Cemeteries of Charlotte, NC

While my children had visitation with their Dad in Charlotte over the Easter weekend, I found myself strolling through two of Charlotte’s most beautiful cemeteries in search of the final resting place of my Great-grandmother. I never found her burial site but I did enjoy the serenity and stunning landscape that offered numerous photo opportunities.

Oaklawn Cemetery

Oaklawn Cemetery is located at 1615 Oaklawn Avenue downtown. It is owned and maintained by the City of Charlotte and contains more than 100 graves.

Elmwood Cemetery

Elmwood Cemetery is located at 700 W. 6th Street just off of I-77. It is also owned and maintained by the City of Charlotte and contains more than 100 burial sites. It is the largest cemetery in Mecklenburg County.

The above images were captured with a Nikon D60 and a Nikon 55-200mm zoom lens. For more information about Charlotte Cemeteries, please visit The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County’s website here.

Sunset Over Georgia April 4, 2009

The kids were off with their friends and I’ve been stuck in the house for 48 hours with the flu and by Saturday afternoon I was feeling a little claustrophobic so when my fever broke we went out on the lake to take in one of Georgia’s beautiful sunsets. Now keep in mind, I’m puny with the flu and am just now beginning to grasp the concept of exposure, aperture, and basically how to use my DSLR. These are not some of the best images I’ve taken out on Lake Lanier (my handy point-n-shoot does a fine job) but they are the first set I’ve taken in Manual mode.

I have an awesome prosumer DSLR – a Nikon D60. We were out on the lake after 7:30pm Eastern time so it was getting pretty dark by the time I took my last shot. These are the results of an afternoon of adventure and mishap of an amateur photographer.

Gear: Nikon D60, Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm kit lens, Opteka 67” Monopod

1/125sec :: f/5.6 :: ISO1 00

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1/125sec :: f/5.6 :: ISO 200

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1/200sec :: f/13 :: ISO 200

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1/25sec :: f/4.5 :: ISO 200

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1/60sec :: f/13.0 :: ISO 200

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This is what happens when you try to chase a bird in flight in the dark! (This image has not been edited in any way).

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1/100sec :: f/4.2 :: ISO 200

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1/15sec :: f/4.5 :: ISO 200

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1/5sec :: f/4.5 :: ISO 200

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1/3sec :: f/4.5 :: ISO 200

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1/125sec :: f/13 :: ISO 200

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1/500 :: f/5.6 :: ISO 200

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1/50sec :: f/4.5 :: ISO 200

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1/15sec :: f/4.8 :: ISO 200

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I’m sure that there’s an easy way to collect the EXIF data from the images but I was in a hurry to get these posted so I could go to bed and didn’t want to look for my manual. I found this free download called EXIF Reader and it allowed me to gather the EXIF data without a lot of hassle. It’s a small download size, doesn’t install anything on your computer – it runs from the executable file itself, and my antivirus didn’t start blaring so that was also a plus. You can try this software for free by downloading from here.

DIY Lightbox Round Two

I spent a relaxing weekend at my parents' and decided to try taking some more DIY lightbox shots. I’m still having problems with lighting and exposure but am slowly making progress. This round my lighting source was three of my Dad’s halogen shop lights. I’m certain that part of the problem I’m having is the lack of strobes. Sounds like a good plan for some of my Birthday money :-)