Face-off

At the beginning of the month, I attended my first hockey game. It was awesome! A couple of fights and lots of checking into the boards. Oh, it was great! I'll admit I jumped when a player was slammed right in front of me. The poor guy's face, flat against the glass, reminded me of a child pushing his/her face up against glass and making faces and blowing their cheeks out.
It is a difficult sport to photograph, as I found out, and those who do it well get my respect and admiration. Valarie, the Utah Grizzlies photographer, gave me the tickets and some tips. Understanding the game and anticipation of the action are key. A BIG thanks to her. At times I was so busy watching the game and trying to follow the puck that I forgot to photograph what I was watching. When I got the camera up to my eye the action was over or I had missed the best part. We live and learn don't we.
The reflections off the glass are a bit annoying. I could not use a CPL, it would take away to much light. I did not want to get my ISO up to high. I thought the pictures turned out okay for my first game. May-be I'll have better luck next time.
D200, 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, f/2.8, 1/200 sec., ISO 400. Manual settings. Some levels correction.

Balloon Burst!

All the above pictures were shot with a D200, at f/2.8, 1/8000 sec., ISO 1600, spot metering, tripod and with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.



I dare you to shoot pictures like these! We had a fun day of shooting today. If you attempt this make sure you have enough light. Lots of light is the key. I believe we will try this again during the summer, outside with the noon day sun. Did I tell you, you need a ton of light! A camera with a high burst rate helps too.

"We" are: Paul my friend and his new Nikon D300s, my son and I. We set up in the garage with lights, cameras, water balloons, and two types of darts. A special thanks to my son who was sent in and out of the house several times to get all the little things we needed to pull off this shoot. He also blew and threw darts for us. Thanks bud!

The chance to shoot at 1/8000 of a second does not come along too often. I was afraid I would not be able to keep up with the D300s. In ISO capability I did not. My ISO 1600 did not hold a candle to that of the D300s. For this reason I remind you to have lots of light when attempting this type of picture. We finally open the garage door to flood the area with sunlight. Next time we will be completely outside. Also get a large bucket and fill it with water balloons so you don’t have to stop and fill balloons as often. I hope you enjoy the balloon bursting shots. We discussed some variations for the next time so it looks as though there will be more balloon bursting in the future.

I saved the best for last! The following pictures are from Paul. Shot with a Nikon D300s, Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, seven frames per second burst rate, a tripod and a big smile! Enjoy the new camera Paul. Thanks, the pictures are awesome!

Engagement Pictures

My sister-in-law is getting married and I took engagement pictures for them. I must admit is was fun, but a lot harder than many of you make it look! My hat goes off to those of you who do this type of photography all the time. The thought of shooting a wedding scares me to death! The pressure! The mothers! The bride! The white dress! No thanks!

There are few enhancements to the photos, not a lot. I think when it warms up again, I will invite them out to do this again. I have set a goal for myself this year to photograph more people. I will be looking for volunteers, my children and spouse will only do so much!

I just finished a few more books by Bryan Peterson. Understanding Shutter Speed and Beyond Portraiture both are a good read and inspirational. Add them to your own library. I found the book on shutter speed to be more helpful, because I like shooting action. Please let me know if you have read any books about photography that you have found helpful. I could always learn more. Thanks for stopping by.

At The Car Wash

It was a nice day today, so I gave to truck a wash and turned it into a photo op! It's a good thing my ugly mug is blurred by the wet and soapy window! I was hoping for a brighter day, with blue sky. The whole day was overcast but I still got a few shots in.

Waiting For Spring

It will be nice to have the spring season here again. I look forward to the flowers and greenery again. The snow is nice and we need the water, but gray is not one of my favorite colors. Used a d200, 105mm f/2.8 macro lens, and some flowers bought at a store!

All In!

A little game of poker anyone?


With a hand like this you had better go all in!


I am not a gambling man but, you can bet it fun taking these pictures!

Lookin'

As of late, I have not wanted to get out in the cold and snow for pictures. Reflecting on some of my past work and being inspired by many of the blogs I follow. I had a strong desire to get out and try my hand at some wildlife photography again. The American Bald Eagle, was my choice but with no success I had to settle for a seagull and a few small ducks.

On the western side of the city Farmington there is a wild bird refuge - Farmington Bay. At times it is off limits to everyone, breading season, and other times it is opened to hunters, in the fall and only in some areas. The month of February is well known to have a large quantity of bald eagles visiting the bay. Not when I show up, of course! I did see a few but lack the large enough lens to capture them. Add it to my wish list, right!

I thought of a fellow blogger, Keith at holdingmoments an avid bird photographer who is recovering from a serious health issue, who has not been able to get out lately. I know he would love to spend time in this area, but since he can not, this one is for you Keith. Best wishes for a speedy recovery and beautiful day to get out a do what you love to do.

Foot Clips!

My wife found these "paper clips" at some store. My children took many of them to school to use. Sometimes it is fun to have a silly last name. I use these to keep all my important papers from running away! LOL!

More Orange Slices

I changed the back ground, the point of focus and depth of field in these pictures. I love using a macro lens, it's so much fun!

Orange Slice

I got the idea to shoot this picture from a book by Bryan Peterson entitled, Understanding Close-up Photography. If you come across the book, I suggest you buy it. It will make a great addition to the library. In it he uses a lemon slice with a green back ground. My version has an orange slice and a blue back ground. I know, not my original idea but doing this has helped pull me out of a photography slump. Thanks Bryan! I have a lighting kit (check one off the wish list) and have not used it very much. I set up at the kitchen table and spent about two hours experimenting. The orange slice was just one of a few items to be captured. Check back for the others. I used a Nikon 105mm f/2.8 micro lens, f/7.1, 1/50 sec., ISO 400. Auto levels correction was utilized to enhance the background. I used sparkling water and a little salt to keep the bubbles bubbling. I have some other ideas to try when the fruit is back in season.

Lucky Seven, Any Way You Look At It!

Aperture priority mode, f/11, 1/10 sec., ISO 100, Nikon's new 85mm micro lens on my trusty D200. Some levels adjustment and a little clean up of the dice.

Nikon's AF-S DX Micro 85mm f/3.5G ED VR lens is pretty impressive. It is light weight, compared to their 105mm micro, sharp, and fun to use. If only there where flowers in bloom! This lens may have to be added to the bag!

Winter Time Fun

It's all fun and games until some gets hurt. Then it's hilarious!!


In your face!


Olympic hopeful?


Good old fashion family fun.