Making the best of a bad lighting and background situation

My good friend Randy Romo has been after me to take senior photos of his son, Tanner. However, since April we’ve had typical Pacific Northwest rainy and gray weather in the Puget Sound region.

When the weather was good for those few days, Tanner was off playing high school baseball for South Kitsap or for his Narrows Select Baseball team.

This weekend the weather was perfect. I was able to capture some nice senior portraits of my son Colin, dressed in his prom attire, in our backyard. Around 5:30 with the setting sun filtering through the trees and shrubs making for beautiful lighting, I set up a three speed light studio and took some pictures. Now this tuned out nice.

However, the only day I could take pictures of Tanner was Sunday morning at about 11:00. Horrible sun, however, we found a somewhat shady spot in his grandfather’s yard to make some pictures.

I set up three Canon 580 portable speed lights, using CTO warming filters, did a few test shots, adjusted the output flash of each strobe to match the ambient light and bingo - got the correct lighting. Most of my camera and flash setting were ISO: 50, Aperture: 3.5, Shutter: 1/250 and Exp. Comp.: -1.3.

In spite of the sun and background, these didn't turn out so bad. I would have rather taken them in the beautiful evening magic light, as I did with Colin, however some things just don't go your way. Sometimes it takes a little extra effort to get that good “natural” lighting.

Capturing a Memorial Day Flag feature

Being a Navy veteran of nine years nine months and twenty-seven days, I’m somewhat patriotic. My wife, Amy, is a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer and patriotic as well. One year, while in search of a feature photo for an advance article in the paper announcing Memorial Day events, I was somewhat disappointed to find only photos of Boy Scouts setting out miniature Flags at the local veteran’s cemetery. Throughout the years this was a photo I took time and time again. So I spent about an hour capturing pictures using different lenses and from a variety of angles. Still, I wasn’t satisfied, but decided to take a lunch break when rainfall started.

After pulling into our driveway I noticed that the holiday flag strung across the two doors of our garage was captured in the raindrops forming on my windshield. The hundreds of drops magnifying various parts and shapes of the flag immediately lifted my spirits.

Since my wife’s car was parked right in the middle of the driveway (it’s a habit that she has that just pisses me off) I grabbed the macro lens and jumped into the front seat of her car. Meanwhile it was a race against time, as the sun reappeared and the drops were evaporating and disappearing right in front of my eyes.

Remembering a trick I learned while attending Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications’ photojournalism program, I had once sprayed glycerin mixed with water that enhanced the water drops on a swimmer during a studio shoot.

Grabbing a bottle of vegetable oil and pouring some into a spray bottle used to water flowers I headed back outside to spray the windshield. Now the windshield was once again filled with perfect long-lasting drops featuring the flag and I could take as long as I wanted to get the right shot.

Feeling pleased with myself, I headed back to the paper to download the images and put into the system. Because of my effort, the photo story was moved from a section front to the front page.

About a half hour later, I received a call from my very irritated

spouse, who was headed out to pick up one of your kids at school. She had gotten into the car, turned on the wiper blades and my oil-water drop mixture smeared across the whole windshield and she couldn’t see.

Whoops, even through I forgotten about cleaning her windshield, I saved the day by capturing a Memorial Day feature shot.

Making the best of it

Lately, I’ve taken upon myself the ever-lasting task of scanning my vast library of slides and negatives. Remember negatives? While editing the takes has brought memories of traveling to 38 countries, some of those memories remind me of the Clint Eastwood movie, “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.” In the 4 decades of my photographic journey I have experienced some great assignments and a few not so great assignments. However, one has to make the best of whatever is thrown your way.


I had the chance of covering Pope John Paul II, not once, but twice. The first time, a very good friend of mine, Rick Shaw, POY Picture Editor of the Year a few times and  now University of Missouri’s director of the Pictures of the Year International competition, brought me help in his news paper’s coverage of the Popes Miami visit on September 11, 1987. My assignment was to cover a local Catholic Church’s group bus trip from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami to see the Pope. Now, that was a dream assignment.  Even though I was far from the official podium, I was able to capture the church members reactions, which told a pretty good story.

Two years later I was again assigned to cover the Pope’s first ever visit to the island of Terceria in the Azores, this time for Gamma Liaison and it started out not so good.

In the 1987 visit, the press photographers were given pretty good access and good vantage points in which to capture images during the visit. However, in his visit to the Azores, we were positioned back behind the crowd about what seemed like 1/4 mile from the grandstand. The crowd had a chance to get better pictures than the assembled world’s press.

I had to resort to setting up a 300mm with a doubler and still the pope’s image was tiny in the photograph. I guess the Pope’s press representative heard our complaining, mostly coming from me, and came over to the still photographers. Since I had his attention, I asked him look through the viewfinder and explained what we needed was to get closer, way closer. He departed and a few minutes later returned with Ecce Homo, the Pope’s official photographer, who looked through my viewfinder.  After a few minutes of haggling with the press representative and the head of security, we were granted 15 minutes of photographic coverage the Papacy’s platform. I was now closer to the leader of the Catholic Church than what I was during Miami’s coverage. Not only that but within a few moments after the relocation, the Pope stepped into a sunbeam, which made the best photograph of my assignment.

Life's not fair

Two weeks ago my wife and I were thrilled when we noticed a robin was building her nest in a Firethorn shrub outside my daughter’s bedroom window. My oldest son planted that bush with my wife about 15 years ago. Over the years we’ve watched it slowly grow up the side of the house.

One of our favorite jokes was that Firethorn would deter a child from sneaking in or out the window. Now I was thinking that those thorns would help protect the robin and her eggs.

For about a week we watched the robin carry small branches to be used in building her nest. It was slowly taking shape among the evergreen leaves and needled branches.

You can imagine my delight when on Saturday I noticed a brightly blue colored egg lying in the middle of her nest. Being a photojournalist always in search of producing a documentary, I had set up an EOS MK II Ds on a tripod with a remote release to capture pictures of the egg, and hopefully, the whole life cycle from the hatching to the robin caring for her young baby bird.

While the robin was away, I removed the window screen and clipped away a few branches to get a better view of the nest. Afterwards, I replaced the screen; switched my 70-200mm f2.8 from auto focus to manual and zoomed onto the nest.

I placed the camera in a corner near the closet very carefully as to not disturb the robin.

Knowing that if she saw any sudden movement or heard any sounds she’d most likely abandoned the nest.

After hearing the robin landing upon the window screen I slowly creep into the room to start taking pictures. Since, my camera was already pre-focused, I used a remote to trigger the shutter and captured a few pictures of the robin as she gently settled onto the nest to warm her egg.

However, not all stories have happy endings.

When I checked back a day later, the egg was missing and the robin was gone from her nest. I was hoping that I was mistaken.

While searching among the ferns below the bush and then finally up in the branches of the Firethorn, I found the egg, skewered by those same prickly thorns that I hoped would keep her safe in her nest.  Life’s not fair I thought, being cheated of some promising photos. Throughout the years’ I’ve used that same phase over and over again to my children when life didn’t go the way they wanted.

Capturing danger that lurk from above

 My wife, Amy, often comments on how our dog, Toshiro, a designer Japanese Chin Pomeranian mix, is in constant awareness of his surroundings. There’s not a movement within the backyard or flying overhead that doesn’t escape his gaze.  While, on the other hand, Buffy, our daughters’ Pekingese Pomeranian, looks only at ground level and not at those dangers lurking above.

After cutting the grass and pulling weeds on Saturday, we were all out enjoying a moment of relaxation in the late evening sun. Amy and I in deckchairs, the two dogs soaking up sunbeams, Toshiro’s glaze turned upwards. I spotted a Bald Eagle circling high overhead much like one of those WWI airplanes that flew in search of targets.  As the eagle started to lazily spiral downwards and loomed bigger and bigger with each circling pass, it became obvious that the hunter had spied Buffy sunbathing and was thinking about a dinner of Chinese takeout.

As soon as it made a low pass, no higher than 20-feet above over our rooftop only to land in a tall tree across the road, Amy called to the dogs while I ran downstairs, grabbed a camera and attached to a 300mm and 1.4 converter.

With both dogs safely indoors, it soon became apparent the perched eagle had no intentions of going anywhere anytime soon and we both settled into our respective waiting games, me taking pictures and it, waiting for the meals-on-wheels to reappear unguarded.

For years we’ve seen this particular bird out on patrol, but in the past Pepper, our Dalmatian, was a force to be reckoned with and the kept all raptors at bay.  However, since Pepper had passed two years ago, the eagles’ low-level overhead flights had become more or less a standard routine.

While capturing a few shots of the bird, from it’s lofty perch, looking downwards with those keen eyes, the situation started to get more interesting, when a single crow started cawing and dive-bombing the eagle.  Crows are fiercely territorial and will heckle and hassle any bird, big or small, that invades its’ space so I was able to get some shots of the crow buzzing the mighty hunter.

After a bit, the eagle finally grew tiresome of the harassing crow, swooped down from the limb to a make low-level pass near the trees bordering our fence line.

While it made an flyby overhead I was able to capture some really sweet pictures of the bird flying right at the camera as it made one final pass before continuing on in search of easier unsuspecting prey.
 

Taking the path less beaten

 

While walking around Seattle’s International District, searching for some photos to take, I happened to stumble upon a small antique shop tucked away in an alley not too far from S. Main Street. What drew my eye immediately to the shop’s front window wasn’t the contrasting styles of Chinese pottery displayed next to a ceramic duck, but a cat napping and sunning itself.

Positioning myself across the sidewalk, I slowly raised my camera, hoping not to disturb the napping cat, I was able to fire off about three frames before the cat jumped down.

I dare to say, this is probably one of the most unique still life

photos I’ve ever taken and glad to have not taken the beaten path and instead ventured into this alleyway.

 

Adding story-telling elements in covering a football game

 

I wanted to show you how I approach covering a football game. I normally look for elements of fan and player emotion, offensive and defensive plays that might tell a complete story from start to finish of the game and on Sunday this was no exception. The Seahawks, 7-9 in the regular season, shocked the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans 41-36 with the arm of quarterback Matt Hasselbeck’s four touchdown passes, a defense that produced critical plays when the time counted and running back Marshawn Lynch’s electrifying 67-yard touchdown in the final minutes that sealed the victory. Thrown in those factors mixed with the constant roar of 66,336 spectators at Qwest Field a photographer would have been blind not to come away with decent game pictures.

#1 -- Marshawn "The Beast" breaking tackles (at least eight) on his way to a 67-yard touchdown that sealed the 41-36 BFC Wild Card game against the Super Bowl Champions New Orleans Saint.

#2 & 3 -- Brandon Stokley's TD catch and run and celebration.

#4 -- Saints quarterback Drew Brees passing up pressure from the pass rush of Seahawks Chris Clemons.

#5 -- Seahawks defense bring down Saints running back Julius Jones.

#6 -- Saints head coach Sean Payton calling time out.

#7 -- Seahawks wide receiver Cameron Morrah breaking away from Saints defensive back Roman Harper.

#8 -- Seahawks' Tyler Polumbus pass blocking on Saints defensive end Alex Brown.

#9 -- Seahawks Hasselbeck completing a pass to running back Justin Forsett. Hasselbeck completed 22 of 35 passes for 272 yards, four Td’s and one interception.

#10 --Seahawks Raheem Brock and Lofa Tatupu celebrate a sack on Brees.

#11 -- Seahawks fans make noise at Qwest Field, forcing a false start against the Saints.

Fans at Qwest field have made opposing team commit 106 false starts.

#12 -- One fan came painted as the Hulk.

#13 -- Seahawk fans scream as loud as they can to cause a false start on the Saints’ offensive unit.

#14 -- As time runs out, defensive tackle Colin Cole raises his arms in victory.

#15 -- Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll shake hands with fans before heading into the locker room to celebrate with his team.

#16 -- Defensive tackle Craig Terrill picks up and twirls his wife while celebrating the Seahawks 41-36 win over the Saints.

Anyways, each game is different and you have the chance of taking different story-telling pictures. Had the Saints been ahead and were sure to win, I would moved over on their side of the field to focus and capture more images of offensive action, their players and fans reactions as well as sideline jubilation.