I don’t normally experiment with my photographs. I like them exactly as they are shot. My usual enhancements are in line with what a darkroom technician can do. I adjust the color, improve the contrast and remove some of the dust. I don’t like cropping my images because Holga photographs display best when showing the entire image.

I decided to combine a cemetery monument of Jesus and a lifeguard stand. Both photographs are from Galveston, Texas. I used the fullness of each image, which seems to enhance the vignetting. The ghost image of Jesus over the lifeguard stand give the photograph an interesting meaning. Are they both looking out for us?

My next combination wasn’t so deep. I combined the word art from the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth sign with Vortex by Richard Serra (2002), the large sculpture outside the museum. Vortex is a collection of steel plates all standing together like a giant red wood tree. The sculpture nearly 68 feet high with room for a large crowd to stand inside. There are two slit at the base that allow visitors to pass through the work. I prefer My Curves Are Not Mad (1987) at the Nasher Sculpture Center. Still the stone word and the steel go together nicely. I could actually take this shot a a double exposure on a Holga, which I will try next time I’m in cow town.

The combination of Lee Harvey Oswald’s grave marker and the Oneal ambulance that took Oswald to Parkland Hospital did not turn out very well. I like the ambulance. I just don’t like how plane looking Oswald’s marker appears. His original marker had much more detail.

The first combination at the top of the page is 602-604 Elsbeth and 214 W. Neely. These were residence of Lee and Marina Oswald in Dallas. The Oswalds lived at the Elsbeth apartments in late 1962 to early 1963. They moved to the Neely house in March 1963. Overlaying the photos gives the Neely house a more sinister look than its usual happy yellow facade. I only used the window and surrounding bricks from the Elsbeth apartment, which give the Neely house the appearance of having a porch and a brick wall near the street.

The last photos I combined are the signs for Dallas Love Field and Parkland Emergency Room. These photos mark the beginning and end of President Kennedy’s journey through Dallas. It if wasn’t for the presidential motorcade through Dallas, Kennedy could have driven straight to the Dallas Trade Mart in about five to ten minutes.

The Dallas Love Field and Parkland Emergency Room photo is not an exact match of square frame to square frame. I took liberty in adjusting the ER sign and I really like how the security camera appears in the blue sky.

Let me know what you think of my digital enhancements. I am always looking for ways to make my photographs more interesting and unique. Cheers.

The family and I spent the Labor Day weekend in Galveston, Texas. It was a delightful four day weekend starting on Friday, August 31, 2012. We drove down U.S. Interstate Highway 45 from Dallas to through Houston.

We stopped for a little lunch and art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Click here to see some of my goddess butt images from MFAH on Tumblr.

We stayed at the Galveston Hilton. I splurged on my darling wife and got us the presidential suite. It was a very nice room with king-size bed and living area. Too bad it did not have a microwave.

I spent most of my time with the family at the beach and out to eat. I did sneak away for jogging and a little cemetery photography. I knew better than to go shooting at noon, but that was the only time I could get away. Maybe next time I’ll get some early morning or evening shots.

Galveston Gallery

Click any of the thumbnail images to see a larger version. My film is being developed. These are shots from my Nikon D7000. I did shoot with a variety of Holga cameras including a pinhole model.

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Mission accomplished. I have photos of Det. James Leavelle at the Dallas Municipal Building (a.k.a. the old Dallas Police Headquarters). The Holga shots are yet to be developed. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well this those pictures too.

More on this photo shoot coming soon. Cheers.

I was photographed yesterday by Jerry McCarthy from The Dallas Morning News for the feature article by David Flick.

I met Jerry outside the front gate of the Emanu-El Cemetery at 3430 Howell Street in Dallas. There are several small cemeteries in that same location. I had to call Jerry to see if he was lost. He was close.

The Dallas Morning News wanted to get me in action. I told them I needed to do retakes for Abraham Zapruder, the amateur filmmaker who filmed Kennedy’s assassination. The News agreed this would be a good photo opportunity. They did not want me to fake a photo shoot for the article.

One of my biggest problems when shooting in a cemetery is a funeral, or more precisely, people. I don’t want people in my shots and I don’t want to be disrespectful to them at their time of grief. Fortunately, I have never had to take photos anywhere near a funeral in progress.

Yesterday, I was pretty close to a funeral. So close that I could not get my car past the hearse and other vehicles. I had to ditch my ride on the far side of the mausoleum.

I had already photographed Mr. Zapruder and his wife last year. I found him and Judge Sarah Hughes on the same day. They are only a few miles apart.

Mr. Zapruder’s grave marker is buried next to a small tree. Last year it was only the size of a bush. This year the tree is about four feet tall. And as expected, the tree is casting a four o’clock shadow right on the Zapruders’ grave marker. Oh well, lets see how these photos come out.

I wanted to use a 400 ISO film, but I didn’t have any on hand. All I had was 125 PX, 100 TMAX, 160 NC and 800 NC. I selected the 160 NC.

Jerry started taking photos as soon as I started selecting film. He got everything form loading my Holga to shooting the grave marker to writing down the GPS coordinates.

Just as I was finishing, we were approached by a man in a suit. He said that we can not take pictures in the cemetery. Oops.

While I started apologizing, Jerry jumped right in and told the man he was from The Dallas Morning News. The man was very kind. We talked for about a minute. We told him who we were photographing. The man was a little surprised at our find. It appeared he did not know Mr. Zapruder was buried here.

And that’s one of the points of my project. Most people don’t know where any of these people are, living or deceased.

The man returned to the funeral and we took a few more shots. Jerry did some portrait shots of me. I tried my best to give a half smile. I was trying to strike a balance between nice smile and reverence for my surrounding.

Jerry and I chatted on the way back to the cars. I gave him the abbreviated version that I told Mr. Flick on Tuesday.

And that was that. I hope his photos make me look good. I really hate having my photo taken.

Article

I was told the article on my project could run as early as today. I did not see it. Maybe it will be in Sunday’s paper.

I discovered recently the Dallas Museum of Art online gift shop (www.shopDMA.org) is selling Lomo cameras, especially the Diana F+ camera. Lomo, short for lomography, cameras are usually cheap, plastic cameras that use either 35mm or 120 roll film. This includes Holga cameras, which are what I use, but are not being sold at the DMA.

I really only bring this to your attention because I want you to be informed before you buy.

These cameras are addicting.

The Lomo cameras on the DMA shop include Dianas, multi-shots, fisheye, color spash and others. Each one does something a little unique and different to create a photograph. I could easily fill a camera bag or two with just Lomo cameras.

If you love film photography and have deep pockets, then Lomo cameras are for you.

Money, Money, Money

If you want to retreat back to early 20th century technology for a few kicks, then I want you to know what you are getting in to. The cameras may be cheap, but everything else needed to get good photographs (prints or digital files) can be costly.

For the purpose of our discussion, I will talk about what I know, Holga cameras, which are similar to the Diana F+ cameras.

A standard Holga camera without a built-in flash costs $25. Not bad for a Chinese camera.

Most of my Holgas use 120 roll film, which is considered a medium format film. There are Lomo cameras that take 35mm film. If this is your first Lomo camera, then I recommend starting with a camera that takes 35mm film. You will be able to get your film developed, printed and possibly scanned at any store with regular color film processing.

For the rest of my money discussion I will be talking about 120 roll film.

The first order of business will be to find an online shop that sells 120 roll film. I am a regular shopper of Freestyle Photographic Supplies. They never let me down. There are very few shops around Dallas that sell anything other than 35mm film. You will need to order your rolls of film by the box and keep it in the refrigerator.

A roll of 120 film will cost about $4 for 12 to 16 shots, depending on which film mask you use. There are two film masks: 4.5×6 and 6×6. That means each shot will cost you 25¢ to 34¢ per shot.

Next comes getting your film processed and prints. It usually costs me about $4 per roll for development. I get my color film processed at BWC Creative in Richardson and Dallas. Lately, I only get my film processed, so I don’t buy prints, but I’ll estimate it at about 60¢ per print for a total of $7.20 to $9.60 per roll.

Wow! This is starting to really add up.

But wait, we’re not done. If you truly want to dive off the deep end and bypass prints, you could purchase a medium format film scanner. I use an Epson 4990, which cost about $500 new. Epson has better models now, and the price is about the same. I think my Epson is less than 50¢ per print now. I have scanned 100 or more rolls on it.

Now here is the real kicker. After all the expense of a camera, film, processing and prints, you might not have any photographs turn out the way you want expect. Keep in mind these are cheap, plastic cameras. They don’t cost a lot of money for a reason. I almost guarantee you will ruin your first roll of film.

Just Because

So, with little chance of success and a high expense, why would I use a Holga or any other Lomo film camera? Because I really love the great photos these cameras produce. Sure, I could create light leaks, scratches, blur zones and vignetting with Photoshop. But these cameras do it for you. And as much as I love my Nikon DSLR, I enjoy my Holga photographs so much more.

Just take a look at the photographs below of the tombstone for Governor and Mrs. Connally. The first shot was taken with my Nikon and the second shot with my Holga.

Obviously, they are not the exact same shot. The Nikon photograph is crisp, clean and rather boring. The Holga shot is blurred, vignetted and got an unexpected double exposure along the bottom. This is a beautiful shot.

That’s why I use a cheap, plastic camera.

David asked all the usual questions and left some out that I think have nothing to do with the project. He ask about the project and where the idea came from. He also asked about my Holga cameras and what makes them special.

I brought along some of the photographs I have been taking. I showed David the Holga defects that give the photographs an artsy look. I enjoy all the defects: scratches, light leaks, double-images and vignetting. I never know what I am going to get until the film is developed.

I also brought along a camera bag full of Holgas. I had two standard models with flash, wide pinhole, 3D and 35mm models.

David also asked if I had an agent or publisher. If not, then I might have both knocking on my door soon.

David did not ask any conspiracy questions and I liked that. I’m not a conspiracy theorist. I believe what I can see until it has been through Photoshop. After that, it’s anyone’s game.

David did ask who I would most like to photograph for Death By Holga: 11.22.63. I would love to photograph any of the following living people:

• Caroline Kennedy
• Pres. George W. Bush
• Pres. Bill Clinton
• Current President of the United States in 2013
• Fidel Castro
• Maria Oswald
• Anyone born at Parkland Hospital on Nov. 22, 1963

Why would I want former Presidents Clinton and Bush? Because Clinton was photographed shaking Kennedy’s hand while he was in college. This is a somewhat famous photo. Bush is the only former president to call Dallas his home. My JFK project is about making links to the past, and they have links.

I gave credit for my JFK project where credit is due. I talked about my spouse’s approval of the JFK project. I also mentioned The Sixth Floor Museum being helpful to a limited degree. I say limited degree because the museum does not want to be involved with every JFK project. I’m just lucky enough to know the right people.

We talked for about 40 minutes and made plans for a portrait photograph of me at a nearby cemetery.

The featured article might run as early as Friday, June 10, 2011.

It was a beautiful Sunday with a bank of clouds rolling across the sky. I actually prefer shooting graves on cloudy days because I cast less of a shadow on my work.

Today’s find is Captain Max E. Causey, U.S. Air Force. Capt. Causey was the foreman on Jack Ruby’s jury. Ruby was convicted of shooting Lee Harvey Oswald in the basement of the Dallas Police Headquarters, now the Dallas Municipal Building.

The instructions on Find A Grave for finding Capt. Causey were simple enough. His grave marker was located on the east side near the front. The Odd Fellows Cemetery near Caddo Mills is divided like a compass with the main roads running north, south, east and west.

Finding Capt. Causey sounded easy until I had seen every grave marker on the east side more than once. From the image on Find A Grave, I could see that Capt. Cause had a military grave marker; pink granite with cast bronze name place. These are easy to spot from a distance. All the other grave markers are gray granite.

I nearly gave up after a two hour search when I decided to look deeper and deeper over on the west side of the cemetery. I had already searched most of the east and west side of the front. I even thought for a moment that Mrs. Causey (Rosemary Middlebrook Causey) must have relocated Capt. Cause or possibly replaced his military grave marker with a joint family marker.

I don’t remember which I spotted first, the fence or the pink granite military marker. Capt. Causey was located on the far west side of the cemetery just beyond the front half (I considered the gazebo the middle marker). Someone had hung fresh hanging flowers over Capt. Causey’s grave marker. His grave is right next to the section of fence with the Causey family name.

I was going to hunt down more graves today, but after a two hour search, my day was spent at the Odd Fellows Cemetery.

As usual I took photographs with multiple Holga cameras (4.5×6 & 6×6) and my Nikon D7000 camera. I also noted the GPS coordinates in my Moleskine notebook. After shooting the grave marker of Capt. Causey, his wife and infant son (Kevin Causey), I took shots from outside the cemetery to get the Causey section of fence.

It was a good day.

Congressman Sam Rayburn

Saturday, April 21, 2011, I headed up to Bonham, Texas to find Congressman Sam Rayburn. Congressman Rayburn is buried in Wild Willow Cemetery in the center of Bonham. The best way to get there is by taking the Sam Rayburn Tollway (formerly State Highway 121).

Shortly after entering Bonham, I noticed signs for the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum and the Sam Rayburn house. I’m starting to think Congressman Rayburn was somebody important.

Actual, Congressmen Rayburn is important. President Kennedy had visited Rayburn in Dallas when he was sick in the hospital. I think he also attend Rayburn’s funeral. It was these visits to Dallas that made Kennedy’s fatal visit seem less significant at the time. Photographer Robert Jackson mentioned seeing Kennedy a couple of times already in Dallas and he wasn’t willing to waste the film on a campaign piece for the newspaper.

The Wild Willow Cemetery is huge. There are thousands of graves.

I did a slow drive back to the admin building only to find nobody home. Having seen an image on Find A Grave, I slowly circled the cemetery looking for the Rayburn family tombstone.

Wouldn’t you know it, Rayburn was located at the very front near the main entrance. The Rayburn family tombstone is surrounded by markers for Rayburn, his wife Lucinda and other ken. Right between the Rayburn’s markers is a Texas Historical Marker.

Now that’s importance.

I took several shots with my Holga, Nikon and iPhone.

Kenneth E. Lyon

Of all the people I have found so far, Kenneth E. Lyon was the easiest. Lyon is buried at the Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery in Dallas, Texas. Seems more like Irving, Texas to me.

The DFW National Cemetery is a beautifully sculpted resting place for our fallen heroes. There are rolling green hills with a surround of trees that block out the mega-watt power lines encircling the grounds. There is also a small lake down the back slope.

I started my search at the admin office and got some really good help from the assistant. She (did not get her name) showed me the automated system for looking-up names and printing maps. It was just that easy.

I spoke with the attendant for a minute or two. I explained my project. She did not know anyone in the cemetery was involved with the Kennedy assassination. She did ask me an interesting question, Who do I think killed Kennedy? I’ll have to answer that one later. I didn’t really give her an answer. I am not looking for the killer. I am just looking for history.

Lyon was located in the section nearest the entry on the outbound road. The sod was being replaced in the next section over. Lyon had a military white granite stone, which is perfectly aligned with all the other stones.

Officer J.D. Tippit

Since I was already in Dallas, I decided to stop by Laurel Land Memorial Park and take a few more snaps of Officer J.D. Tippit. Having already found Officer Tippit before, I knew right where to find him.

Stevie Ray Vaughan is also buried at Laurel Land Memorial Park, not far from Officer Tippit.

Chief Curry and George Dealey

And continuing my day, I ventured over to Grove Hill Memorial Park to photograph Chief Jesse Curry and businessman George Dealey again. The more photographs the better.

There are quite a few notable people buried in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas. The most famous is Stephen F. Austin, himself. Nearby are Governor and Mrs. Connally, Waggoner Carr, Governor Ann Richards and a marker for former Dallas Cowboy’s coach Tom Landry.

Mr. Landry was planning on being buried in Austin, but later changed his mind and decided to be buried in Dallas. His status as a legend in Dallas was too great for him not to be buried there. The plot Mr. Landry purchased now has a marker for him. This marker is more elaborate than the actual grave marker at the Sparkman Hillcrest Memorial Park.

Texas State Cemetery

The Texas State Cemetery is located on the east side of Interstate 35 near downtown Austin. The main building is built from Texas limestone. There are only a few parking spaces outside the admin building. Driving into the cemetery is permitted.

I received some great help from the admin attendant, who provided me with a very useful map. Everyone I need to fine is located in the same area.

Waggoner Carr

Waggoner Carr, former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Attorney General, is also buried in the Texas State Cemetery. As the Texas AG, Carr assisted in the prosecution of Jack Ruby.

Carr is buried at the edge of Republic Hill section 1 near Flag Plaza. He has a nice pink granite tombstone with his name and dates on the front and achievements on the back. Another grave marker with just his name and dates is just in front of the tombstone.

Carr’s grave marker was half covered with an ant mound when I visited.

Governor and Mrs. Connally

Governor and Mrs. Connally are buried in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas. The Connallys were in Kennedy’s limo when he was shot. Governor Connally was also wounded by one of the bullets that stuck the president.

The Connallys are buried near Stephen F. Austin on Republic Hill section 2. Their joint tombstone is made from black granite with a very simple, modern look and a limestone statue of Moses standing in the middle. I only assume it is Moses. The statue is almost life size. The yellow limestone stands out dramatically against the pure, black granite.

Ivy is covering the ground in front of the tombstone. There is a marble bench for another departed person or family on the other side of the pathway.

Governor Ann Richards

Also nearby on Republic Hill section 2 is former Texas Governor Ann Richards.

Richards has an organic looking white marble tombstone with her name on the front an writing on the back. The tombstone stands out as very odd looking among all the other more formal tombstones and grave markers.

The Richards tombstone is not as close to Stephen F. Austin as the Connallys. She is located about half way down Republic Hill section two on the north side.

Over spring break, my family took a trip down to south Texas. We planned a road trip that would stop in Fredricksburg, Stonewall and Austin for a few days. My darling spouse wanted to see some sights and I needed to photograph where President and Mrs. Johnson were buried.

President and Mrs. Johnson

President and Mrs. Johnson are buried in the Johnson Family Cemetery located on the Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch in Stonewall, Texas. The ranch became part of the National Parks Service after the passing of Mrs. Johnson.

At the visitors center, the park ranger on duty told us the Johnson Family Cemetery is only visible from outside the stone perimeter. Access in the cemetery requires permission from the Johnson family.

The cemetery is part of the driving tour around the LBJ Ranch. There are stops at a working farm, one room school house, a private runway with Johnson’s Air Force One jet and the Texas White House.

The Johnson Family Cemetery is a well groomed and tree covered couple of acres surrounded by a stone wall and iron gate. The President and Mrs. Johnson are buried under a very old live oak tree. The markers are pink Texas granite. The President and First Lady’s tombstones are larger than others in the cemetery.

I took photos from the perimeter at the gate, directly in front and at the side. The tombstones are too far for my Holga, but anyone with a good DSLR and zoom lens should be able to take an awesome photo.

The cemetery has several interesting tombstones that look much older than all the pink Texas granite stones. I really liked the tombstone for Mrs. R. H. Burton (died April 28, 1905). Mrs. Burton’s tombstone looks like white granite with a calf or sheep sculpted on the top. This tombstone is beautifully weathered and pitted from years of abuse in the south Texas.

As usual, I took photos with my Holga, Nikon and iPhone. I also got GPS coordinates.

I might have to see about getting permission from the Johnson family to gain access to the cemetery grounds.