Boston – Slow Shutter Speed

Posted on November 2, 2022November 2, 2022 by Anne Sandler · 12 Comments

On to Boston: The USS Constitution

I fell in love with USS Constitution during our visit in to Boston in 2013. And the total experience was different from our visit during my recent New England trip. In 2013 there were Navy personnel to take us on a guided tour. You had to sign up, wait your turn, I remember the tours were timed so the ship wasn’t crowded. “Old Ironsides,” the ship’s nickname given when she was launched in 1797, was also not sectioned off at the dock so we could have the full advantage of taking amazing photos.

This ship has an amazing history which you can read here.

Today, the ship is open to all. There are no public tours, at least when we were there. And from a photographic point of view, people were everywhere. But she is still an amazing ship with a great history. Here are the first photos I took from the top deck.

Although I am complaining about people, I managed to isolate myself by taking closeups. Here’s what the decks below looked like. The crew slept in hammocks while the officers had better accommodations.

Back on top, I tried to get some different images.

The Constitution is still in commission, is still sea worthy, and her crew of 75 officers and sailors participate in ceremonies, educational programs, and special events while keeping her open to visitors year round and providing free tours. The officers and crew are all active-duty Navy personnel, and the assignment is considered to be special duty. What a testament to the United States history.

There will be more of Boston in my next post.

Posted on October 26, 2022 by Anne Sandler · 6 Comments

New England Trip: Staunton & Lexington, Virginia

This was my request. I asked to visit a small town, much like Sutter Creek near me. So off we drove to Staunton (pronounced Stanton) and Lexington. These two towns were quaint and different. The difference was in the age and ornamental qualities of the buildings.

Let’s visit Staunton first. We stopped at a street that was blocked off to traffic.

Top row: An employee setting up an outdoor smoking area for a smoke shop. A wooden Indian sculpture inside the shop. Instruments made from cigar boxes.

Second row: People enjoying outdoor dining.

Third row: A cute store and a theatre.

Still in Staunton, some interesting buildings.

In Lexington, we took a horse drawn carriage ride. It was great, but made photography difficult. Our guide apologized for not being able to stop because it would get her off schedule.

I mostly rested in Alexandria, Virginia. So our next stop will be Boston! Stay tuned.

Posted on March 31, 2014March 31, 2014 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Shooting RAW

I was totally embarrassed–but not really. I’ve come to accept that in the Shoot or Go Home photo Meetup group, I’m a novice. But I did think there would be a level playing field when I went to the Lightroom workshop yesterday evening. I was wrong. I was amazed at the level of these photographers. For me, it meant there’s more possibility for my growth.

So what was I embarrassed about? I was the only one in the room shooting JPEG! When I was asked why, I just replied, “I’m afraid to!” But, I did promise to shoot RAW from now on. What was I afraid of? I didn’t know how to process RAW! With Lightroom, it’s easy. I sat through the three hours just amazed at what this program could do in the develop module. It even corrected buildings that were leaning due to the wide-angle lens distortion. Of course I could have also done this in PE9, but never took the time to dig through the manual to learn how. It was easy with Lightroom.

In my last post, I said I was going to try to straighten out the Tower Bridge in Sacramento. I did and I’m posting it tonight along with some other Lightroom vs. PE9 edits. What a program–shooting RAW from now on!!