Bob Crum

Last week I asked y'all about your preferences, desires and expectations. Get more technical or stay the course i.e. relate photography experiences while imparting tech details.

Hundreds responded. Awesome! Thanks!

Only a few stated they prefer more technical info. Focus stacking... HDR... timelapse etc. However, presenting tech info without illustrations is challenging in a column. But I'll try when logically feasible.

Some unmentionables boldly requested that I reveal my mermaid boudoir photography secrets. If you're one of them, best that you don't hold your breath.

The majority voted for more of the same. I can do that!

Recall last week. I discussed techniques for photographing vibrant fall foliage. To refresh, a polarizing filter reduces – if not eliminates - glare. It also helps to capture the richness of the colors.

Time of day to shoot is important. Richly colored leaves are photographed at their best at dawn. Awakening before the rooster crows is often necessary in order to get to a predetermined location at sunrise for that oh-so rewarding photo. Golden hour at sundown also a great time.

Location is also important. But how does one determine the best location in relation to the sunrise and at the prime time? Hark! I have the answer: The Photographer's Ephemeris.

The Photographer's Ephemeris (TPE) helps plan outdoor photography shoots in natural light. It’s a map-centric sun and moon calculator: see how the light will fall on the land, day or night, for any location on earth.

Created for photographers by a photographer in 2009, TPE is a software tool available for desktop and mobile devices to help you plan outdoor photography shoots to ensure the best possible natural light. You'll find it here: http://photoephemeris.com/.

The Ephemeris is not without a little learning curve but easily learned with a modicum of determination... i.e... you can do it.

I have used the Ephemeris often. For example, to photograph a Brush Creek waterfall north of Kernville. (See photo of the Week) Early morning puts the waterfall in shadow because the sun rises behind it. High noon not the best time. So what is? I can enter the GPS location of the falls into the Ephermeris – or locate it on the Ephermeris map – and follow the arc of the sun throughout the day. Alas, I will discover that I have a 45 minute window as the sun sets in the west but before it dips below the mountains. You see, now I know just how much time I have for a lunch break and a nap and be on scene at exactly the best time. Love it!

The TPE can be used for any scene at any GPS location. Most times I do pre-planning at home with Google Earth and TPE. But I also have TPE on my LG V3 cellphone just in case I discover a great new location along the way. Download TPE and learn it. It's very useful.

When you head for the hills, expect to move around. A compelling image consists of great composition. Don't just take a snapshot (gasp!) and leave. Move around with a creative eye looking for a different perspective. Sometimes moving only a few feet nails a better composition. When I arrive upon a scene, I'll take a moment to scan it and soak it all in before lifting the camera. This provides an opportunity to determine how to best capture the rapture. I'll take several photos from various spots... at least as many as the terrain permits without falling off a cliff... striving to capture the most compelling photograph. Accept the challenge. Go! Enjoy!

Happy photoing!

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

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On 09/22/17, a residence on the 700 block of Third Street was burglarized and the victim’s vehicle was stolen. On 09/30/17, a concerned citizen contacted the Fillmore Police Department, reporting a suspicious subject was possibly in the residence. Upon deputies arrival at the residence, the victim’s stolen vehicle was in the driveway and deputies contacted (S) James Mabb inside the residence.

During the investigation, Mabb was found to have two felony warrants out of Los Angeles County. When searched, Mabb was in possession of property belonging to the victim, along with a small amount of suspected methamphetamine. Mabb was also suspected of being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Based on witness statements, it was determined Mabb was the sole driver of the stolen vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted and property belonging to the burglary victim, including a loaded handgun, ammunition, and personal information of the victim’s used for identity theft, was found inside the vehicle. Mabb is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing any firearms and ammunition.

Mabb was arrested for multiple felony charges including being in possession of a firearm while under the influence, residential burglary, auto theft and identity theft. Mabb was booked at the Main Jail in Ventura, Ca.

Prepared by: Deputy Tumbleson 4673
Approved by: Captain Fryhoff

Enlarge Photo

“Today 9/30/17 at 11:15am when driving north on Old Telegraph just past B street I saw a Crow fall out of the sky into the middle of the road. I stopped the car and the Crow was still alive. I didn’t know what happened but picked up the bird and moved it out of the street. I also noticed another Crow injured on the ground on the sidewalk. I then heard what sounded like a pellet gun being shot. This shot sounded like it came from one of the 3 houses on Meadowlark that are closest to B street. I drove to the County Fire Department and reported it and also reported it to the Sheriff and Animal Control. I went back to check on the birds and the one I moved out of the street had died and the other wouldn’t let me catch him and hopped off into the bushes. It looks like it has a broken wing and I’m sure it won’t survive. Please keep your eyes and ears open for dead birds in this area and if you observe anything please report it. Whoever is doing this is just shooting birds out of the sky for no reason and next they may decided that family pets are also fun to shoot for no reason.” Courtesy 2RiversParkBlog

Child Nutrition Services Announcement
The Fillmore Unified School District is providing Community Feeding this October during the Fall Break. Through the week of October 16th—20th, 2017 the Fillmore Unified School District along with the United States Department of Agriculture will offer meals to school age children ages 18 years old or younger at no cost.

The community feeding program will be available at:
Mountain Vista Elementary School from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

There are no application forms for parents or guardians to fill out. All meals are served in a group setting, at no cost to the child. The menu will be available on the Fillmore Unified School District Website under Child Nutrition Supper Menu. Please feel free to contact the Child Nutrition Department with any questions about this program.

Staff Recommendation to Accept the Initial Proposal from the Fillmore Unified School District to the Fillmore Unified Teachers Association
The Board accepted the initial proposal from Fillmore Unified School District to the Fillmore Unified Teachers Association.

Staff Recommendation to Accept the Initial Proposal from the Fillmore Unified School District to the California School Employees Association Chapter #421
The Board accepted the initial proposal from Fillmore Unified School District to California School Employees Association.

Staff Recommendation to Accept the Initial Proposal from the Fillmore Unified Teachers Association
The Board accepted the initial proposal from the Fillmore Unified Teachers Association.

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

Kathy Meza of Fillmore.

Her full name is Mary Katherine Meza but everyone knows her as Kathy.

She has been a most dedicated member of the Safeway/Vons Fillmore market since 1980. I speak from experience when I say she is the hardest working, most conscientious member of the store. Kathy has worked in many capacities and is in her 38th year with Safeway/Vons.

Above and beyond her normal duties, She has developed a 15-minute presentation that she takes to preschools, kindergartens and first grade students in Fillmore. "I talk to them about the supermarket (dressed in my uniform), I read them funny books about the supermarket and take my play shopping cart with fruits and vegetables and discuss these, and always give out cookies at the end."

Kathy enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and traveling.

Grandparents Cayetano and Natalia Munoz moved to Fillmore in 1907. "My father John was youngest of 10 children. I graduated from Fillmore High School in June of 1970, and married Ramon Meza two months later. We welcomed our son Ray in 1971 and our daughter Lydia in 1975. Ramon passed away in 2016. Both children are now married; I have 4 grandchildren."

Kathy began working at Safeway in 1980; it was bought out by Vons in 1988. Her position as Supervisor from 2008 to the present involves many tasks, from resolving customer service challenges, servicing money orders, money distribution, supervising breaks and lunches, and much more. Being bi-lingual quickly proved its value when Kathy's first 5 customers were Spanish-speaking only.

Kathy never seems to slow down and always has a cheerful greeting for the many customers who have known her, sometimes, for decades. She is the kind of person all companies seek to hire.

As Direct Pricing Auditor from 2005 to 2007 she oversaw 19 stores in her district, trained new Scan Coordinators and back-up scans, and audited each store at least once a month to prepare for regular corporate audit.

Kathy has also prepared all tags for the reset crew for every store remodeling, as well as coordinated all pricing matters (tags, signs, corrections) when a new store had a Grand Opening.

She also wrote and taught the Advanced Application Manual for file maintenance.

Kathy's duties and corporate accomplishments are too many to recount here, so I will have to summarize.

She was Back-Up Scan Coordinator, Fillmore, 1993-2005, managing a price change crew of seven, and passed corporate pricing audits consistently.

Kathy's extraordinary work history at Vons would seem to merit corporate and managerial appreciation.

This tribute to Kathy Meza is meant to acknowledge her personal efforts in managing the market's affairs and to express the appreciation of the thousands of customers who meet her every week.

Thank you Kathy, and we really do appreciate your cheerful, personal assistance.
Martin Farrell
Publisher
The Fillmore Gazette

Bob Crum

Pick any number between 1 and 20 including 1 and 20. Got it? Hold the number in mind. You picked 12! No? Hmmm. OK, has to be ‘9’. No? Obviously I lack mental telepathy powers... unless by accident I guessed right.

The number game was to demonstrate that I'm not a mind reader. I can't know what you expect or want from this column. Rather than continue guessing I need everyone - you too - to express your wishes and desires. Or complaints!
As Yogi said, when you come to a fork in the road... take it. If only it were that simple. I could easily take this photography column in many different ways. Get more technical or continue keeping it light but still impart technical notes here and there.

I need to know your thoughts and preferences. Your input will be a great help and greatly appreciated. The email address is below. Don't forget!

Onward. Aspens from June Lake up to Lee Vining are turning colors now. It's gorgeous up that way if only it weren't so distant. Five hour drive. Ugh!

Must find a grove of deciduous trees closer to home. Two hour drive is OK. Any suggestions? How about the Kernville area? Or the hills north of Castaic? Time to plan a couple of day trips and go exploring.

Are you also a leaf peeper? Think dramatic colors. Yellow, orange or blaze red! Beware a problem. Digital cameras often struggle capturing leaf colors accurately. One issue in particular is the digital camera's white balance (WB) setting. A wrong WB setting results in yellow leaves looking pink with magenta polka dots. I exaggerate but you get the idea.

Appropriate exposure is also paramount. While I normally shoot exposing on the high side, it's a lousy idea for fall foliage. Brightness reduces fabulous colors to pastels. Pastel pink Maple leaves are awful. Tip: Some situations dictate that I adjust exposure compensation-reducing it approximately one stop-in order to preserve color saturation.

Hot tip: Use a polarizing filter. Fall foliage is highly reflective. Worse when wet. Glare is a serious detriment to quality fall foliage photos. A circular polarizing filter greatly helps eliminate or at least reduce glare and give colors oomph. Caveat: Remember that a polarizing filter effects are strongest at 90° from the sunlight. No effect at 0° and 180°. Now you know why when I'm photographing wet mermaids I want the sun on my right or left. Nothing worse than glare on a mermaid's bottom.

Glare is a constant issue so time of day and location can be a factor for maximum polarizing effect. This entails planning. Being at the right place at the right time will reap big rewards. Sometimes this means going back at the optimum time after a scouting mission. Even so, wish for good light or chalk up the trip to a nice Sunday drive.

Remember that this is about photography... not phonetography. As a photographer you no longer take snapshots. Going forward, you are creating magnificent photos. Got it?

You know that I will never pass up an opportunity for a sunstar. This week’s Photo of the Week is off Perfurmo Road up by SLO. I think the trees are live canyon Oaks. Arborists? The bark structure with lichen captured my attention. Spanish moss adds mystique. BTW, Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is not a moss at all. It is a bromeliad and not parasitic. The sunstar is my “planned” bonus! BAM!

Happy photoing.

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

Our sister United Blood Services blood center in Las Vegas has provided nearly 200 units of blood and blood products so far to area hospitals treating victims of the concert shooting last night. At this time, the Las Vegas operations of United Blood Services have been able to provide the lifesaving blood needed by hospitals treating these victims.

Already the local Las Vegas community and communities across the country are coming forward in solidarity to support and honor those impacted by this senseless shooting.

United Blood Services Central Coast stands ready to send blood to Las Vegas if needed. As part of the Blood Systems Blood Services division, United Blood Services Central Coast is included in a multi-state system of blood centers. This network works in tandem, moving lifesaving donations throughout the system to help ensure blood is available when and where it’s needed most.

“In any situation where blood transfusions are needed, it’s the blood already on the shelf that saves lives,” said Steve Ferraiuolo, division president for United Blood Services Central Coast. “We understand that people want to come forward now to show their support, however, to effectively manage the blood supply for patients, we are asking donors to make appointments to give blood throughout the coming days and weeks.”

While O-positive, O-negative and platelet donations are most needed whenever tragedy strikes, United Blood Services Central Coast urges both existing and first-time donors of all blood types to visit www.blood4life.org or call 805-543-4290 x “0” to schedule an appointment at one of our four Central Coast donor centers in Ventura, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria or San Luis Obispo, or book at a mobile blood drive by going to www.blood4life.org.

Blood has a shelf life, so it is important that donations are given on an ongoing basis. It can take 24 to 36 hours to collect, test, process and distribute blood where it’s needed.

Individuals who are as young as 16 years of age (with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in general good health may be eligible to donate blood.

United Blood Services Central Coast has been this area’s nonprofit community blood provider since 1949, and serves patients along the Central Coast of California. It is a Blood Systems blood center. Blood Systems is one of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit community blood service providers, currently serving more than 1,000 hospital and healthcare partners across 28 states to provide comprehensive transfusion medicine services for patients in need.

A man and a woman were found dead Monday inside their Piru home after deputies were called to the residence by a concerned family member. Deputies arrived at the home in the 4000-block of Citrus View Drive at 2:20 pm and found the bodies of the couple who had sustained fatal injuries. Investigators spent hours at the home collecting evidence and interviewing potential witnesses in an attempt to identify potential suspects.

Anyone with information about this case should contact Detective Carlos Macias at 805-384-4761.

[Gofundme.com] “The Vergara family lost mother and father early this week and it has sent shock waves thru the Piru and Fillmore community. Mr. Vergara was a well-known member of the community who spent years working at the Fillmore-Piru Citrus packing house. His wife, Mrs. Vergara, was a loving mother and grandmother. We are asking for your help in raising funds to give them a proper farewell. We hope you are able to help this family with any donation. There will also be a car wash some of the family members will be hosting but any help is appreciated. This is so sudden and unexpected and we hope the community can come together to help this family in need. https://www.gofundme.com/memorial-fund-for-piru-family. Goal $15,000.

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for infor mation, 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).

Prepared by: Sgt. Eric Buschow News Release Date: Sept. 26, 2017 Media Follow-Up Contact: Sgt. Eric Buschow (805)947-8129 eric.buschow@ventura.org Capt. Garo Kuredjian (805)797-6322 garo.kuredjian@ventura.org Approved by: Captain Garo Kuredjian

A Public Hearing was held concerning amendments to the KB Home Citrus Grove residential development at the southern end of Central Avenue and River Street. The City Council unanimously approved the Citrus Grove project. Most of the changes to the plan demanded by Council at the last regular meeting were agreed to by KB Home.

The project consists of 104 high density condominium and town house units. Some of the structures were permitted to be 40-feet in height after the city zoning ordinance was changed from what was 35-feet. An award of construction contract for Heritage Valley Parks fountain entry feature renovation was also approved for $150,000.

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Kenneth Douglas Griffin, Jr. (DOB 7/04/95), of Ventura, was sentenced to serve seven months in custody and placed on formal probation for three years for his role in causing a 2014 explosion at Santa Clara Waste Water Company (“SCWWC”) in Santa Paula, California. Numerous SCWWC employees as well as first responders were injured either by the initial explosion or by inhaling a toxic cloud of chlorine gas generated by the illegal disposal of hazardous chemicals that were present on site.

Griffin was an on-site supervisor at SCWWC at the time of the explosion. Griffin was involved in moving chemicals from the SCWWC facility to an off-site storage lot to impede enforcement efforts by the Ventura County Environmental Health Division. Griffin also failed to warn employees of a serious concealed danger at the plant, specifically, the presence of a hazardous material known as sodium chlorite. In addition, he failed to provide sufficient warning regarding chemicals that were mislabeled or entirely unlabeled at the SCWWC site.

Griffin is scheduled to begin serving his jail sentence on October 13, 2017. Griffin was also ordered to pay victim restitution in an amount to be determined upon further order of the court. Under terms and conditions of his formal grant of probation, Griffin is prohibited from being employed in any Supervisory capacity over employees handling hazardous materials for a period of three years. This case was jointly prosecuted by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and the California Attorney General’s office.

Bob Crum

To summarize part one: All photos are subject to personal interpretation.

Recall that a photographer friend took issue with my recent Photo of the Week. She was brutal calling it hideous. No problem. Opinions and belly buttons... everybody's got one. She expressed her opinion. OK. It only hurts for a little while. I hope!

If you'll recall I had a plan... a vision. I waited for the right time. When it all came together I executed. Though I considered it a success, the story was not obvious to her. Maybe many others also missed what I attempted to portray in a photo. She may have a point. Photojournalism is not without challenges!

Consider a technically correct photo, in focus and correctly exposed. As such, the viewer should have but only one logical option: Like or dislike the subject or overall composition. An opinion! Does it matter?

When I cook, I cook to suit my taste. Would I add a spice that my taste buds dislike? I treat photography the same way. My way!

Several years ago I was photographing up on the Rocky Peak trail where I heard mermaids sometime frequent as a retreat from seaweed. The trail leads to a panoramic 2,715-foot summit on the border between Los Angeles and Ventura counties in the Santa Susana Mountains. The area is peppered with huge boulders.

A couple of years later, I was asked to give a photography presentation to a group of artistic types in Thousand Oaks. As I was showing the photo of a huge boulder and it's dark shadow one in the audience blurted: “Why did you take that photo, shadow ruins it.”

Such comments in a public setting might unnerve some. I smiled. It gave me the opportunity emphasize the subjective nature of photography. I explained to the objector that my photography is intended to please my harshest critic: Me! The photo – by design and intention – wonderfully illustrates the dynamic range between light and darkness. In essence, as an integral part of the boulder, the shadow exhibited it's own mysterious character.

Any photographer who remotely thinks about creating photos to please everybody is doomed to frustration. Is it any different regarding any form of art?

Another aspect of photography often overlooked is 'style'... a certain 'look'. As I say repeatedly, the camera merely collects data... I create the photo. Through the years I have developed a personal style that I apply universally. It starts with the camera but I don't do anything special or particular in-camera. My “style” is produced during post processing (PP).

My post processing is not conventional. Warning: Tech info ahead! The left and right walls pertain to the extremes of the histogram. A histogram is a graphical representation of the pixels exposed in the image. The left side (wall) represents dark areas while the right side (wall) represents the bright areas. Conventional rules dictate that the middle area represents correct exposure. Not my rule. Unless mood dictates otherwise, I generally push the exposure toward the right wall without clipping which is why my photos tend to be on the bright side. Have you noticed?

Again... it's all subjective. Simply what I prefer. Maybe you like it. Maybe you don't. Irrelevant because it's just photography! Whenever I'm asked to critique photos I first address apparent technical issues. Lacking any, I then only address composition if, in my opinion, a different perspective might tell the story better. Constructive notes only.

Hark! Autumn is now! Charge your camera batteries! Think about hillsides full of red and gold-colored leaves. Aaaaah. I'm planning day trips in search of random displays of gorgeous fall foliage. Anyone want to go? Failing to find such trees, I'll spray paint some. Tree- friendly paint of course.

The photo of the week is from my recent trip up to Gopher Glen Apple Farm in See Canyon. A favorite side road. But no Aspens.

Happy photoing.

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

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) urges Californians to get the influenza (flu) vaccine in September or October ahead of the arrival of influenza season.

In California, flu usually begins to increase in late November or December. It takes a couple of weeks after vaccination for the body to respond fully, so now is the time to get vaccinated to have the best protection before the flu season begins.

“Getting vaccinated is the best protection against flu illness,” said CDPH Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. “You can prevent missing work or school, visits to the doctor or hospitalizations, and protecting others from coming down with the flu.”

A person with flu may be contagious and infect others before they even feel sick.

For the second year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only recommend injectable flu vaccines. The nasal spray flu vaccine (live attenuated influenza vaccine or LAIV) is not recommended for use this season due to concerns about the effectiveness.

Each year, flu causes millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and, sometimes, thousands or tens of thousands of deaths in the United States.

To reduce this risk, CDPH recommends the annual flu vaccine for everyone six months of age and older. While anyone can get flu, pregnant women, children under five, adults 65 years of age and older, and people with chronic conditions such as heart disease and asthma are particularly at risk for flu-related complications. Flu shots are needed every year to maintain the greatest protection because the vaccine changes each season to match the circulating viruses.

Common symptoms of the flu include fever or feeling feverish, a cough and/or sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, chills, fatigue and body aches. Children may also have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

To stop the spread of flu and other respiratory illnesses, you should also:
• Stay home while sick and limit contact with others
• Cover your cough or sneeze with your sleeve or disposable tissue
• Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

CDPH encourages Californians to contact their health care provider, physician’s office, clinic or pharmacy about obtaining the flu vaccine. Some local health departments may also offer low- or no-cost flu immunizations.

For more information about the flu, visit CDPH’s website. For the flu vaccine location nearest you, visit www.flu.gov.
www.cdph.ca.gov

Rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to increase in California, according to new statistics from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). These diseases are reportable to the state and local health departments. The data are presented in CDPH’s 2016 STD Annual Report: a summary can also be found on CDPH’s website.

Over a quarter million cases of STDs were reported in 2016, a 40% increase compared to five years ago including, 198,503 cases of chlamydia, 64,677 of gonorrhea, and 11,222 of early syphilis. Particularly concerning to health officials, 207 cases of congenital syphilis were reported. If not caught early, syphilis during pregnancy can result in congenital syphilis leading to stillbirth or permanent, lifelong disabilities. Syphilis can also cause permanent loss of vision, hearing and other neurologic problems in adults. If left untreated, STDs can increase the risk of HIV infection and lead to lifelong reproductive health problems.

“The number of reported STDs in California is increasing at a concerning rate,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. “This is the third year in a row that we have seen increases in chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.”

These three diseases can be prevented by consistent use of condoms, and they can be cured with antibiotics, so regular testing and treatment is very important, even for people who have no symptoms.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea rates are highest among people under age 30. Rates of chlamydia are highest among young women, whereas males account for the majority of syphilis and gonorrhea cases.

Regular screening for STDs is recommended for people who are sexually active. STD services also provide opportunities for further prevention of HIV through testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.

“All Californians need to know how to protect themselves and their partners,” said Smith. “Getting tested regularly is one of the most important steps.” A directory of where to get tested can be found at this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage.

CDPH is collaborating with the California Department of Education and community groups to implement the newly enacted California Healthy Youth Act, which mandates comprehensive STD/HIV prevention education in schools. For more information, go to the CDPH Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Branch website.

www.cdph.ca.gov