'Twas a busy week. Numerous school graduations. Happy days for hundreds of youngsters. At the Fillmore High School graduation ceremony, I was surprised to be suddenly recalling my own high school graduation. Ahhh, the wonders of nostalgia.

Another interesting experience happened last Saturday. I rode on a Fillmore & Western train to the Bennett Honey Farm near Piru. The occasion was the Honey Festival... a sweet event. Hmm. Anyway, I was preoccupied shooting photos as the crowd made it's way through the facility when along came a boy of about eight years of age, taking photos with A CAMERA! Incredible! I wanted to hug the lad!!! I knelt to ask him what he thought about photography. “Love it,” he said with a grin and immediately turned to take another photo. Interview over.

At the Fillmore High School graduation ceremony a gentleman was on the event side of the fence near me. I noticed that he was holding a up a smartphone taking 'snapshots'. Hmm. I patiently waited, biding my time. When appropriate, I sashayed over and introduced himself. He told me his name, (which I won't divulge) and who he was … ahem... photographing for. Suffice to say that his employer is a daily newspaper. Imagine that! A phonetographer shooting for a daily! This is bizarre! What's next... photos by smartwatch?
To my utter and total dismay, phonetographers are rapidly proliferating! Which brings me to wonder just how relevant this column - Photography Know-How - is in today's world. Especially considering that for every camera I see out in the wild, there are at least 170,297,014 smartphones! Including yours!

Last week I encouraged “photographers” to download Google's NIK collection... plugins for Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. Should I have been listing the top ten photo editors for smartphones instead? For instance: Lightroom for Smartphone dummies? Oops... I'll rephrase that. Smartphone Lightroom for Dummies. Anyway, the number of photo editing apps for both Android and iPhones is bewildering. Which is best? I don't know! Who cares? Tell ya what. Five thousand emails could motivate me to download the Adobe mobile Lightroom app. Tutorials to follow. Deal?
Though it disturbs me immensely, I too am a phonetographer OCCASIONALLY! (It's my column so I can yell when I want.) I have an LG-G3, a remarkable camera that also serves as a phone. When the occasion warrants, I take a “snapshot” to promptly email to my friend in Slaphappy, Slovinsky. I now have 11 unedited photos in the gallery.

Back on topic, the Sierra High School & Heritage Valley graduation held at the district auditorium was a huge photographic challenge. The lighting there is, to be polite, a tad deficient. Just in case, I brought my flash that I haven't used since... I think... 1922 or '24. Sometimes it worked... sometimes it didn't. I have a few magnificent photos of stark black. Conversely, sometimes someone turned on the 'spotlight' just as I was shooting a photo... resulting in an overexposed photo. No time to change camera settings! Exasperated and frustrated, I was tempted to whip out my LG-G3 to finish the shoot. JUST KIDDING!

The other two shoots – high school graduation and honey fest - were outside so quite straight forward. Manual mode, set aperture and shutter speed depending on circumstances and intentions and the light... put ISO on automatic and let it float for proper exposure. There, how many of you phonetographers can do THAT with your silly smartphones??

Honey festival and BBQ contest photos next week.

Happy photoing!

Email your questions, comments and suggestions to bob@fillmoregazette.com

Selena Hurtado, 20 of Santa Paula.

On June 2, 2017, Fillmore patrol deputies responded to a call of a shooting of an occupied vehicle traveling on Highway 126. Deputies made contact with the victim who reported her vehicle was shot at while she was driving into the city of Fillmore.

The victim was able to provide a license plate number as well as a description of the suspect vehicle.

Through the investigation and the assistance of Advanced Real Time Information Center (ARTIC), the suspect, Selena Hurtado, was later located at her residence. It was discovered Hurtado was the sole passenger of the vehicle and in possession of a BB gun.

Hurtado was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and brandishing a replica gun. Hurtado was booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Ventura for PC 245(a) and PC 417.4.

Hurtado posted bail and is scheduled to appear in court on 06/19/2017 at 8:15 AM.

Tentative Calendar 2017-2018
The District and FUTA have been negotiating a teacher work calendar for school year 2017–2018 for some time. The District will continue those negotiations in good faith and is hopeful of reaching an agreement. If the parties are unable to do so, we will follow the appropriate impasse process to resolve our differences.

In the meantime, because we know that families, students, and employees need to begin to plan for important events in the 2017–2018 school year, the Board took action on June 6, 2017 and has adopted the tentative certificated bargaining unit work calendar. We note that it is subject to change due to a negotiated agreement with FUTA.

May Revise Presentation
The Board received a report on the Governor’s May Revise. Information was presented by Assistant Superintendent, Andrea McNeill.

2017-2018 Proposed Budget, Including Proposition 30 Expenditure Plan
The Board held a Public Hearing and received an update on the 2017-2018 Proposed Budget, Including Proposition 30 Expenditure Plan. Information was presented by Assistant Superintendent, Andrea McNeill, and Director of Fiscal Services, Martha Corona

Proposed 2017-2018 Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)
The Board held a Public Hearing and received a report on the Proposed 2017-2018 LCAP. Information was presented by Assistant Superintendent, Martha Hernandez.

Adoption of Core/Basic Materials
The Board of Trustees approved the adoption of the following textbooks recommended by their respective departments at Fillmore Middle School:
 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt– California Collection, Grade 6 2017 Edition, First Edition
 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt– California Collection, Grade 7 2017 Edition, First Edition
 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt– California Collection, Grade 8 2017 Edition, First Edition

Personnel Recommendations
The Board approved all personnel recommendations including new hires, promotions, resignations and leaves.

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

In the old days, centuries ago, no sooner had we shot a roll of film than we excitedly put it in the developer tank. Afterward we eagerly put the film in the enlarger to expose photo paper. Holding our breath (sometimes because of the developer fumes), we slid the exposed photo paper into the developer. Than the fixer. Always a thrill to see the image slowly appear.

Digital photography drastically changed all that. No more stinky chemicals that would make my hair kinky, ears wiggle and toes curl. The workflow has also changed tremendously and now much easier to be creative.

Most of today's digital cameras produce both jpegs and RAW files. Jpegs are RAW files processed by the camera's computer and compressed... in the process discarding a large percentage of image data. Jpegs at 72ppi (pixels per inch) are fine for the Internet but limit editing possibilities. Note that what the camera discards you can't enhance afterward.

Conversely, a RAW file is data direct from the sensor unmanipulated by the camera's computer. As such, a RAW file is not an image until it's processed. Many programs are available to convert a RAW file such as Camera Raw in Photoshop (PS) & Lightroom (LR).

Photoshop is a powerful editing program but I seldom use it. I don't have time nor need to do masking, play with multiple layers, or 'liquify' anything... except gold bullion now and then. Deadlines loom large! I need a fast, yet effective RAW file converting/editing workflow.

On assignment, there are no do overs. It's get the shot or cry. As I run and gun there's no time to adjust camera settings for perfect exposure. Using a RAW image file, as long as the exposure is reasonably good, I can make reasonable corrections using LR.

A distinctive advantage of LR is that it's a non-destructive processor/editor. It does not affect pixels directly. It simply edits the file tags. Click the reset button at any time and I'm back to the original file to work on anew.

After LR, I export the processed file as a tiff image to Adobe Photoshop Elements. Elements is a great baby PS program which is arguably the most underrated program on the market IMO. More importantly, within Elements I have NIK plugins. NIK plugins are a photojournalists salvation by providing an easy and powerful range of photo editing capabilities.

About 5 years ago, Google bought NIK. However, Google just announced that they are no longer going to support NIK. This means no upgrades going forward.Hence the alert. One wonders why Google would abandon such a Godsend to a gazillion photographers... enthusiasts and pros alike?

If you have a modicum of interest in photography and don't have NIK, I encourage you to go and download the FREE Collection and burn it onto two CDs or hard drives. Learn it, use it, and you will love it!

The plugins are at https://www.google.com/nikcollection/

Note some limitations. Google claims NIK will only run on Windows Vista, 7 and 8. No mention that it will run on 10 but not sure why not. I'm still happily running Windows 7 Pro. Also, NIK will not run in PS Elements above 13 which is why I'm using them in Elements 11. MAC users, OS X 10.7.5 through 10.10 is OK.

Note that both Lightroom 6 and Photoshop Elements do not require an Adobe monthly subscription. Both are available as standalone programs. Look on eBay. BTW, send me an email if you're interested in a photo editing workflow workshop?

Happy photoing.

Email questions, comments, suggestions to bob@fillmoregazette.com

U.S. Marine Corps Second Lieutenant Isaac Gomez

U.S. Marine Corps Second Lieutenant Isaac Gomez son of Letica Gomez, graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD on May 26, 2017 and was commissioned as an Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. 2nd Lt. Gomez successfully completed four years of intensive academic, physical, and professional training, resulting in a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in International Relations. As a graduate of the Naval Academy, 2nd Lt. Gomez completed a four-year, total immersion program where a strong, balanced academic program, focused on the educational needs of the Navy and Marine Corps, is superimposed on a strict, professional military training environment emphasizing the development of leadership skills. Following graduation, 2nd Lt. Gomez has been assigned to Marine Corp Basic Officer School in Quantico, Virginia where he will continue training in a Ground Specialty and then proceed to duty station where he will begin service with U.S. Marine Corps.

Considered one of the top educational institutions in the country, the U.S. Naval Academy was founded in 1845 and has graduated more than 60,000 men and women as Naval and Marine Corps Officers. Its graduates include 4,000 Admirals and Generals, one President, 200 members of Congress, three Governors, 73 Medal of Honor winners, one Nobel Prize winner, and 40 Astronauts.

The Naval Academy currently has more than 4,000 students who comprise the Brigade of Midshipmen and who come from every state in the union.

2nd Lt. Gomez is a 2013 graduate of Fillmore High School.

Fillmore Volunteer Fireman Christopher Connolly awarded State Employee Medal of Valor. Photo courtesy California State Parks.

Governor Brown Tuesday awarded a Ventura lifeguard a State Employee Medal of Valor for a December 2015 rescue in the ocean off Faria Beach.

It was during one of the biggest El Nino driven surf events with 15-20 foot waves along a rocky shoreline.

California State Lifeguard Christopher Connolly "rescued a tiring surfer under the difficult conditions and at great peril to himself" according to the citation from the Governor's office.

It reads, "Lifeguard Connolly entered the water without hesitation. He swam to the victim, secured him to a life buoy, then fought wave sets while seeking a safe spot to exit the surf. Connolly traveled more than 3/4 of a mile in a swift current while attempts by first responders to reach the pair from shore failed. Connolly held the victim close for protection and talked the surfer through the ordeal. Eventually, Lifeguard Connolly was able to reach a sandy beach with his rescuee who was exhausted, but unhurt. Without the actions of Connolly, the surfer likely would have been lost to the pounding surf. Veteran State Parks lifeguards called Connolly’s efforts one of the most demanding and dynamic rescues ever witnessed."

Connolly, 44, is a seasonal lifeguard with California State Parks and has worked as a lifeguard for 16 years.

He is also a Spanish instructor at Ventura College and a volunteer with the Fillmore Fire Department, according to the Governor's Office.