A motorcyclist is dead after a collision with a car Saturday afternoon in eastern Kansas.
The motorcyclist was identified as 58-year-old Ryan Simpson of Hutchinson, Kansas Highway Patrol crash logs show.
The incident was reported around 3:46 p.m. along U.S. 54 at S. 100 Road in Bourbon County. Simpson was westbound on U.S. 54 in a 2015 Harley Davidson Road Glide. Another driver, 60-year-old Daniel Blake of Fort Scott, was heading east on U.S. 54 in a 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis, the crash log read.
Blake failed to yield and turned in front Simpson, resulting in Simpson overturning and striking the car, according to the report.
Simpson was taken to Via Christi where he died from his injuries. His passenger, 58-year-old Cynthia Simpson of Hutchinson, was taken to Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Missouri, with suspected serious injuries, the crash log said.
Blake and his passenger, 75-year-old Martha Knackstedt of Fort Scott, were not injured in the crash.
The GoPro Mountain Games’ tagline celebrates athletes, art, mountains and music, and this year the event’s organizing committee capitalized on the art aspect with a permanent mural in Vail Village that reflects the spirit of the Mountain Games.
Local artist Amy Dose was selected to create the work and was thrilled to do so because the GoPro Mountain Games has had a longstanding hold on her heart for her and her family.
“I was so excited when I got asked to do this because this has really been a dream of mine to be able to do an art project for the GoPro Mountain Games ever since I moved here,” Dose said.
Dose and her husband, Olli, moved to Vail in May of 1998. Olli was a world class whitewater kayaker and a recent hire at Timberline Tours and competed in the Jeep Whitewater Festival, the predecessor of the GoPro Mountain Games. When that event transitioned to the Teva Mountain Games, Olli Dose continued to compete as one of the U.S. Men’s Rafting Team members.
“At the time, we only spent the summers here and the Teva Mountain Games was always our welcome back to the valley. As time passed, the games transitioned into the GoPro Mountain Games where Olli was often one of the ‘8 balls’ in the 8 Ball Kayak Sprint and helped with safety for the kayak challenge. Before you know it, our daughter is in high school, on her high school kayaking team, and my husband and daughter compete together in the kayak sprint. The GoPro Mountain Games have always been an important part of our family’s story,” Dose said.
The Vail Valley Foundation, organizers of the GoPro Mountain Games, worked with the town of Vail’s Art in Public Places program to bring the mural to life.
“In this community that celebrates and embraces the outdoors all year-round, we are excited to have a lasting piece of GoPro Mountain Games art that showcases Vail during the summer months,” said Ross Leonhart, marketing and multi-media manager for the Vail Valley Foundation.
In the past several years, the town of Vail has had several murals created by Colorado artists within the parking structures to enhance these highly visible public spaces.
“We are excited to continue this effort in collaboration with the Vail Valley Foundation at this year’s GoPro Mountain Games. Amy Dose is a perfect fit to continue this tradition, and we are excited to see her final work completed,” said Molly Eppard of the town of Vail Art in Public Places.
Dose has been working hard to fulfill all of the expectations of the Vail Valley Foundation and town of Vail’s Art in Public Places while staying true to her original vision.
“Although my artwork may be bright and full of life, I am driven to create pieces that invoke a sense of calm and connection to place. In the original piece that I created for the GoPro Mountain Games, I’m telling a story,” Dose said.
The size and dimension of the space dictated some of the flow of the piece. The wall is triangular in shape and Dose has taken that into account for her design. The mural is located on the bottom level of the Vail Village Parking structure on the east side. Helping Dose is artist Michelle Miller.
“Michelle Miller has been working with me for about five years, and she is an amazing artist in her own right and I couldn’t do what I do without her,” Dose said. The pair started putting primer on the wall and plan to have to mural completed by Sunday.
In the mural, Dose uses her husband and daughter as muses for her designs. The kayaker in the mural is her husband and the girl running is her daughter.
“From a purely design standpoint, I believe that less is more. My mural style includes a lot of color transitions and shading which bring interest and life to the piece,” Dose said.
“Both locals and visitors to Vail can enjoy the beautiful mural created by local artists Amy Dose and Michelle Miller all summer long, and during the ski and snowboard season, we can all get a friendly reminder that Vail is more than a winter destination,” Leonhart said.
JEDDAH: An extraordinary exhibition titled “Journey Through the Holy Sites” has opened its doors in Jeddah, offering a captivating exploration of a pilgrim’s experience during Hajj.
Showcasing a collection of historic pieces, this unique exhibition features 26 artists, including three talented Saudi photographers.
Running from June 12 to 23, at Terhal Hall in Jeddah Park, the exhibition coincides with the Muslim holy pilgrimage to the sacred city of Makkah. In collaboration with the Islamic Art Museum and Oyoun Jeddah Charity Association, this remarkable showcase presents over 100 exhibits, ranging from photographs and paintings to books, manuscripts, and other precious artifacts.
The primary objective of this exhibition is to reflect the Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to ensuring a seamless and accessible journey for pilgrims from around the world. It also aims to highlight the various initiatives implemented to facilitate Hajj for all individuals.
Dedicated to Makkah as a historically and economically significant city, the exhibition covers the journey from the medieval age to the Ottoman era and up to the present day. A particular section focuses on artistic representations of the rituals, including embroidered fabrics that once adorned the Kaaba and breathtaking aerial shots of the Holy Mosque.
Dr. Zuhair Maimani, a business development consultant at the Creativity Zone Foundation and organizer of the exhibition, emphasized that the exhibition aims to showcase the collective efforts of Islamic nations in making this blessed ritual a resounding success. He further emphasized the role played by Saudi Arabia in serving the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims.
“This exhibition portrays the status of Makkah, the significance of Hajj, and its impact on the lives of Muslims worldwide. It also contributes to fostering a greater understanding of Islam among non-Muslims,” Maimani explained.
Running parallel to the main exhibition is a photography exhibit about the Hajj captured through the lenses of three talented Saudi photographers: Prof. Khaled Khader, Prof. Susan Baaqhil, and Imad Al-Husseini.
Baaqhil, the first professional award-winning photographer-artist in Saudi Arabia, expressed her pride in representing Islam and Saudi Arabia to the world.
“We take great pride in presenting a truly unique perspective on Hajj and offering a local lens through which visitors can experience it,” she stated.
Baaqhil continued: “Displaying rare images captured since 2002, I aim to provide a compelling portrayal of the extensive urban redevelopment currently taking place in the holy city of Makkah.”
In addition to the local pieces, objects, photographs, and artworks, the exhibition also hosts live calligraphy workshops and showcases Islamic designs, adding an interactive element for visitors to engage with.
Visitors are welcome to explore the exhibition from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
SAN ANTONIO — Photojournalist Bria Woods always tries to capture people in their natural element — such as Victoria Herrera, whom she photographed on San Antonio’s Southeast Side.
It’s part of a series called “Where I Live,” in which folks in the community write their own stories to be published in the San Antonio Report, a nonprofit news organization.
“Most of the contributors to the series are women, and it has really been a treat for me, to not only meet other women in our community, but to see San Antonio through their eyes,” Woods said.
Woods highlights women through personal projects such as her annual photography series, “Her Story Project.” The theme of the project was “rest” and what rest meant to the 15 women that she photographed.
“Women’s stories often go overlooked, unnoticed; they don’t get the same celebration as men’s stories and men’s contributions,” Woods said.
Lisa Ramos, a San Antonio-based professor of Mexican American studies, agrees with Woods.
“To get the recognition, we always have to remind those in charge — who are usually men — that we were there too. We contributed, and it’s an ongoing battle,” Ramos said.
She says we have made strides, but more needs to be done. Many of her students feel validated when they learn about someone who looks like them. Woods agrees.
“It could be your neighbor who did something amazing, inspiring,” Woods said.
Woods says that’s why she highlights women who probably wouldn’t get that recognition to begin with.
“Yes, there are women out there that are doing great, but there are also women right here in our community. Success is local,” Woods said.
She’s also calling attention to women’s stories through other mediums including radio, where she calmly gives her opening monologue. Woods says this is a necessary work that will live on for generations.
“There’s so much power in someone using their own voice to tell their own story,” Woods said.
SAN ANTONIO — Photojournalist Bria Woods always tries to capture people in their natural element — such as Victoria Herrera, whom she photographed on San Antonio’s Southeast Side.
It’s part of a series called “Where I Live,” in which folks in the community write their own stories to be published in the San Antonio Report, a nonprofit news organization.
“Most of the contributors to the series are women, and it has really been a treat for me, to not only meet other women in our community, but to see San Antonio through their eyes,” Woods said.
Woods highlights women through personal projects such as her annual photography series, “Her Story Project.” The theme of the project was “rest” and what rest meant to the 15 women that she photographed.
“Women’s stories often go overlooked, unnoticed; they don’t get the same celebration as men’s stories and men’s contributions,” Woods said.
Lisa Ramos, a San Antonio-based professor of Mexican American studies, agrees with Woods.
“To get the recognition, we always have to remind those in charge — who are usually men — that we were there too. We contributed, and it’s an ongoing battle,” Ramos said.
She says we have made strides, but more needs to be done. Many of her students feel validated when they learn about someone who looks like them. Woods agrees.
“It could be your neighbor who did something amazing, inspiring,” Woods said.
Woods says that’s why she highlights women who probably wouldn’t get that recognition to begin with.
“Yes, there are women out there that are doing great, but there are also women right here in our community. Success is local,” Woods said.
She’s also calling attention to women’s stories through other mediums including radio, where she calmly gives her opening monologue. Woods says this is a necessary work that will live on for generations.
“There’s so much power in someone using their own voice to tell their own story,” Woods said.
Lens flare can appear as spots or streaks of light and color or as a washed-out hazy look in your photographs. Some photographers and filmmakers like to use it creatively, but it usually shows up as an unpleasant surprise that can ruin your picture.
Lens flare occurs when stray light enters the lens and is reflected off interior lens elements. You’ll get it most often when shooting into a bright light like the sun, moon, or artificial light, or when your subject is blocking a bright light.
Zoom lenses tend to be more prone to lens flare than prime lenses because they generally have more elements, which means there’s more potential for non-image-producing light to bounce around and create flare. For the same reason, lens filters can increase the risk of producing lens flare. Wide-angle lenses are usually more flare-resistant than longer lenses, but that doesn’t mean they’re immune from flare.
Lens manufacturers add special coatings to help reduce lens flare, but they can’t reduce the risk of lens flare to zero. However, there are things we can do to avoid lens floor and eliminate it in post if necessary.
There are several different types of lens flare:
Starbursts happen when you shoot a bright point of light, such as the sun, moon, or artificial light, at a higher f-stop, generally f/8 to f/16. Higher f-stops will create longer and sharper bursts than lower f-stops. Use a lower f-stop if you want to minimize the burst effect.
Ghosting appears as small round or oval-shaped spots of color when shooting into a bright light or when a bright light is in the scene. You’ll see it in the viewfinder if you look for it and can often eliminate it by a slight change in the angle of the camera to the light source.
Veiling lens flare looks like a hazy wash over your image. It happens when a strong light source is just outside your image.
Sensor flare, also called red-dot flare (although sometimes the dots are green), is caused by light that is reflected off the sensor to the lens and then back to the sensor. It happens most often when shooting directly into a strong light like the sun with a small aperture of f/11 or higher.
Anamorphic lens flare appears as a horizontal streak of light rather than the usual circular flares. Originally they were the result of a flaw in the optics of anamorphic lenses. Lenses have improved over the years and you can buy anamorphic lenses that no longer produce the streak. However, filmmakers and photographers who want the look can buy streak filters to create anamorphic-like flares.
Since flare is most commonly caused by shooting into bright light, the obvious solution is to not do that. Of course, that approach isn’t always practical since it could severely limit your compositional choices. Nonetheless, there are several things you can do to eliminate, or at least reduce, lens flare.
You can often remove lens flare in Lightroom and/or Photoshop, depending on the type and severity of the flare. In Lightroom, the healing tools can often handle flare if it appears as just a little spot of light or color. You may have to experiment with the content-aware, healing brush or clone stamp to see which works best.
Larger flares or multiple flares may require Photoshop’s more powerful re-touching tools. These include the remove tool, spot healing brush, healing brush, patch tool, clone stamp, and content-aware fill. It will require some trial and error to find the best tool or the best combination of tools to get a pleasing result.
One trick with the clone stamp is to change the blend mode to color. When you do this, the clone stamp will only copy the color of the source area rather than all of the detail. So if you find a section of the image where the color matches (more or less) the color that the flared area should be, you can use the clone stamp to paint over that area with just the right color and leave the underlying pixels intact. Like everything, it will probably take some practice and will depend on the specific situation.
Finally, let’s do a quick walkthrough of the finger trick described above. It’s best to use a tripod, but you can get away with doing this handheld if you’re careful not to change the framing of the scene.
Switch to manual exposure. You have to use manual exposure to keep the exposure from changing when you put your finger in front of the lens.
Set up your shot and take the first picture with the lens flare.
Lower a finger down in front of the lens until your fingertip blocks the sun or other light source, eliminating the lens flare. Take the shot.
Load the two images into Photoshop as separate layers. Put the one with the flare on top. Create a mask on the top layer with the flare and use a black brush to mask out the flare.
About the author: John Tunney is a fine-art photographer and instructor based on Cape Cod, MA. You can see his work on his website and on Instagram.
Image credits: Photos by John Tunney.
