5 Star Photo: Sam the Eagle

Patriotic Eagle

If you own any kind of photo management software, you are aware of the star rating system where you rate your photos from 1 to 5 stars. This system is as individual as us photographers. I only use 1 thru 4 stars and save 5 stars for my computer’s screen saver. They might not even be the best of my work. They are photos I am proud of or I just like a lot.

Above is Sam the Eagle from The Raptor Project taken at last year’s New York State Fair. Sam is always perched fittingly in front of an American flag. One of my 5 Star Photos.

Happy Birthday, America!

Celebrating 233 years this Saturday, July 4th.

View 79: River Sunset

Sunset over the Seneca River in Baldwinsville, New York on Friday, June 26, 2009.

Luminary

I do not know Terri Silsby. When attending the American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Baldwinsville last week, the hundreds of luminaries surrounding the track at the Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium on the campus of C. W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, New York was a sight to behold. Each luminary was decorated in honor of survivors and those who have lost their lives to one of the terrible diseases under the blanket name of ‘cancer’. As I was looking for a way to capture them and, though many had very lovely designs and tributes, I was looking for a simple one which showed the love I could feel as people would stop at the luminaries to read, photograph and comp-template them. When I came across Terri Silsby’s, I knew I had found it. Simple and loving. As I said, I don’t know her but I know she has courage in facing the battle against her cancer. I know she has a positive attitude and does everything she can to become well again. She has a loving family behind her to support her through the roller-coaster cancer puts its victims through. Terri Silsby has hope. Hope that one day she will be cancer free.

I know this because cancer has invaded my family over the last year. I have seen such courage, positive attitude, loving support and hope in my Aunt who died of pancreatic cancer in the spring of 2008. Late in 2008, my Nephew was diagnosed with stomach cancer and died from surgery in January of this year. We lost our beloved cat in the fall of 2008 to cancer.

These loses were hard on my family and myself. Then the news came one year ago this Sunday that my sister had brain cancer. She has since endured three surgeries, radiation therapy, oral chemotherapy and, recently, intravenous chemotherapy. Throughout all this, my sister’s health has had set backs and successes. It is hard to watch as the cancer and the treatments to halt its spread take away her freedoms and proud independence. She now has to rely more and more on others for help to live day to day. Every week brings new challenges, doctor appointments and the occasional hospital stay. No one knows how long my sister will be with us but her courage, attitude, family support and hope continues to amaze me, just as Terri Silsby does for those who love her.

Family Luminaries lighted in tribute.

Syracuse Hydrofest

Last Saturday I attended Syracuse Hydrofest featuring Inboard Hydroplane racing. All boats use propellers with the Grand Prix class reaching speeds up to 175 miles per hour (282 kilometers per hour). The day was rainy and grey causing the day to start late and ending early after only a few races due to visibility and a serious accident. However, I did get to go out on one of the turn boats on the course and bring back a few photos I’d like to share with you here.

Miss Dinomytes (GP46) driven by Pierre Maheu from Quebec, Canada, chases down the leader durng a Grand Prix Hyrdroplane heat during the Syracuse Hydrofest on Saturday, June 20. 2009.

Rolling Thunder (GP88 on the left) and Miss Dinomytes (GP46) race past the Start/Finish line

Rolling Thunder (GP88 on the outside) and Miss Dinomytes (GP46) race for the lead.

View 78: Hope

Luminaries spell out "Hope" on the bleachers of the Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium as the walkers stop for the luminaria service which celebrates cancer survivors during the Baldwinsville, New York, Relay for Life Cancer fund raiser on Friday, June 19, 2009.

I attended this year’s American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Baldwinsville at the high school sports stadium last Friday evening. The highlight of the evening is the Luminaria Service or candlelight vigil held at nightfall to honor cancer survivors and to remember those lost to cancer. The luminaria candles line the track and are left burning throughout the night as a reminder to participants the importance of their involvement in the Relay for Life event.

Volunteers help light the luminaries as darkness falls over the Baldwinsville, New York, Relay for Life Cancer fund raiser at the Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium on Friday, June 19, 2009.

A festive atmosphere always develops around the track area as teams of ten to fifteen people make new friends and spend time with old ones while raising awareness and money to support cancer research, education, advocacy and local patient services. The walk goes all night long with bands playing for entertainment and other fun events.

Lighted luminaries line the inside of the Pelcher-Arcaro Staduim at the Baldwinsville, New York, Relay for Life Cancer fund raiser held on Friday, June 19, 2009.

Besides the teams raising money. Each luminary placed on the track represents a small donation to the American Cancer Society.

View 77: Reception Kiss

The Wedding Couple share a kiss before friends and family at their reception.

Remember my friend who let me borrow his Nikon D700? Well, he did have an ulterior motive as I used it this weekend to photograph his daughter’s wedding. Here, she and her beau share a kiss at their table during the reception.

Reining Horses

I have been photographing horse shows at the New York State Fairgrounds indoor horse arena called the Coliseum for the last 15 years.  I’ve never been happy with my results.  Having to resort to slow shutters and panning or use flash which wasn’t very flattering to the rider or horse.

Last weekend I attended the Central New York Reining Horse Association Show with a friend’s Nikon D700 camera and my Nikon 70-200VR f/2.8 lens.  If there was any doubt in my mind this will be my next camera, it is totally gone now.  I was able to set the shutter speed to 1/500th of a second and get great exposures with ISO ranging between 2000 and 6400.

Reining horses are famous for their sliding stops like this one (ISO was 3600 here).

Reining horse digs into the dirt at the CNY Reining Horse Association Show in Syracuse, New York.

The Nikon D700 has a fast continuous shutter mode and 3D auto focus tracking so I caught this sequence of one of the riders coming in for a stop (ISO ranged between 2000 and 4000 through this photos).

Reining horse sliding stop sequence.

View 76: Red Wolf

Red Wolf in the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Burnet Park, Syracuse, New York.

An endangered Red Wolf looks out at me from his enclosure at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York. Rosamond Gifford Zoo is part of the Red Wolf Recovery Project to insure a viable population in hopes to introduce more wolves back into the wild.

People on Parade

I ask you, is there anything more American than a small town parade?

Hey, look! I'm in a parade!

Red, white and blue all over and kids finding a way to last a long parade route.

Red, white and blue wagon.

American built push carts powered by Cub Scouts.

High fuel costs? No problem!

There’s one in every parade.

Too cute not to photograph.

View 75: Memorial Day

Honoring those who gave their life for our freedom by placing a wreath at the Veteran’s Monument before the start of the Baldwinsville (New York) Memorial Day Parade on Saturday, May 30, 2009.

The Village of Baldwinsville for years have hosted their Memorial Day Parade on the traditional date of May 30th.  It makes for a great parade as other towns and cities nearby have theirs on the official Monday holiday.  One of the traditions is the placing of a wreath on the Veteran’s Monument in front of the US Post Office at the head of the parade route.  Other traditions both past and present were detailed in a recent article.  Click here to read it.  For more photos of the Memorial Day Parade, see my flickr photostream (links to the left).