Generations

From a fun family photo shoot this evening... a grandfather and a grandson, both very photogenic. Actually the whole family is very photogenic, but these two pictures grabbed me in the quick run through in Lightroom when I got home.

For lighting information, go to www.strobist.com. That has been my biggest resource for learning to see and control light over the last two years. Some photographers get phenomenal shots with available light or using only reflectors and that is great too. Sometimes - especially in settings with kids or groups - finding and manipulating the available light is just mind numbing. For that, it is worth it to learn to use the flashes.

This one was shot indoors with a JTL 200ws monolight camera left and a Canon 580exII flash camera right, both shooting into 43" umbrellas.

And this one was outside, with the Canon 580exII in the umbrella to camera right just adding to the existing light.

don j.

Quick Pic - Touchdown...

Sometimes the idea is better than the result...

I set up at the goal line and waited for a touchdown, with the intent of showing the goal line marker in the shot. As if on cue, two plays later was the perfect opportunity. Of course, I found a way to focus on the goal marker instead of the player scoring.

Some post-processing fun in Adobe Lightroom makes it a little bit more interesting...


Happy Weekend Shooting, everybody...

don j

Quick Pics - Drag Racing

I am a big fan of Mark J Rebilas' race photography (and a gearhead at heart) so I have been eager to get out to the new Dallas Raceway in Crandall, TX to watch some racing and take some pictures.

The track website lists Prestage Photo as a sponsor, so I guess that must be these guys... I like the golf-cart/photo stand.

Of course I was a bit jealous too, because without access like that, shooting from up close got a nice shot of the concrete wall...

From the other side, a little panning with slower shutter speeds makes it more interesting, but still the wall is intrusive.

Up higher in the stands gave a great view of another beautiful Texas sunset... here with a 14mm on the 5D for a super-wide view.

And here with the 70-200 on the 40D for a tighter shot and more compressed background.

I did not find a good spot for shooting the starting line... the wall and ugly backgrounds conspired against me... The racers were quite impressive nonetheless, pulling the front wheels off the ground and launching hard.

One of the Moser Racing entries held his wheelie well down the track..

...then came down hard with a shower of sparks from beneath the car. The car had drifted over the center line, which must have been a bit of a rush considering there is no directional control with the front wheels off the ground.

When the racing had to be suspended for some track clean-up, it was time for a walk through the pits. It is nice to have access to walk around and talk to the racers, and to look at the cars.

Little Red Corvette..


More slow-shutter panning as cars moved through the pits...


There were lights coming from all over making interesting shadows and light patterns on the cars...


Playing with the Canon 50mm lens and short depth-of-field is always fun...



And in the pits you can get some unique angles that you just don't get to see every day...



With that, it was time to come home (gotta sleep sometime!). I would not spend $20 every weekend to shoot from the stands, but it is definitely worth the trip occasionally for the sights, sounds (bring your earplugs) and fun of fast cars and good folks.

Have a great weeked... and go make some pictures!

don j.

Quick Pic - Football Begins

Tonight kicked off (pun intended) the 2009 football season for me. While shooting a scrimmage is not as fun to as a game, it was good to get some practice. Yes, it takes practice!

Here is a quick pic to start the year off.. I could not ask for a more beautiful backdrop than this sunset. Now I wish I had worked it for more shots.


Happy Shooting,

don j.

Photo Fun on the Web

It is always interesting to me to find out what what other people see in one of my pictures, especially the artsy abstractish stuff... For this shot from downtown Dallas, a fellow flickr member thought it looked like the one bolt was holding down the city.

My thought at the time was of adding the little bolt to the skyline of large buildings, so you really never know what will come through to another person's eyes.

Chris at ObviousInsight mentioned an upcoming National Geographic photography workshop in the Dallas area... I hope I can make it, but my lovely wife's birthday is on the 9th.

Chase Jarvis is a top-shelf photographer and has also made an art form of combining business with creative arts. If you haven't seen this already, take the time to get an interesting take on where media is headed, and for a good kick in the creative part of your brain.

Chase Jarvis Keynote Address hosted by Art Directors Club of Denver from R. J. Kern on Vimeo.

I am very excited about attending the Kelby Training Photoshop "Down and Dirty Tricks" training on Friday...

Football season starts this week for me... It will be great to shoot while there is still daylight.

Have a great rest of the week, and be sure to make some good pictures.

With slow shutter speeds, you can get some interesting effects quite by accident. In this case, the roof supports at the Reunion Arena demolition almost disappear, and it looks like the structure is floating..

Happy Shooting everyone...

don j.