Bob Crum

Photo by Bob Crum.
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Photo by Bob Crum.
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Photo by Bob Crum.
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Don't forget the calendar project previously suggested. No time to waste. January is almost gone!

Consider creating a folder on your computer's desktop titled “Calendar Photos”. As you photograph events throughout the year, put them in the folder. Photos don't have to necessarily be shot in any given month. Just shoot events or travel photos throughout the year. Store them all in the Calendar folder. Come November, review all the photos and cull to 12. I'll then present printing options. Think family heirlooms! BTW, I'm already working on my calendar project. First photo is already in the folder. Woohoo!

Last week's column about my becoming a colorati created some buzz. Ron G. emailed, in part: “What's with the art? I thought this was a photography column.” Ahem... it's both. April H. emailed: “Did you create the art?” Yes and no. First, I bought an adult coloring book titled “Art Nouveau Designs. It's not an “adult” book in 'that' sense of the word though it contains a lush gallery of sensuous art nouveau designs that spotlights the works of Alphonse Mucha. Love Mucha. If I was an illustrator like Mucha I'd make moocha moola!

Coloring books? Well, some days are stressful. Wine has its limitations you know. Not only is coloring art relaxing, it's also meditative in and of itself, bringing about calmness through the simple act of coloring. More importantly, what I'm learning through coloring applies to color photography. Stay tuned.

I lack the talent to create art as in plein air... the act of painting outdoors with oils, acrylics or whatever. You know, like real artists. But I love colors and coloring. After all, color a template or capture a photographic image, rendered and captured images can be mixed, edited or both. You see, there is a good reason for becoming a colorati.

As a photographer, I'm acutely conscious of color. Specifically accurate color. Because of the nature of digital camera sensors, colors are sometimes skewed. The degree varies with the nature of the light. Nevertheless, it necessitates color correction in photo processing. Green faces are fine when photoing Martians but not humans!

Selecting colors to apply to art is not without issues. The more I learn, the more complicated color gets. Such as color schemes: Monochromatic, Analogous, or Complementary. Primary colors, secondary colors and tertiary colors. Split complimentary, triads, tetrads and key colors. I needed help! So I bought a color wheel, a guide to mixing & blending colors. Another learning curve. But as Bill Gates & Warren Buffett said: “If you’re not spending five hours per week learning, you’re being irresponsible.” Safe to color me responsible!

In the meantime, I am presently coloring with reckless abandon because according to Article III of Bob's Coloring Bill of Rights, when taking Artistic License, there is no right or wrong way to mix, hash or mash colors. Uh oh, I'll bet this prompts purists to protest (be nice).

Big waves due Friday & Saturday said the weatherman. Large waves crashing on the shore are disastrous for mermaids but always interesting photo ops. Think about wave force against unmovable boulders. So last Saturday I gathered my gear and excitedly drove to my secret spot near Magu Rock. Waves were not huge. Nondescript sunset without clouds. Disappointed yet better than sitting home brewing tea. Photo of the Week is one of the biggest splashes. Check fillmoregazette.com for my photo titled The Sun Kissing the Ocean. Note the not-so-huge wave! C'est la vie.

Happy photoing!

Email me your questions, comments or suggestions to: bob@fillmoregazette.com

Fillmore Unified School District

Accept the June 30, 2017 Performance Audit of the Proposition 39 General Obligation Bonds
Information presented by Assistant Superintendent, Business Services, Andrea McNeill. The Board approved the performance audit of Measure E.

Accept the June 30, 2017 Performance Audit of the Measure V General Obligation Bonds
Information presented by Assistant Superintendent, Business Services, Andrea McNeill. The Board approved the performance audit of Measure V.

Personnel Recommendations
The Board approved all personnel recommendations including new hires, promotions, resignations, and leaves.

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Trevor Dalton (DOB 9/19/72), of Ventura, was charged with one felony count of assault with a firearm with the personal infliction of great bodily injury. Dalton is employed as a Highway Patrol officer in Ventura but was off duty when the incident occurred. The case was jointly investigated by the Ventura Police Department and the District Attorney Bureau of Investigation.

On the evening of December 4, 2017, Dalton was involved in a dispute with a neighbor. It is alleged that after leaving the vicinity of the neighbor’s home, Dalton returned to confront the victim. He fired two rounds, striking the victim once in the back, inflicting great bodily injury.

If convicted, Dalton faces a maximum penalty of 17 years in state prison.

“Police officers are empowered with great authority which carries with it great responsibility.” stated District Attorney Totten. “When an officer exceeds that authority, even when off duty, and commits a crime, he or she will be held accountable.”

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.

Happy New Year! It’s the time of year when the FHS Alumni starts planning for class reunions coming up in 2018! Many classes are planning to have their reunion the weekend of June 9th at the 105th Annual Alumni Dinner/Dance. The FHS Alumni website has been updated. Alumni Dinner reservations can be purchased now online at http://www.fillmorehighalumni.com/events/2018/1/15/105th-annual-fillmore.... You can also print out the reservation form and mail it in. Last year’s event was sold out, so let’s get those reservations in! This is the event of the year in Fillmore. Don’t miss out!
Mark Ortega, FHS
Alumni President

VENTURA, CA - District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that David Kenneth Beech (DOB 8/8/1959), of Simi Valley, has been charged with four counts of solicitation to commit murder while in custody at the Ventura County Pre-trial Detention Facility awaiting trial on multiple charges of lewd and lascivious acts against a child under the age of 14 and possession of child pornography.

Detectives discovered that in October 2017, Beech began soliciting other inmates to murder the two victims in his case as well as one of the victim’s mother and her friend. Ultimately, in December 2017, Beech offered an undercover officer posing as the “hitman” $10,000 to have those individuals murdered. The solicitation to commit murder counts were added to the original counts of lewd and lascivious acts against a child and possession of pornography, which Beech had been charged with in January 2015.

Beech faces over 60 years to life in the prison if convicted of the charges.

There have been many graduates of Fillmore High School who have gone on to achieve great things and have made major contributions to the world we live in. These Flashes are and should serve as constant reminders of what Fillmore High School has and continues to turn out to society. To that end, the Fillmore High School Academic & Career Hall of Fame has been established.

Fillmore High School is currently accepting nominations for the Fillmore High School Academic & Career Hall of Fame (FHSACHOF). The 2018 FHSACHOF inductees will be selected from a combination of service clubs and general public nominations. It is our hope to identify 25-30 viable candidates to induct into the FHSACHOF in its inaugural year. This year’s inductees will be recognized at the 2018 Fillmore High School Open House in the Spring Semester. The deadline to submit nominations is March 2, 2018.

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that defendant Mario Adan Arjon (DOB 12/18/1990), of Ventura, was sentenced to seven years eight months in state prison, following his November 2017 conviction for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.15 percent or higher, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury to multiple victims.

In the early morning of June 15, 2017, defendant was driving at a high rate of speed on Central Avenue outside Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard, when he rear-ended a vehicle that had slowed to stop at Vineyard Avenue. The car defendant stuck was being driven by Fernando Buenrostro, a senior at Rio Mesa who had just returned from a sober graduation night at Disneyland. The impact of the collision forced Mr. Buenrostro’s car into a car stopped in front of him, and rotated Mr. Buenrostro’s car into the intersection. Mr. Buenrostro was transported to Ventura County Medical Center where he died three days later. Mr. Buenrostro’s passengers, two high school students also returning from “grad night,” were also injured, along with the driver of the third vehicle. An investigation by the California Highway Patrol determined that the defendant’s blood alcohol concentration at the scene was 0.15, almost twice the legal limit.

Bob Crum

When on assignment, I'm a photojournalist. Other days I fancy myself as a 'fine art photographer'. For example, it's now widely known that my specialty is, ahem, mermaid boudoir photography. Fine art indeed.

Besides photos, I make prints. To wax philosophical, a photo is better enjoyed as a print. A family photo album is a treasure. A photo on Facebook... here today gone tomorrow. Where's the value in that? But I digress.

We are 18 years into the 21st Century & the photo paper, frame & mat industry still isn't producing products designed for digital images. Of my 2,374,716 readers (if only I got paid by head count!) I'll bet only two of you—three at most—are shooting film! Yet, the only frames & mats made are for the likes of Rip Van Clodhopper who refuses to give up his Konica range finder film camera and only wants 4X6” prints.

It's about aspect ratios. In its simplest form, aspect ratio describes the relationship between two sides of a rectangle. The aspect ratio of 35mm film is 3:2. Aspect ratios for most digital cameras is 3:2, 4:3 for point-and-shoots. Why if the 3:2 aspect ratio has every logical reason going against it, as you'll soon see, does it dominate? Perhaps because it happens to have the closest proportions to the Golden Rectangle of any other major film format which presents the most aesthetically pleasing composition? The ratio 3:2 is great if ONLY the paper, mat and frame industry provided 3:2 products accordingly.

My Canon 7DMKII aspect ratio is 3:2. Fine, if like Clodhopper all I want are 4X6” prints. No cropping required. For other sizes like 5X7, 8X10, 11X17, 3:2 is problematic. Example: Mathematically, a 3:2 aspect ratio relates to an 8X12” print not 8X10”. If the lab doesn't make 8X12” prints, your 8X12” digital image will get cropped... loosing a full 2 inches of the original image. Furthermore, no math will make 3:2 equal to 7:5 but cropping for a 5x7” image isn't quite so severe. It's all a mess!

Not only don't photo paper sizes directly relate to 3:2 digital photos, go to Michaels or Aaron Brothers for a mat and frame and good luck. Is wanting to fulfill our digital needs expecting too much?

On a more pleasant note, I'm venturing into... ahem... art. It's contagious you know. Being a proud member of the Fillmore Artist Guild, (email me for Guild info) I got the itch! Big time! But my medium is different as you might expect. I thought: Why not combine 'art' and photography? So I did!

The Photo of the Week is of my first artistic creation—my Art Nouveau 'masterpiece' titled “The Blonde Lady”. I photographed it, imported it into Adobe Lightroom to process the 'RAW' image. Exported the photo from LR to Photoshop Elements as a .tiff image for a touch of NIK Viveza 2. Saved the image & exported to Topaz Labs Impression program where I applied a touch of artist Jim LaSala's style. Viola! Digitized art from my painting. Now I can resize my digitized painting from 4X6” to poster size to satisfy any art collector's preference. I also have 9X12” and 11X14” 200g/m² (90 lb.) cold press watercolor paper for collector's that prefer a genuine textured print! Oh what FUN! What do you think???

My process needs a name so please email me your suggestions. Of course I'm working on my next creation, another masterpiece! An itch must be scratched you know!

Happy photoing!

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

At Tuesday night’s city council meeting volunteer Firefighters (l-r) Mike Salazar, Claire Morgan and Jordan Castro received badges to become fulltime Fillmore Fire Fighters for the City of Fillmore. Photo courtesy Fillmore Fire Department.
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Three Fillmore Fire Volunteers were presented with badges at last night’s city coucil meeting, becoming fulltime firefighter with the department.

New Fillmore Fire Fighter Michael Salazar, has worked in EMS since the age of 19 starting as an EMT. He went to paramedic school in 2005 and started working in Ventura County as a Paramedic. Mike currently works at Fillmore Fire and American Medical Response, one of Ventura County’s Ambulance provider. He worked his way up the ranks becoming a level 2 Paramedic, Preceptor, Field Training Officer and now a Field Supervisor as EMS 48 covering the west side of Ventura County. He was also selected to become one of the few Community Paramedics in the State of California. He has received extensive training in the areas of Hospice and Tuberculosis, to better service the citizens of Ventura County.

He started with Fillmore in 2012 as a Firefighter Paramedic and has promoted to Engineer. Mike has taken advantage of many training opportunities to make himself a valuable member of the Fillmore Fire Department. He is part of the training cadre and has been in charge of setting up and instructing EMS and Fire ground training drills. Mike began a mentoring program for the new firefighter and recruits during out academy. He always strives to pass on what he has learned from his success and more importantly his failures. To help other grow and become more confident in themselves.

But all this would be meaning less without the love and support of his wife of 7 years and his son.

New Fillmore Fire Fighter Clarie Morgan a NCAA Division 1 Collegiate Athlete in Track and Field. ER Technician at Cottage Hospital Santa Barbara and Goleta. EMT on PRN Ambulance out of Los Angeles County. Firefighter 1 Academy .And began volunteering at Fillmore Fire in Spring of 2017.

New Fillmore Fire Fighter Jordan Castro Graduated high school in 2010 from Santa Paula high school. Hired for 2 wild land seasons with CCC/CAL FIRE hired with Fillmore as a volunteer firefighter in 2012, worked for Cole Schaefer ambulance from 2012-2016. And worked in Santa Paula Hospital Emergency room from 2016-2017.

California Highway Patrol

On January 8, 2018, at approximately 4:07 P.M., a multi-vehicle traffic collision occurred resulting in a fatality in an unincorporated area of Ventura County. The collision was on SR (State Route) 126, east of Sharp Ranch (approximately 2 miles West of the Los Angeles County Line).

The driver of a Mercedes-Benz was driving westbound SR 126 at an unknown rate of speed. For reasons still under investigation, the driver of the Mercedes-Benz appeared to have lost control of her vehicle. The Mercedes-Benz spun into eastbound lanes of SR 126 where it set off a chain of collisions involving four other vehicles in both the eastbound and westbound lanes. There were a total of five vehicles involved. The driver of the Mercedes-Benz received fatal injuries as a result of the collisions. The drivers of two other vehicles were transported with reportedly minor injuries.

Both of the westbound SR 126 lanes were closed for approximately two hours. The shoulder of Westbound SR 126 was eventually opened to allow traffic to safely continue westbound. Eastbound SR 126 traffic was able to proceed through the scene by using the right shoulder during the entire investigation. Several deputies from the Ventura County Sheriffs Department responded to assist with traffic control. The Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) responded and provided aid to the parties involved. VCFD also assisted with getting traffic safely through the scene. American Medical Response transported two parties to local hospitals to be treated for injuries.

There were no arrests made and there is no indication at this time that alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in this collision.

This information is preliminary and the collision is still under investigation. The adverse weather conditions at the time of this incident appeared to have been a partial factor in the cause for this fatal collision. Media can call CHP Moorpark Public Information Officer Marin during normal business hours at 805-553-0800.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Deputies from West County Patrol, Fillmore Station, responded to a report of shots fired from a moving vehicle in the area of Briggs Road, north of Santa Paula Street. Deputies checked the area and found no evidence of a weapon being fired. While checking the area, deputies made contact with officers from the California Highway Patrol who were investigating an overturned Dodge Ram in the same area. The officers advised that a large amount of narcotics, a loaded pistol magazine, and spent .40 caliber shell casings were found inside the vehicle.

On 12/31/2017, Eric Escamilla attempted to report the Dodge Ram as a stolen vehicle to the Ventura Police Department. Escamilla was unable to provide sufficient information that the vehicle was stolen. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Gang Unit conducted a follow-up investigation at Escamilla’s residence. During an interview with detectives, Escamilla admitted to driving the Dodge Ram while intoxicated and fleeing the scene after he was involved in a single vehicle traffic accident. Escamilla also admitted ownership to the narcotics, loaded pistol magazine, and spent .40 caliber shell casings found in his vehicle.

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With disasters across the nation and most recently our fire here, it is important more now than ever to make sure we have planned accordingly.

Next week is forecasted to bring the first significant rain of the season to Ventura County. Some weather stations are predicting up to an inch of rain along the coast and up to two inches in the mountains. With the recent Thomas Fire burning away most of the ground cover in the Fillmore, Ojai, Santa Paula and the Ventura foothills, the risk of flooding and mudslides is significant.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has prepared a short video to remind residents of the danger of flooding, swift water and mudslides. The name of the video is “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” (Link below). The Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents to stay away from fast moving water and to prepare in the affected areas. If anyone observes an emergency, please call 911 and DO NOT go in the water yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNv3IuMh6ek

For additional information on preparing, planning and disaster information, please visit the “Ready Ventura County” website.
http://www.readyventuracounty.org/

Bob Crum

Last week’s column generated so many questions I'm exhausted at the outset. But answer I must, at least one.

Larry G. asked: Why do I shoot so many photos? It's complicated, Larry, but mostly because the camera doesn't always understand what I want it to do so it often screws up. Seriously, have I not consistently said that great photos begin with great 'composition'? Let's recapitulate.

A few years ago, I was asked to lead a photo walk on the Mishe Makwa trail at the Circle X Ranch in the Santa Monica mountains. At the balanced rock, they stopped, raised their cameras, took a photo and promptly moved on. One and done! Good grief, a bunch of snapshooters. Aha... a prime teaching moment. After a diplomatic lecture, most began to 'look' through photographers eyes and began 'composing' photos from various perspectives. Meaning making several photos from which to choose to print later. Choices are good!

When I'm photographing a landscape, or mermaids at a misty waterfall, composition possibilities are varied. Seldom is there just ONE perfect composition. Remember my example of the Mono Lake area sand tufas? Seldom visited but on that day one other photographer arrived. I moved away and watched. A gazillion photo ops before him and all he took was a few photos and left. Snapshooter!

In a football-size area, there are many amazing and rare sand tufas of various sizes and structures. At one fascinating tufa structure, I walked a full circle around the subject. A different perspective presented itself at every point. I even got down and shot many photos from ground level. I photographed it with different lenses. Changed aperture for different depth of field. Good composition is achieved by thinking and shooting creatively. Not one and done!

Photojournalism is a different and demanding animal. Goals are to have photos tell stories: Photojournalism. The Christmas parade for example. Constant movement. When is the best time to take a shot? Where to shoot from? Go back and count the number of photos of the parade that have the Fillmore Post Office as the backdrop. Accident? Just taking photos willy-nilly? Anyone viewing the photos will know that it's a 'Fillmore' parade. Goal accomplished!

A long trailer full of football players calls for an overview photo and several close ups of the kids as it's passing by. I photographed the high school band from the middle of the road and from the sideline. A parade is a fluid, dynamic event not easy to photograph. To increase the odds multiply all the groups in the parade times five or six and you see the photo count increases quickly, by necessity. One photo will be the best of the series.

A very challenging assignment is the junior live stock auction at the VC Fair. In all the years covering this event I have never seen a pig stand still in the auction ring. Never! Photojournalism dictates attempts to tell a story with the photo. This means constantly moving to position myself so that the moving pig and the kid are both in front of the auctioneer. Try it sometime then you'll understand why it takes so many photos to increase the odds of getting 'the' one that counts. And remember, I don't delete photos unless it's really, really crappy so I have a gazillion photos archived. C'est la vie.

Photo of the week is the last rose of the season from my rose garden. True to my nature, I made 12 photos of this bloom from various perspectives. This one, with a leaf branch and bokeh won.

Happy photoing.

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

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Franky Magana (DOB 11/12/1985) and Omar Ruiz (DOB 07/27/1987), both of Santa Paula, were convicted of second- degree murder for the benefit of a criminal street gang for shooting and killing Ulises Virto in the city of Santa Paula. Ruiz was also convicted of assault with a firearm on a peace officer for shooting at a peace officer during his arrest five months later.

On May 27, 2013, Ulises Virto was standing on a street corner on the 400 block of Dartmouth Road in the city of Santa Paula. Magana, Ruiz, and a third unidentified gunman drove up next to Virto, exited their vehicle, and opened fire with three handguns in a gang-motivated attack. Virto was shot seven times and died at the scene. A Santa Paula Police Department officer intercepted and pursued the three gunmen as they fled the scene in their vehicle. During the high-speed chase, all three guns and other evidence were tossed from the vehicle. Soon thereafter, the car temporarily stopped to let Magana exit and flee on foot. The officer chased Magana on foot and quickly took him into custody. Ruiz and the unidentified gunman continued to flee in the vehicle, eventually abandoning it two blocks away. On November 7, 2013, Ruiz was tracked down by Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies to an address on the 5300 block of Holly Ridge Drive in the city of Camarillo. From within the home, Ruiz watched on a closed-circuit surveillance system as deputies approached the residence. Ruiz fired on the deputies with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle until the gun jammed. After a brief stand-off, Ruiz was taken into custody. No deputies were injured during the assault.

All the evidence thrown from the vehicle, including the three guns, as well as other evidence seized at the crime scene, were forensically analyzed and connected to Ruiz and Magana.

Magana and Ruiz will be sentenced on March 26, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 45 of the Ventura Superior Court, County of Ventura. Both will be facing life sentences.