BUSTED! I'm lucky

[Tapeman]

I'm not proud of getting a DUI, but I am sentenced to 80 hours of community service.

For that I am going to take photographs for a non-profit organization that assists homeless with shelter & meals.

They want pictures for their website, for newsletters, and of their directors meeting etc.

I don't know yet what media they want, but I think I'll shoot with my EOS 1v HS and scan (if necessary) negatives as my alternative to the 1v would be my point & shoot digital. (If they could wait till summer, I probably will have a 1D mkII)

I hope Iv'e got it covered with 20-35mm f3.5-4.5, 28-70L f2.8, & 70-200L f2.8 lenses along with a pair of 550 EX flashes, & the usual accessories.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I have not had film converted to digital files before (other than scanning the odd photo myself) They will assume all costs for processing.

There is a lot yet to be worked out with the printer & the website host.

I was in Santa Barbara a week ago. If only I'd Known - I was whale watching when there were lots of homeless to practice on!

[Bruce Hamilton]

...I am sentenced to 80 hours of community service.
The worst is yet to come... You'll always have to answer yes to the "Have you ever been convicted..." questions, your car insurance (once you get your license back) will probably double...

[karusel]

Thank god I live in a country that favors financial penalties... :D :?

[Tom W]

I'm not proud of getting a DUI, but I am sentenced to 80 hours of community service.

For that I am going to take photographs for a non-profit organization that assists homeless with shelter & meals.

They want pictures for their website, for newsletters, and of their directors meeting etc.

I don't know yet what media they want, but I think I'll shoot with my EOS 1v HS and scan (if necessary) negatives as my alternative to the 1v would be my point & shoot digital. (If they could wait till summer, I probably will have a 1D mkII)

I hope Iv'e got it covered with 20-35mm f3.5-4.5, 28-70L f2.8, & 70-200L f2.8 lenses along with a pair of 550 EX flashes, & the usual accessories.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I have not had film converted to digital files before (other than scanning the odd photo myself) They will assume all costs for processing.

There is a lot yet to be worked out with the printer & the website host.

I was in Santa Barbara a week ago. If only I'd Known - I was whale watching when there were lots of homeless to practice on!

Unfortunately, as they keep redefining "intoxicated", the DUI is fast becoming the new cash cow for local government. I used to bartend - in the elite group of customers, roughly 75% of the population had been nailed once (and some really deserved it).

Anyway, as far as the project, I guess the best thing to do is try to get candid shots of homeless people, candid shots of work being done at the shelter, and some flattering shots of the shelter quarters themselves. Make them look good. You might even want to take some portraits of those on the board for their own use.

As for processing, I believe that any good camera shop should be able to help you get from negatives to digital files. I'd stay away from the typical "prints on a disk" setup. I did that once and got back some rather small files - they certainly weren't bigger than what would come out of a 1.6 megapixel camera.

Good luck and I hope you make a good impression - that can often help in these situations.

[Tapeman]

I talked with my photo lab guy today. They offer to make JPEG files in three sizes. I'll go with the largest as the can be reduced later.

I guess I'll just burn a lot of film. (a four letter word)

It is starting to warm up so maybe I can get some shots of people without 15 sweaters & coats on. It will be hard to find anything green for a background until the middle of April.

I hope I don't get mugged.

[scotgasch]

My best friends 15 month old daughter was killed by a guy who was "DUI"

All he got was probation....... :x :x :x :x

If you're gonna drink DON'T F***ING DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ikinaa]

My best friends 15 month old daughter was killed by a guy who was "DUI"

All he got was probation....... :x :x :x :x

If you're gonna drink DON'T F***ING DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry to hear that, but you're right :
If you're gonna drink DON'T F***ING DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know if in US they put these text on cigarette packages like 'Smoking kills...'
I think they should put on the alcohol the text : 'Drinking kills OTHERS'

[G3]

I'm not proud of getting a DUI, but I am sentenced to 80 hours of community service.

For that I am going to take photographs for a non-profit organization that assists homeless with shelter & meals.

They want pictures for their website, for newsletters, and of their directors meeting etc.

I don't know yet what media they want, but I think I'll shoot with my EOS 1v HS and scan (if necessary) negatives as my alternative to the 1v would be my point & shoot digital. (If they could wait till summer, I probably will have a 1D mkII)

I hope Iv'e got it covered with 20-35mm f3.5-4.5, 28-70L f2.8, & 70-200L f2.8 lenses along with a pair of 550 EX flashes, & the usual accessories.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I have not had film converted to digital files before (other than scanning the odd photo myself) They will assume all costs for processing.

There is a lot yet to be worked out with the printer & the website host.

I was in Santa Barbara a week ago. If only I'd Known - I was whale watching when there were lots of homeless to practice on!

You know you're going to catch some flack on this one, right? The two posters above me have expressed the sentiments of the majority of the population already. As you said, you were lucky. Not because your sentence is community service and maybe a fine, some points on your license and increased insurance instead of a jail sentence. Nope..you're lucky you didn't kill yourself or someone else or both. You're really lucky you didn't kill someone else and NOT yourself.

I know you already said you're not proud of the DUI....but which part are you not proud of? The part where you got the DUI or the part where you were driving intoxicated in the first place? It sounds to me like the community service assignment is absolutely the least of your problems.

I'm sorry if this offends you, but something needs to start you thinking, and I don't think your "sentence" is going to do the trick. In this day and age, EVERYBODY knows the consequences of driving under the influence of ANYTHING. There are countless TV ads, magazine ads, billboards....hell, even the companies that produce alcoholic beverages tell you to "Drink responsibly" (whatever the hell that means).

In 1970 our neighbor and her 3 children, her friend and her one child were killed instantly in a head on collision with a drunk driver in Lacombe, La. Six people in one crash. In 1973, one of my buddies was driving drunk, hit a bridge abutment and killed his own sister. In 1977 my fiance was killed instantly in a head on collision in Alabama with a drunk driver on Christmas Eve. I worked for a time as a Deputy Sheriff, and worked a number of fatality crashes involving drunk or doped-up drivers. I have absolutely no sympathy whatsoever for anyone that gets a DUI. Most of the time you do not get all that you deserve.

My opinion is that people that drive under the influence are selfish people who think that they are the only ones that matter and the rules don't apply to them. They have no problem risking other people's lives with their drunk driving because it's what THEY want to do.

So, in the words of the other two posters:

If you're gonna drink DON'T F***ING DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ron chappel]

I'll assume you are someone that got caught with just a small amount in you...and not a criminal
I got done once when i was young.The thing was it was only the third time in my life i had been drunk!
....and i only just barely squeezed over the limit. :oops:

Hey next time a cop asks you if you have been convicted say 'yes and can you do me again please?I want to do more of that state sponsored photography! :D

Be carefull with scanning.Scanning film is one of the most frustrating photographic things i've ever experienced.I've NEVER had any done that i'm really satisfied with.Some places can get consistant good resolution but i've never seen a place that can get colour ballance right and consistant along the film *
...it's one of the things that made me save harder for a decent digital camera

* mind you i have never had film scanned at a pro lab

[karusel]

Um.. I think drinking (a beer or two) and driving is OK... that said, I strongly oppose driving while you're drunk. And when you're drunk, you know it, and you know you shouldn't.

[ron chappel]

Hope my rely wasn't too flippant for some here but i'm really making a distinction between real drink drivers and those that are victims of state sponsored (but well meaning) policies

[Bruce Hamilton]

...say 'yes and can you do me again please?I want to do more of that state sponsored photography!
I personally don't think being allowed to indulge your hobby should qualify as community service... He should be going to schools talking about the consequences of his actions to teenagers.

[Tom W]

...say 'yes and can you do me again please?I want to do more of that state sponsored photography!
I personally don't think being allowed to indulge your hobby should qualify as community service... He should be going to schools talking about the consequences of his actions to teenagers.

Perhaps, but its the offer they made - he'd be a fool not to take it.

[G3]

Hope my rely wasn't too flippant for some here but i'm really making a distinction between real drink drivers and those that are victims of state sponsored (but well meaning) policies

I respect your opinion here Ron, but on this one I disagree with you. You do not get a DUI unless you are over the legal limit for blood alcohol content. That limit has been determined by people more qualified that you and I to be the maximum safe allowable level of blood alcohol in the average individual. It may very well be that there are people who can drive relatively safely with more alcohol that that level in their bloodstream due to factors such as body mass, metabolic rate, tolerance to alcohol, etc. But there is absolutely no possible way that a police officer can know how much each individual can tolerate before they become a hazard. Nobody, and I mean nobody is as safe behind the wheel with even one drink in them as they are with no drinks in them. Even one drink will slow reaction time and alter judgement. The state sponsored policies are in effect to keep us safe from that portion of the population that does not possess the capability to judge when it is safe for them to drive or not. Nobody is a victim of those policies. If you get a DUI, you are a victim of your own poor judgement.

[G3]

Um.. I think drinking (a beer or two) and driving is OK... that said, I strongly oppose driving while you're drunk. And when you're drunk, you know it, and you know you shouldn't.

You are assuming that a drunk person has the good judgement to decide if he's too drunk to drive or not. Not likely. One of the things drunks are best known for is poor judgement. It's how they got drunk in the first place.

One or two beers may be OK for some people, but not for everybody. Some people are falling down drunk after two beers. Do you want to be on the road with one of them? Would you want to be the police officer that has to decide if this man or woman, whom you've never seen before, is capable of safely driving after two beers? If you release them and they get 2 miles down the road and kill someone because you were wrong, how would that make you feel? What would that do for a career as a police officer?

[G3]

I'll assume you are someone that got caught with just a small amount in you...and not a criminal
I got done once when i was young.The thing was it was only the third time in my life i had been drunk!
....and i only just barely squeezed over the limit. :oops:

Hey next time a cop asks you if you have been convicted say 'yes and can you do me again please?I want to do more of that state sponsored photography! :D

Be carefull with scanning.Scanning film is one of the most frustrating photographic things i've ever experienced.I've NEVER had any done that i'm really satisfied with.Some places can get consistant good resolution but i've never seen a place that can get colour ballance right and consistant along the film *
...it's one of the things that made me save harder for a decent digital camera

* mind you i have never had film scanned at a pro lab


I'd like to point out here that if you get caught driving with a blood alcohol level over the amount allowed by law, you have committed a crime, and therefore are a criminal. I think the distinction needs to be between a criminal and a habitual criminal. Getting caught shoplifting once when you are a kid makes you a criminal. If you get cuaght repeatedly shoplifting, you are a habitual criminal. Anyone can make a mistake once and learn from it. That's the beauty of our criminal justice system. It makes an attempt to rehabilitate the first-time offender without completely ruining his or her life, while punishing the habitual offender more severely. It doesn't always work, but it tries. Getting caught driving under the influence when you are a kid certainly does not make you a bad person necessarily. That's why juvenile records are sealed after the person reaches the age of majority. It's that second chance thing again. If you get caught driving under the influence when you are old enough to know better...well, that's a different story.

[aeroshots2003]

Seemingly in the US convictions lead more to pleasing the guilty ones rather than compensating victims for their loss...

Tapeman, you started something here :roll:

Anyway, by using your photographic skills you might be able to contribute to the comunity in some way. I hope for you these 80 hours turn out to be rather dull, so you might think twice next time.

Back to photography :
seems you have a nice set of materials to do the job. I'm also still into wet film - I use slide films Fuji 50 Velvia, 100 Sensia, 100 Provia and 400 Provia. These give good scanning results. I also tried negatives some time ago, but felt that these have less detail/more noise. Go for slides, that's my suggestion.

Greetz,


Johan