Christmas Morning...

...is Over.

And I hope you all had an enjoyable time with friends, family and loved ones.

To my site visitors, I hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season and a great 2011.

The image above is a glass bead necklace (Merry Christmas kiddo!) that was lit from behind by a Sunpak 422d that was placed behind a 42in pop up diffuser.

Tis...

...the Season

Happy Holidays Everyone - C.J. Ross

Looking A Bit...

...Scruffy.

Despite being in need of a shave, I subjected myself (and you) to a quick self portrait.

Olympus E-510, Zuiko 70-300mm @ 83mm, f/5.6 1/90

Sunpak 422D, camera right through a white umbrella.

Triggered via Cactus V2s

Converted to Black & White in Gimp

View large: LINK

Testing..

..1,2,3..

Had an idea for this image percolating in my brain for a few days now, but I have yet the opportunity to fully develop it.  Yesterday I had a few free minutes so I did a rush test shot. I think given enough actual time to tweak and adjust the lighting and composition, I should be able to pull off the image I want.

Hopefully the desired image will show up here sooner than later..though I will admit  that I've allowed numerous ideas to fall through the cracks in the past...

It's Getting...

...Cold Out There

The temperature is a little brisk today, so I decided to stay inside and dig once again through the archives.  Took this in the winter of 2008 and gave it a re-look today.

Olympus FL-36, Camera left in a silver umbrella.

Peanut Butter..

..on Whole Grain.

I was hungry.

Sunpak 422d, white shoot through umbrella located

Camera left triggered via Cactus V2 triggers

Bringing New Life...

...to Old Images

I started scanning and mildly restoring (or attempting to at least) some family photos.  I've decided to give the images a tad freshening but not a total restoration because to me the images lose all of their well earned character if we digitally erase the passage of time.  I'm sure a more skilled digital artist could redo these images to levels light years beyond my abilities, but that's not the point.  The point is to share family treasures.
So I am sharing these with you.

Above is my Dad as a child with my Grandma Fran and below is my maternal grandfather, Earl.  All three have moved on to a better place, but they will live on always in our memories.

My heartfelt thanks to the photographers who originally captured these images for us to hold onto.

Keeping the Doctor...

...Away.

Just playing around this morning.

View LARGE version

Lighting info:

Sunpak 422d, camera left

White shoot through umbrella

Cactus V2 radio trigger

Guilty...

...as charged.

Well sometimes. I'll admit that I'm guilty of excessive playing around with new filters and actions at times, but thankfully I tend not to keep or share those image monstrosities.

Between my work schedule and erratic sleep patterns (work all night/sleep all day/mandatory overtime, etc), this blog, heck my camera itself, has gone neglected.

Oh to be well rested and full of motivation once again.

www.whatheduck.net

Also here is one of my favorite (and the most grounded in reality) WTD posts:

The Rites...

...of fall.

Fall...that wonderful time when the leaves begin to change their colors, the morning air takes on a cool crisp feeling and the baseball diamonds go into hibernation as the gridirons come to life with the sounds of victory...and defeat.

Stars and Stripes...

...Forever

LINK

Texture from ~Brenda-Starr~

Profile...

...on White

Circular diffuser used as a backdrop, lit from behind with an Olympus FL-36 with a Sunpak 422d at camera right.
 Freckles on nose included at no extra charge.

"Let's do the..."

"...Time Warp again.."

The reason I even wanted a "Real" camera a few years ago was to take portraits of my friends and loved ones.  Flowers, animals and landscapes just didn't do it for me, never have.  It was always youth sports and portraits that inspired me and drove my interest and enjoyment.  And for the preceding few years I was content and satisfied, expanding my abilities with each portrait or each athletic event I shot.  I was able to learn something new with each portrait and more importantly I was able to make people happy with the resulting images.

Unfortunately, due to life changes (changes in latitudes, changes in attitude?), I have not shot a single portrait in 9 months.  And I miss it.  The sudden inspiration, the satisfaction of creating an image that you want to proudly show to others...the hopefully capturing the essence of the subject.  Those are the things that drove me.

So what have I been doing to keep that desire alive?  I've been reading and rereading books on lighting and posing, trying to keep things fresh in my mind and also I've been reviewing past portraits, critiquing them, telling myself what I would have done differently, what different post processing steps I would have done. I am my own harshest critic, this I know, but I strive to push myself and to evolve as a photographer.

I'll spare you my self critique of the above image, just know that I like it and it represents some firsts for me.  It was one of the first times I ever went on location (a hill overlooking the local elementary school) and an attempt to combine sunlight with off camera flash.  Before this I had tried to always use shade to overcome the sunlight but this time I had embraced the sun and attempted to slightly overpower it.

I was quite happy with this image two years ago and I am still happy with it today.

Taken in Aug 2008, E-510, 40-150mm with FL-36 via sync cable.

"Signs...Signs..."

"...everywhere there's signs."

"Horse sense is the thing..."

"...a horse has which keeps it from betting on people."

- W.C. Fields

Harness racing at the county fair last Friday.  A powerful storm limited the racing and the sun was uncooperative from a photography view point, but what racing there was, was enjoyable.  The one mile races were being completed in right around the 2 minutes mark with a track record being set by a Pacer on Saturday. 

All the Pretty...

...Horses

Halter judging at the Whiteside County fair.

Another image HERE

A repeat...

...of yesterday.

A few more logos, not by popular demand but rather because I just like them.

A few more HERE

"I am Superman..."

"...and I can do anything."

I saw this logo on a Farmall Super M tractor today and I thought of the R.E.M. song 'Superman'.

Decided to capture a few other logos while I was at it.  To me there is something about old tractors, they just have more style and character than newer ones.

Oh, somewhere in this...

...favored land the sun is shining bright;

The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,

And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;

But there is no joy in Mudville –mighty Casey has struck out.

Whiteside County...

...Fair Entries.

The 2010 Whiteside County Fair in Morrison Illinois begins Tuesday.  I'm submitting 8 images with hopes of grabbing a ribbon or two and the corresponding premium.  Premiums are given out for the Top 4 images in each category.

Wish me luck.

Updated 8/18/10:  Seven ribbons won, not too shabby if I may say so...

The power of...

...Imagination.

What's in the box?  Must be....?

Asked them to envision something wonderful and they pulled it off.  Showing that childlike amusement and imagination that we once all had.

.

At least that's how I view the story, the story of the 'Box'.

Olympus E-510, FL-36 flash synced via cable.

Sometimes a simple snapshot...

...can mean more than a portrait.

I've taken numerous portraits of my friends and loved ones over the years, usually trying out some new flash or light modifier or some new lighting setup I had read about or seen.  And I've had my successes and I've always learned something.  But sometimes a simple "of the moment" snap shot can bring so much joy and happiness years later.

Taken in 2007, when everyone was younger and happier...

Hi Everyone...

...and by everyone I mean YOU.  Thought I'd pass along a few site related nuggets.
 
During the month of July this little blog of mine had visits from across the USofA and from lands far across the vast oceans of our planet.

Visitors from:  The United Kingdom..."Thank You!", Mexico..."Gracias!", Australia..."Thanks Mate!", India..."Dhanyavaad!" and from Russia..."Spasiba!"

"Thank you!" also to my visitors from the great states of New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Colorado, California, Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin.

I hope to see you back here again and hopefully I'll some new images worthy of your visits.

Thanks again - C.J.Ross

Warbirds...

...over Fond du Lac.

North American P-51 Mustang flying over Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

The sky was abuzz with airplanes due to the EAA AirVenture being held in Oshkosh, Wi.

Find our more about AirVenture..Link

Image is best if viewed large: LINK

The Last Game...

...of the Season.

For reasons beyond my control, I wasn't able to attend as many games I had in the past, but the last game was a good one.  The boys played hard and they had all greatly improved over the short month and a half season.  Way to go North Fondy!

View more photos on the 2010 North Fondy Baseball page

A Fixer Upper...

...with a Waterfront View.

Playing around with the Lomo script in Gimp. The Lomo is a primitive plastic camera that takes photos that are 'artistic' if anything.  Lomo and other plastic cameras (Holga's for example) have a fringe but large following.  Large enough for their to be a plug-ins and scripts for Photoshop and GImp just to replicate their unique image qualities.

Here is my Faux-Lomo for your viewing 

A summer's day...

...through the view finder.

Olympus E-510, Zukio 70-300mm

Special thanks to Oceant for the texture layer.

You looking...

...at me?

Yes.  Yes I was.

Just a prairie dog at the NEW Zoo just north of Green Bay WI.

Extra ! Extra!..

...Read all about it.

Starting August 2nd, the La Merge Gift Shop located on the first floor of the Mercy Medical Center in Clinton, Iowa will have for your review a series of C.J.Ross Photography greeting cards.  The greeting cards are printed on 100lb card stock with each card featuring a full color C.J.Ross Photography original image. 

Be the first to say you helped start my career, stop in, buy a few, then tell your friends...


(The above post was written with full tongue in cheek..except for the part about the actual cards, you will be able to buy them at the gift shop starting August 2nd.  Fingers crossed that they will actually sell)

Dragonflies...

...yep Dragonflies.


Took a walk around the Ben Martinsen Wildlife Area outside of Folletts, Iowa.  The marshy backwaters of the Wapsipinicon River are home to various 'critters' like birds, frogs, deer and dragonflies.  A few were gracious enough to pose for their portraits.  Hope you like them.



View the top photo larger HERE

"De Immigrant"...

...is a Dutch Beltmolen-type windmill.  The windmill was erected in 2000 in Fulton, IL to celebrate the Dutch heritage of this small town on the eastern banks of the Mississippi River.  Fully operational, the built in the Netherlands and assembled in Illinois by Dutch Millwrights "De Immigrant", offers buckwheat, rye and corn flours ground on its basalt millstones.

Reflections on times..

...gone by. 

I've been looking back a lot lately, reminiscing of days and photos gone by.  Seems like I've been doing that more and more recently.  And while it would be nice to be able to revise the past, until we build a time machine, the past will have to stay the past.  But we can go back and redo images, to give them a fresh life, a new beginning.  This is yet another lucky image who has been given a second chance.

This photo was taken at the Wisconsin Street Rod Show and Corn Roast held in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin back in 2008 and it had been stuck in the archives on my hard drive just waiting for it's chance.  Well today is it's day.  It didn't need much, I cropped it square (I'm into square crops lately) and gave it a hint of sharpening thanks to the High Pass filter and Overlay mode.  I hope you like it.

A Castle...

...in corn country.

When you think of Iowa, you may think of corn, hogs and soybeans.  But castles?

The Stone Lookout Tower located in Eagle Point Park, Clinton Iowa was built in 1937 as part of  a $3,000,000 beautification project.  Designed and built by WPA (Works Progress Administration) the observation tower climbs 50 feet into the air and provides a panoramic view of the Mississippi River valley north of Lock and Dam 13.

Click to view full size.

Here is the same photo but with a different cropping, not sure which I prefer LINK

You can not go forward...

...when you're looking in the rear view mirror.

After writing today's earlier post I challenged myself to just "Go take a photo".  Neither the content nor the quality mattered (obviously), but rather it was the act of taking the photo that was the whole point of the exercise.

I had a few hours of daylight left in the day so off I went.  To simplify things I allowed myself  the use of only one lens, an old manual focus Rikenon 50mm f2 that I adapted to my E-510 with a Fotodiox adapter, and the single goal of getting at least one photo to share.

So today is a new start, a start at putting my recent unmotivated past in my rear view mirror and moving forward.

Until next time...


(Olympus E-510, Rikenon 50mm f2 @ f5.6)

What we've got here is...

...a failure to communicate.

It's been just over two weeks since I posted anything other than a few softball photos, and I have no real excuses why not.  Have I been busy?  For the most part, sort of.  But have I even picked up my camera lately?  Nope, not at all.  I'll be the first to admit that I've been lacking motivation, lacking inspiration and just "lacking" in general.  Sometimes life just gets in the way I guess, and hobbies and other pursuits fall to the wayside.

But no more excuses.. I am no longer going to just sit around and do nothing.  I am going to breathe some life into this little blog before I lose the 3 or 4 visitors that I have received.  I am going to set goals and deadlines, not to give myself pressure, but rather to force myself to stop thinking about doing something and Just Do It instead.

I have some project ideas that I've been kicking around and the time to start producing on those ideas has come.

So wish me luck and check back soon.

Non parlo Italiano...

...but I can say Campagnolo.

 

This picture is of the rear derailleur on my classic Chris Chance 'Slim Chance' road bike.  I say classic because it sounds better than old or retro to me.  This Italian designed derailleur, while getting up there in age and having its fair share of chips and scratches, has never failed me.  Plus the scratches add character.  And character is good.

If first you don't succeed..

...try, try again.

I took this photo last year and while I liked it, it just didn't grab me. I did like the original enough that I had it printed poster sized at 18X24, but I felt that it needed "something".  So I decided to revisit it.

I used a free texture from dazzle-textures  for a new background. Played around with the various layers and came up with the above photo.  I like how it came out this time and I figure that there is nothing wrong with giving a photo a second chance.

I hope you like it also. 

See the original HERE

A blast from the past...

I was looking through the archives, looking for inspiration, looking for glimpses of success, looking at where I was.  Looking back at the past.  Reminiscing of days gone by?  Possibly, but if interrogated I would just say I was looking at photos that I haven't seen in awhile.

The above photo was taken in 2008 at the Wisconsin Street Rod Show and Corn Roast held each Labor Day Weekend in Fond du Lac, WI.  It's a great show put on by the Wisconsin Street Rod Association, they bring in hundreds of hot rods and always have plenty of things for the kids to do.  Coloring contests, drawings and the popular Hot Wheels Drag Races.  My own kids have had quite a bit of success in the races.

I always liked how the flames snaked down the hood of this old Ford.  From my viewpoint, Flames and Hot Rods are a match made in Heaven.

Other than the mosquitoes...

..it was a very nice late May morning in Madison, Wisconsin. I had some time to spare so I went looking for a park near one of the lakes within and around the capitol of the Badger state.



I ended up at Olin Park overlooking Lake Monona with a view of the capitol building.

I took a short walk through the adjacent woodland conservation land. It was quiet with only two college aged runners taking advantage of the beautiful spring day.

I later found out (thanks to Google) that the woodlands next to Olin Park has become some sort of cruising ground for people looking to "hook up"..yikes. 

Anyways...














The last photo is a composite stitched together from 6 photos.  The final size ended up being 34 by 8 inches.  This actually only half of the complete 12 photo 72inch by 8 inch panorama overlooking Lake Monona.  Far from perfect, but I like it.  And that is one the main points of this little hobby.  Enjoyment in what we do.