On Location Photography - One Hour Photo

Show Notes:

Drum Scan by https://www.alexburkephoto.com/drum-scanning

Description:

I show you an on location video in Norwalk, California. This trip results in a finished drum scanned negative that is gorgeous.

Location:

Norwalk, California

Camera gear:

Kodak 5x7 Portra 160 sheet film cut from 8x10 sheet film

Manfrotto 3033 Tripod Legs

Manfrotto 3029 Pan Tilt Tripod Head

Chamonix 57Fs-2 View Camera

Schneider 210mm f5.6 Apo Symmar lens

Sinar Flat Lensboard for #1 Copal/Compur Shutters

Vello TSR-40 Threaded Shutter Release Cable (15.75")

Sekonic L-758DR DigitalMaster Flash Meter

Toyo-View 3.6x Groundglass Focusing Aid

Stone Photo Gear 5x7 Single Sleeve Film Storage

Fidelity Deluxe Film Holder 5x7 Plastic

iPhone apps:

Mark II Artist's Viewfinder https://www.artistsviewfinder.com/ (love this App !!)

Lightmeter App for reciprocity data https://apps.apple.com/us/app/light-meter-wbphoto/id1524189195

Computer software and scanner:

Epson Perfection V850 Pro Photo Scanner

ExifTool by Phil Harvey command line tool for updating correct exif data to final photo file

Video:

iPhone 13

EOS R @ 4k with Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens and Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens

Manfrotto 190CX3 Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs (Black)

Manfrotto MH804 3-Way, Pan-and-Tilt Head with 200LT-PL Quick Release Plate

DJI Mic 2-Person Compact Digital Wireless Microphone System/Recorder for Camera & Smartphone (2.4 GHz)

Shure MOTIV MVL Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone for Smartphones

Music:

"Racing" by FSM team

https://www.free-stock-music.com/fsm-team-racing.html

DISCLAIMER

Not affiliated with any brands. No paid products or sponsors. This video contains no paid endorsements of any kind.

Donuts In The Fog

That morning, I was planning to head out at sunrise with my 4x5 view camera. I woke up to heavy fog. I went and got donuts instead. I grabbed my video camera and thought it would be fun to shoot a short video in the fog. I am not sure that I like the video. I did however enjoy the process of shooting each scene and then putting the final video together.

Donuts In The Fog

Show Notes:

Location:

Murrieta, California

Video Gear Used:

iPhone 13 safely mounted in vehicle

EOS R with Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens

Manfrotto 190CX3 Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs (Black)

Manfrotto MH804 3-Way, Pan-and-Tilt Head with 200LT-PL Quick Release Plate

Music:

Time Rider by | e s c p | https://escp-music.bandcamp.com

Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

DISCLAIMER

Not affiliated with any brands. No paid products or sponsors. This video contains no paid endorsements of any kind.

Leaving Las Vegas

I was born and raised in California. In the mid 90s I moved to Las Vegas for about five years. When I came back to California I had to find a job before moving my family back to California. This took about six months to locate a job, get settled, and get a house for my family to live in. During this time I was commuting back and forth from Las Vegas to California on the weekends. It was during this time that I took this photo. Every time I see this photo it brings back the memory of commuting from Las Vegas to California on the weekends. I like this photo, it is a 35 millimeter slide that I decided to have drum scanned. The scan itself is gorgeous. I love this photo both for the photo itself and for the memories it evokes.

This is the strip entrance to the Flamingo Hotel and Casino

Tag Name	Data
Title	Las Vegas Casino Sign
Image Description	This is the strip entrance to the Flamingo Hotel and Casino
Keywords	35mm film, casino, casino sign, film scan, las vegas, long exposure, neon, night photography
Copyright	©ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Minolta
Camera Model Name	Maxxum 3xi
Lens Model	Minolta AF 35-70
Date/Time Original	Saturday October 09, 1999 09:00pm
City	Las Vegas
State	Nevada
Country	United States
Location	Las Vegas Strip
GPS Latitude	36.1158545166528
GPS Longitude	-115.172676333333
Map	Google Map Link

Sometimes I Am Not So Polite

My view camera attracts a lot of attention. Wherever I go, when I'm taking photos with my view camera and somebody walks by, it is inevitable that they make a comment on the camera. The comment that I hear most often is, “Wow that is one of those old fashioned cameras.” I don't mind, it's a normal reaction. I'm not always receptive to people talking to me while I'm trying to concentrate on taking photos. Most of the time I politely ask them to give me a moment while I finish and then I will be happy to answer their questions. Sometimes I am not so polite, and tell people I am busy and can’t talk right now.

Harveston Houses

Tag Name	Data
Title	Harveston Houses
Image Description	These two houses sit near the end of the lake in Harveston and I could not resist a 6x12 shot.
Keywords	6x12 film, film scan, harveston lake, house, kodak ektar 100, picket fence, temecula
Copyright	Copyright ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Toyo-Field
Camera Model Name	Toyo-Field 45A
Focal Length	90.00mm
Focal Length In 35mm Format	29.00mm
Aperture Value	16.00
ISO	100
Date/Time Original	Sunday January 08, 2023 10:39am
City	Temecula
State	California
Country	United States
Location	Harveston
GPS Altitude	330 meters (1082.7 feet) above sea level
GPS Latitude	33.5378299166556
GPS Longitude	-117.155394666667
Map	Google Map Link

Excalibur Hotel & Casino Late 1990s

I took this shot in the summer of 1998. I took it on an old Linhof 4x5 monorail camera with an old 150mm lens. At the time I was just starting to shoot in 4x5. The Vegas strip at night was a perfect place to learn. I could take my time to set up my shot and get great lighting from each of the casinos. The shots taken in the late 1990s will always be some of my favorite photos.

Excalibur Hotel & Casino Late 1990s

Tag Name	Data
Title	Excalibur Hotel late 1990s
Image Description	This view is no longer available. They have since built up around it making it hard to get this view. The colors of the castle at night are vibrant and hard to pass up as a photographer
Keywords	exaclibur hotel, film scan, large format film, las vegas, long exposure, neon, night photography
Copyright	©ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Linhof
Camera Model Name	Kardan Super Color ST 4x5
Lens Model	Schneider 150mm
Date/Time Original	Saturday August 15, 1998 09:00pm
City	Las Vegas
State	Nevada
Country	United States
Location	Las Vegas Strip
GPS Latitude	36.1002073166683
GPS Longitude	-115.173548
Map	Google Map Link

Dale Earnhardt late 1990s

I took this shot in 1998 at the Las Vegas 400. It was the inaugural race. This was shot on 35mm film. Don’t remember what kind of film. Taking panning shots without seeing the results immediately on the sensor was definitely harder than it is today.

Ted Musgrave in the yellow, Dale Earnhardt in the black. March 1, 1998. Inaugural Las Vegas 400 NASCAR Winston Cup.

Tag Name	Data
Title	Dale Earnhardt late 1990s
Image Description	Ted Musgrave in the yellow, Dale Earnhardt in the black. March 1, 1998. Inaugural Las Vegas 400 NASCAR Winston Cup
Keywords	35mm film, film scan, las vegas, race cars, race track, racing
Copyright	©ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Minolta
Camera Model Name	Maxxum 3xi
Lens Model	Minolta AF 35-70
Date/Time Original	Sunday March 01, 1998 01:00pm
City	Las Vegas
State	Nevada
Country	United States
Location	Las Vegas Motor Speedway
GPS Latitude	36.2746554666667
GPS Longitude	-115.012771850014
Map	Google Map Link

How To Replace Repair Bellows Toyo Field 45A 45AII 45AX 45G Camera

In this video I walk you through the process of replacing the bellows on a Toyo Field 45A 4x5 camera.

How to replace bellows Toyo 45A 45AII 45AX 45G

Video Notes:

Title:

How To Replace Repair Bellows Toyo Field 45A 45AII 45AX 45G Camera E02

Description:

I show you hot to replace the bellows on a Toyo 45A 45AII 45AX field camera.

Location:

Temecula, California

Transport and Bags:

Lowepro CompuTrekker Camera Backpack

Video:

iPhone 13

EOS R and Canon EOS 80D with Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens

Tiffen 67mm Variable Neutral Density Filter

Manfrotto 190CX3 Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs (Black)

Manfrotto MH804 3-Way, Pan-and-Tilt Head with 200LT-PL Quick Release Plate

SYNCO Wireless Lavalier Microphones & System, G1(A2) 2.4G

Music:

Las Palmas by Scandinavianz | https://soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

DISCLAIMER

Not affiliated with any brands. No paid products or sponsors. This video contains no paid endorsements of any kind.

#photography #landscape #largeformat #film #viewcamera #4x5photography

Download Video Transcript Text

On Location Photography - Harveston Temecula

I published my first YouTube video this weekend. I have heard that the first 1000 subscribers takes a long time. I think I will allow myself about a year to work at this to see where it goes. I think that if I just put out quality content, eventually enough photographers will find my channel and I will be able to participate in the photography community. My goal is to become a contributing member of the photography community. We will see what happens. It feels like the top of the first inning with eight more long innings to go.

Here are the show notes as posted on YouTube:

Title:

6x17 Photography on a Chamonix 5x7 View Camera

Description:

I head to Harveston Lake in Temecula, California to shoot a 6x17 photo on a Chamonix 5x7 view camera.

Then I review the resulting scan on an Epson 850 scanner and compare it to my Canon EOS R photo.

Location:

Harveston Lake Temecula, California

Transport and Bags:

Mac Sports XL Folding Wagon

Think Tank Photo Airport Accelerator Backpack

Lowepro CompuTrekker Camera Backpack

Camera gear:

Foma Fomapan ISO 100 5x7 Sheet Film Expires 9/23

Manfrotto 3021N Tripod Legs

Manfrotto 3029 Pan Tilt Tripod Head

Chamonix 57Fs-2 View Camera

Nikkor-SW 90mm f/4.5 Lens

Sinar Flat Lensboard for #0 Copal/Compur Shutters

Vello TSR-40 Threaded Shutter Release Cable (15.75")

Sekonic L-758DR DigitalMaster Flash Meter

Toyo-View 3.6x Groundglass Focusing Aid

Stone Photo Gear 5x7 Single Sleeve Film Storage

Fidelity Deluxe Film Holder 5x7 Plastic

Lisco Regal Film Holder 5x7 Plastic

Canon EOS R with Canon RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM with Canon CPS camera strap

Overhead setup:

LenTok Overhead Tripod For DSLR Cameras ASIN B08ZCW4N6V

Photomyne A4 Slide Viewer

Print File Archival Storage Page for Negatives, 5x7

iPhone apps:

Mark II Artist's Viewfinder

Photo Friend exposure and DoF

Computer software and scanner:

Epson Perfection V850 Pro Photo Scanner

ExifTool by Phil Harvey command line tool

Video:

iPhone 13

EOS R with Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens

Tiffen 67mm Variable Neutral Density Filter

Manfrotto 190CX3 Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs (Black)

Manfrotto MH804 3-Way, Pan-and-Tilt Head with 200LT-PL Quick Release Plate

SYNCO Wireless Lavalier Microphones & System, G1(A2) 2.4G

Music:

Las Palmas by Scandinavianz | https://soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

DISCLAIMER

Not affiliated with any brands. No paid products or sponsors. This video contains no paid endorsements of any kind.

#photography #landscape #largeformat #film #viewcamera #6x17photography

The Bell Tower

I took this photo in the summer of 1998. It was a time in my photography career that I was shooting 4x5 on the Las Vegas Strip at night. I would haul my camera around in a red wooden Radio Flyer wagon up and down the strip. I had all my gear in it. It was the best way to have all of my gear ready to go. No fumbling around in a backpack.

At the time, my daughter was watching a lot of Disney movies on VHS. One of those movies was Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. So, every time we drove by the Stratosphere Tower I would tell her, "Hey look it's the Bell Tower!" She would look out the car window and gaze up in wonderment. To this day, I still call it the Bell Tower.

The Stratosphere Hotel and Casino late 1990s

Tag Name	Data
Title	The Stratosphere Hotel and Casino late 1990s
Image Description	This is looking up at the Stratosphere right at the main entrance. It was a unique shot that got both the name of the hotel and the tower itself
Keywords	film scan, large format film, las vegas, long exposure, neon, night photography, stratosphere casino
Copyright	©ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Linhof
Camera Model Name	Kardan Super Color ST 4x5
Lens Model	Schneider 90mm
Date/Time Original	Saturday August 01, 1998 09:00pm
City	Las Vegas
State	Nevada
Country	United States
Location	Las Vegas Strip
GPS Latitude	36.1467914833306
GPS Longitude	-115.15607
Map	Google Map Link

Doin The Panoram

I have photographed the San Diego skyline many times. My favorite photo is at sunrise. The lighting is better at sunrise and the water is calm. This particular shot was taken in September 2004 at sunset. I converted it to watercolor, because it looks fascinating and a whole lot better as a watercolor print. It will print at 6 feet wide. I may have to order a print and put one on my wall. It looks gorgeous up close. I got the title of this blog from The Cars song Panorama.

Watercolor of San Diego Skyline Sunset

Tag Name	Data
Title	Watercolor of San Diego Skyline Sunset
Image Description	Digital watercolor of San Diego at sunset. This was taken in September of 2004. I like the older skyline vs what it looks like now. The original file prints at six feet wide. It is a 1:3 panorama. It will look gorgeous framed on a wall.
Keywords	city skyline, downtown, panorama, san diego, san diego bay, san diego skyline, skyline, sunset
Copyright	Copyright ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Canon
Camera Model Name	Canon EOS-1D Mark II
Lens Model	24.0-85.0 mm
Focal Length	24.00mm
Shutter Speed Value	3.20 seconds
Aperture Value	8.00
ISO	100
Date/Time Original	Sunday September 12, 2004 07:27pm
GPS Altitude	0 meters (0.0 feet) above sea level
GPS Latitude	32.7003236999986
GPS Longitude	-117.172822866658
Map	Google Map Link

It Might Be Better Than You Think

Each time I see one of my photos for the first time and it is a photo that I worked on and planned for, I normally like it. Then, as I look at it a second or a third time, sometimes I find distracting elements and I don't like the photo as much. Like many photographers, I'm sure that I'm not alone. Sometimes, the distractions that I find get to a point where I no longer like the photo. I have learned to get over that. In this case it is definitely the chain link fence on the left side of the photo that I don't like. There are many good things about this photo that make it fun to look at, but the chain link fence definitely takes away from that. However, if I look at this photo from a storytelling point of view I realized that the fence itself tells a story. The story of the rebuilding of this pier after storm damage in January of 2023. This chain link fence will eventually come down, but I have a photo of what it looked like during the construction. I decided to go ahead and scan and post this photo as an example for both myself and maybe other photographers to remember that not every photo composition will be perfect. Sometimes embracing the imperfection and understanding it will help us realize that maybe it might even be better than we think.

Oceanside Municipal Fishing Pier

Tag Name	Data
Title	Oceanside Municipal Fishing Pier
Image Description	This is the Oceanside pier well before sunrise. The fence on the left is from construction repairing the damage caused by a storm in January of 2023.
Keywords	6x6 film, Oceanside Municipal Fishing Pier, beach, film scan, kodak portra 160, long exposure, night photography, oceanside, oceanside pier, pier
Copyright	Copyright ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Hasselblad
Camera Model Name	Hasselblad 500C/M
Lens Model	Carl Zeiss 80mm Planar T* f/2.8 CB
Focal Length	80.00mm
Focal Length In 35mm Format	52.00mm
Shutter Speed Value	60.00 seconds
Aperture Value	22.00
ISO	160
Date/Time Original	Sunday August 13, 2023 05:14am
City	Oceanside
State	California
Country	United States
GPS Altitude	0 meters (0.0 feet) above sea level
GPS Latitude	33.1938814167222
GPS Longitude	-117.385081233338
Map	Google Map Link

Not The Same Shot

There are many reasons that I shoot film. One of the reasons is that it has a certain look to it that you cannot get from a digital camera. This shot of the mission in Oceanside is a perfect example. I posted this same shot a few days ago. That shot was using my digital camera. If you look at that one, you can tell the digital shot seems richer and has much more contrast. Maybe even a bit muddier. The film shot in this post was taken using my Hasselblad on Portra 160. It has a much wider dynamic range and a bit more high key. Portra 160 from Kodak is great at this. Yes, I could have probably manipulated the film image to look more like the digital image, but I prefer to present it the way the film is meant to be presented.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia

Tag Name	Data
Title	Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
Image Description	According to Wikipedia, Mission San Luis Rey de Francia is a former Spanish mission in San Luis Rey, a neighborhood of Oceanside, California.
Keywords	6x6 film, Mission San Luis Rey, california mission, church, film scan, kodak portra 160, oceanside
Copyright	Copyright ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Hasselblad
Camera Model Name	Hasselblad 500C/M
Lens Model	Carl Zeiss 80mm Planar T* f/2.8 CB
Focal Length	80.00mm
Focal Length In 35mm Format	52.00mm
Shutter Speed Value	1/250 second
Aperture Value	16.00
ISO	160
Date/Time Original	Saturday August 12, 2023 01:29pm
City	Oceanside
State	California
Country	United States
Location	San Luis Rey
GPS Altitude	20 meters (65.6 feet) above sea level
GPS Latitude	33.2319283000944
GPS Longitude	-117.3193592
Map	Google Map Link

Motel California

It was an overcast day in Oceanside at the beach. As I was walking down the stairs to this location, the song “Hotel California” by the Eagles was playing in my head. I was changing the lyrics from “Hotel” to “Motel” to fit the little drive-up cottages I was about to photograph. I have been to Oceanside many times and have passed by these little cottages several times. On this particular day, after shooting the Mission up the street, I decided that this was the day to get a square shot of one the little cottages on the beach. I like the symmetry of the shot. All the squares. I did my best to center the cottage exactly in the center of the frame. I got very close. It looks great. I could have been a hair to the left to get better separation with the windows in the back. The high key pastel look of this scene on Portra 160 with my Hasselblad came out great. I love it. The overcast day was the perfect lighting for this shot.

These look like fun little cottages at the beach in Oceanside. There are about twenty of them. They are all identical save a few decorative touches.

Tag Name	Data
Title	Roberts Cottages Oceanside
Image Description	These look like fun little cottages at the beach in Oceanside. There are about twenty of them. They are all identical save a few decorative touches.
Keywords	6x6 film, Roberts Cottages, beach, cottage, film scan, frame 7, house, oceanside, palm trees, portra 160
Copyright	Copyright ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Hasselblad
Camera Model Name	Hasselblad 500C/M
Lens Model	Carl Zeiss 80mm Planar T* f/2.8 CB
Focal Length	80.00mm
Focal Length In 35mm Format	52.00mm
Shutter Speed Value	1/250 second
Aperture Value	11.00
ISO	160
Date/Time Original	Saturday August 12, 2023 02:53pm
City	Oceanside
State	California
Country	United States
Location	Townsite
GPS Altitude	0 meters (0.0 feet) above sea level
GPS Latitude	33.1983558166528
GPS Longitude	-117.387614
Map	Google Map Link

Bad Case of Lens Flare

I drove down to Oceanside one recent Sunday morning. I arrived at the beach about an hour before sunrise. I drove around and really couldn't find a free place to park. I ended up parking at a pay-to-park lot right near the pier. The lot didn't open until 6:00 AM and I was there at about 5:15 AM. The automated machine to pay was not open yet.I decided to go ahead and park the car anyway. I got out of the car, got my camera gear, both the Hasselblad and the Canon kit.I walked the short distance from the parking lot to the pier. Out on to the pier and set up my tripod in the center of the platform. There were not very many people there. A few minutes after I set up my tripod, fishermen began to trickle on to the pier. Each time I went to take a shot, somebody would be walking up behind me. Finally, I was able to take a shot without anybody walking through my frame. The shot is OK. Nothing spectacular. What bothered me was the fact that my Canon L lens has a very bad case of lens flare (removed from the photo). It does not react well to bright lights in the photo when shooting in the dark. My 40 year old Hasselblad does much better. Go figure. After taking a few more shots over the beach at sunrise, I walked back to the car just as the parking lot was opening. I decided to pay at the automated machine, it would be just my luck I would get a parking ticket on the way out if I didn't pay.

Oceanside Municipal Fishing Pier

Tag Name	Data
Title	Oceanside Municipal Fishing Pier
Image Description	This was just before sunrise. Fishermen kept walking into my frame, but I ended up with a clean shot. I do not like the chain link fence in my shot though.
Keywords	Oceanside Municipal Fishing Pier, black and white, long exposure, oceanside, oceanside pier, pier
Copyright	Copyright ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Canon
Camera Model Name	Canon EOS R
Lens Model	RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM
Focal Length	24.00mm
Shutter Speed Value	5.00 seconds
Aperture Value	11.00
ISO	160
Date/Time Original	Sunday August 13, 2023 05:32am
City	Oceanside
State	California
Country	United States
GPS Altitude	0 meters (0.0 feet) above sea level
GPS Latitude	33.1939391333222
GPS Longitude	-117.384965583324
Map	Google Map Link

Congratulations You Are Approved

I was recently at the Old Town Temecula farmers market. We walked around and bought a few items that we needed. I always marvel at the amount of time and effort that the vendors put in every Saturday just to make a few extra bucks. Near the exit, we came upon a guy selling handwoven baskets. He was telling people,”Congratulations, you are approved!” to every person that swiped their credit card through his machine. I thought that was kind of funny. This guy was my kind of guy. He was obviously good with people. My daughter was with us, and I wanted him to tell me I was approved, so we bought one of his creations. It was a beautiful basket that my daughter really liked. If you are ever in the Old Town Temecula area on a Saturday morning, look this guy up. I googled around and I believe his name was Benjamin Adjei.

Handwoven Baskets by Benjamin Adjei

Tag Name	Data
Title	Handwoven Baskets Benjamin Adjei
Image Description	Handwoven baskets from Ghana by Benjamin Adjei at the Old Town Temecula Farmers Market.
Keywords	Benjamin Adjei, Old Town Temecula Farmers Market, Temecula Farmers Market, basket, farmers market, handwoven basket, old town temecula, temecula
Copyright	Copyright ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Canon
Camera Model Name	Canon EOS R
Lens Model	EF24mm f/1.4L II USM
Focal Length	24.00mm
Shutter Speed Value	1/640 second
Aperture Value	5.60
ISO	400
Date/Time Original	Saturday August 05, 2023 08:57am
City	Temecula
State	California
Country	United States
GPS Altitude	300 meters (984.3 feet) above sea level
GPS Latitude	33.4965718832167
GPS Longitude	-117.150727466667
Map	Google Map Link

Get Out of My Shot

I was at the Mission in Oceanside recently to take some photos of the beautiful old building and maybe some of the surrounding features. I planted my tripod several hundred feet from the entrance for a straight on shot of the front of the main chapel. The problem was, it was a Saturday and people were going in and out of the main entrance. I waited for a few minutes to get a clean shot of the building with no people walking around in my shot. About five minutes passed and I was getting frustrated. Each time I would have a clean shot, there would still be someone standing just inside the door. I decided to just take the shot and remove the offending person in post. Sometimes you just have to cheat.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia

Tag Name	Data
Title	San Luis Rey de Francia
Image Description	From the website: San Luis Rey de Francia was founded on June 13, 1798. This eighteenth mission quickly became the most prosperous of the California missions. San Luis Rey’s stately church and long corridor with 32 Roman arches spanning the front of the convento has been carefully restored. The mission has a modern museum and many unique attractions.
Keywords	Mission San Luis Rey, california mission, church, oceanside
Copyright	Copyright ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Canon
Camera Model Name	Canon EOS R
Lens Model	RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM
Focal Length	50.00mm
Shutter Speed Value	1/1000 second
Aperture Value	8.00
ISO	160
Date/Time Original	Saturday August 12, 2023 01:51pm
City	Oceanside
State	California
Country	United States
Location	San Luis Rey
GPS Latitude	33.2321956833306
GPS Longitude	-117.319395650002
Map	Google Map Link

Jumping In

I have been thinking about starting to post YouTube videos for quite some time. Each time I would think about going out and starting to shoot an episode, I would come up with some excuse. I decided to just shoot a video and post it. Good or bad. Just do it. This video is only a few seconds long. I have to get the film back and add quite a bit more, but posting this clip put me in a no going back position.

Just a few seconds to push me to get started

The Courage of the Fearless Crew

I was driving home from another shoot I had just completed, and I caught a glimpse of an abandoned boat off the freeway in an industrial warehouse area. I almost did a double-take. Did I really just see a boat in a gravel filled yard off the freeway? When I got home, I pulled up Google Maps and tried to remember exactly where I saw it. I was able to determine its approximate location and decided to attempt to find and shoot it the next day after work. That next day, sure enough, I was able to find it with no problem. It was a pretty sketchy area and probably not a good place to stop, let alone take my time to properly frame and expose a shot. I parked around the corner, stuck my Sekonic meter out the window, positioned it the same direction in relation to the light as the boat was and took an EV reading. The light measured 13.5 EV. I used an app to convert that number to a fast enough shutter to hand-hold, and an aperture narrow enough to get some decent depth of field. I set my camera to 200th/f11/250 ISO. I hopped out of the car, walked for a bit to get to the chain-link fence where the boat was, flipped out the screen, pointed it down a bit, and with the camera up over my head, snapped a few frames. It was very bright outside, so I wasn’t able to see the screen very well, but it appeared that I had at least one shot that was level and well composed. I jumped back in my car, and got back on the freeway. On the way home, I found myself humming the theme song to the TV show I watched as a kid, “Gilligan’s Island”.

Abandoned boat in an industrial warehouse area

Tag Name	Data
Title	Abandoned Boat
Image Description	Abandoned boat in an industrial warehouse area.
Keywords	boat, graffiti, gravel, industrial, la mirada, speed boat, warehouse
Copyright	Copyright ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Canon
Camera Model Name	Canon EOS R
Lens Model	RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM
Focal Length	39.00mm
Shutter Speed Value	1/200 second
Aperture Value	11.00
ISO	250
Date/Time Original	Thursday July 27, 2023 04:25pm
City	La Mirada
State	California
Country	United States
Location	Gateway Center
GPS Altitude	10 meters (32.8 feet) above sea level
GPS Latitude	33.8797903116528
GPS Longitude	-118.022517240044
Map	Google Map Link

You Read My Mind

I use google street view to scout areas for potential images. The day I took this shot, I was eating lunch while driving down the road – on street view – in Norwalk. I caught an interesting building and sign as I was driving by. So, I stopped and rotated the view and framed it up. Looked like a nice shot. It is not often you see a fortune teller. I decided to drive that way after work and take the shot. Upon arrival, I parked and walked up to the front of the property and spot metered the left side of the building. The reason why I measured it ahead of time is that I would not have time to look at a histogram, and fiddle with my camera while standing in the middle of the street. I got my EV number and then converted that number to my camera with a shutter speed fast enough to hand hold while standing on an island in the middle of the street. I then jogged to the island in the middle of the street and quickly composed and took this shot. I did need to snap the shot between cars driving by. The resulting photo was what I had previsualized, and the exposure was spot-on. I did not manipulate anything other than standard minor adjustments. The lines were all straight because I chose a good focal length and took care when shooting. The lighting was not the best. The building is north facing, so unless I was shooting at dawn, the light would be just as bad all day long. The shadow from the tree on the right was best in the late afternoon.

Psychic readings and fortune teller house in a business district

Tag Name	Data
Title	Psychic Readings and Fortune Teller
Image Description	Psychic readings and fortune teller house in a business district
Keywords	fortune teller, house, medium, norwalk, psychic, psychic readings
Copyright	Copyright ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Canon
Camera Model Name	Canon EOS R
Lens Model	RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM
Focal Length	45.00mm
Shutter Speed Value	1/200 second
Aperture Value	11.00
ISO	640
Date/Time Original	Wednesday July 26, 2023 04:08pm
City	Norwalk
State	California
Country	United States
Location	Northwest Norwalk
GPS Altitude	20 meters (65.6 feet) above sea level
GPS Latitude	33.9020378616531
GPS Longitude	-118.08718018
Map	Google Map Link

Holes In My Camera

I took this shot just after sunrise. It was a few hours later after I arrived home and was unpacking my gear when I looked at the bellows on my Toyo field camera. I noticed that they looked worn on the edges. I had tested the camera a few weeks ago in direct sunlight and there were no light leaks. For some reason, that morning I decided to check the bellows with my flashlight. I turned on the light and passed it through the inside of the bellows while pointing it at myself. To my surprise, I could clearly see the light coming through the bellows in many worn edges of the folds. Over the next few days I researched where I could get my bellows replaced. For a short time I contemplated buying another camera, but with the age of most used Toyo field cameras on the market, it was likely that I would still be in the same boat with respect to worn out bellows. I could not really find a place that would replace the bellows. There were many places where I could buy new bellows, but I would have to replace them myself. I did two things. One, I bought replacement bellows from an overseas website. Two, I bought a backup camera. The backup camera – Toyo monorail 45G for a couple hundred dollars on eBay – that funny enough had bellows that were in worse condition than my field camera. The description said it was in mint condition etc. Two weeks later my replacement bellows arrived. After a couple more weeks of trying to learn how to replace them myself, and after several hours of sweat and tears, I was able to successfully repair my own camera. Now it was good as new, and would probably last another twenty years or so. I also replaced the bellows on my backup camera. Now, I have two good-as-new 4×5’s that will probably outlast me.

I took this just after sunrise at Harveston Lake in Temecula. The film gave the scene a very pastel look.

Tag Name	Data
Title	Harveston Lake
Image Description	I took this just after sunrise at Harveston Lake in Temecula. The film gave the scene a very pastel look.
Keywords	6x12, 6x12 film, film scan, harveston lake, kodak ektar 100, morning, sunrise, temecula
Copyright	Copyright ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved
Artist	ExpertPhoto.com
Make	Toyo-Field
Camera Model Name	Toyo-Field 45A
Lens Model	Schneider 90mm f/5.6 Super-Angulon XL
Focal Length	90.00mm
Focal Length In 35mm Format	29.00mm
Shutter Speed Value	1/30 second
Aperture Value	8.00
ISO	100
Date/Time Original	Sunday February 05, 2023 07:31am
City	Temecula
State	California
Country	United States
Location	Harveston
GPS Altitude	330 meters (1082.7 feet) above sea level
GPS Latitude	33.5374490166833
GPS Longitude	-117.157157900042
Map	Google Map Link