Part-Time shooting

Been working as a photo-tech for a photographer covering the Colorado Avalanche the last couple weeks. I basically complete captions, size images and do minor toning before FTPing them to the world. But I do have about half of the periods to shoot for myself, so I take my gear and do what I can. I've shot a whopping four NHL games now in my career. Needless to say I think I need to keep practicing. In the mean time, here's a few to review.

Hard to believe that 2009 is pretty much over. Hopefully I will have more shooting opportunities in the coming year to be able to share more visual goodies. See you on the flip side...

Cold Cross

Went out to watch a couple friends compete in the Colorado state Cyclocross Championships this weekend and in the bitter cold. Basically stuck to two lenses – 300mm and a 17-35mm – to try and shoot a simple little photo package. Though I didn't get there early enough to catch some of the fun mud and sloppy wrecks, it was fun to make some frames. Been in dire need of some shooting to get back in the groove of shooting considering I'll be ramping up the shooting and producing of images and video here real soon as I develop my thesis project for grad school over the next several months. Until then, here's to the end of cyclocross season and the up coming busy ski season.

F in F5 is for Film

Ran an expired roll of Kodak Royal 25 through a borrowed F5 the last week or so. Just love the tones and romance of the film look. The flaws are wonderful. Digital is designed to be so pristine that it chokes the life out of an image at times. Also, with film there is much less ability to alter the tonality and range of the photos. I've been shooting a ton of RAW images and working them up in Lightroom 2.5, and while I'm assured of just about whatever tonality I would like the image to have it loses something.

These frames are just pretty much as they are off of the CD that I picked up from the Walgreen's One-Hour Photo lab. One or two may have a bit more exposure or contrast on them because of the scanning or camera misuse, but for the most part they are as is. My favorite is the scan of two different frames. I remember working at a photo lab and having to adjust the negs when a sun star in the corner of the frame blew-out the frame edge and fooled the auto neg carrier. It was always a pain, but this case was a fun surprise.

Just been jonesing to make something for myself out of desires of making something with tools that I feel confident and knowledgeable with. Grad school has been an awful lot of web developing and site building using languages and tools that are new and unknown to me. Which is not the kind of "making" I really want to do at the moment. The good thing is that I've decided on a thesis project idea that will allow me to blend many passions and future implications together. Making for a fun six or seven months of creation, learning and hard work blended in with a good amount of fun. We'll have to see if any of the content makes it here before the final creation of multimedia mojo. I'm just hoping it comes together well and a few others are ready to partake in some creation fun as well.

Enjoy...

White snow with white dress

Had the pleasure to shoot a wedding out in Boulder a couple weeks ago. The weather was cold, snow was on the ground and the clouds were low but that didn't hinder or change plans. The couple decided to go ahead with the outdoor wedding plans. It ended up working out really well photographically, as the alternative was to have the ceremony in a big ugly tent. The light was much better outside.

I'm still waiting to hear if I can post anything else from the wedding that identifies the couple, so for now you get a couple of change ups. Enjoy.

Winefest

Went to Palisade, Colo., last weekend for a short getaway. Had my camera and forced a few frames. Forced a notion instead of shooting what looked interesting. Haven't done that in a while, but it was a good refresher on how not to make interesting photos.

I know I said I would have the Peru video done a century ago, but I'm still working on it. Very slowly. Things are a bit busy with school, freelance, internship and life in general. All marginal excuses, I know, but you'll have to live with it. More soon, I hope...

Southern Hemisphere, again

The trip to Peru was fantastic. Lots of hiking and walking, but well worth all the effort. Managed to hike to over 17,000 feet above sea level for the first time. Hadn't ever been over 14,200 feet (Grey and Torreys Peaks in Colorado) and learned that there is not much oxygen when you go up from five grand. Also learned the people of the southern Andes are strong and manage to live off very little that they raise from the high alpine tundra landscape. It was humbling. Reinforces the notion of our overzealous consumption society here in the States. When a young child manufactures a quality kite from some sticks and a plastic grocery bag, you take a moment and think.

Here's a gallery of what I narrowed down from the massive numbers of images I made. I went simple for the trip. Just took a 20mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.8 and an 85mm f/1.8 and a full-frame digital body. Using your feet and head to work a better photo is paramount. Some days I just limited myself to one lens and made it work. It's always good to get back to the basics and be a photographer.

Working on a few more images and a video of the 45 mile-plus trek around Ausangate. Hoping to have it up here real soon. Feel free to give some feedback. Haven't had an honest critique in a very long time. Thanks.

Wonderful Wyoming, again

Had to go up to Wyoming to shoot a freelance gig yesterday. Made a couple other frames too for myself and hopefully for the client. We'll see I guess.

Leaving in a couple days for the southern hemisphere, so the blog might be dormant for a few weeks. Depends on connecting to the network while on the trip and if I really want to pull myself away from what we are doing. Until next time....

Alpine Fun

Been doing a lot of outdoor playing the last month or so since moving my fiancé back to Colorado from the northwest. Here's a smattering of images from just a couple of our more recent travels. For a bit of info about where these gorgeous places are, click the photos to head over to their respective Flickr pages. I decided to dust off the 105mm micro and give it a go on the vast wildflowers that are blanketing the Rockies this year from the wet winter and spring.

Hoping to be able to post some frames on here in August while trekking through the realm of the Inca in South America. Just depends on a few logistical things that have yet to be ironed out. Debating a netbook for the trip or just wait until our return. I guess you will have to wait and see...

Omaha and the CWS

My best friend from high school and I decided to drive to Omaha for the College World Series this year. We had been wanting to see the spectacle that is the CWS since playing baseball those years of secondary education. Baseball was about the only thing that kept me in high school. I had to get a C average in order to play, so that's about all I did.

The drive out there was a bit long, but wouldn't have been so bad if both lanes of the interstate would have been open. There was a ton of single-lane highway that slowed us down a fair bit. Once we were to Rosenblatt Stadium it was very quiet. We were there about three hours before the first game. We were able to grab some general admission tickets, but the security guys said we had better get in line right away in order to get a seat. So we waited with a couple friends from Denver, one of which was originally from Omaha – we were able to graciously stay at her parents house for the weekend. Once in line it was apparent that the Louisiana State fans were out in force. All kinds of Tigers out and about waiting to see their team take on Arkansas. And they were crazy Cajuns. Wow.

Once inside the stadium a series of storm cells moved in and forced the stadium personnel to clear the outfield bleachers because of the lightning. So we waited another two and one half hours in the pouring rain, as to not lose our seats in the second row. Once the storms moved on, the sun baked the moisture out of the ground to add several percentage points to the humidity factor. But the sun was out and we watched the LSU Tigers destroy the Hogs. We also had tickets to the amazing night game, featuring Texas versus Arizona State. After a bit of an issue with my backpack earlier in the day, we decided to ditch most of our things into another friend's car. I was really disappointed in myself for not taking my camera back in for the second game. The light was beyond amazing as it slowly descended into the horizon.

So here are some frames from the first game. I was more in sponge mode than in shooting mode for the day. Taking in the atmosphere was fantastic. The CWS will only be held at Rosenblatt Stadium one more year, before a new stadium is completed in Omaha. I'm really glad I was able to get there this year before the move. Something about baseball and tradition going hand-in-hand. But there's not much traditional about these frames, at least I don't think there is...

Just a bunch of frames...

Here's a smattering of images from last week up in Pullman, Wash. Nothing too fancy, just some fun. More stuff soon, I hope. If I'm not too busy hammering the pedals.

There's a couple more over on Flickr.

The long road back to roots and boots

Had to run up to Green River, Wyo. last week for a very sad funeral. A friend of mine had premature twins three months ago, but one of them just didn't have the strength to fight through all the infections, breathing tubes and general attacks of this world. Miss Mary Albrecht was placed in her resting place near a noisy interstate, with seemingly too many other little ones, in the southwestern Wyoming desert. Her brother Daniel is kicking strong and looks to be leaving the confines of the neonatal unit in Salt Lake City in the coming days or weeks.

Reminds you once again how precious life can be, as it always should be. My friends Heather and Hank are hanging in there as much as is possible in a time like this. Here's hoping they are blessed with nothing but happiness and joy from now on. They are probably two of the strongest and most amazing people I know. Real. Honest. Welcoming. They are people. It's very hard to find real people in the hustle and bustle of the big city. Whenever I make a trip to smaller western towns I am reminded of where I come from as well as how and who I should be despite being a converted city guy. Simple places make for simple people who know what is truly important. It's good to be reminded of all that. Just wish it hadn't been under these kind of terms. Though, maybe the situation only reinforced the need to recharge the roots and boots battery.

While on the ramble back from the small oil and gas congregation on the prairie, we stopped at a "rest area" along I-80. Old Fort Steele is just a bump in the road, but there's a pretty interesting vacant gas station across the highway that I decided to lighten up and make a couple frames. And yes, it IS windy in Wyoming. Nothing too great, but good to shake off the hard day and long 12 hours of driving. Was 15 total for the two days of accelerating, you know that hustle and bustle stuff.

More from another western state in the coming days...

Mountain Biking Again

Was asked by a good shooter and friend of mine, Marty Caivano, to shoot some photos of her riding in her team kit and on her team GT rig. So we headed out to Hall Ranch in Lyons with fellow photographer Joshua Duplechian for a morning of fun and fotos.

I was a bit of a tool and forgot to bring my mountain biking shoes and got to ride mountain pedals in running shoes on a short seat. Have to get that seat post swapped out so I can really ride. Oh, and ditch 30 pounds of camera gear on my back might help too. Had a blast out there though. Made a couple fun frames with the help of Mr. Duplechian as well. Took a few minutes to get back in the groove of shooting since it's been a while since I've shot something moving like this.

Here's hoping we win the team photo contest!