Season of Excitment...

The end of the year can be an exciting time for everyone.  Holidays are approaching, some people like snow (seriously, they are out there), looking forward to families, looking forward to taxes, maybe a little time off........any number of wonderful possibilities.  I'm dreading the fact that I'm considering making my blog part of a new years resolution as I've sort of fallen off the blogging train the last few months.  I've said before that I've just been busy, and I have been busy; but that like so many other things is an excuse I suppose.

 

(Canon EOS5D Mark II, 400ISO, Canon EF70-200F2.8L@120mm, 1/80th@F9.  Single 580EX SPeedlight zoomed in to 105mm set to 1/16th power hard light from the left of the frame aimed at where Dr. Evans hands touch the patient. Fired by Pocket Wizards. I chose the dark moody lighting to simulate a private room in the Office, which we clearly weren't in as I was shooting at 120mm.)

Shot some stuff for Pro Chiropractic clinic in Fishers recently.  Was a nice place- good people.  This is Dr. David Evans, who from what I am told has magic fingers.  Can't say I've ever been to a chiropractor or had a massage.  I even know a Masseuse who does a lot of work for the Indiana Fever, but have never taken the plunge.  Not sure if I'm missing anything or not, but one day when carrying all my gear comes back to haunt me, I know of at least a few people that can take care of me. 

In terms of everything, including the gear that'll break my back; this has been a rather exciting year for me over all.  I've grown personally, and photographically more than I ever thought I would.  I've bought and sold equipment, I've learned new types of photography including the use of a Tilt Shift, or Perspective Correcting Lens.  I've also received phone calls from people and picked up clients that I'd never considered possible this year.  All thanks to a little help from friends, and most certainly a lot of luck.

 

(Nikon D3s, 200ISO, Nikon 24mmF3.5PCE 1/200th@F16.  Single Dynalight 400 Uni inside of a 24"x24" Softbox to camera right, white paper surrounding the guitar to camera left acting as fill cards to about 4' tall.  The image to the left is shot at -6 degrees Tilt, and the image to the right is shot square away like a normal camera lens combo would capture it)

That photo above is two consecutive frames from a recent shoot; straight out of camera.  Didn't expect the shoot to require a PC lens, but I have a 24mm one that I purchased for some commercial real estate a few months ago.  I knew absolutely nothing about PC lenses before this year, and had no reason to, but since I bought the lens I've found myself using it in all sorts of strange ways. The nice part about tilt shift is that the image on the left that has been corrected is not only much more flat as if I was directly head on with the guitar; but the the guitar is 100% in focus of depth of field at F16.  This lens is capable of 36" of depth of field from front to back from 7" away from an object when tilt shifted correctly.  Absolutely phenomenal for shooting product, real estate as you can flatten out things that you can't physically center  yourself on.  That's not generally what a Tilt shift, or PCE lens is known for, but it's what it's original design was intended for.  All the way back to the bellows on a view camera. It's not for everything, in fact I kind of wish I'd bought the 45mm instead of the 24mm, but oh well.  Maybe next time. 

Bought myself an iPad too, which after a week I have decided is going to be an invaluable tool in my business.  After forgetting my card reader for the laptop on a shoot I had to proof a few of the pictures on the iPad.  Turns out it can read D3s .NEF files.......Can we say,  blown away?

 

(Photo by Joe Lee)

Not only is the iPad awesome for carrying my portfolio around (you never know when you'll be talking to your next employer), but at the same time it definitely made an impression on the client at this photoshoot.  It wasn't tethered, but to pull a few images and be able to show them large on a screen I could literally hand them made a big impression. 

So yea, kind of a lot has been going on.  Strangely enough some of these things I've been working on I  can't even talk about yet, which is kinda cool and yet nail biting at the same time.  I can assure you though that there will be some very cool blogs coming up soon, and a new website/blog to boot.  Some of which including the Guitars I showed above, Help-Portrait Indy is coming up very soon on December 18th (email me here if you're interested in helping out somehow), as well as I've got one or two more wild projects that I think might make good blog material.  More Soon. 

Racing to shoot...

So last year I was offered an opportunity. I was offered an opportunity to shoot a Nascar event known as the Kroger 200. I only bring this up because I didn't do it as I was already slated to shoot a wedding that weekend. The big thing with me is that I don't like to say no to too many projects that I want, as I know that the more I say no the less people will ask. Not that I'll take on any project that comes my way (as no photographer should), I just don't like turning people away when it's something that I especially want to do. Luckily though, Kroger came back to me this year and asked me to shoot their Race the night before the Brickyard 400: The Kroger 200 at O'Reilley Raceway Park.

(Nikon D3s, 1250ISO, Nikon 18-35mmF3.5-4.5@18mm. 1/250th@F3.5)

The regular star coverage can be found here. I'd never been to a NASCAR Race, much less gotten an opportunity for an ALL ACCESS PASS to shoot one. You may say that I know nothing about Shooting a race, and I'd almost agree with you. Not almost agree because I've shot an Indy 500, or a MotoGP. Not because of the Purdue Grand Prix either. I'd only almost agree because my assignment meant that I was only required to take one shot. That's all. Just one. That meant that the other quite a few hours that I was out at the race? I was there getting paid, just for me.

(Nikon D3s, 1000ISO, Nikon 70-200VR2@82mm, 1/200@F2.8)

My assignment was to take a photo of the winner. Until I knew who that was, I had free reign of the entire racetrack. The guy above was one of the pitt crew for Car #98, Paul Menard. He was watching the race from on top of the travel trailer. Honestly I'd have love to have climbed up there and seen the race from there even, but honestly short of levitating I'm not sure how he got up there. Didn't need the shot, but just like a lot of photographers; you don't just take what you need.

(Nikon D700, 1250ISO, Sigma 15mm Fisheye, 1/800th@F5.6)

There are certain things you will do though while there. As an example, I am sending Kroger the photos that I did take, that I like but didn't use. Everything above is an example of that. There are lots of uninteresting photos of random racecars, strange people with mullets, or weird fisheye angles that didn't quite work out, but I'm only sending them as an extra for having me out. After all, they didn't have to right? Not only that, but from what I understand they were very pleased with the shot I took of the winner. It ran full page on the back of the Racing Special Section last Monday. Full page isn't a good enough description though I suppose. It ran larger than the front page photo by Sam Riche (an awesome photographer/good friend), which was almost full page. There were no extra ads on this photo, it was just the photo. Second largest thing I've ever had run in the newspaper. Just like the largest thing I've ever had run though, this one had no photo credit....More Soon.

Purdue Grand Prix...

Every now and then I am offered an opportunity to go and shoot something to give back to the photographic community, as well as to the University that I received my education at. I say received as though they offered me that education freely, where as though in reality I paid (and am still paying) quite a bit for it. When in contact with a Student organization I used to be involved with, my shooting of the 53rd annual Purdue Grand Prix race came up, to which I couldn't refuse. I had already planned on going up to Lafayette that weekend to see some very good friends from a galaxy far far away (Utah, Pennsylvania and the like) so I thought, why not. They would be partaking in their own festivities that day so it seemed like a great opportunity.

(Nikon D3, 500ISO, Nikon 70-200mmF2.8VR@190mm, 1/1600th@F2.8)

That was a relatively common scene in the Pitts on Saturday at the Race as it looked pretty gloomy outside. Ok maybe that's not what she was contemplating, for all I know she could have been contemplating her decision to eat Taco Bell for lunch or the decision to paint her fingernails red on such a doom and gloom stormy day. Little did I know at the time, but this young lady was standing next to the car that would win it all in the end. It just goes to show you that sometimes you are in the right place at the right time. For me, I just happened to notice this young lady, and decided to make the picture. This was a great opportunity for me to shoot and make some very journalistic black and white photos, which isn't part of my normal routine.


(Nikon D3, 220ISO, Nikon 70-200mmF2.8VR@200mm, 1/1250@F2.8)

No lights, no tripods, no products, no models or wild complex setups involving bedsheets. I was out on the track running and gunning to look for the angle that would give me a shot setting me apart from the rest of the mass of photographers out there. This crash occurred early in the race, at about lap 7 I believe. I was terribly blocked from seeing what was going on in regards to the driver and that's not to mention the fact that I was far too far away. I guess it just goes to show that sometimes the real photo isn't what's right in front of you. I was intrigued by Purdue Pete taking a knee for one of his downed students.

(Nikon D3, 200ISO, Nikon 70-300F4.5-5.6VRII@300mm, 1/250th@F5.6)

It was a lot of fun being out on the track, which to someones lack of better judgment let me dangerously close too. Don't underestimate the term dangerously close either, I definitely ran across the track during part of the race at an opening so I could get into the middle. I didn't use the bridge to cross, I was foot to pavement on the actual track. Obviously the people putting on this event weren't given the proper information allowing me to be on the property, as frogger is my game of choice...

All of the drivers were in search of one thing though, and that was the trophy for the Win. It turns out that Justin Penix was the Pole sitter that day as well, who for a while as I recall was bumped back a few spots. In the end he pulled through though, and good for him. I wanted to do something a little different with the shot of the winner, and that's where the Overcast crappy day came into play as crappy cloudy days can make much more epic photos of triumphant people whom you want to represent very dramatially.

(Nikon D700, 200ISO, Nikon 18-35mmF3.5-4.5@18mm, 1/400th@F10, Nikon SB-900 set to iTTL +1EV zoomed to 200mm attached to the camera via SC-28 Off camera cable aimed at Justin using my left hand at arms length)

So I couldn't go the whole day without doing something with my Strobe. I was happy with the shot, so what? I did play with a lot of black and white though, and I encourage you to check out the rest of the shots here. I enjoyed the day, and the rain held out for the race, which was amazing. Everyone was sure we were going to get soaked, including me. Glad we didn't as I've found that water and cameras don't always get along.

I feel as though the day was a success on many accounts. I saw some very dear friends, I shot some photos that I like from the race (I shot lots lots more that I didn't like though too), I also ran into a reader of the blog whom I'd never met before. One of the shooters at the track is a reader, and I'd like to say thanks again to everyone that does suffer through my horrible grammatical and spelling travesties for the sake of looking at the pictures. It does mean a lot that you are here, and It was incredibly awesome, and humbling to find out that there are people out there whom I don't know that read this. So thanks again, and without a doubt; More Soon.