jim_baughman

<p>You don't need to buy lighter fluid to use on camera parts. Naphtha can be found in most hardware stores by the quart at a fraction of the price. It seems to work ok in lighters too.</p>

<p>Speaking of optical slaves for Vivitar flashes, I have been using Sonia brand units I bought from FlashZebra.com several years ago. They are made specifically for Vivitar flashes including the 283 and 285. They plug into the sync cable port on the side of the flash instead of the hot shoe. They are small and relatively inexpensive at about $12 apiece and seem pretty rugged. I have been using them off and on for several years in combination with radio triggered flashes or as a supplement to the small on-camera flash on my Fuji X-20 (set to manual flash) and have had no problems with them.</p>

<p>Leatherlips Yacht Club on the Olentangy River in southern Delaware County, Ohio. Just before sunset.</p><div></div>

<p>Great Blue Heron on the Olentangy River in Delaware County, Ohio this past weekend. It's hard to hold a camera steady in a kayak bouncing up and down in the wake of numerous motorboats.</p><div></div>

<p>Storm over the ocean from the second floor balcony of a friends condo in Garden City, South Carolina. I heard no thunder and you can see stars on either side of the clouds. I did not alter or enhance the colors. The picture is pretty much what we saw.</p><div></div>

<p>Try again.</p><div></div>

<p>Snow tubing at Polar Blast in Sagamore Hills, Ohio</p>

<p>I had an experience this past summer that really made me question where we are headed as a society. I was walking around the block with my son, pulling my 2 year old granddaughter in a wagon, in the neighborhood we have lived in for over 20 years. I usually have a camera with me wherever I go and this trip was no exception. I was carrying an old Argus C2 in its closed case around my neck. We walked by a house whose occupants were having some kind of get-together. There were cars in the driveway, young children playing in the yard and adults scattered about. My son and granddaughter were a bit in front of me as we walked by the house, I did not stop or linger at all, I did not remove the camera from its’ case. Shortly after we arrived at home, the local sheriff knocked on my door and informed me that I had been spotted by one of the mothers, taking pictures of the children at the aforementioned house (this was not true, the mother later said she saw me walk by briefly from inside the house) and that the parents were worried about what I was up to. They watched me walk around the block (we live on the next street over, our houses are adjacent to each other from the back yards) until I arrived at home and then contacted the sheriffs’ office. I explained myself calmly to the deputies, introduced my son and granddaughter, etc., they accepted my version of the facts, apologized for the trouble and left without incident but the encounter pretty much ruined my day. I felt sick, disgusted and angry but at the same time I understood the concern of the parents. I did not want to leave the situation unresolved so I walked back the neighbors’ house bringing my son and granddaughter with me. I got some really hostile stares from the adults as we approached. I introduced myself and my family to the people at the party and politely explained my actions. They apologized for the trouble admitting they may have overreacted (the homeowner would not look me in the eye) and my granddaughter played with the other children for almost an hour. Although the incident was resolved, I still feel that I am probably perceived by these people as some kind of creep and would never be trusted. First impressions are hard to overcome. I am 49 years old and have a beard. I am of average size and do not feel that I look intimidating or threatening (no tattoos, shaved head, etc.) although obviously opinions vary. I find it sad that the mere act of carrying a camera these days, let alone using it, arouses enough suspicion in your neighbors that they feel the need to get law enforcement involved.</p>

<p>Over 600 flags collected from the community were retired recently by members of Boy Scout Troop 136 in Grove City, Ohio as part of an Eagle Scout project. </p><div></div>

<p>2010 Grove City (Ohio) Balloon Festival. Camera supported on the back end of a truck.</p><div></div>

<p>Boy Scout Troop 136s' annual cardboard boat race.</p><div></div>

<p>This female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird was stunned and fell to the ground when it hit a window on the building I work in. Took it home in a box, and after a couple of hours rest, it recovered and flew off.</p><div></div>

<p>Recreational canoeing last weekend on the Little Miami river near Morrow, Ohio.  Lots of pepople out enjoying a slightly cooler and less humid Saturday afternoon.</p><div></div>

<p>Found film. A Kodachrome slide from around 1950. Copied with a D80, 60mm Nikkor and a Miranda Slide Copy Adapter connected to the lens with a series of step-up/down adapters and rings to make a rigid tube. Lit with an SB600 flash.</p><div></div>

<p>Vendor at steam power show in Plain City, Ohio.</p><div></div>

<p>Fultz Road in Gallia County, Ohio. This road leads to the trail head of the Morgan Sisters Trail in the Wayne National Forest were BSA Troop 136 from Grove City, Ohio took a backpacking trip this past weekend.</p><div></div>

<p>Last weekend before the Arts in the Alley parade. Grove City, Ohio.</p><div></div>

<p>Evening card game. Taken by lantern light during a Boy Scout camping trip last weekend to John Bryan State Park near Yellow Springs, Ohio. </p><div></div>

<p>Cardboard boat race. Boy Scout Troop 136, Grove City, Ohio.</p><div></div>

<p>SWAT (special wepons and tactics) training a couple of weeks ago. Franklin County Sherriff, Ohio.</p><div></div>

<p>Balloon festival in Grove City, Ohio this past weekend. Nikon D80 with 18-200mm VR zoom. Handheld (1/2 - f/4), 27mm. IS0 1250. VR does work in the right situations, the full size image is pretty sharp. First post.</p><div></div>

Distilled water is easily and cheaply obtained from a home dehumidifier. The Sears unit in my basement easily produces a gallon or more a day in the humid summer months. If you keep the condenser and the drip pan clean it should be perfectly usable and almost free.