Getting the Shot
I’m back in New Mexico leading another group of photographers through the Land of Enchantment. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has been providing us with some terrific photo opportunities.
Ready to Fly
Scan of an Ektachrome slide I exposed in 1994 at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The balloon laid out on the ground in the foreground is the one I was flying in that day.
That’s My Girl
I’m posting something personal today. My daughter joined the local roller derby league and skated in her first bout this past weekend. That’s her making a block in this image. She had a lot of fun and I had a lot of fun watching and taking some snapshots. It was nice to take a break from my heavy schedule of virtual nonstop shooting for clients and take some fun family pics for a change.
Artillery Fire
I made it a personal challenge to capture a shot with fire coming out of the cannon. Definitely not as easy as it sounds because the fire is only visible for an incredibly small fraction of a second and nailing the timing takes quick reflexes, a fast shutter frame rate, and plenty of luck. It took twenty exposures before I was happy with a capture.
Taking a Back Seat to the Battlefield
In certain situations, eye contact with the subject can really bring up the intensity of an image. The look in this soldier’s eyes opens the door for your imagination to try and interpret his thoughts.
Soldier’s Sweetheart
I had the opportunity recently to photograph a civil war battle reenactment. The reenactors recreate more than just battles, they recreate the way of life of the time. This allows for a lot of interesting photography in the soldier’s and sutler’s encampments prior to and after the actual battles. It’s a terrific insight into what life was like during a tumultuous period of the nation’s history.
Love in the Limo
I really enjoy making documentary style images like this when given the opportunity. It was especially difficult yet still fun in this case when I wedged myself in the back of the crowded limo as the highly intoxicated wedding party departed the reception. The driver forgot I was in there taking photos and drove away with me still on board.
And I Won’t Forget to Put the Roses on Your Grave
There is a connection between today’s post and yesterday’s but you probably need to be a fan of the Rolling Stones to get it.
Ten Second Portrait
I photographed a wedding the other day and was scheduled to photograph the groom and his party in this antique barn adjacent to the wedding venue. They were supposed to arrive in time to allow for an hour and a half of photography prior to the ceremony. Of course they were an hour and a half late and exactly when they arrived at the barn for photos the wedding coordinator arrived and announced that photo time was over and the gentlemen were needed immediately at the wedding venue. I quickly gathered everyone for a group shot as the wedding coordinator protested and then as everyone turned around and was running out of the barn I asked the groom to stop and sit on this barrel so that I could at least squeeze in one formal portrait. I plopped a light stand down, moved to the side and fired off this shot. As I checked the screen on the camera to see how the lighting looked the groom hopped down and ran off, so like it or not, this is his formal portrait. Lucky for me I had steady hands when I snapped the shot, I looked later at the camera data and realized the shutter speed was all the way down to 1/10th of a second, yikes!
Vortex
I was photographing an event recently where people raced through a mud obstacle course. Of course I was just as interested in the abstract patterns in the mud as I was in the racing action.
