I haven't forgotten PR!

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've actually had a chance to sit and post anything. Between a pregnant wife suffering from morning (all day is more like it) sickness, my dad undergoing chemo/radiation, and work I haven't had much free time. Just a quick update: we're 18 weeks and starting to show... both of us! :), my dad is hanging in there with good days and bad days, as for work...I haven't quit my full time job but I did submit my retirement paperwork to leave the Air National Guard in December. My life in a nutshell!

That's not to say I haven't been able to shoot pictures but not as often as I'd like or of the subjects I would choose. We did have an interesting visitor this weekend at the airport. Some of you may have heard of him...Bill Clinton...used to be the President...sound familiar? :) Anyway, he came to town to do a book signing event. He spent some time here at the airport meeting some students and faculty from an international center of the University of Arkansas. They were asked to come out at short notice and the director of the program didn't have time to arrange for a photographer and I happened to be walking around with mine so she asked me to take some informal and semi-formal shots.

Here are a couple of the better ones. Essentially straight from the 1D, I may have tweaked on the exposure a little in Breezebrowser (my camera tends to underexpose), and resized for the web. The lighting was horrendous. Bright sunlight streaming in from a skylight, funky lighting from our inside lights and my 550EX. Still not too bad. This type of shooting isn't my forte but it was challenging as he moved quickly and didn't stand very still. For those that are interested, there are more on my website. Here they are:

<img src="http://troybates.com/Portraits/ClintonVisit/b63g6220_std.jpg">
<img src="http://troybates.com/Portraits/ClintonVisit/b63g6208_std.jpg">

Aircraft of course. Compared to shooting people aircraft are easy to shoot. Moving, standing still, doesn't matter. They're in my comfort zone and the reason I wanted the 1D so badly. Here are a couple of recent shots.

We had a couple of F-16s from my Air Guard unit do a flyby before our 4th of July fireworks. Nothing fancy, just a relatively slow, level pass by the crowd.

<img src="http://troybates.com/Aviation/July2004/b63g5941_std.jpg">

And a friend of mine does a low, high speed pass in his Extra 300L.

<img src="http://troybates.com/Aviation/July2004/b63g6147_std.jpg">

Nice work, Troy. Congradulations on the new baby and best of luck with your dad. Must be a lot of stress especially between the two.

Gotta say, though - am I the only guy who doesn't have a Bill Clinton picture :D ? http://forums.photographyreview.com/...ead.php?t=3767

Hang in there!