Repeat Photography Part 1

by Anita Mae Draper

Last fall I was checking over the 1200 photos I’d taken of my trip from Saskatchewan, down through Montana and Wyoming to Denver, Colorado and back north again. Specifically, I was looking at the 800 plus photos of Wyoming where my Emma’s Outlaw manuscript is set while trying to figure out what type of trees were in the photos and what would have been around back in 1879. This led to an interesting post on another blog showing how I found that information. It also reminded me of Historic Repeat Photography.

Googling Historic Repeat Photography is fine for landscape photos used to determine changes to water courses, riparian areas, glaciers and vegetation over time. But I wanted to see what towns looked like back then.

My first exposure to this type of photography was in the Then & Now column of the monthly magazine, Our Canada.  One issue showed a black & white photo of a quiet country lane with one old farm and some hills in the background. Another photo of the same view taken sixty years later showed a road with numerous houses on either side, yet you knew it was the same place because of the hills in the background. In another issue, they showed an B&W photo of an old city street and then what the same street looks like today. You could still see some of the original buildings.

So, I googled some more and found an array of photos under these searches:

- Then and Now Photography

- Now and Then Photography

- Rephotography (Wikipedia)

From a historical writer's view, these are invaluable resources for getting the accuracy as well as the ambiance for your chosen period of writing, like this:



New York 1896



The Siegel-Cooper Department Store on Sixth Avenue & 18th Street, New York opened in 1896 and remained one of the city’s premier shopping destinations until 1918.



New York Present Day



 Although the building now houses lofts and an assortment of smaller stores, the exterior still remains much as it did at the turn of the century.  

Bagg Mansion, Montreal
 1900 and 2003

The Montreal Bear describes the Robert Bagg Mansion on Sherbrooke Street in Montreal as such:  "The property is clearly urban in its overall style with a Victorian inspiration and twist thanks to the tower, located left, topped with a "pepper shaker" style roof. The house is sided with grey stone ashlar masonry for the basement level, red sandstone ashlar on first and second floor and painted cedar shingles on the mansard-looking third floor roof. Originally, the mansard roof was sided in copper which was seriously damaged during the 1983 fire."

If you'd like to see more Then and Now Photography, the McCord Museum of Canadian History has a virtual exhibit, Urban Life Through Two Lenses, where they compare interior photographs as well exterior cityscapes of Montreal, Quebec. Slide your mouse over the photos for more information.

Anniversary photos are another reason people like this type of photography.

Bert and Carla's 60th

I'll be back next week with more information about this type of photography, specifically,  the best way to create historic photos such as the anniversary one above. Also, how to create blended Now & Then photos using old photos or postcards and combining them with present day photos, whether print or digital.

I think one of the best uses of Repeat Photography would be in the biblical education department. Unfortunately, actual photographs have only been around since the middle of the 19th century, so that's not possible. However, we have the Bible which contains detailed descriptions of enough buildings to give us an idea. So, next week, I'll show you what is currently available for this purpose. It reminds me of the second Bible I ever owned which instantly became my favorite because of the color maps in the back. Still, it was hard to separate the biblical place names with those on a modern day map.

One of my favourite photo themes is to take a series of photo of the same thing - like a birdhouse or apple tree - in different seasons of the year, to see the change take place. I've done the same thing with mushrooms growing in the lawn, although I had to act fast because they went from a 1/2 inch button to a floppy 4 inch mess within a 24 hour period. I've also taken photos of the same scene but at different times of the day so that it catches the soft morning light, the bright washed out mid-day light, and the goldeny natural evening light. And to think it has a name like Repeat Photograhy.

I'll leave you with these photos I've taken in the last couple years of a scene that greats me when I open my bedroom blind.



Spring Early Morning



Winter Mid-morning









  

Late Fall Sunset

 

Summer Mid-day







Have you ever tried any type of repeat photography? Share it with us, including a link if you can.

www.anitamaedraper.com





Who Pays for that Higher Education?

by Jen AlLee

My son is a senior in high school, which means that this year is crucial. This is the year he applies to colleges. This is the year that sets up the remainder of his education and the beginning of his future career. In short, this year is the foundation for the rest of his life.

But no pressure, right?

One of the things I've stressed with my son as part of his decision making process is tuition. I'd love to be able to tell him to pick the college of his dreams and money-be-darned. I wish I could tell him that his dad and I will pay for his tuition, but that's not happening,.

A lot of my friends are surprised when I tell them that we don't plan to pay for college. But to be honest, it never occurred to us. Both Marcus and I went to college. We both applied for scholarships and grants. Some we got, some we didn't. Both of us had to figure out a way to pay for the balance of our tuition, which we did, through student loans.

I'm not sure when the mindset changed from young adults paying for their own higher education to parents footing the bill indefinitely. Perhaps it's because the cost of college has risen so much. Or maybe parents feel obligated to give their children so many things, they just don't know when to stop. Whatever the reason, I'm wondering about the wisdom of it.

Don't get me wrong. I don't look down on anyone who decides to pay for their child's education. If I could do it for my son, I would (maybe). I just don't believe parents need to go deeper into debt or work themselves to a frazzle in order to get their kids through college.

Part of the college experience is learning how to take responsibility for your life. That includes figuring out how to pay for things. Beside that, I think folks appreciates something more when they have to pay for it themselves. That goes for video games, cars, and yes, college.

So, while we'll probably pay for his cell phone to make sure he keeps in touch, and we may buy him a laptop to take with him, when Billy heads off to college it's going to be to a place that he knows he's paying for. Does that make me a bad parent? I hope not.

Raisin’ Love with Raisin Pie

by Susanne Dietze

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18

It’s easy to tell my husband that I love him. He’s God’s gift to me, and what a gift. We daily say “I love you,” but it’s important to show him love, too. One way we nourish our relationship is by showing each other little acts of affection, like when I send notes in his work bag and prepare his favorite foods.
Image by jimmywayne via Flickr

Well, not all of his favorite foods. There’s Raisin Pie to consider. When Thanksgiving rolls around, I brace myself for his request. He loves Raisin Pie, and I absolutely do not. Because I don’t eat it, I never want to bake it, even though it makes my husband happy.

It’s easier for me to show love when I enjoy the task or the outcome of my work (like when I bake a flavor of pie that I enjoy eating, too). But when opportunities arise to show love in ways that aren’t as enjoyable, we can rise to the occasion by doing the task out of love for God, showing devotion to Him in a way that also blesses others.

St. Thèrése of Lisieux, the nineteenth century Carmelite nun, wrote, “I seek little opportunities, mere trifles, to give pleasure to Jesus; for instance a smile, a pleasant word when inclined to be silent and to show weariness."

When we deliberately sit at the potluck with the person who gets on our nerves, or clean a stranger's mess at the food court in the mall, or make Raisin Pie for the sheer love of our God, we “give pleasure to Jesus.” We can transform each chore or irritant into an act of devotion to God by doing the task cheerfully for Him.

I'll be keeping that in mind. After all, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I have a pie to bake.

What sorts of small acts could you offer that would show love to God and those around you?

Have you ever had raisin pie? If you're like me and prefer something else, what's your favorite flavor?

Color Your World

by Niki Turner

It's the height of color season here in the Rockies. Colorado is famous for it's autumnal displays of gold and orange and red. Tourists and locals alike flock to the hills to view the patchwork of golden aspens, orange and red scrub oak, and evergreens against a backdrop of azure skies.

This is the valley where I grew up. via Scott Ingram Photography

Come spring, the same locals "ooh" and "aah" over the first sight of a green blade of grass like desert wanderers who've spotted an oasis. Long, white winters will do that to a person!

You're probably aware that the colors around you affect you emotionally, mentally, and physically. That's why drunk tanks and football locker rooms are sometimes painted pink. In 1999, college athletic programs ruled that the locker rooms of visiting teams had to be painted the same color as the locker room of the home team, to avoid this color effect.

Politicians who wear blue ties are considered more honest and trustworthy than politicians who wear red ties. Red is known to increase both appetite and blood pressure, hence the reason you find it in restaurants. Yellow triggers sharpened mental acuity. It's also the first color the eye picks up. Hint: If you don't want to be noticed in a crowd, do not wear a yellow shirt.

Jason Trommeter's Gallery via Picasa

Chromodynamics is the study of the effect of color on the human body and brain. Marketers use chromodynamics in advertising and product design. (McDonald's just wouldn't be as yummy if those famous arches were silver, or blue.) Interior designers apply chromodynamics to create the desired atmosphere in a room or building. Some practitioners of alternative medicine use special colored glasses to increase the body's ability to heal itself. Real-life rose-colored glasses!

In writing, we are encouraged to use all five senses to relate setting and emotion to our readers. Use color wisely. Having a bride choose to wear a persimmon wedding gown says something much different about her character than the bride who opts for traditional white. Watch how filmmakers use color to set the tone for a movie.

From a biblical standpoint, it's obvious God is a big proponent of color, and He must be well aware of the power of color on humans. He has surrounded us with a world of intense colors, from sunsets and sunrises to the wild colors found underseas and everything in between. Rainbows didn't have to be so dramatic and visually pleasing, but what a wonderfully colorful reminder He will never flood the earth again as he did in Noah's time. The prayer shawls worn by the Hebrews were trimmed in blue, a color that symbolizes the presence of God and was to remind the Hebrews of their covenant with Him. 

Pure light contains all colors of the spectrum. Every object absorbs some of the light and reflects other parts of the light. In other words, a red apple reflects the "red" part of the spectrum. It's the reflected light we see and register as "red." (Therefore, apples aren't really red, but that's another subject for another day.)

Excellent site about colordynamics. http://www.colormatters.com/

Do you adore a certain color? Have your color preferences changed over time, during different periods of your life? Can you pinpoint what was taking place in your life when your love for one color changed to a passion for another? Do you suddenly feel compelled to surround yourself with a new hue or shade? Maybe you aren't really craving the peacock blue leather satchel. Maybe what you've suddenly fallen in love with is that particular shade of blue.

You can take advantage of colordynamics in your home, your wardrobe, even your workspace without spending a dime. Just use what you have to create the effect you want. Try giving your picky eater a red plate at dinner. On a diet? Use a blue plate.

Paint your front door a color you find welcoming and peaceful. And if you rarely enter via the front door, leave it whatever color it is and go paint the door that comes in from the garage! Isn't it funny that so many of us have brightly colored front doors, yet enter and leave our homes through doors that are dingy white or scuffed gray?

Feeling tired? What color energizes you? Get yourself a mug that color for your coffee or tea. Don't be afraid to experiment with color in your surroundings!

Lately, I'm drawn to a rich, deep purple with the barest hint of red; preferably in a thick, cushy velvet, suede, or soft-as-butter leather. Hmm. Maybe it's time for new purse. Or these boots...

What are your thoughts and experiences with the science of color?
What's your current color craving?