Submission: VMFA

Well, it took me long enough, but I finally got to post up my submissions proofs. Unfortunately, unlike most people, I completely forgot to photograph my packaging prior to sending it off, so all I have is my postcard for proof, but I did photograph both sides, so you can see the postmarking and all. Sorry it took so long, keep your fingers crossed, lets hope I won myself a grant. It would definitely help out, photography equipment isn't cheap!

Artist Lecture: Leigh Wen

Okay, so not necessarily a lecture, I didn't have the opportunity to see her speak (because of prior plans), but I did encounter her work at Red Door Gallery and really felt the need to discuss her work. Leigh Wen, with her new body of work, entitled "Flow", captures the fluidity of water through her intricate brush strokes. I really got engaged with her work because she seems to share the same passions with the elements of nature as myself. She also paints other elements such as fire, air, and earth, but the paintings that really got me interested in her work were the ones including water. Its not only the precise brush strokes that capture my attention, but the color, which really makes the large scale paintings believable. To me, the scale really helps in the overwhelming sensation I get when viewing her artwork. The large scale of the paintings really allows me to look deep into the painting, which gives me an idea of how much time and effort went into the artists interpretation of the ocean. The portrays the ocean at different times usually a full range of colors in her palette which has to be one of my favorite features. I also like how you can key into one section of the painting, which gives it a really colorful, abstract feel, but when stepping back, you see how each winding brush stroke connects to form a whole, the ripples in an emencse body of water. I really love the paintings and recommend everyone to check out these paintings, they really connect to me in a deep part, I have a close affinity to the ocean, as many others do.

Shooting the Rival Game

Saturday, what an exciting day it was. That was the day of the basketball game between Virginia Commonwealth and University of Richmond, a big rival game for our city. Even though the game didn't start until 7:30, our day started around 12. We had a lot of equipment to set up prior to the game, and because the women's team played before the men, we had to show up even earlier. It was a good learning experience. We set up multiple remote cameras that would fire through a setup of pocket wizards and endless amount of wires. One camera we had setup on some bogen clamps, mounted to the backboard, looking through the glass. A really cool shot, but you have to set it up right, in manual focus (tape down the focus so it doesn't change), theres a lot of specifications you need to follow as well. Everything has to be black, so not to distract the players or referees on the court, anything that isn't, must be covered with gaffers tape, a best friend of us photographers. You must also make sure everything is reinforced with a second clamp, so it doesn't fall on someones head. For these type of shots you want to use a lens somewhere around 15mm, so you can get a wide angle of the action. We also set up a 14mm fisheye lens that looked straight down under the basketball, so you can get some action on the paint (rebounds, slam dunks, etc.). Besides the cameras, you have to set up strobes, so you can get more desirable photographs, we had 4 set up, one at each corner, two were set up in the rafters, the other two on 20 or so foot booms, to keep them elevated. The pain was getting the strobes to all sync up to the cameras, including the ones that fired remotely, so no matter which camera was going off, all 4 strobes would fire. I'm still figuring out how it all works, kind of overwhelming when you go from shooting with one camera, to shoot 7, so its takes a little getting used to. There were just so many wires that I couldn't understand what was going where, I'll get more accustomed to it once I set it up a few more times. On his 70-200mm camera, there were 2 triggers, both controlling the cameras in the backboard, which was on our end of the court. The 3rd trigger was set on the 300mm camera, used to photograph the action on the other side of the court. From what I can tell, the trigger was made of individual switches he made into a homemade switchboard, each trigger plugged into a pocket wizard, firing the cameras remotely. Besides that, I think all the strobes were also connected into a pocket wizard, so they'd fire simultaneously with the cameras, can't tell you how exactly it works at this time though.

Not only was it a lot of work to set it all up, but once the game is over, then the fun part comes. PACKING IT ALL UP. Coming to the game, we had something like 6 cases full of camera equipment, including around 6 cameras, a mess of lens, flashes, clamps, brackets, just about anything you can think off. One case was basically dedicated to carrying a miles worth of cables. It was a lot of fun untangling it all too. Anyways, I dont want to go into too much more detail, just wanted to document my day. It was a lot of fun, but definitely realized all the work that goes into getting great images. It doesn't bother me much though, i'm not discouraged about the work involved into photographing sports, I think its well worth the effort.

One Down

I had to give my presentation of sports photography to the class this past Thursday. I thought it turned out well, even though I was a little nervous at times, and probably could've been a little bit better spoken. Its no mystery that I have a huge passion for sports, and surround myself around them every waking moment, either photographing or watching ESPN, its a big part of who I am. I just feel with the amount of research I did, I could have expressed my thoughts a little clearer, but based on the people in my class, they all know how I feel and the amount of work I put into this semester. I'm confident I'll do well in the class, and I'm really excited about the internship I'll be doing this upcoming semester with Scott Brown too. He should be able to learn a lot more about the business and things I need to focus on to be successful within the field. I guess the next step is to shoot two more games that I have coming up this week, both VCU basketball. I'm assisting Scott for one of the games, so I probably won't get any of my own photos out of that game, but I'll get to help setup some remote cameras, which I'm really excited about. Can't wait to be able to do that kind of stuff on my own. For the other game though, I'd like to see if I can borrow that 60mm f2.8 from Scott, so I can get some good shots for the game I am shooting, I want one more opportunity to get some new photos for my final critique on the 12th. Pretty excited about that, except the fact we're presenting to the first class, not our own. But I guess I do need to be able to present to a different crowd and talk about my work, shouldn't be too bad. The photos have been turning out really well, and I've gotten a bunch of good feedback on it, so I'm happy. I'm just ready to wrap this semester, and get it all done with so I finally have some time to relax and do stuff for myself, like finally get my portfolio site up. I want to shoot a bunch of sports over the break, hopefully some VCU basketball, I don't plan on spending a whole lot of time in Charlottesville this break, I want to work a lot and hopefully get some money in my pocket.

Artist Lecture: Justine Kurland

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Justine Kurland speak through VCU's artist lectures. I feel being able to experience her work and have her discuss it aided me in understanding her photographs a little more. Previously, I had only seen her work in conceptual photo classes, which never applied to the work i was doing, so I never really looked into it deeper. I was impressed with the fact she attended Yale, which is obviously a very prestigious school, with photography as well. My favorite works were when she traveled around the country, locating small villages tucked away in mountains and forests. I don't want to sound shallow, but basically a bunch of hippies, which is fine, I see nothing wrong with living off the earth and needed nothing more than nature, and community. Her photos really captured a essence of what the communities were about, most contained nudes comfortably walking around, but it doesn't bother me. I was just fascinated with hearing her speak about the connections she made between with these people. As she discussed her work, she'd go into these short stories, telling about a specific individual, or what occurred during a photo, it was interesting. I really love to travel, eventhough I haven't had the opportunity to do so recently. Once I get out of college, I'd like to take some time to move around, see different parts of the country, maybe even Europe. I feel that its important to do things like that, as Justine is doing, find something that really interests you, and explore it photographically, continuously study it. Thats the only way you're going to get good, and standout from the rest. It really motivates me to take a ton of sport photographs, I also need to look into what I'm going to do in the future, for sports. I'd like to continue to photograph for the school paper or possibly just VCU athletics. We'll just have to see what happens, I'd like to stay in the college realm, so I don't have to worry about working my way up from high school, if I can continue to gain access as I already have, I'll be okay. Well, I went a little off topic, but I feel she's made me think a lot of about what I am doing, and where I need to go from here. I do think i'm on the right track though, i've got a good internship, and should learn a ton about sports, the latest photography equipment, and the business side of it.

3 Little Words

I've been trying to come up with words that I can use for my final presentation, its just hard coming up with something that really combines all the emotions and athleticism that comes from sports. I guess first I can list off the words, then seperately talk about why I've considered these ones in particular. Determination, Athleticism, Aggression, Triumph, Loyalty, Dedication, Sacrifice.

Determination: firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end

within my photographs you see moments where players are giving everything they've got to come out on top, whether sprinting for a ball, jumping in front of a shot, anything really. The idea is that the individual does anything within their power to sacrifice for their team, its about giving your personal best.

Athleticism: possessing vigor : full of physical or mental strength or active force

the idea that the players in these photos show that physical strength and ability and overcome in a play in sports. I see this when someone runs past a defender or jumps beyond their limit, stretching out to make a catch that no one thought possible. Sports amaze me everyday, and i think its because sports have become a lifestyle, athletes these days are getting bigger, stronger, and faster.

Aggression: a forceful action or procedure (as an unprovoked attack) especially when intended to dominate or master

I find in sports that this is always present, whether between strong rivalries or just another game on the schedule. The tension between each athlete, especially in sports involving physical contact, theres always controversy, exchange of words, and cheap shots, its part of the game. But within my images, the acts of playing tough defense, a slide tackle, they all show the ugliness of sports, which is important, because its always present, even in a friendly sports, competition keeps it interesting.

Triumph: the joy or exultation of victory or success

To me, this idea is expressed when you play a team oriented sport, know you've done everything within your power for your team, and end up on top. Theres no better feeling than a victory, and one of my struggles has been to embody this idea as best as i can, whether the exressions on players faces, the winning goal, even the players running onto the field when time regulation runs out. All of these fulfill this definition, but at the same time, its been done before, even though the image is always different, the particular actions are pretty worn out. But learning from photographers before me and their work, I can push to find the new definition of getting a W.

Loyalty: the quality or state or an instance of being loyal

Loyalty has to be one of the most important to me. If you plan to play on a team with others, its obvious, you have to be completely loyal to the people beside you. They have to know they can rely on you, and vice versa, this is one of the most important parts of becoming a successful team, if theres no trust, its difficult to be successful in any team effort.

Dedication:

I couldn't find a great definition, so thats TBA. But dedication, to me, its close to loyalty. Its obvious, when part of a team, you always do as you're expected, and try to go beyond. You also play your part, playing your position to the fullest, you use full concentration, don't hold back. I'm not much of a motivational speaker but dedication means you're reliable.

Sacrifice: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else

With sports, i find sacrifice comes more often than not, if you're dedicated that is. Most sacrifice comes in the form of your body, injuries that is. I've seen my fair share of them, basically because when i go onto the field to play, nothing gets in my way. Except when I damaged ligaments in my elbow. The fact is, if you're a team players, theres nothing you wont do to get a win, even if it means taking a shot to the body if the goalie comes out of the goal. Anything that comes way, you do unquestioned. Sacrifice comes hand and hand with dedication, you know what has to happen, and you do so, regardless of the circumstances or consequences.

VCU Lacrosse

I got the opportunity to shoot one of our club lacrosse games yesterday on University of Richmond campus. Although we (VCU) got out butts kicked, I think i got some good images, which really is all that matters to me at this point. I used to be all about our lacrosse team, and I obviously do cheer for them, because I still have friends on the team, but really, as a photographer, I'm just looking for that great photograph, whether that happens by us losing really bad or winning. My job is to follow the game and document aspects of the game that some may not see or find different aspects of the game that I can bring interest to. It was an afternoon game so I was able to take advantage of the late afternoon, dramatic sunlight, which to me, always makes a great photograph. Ever since I started looking at Simon Bruty's work, specifically his photograph with the dramatic, chierosciro lighting on the tennis player, I really started to thinking a lot more about the light that was present in the frame of my images. One of my main focuses has been to try and replicate that type of feeling that his image gives you, at least for me. I love being able to try and incorporate beams of light stretching across the frame, while capturing an athletic feat at the same time. Doing so adds a whole new level to photographs I feel, obviously you can take great sports photographs but if you can utilize the atmosphere around the game and somehow include that within the images, it adds to the narrative and overall impact the image can have.

I also starting to consider what adjective words i may use for my presentation, it started to make me think more deeply about the real meaning behind my works, and the ideas i was trying to capture through my experience of sports photography at this point. Some words i've been considering include: drama, light, triumph, passion, just to name a few. I'm looking for words that show the dramatic lighting i'm trying to incorporate into my photographs, as well as words that describe the passion in sports, doing everything you can to pull out and W in the end of the game. Leaving everything on the field, shots that show emotion in the face, as well as body language showing the extent of what goes on in sports: on the field, sideline, anything. The thing with sports is there are so many, and eventhough there are certain shots that are comfort shots: ones that you know will be good, there are so many angles and directions you can go with a photograph when including a team, or the geometry of the field, ball, equipment, the list goes on forever. These are things I encounter when I approach a sport through my lens.

Artist Lecture: Su Friedrich

Based on the artist lecture from Su Friedrich today, I just wanted to write down a few observations and opinions based on what I saw in the presentation. I feel like she was really well spoken, and seemed like the majority of the audience really liked her work, but to be honest with you, there was very few things about her work that I liked. I felt her videos were a little too abstract for my taste, it seemed like she was explain some aspects of her films, give the audience a taste of what it was about, but when she showed the film, i was completely lost. The imagery within the film appeared really scattered and unconnected. As a respected artist, I don't feel I should hate on her work the whole time, there were some things i did like. I liked the color film she showed that was entitled "rules of the road", the music was really good, upbeat and fit well with the time period that was portrayed in the film. The opening title was really nice too, I like how she did the letters on the cards to spell out the title, it was really original and also played on the idea of being alone. It gave foreshadowing to the game of solitaire she had talked about prior to the viewing. I also feel the game of solitaire also contributes to the idea of loneliness, as it seemed the film was about a past partner she had. I can't remember when she had filmed the video, but I did want to say that I liked the color throughout the film, gave a very retro feel to it, a lot of different elements play on the feel of the film, she executed in a lot of different ways that gave you the sense of 1980s which i enjoyed.

The other film I liked was the tree house fantasy, where two girls were in a tree house and one had discussed what happens when you "do it", which I thought was pretty funny. I don't really want to go into detail about exactly what was said, but it was a humorous touch and got me a little more interested in her work, after the first few films I was pretty uninterested in her work, but after those 2 films, I had more respect for what she was doing. I dont necessarily feel that I am hating on their work, more just not understanding what is going on within the film, whenever I feel lost about the dialogue or narrative, I find myself drifting away and usually ignore other qualities of the work. I feel her earlier works were a lot more experimental and off the wall, which is probably why I had a tough time understanding her work, the later work she was showing seemed to be more finished to me, possibly because they had a narrator and music, which to me helps, especially when I feel a little lost about the issues discusses within the film, having that extra direction makes a big difference at times.

Brainstorming

Giving thought about my presentation, I started thinking about different aspects of my photographs. How I was going to present them, what photographers I find myself relating to the most, just research more of less. Thinking scale, I've had a little bit of a tough time figuring out what size to print. First I had thought about printing big, maybe poster sized prints, but when weighing the pros and cons, I feel my photographs would be better off on a little smaller scale. Shooting with my Nikon D70, there were a few drawbacks, one being I could only shoot 1600 as the fastest IS0, it made some of my prints a little on the grainy side, I shot at a high resolution, but the majority of the time the shots I'm photographing either wind up a website or a magazine, not printed any bigger than 11" x 17", so I don't see much reason to sacrifice print quality to enlarge a photo to that scale. Even in the ESPN magazines, the photos that typically wind up on the front cover or full page spreads are portraits of athletes, which are shot in studio, with a high MP digital camera. My other idea was to take multiple photographs from a specific game and create a page layout, as if it were in a magazine. I've experimented with text, but still pretty new to it, could be a good opportunity to mess around. Thats something I can address to the class during the presentation, because its only a working critique, I don't think its that big of a deal not knowing exactly what I want out of the final presentation, I have time to work everything out, just so long as the photographs are good to go.

The editing has been going well, I have about 10 images set out that I want to work with so far. I still need to sort through some of my new images from the past 2 games, I've been swamped with web design and presentations for class that I haven't had time to really work on those ones, seeing its fall break, its a perfect time to catch up on some of that. I have a game I'm shooting tomorrow at 1 PM, so I'll have to download prior to that event, it'll give me a chance to go over those and the images from tomorrows game. I can also just make sure that I have 5 images ready to print for tuesday's critique. I'm not so worried though, I've been shooting a bunch, besides that games that are away, rainy, or night games, but I shoot every chance I get. I'll probably also wind up shooting some tomorrow for Shop RVA, I can just finish up some photographs of Chop Suey and a few other plans after I finish the game, while I'm still in the zone.

Saturday Lacrosse

Just thought I'd write a little entry, documenting my weekend in shooting. I didn't have as much opportunity to shoot over the weekend, mainly because of web design, but I get out and shoot a lacrosse game. We had a VCU Alumni Lacrosse game, had a good turn out. I only got the first half, our alumni team fell behind, so I jumped in and played the second half, had a lot of fun doing it, first time i've played a game of lacrosse since summer. While I was shooting, I did start to work on different aspects, such as shooting manual exposure, usually I set my camera to Aperture Priority and shoot away, but I've been wanting to practice shooting more in manual, so I can have a lot more control over my images. It gets weird at times, cuz you have to go back and forth on the shutter speed in order to prevent from over/underexposure. Takes getting used to, while you're panning back and forth, following the game, you also have to be turning knobs, and making sure you're turning them in the right direction, its a lot to think about simultaneously. Eventually it will just become second nature, so I won't have to worry about it, just need a start working it more and more, until I shoot full manual for all my sporting events. I do feel like I got some good photos for the lacrosse game, honestly just haven't had the time to look through them all. Its been kinda hectic with all the school work I've been working on: had a paper due, website i've been trying to crank out, editing photos, the list keeps going. But I should be okay now, getting more and more done, so I won't have to worry about it so much later.

Forgot to mention, I should be traveling with the VCU lacrosse team. They alway like to have pictures from their games. I still have to figure out their schedule for fall ball, I don't even think they know yet, supposed they were gonna play in a tournament with a lot of really good teams, we were just gonna be a fall break this weekend, so we can't make it. Would have been a great time to shoot some photos, teams like UVA, Duke, Roanoke, Lynchburg, all top-notch teams. Either way, while traveling with the lacrosse team, I should be able to get some documentary, photos as well, like stopping at diners before the game, showing up at the field bright and early for games. Being able to photograph them in that manner seperate from playing on the field, it'll show a whole other side of the team, and more diversity in my photography. Because I played on the team for 2 years, I am real familiar with the team also, which I feel will help break down the barrier between the guys and the camera, some people find it uncomfortable. I do know a few guys on the team eat that kinda shit up though.

Donald Miralle

Looking through the Pictures of the Year
website, I found another interesting photographer by the name of Donald Miralle. There are multiple things that came out through his work that instantly hit me. Color in his images just really pop, he really has a great eye for balance within the composition. Balance as in color is what i'm getting at right now. I feel its important within an image to have those splashes of color that draw the viewers eye. It may be easier these days, as sports uniforms are getting more colorful and crazy, but there are so many places from a sporting event you can grab color from, whether its the crowd, the gatorade cooler on the sidelines of the football game, the light-show before the big game. Color just surrounds us, and I feel its the job of the photographer to take this world filled with chaos and color, and organizing them within a composition so that its balanced, and orchestrated. Where the color appears and the focus can say a lot about how the photo will be seen. You may not want bright colors in the background of a f2.8 photograph, the color may be distracting. The photographer really does compose the world around them, from the angle they're shooting, the lens, lighting situations, so many aspects affect the outcome of the final image.

More into the actual photographer, I wanted to discuss one of his images specifically. Because I couldn't find a name, I'll just call it "USC Receiver 82", there is so many qualities that make this a great photograph. First and foremost, the lighting makes this image. Really the situation of this lighting is great timing and an accident simultaneously. The player is leaping into the air to catch a ball thrown into the end zone. At the same time, theres a beam of sunlight peaking through the clouds, which you really can't plan for, when you're following a sporting event. I would almost say the photo was destiny, where it was supposed to be taken. Its almost an act of divinity, the photograph embodies the emotion of sports, at the same time, the light passing through the class could signify a deity. The photo resembles a Simon Bruty photo from one of my previous posts, which showed the tennis player playing amongst the light. The light also plays a role to soften the background, where the audience awaits the play, sitting in the shade, as the USC player basks in the sunlight, while making an athletic move. This is one of those images that, to me, becomes one of those notorious photographs of its time, like Muhammah Ali standing above his knocked out opponent. Its timeless, it shows the emotion, action, and the tradition of sports.

There was another image of his that I specifically liked, the frame is taken underwater, I'm assuming Miralle is underwater, but at the same time, it could possibly be a remote camera, if you can use a remote camera underwater, that I have no idea. The frame is filled with a blue hue that resembles the water you'd see in a photo of the Caribbean. An olympic diver cuts through the water like a hot knife through butter. I know, what an unoriginal metaphor, but whatever. The trail of oxygen (i guess thats what it is), follows behind the diver. The image gives the diver a special presence, as if they have supernatural powers. It just amazes me how you can give different perceptions of an object or person, simple by shooting different situations. Obviously shooting people diving into the water has been done before, but the framing and timing of the photograph gives this genre of photograph a completely different feel. You almost forget the person is a swimming, and begin to believe the flying. The texture of the water, lighting, hue, is all present within the sky, given the situation, so its really not so far to imagine, besides that fact we can't fly. Looking through Donald Miralle's photography just makes me think, there are so many photographs out there to take than what we typically see in sports, so much more going on. Really, its just about the journey, continuous searching of "that photograph", much like the surfer is always looking for that wave of his life. As a photographer, I just need to keep searching and shooting, it will all fall into place.

Artist Lecture: James Victore

For my second artist lecture for the month of September, I actually had a guest speaker in my Design Rebels class. James Victore is the owner of an independent studio out in New York City, James Victore Inc. His work deals with issues present within social culture such as: racism, gays, basically any issue dilemna in society he shares a personal concern for. He was really a well spoken, outgoing guy, really easy to talk to but had a lot of ideas he wanted to express. Because it wasn't technically an artist lecture, it was on a more down to earth level. It was more like a class discussion, but we got to just conversate, ask him questions about his work, the industry, anything that came to mind basically. His work is really cool too, he does a lot of illustration heavy design work. His latest work, entitled "dirty dishes" arose from his past, when as a 20some year old, would steal plates from resturantes and bars, only to scribble catch phrases and illustrations with a thick permanent marker. His work also ranges from surfboards, posters, whatever you can think of. I feel his personality really comes through in his artwork, which is one thing he stressed when talking to us in class. "Don't settle", "how can i get paid to be myself?". These are examples of quotes he mentioned in class, which make perfect sense, why conform to someone else's beliefs and disregard your own? Just makes NO SENSE! But I feel i'm already doing what I want, sports photography seems to be a perfect match for me, just need to work my way into the field. Victore had a really strong sense of sarcasm and humor, when viewing his work, you'll see what I mean. Overall, he was an extremely cool guy, very informative and motivating. I'm glad he came in for the short talk he had with our class, really made a lot of questions arise into the conversation, and whenever you're thinking, especially with a visiting professional artist, you know its going well. If you'd like to check out his work, go to the website below:

James Victore

Assisting Job

This weekend I got the opportunity to work for Scott Brown, doing some assisting while he shot a few sporting events over the weekend. We went to the U of R football game and the VCU vs. UNC soccer game at Sports Backers. Assisting was a great experience for me, I got to spend my Saturday out in the sun, on the sidelines for my favorite sport. I learned a great deal as well, just being able to have a friendly guy like Scott, made it easier to ask questions, and just talk back and forth during the game. It was really new working with Canon digital bodies, I haven't had a lot of experience with them, but it was good, I definitely feel you need to be well-rounded, know your way around different makes of cameras, not to mention I'd like to make the switch over to Canon in the future.

Most of the things I learned were about the style of shooting. Shooting sports is different from client to client, some people might ask for more portraiture, for a media guide for example, other might want more of action shots, like big catches, running plays, etc. It really has to do with what the images are going to be used for, which I've considered, but because Scott was shooting for a certain job, he'd tell me what he was shooting for and why, so it makes you think about the play-by-play a little more.

Most of the technical things I picked up on over the shoots were how to better use manual exposure, rather than aperture priority. I use manual, but in relation to the sun, sometimes its hard to determine when to stop up, stop down. Location was another thing that helped me out, I had the basic idea of where I should shoot, but being able to compare my notes with his, even give some suggestions, really worked out well. It especially helped at Sports Backers, because I shoot there constantly too, so I was able to learn the hot spots, when to use what mm lens, all these things were important. Now I just need to find someone with a digital body, preferably Nikon, with a wide angle lens, that I can borrow, so I don't have to switch lenses back and forth.

Another important thing I learned was when to use different exposure meterings, which you can really tell a difference when comparing, as Scott did while we were shooting. Typically you can stick with the matrix metering, but if you're working with a great deal of sunshine, such as having the sun over the players back, it creates drastic contrast between highlights and shadows, in this case, using center-weighted metering would be a good option.

I also learned you can dial in the kelvin white balance for digital cameras, which I am usually pretty good about adjusting white balance, but I didn't know you could fine tune to the temperature degree. This is also a great reason why you should stick to shooting RAW, if you have the hard-drive space and need the quality. They take up a great deal of space, typically about 100 or so images to a 2GB memory care, but you get absolutely no compression, the draw back to JPGs. You can also adjust your white balance to whatever, and if its a little off, you can adjust the temperature in post-production without the concern for color shifts, such as muddy greens or other colors. If I was shooting for a client, this is definitely the way I'd go, but seeing my shooting at this moment is for practice and the learning process, i'm not as concerned with the compression, just the amount of photos that I can take at a given event.

Steve Christo

I recently discovered a sports photographer by the name of Steve Christo, who shoots for the Sydney Morning Herald in Australia. I am really drawn to his work, so much attention to the framing, background, lots of detail that really keeps me intrigued about his photographs. Lately, I've been doing a lot of research, mostly surfing websites such as POYi and the Best of Photojournalism, in search of new photographers to inspire me. I find the more photographers I study, theres always a new style or perspective you learn about, which really helps when I go to shoot an event, it keeps the ideas flowing throughout the day. Christo is extremely talented, and decorated, as he's won 3 awards for POYi awards of excellence in sports photography. It always seems to be true, if you study the best, you know how high the bar is set, and where you need to be in order to get to the top. With any realm of art, you need to be in the top of your game, and constantly out there pushing the envelope. At this point in my sports photography career, i'm still new to the game, but i'm making connections, shooting more events, and most importantly, becoming more and more motivated to being the best, I really feel that I've found my niche, the perfect marriage of my love for sports and art. I couldn't be happier.

Christo's work completely embodies all the aspects I'm striving to have within my photography. He really has a great eye for compositions, decisive moment, and color. These three aspects I find especially important. Composition is a talent, I have always found myself to have a good eye with photography, and art in general. The problem comes when getting composition while shooting a sports moment, the action is moving so fast, how do you shoot a key moment, and get a great framing at the same time? Its a real challenge, but its exciting. Decisive moment is all about timing, experience, and confidence. Being familiar with the specific sport you're shooting really helps a lot with this aspect, if you know the quarterback is going to hand off the ball to the running back, it makes your job a lot easier. Color is probably my most favorite aspect in art. I really feel that color is what grabs a viewers' attention when filling through a magazine or newspaper. I've always been attractived to vibrant colors such as orange, blue, etc. Being able to fill your frame with colors and contrast between background and foreground is something I always try to contain in my images. I find that shooting in certain areas, this notion is a little harder to bring into my images. Richmond is kind of a smoggy, dirty place, and most of the sporting venues here are surrounded by construction sites or main roads, which means my background is typically filled with cars and fences, which I don't particularly like. But, I gotta start at the bottom, work my way up, its about problem solving, the more I shoot, the more I will be able to solve issues such as these. I've already found that shooting at the top of the bleachers at Sports Backers helps a lot in isolating the urban environment from the frame. You get more grass and less junk, which ultimately makes for a better image, and less distracting, softer background.

A Good Day For Shooting

Had a good day shooting at the women's soccer games today (Sports Backers Stadium). A few new habits I'm getting into really helped: looking over sports photos that I like (for the sports I will be shooting), helps get the creative juices flowing and gives me an idea for the types of angles, and shots I need to be taking. For the first game, I shot the game from the top row of the stands, it gave me a higher point-of-view, allowing me to cut out the distracting background that surrounds Sports Backers. It make it a lot easier for me to get photos withouts that contained soft backgrounds, that wouldn't conflict with the action. I shot with a lot more burst fires, which I hadn't been doing as much in the past, this led to a lot more opportunities for good shots. I was also really patient with my shooting, I didn't snap off shots I knew wouldn't turn out, I relied more on my timing on the decisive moment, I wanted for shots to develop and did my best to wait for the athletes to be facing the camera, allowing for better photographs. Studying photos from sports photographers I respect has definitely made a difference in my work, so has just going out and doing it. I definitely feel more confident with my shooting, especially for soccer. Field hockey is still a little weird at times, the game planes change a lot quicker, more like lacrosse, which leads to you having to rely on your familiarity with the game, predicting the next move. I can do this with lacrosse, but I have trouble with field hockey, this will be cleared up with more shooting though, I've only had one opportunity to shoot a game so far, where I've already shot 4 or 5 soccer games. I am a lot more confident, and less bashful with my shooting, sometimes I would feel awkward, almost embarrassed to shoot. Now I don't even hesitate to break out my camera and start snapping away, I feel right at home with sports, which leads me to believe I have a promising future in the field. I just have such a great time sitting on the sideline, taking in the atmosphere, the sounds of the crowd cheering. Everything about sporting events I just love, and being able to be so close and intimate with the game, I feel right at home on the sideline of sporting events. Can't wait until my next game, I may bring my camera up to Cary St. before my class tomorrow, shoot some field hockey practice, maybe pick-up soccer, I think there might even be some tennis going around. I'll just walk around, see what I can find, snap away. For now, its lights out, time for a little bit more reading, and some shut eye.

Simon Bruty

I wanted to talk about a specific photo that I can across. Even though tennis isn't one of my favorite sports, I've actually been turned to it more lately. This is a photograph taken by Simon Bruty that I really enjoyed. To me, this photo really symbolizes the essence of singles tennis. The use of lighting in the later afternoon gives a sense of loneliness, with the shadow stretched, diagonally across the frame, accompanied by only the referee and his opponent. I really feel like the lighting absolutely made this image. Getting the right exposure could have been a little challenging, maybe trial and error, but the overall gives a good feel of balance in the image. There are two color temperatures within the photo, most of the turf is blanketed by the bright afternoon light, but the majority of the figure hides in the shade, except for the orange highlights through the hair. The lines and geometry were really strong throughout the frame, I always like adding a sense of perspective and some interest with the bright white lines jumping out from the shadowed, green turf. The bright colors give a high contrast between the figure and the background, allowing the viewer to concentrate on the athlete, rather than getting lost in the background.

Its a little too soon to think about tennis season here at VCU, but I'm already getting ideas for shooting how I could shoot the sport. I really like the ideas used by Bruty, I've always liked to include a sense of location and geometry. Using perspective could be an effective way to bringing out interesting aspects of the game. This could also be applied to other sports, obviously. At VCU (Cary St. field), its typically a little more difficult to use the lines of the game in the photo, because the field is so cluttered with everything else. I plan to use more perspective when shooting at Sports Backers in the future, I'm just not sure I'll have the equipment to do so during the UNC game, the game starts at 7PM, which holds problems because of the low light. I'm praying the lights on that field are sufficient for photographing during the late afternoon to evening, I didn't have so much luck at Cary St. field, but theres no way of telling until you go out and do it. I'm pretty anxious to go out and shoot another game. Been kind of antsy about it, just haven't had the resources to go to game other than VCU sports at the moment. Want to make it out to some Richmond Braves games, maybe even Univ. of Richmond sports, just dont have the transportation at the moment. Maybe I could come out for field hockey practices during the daytime? Maybe shooting intramural sports, or pickup soccer games. All these are good points to bring up during my next meeting (tomorrow). I'm going to leave off at that.

Leave Nothing

This is a Nike Football commercial that I just saw on t.v., with the convenience of the web today, I found it on youtube, and thought i'd share. The music is from the soundtrack of "Last of the Mohicans", I absolutely loved that soundtrack. But the video in this commercial is great, it resembles a long sequence shot, but instead of continuing through one setting, the commercials moves in and out of different events from football games. I really enjoyed it, but anyways, here it is, I didn't plan on making this a long post. Just wanted to give you some quick thoughts, its back to watching college football and editing photos. By the way, Adobe Lightroom is a great program for editing. I got the trial the other day, just got it to work last night, it really makes the workflow of sorting and editing a lot easier. I think its going to lead to me being a lot more productive with my shots in the future. Heres the link to the commercial.

Merriman & Jackson: Leave Nothing

A Lesson Learned

Took some photos at the VCU field hockey game tonight, it started at 7, so the game started off well lit. The first half of the game was fine, I think I got a few good shots, first time photographing a field hockey game. Once you get the timing down, the game is about the same as soccer, the planes seem to change a lot faster though, more like lacrosse. After the first half, it got pretty difficult to photograph any of the game, Cary St. field has horrible lighting, the lights only allow you to shoot at 1/100 of a second, which seems like it'd be okay, but most of the photos turned out blurry. If you're zooming in, the f-stop and shutter speed go up as well. Even shooting at 1600 ISO, you have a lot of trouble producing the speeds you need. I was shooting with a 5.6 lens, wide open, but another photographer I had talked with was shooting a 3.5 sigma at 3200, and he was having trouble as well. All I can say is that paying for those huge lenses makes a big difference in low light, during the day (how i usually shoot), the lens works perfect, nothing to worry about. When light becomes a problem, you're pushing your ISO as high as possible and the lens doesn't respond as well as you'd like. I hate to make that discovery after I just bought this $1000 tamron lens, but I'm not worried about it, most of the schedule games are daytime, and I'll use what I've got. I can still get plenty of learning experience, make contacts, and shoot some good photos in the process. Until I graduate and start getting paid for my photographs, I'll make the best out of the equipment I have.

As it got darker, me and this other photographer noticed a member of the audience was using a flash on her camera, which is usually illegal in NCAA games. But after asking the referees, they didn't mind, so for the remainder of the game, we shot TTL flash, zoomed all the way out. It worked in some instances, at the point I concentrated on sideline, reactions and portraits. Action shots from the game were pretty much out of the question at that point. I did what I could though. I plan on sorting through my images tomorrow as I'm watching college football, and finally getting my desktop computer up and running. Once that computer is functioning, it should make my editing, workflow, and life run a lot smoother. I still haven't posted any soccer photos yet either. My plan was to post some photos and ask people to give me some suggestions on which photos they preferred. I need to narrow down the photos I want to use, so I can get into the editing process. Well, they should be up soon, but for now, I'm gonna relax and watch some baseball on t.v.

Artist Lecture: Ann Stroeber

As everyone else in the class, I attended the Ann Stroeber artist lecture, which I found to be very interesting. I think its great that VCU is bringing in these well-known, professional artists that we've been getting in the past. Ann Stroeber has done a lot of sound design in the movie industry including famous films at: Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Dead Poet Society, lots of familiar films. I don't so much think that having big names really rates the quality of the artist or her lecture, but she did say a lot of interesting things about how the process goes about. I had no idea that all sound design was done in post-production, I thought at least the character voices were recorded at the time of film, but I guess I was wrong. Sound design seems to completely set the tone of the film and scene, so many textures and layers of sound can be added to make the imagery more believable. This I knew, but when she had given examples within The Elephant Man and Black Stallion, she gave insight to what sounds can come from where. Using the different microphones (frap and air), you can get completely different sounds and feelings. Makes me want to mess around with sound, possibly even add to some photographs of mine, see if I could successfully fit soundscapes to compliment the imagery. Having hear speak about the time and effort that goes into creating sounds for a movie really opened of my eyes to just how intensive the work is. I was glad I got to check out the lecture. Anytime you can hear from a professional artist working in the business, its always beneficial to figure out where you are, and what direction you need to go in order to get on the level as those individuals working in the field.

Peter Read Miller

I found a link that I wanted to post up real quick, it features tips and techniques for shooting football. Obviously, I won't be shooting too much football at VCU, but the things he says a really important to me. He makes some good points, as a pro photographer, but also makes me think more about the different aspects I could be focusing on when I shoot games. Since it was my first batch of soccer games to photograph, I did bounce back and forth between subjects because I was really anxious to try out my new lens. I think next time I need to keep his ideas in the back of my mind, maybe even have a small sketchpad with different subjects to concentrate on, thinks like: offense, defense, portraits, reactions, players not in game, coaches. Taking these considerations before I start shooting, I can better focus on a specific photo I want to get within the game, soccer players jumping for a header, player running past defense, goalie jumping for ball, etc. Plan my shots ahead of time, so I'm not shooting random players, or just following the ball. Anyways, this got longer than I expected. Here is the link.

Peter Read Miller















Just looking through his images, really inspires me to keep shooting and work towards my goal of being a sports photographer. Why not? Its a perfect mix of sports and art, you interpret the event with the manipulation of the camera. I can only imagine capturing college football for a job, the athleticism, sense of atmosphere. So many aspects make the photo below just incredible.

I've taken a lot of thought into attending one of these lecture/workshops taught be Peter Read Miller, or one offered by Sports Shooter Academy, both have highly respects individuals teaching the events. I just really want to run with it, give it everything I can. If I dont' make it, I'll at least know I gave it my best. I honestly think that this could be my niche though, I love the idea of photographing sports because its utilizing your technical skills with a camera, but you also get the excitement and unpredictability of sports. Being able to capture these events, the atmosphere, audience, its a perfect marriage. Not to mention I love the outdoors. I've invested a lot of time so far this semester, keeping on top of my classes, especially this one and "pro practice", I'm really just trying to learn the business end (to look out for myself in the future), and follow my dreams. Someone has to photograph the amazing images of locations and events that most only view through media, such as television. Why can't I be the one to bring the images to them?

Same Ol'

Song that inspired today:
Colouring Lesson - Nothing New

Hence, the song of the day, nothing was overly exciting today. I really just wanted to write to give updates on the latest for my work. I think my meeting with Paul went well the other day, really it was just getting on the same page with everyone. He didn't seem to have any complaints about my work, really with sports, theres only one thing you can do: shoot, and shoot more. The more events you photograph, the more chance you have of getting great images. He wants me to narrow down the images out of my last event (soccer games), next step after that is just editing. I haven't started that process yet, been busy with keeping up with other classes, so that is on the agenda for tomorrow after the mandatory artist lecture. One, narrow down images, and two, start the editing process.

Stretch's class tonight went well also, the content for the class seems boring to most people, but honestly, i'm really into it. Copyrights and knowing the rights of you and your images is vital if you're going to work in the field, which I fully intend on doing. He's also trying to help me out getting me into contact with working sports photographers (part of the class). I'm working on getting into contact with Walter Iooss Jr., basically he's the MAN! Hopefully, I can get into contact with him for my interview to present to class. His work really inspires me, and being able to contact someone that you really admire gives you a big boost in motivation and confidence. Being able to speak with him and find out where he's coming from really brings them down to your level, we all started out on the bottom, and keeping that in mind really helps. Stretch has also given me help with trying to get into contact with Scott Brown, who is a sports photographer working in the area. Its always nice to speak with working artists in the area, local always helps because theres always the option of meeting them in person.

I'm really happy with the way classes are going right now, seems that I've really stepped up this semester, so far at least. Being my senior year, my time has really been geared towards my work, grades, and finally GRADUATING! My photography is a great motivator, so is my future. I really think that keeping myself on track with sporting events and knowing I have work to do helps big time. Having the responsibility of showing up to events and having a sober mind to work, can't show up to work hungover, especially with artwork, really need a clear mind to keep focused. Keeps me home during the evenings. I usually am a social guy, also not afraid of some beers on the weekdays, but lately I've taken a lot more incentive to keep with my photography. I haven't been drinking as much, knowing that I have work to do, which is great, because I have abused substances in the past, drinking specifically. This should be a good year.

Good Saturday

Saturday was an exciting day for sports. It was opening day for college football, which I was extremely excited about. Most of the top ranked teams pulled out wins as they should, seems that opening day is usually scheduled as an easy win, especially at home. Most games went according to plan, except for the Michigan vs. Appalachian State at The Big House. Offensively the teams were
back and forth, it seemed that Michigan's defensive wasn't playing up to their expectations. In the end the game came down to a blocked field goal which ran out the clock, final score of 34-32 Appalachian State, a division I-AA team. I loved every season of it, I've never been a huge Michigan fan, they have talent, but after living with my roommate last year, who thought they were the greatest, I don't so much care for them now.

Another big moment in sports last night, rookie pitcher Clay Buchholz for the Boston Red Sox pitches a no-hitter. A very rare event even with veteran pitchers, occurs in his second start as a major leaguer. Buchholz was aquired through the draft as compensation for the trade of Pedro Martinez. Seems the Red Sox managers made a great choice in giving more depths to their bullpens before October.

Attended 2 soccer games at Sports Backers Stadium today, shot for about 5 hours, getting sunburned (forgot sunscreen). First game was Adelphi vs. Virginia Tech which led to the Hokies coming out on top with a score of 5-1. It was an ugly offensive onslaught, along with a mass amount of yellow cards issued throughout the day. The second game was VCU vs. Albany, as the Rams came out on top with their second win this weekend with the finals scores of 4-0. Tying the national powerhouse Maryland, I'd say that VCU Men's soccer is off to a good start this season, hoping amounting to another visit to the NCAA tournament.

I will have photos posted up tomorrow, got home a little late, and don't feel like messing with photos while I'm worn out from the sun. I think I got some good shots, one of my favorites was a trip in the box, which led to a penalty for VCU, scoring their first day of the day. I got some other shots as well, but it was my first time photographing soccer, I think I learned more about where I need to stand to get better shots, need to work on the timing a little more as well. It would be really nice to get a second Nikon digital body, I had trouble when the action would get in close when I was standing along the sidelines or behind the goal. At the second half, I switched to my 50-300 lens (i think thats what it is?), which gave me a more success when I was trying to get photos of shots on goal, a player going around a defender. I think the more I shoot, the more I will get down the timing, you really have to get a rhythm for the game. I watch it and played it some, but sitting behind a lens and being able to zoom in and out, it makes it a little awkward at first. Overall, I'm excited about the season, and my future work in sports photography. VCU plays UNC in Richmond in a few weeks, UNC were National Champions a few years back, so this is going to be a great game, and an opportunity to get photos at a big match, maybe even get a crowd out there this time. For now, I'm going to download my photos from today and get them ready for my one-on-one meeting, pretty interested in getting some feedback. I think I just need a few more times out to get a feel, but great shots are just a matter of time, you don't happen on every play. Looking at photographers helps me out, giving me ideas for composition, how to frame. Thats about all I have to say for tonight.

New Lens Has Arrived

My new lens just arrived today, I feel like a kid in a candy store, absolutely can't wait to go out shooting with it. Got a soccer game coming up against Virginia Tech tonight, its a perfect opportunity to take it out for a spin. Not expecting to have amazing pictures the first time out. I have done some sports photography in the past, but i'm no professional at the moment. I'm pretty technically sound, probably going to show up a little early, watch the end of the first game so I can get the ISO, white balance, and everything set up. That way, when its game time, I have nothing to worry about but minor tweaks. Not too worried about it, just going to go out and have fun, try and get the best pictures I can, haven't gotten passes yet from VCU Athletics, so i'm going to just get as close as I can, and enjoy it. I plan to go shooting for sunday's soccer game as well, so I think tonight I'll set the bar low, get a feel for the lens. The more I go out, the better I'm going to get, so I'm just gonna go for it this semester/year. The only way I'm going to make it happen is just stay motivated and do it. I'm making some good contacts, lets see where I can take it.

Today was a good day

So, I was pretty happy about today, had an informal presentation to the class, went over real well. I showed the class some works from my "second nature" body. It really surprised me to hear some of the responses I got from Paul in class. In a previous class, my work didn't go over too well. I can understand why though, looking back on the class, and my work. I beleive the quality was good, but I did have trouble pulling it all together. With the "sealife" work I didn't think I ever got any good feedback in critique, so hearing him discuss the topic in class definitely made me happy. I know certain people looked at me and noticed too, they were in the same class as me, with Vitka. I had always considered grad school, put thought into University of Florida, I've looked into the program, looks pretty good, Jerry Uelsmann taught there for some time. I also love gator sports, we've had some good karma lately in sports as of late.

One opinion about concepts that I realized from Paul's remarks (about how I spoke about my work in class): concept doesn't necessarily have to be a complex topic, something that only super intelligent people get. Concept just means the work you create is thoroughly researched, thought out, and planned. I don't feel that my "sealife" work was extremely sophisticated, I just came up with a topic I was passionate about, and related to my interests (sculpture, photo, painting, etc.). I do want to continue working on that body of work this year, just not as a class. Those works are going into the VMFA this year, maybe try and get some help with my artist statement before I submit. I'm considering doing some other photos to submit as well, just need to go back to the drawing board for photos. I had some good ideas, but I think more complexity and color, as Vitka had pushed me towards, was bad advice. Keeping with the consistency of the first photographs, its more about having easily identifiable sea animals, and being able to photograph these sculptures to make people believe they're alive.

Sports is my next goal to tackle, I've always had a big passion for sports, but I never really found my part in it. Being only 5'11", I was never suited for basketball or football. Soccer and lacrosse, I can do, but soccer wasn't exciting enough for me, I love the physicality of lacrosse. I just started a little late, so I'm behind in the skills. Anyways, I find that the mesh between sports and photography is a perfect match. I'm still caught in the middle of the action, but I can still use my artist judgement to interpret my experience. My artist skills have always overwhelmed my athletic ones.

Pro Practice

I just wanted to write my first response to the class "Pro Practice", which had its first meeting tonight. Honestly, just like all my other classes' first meetings, I wanted it to last about 5 minutes, reading over the syllabus and getting out quick, the Red Sox are playing the Yankees. But after learning a little bit more about our teacher, "Stretch" Ledford, I was really excited about the class. He just did a photo job for Nike, and that was really up my alley. From what I've gotten so far, we're going to learn how to write estimates, copyrights; the business side of photography, which for me, is going to be important. Working in the field, these are things that are going to be important, so i'm not worried about the work load. However, i was extremely surprised about some responses in the class. For the beginning of class, we did introductions, and were asked "what do you want to do with photography in a career?". Most people replied, "i don't know", "i don't want to work in photography", or "studio photos". To be caught up in an intense program like photography, why would you continue to go through with it, if you already knew you didn't want to work in the field? I guess I'm not too concerned about everyone elses futures. The less people out of my class going into the field, the more chance I have at making it all the way. This semester is going to make me think, and work a lot towards me future, I'm pretty siked about that.

To finish this post, a little personal reflection from the day. I'm pretty pissed that the Yankees beat the Red Sox tonight, we had our ace pitcher on the mound (Josh Beckett), should've been in the bag. I guess this one game isn't a big deal, the Yankees don't stand a chance for a spot in the post-season this year, being 7 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East, its lights out. We still have one more game in the series, lets see if we can pull one out. This was a little off topic compared the the previous paragraph, but sports are important to me, especially the teams I love, that definitely includes the Red Sox. Football season starts this weekend too, I can almost guarantee you I won't do anything but watch football from 12 to whenever. I hope to get a little research done at least.

Walter Iooss Jr.

One photographer I found that I would like to resemble in my work is Walter Iooss Jr.. As of now, I dont have his whole life story, but from the photos I've viewed, I find a lot of qualities that I hope to present through my own. There are a lot of things I admire about him, one being the amount of years he's worked in the field, just in Sports Illustrated alone, he's worked 40 years. His first assignment, as I've read, was in high school, where he was asked to follow Roger Maris in his attempt to break Babe Ruth's Home Run record. Thats a pretty exciting first assignment. I might also mention he's also covered 40 consecutive super bowls. More or less, in my career, I'd want to work to become as respected of a sports photographer as Walter Iooss has. I can only imagine covering such prestigous sporting events as those, might I add free admission.

I really enjoy the style that appears through Iooss's images, I feel it is very important for a photographer or artist to find their style. This is what sets them apart from the artists before them, and the ones after. I can't say I've even come close to finding mine, it all comes with the more experience you get, and lots of shooting. Sometimes you don't define a style and work within those boundaries, it just comes to people's attention over the extent of bodies of work, just kind of comes out of nowhere. To me, style is adapted, it happens from countless shooting, it comes like a second nature, its just how you view the world through your camera.

I find that Iooss uses a lot of color and environment within his images. For example, the photo at Fenway (second photo), uses the red lighting from the incandescent field lights and the red score board. In front of Jim Rice, the right fielder, there appears a haze, which seems to be the pitchers mound, framed at a lower angle. The framing and lighting help give the picture an evil, hellish mood, or just giving the theme that they are the Red Sox. Also, I love the touch of adding the old Fenway Park scoreboard, instead of using the low aperture to blur it out, adds a lot of history, which is flowing through the Red Sox's stadium.

I also really enjoy the last photo I have posted, which is Ken Griffey Jr.. Eventhough this isn't an "action" shot, I really liked Iooss's use of low angle and lighting to set the mood of the image. The use of color is what grabbed my attention, using the similar hues of blue, rather than maybe an orange from a sunset, which would give a greater contrast of colors. I like the use of blacks, how most of the figure seems to get lost in the bleachers behind, which doubles for the bat behind swung through the air. I can only assume this was a posted shot, because of the low angle and the reflection card that would've had to be used to get the detail of the face and clothing. But his ideas are great.

The first photo shows more action, and more use of depth, eventhough blurred out. I feel the low angle used in this shot gives more sense of field behind the player sliding into 3rd, using the green foreground and the blue bleachers in the back, theres a lot of color to help contrast with the player, allowing the action to stand out more. These simple devices such as: color, aperture, and atmosphere help draw the viewer in, personally gives me a better sense of being in the action, which I highly enjoy.

Overall, i guess to sum up my interests in Walter Iooss Jr., I just wish to create as impressive imagery as he has done throughout the years, maybe even gain close to the respect he has in the sports photography field. The possibilities of being surrounded by such sports and asked to document the experience only drives me to work more, in hopes that i can reach the same prestige.

Capturing History

Although I dont like Barry Bonds, and find him to be a cheater, I did find it interesting to see a short video, demonstrating a special sequence setup used by photographer Robert Hanashiro. This setup consists of 3 canon digital slr bodies, equipped with 600mm lenses, working as one to capture a sequence of Barry Bonds' record breaking swing. To be honest, I have no idea how they made this work, but i'm sure in the future, i'll understand this a little more. I just found this to be absolutely awesome, using such equipment as one system to capture history at 30 fps. Check out the video at the link below for a better understanding.

Bonds' 756 at 30 frames per second

Thomas Boyd

So after class, i immediately decided to dive into some research. I always surround myself with sports, watching baseball, golf, whatever sport I can find, but the one thing I realized: I don't know anything about the influential sports photographers of our time. One photographer that I came across was Thomas Boyd, whose photographs I could really relate to, what type of photographer I wanted to become. One characteristic that I noticed throughout his images were that his timing is impeccable, every moment was captured to the exact second where the subject expressed emotion. Because of his website design, you cannot save images, or post URLs, but the website is here.

One photo I particularly enjoyed off the site was a woman competing in the high jump. The composition is nice, low aperture helped blur out the background, leaving a nice crisp foreground, allowing no confusion to the emphasis of the image. The bar is to separate the image, but tilted ever so slightly to create a diagonal rather than framing it level across the image. Making these conscious, artistic decisions gives the image more originality. I always find myself using rules such as rule of 3rds and using diagonals rather straight lines dividing the image, they've always seemed to ordinary and bland for my taste.

The expression on the woman's face is incredible, the look of giving everything you've got to assure you come out on top. Emotions are always present in sports, whenever you're pushing your body to the max. I find "game faces" to be an important part of sports photography, everyone has a different one, and capturing them does take skill and great timing.

I feel that sports photography a genre that packs so many factors into one. So many things impact the outcome of your images: patience (for that one image that's going to wow), attention to detail (focus and following the action), skill and knowledge (in order to get the best photos, you need to know the sports you're photographing, so you can predict the next move). For me, the art that is sports photograph is exciting, it allows me to feed my passions for sports by experiencing them first-hand, but also being able to share them with images collected throughout those 4 quarters (or 3 periods, etc.) I want to be able to capture those timeless images that have surrounded sports since its introduction. In my opinion, sports are the most pure and raw form of reality (instead of crappy shows like Real World).

There will be more posted, just wanted to write down a few ideas for the time being, while they were still fresh in my head.