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I come from a family of photographers; none of us are famous, but
we all have had a passion for photography at one time or another. My grandfather left
us with a collection of over 5,000 slides. He had hundreds of family photos and thousands from trips across the United States. Several dozen images were winners in local camera
club contests. My Dad picked up the hobby after World War II; my older brother Doug
and I both have shot our share of slides and negatives.
Now with the Internet and age of digital photography, we believe
the time has come to unlock and share the treasures of these photos that date back to
the 1950s. We will concentrate on family pictures first, but we will also digitize
works depicting the postwar era and showcase pieces that stand out on their own merit.
This project requires a tool to convert slide and negative films into digital copies. When we first discussed this project last year, I bought a Nikon Coolscan 5000 ED to see how it would do. It would scan only one slide at a time, but the results were nothing short of amazing. Nikon made a batch feeder that could scan a stack of slides at a time. However, as I looked at this harder (online forums), I learned that many users of the batch feeder had issues with cardboard mounted slides jamming. All of Grandpa's slides are in cardboard mounts.
Enter the Epson Perfection V750-M Professional Scanner. I found a review at photo-i that showed comparable results between the V750 and the Nikon Coolscan. While the Coolscan had a slight upper hand, the V750 could scan 12 slides at a time on its flat bed (no automatic machine eating our slides to worry about), and the whole setup would cost half of the Nikon with a batch feeder. Exit the Nikon on eBay.
The picture at right is my first test scan using the Epson V750. The original slide was shot on Kodachrome 64 using a Pentax K1000 with a 50mm lens. The original was also underexposed. The new scanner is capable of magnifying film grain (4,800 dpi); thus, I am satisfied with the resolution. I am also pleased with the color output using the basic Epson software. (This image is from one of Kassi and my western trips. In August 1996, we made a
loop through the northwest that included Yellowstone National Park.) While I don't intend to write a "review" on the Epson scanner, I will say that
I am very pleased with what I see so far. And I haven't gotten to try the SilverFast
software that came with the scanner yet. From what I've read, the results may be
even better with it.
Sunday, May 13, 2007 • Recent Family Photos
Thursday, May 10, 2007 • Boones Creek Viaduct
A northbound CSX train emerges from Indian Ridge to cross the
historic Boones Creek Viaduct (June 18, 2005)
This great bridge, constructed by the Clinchfield Railroad, spans
a gap between two ridges in the north Johnson City area. Johnson City has a history as a railroad
town, once known as Johnson's Depot. Three railroads coexisted here: the Clinchfield, the East
Tennessee and Western North Carolina ("Tweetsie"), and the Southern. This Boone's Creek Viaduct
photo is on a span of the original Clinchfield Railroad. Now owned and operated by CSX, the
intriguing mountain route of the original railroad, resplendent with tunnels and viaducts throughout
its Appalachian route, is preserved and still in heavy use.
(Hover your mouse pointer over the image to see the black and white version of this photo.)
 Thursday, April 26, 2007
For the past ten years, Dr. Frederick Martin has organized and led groups of individuals from the medical, dental, and construction fields to work along side Cris Garcia, the founder of Bethshean Mexico Mission. Most of these short-term missionaries hail from Western North Carolina, Northeast Tennessee, Georgia, and Southwest Virginia. Their efforts have provided much needed medical and dental care to people in a remote area of Mexico and have enabled Cris to gain access to communities resistant to Christianity.
At this time they are planning to build and expand their medical ministry by constructing a small hospital/clinic to serve approximately 30,000-50,000 people in the area surrounding Bethshean Mexico Mission.
For more details, please download and read the Bethshean Mexico Mission Clinic/Hospital Project.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
We were as proud as we could be during Tommy's first haircut yesterday.
Lately, we've been going en masse to Carole Archer's Hair Styles in Roan Mountain
for back to back appointments. This time, Tommy had a turn. His hair was all different
lengths and curling quite a bit (yup, curly haired family member number three now).
We didn't know what to expect. When Anna had her first trim back in 2004, Carole only
had sixty seconds before Anna got too wiggly (and Carole succeeded, giving her a great
first trim). But Tommy just sat there on the board, taking it all in. Now he
has a real handsome look about him. Afterward, he was happy to get back to Carole's toy bin; Carole
has every happy meal toy McDonald's ever made in her salon.
Spring continues to wait; we had three and a half inches of wet snow this evening. The
girls had a great time sledding; Anna really enjoyed it for the first time.
As soon as her sled stopped each time, she was jumping up and down with glee.
Of course nobody knows what the weather will do. With the best computers and models,
forecasters predicted that last summer would be the worst hurricane season ever; instead,
it was a bust. This year, we are having snows in the South, half way into April,
brought on by a very late-season nor'easter that left flooding and piles of snow in
New England. While Global Warming continues to be debated and politicized,
has anyone publicly suggested that we pray? I do. Jesus is Lord of all, including
the weather.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Nikon D80 / AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED •
ISO 100 • 1/400s • F10.0 • 17mm
I shot these pictures on top of Round Bald (elevation 5,826 feet) yesterday afternoon;
I just got too excited about the snow, so I headed
up to the Roan midafternoon to see even more. I think there was about a foot up there. It is
difficult to tell sometimes, because a few spots are relatively bare while others folded into
four foot drifts. But since we had at least six inches at our elevation of 2,900 feet, I'd say my estimate is a safe one.
I don't know how cold it was or just how fast the wind was
blowing, but that was the coldest I've ever been. (I suspect the temperature was in the single
digit range; and I'm certain the wind was gale force.) At times, the sun broke
out, and I caught that moment in the frame (above) you see here. But white out conditions prevailed,
and I packed my gear back out after about twenty minutes.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
We received six and a half inches overnight, the biggest snow for us during
the winter of 2006-2007. You can download fullsize images by clicking on the
pictures above for detailed views. A year ago on March 25, we had a similar
snow event with about the same results (see
Spring and Summer 2006, bottom of the page). A low of 15° is forecast for
tonight! Meanwhile, a thousand feet lower in nearby Elizabethton, the trees are
leafy, and they only report a dusting of snow today. Nonetheless, this
freeze will deal a setback to spring.
Who can stay indoors when you have a big spring snow? Anna continued her quest
to find the grass, using a hoe; Tommy isn't sure what he doesn't like about this: is
it the pastel snow suit hand-me-down, it is the cold, or is it that he can't move
an inch? Erika just body-sledded down the bank, over and over. Erika is like her
Daddy; she's got a built-in furnace that keeps her warm in the harshest conditions.
(Note to Uncle Doug: These were taken using the Nikon AF-S VR Zoom 70-200mm.)
I would be remiss if I didn't give God thanks for this snow. Whenever it snows,
I think about the verse "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
If you've ever tried to paint over a deep, dark color with white, you know how hard it is to get rid of it. Yet
let snow fall on it, and regardless what lies underneath, it is covered in pure
white. Part of the glory of Easter is that the blood shed by Jesus on the cross purifies us from
all sin (I John 1:7). There is nothing we can do to cover or hide our sin from God; yet,
like a blanket of snow, our sins are covered by the blood of Christ.
Friday, April 6, 2007
After basking in a few weeks of springtime warmth, winter returns, intent on
delivering record breaking lows and snow from the Great Lakes. This picture
is from tonight; yes, I leave the Christmas lights up until after the last
snow! We turn on the lights for the kids (including us) whenever it snows
after Christmas.
I just checked outside, and we've picked up a little
more than an inch of snow now. We love our mountain weather! (By the way, the picture appears green because of the odd color emitted by our mercury vapor street light.)
Visit Archive for Winter 2006-2007
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