Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Monday, February 22, 2010

Spring opener - Mt. St. Mary's Lacrosse


It's good to be back out in the elements again ... breathing some fresh Catoctin air early this week.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Friday, February 19, 2010

Remote Success!

Ryan Murray ...

... has crazy UPs.
Example

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Franklin & Marshall Squash

McDaniel Basketball

Remotely Successful


I attempted remotes this weekend, and again, I was challenged. I'm striving to balance the multiple variables that accompany photographing "off person". Camera control and image quality through protective glass just aren't the same, but remote work provides a fresh angle. I'm most satisfied with the Women's basketball backboard remote where cinefoil was in place improving contrast and reducing glare. I was unlucky in the Men's game when the officials immediately balked at the black block; I had to remove the foil but fortunately was allowed to keep the camera in place. Squash in a cinefoiled protective box was an improvement. However, box position, subject focus, and battery life came to haunt me. I'm looking forward to a final winter remote opportunity this Wednesday with a backboard remote fixated above the board onto the shot-clock support. Wish me luck.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Sure Things

Death, Taxes, 7-11, and the Bar

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Snowed In


Just like everyone else in the Baltimore/DC metro area, we're snowed in bigtime. And just like everyone else life slowed down a bit. Friday night we opened the blinds in our front sunroom, lit some candles, and just watched the snow fall onto Paradise.

Life was different with so much snow. It wiped clean all other priorities and demands. And when the sunrose there was only one focus, freedom. The quantity of snow was overwhelming, but it helped bring my neighborhood together. It was nice to just work, outside, with people, no cars, no TV, walking on Frederick road, and snow above my knees. I was sad a little when it stopped snowing early afternoon Saturday, I knew the simplicity was fleeting. I like breaks.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Santorini Sunset


I've been nominated as a finalist by Canon's "Explorer's of Light" panel! My image "Santorini Sunset" has been selected to be exhibited in VisArts at Rockville’s Points of Departure exhibition opening February 19, 2010 at 6:30p. Come out to see some great photography!

The photograph was made November 1, 2008 on a cliffside trail hike on the Greek Island of Santorini. My wife and I were on our honeymoon backpacking through Europe. That day we were exploring a few different areas of the island by bus, taxi, then foot. We had decided to do a sparse trail between the towns of Ia and Thira at Sunset. Naturally I didn't give us enough time and we ended up hiking back mostly in dark. But we had a good adventure, a little precarious at times, and we met up with a cool little dog we named Jack who thought we were made of food. Fortunately, he had taken the route a couple times.

D700 & 17-35mm @ 26mm, ISO:1000 - 1/80th @ f/20 and slow breathing.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Ferguson's Hardware


I spent the afternoon with Ron Young at his hardware store in the small Catonsville neighborhood of Paradise. It's been in his family since the mid fifties and there's still a taste of the period when you walk through the door. Classic, nostalgic, eclectic, I heard some great stories about the neighborhood, travel, life, he even showed me how to tie a Tugboat Bowline. Next to the gorgeous ambient light, I couldn't ask for much more.

This is the second in a series of independent projects for the Paradise Community Association.

Shooting Squash (with a remote) is Hard!


This was my first squash remote of 2010. Following a box shattering experience in December, I had to make a new one over the holidays. To say the least, I think I made it strong. Inside, I used the D700 with a 20mm and pocket wizards (and fresh batteries across the board). Settings of 1/320th (which wasn't fast enough) @ f/8 and ISO 6400. And happily (cough) a custom WB on each of the 6 courts.

There are all sorts of additional variables to remote work that can be kind of maddening even when you get there 3 hours in advance. Looks like I could have started with the basic stuff like leveling the camera first! Just shooting action through glass can be frustrating as you have to pump contrast & saturation to make it look OK. Next time, I think I'm going to remove the back plexiglass wall and fit the installation with some cinefoil to help with the internal reflections. Oh well, small steps.

Here's a link to the full coverage.