Orange Empire Railway Museum, photographed with my trusty Pentax K-3

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

 Hi Photographer friends,

Today I visited the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perry, California. I was looking for  photo ops and I found that there. Here is an excerpt from their website:

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Orange Empire Railway Museum operates a Museum Railway where visitors can ride on the historic trains and trolleys that helped shape the Southern California we know today. The Museum Railway operates every weekend and on most major holidays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and also on weekdays for charters and other special events.  The Museum grounds are open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

On a typical weekend (other than during special events), two city streetcars are running on the half-mile dual-gauge Loop Line, and another train is operating on the 1.5 mile standard gauge Mainline. The northern end of the Museum Railway is presently at 7th Street, although during certain special events trains operate all the way to the historic 1892 Perris Depot at 4th Street. Future plans call for regular operations to be extended to 4th Street as the depot area is rebuilt into the new Metrolink station and transit center...Click here to continue reading and visit their site.

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All images were taken with my trusty Pentax K-3. I used the DA* 16-50 mm, the DA* 60-250 mm and the FA 50 mm f/1.4. I love my camera and these are my favorite lenses. As you can see, I did use Photoshop Lightroom on all images...a little clarity, a little sharpening, some light vignetting and sepia on the last three photos. Post processing is the new standard.

Click on any image to view full size.

Thanks for reading,

Yvon Bourque

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New forum provides online community for users to discuss gear, tips and opportunities to win RICOH and PENTAX products

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com 

 Hi Photographer friends,

Denver, Colorado November 26, 2014 RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION is pleased to announce the launch of the new RICOH Engagement Forum. The new forum provides a channel for photo enthusiasts to discuss RICOH and PENTAX related topics and exchange ideas.

Launched earlier this month, the RICOH Engagement Forum becomes the definitive online environment to discuss everything and anything RICOH and PENTAX.

Ricoh Engagement Forum offers a number of categories.

 News and Announcements frequently publishes the latest news coming out of RICOH IMAGING. Learn about the latest product releases and the future direction of the company.

 In Gear Talk you can discuss current and vintage PENTAX and RICOH products. Whether you have a support question or are considering purchasing a DSLR, this is where you can discuss all things RICOH and PENTAX gear.

 Educational photography conversations happen in Photographer Lounge, where users can discuss their photography techniques and styles. Whether you are a studio photographer or specialize in landscape photography, this is where you can discuss photography with like-minded artists.

 Photo Sharing is for all things show and tell. Whether you’d like feedback or critiquing on your photography or submitting your photograph to the monthly contest, photo sharing is your place to display your work.

 Anything Goes is for general photography chitchat. Speak about other photography equipment and the future of digital photography. Acting as an online community discussion, the RICOH Engagement forum directs participants to a variety of categories with conversations driven by photographers like themselves. Active users are rewarded by their participation and will receive higher ranks within the community for engaging more, for example joining multiple threads, answering a question or posting a photo. Users can look forward to photo contests held monthly in the RICOH Engagement Forum. The first contest theme will be “Holiday Greetings” and the best photograph voted upon by RICOH IMAGING employees will win a new PENTAX K-S1 DSLR, released in August of this year. The holiday contest runs through December 30, 2014.

“We are excited to provide our customers with the only definitive online source for all things RICOH IMAGING North America,” said Brian McIntosh, Director of Marketing, Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation. “The Ricoh Engagement Forum offers an avenue for them to voice their opinions on our products, as well as share ideas and tips with PENTAX and RICOH users like themselves. I’m very excited to see our new online community launch and eager to see what our customers will bring to the community.”.”

To participate in the RICOH Engagement forum, visit community.us.ricoh-imaging.com 

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Up and coming photographer using the Pentax equipment.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

 Hi Photographer friends,

The following images were all taken by my daughter Marisa, who has developed a good eye for photography. In fact, I believe she is better than I am at people photography.   She only has a modest Pentax K-r and uses the DA 18-55mm lens most of the time. Not bad at all for the equipment she has. Once more, it shows that it's the photographer and not the camera. 

She has started shooting for profit, for neighbors and friends, and new acquaintances. I certainly hope that her business will only increase from now on. She has a good eye for composition. Marisa is in Maryland so you could always contact her if you need her photographic services. She mainly shoot children and pets.

She has a page on Facebook that you can view. Marisa Bourque Photography. Please visit and like her site. She is in her element.

Thank you for reading.

Can't see the forest for the trees.

Little man ready for the road of life.

Two cool dudes.

What will that generation discover?

Everyone loves baby pictures.

Do you shoot with Pentax and need a little help. Check my e-books.

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Adorama now $496.95 This might be a great time to purchase a Pentax K-5 IIs before they are not available anymore. $546.95. Included 64GB memory card and D-BG4 Grip

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

 Hi Photographer friends,

Update:

I know a good deal when I see one. As you may have noticed, my site doesn't post any advertisement for profit other than my own e-books. I don't get any kick-back for posting this deal. I just think it's a great bargain and wanted to let you know.

B&H Photo K-5 IIs for $596.95 now $546.95

INCLUDESFREE

SanDisk 64GB SDXC Memory Card Ultra Class 10 UHS-1Pentax D-BG4 Battery Grip for Pentax K-7 & K-5

The K-5 IIs Digital SLR Camera from Pentax is a top-of-the-line APS-C DSLR camera.  It offers a 16.3MP CMOS sensor with integrated Analog/Digital conversion circuitry for high resolution photos and video. And the K-5 IIs brings with it a new, highly advanced and extremely accurate 11 point SAFOX X autofocus system. This new autofocus system offers a wide EV focus range which means faster autofocus with less hunting in low-light situations and improved AF accuracy when using fast, wide-aperture lenses. The AF sensor also includes the Select-Area Expansion feature which automatically tracks moving subjects as they proceed across the frame. 

 The K-5 IIs distinguishes itself from the K-5 II because the anti-aliasing filter has been eliminated from its sensor's design. The filter reduces digital distortion, in particular the moiré pattern found in certain shots, however it also decreases detail resolution. Removing the anti-alias properties means the K-5 IIs offers superior resolution and intense details and is ideal for photographers who shoot in RAW and can control better moiré and distortion without the in-camera filtering. 

The ISO sensitivity range on the K-5 IIs is impressive, ranging from 100-12800 in normal setting and expandable from 80-51200. Combine this with the Pentax body-based Shake Reduction stabilization system and you have a camera that performs incredibly well in low light situations and when shooting telephoto.  Expect nothing but sharp, blur-free images in both photo and video. The K-5 IIs also allows for a shutter speed as fast as 1/8000 of a second which will stop fast motion subjects in their tracks and provide wonderfully detailed sports and wildlife shots. And, at 7 frames per second of continuous shooting, you will never miss that action shot! Accurate exposure metering is provided by the Pentax 77-segment metering system, so whether you prefer to shoot with auto exposure or with full manual control, the K-5 IIs is for you.

 The K-5 IIs has Full HD 1080p video capture at 25 frames per second. Stereo sound recording is available via the built-in microphones or through external microphones connected at the camera's 3.5mm stereo microphone jack. An HDMI port connects your camera directly to HDTV and allows for immediate screening of your widescreen video in glorious HD.

For playback and composition, the K-5 IIs has an air-gap-free, scratch resistant 3.0" LCD with 921,000 dots of resolution that offers detailed and color-accurate images even in bright sunlight. A pentaprism viewfinder with 100% field of view and 0.92x magnification is available for classic SLR framing, and a built-in electronic level with tilt scale display will help keep images straight when shooting products or architecture.

For the photographers who shoot primarily in RAW, the Pentax K-5 IIs offers native support for both Pentax PEF and Adobe DNG 14-bit RAW files. A customizable RAW/Fx button allows for easy access to your most used shooting settings including immediate RAW access and the RAW Data Retrieve function saves the original RAW data of a just-recorded JPEG format image.

The Pentax K-5 IIs also has a wide range of in-camera image processing and filters available for creative touches and HDR capture to provide balanced exposures when shooting high contrast scenes.

While the Pentax K-5 IIs is a user-friendly camera accessible to all, it is particularly ideal for shooters who work in extreme conditions. A durable magnesium alloy cover surrounds a stainless steel chassis and the body is fully weather sealed with 77 protection seals throughout the body. It is cold proof to 14º F (-10°C) and has been tested to 100,000 shutter releases which means you can count on this camera, especially when the going gets tough.

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(ND) Neutral Density filters and why you don't need them if you have a Pentax DSLR, and specifically a Pentax K-3.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

 Hi Photographer friends,

Sooner or later, we all want to take pictures like the images below. The usual method of creating gentle mist of rushing water or clouds, is with the use of Neutral Density (ND) filters. ND filters reduce the amount of light reaching the sensor without affecting colors. They allow using a longer exposure time, and in turn,  images of rushing water, waterfalls or clouds take the appearance of soft velvety movement. It is a great way to emphasize movement is a scene. 

For a complete lesson on how ND filters are used, visit the site below at "Digital CAMERA World":

How and when to use ND filters

The images above were taken from the Internet
and are all free to use by anyone.
They are  mostly used  for screen saver.
They all have that velvety look of rushing water.

ND filters come in various styles, from circular filters that screw into the lens thread to square filters that are inserted in a special holder. Filters are available in several density and can also be stacked. It is a great way to achieve images like the images above. However, if you have a Pentax DSLR and more specifically a Pentax K-3, you can discard the use of ND filters to attain similar results. 

Neutral Density Filters - Round versus Square

Here's how:

Using the four-way controller, press the up button to the Drive Mode. Set the drive mode to Multi-Exposure or Multi-Exposure+Continuous. (When using Continuous, pressing the shutter release once will automatically trigger the number of shots chosen.) Set the Composite Mode to Average and then set the number of shots you want. You should use a remote control if possible. Use  a tripod.  

Your K-3 screen will look like this in the Drive Mode,
 when ready to shoot.

In this first example, I took my first picture at 1/180th sec,
 and took only one exposure.
The image is crystal clear.

In this second picture, I increased the number of shots to 10.
You can see that the water is a little blurry.

Increasing the exposure to 20  produced a softer look.

With 30 exposures, the water is almost as velvety as I wanted.

Finally, I took 40 sequential images,
 and achieved what I was looking for.
The K-3 can take up to 2000 exposures in one frame.
 Your battery will drain before getting to 2000.

I hope you can achieve the results you want, without spending money for ND filters. The K-3 is really a great DSLR. Go ahead and experiment.

Thank you for visiting,

Yvon Bourque

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I'm turning another page of my life, but I'm not ever abandoning photography or my Pentax equipment.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com 

 Hi Photographer friends,

If you followed my blog for the last seven years, you might remember that one of my first hobby, beside photography, was four wheeling with a 1988 Jeep YJ that I restored. I had named her " Ms. Peggy". I loved the Jeep because it also provided me with a way to go just about anywhere to take pictures. In 2011, I reluctantly sold the Jeep and got my first travel trailer with the idea in mind of using it to go places for short periods of time and take pictures. 

This is my 1988 Jeep YJ, named "Ms. Peggy".

The Jeep brought me and my Pentax camera system
 to locations otherwise unreachable.

The setup provided me with shelter, and everything I needed to print or publish my images.  I enjoyed that venture a lot and we indeed drove to many locations and took a lot of pictures. I traded the Jeep for a Chevy pickup and a used travel trailer.It turned out that a trailer was an ideal place to write and publish my e-books. Internet was available almost everywhere and all my computer gear and photography equipment came along with me. 

My ole Chevy and my first travel trailer that
 I restored inside and out. It was a fun project.

It served as my Photography studio and office for a while.

Although we didn't travel very far with it, this RV was helpful
in getting acquainted with the life style.

I liked it so much that on the second year, we decided to upgrade to a newer RV and a bigger Pickup truck. So I bought a 28 foot Road Ranger Fifth Wheel. The sales person assured me that my Chevy pickup with a 350 cu engine and four wheel drive would be plenty strong to pull the RV. WRONG! So I had to sell the Chevy and finally got a Ford F350 dually with a 7.3 Liter diesel engine. That certainly did the trick. In July of 2013, I decided to retire and travel the Country in search of adventures and locations to take pictures in a photojournalist way. My spouse was not that enthusiastic as me but she accepted the challenge. The first year was wonderful. We travel from California to Florida and several places in between. Then we headed up North-East almost to New-York. Again we visited many Cites along the way. On our way down South, we realized that a 28 foot Fifth Wheel RV is great but still a little cramped. Once in Jacksonville, Florida, we traded the RV for a much bigger Fifth Wheel. 

My first Fifth Wheel RV.  This is when we actually decided
 to plan our retirement as full time RVers.

We traveled half the Country with this RV. We have made memories
for a life time. We also met wonderful people
and made new friends all over the Country.

I had my own little office in it. An office with a view.
Most of my e-books were written while on the road.

We traded for a 35 foot Alpenlite Fifth Wheel with three slide-outs. The actual length, front to end , actually measured more like 37 feet. This thing is, like home with plenty of space. It has a home size shower, washer and dryer, three flat screen TVs, including one that can be watched from an outside compartment, electric fireplace, etc. There is plenty of room for my photographic equipment and computers. This unit is self-contained and  setup to stay just about anywhere for extended periods of time. So we left Florida toward the end of the summer and headed back to California for the upcoming winter. We are in the Temecula valley for the winter. It's a great area and the weather is perfect.

This is where the complications started. My wife has developed some health issues through the years and now this nomadic life is becoming harder for her. This is where another page of my life is turning. The traveling setup will be sold and we will settle in a brick & Mortar home.

That's when we made a leap-of-faith
and got a much bigger setup.

I will miss this period
and I have nothing but good memories of this trip.

I even have another office within the RV space.

That's life! However, I am not abandoning photography, and will continue using my good Pentax equipment. I am not quitting RVing all together. I will get a smaller travel trailer and a smaller vehicle to tow it with. Our trips will now be for a few days or weeks at a time, and not across the Country. We will established ourselves somewhere close to California, Nevada and Arizona. The weather is ideal and there are so many National Parks and interesting places to visit and photograph. Think of Las Vegas, Yosemite National Park, Sierra National Forest,  Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and so on.

I see a future full of adventures and photographic opportunities.
The road ahead is promising. I need ti live to one hundred...

So in the end, unless something really bad happens, I am just modifying the approach to my passion. I have to tell you that travelling with a big rig, the camping fees, the fuel, the food, the tolls, etc aren't cheap. 

Thank you for reading.

Yvon Bourque

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Yvon Bourque

Attended Montreal

Lives in Apple Valley, CA

5,086 followers|5,113,498 views

At dusk, try using a flash to make your images pop. Pentax K-3 and built-in flash with the DA* 16-50mm

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com 

 Hi Photographer friends,

Taking a picture at dusk can be challenging. The sunset can be bright and render beautiful, well balanced images, but what about the foreground?

Measuring the light in the foreground frequently makes the lighted background too bright and washed out.

One solution is to use the flash on your camera or an external flash. It’s not quite like fill-in flash, as fill-in is more often used for brightening shadow areas when the sun is high up and the shadows are harsh.

I suggest using a tripod, but it’s not always necessary.

The images of my RV below won’t win me an award, but they illustrate my point. See how much more defined the overall image is when using the flash! This method also works well with people in the foreground.

Try it, if you haven’t already done so. The results might surprise you.

Using the flash defined the RV much better, although the pink skies had already subsided.

Metering the average lighting gave this result.

This image shows the foreground illuminated by the flash and also shows the sky. 

Measuring the light on the foreground washed the background out.

Thak you for reading,

Yvon Bourque

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