Trunk or Treat "Price is Right"

This will be a short blog, but I wanted to tell about my Trunk or Treat I did last year. It was my first time doing one and it was going to be really cold. With the weather I wanted to do something I could dress warm under... After think about it, I thought why not do the price is right. I had already made a bunch of Price is Right props and stuff for camp earlier that year (can read about camp price is right here).

I decided to revamp my "Punch a Bunch" board to have candy inside, put it in the trunk of my bug and let the bigger kids punch a hole to get their candy. Then I took one of the show case contestant stands and put a ribbon on it so it could hang around my neck. I also printed myself a name tag. I put other game props I made around my car. 

Lastly I wanted it to relate to a bible verse some how,  since it was at our church and is a great out reach ministry. That lead to me changing my sign, the Price is Right logo, to say the Price is Paid with a cross instead of a dollar sign. With a reference to "He paid the price for us" (1 Timothy 2:6).

Now to come up with this year... 

Step Right Up, It's Fair Time: Why My Little Home Fair Is Great

I decide to start sharing my thoughts on our Ohio county fairs (read why here) and I think I should start with what is normally my first fair to go to each year. The first Saturday after the fourth of July, when it is normally hot and rainy lots of 4-Hers and FFA members are in London, Ohio moving into the Madison County fair to start a week of fair shows and judging. I am normally there on that Saturday evening helping taking livestock photos during check-ins. I don’t live in Madison county any more, but it still fills like home to me and I still like helping out when I can, taking part in open class sometimes and even if I can’t help out I still have to be there at some point in time each year.

Not very many people would describe the Madison County Fair as great and overall it isn't. I am sad to say that, but if it wasn't my “home” fair I wouldn't pay $7 to get in, because there is not much there aside from the Jr. Fair (I will talk more on my thoughts of fair prices at another time). No we don’t have the largest amount of livestock in the state, but I think we have a good amount and the fact that all of what is there is Jr. Fair projects makes it even better. What do I mean by that… they don’t “Fill” their barns with open class animals staying all week to make it look like the fair has lots of animal projects.  A co-worker this year went to the Madison County fair for the first time and said to me “There are very few animals there, disappointed.” I thought really, wow I thought the animal numbers looked up this year and way more than when I was in 4-H, I mean we have a chick barn now, but then I thought you wouldn't know that if you hadn't been there before and keep in mind it is just Jr. Fair livestock, not open class too. Yes, they have open classes, but those animals don’t stay in the barn all week unless they are Jr. Fair too (something that frustrates me about my now home fair, but will talk more on that when I write about that fair).

Showman of Showman banners - picture from fair facebook

Now you know it cost too much to get in, there isn’t much there, but they have a good Jr. Fair program and Jr. Fair livestock participation… so why is it great? Because they don’t have Grand Champion Animals for the Jr. Fair market shows! Yep, lots of livestock friends just read that and gasped in disbelief and others thought “good for them”.  Instead they have “Showman of Showman” awards for the top showman in each livestock group and then an overall Grand Showman of Showman. To me this is how it should be, yes the animal still has to meet certain criteria and still has to be a good show animal, but what is more important in a Jr. Fair show is how the youth did and what they know! Not if they can afford to buy the top breading stock of animals! Now for all of you that are shaking your heads in disbelief they do have some awards for the animals, the beef have a “steer of the day” and the open class lamb and hog show have champion jr. exhibitor and the breeding classes have champions. But if you go to the Madison county fair that isn’t what is most talked about or praised, the top Showman is the big award and deal. Growing up around this I hadn’t given it much thought, until I moved out of the county and had some people not from Madison county tell me they thought it was great that they don’t have Grand Champion animals, then I thought you are right it is great. Now that I go to many different fairs I see it for myself and hear the talk about the grand champion winners, I am proud of Madison County!

What else is good about the Madison county fair, they are trying to make it better.

My mom in 4-H in front of the old Quonset barn

New show arena

A long time staple at the Madison county fair were the Quonset barns for the larger livestock and arena… being in those tin cans in July heat with all the animals was horrible. A few years ago they took down one section of the Quonset barns and put up a new cattle barn, very nice, but I do miss having all the 4-H special interest projects on display together (not the club booths). Than this year they took down the Quonset arena and other end of that building and built a new one. They also announced they are going to finally build a new hog barn, much more open and airy then the Quonset barn, they are currently raising funds to do this and I can’t wait to see it happen.  Also if you like to watch a truck or tractor pull they put on some good ones at the fair (but you do have to pay extra for them). For course there is fair food too, some of my favorites are Cappy’s pizza, I think just because I ate so much of it at fair as a 4-Her, now days I like to get a hamburger from Sheila’s stand and I am sure others have their favorite foods they could tell about.

I have a family history at the Madison County fair, so it will always be important and special to me and a part of my life, even if I don’t live there anymore.

My grandpa Dorn in 4-H in front of the grandstands

My grandparents at the Madison Co Fair, one of my fav. photos

Step Right Up It's Fair Time: Where My Love of Fairs Started

I have been thinking about writing blogs on my love for county fairs and experiences with them. I have been to about 25 of Ohio’s county fairs so far and almost never miss the State Fair. I like to share my thoughts on the fairs I have been to with people, so why not write about it. Over time I am going to write blogs about the fairs I have been to and what I like or dislike about them and just a general personal over view. But, first I wanted to give some background of where my love of fairs comes from and how I started going to all these fairs.

I would say my love of fairs comes from my dad; my dad loves fairs because he has a history with them. He grew up on the fair circuit, my dad’s parents at times worked for Gooding Amusements out of Columbus, Ohio.

My Grandpa Parker on a ride he worked on.

Yes they where what you would today call a carny, but I don’t at all picture them as “carnies”, just hard working people trying to take care of their big family (my dad is the youngest of 12). Because of this I grow up hear stories from dad about the fairs, most of the stories where about the people he grew up around at the fairs, the Side Show Performers. Now days I hardly see side show tents at fairs and when I do they are fake stuff or just performers, not like the true oddities they were back then. My dad has told me all about people like Little Pete Moore, Emmitt and Priscilla the Alligator Man and Monkey Lady, Johann the Giant and many more. He would also tell me about rides and venders, when I was a kid he would almost always take us to the local county fair and the State Fair. He would take me on his favorite rides and share tricks with me, like how to make the Tit-a-Whirl spin faster or that you can turn yourself upside down on the Gravitron when it is going. Also as kid every year at the Madison County Fair dad would stop to visit with the man that owned the cane ring toss game and he always gave us kids one of the colorful canes, then dad would get me cotton candy because he knew the lady that rain that trailer too and would visit with her. Even today I never know when I might hear a new story from my dad about the fair.

Picture from Ohio State Fair's Facebook Page

A few years ago I showed him an old Ohio State Fair picture they posted on Facebook with a caption about how many Ferris Wheels there was in the picture, there was four. Dad said, “Yes Gooding always set up four Ferris Wheels at the state fair, three regular sized ones and one giant or double wheel. And by the afternoon of each day at the fair all four wheels would have a long line.” I learned something new that day.

As I got older my love of fairs changed, today I almost never ride a ride at a fair, so I can’t tell you who has the best rides or prices on rides. Mostly just not interested and don’t want to pay the prices to ride them. When I was of age I got involved in 4-H and by high school it was the most important activity to me that I was involved in, because of that I was always trying to do more with it. I was a Jr. Fair Board Member, County Camp Counselor, attended three state 4-H camps and one National, was a State 4-H Ambassador, worked at the state fair and later a state 4-H camp counselor. Through all of that (and probably more) I made lots of 4-H friends all over the state and that is how it started, me going to different county fairs. I would say it was about my junior year of high school I started driving where ever in the state to a county fair to see a friend I had made, normally dragging along a friend that didn’t have the love of 4-H I did, but went along for the fun of it. As an adult this has continued, but now days it is to see a farm bureau friends and their county fair. I also get to go to some county fairs for my work to take pictures of our involvement in the local fairs.  The past few years I have averaged going to about 13 county fairs a summer and try to get to one or two new ones each year.

There you have it, how I fell in love with going to county faisr… check back, in the future and I will tell you my favorite and lest favorite Ohio fairs and things at them.

Save, Backup, Format... Repeat

It is almost the end of January, so I am past due for my end of the year backup... something good to do on a cold winter day, like today. Backing up your digital files is something you should be doing all the time, but I like to do a double backup after each year and also get some old stuff off my computer.

Let me start at the begging of what you should be doing to help to not lose those favorite memories... No matter what you use to take pictures; DSLR Camera, point and shoot camera or just your phone you should regularly be saving and backing up those files, because things can happen and you will lose them forever. Phones and memory cards can easily be broken, get lost, stolen or just go bad and quite working. Even if your phone or memory card can hold 2,000 photos that doesn't mean you should leave 2,000 on them.

When should I save them to the computer? Often! For me I save the pics form my camera, off the memory card, after every event or thing I photographed. For my phone I try to do it at least once a month.

How do I save them? Every computer, camera and phone is different, but for me I use the copy and paste method (on Windows). I put my card in the SD reader or plug my phone or camera in with the USB cord. When I do that  a window will pop up asking what you want to do, click "open folder to view files".

 If it doesn't pop up, go to your "computer" and double click on the icon for what you want to open. Once you have opened all the folders and can view your files and select all (ctrl-a) or select what you want to copy (click 1st image hold shift key, click last image you want). Once they are selected (in blue) right click once and click "copy" on the menu (ctrl-c). When I am saving pictures I make a folder in "My Pictures" named the date or what the pictures are of. Open the folder, then right click in it, click paste (ctrl-v) and your files will show up there. Now your photos are saved on your computer.

Now it is time to back them up, save them some place off the computer. This is also very important, because computers can crash, die or be stolen and if that happens and they are not saved off the computer they can be gone for good. I had this happen and lost a few months of photos I didn't have backed up yet, so now I try to do it right after saving them on my computer. Once again I use the copy and paste method, but instead of selecting files I select the folder or folders I want and then same thing to copy and paste them.

What do I save them to off of my computer? I use a portable hard drive, right now I am using a 500GB drive and it has almost every photo and file on it from 2005  (since I went digital with my photography) to today. This is my third portable hard drive, yes they also can go bad, after a few years of using them they might start to not open up all the time or just acting up, at that point I go get a new one. Of course each time I have gotten a new one I have gotten a larger one (more storage, smaller in physical size) for less. You can also use a USB Flash Drive (memory stick) like a 16GB or 32GB (or bigger) or an SD Card, just depends on how many photos you take. I find the portable hard drive handy, it is small and everything is on it, so I can easily find files when I need them and take them all with me on the go.

Now it is a new year and time for me to do a double back up. What do I mean by that? At the first of the each year I make sure I have everything backed up again, some where else and then for me I put that backup in my fire proof safe. I use to do this by burning files to DVDs, but this year I bought USB Flash Drives from Sam's Club to save files to and then put away for safe keeping. After I do this I then delete things off my computer. For me I only keep pictures from the past year on my computer, so I move all folders of picture to a folder with the year on it. Right now on my computer there is a folder that says 2013 with all of the photos from 2013 in it and I have deleted the folder from 2012. That means for right now I have 2013's photos saved in 3 places, 2012 and everything past in two places and all new photos for 2014 will be saved in two places as I take them. I also backup any document files I have made over the year the same way and then delete any I don't think I will need, but know they are saved if I do need them.

The files are all saved now what? Format! This is for memory cards in cameras only, I don't know of a way or need to do this with a phone. After you have saved all your images and put your card back into your camera you need to format it. Why and what is formatting? Formatting your card is like cleaning it. Keeping it working good and "talking" to your camera correctly. Cards can go bad, but this is one way to try to prevent that. Formatting your card WILL delete everything off of it, both what you can see and what you can't. A "memory" can build up on the card and over time not hold as much if you just delete them, formatting will clean it all off.  Also, you need format if you get a new card or the card was used in a different camera or device, it helps it "talk" to the camera and work better.

Remember to always Save, Backup, Format and Repeat often to help keep you memories forever.

The Camp Price is Right

This summer for our 4-H Jr. camp I put together a Price is Right event, to go along with our TV theme. I thought I would try to share a little about what all I made and how.



The idea started with Plinko, I have a friend that built a Plinko wall and he said I could use it. Then to find more games I started looking on Pinterest for ideas on how to build the Price is Right. I found some good examples of Punch an Bunch and how to make it, but that was about it to start with. Next I went to Google, found a few more ideas, like the Cliff Hanger game, but needed more. Then I went to Wikapeda and found a full list of the Price is Right games, currant and past games, with descriptions of each game (printed that out). That was very helpful, then it was going through and deciding what I thought was doable and refreshing my memory on how some of them was played. That meant next was watching videos online of the games being played. While watching them I took notes of thins on the set like colors and set ups. I also did Google Image search and printed out examples of the set and games so I could go by them when making my props.

The games I decided on doing... of course Plinko and played it two times, sicne I went through all the work to get it. Then Punch a Bunch, Cliff Hanger, Hole in One, and The Clock Game.

Plinko was easy to make, because it was already made all I did was make the Plinko sign to at the top. I thought about making the color edging to go all around it like on the show, but time didn't allow for that in the end.

The Punch a Bunch wall took more work then I thought it would, but I found instructions on Pinterest to help out with giving me an idea on how to make it. I got peace of pallet card board and cut circles out based on how many fit on the card board, the circles was the size of a paper bag opening. Then spray painted it gray and covered the holes with tissue paper. I wrote dollar amounts on paper and put them on the back of the holes, then taped the paper bags on the back. If I was to make it again I would make it a little smaller for less work, it only got three punches to it when played and I had over 20 holes.

Making the Punch a Bunch

For the Cliff Hanger game I also started with a piece of pallet card board (I get them where I work, large card board will work). After cutting an angle across the top I spray painted it gray. I printed out the numbers on yellow paper to go across the top and hand painted the mountains on the gray board. For the the yodeler man I found a printable image on a Google image search, attached it to card board with a handle under him. I also found a website online with sound clips, mp3s, of Prices is Right sounds, I found the yodeling music there. To hold the Punch a Bunch and the Cliff hanger I clipped them to light stands from my studio.

The Clock Game was nice and easy, for the most part just poster board and orange paper. I made the clock face in Photoshop and printed it in sections on orange paper. I made an arrow out of black craft foam and attached it with a paper fastener. One of my camp counselors held it and moved the arrow as the game was played.






Hole in One was the other game I made, at first I wasn't going to make it, because I didn't want to build a putt-putt. Then I found a putting green and hole at a yard sale, so that made it easier. I made the Hole in One sign out of poster board and it was two sided with Hole in Two on the back. I printed out the gulf ball and text, then for the white and yellow lines on it I used colored electrical tape. I put white lines with tape on the green part of the putting green, then made the flags for each item to be placed on the lines. The flags are out of craft foam, pipe and Styrofoam in plastic cups to hold the flags.

For all the games and signs I found a website with links to fonts that closely match those used on the game show. For the most part I designed everything to be printed out in Photoshop and Publisher.

Other things I made for the stage was the contestant stands and the final show down stands. I made both out of poster board from the dollar store and taped them to the front of the table. I used dollar store table clothes for the backdrop behind the contestant stands and cut them in to strips. For the game show "doors" I used two dollar store shower curtains and printed out the logo I made on paper and taped it to the curtains . I hung the curtains on a background stand from my photography equipment. For the big wheel I borrowed a prize wheel and decorated it (it was down last and I ran out of time to make it really pretty). I found graphics online like the dollar sign and name tag by doing Google image searches. I printed the name tags on 8.5x11 label paper and then the campers name was wrote on it in maker when their name got picked.

After games where picked and had started making them I started on the script... to do this I found a website with Transcripts from episodes of the show. I went on there and copied and pasted the games I was playing and all the other parts of the show, then went through and changed all the items, prizes, etc. to the stuff I was using, for them to bid on. For the items they would bid on most of it was stuff I found around my house, some of it was just print out and some was funny stuff just to be silly. They didn't get take home those items, but they all got prizes to take home based on there showcase. Prize was toys and candy that went along with what they was bidding on, such as match box cars and puzzles with pictures of places they could go. (if I can find a way to attach my script, I will add it later).

The adult staff the camp was "stars", one male adult staff played Drew, I put his script on cards for him to refer to. A second male adult staff was the announcer and operated the sound equipment. A female adult staff member played the role of the Barker's Beauty. I was the director and trying to take pics of it. We also had three of our last year camp counselors help with setting up and running the games.

Then it was time for the campers to come on down!

How To Photograph Fireworks with DSLR Camera

It's that time of year, Fourth of July and lots of fireworks, since college one of my favorite things to do is photograph them. When I was in college, photography school, my first year when it was close to the Fourth of July  my teacher taught us how to photograph fireworks... it wasn't at all how I thought you would do it, but since then been doing it that way and getting great pictures.

What do you need; a DSLR Camera (Digital Single Lens Reflex or in simple terms a camera with removable lens and manual mode) and a Tripod (doesn't need to be a big expensive one, but sturdy and strong enough to hold your camera). Once you find a good spot to watch the fireworks show, level and with a clear view, then set up your camera on the tripod. Now for the settings on the camera....

Camera on Manual Mode

1st - put your camera on Manual Mode, M on the settings dial.
2nd - Shutter Speed, set your shutter speed to "Bulb", on my Nikon do that by pressing the shutter button part way down, then when the shutter speed and F-stop shows up on your top screen use the thumb toggle to change the shutter speed. Bulb is normally the last or close to the last shutter speed setting. The bulb setting means the shutter stays open as long as you hold the shutter button down.

Camera Shutter Speed set on Bulb

3rd - F-stop, I like to have it on
F-5.6 or something close to that.
4th - ISO, the best ISO is 200 (most cameras default to that). You may be thinking low light need a high ISO, but not the case this time. ISO 200 will get you more vivid colors and very little grain or "noise" then the higher ISOs. (ISO is International Standards Organisation and it measures the sensitivity of the image sensor.)
5th - Focus on infinity, you will have to turn your auto focus off. Infinity on the lens is when the focusing ring on the lens is all the way twisted to the right, at the end of the numbers on your lens there is an infinity symbol (sideways 8), when you get to it you are focused on infinity.

Now you have your camera set on all the right settings and on the tripod, the show is about ready to start now what... Watch the fist one go up through you view finder and make sure you camera is pointed in the right spot. When a fireworks starts going up click the shutter button and continue to hold it down till after the firework goes off and starts to fade away. This will get the tale of the firework going up and the entire boom and full effect of it. You can also hold it down for more then one firework to get multiples in your photo. Try not to bump the camera or move around too much while holding it down, this is why you need a tripod to help with keep it steady. Once I know I have the camera aimed right at the show I normally stand behind my camera and tripod with my finger on the shutter button and watch the show, as one goes up I click down and then let off when it is done, no need to look in the view finder each time because it will black out and you will miss the explosion (and I wouldn't recommend using the back screen for this either, for those that you can).

That's it, hope that I explained it well, first time I have tried to explain it in writing... have fun taking firework pictures!

www.cindysportraits.com

Why It Is Ok to Get a Live Christmas Tree... Harvesting My Tree

It's that time of year again, Christmas and time for one of my favorite traditions, getting my Christmas tree. Yes I get a live tree and love it and there is nothen wrong with getting a fake tree. I understand a live tree isn't for everyone, you may be allergic, not like the up keep and clean up, don't have the extra to buy a new tree every year, what ever your reason that is fine, but it isn't ok for me. I love the look, smell, fill and memories that come with a real tree. Before I get into memories and tradition, there is something bothering me. I have seen on social media a few comments made about it being bad or wrong to get a live tree, what, no it isn't!

Why I feel it is not wrong or bad to get a live tree... as long as it comes from a farm, that is. I have seen comments like, I think it sad to see a perfectly good tree be cut down or you shouldn't cut down a tree for Christmas, really is it wrong to cut down corn or soybeans on farms too? No it isn't, so going to a Christmas tree farm to get your Christmas tree is not wrong either. Why, because those trees are planted, trimmed and groomed all year long to be sold at Christmas time and then new trees are planted in their place. So, there is no loss of trees in the end, just like a farmer harvest their corn and soybeans in the fall and replants them in the spring, the same process is done on tree farms. Also, if that tree farm wasn't there most likely those trees would not be there. This year I got my tree form 4-H Camp Ohio (Woodridge Tree Farm) and I remember when where they now grow trees it was just open grassy fields. A lot of time tree farms are planted on land that may be hard to grow traditional crops, due to reasons like step hills or not the right type of soil.

I grew up with live trees and have many of great memories from them. Growing up we would go to southern Ohio to Dickess Tree Farm to get our tree. Dickess tree farm is on land that was my great grandma's families original homestead and farm. I loved going there with the family, running the hills, picking out a tree and visiting the family there. My dad would get nice big trees, some times so big we had to tie them to the wall to keep them up and then we would all help decorate it. That is where my love of live trees comes from and thou I haven't been able to make it down there since I started buying my own trees, it is still my favorite place and best memories of getting a tree (hope some day to go back, it is just very far from where I now live).

There is work to having a live tree, you have remember to water it and make sure it doesn't dry out (don't want to have a fire), the the cleaning up after it goes out and that is not for everyone. For me I think it is all worth it for the memories that come with a live tree and supporting local farmers.