No long story behind this picture, just a pretty girl holding a beautiful flower. My daughter Kaitlynn agreed to be my assistant so I could photograph my wife’s Pink Orchid – the very one that just keeps blooming and blooming. She got all dressed up in her favorite dress for the occasion.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Putting the Geese before the Horse
For me, the normal way I blog works like this…first – I come up with a subject to blog about…then, conceptualize it…then shoot it…and only then…blog it.
Todays picture has me working the blogging process backwards, and I don’t even have the sniffles.
Last night I was at a friends house enjoying a bonfire and delicious BBQ (shout out to Shawn and Sonja…thank you!!!). Turns out, they had a horse…a beautiful horse…in a field…a field that, when the Sun sets, will be illuminated with beautiful early evening light. You know the kind…twilight; perfect for horse pictures.
So I ask the young lady who owns the horse if perhaps I could photograph him and her together; she agrees. I had waited until just before Sunset, and as if on queue, the western sky started to glow with pinks, oranges, deep reds, simply breathtaking late evening light. By now I’m starting to shake with excitement because I’ve been wanting to photograph a scene like this for years.
While setting up for the shot of Caitlyn riding the horse bareback across the field, my ears pick up a familiar sound; the squawking of Canada Geese flying overhead. I spin around and see the familiar ‘V’ formation of at least a dozen or so geese approaching from the north. 
By now Caitlyn and her horse were ready for the shot, in fact so ready that I could already feel the rumble of the ground behind me as the horse started it’s run. Furiously resetting my camera settings, I aim, focus and fire off 10 frames in under two seconds…just long enough to capture 3 good frames.
Sometimes doing things in reverse works out for the best. and sometimes they don’t, like the time I was sick and I tried putting the cat in the refrigerator and the my cereal in the kitty bowl. Hey, now there’s something to conceptualize!
Kevin Kratka
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Let’s Talk High Tech
We live in a Facebook world. Need an answer to a question? Google it. News seems to travel faster than it can develop, and what used to take days or weeks now takes mere seconds…or less. Reporters in the field needed to find a phone in 
During the Vietnam conflict, war photographers would send thousands of canisters of film back to the states for development and publication. Now they whip out the satellite phone and upload them from middle of nowhere.
Our high tech world comes at a price though; the lack of human touch. Our cell phone and our laptops allow us to talk with all of our closest friends without ever having to see them. Instant movies on our TVs means no more trips to the video rental store. The internet and a credit card is all that is needed to order up anything from groceries to replacement parts for our cars. Even the UPS guy seems like a phantom when a box bearing our name shows up from Amazon. When was he even here?
In our high tech world, there are pros and cons. As with anything, balance is needed. The photo in this post is my latest stock image, created specifically to promote a high tech world. From concept to shooting to marketing…there was no human contact needed. I suppose I’m doing my part to fuel our high tech world.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Even rainy days provide “Kodak Moments”
If your old enough to remember what a ‘Kodak Moment’ is, then you know that they are moments when you wish you had your camera with you…but don’t!
So where is it, huh? What!? You left it…home? Because of a little rain?
Never let the rain stop you from taking your camera with you. Many camera manufactures make rain gear specifically for your camera and can provide a great deal of protection from the elements, some even let you go swimming and even diving with your camera!
On the other hand, even if you own these cool accessories, you may not always have them when the rain starts. Plus…they can be a little pricey, sometimes exceeding the price you paid for your camera in the first place! So what’s a soggy photographer to do? Improvise of course!
The last thing you want is to get your camera wet –digital or otherwise. One trick I’ve come up with is to take a large freezer bag, gently create a small slit in the plastic just big enough for your lens to fit thru. Before trying it on your camera, reinforce that slit with some duck tape to prevent it from getting any bigger!
Next, place your camera in the bag with the lens poking out through the slit. Now, gently cover over any exposed areas with copious amounts of either more duck tape or perhaps electrical tape (because of it’s stretchy qualities). The idea here is that if any water or spray gets anywhere…it gets on the very very front of the lens only. I keep a chamois in my back pocket and gently wipe my lens clean when this happens. Cool…your lens is cleaner now then when you started!!!
Depending on your camera type, you may have to fiddle with your camera settings since some camera lenses might move in and out during focus and/or when the camera is powered on and off. Check your settings to see if you can disable or otherwise manage these settings.
Finally your ready to take some pictures. With the back of the freezer bag open, it’s easy to slide your hands inside and make adjustments to settings, viewer screen, etc. and best of all…you can still take perfect pictures without the fear of the elements. In fact, you can even darken the bag with additional tape as this makes it easier to see your pictures on your cameras screen!
Of course, commonsense prevails. This little trick is not for heavy downpours or for standing out in the pounding waves trying to get a shot of the surfers. But for those occasional drizzly days of summer where you want to photograph the beads of water on a blooming tulip, it’s perfect.
There you go…weather gear for you camera on a budget. The next time the weatherman is calling for rain, consider this little trick and see what kind of images you can create, and never kick yourself again for missing that perfect ‘Kodak Moment’.
Kevin Kratka
Monday, May 16, 2011
The day goes pop.
If you’re a parent, then you know the joys that come from watching your children grow up. As a parent of three children, I’ve ha
I present to you, muscle man, aka, Fireman Robbie.
This young man goes nowhere without his ‘fire gear’. Shopping, the park, grandma & grandpas house…Ok, I draw the line at bringing his gear into the Kingdom Hall.
Today he brings me outside to photograph him in his fire gear. It doesn’t take much convincing to get daddy to pick up his camera.
Within minutes, out comes the lights, the soft box, extension cords, sandbags, uh….am I going over board here? Hey, these are my kids we’re talking about! Now where are those wireless strobe triggers…
However today will turn out to be one those days…one of ‘pops’, Today Robbie pulls a fast one; in the blink of an eye, he goes from fireman to just Robbie.
As I am prepping my camera for the picture I have in mind, testing the lights, taking some test shots…I slowly become aware that my 7 year old is taking off all his ‘fire gear’. He’s suddenly not interested, in fact, he’s walking away from the whole thing. Walking away…my picture was walking away!
‘Hey buddy…where ya heading?’ I ask, ‘I don’t want my fire gear on, I’ve changed my mind’ Robbie says, his voice trailing off as he drops his helmet onto the green grass at his feet.
“Oh no you don’t young man. Daddy didn’t pull out all this gear for nothing!” I think to myself
“Hey there, show me those fireman muscles before you walk away” I quip
Right away a he flexes for me, poses for a second, then walks away. I didn’t quite catch the smile, but I captured the pose.
“Ok daddy, no more pictures” Robbie says, his back already turned towards me, ‘you’re embarrassing me’.
For Robbie, it was just another day with daddy and his camera, but for me, I watched my son take the next step, one of many ‘pops’ yet to come, on his way to becoming more than just my little boy.
Kevin Kratka
Monday, May 9, 2011
Name that bug, win cool stuff!
WE HAVE A WINNER! Thank you everyone for your participation. Let’s do this again real soon!
Answer: Firefly Larvae
Spring is here! And while 55 degrees in the middle of the day – in the second week of May – may not seem like Spring, trust me, it’s here. Just ask the Black Flies.
So in honor of all the bugs who wake up and come out to play this Spring, I have decided to do a giveaway! All you have to do to win is: IDENTIFY THAT BUG!
What to do:
The first person to email me the correct answer (just the common name will do), Wins!
The Prize:
The winner receives:
- Set of 5 hand made, photo greeting cards from the Kratka Photography
- Each card comes in its own protective plastic sleeve with matching envelope
- Each card features a different photograph of a Maine scene
- Cards are blank on the inside…perfect for any occasion
$20 value
Here are the five images that are included, one on the front of each card:
Aren’t they pretty? All five are included, one per card. A $20 retail value!
Ready? NAME THAT BUG and WIN!!!
Have fun! (ok ok…one more hint….your kids love these things!)
Saturday, May 7, 2011
The View from Above
If you’ve ever visited Maine, you’ve likely seen some of the ‘standard’ tourist sights; Cape Elizabeth "Two Lights", Portland Head Light, Pemaquid Point, L.L.Bean.
Ok, assuming you got seeing those sights out of your system, and you have some time to kill…are you ready to see some real beauty?
From Portland, hop on Rt.1 for a leisurely cruise up the coast, and depending on weather or not you stop for lunch at Moody’s Diner, in a couple of hours you’ll arrive at one of the hidden gems of Maine; the Midcoast Region. Ah, the Midcoast, my home-sweet-home and your chance to visit places like the Rockland Breakwater (bring comfy sneakers and sunglasses), and, amongst other things, Mt. Battie.
Now stick with me, because this next part is difficult, but trust me, it’s worth it. Continuing north on Rt.1, drive thru the towns of Rockland, then Rockport then Camden (about a 15 minute drive) and then...don’t… stop in Camden. Be strong. Just stay on Rt. 1 another mile or so out of town, and you will arrive at the Camden Hills State Park. Pay the small entrance fee, take make the quick jaunt up the motor road and you’ll arrive at the 800’ summit overlooking Camden Harbor and the town of Camden. Make sure to bring your camera and a lunch. The last thing you want to do is get hungry up there (because that would mean you would have to come back down!!!).
Enjoy the views. When your down ingesting all the natural beauty and fresh air, you can now go back into Camden. When you get into town, take a glance back up at Mt. Battie…see? Wasn’t it worth the drive? Don’t forget to update your Facebook friends and show everyone the pictures you took!
Kevin Kratka
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Interstellar Road Trip
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| Canon 20D f/7.1 2002 sec (33.36 minutes) ISO 400 |
Remember when you were a kid and your parents dragged you along on some really long road trip? And do you recall that sitting in the back seat for all that time would almost always result in one of your siblings getting car sick and ralphing all over your coloring books? Yuck!
Sad to say, that car sick sibling would have been me, except I was quick on the draw and somehow my parents always managed to pull the car over just before I....well, you know the rest.
One of the things my Dad would tell me was to lay down on the back seat and close my eyes and that I should feel better. Sure enough, Dad was right...laying down in the back seat of my parents Buick somehow always brought much needed relief from the car sickness. I don't know if it was the gentle rumble of the road noise, or if it was just the power of suggestion, but laying down and closing my eyes always helped to keep my lunch where it belonged and my brothers coloring books clean.
It was during these long road trips that I also discovered something else; if I wasn't looking out the window at the passing scenery, I found it impossible to judge how fast the vehicle was moving. As far as I was concerned, we could have been sitting idle in at a red light. Since everything inside the car was going the same speed, like the seats (thank God!) my kid brother and sister, my parents...everything.....it made the notion of movement almost impossible to detect, that is, of course until I sat up and looked outside the window. Oh...don't do that! Lay back down!!!!
*whew!* close one!
Today we take for granted our interstate highways and byways. We hop in car, crank it over and off we go. Need gas? No problem, there's a Texaco and hot coffee at every exit.
So just what in the world does all of this have to do with my picture post today?
Consider this...
Just like that kid in the back seat who could not judge the speed of the car when his eyes were closed, so it is with the humans today living on Earth. Without so much as a hint of speed, we wake up, start and end our days without every stopping to think that we are all moving very quickly as Earth rotates and travels through space.
At the equator, the Earth is spinning 1,675 km/hr, and you along with it! But do you feel anything? No of course not. And yet space agencies take advantage of this fact by launching rockets into space as close to the equator as possible so that when the rocket lifts off the ground, it's already in effect traveling that fast...which helps it along as it speeds up to the needed 28,000 km/hr needed to reach orbital velocity. Pretty fast eh?
Just like that kid looking out the window of his parents car and watching the world go by, a camera can, in effect, stare at the stars above and actually watch them go by. Because a camera is stationary -mounted on a sturdy heavy duty tripod- which is in turn 'mounted' to the Earth...each pin point of light is dragged across the cameras film plane, leaving a streak. Given enough time, a stationary camera with an open shutter can capture the movement of light traveling past it. Depending on the speed and distance of the object, you either need a great deal of time to capture that movement, or you need very little. In this example, the stars are very far away so they appear tiny. However the Earth is rotating (in the Western Hemisphere) from right to left at 1,675 km/hr. Despite such fast speeds, it still takes a long time to convey motion simply because of our distance from the stars we are photographing.
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| Canon 20D, f/7.1 7 seconds ISO 400 |
To contrast this, consider fireworks. They explode quickly and loudly. Want to take a picture of them? You will drag the shutter here too, expect the subject is much closer and much faster. A 30 minute minute exposure would be useless, so instead we aim for somewhere around 7 seconds. Yes...seconds. Hopefully you'll be a fireworks show that fires off plenty of rockets, this will give you time to experiment with your cameras settings. First and foremost, get yourself a sturdy tripod. And secondly, mosquito repellent!
For this picture at the top, I aimed my camera roughly in the direction of the North Star and left the shutter open in my Canon 20D for 30 minutes which I went inside to watch TV. The time the shutter was open allowed the streaking of the stars across the camera's film plane, forming semi-circles as the Earth rotated 'below' the North Star. Our eyes and our brains do the rest by filling in the missing data and giving us the sense that they are moving overhead when in fact it is us that did the moving.
You following all of this?
Now it's your turn! Make sure your batteries are fully charged, then grab your tripod and camera and find yourself a nice clear view of the night sky. I highly recommend bringing something to entertain yourself if you plan on making long exposures (I just went inside and watched Star Trek). I'd love to see your work, so please feel free to contact me!
Now go take some pictures!
Kevin Kratka
Friday, August 6, 2010
Ajax Saturdays
Most days begins like any other. I wake up and saunter slowly down the stairs to my beloved coffee pot where the caffeinated catalyst that jumpstarts my day awaits me. On weekdays, I’m out the door by the second cup of coffee and on my way to the office where I slowly finish waking up. But on the weekends, I generally find myself tooling around the house, wondering what I will do with the day. Here in Maine summers are short, which is the perfect excuse for getting out of the house. I could go down to the harbor, the beach, take a cool ride in the country, anything. It’s the weekend!!!
But as the coffee kicks in and the cobwebs in my head disappear, It dawns on me that all week long, no…strike that….all month long, parts of my house have been seriously neglected and are in need of a good cleaning. No problem! I’ll just tidy up around the house and let myself off the hook. With that thought, I gulp down the rest of my coffee, but as I do I see the reflection of my own eyes and nose glaring back at me from the inside the bottom of the cup. Seeing myself at the bottom of the coffee cup is like seeing my conscious, and it’s giving me a dirty look. Almost immediately I hear my mother’s fills my head, “if you’re going to do something, do it right” Rats!! I hate it when my sense of responsibility overrides my sense of ‘eh, who cares’. Welcome to Ajax Saturday!
I have many fond happy memories of my childhood. Ajax Saturdays are not amongst them. My dear mother, famous for her spontaneous and ambitious cleaning streaks, was and still is the best example I had when it came to cleaning house. Of course when your 15, you’ve got better things to do on a Saturday morning, or at least that’s what I would tell her. Sadly, that argument never did get me very far. Resistance was futile with mom, and if I complained, there was always the garage that needed cleaning. So with a half hearted smile and a murmur under my breath, I would accept my list of recently invented chores from mom, scribbled on the back of a half torn, coffee stained white envelope, or some piece other scrap of paper. Those days became known as Ajax Saturdays, the days when things didn’t just get cleaned, they got Ajax cleaned.
Let’s take the refrigerator for instance. Any other day of the week, one of us kids might wash down the outside of the fridge, or maybe wipe up some unidentified muck stuck to the shelves inside. But on Ajax Saturdays, this simple cleaning just would not do. Ajax Saturdays meant taking all the food out of the refrigerator, then all the shelves. Next, mom had us fetch a great big bucket of hot soapy water which would be used to douse the entire inside of the fridge. If there were parts that just wouldn’t come clean, out came a tall can of Ajax. The stains always came off. While all of this was going on, the glass shelves would be soaking in the bathtub, a combination of dish soap and Ajax in the hot water. Oh, and since the fridge was empty we might as well pull it out from the wall so we could vacuum and mop back behind it. Say your prayers dust bunnies! Mom’s got the ShopVac out and she’s not afraid to use it!
I don’t know where we came up with the term Ajax Saturday, or if we even came up with it at all. It’s just always ‘sorta been there, a part of my childhood. I guess it probably stems from how we approached household cleaning projects. It didn’t matter if it was the tub, the toilet, or the fridge; there was simply nothing a can of Ajax and some elbow grease couldn’t tackle. To this day, the smell of that cleaning agent always takes me back to bright sunny Saturday mornings as a kid. While my friends came and knocked on the door beckoning me to come out and play, I’d be checking items off my chore list, silently praying that the Ajax would run out before I got to the bottom of it. My mom took great pride in the appearance of her kitchen and her house, and she still does today.
This past weekend, with drier, cooler air moving into Maine, I found myself strangely invigorated, you might even say excited. I’ve been wanting to clean my front porch for months now. The weather was perfect, so out came the big bucket filled with steamy hot water, lots of soap and a couple of big brushes to get the job done. A couple hours later, water droplets still quietly dribbling off the freshly washed vinyl porch ceiling, a sense of accomplishment fell over me. The vinyl siding, once dingy and dirty from years of accumulated dust, now looked brand new.
Mission accomplished.
Perhaps this is the feeling my mom had when she put all the food back into the refrigerator. That feeling that comes from knowing you did a good job, a complete and thorough job. Now her entire family can enjoy the fruits of her labor; she knew for a fact that there are no science projects growing amongst the potato salad, no penicillin inside that two year old jar of applesauce. In fact, the slight smell of Ajax coming from the refrigerator meant it was clean, which also meant it was healthy.
I never did like Ajax Saturdays. I always knew that there would be some cleaning project waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs when I woke up on Saturday mornings, but in hindsight I wouldn’t change a thing. It taught me doing a good job either at my secular job, or just cleaning my front porch, a job worth doing is worth doing well, a virtue I hope to instill in my kids. But over the years, I come to appreciate that once you’ve accomplished what you’ve set out to do; the relaxation you enjoy later seems sweeter, well deserved. So Saturday afternoon, after cleaning my porch I went into my studio, and worked on another project, this one more of a personal nature. I set out to create a portrait of some flowers on a clean white background, an image I would soon use for stock photography. The beautiful pink Orchid you see here was shot on a white background to isolate the subject (the flower and stem). In photography, it’s known as an isolated image.
For my mom, who instilled a good work ethic in me by setting the example of how to do things right, I love you, and thank you.
The clean white background of this image was possible due to the abundant amounts of studio lighting used, but I’d bet if I had to, a can of Ajax could accomplish the same thing.
Kevin Kratka
Friday, June 18, 2010
Wanna Ride Bikes?
I have this friend Garrett. Awesome guy, the kind of friend who would give you the shirt off his back. His last shirt.
One of the many things Garrett and I have in common is we both struggle with Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (AADD). One day Garrett turns to me and asks:
‘hey Kev, how many ADD kids does it take to screw in a light bulb?’.
I pause for second to think of an answer, but I’ve hardly digested the question when Garrett abruptly blurts out the answer:
‘Wanna ride bikes? Bwwaaahahahahaha!!!’
Never before has a silly joke so perfectly described an aspect of my personality. My poor parents; to think, they had to put up with me as a child who thought and acted just like that.
As a father of three children, (two of which also have ADD) I think I can imagine what my mom and dad must have dealt with when I was a child. Yikes! I’m can’t believe I’m still alive! (kidding!)
Looking For Inspiration
I’m in the early stages of a project whereas I want to create a visual representation that conveys the impact the BP Gulf Disaster has had, is having and has yet to have on the environment, the economy and the people who live and work in the affected areas.
As I poke around the ‘net looking for inspiration, I see something that catches my eye. It’s an image of a broken light bulb, and it’s smoking! How cool is that! Wait, even better…how did they do that?
The ADD takes over.
Right away, I’m on the phone with my wife, who’s out doing errands. She agrees to bring home about 5 packages of light bulbs of various wattages, and some safety goggles.
That’s strange, she didn’t even inquire as to why I wanted those things. Hmmm…she’s either afraid to ask, or just assumes it’s for a photo project. Either way, I’m getting my stuff.
To The Bat Cave Robin!
This is clearly a project for the studio, but first it needs cleaning. I get that done just as my wife - and the bulbs - show up. About this time, the kids have become increasingly curious. Dad has light bulbs all lined up on the desk, and….he’s breaking them?
If you decide to try this, do so carefully. Sharp glass and human skin do not bode well together, and the bulbs break with a sudden ‘pop’, sending little fragments in different directions. Thus the goggles. <wink>
With broken light bulbs ready, I grab a clamp light and , uh, clamp it to a tripod. I connect the light to a switched outlet for safety, and start the job of pre focusing the camera, and wild guessing the settings. It’s trial and error at this stage as I’ve never attempted something like this.
Twenty minutes and four burned out bulbs later, I’m starting to finally get the idea of the best settings. The studio is starting to smell a little odd from all the smoke, and I start to wonder if that smoke is safe to be breathing. My ADD rescues me from that thought, and I’m ready to fire off some additional shots. These will be the ones that come out the best. I can just feel it.
The whole project takes me about an hour from start to finish, and I’m pleased with the results. Turns out, I neglected to make a note of which broken bulb was which wattage, so It’s just a guess that the 60 watt bulbs worked the best because they burned longer, allowing for more frames. There were some that burned very quickly, so I assume those were the 40 watt bulbs. Perhaps I will try 100 watt or even higher next time.
Results
First off, I’m a closet pyromaniac. Well, at least I used to be until that last sentence. If something needs to be burned, I’m the first to volunteer. Add photography to the mix and I can hardly contain myself. Purposely burning out light bulbs is strangely fun and fascinating. There’s no noise, and the smoke appears to dance above the glowing filament, if only for a few seconds, and then it’s gone.
The final image, (above) needed some color to make it more appealing visually, so I added the red hue in post. Other than that, the image you see came out of the camera that way. There, I did it: I got my picture of the burning bulb. Now I can put that project to rest. And while I’m still working on the visual-conceptual imagery for the BP disaster unfolding in the Gulf, I had fun going down the bunny trail that led me today’s image.
If you should try this project, I’d love to see your results. And if you do attempt to do this, please be careful around the electricity and the glass.
Thanks for stopping by, now go take some pictures!
Kevin Kratka
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Would you like fries with that?
It was inevitable.
No matter how much I tried to ignore it, pretend it wasn’t happening, it was. My first born son was growing up. And today I have taken a picture that will help tell his story for years to come. He starts his new job at McDonalds on Wednesday, and this, as they say, is just the beginning.
Austin, (left) was born premature, and came into this world a mere 2.8lbs. On the day of his birth, one of the doctors performing an emergency C-Section on my wife in an effort to save both of their lives was not keen on me bringing my camera into the operating room. Once he saw it, he told me to put it away. So I did, but not before taking a quick reading thru the built in light meter, pre focusing on (roughly) the area where I thought our baby would emerge, and then respectfully placing my 1968 Minolta SRT200 SLR on a small accessory table just behind me.
After what seemed like an eternity, all the voices in the operating room, the noises made from the equipment and the clanging of surgical tools being dropped into stainless steel bowls…all of that, slowly faded into silence as the words ‘it’s a boy’ came from the masked doctor, holding the baby in his hands. This little miracle, a little boy, so tiny, so teeny, he was the reason why everybody was in the operating room that day. It was because he decided to come into this world 8 weeks ahead of schedule.
He was beautiful, and I just had to have my picture.
Like Jackie Chan reaching for a mop head and a broom to fend off the bad guys, I quickly and precisely reached for and grabbed my SLR, aimed, adjusted, and fired.
< CLICK! > The mechanical sound of the cameras shutter gave me away. The very doctor holding my newborn son was now yelling at me to put the camera down, and in the same sentence and breath, ordering the nearest nurse to put that camera out of reach of the over- excited new father. I heard him, but his voice was so distant. All I could think of was that our son was born, he was here, he was really here, and he was…squeaking (versus crying) because of his size. I got my son, I got my picture. Mission accomplished. I tried not to let the doctor see me smirking behind my surgical mask.
That was 15 years ago, and today my young man asked me to photograph him in his snazzy new McDonald’s Uniform. His first job, his first real pay check, his first of many firsts yet to come.
So out comes the camera, out comes the lights, the extension cords, the light stands and we start shooting. I later learned that his idea of me ‘taking his picture in his uniform’ was simple snapshot, nothing fancy. Yea right, like that’s going to happen!
But this got me thinking; sometimes there are things that we simply must do in our lives, and for those things, we have to do them ‘our way’
For starters, taking pictures of the ones we love. Those times with your family are precious, so take those pictures the best way you know how and own that moment.
Secondly, make every moment count with the ones you love, because each moment that passes is just another moment you can never relive. Like that day in October, 1994, when Austin was born. The doctor had told me not to take any pictures, but the way I saw it, it was not his moment, it was my moment, my wife’s moment, this was Austin’s moment. That’s 3 against 1. Sorry Doc, but I had to get my picture.
It was inevitable.
Kevin Kratka
Monday, May 31, 2010
Photo Exercise: Showing the Sun who’s boss
I couldn’t believe the weather this morning; 52 degrees under nearly clear blue skies. I say nearly because there is a huge forest fire raging about 250 miles away, (somewhere called ‘Canada’) and copious amounts of smoke are drifting into Maine.
No matter. The skies, the (mostly) fresh air, the Sunshine….all perfect. This is spring time in Maine at it’s finest, and almost immediately, my mind turns to photography.
Generally speaking, the worst possible time to take an outside picture of a person is when the skies are clear, and Sun is overhead. Strong, sharp shadows develop under the nose and chin, people start squinting, blue skies can get washed out, the list goes on. In short, it ain’t pretty.
Solution? Fill flash. But I know what your already thinking…’no problem! My camera has a built in flash!’
The problem(s) with your camera’s built in flash is that it’s not nearly powerful enough to overpower the Sun (unless your about an inch from your subjects face, and who wants to see that!) in addition, most onboard camera flashes are positioned either directly above your cameras lens, or slightly off center. Either way, it’s a prescription for an unflattering, flat lighting pattern. Besides, what’s the fun in a simple on board flash?
My thoughts exactly…
Beating the Sun at it’s own game: Off Camera Strobes
Today was a perfect day to demonstrate how to use off-camera lighting to fill in those bad boy shadows. The basic idea was to front- light my subject enough so that, hopefully, the light falling on him would be balanced with the ambient light around him. As an added bonus, doing it right means we won’t wash out the details in the background. And speaking of backgrounds, today's background was the beautiful and picturesque Rockport Harbor, in Rockport, Maine. My victim subject was my son Austin. And his guitar.
To light my subject, I placed two portable, battery powered strobes, mounted on light stands, and just off camera; one to the subjects left, and one almost directly in front of him. Each strobe is fired remotely using Cybersync Radio Triggers (which, by the way, are awesome). The lack of wires allows complete freedom of movement for both the photographer and the strobes.
I instructed Austin to look at the strobe in front of him, which would guarantee his face was evenly illuminated, while the strobe to his left would help to fill in most or all of the shadows on that side of him. After a couple of test shots, we nailed it. Of course, I can’t leave things well enough alone, so the images were processed in Photoshop and then ran through a Topaz Labs filter to give it some style. I love the end results. So did Austin. And his guitar.
It should be mentioned that while portable strobes can be fired into bounce umbrellas or into ‘shoot-through’' white umbrellas, I decided to instead go with the ‘bare bulb’ approach. What this means is that there is nothing between the front of the flash head and the subject. No diffusers, no umbrellas, nothing. The reason for this was two fold.
First, I actually tried the shoot thru umbrella at the start of the shoot. The light ended up being too soft, which, at least in my opinion, did not look right, at least not with my subject anyways. Now, had my subject been a pretty girl in a wedding dress, that would be an entirely different story.
Secondly, let’s face it: the all powerful Sun rules the roost, and overpowering the Sun on a day like today requires tons of light. And since I’m a poor photographer who can’t afford the really fancy lights, the kind that are so bright you end up with a tan, I, uh, choose instead to use bare bulb portable strobes.
Reason #154 for always having a camera with you
In the middle of all this, just off camera, two young men were making the most of the warm Spring day by taking a dip in the Rockport Harbor’s clear waters. As soon as I heard the splash I knew I had to get a picture of these guys. They were all too happy to demonstrate their pier-diving skills, and with the help of the wireless radio triggers on my strobe, and while holding the light stand away from the pier and pointed up at the boys, I was able to light them from below as they were freefalling into the cool Maine waters. Thanks guys!
This overview was brief, and since we forgot the ‘docu-camera’ at home, I don’t have any ‘behind the scene’ shots showing the setup. (My bad. Next time, ‘k?)
If you should attempt this basic off-camera strobe technique, I’d love to see your results.
Thanks for stopping by…
Kevin Kratka
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Summer arrives with a splash (well…almost)
I had just pulled an ice-cold Shipyard Summer Ale out of the fridge in celebration of the latest version of PC Linux that I was getting ready to install on the kids computer. When all of a sudden, like a couple of undersized ninjas, my 6 and 11 year olds show up out of nowhere. For a second, they stare at me, then, with voices in such unison that they would put a boys choir to shame, they say, ‘Dad, can you setup the Slip-N-Slide for us? PLEEEEAAAASSSSSEEEE?’
How can I say no to that? Tux can wait.
And so it is in late spring here in Maine: the kids hear some birds singing, they notice a few buds on the Maple trees, and all of a sudden… Summer is here!!!
Or is it?
Living in Maine, one gets used to the fact that Summers are short. Too short. And even though the wireless thermometer on my dining room wall reads 72 degrees outside, that stiff ocean breeze makes it feel much cooler. And these kids want to do what? I guess I can’t blame them, I mean, after all, it was a long, cold winter. Long. And cold.
Did I mention it was a long and cold winter? Um…I digress..
So out comes the Slip-N-Slide. Brand new. Reny’s $5.00. In 10 minutes we have it laid out in the back yard, the garden hose hooked up and turned on, and I’m keep my distance ‘cause the last thing I want today is to get wet.
But wait! What am I think! There’s going to be ample picture opportunities here!!
Out comes the camera and the portable strobes and wireless triggers. Smile for daddy and make a big splash!
While the 6 and 11 year old quickly realized that cold water and a stiff breeze equals Brrrrrrrrrrrrr….my 15 year old didn’t seem to mind at all, and with a running start, he made his father proud by doing a face plant right into the little pool at the end of the Slip-N-Slide.
Perhaps this is a glimpse of what the rest of the summer season may hold; water, Sun, fun and tons of photo opportunities. However long (or short) your summer may be where you live, be sure to enjoy it, and whatever you do….don’t forget your camera!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Moving forward
It’s been 22 years since I picked up my first 35mm SLR. I remember it well, a Minolta SRT200. A well made, heavy, aluminum and die-cast metal workhorse. My parents had bought it used and gave it to me on graduation from high school. The camera was made in 1968, and had a dent in the aluminum housing.
That event changed my 
Because I could never afford a different lens, that first prime lens helped me to learn how to zoom with my feet, which forced me to get right into the scene with my subjects. I learned about exposure and shutter speed. I still had no concept of depth of field, and I had no idea that that simple 50mm lens was ideal for portraits.
This year, 2010, I move forward. Digital technology has taken the world of photography and turned it on its ear. No more wondering if that picture we just took will come out right. Instead, we shoot, review, delete it or keep it, and repeat. This year, I hope to turn my love for photography in a business. My hope is that I can produce beautiful pictures for people, enough so that they will actually pay me to do so. First and foremost, I’m in love with the final image, regardless of the subject matter. Well, mostly anyways.
If your a follower of this blog, you will see a wide range of imagery that I like to produce. Portraits, Experimental pictures, Stock imagery, Scenic, Light Painting, HDR, the list goes on. I’m not exactly interested in just one 
My heartfelt thanks for being a reader of my blog. I love sharing what I do. This blog is kinda like that first SLR I had so many years ago; it’s new, it cool, and most of all, it’s a start.
But unlike the dent in the aluminum housing of my first camera, I hope to make a virtual dent, so to speak, in my goals. A goal of expanding my creative nature and using it to benefit others and to benefit my family
The natural question is, where will I be in the next 22 years? Only time will tell.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
A new blog template calls for a new test post. Here we go.....
This is a test post. Juuuuuuuusssssst a test post. Had this been a real post, it would actually be interesting to read. Instead, it's painfully boring.
Except for the pictures of course!
Exhibit 1. This beautiful girl is my daughter, Kaitlynn. She loves her daddy, but usually runs away when she see's him picking up his camera. Today was a good day, she actually posed for me. Thanks Kaitlynn!!! Love ya!!
Exhibit 2 - My oldest son, Austin. The man loves his guitar. This particular guitar he is holding is actually about 35 years old, and plays great. It was given to him by a friend of ours.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
A new year....a new look.
No. Your not lost. You have arrived at the new home page for Kratka Photography.
For 2010, I’ve decided to revamp my website to coincide with my new business model. Starting this year, Kratka Photography will now be offering both family and corporate photography services. It’s my hope that by expanding the types of services available, my business will grow in multiple directions, allowing me to apply my skills and creative talents in multiple arenas.
To summarize, the follow services are now available…
On location Family Portrait Session (we come to you!!)
What this means:
Do you live in Maine, or perhaps your visiting? Either way, your here, and you love the scenery that yells “Hello from Maine!!!” . Ever thought about a family portrait with your favorite vacation spot in the background? Kratka Photography will setup on location at your favorite destination and professionally capture you and your family with your favorite scene in the background. That’s right…your favorite location; your summer home, your camp. Make your next family portrait the best ever!
On location corporate imagery
What this means:You need that perfect headshot picture for your business cards, and that picture of you that Uncle Bob took of you at your last family reunion just doesn’t cut no matter how much you photoshop it. Solution? Let Kratka Photography provide you with exactly what you need. Our professional photographer will work with you to help make your vision a reality. The next time someone looks at your business card, the image they see of you will convey that extra level of confidence and professionalism your clients expect from you. Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Corporate imagery sessions tend to be shorter than conventional family portrait sessions. Therefore our prices are very competitive, we even offer group rates so you and your executive associates can cash in on the same session.
Journalistic & Photo Assignments
What this means:Are you a magazine editor from ‘away’ (Maine speak for ‘visitor from out of state’) writing a story about Maine but don’t have or don’t want to spend the money to send a photographer up here to get those pictures to go along with your story? Kratka Photography already has their boots on the ground. We live here. We know the area. We know the people. This is our home. We will work with you, your writers, or your advertising people to get you what you need. Forward us the subject you are writing about and what kind of images you would like to go with you story, and Kratka Photography will do the rest. Our freelance photographers have provided eye popping images for the newspaper and TV media here in Maine for years, and we can do the same for you and your article.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
70,000 Chickens Killed in Barn Fire
Belfast, Maine – It’s 2am, and I’ve been tossing and turning most of the night. The familiar sound of a car pulling into my driveway and the red light from the brake lights gets my attention ‘Who’s here…and at 2 o’clock in the morning at that….’
I raise the window shade from my second floor bedroom window in an effort to see who is there, and what I see makes my adrenaline race – the entire field next to my house, along with the surrounding trees – are glowing orange. At the exact same moment my brain yells ‘'Fire!’ in my head, a loud rap at the front door downstairs wakes up my wife, and a half a second later, a voice and flashlight both get my attention ‘Your barn is on fire sir!!’
My wife calls 911. The voice I heard from downstairs is a Deputy Sherriff. He had seen the glow on the horizon from two towns away, and drove until he found the source. Panic mode. Will the fire spread to the house? What about the woods? What about the chickens!!!
I can’t put on my shoes fast enough. I grab my camera gear, and I’m out the door in two minutes. What I see and what I hear next stop me in my tracks.
The sky is orange as high up as you can see. The entire area is orange...our house, the neighbors house, everything. Embers are floating gracefully up and over the trees and are being carried by a very light breeze.
The only sound heard is the occasional crackle of the flames coming from the back of the barn. By now I’ve turned on my fire pager and I can hear multiple tones being set off to call multiple fire agencies and mutual support. To hear my own address on the radio, followed by the words ‘Fully engulfed chicken barn’ is something I won’t soon forget.
This is not your back yard hobby chicken barn. No sir. This is a 500 foot long, 40 foot wide, 60,000 sq. foot, aluminum sided, three floor chicken barn with 12 inches of sawdust in the roof for insulation. Huge commercial sized vent fans are used to draw fresh air thorough out the entire barn.
Inside are 70,000 helpless chickens.
The firefighters arrive by the droves. Now the stillness of the orange glow is punctuated by red strobe lights of the fire trucks. The eerie silence is now replaced with the sounds of diesel engines, fire radios and men yelling to grab the hoses and watch for live power lines.
One of the fire fighters claims to have seen a bald chicken making a run for it, last known direction was the woods. Perhaps he is the lone survivor. But this is Maine, and it’s winter, and if she had all her feathers, she might stand a chance of surviving
.
An hour has past, the barn and the chickens are now gone. The fire fighters tell me that there was no sense in risking injury to fire personal when the barn was so far gone when they arrived. The best they could do was to make sure nothing else nearby caught fire, sit back, and watch.
As a former volunteer fire fighter, I knew the feeling of helplessness this can bring. Your there to do a job, but your hands are tied. It’s not worth the risk.
It’s 6:35 AM. The fire is still smoldering. The fire fighters are still standing watch over what remains of the barn.
The smoke…and the Sun…are now rising together.
Kevin Kratka is a freelance photographer and writer. He can be reached at kevin@kratkaphotography.com
Image and text © Kratka Photography No part may be used without written consent. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Services we currently offer…
Some examples of the commercial services we provide include (but not limited too)
Let your customers see you at your very best!
We realize that not everyone is thrilled about having their picture taken, but you’re not just anyone – you’re a successful business owner operator!
Our photography staff will provide perfect lighting and coach you in the modeling process…yes, we said model! You!
We promise to make you look your best!
| You - The Picture of Success |
Food Photography
Mmmmmm. Delicious. Mouth watering yet?
Done right, food photography should have the same effect as having the real thing placed in front of you at dinner.
Next time you make that special dish, we hope you think of us. Really. We’ll create pictures of your favorite dishes that look so good you almost want to eat them (but please refrain from doing so…)
| Picture This: A Delicious Dish |
Interior Architectural Imagery
Look at the detail in the image to the left.
From the carpeting to the creases in the cushions, the details and the warmth pull your eyes into the image, inviting you to make yourself comfortable in one of those cozy wicker chairs.
Kratka Photography specializes in High Dynamic Range Imagery (HDRI) which helps to bring out these details. But most of the time, our customers just call it “wow! that’s a photograph?”
| High Dynamic Range Imagery (HDRI) |
Photography at its best!
Thank you for taking the time to check out Kratka Photography.Based in Midcoast of Maine, we offer many different photography & fine art services.
Our photography services range from portable, on-location portrait services for family and 
Our fine art photography is near and dear to our hearts, and each image is born from the desire to capture the very essence of Maine, the place we call home.
Kratka Photography's imagery has been published world wide, featured in local magazines such as Belfast Bay & Beyond, and our Maine scenic grace the walls of happy clients ranging from Banks to personal collectors coast to coast.
What kind of images did you have in mind today?
Click on the What We Do tab at the top of this page and let’s take some pictures!
Services Update
School Portraits
Do you remember those quirky school pictures you had done in the elementary school? If your like me, you might agree they were 'cute' but, uh.....what's with your hair? Didn't they havecombs back then?
Why not hire Kratka Photography the next time your child needs school pictures. As artists, we have an eye for details and years of experience - the perfect combination needed to capture this moment in your child's life - and yours.
Kratka Photography brings more than just a comb along when it's time to take pictures. We bring the passion for memorable imagery.
Engagement Portraits
"There is no remedy for love than to love more."
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
Many have tried, but few have found words that aptly describe how we feel when love finds us.
On other hand, it's been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, which is why Kratka Photography should be on your short list of phone numbers to call when you find that special someone (the other numbers should be your parents, some close friends, and a wedding planner...)
Kratka Photography takes a personal interest in each of our clients, and happy couples are always fun to work with and photograph. Do you have a special place in mind, someplace that you go for walks? A local park? Do you fancy sunrises or sunsets together? Whatever you have in mind, we want to help you make it happen.
Pricing & Packages
Fine Art - Framed Imagery
When we're not busy taking pictures of people, we sometimes find time natural beauty unique to our home state of Maine.
Living here gives us the advantage of being to explore all those nooks and crannies any ole' time we feel like it, and believe me, we do. When summer finally arrives (about the time the snow melts, or July 1st, whichever comes first...) we start planning our photo shoots around scenic routes up and down our rocky coast. Over the years, we've collected some beautiful scenic images.
Kratka Photography is now happy to provide our customers framed prints of Maine scenes. We will be adding more to our collection as time allows, and we hope you enjoy them.
Depending on the image, all prints are are professionally printed on Kodak Endura E-Surface, Endura Metallic and Ilford's True B&W, and all three provide 100 year archival value, professionally framed and delivered to anywhere you live.
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