasionally when I need to email a photo quickly. However, mobile phones provide limited creative control if any at all.

The selection of cameras—dSLR or mirrorless—available these days include many that are affordable by most. Photos from point & shoot or 'compact' cameras are getting really good. Plus they provide creative control when making a photo. Even capture RAW mode photos. If you don't presently have a camera, I encourage you to seriously consider buying one. Think about the excitement of creating a photo rather than taking snapshots!

Can a relatively inexpensive 10 megapixel camera produce respectable photos? Yes! As K. Rockwell wrote: “A guy who breaks a wrist asks his doctor: "Will I be able to play the piano after this heals?" The doctor replies "Absolutely, no problem!" Great, the man says, because I never could play the piano before!”

It's an artist's eye & patience that makes a photo as much as mastery of the camera. Does buying a Steinway Grand piano make you a pianist? Similarly, why think that buying a 50 megapixel camera will make you a better photographer? Cameras don't make photos, photographers do. A camera (not a mobile phone) is a wonderful artist's tool.

Furthermore, your equipment has nothing to do with the all-important composition. The less time and effort you spend worrying about your gear the more time and effort you can spend creating great images. Key word: Creating. Better equipment just makes it easier, faster or more convenient for you to get the results you desire. Don't forget the quality of the lens affects the technical quality of a photo.

Beyond the gear, post processing software is very important. My axiom: No image straight out of the camera is as good as it can be! In digital cameras a computer interprets the data from the sensor to form an image with information regarding exposure and color. Camera engineers are designing some fabulous algorithms but a camera is without eyes. Digital data alone cannot create a photo exactly as my eyes see the scene in real time. Post processing is where I finish creating the photo.

Photo of the week is of whales northbound in the Santa Barbara channel. These huge animals breaching and spouting are thrilling to watch. Whale watching season runs from now through mid-April as they make their northward migration to the feeding grounds off Alaska. For fees and schedules, check with channelislandssportfishing.com, 805-382-1612 or islandpackers.com, 805-642-1393. Cameras UP! Remember, for great photos smile when pushing the shutter button. And don't forget the lens wipes!

Happy photoing.

Send your comments, questions or suggestions to bob@fillmoregazette.com

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ATTENTION COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL VEHICLE OWNERS
The City of Fillmore and the Fillmore Police Department wish to inform owners of commercial and recreational vehicles that, effective March 1, 2018, the following municipal code sections will be enforced throughout the city. While these ordinances have been the law for many years, required signs have only recently been installed. Refer to the Fillmore Municipal Code for complete information. If you have any questions, you may contact the police department at (805) 524-2233.

ATENCIÓN PROPIETARIOS DE VEHÍCULOS COMERCIALES Y RECREACIONALES
La Ciudad de Fillmore y el Departamento de Policía de Fillmore desean informar a los propietarios de vehículos comerciales y vehículos recreacionales que, a partir del 1 de marzo de 2018, se aplicarán las siguientes secciones de códigos municipales. Estas ordenanzas han sido la ley durante muchos años, las señales requeridas se han instalado recientemente. Si tiene alguna pregunta, puede comunicarse con el departamento de policía al (805) 524-2233.

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Fillmore’s Webelo Scout Troop 3400 toured the workshops at Fillmore’s Packinghouse Creative on the evening of Tuesday January 30th. The Packinghouse Creative is a collection of craftspeople working out of the citrus packing house located at 341 A Street in Fillmore.

The tour was organized by Packinghouse Creative member Bruce Johnson, Webelo Den Leader Chano Ibarra, and Assistant Cub Master Jaclyn Ibarra.

Den Leader Ibarra said, “The tour was part of our regular series of adventures designed to teach scouts lessons on a variety of topics. This particular tour focused on teaching scouts about tools and their use, about local history, and about learning what’s happening in their community.”

Bruce Johnson, a professional guitar maker (also known as a Luthier) said, “He had a great time hosting the scouts and teaching them about all the tools he uses to make a guitar from scratch.”

About The Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is one of the largest scouting organizations in the United States of America and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with more than 2.4 million youth participants and nearly one million adult volunteers. Learn more at https://www.scouting.org

About Packinghouse Creative
The Packinghouse Creative is a collection of craftspeople working out of a converted citrus packing house located in Fillmore, California. The Packinghouse Creative is not open to the public does host events and open houses throughout the year. Learn more at https://www.packinghousecreative.com

Bob Crum

I have often mentioned that I capture photos while letting the ISO float. Along comes Doug K of Oxnard asking me to explain how I do that. I can do that. Just not this second. It's a secret.

Remember, ISO is one leg of the exposure triangle. In manual mode, each leg—aperture (Av), shutter speed (Tv) & ISO—are adjustable. They each affect exposure levels. Increasing ISO increases exposure—brightens the photo. Decreasing ISO darkens the photo with Av & Tv fixed. Beware: Fixed ISO often problematic.

As a photojournalist shooting events, time to make camera adjustments is nonexistent. Depending on creative decisions, I'll preprogram shutter speed and aperture. If DOF (Depth-of-Field) is paramount, I'll set aperture at f/11 or smaller. For depicting action, I'll create blur by slowing the shutter speed. In these cases, I'll let ISO float. Also note that I'm creating a desired image affect by camera settings! Creativity rules!

Photoing outdoor events is exasperating. Perhaps one second I'm facing the sun potentially overexposing the photos. Turn around and shadows drive the image dark. A fixed ISO at any value will most assuredly be wrong. No time to adjust ISO for every photo op. Belly dancing with mermaids likely easier!

Because I can't adjust ISO fast enough to assure correct exposure, I simply inhale some “He” (helium) and float it. I mean I put ISO on “automatic”. With ISO on 'auto', the camera's exposure meter will adjust (float) to whatever value it needs to be for correct exposure. Alas... my secret exposed.

However, floating ISO is not without consequences. If the camera's exposure meter takes the ISO value too high because of a fixed aperture and shutter speed, the result is excessive noise. Digital image noise looks like yesteryear's film grain. Analogous to static when turning the hi-fi audio to the maximum level.

Digital noise can be 'treated' in post processing but there are limitations. Even with the best program algorithm, sharpness is sacrificed when aggressively attempting to reduce visible noise. When shooting in low light, I float the ISO so much my digital world is full of noise requiring post processing compromises. The ISO of the wave splashing, previous photo of the week, was extremely high. See any noise in the image? Mission accomplished!

Setting aperture and shutter speed in manual mode not always best. Circumstances often dictate a better method. Flexibility rules. Many times semi-manual is best. If depth-of-field is more important, I'll set the aperture at f/11 (Av mode) and float shutter speed. If it's more important to have rock-solid photos I'll increase the shutter speed and float aperture. For event shooting, I usually float ISO when I fix both shutter speed and aperture. Got it Doug? Don't forget the helium.

The photo of the week is a rare (for me) image of a deer & fox in the same composition. I was previously shooting landscapes with my Canon EF-S 15-85mm lens telephoto lens. Driving, I saw the fox cross the road ahead. Braked at the crossing. Quietly exited the truck camera in hand. No time to change the lens because wildlife waits for no photographer. As I raised the camera and quickly focused on the fox, a deer bolted from out of the woods. Surprise! As the fox crossed in front of the deer 30 yards away, I had only one fleeting chance to capture the photo. In a blink the fox was out of sight & the deer retreated to the woods. I cherish such serendipity.

Happy photoing!

Send comments, questions or suggestions to bob@fillmoregazette.com

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that a jury convicted Jesus Lopez (DOB 1/9/97), of Moorpark, on February 5, 2018, of one count of engaging in prostitution. The trial judge sentenced Lopez to one day in jail and 36 months of unsupervised probation.

On July 21, 2017, Lopez met a woman online and agreed to pay for sexual intercourse. The woman responded, then fled the residence after a disagreement. Lopez chased the woman, demanding a refund. He then called 911 to report that the woman would not refund his money. This case was investigated by the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

The District Attorney's Office has a designated prosecutor who handles cases against sex purchasers as part of a coordinated effort to combat human trafficking by prosecuting those who contribute to the demand for prostitution and sexual exploitation.

The Ventura County District Attorney's Office is the public prosecutor for the county's 850,000 residents. The office employs approximately 280 employees including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and other professional support staff who strive to seek justice, ensure public safety, and protect the rights of crime victims.