A quick, short posting for tonight. I was recently invited by my friend Beau to come along with him to his daughters final track meet of the season. Since Id never photographed a track & field event before, I jumped at the chance! Although I was restricted to the side lines I had a good time shooting and was able to get quite close to the action. One thing about shooting track compared to other team sports is with track, you know exactly where the athletes are going to be and where they're headed. Which made it much easier to photograph than say... ice hockey.
Anyhow, the weather was great and with the event happening with some nice evening light, I was able to capture some nice images. And, Beau was happy to see the photo's I took of his daughter in her final track event of the year.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Clearance
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Just a quick post here to introduce one of my favorite Flickr photographer friends. This is Jennifer Sosa. She is a very talented wedding and lifestyle photographer from New York City. She was recently in Texas to shoot a wedding and we had the opportunity to hang out. I was really happy I got the chance to show here Denton Texas.. where I live. Great seeing you again Jen! Looking forward to getting to see some cool sites next time I make it up to NYC again!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Rock The House!!
This past weekend I attended my first 35 Conferette (No, not Confederate)here in Denton. This is a music event with over 100 bands playing in bars, coffee shops and on stages in the center of Denton over a 4 day span. If you enjoy live rock music, this was not to be missed! Now, I believe this is only the third year of this music events short life. But it grew leaps and bounds from last years when it was known as NX35. Last year I didn't even know it was going on until the coffee shop I was sitting in told me I had to leave because they were about to start a show only for those who had already paid. Um, excuse me?? This year, they had outdoor stages setup, streets closed off and made more of an effort to advertise what was going on. I still don't think many people really knew, because everyone I asked during the week if they were going looked at me and said "going to what"? I have a feeling next years "35C" will be even bigger than this and will get more attention. I really hope so.
Ok so my experience. It ROCKED! I'll admit, wrist bands (which give you access) were a bit on the pricey side compared to a normal Denton music festival. Yeah I know all you 35C die-hards are screaming "But SXSW is like $200!". Well, this isn't Austin and this is nothing near or like SXSW (South by Southwest). So paying around $95 after tax for the 4 day wrist band is a shocker for those who aren't college kids in the know, or die hard indie rock music fans. But, I still really wanted to experience this event and get some photos. I bought a one day pass ($73) and headed out with my camera gear at noon, determined to make this a marathon day of music and photography.... and by George get my monies worth! :)
I arrived at the Denton town square, picked up my wrist band and a band schedule. The first band started playing shortly on the "Square Stage", I had no idea who they were but started snapping a few shots anyhow. I quickly realized how many of the bands start times were overlapping and if I wanted to get photos of all or most of them, I'd need to really hustle. So, I spent from noon till somewhere around 1:30am bouncing from stage to stage all over central Denton. I was tired, sweaty, pretty stinky and even a little sore. But it was worth it! I discovered some really great music and captured some good images from the day. I got to meet up with some good friends and even made some new ones. Most of the day my ears were ringing and I was bounced around by dancing crowds, but that was fun! I ended up shooting somewhere around a 1000 photos, which later narrowed down to a few dozen I was really happy with. This can really be an epic experience for those willing to really get out there and enjoy live music at its best.
Now that I know what the event is all about and how it works, I think im going to try to make all four days next year. I think one of the positive results about the event price was unlike other Denton music festivals, at this one I didn't have to fight my way through an endless traffic jam of family's pushing baby strollers and dragging their kids in-tow. It was really a crowd of true music lovers and people who really wanted to be there for what it was. Which was nice. Now that its said and done, I can honestly say this was the best music event I've been to in Denton since moving here and by far the most fun and memorable. Im already ready for next years 35C!!
Check out my flickr for a few more images from the day.
http://tinyurl.com/4da5kf9
This past weekend I attended my first 35 Conferette (No, not Confederate)here in Denton. This is a music event with over 100 bands playing in bars, coffee shops and on stages in the center of Denton over a 4 day span. If you enjoy live rock music, this was not to be missed! Now, I believe this is only the third year of this music events short life. But it grew leaps and bounds from last years when it was known as NX35. Last year I didn't even know it was going on until the coffee shop I was sitting in told me I had to leave because they were about to start a show only for those who had already paid. Um, excuse me?? This year, they had outdoor stages setup, streets closed off and made more of an effort to advertise what was going on. I still don't think many people really knew, because everyone I asked during the week if they were going looked at me and said "going to what"? I have a feeling next years "35C" will be even bigger than this and will get more attention. I really hope so.
Ok so my experience. It ROCKED! I'll admit, wrist bands (which give you access) were a bit on the pricey side compared to a normal Denton music festival. Yeah I know all you 35C die-hards are screaming "But SXSW is like $200!". Well, this isn't Austin and this is nothing near or like SXSW (South by Southwest). So paying around $95 after tax for the 4 day wrist band is a shocker for those who aren't college kids in the know, or die hard indie rock music fans. But, I still really wanted to experience this event and get some photos. I bought a one day pass ($73) and headed out with my camera gear at noon, determined to make this a marathon day of music and photography.... and by George get my monies worth! :)
I arrived at the Denton town square, picked up my wrist band and a band schedule. The first band started playing shortly on the "Square Stage", I had no idea who they were but started snapping a few shots anyhow. I quickly realized how many of the bands start times were overlapping and if I wanted to get photos of all or most of them, I'd need to really hustle. So, I spent from noon till somewhere around 1:30am bouncing from stage to stage all over central Denton. I was tired, sweaty, pretty stinky and even a little sore. But it was worth it! I discovered some really great music and captured some good images from the day. I got to meet up with some good friends and even made some new ones. Most of the day my ears were ringing and I was bounced around by dancing crowds, but that was fun! I ended up shooting somewhere around a 1000 photos, which later narrowed down to a few dozen I was really happy with. This can really be an epic experience for those willing to really get out there and enjoy live music at its best.
Now that I know what the event is all about and how it works, I think im going to try to make all four days next year. I think one of the positive results about the event price was unlike other Denton music festivals, at this one I didn't have to fight my way through an endless traffic jam of family's pushing baby strollers and dragging their kids in-tow. It was really a crowd of true music lovers and people who really wanted to be there for what it was. Which was nice. Now that its said and done, I can honestly say this was the best music event I've been to in Denton since moving here and by far the most fun and memorable. Im already ready for next years 35C!!
Check out my flickr for a few more images from the day.
http://tinyurl.com/4da5kf9
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Photowalk Meetups are one of the best things you can do with other photography friends! The only problem is, such an event requires lots of time, planning and schedule arrangements. Or does it? Enter the wonderful world of photographers and Twitter. This particular photowalk meetup was arranged in a matter of a couple hours, less than a day before it occurred. It was Saturday evening and while driving I saw the tweet come through from fellow photog Kevin Hail (@khail) asking who would be up for such an event the next day since the weather here in Dallas was to be beautiful. Immediately replies began to fly back and forth as everyone interested tweeted their availability and interest. Just two hours later the event was a "GO" and my Sunday afternoon now had plans. Not an email sent, not a phone call made... not even an Evite created. Just awesome.
Many of my friends laugh at my use of Twitter and say they just don't understand it. Today's event is a prime example of its power and usefulness. In such a short amount of time on a very short notice, photography friends scattered all over the city were able to arrange a fun event. Let this be a note to those not in the-know. It works. ;)
And a fun day it was! With temps in the mid-70's and clear sunny skies we all met up in the Deep Ellum area of downtown Dallas. Kevin was nice enough to bring out his rolling suitcase of photography gear, which included flashes, a softbox and reflectors. Virtually everything you need for a mobile studio! But, not only did he bring the gear, he brought a his wife and model/photographer, Amanda. We all spent the afternoon just wanting the streets, stopping to shoot whatever caught our eye or for Amanda to pose when we found an interesting backdrop. The streets of the Deep Ellum area scattered with artistic colorful walls and painted murals. Literally a photographers dream. And we weren't the only people with this idea. All day long we must have seen 20+ other people wandering the streets with cameras and some doing actual photoshoots for clients. The area was really buzzing and it felt so nice to finally get out and shoot in good weather.
Well I'm really looking forward to our next meet-up. As we begin to enter the spring time, so many more locations open up as options. Stay tuned as I am sure I'll be posting photos and blogging about the day.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Dallas Photowalk, Hosted by Brian Braun!
While browsing the DFW Metro flickr group last week I came across a photo by local Dallas photog Brian Braun promoting a photo walk he was organizing. I'd been itching to go on one of these so I jumped at the chance of course! Being that it was January and the weather has been a bit dodgy lately, I wasn't sure if we'd get to hold the event or if we did, how many would even show up. With a light rain falling, I loaded up my gear and drove down to downtown Big D determined to take photos even if I had to wonder the streets by myself!
To my pleasant surprise, I pulled up in the parking lot to see a few other photogs already gathering. I quickly recognized "The Braun", organizer of the day as he flashed his friendly smile and a peace sign as I got out of my car. I then knew the event was on! Shortly after I arrived, quite a few others began to pull up and park. This was turning into a decent sized turn out and I knew it would be a fun day. Just as I had hoped.
With no real destination, our group first made our way to a multi-level parking garage with the idea of getting to the top floor and shooting some scenic downtown shots. A thick low fog made this difficult and most of downtown was engulfed in it. So after a few minutes we all headed back down to the ground floor. We were met with a surprise. The garage security gate had closed, trapping us inside! We were just about to all start climbing through the side of the gate, when a car pulled up and the gentleman had an access card. We were saved!
We continued our walk for another couple hours, moving to various location, stopping to shoot for a while at each. By the end, this group of strangers all felt like old friends. I guess thats not a difficult task when everyone has such a common interest like photography. From what ive seen, everyone came away with some really cool photots. One thing about photowalks which always fascinates me is how we all will shoot the same scenes, but everyone has their own take on it. Different angles and different ways they post process gives each photo a life of its own.
Big thanks to Brian Braun (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianbraun) for putting this together. And a friendly shout out to all the great fellow photogs I met yesterday! I hope we have another one of these in the coming months as it warms up. It was definitely a blast!
Here's a few of the photo's I took during the event. Enjoy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thorpeland/sets/72157625708366251/
While browsing the DFW Metro flickr group last week I came across a photo by local Dallas photog Brian Braun promoting a photo walk he was organizing. I'd been itching to go on one of these so I jumped at the chance of course! Being that it was January and the weather has been a bit dodgy lately, I wasn't sure if we'd get to hold the event or if we did, how many would even show up. With a light rain falling, I loaded up my gear and drove down to downtown Big D determined to take photos even if I had to wonder the streets by myself!
To my pleasant surprise, I pulled up in the parking lot to see a few other photogs already gathering. I quickly recognized "The Braun", organizer of the day as he flashed his friendly smile and a peace sign as I got out of my car. I then knew the event was on! Shortly after I arrived, quite a few others began to pull up and park. This was turning into a decent sized turn out and I knew it would be a fun day. Just as I had hoped.
With no real destination, our group first made our way to a multi-level parking garage with the idea of getting to the top floor and shooting some scenic downtown shots. A thick low fog made this difficult and most of downtown was engulfed in it. So after a few minutes we all headed back down to the ground floor. We were met with a surprise. The garage security gate had closed, trapping us inside! We were just about to all start climbing through the side of the gate, when a car pulled up and the gentleman had an access card. We were saved!
We continued our walk for another couple hours, moving to various location, stopping to shoot for a while at each. By the end, this group of strangers all felt like old friends. I guess thats not a difficult task when everyone has such a common interest like photography. From what ive seen, everyone came away with some really cool photots. One thing about photowalks which always fascinates me is how we all will shoot the same scenes, but everyone has their own take on it. Different angles and different ways they post process gives each photo a life of its own.
Big thanks to Brian Braun (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianbraun) for putting this together. And a friendly shout out to all the great fellow photogs I met yesterday! I hope we have another one of these in the coming months as it warms up. It was definitely a blast!
Here's a few of the photo's I took during the event. Enjoy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thorpeland/sets/72157625708366251/
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Long, Dusty Road
I recently accompanied my good friend JB to the cross country race series he participates in. I always try to come out and shoot the action if they are racing somewhat local to me. This race was only about 30 minutes from me, so I packed up the gear and headed out for a day of dirt, 2-stroke fumes and race action.
Unlike the past events of this type Id shot, i wanted to shoot this with a bit of a different perspective. Not just shoot the riders going by and jumping. But this time include an artistic element into action photography. These past months Ive been inspired by an excellent professional sports photographer who in many ways I consider a mentor. His name is Ryu Voelkel and he truly is a master of his craft. In his words, he strives to "... Make sports photography more beautiful". I kept this motto in mind as I spend the day shooting the race event. Always looking for unusual angles and perspectives, breaking away from the ordinary and including more of the environment in frame. Ryu has really opened my eyes to a new way shooting action sports. And while he mainly shoots soccer (football), his photography philosophy really can translate to any sport. You can see some of his work here--> http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryusha/ . Not only has "toksuede" motivated me with his photography. But he's a super nice, down to Earth guy who has always been nice enough to respond to every email ive sent him, answering all my questions. You won't find many full time pro photogs willing to do that. So I am eternally grateful for his patience with me. :)
So, I spent the day laying on my belly shooting, hanging off of tree's to get more over the track, firing away with the camera up in the air trying to catch something unique and analyzing my photos in post for interesting crops. Its really changed the way I think of shooting action sports. I think everyone should find a mentor in the type of photography they want to do. It gives you new goals to reach for and helps you see things in a new light. And right when you think you've shot that same old subject to death and nothing can make it look anymore interesting, your mentors work will have you going back through all your old shots to see what you could have done different.
I can't wait to shoot other sports and apply this same type of thinking. I really believe it's the key to expanding my photography skills and opening the door to a new level of work. I feel a lot of great photography opportunities on the horizon for 2011 and many great photo's to come out of them!
Unlike the past events of this type Id shot, i wanted to shoot this with a bit of a different perspective. Not just shoot the riders going by and jumping. But this time include an artistic element into action photography. These past months Ive been inspired by an excellent professional sports photographer who in many ways I consider a mentor. His name is Ryu Voelkel and he truly is a master of his craft. In his words, he strives to "... Make sports photography more beautiful". I kept this motto in mind as I spend the day shooting the race event. Always looking for unusual angles and perspectives, breaking away from the ordinary and including more of the environment in frame. Ryu has really opened my eyes to a new way shooting action sports. And while he mainly shoots soccer (football), his photography philosophy really can translate to any sport. You can see some of his work here--> http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryusha/ . Not only has "toksuede" motivated me with his photography. But he's a super nice, down to Earth guy who has always been nice enough to respond to every email ive sent him, answering all my questions. You won't find many full time pro photogs willing to do that. So I am eternally grateful for his patience with me. :)
So, I spent the day laying on my belly shooting, hanging off of tree's to get more over the track, firing away with the camera up in the air trying to catch something unique and analyzing my photos in post for interesting crops. Its really changed the way I think of shooting action sports. I think everyone should find a mentor in the type of photography they want to do. It gives you new goals to reach for and helps you see things in a new light. And right when you think you've shot that same old subject to death and nothing can make it look anymore interesting, your mentors work will have you going back through all your old shots to see what you could have done different.
I can't wait to shoot other sports and apply this same type of thinking. I really believe it's the key to expanding my photography skills and opening the door to a new level of work. I feel a lot of great photography opportunities on the horizon for 2011 and many great photo's to come out of them!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Need a Lightroom 3 Kickstart?
I was recently asked by Brandon Oelling from Xequals to have a look at their new Lightroom 3 mini-guide and talk a bit about my thoughts. Sine I've been a long time user of X-Equals Lr presets and a reader of their website, x-equals.com, I was happy to ablige.
What the guys over at X-Equals have done is taken a deeper look at Lightroom 3 and give us some insight into their workflow in this new version. Then, they've compressed it into this 52 page mini-guide with easy to follow screen captures and step by step instructions. Now, I've been an Adobe Lightroom users since pre-version 1.0, back when it was in beta. It's easy to say I use this program on a daily basis. So as I began reading through Brandons latest guide, I wasn't sure how much I'd learn from it. But surprisingly I found I'd fallen into a bit of a rut in my editing workflow, always doing things the same way from Lr version to Lr version. So this guide has turned out to be quite an eye opener to the many new options and ways of doing things.
As I said, the guide isn't too long at 52 pages in pdf form. Which is perfect for me since I normally have the attention span of a knatt...on crack... sipping Red Bull. But it not only kept me reading but taught me a few things. This really isn't a guide just for experienced Lightroom users. If you have the program or are thinking of trying it out, I can definitely recommend this program as a tool to give you a bit of hand-holding as you learn what is what. You'll go from beginner to novice Lr3 user very quickly with the help of this mini-guide. And being that it's in PDF format, you can quickly search it for what you're looking for. Now, this of course isn't a full length, in depth Scott Kelby Lightroom book. But it's not meant to be. This is the quick and dirty, get you importing, editing and exporting in the most efficient and least amount of time. And it accomplishes that goal very nicely.
The mini-guide sells for $7 over on their site. Considering most books on Lightroom run $30 to $50, this guide is well worth it for the amount of information inside it. Big thanks to Brandon for allowing me to review this guide! It's been an enjoyable and educational experience.
You can find and purchase the X-Equals Lightroom 3 Mini-Guide right HERE.
What the guys over at X-Equals have done is taken a deeper look at Lightroom 3 and give us some insight into their workflow in this new version. Then, they've compressed it into this 52 page mini-guide with easy to follow screen captures and step by step instructions. Now, I've been an Adobe Lightroom users since pre-version 1.0, back when it was in beta. It's easy to say I use this program on a daily basis. So as I began reading through Brandons latest guide, I wasn't sure how much I'd learn from it. But surprisingly I found I'd fallen into a bit of a rut in my editing workflow, always doing things the same way from Lr version to Lr version. So this guide has turned out to be quite an eye opener to the many new options and ways of doing things.
As I said, the guide isn't too long at 52 pages in pdf form. Which is perfect for me since I normally have the attention span of a knatt...on crack... sipping Red Bull. But it not only kept me reading but taught me a few things. This really isn't a guide just for experienced Lightroom users. If you have the program or are thinking of trying it out, I can definitely recommend this program as a tool to give you a bit of hand-holding as you learn what is what. You'll go from beginner to novice Lr3 user very quickly with the help of this mini-guide. And being that it's in PDF format, you can quickly search it for what you're looking for. Now, this of course isn't a full length, in depth Scott Kelby Lightroom book. But it's not meant to be. This is the quick and dirty, get you importing, editing and exporting in the most efficient and least amount of time. And it accomplishes that goal very nicely.
The mini-guide sells for $7 over on their site. Considering most books on Lightroom run $30 to $50, this guide is well worth it for the amount of information inside it. Big thanks to Brandon for allowing me to review this guide! It's been an enjoyable and educational experience.
You can find and purchase the X-Equals Lightroom 3 Mini-Guide right HERE.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
This Old Opera House
While taking a recent walk around the Denton town square, I was looking around the old Opera house/Recycled Books & CD's building, trying to find an interesting photo. It has just finished raining and the skies were a flat grey. Nothing I shot seemed to really be of any interest to me.
I walked around the square one more time looking for new subjects. But as I came back around to the Opera House building, the clouds began to break and cracks in the clouds began to let a little sun glare through. I immediately knew this might give me some nice ominous clouds as a back drop to this intriguing old building. I attached my Sigma 10-20mm and got as close and as low to the building as I could. Shooting almost directly up and almost on the ground, I snapped off several photos. I then looked at my camera's LCD screen to better see what i'd captured. When I came to this photo, I knew I had one I liked.
Now, of course it wasn't this foreboding in person. But after a little work in Adobe Lightroom 3, doing b&w conversion and quite a bit of burn & dodge, I was able to create what my minds eye saw.
After it was complete I did my normal routine of uploading to Flickr and adding it to a number of groups for viewing. A couple days later I was pleasantly surprised when I was contacted by the group admin Stephan Becker of KERA.org. One of the groups I had submitted the photo to, Art & Seek, is a sub group to the KERA Art & Seek website. They highlight art, music and culture in the Dallas and North Texas area. He notified me that my photo had been selected as Photo of the Week and would be displayed on their site. Oh, exciting! So go have a look. The photo should run on the site until Tuesda, Oct. 2nd.
http://artandseek.net/2010/10/27/flickr-photo-of-the-week-101/
I walked around the square one more time looking for new subjects. But as I came back around to the Opera House building, the clouds began to break and cracks in the clouds began to let a little sun glare through. I immediately knew this might give me some nice ominous clouds as a back drop to this intriguing old building. I attached my Sigma 10-20mm and got as close and as low to the building as I could. Shooting almost directly up and almost on the ground, I snapped off several photos. I then looked at my camera's LCD screen to better see what i'd captured. When I came to this photo, I knew I had one I liked.
Now, of course it wasn't this foreboding in person. But after a little work in Adobe Lightroom 3, doing b&w conversion and quite a bit of burn & dodge, I was able to create what my minds eye saw.
After it was complete I did my normal routine of uploading to Flickr and adding it to a number of groups for viewing. A couple days later I was pleasantly surprised when I was contacted by the group admin Stephan Becker of KERA.org. One of the groups I had submitted the photo to, Art & Seek, is a sub group to the KERA Art & Seek website. They highlight art, music and culture in the Dallas and North Texas area. He notified me that my photo had been selected as Photo of the Week and would be displayed on their site. Oh, exciting! So go have a look. The photo should run on the site until Tuesda, Oct. 2nd.
http://artandseek.net/2010/10/27/flickr-photo-of-the-week-101/
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Pull, Girl... Pull!!
This little ferocious pup is Zita. Most of you who follow my Flickr stream already know this. She appears quite frequently. She is after all my best friend. She follows me around the house, hangs on my every word, misses me when I'm away and goes berserk when I come home. She wags her tail when she licks my face or when I say "Zita, daddy loves you very much". She ignores most others commands to obey, yet *mostly* hears mine. She loves cheese and spaghetti sauce.... together or separate.
In this photo we are doing probably her most favorite thing... tug-O-war. She's had this two foot long rope for a couple years now. But it's still the first thing she runs for when she's let out into the back yard. The phrase "Get your rope!" means game-on for her. And every time we play this game, I end up laughing my butt off as she pulls with all her might... growling and snarling, trying to sound as big and tough as possible. Yet I know behind all that noise and teeth is just my little teddy bear.
Most people when they meet me don't understand the bond I have with Zita. Through happy times and tough times, she has been there. Always. No questions asked. No looks of judgement. No wavering feelings or doubt. No change of heart. I am her world as much as she is mine. Ive grown up with dogs, cats, horses, goats and other pets my entire life, but never have I had such a close bond with an animal.
We truly are, best friends.
In this photo we are doing probably her most favorite thing... tug-O-war. She's had this two foot long rope for a couple years now. But it's still the first thing she runs for when she's let out into the back yard. The phrase "Get your rope!" means game-on for her. And every time we play this game, I end up laughing my butt off as she pulls with all her might... growling and snarling, trying to sound as big and tough as possible. Yet I know behind all that noise and teeth is just my little teddy bear.
Most people when they meet me don't understand the bond I have with Zita. Through happy times and tough times, she has been there. Always. No questions asked. No looks of judgement. No wavering feelings or doubt. No change of heart. I am her world as much as she is mine. Ive grown up with dogs, cats, horses, goats and other pets my entire life, but never have I had such a close bond with an animal.
We truly are, best friends.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Heroic
It's that time of year again. Cool weather rolls in, leaves fall from the trees and the State Fair of Texas goes into full swing. I finally got down there to it on its last weekend. My friends and I had a perfect day for it weather-wise and the crowds weren't horrible. We had fun taking photos, eating the classic fair junk foods and seeing all the sights.
For those who have never been, the State Fair of Texas is a HUGE deal as far as fairs go. Its a month long event held in Fair Park near downtown Dallas. You can see everything from livestock, new expensive cars and ride all kinds of crazy rides. And then of course there's the food. The fair vendors pride themselves on coming up with new things they can deep fry. Most if it I cannot stomach. Deep fried bacon is just too much. If they can think of it, they'll deep fry it. Its interesting for sure.
Needless to say the State Fair is a photographers play ground. Everywhere you look there are interesting people to photograph and exciting scenes unfolding. Kids on rides, people trying new foods, the Fair Park architecture around the stadium or the animals in the livestock exhibits. The creative eye will have a feast with the camera lens.
I hadn't been to the fair in about 4 years. I hope to make it again next year and shoot even more photos. In the past I'd taken my full camera/lens bag on my back. This year I limited myself to my camera and the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens id rented to try out. This turned out to be the perfect combination and all I needed for the day. Its low light abilities and "normal" field of view were perfect for walking around and shooting what caught my eye.
Overall a very fun day at the fair. We were exhausted by the time we got home!
For those who have never been, the State Fair of Texas is a HUGE deal as far as fairs go. Its a month long event held in Fair Park near downtown Dallas. You can see everything from livestock, new expensive cars and ride all kinds of crazy rides. And then of course there's the food. The fair vendors pride themselves on coming up with new things they can deep fry. Most if it I cannot stomach. Deep fried bacon is just too much. If they can think of it, they'll deep fry it. Its interesting for sure.
Needless to say the State Fair is a photographers play ground. Everywhere you look there are interesting people to photograph and exciting scenes unfolding. Kids on rides, people trying new foods, the Fair Park architecture around the stadium or the animals in the livestock exhibits. The creative eye will have a feast with the camera lens.
I hadn't been to the fair in about 4 years. I hope to make it again next year and shoot even more photos. In the past I'd taken my full camera/lens bag on my back. This year I limited myself to my camera and the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens id rented to try out. This turned out to be the perfect combination and all I needed for the day. Its low light abilities and "normal" field of view were perfect for walking around and shooting what caught my eye.
Overall a very fun day at the fair. We were exhausted by the time we got home!
8\100: Nife
My 100 Strangers Project slowly rolls onward. This past weekend I met Nife, a University of North Texas Engineering student from Morocco. I tend to be an opportunist when it comes to shooting my strangers. Some i have done cold walks up's to and explained my project. Others are people who have engaged me in conversation for some reason. While I have their attention, I use that as an ice breaker to grab their portrait. This was the case with Nife. He was introduced to me by another friend at the bar and I knew he'd be a great subject. He was very outgoing, friendly and very willing to help with my project.
We were all at the bar that night to watch a Burlesque show. Now, Id never been to one before but I knew what they were about. Nive didn't really know what to expect. I think he was a bit taken back at the amount of skin exposed that night. haha He also asked if it was normal for women in this town to dress as they were that night in the bar. What he meant by that was the 1950's era clothes they were all wearing. I explained to him, no... that's just kind of the theme of the night. He was amused. It was a fun night, everyone enjoyed.
We were all at the bar that night to watch a Burlesque show. Now, Id never been to one before but I knew what they were about. Nive didn't really know what to expect. I think he was a bit taken back at the amount of skin exposed that night. haha He also asked if it was normal for women in this town to dress as they were that night in the bar. What he meant by that was the 1950's era clothes they were all wearing. I explained to him, no... that's just kind of the theme of the night. He was amused. It was a fun night, everyone enjoyed.
Friday, October 08, 2010
The Long Road Ahead
Sometimes you find a photograph where you didn't expect one. This photo is a prime example of that. I recently went for a photo drive, which is where I get in my car and try my best to get lost out in the country. Hopefully to find interesting photos along the way. I had been driving for about 45 minutes not finding anything that peaked my interest. The sun was dropping fast and I knew I probably only had 25 minutes or so of good "magic hour" lighting left in the evening. As I drove I kept my 7D camera with 24-105mm lens attached, sitting in my lap. Id followed this dirt road for about 15 minutes and was about to turn around. Then, I crested a hill top and saw this scene infront of me. A pickup truck had just sped down the road ahead of me kicking up all that dust. I slammed on the breaks and thought "whoa", this is a shot! I was still parked on the top of the hill in my car as I snapped away. I took several shots as the dust cloud slowly drifted away like a morning fog. Everything seemed to just fall into place... the hill top, evening lighting, tree colors, dust. Everything to make my drive that evening worth while.
Photo-drive = Success.
Photo-drive = Success.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The 100 Strangers Project
After a few months hiatus from blogging, I'm back. Ive finally found a project I feel is worth posting about. It's called the 100 Strangers Project. The goal is simple, yet very challenging; meet and converse with 100 strangers, then take their portrait. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. One of the reasons I've taken on this project is to help conquer my fear of talking to strangers and taking better street photography of those I do not know.
Those who follow my photography over at my flickr stream know I've completed the 52 Week Self Portrait Project. This was to help me get over my fears of being in front of the camera. It did really help me. I now can take a decent self portrait without looking like a complete dorkus. Hopefully this project will give me the confidence the 52 week project gave.
So, this is my first Stranger portrait, Collin. I went with some friends to Lee Harvey's in Dallas to watch a very interesting band perform. As I was shooting photos of the band, I noticed Collin also taking pictures. He had just the unique look to convince me he had to be my first Stranger portrait. I approached him as the band was still playing and screamed "Hey man can i take your picture!?" Yeah I know, kind of insane. He looked at me with a half smile and said Ok. We worked our way through the crowd, over to the bar where the lighting was better. I explained the 100 Strangers project and introduced myself. I had him pose in front of the bar and I fired off two or three photos. I was most happy with this one. I then handed Collin one of my cards instructing him where he could see his photo. A quick hand shake and we were both off into the crowd to continue our band photography.
Big thanks to Collin for helping me out!
Those who follow my photography over at my flickr stream know I've completed the 52 Week Self Portrait Project. This was to help me get over my fears of being in front of the camera. It did really help me. I now can take a decent self portrait without looking like a complete dorkus. Hopefully this project will give me the confidence the 52 week project gave.
So, this is my first Stranger portrait, Collin. I went with some friends to Lee Harvey's in Dallas to watch a very interesting band perform. As I was shooting photos of the band, I noticed Collin also taking pictures. He had just the unique look to convince me he had to be my first Stranger portrait. I approached him as the band was still playing and screamed "Hey man can i take your picture!?" Yeah I know, kind of insane. He looked at me with a half smile and said Ok. We worked our way through the crowd, over to the bar where the lighting was better. I explained the 100 Strangers project and introduced myself. I had him pose in front of the bar and I fired off two or three photos. I was most happy with this one. I then handed Collin one of my cards instructing him where he could see his photo. A quick hand shake and we were both off into the crowd to continue our band photography.
Big thanks to Collin for helping me out!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Just People Watching
Just People Watching
Originally uploaded by Thorpeland
The one feature I had been ignoring was the camera's ability to shoot full HD video. I started out as a video guy. Coming out of college my degree is in Broadcast Journalism. I spent hundreds of hours in the editing bay and with the video equipment. I enjoyed photography at the time, but dreaded film developing or the expense of it all. Digital photography just wasn't affordable like it is now. Anyhow, i enjoyed working with video and figured thats where id stay. Funny how a decade can turn that around. So I found myself with some free time last night and decided it was time to give the 7D's video a good test run.
I headed down to the main square in Denton, knowing it would be buzzing with activity. There's always people out shopping, hanging out, going to the coffee shops, playing music or just people watching. Like me. A perfect scenario for a little street videoagraphy. Using a variety of lenses ranging from the 70-200 f/2.8 to the 50mm f/1.4 I walked around the square capturing people, un-noticed. After a couple of hours of gathering footage I came home, unloaded everything into Sony Vegas 9 and started piecing it all together. The music I used was called "Vale of Plenty" from the soundtrack of Blackhawk Down. I felt it gave the scene a relaxing mood, yet put a slight tension in it, showing the scene is alive and could change at any moment. If that makes any sense? haha
So here it is, my very first video made with the Canon 7D. I think its a good start. I'll probably do a few more just for the fun of it.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
December Racing
One of my favorite events to photograph has to be moto-cross or enduro off-road racing. Recently my friend JB asked if Id like to come out and take some photos of his upcoming race. Being that it was early December, it was cold, rainy and very muddy that week. Of course i wanted to come out!! I knew the weather would make for some excellent photographs. Its these tough conditions which bring out the drama of the day, the emotions of the riders and look awesome when frozen in the right moment.
There were several places on the track where I could tell would be perfect for what I was looking for. After a bit of a hike along the track, I came across this large flooded area in a field. The course took riders directly through it, no way to avoid it! I setup where I could shoot riders as they approached me and went past. As they began to notice me, some would hit the water with extra throttle to show off a bit for the camera. This kid was one of them. But as he nailed the throttle, he almost lost control and bit it. haha He did recover and rode out of the mud. But when i saw this shot on my camera LCD I knew i had a good one. This is probably one of my favorite shots of the day.
There were several places on the track where I could tell would be perfect for what I was looking for. After a bit of a hike along the track, I came across this large flooded area in a field. The course took riders directly through it, no way to avoid it! I setup where I could shoot riders as they approached me and went past. As they began to notice me, some would hit the water with extra throttle to show off a bit for the camera. This kid was one of them. But as he nailed the throttle, he almost lost control and bit it. haha He did recover and rode out of the mud. But when i saw this shot on my camera LCD I knew i had a good one. This is probably one of my favorite shots of the day.
Stand By For Lift Off
Finally, getting a chance to add some posts to the blog. I'll start with this November shoot I had for my friend Paul. He recently bought a 2010 Chevy Camaro and approached me about getting some photos done of it. Id always wanted to do add some automotive photography to my portfolio, so this was the perfect chance to shoot a sharp looking car.
I had him wash it good and show up at a local rail yard in town. I felt this made the perfect backdrop for this car. I think it seemed to work well, adding a gritty, tough feeling to the images. The car looked great and was fun to shoot and later edit. I learned a few things and realized a few things I wish id done differently during the shoot. But overall im happy with the results. And so was Paul, which is what counts since it is his car. haha It wasn't difficult to make this car look mean and lean. And the photos really showed its color and body shape off well.
I had him wash it good and show up at a local rail yard in town. I felt this made the perfect backdrop for this car. I think it seemed to work well, adding a gritty, tough feeling to the images. The car looked great and was fun to shoot and later edit. I learned a few things and realized a few things I wish id done differently during the shoot. But overall im happy with the results. And so was Paul, which is what counts since it is his car. haha It wasn't difficult to make this car look mean and lean. And the photos really showed its color and body shape off well.
Friday, October 30, 2009
New Gear!
For those who know me, they know photography is a huge part of my daily life. Most of my college buddies remember me as the guy who had some type of camera always with me, taking pictures, (some incriminating) of our daily lives. It's ingrained in me.
Well for the past 3 years I had used a very reliable Canon 30D. As time wore on I began to outgrow it. Not to mention camera technology began to really make it look dated. It was time to upgrade. For the past 6 months id been watching rumors of a new line of camera from Canon. Then it was announced, the Canon 7D was real! I pre-ordered mine as soon as I could.
Well finally after almost two months of waiting, it arrived! What a beast. Thats the best way of putting it. I kind of feel like someone who had been taken from the 1970's and dropped down in 2009.... in terms of camera tech. haha I know, that's a bit of an exaggeration. But people who had been shooting with more recent models, like the Canon 50D, might just think "ok the 7D is cool and all". But to me, its a massive jump in every aspect of photography. Everything I had wished the 30D could do, the 7D does. It man is it fast. For example, a long exposure shot of say... 30 seconds, would sit processing in my 30D for at least another 30 seconds. So i would sit and look at the little dark screen, watching the red buffer light flicker. With the 7D, the shutter of the 30 second exposure closes and in roughly 1 second the image appears! Thats the dual DIGIC IV processors doing their job. Sweet!!
Its body feels very similar to the Canon 5DMKII. Those who have one will feel like their holding their 5D when holding the 7D. Even the controls are similar. Its very comfortable to grip, feels solid, but not too heavy. Ive got the BG-E7 battery grip on mine, which does increase the weight a bit, but I'm so used to shooting with a grip I don't think I could go back to not using one. Its really nice.
One of the first things I noticed when taking the 7D out for some night shooting is its sensitivity to light. Its SO much better than my 30D was. I was shocked. I can shoot at a slightly lower ISO than I could with my 30D to get the same result. This is good because it means less "noise" from a long exposure. Im also in love with the large view finder. I didn't realize how much the 30D was cutting off from the eyes view. I look through the 7D's view finder and I feel like im suddenly looking through a full frame camera's view. I know im not, but I can see that much more! Its really.... eye opening. hah Another feature new to me is Live View. My neck likes this feature. As now I can take low to the ground shots without having to either lay flat on my stomach or painfully bend my neck to see through the view finder. Its real easy to look at the bright 3 inch screen and compose my shot.
Anyhow there are so many bells and whistles on this camera its mind boggling. I could go on and on about it, but I'll just close by saying I have zero buyers remorse over this baby. Its an investment in my photography and has met all of my expectations. If you're on the fence about getting one and you don't mind shooting with a 1.6x cropped sensor, get this camera... NOW. Oh and dont worry about digital noise. Its even beating the Nikon D300s in noise tests! Really kicking it in the nuts at ISO3200 and higher. I love it!
As you can see, im happy with this camera. :-)
Well for the past 3 years I had used a very reliable Canon 30D. As time wore on I began to outgrow it. Not to mention camera technology began to really make it look dated. It was time to upgrade. For the past 6 months id been watching rumors of a new line of camera from Canon. Then it was announced, the Canon 7D was real! I pre-ordered mine as soon as I could.
Well finally after almost two months of waiting, it arrived! What a beast. Thats the best way of putting it. I kind of feel like someone who had been taken from the 1970's and dropped down in 2009.... in terms of camera tech. haha I know, that's a bit of an exaggeration. But people who had been shooting with more recent models, like the Canon 50D, might just think "ok the 7D is cool and all". But to me, its a massive jump in every aspect of photography. Everything I had wished the 30D could do, the 7D does. It man is it fast. For example, a long exposure shot of say... 30 seconds, would sit processing in my 30D for at least another 30 seconds. So i would sit and look at the little dark screen, watching the red buffer light flicker. With the 7D, the shutter of the 30 second exposure closes and in roughly 1 second the image appears! Thats the dual DIGIC IV processors doing their job. Sweet!!
Its body feels very similar to the Canon 5DMKII. Those who have one will feel like their holding their 5D when holding the 7D. Even the controls are similar. Its very comfortable to grip, feels solid, but not too heavy. Ive got the BG-E7 battery grip on mine, which does increase the weight a bit, but I'm so used to shooting with a grip I don't think I could go back to not using one. Its really nice.
One of the first things I noticed when taking the 7D out for some night shooting is its sensitivity to light. Its SO much better than my 30D was. I was shocked. I can shoot at a slightly lower ISO than I could with my 30D to get the same result. This is good because it means less "noise" from a long exposure. Im also in love with the large view finder. I didn't realize how much the 30D was cutting off from the eyes view. I look through the 7D's view finder and I feel like im suddenly looking through a full frame camera's view. I know im not, but I can see that much more! Its really.... eye opening. hah Another feature new to me is Live View. My neck likes this feature. As now I can take low to the ground shots without having to either lay flat on my stomach or painfully bend my neck to see through the view finder. Its real easy to look at the bright 3 inch screen and compose my shot.
Anyhow there are so many bells and whistles on this camera its mind boggling. I could go on and on about it, but I'll just close by saying I have zero buyers remorse over this baby. Its an investment in my photography and has met all of my expectations. If you're on the fence about getting one and you don't mind shooting with a 1.6x cropped sensor, get this camera... NOW. Oh and dont worry about digital noise. Its even beating the Nikon D300s in noise tests! Really kicking it in the nuts at ISO3200 and higher. I love it!
As you can see, im happy with this camera. :-)
Gouls, Goblins and Cross Dressers!
There are few places I could go which would fit that title. In this case it was the Oak Lawn Halloween Block Party! If you're into people watching, this was THE place to be. I would have to guess there were at least 10,000 people packed into a 6 city block radius. In the epicenter of this mass of humanity was the center attraction... the runway. On the Runway, participants line up and take turns having their character introduced to the jam packed crowd on each side of the barriers as they make the walk down the path. The crowd in this area is crushing to say the least. It wasn't easy to move even a few feet and trying to do it while wearing camera gear was that much more difficult!
While at the block party I think I saw every type of costume there possibly could be. And even some of the most creative ones id never thought of. It was my first time this event. Id been invited a few times in the past but never made it. I'll definitely have to go again next year. Big thanks to Craig and Bex for the invite. It was a blast.
So, until next Halloween Oak Lawn... I'll be back!
While at the block party I think I saw every type of costume there possibly could be. And even some of the most creative ones id never thought of. It was my first time this event. Id been invited a few times in the past but never made it. I'll definitely have to go again next year. Big thanks to Craig and Bex for the invite. It was a blast.
So, until next Halloween Oak Lawn... I'll be back!
It's a Parade!
On Saturday October 17th I headed up to Whiteboro Texas to catch the annual Peanut Festival. This small North Texas town has held this even for something like 70 years (from what im told). It had been about 10 years since I had been and I had a free Saturday, so I packed up the camera gear and drove north.
I was surprised to see how much the festival had grown since my last visit. Back when I last attended, the booths' filled Main Street and that was really about it. Fast forward 10 years and the festival now fills Main Street and extends 2 street deep on each side. Not to mention the crowd, it seems, has about tripled! But this was a good thing for me as a photographer. With the parade, the old west gun fighters show and plenty of people to observer and take pictures of, I knew it would be a good time.
I started out the morning by taking my spot on the parade route on Main Street. I had to really jostle for position with a bunch of cub scouts, but I found a spot! As the parade vehicles rolled by, I was able to get a number of really fun shots. The photo in this post was one I really felt captured the day. An old war vet riding in the back of a pick-up truck waving to the crowd. The Peanut Festival and Whitesboro are really classic Americana and this parade showed it. I think if anyone from another country was to be visiting here and attend this parade they would be thinking "this is what I picture when I think of small town USA".
After the parade I walked up the street a bit and found my seat again for the Old West Gun Fight. It was really entertaining to watch the 6 actors dressed in the old west theme act out a dispute, settled with riffles and revolvers. Ah.. America!! ;-) Watching the reaction of the people in the crowd as the guns went off was almost as interesting as the gun fight itself.
I continued to walk the street after the fun fight and found myself infront of Eye of the Storm Photography. It had been so long since Id last been to Whitesboro, I didn't even realize someone had opened a photo studio right on Main street! That someone turned out to be a friendly fellow photog named Mike (I can't remember his last name!). We immediately started talking shop as he showed me around his studio. It was a real treat that I didn't expect to find up in "the boro". Mike's a super nice guy and a great photog, so if you're ever up in the Whitesboro Texas area, stop in and say hi.
I left the festival around 2pm with a memory card full of photos. I had a pretty good time, better than I thought Id have. I may just have to venture up there for no real reason at all. There's some great photo opportunities!
I was surprised to see how much the festival had grown since my last visit. Back when I last attended, the booths' filled Main Street and that was really about it. Fast forward 10 years and the festival now fills Main Street and extends 2 street deep on each side. Not to mention the crowd, it seems, has about tripled! But this was a good thing for me as a photographer. With the parade, the old west gun fighters show and plenty of people to observer and take pictures of, I knew it would be a good time.
I started out the morning by taking my spot on the parade route on Main Street. I had to really jostle for position with a bunch of cub scouts, but I found a spot! As the parade vehicles rolled by, I was able to get a number of really fun shots. The photo in this post was one I really felt captured the day. An old war vet riding in the back of a pick-up truck waving to the crowd. The Peanut Festival and Whitesboro are really classic Americana and this parade showed it. I think if anyone from another country was to be visiting here and attend this parade they would be thinking "this is what I picture when I think of small town USA".
After the parade I walked up the street a bit and found my seat again for the Old West Gun Fight. It was really entertaining to watch the 6 actors dressed in the old west theme act out a dispute, settled with riffles and revolvers. Ah.. America!! ;-) Watching the reaction of the people in the crowd as the guns went off was almost as interesting as the gun fight itself.
I continued to walk the street after the fun fight and found myself infront of Eye of the Storm Photography. It had been so long since Id last been to Whitesboro, I didn't even realize someone had opened a photo studio right on Main street! That someone turned out to be a friendly fellow photog named Mike (I can't remember his last name!). We immediately started talking shop as he showed me around his studio. It was a real treat that I didn't expect to find up in "the boro". Mike's a super nice guy and a great photog, so if you're ever up in the Whitesboro Texas area, stop in and say hi.
I left the festival around 2pm with a memory card full of photos. I had a pretty good time, better than I thought Id have. I may just have to venture up there for no real reason at all. There's some great photo opportunities!
Friday, October 02, 2009
Summers Last Gasp
As I pulled into the garage last night while coming home from work, thunderstorms were really building up and rains were coming down heavy. But it was odd because the sun was still shining through the north end of the clouds where the storm had not reached yet. I looked out over the back yard with the sun shining towards the house, I got the idea for an interesting shot. Even though it was fall season, it felt like a warm summer shower. I grabbed my camera and laid down on the kitchen floor with the back door open. This allowed me to shoot slightly into the sun and the falling rain, using some un-mowed weeds around the back porch as a subject. I really thought the glow of the sun through the cat tails with streams of rain coming down really captured the feel of the moment. It was nice.
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