Most often though, when I’m off the clock, I leave the photo equipment behind. One incident from 1989, changed this habit. I was in West Berlin in early November of that year. To the surprise of much of the world, the East Germans started to dismantle the infamous Berlin Wall. At this historic time, I was regretfully camera-less.

This lesson nudged me from this time forward to carry a small camera so that I wouldn’t miss those “once in a lifetime” photo opportunities.

One of these opportunities amazingly happened when I was in London in September 1997. Sadly, Princess Diana had died in an automobile accident the previous week. Hundreds of thousands of mourners turned out at Kensington Palace to offer their sympathies. Thankfully, I had already seen the light and had changed my ways so a camera was on hand to record this event.

Of course, this was an unusual moment in which I coincidentally happened to be in the U.K. for this remarkable occasion.

Luckily, most of the time I don’t have to be out shooting on photo assignments. But having a small camera near at hand has given me a chance to get a few snapshots of celebrities without feeling that I am a member of the paparazzi.

Here’s a few of my very casual candid camera encounters:

Gordie Howe, Detroit

Whoopi Goldberg, NYC

Art Buchwald, Washington DC

Patty Wagstaff, Oshkosh

Wolfgang Pick, Santa Monica

Mohammed Ali, flight to LAX

Garrison Keillor, NYC

Neil Sedaka, NYC

Paul Anka, Las Vegas

Sigfried, Las Vegas

These snapshots are my way of keeping these events memorable. The lesson that I learned early on is to keep my eyes wide open and to keep a small camera close by. It’s my way of having fun remembering the past.

This is the “handy camera” that I’m using these days. Its 14X optical zoom lens is very useful for taking a wide range of subjects. The camera is very compact making it a great traveler. You can see by the scars on the camera body that it is well used.

My advice is don’t leave home without it!

Note: I’m currently using the Canon SX210 IS as my everyday walk-around camera.

Written: November 2008.

Here’s some rambling about nothing in particular.

When the weather starts cooling off in Michigan, Mom starts thinking about going to the warm environs of her Winter home in Arizona. Normally she waits until after the Christmas Holidays, but this year she decides to travel early.

Here’s where I come in. She flies and I drive. As the designated driver, I drive her car from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Phoenix, Arizona to use for the months that she is there. I don’t mind, in fact I look forward to the 2000 mile trip. After delivering the car to Phoenix I’ll fly back to Grand Rapids.


During the cold months to avoid bad weather, the preferred driving route is through Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and then on to Arizona. When I leave Grand Rapids on Friday at 7PM, my plan is to follow this route. But two hours into the trip I call my son Paul by cell phone and have him check the road conditions forecast for Colorado. According to weather.com, he assures me that the roads through Colorado are clear. So I decide to take the more northernly route through Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado. The reason is simple - the scenery in Colorado is preferable to the scenery of Missouri and Oklahoma.

Except for refueling, a rest area just east of Des Moines is my first stop at 3AM. Mom has thrown a blanket and pillow in the back seat for me so I recline the car seat for some sleep. My alarm clock is the cold temperature of the car. After a few hours sleeping in an unheated car (the engine is off), I’m too cold to sleep any longer so I’m back on the road. I reach the Iowa-Nebraska border at 7AM.

I fill up the tank again in York, Nebraska where the gas is only $1.99 per gallon. This turns out to be the lowest price for this trip. As I pass by the large and fragrant stockyards in Ogallala, Nebraska I know that I’ll soon be leaving the East-West Interstate 80 and heading south into Colorado.

Since I’m getting a little drowsy, I pull off into a rest area in Sterling, Colorado for an hour nap. Then I’m back on the road through Denver and a short jog onto US 185. Now I’m passing through the very pretty mountains and high plains of central Colorado.

Although today is a Saturday, the roads in rural Colorado are nearly traffic-free. This makes my drive through the mountains very relaxing. Five hours later I arrive in the southwest corner of Colorado and the picturesque town of Durango.

Durango is most well-known for its narrow gauge railroad that climbs the steep mountains to Silverton. During the summer, this unique railroad attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists to the cozy town. A few years ago, our youngest son lived in Durango so I know the town well. So I point the car towards East by Southwest Restaurant to treat myself to sushi after my first 24 hours on the road. Then on to the Best Western motel.

After checking in, I ask the clerk for a 6AM wakeup call and hit the pillow for some real sleep. The next thing I know my wakeup call is harkening me back into the car. It’s still dark out when I pick up a coffee from McDonalds and leave town driving south.

A few miles out of Durango I cross into New Mexico. Northwestern New Mexico is also the Navajo Indian Reservation. I stop in Shiprock to snap a few photos of the famous monument. Then I continue south to Gallup where I pick up Interstate 40 westward into Arizona.

An hour later, I’m at the entrance to Petrified Forest National Park. Although I’ve passed through this area a dozen times before, this is my first visit to this National Park.

The 28 mile loop through the park yields about 75 photos. Then, I’m back on the road for the last leg of my journey. In the scenic east central area of Arizona I drive over mountains and through winding canyons and past the cactus covered deserts. I arrive in Phoenix just as the sun is setting.

Here’s a few observations from this cross country drive.

My biggest surprise is the cost of a medium chocolate shake at McDonalds in Holbrook, Arizona - $3.81 including tax (ouch).

Best breakfast - Golden Corral in Gallup, New Mexico

Best dinner - East by Southwest in Durango, Colorado

Prettiest site - Shiprock monument in Shiprock, New Mexico and Painted Desert overlook in Petrfied Forest National Park

Sleepiest section - eastern Iowa at 1AM

• $2.03/gallon - Walcott, Iowa
• $1.99/gallon - York, Nebraska
• $2.59/gallon - Sterling, Colorado
• $2.58/gallon - Farmington, New Mexico

Mom’s Toyota Camry performs OK. I check the mileage twice and find that it gets 25 miles per gallon on the interstate highways where the speed limit is 70 mph to 75 mph. However in the high plains of Colorado where the speed limit is 55-60 mph, the car gets an impressive 35 miles per gallon. The bottom-line to maximize your gasoline dollars - slow down.

I pull up to Mom’s house at 6PM - just about 48 hours after leaving Grand Rapids. I unload her belonging from the car, have dinner with my sister and brother-in-law (who also live in Phoenix) and then retire for the night to get some sleep. I’m up at 5AM the next morning for my early flight back to Grand Rapids.

Here’s a few observations about my return flight on Monday morning.

A one-way ticket from Phoenix to Grand Rapids is a sky-high $470.

The leg from Phoenix to Chicago is overbooked. United Airlines asks for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for free travel. Within 5 seconds of the gate agent’s announcement, a dozen volunteers are offering their seats. This is not surprising. With high prices for airline tickets, consumers are on the lookout for ways to save money. Since I want to get home, I don’t volunteer.

One of the passengers confesses that she is upset over the $15 charge for checking her luggage.

Onboard, I find that not only are United’s prices for beer and wine up from $5 to $6, the prices for purchased meals is also up from $5 to $6.

After the 3 hour flight to Chicago and short connection to Grand Rapids, I’m back home by 3:30 PM. Mom’s car is now in Phoenix awaiting for her arrival. I’m happy to have a set of photos from the cross country trip and I’m also happy to get back to work. And all of this completed before the snows begin out West.

For the most part, water and cameras don’t mix well. But by taking a few precautions, you can minimize any danger to your camera at the pool or beach when capturing the fun. And if you’re a serious outdoor fanatic, you can make a waterproof camera part of your photo gear.

On a recent vacation we spent a considerable time cooling off in the pools, river and lake. Here’s how we captured some of our water fun experiences:

This shot was taken from the across the pool and away from the water. The camera was safely protected from the water and possible splashing.

For this shot, the camera was high above the water. The wind was minimal so blowing sand was not a problem.

To take this shot of the leaping kiteboarder, I used a telephoto lens since I was far away from the action. Again, I was away from the water so the camera was not in any danger of damage.

This shot was taken from the beach close to the water. Again, I was using a telephoto lens which kept the camera safe from both sand and water.

It’s time to cool off. Using a waterproof camera, I’m standing in the pool just a few feet from my subject. Without having to worry about getting the camera wet, you can enjoy the pool as much as the others.

We dove down and found this creature below the surface. Underwater cameras give you a chance to take really cool and interesting shots of family and friends.

When people aren’t around, you can explore the bottom of the lake or ocean. This camera can be used to a depth of 16 feet below the surface. One other reasonably priced model can operate to a depth of 30 feet.

• Pentax Optio WP - a 5 MP camera; 3X zoom; 2″ LCD screen; usable to 5 feet depth; compact, one of the first “ruggedized” cameras
• Olympus 720SW - a 7.1 MP camera; 3X zoom; 2.5″ LCD screen; usable to 10 feet depth
• Olympus 1030SW - a 10 MP camera; 3.6X zoom; 2.7″ LCD screen; usable to 33 ft depth - now replaced by the Olympus Tough 8010.

Also available in the same $150-$350 price range are the Canon D10, Fuji Z33WP and Panasonic DMC-TS2. Below are two models that we’re currently using and can recommend.

Olympus Tough 6020 is waterproof to 16 feet, shockproof to 5 feet and temperature proof to 14 degrees. It’s also it’s capable of recording HD video. The orange float strap makes it difficult to lose in the water.

The Vivitar DVR850W is a movie camera that is waterproof to 10 ft. It gives you an easy way to record water action.

Of course you want to be sensible and stay careful with your camera around water and sand. But when warm weather activities begin, I don’t hesitate to find ways to capture the water fun. Why not capture your water fun too?

As an avid picture taker, I learned early on that unless I had a way to organize my pictures, I would find it increasingly difficult to keep track of my growing collection of photographs.

Although I’ve been taking pictures on film since the 1960’s, it wasn’t until 1998 that I began my digital collection. I discovered a software program called Thumbs Plus for the PC and have been using it regularly to catalog and manage more than 100,000 of my digital photos. By adding keywords to an individual photo, I am able to easily and conveniently locate and retrieve photos from the past. Thumbs Plus has dozens of other useful features but for my purposes, organizing is its most important feature. For the past decade Thumbs Plus (and 3 or 4 upgrades) has been one of the most used programs on my computer.

Our family has also been avid outdoor adventurers. It seems like we’ve been visiting and enjoying countless county, state and national parks throughout the USA forever. And what better way to recall these good times than by recording our visits with a camera? Yes, I have lots of vacation photos.

Tongue-in-cheek, I blame Thumbs Plus for making me return to many of the places that I’ve already visited. Let me explain:

When I search my photo collection for the keyword “Grand Tetons” Thumbs Plus finds 741 photos. These represent eight or so visits to the park since 1998. I haven’t yet scanned and added my film photos from our earlier visits to the Tetons, but from these 741 there are a few dozen taken at or near Oxbow Bend - from 1998, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009. Here’s a few of these finds:

Oxbow Bend taken in August 1999 amidst a group of evergreens.

Oxbow Bend taken in September 2003 from a slightly different location from the above photo. It’s only a few yards away but it is surrounded by deciduous trees. The foliage has started to turn color.

Oxbow Bend taken in October 2009. At this time of the year the foliage is on full color display. I’m studying this photo to see what changes I would like to make for my next visit to the Tetons.

So you might ask why do I continue to take so many pictures at Oxbow Bend? I have a two-part answer: 1) it’s a gorgeous view of the mountains from this vista; 2) I want to improve the pictures from my previous visits.

Of course this technique of taking pictures again and again and again applies to any subject that you may choose. Whether it’s your first born child, a favorite pet dog, the annual family reunion or a day at the beach you can learn a lot by reviewing your past photos to see what changes you might make before you take the next one. Repetition may be boring, but it’s also the path to perfecting your craft.

Thumbs Plus lets me easily review my snapshots, but of course there are many other ways to review your previous work. A few minutes of studying your earlier exploits can turn your snapshots into gallery quality photos.

Note: We have no connection to the makers of Thumbs Plus. If you’re interested in Thumbs Plus, please go the the Cerious Software website.

A few years back, we started dabbling in the photography arena. Although we have more than 40 years of background in photography, when it was time to get serious about bringing these products to market, we decided to use the Stay Focused name. We felt that this name brings clarity to the customer. We’re hoping the name says: “here is a brand for a company involved with photography”. Stay Focused is now one of our imprints.

We first introduced the Stay Focused brand on the covers of our new photography book series. Most recently we’ve used the brand on Apple’s iTunes for our newly developed apps for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

We also created a separate online site - one that we’re targeting towards picture-takers who would like to find ways to capture and display even better photos. The site is filled with dozens of tips and hints for improving one’s skills.

If this too is one of your interests, please visit the Stay Focused website to what our product line.

On one of our vacation days, we took a two hour drive across the coastal mountain range to experience the Pacific Ocean and Columbia River. Our destination was the northwest corner of Oregon where Woody, my father-in-law, had served during World War II.

Woody tells us that his assignment back then was to observe the Columbia River looking for Japanese submarines that might enter the river from the Pacific Ocean. His station was Ft Stevens Army Base. While this area is no longer an army base, there is a museum in Ft Stevens State Park in tribute to the men and women who served there.

In particular, I recall Woody telling us two of his memories of his service at Ft. Stevens: the 6″ guns and the great width of the river where it meets the Pacific Ocean.

So we were interested to see how Woody’s memory has held up over nearly 70 years since his service.

We brought back dozens of photographs from our visit to Ft Stevens so that Woody could relive more of his memories from his service during World War II. This was a day well spent on our trip to Oregon.

By the way, although not very well known, Ft Stevens was the only place in the continental US to be bombarded by the enemy fire during World War II. In mid-1942, a Japanese submarine fired 17 shells at the fortification during the night. Luckily, no one was injured.

About four months ago, I was preparing for our bi-annual family reunion. My project was to design an album of family members to be auctioned as part of the reunion fundraisers. I looked through hundreds of Mom’s “shoebox photos” from the 1940’s and 1950’s and found forty or so pictures for the album. I carefully scanned each photo, chose the layout for each album page through an online service, completed and ordered the album online and received the finished photo book by mail in plenty of time for the reunion.

This by itself is reason enough to demonstrate why photos matter, but this article goes a step further.

While looking through Mom’s photos, I found one that I put aside. A few weeks later when I had some free time, I again retrieved the photo. Here was a picture of Mom, my sisters and myself and a familiar face from the 1950’s.

We knew this lovely woman as “Aunt Rita”. Looking closely, you may notice that we are standing on a boat. To be precise, we were standing on “The Amoy”, a Chinese junk that she and her husband Alfred owned and lived on. The Nilson’s moored their boat a few blocks from our house. Somehow, Aunt Rita had befriended my mother and we would frequently visit the Nilsons on their junk. The photo also reminded me of the painting gifted by Mrs. Nilson. The still-life painting graced our living room wall for so many years with her signature neatly tucked at the bottom, right-hand corner of her artwork.

I searched the Internet by googling “The Amoy”. One entry linked me to a postcard of the same Chinese junk that brought back even more memories.

I bought the postcard which helped me recall the exact coloring of the junk and also reminded me of the boat’s dark teakwood finish and many “interesting” rooms below deck. I am now trying to track down the one or more of the Nilson’s three sons.

Postcard caption: Chinese junk moored at Echo Bay (New Rochelle, N.Y.). As an aside: the Nilsons later moved their boat from Echo Bay to the Bronx along the Hutchinson River Parkway near the defunct Freedomland.

Photos matter to be because they help me reach back to memorable times of the past. They’re a constant reminder to me to take lots of pictures and show them to the world!