Recent work from Kevin Shank in digital documentary Photography

The Cuban Experience

Thu, 17 May 2012 17:33:24 +0000

It has been 4 weeks since we returned from our first trip to Cuba. It was a surreal experience. It was like going back in time and as my daughter in-law put it, it was like going to the moon. She said she did not know anyone that had been to Cuba from the United State nor anyone that has gone to the moon.

The moon is beautiful in it’s on way and likewise for Cuba. With our experience traveling throughout central america, I found Cuba to be safe, clean and one of the best travel destinations I’ve been to. I took over 7000 images and find myself getting lost in the processing of these images. I have a collection started and hope to post more very soon.

Our friends from Cuba are anxious to see more. To view some of the images click here.

Project 365 -15 Days In

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:49:24 +0000

I had read about the project 365 several years ago but never considered committing to it. I say committing because this is something you think about almost on a constant bases. You ask yourself, what will the theme be today, or have I got the image for today at 10:00 pm at night? You plan to have your camera(s) available all the time. Your subconsciousness is beginning to help out as you go through your days activities. The anticipation helps you think and plan your next image. It helps you to be more observant, your always looking for an image.

I saw an old shack while driving around Saturday. I drove by it and got home and realized I should make this an image in my project. I left late in the afternoon Saturday, I left around 4:30 and had to drive about 40 minuets one way to be exact and hope that I would get there before it got dark. I made it and enjoyed the adventure and getting away from the computer for a while.

I encourage you to try it even if it is for 30 days or the rest of the year. It will help you mentally and technically.

2 Hours Later

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:35:13 +0000

I spent 2 hours to find that my Cisco Wrt54G2 Router has flew the coup. The problem manifested itself this way:
First the internet would drop off when you opened a new browser window. It would happen every time I opened Goggle Chrome. So I removed Chrome. The problem did not go away. So I had a new modem on the shelf with DD-WRT loaded.

I loaded the configuration and plugged it up and wallah it is working. I’m going to reload new firmware on the Cisco and see if this modem is still functioning.

I know my Laptop is clean and free of Bugs since I began every cleaner available. I suggest you do this every couple of months just to make sure your Laptop or Workstation are not the cause of problems.

Keep your virus software current. I have found the free versions of some vendors virus software do a fair job but the full version works better.

90 Miles of Seperation

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:08:19 +0000

Most of have a reference point in determining our family heritage. Our parents may live next door, 90 miles away or a short plane ride away. We may have sisters, brothers, cousins and other family at reach by Facebook. This world has gotten smaller in the last 20 years due to the internet. You can find documents showing your ancestors entering the United States or leaving for another country due archives on the internet. This world has an abundance of information and allows us to get to it very quickly.

In contrast some people have no reference for determining their family heritage. They have been separated from family for over 50 years. It is hard for me to imagine what it would be like to know I have family that is 90 Miles away and I know nothing about them. This is the case of hundreds of thousands of people in Cuba and the United States. These families were separated due to political views established by world leaders. I personally do not remember this since it happened over fifty years ago. But I’m familiar with the Cuban American relationship. I’m proud to say I’m in one! This separation has caused a dividing but now we see a possibility that the 90 miles of separation is and will continue to shrink. Why? Most of the communication with long lost family members is due to the ability to travel back to Cuba and speak to family. Restrictions with Cuba have been relaxed to help families communicate. *The Internet is very limited due to governmental restrictions for the Cuban people. This area of the world is somewhat isolated from the World Wide Web for now. This is quite different from the idea that we can carry in our pocket a smart phone and access just about any type of information we want or need. As restrictions are lifted I hope that we can reestablish family communications and get some reference point for my wife’s family heritage that is more specific. We are digging into her family tree and will let you know what we find.

*The statements here do not reflect any political views on my part or my families. We remain neutral in political affairs.

Cuba – 2012- What will it be?

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:03:08 +0000

I sent my paperwork off Friday to the US Government for permission to enter Cuba. During the Holiday weekend I thought about the trip. I had the opportunity to meet someone that visited Cuba back in August 2011 and question them about the trip. I viewed some photos and began to think more about the possibility of going.

I turned on the media PC and searched for TV Shows and Movies with Cuba references in the Hulu database. I found a documentary, PASTPORT:CUBA a story of Nicolita a Swim Wear Designer of Cuban origin. She took her family back to Cuba to see the country and places that are dear to them. What an eye opener to hear and see the stories. We do not know what it is like to leave our family and friends for over 50 years. I sat there with tears in my eyes and thought about the photos of my wife’s family and friends that are in Cuba. I wonder how many are alive, where they live, how they live and what it would be like to meet them.

I’m working on a few story ideas now to capture some of these thoughts and emotions. If everything falls into place I want to see first hand what life is like in Cuba.

Do You Have an Electronic Wallet Yet? – A Few Steps to Protect Your Data and Privacy

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:23:22 +0000

Word on the street today is that mobile phone malware attacks are up 5 times. That stat will continue to increase. It want be long before Google Wallet puts our money in our phone or tablet. We are at the threshold of a new era in the monetary system. Cash is taking the course of the Lp and 45, Credit Cards the way of the cassette tape, and before we know it, we will have to be able to afford a phone to function in society. Yes, just like the first time I bought a wallet when I was a kid, I had no money to put in it when I got home. One advantage of my wallet was that only I could see what was in my wallet. The disadvantage of our phones and tablets is that the data is accessible without us knowing it. So the perceived value of our phone and its data is increasing in value. We need to take some steps to protect it.

It is important to follow a few basic guidelines to protect your data and device. As photographers we may carry large amounts of data and critical information in our tablets and phone. The worst feeling is when you realize the only copy iof something is gone. It happened to me a few years ago when a laptop was stolen.

Take a few minutes and read through these suggestions and familiarize yourself with your phone or tablet. This could save you in the event that your electronic wallet becomes compromised, lost or stolen.

Mobile Phones and Tablets

Put your name and a phone number where you can be reached to make it easy to return to you if it is lost.
Configure a passcode to gain access to and use the device. This helps prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to your data.
Set an idle timeout that will automatically lock the phone when not in use. This also helps prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to your data.
Keep all software up to date, including the operating system and installed “Apps”. This helps protect the device from attack and compromise..
Do not “jailbreak” or “root” your device. “Jailbreaking” and “rooting” removes the manufacturer’s protection against malware. This seems to be the cool thing to do. I’d rather be safe than sorry.
Enroll your device in a managed environment. This helps you configure and maintain your security and privacy settings.
Enroll your device in Find My iPhone or an equivalent service. This will help you locate your device should it be lost or stolen.
If your device supports it, ensure that it encrypts its storage with hardware encryption. In conjunction with a management service or “Find My iPhone,” this can allow data to be removed quickly in the event that the device is lost or stolen.

These are a few suggestions for basic protection. This information is provided as a guideline. There are no guarantees or warranties expressed with these suggestions.

Cool High Definition Images

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:48:52 +0000

I came across these images and the subjects fit this style of photography.

Steel-In-Motion

Douglas Johnson is the photographer.

Over 20 Megapixels in a Compact Camera System

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:38:16 +0000

I’ve been watching the release of the Samsung NX200 via Facebook. I went out and checked the specs and features at

Samsung’s website. The first thing I noticed was a price reduction from $899.99 to $749.00

Here are a few features:

HD Video
High ISO Capability over 12800
7 Frames per Second
20 Megapixel CMOS sensor
Interchangeable lens-** reasonable priced!**
100 millisecond auto-focus speed
3D Panoramic images

This could be a great backup camera system for me. I need a small and unobtrusive camera package when traveling. I’m testing the Sony NX5 now. I see some competition here. Let me know what you think.

If You’re Busy, You’re Doing Something Wrong: The Surprisingly Relaxed Lives of Elite Achievers

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 20:22:49 +0000

How interesting. This article will teach you something about the elite (kids in this case) and it may cause you to analyze the way you do things. How? read on….. Thanks Cal!

STUDY HACKS

Honduras 2011

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:16:31 +0000

We spent 15 days in Honduras during the month of October. This is the rainy season and hurricane season was lurking around during our visit. Tropical storm Rina gave us a good dose of rain during our visit to Tela. Just make sure to pack the rain jacket. I left mine at home due to no room in the luggage. Big mistake. I had to purchase a London Fog Rain jacket at a second hand store, $3.00. Can’t beat that at the Goodwill.

Jumbo Garbage Bags Work Great