Along with several other events over the last week I covered the Norfolk Admirals vs Idaho Steelheads series. The Steelheads won 2 out of the 3 games but it was still a pretty good series overall. Here are some photos from the series. Enjoy.
Outer Banks Marathon
Covered the Outer Banks Marathon over the weekend. Here are a few of the photos. Enjoy.
Marshall vs Old Dominion Football
Went out tonight to Old Dominion University to cover the Marshall vs ODU football game for a newspaper in West Virginia (where Marshall is from). To say the least the game was both fun an challenging at the same time. It was fun because I really enjoy photographing college football but it was challenging because I was primarily photographing Marshall who ended up not doing very good and had a low time of possession. ODU ended up winning 38 to 14 with Marshall scoring their second touchdown of the game with only seconds left in the fourth quarter. Here are a few photos from the game. Enjoy.
Winter Sports Kickoff
I wrote last week about a short break before winter sports kick off. Thankfully I have about 2 weeks of light coverage before I start picking up the pace again with winter sports. With that being said, this past weekend was not a light weekend for me. I ended up covering three games in two days along with some other work on the side.
Two of the games were Norfolk Admirals hockey games. As embarrassing as this is, I've never had the opportunity to cover hockey before. To say the least it was quite an experience. Here are a few of the photos I got at the Saturday night game. Enjoy.
Sports Round Up
Playoffs are just around the corner and so is my break before winter sports start but games are still happening every night. Here's a few photos from games I covered last week. Enjoy.
Who Do I Shoot For?
I get asked all the time if I still shoot for newspapers and wire services. The short answer is yes I do. The long answer is yes I do, but not as frequently as I have in the past, and there are some limitations to what/when I am allowed to use the photos as portfolio work.
The majority of what I do now comes from individual schools and newspapers that hire me to photograph single games. However, with that being said over the last several months one of the newspapers I have been contributing to on a consistent basis has been the VIrginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia. Here are some clippings of work that I have done for the Pilot over the last several months. Enjoy.
Last week in sports
Sports seasons are always a busy time for me and because of that I don’t get much time to update this blog. Last week was a slower week and I only photographed three games. Here's a few of the photos I got from those games. Enjoy.
Lightroom Graduated Filters
One of the ways you can get your photos to pop in Adobe Lightroom is by using the graduated filter tools. In Lightroom there are two types there is the straight graduated filter and radial graduated filter. Personally Im not a fan of the radial graduated filter because a lot of times it leads to halos around the subjects.
What graduated filters basically do is add an adjustment layer on the photo that you can edit to add more color, contrast, exposure changes, etc but because its graduated there is a transition between the area that is covered by the layer and the area not covered by the layer.
Another thing I use a lot is the adjustment brush. I use this in the same way as the graduated filter but its not going to have the transition between the adjusted and non adjusted area. Both are great tools to use but like I say in the video you have to take your time and be patient for them to render good results.
Check out the video above to see how I use both.
White Seamless in Studio
Hurricane Matthew is behind us and it gave me the chance to get some editing done from shoots I did in studio over the last few days. Decided to go with white seamless for these two shoots and here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy.
Sports Roundup
High school sports are back in full swing and I've been covering more games now. Here are a few of the photos I've taken over the last week at different games. Enjoy.
Back in the Studio
Was back in the studio over the weekend to do a shoot with Chriss Reynolds. Chriss is a fantastic model to work with and we got a ton of great photos from the shoot. Check out some of the other work she's done here. Here are some of my personal favorites from the shoot. Enjoy.
Outer Banks Triathlon
Last weekend I went down and covered the Outer Banks Triathlon. This was a two day event with two different length triathlons on Saturday and a sprint triathlon on Sunday. Since I was one of several photographers contracted to cover the race we all had different positions to set up and photograph at.
Mine position was covering the cycling portion of the race both days. I set up at the foot of a bridge so I could get the cyclists coming down the final hill. I shot these with my D500 and 200-400 f4. This gave me the length to start photographing them towards the top of the hill so if there was a group I could easily zoom out and have time to capture the whole group.
Another thing I also did was I put the camera on my tripod with Manfrotto 502HD video head. I did this for a few reasons. The first reason was I knew the race was going to be long and I didn't want to wear out my arms over several hours handholding or using a monopod. The second reason was using the video head I could get very smooth pans and tilts to track the cyclists. Since the 502HD also has a counterbalance system I didn't have to lock the tripod head when I let go which gave me the ability to wait for cyclists to come down the hill then grab the camera and start shooting without having to unlock the head. Check out the video to the right to see the movement and counter balance.
Overall it was a good weekend and got a ton of great shots. Here's a couple i got from the triathlon that I liked. Enjoy.
Basic Editing for Portraits
Just a quick video on the basic editing I do when I photograph portraits. I start by doing basic edits in Adobe Lightroom (color, white balance, exposure, etc) then export the photo. I then open the photos in Adobe Photoshop to do more in depth editing.
Once Im in Photoshop the first thing I do is remove the highlights on the subject. I do this by creating a new layer, cloning out the highlighted areas, then dropping down the opacity on the cloned layer so it's not as noticeable.
I then use a technique know as "Frequency Separation." I don’t get in depth on frequency separation but there are a ton of good tutorials online regarding this.
From there I do a pass using the Imagenomic Portraiture filter. In Portraiture I use "Smoothing: Medium" in the program but I bring down the opacity of the layer so its not as noticeable and more natural. The last step I do is an action I created to slightly sharpen the eyes.
If you have any questions on any of the techniques feel free to send me a message. Check out the video above to see me go through the steps quickly.
Sports Photography: Camera Settings
Brief overview of the basic settings I use for sports photography. Just a disclaimer, these are just general guidelines that I have found that work for me. Another note, I always shoot in either manual or shutter priority mode. Using these modes (as compared to auto or sports mode) give you much more control over the camera and the images you will capture.
AF-C
I use AF-C (autofocus continuous) for all my sports photography. As far as the actual mode goes I prefer single point or Dynamic-25 depending on the camera Im using. I would recommend you avoid the auto point selection or 3D tracking. Personally I have found they don’t work well for most field sports.
FPS
Use the highest frame per second rate you camera has and capture quick 1-2 second bursts of action. Personally I shoot around 10 frames per second. This allows me to capture the full sequence then go and pick the best of the best frame.
Shutter Speed
Typically you want the fastest shutter speed possible to freeze action in sports images. I have found that shooting at least 1/1000 will freeze action pretty well. If you can shoot faster, by all means increase your shutter speed. What I have found shooting slower than 1/1000 is there is a good bit of motion blur introduced into the hands and feet of the players. Now with that being said depending on the lighting I will go down to 1/500 but that is typically the slowest I will go. With 1/500 you have to be much more accurate with your panning and focus in order to freeze the action
Aperture
I prefer to keep my aperture between f2.8 and f4. This is typically wide enough to get good light coming into the camera while still maintaining a fairly shallow depth of field which will allow you to get good background separation.
ISO
ISO is actually the thing I worry about the least. I choose an ISO that based on my shutter and aperture that will get me as close to a perfect exposure as possible. The thing you have to remember is a perfectly exposed high ISO image will look better and the noise will be cleaner than a high ISO image that was underexposed and recovered in post processing. Recovering shadows and detail in an underexposed high ISO image will cause the noise to be more pronounced and noticeable in the images.
Check out the video above for some example photos.
Oceana Airshow
Went out to the Oceana Airshow over the weekend and took some photos. The Airshow was absolutely amazing. The capabilities of the aircraft and pilots are incredible. Not going to say much more but check out some of the photos here. For more photos check out my Facebook Page.
Sports Photography: Backgrounds
When it comes to sports photography, other than being able to capture the peak of the action, one of the biggest things that can make or break a photo is the background. A lot of times Ill see a sports photo that has amazing action but the background it so distracting it takes away from the action that is taking place in the frame.
One of the first things I do when I get to a new venue or someplace I don't shoot much is take a walk around the field and take a look. I think to myself if I shoot from this spot what is going to be in the background? A lot of times I have found by moving a few feet left or right or changing sides of the field I can instantly improve what my backgrounds look like.
Another think that I do is I shoot with wide apertures. I have found that f2.8 to f-4 is a good range to both allow enough light into the camera to maintain a high shutter speed but to also create good background separation in the form of bokeh. Background separation will do two things for you. One it will "clean up" your backgrounds so they aren't messy and distracting and two they will make the action you are shooting stand out and pop.
Now I know a lot of times its not possible to get a nice clean background, especially at high school games. You just have to pick a background that is the least distracting and will not take away from the images.
Another thing to remember is backgrounds (and foreground) can also add another level to the photographs. There's nothing wrong with incorporating the backgrounds into your photos if they add to the photo.
Check out the video above for my explanation and some examples.
ThinkTank Photo 3rd Generation Airport Rollers Released
Think Tank Photo Releases Third Generation of
Award-winning Airport Rolling Camera Bags
Santa Rosa, Calif. – The best rolling camera bags just got better. Based on input from professional photographers, Think Tank Photo’s newly released Airport International™ V3.0 and Airport Security™ V3.0 rolling camera bags feature improved handles, greater durability, and dedicated laptop and tablet compartments. These new features, in addition to their airline carry on compliance, TSA approved zipper locks, tripod mounts, and Lost & Found registration system make them the gold standard for photo transport cases.
The Airport International V3.0 holds two gripped DSLRs with lenses attached, plus two to four additional lenses, a 15” laptop, and a 10” tablet. The roller fits up to a 500mm f/4 detached or 400mm f/2.8 attached (hood reversed). The Airport Security V3.0 holds two gripped DSLRs with lenses attached plus four to six additional lenses, a 17” laptop, and a 10” tablet. The bag fits up to a 600mm f/4 detached or 500mm f/4 attached (hood reversed)
“Photographers deserve rolling camera bags that are as high in quality as their photo gear,” said Doug Murdoch, Think Tank Photo’s CEO and lead designer. “Take something as simple as the wheels we use. Ours are custom-designed, high-performance, 80mm wheels with sealed ABEC grade 5 bearings for quiet rolling. If we took so much time perfecting something as simple as wheels, one can sense how much care went into the designs of each roller.”
Key Features
· Specially designed interior to maximize gear for carry on: the Airport International meets international carry on size requirements; the Airport Security meets U.S. domestic and most international carry on size requirements
· Dedicated padded laptop and tablet compartments located in a lockable pocket
· TSA-approved zipper locks for the main compartment, and high-strength coated cable and combination lock for the laptop compartment and securing your bag to an immovable object
· Custom designed retractable handle with inset channel on aluminum tubing for added strength and durability
· Quick and easy access to the retractable handle
· Tripod mount pocket on side (additional straps included for larger tripods)
· Expansive top compartment cradles large camera bodies for the perfect fit
· Unique serial number for Lost & Found registration
· Interior zippered pockets for batteries, memory cards, filters and accessories
· User-replaceable retractable handle, wheels, wheel housings, feet and kick plate extend product life
· Extra tall wheel housings protect your bag from scrapes and scratches
· Seam-sealed rain cover included
· Stretchable front pocket
· Handles on three sides ensure rapid and easy retrieval from overhead bins, car trunks, etc.
· Reinforced dividers support heavy gear and maintain strength over time
· Hypalon reinforced rear corners for increased durability
· Business card holder on top for easy identification
Materials
Exterior: For superior water-resistance, all exterior fabric has a durable water repellent (DWR) coating, plus underside of fabric has a polyurethane coating. The roller bags are also constructed with 1680D ballistic nylon, YKK® RC Fuse (abrasion-resistant) zippers, custom designed extra tall skid plates, high performance 80mm super quiet wheels with sealed bearings, SpanKodra front pocket, rubberized laminate reinforcement, nylon webbing, and 3-ply bonded nylon thread.
Interior: 210D silver-toned nylon, polyurethane backed Velex liner and dividers, 2x polyurethane coated nylon 210T seam-sealed rain cover, closed-cell foam and reinforced
Specifications
· Interior Dimensions: 13” W x 18.5” H x 6.5–7.5” D (33 x 47 x 16.5–19.1 cm)
· Exterior Dimensions: 14” W x 21” H x 8” D (35.6 x 53.3 x 20.3 cm)
· Tablet Compartment: 9.4” x 10” x 0.5” (24 x 25.5 x 1.3 cm)
· Laptop Compartment: 10.6” x 15” x 1.2” (27 x 38 x 3 cm)
· Weight: 9.6–11.5 lbs. (4.4–5.2 kg)
· Interior Dimensions: 13” W x 21” H x 7–8” D (33 x 53.3 x 17.8–20.3 cm)
· Exterior Dimensions: 14” W x 22” H x 9” D (35.6 x 55.9 x 22.9 cm)
· Tablet Compartment: 9.4” x 10” x 0.5” (24 x 25.5 x 1.3 cm)
· Laptop Compartment: 11.4” x 16.1” x 1.2” (29 x 41 x 3 cm)
· Weight: 11.1–12.9 lbs. (5–5.8 kg)
Recent Photos
Sports Photography: Photo Review
Photographed a NCAA football game over the weekend and wanted to do a review/ self critique of the photos. Overall Im happy with the photos but Im disappointed with myself at the same time because I know I can do better. Not to make excuses but Im still getting used to the D500 and 200-400 f4 for sports and on top of that I haven't photographed football in well over a year.
There are a few key things that I look for in a good sports photo that can either make or break a photo. Ill be going over these points in more detail in a future video. The key points are:
1) Backgrounds. You want a clean/ non distracting background. Now this isn't always possible depending on where you're shooting but you want to walk around and find a spot that will give you the best background. Nobody wants a photograph that has a porta-potty in the background when you could have walked to the other sideline and got a clean shot of trees.
2) Horizons. This is my biggest pet peeve in photography in general. Sports are played on flat fields so your photographs should reflect that. Players shouldn't be running up or down hill because the photograph is slanted. This is easy corrected in any post processing software.
3) Action. You want to get good action shots (obviously) but theres more than just action on the field. There's also action off the field with coaches, players, and fans. Action shots should be able to tell a story and stand on their own. You want photographs where when someone looks at it they aren't confused as to whats happening in the image without reading a caption.
4) Faces. Faces show emotions and expressions. Both are key in storytelling (which is what you are as a photographer). If you can't see the face you can't tell the whole story. Now again this isn't always possible so this isn't a deal breaker. However you should try your best to capture the emotions and expressions of everyone (players, coaches, fans). A shot of someone looking bored will make the viewer bored.
Check out the video above to see some of the photos I took.
What's In My Bag: NCAA Football
Fall sports have started and with that comes me starting to shoot football again. My normal football setup consists of my D3, D500, 200-400 f4, and 70-200 f2.8. In addition to the cameras and lenses I carry my "normal" gear bag with includes:
-Nikon 50 f1.8
-Nikon 85 f1.8
-Nikon SB-800
-Sekonic L-358 Light Meter
-X-Rite ColorChecker Passport
-Extra Camera Batteries
-Extra AA Batteries
-Extra Memory Cards
-Notebook
-Pens/ sharpies
-Lens Cloth
Since there is a chance for rain I will also be taking my ThinkTank Hydrophobia 70-200 and Hydrophobia 300-600. Also, since Ill be shooting this for the newspaper, Ill be taking my laptop so I can transmit to the paper during half time. Along with my laptop there are several things that I always bring to make life easier. I always bring an external hard drive to save the files on for easy transfer to my NAS when I get home. The second is (obviously) card readers for both XQD and CF cards. The third thing is a wireless mouse which.
Due to needing 4 USB ports, and the macbook only having two ports, I carry a USB hub with me so I can hook everything up. Also, since power can be scarce in the the media rooms I also carry a power strip and extension cord.
All the gear I carry (except for the belt back) fits into my ThinkTank Airport International roller bag. If you're interested in picking up any ThinkTank Photo check them out here.
Check out the video above to see the gear I carry.
