Marty Stuart – Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions – Release
by admin on Jul.14, 2010, under Music
Marty Stuart
Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions
Release date: August 24, 2010
(Nashville, Tenn.–May 11, 2010) GRAMMY-winner and American music icon Marty Stuart is set to release a traditional country album GHOST TRAIN: THE STUDIO B SESSIONS on August 24, 2010. With his 14th studio album, Stuart steadily continues to lead the charge in preserving the roots, culture and history of traditional country music.
“What inspires me now, is traditional country music,” says Stuart. “It’s the music I most cherish, the culture in which I was raised. It’s the bedrock upon which the empire of country music is built, the empowering force that provides this genre with lasting credibility. It’s beyond trends and it’s timeless. With all that being said, I found traditional country music to be on the verge of extinction. It’s too precious to let slip away. I wanted to attempt to write a new chapter.”
Pre- Order to recieve a signed copy of Ghost Train
That new chapter is GHOST TRAIN: THE STUDIO B SESSIONS which includes such unmitigated country staples as the male-female duet (the gorgeous, heartfelt “I Run to You,” written and sung with Connie Smith), the chugging, bluesy—and spooky— fellow Mississippian Jimmie Rodgers-like train song “Ghost Train Four-Oh-Ten,” steel guitar driven, hardcore heartbreak ballads such as “A World Without You,” and “Drifting Apart,” and a no-flinching directness is front and center in the premiere of “Hangman,” a pointed, harrowing tale of an executioner’s job and life that Stuart co-wrote with Johnny Cash just four days before the Man in Black passed away.
As the album title denotes, GHOST TRAIN: THE STUDIO B SESSIONS was recorded in the legendary RCA Studio B in Nashville, where Stuart participated in his first-ever recording session at the age of 13 playing mandolin in Lester Flatt’s band.
Listen to 3 full songs from Ghost Train at NO COST
and view the album introduction video by Marty
“Studio B has a profound pedigree; it’s where so much of American music’s legacy was forged, certainly country music’s,” says Stuart. “And sonically, this is a room that welcomes music. It seemed to me that in order to authentically stage a brand new traditional country music record we should bring it back to the scene of the crime.”
GHOST TRAIN: THE STUDIO B SESSIONS TRACK LIST:
1. Branded
(written by Marty Stuart)
2. Country Boy Rock & Roll
(written by Don Reno)
3. Drifting Apart
(written by Marty Stuart)
4. Bridge Washed Out
(written by Warner Mack)
5. A World Without You
(written by Marty Stuart and Connie Smith)
6. Hummingbyrd
(written by Marty Stuart)
7. Hangman
(written by Marty Stuart and Johnny Cash)
8. Ghost Train Four-Oh-Ten
(written by Marty Stuart)
9. Hard Working Man
(written by Marty Stuart)
10. I Run To You
(written by Marty Stuart and Connie Smith)
11. Crazy Arms
(written by Ralph E. Mooney and Charles P. Seals)
12. Porter Wagoner’s Grave
(written by Marty Stuart)
13. Little Heartbreaker
(written by Marty Stuart and Ralph E. Mooney)
14. Mississippi Railroad Blues
(written by Marty Stuart)
Promotional materials provided by SugarHill Records
Spring is in the Air…Go Capture A Waterfall
by Sue Jones on Mar.04, 2010, under Nature Photography
I woke up this morning and I was so excited to see the beautiful sunshine coming through my windows. It looked like it would be nice and warm outside….and amazingly enough, when I stepped out the door onto my front porch, I was not disappointed. It is an absolutely amazing day. The birds are singing, and there is no wind. Spring!!! Ahhh! I love it.
From a photographer’s prospective, this is the perfect time to take a hike to those waterfalls that you have been wanting to see and practice your skills at capturing the beauty. It is not too hot to hike, there are no ticks or chiggers to deal with and even though you may not have the benefit of the green leaves for background, you also will not have to try to shoot that half hidden waterfall through the leaves.
When you look at your waterfall, you will want to be able to capture it in different ways. You will want to capture the fast running down flow with the little water drops and sprays and also the slow misty look that is so beautiful. To do this, the novice will need a little help with that. To capture that fast moving down pour in it’s most natural state, you will need to set your camera to manual setting. The key is to keep your shutter speed set fairly high in the 400 range to stop the movement of the water. The challenge is to stop the water movement while keeping enough light to have a good picture. The faster your shutter speed the less time the light will have to get through your lens. If you have a 2.8 aperture lens, that’s awesome. Take advantage of it. If not, try to set your aperture to the lowest setting you can, adjusting your shutter speed and your aperture until you get a setting that will produce the results you are looking for. Remember, the lower the aperture, the more light you will have. I very rarely shot with anything above 5.6, which is normal range of most of your average lenses. one thing you will have to watch and be careful of, is keeping the shot looking natural with no underexposure or over exposure. You do not want your picture to be too dark, or have blue tones.
On the other hand to slow the flow of the waterfall down and accomplish that dewy, misty, etheral look, you will want to slow your exposure. Remember when you do this you will have light coming into your lens for a longer amount of time. You will have to come to that balance between the shutter speed and the aperture to have the final results that you want. It is not enough to just adjust those settings until the line is in the center of your range.
Try a few sittings, starting at a 200 shutter speed and working down to your lower numbers, adjusting your aperture as you go. Focus on the same shot each time, so you can see the difference in each shot. Everything affects this, from the sunshine, to the shadows, to the time of day. Don’t foget to use a tripod. The slower the shutter speed, the more time you will have to make that small movement of the hand that will blur the picture. There is nothing worse than getting home, after a long day of shooting, only to find that when you load that stunning picture that you thought you captured into the computer, you find it is out of focus and blurry from a slight move of the hand because you got excited and thought you were good enough to shoot without a tripod. USE A TRIPOD.
Okay enough about the tripod. Now go out with blessings and have a wonderful day in the woods. Don’t forget safety. Make sure you take someone with you or at least make sure you tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.
The Challenge Of Taking Wildlife Pictures
by Sue Jones on Feb.08, 2010, under Wildlife Photography
Roaming around in the woods or simply looking out your front window, you will find many opportunities to take a few shots at some wildlife pictures. Even though it is one of the most rewarding things that you will ever do, it can also be one of the most challenging. Not only will your subject not stay in one place very long, the lighting is also a big challenge. If you are an amateur photographer and you have been putting off learning to shoot manual, now is the time to start. It is very hard, if not impossible to get a good picture of a bird, just to name one species, while shooting and focusing automatic.
So many times I see a picture that someone has taken, and I can immediately tell that it was shot on an automatic setting with auto focus. The subject will be dark and even though it might be a pretty good shot, it is almost impossible to see. If you think about it, the sky is usually much lighter than your subject and for that matter, much larger or maybe the ground is covered with snow….white snow. What is the most easily seen thing in the picture….your subject, the sky, or the snow? Which one did your eye have to work the hardest to see?
Don’t be afraid to try your hand at manual settings. Turn the auto focus off and play around with your camera. Learn to trust your own focus. Yes, you may miss a few shots, but I’ll bet in the long run, you will get more than you miss, with a little practice. Your pictures will actually be in sharper focus and your big buck, eagle, or just that little butterfly that you are trying to capture, will be what is in focus, not so dark you can’t see it. Happy shooting and check back in for more tips! Talk to me, I welcome your comments.
Let me Introduce Myself
by admin on Jan.25, 2010, under Personal
Artistry Photography by sueann
My name is Sueann Jones and this is my first attempt at writing a blog. Let me first introduce you to myself. I live in a small town, Omaha, Arkansas, with my husband, Mark Jones, who is the son of Grandpa Jones from Hee Haw and The Grand Ole Opry. Mark’s oldest sister started a photography business before she died , called Arcadia, out of Aurora, Missouri. After she passed away, she passed all her photography books to us. She was my first inspiration to become a photographer.
We recently bought 18 acres with a panoramic view where, every morning, I awaken to the most beautiful sunrises. That is my Daily inspiration. Everyone says that the baby boomers are moving out of the cities into more simple ways of life and it is no different for us. We have two home based businessies, a 32 track digital recording studio, called Jones Recording Studio, and the photography studio, Artistry Photography by sueann. After having worked in the corporate industry for my life, I am working just as hard to be able to do something that depends on my talents, talents that I feel God has given me.
Since I started Artistry Photography by sueann, I have been blessed with some awesome jobs, one of which was, Baptist Health Hospital. My photography decorates the walls of the hospital, beautiful nature scenes set against the awesome Sugarloaf Mountains.
Speaking of depending on my talents, their are many different kinds of photography out there, and many different editing programs, but there is just something to be said for, seeing the shot, taking the shot, and being able to put that shot out there for other people to enjoy without having to build the beauty into the photo with Photoshop. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when I know Photoshop is a great neccessity for improving a portrait, but there is nothing like the magic of being in the right place, at the right time, and knowing you have the talent to capture that moment.
I also do portrait photography as well, specializing in weddings, seniors, and family portraits.
I have many beautiful scenic, nature, and wildlife photographs for you to choose from, which include waterfalls, bald eagles on the nest, sunrises, and rainbows, just to name a few. Matting and Framing is available. I also have some awesome motivational posters available. We specialize in large business decor. Custom sizes available.
My greeting cards feature natural photography, many of which were taken in the Ozark Mountains. Check out the Greeting Card Magnets, as well. Most folks receive a greeting card and toss it in a drawer, not with my greeting card magnets!! They come with their own envelope, for easy sending, but they will go on a refrigerator, computer tower, or any metal surface for years of enjoyment. What better way to remember a friend.
I look forward to earning your business.
Sueann Jones
