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Andrew pretty much sums it up in this short video. If you ride, you get it, if you don’t, you might definitely want to reconsider…

Free from Andrew Quinones on Vimeo.

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Several years ago I discovered West Coast Thunder by accident. I was out at the Riverside National Cemetery photographing the Memorial Day services when the unmistakeable rumble of a large group of motorcycles could be heard in the distance. What I witnessed was a fantastic display as thousands of motorcycles, many decorated with flags, and their riders rolled into the cemetery to pay their respects.

A couple of years later I purchased a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and joined the local HOG chapter that birthed this annual event and have been participating since.

This is not a Harley motrocycle event. All makes and models are welcome!

Sally and I are again registered for West Coast Thunder and this year we’re volunteering behind the scenes to help make it happen. 

I know where we’ll be on Memorial Day this year. Where will you be?

Come on out and join us in remembering and honoring those that have sacrificed everything to preserve and protect the freedoms we enjoy.

Semper Fi

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This is a mantra I hear quite often as that I’m an avid cyclist (of the motor variety) but when I rode bicycles, that community used it too (and still does).

So why is it that its only sems to go one way? I was out on my cycle (‘06 Softail Classic) yesterday morning rolling through the hills around Lake Mathews when I came across a cycling (as in bicycling) club out for a ride. My bike is by no means quiet, my wife says she hears he about 5 minutes out when I’m heading home. So, I was either unlucky enough to come across a club of deaf cyclists or a group that doesn’t comprehend that “Share the Road” goes both ways.

They were doing about 25 mph (in a 45) on a moderate downhill when I came upon them. They were stretched out over about a 1/4 mile in several clusters. The problem was these folks took the entire lane from shoulder to double yellow line. I eased up behind them, giving them space and waiting for them to give me a little room to squeeze by so I didn’t have to cross the double yellow. After about 45 seconds and no one had budged, I pulled in the clutch and rev’ed the engine just in case they hadn’t heard the stacatto popping of the exhaust as I used the engine for braking. Nothing! A few more seconds go by, a young lady riding second seat on a tandem looked back over her shoulder and then turned back without even a hint of acknowledgement that I was there or that they’d yield.

I waited for the next straight, crossed the double yellow, passed and dropped back in as there was a car coming uphill. Again no acknowledgement from this cluster, had to wait for the next straight and again crossed the double yellow to get around them. As I looked in my mirrors I could see a line of unfortunate car drivers stuck behind the rear cluster.

So, if you’re a Riverside based cycling club and someone blew past you yesterday morning (around 0900) on Cajalco Road please remember that “Sharing the Road” goes both ways.

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I just tried out a new service for Gallery Wraps. Company is called Canvas4Life.

They do a fantastic job, prices are excellent and turnaround is fantastic.

This is the latest gallery wrap I had done using Canvas4Life.

I getting ready to order this as a 48″x40″ for my nephew as a wedding gift. Can’t wait to see it hanging on their wall.

Check out Canvas4Life yourself!

Highlights from the Stars & Pipes ride to Red, White, 7 Cruise at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

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As part of Red, White and Cruise on the 4th we were able to do laps on the NASCAR oval at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. Here’s the view from my Helmet Cam.

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4 simple words on a polished black granite wall at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Major impact!

Saw this definition today:

Propaganda is biased information spread to shape public opinion and behavior.

Its power depends on:

~Message

~Technique

~Means of Communication

~Environment

~Audience receptivity

Proganda

~Uses Truths, half-truths, or lies

~Omits information selectively

~Simplifies complex issues or ideas

~Plays on emotions

~Advertises a cause

~Attacks opponents

~Targets desired audiences

I thought this sounds like MSM when “reporting” on taxes, cuts to social programs or education, global warming, global cooling, climate change, etc. just pick the cause du jour.

What is was was part of an exhibition called “State of Deception-The Power of Nazi Propaganda” at the United State Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C.

Parties and issues have changed but the methods they use try to shape public opinion are tried and true.

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I’ve been wanting a way to record some of the rides I’ve been doing. Checked out a few of the sports cams out there it didn’t care for the “bilboard” look of the GoPro.

The ContourGPS on the other hand is sleek and low profile. I’ve been playing with setting and processing and had the opportunity to take it for a ride this past weekend. Big Bear Choppers was sponsoring the “Ride the Mountain” bike rally at snow summit. The I.E. H.O.G. did up club ride to Big Bear. This is an excerpt of that ride.

That’s the group heading up Highway 38.

Just a short slide show to remind of the deeper meaning of this holiday weekend and its true cost.

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	West Coast Thunder originated in May of 2009. After viewing the movie “Letters from the Trenches” an Inland Empire H.O.G. member called a few fellow members and organized a ride to Riverside National Cemetery for their annual remembrance ceremony.
After the ceremony they decided to make it an annual event. With the financial support of Skip Fordyce Harley Davidson the attendance almost doubled each succeeding year to where today there are over 7500 motorcyclists participating
	The ride still goes to the Cemetery but because of the size of the group it splits, with about half stopping for the Remembrance Ceremony and the other half heading out to Soboba Casino.
And why do we ride? We ride to Remember
	to Honor
to Support the Legacy
	to pay tribute to those who have fought and Fallen to preserve our freedoms
Proceeds will benefit the Riverside National Cemetery Support Committee. West Coast Thunder has been the major contributor of funds to the Riverside National Cemetery via the Support Committee. Completed projects include construction of the National POW / MIA Memorial (dedicated in 2005), repairs to the Medal of Honor Memorial, financial support to the RNC Memorial Honor Detail, and funding each July of the Concert for Heroes.
	Lastly, these financial gifts have funded cemetery projects to include purchase flower cones and the honor of indigent and unaccompanied, homeless Veterans buried each month with placement of a bouquet of flowers and an American flag on their final resting place. For more information about the proud, volunteer-based RNCSC, please visit www.rncsc.org.
If you’d like to participate or volunteer your time please go to West Coast Thunder XII and click on the appropriate link.	If you don’t have the time to participate or volunteer you can still help by donating to the cause at West Coast Thunder Donations.

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Sassy Shine is online! www.sassyshine.com

Sassy’s started off with a goal of bringing back this dying industry with a new Kick! With Our themed Portable Stands we can add that additional “shine” to any event! 

The Sassy Staff grooms to each event according to its theme, with this new “Sassy” image it attracts attention anywhere our portable stands are located.

Great for Bike Nights, fund raisers, corporate events, etc.

Check them out and let them know how they can help you with your next event!

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Shot in 2009 after the Veterans Day services at Riverside National Cemetery this image caught my eye. The one fallen flag with all the others standing around it spoke to me about all of their sacrifices.

I enjoy going back and looking at images I’ve shot. Its amazing that out of the 1000’s of images I’ve shot I can remember the circumstances surrounding of just about every one. Details of the trip, who I was with, etc., etc.

This one is from March 2008. Sally took me to Panamint Springs in Death Valley for 2 days for my birthday. It was my second trip to Death Valley, my first was my birthday present for my 13th birthday.

So I was weird, instead of pizza parties, or wanting a skateboard at 13 I wanted more than anything else to go to Death Valley. I’ve never regretted it, it still fascinates me to this day.

Let’s welcome Jerry Birchfield and JBC-Constuction to the web.

Jerry’s company is based in the Inland Empire and has been serving the community for over 30 years. JBC-Construction are your Home Improvement Experts.

Be certain to check out their new website and call him with your home improvement needs.

JBC-Construction is ONLINE!

AgentZ

Let us help you with your online needs!

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Shutter speed is perhaps the most creative adjustment available to the digital photographer. It allows us to freeze action or use motion blur to create a variety of effects, and is expressed in seconds or fractions of seconds depending on the length of exposure.

A high shutter speed (1/1000 of a second or higher) can freeze even very fast moving objects dead in their tracks. However, you will need to keep a couple of things in mind:

1.) You are going to need a brightly lit subject as shutter speeds this high don’t allow your camera much time to gather light for exposure. You can get around this to a degree by using a higher ISO setting, but don’t go to high, or noise will creep into your shot.

2.) If possible, set up your shot by having your camera focused on the spot where your subject is going to pass by. This will allow you to concentrate on timing your subject’s approach, giving you a better chance to trip the shutter at just the right moment.

 This shot was set-up and a series was shot in high speed burst mode then edited into the image below.

Medium shutter speeds (1/20 of a second to 1/80 of a second) can be used to create motion blur when photographing moving objects. This gives the photo a sense of life and motion. Here are several ways you can approach this type of motion blur:

1.) With your camera stationary, trip the shutter as a moving subject passes by. This will make the subject look blurred, while keeping the rest of the shot clear—giving your subject a look of speed and a sense that it is moving out of the shot.

2.) Follow your subject through the viewfinder in a smooth sweeping motion as it approaches, and trip the shutter as your subject goes by—this is called “panning.” This method will keep your subject relatively clear, but will blur the background, giving an overall sense of speed and movement. The timing for this type of shot takes a little practice, but the results make it well worthwhile.

3.) When shooting a stationary subject, purposely move your camera in a sweeping or circular motion to create a blur of colours and lines. This one is a lot of fun and can provide some interesting abstract results.

Low shutter speeds (1/8 of a second up to 30 seconds and beyond) can be used to create a variety of effects—here are just a few:

Note: For most of these long exposures a tripod or some other means of keeping the camera perfectly still is necessary to avoid creating unintended blur.

1.) Moving water will look smooth and silky when shot at shutter speeds of 1/8 of a second or more—the longer the exposure the more pronounced the effect.

1/500 sec @ f5.6                                                 1/13 sec @ f32

2.) When photographed at shutter speeds of 2 seconds or greater, car lights will turn into long colourful trails—the longer the exposure, the longer the trails.

  0.8 sec @ F11

3.) When very long exposures are used (15 seconds plus) city lights will often take on a stretched, star-like appearance.

4.) Photographing city lights at shutter speeds of 1/15 of a second, or so, either from a moving vehicle, or while walking, can produce interesting and colourful abstracts (no tripod needed.)

 1.6 sec @ f11

Most digital cameras have a shutter speed priority setting (on Canon Tv (Time value) setting), which allows you to control the shutter speed—try it—it can open up a whole new world, and its loads of fun to boot.

Sooooo it was getting on toward lunch time and I’m thinking, “What can I do creatively with everything leftover in the fridge?”

Ham patties sprung to mind. A take off of the tuna patties we had as kids. I pulled out the stuffing casserole, ham, and a couple of eggs from the fridge and the Zyliss hand food chopper from the cabinet.

I minced up about a half pound of ham and scooped a couple of cups of stuffing casserole into a bowl, mixed in a couple of eggs to hold the whole shebang together and voilà, ham patties.

Mmmmmm, mmmm GOOD!

Posted via email from AgentZ Posterous

Six Quick Digital Portrait Tips

A well taken portrait can be moving and evocative, thought-provoking or amusing and it is something that can be enjoyable for both the photographer and the subject alike. Portraits have had an enduring appeal for centuries. A portrait may seem very simple and yet it is capable of infinite variety and results.

The fact is, we all find other people fascinating and so the portrait will always be an important feature in photography.

As a result, there are literally thousands of web sites and books that explain various portrait techniques. However, most of the advice boils down to a few simple do’s and don’ts covering pose, composition and lighting.

These six tips will cover the essential basics:

Portrait Tips:
… A lot of people are camera shy and don’t like their photograph taken. As a result they tend to sit in rigid, unnatural poses and you can see the fear in their eyes. To help your subject to feel comfortable, remember that not all portraits need to be formal or even posed. Why not take photographs of your loved ones as they go about their daily lives. Not only will the results be more natural, but it will put them in the context of their lives and interests.

… Don’t aim for perfection. Don’t forget that you are shooting digitally. Any blemishes and background clutter can be edited and removed later.

… With portraits, the golden rule is to focus on the eyes. If the eyes aren’t in the center of your frame, the camera may focus on the nose ruining the photo. So always focus on the eyes and remember to always use the right focal-length lens.

… Holiday snaps of your family don’t need to be embarrassing hideous shots which will never see the light of day. Remember the basic rules of:

Lighting - daylight or off camera flash is best
Composition - try to avoid clumsy and unnatural looking poses
And posing - make sure that your sitter is comfortable with how they are posed. Nothing ruins a portrait like a subject looking uncomfortable and uneasy.

… Remember that natural, diffused daylight is the most flattering illumination for portraits.

… Use reflectors to lift dark shadows when shooting with a single light source.

Whether you are taking serious portraits or simply snapping friends and family, these tips will make sure that whoever you shoot will be delighted with the results and you will have images that you will be proud of too.

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful. If you are looking for information on how to pose that subject you’re shoot a portrait of I can highly recommend Posing Secrets – The Photographer’s Essential Guide Vol. 1. This book is for you if you photograph people and is invaluable whether you use digital or film photography.

How to Shop for a Digital Camera

Shop for a digital camera today and you’ll be overwhelmed with the choices available. Whatever your budget, you’ll find dozens of cameras available at your fingertips. Some have similar features, some are small, others are clunky, and you can even buy one in your favorite color. 

How do you pick the digital camera that’s right for you? Here are 5 things we suggest you consider before making your choice. 

Whatever camera you’re using, you can take good pictures by knowing a few basic guidelines and some pro-level tips. Get them from “Shoot Digital Pics Like the Pros.

To create a shortlist of digital cameras, here are the top 5 things to consider:

1. Your budget

Decide how much you’re willing or able to spend on your new camera, and limit your research to cameras within that budget. Why waste your time oohing and aaahing over the latest coolest gadget only to discover that it’s beyond your  means? Now you can look at the cameras within your budget. The next thing to consider is…

2. Your photography needs

What types of pictures will you be taking – portraits? landscapes? sports pictures? indoor or outdoor? The answer to this question will help you determine which features are important for you. If you’ll mainly be taking snapshots of your children, you’ll probably want a camera with face recognition feature and easy red-eye reduction. On the other hand, if you’re always trying to capture action shots from your son’s soccer game, you’ll want a camera with high-speed burst shooting.

3. How you print your pictures

You also need to ask yourself how you print your pictures. Do you make 4 x 6-inch prints at home or at the drugstore? Then you won’t need a camera with huge amounts of megapixels. On the other hand, if you sometimes make poster-sized prints, then look for a minimum of 10 megapixels. If you don’t even print your pictures but share them online and via email, you need even less.

4. Who uses the camera

Will your spouse, children or co-workers be using the camera as well? Then you’ll need a camera that’s easy enough for them to use. Digital cameras that offer automatic program settings are easy enough even for children to use. Image stabilization also comes in handy when young ones or amateurs use the camera.

5. How serious you are with digital photography

Do you foresee yourself growing beyond a digital photography enthusiast to possibly becoming semi-professional? Then look for a camera with features that will grow with your skills. For example, a digital camera which allows you to make your own aperture, shutter speed, focus and other settings will give you enough room to experiment.

We suggest you use this guide to make a shortlist of digital cameras, and then head to the nearest electronics shop and look at each of the shortlisted cameras in person. Note how each camera feels in your hand, how easy it is for you to reach the buttons and manipulate them, and how solid the camera feels.

A camera can only do so much. The quality of a picture still depends on the person taking it. If you’re serious about taking good digital pictures, download you copy of this digital photography report. This free report will give you tips on how to take digital pictures like a professional. Get it now.

Todays ride with Sally:From home round the back side of Lake Matthews,thru Gavilan Hills to 74, out to Elsinore, parallel 15 on Temescal Canyon to Cajalco, back around Matthews (as CHP has LaSierra north blocked off) to El Sobrante to La Sierra to home.

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Last weekend I covered a fundraising event for Options House in Riverside. The venue was Laws Diner on Indiana near Van Buren. Laws had generously donated their lot for the event. It was a ride-in bike show and there about 2 dozen motorcyle (mostly) related vendors, raffles, live music and trophies handed out for the winners of the bike show.

Motorcycles, with all their chrome and highly polished paint jobs can be difficult to shoot outside a controlled studio setting in daylight but add semi darkness in an open parking lot with a flash and random high intensity construction sites and the reflections and white balance can really mess with you.

The shots came out pretty decent and the sponsors are happy with them. Isn’t that what really matters.

Here’s a few:

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A slide show from the event can be found here with more shots and higher res images.

AgentZ

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I’ve started a new blog for photography. I’ll be posting informative stuff, highlights of trips and links to sets on my Flickr site.

The new blog can be found at:

http://photoagentz.posterous.com/

AgentZ

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Better Pictures with Your Digital Camera

Article by: Dan Feildman

Photography is both about knowing how to use a camera and also knowing how to make decisions. Today’s media projects images that can be difficult to understand, and learning photography can help you to understand what you’re being showed every day on television, on the internet, and in movies. Photography is a good way to occupy your time, especially if you are a teenager, as it is fun and harmless. Besides that, it’s a great way to bring a community together for a project, such as photographing activities and gatherings.

When you buy a digital camera, you have to know how to take care of it to keep it in its best condition. In order to have the clearest photos possible, you must make sure to regularly clean your optic lens and keep from leaving fingerprints on it. If this happens, parts of your pictures will be blurry, and dirt can build up over time. Not all cleaning products are suitable for a camera lens, so make sure that you don’t use tissue paper, any household cleaning solutions, and definitely not saliva. Instead, you should buy the proper products at a camera store, in order to keep your camera at its best.

Understanding how your camera focuses will help you get better pictures. Just about all digital cameras these days have autofocus with two-step shutter release. In dark lighting, you will notice that when you press the button halfway down, a red light appears for a moment, but not in areas that are lighter. Then, when you press the button down fully, there is a flash. When you hold down the button halfway, that focuses the image, and when you depress it fully, the camera takes the focused image. If you want the subject of your photograph not to be in the center but still focused, first center them in the middle of the picture and focus the frame by pressing down halfway. Without removing your finger, reframe the picture with your subject in the right position, and take the picture. Your subject will still be focused.

One aspect of taking a pleasing photograph is depth of field. When you look at a picture, you will notice that all the area surrounding the focused subject is also focused. This area is called depth of field. In order to change the way the depth of field in a picture is seen, focused, and lit, you must change the width of your lens. The wider the lens is, the smaller the depth of field will be. To decrease the depth of field you can also move closer to your subject. To increase it, you can use a smaller lens or move further away from your subject.

A great technique that helps photographers create eye-catching pictures is the rule of thirds. This is a composition technique, create a pleasing balance between the different objects in a photograph. In order to use the rule, divide your screen into six different parts: three horizontal sections, and three vertical. The focal points, where the eye is attracted when it first looks at a picture, are where the lines intersect. Placing the subjects of your pictures at or near the focal points can help create a balanced and attractive picture.

Landscape photos are very popular and can be very nice-looking. The whole photograph will need to be in focus, unlike some pictures where only a certain part is in focus. In order to have the picture completely focused, you’ll need to have a short focal length. This will create a larger depth of field, and everything will be focused. In order to creating a pleasing balance between land and sky, or water and sky, you can use the rule of thirds. Furthermore, if you want a sense of three dimensions, you can have a subject in the foreground.

A tripod is a good investment in photography, especially if you want to take panoramic pictures. You’ll have to set your tripod in a place where you can swivel the camera smoothly from left to right, and not up and down. You will have to figure out where you want your pictures to overlap, so that you don’t have huge gaps in your resulting picture. Once you figure that out, you can swivel your camera in one direction, clockwise or counterclockwise, to take the pictures you want. Once you’re done, all you have to do is put them together with a simple graphics program or photo-editing software.

Recommended for More Help Need to improve your digital photography techniques? Pick up your free digital photography guide for better photos…almost instantly.

I just downloaded this app yesterday and have been playing with it.

For photographers this is quite a useful tool. You can either log in with your current position and local time or key in longitude and latitude for any location you plan on visiting and this cool little app will tell you where the sun will be located in the sky.

The display (on left) is what you see. There is an arrow in the center that you use to align the phone to north. Directly from the display you have a visual representation of where in the sky the sun will appear. The altitude reading tells you how high above the horizon it will be. A cool feature is that using the inclinometer built into the phone you can tilt the phone to see the angle directly. This also gives you sunrise and sunset info for any location you key in. while this is a cool app for photographers I can also see a use in landscape design or solar installations. I’ve got version 1.3 and it has been bug free and stable. A bargain at 99 cents!