Ken Cave Photography

This Blog Has Moved

2010-02-10T13:24:00.000-05:00

This blog has moved to www.kencave.net/blog.

Reflections

2010-01-18T08:23:00.000-05:00

January is a good time to reflect on last years successes and not so successes, but it's not a time to dwell on them. We need to move on to 2010 and just improve on what we did last year and this first month of the year is already half over. Obviously we all need goals: some of the obvious ones are to continually improve my photographic skills,find new methods of post production, improve marketing and business practices, but some of the others are more personal oriented like better daily planning and prioritizing, more specific goal setting and so on. So as I sit here and ponder these things I could write a long list of things to improve on. If the list just gets overwhelming then just start prioritizing the list. An improvement in one area is better than none. Go out and enjoy 2010.

I thought this photograph was appropriate for the post. This photograph was taken about 20 minutes after sunset this past October at the Kokomo Reservior.

Nikon D700; 24-70/f2.8

Winter is not that Cold

2010-01-13T09:39:00.000-05:00

We know that winter is cold, too cold for most of us; but if you embrace the cold, and look for the opportunities that abound in every season of the year (or seasons of your life), winter is all about attitude. I will have to admit that when the sun comes out, it is better. I had a chance to spend some time this Saturday doing what I do, that is taking some photos. I did get that many that I liked but here are a couple.

Santa's Sack by Z92.5FM

2009-12-09T14:54:00.000-05:00

Ken Cave Photography has been following the Young Santa Claus (Allan James) and Z92.5 around Kokomo. The first stop was the Original Treasure Mart located on Vaile Street and the second stop was with Darlene Rice at A Lady's Place ( located at 456 East Southway Boulevard, Kokomo, IN; (765) 453-3700). It was a lot fun as people came in to register for prizes and giveaways during each broadcast and also register for the Grand Prize Santa Sack worth over $3,000.00. I have heard that there is a laptop computer inside this year's sack which will be given away on December 19, 2009 at the Markland Mall. So check out Z92.5 for all the details. My next stop will be this Friday December 11, 2009 from 5PM to 7PM at Whiskey Creek and then on to Dan Young GM in Tipton from 10AM to Noon on December 12. We will be taking pictures of all the kids (and any fearless adults) with the Young Santa Claus. Below are just a few shots from the last two stops.

Here is the Young Santa with Lisa Girton, account executive with Z925FM

The Young Santa all by himself

Greg Kristi, Alex and Shelby- Owners of the Original Treasure Mart

Jamey Henderson, executive director of Samaritan Caregivers, stopped in and was persuaded to pose with the Young Santa

Darlene Rice, owner of A Lady's Place

and finally- well we will never tell?

Well that's it for now-mtk....

The Good-The Bad-The INEFFICIENT TIME WASTER

2009-11-11T08:34:00.000-05:00

Digital Photography Age-How cool! Today's digital darkroom is an array of RAW converters, cataloging software, plugins, photoshop actions, lightroom presets and other filters to streamline the digital "workflow" process. I know I have just lost most of you who do not lower yourself to such pixel depth- and who could blame you.

Needless to say, the digital darkroom is a wonder and jungle. Both streamlining the process and adding an extraordinary amount of time to you self imposed budget.

For instance, the four photographs below:

This first one was taken with a 2800K white balance. In other words, the cameral was adjusted to match the color of a tungsten light bulb because I had small tungsten neon light pointed at the shoes. As a result the stained glass widow became much cooler (bluer) which I new would happen-thought it might be a cool effect-you be the judge. So lets just develop the picture using a RAW converter, save as jpeg file and be done, but no-that's not good enough-lets waste some time seeing what else is possible after all we have such wonderful tools.

This next picture was adjusted to match the color of the sun shining on the window, so now you can see a little bit of the tungsten (yellowish) light on the shoes.

Then it was go through a list of filters and presets looking for another combination of development configurations that may produce a cool looking image. This next image is similar to the first but has some punched up colors.

That's not enough. He is another adjustment to a sepia version. I would not have thought that it would of turned out since it had so much color in the original, which is what I was attacted to in the first place.

One more, of course there are hundreds of ways to develop a picture, but that would be a waste of time- or is it?

2009-11-06T19:27:00.000-05:00

$500 Grand Prize

Holiday Extravaganza Open House

Come See

And 17 other Local Vendors

We will be located in

Wedding Planner Tharp and Associates' Studio

which is adjacent to

The Jefferson House of Flowers

Located at:

4300 West 100 North

Kokomo, IN 46902

Any Bride who stops in to see us and mentions this email is eligible to receive a free engagement session with the purchase of

Wedding Day Coverage

Also sign up for a free Portrait Session

Aleshia and Ryan's Wedding -October 10

2009-11-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to Aleshia and Ryan for the opportunity to photograph their wedding in Rochester last month. It was a picturesque fall day. A little crisp in the air, the fall colors beginning to bloom and a clear blue sky-overall a great day for a wedding. It was easy taking pictures of a beautiful bride and great guy. We wish you both all the best for a great future together.

A Visit to Rainbow Christian Camp

2009-10-26T17:52:00.000-04:00

Way overdue on a post- so hopefully I will catch up in the next couple of weeks as we are already moving from fall to even colder. The last couple of weeks we have had some great fall weather and I have tried to get out an enjoy the fall foliage.

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Rainbow Christian Camp
in Converse, Indiana. I received a first class tour from Scott Schoberg. He spent almost an hour showing me the different campsites and cabins. The tour started off with a look at their conference center. The foyer of the conference center is lined with exotic stuff game. I am not a hunter, but this was amazing. It is a got to see! After the tour of the conference center, we toured the grounds. They have a wide variety of accommodations from huts that simulate a small village. (I can't remember if it was Africa or South America.) They had dorm type cottages with bunk beds and even cottages for couples who want to get away for the weekend or longer.

Besides the accommodations they have plenty of activities and team building events like wall climbing and paintball to make your group's stay extremely memorable. The camp caters to all people in all walks of life from children to adults.

I had my camera with me as we toured the site. I did not have a chance to take any pictures during the tour and I had another appointment that day but I did manage to take a parting shot of their barn as I left. The barn has rabbits, chickens, horses and a few other. (I am pretty much a suburban boy- I only know subdivisions and manicured lawns.)

Rainbow Christian Camp is a well kept secret only 30 minutes from Kokomo. I certainly recommend a visit. The fall colors were gorgeous too!

Nikon D700 Nikkor 24-70/f2.8

Mackinaw City Michigan

2009-07-20T11:20:00.000-04:00

Continued.... We also met photographer Monte Nagler from Farmington Michagan during our trip. He studied under Ansel Adams and has had his images shown in galleries throughout the United States.

The last two days of our trip took us to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore and then up US31 to Mackinaw City. The weather was a little gray both days but we managed to find a few slivers of sunshine hear and there. The sunrise on our last day was pretty awesome again. Now that we are back we have about 1600 images to edit. Here is another small sample.

This first image taken a sunrise. We got lucky with a small sliver of open sky between the water and the clouds. (Nikon D300 Nikkor70-200/f2.8G VR)

(Nikon D300 Nikkor 70-200/f2.8G VR)

Mackinac Bridge at Night (Nikon D700 Nikkor 70-200/2.8G VR)

Mackinaw City Lighthouse
(Nikon D700 Nikkor 24-70/2.8G)

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore- It's a 450 drop to the bottom. Gray day but the people in the picture give you a sense of scale for the dune.
Nikon D700 24-70/2.8G

We are back home but would still love to be on the road.

Traverse City, Michigan

2009-07-14T09:31:00.000-04:00

Angie and I decided to take a quick photo excursion to Traverse City, Michigan. We have been up to the Old Mission Point and the Leelanau State Park as well as several points in between. The sunrise on the first morning at Old Mission Point was one of the best sunrises I have ever seen. It seemed forever for the sun to come up over horizon and then break through several bands of clouds. After a morning (which started at 4am) we headed back to town for a quick breakfast and nap. Headed out to Front Street in Traverse City to see the shopping district. After a late lunch it was off to the Asylum ( a mental hospital that is being redeveloped into a mix use of retail, office and residential housing). It still has a ways to go and was a little creepy. Late afternoon it was up the coast of the West Bay to Omena for dinner before heading up to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse at Leelanua State Park and then finally ended up in Fishtown for sunset. We finally made it back to the hotel about 10:30PM. It was a short couple of hours to 5AM to get to Cherry Bend for some more sunrise pictures at a marina. This afternoon its off to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.

4th of July at Rozzi's Continental Ballroom

2009-07-08T11:16:00.000-04:00

I had an opportunity over the 4th of July holiday to take some images of ROZZI'S CATERING AND CONTINENTAL BALLROOM. It wasn't red white and blue but was lemon yellow and lime green...that is the whole Continental Ballroom was decorated with lemons and limes...it was awesome. It was a lot a fun and a challenge to capture the essence of the ballroom. Hopefully I was able to do that. Here are few images:

Tracey and Shane

2009-06-24T19:43:00.000-04:00

Tracey and Shane were married on June 20, 2009 at the Kokomo Country Club. I had the privilege of shooting their wedding. The wedding was wonderful and they were a lot a fun to shoot. We were able to get outside on the golf course in the early evening when it was not so hot

Today- It's all About Image

2009-05-04T11:52:00.000-04:00

Image is everything to coin an old Canon tag line, but in today's world it still true. What kind of image are you projecting. What kind of portrait do you have on you Facebook page, website or LinkedIn account. Professional head shots may be something to consider in projecting a professional image today's new economy if you are to be taken seriously. Below are two head shots to be used by All Pro Plumbing on their new website.

Landlord-Beware of the Perfect Tenant

2009-03-25T14:45:00.000-04:00

I haven't had much time to update this blog in large part due to some issues with my one and only rental property. You see I made the terrible mistake of leasing the house out to two young men returning from Iraq. They seemed all too nice (they all do before they move in). The lady before seemed perfect and I am still trying to collect a rental judgment from her. I only write this blog entry for anyone who is considering rental property as an investment (because housing costs are very low and rental rates have increased) for them to beware. It is not as easy as it may seem. I just pulled 1200 pounds (that's right 1200 pounds) of trash out of the house and garage. Today we tried to clean the carpets-cigarette burns just do not clean up well. Nor do areas where the dogs ripped up the carpet clean well; so much for the no pets clause. Alas, I haven't had a decent renter in the house since the couple that burned it down two years ago. Anyway, another couple of days and the for rent sign goes back in the yard. The next renters I am sure will be wonderful. I am due? Oh buy the way, I have had the opportunity to use my photography skills to document the house trashed they left my house. I hope you enjoy. I haven't bothered editing these-nor am I sure the pictures due to the damage the justice it deserves. Does smell come through photographs.

Coffee Table Wedding Album Books

2009-03-10T07:31:00.000-04:00

In staying with the theme of albums, I thought I would post pictures of our coffee table wedding album books. These albums are hardback books with a glossy cover both front and back. The inside pages can be printed with a glossy, varnish or matte finish. These books come in a variety of sizes and also come with a soft cover version. The book is bound just like a regular book would be bound. This first picture is the front cover of a 10x10 book.

This next picture is the back cover. These covers can be designed in many ways. Of course your would not have my name plastered all over the back.

Double page spreads are always spectactular. It is not different with these books too.

Flush Mount Albums Offering

2009-03-02T11:06:00.000-05:00

Below is a series of pictures illustrating our flush mount albums. I just love these albums. They are made with premium leather and are built for quality. This first image shows the slip case box the album comes in for safe storage. There is also a felt jacket for the album itself. .

This next two images is a top view and side view of the album. The actual album will come with gold or silver embossing. The album show is in black, but they come in a variety of colors.

The next two images are show how each page lays flat when opened allowing for a two page spead of images. There is only a 1mm gutter between each page. I have opted for an album with a gutter because I believe over time any flush mount spread album that does not have a gutter will wear out eventually.

This is a close up view of the above image.

Finally, this image shows a sample double page spread. If you will notice the background picture is over the entire two pages. Of course, sometime the main image is spread across both pages. Each album is created differently for each bride.

There are two sample albums on our website under the portfolio link. We will be posting our other albums offerings on the next couple of posts. Please call us if you have any questions.

Avatars and some fun with filters

2009-02-23T12:52:00.000-05:00

For my Facebook and MySpace websites I needed to create an avatar. So I did a self-portrait as seen here. This was a simple imge shot with a small lightbox placed 90 degrees to the camera left. The exposure on the camera was a couple of stops underexposed in order to get a black background. Maybe a little boring for an avatar, so I thought I would play around with some filters.

As a result of some fiddling around on a Sunday afternoon, I came up with the following variations.

I think I am going to go with the last one as my new avatar. At least for a while. The first filter can be an effective filter for using on portraits if not use to much and used in the right situation (and primarily on guys). The following images are a before and after using the same filter as in the first image.

This image was taken in the middle of the day under some very harsh light. As you can see from the shadows the sun was right overhead.

The next picture applies a filter that gives the image a certain edge to it. I think is looks much better.

Another Past Due Post

2009-02-19T13:05:00.000-05:00

I have been negligent to post these pictures of this wedding from last year. I have also added borders to finish off the pictures. I would have posted a few more images, but I working on an automated script do I can add borders and name with one touch of a button. So hopefully I will post a few more pictures and maybe and discuss a little more about scripts and batch processing using imaging programs.

Summer Travel

2008-10-24T15:51:00.000-04:00

Got a chance to shoot a little this summer in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Dallas. Dallas was a little hazing but I got few good shots. Pittsburgh has a great view from Grandview Ave. There is also a great vantage point from Northern Kentucky for great shots of the Cincinnati skyline. You can see the whole city and the sports venues from that vantage point. Attached a couple of the shoots. You can see more at "Myfavoritepicture.com".

Wedding Albums

2008-05-06T13:53:00.000-04:00

Putting a wedding album together is almost as much fun as the wedding day itself. We have inlcuded here a few of the pages. You may notice some of album pages use the photos from the previous post. Tell us what you think.

Wes and Richelle

2008-05-02T11:37:00.000-04:00

Just finished editing most of the pictures to our latest weedding. Was this fun? More fun for Wes and Richelle I think. Captured some great shots. Here's just a couple of them.

Returned

2008-04-22T13:56:00.000-04:00

We made it to Columbus and back. It rained just like we thougth, but the Lord allowed us some good shots both Friday night and Saturday morning. You'll have to check out the website MyFavoritePicture.com to see the rest. Be sure to check out both the Traditional and Surreal Galleries.

Road Trip

2008-04-17T14:59:00.000-04:00

We are leaving tomorrow to got to Columbus, OH for the weekend. We are hoping to add some skyline photos to our MyFavoritePicture.com website. It's supposed to rain, how nice. We are still hopeful that we will still find some good photo ops. I will post next week if we have any success.

Early Morning Surprise

2008-04-05T10:31:00.000-04:00

I was on the way to pick up breakfast this morning at Qdobe, our favorite quick serve restaurant when I saw this picture at the end of the block as I went to turn onto the main road. I had to rushed home quickly to get my camera. I should have had the camera with me. I think a got a few good shots. Remember to take some verticals!

Online Online Online

2008-03-31T15:34:00.000-04:00

My Favorite Picture and EyeGate Photography are now online. It was a lot easier than I would have ever thought to get these webistes online. The My Favorite Picture website is from SmugMug. They have a great and affordable product. Their webpages can be customized and they give you step by step instructions on how to customize your website. Their prints are also great!

Microsoft Office Live offers a free websit and domain. The EyeGate Photography website are page templates from The Turning Gate. They can be modified without much html knowlege at all. Of course you need to have Photoshop Lightroom to use these templates.