tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823305864260402862024-02-20T20:41:10.977-05:00From Behind the LensPhotographer's NotesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-36126284333611408922008-11-07T23:51:00.015-05:002008-11-26T20:12:16.887-05:00Phantastic day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnKiQJ3UpYTsf8RQdrawW7rp-FP7khvVNYi5UprfqaFnbOUL-a-4uIF4SUZOk2w2LxwMLTVoCEeslpLFTtEeqtKAYxUkjpcpJca8R5H7EMGFwx1mH8OTYFaQm_0DrEEdqCAElvM0QtRCV/s1600-h/PhilliesParadeDSC_0486.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273134245423941170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnKiQJ3UpYTsf8RQdrawW7rp-FP7khvVNYi5UprfqaFnbOUL-a-4uIF4SUZOk2w2LxwMLTVoCEeslpLFTtEeqtKAYxUkjpcpJca8R5H7EMGFwx1mH8OTYFaQm_0DrEEdqCAElvM0QtRCV/s320/PhilliesParadeDSC_0486.jpg" border="0" /></a> I was looking. I swear. OK, I was looking through the camera lens. Maybe not where I was going. So while I was framing this shot of Charlie Manuel my foot met, well, what horses leave behind. A large pile of it. A good way to start one of the most exciting days of my photographic career.<br /><br />The Phillies celebrated their monumental World Series victory in style with a parade down Broad Street, complete with floats, players, hundreds of cops and millions of fans.<br />Through some research and a good dose of luck, I finagled a press pass to cover the parade. I was the youngest photog there, brushing elbows with photogs from the Inquirer, AP and Reuters.<br /><br />We started out on the press buses, double deckers reminiscent of those London trademarks. There were two buses, and as we started the parade the crowd’s cheers turned to screams of words I can’t say here and gestures that you can probably imagine.<br /><br />As the parade approached City Hall, I, along with other photogs on the bus, realized the angles presented from the bus were not very good, so we left the bus, allowing us basically unlimited access to the parade route.<br /><br />I could get in the faces of the fans and get right up next to the trucks of players. I also could get in the way of cops on bikes—one officer screamed at me that I was “in his way” and that he would “throw me out” if it happened again. The cops also had horses, which they, unlike the Budweiser Clydesdales that were also there, did not clean up after.<br /><br />Photographing an event like this brought with it some different challenges. For one, lens changes were difficult. I brought my backpack instead of the bag so it’d be easier to take on the (packed) trains, so that meant, for most of the time, shooting with the 18-70 and keeping the 80-200, which is a <em>huge</em> lens, in my cargo pocket. When it came time to switch, it was a sort of balancing act, holding onto two lenses and a camera while walking along the parade route, dodging cops and horses and fans.<br /><br />With stories like this, the close ups are as important as the wide shots. In other words, the story can be told shooting something more small scale than large, such as fans vs. a wide angle of the parade snaking its way down Broad St. However, this event was such a big deal I had a feeling I’d have a significant amount of space allotted to me in the paper (in the end, this got full page, back page and in color—can’t ask for much more).<br /><br />Some of my favorites:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUf9r3P7vg0WEa9zeigv8Zla63TFk3nTyu8PCzEzYWzigM-lgwQd4Kjun9TdcHpQEsS4yXc8R3tf1O9fMzz2blFA2UP0RUsA4UvwCscmG0Vyzc7x1aJXr-cGh0klBrGErRywxJjSFU_Mo/s1600-h/1Copy+of+PhilliesParadeDSC_0404.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273123689825181586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUf9r3P7vg0WEa9zeigv8Zla63TFk3nTyu8PCzEzYWzigM-lgwQd4Kjun9TdcHpQEsS4yXc8R3tf1O9fMzz2blFA2UP0RUsA4UvwCscmG0Vyzc7x1aJXr-cGh0klBrGErRywxJjSFU_Mo/s320/1Copy+of+PhilliesParadeDSC_0404.bmp" border="0" /></a> Pitcher Jamie Moyer raised his hat in recognition of the fans as confetti rains down. I'm still curious as to how I got this one--I guess I just zoomed out the 18-70 all the way, held the camera up, and shot away.<br /><br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGL0hn_o-f3wE2D8hnWD7Xq3XOMyu5rWQBzo8-0ckBtkAIwqVGQf0E2rgURp2wwxZ7Vr7bHGtAvgJpz7v2DpFOX5ZTzj2vEZXVbD9gSg5GIhWxDA6Mh5BWM9r_4swdhr83qF9BB7M0y6Rl/s1600-h/PhilliesParadeDSC_0404.jpg"></a><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273134791512603650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFedo59qWBgeij-XTjOPHfU4QlRHVJ-zLOl2hJT2Bqp-qRdMSrlsUA_cEOhRgGDPahcU1h5RG3aizcFWFzSm7HeADdQawFEjkJkmjmORgUsL-iKuRpbIOMY1BZskqxuaQR_S5riKFcM6ir/s320/PhilliesParadeDSC_0593.jpg" border="0" />The Phillie Phanatic stares down at the statue of William Penn, a statue that local folklore states has cursed Philadelphia sports for decades, as the Phillies celebrate their triumphant World Series victory.<br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tDyh0OOJUq0JENJEC1iKYiTigoJob3I2q0rhTE-M4Iepb-91Ii9KFHjwSUPmk5t9Y9ohgCTO3-159LMYJ8yh6vNsnFiF6urMdq58W_qwK0YRBjwcS-N7pZZ-y5q_XLvQJ2km_kFJSfwp/s1600-h/PhilliesParadeDSC_0284.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266146358677881714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tDyh0OOJUq0JENJEC1iKYiTigoJob3I2q0rhTE-M4Iepb-91Ii9KFHjwSUPmk5t9Y9ohgCTO3-159LMYJ8yh6vNsnFiF6urMdq58W_qwK0YRBjwcS-N7pZZ-y5q_XLvQJ2km_kFJSfwp/s320/PhilliesParadeDSC_0284.jpg" border="0" /></a> J Roll points to the crowd.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexfgPIKHVjF4rgrLuci1lpFOXgjtKXeG0SxumMmNjoloPDh9VJBoM-NNyX1gFsqv9oHCilvNqSlmfpdjjZSWSfFKpwdXz9wfWVTfQ3wI3EB25aUUspbaO69xp1D1Noimk9wJ8m9OJUFEn/s1600-h/PhilliesParadeDSC_0200.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266146141967941826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexfgPIKHVjF4rgrLuci1lpFOXgjtKXeG0SxumMmNjoloPDh9VJBoM-NNyX1gFsqv9oHCilvNqSlmfpdjjZSWSfFKpwdXz9wfWVTfQ3wI3EB25aUUspbaO69xp1D1Noimk9wJ8m9OJUFEn/s320/PhilliesParadeDSC_0200.jpg" border="0" /></a>This shot was taken from the bus with the wide angle. I think it's kinda cool how you basically start at the feet of these kids and then continue on to the thousands of fans.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdmzlMCD8-CCuuh7FvS6iV3JGpeITKzv0WQ0pd786nGMDNvyzZRvlJ05RY-SIV8eMq1hb5gIRQphZrlfwIML_IS7EgIBRYBJwMlt9wfaYl2WZ3GgiRvyG1j3NQMkymu8xVqNoQoiDPV8h/s1600-h/PhilliesParadeDSC_0002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266145792764182370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdmzlMCD8-CCuuh7FvS6iV3JGpeITKzv0WQ0pd786nGMDNvyzZRvlJ05RY-SIV8eMq1hb5gIRQphZrlfwIML_IS7EgIBRYBJwMlt9wfaYl2WZ3GgiRvyG1j3NQMkymu8xVqNoQoiDPV8h/s320/PhilliesParadeDSC_0002.jpg" border="0" /></a> Confetti! Yes, I gave her the OK to throw it at me. Though one kid almost silly stringed my camera, which would've ended up badly. She aimed at me and was about to shoot before I yelled "Shoot up! Shoot up!" As she shot, I shot too, though the pictures didn't turn out as well.<br /><br /><br />In the end, this thrilling day hopefully will bode well as the city moves on. It’s been a rough year for Philly, with countless murders—especially of police officers—poverty, homelessness, unemployment and budget cuts. And hopefully this day, this team, brought this special city together.<br /><br />(More photos of the parade are available at <a href="http://www.stoganews.com/">stoganews.com</a>)<br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-29183354544747036662008-11-07T17:35:00.012-05:002008-11-07T23:13:17.366-05:00Some pep<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZcRPuKQNz01J_VJVHySDGQ40GMgVVhgJUuBeMvD9JfgJZz31cTxXdYWBujbChgMnVqzU6N14Dc-oIzIMnU5yUZ2pi8YCiCtl_hhV0Szas-gAr33DNV4vHX6TRZskIWrgNaVYMZT6lA-N/s1600-h/DSC_0342.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266048869061878370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZcRPuKQNz01J_VJVHySDGQ40GMgVVhgJUuBeMvD9JfgJZz31cTxXdYWBujbChgMnVqzU6N14Dc-oIzIMnU5yUZ2pi8YCiCtl_hhV0Szas-gAr33DNV4vHX6TRZskIWrgNaVYMZT6lA-N/s320/DSC_0342.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Once again, folks, it's time for the pep rally at Conestoga. Readers of this blog know that I'm not a fan of the pep rally because of its sheer repetition, and the challenges that presents as a photographer to find something fun to shoot. This pep rally, though, surprised. It had some frankly kooky events that made for some funny shots. Add that to the fact that it was a bright and sunny day made for a truly fun shoot. Some of the best...<br /><br /><br />The always amazing food eating events...<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266050520701945506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruiVkbxY0496vcCd0kWrbtMNvDJCcasqSZszg41Id9PCH8r4SqnCrumKJyZC1P06EPH2prwdPpg6Jzlw6jbufzJzJe_jzvN0izhIWSLGcYLVC-e5-3ps3KkMlEEZqawiN_kmSjd4GyH68/s320/DSC_0407.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266051079884834258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlSNE-HX-FqU8sW6-OrtBl-49LKSr-Q7Mx_d9zYdDwK0wbjxRF1QKpcP-PGFyl9uHdxcSH2QhHONHFS6VBxjk9B4CcZplcWorcfZI0AiwA-0xZuwD77nohakT40YLgBJv58oSLJwjcPd0/s320/DSC_0345.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />Before the pep rally began, students were given portraits of outgoing principal Tim Donovan to hold up upon Donovan's arrival. A somewhat newsworthy spin to the pep rally. Then, Donovan headed up above to the roof of the press box and surveyed the day's events...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266049392804915090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zZ_qzdPKHqyqcRovKluXXMnZdTCBCHYAwIGWL-b4Tldxx7rBPGf4kQH-TQP1Q3PvQF6t4AeyDPrbRg7GJXMochJZWSnqPsamiuIMoG_aasT7Pw16S2m5SJ6_s3gdW03txOJPxihqmHct/s320/DSC_0172.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266049747144812754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32p2Ojcoci9t_NCO9WHZgVMSWMUgI3z-dPygMFmKZpt9souuwkM-lxnrxhpnjN1CZ18r8WovKTwQkCw71E3SmcVCg4eqiLW0OoRG_8VCz2oF0e3NYCwBvlQyxEOM3oVL_fmi3938TIJ63/s320/DSC_0330.jpg" border="0" /> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br />Pioneer mascot...</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266050758864459522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMp2d6pXMG8d-yrxUdddiioTphFy0-ubuPW_ZA9bRRDV2r5jQy1JGMwdCfGje10VKiSfal5tSnCozAarURLNICQ56kHjK1Lo3sO4_ECo1JjwZI4fwyYUXQG47PjR9tfm9Rl-hpbC_9Ktwl/s320/DSC_0324.jpg" border="0" /><br />Then, the intrepid sports stars did these sleeping bag races.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266051318937917554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpNrx558hopT2SnYowRRv7oueWCbn7kmdSfu9eDGb3nYWuZ2U-haEnvIe1jUi-QLP44FyvBZxvmiWdAEvK93XnrRSimRZ0lNiLfXYDTJ6MLjS7mc4ZaiqfTQKscBPb1WWcVF5MUbDxFF7/s320/DSC_0463.jpg" border="0" /><br />Shooting the pep rally involved doing quite a bit of lens switching. Some of the shots, such as the food eating contests, were perfect for the wide angle. But for the Donovan silhouette and the shot above, the telephoto was the better choice.<br /><br />Overall, it was a fun shoot--even if I did get hit in the head with folded up paper airplanes of those Donovan portraits.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-20605565532896380102008-11-07T17:25:00.009-05:002008-11-07T17:35:35.792-05:00The Art of the Portrait<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0k3K7NLdnpf0ZlGnb1nVNiZbtBtTAmZ4mophq-rsZZGap8p9ND64pvU_T6mFMZMLTlQTapGqyrUVUuS19FRcTEntKtY_bOGY8Flp29CO8ubniVfGd3nQ3aDOG6TCPn7ksiup1_dXp0o9/s1600-h/DSC_0031.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 365px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0k3K7NLdnpf0ZlGnb1nVNiZbtBtTAmZ4mophq-rsZZGap8p9ND64pvU_T6mFMZMLTlQTapGqyrUVUuS19FRcTEntKtY_bOGY8Flp29CO8ubniVfGd3nQ3aDOG6TCPn7ksiup1_dXp0o9/s400/DSC_0031.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266046013456508194" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm mostly sent out to shoot sports, but so far this year I've been doing a fair amount of portraits. Portraits and sports are vastly different things to shoot--for one, you can actually tell your subject (such as Principal Tim Donovan, at left) what to do and how to look in a portrait, as opposed to the athletes in a sporting event. So...should be easier, right? <br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>At best, it's a work in progress...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>This shot was for an article about the brother of two Conestoga students who has served tours of duty in Iraq. I sat him in the middle in his uniform, and asked him to hold that flag, which flew in Baghdad. In retrospect, I'd probably have asked Mr. Auburn to take off the bright orange sweatshirt, but I think the photo does portray the pride and dignity of the soldier.<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWE-ORGWG7Au-ABtH8VFIYwJo2kpuaY63K_rN0MhE2Iswbc10w73WynEXi2KbkRd5EP11nb-E2NQl54ePQ55R5C2R1UsdQBaNbGbmoYvDUh2rkhKEyvBCuTmDf-lvYEPKuZ6ZaXq1L4_H/s400/Iraq+Family.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266046953223684018" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-91945908307502877082008-11-07T17:19:00.003-05:002008-11-07T17:25:39.110-05:00Baseball PlayoffsOne of my favorite sports to shoot is baseball, and one of my favorite times in a season to shoot is the playoffs. What better than a baseball playoff game?<div><br /></div><div>Well...it was raining. Pouring. So, a bag went over the camera and off I went. The game was conveniently delayed for about 15 minutes, but then the storm passed, and the newly cleared skies made for some memorable pix...</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaY9lghM_FwXI-V3G3woDVXU5uOVF-nj_vETPElO35BKl6KZT-jcdJ7u9yZ8nOIGigvERwgRNM6WNvXYHsSUZjbSHwJSvexhxG54t5D5UrcEphRa9XuL1T94umL1B4c7Qqa8hhtIKmvtjY/s400/DSC_0156.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266045293897175330" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MMhIFUU2uXfRFNQhkJxiRPAsW73chHfFOZ36_aXA9pisG5DZUEQx3XLfIJHV9_cX3Z2AW62U_f0bXWBrEaDlL3KQIdeEN40-W_DBETgH9zhnrvT-JICIh4Q9mYH86L3NfasKPdjG94OU/s400/DSC_0067.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266044633963107666" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-79799613838063501882008-01-24T19:54:00.000-05:002008-12-14T12:06:03.603-05:00The Saga Continues: Swimming, Part Two<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QvGnDmXelNpJnsTRdW6D2ivar9Ts1HxECjgKCK7O5P0Bvi9LiftJj9HZBQb7F0QO6X6gJgMwXetS-FKFqrpnIL5fbiSRkyBOnfDMjOwPMQopvDoE8hFW80K727T5nrLX8MlXumtx-gK2/s1600-h/DSC_0100.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159218918745275506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QvGnDmXelNpJnsTRdW6D2ivar9Ts1HxECjgKCK7O5P0Bvi9LiftJj9HZBQb7F0QO6X6gJgMwXetS-FKFqrpnIL5fbiSRkyBOnfDMjOwPMQopvDoE8hFW80K727T5nrLX8MlXumtx-gK2/s320/DSC_0100.JPG" border="0" /></a>Cameras and water don't mix too well, so shooting swimming for a second time was a little nerve wracking. Covering this water sport was a little out of the blue (a swimmer friend informed me at the end of the school day that I <strong>WAS</strong> covering this afternoon's meet--news to me). And no pun intended.<br /><br /><div><div><div>The horrors of the water photographer is the fogging up of equipment when first entering the steamy pool from the cold outside. Until now, I had been spared this awful fate. Until now. </div><div> </div><div>The fate, granted, is not especially awful and the equipment de-fogs quickly, but not in time for the first several events. I got ready to shoot them, when I looked up at the viewfinder and was greeted with a pleasant blur of color behind an impenetrable mask of semi-transparent white. In other words, the lens was fogged. And there's nothing you can do, but wait.</div><div> </div><div></div><div>Once the camera recovered from it's bout with the shock of cold air to heavy humidity, it was time to shoot, and I was hoping to improve upon my last shoot, in December.</div><div> </div><div>Some of my favorites:</div><p></p><p>This isn't your traditional swimming picture, but this meet was loud and intense, a big one for the boys team. There's emotion to be found all over the pool.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159212858546420786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsaEUqGh4DinVFs2pJMGBT4MScYErzPIr2O92nKdciOVI9HqUmq9q0mpRUKcuvtIviYPn8bEg-lKalqtObLudHFooc38755zJmcISLWVIVi-7sUkso0gQ-4uakdqToj-KYVthbmtr9EzyW/s320/DSC_0022.JPG" border="0" /></p><p></p><p>This shot is one of my favorites. #1, there's a face--a critical element to any good sports shot. People like to see faces. #2 the way she's breaking the water, combined with the calm reflection ahead of her adds to a neat effect.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159213953763081282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFX5BeQqzncM9l7zK2_d6BfW3xxF7zYkFhbzs98BtFjlwdadQV2wm_4lP4rdEi6Q_3wsUC8pFqk6xTsXU4vtYzWTj11Y4wItIqcJNSNV3fXmSN6bcWYfQiAUGs1-1cQbuM9tXv0NO1s-3/s320/DSC_0109.JPG" border="0" /><br /></p>I find this next one pretty interesting. It's really a study in the properties of water, how, if you look closely, the individual droplets splashed up by her swimming each cast their own, individual shadow on her arm:<br /><br /><p></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159216457729014866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YNQiDnCAdJDGLtYU7wofflHeI8CPXhbi7EjsxpceoxHegOvhRpg0u2vUOi0fUlkkK1diPXXq7H1OseZkRiqhnm2T9bU7X13J2ej0xFJT4ndF8v0K3lzIZCgHl52TceJemtu5Nl5oUpQ8/s320/DSC_0077.JPG" border="0" /><br />This is the kind of shot I've been trying to get for a while: divers jumping off the blocks. As I detailed in an earlier post, shooting the divers as they leave the blocks in the beginning of a race is a bad idea, as firing the flash at the wrong moment could mean being thrown out of the pool--if not in the pool. This shot was taken during a relay race:<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159218278795148386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_GzoYk4aPlmRwHip3HPpaLwqBcPqxbD_uq7b-tKCq8hhhdbqrCW82uVc4_plt00_mq0DIpmdUmY9ybFpcXOpuPJmD2XBR5S2-Xu86oC9NGb6kbNW6hvr15jxcalvuAYVKsCtk2K9EJWTV/s320/DSC_0136.JPG" border="0" /><br />Both guys and girls won this one, and the girls have not lost for years now. Hopefully that'll mean a trip for some to districts, and a trip for me to some "playoff swimming."</p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-2294314909622213312008-01-24T19:51:00.001-05:002008-01-24T19:54:02.245-05:00Some publicity for the blogThe blog has hit the bigtime, folks. Recently, "From Behind the Lens" was featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer's Chester County section. Thanks to the Inquirer for a well written and informative article! (<a href="http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/chester/nabes/High_school_journalist_in_hot_pursuit_of_news.html">Read </a>the story)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-12549475049064868722008-01-24T19:18:00.000-05:002008-12-14T12:06:04.753-05:00The Police beat...<div><div>As mid term exam time rolled around again for Conestoga, this week was supposed to be a relatively Spoke-free and distraction-free week. Well, I was wrong. This time, the culprit was breaking news, and leaving books behind I dashed out the door to cover two breaking news stories.</div><div><div><br />The first breaking news came mid day on Saturday, when a witness called to report a possible bank robbery in progress at the PNC Bank on Rt. 30 in Devon. I arrived at the scene a few hours afterwards (walking there took longer than expected) to find a quiet bank, with a squad car out the back and an ominous sign out front:</div><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159203658726472674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVKnVz83qWlQyfMv-zFebGG112giWHPfRptx00N6cwf-jMqHRIYF4q76jMGdcsVyc1vOZK1GLb3Fwss_VXo28cUlIRVT4cx2XSLrZyw-jCqGcQ0UskhP4hZGjzhA6touueMsGSEwtORy7/s320/PNC+Robbery+2.jpg" border="0" /> <div>Apparently I had missed the action, but a bank robbery is something different from the usual stories, so it was a refreshing change.</div><div> </div><div>The second breaking news event of the week was on Wednesday, when construction crews called the police after digging up aged dynamite the day before, news reports say. Bomb squads were called in to deal with the dynamite. (<a href="http://www.tredyffrin.org/police/press/article.aspx?aid=2589&cid=1">Read </a>the detailed police report) This sure is explosive news (the pun was irresistible) and warranted a drive down to the construction site.<br /></div><div>The road was blocked by Paoli Fire Police, who were not letting anyone pass:</div><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159205213504633842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmv2eXGpTOdH9iQ9651zy2F66LGhBrf8dJzFpgwp5vDLlHWRbRdBGU61m_IySIzncF7ap-hDCFBhs0_KBOGqXZGs1rRYjCWBDSzI8FTuHwbtGi3AQkFOaD7gKOfM_H-ok3Dh-0StjVjUiF/s320/DSC_0008.JPG" border="0" />Not to be let down (and make the long drive for naught), we headed around and finally met up with the other end of the road, this time also blocked by fire police. However, the road was open to pedestrians, so off I went. It was roughly a mile (or at least it felt like that) before I came across any other sign that something had happened here. Sheriff's deputies had blocked off the road, and politely told me that the road is "indefinitely" closed.<br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159207464067496978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaCsSQC1Cd7lYBqGMICRmOG3WlOPwqdjWzJNtiGCMLY-sJnZSbgZs8mrMLwFMcumVAgGDQkMAqtx32wvbxgOMdalZOUjjvWsLtkiYNhLgYfy8cIAGMO7ZZxrwmBwe9dTaUVcyVY0EZHPl/s320/DSC_0024.JPG" border="0" />None of these photos really are that exciting or tell the story that well. Perhaps the best shot of the day was after I walked back from the road block and found the fire police turning a driver away--really the only "action" that even begins to tell the story of the moment:</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159208421845204002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1vKjmcsKsSZ3bwfQp3elAddBEO6XnCv3MhzeeS8snGBz2HlL60tA7RO0vZ5lkOn27rXzFBPhjG4AnkO3cOE2hn-hcpbTfFF5gvxhJRkjAfma2xxCTFiBf239qtrIgtHLlZuOhFEanTJu/s320/DSC_0039.JPG" border="0" />There wasn't much story here, either (bomb squads had burned the explosives far away, and the news helicopters circling overhead were the only ones who got the shot), but at least it's something to show for a long day--and long week--out responding to the breaking news.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-9344287771689355152007-12-31T21:51:00.000-05:002008-12-14T12:08:53.341-05:00The game of PetanqueIt was a freezing cold afternoon as I followed about four '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Stoga</span> students out to the grass near the bus circle, where they were about to play a game I had never heard of. Today's assignment was the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Petanque</span> Club, a club started by a couple French students who were fascinated by this game, which much resembles <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">bocce</span>.<br /><br />I began the shoot focusing on the tools of the game, something essential to an expose of a sport.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULtNDGqIZmZbOVQMCxF5eoFCGERjj6yp8cnvXBHiAu1Mq-USqQVtGA_QQ2-qPdo0bvwd-vQoYWmZjrE8IDBr2QgMKMmPaSjvTYrLBEefcQf3JWu_Ehf07ToCU-6Ufd7FIbOGKdmMJCYjT/s1600-h/DSC_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULtNDGqIZmZbOVQMCxF5eoFCGERjj6yp8cnvXBHiAu1Mq-USqQVtGA_QQ2-qPdo0bvwd-vQoYWmZjrE8IDBr2QgMKMmPaSjvTYrLBEefcQf3JWu_Ehf07ToCU-6Ufd7FIbOGKdmMJCYjT/s320/DSC_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150337910013066146" border="0" /></a>This photo's shot with the wide angle real close to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">boule</span> bag, and you can almost see my reflection in the closest <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">boule</span>.<br /><br />Then as my hands began to freeze up, it became obvious that gloves would be needed. Hoping I had left some in my camera bag after shooting a night soccer game, I set the backpack down and finally found a mismatched pair of gloves--two rights hands, as it were--but it was enough to keep my hands functioning.<br /><br />When the game started, it became immediately clear that to capture the essence of the event, I would need to get in the line of fire. I started out really only being able to shoot portraits, like this one:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJf8c4_Bb7pZ6kJLlDuwj_XqmotfqgcB29NHy6oUon7QoW_yGTISnHVAiWumxwvklzZNx-o36ggAc7vgz1idJW2XRmxalrO00-3KEf3VQY5_jxwR_hGsDvVNo4DQlBuodNJef6K0zfKfT/s1600-h/DSC_0080.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJf8c4_Bb7pZ6kJLlDuwj_XqmotfqgcB29NHy6oUon7QoW_yGTISnHVAiWumxwvklzZNx-o36ggAc7vgz1idJW2XRmxalrO00-3KEf3VQY5_jxwR_hGsDvVNo4DQlBuodNJef6K0zfKfT/s320/DSC_0080.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150338700287048626" border="0" /></a>But to get shots that show the whole range of the game required standing almost in the middle of the action. Fortunately this was a club sport, so they politely reminded me I was in the way as opposed to threatening to kick me out, which is what has happened in more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">conventional</span> sports.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FA64rAFA738DlrfK4nVvNq-5BrHulVl1t0t1JEzOWab2FP6bRtr6qKxh7EjFajxImHGy1sSd1jzuNAQBrVxzp0Ycccfm_enWXWBP3V5xuBzo0IV_BqQH_XCwQ-z0owg7r9su8jmHRbIo/s1600-h/DSC_0054.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FA64rAFA738DlrfK4nVvNq-5BrHulVl1t0t1JEzOWab2FP6bRtr6qKxh7EjFajxImHGy1sSd1jzuNAQBrVxzp0Ycccfm_enWXWBP3V5xuBzo0IV_BqQH_XCwQ-z0owg7r9su8jmHRbIo/s320/DSC_0054.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150339572165409730" border="0" /></a>This shot was taken, as you may imagine, right in the field of play. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">boule</span> that was just thrown is now in the air (it's towards the student wearing black, the middle one in the three farthest from the lens).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpsqUoC5wS8pV7r0kgQd2rlSm9HmNw9cf6b4qg6krCttmwKYcZMxgIWaPr1_vgMEmDSozRhmU8TAIEvL9RK5jONz5TWuXNPs3EDU8E6k9zDGywMogcutMyacGKsfMxB3sz8QPWIioPXWtL/s1600-h/revDSC_0114.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpsqUoC5wS8pV7r0kgQd2rlSm9HmNw9cf6b4qg6krCttmwKYcZMxgIWaPr1_vgMEmDSozRhmU8TAIEvL9RK5jONz5TWuXNPs3EDU8E6k9zDGywMogcutMyacGKsfMxB3sz8QPWIioPXWtL/s320/revDSC_0114.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150341474835921874" border="0" /></a>One challenge of this sport is that the boules are small and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">cochonnet</span> (the green target ball) is smaller--and green.<br /><br />And, playing in grass, getting the thrower and the boules in the same shot proved challenging, so I took a deep breath and laid down on the muddy ground, flat on my stomach, and started shooting. And the result, at left.<br /><br />The sky is hot, but the perspective is interesting.<br /><br />Fortunately the editor would print three photos, the one at left included, so as to tell the different aspects of the story.<br /><br />Because shooting an sport is all about telling the story. And packing gloves.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-54723816020908012672007-12-22T15:06:00.000-05:002008-12-14T12:08:56.052-05:00Covered in water...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazph_uLMlaF0D6vUGWWBrBN8Uat1sua8kTl1mjoKEr2eWDCbPdOsvn-dx-4TyAKwPd033In5f-kf-ioeK5Ke6TFTvEtxzpxcp9Lyruyg5ieJ7fHymyYqXNeGrDGJqB1w-NKOmyamryHCh/s1600-h/DSC_0198.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazph_uLMlaF0D6vUGWWBrBN8Uat1sua8kTl1mjoKEr2eWDCbPdOsvn-dx-4TyAKwPd033In5f-kf-ioeK5Ke6TFTvEtxzpxcp9Lyruyg5ieJ7fHymyYqXNeGrDGJqB1w-NKOmyamryHCh/s320/DSC_0198.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150350000346004450" border="0" /></a>Shooting swimming had some interesting qualities: High stakes, pressure shooting. Humid as heck conditions. Subjects that splashed you as they got closer. But perhaps the most frustrating: subjects whose heads disappear out of sight, below the water.<br /><br />It was a cold day outside, but the inside of the Upper Darby pool was hot and humid. The swimmers warmed up as I took off my sweatshirt and hoped that my camera would not fog up in the humidity. Fortunately it didn't, but all the water in the air certainly made me nervous switching lenses.<br /><br />The swimmers were happy for the publicity. While the other team chanted something to the tone of "Go us. Beat '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Stoga</span>!" the '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Stoga</span> swimmers shouted "H-R-O-M-E. What does that spell? HENRY ROME!"<br /><br />Swimming was a sport unlike anything else I've shot before. For one, there isn't a specific center of action--i.e. a player with the ball. There are several lanes of '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Stoga</span> swimmers, and I mainly stuck to the middle lanes, as I was informed that generally the faster swimmers were in those lanes.<br /><br />It also became clear that I would not stay dry in this shoot. When I determined that probably the best shooting would be getting head-level with the swimmers, that meant lying down on the wet pool tiles. And then getting water kicked at me, sometimes it felt done on purpose by some of my friends on the team, added to the moisture, especially on the camera, which I desperately tried to keep dry.<br /><br />Some of the most intense shooting happened when the swimmers came to the blocks. A flash is used to tell the swimmers when to go as well as a horn, so I could not use a flash and thus could not shoot the start. See, this pool was so poorly lit that it was almost impossible to shoot without the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">speedlight</span> flashing alongside. But, a flash of mine during the start meant big trouble, so I had to be quite careful throughout the event.<br /><br />Some of my favorites:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgaePsH8jEoQYRKjmr79Rmyu6y5JH-biLyAPabOo4GGosMqD8P8jlo93eTPs5WKMHRCkgJnbrQqg_6FIRWV5ykZceyjnUFWEhpySc6ldxh61d4Qf7VMVCe8RBFkwMihNSyUSiWLTd74a6/s1600-h/DSC_0134.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgaePsH8jEoQYRKjmr79Rmyu6y5JH-biLyAPabOo4GGosMqD8P8jlo93eTPs5WKMHRCkgJnbrQqg_6FIRWV5ykZceyjnUFWEhpySc6ldxh61d4Qf7VMVCe8RBFkwMihNSyUSiWLTd74a6/s320/DSC_0134.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150350842159594482" border="0" /></a>This photo was actually during a warm-up, and it required holding the camera precariously above the water.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsUqvSwKP3oFWh6afZP4V-OW_zc3ZUsc5W5eCFPM41UmP8moDuVLu0CnQh3Uj-B7kjcCigctOaF1GNllzed343Ut_A3pQtD8knV1crwWzqvttUCS-kvWI8ZSY2tLUtx7ln_BJypVGfc6K/s1600-h/DSC_0222.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsUqvSwKP3oFWh6afZP4V-OW_zc3ZUsc5W5eCFPM41UmP8moDuVLu0CnQh3Uj-B7kjcCigctOaF1GNllzed343Ut_A3pQtD8knV1crwWzqvttUCS-kvWI8ZSY2tLUtx7ln_BJypVGfc6K/s320/DSC_0222.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150351769872530434" border="0" /></a>The butterfly was one of the easier strokes to shoot, as their heads came out of the water, looking right at me. Other strokes proved more challenging, as the fact that the heads are only up for a fraction of a second and not even fully out of the water makes for a mediocre image, like this one:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmKjuVvv6uhLIWyE88Vpg14mk4TwXdd1GUUFE4Oaez2WAnzAzP0mWhvS3acumHe2F5JIwtiEoZ9PHOsVMLHWwlPDcIMcxm4cW_JMNkOAsluKOrpHMrboXrXE2EYAsbTY0JBoxYMebFb-J/s1600-h/DSC_0088.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmKjuVvv6uhLIWyE88Vpg14mk4TwXdd1GUUFE4Oaez2WAnzAzP0mWhvS3acumHe2F5JIwtiEoZ9PHOsVMLHWwlPDcIMcxm4cW_JMNkOAsluKOrpHMrboXrXE2EYAsbTY0JBoxYMebFb-J/s320/DSC_0088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150354535831469090" border="0" /></a>But swim meets are not only about the strokes. There's also diving in the middle of the meet. And this proved to be the most difficult part to shoot. Flashes are not allowed in diving, as it may distract the divers, so action shots were next to impossible to shoot. But this opened my eyes to more creative shots:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7tGFIBDi3Yl_iMRiuXs0KamWI6KmdDTRIeK84Eewi_w7soMQqCNZEfEUoY_o5Hz5g6YpPG4uUPbdFw8_v0S5a2mYN5CyxwQ_dg8I0PUQGGiFvPvcIWZBhfLkldh8DJCaJBzROPU2k1d8/s1600-h/DSC_0091.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7tGFIBDi3Yl_iMRiuXs0KamWI6KmdDTRIeK84Eewi_w7soMQqCNZEfEUoY_o5Hz5g6YpPG4uUPbdFw8_v0S5a2mYN5CyxwQ_dg8I0PUQGGiFvPvcIWZBhfLkldh8DJCaJBzROPU2k1d8/s320/DSC_0091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150355485019241522" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82GzjV0JIjpIEdWNL_ekR9KQngIoRkUQ8LeMhyphenhyphenExW3SmLit_U4i0QONyinQbTyRvF3a0DTXoWEdW-ACx2TgALnk75WcEBkhP2H7CsXeekF1rwYiTiWO5xiwU5r5J_ux2ZLiTakiyzYhRP/s1600-h/DSC_0095.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82GzjV0JIjpIEdWNL_ekR9KQngIoRkUQ8LeMhyphenhyphenExW3SmLit_U4i0QONyinQbTyRvF3a0DTXoWEdW-ACx2TgALnk75WcEBkhP2H7CsXeekF1rwYiTiWO5xiwU5r5J_ux2ZLiTakiyzYhRP/s320/DSC_0095.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150356172214008898" border="0" /></a><br />And then there's always the useless shot that just looks cool:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6aSX0e-CJbHuf8ClvzGwYnz2id5k8qyEjkxJttDKtzw3dChw7Cs39hjka4tcIRutBGw6xyOl98nQdT80DTLNNtkOUjs4i4pLXrb9h1f8WP_SAgAk0wHv6oHAsQ-AjFgyGQO0BWKkQ3u6/s1600-h/DSC_0038.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6aSX0e-CJbHuf8ClvzGwYnz2id5k8qyEjkxJttDKtzw3dChw7Cs39hjka4tcIRutBGw6xyOl98nQdT80DTLNNtkOUjs4i4pLXrb9h1f8WP_SAgAk0wHv6oHAsQ-AjFgyGQO0BWKkQ3u6/s320/DSC_0038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150357606733085778" border="0" /></a>As the meet ended, Conestoga came out decisively on top--both boys and girls--and it was time to head home. Coming from the heavy humidity of the gym, I walked outside into the now heavy snow, in soaking wet clothes. It would be a cold and snowy ride home, after a fun and very different swimming shoot.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-67081574233216036152007-11-24T14:17:00.000-05:002008-12-14T12:08:57.456-05:00TakedownThis morning was frigid--around 31 degrees--and the air was dry. The scene at 'Stoga--yes, this is Thanksgiving break and yes I did go back to school--was stunningly different. Entering the gym, the first thing that hit me was the smell. The smell of sweat. And the amazing humidity inside the gym.<br /><br />Once I got over that, it's time to shoot. Dozens and dozens of 'Stoga guys and those from at least one other school were scrimmaging, with many mini-matches happening at once. Locating the 'Stoga seniors, I popped on the speedlight and started shooting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sn0xFIHbOYfpB_3h9E4mOqZfmODGSMRqaHnb7ypAHQsvE36cnDZJOdIpuafkm8GTFAJfdJzjG6Sd8xAH8KoOdC4EkvsevfT4ujfv4UJrnPoH-ofWK7pq0omc6dtjzJfOyAgZBr_eCx43/s1600-h/DSC_0131.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sn0xFIHbOYfpB_3h9E4mOqZfmODGSMRqaHnb7ypAHQsvE36cnDZJOdIpuafkm8GTFAJfdJzjG6Sd8xAH8KoOdC4EkvsevfT4ujfv4UJrnPoH-ofWK7pq0omc6dtjzJfOyAgZBr_eCx43/s320/DSC_0131.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136490519460199138" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJFFFXuokAoJj8vvwpvj5-O53-VHni9UWdYEnO5NpbXH0SvUA7uqCIAzItIdGbVvxGCukM6QNVsVIQ2DvuONCoquIylnpjeyvTAuSjD5tR3GJtXjKUjCkxKP11onicmrWgyJI37JrACct/s1600-h/DSC_0119.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJFFFXuokAoJj8vvwpvj5-O53-VHni9UWdYEnO5NpbXH0SvUA7uqCIAzItIdGbVvxGCukM6QNVsVIQ2DvuONCoquIylnpjeyvTAuSjD5tR3GJtXjKUjCkxKP11onicmrWgyJI37JrACct/s320/DSC_0119.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136490717028694770" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOawRfzWnWWeG6-RLxGlvsM5Kd07chI0pez2ZZUO0UeMNMDNILF8AxRCJtDDIdA4DmtkBTHbl-91mt3UsSR_NvpNQBgtVrVvSqkVhPFgtNhF159X318IXSFqAuZw_tLMLW8AFZXpbrAuo/s1600-h/DSC_0035.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOawRfzWnWWeG6-RLxGlvsM5Kd07chI0pez2ZZUO0UeMNMDNILF8AxRCJtDDIdA4DmtkBTHbl-91mt3UsSR_NvpNQBgtVrVvSqkVhPFgtNhF159X318IXSFqAuZw_tLMLW8AFZXpbrAuo/s320/DSC_0035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136490356251441874" border="0" /></a>Wrestling is certainly different than most other sports. There is no clear-cut offense or defense to focus on, and because of the nature of the sport (for better or for worse) there's so much limb entanglement that it can either be distracting and confusing or downright cool.<br /><br />Another difference, especially as a photographer, is that the movement of wrestlers can be unpredictable. Granted, I know very, very little about wrestling, whereas the other sports I often cover such as football and soccer I know a fair amount about. So when these entangled guys come tumbling at you, you'd better move, as they may not even see you. That's why they invented telephoto.<br /><br />I shot mostly telephoto but I popped on the wide angle about 3/4 of the way through, and as the scrimmage ended, having the wide angle on came in handy when the players started rolling up the mats and putting them away.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bgup-vUyaVKpwjGGq9_Ph_M1mRMdibf05o_6rdvJvBPkBENXTx06VYWOZ1Cgc38v3j46uqcPaAGW33Jr_BBa3k0N5ydMDdhXN61o6JZUI1o-72YKEd-evknZFne15-7SKrfNcugcFTi1/s1600-h/DSC_0225.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bgup-vUyaVKpwjGGq9_Ph_M1mRMdibf05o_6rdvJvBPkBENXTx06VYWOZ1Cgc38v3j46uqcPaAGW33Jr_BBa3k0N5ydMDdhXN61o6JZUI1o-72YKEd-evknZFne15-7SKrfNcugcFTi1/s320/DSC_0225.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136492173022608130" border="0" /></a>I tried to be a little creative with this next one, when the mats were being taken away to the closet. My brother said it reminded him of photos you see of someone being rushed on a stretcher into an ambulance...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoGCXhlRJrTWS0kZ-Qxli7dIL3SfJvPlWK8rRkja80Y0ZAV-YIWhUqhW9rfIgbAzeozIeI3SGPvcbitZaHl7zdFu_g-JcHwcchW1PYvEHkPk1sfbZGUfqEHedXJPuYxq4-QTYf5aRkNhI/s1600-h/DSC_0255.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoGCXhlRJrTWS0kZ-Qxli7dIL3SfJvPlWK8rRkja80Y0ZAV-YIWhUqhW9rfIgbAzeozIeI3SGPvcbitZaHl7zdFu_g-JcHwcchW1PYvEHkPk1sfbZGUfqEHedXJPuYxq4-QTYf5aRkNhI/s320/DSC_0255.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136493336958745362" border="0" /></a>After the shoot, the frigid outside air didn't seem so bad after all...<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/the.spoke.conestoga/Wrestling"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Click here see the photos</span></span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-18082078550224258792007-11-19T20:49:00.000-05:002008-12-14T12:08:59.158-05:00SOCCER WINSIt was a thrilling moment. The seconds tick, and when the clock says zero, the girls soccer bench players rush the field to meet the players already there to celebrate their first ever (that's right, first <span style="font-style: italic;">ever</span>) state championship.<br /><br />And it wasn't anywhere: it was in Hershey Park.<br /><br />The drive, yes, was two hours. But, was it worth it? Absolutely.<br /><br />Checking in around 4:30 for a 5:00 game I got my media ID and proceeded to take the field. HersheyPark Stadium takes around 15,000 people--a far cry from Teamer Field.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39PjUW-C5YgqL9bLyEE5QN-qy8G34lIggqOBV-UKFjmw86Ef5vksTLG7FAP7ZqaVqPudhCB4MItI43UOVJc_ws0IPjwuXuwj6B7BwdYNhtVc_noMOBGlvd4lDb3cynceFRJ1L4y9rlTq2/s1600-h/DSC_0766.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39PjUW-C5YgqL9bLyEE5QN-qy8G34lIggqOBV-UKFjmw86Ef5vksTLG7FAP7ZqaVqPudhCB4MItI43UOVJc_ws0IPjwuXuwj6B7BwdYNhtVc_noMOBGlvd4lDb3cynceFRJ1L4y9rlTq2/s320/DSC_0766.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134735462679067266" border="0" /></a>The game started up quickly, with Conestoga coming out in the first half scoring two goals. At left was the first goal, headed in by Casey Steidle.<br /><br />Around this time I learned an important lesson: I like to shoot low to the ground to be more "ball level" as opposed to "people level"--it adds a neat effect. However, not recommended for soccer when they kick the ball right at you, and you're torn between getting the shot or getting out of the way.<br /><br />Another shot I really liked from early in the game was this one: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lzNHcagpCsL6cCaPeh1wQTmDHRmcxllFr_mw4d5kfvrYlSozFf91aUHa9nNKYN4QCYZt0nDAoGBIMUY6MS5IQt_FtB_QrcRWlTE4MAh3hFXdeNhyUtdXhn4X-C1P9R0ruU57cimH8Qpe/s1600-h/DSC_0732.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lzNHcagpCsL6cCaPeh1wQTmDHRmcxllFr_mw4d5kfvrYlSozFf91aUHa9nNKYN4QCYZt0nDAoGBIMUY6MS5IQt_FtB_QrcRWlTE4MAh3hFXdeNhyUtdXhn4X-C1P9R0ruU57cimH8Qpe/s320/DSC_0732.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134736325967493778" border="0" /></a>This focus is a bit soft on this, but the intensity, I think, comes through.<br /><br />Well, the game continued on until the one minute mark came up in the second half, and realizing there is no stoppage time or no stoppage of the clock, for that matter (I'm so used to football), I quickly switched lenses from the big zoom to the wide angle, and just in time.<br /><br />As the clock expired, the 'Stoga bench players and coaches rushed the field. And I, along with the other photogs, ran out with them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-CUCalshZesWk903X6EM7RXsiWRSjLF7GvFAnbycgk24g-8u6Kw0sK6m_1GPvjyG4IAv9sEp8ey0NISA3g0AstnGqHIYzB3jXFW8LtDOkjkfbcSPQZ4tHvIgFXA7Q_kFyv20Yl-z3IGv/s1600-h/DSC_0071.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-CUCalshZesWk903X6EM7RXsiWRSjLF7GvFAnbycgk24g-8u6Kw0sK6m_1GPvjyG4IAv9sEp8ey0NISA3g0AstnGqHIYzB3jXFW8LtDOkjkfbcSPQZ4tHvIgFXA7Q_kFyv20Yl-z3IGv/s320/DSC_0071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134737236500560546" border="0" /></a>Something about it, I guess, says victory. The one girl with her hand in the air helps out. And the slow shutter makes for a lot of movement; unintentional, but it's an effect. This isn't likely to make the paper, but it certainly is a memory. Sharing in the team's excitement, running on the field, holding the camera up on top of the huddle in the center, was something special.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfi8Mn-tGVPIQXEldHYP0ZXBnF_DLmYBYzWyVihcrDRh1ITxF5msoZPam_hCVGdEE13sZ3TVady9HjlA4Tl81ye6upUl0GmbCcRglKXIoAiNN5iIBdBZJrYl_w6oh1t915ULLt5bTNdo7/s1600-h/DSC_0078.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfi8Mn-tGVPIQXEldHYP0ZXBnF_DLmYBYzWyVihcrDRh1ITxF5msoZPam_hCVGdEE13sZ3TVady9HjlA4Tl81ye6upUl0GmbCcRglKXIoAiNN5iIBdBZJrYl_w6oh1t915ULLt5bTNdo7/s320/DSC_0078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134737807731210930" border="0" /></a>And then there's the classic trophy raising:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rc48OQAwhxBIPxyPrehPw6hKs1wk40Z-fsdxIObElkXVSHGa5ndcHIiuNTE2RGsk6t-kglONWaQAUo-xjixUKoQJ1-8jEtFKv72bjhN0pLJouPrAI_k1_paiYGfki9jRt-PdiOb1OtRw/s1600-h/DSC_0120.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rc48OQAwhxBIPxyPrehPw6hKs1wk40Z-fsdxIObElkXVSHGa5ndcHIiuNTE2RGsk6t-kglONWaQAUo-xjixUKoQJ1-8jEtFKv72bjhN0pLJouPrAI_k1_paiYGfki9jRt-PdiOb1OtRw/s320/DSC_0120.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134738305947417282" border="0" /></a>It was a really special night as a photographer to shoot a very special team, who took home the state title.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/the.spoke.conestoga/GirlsSoccerStateChamps"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Click here to see the photos</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-91357390420900184962007-11-16T20:58:00.000-05:002007-11-16T21:19:53.769-05:00The Hard NewsAs previous blog posting show, these past few months have been filled with lots of sports and action shots--but today's assignment was a different kind of action. The news broke this morning that a local man had been found shot dead in his home, which is in the school district. Police have yet to determine whether the death was suicide or homocide, according to numerous news reports, but either way covering this story felt very different from anything else.<br /><br />I've covered crime, I've covered arrests and courts, I've covered bomb threats and drug busts, but never anything involving a person dying.<br /><br />On the scene earlier this afternoon was a police officer in a cruiser and another photographer from a local daily. I snapped some shots of the crime tape in the foreground and the front door of the house in the background, but I spent much of the time talking to these professionals about not this specific incident, but about "hard news" in general, and, for that matter, life in general.<br /><br />The officer and photog were joking around, chatting. The photog then remarked that, to perhaps a neighbor, having an officer and reporter small talking in front of a house where a person died is insensitive, rude. But he then said the most important thing, for me at least. He said that despite the horrors of what reporters cover (he had just finished from covering the double fatal on 202), you cannot get too attached; almost, you can't take everything to heart. That's not to say not be sensitive, but with the frequency of these tragedies it is often better to just be detached, and be able to stay upbeat and keep a sense of humor.<br /><br />As the case moves forwards, and as detectives make determinations as to what actually happened in this death, it will be surely interesting to cover, if in fact the case results in charges being filed. I've covered courts and the police, but never in the case of a death.<br /><br />But I'll have to remember that despite the tragedy of this incident, despite the frightening fact that it happened in such close proximity to the school, I must strike the balance between being detached and not getting too upset by the incident, while being empathetic to the family. But, judging by the fear expressed by students who live near the shooting, the story is important, and for that reason, it must be told.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-42405922717390350112007-11-13T16:45:00.000-05:002008-12-14T12:08:59.738-05:00Those Hooligans<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DnC8uihVuOdTxesHlsQbUkNnFSs8zMvB5Dr1xk0aGPzBsU8JgAtIp33EUWVzn-ft5ixR34VfwiRisfDVbecFtfdJBAhBLY0975jbCEmLVYOJIYTfL8h1HWNXsdWVHIVAGtk_fybWxvcw/s1600-h/DSC_0157.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DnC8uihVuOdTxesHlsQbUkNnFSs8zMvB5Dr1xk0aGPzBsU8JgAtIp33EUWVzn-ft5ixR34VfwiRisfDVbecFtfdJBAhBLY0975jbCEmLVYOJIYTfL8h1HWNXsdWVHIVAGtk_fybWxvcw/s320/DSC_0157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132445047494732786" border="0" /></a>They rang cowbells, waved flags, played trombones and screamed their hearts out. Decked out in face paint and with blood pumping with emotion, the Conestoga Boys Soccer "Hooligans" cheer on home boys games.<br /><br />I had never heard of them before being assigned the story, and going in I had very little idea as to how I was going to shoot this.<br /><br />Do I stand just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">in front</span> of the fans on the small walkway and shoot them with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">wideangle</span> from there, or do I stand on the field and shoot with a telephoto. The answer became clear once I realized how important lighting was going to be.<br /><br />Standing right in front of these emphatic hooligans provided for a neat angle. With <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">speedlight</span> flashing away, I attempted to portray the emotion behind these kids.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2JR4cGB78QNkoqhs97s5Rpc1w4JFivZXt0ehCDd2lPDgvp-mUEsBV6xhr6DaE5tadeNhtXFFhjuEZLeSbmJiJnzsLG631LcFMQg-dPaJOrDsI1PdKol-lL9pzC5Q98y0XSFOk_NCCs4K/s1600-h/DSC_0065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2JR4cGB78QNkoqhs97s5Rpc1w4JFivZXt0ehCDd2lPDgvp-mUEsBV6xhr6DaE5tadeNhtXFFhjuEZLeSbmJiJnzsLG631LcFMQg-dPaJOrDsI1PdKol-lL9pzC5Q98y0XSFOk_NCCs4K/s320/DSC_0065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132446335984921602" border="0" /></a><br />And, then there are those fun shots, too.<br /><br />This shot, on the right, was taken during the national anthem. I really love the shot because the kid here is taking off his hat--a blue elephant --to salute the flag.<br /><br />All in all, shooting the hooligans were a welcome change from just straight sports action, and the photos turned out in the paper in the form of a full page color spread--even better.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-5357675791138079372007-11-13T16:28:00.001-05:002008-12-14T12:09:00.739-05:00Staying for the whole game...Shooting sports means staying for the whole game--period. Because, what happens at the end of the game or after the game's over is often the most exciting.<br /><br />After leaving early from what would end up being a fantastic come-from-behind football win by Conestoga my freshman year, I've learned to stay all the games through, even if I think I have "the shot." The game may end in an exciting fashion, but if not there's always the post-game.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXh4nXzvm0ZU6qFTpMfqsIpBtPMryw7bOIgAE2-faH6qkbbhMDzQr-L_Vj3Y2Z8fJFJR6kR3dXpt_sdk6MrOJaRZ4C15yJtmR-FKoMJrQeTYab233pOPFixLxLw0qeniqDbC9N1VTwzS7k/s1600-h/DSC_0186.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXh4nXzvm0ZU6qFTpMfqsIpBtPMryw7bOIgAE2-faH6qkbbhMDzQr-L_Vj3Y2Z8fJFJR6kR3dXpt_sdk6MrOJaRZ4C15yJtmR-FKoMJrQeTYab233pOPFixLxLw0qeniqDbC9N1VTwzS7k/s320/DSC_0186.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132440537779071906" border="0" /></a>From the press...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVoRYnYeyDSZqJhSBlI_oPd65OPxjdb5B7-VM6a19C1iH-BF4KWtFEGHP5lIre95NoAtml8D32LXeiMk6mlaxVCgI-vUs4iU_I5219Mo2PYdaESk12EmBN-RNWm938lc3jjyG8E3P6WGE/s1600-h/DSC_0605.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVoRYnYeyDSZqJhSBlI_oPd65OPxjdb5B7-VM6a19C1iH-BF4KWtFEGHP5lIre95NoAtml8D32LXeiMk6mlaxVCgI-vUs4iU_I5219Mo2PYdaESk12EmBN-RNWm938lc3jjyG8E3P6WGE/s320/DSC_0605.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132440670923058098" border="0" /></a>...to the elation...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHhnXaLhs_cKDAKZ-RWL163B0d1HA-zi2VX2c26OIQDZIHKETYr6XAo7lwCtEVOoHQDEO7m4344kSIoEVY4vo6PKcB8C6QRFsNAm3hxQoFlWx0peR9cqCYYFhd_E3XCf_ghTBG8Ze0YGK/s1600-h/DSC_0642.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHhnXaLhs_cKDAKZ-RWL163B0d1HA-zi2VX2c26OIQDZIHKETYr6XAo7lwCtEVOoHQDEO7m4344kSIoEVY4vo6PKcB8C6QRFsNAm3hxQoFlWx0peR9cqCYYFhd_E3XCf_ghTBG8Ze0YGK/s320/DSC_0642.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132441014520441794" border="0" /></a>...and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">frustration</span>...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2zNXvvG0z5-OnbUc_xzVrMc5JBaMAHEfAgc5seHn22S8Zp1mkcK-sfidbTIYl-9atMnHVQ2yGemeweah9QMsUgz00m360xPNZKD_MpnGBRP83wKbfzJTNhOgd70I8h7w7W4kQJ1_DGzJ/s1600-h/DSC_0170.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2zNXvvG0z5-OnbUc_xzVrMc5JBaMAHEfAgc5seHn22S8Zp1mkcK-sfidbTIYl-9atMnHVQ2yGemeweah9QMsUgz00m360xPNZKD_MpnGBRP83wKbfzJTNhOgd70I8h7w7W4kQJ1_DGzJ/s320/DSC_0170.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132441207793970130" border="0" /></a>...to the trophy raising...<br /><br />It all happens after the game.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-6466843890171182052007-11-13T16:10:00.001-05:002008-12-14T12:09:01.559-05:00A Look at Valley Forge Park...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1Ps6GNrPGnMN5M2huuGuSAi2J8QCcaeGnmIbbVX6pxkyuk3906feCVokyvvSf4eCTrOr5I21m7pLN19gNTWAodaakWgLxZZul0yz2cQ9xQWCIxW0Owk6lxpRfiHhbsizKRnGhNjjuqSz/s1600-h/DSC_0047.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1Ps6GNrPGnMN5M2huuGuSAi2J8QCcaeGnmIbbVX6pxkyuk3906feCVokyvvSf4eCTrOr5I21m7pLN19gNTWAodaakWgLxZZul0yz2cQ9xQWCIxW0Owk6lxpRfiHhbsizKRnGhNjjuqSz/s320/DSC_0047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132435851969751890" border="0" /></a>When the idea first arose about having online photo galleries, I remembered how other papers put up lots of scenic shots their photogs have taken. And, for The Spoke, what's more scenic than Valley Forge Park?<br /><br />So, I guess it was a full two months ago, I set out with a friend, trying to capture the essence of the park. We went in mid to late afternoon, where the lighting would be nice with the sun on its way down.<br /><br />I don't shoot too much scenics during the year, so it was certainly a change of pace: being able to frame shots, and perfect settings that I just can't do with sports.<br /><br />It is a little nerve-wracking, knowing that these monuments aren't going anywhere, and you <span style="font-style: italic;">should</span> be able to get just a perfect composition, or a more though out one at least, in contrast to something that happens right away. As I said, it's a change of pace.<br /><br />But the beauty and the history of the park makes the job as a photographer much easier.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuseUuV7vOedVw6ICX3yYQT8aoFc9aPyEHCpjfYAqrcZnBc-wDUM1a5bk2UKuqXEzT5nG8DwxLRJJ5xl2dxw_2Zh3tWQkpjez2wEZ3uoR9NYYhtylrAuDwR7vSOCEzgiDlLD4fYJyio3oi/s1600-h/DSC_0051.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuseUuV7vOedVw6ICX3yYQT8aoFc9aPyEHCpjfYAqrcZnBc-wDUM1a5bk2UKuqXEzT5nG8DwxLRJJ5xl2dxw_2Zh3tWQkpjez2wEZ3uoR9NYYhtylrAuDwR7vSOCEzgiDlLD4fYJyio3oi/s320/DSC_0051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132436672308505458" border="0" /></a>There's something about this pic. It's a weird perepective, looking at a slant from a monument to an out of focus tree, but it's an interesting shot, I think.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KGff24_HIjaLXpcVp-aZDB9qCU-_4UOmm36x4DXxpkUim6LJeFpuE-b0dEKH3uNCLEj7MxS0epSI64ryRQqLvYd8uWsP35CmZJOQ6_T4G6qgYmItTB_Af0RoJlOGnxSufBEl4e24-yDI/s1600-h/DSC_0096.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KGff24_HIjaLXpcVp-aZDB9qCU-_4UOmm36x4DXxpkUim6LJeFpuE-b0dEKH3uNCLEj7MxS0epSI64ryRQqLvYd8uWsP35CmZJOQ6_T4G6qgYmItTB_Af0RoJlOGnxSufBEl4e24-yDI/s320/DSC_0096.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132437398157978498" border="0" /></a>The arch is the most iconic feature of the park, and it's enshroudment in the flora adds some drama.<br /><br />But the slowness of scenery shooting picked up, and the sports instinct buzzed in my head, when the deer showed up.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEBSofFEGGSZeR0Qny_DEUQotGIWGSKgYTRXDCe8G1owuEti32CcZrVJsDbBe68C6FaEbCYi-DR_oq9SIHiN1Ty5jNQiep671yo4gHJHPVKmQqzjcFG0v9qQATuPmbv5gKwJC92VFIaxj/s1600-h/DSC_0107.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEBSofFEGGSZeR0Qny_DEUQotGIWGSKgYTRXDCe8G1owuEti32CcZrVJsDbBe68C6FaEbCYi-DR_oq9SIHiN1Ty5jNQiep671yo4gHJHPVKmQqzjcFG0v9qQATuPmbv5gKwJC92VFIaxj/s320/DSC_0107.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132437922143988626" border="0" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/the.spoke.conestoga/ValleyForgePark"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Click here for more photos</span></span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-76553184948712314482007-11-12T22:34:00.000-05:002008-12-14T12:09:02.584-05:00A Note on Captions...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFSpLM30LWpElZid0b_ul3UBsmoIMZyGOLnLfXLNQdbG71Y26q0UHQMRanYZp-84-94paMFEGQjkfhZfnRu6Sey7U_lagl65lEZbLl7CfMczdIUEUY3r561nc9LU6CnmhnQ8hYt0IPYiR/s1600-h/IMG_0933.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFSpLM30LWpElZid0b_ul3UBsmoIMZyGOLnLfXLNQdbG71Y26q0UHQMRanYZp-84-94paMFEGQjkfhZfnRu6Sey7U_lagl65lEZbLl7CfMczdIUEUY3r561nc9LU6CnmhnQ8hYt0IPYiR/s320/IMG_0933.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132163967655013090" border="0" /></a>Working for a newspaper, captions are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">absolutely</span> essential for a photographer--knowing <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">exactly</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">what</span> you just photographed is almost as important as actually getting the pictures. Captions, though, take a significant amount of effort.<br /><br />I sometimes record my photo number and exactly what happened, who made the play, etc., but more often than not I either grab a picture of the team roster (above) and then look at the pix before and after the shot I want, as well as any shots of the scoreboard I've taken, and any news reports/box scores, to piece together what's happening in a picture. It usually turns out pretty accurate.<br /><br />A good memory helps. This pic is nothing special, but it <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> a touchdown. Good thing I remembered, or it may have been in the trash:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkD2hGmxnNb-dpLsNxplksEKloQrfU64BU9BheeFcSutQ6zL4PhW7XpB3mrZSmTzotFpOIw43PBAu8rdg2yUJZDzTw_maWmg7Pf_7SWHQt5oqNGcLMmPzWf1MIbuKHg7tx7akVXJ_0PSLU/s1600-h/DSC_0022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkD2hGmxnNb-dpLsNxplksEKloQrfU64BU9BheeFcSutQ6zL4PhW7XpB3mrZSmTzotFpOIw43PBAu8rdg2yUJZDzTw_maWmg7Pf_7SWHQt5oqNGcLMmPzWf1MIbuKHg7tx7akVXJ_0PSLU/s320/DSC_0022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132164659144747762" border="0" /></a>Later in the game, '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Stoga</span> pulled out on top with a game winning touchdown. Here's the reaction to the play. Being able to ID the receiver and the player greeting #8 is critical:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3SxNbwmJM_Q2QzOqp67jHb1EaLuqzGqE4n3p5LbB_VC4uOSxCf1Vihm6XSPOXkvFigbmrUw13gzb6wGXF8XV-PAtew1xOV7NMdAWkWEHuaELFWZnvms7WDULT8L7Htej03eCXN8Tr0Wx_/s1600-h/DSC_0129.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3SxNbwmJM_Q2QzOqp67jHb1EaLuqzGqE4n3p5LbB_VC4uOSxCf1Vihm6XSPOXkvFigbmrUw13gzb6wGXF8XV-PAtew1xOV7NMdAWkWEHuaELFWZnvms7WDULT8L7Htej03eCXN8Tr0Wx_/s320/DSC_0129.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132165548202978050" border="0" /></a><br />But, what if I didn't remember? And it's happened many a time before. Check out the latest football game photos online at <a href="http://www.stoganews.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">stoganews</span>.com</a> to see some fairly intense captioning, aided by news reports the day after. That's the luxury of a monthly.<br /><br />Getting names, numbers, scenarios is important. It's not all about blind shooting.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-45671284642814243232007-11-12T22:25:00.000-05:002008-12-14T12:09:03.651-05:00On Futbol<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLZsRm2XimhaTnjdhUvAFygQvKSdzwUefPcBcur5NbKYid08H-dInwASDYr-uaDkDwWMObMQ36PgdulORzXj_4TmifOz7H5ZVPaXTvdEsIFnKY1WdAaY8SPQ-qZSZgAi6_wCLU-SWIj2Z/s1600-h/DSC_0157.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLZsRm2XimhaTnjdhUvAFygQvKSdzwUefPcBcur5NbKYid08H-dInwASDYr-uaDkDwWMObMQ36PgdulORzXj_4TmifOz7H5ZVPaXTvdEsIFnKY1WdAaY8SPQ-qZSZgAi6_wCLU-SWIj2Z/s320/DSC_0157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132431866240101170" border="0" /></a>Capturing emotion is key in any sports photography, and capturing that game winning goal doesn't hurt either. The Conestoga Girls' Soccer Team was playing for the District championships, and I was assigned to shoot the game. It's always fun being at a game that actually <span style="font-style: italic;">matters</span>, but a game that ends in a double overtime goal, with Conestoga winning...now that's something.<br /><br />One caveat: yes, I was clicking away when sophomore <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Murphee</span> Greeley kicked in the game winner (above), but one thing: the shot is out of focus. This was painful for me at the time. Heck, it still is now. But, you can't win them all. But, out of focus, man. I can blame it on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">autofocus</span> of my lens, which does not work as well in low light situations. It's something to work on.<br /><br />But, I did shoot the all-important raising of the trophy, which is important.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHr9jJ046WcWwSRYV4Nl8oI6CC2D8mZ3-G1aeYTDJWOCicKp6Q05ODmBjhp4v9R1BT9-Bu6V2ic5d4wOihO316L4oINirND88MlGzdbhk2Rrz5jUouSPHFNw6Ym6erTlS84-dOaCYnko1b/s1600-h/DSC_0170.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHr9jJ046WcWwSRYV4Nl8oI6CC2D8mZ3-G1aeYTDJWOCicKp6Q05ODmBjhp4v9R1BT9-Bu6V2ic5d4wOihO316L4oINirND88MlGzdbhk2Rrz5jUouSPHFNw6Ym6erTlS84-dOaCYnko1b/s320/DSC_0170.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132431763160886050" border="0" /></a>The photo that ran in the paper was this one:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKi6zZzbWjUpb9_8scZZyDX-jdfado7sYahFiU21rito0v1lxcWeffQIhmOIKSSHEDIx3fACVvcWNICS8LIeBvlgOA1451_-99a_TZWTgJ3PAiV47IAC6nZwj4fqpB74KEA0OgwDyDWdoK/s1600-h/DSC_0384.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKi6zZzbWjUpb9_8scZZyDX-jdfado7sYahFiU21rito0v1lxcWeffQIhmOIKSSHEDIx3fACVvcWNICS8LIeBvlgOA1451_-99a_TZWTgJ3PAiV47IAC6nZwj4fqpB74KEA0OgwDyDWdoK/s320/DSC_0384.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132432020858923842" border="0" /></a><br />It's a fun action shot, and it fit the space allotted nicely.<br /><br />Just wish I had nabbed that goal. Well, that's the thing with sports: a good portion of shots will be bad or out of focus, even if <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">compositionally</span> they're excellent.<br /><br />The girls may play for the state championships if they win tonight, so I'll be off to Hershey, to hopefully shoot a victory.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/the.spoke.conestoga/GirlsSoccerConestogaVDowningtownEastDistrictFinals"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Click here to see the photos</span></span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-52831448685599625192007-11-12T22:11:00.000-05:002008-12-14T12:09:04.724-05:00They play it on horses, right...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5zdNsaBPE3BIxI2BnHqU-ryLS_txFhv9DutpSdBirlyS3yWjDg5SV4JatyLCtKJbo2p68e4ZYPFXaGZsy-G6VafzRig_tPePH_bVkrM2YZ7kUxeESVnpSz5GIrxvdMii3oczWgu8z-Uf/s1600-h/IMG_0940.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5zdNsaBPE3BIxI2BnHqU-ryLS_txFhv9DutpSdBirlyS3yWjDg5SV4JatyLCtKJbo2p68e4ZYPFXaGZsy-G6VafzRig_tPePH_bVkrM2YZ7kUxeESVnpSz5GIrxvdMii3oczWgu8z-Uf/s320/IMG_0940.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132160213853596354" border="0" /></a>One of the greatest parts of photography is going to different events, covering different sports, doing different things. As a friend pointed out, covering the same old sport, getting the same old photos, must get kind of boring. And it does. And that's why I try to find different angles on things, different approaches.<br /><br />Or just try a different sport all together. So that's how <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">waterpolo</span> came up. I'll be honest here: I've probably seen <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">waterpolo</span> maybe once flipping through the channels during Olympic season, so I had a vague idea that it was played in water. A friend informed me that it's a cross between basketball and soccer...in water. This should be interesting.<br /><br />I've never shot water sports before, so I expected some cool effects. I was not let down. Water has a reflective effect, a certain surreal-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ness</span> to it, that is truly neat.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Waterpolo</span> is also different than any other sport I've covered in another way. I watch lots of football and baseball, so I know what to expect when framing a shot: the quarterback's arm raises a certain amount and he releases the ball, same with a pitcher. I know that if I set up the shot and take at a certain point, the whole body of the player will be in the shot. But with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">waterpolo</span>, there is a bobbing head that suddenly pops out of the water--the whole body, that is--with a ball in hand. I took dozens of shots of cut off arms, cut off balls--no goo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qGPh3avjmIo0KYipt12RuobEBNd3XoqeJklybcWyIDWpxnQomdx7phMwwZ2lKrpnHJs5bWyy_fv6PtnAb6WkWJG9JKAN8Mwe_pqjU0BC1SxQCBASk-LUviaTCKTRSO-hgcnvZDL7Dc4G/s1600-h/justi3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qGPh3avjmIo0KYipt12RuobEBNd3XoqeJklybcWyIDWpxnQomdx7phMwwZ2lKrpnHJs5bWyy_fv6PtnAb6WkWJG9JKAN8Mwe_pqjU0BC1SxQCBASk-LUviaTCKTRSO-hgcnvZDL7Dc4G/s320/justi3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132160497321437906" border="0" /></a>d. There is a learning curve here.<br /><br />I've been through wind and heavy rain, never snow, but my subject has never splashed me before. It's a new field.<br /><br /><br />This shoot taught me a hard lesson, though. The reason I only have a few shots up here is because I only have a few shots in general--my memory card was "corrupted" and the majority of my shots were lost. With the aid of a miracle-working image-recovery software, combined with the fact that I shot a few pix on another camera, provided me hopefully with enough pix to run a spread in the paper. Lesson: always go through pix, or at least download them if you don't have time to go through them, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">immediately</span>--that night.<br /><br />But, overall, it was a good time; next up in the pool: swimming.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/the.spoke.conestoga/ConestogaWaterpolo">Click here for more photos</a><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/the.spoke.conestoga/ConestogaWaterpolo"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-31374755846909105382007-11-12T21:58:00.001-05:002008-12-14T12:09:07.631-05:00Pepping up the troops<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlSqPjTC3YxCHgHhTgyamyeJtY1tOXrqISbMwoGQcokp6kSFmuw_t0mgAkEGocMSawfriLhb-WdUlx-UvElpZcBQxKb-K4xCon_fKZ39Y3MfxAYfxaN4OgsXNYApAAkc5XP9KYz8vJPZo/s1600-h/DSC_0006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlSqPjTC3YxCHgHhTgyamyeJtY1tOXrqISbMwoGQcokp6kSFmuw_t0mgAkEGocMSawfriLhb-WdUlx-UvElpZcBQxKb-K4xCon_fKZ39Y3MfxAYfxaN4OgsXNYApAAkc5XP9KYz8vJPZo/s320/DSC_0006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132154858029378194" border="0" /></a>The Pep Rally is, well, the pep rally. Basically, the same stuff every year: the announcement of the homecoming court, band and cheerleader performances, random athletic events including floor hockey, Mr. Husband--the works. So the challenge is always trying to be creative. Shooting indoors is not as fun as outdoors also, and I shot everything with a flash; I have not really figured out the whole flash stuff too well. Nevertheless, that day I was in search of a cool shot, with full knowledge that it likely won't get in the paper. (It didn't get in the paper.)<br /><br />This shot was taken just before the pep rally was to begin, with the band warming up in the background. The two chairs are the chairs of the homecoming king and queen, who would be announced. It's kind of a fun shot--looking head on at the coveted seats with the red gym line sending your eye straight back to the band.<br /><br />Another great part about the pep rally is the backgrounds. This year it took place in the gym because of the pouring rain outside, so that provided for students to be the background of the shots:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfh7A9Pf3ZcQKvgKGPA77GeUMFKEECRJQu06kdR8JkwUJ377EEHi0_DUyAUlL3Z7rtTholiMjpgt4CroOIPPVrDRrWkfzqXWwIWVtjHOTP4RPXsCOimMyk8c2hlyQk106A8KgQuJhqhy4/s1600-h/DSC_0083.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfh7A9Pf3ZcQKvgKGPA77GeUMFKEECRJQu06kdR8JkwUJ377EEHi0_DUyAUlL3Z7rtTholiMjpgt4CroOIPPVrDRrWkfzqXWwIWVtjHOTP4RPXsCOimMyk8c2hlyQk106A8KgQuJhqhy4/s320/DSC_0083.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132155901706431138" border="0" /></a>Mental note: Add earplugs to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">photog</span> backpack, as shooting the band right up next to them can get kind of loud:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVETF-KfiPpu3mIsfqdyvApoVfM6RJvMbLgsNWa6WEriFBh4OSAfsXI3UGVujB2_QiAu6MxNUX2fmXNHqvHfMHc0Xtu_M_r84t5OLeIe0d2DUA8dNJbsl8AsqrGOpmwRtg4vOGn0HLR3Rg/s1600-h/DSC_0054.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVETF-KfiPpu3mIsfqdyvApoVfM6RJvMbLgsNWa6WEriFBh4OSAfsXI3UGVujB2_QiAu6MxNUX2fmXNHqvHfMHc0Xtu_M_r84t5OLeIe0d2DUA8dNJbsl8AsqrGOpmwRtg4vOGn0HLR3Rg/s320/DSC_0054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132156438577343154" border="0" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/the.spoke.conestoga/PepRally"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Click here for the photos</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-26002632988473751942007-11-12T21:39:00.000-05:002008-12-14T12:09:07.922-05:00The BandI covered three football games this year, plus one additional half time show and the pep rally, so needless to say I've shot a lot of the marching band. They are an impressive group that do excellent work. Photographing them, though, is somewhat of a challenge.<br /><br />I'm field level when I shoot the band, and I usually have the 80-200 on, so the opportunity to show both the large numbers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILT78JsN_V6jaCjx3F-KfKFKxUTDyZgpjrd1PV-BCHQC1rHvj9h6pn5dlMRMXpyEnfT4VuZNJ6zUV7yQid9Ps9LHoacIJ36zPfnKoSowEwVYDVATThf6drIEx-mMhzjNQA7wDjdc9YG6P/s1600-h/DSC_0479.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILT78JsN_V6jaCjx3F-KfKFKxUTDyZgpjrd1PV-BCHQC1rHvj9h6pn5dlMRMXpyEnfT4VuZNJ6zUV7yQid9Ps9LHoacIJ36zPfnKoSowEwVYDVATThf6drIEx-mMhzjNQA7wDjdc9YG6P/s320/DSC_0479.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132153419215334018" border="0" /></a> of performers or the different movements and walking-around-the-field-display the band does is difficult. So, my band photos usually turn out to be portraits of the drum majors or the performers who happen to be in the front row of the field show.<br /><br />Though it does make for some cool shots with depth of field.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/the.spoke.conestoga/ConestogaMarchingBand"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Click here for the photos</span></span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-16557116135869166682007-11-12T21:22:00.000-05:002008-12-14T12:09:08.955-05:00FOOTBALL: A Heartbreaking ending follows a thrilling season...A goal of mine recently has been to try and capture emotion. Now, that sounds kind of obvious, but it's really easier said than done. I've shot many sports, and I've gotten <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">progressively</span> better a<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Kjwn-gyIhdgPp0pH0JsHbsgIhY3R9wLPzycnO3CSG7wBbbd3cIFk4I8L45ZiLxpA7lZ0JXvjNI_wo1dCt29QX-cw9DE5knzGa9Pvf-lrkURBW_Ye5oh2ab27RaIVYwsHWiYgkPYhelfW/s1600-h/DSC_0625a.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Kjwn-gyIhdgPp0pH0JsHbsgIhY3R9wLPzycnO3CSG7wBbbd3cIFk4I8L45ZiLxpA7lZ0JXvjNI_wo1dCt29QX-cw9DE5knzGa9Pvf-lrkURBW_Ye5oh2ab27RaIVYwsHWiYgkPYhelfW/s320/DSC_0625a.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132145026849237570" border="0" /></a>t following the action, getting any old action shot. This generally works for the paper, but I've tried to branch out a bit--capturing the emotion and the critical plays that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">elicits</span> this reaction.<br /><br />It's the playoffs, and Conestoga is playing at West Chester Henderson High for a District One <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">AAAA</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">matchup</span>. It's a comfortable night, a little rain here and there, but nothing too threatening to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">equipment</span>.<br /><br />Conestoga is coming off a tremendous victory vs Marple <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Newtown</span>, and tonight will not disappoint in the thrilling category. But the dice rolled the other way for the Pioneers tonight. It's a game full of photo-worthy fumbles and plays, but the emotion of the night is not in a pass or a catch, but what's on the sidelines as the clock ticked down. This shot was taken after the '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Stoga</span> QB <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">threw</span> an interception as the team was down by one and the fourth quarter is slipping away. The intended receiver was #8 Bryan Barley, and he was stunned as he walked off the field and crouched down. This, I think, captures the emotions of the game, more than:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6MS8jFkNnOvD7snrzJ1jbkva6I3mHbXyDYNJV8MoHO_8GjPSxaUjK-CvVrXJZdrPS4krrwVUjorc9F4AkzHw90mtiSWRISHHFtpNZLmrXHxyem26eAdWPjOLOx2hN3fozi2hhcBnJyGOL/s1600-h/DSC_0500.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6MS8jFkNnOvD7snrzJ1jbkva6I3mHbXyDYNJV8MoHO_8GjPSxaUjK-CvVrXJZdrPS4krrwVUjorc9F4AkzHw90mtiSWRISHHFtpNZLmrXHxyem26eAdWPjOLOx2hN3fozi2hhcBnJyGOL/s320/DSC_0500.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132146912339880530" border="0" /></a>This play happened right in front of me, and those plays can be scary. I shoot with a Nikon D70, normally with an 80-200 (average sports lens). So, with a fair amount of zoom on board it can be tough to figure out when that 200 lb football player running at you is really going to hit you. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Fortunately</span> I escaped unscathed from this game, but there have been games when players run right at you, and the athleticism of a photographer shines: rule #1: save the camera!<br /><br />When plays are right on top of you, there are other opportunities for cool shots, color shots as they're sometimes called. They don't show emotion, they don't show action...they're just neat to look at:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpYKrvrEetd-kCJGICZizDS5z9tU3-btPVMdOyfgmOQUIgzzFg-yB2WuKo8MaNTLiHBC9PwbUwql5bp_n-ZlSA5blfL6Q5NXCHz8N3CcKyMOkXqpnd6gResz2no41uhVUzKSLXsimCMEW/s1600-h/DSC_0411.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpYKrvrEetd-kCJGICZizDS5z9tU3-btPVMdOyfgmOQUIgzzFg-yB2WuKo8MaNTLiHBC9PwbUwql5bp_n-ZlSA5blfL6Q5NXCHz8N3CcKyMOkXqpnd6gResz2no41uhVUzKSLXsimCMEW/s320/DSC_0411.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132148316794186338" border="0" /></a>Yes, it was a first down.<br /><br />There are just so many angles to football. This game happened to sadly be the last game of the season; high school football will be missed by this photographer.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/the.spoke.conestoga/FootballConestogaVWCHendersonPlayoffs"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Click here for photos</span></span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882330586426040286.post-88807391290816633152007-11-12T21:11:00.000-05:002008-12-14T12:09:09.330-05:00From Behind the LensWelcome to "From Behind the Lens." I am a photographer...or photo journalist. I've been in photography for several years now, with my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">favo</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_eRYhkiZlvqWBJV2NKRANC6qqDx1CCSTJIz6R-_UjsnIk1jCbwSR2bx5cOtedszpEEH1MhPTnrfxIIr5I1Jxqi-EdeNc7muZVfGS9QinKfmEs4rb8cBgqzmTJVmpQ5Yg_9jehHRS3iai/s1600-h/Henry+Rome+and+Falmouth+Commodore+Matt+Antonelli+at+the+2005+CCBL+All+Star+Game.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_eRYhkiZlvqWBJV2NKRANC6qqDx1CCSTJIz6R-_UjsnIk1jCbwSR2bx5cOtedszpEEH1MhPTnrfxIIr5I1Jxqi-EdeNc7muZVfGS9QinKfmEs4rb8cBgqzmTJVmpQ5Yg_9jehHRS3iai/s320/Henry+Rome+and+Falmouth+Commodore+Matt+Antonelli+at+the+2005+CCBL+All+Star+Game.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132142853595785778" border="0" /></a>rite kind being sports photography. At left, a significantly younger me is posing with a baseball player--I don't have any more recent shots. That's the funny thing: as a photographer, I really don't have that many pictures of <span style="font-style: italic;">myself</span>.<br /><br />I have freelanced for a number of papers over the years, but my most permanent position is on The Spoke. I've shot many sports over the past three years, and I really enjoy the challenges involved and the new things you can try as a photographer. So, in "From Behind the Lens" I'll try and keep you up to date with my latest assignments and photos and share some of the (sometimes funny) stories that arise, being a photo journalist.<br /><br />I post all my best photos online, <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/the.spoke.conestoga/">here</a>.<br /><br />This is now November, so I'll backtrack a bit in future posts on the assignments I've covered in the past. So take off your lens caps and fasten your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">seatbelts</span>...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0