Super Cruise 2012 Salem, Ohio / June 29, 2012 by Harold Brown

My friend Zakeer was visiting from Leeds, UK this past weekend, and when my neighbor called and asked if we wanted to join him at the Salem Super Cruise, it was a definite yes. The cruise starts at 4 p.m. Thursday and ends at 7 p.m. Sunday. Now that is a cruise! This is the same weekend of the Steel Valley Super Nationals at the Quaker City Raceway. I had never been to the Super Cruise and didn't know exactly what to expect. I knew that it wasn't the typical car show and this was a chance for my friend Zak to not only see the cars, but hear them as well. It beat an evening at the local mall! As usual I took my Nikon D90 along, but decided to shoot some video from my iPhone 4S. It is just easier to do. The picture quality isn't as good, but I would get a better result with the focus! Besides, I just wanted to record the sound of the cars driving by.

The Super Cruise consists of several parking lots where everyone shows their cars, stages with local bands, plenty of cars driving down the main drag of town and of course the food vendors. A root beer float was in order after an hour or so of taking pictures! There are a variety of cars to see from the 1940's to present and street rods galore in the numerous parking lots. I was there in time to see the parade cars rumble by and see new Mustangs, old caddies and army jeeps.

Everyone brings a chair and sits along the parade route to watch the cars drive by, listen to the drivers revving their engines, and hearing the variety of car horns (including the train horns). The fun also comes with being with your friends talking cars.

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Camera Phones / January 16, 2011 by Harold Brown

What I like about camera phones is capturing a moment in time that results in your remembering events in your life that you might otherwise forget. Pictures help you remember where you have been, and what you have done. Events may be fresh in your mind today, but 30 years from now many just fade away. The way your memory works is that you forget about things that you don't keep fresh in your mind. A picture reminds you of an event, and seeing the picture from time to time helps keep it fresh in your memory. A blog helps you keep the photos and the details fresh in your mind. Capture history the way it was, not how others tell you it was!

Who: Atlanta Falcons vs Cleveland Browns

Where: Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

When: Sunday, Oct. 10, 1 p.m., ETTV Coverage: FOX

Final Score: Falcons 20, Browns 10

Waiting for the game to start - Suite 455

Click here to see more pictures of the stadium

Use The Camera You Got / January 9, 2011 by Harold Brown

Those pictures look great. What camera do you have? Anyone involved with photography hates those words, and always feels that it somehow cheapens what they do. There are a few aspects of photography which make for better pictures of course, and the camera is just part of it. However, let me say something. If you give the average photographer a better camera they are going to get better pictures. There I said it, and it is true. If it wasn't true why wouldn't a pro just shoot everything on an iPhone? Obviously the pro can get a lot more out the camera than the typical amateur, but better camera equals better pictures. I always acknowledge that I like better cameras. Sometimes it is cool to say I used an iPhone, especially when I get a really good picture. However, most people really aren't looking for a true work of art, they just want a picture of their friends, or a picture that looks cool and reminds them of a good time from the past. If that were not true Instagram or Camera Awesome wouldn't be so popular. When I am asked about what camera to buy, I first ask questions about money to spend, is it for a special occasion, for pictures of family and friends, nature photography, etc. In other words, when choosing a camera you need to think about how you are going to use that camera. Pocket cameras tend to get used more than larger cameras, except for special events like going to your first African safari, or your first visit to Australia. Many times I head out of the house with my Kodak Z1485 IS. It fits in my pocket and I can take a few pictures or movies if in the mood. I take my Nikon D90 if my intent is to "take pictures". If I feel like taking a picture and I don't have a camera on me I use the my iPhone. I usually throw an iPhone picture on Facebook to tell a story or provide a mood. Like heading outside to get in the car and it is covered in snow. I can say it's cold out or I can show the snow covered car. However, I put iPhone pictures on my photo site as well. Heading to the airport in Sao Paulo the iPhone provides information to the viewer of what they can expect to see. Let's face it, nobody really believes that every place you go on this planet looks perfect, or something edgy can only be shown in black and white. The main thing is to use whatever camera you have and start capturing memories.