Tag Archives: by Susan Greene

Stars and Stripes and Fireworks!

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Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, or Independence Day, here in the United States. A fireworks display is one of the traditional ways we celebrate. The sight of the colorful bursts of light illuminating the night sky never ceases to raise my spirits and inspire awe. So, I have taken to capturing the shows with my camera. I have fun trying to capture the many bursts. Last year, I was lucky to be home on the Fourth of July and it wasn’t foggy! I was able to catch the fireworks show off the local beach.


If you have ever wanted to try photographing fireworks but weren’t quite sure, I will share a few of the techniques I have learned. First you need a camera which has manual mode. A tripod and a remote release are recommended also. Set your camera to a low ISO setting of 100-200. Fireworks are bright and an f-stop in the mid range of f/9-f/16 lets enough light in to allow the colors to show up well. Set your shutter to bulb, which allows you to keep the shutter open as long as you hold down the shutter.  Make sure your lens is on manual focus, and focus to infinity or wait until the fireworks begin and focus on them. A medium  telephoto zoom lens works well, I use 24-105mm. Now position yourself so you will have an unobstructed view and you are ready to shoot. Listen for the launch and release the shutter and hold open for anywhere from 2-30 seconds. The longer you hold it open the more bursts you will capture.I was also in France on Bastille Day last year and was able to catch another fireworks show in Juan-les-Pins.

On my last trip to Chicago we saw the fireworks show off Navy Pier one night. . .

I tried another lens, an 85mm f/1.8, and I played with bokeh.

Remember you can check your camera’s LCD periodically to check your composition and exposure and make adjustments if necessary.

I hope you have a Happy Independence Day and get the opportunity to watch a fireworks show. If not tomorrow at some other event or location this year, and get out, experiment and play.

~Sue

Passing Through and Going On

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Sometimes, I like to go out in the backyard with my camera and wait to see what develops. I choose a location, set-up and wait. If I’m lucky a hummingbird or another type of bird will pass through. Other times, I see something happening and run out to capture it. This week, I have a little bit of both. . . A bushtit and hummingbird both made an appearance.

We have been trying our best to manage a squirrel and our apricot tree so that we are able to harvest at least some of the apricots. Whenever we catch the squirrel approaching, we run out to discourage foraging. However, we can’t be on guard every minute and they do get their way with the tree from time to time. Occasionally, one will take up watch on a telephone pole waiting and watching to make sure the coast is clear.

This year, they have begun leaving remnants of their marauding on display.

Lastly, I like to capture the eco warrior at work.

There is much to engage one’s lens; right in one’s own backyard.

~ Sue

360º (or so) inspiration

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I headed into the hills again. This time Will Rogers State Park in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood is the stomping ground. The trail marked Inspiration Point piqued my curiosity. So up I went. After climbing one hill, I looked back and took this shot. The polo grounds are visible in the foreground.

view towards Century City

It was a patchy cloud, partly sunny type of morning with some fog burning off. Onward up the hill I go. Around a bend the Santa Monica mountains come into view. I am surprised by the lack of evidence of people on this side of the hill.

view towards Santa Monica mountains

After rounding a few more bends and climbing a few more hills, I reach my destination of Inspiration Point.

view of Century City from Inspiration Point

Next, I turn towards the ocean which is also visible from this vantage point.

view towards Santa Monica beach

The fog is obscuring the ocean view this morning so I zoom in to see what I can capture.

shoreline Santa Monica

I can just make out the shoreline through the haze. The view of the city from Inspiration Point is impressive and the LA sprawl becomes apparent. I am inspired to return with a tripod and try to capture a true 360° view. About 270 of those degrees are urban sprawl and about 90 are wilderness. On my way down, I encountered a sign pointing the way to the Backbone Trail, a ridgeline trail in the Santa Monica Mountains running from Will Rogers State park to Point Mugu. I started down the path a few steps and a sign warning about mountain lions came into view. With the recent appearance of a mountain lion in downtown Santa Monica and the fact that I was alone on my mind, I performed a 180. I will save that for another day.

Click on the highlighted text for further information about Will Rogers State Park and the many activities available there, and the Backbone Trail.

~ Sue

night moves

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As I prepare for a visit to Chicago, I recall a previous trip and the street performer with the most unique act. While strolling down Michigan Ave. one night, we encountered this fellow and his one man show. I was glad that I had my camera with the 85mm – F/1.8 lens attached.

He attributed his flexibility to the practicing of yoga. He does seem to be in a zone.  I think if I practiced yoga every day for three hours I would never be able to fit in that box. I would, however, be stronger and more flexible with just one hour. Here’s to the power of yoga!

~ Sue

Man vs Wild. . . the desert

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Harsh, arid, desolate, barren are all adjectives which can be used to describe a desert. On a trip to the Mojave desert I explored an abandoned army post outside Kingman, AZ and wondered why this group of dilapidated buildings is now left to deteriorate and be used for what looks like target practice. In the spring, the buildings are shaded by some trees and the vegetation is mostly green. It’s a picturesque scene. I learned the old highway used to run next to the outpost.The desert is full of items left behind to rust, decay and crumble. Remnants of a past once useful now discarded.

Hardy, tough, prickly, sturdy can all be used to describe the plants of the desert. They must posses some or all of those qualities to survive the harsh climate. In the spring, many of them are flowering and I find a certain satisfaction that something can not only survive but thrive beautifully in the desert. Thus I turned my lens to the desert and the natural beauty mixed with the remains of man’s existence in one spot.

Man,

vs.  Wild,

Man,

vs. Wild,

Man,

vs.  Wild,

Man,

vs. Wild,

I think both are intriguing. How about you?

~ Sue

bees

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Happy chance, serendipity, luck call it what you might it never ceases to amaze me. In the past month I experienced a convergence of events that was truly serendipitous. A couple of weeks ago while out in my yard removing shoots from under the apricot tree, I noticed the presence of an unusually large number of bees. First, one or two, that’s normal; then  seven or eight, that’s quite a few; then, I became aware of a steady buzzing sound which originated over my head! A bee colony had taken up residence in our apricot tree!

The seeming randomness and chaos of their movements is mesmerizing. I kept thinking of The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd and this advice regarding “…’bee yard etiquette’. She reminded me that the world was really one bee yard, and the same rules work fine in both places. Don’t be afraid, as no life-loving bee wants to sting you. Still, don’t be an idiot; wear long sleeves and pants. Don’t swat. Don’t even think about swatting. If you feel angry, whistle. Anger agitates while whistling melts a bee’s temper. Act like you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t. Above all, send the bees love. Every little thing wants to be loved.”

I love the little pollinators when they are at work doing what they do to the flowers and fruit trees in the yard. It is a good year for our apricot tree. We have a bumper crop and I know it is due, in a large part to those bees; however, I am not sure I want to have to deal with such a large number of bees at once.

Now to the serendipity, about three weeks prior to the appearance of the hive my husband   ran into a friend from years ago who we hadn’t seen in a very long time. She shared that her family was keeping bees and gave him a jar of honey.  After marveling at the hive and taking many pictures our thoughts turned to, what do we do with this hive?  So, what pops into our minds (well, my always connecting dots and joining occurrences thinking husband’s mind) calling the beekeeper family and see if they would like it. Sure enough they did want it and came that evening to collect the bees.

We ran into the family once again and they reported the bees have settled in to their new home and are doing “bee”autifully. They also shared another jar (the biggest jar I have ever seen) of honey.

One of my favorite ways to use honey is to drizzle it over Greek yogurt  and add some berries. I am now on the lookout for more recipes utilizing honey and coincidentally, a blogger who liked one of our posts, romancing the bee,  is a beekeeper herself and has many delicious sounding and looking recipes.

Bees are remarkable creatures when around and in their hives especially. Their ceaseless activity inspired awe in me as they crawled chaotically over each other each one doing their own thing . As one who has been stung too many times, I was doing my best to “send the bees love” and in the process developed a new appreciation for them.

~Sue

Flashback, the Summer of Color

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Occasionally, I will take a trip through the years via my photo archives. This is often spurred on by the need of a certain photo for a child’s assignment or a yearbook ad, etc. But this time I just wanted to look back on the last few years photographically and I came across these. Since summer will soon be upon us I decided to share these. A couple of years ago a group, Portraits of Hope, created the largest public art project in the US. They transformed the Lifeguard towers of the LA County beaches, from Zuma to San Pedro, into brightly colored works of art painted with flowers, geometric shapes and fish designs. The colorful towers  reminded me of the art of my youth.

For me, these towers brought fun and a touch of whimsy to the beach.

According to their website, “The Portraits of Hope program is aimed at enriching the lives of children and adults – many who may be coping with adversity or serious illness – through their participation in creative, educational, high-profile, one-of-a-kind projects.” They have completed many projects throughout the US and one in Japan.

I like to say, ” a little pop of color never hurt any one!”  Can’t we all use a little more art in our lives?

~Sue

Farther Afield

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I wandered into new territory a few months back. Feeling the call of the open road my family and I hopped in the car and headed north with the  idea of exploring the redwoods of northern California. The journey took us through some of California’s farmlands. It was winter. I find there is beauty in the browns and grays of the winter landscape.

Roadside Ducks

was it something I said?

What I captured from the road . . .

shore pastures

Sure would love to celebrate with them!

ha, ha, ha

CA country

Got up early for the golden hour and wasn’t disappointed.

golden cows

lone fisherman

We made it to Humboldt Redwoods State Park and cruised the Avenue of the Giants Highway.

The Founder’s Grove

moss

Founder’s Grove hiker

Hiking the Founder’s Grove trail  is an experience of truly walking among giants!

The Founder’s Tree

what’s in there?

Click here to learn more about the redwoods and hiking options in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

~ Sue

Close-Up and Patterned

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Occasionally, to add variety to my workout routine and have a nature interlude I will head to the Santa Monica mountains for a hike, with my camera, a “photo hike” if you will.  The Solstice Canyon trail was my recent destination. It is a serene and relaxing park with a few trail options of differing difficulty levels. I decided to focus on something different to photograph this time. Instead of capturing the big picture, which I usually do when hiking on this trail, I looked to the small details.  The patterns in the leaves, rocks and tree trunks were the subjects that day. The delicate leaves of this plant still have dew drops lingering.

ground cover green carpet

A tree trunk caught my eye. . .

“A” bark

Then this fungus.

false turkey tail fungus

And the water of the stream gently flowing over the rocks.

creek-size cascade

Suddenly a loud squawk overhead pulled my attention from the quiet details of the flora to the noisy insistence of the fauna as I was joined by two parrots.

parrots

Solstice Canyon is full of opportunities to experience the beauty of the Santa Monica mountains and get exercise at the same time.  The area has been hit with many wildfires over the years and there are remains from a few of the homes that used to stand there. Next time, I will be exploring some of these; always with an eye for the details but not forgetting the big picture!

If you would like to learn more about Solstice Canyon here is a link to the National Park Service information  

~ Sue

The Super Moon

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This week I was on a quest to capture the super moon Saturday night. It was the closest it will be to earth this year and full at the same time. I started on the top of a parking structure which overlooks the city of Los Angeles and arrived at dusk just in time to witness the rising.

Then I zoomed in . . .

closer

Later in the night when I was in my own backyard, I turned my eyes towards the sky and captured the moon alone.

super moon

Photographing at night is challenging and fun.