Here's some of the great reading that led to a great year!

Lance Armstrong's War and 1776 are highly

recommended!

On the Sunday Menu:

Prime Rib!

Makes for a great Christmas dinner!

Congratulations to Chef Andy Z!

Merry Christmas to all from the photoshop guru!

Pictured above is Santa's summer house in the suburbs of San Diego.

(on the computer).

(He also has a condo in the Bahamas, I Hear).

Yes, Santa loves to surf during his time off and

Mrs. Claus in currently reading the bestseller called

"Visions of sugarplums in America" by Dick Cheney!

Now seriously!

For the best story(biblical Non Fiction) don't

forget that unto us a Savior is born this day and

He is the King of kings!

Have a blessed new year!

Fresno State fails to deliver!

Fresno State Quarterback Paul Pinegar tries to hang on

as a couple of fumbles and three interceptions led to a

40 to 28 loss to Louisiana Tech placing them 8-4 overall and

6-2 in the WAC. 36,525 fans attended the game.

On Photographing Dance!

Dance is an art in itself, and when you capture

it with a camera, that is a representation

of that true art! The key is capturing the

right moment(which sometimes

happens in an instant). Speed, concentration,

and the right camera/lens/flash is

essential in getting a great image

time after time. Of course,

it also helps to know what to expect!

(The above couple is dancing the

Argentean Tango).

There is a dance showcase happening

this weekend in San Jose

put on by Fred Astaire

Dance Studio. It will be at the

Hyatt Lodge on 1740 N. First st.

on Saturday, November 12th at 1:00 p.m.

Tickets are $65 for the whole day,

which also includes dinner. $15 for

afternoon only. Come join the fun!

Fiction perhaps...or non-fiction....

She bent down and put on her dancing shoes...

she straightened up in her chair and said: "Now I've

got optimistic feet!" I asked, "What?" She replied, "Optimistic feet!

When I go dancing I have optimistic feet, I can do anything."

James Ranells copyright 2005

The Show is ON!

The James Ranells collection is on for November

at CyberSub Cafe, located at 5042 N. West Ave.

Come see images of California in full color.

These framed images could be the perfect gift

for someone or for your office.

ArtHop night is November 3rd from 5 to 7 p.m.

Meet the artist

Of course, a special thanks goes out to Bob at Fotech

Digital Imaging, Cathy and crew at Prints Plus,

Kinkos, Mr. Ken(the grillmeister) McCoy

and Ms. King.

Civil War Reenactment:

(For stock purposes only)

A collection of vertical images.

A selection of horizontal images.

Civil War Reenactment in Fresno

Sponsered by the Fresno Historical Society

Troops line up during one of the battles in their quest

to claim victory! Reenactment battles are held all over the country,

this one took place at Fresno's Kearney Park.

(Of course, I don't have to tell you who won.)

Troops from the North fire a cannon during wartime(Reenactment).

The cannon is packed with one pound of gunpowder. During the actual

Civil War, they used about five pounds of gunpowder,

and a cannonball! It took a little luck to get this shot!

Strategy is important!

1st Sergeant Robert Taylor takes a moment to clean his rifle.

He is with the 1st Maine cavalry and loves what he does.

Just one more!

It is a rare moment to capture something after the battle!

It is more than being in the right place at the

right time. Having the right lens and knowing what

to expect is most of it. Winning is the rest.

On Graphic Art:

It is good to know the basics of graphic art. Books,

magazines, Advertsing agencies and anybody in

marketing knows this and more! The creation

shown above was one of those "accidental"

moments of creative ingenuity!

Laguna Seca Raceway

At the Corkscrew!

Turn 8 at Laguna Seca Raceway! (L to R): 1954 Warrior Bristol(#7),

Jack Perkins, driver; unidentified red car, (but ahead of the rest);

1949 Porsche 356 SL (#112), Charles Forge, driver;

1959 Berkley B95 (#99), Jamie Pfeifer, driver.

Owner /driver Chris Cox in his 1964 Ferrari.

Just One More!

Wes Abendroth fills up the Ferrari between races.
The car was created by Bill Sadler in 1957 and was

later restored in 1988. Mr Abendroth restored it

again in 2004.

Event notes:

This day is not complete without marching up the

hill to the corkscrew. I shot mostly with a medium

zoom lens, and some with a 500mm hand held!

(Yes a tripod would have been better). I used

a fast shutter AND a panning technique.

In roaming around the paddock area, look for cars

of interest(like the Chapparels). When

Champ Car comes back to this track, be on the lookout for

your favorite drivers!

Haagen Dazs has become a tradition before

heading to the parking lot.

If you want to see more of the Monterey Historic Automobile Races,

or even purchase the images, you can e-mail

me at: shutterbug043@yahoo.com.

Each Photo CD(40 images) is $30.

The Bixby Bridge.

On the California Coast!

McWay Falls (Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park).

Travel Notes: Highway One.

I wasn't gonna leave without this shot...so I kept driving. On the way back

I got a BETTER shot of the bridge! I left the racetrack early

for this to happen. No music...just total driving concentration!

But when driving home...Herbie Hancock has got the

groove!

These images will soon be available in the JRC!

(James Ranells Collection)

Contact: shutterbug043@yahoo.com

30 Minutes in Big Sur!

There are some cool people in this "Place on the coast."

Near left: Massage therapist Carl Siegman works

on a client. He is good. You can check out more

of Carl at: www.yogaforthegolfer.com.

Far left: Artist Sofanya produces colorful paintings

that are, in essense, perceptive. She knows color!

Visit www.sofanya.com.

Morning in Monterey:Cannery Row

There's nothing like starting your day here! Coffee and bagels.

On Weddings

Weddings are a special occasion in which you must

pay attention to detail. It is important to know

it is the Bride and Groom's special day. Being

flexible and having the ability to get along

is mandatory! You must possess a knowledge

of the classic, as well as the creative approach
to photographing a wedding. Above all:

be ready for the out of the ordinary moments!

"Black and White is an art in itself!"

-Sir James

Dale Anderson, Founder, spends some quality time with a friend.

Looks hungry!

There was no way I was going to get a picture minus the fence! These Jaguars are the real thing...and dangerous!

Sierra Endangered Cat Haven

Offering tours daily.

www.cathaven.com

2005 North American Pole Vaulting

Championships

Clovis, Ca.

This event was held on August 5th, 2005. It was the thrill of victory and

the agony of defeat. For those who are curious, it's a must see event!

Men and women both participated in this competition.

On Shooting with Camera Raw

Using Camera Raw in Adobe Photoshop CS and CS2 gives you greater

control over how you want your image to look. You can adjust tonal

range, contrast, tint and even desaturate! It's an incredible tool for improving

your photos! I would recommend reading up on this first. A good way to start

is to get the magazine Photoshop User. Make sure your digital camera

has a Camera Raw setting. Then experiment!

Rich Seiling of West Coast Imaging spoke to a group at CSU Fresno Monday evening about

the art of photography using photoshop. Mr. Seiling has a broad photographic background

including photojournalism, commercial and fine art photography.

He states: "Digital is a powerful tool for distribution." Rich uses a mac G5 and

Adobe Photoshop CS2, but he also shoots 4x5 sheet film and works in the darkroom

using zone system printing. He adds, "Let the picture speak for itself."

Rich Seiling is dedicated to making the finest photographic prints possible. Check out

his website at: www.westcoastimaging.com.

Photoshop expert Jack Davis gave a seminar on photography and photoshop on

Tuesday, July 12th at CSU Fresno. He is the author of The Photoshop Wow! Book.

Jack is also an award winning designer, photographer and contributor to several other

books and magazines.

Jack Davis(left) going over the finer points of a Nikon D2x camera.

What did I learn? Don't be afraid to experiment and shoot a huge amount of pictures!

A young entreprenuer saving towards his college education

by selling coffee mochas.




The sixteen hundred dollar coffee wonder!

Fourth of July!

Action on the field! The Fresno Grizzlies play against the Las Vegas 51's.
The Run(stealing 3rd)!




Fireworks action at Fresno Grizzlies stadium.