Photo of the Week "Gorgeous Chevy. If only it were for sale. If only I had sufficient money!" By Bob Crum. Photo data: Canon 7DMKII camera, ISO 400, Tamron 16-400mm lens @16mm with polarizing filter, aperture f/11, shutter speed 1/320 second. Enlarge Photo By Bob Crum — Wednesday, July 11th, 2018
Remember DeSoto?
The Fillmore classic car show downtown on July 4th was awesome. Gorgeous cars all. Did you go? If not fret not, I'll take you there vicariously along with a trip down memory lane. In 1956, my Uncle Willie bought a high-performance DeSoto Adventurer. The DeSoto was powered by a hemi-sized 341 cubic inch, 320 horsepower motor. Standard equipment included push button control Powerflite automatic transmission, power steering, power seat, power windows, power brakes, windshield washers and electric clock. All for only $3,678. One day Uncle Willie took ill. Before leaving for the hospital he tossed me the DeSoto keys. “Be careful”, he said, “it's fast!”. A teenage daredevil, imagine my excitement. I practiced driving the car on the farm before the open road. That car was soooo long that when going around a sweeping curve, I couldn't see the back end in the rear-view mirror. With pedal to the metal it was so fast that it took a few seconds for the back half to catch up. Having saved money from years of farm work, I purchased my first new car – a gold-colored Plymouth Fury – as a high school graduation present to myself. Powerful engine and push-button tranny like the DeSoto. While my friends laughed about the rear fender “fins”, I took revenge (and delight) by beating (humiliating) their Chevys and Fords in every drag race. But as fast as my Fury was off the line, was as fast as I lost those friends. But they eventually got over it and we were soon all friends again. Photographing classic cars at a show is, politely speaking, a pain in the buttocks. Certainly taxes the patience quotient. No sir, no problem at all just go right ahead and step right in front of my camera. Everybody does it! (grumble grumble) The flip side of the patience of Job: Deference. It's about the 'event' not the cars! Point well taken I said to myself (I can't be the only one who talks to himself). Result: Lots of photos of gawkers full of gawkiness gawking at classic cars. C'est la vie. From having photographed previous car shows, I noticed that car colors were often not as punchy in the digital images as I saw with my eyes. Not an insignificant factor considering that I could take five cruises with the money that some of the cars’ paint jobs alone cost. Must do something in an attempt to do justice to those luscious paint colors. So this year I decided to shoot the show with a polarizing filter on my lens to enunciate the colors. Given the advantages of a polarizing filter, it was nevertheless a gamble. Remember, a polarizing filter's effects are most effective when shooting at a 90° angle with respect to the sun. Otherwise, it's as if it doesn't exist so no effect. Upon viewing the photos made, it was effective most times. At least the blacks are blacker! Such are the creative challenges that make photography addictive and so delightfully rewarding. Equally significant, the creative aspects of photography tickle the soul. Well, at least mine. Hark... a contest! Not counting fireworks photos, guess the number of photos I shot of the car show and chili contest. Email me your guess. Deadline: 6 p.m. Monday July 16. The closest guess wins one scoop of Baskins-Robbins ice cream. In case of a tie, the earliest entry wins. One entry per reader. Photo of the week: Gorgeous Chevy. More firework photos next week. Happy photoing! Send comments, suggestions, questions & contest entry to: photography@earthlink.net |
By Anonymous — Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018
Moody's Investors Service has assigned an issuer rating of A1 to the City of RATINGS RATIONALE RATING OUTLOOK FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE LEGAL SECURITY PROFILE METHODOLOGY REGULATORY DISCLOSURES Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review. Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating. Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating. |
By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018
Earlier this month, Sheriff's detectives obtained information indicating illegal fireworks were being sold by (S) Ricardo Nuno from his residence at 900 block of Ortega Street, Fillmore. Detectives conducted an investigation and believed Nuno 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 800 pounds of illegal fireworks. These fireworks were found throughout the residence, including the garage and a bedroom shared with two minor children, and posed a significant threat of injury and fire, not only to the suspect's family, but to the public, as well. It was also determined that Nuno was manufacturing his own explosive devices, which posed a significant threat of injury or death to Nuno and/or his family. (S) Nuno, who was not present at the time of the service of the search warrant, but was located at his work and arrested. He was booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility on the following charges: Nuno’s bail was set at $100,000 and his next court date is July 2nd, 2018. '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 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. Below are several safety tips to ensure you and your family enjoy a safe Independence Day celebration: Prepared by: Sergeant Mike Harris |
By Anonymous — Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018
A dual cab pickup truck crashed into the utility pole in front of Taco Bell, 800 block SR 126, at 2:54 p.m., Monday. The toppled concrete pole narrowly missed the entrance of the fast-food restaurant. Traffic was backed-up to the west for about a half-hour. An ambulance was on scene and the single-car crash is under investigation. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018
Last week the Fillmore Police and Fire Crews responded to calls about a man on a roof top at the corner of Clay and Ventura Street. No injuries were reported and crews were able to get the man down safely. Photo courtesy Fillmore Fire Department. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018
On Thursday, June 28th at 3:15pm Fillmore Fire and Police Departments responded to reports of a 2-car collision at the corner of Santa Clara and B Street. A black Jeep Grand Cherokee and a tan vehicle collided. No injuries were reported at the time of the accident. Cause of the accident is still under investigation. Enlarge Photo |
Photo of the Week "...a rare Fillmore F on the hill... gloriously lit" By Bob Crum. Photo data: Handheld Canon 7DMKII, ISO 16000, Tamron 16-300mm lens @300mm, aperture f/6.3, shutter speed 1/1000 of a second. Enlarge Photo By Bob Crum — Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018
Phonetographers reprieved
A reader and accomplished photographer recently sent me very interesting email. Thanks Phil. One topic was phonetography! Hold on! My reaction was not what you might expect. Truth be told, his message caused me to pause. Actually made me stop and give phonetography more consideration then previous short shrift. Recapitulation is stimulating. Sometimes. “I have some opinions about the whole smartphone debate you are writing about but that's an in-depth discussion for later,” Phil wrote. Uh Oh! “I think your basic premise is correct,” he continued. “But I have run into some notable exceptions. I have made 17 x 22 pigment based archival prints of images shot by an art director. He has a great eye, but he also must have had special filters for his iPhone, because the quality was incredible.” He added that “they both knew how to shoot correctly with the iPhone so what I got from them were full resolution files that didn't need upscaling. These were jpegs, BTW, not camera RAW. However, I did take all the images into Photoshop for retouching and color/contrast adjustments for prints.” Jpegs? Shocking! Let's again briefly review RAW vs jpegs and why I've been advocating RAW image capture. RAW is image data directly from the sensor without camera processing. Jpegs are images processed in camera (compressed) and the photo parameters baked in. Of course, jpeg images can be edited afterward but except for Photoshop 'smart objects' editing modifies image pixels and can't be undone. This is destructive editing. Post processing RAW images is non-destructive editing because editing does not modify pixels directly... editing is just modifying the image data instructions. The original remains unaffected. Make an editing mistake or don't like how the editing is proceeding press the reset button. Poof! All better. Begin anew. Phil continued: “I believe there are now smartphones that have camera RAW. That might be a waste for a lot of iPhoneographers, but for some people, it's a great tool. I believe smartphones can actually increase creativity for some people. It really depends on what kind of photography one wants to do.” An astute observation. I acknowledge that many phonetographers have no desire or need to post process their jpeg snapshots and that's fine. I don't. Shoot, email it, or post on social media and done. More importantly, however, even phonetography can be 'creative'. (hint) To that end, Alex Tsepko, CEO of Skylum Software recently penned: “The power of photography (and phonetography) as art is that it serves to enhance the way we see the world. Try taking a photo of the same object every day. What you’ll find is, by spending time studying this object — a person, or a building, or a budding tree — you’ll find new looks, styles, and angles that accentuate it in different, more interesting ways. This kind of practice has a way of activating your brain and stimulating your inner creativity that makes life more interesting. Another thing you’ll learn by familiarizing yourself with photography as art is that it’s not about what you capture in an image, so much as what sort of emotion your images reveal and evoke.” Snapshots work because sometimes there's only time to record a moment. However, for creative photography, pause a second and ask yourself what are you attempting to capture to share. Will the photo tell a story? More about a photographers eye another time. Photo of the week is the infamous “F” up on the hill...in bright lights! Awesome! Have you noticed? Happy photoing. Send your comments, questions and/or suggestions to photography@earthlink.net |
By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Monday, July 2nd, 2018
As people throughout the county celebrate the Independence Day holiday in the coming week, the sheriff’s office would like to remind residents and visitors to the area that all fireworks are illegal to possess or use throughout Ventura County. The exception is in the city of Fillmore, which allows only designated “Safe and Sane” fireworks to be purchased and used within the city limits. With the dry conditions and recent impacts from wildfires, the use of fireworks poses an extreme fire danger in our communities. Deputies will be actively enforcing laws pertaining to the possession or use of illegal fireworks. Depending on the type or amount of fireworks, violators could be subject to citation or arrest. Another problem that occurs on Independence Day is the use of firearms for celebratory purposes. The discharge of any firearm or BB device in a grossly negligent manner is a misdemeanor in the state of California and is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year. Residents can report firework violations in sheriff’s jurisdictions by calling our communications center at (805) 654-9511, or 9-1-1 in an emergency situation. Prepared by: Sgt. Eric Buschow |
By Anonymous — Monday, July 2nd, 2018
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 CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. Following these four “C’s” can prevent foodborne illnesses: Chill: Clean: Cook: |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, June 27th, 2018
New military banners were presented to the families of US Marine Daniel Flores and Mario Hernandez, US Air Force, on Tuesday, June 26th at 10 a.m. in front of the Fillmore School District Office. Members of Fillmore’s local VFW Post 9637 were also in attendance to honor those who serve. Enlarge Photo |
By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Wednesday, June 27th, 2018
On 06/19/2018, Detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s West County Narcotic’s Street Team concluded a month long narcotic investigation into Fillmore resident Sonia Castillo who was involved in the sales of methamphetamine to residents of Ventura County. The West County Street Team was assisted by deputies from the Fillmore Police Department. At approximately 3:00 p.m., detectives executed a narcotic search warrant at Castillo’s residence located in the 1100 Block of El Paseo Street after Castillo had been arrested during a traffic stop for possessing methamphetamine for sales. During the search of the residence, detectives located and seized approximately 14 ounces of methamphetamine along with paraphernalia indicative of narcotics sales, and a large sum of cash deemed to be narcotic proceeds. Castillo was booked at the Ventura County Main Jail for two counts of possessing methamphetamine for sales. Her bail was set at $100,000 and her next scheduled court appearance is set for 6/21/18 at 1:30 pm. The West County Street Narcotics Street Team is comprised of narcotic detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the Oxnard Police Department, and the Port Hueneme Police Department. Prepared by: Detective Sergeant Guy Moody |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, June 27th, 2018
On Wednesday, July 4th the Fillmore FFA will host their Annual Freedom Breakfast at the Veterans Memorial Building from 7am – 9:30pm. Pictured above are FFA students who worked during last year’s fundraiser. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, June 27th, 2018
This year the Fillmore High Alumni Association will be selling “Safe and Sane” fireworks at their booth located between Ay Chihuahua Restaurant and the Shell gas station on the corner of C Street and Hwy 126. Please come support their effort for funding scholarships in higher education for Fillmore High grads. This year they helped many Fillmore High grads pursuing their education in colleges, universities, and trade schools. Look for the big “SCHOLARSHIPS” sign! Thank You for your support!! Photo Courtesy Mark Ortega. Enlarge Photo |
By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Wednesday, June 27th, 2018
Three Fillmore juveniles were arrested early Sunday morning after they stole a bicycle from a residence in the 700 block of Third Street in Fillmore. Additional investigation by Fillmore deputies and detectives revealed that two of the juveniles were also involved in a separate commercial burglary and an attempted commercial burglary that happened during the prior week. On the morning of 6/13/18, Fillmore deputies responded to a commercial burglary at a business in the 400 block of Central Avenue. Deputies and detectives discovered that during overnight hours, unknown suspects broke a window at the business and made entry through the broken window, stealing cash and merchandise. On the morning of 6/16/18, Fillmore deputies responded to an attempted commercial burglary at a business in the 1300 block of Ventura Street. Deputies and detectives discovered that during the overnight hours, unknown suspects broke a skylight to the business but were not successful making entry down into the business, so nothing was stolen. Deputies and detectives obtained several leads in both of the commercial burglaries and were continuing with their investigation when, on the morning of 6/17/18, at approximately 5:30 AM, Fillmore deputies responded to a call of a theft of a bicycle in the 700 block of Third Street with three males running from the area. Deputies quickly responded to the area, located the three juveniles, and, following their investigation, arrested them for conspiracy to commit petty theft. Deputies and detectives later identified two of the juveniles as the suspects who attempted to break into the business on Ventura Street the previous morning, and evidence found during subsequent probation searches linked the two juveniles to the crime. Additional evidence was found that linked them to the commercial burglary that occurred on 6/13/18 at the business on Central Avenue. In addition to the arrests of the three juveniles for conspiracy to commit theft, two of the juveniles were also arrested for attempted burglary, burglary, and being in possession of stolen property. All three juveniles were lodged at Juvenile Hall. Prepared by: Detective Danielle Delpit 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). |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, June 27th, 2018
Monday, June 25th at 3:15pm a small vegetation fire broke out at 1200 East Telegraph Road, Fillmore. Fifteen units responded to the scene and were able put the flames out quickly. Cause of the fire is still under investigation. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, June 27th, 2018
The Fillmore Police and Fire Departments want to ensure the citizens of Fillmore enjoy a safe Fourth of July week. Citizens are reminded that Safe and Sane fireworks sold in Fillmore are legal in Fillmore between June 28th at 12 PM through July 5th at 12 PM. The use of any non-approved fireworks that explode or launch into the air are illegal and will result in criminal charges and/or a $1,000 fine. If you witness any illegal activity, please report it. Please call the Fillmore Police Department at 805-524-2233 to report illegal activity. Below are several safety tips to ensure you and your family enjoy a safe Independence Day celebration. - If you witness a crime or fire in progress involving illegal fireworks, call your local authorities by dialing 9-1-1. Prepared by: Sergeant Kevin Vaden |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, June 27th, 2018
On Thursday, June 21st at 4:40pm near the corner of Palm and Ventura Street a black Honda collided with a white Volvo. No serious injuries were reported and the cause is still under investigation. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, June 27th, 2018
The CIF Victory Parade honoring the 2018 CIF Champion Baseball Team and CIF Champion Swimmer Katrionna Furness will be held on July 6th at 6pm. It will end in downtown Fillmore. There will be autograph signing by the CIF winners, food trucks, vendors and entertainment for the whole family until 9pm.So far the following food vendors have confirmed: Nothing Bundt Cake, Raspado House, Oh My Gosh Hot Dogs, and Central Station –tacos. Thank you Fillmore Womens Soccer League for sponsoring the parade! |
Photo of the Week "An oak grove and a sunstar, Lake Emigrant shore, Ashland, OR" By Bob Crum. Photo data: Canon 7DMKII camera, ISO 12800, Tamron 16-300mm lens @16mm, f/22 and 1/640 second shutter speed. Enlarge Photo By Bob Crum — Wednesday, June 27th, 2018
What if?
This is column number 79 and much to my delight, readership has gone from snowball size to an avalanche if you'll kindly allow me a little hyperbole. For the past 78 weeks I've met many of you while out and about. Many continue to read the column because I don't go too deep into the technical weeds... so to speak. Many of you now understand that creating photographs is what makes photography extremely gratifying. That's good to know because I have repeatedly tried to convey what I consider the most significant aspect of photography: Creativity. This entails much more than merely setting shutter speed or lens aperture. Some technical details are necessary. Unless you are able to control your camera, executing your vision is hampered. But if you're the creative type it's hard to beat photography. If you're the adventurous type, simply do as I do! It's fun! Of course I know all the so-called rules pertaining to compositions: Rule of thirds, balanced elements, leading lines, symmetry and patterns, viewpoint, background, depth etc. However, in my opinion the only rule in photography is that there are no rules. Just some guidelines to improve your photos. But I've been a rogue photographer for so long I can't remember when I worried about applying 'leading lines' or patterns. When I see an interesting subject, I mentally visualize the end result, program the camera accordingly and shoot! More times than not, I win! Then again, circumstances sometimes dictate... ahem... failure. So depressing. But I digress. Consider how many times you've been to a special place and thought: Wow, I have to photograph this. This is the time to execute your creative potential. Stop and take a minute to consider your options. Then, as you mentally visualize the photo, program the camera and shoot. Here is an abbreviated explanation of the process of creating an award-winning photo. Imagine approaching a spectacular waterfall. Move to find the best perspective, program your camera for proper exposure and the kind of image you want to create, check the focus on the mermaid sunning on the ledge and press the shutter button. Congrats! You have just created a fine-art photo! I'm learning and realizing that many of you seem to benefit more from my explaining the various creative aspects of photography than the heavy technical details. But some tech stuff is important so you'll still get some. While you may think it's like bad-tasting medicine, you know it's good for you. Now... what if? Because I'm considering shifting the column emphasis to my experiences and the creative nature of photography, maybe it's time to change the column name from Photography Know-How to Focus on Photography. What do you think? Any other ideas? Please take a moment and tell me your thoughts about the proposed name change. Thank you. I was in Ashland Oregon recently for my granddaughter's graduation from Southern Oregon University. GO KATIE! While up in that neck of the woods, I checked out some wineries and the surrounding countryside. Photo of the week is a photo I made while taking a walk along the north shore of Lake Emigrant. Notice the play of late afternoon sunlight in the serene Oak grove. You know I can't resist a sunstar photo op. BTW, the star effect is done in camera, not added during post processing. The importance of knowing some... ahem... tech stuff. Just sayin'. Note that because of some email issues, I have to temporarily change the email address. Send your comments, suggestion and/or questions to: photography@earthlink.net Happy photoing. |
At Tuesday night’s school board meeting the board recognized the Fillmore High School Boys Baseball team for bringing home the CIF Division 7 Championship title. Enlarge Photo By Anonymous — Wednesday, June 20th, 2018
Board meeting highlights: Recognitions The Governing Board also recognized the students and staff of the Fillmore Unified Migrant Program for their accomplishments during the 2017-2018 school year. 2018 Summer Construction Projects Local Control and Accountability Plan for 2018-2019 and the 2018-2019 Proposed Budget Approve Memorandum of Agreement with the City of Fillmore for School Resource Officer Award of Bids for Site Wide Painting at Fillmore Middle School, San Cayetano Elementary, and Mountain Vista Elementary Personnel Recommendations |