The History of July 4th
Independence Day in the U.S., is an annual holiday commemorating the formal adoption by the Continental Congress of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia. The Fourth is traditionally celebrated publicly with parades and pageants, patriotic speeches, and organized firing of guns and cannons and displays of fireworks; early in the 20th century public concern for a “safe and sane” holiday resulted in restrictions on general use of fireworks. Family picnics and outings are a feature of private Fourth of July celebrations.
Enjoy!
Photography Exhibit at The Phoenix Art Museum
Norton Photography Gallery
March 21, 2009 – September 6, 2009
Arizona’s Grand Canyon—natural wonder, national park, tourist attraction, sacred land—is perhaps the world’s best “photo op.” The collaborative photographic team of Mark Klett and Byron Wolfe have set out to explore this celebrated place of dramatic beauty, and Phoenix Art Museum is proud to be the first to show a comprehensive look at their powerful, thoughtful, and playful approach to the Grand Canyon.
Drawn from two seasons of fieldwork, Charting the Canyon will include about 30 photographs ranging from a modest 20 by 20–inch print to a panorama nearly 10 feet wide. Mark Klett, a Regents Professor at Arizona State University, and Byron Wolfe, a former student of Klett’s who is now a Lantis’ University Professor teaches at California State University at Chico, have been interested in rephotographing historic images since their collaboration began in 1997.
Now the pair combines their own color photographs with imagery by 19th-century photographer J. K. Hillers and artist William Holmes and by Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, who worked at the Canyon in the early 20th century. Klett and Wolfe respond to the historic images and the Canyon itself, yielding artworks that reconsider an icon, challenge how we perceive the land, and bring a new perspective to its portrayals.
Charting the Canyon offers visual delights: the humorous layering of a 19th-century drawing with contemporary photographic details, the extension of an Ansel Adams view into a serene panorama, and the illusion of three-dimensions with a stereopticon viewer built for the twenty-first century, among others to be discovered in this unique exhibition.
Tempe: The July 4th attractions include: live bands, food, and The Kiwanis Club of Tempe 58th Annual Fireworks Spectacular will present the best fireworks show in the Valley shot from Mill Avenue bridge. The spectacular family night Fireworks Show will be choreographed to patriotic and classical music. Gates open 4pm. Tickets are $6 – (available at any Fry’s), $8 day of the event.
Chandler: July 4th, “A Star Spangled Shoot Out!” – 5:30pm – 10pm Celebrate your independence this July 4th western style with us right here at Rawhide! If it’s a party yer lookin’ for, we’ve got you covered with cowboys, gunfights, food, fun, family and fireworks! Admission and parking is Free. Live music throughout town, Face Painting, Best
Dressed, Cowboy & Cowgirl Costume Contest Action Packed Performances, Aerial Fireworks Display
Phoenix: July 4th, 6 – 10:00 p.m. Rain or shine* (Fireworks begin at 9:20) Steele Indian School Park 3rd Street and Indian School Road Central Phoenix. The city of Phoenix is proud to bring you this fabulous event for the 24th straight year on Saturday, July 4 from 6 to 10:00 p.m. at Steele Indian School Park. Entertainment begins at 7 p.m. This premier family event will feature great local entertainment, a giant misting area, inflatable rides,
Kid’s World stage, Classic Car exhibit, and one of the biggest fireworks displays in the state! Festival goers also can enjoy food and beverage vendors. The Phoenix Fire Department will be cooling people down in the water spray zone.
(fireworks photo credit: Tempe July4th website/photos)
With July 4th around the corner, now is the time to brush up on your Firework picture taking skills! Using a digital camera to take pictures of fireworks can be tricky – but with a couple pointers, it can become a bit easier.
LOCATION, location, location! carefully choose where you position yourself. Make sure you have an unobstructed view, try not to be in the middle of the crowd (not so easy at most celebrations!).
Avoid ambient lighting. For example, try not to be standing under a street light, avoid any other forms of artificial light.
Use a tripod if you can! If not, try and brace your camera against something to keep it steady. Exposures this long are almost impossible to shoot without stability!
Use the manual control if you can – vary your exposure settings.
Turn the flash off.
Shoot when the fireworks launch – to get the best chance of capturing the burst or the full flower effect with stalk and all. (as shown above)
Remember, the best fireworks are at the end – plan accordingly, extra batteries!
Take lots of pictures! A certain amount of luck is involved!
photo credit: tempe july 4th website
The current issue of Consumer Reports is reviewing digital cameras…I though I would update the info on our family camera, the Canon G10.
We have been using this camera for several months now, and just love it! It was a little complicated for me at first, but Keith calls it “the professional’s point and shoot” – that is a pretty good endorsement – it takes darn good pictures!
Here’s what Consumer Reports had to say (and by the way, they recommend it):
CR’s Take
This produces images with excellent sharpness and some noise. It performs very well, with short next-shot delay, although it did have some first-shot delay. Excellent dynamic range lets it shoot in a wide variety of situations. It can save images in RAW format, which allows you more creative control over editing images. It has a hot shoe for an optional external flash, which is rare on point-and-shoots. Manual controls and focus make this camera more versatile than other models. It also Includes an optical viewfinder, which can be helpful when composing in bright light. For an expensive camera, though, it had a disappopinting maximum ISO with best quality of 200.
Highs
Very good image quality. Short next-shot delay. Excellent dynamic range. Can save images in RAW format. Includes hot shoe. It has an ergonomic grip, which can help steady the camera. Includes manual controls and focus. Also features wide-angle capability. Includes optical viewfinder. Long battery life.
Lows
Very expensive. Exhibited some first-shot delay. Design places flash too close to where you hold the camera, possibly obstructing the strobe. For such an expensive camera, it should shoot better in low-light situations. Among the heaviest compacts.
This has been a popular option for mom’s groups, pre-school classes, team sports…we wanted to share it with you:
Group Mini Sessions
$75 per family
price includes:
• 20 minute ON location session per family (up to four people)
• includes a (1) 5×7 (value $45)
• 10-15 beautifully crafted images displayed in an online gallery slideshow
5% of all sales are donated to Free Arts AZ
We require a minimum of 5 families to book the session. The session fee is due at the time of booking. To reserve your a time slot for your group, please call our office to schedule your time at 480.947.0460.
All specialty studio items will be available for purchase a la carte, including desk portraits, wall portraits, art canvases, and additional custom products.
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How the group session works: your group decides on a date and location (we can suggest several) – the kids run around and play, Keith starts snapping. He then takes each family aside and captures a family shot of you having fun together, being yourselves and candid, fun individual shots of the children. The end result: natural lifestyle portraits of your children and your family, classic yet modern and fun.
Please call with any questions!
keith pitts photography 480.947.0460 www.keithpittskids.com
…such a sweet girl and beautiful as well! We wish her well in her Senior Year!
2010 senior spokesmodel program
Keith Pitts Photography is looking for our 2010 senior spokesmodels at your high school! Being a senior spokesmodel is fun and easy! We accept two students per school, and are looking for spokesmodels that have style and energy. Our job is is to give you photographs that you can’t get anywhere else, your job is to help spread the word to friends and classmates!
how the program works
Spokesmodel receives:
mini session in late Spring/early Summer
50 referral cards with images from the mini session
10 images (digital low-res files) for facebook/myspace
5×5 proof book
online gallery
featured on our blog and website
and…
refer one senior and gain access to special pricing
refer two seniors and receive a full session in the fall with access to special pricing
refer three seniors and receive a luxury full session in the fall – complete with hair, makeup and styling with access to special pricing
also…
for every senior you refer to us, you receive a $50 print credit or $25 cash
you may qualify for up to $1250 in print credits (based on number of referrals)
combined value over $2250
If you are interested, please discuss the program with your parents. If they are wiling to give their permission for you to participate, we will send you a form to fill out. You will be contacted to set up an appointment with you and one of your parents to discuss the details.
A Brief History of Father’s Day: It would be interesting to know how Father’s Day came into practice and celebrated worldwide with an equal sincerity and respect as any other significant holidays. Here’s a short history on the holiday, and meaning of the different colors of roses to be worn that Day.
About 4,000 years ago a young boy named Elmusu wished his Babylonian father good health and a long life by carving a Father’s Day message on a card made out of clay. No one knows what happened to Elmesu or his father, but the tradition of having a special day honoring fathers has continued through the years in countries across the world.??The Countries, where the Catholic Church were of significant influence on the culture of the society, Father’s Day is celebrated on St. Joseph’s Day (March 19). However, a more secular celebration which is not associated with any religion is followed in recent times to highlight the increased diversity among people from all over the globe coexisting together in one place.??
Father’s Day is celebrated popularly on 3rd Sunday in June in many parts of the world. The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father’s Day while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora’s father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.??
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. President Nixon, in 1972, established a permanent national observance of Father’s Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. So Father’s Day was born as a token of love and gratitude that a daughter cherishes for her beloved father. Roses are the Father’s Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.
