I’m a fan of chronological order in my blog posts…it helps keep me straight and organized versus just spewing out words in any which order. So although I think some photos from Monday 1/18 and some of my iPhone pictures from the week, if you haven’t…
This photo was just a quick test for my 80-200mm zoom lens, to make sure that it was still functioning properly after having been dropped from waist height Sunday evening when my bag strap broke walking out of the Civic Center from basketball game…but I saw this shot in the afternoon sun, over the fence in our backyard, and knew I could not only test the functionality of the lens, but make ART as well!
And for some more tree/leaf shots…I saw this image in my head at the beginning of a run at the Greenway with one of my friends, and knew that I wanted to take a picture of its stark contrast as soon as we finished.
Then some shots at one of my favorite study spots: a local midtown coffee shop…
And eventually…I’ll go take a long exposure shot with this same composition, because it has so many layers and looks so triply…
And then one last image from Monday, that I discreetly grabbed while my fellow coach was talking to the Middle/Early-high school group.
Tuesday…I was perusing the infamous Instagram, and saw that two of the FSU Men’s Basketball players had used one of my pictures…It doesn’t matter when this happens, or in what sport – one of the reasons I enjoy photography is seeing other people happy, or proud, or excited, or whatever. Whenever the soccer players used my shots, or whenever swimmers use them, my heart glows a little.
Wednesday evening, I was asked to photograph an American Cancer Society in the University Center Club at FSU, and although none of the pictures were STELLAR (the lighting in that building is ATROCIOUS, frankly it was the worst lighting I’ve ever shot in – worse even than MMA or the skate rink) I did get some shots that the ACS was pleased with.
And with a little bit of forethought, some wireless flash triggers, and a 10.5mm fisheye lens, I was able to take a portrait of the entire group in attendance – which sort of blew some minds. It also blew my mind a bit, since (and I did the math here) to make a high-quality image with everyone in focus here, I had to change my settings from the non-flash settings I’d been using. This meant, using two AA-powered flashes, I had to add more than seven times the light that the camera itself was seeing. Which wowed me a bit.
And then (with the same fisheye…I really LOVE that lens – it just has some sort of something special to it…) I grabbed this shot of some people playing a bit of soccer on the intramural fields next to the garage I was parked in.
Thursday, I was tasked with taking some portraits of the Tallahassee Police Department’s TAC (Tactical Apprehension and Control) Team, but alas, was asked to not share them. So imagine a cool portrait…haha.
I also got to FINALLY pick up the collage poster that I had printed in December. I tried to go through the entire season of FSU Women’s Soccer, and pick out a picture of each player (that I shot) and then I made a collage, and thought it would be cool to have them sign it…it took a while, and fan-boy feelings aside, I think the final result is pretty damn cool.
And then after I’d screwed around for a while setting up lights to take a self portrait with it… 😀
But! The most photo fun I had all week was shooing Men’s Basketball versus Pitt last night. It marked only my fourth game shooting basketball, but during my second game, I found out that sometimes photographers go up into the catwalks/rafters of the Civic Center, and although it was pointed out to me, and I realized that not a whole lot of photos can come from sitting up there, my interest was piqued. However, none of the guys who I had been talking to during the games wanted/offered to take me up, I waited, since I didn’t want to press my luck with a sport that I had only just begun to be involved with.
BUT! One of the photographers I meant shooting soccer offered to show up to the game (if he had the time – he’s extraordinarily busy) and take me up…
And he did…
And I got a few pretty…well…I thought this one was damn epic, but the rest were purely to make sure I got some of the game, and while they’re different, they certainly aren’t AMAZING.
Walking out over the court now…
It’s roughly 100 feet down, standing on grated metal walkways. Not really SCARY, but slightly unnerving.
And then some shots!
And while not of the game…I thought this shot was especially neat…just a bunch of photographers, videographers, and reporters/live-tweeters at their computers.
And then from the rest of the game, sitting court-side…
I was very pleased with this picture (below…) because I have just given up on trying to get an inspiring image of free-throws – they’re just too boring. But I was sitting at the right angle, and started to see this develop in front of me, and got my focus just right to capture several different layers, and the concentration of the shooter.
The Golden Girls doing a country-themed routine…
During halftime Charlie Ward (Thank you to the photographer who explained who he was and why he was important…) and several other FSU Alum returned to the game for a free-throw contest.
Although the graphic from FSU was distributed via Instagram post-game, I think it’s cool to show it in context, in the same timeframe right next to the original image, which…wait for it…was MINE!
Some intense discussion and dem feels as FSU tries to scrape a win against the ranked(?) Pitt team.
Bacon tries to keep a ball in-bounds…
The Pitt head coach prior to being given a technical foul.
Final score: 74-72 Pitt. A fight the whole way. I enjoyed shooting it, and it was made even funnier by the fact that when I got out to my car, I decided to take a selfie with my media pass, because it was the first time that I was recognized pre-game and there wasn’t a big fuss made about going to find my pass, AND because the guys who I handed cards off to were scrambling at one point (well, not scrambling, but twice during the game they were pushing for images…). And My pass was #009, which means out of all the media members that didn’t hold a season pass, I was the ninth one written. I felt moderately special.
AND – while the photo wasn’t from yesterday, I feel like it’s a pretty cool thing that I was gifted this hand-painted cooler, and it FINALLY got some use yesterday that wasn’t holding Christmas presents in my living room. And that at the barbecue I took it to, I got to watch an international soccer (USA vs IRL) on TV with some people who area very knowledgeable of the sport.
And lastly, I thought I’d round out the post with a picture of the gingerbread cookies my brother made today because he was bored and the weather was a bit nippy.
Have an excellent week, readers! Thank you, I hope you enjoyed the post! (I’m actually pretty proud of the readability factor here – my thoughts don’t resemble scrambled eggs TOO closely.)
-Colin
