1941 Packard One Eighty Model

Another random photo. This time 1161 came up and it was some work that I was doing for the Packard Museum in Dayton, Ohio

Random Photo / Vicksburg, Mississippi

Vicksburg, Mississippi

A randomly picked photo.

Dayton, Ohio / Fountain at Riverscape

The fountain at Riverscape in Dayton, Ohio is the reportedly the world's largest river based fountain. It is symmetrically designed with five perimeter towers, equally spaced as if points on a five pointed star, and a center fountain that shoots water straight up. If you want to know more, click here: Riverscape Fountain.

The view is from the arch foot bridge across the Mad River just before it joins the Great Miami River in the background. The small peninsula is the tip of Deed's Point, named after Edward Deeds, an early 20th Century industrial leader and engineer. He was also a co-founder of the historic Engineers Club in Dayton and the first Chief Engineer of the Miami Conservancy District - a flood control governing body of which he played a leading part in its development.

This image was created by stitching three images together. Each was taken in "portrait", 3000 high by 2000 wide. Up close, the fountain is too large to all be seen at once, even with the natural view.

Huffman Prairie Flying Field

The hue of the one above has been changed and the result is an image that is practically 3 D. Enlarge the photo by double clicking on it then look directly at the Monarch Butterfly - see if it doesn't take on a 3 D quality.

The spider's web has collected morning dew and I've manipulated the image to enhance the image.

Rendering a Photo

Sometimes a photo just will not come out the way I expect it to - and eventhough this young lady is photogenic, the image I created just was not satisfactory. I did a couple of things to make it something else. These are some things I did.
1. did a little touchup.
2. evened out some skin tones.
3. desaturated and reduced contrast considerbly.
4. cropped the photo and made it landscape instead of portrait
5. increased image size
6. rendered it to similate an oil painting
7. increased the saturation
8. increased the contrast

If you double click on the photo it will enlarge and you will see more of the rendering qualities in a double image.

Thanks, Miss Naomi, for your great patience.

My Father's Eyes

Sailing down behind the sun,
Waiting for my Prince to come.
Praying for the healing rain
To restore my soul again.
Just a toerag on the run.
How did I get here?
What have I done?
When will all my hopes arise?
How will I know him?
When I look in my Father's eyes.
My Father's eyes.
When I look in my Father's eyes.
My Father's eyes.

Then the light begins to shine
And I hear those ancient lullabies.
And as I watch this seedling grow,
Feel my heart start to overflow.
Where do I find the words to say?
How do I teach him?
What do we play?
Bit by bit, I've realized
That's when I need them,
That's when I need my Father's eyes.
My Father's eyes.
That's when I need my Father's eyes.
My Father's eyes.

Then the jagged edge appears
Through the distant clouds of tears.
I'm like a bridge that was washed away;
My foundations were made of clay.
As my soul slides down to die.
How could I lose Him?
What did I try?
Bit by bit, I've realized
That He was here with me;
I looked into my Father's eyes.
My Father's eyes.
I looked into my Father's eyes.
My Father's eyes.
My Father's eyes.
My Father's eyes.
I looked into my Father's eyes.
My Father's eyes.

Eric Claptan

#'s 9 & 10

We added two new members to my family over the past week. Our daughter, Jessica and her husband, Kevin have their second child. Our son, Abram and his wife wife Kimberly had their third.

We now have ten grandchilren, 9 of which are under 3 years old.

#9 - 7/1/09
Griffin Oliver Titus DeCamp
8lbs 5oz, 20in




#9 - Ian Alexander Nathaniel Farrier
7/8/09 7lbs 8oz 20in

Random - 0037 / Camp Oty’Okwa in Hocking County, Ohio

On January 1, 2004, we were visiting friends in Hocking County, Ohio. One of our friends works at Camp Oty' Okwa and she offered us a tour of the property. At the end of the ridge, there are huge boulders with deep crevasses. It appears that ions ago these boulders were one huge rock now broken up - shattered. The tops are all even with one another, and the crevasses go deep. This photo shows a portion of the "maze" that was created between the broken pieces.

Aullwood Audobon and Nature Center

Here are some images from Aullwood, in Montgomery County, Ohio.

Our vision is an amazing thing. Our sight is an irreducible complexity. Our field of vision has a center, and our mind assesses what we see and tells our eyes to scan and find the irregular and the different.

A photograph has a center as well. That is why usually a more pleasing photo, a more attractive photo does not put the "subject" in the center or divide the photo horizontally and/or vertically in half. A photo needs to have the ability to draw our eyes away from its center and stimulate our minds to want to scan the photo - assessing it, usually from left to right, just as we read words on a page or screen.

Using the rule of thirds - the Golden Ratio

When looking through your viewfinder or your LCD screen, divide the image in thirds vertically and horizontally. Imagine the dividing lines and place the objects of interest at the intersection of those imaginary lines. Put horizontal lines, such as horizons, on the upper or lower line - not across the middle of you photo. Put vertical lines that go from top to bottom on the imaginary 1/3 vertical lines as well. This effectively divides your photo into thirds rather than halves. With this in mind, you will see an improvement in the composition of your photographs.

Kentucky Captured

How about a break?

Here's someone with a different "eye" and not afraid to get close. She is quite remarkable...

Check the link to Kentucky Captured in my "Links".

Pennsylvania Farm

This panoramic is three photos stitched together. The lens, a Nikkor 18-200, zoom was set to 50mm focal length to minimize lens distortion and the camera set to manual. Aperture and shutter speed was set and the photos were taken from left to right, overlapping the previous photo by about 1/4. Typically, a tripod should be used to keep the roll angle of the camera level and consistent, but having the far horizon visible, the horizon was aligned with the framing grid in the view finder. No perspective control adjustments were needed and the photo fit flawlessly.

Doorway Columbia Market House

This was taken in the morning - about 10:00 or so. There are three doors on the front (south) entrance to Columbia Market House in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This is the one closest to the east side - and this is the interior of the door. The light is coming through the window to the left.
This produces an image of shapes. If you were to outline the basic shapes, what would it look like to you?
I find photographic or digital images much more intriguing when I break them down to two dimensional shapes and flip back and forth - to and from 2 and 3 dimensions.

Lighting 101

A photo taken inside with a window spilling daylight onto the subject is the most pleasing to me of any source of lighting.

Aullwood Road - Fall in Infrared

DSC_0849 - randomly chosen photo

Bear's Mill - Greenville, Ohio

Wright B Flyer in A Box

Random photo dsc_0696 is a documentation photo of a test being performed on the elevator of the new Wright B Flyer.

Grandmmother & Grandchild

This photo was created on April 8, 2008 and was chosen randomly to appear on this blog. The random number for the day is 0013.

I chose to desaturate the color instead of creating a programmed black & white rendition. Why? Just to be different. Can you tell?

Random - 4903

Warren County Farm, Kentucky

Random - 4153

Buck Creek State Park

New Richmond, Ohio - on the Ohio River

University of Georgia at Athens (UGA Bulldogs)

Women's High Jump during a high school track meet at Piqua High on May 16, 2006.

Random Shot / Memorial Day

Today's random number between 1 and 9999 inclusive is 9260. Bethany, on November 26, 2006, was the subject of DSC_9260. This is one of the takes that was not chosen for her senior picture.

Mt. Mitchell

Standing atop Mt. Mitchell on a new raised platform. The mountain peak is the highest in the United States of America east of the Mississippi River with 6682' above sea level. It was 42°F and the wind was fairly stiff. I got cold but it was will worth it.

Note: This mountain is about 4,000 feet above the City of Asheville, NC. The city of Denver is is about the same elevation Mt. Mitchell. The Great Divide in the Rocky Mountains is about 4,000 feet above the City of Denver. You see - the mountains' heights from the base are not that much different.

Little Girl

A little girl is captured off guard. After she saw this photo she liked it but she was initially intimidated by the large camera and the big ol' man behind it.

I used a wide angle lens (18mm) and a Nikon SB800 flash extends several inches from the center of the lens. The angle of the light is exagerated because of the close proximity of the subject. She was less than 18" away when I pressed the plunger.

Ordination of a Deacon

It seems that a black and white print fits the purpose best in the case where men and women in leadership positions are acknowledged and awarded for their service. So - staying with that tradition, here are the ordained deacons and elders who were there for the ordination of Mr. Yoder as a deacon on May 23, 2009 near Cambridge, Ohio.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Scenic route is an understatement.

This image was created from 5 images, each adjacent to the previous, balanced, and then stitched together. The image file can be used to produce a print up to 72 inches in length without losing quality. Enlargements any larger than that would be a more commercial or utility grade, not a fine print. Of course, this is a greatly reduced version of that image file - so don't even try it.

© Paul Farrier as are all images on this blog.

Tulip - Yellow Poplar

While visiting the grave site of Alvin C. York near Pall Mall, Tennessee, I noticed a tulip tree in full bloom. Perfect.

Blue Ridge Sunset

This past Tuesday I made an unplanned detour and got on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Asheville, North Carolina - and headed north, looking for a place to pull over and make a few phone calls to friends and family members who lived in the area. Shortly, I was pulling into the visitor center about 10 minutes before closing. After picking up some information which included a pamphlet map just like the one I got for the Natchez Trace Parkway, I talked to a gentleman and he mentioned that they were just at 5,400 feet up on a mountain, less than an hour before.

That was all it took - so headed on up the Parkway. I got more than I bargained for. I ended up atop of Mt. Mitchell, which is the highest peak in the United States east of the Mississippi River. I stayed there a little longer than I should have. It was cold and windy and I got chilled to the bone. I thought would catch the sunset there but I thought there may be a place just as good on the way back. After a quick bite to eat at the restaurant there at the Mt. Mitchell State Park, I ended up where I wanted to be - a clearing and a view point that sets on a ridge.

Sunsets are easy - but if you remember the rule of thirds, they can be a bit more pleasing. Notice that the sun is not centered in the picture. Notice also that the sky only takes up the top third and the near and far mountain ranges take up the lower third. The far mountain range takes the top third, and the near mountain range takes up two thirds. This is not exact, but I've adjusted the cropping to where I like it.

Below is a Google Earth rendering of the same view.

Here's a link to a Google Map...

Pick 4 - 4874

Two image files answered to the search of 4874. (The number was chosen at http://www.random.org/.) One is of a young lady at a picnic in July of 2006 and the other is an historic building in Chillicothe, Ohio. There is a poetic contrast between the two images with the same file name.

Even from my beginnings in photography in the 1960's as a teen, looking for something to photograph was teaching me to see. It was not only teaching me how to see but also how to feel. It was teaching me to question what I saw and to try different perspectives.

In the case of the photo here of an historic building in Chillicothe, the original file was not properly composed, and appeared to be taken in haste. It was not a very good 2 dimensional representation of the subject. I had to change the roll of the image and remove the color. The color rendition looked dynamic and alive. The building is actually abandoned and looks like it has been waiting a long - long time for restoration. Removing the color makes it look more dramatic more closely resembling the reality.

When I take photos of people at functions, I prefer to catch their natural expressions. When folks know someone is taking their photo they often change. Catching someones most attractive features is difficult. What ever expression is naturally in their eyes is lost when the expression of fear or self-consciousness takes over.

Candace did not know I was taking her picture - and I believe I caught the peaceful look she usually wears. It is part of what makes her so beautiful.

It's like winning the lottery!

Today's random pick is... 4491

Here is DSC_4491 taken on June 11, 2006.

Aulwood Road

Upper left - Color
Upper Right - Black & White Vivid
Lower Left - Black & White Infrared
Lower Right - Black & White with Infrared on green and light green, Vivid on darker shades of green.

What do you think?

(This was a random photo of the day.)

DSC_4246

This is another random photo but I had to do a few things to it to make it more interesting. Yes - believe it or not, it was less interesting than this. That is the chance one takes when picking photos randomly.

If you would like to see the original file, have me tell you what I did and how I did it, let me know.

This Sabbath Morning

There is a nest a dove made in a maple tree. When I went to check on her this morning, she was sitting on a limb. She appears unafraid as I point the "large eye" of my telephoto lens at her - or perhaps her fear causes her to be still and silent. Regardless, she is a beauty. And her chick waits for her return.

Happy Mothers' Day

Photos DSC_7217

Chose a random number between 1 and 9999. The RNG chose 7217.

Here's two photos that I kept with that number in the file name.

Random Picture

I've got to pick a photo to post. How do I do it? Let's make it random.
I've got digital images from 2004 to 2009. First I need to pick a year. How do I randomly pick a year?
I wonder if there is a random number generator? Yes - yes there is at http://www.random.org/. Minimum 4 - for 2004 and max 9 for 2009.
Random generator picked 6 for 2006.
Now I need to pick a month... between 1 and 12 inclusive.
The RNG picked 11.
All my photos are numbered by my camera. The first number for 11/2006 is DSC 8777 and the last number is DSC9388. The RNG picked 8931.
DSC8931 was not saved. But I do have DSC8930 and DSC8933. If we were playing The Price is Right, we would use the number below. So - let's do that.
This photo was taken on November 15, 2006. It is of my new-born granddaughter, Olivia.

That was fun. We'll do this again!

"About me" photo

Some may find it interesting to note that the photo of me under "about me" was taken by Billy Laymon while I was wearing his hat. It's a great hat. It was after a show in PA and Billy, David Nelson, and Ron Stoner and I were sitting in my motorhome eating dinner and having some wine.

Here's a photo of Billy that I took during that show a few years back.

The Ryman in Nashville

The Ryman, being not so photogenic, is typically shot from this angle. I used PC on this. Had I stayed with the wide angle shot with all the distortion, the building would look even larger than it is.

What is PC? It is perspective or proportional control. Before digital, it was either done with a PC Lens that would offset the angle of the lens to film plane or it was done in the lab by offsetting the angle of enlarger. Now it can be done on the computer.

It is commonly used by photographers who shoot for architects to give a more realistic representation of the building.



Windows on the north side of the Ryman are a trow back to stained glass windows of the 1950's.

In contrast, here is the new visitor center in Nashville. It appears they were trying very hard to get away from PC even in their design. "Let's build something that changes shape, creates a new reality, with every change of angle."

Sunset on the Tennessee

A bridge now crosses the Tennessee River where the Colbert Ferry gave rides nearly 200 years ago.

Tobacco Barn

The shadows on the barn caught my eye. I muted the color somewhat and worked a little with the contrast.

The Natchez Trace Parkway has not been in continual use since it was first changed into a "highway" from what was just a well warn path. It had been replaced by canals, riverboats, railroads and other highways. But, it did have its place in history in the development of the lands and the economy of several peoples. As late as the 1950's, some of this land was privately owned and this particular tobaco barn was new then and on the property of a farmer. Now the Trace is opened from Nashville to Natchez - 444 miles long.

Part of the old trace can be seen just behind the barn and was actually still in use as a graveled lane for a mile or so from this point running northeast. This is one section where the traveler can get off the highway and drive on the old trail, much like it was a couple hundred years ago. I think it is cool - pot holes, ruts, and all.