Memorial Day remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces

ON THE BEACH: The first wave of Marines takes cover behind the sand dunes on Saipan beach, during the World War II invasion of Marianas Islands. The soldier kneeling in the sand at far right is Carl Matthews of Texas; second from right is Wendal Nightingale of Skowhegan, Maine; standing is Lt. James Stanley Leary of North Carolina. Neither Nightingale nor Leary made it home from Saipan; both are still listed as missing in action. Time Life photo by U.S. Marine Sgt. James Burns

The oldest of my father's siblings was James Stanley Leary who was named after his father and my grandfather. He died July 14, 1944 during battle with the Japanese on Saipan. 120 Marines died there.

I too was named after my grandfather, so we shared the same name.

Good chance that the famous Life photographer W. Eugene Smith was there with him. This is where he took the famous photograph of the little baby being pulled out by the soldier. Here is link to that photo.

Today is about remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 1/250

I drove up to Canton, Georgia to the National Cemetery there to just remember. While there I saw family members in tears missing their loved ones.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 1/250

I saw what looked like parents at their child's grave.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 1/200

I saw service members remembering their friends. This marine left this for his friend.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, ƒ/2.8, 1/3200

I had waited till he had paid his respects to get the close-up of the Symbol of the Corps The Eagle, Globe and Anchor emblem has been part of the uniform since 1868 and became the official emblem of the Marine Corps in 1955.

The eagle with spread wings represents our proud nation. The globe points to worldwide presence. The anchor stands for naval tradition. Together, they represent a dedication to service in the air, on land and at sea.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, ƒ/2.8, 1/3200

Today this tomb stones are visual reminders to us the living of the dead who sacrificed. Remember your photos will help generations to come to be able to remember. Take pictures with the attitude of service.

Nikon D4, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 100, ƒ/2.2, 1/3200

John 15:13 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

13 The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them.

Roswell Georgia Remembers

Take you camera with you this holiday--you will be glad you did and sorry if you left it at home.  While many of today's events are situations you cannot stop and have to go with the flow, you have to think more to clean up the backgrounds and get the right angle to tell a story.

While these are not going to win the Pulitzer they do keep me shooting and looking.  This exercise of the eyes and brain will lead you to better photos.

Do you see the variations in types of photos below?

First woman guest speaker, Captain Donna C. Rowe, Army Nurse Corps Vietnam 1968-69, hopes her talk helps them invite more women veterans in the future.

Crowd of about 6 - 7,000 listens to Guest Speaker Captain Donna C. Rowe.

Veteran pauses for a portrait after handing out flags to children and adults.

Roswell Faces of War Memorial

Crowd at the celebration

Pledge of Allegiance

Presenting of the colors by Piedmont Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution

Photographing Fireworks

Good fireworks photos have one thing in common - good foregrounds.

The fireworks are way up in the sky, of course, but what you put between you and the fireworks can make the difference between an okay photograph and a great shot.

During the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration at New York harbor some photographers used the Statue of Liberty in the foreground of their fireworks pictures. In Philadelphia some photographed the fireworks in the sky over Independence Hall. These pictures truly captured the mood and meaning of the celebrations because of the foregrounds chosen. 

Composition 

The most difficult part of using a foreground is balancing the exposure between it and the fireworks themselves. Since it is impossible to know the correct or preferred exposure for the fireworks it is impossible to know in advance how to balance the exposure for the foreground. While this may be done "on the spot" an assistant or two would be necessary because of shortness of time of the fireworks show. To solve this problem use a foreground object that will work as a silhouette.

 

Prior to the event try to find out where the fireworks will be launched. Then visit the site before the show and look around. Sometimes the best location could be really far away and shot with a telephoto lens.

Pick your spot carefully because there will not be time to move once the excitement begins.

It's hard to know how high the fireworks will go before they explode or how big they will be when they do. So after the first couple of shots check the composition. Make sure it's not too loose and the fireworks are too small or too tight that they are going outside the frame. 

Equipment and Exposure 

A sturdy tripod and a cable or remote release are needed for successful fireworks photographs.

Start with the camera on the lowest ISO (100 or less). Set the aperture at ƒ/8 or ƒ/11 and the shutter speed on bulb (this keeps the shutter open for as long as the shutter release is held down; hence the need or a cable or remote release to avoid camera shake).

A small flashlight is a nice addition to you equipment for the shoot.

Take a shot or two then check the exposure. It should be close, but tweaking it a little should make the colors pop.

Technique

As soon as you hear the sound of the firework being launched open the shutter and hold it open for two or three bursts before releasing it. Blues don't photograph as well as reds or greens, so hold the shutter open longer for a blue burst. For different effects change the length of time the shutter is open.

Out of around one hundred shots of a typical show twenty or so should be excellent photos.

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The really cool thing about this - an expensive camera isn't needed. Any camera that accepts a shutter or remote release, can be set to "bulb" and has a tripod socket should work. Many of the point and shoot cameras will work nicely.

So check it out before show. Find a spot with a workable foreground. Take a plethora of pictures. Isn't digital great – no film cost!