Where to shoot - Cedar Hill State Park / Penn Farm

First - a quick disclaimer.  The photos for this post were iPhone snapshots from a family camping trip, not examples of decent photography :)

I will update this "Where to shoot" series of posts from time to time when I find  a spot to share.  To that end I have also started a flickr group for area photo locations.  Feel free to come add to it.  If it grows over time, it could be a good source for shooting spots when you run out of ideas.

A few weeks ago we packed up and headed to Cedar Hill State Park for a quick camping adventure.  I intentionally left all photo gear at home except my iPhone and the camera above.  It was not to be a photo safari, but a family fun time.  As we left the house, Renee said that I should be bringing more camera, and, as usual she was right.

Any state park will offer a multitude of natural backgrounds and potentially great portrait spots.  Cedar Hill gives that and more.


There are a few unique spots like the "perch pond" for kid fishing above, a short hike back to a natural pond, some well maintained hiking trails, and great views of Joe Pool Lake.

The real gold mine here, though, is the historic Penn Farm within the grounds of the park.


There is a short walk from the parking area back into the farm (with restrooms near the entrance), but the dirt road pathways and trails are good enough for strollers or wheelchairs.  A variety of old farm equipment is scattered around the grounds, and old wood fences are in abundance.


An old windmill can be a great prop.  Unless the person volunteering to take your photo puts it right on your wife's head.


For my money, the best features are the old barn and house buildings.


Wood and stone features are everywhere, with lots of big shady spots to find good light any time of day.


There are also some wide open fields available, although it seemed to be a popular place for people to let their dogs romp around.


There were several photographers out doing the work on a beautiful but cold Saturday morning, and I see why.

Entry to the park is $7 for adults, free for kids under 12.  Park hours are 6  a.m. - 10 p.m., but the website lists Penn Farm as closing at 5 p.m.

It is a beautiful spot within an easy drive of the general D/FW area.  Enjoy!

Exposure Basics - Fountains and Shutter Speed

This blog started as a place to point people who ask me about photography. One of the questions I hear most often (usually sports related) is about stopping action. When you leave your camera on automatic mode, you are at its mercy in this regard.

Shutter speed determines how long the exposure takes, and therefore how much of the subject's movement or camera's movement is captured in the frame. Faster shutter equals less recorded movement.

Many people are disappointed in their camera's ability to use faster shutter speed in dark areas, and this is one of the areas in photography where money ends up making a big difference. Newer and more expensive cameras and lenses are more sensitive, and let in more light to enable the higher shutter speeds.

The easiest way to play with the shutter speed is in "shutter priority" mode. You pick the shutter and iso, the the camera does the rest. For some reason, tV is the designation for shutter priority mode on the camera. If you know why, let me know.

Streams, waterfalls and fountains make great places to play with shutter speed, because at either end of the spectrum, motion stopped or blurred, there is a neat result.

Here is a run through of the same shot with corresponding shutter speeds of a fountain at the wonderful Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

1/400 Shutter Speed, the motion is mostly stopped. The focus point for this series is the rock in front, so the drops are out of focus on this one.


1/100 Shutter speed, the drops show a little movement, but are still separately defined elements.


1/50 Shutter speed, and you can really see some motion happening.


1/15 Shutter speed, and the drops are blurring together. To me, this looks closest to seeing the fountain in person.


1/5 Shutter speed and all definition is lost. Past this point, you get the silky-white water look that turns waterfalls into a surrealistic flowing look.

1/5 was also as slow a shutter speed possible on the 5D with this much light (Lowest ISO setting and highest aperture). To get more, you can add neutral-density filters on your lens to knock down the light a bit.

A tripod is recommended as well. I did not have mine for these shots, so I was kneeling on the ground "being" the tripod....


Using high shutter speeds is fun with water as well, to freeze droplets in mid air like the abstract looking thing at the top of the post.


Here are a few more shots from the FWBG...


1/500 shutter

1/40 Shutter

Fountains acn make interesting background objects because of the organic shapes.. In this case it looks like a ghost!


The fountain makes an exclamation point for the end of the vine-covered walkway...


Hanging vines with water droplets, low Aperture setting, and that turned out even better than I had hoped...


Some flowers I've never seen before...


And roses of all shapes, sizes, varieties and colors...


Including dead


The view down through the rose garden and fountains


And another abstract water droplet shot, just for the fun of it.


Happy Shooting

don j.

Quick Pics - Phone Photos in Fort Worth

I have heard wise photographers say, "The best camera is the one you have with you." With cameras built into the phone, at least we almost always have a way to get snapshots (or better) and capture a moment.

Today I was out in Fort Worth for work. Fort Worth is one of my favorite cities, because it really maintains a country, smaller-town feel. I grew up on small country towns, so I feel at home there.

I take my "real" camera almost everywhere, but it is a little bit big to carry around, especially when talking to customers for my real job. Which gets us back to cell phone cameras.

There is a cutting-horse show at Will Rogers Arena, with lots of photo opportunities. The horses, cows, Cowboys, Cowgirls, boots with spurs... all kinds of photographic goodness.

While there, I noticed in the main arena there were lots of riders going around in circles. It reminded me of an ice rink, except completely different.

On the side was one cowboy watching and having a quiet moment with a horse.


There was not much light, so the riders in the background were blurring out, making a nice effect. It's all about layers.


Of course, I wish I had my dslr, but I am still happy with these pictures for capturing the feeling in the arena at least a little.

One more cell-phone camera example...

A very "Fort Worth" snapshot...



Use the camera you have with you, and even if it is just a cell-phone camera, you can still use it to make memorable photos instead of just snapshots. All of these photos are taken with a Blackberry Curve.

Happy Shooting,

don j.