Changes…
You’ve undoubtedly noticed some changes in the navigation to the blog, as one now has to access it from my homepage. Sorry for any inconvenience, but as things progress and evolve around the massive, sprawling campus that is Rod Mar Photography (okay, it’s my basement office), there will be small changes and tweaks along the way.
Meanwhile, summer seems to finally have arrived in Seattle, and we’re bent on taking full advantage.
Sounders FC plays tonight, but until then, we’re spending some time on the beach along Lake Washington.
Here’s a quick shot of my son’s shoes on the dock (taken with an iPhone)….
Panel: Navigating the Downturn
If you’re in the Seattle area today, I will be appearing at a panel discussion for photographers possibly facing job and/or career changes.
The event is titled, “Navigating The Downturn: A Photography Survival Discussion,” and is sponsored by the NPPA (National Press Photographers Association).
It’s free for those who want to attend and will take place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Pacific Time in the community room of the 2200 Westlake Complex on South Lake Union.
The impetus for the panel came from NPPA’s vice president Sean D. Eliot, the organization’s long-time former national secretary who is a staff photographer at The Day in New London, CT. The local effort has been spearheaded by former national president Tony Overman, a staff photographer at the Daily Olympian in Olympia, WA.
The panel will be moderated by Overman and panelists include my good friend Craig Mitchelldyer, a great guy and terrific shooter who shoots everything (editorial, portrait, and weddings) and has done very well for himself after leaving newspapers,well-known Seattle-based editorial and annual report photographer Rich Frishman and Karl Maasdam,
a portrait and wedding photographer who left his job as the chief
photographer for the Corvallis Gazette-Times in 2004 to start his own
business.
It should be a casual, fun and informative event. Here’s more info.
As Craig said to me on the phone the other day, it’s a good chance to share with others all the mistakes we’ve made along the way and wish we could do over.
Hope to see you there.
Sounders FC: One Enchanted Evening, Part 1
March 19, 2009 is one of those magical days that ranks right up there with the best sporting events I've ever been fortunate enough to witness.
That's the day that Seattle Sounders FC took to the Xbox 360 pitch at Qwest Field for the inaugural game of their membership into Major League Soccer.
From the moment I saw the 2,000 or so fans packed into Occidental Park for the "March to the Match" to the end of the night when Man of the Match Fredy Montero waved good-night to the 32,000 fans as he disappeared up the tunnel, it was a night to remember.
(I'll apologize for the lateness of this post — I was busy with NCAA women's basketball until today).
There was so much to see, experience and document that I'll be breaking this post into three parts.
Festivities officially started with the March to the Match, a parade that will take place before each contest, with fans and the Sound Wave band marching from Occidental Park to Qwest Field.
As I said, the square was packed with fans, none more jubilant than owner Drew Carey and his son Connor, 4.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 27mm, ISO 400, 1/500th sec.,f5.0)
Majority owner Greg Nickels was on hand to receive a handshake and a scarf from majority owner Joe Roth. It must have been a relief for Nickels to see a franchise arriving instead of leaving town.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 29mm, ISO 500, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 + flash)
Fans large and small vied for spots with which to see the small stage, and this young fellow got a shoulder perch.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 800, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
Once the parade began, it was Carey again, the gifted entertainer, who led the crowd and fed the spirit of those taking part in the march.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 400, 1/250th sec.,f8.0 + flash)
The team's Sound Wave band, which had an amazingly good sound, served as a 56-person Pied Piper, sending brass-and-percussion infused energy throughout the path to Qwest Field and along along the north side of the stadium.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 400, 1/250th sec.,f8.0)
Fans both on the ground and high above the fray in adjoining balconies showed their spirit as the countdown to the game began.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 800, 1/640th sec.,f3.5)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 400, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 + flash)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 400, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 + flash)
Once inside the stadium, the festivities continued. The Seagals made a brief appearance, dolled up in the Sounders' rave green jerseys.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 350mm, ISO 1600, 1/400th sec.,f4.0)
Washington governor Christine Gregoire presented M.L.S. commissioner Don Garber with a ceremonial golden scarf during a ceremony, flanked by owners Adrian Hanauer, left and Joe Roth, right.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 400mm, ISO 1600, 1/400th sec.,f4.0)
If you haven't caught on to the scarf fever that is gripping our fair city, be prepared. Thousands raised their scarves on cue during pregame.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 400mm, ISO 1600, 1/400th sec.,f4.0)
The entire stadium was decked out in Sounders finery for the game. Fans sported jerseys, scarves, t-shirts and hats, and pennants, banners and flags were also in abundance.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 700mm, ISO 1600, 1/400th sec.,f4.0)
To be continued…
UW Men’s Basketball: Title Time.
Blew the dust off the cameras and lenses (do glass lenses need mothballs?) and packed up the Airport Security for Saturday's Pac-10 game between the University of Washington Huskies and the rival Washington State Cougars.
A year ago, the Washington basketball program seemed to be struggling. After losing two prized recruits to the NBA (Spencer Hawes, now of the Sacramento Kings, and Martell Webster, now of the Portland Trailblazers), some fans wondered if head coach Lorenzo Romar had lost his touch.
One thing I've come to learn while covering sports all these years is that while everyone can speculate, the truth comes out when the teams hit the floor. And this season, Romar showed what a genius coach he is, goading and urging his team to a first place finish and sure NCAA tournament berth.
There were lots of stories lines to make the game interesting. With a victory, the Huskies would claim their first outright league title since the 1950's, while at the start of this season they were picked to finish in the middle of the pack at best.
Also, it was Senior Day at Washington for three players, none bigger (figuratively or literally) than Jon Brockman, a four-year starter and the school's all-time leading rebounder.
Finally, the natural rivalry between the two in-state schools was the culmination of the regular season, and the Cougs wanted nothing better than to play the role of spoiler in the Huskies' own gym.
I arrived at the arena early, in order to set up and test the strobes that hang from the rafters. Using arena strobes gives unmatched image quality (shooting at ISO 200) but there is a huge tradeoff in the speed at which one can shoot. Shooting with the ambient light, you can let your camera run at 8-10 frames per second. Because of recycle time, shooting with strobes only allows you to shoot one frame every three seconds.
Obviously that's a huge difference. And having not shot basketball in awhile, I was more than a little worried about my timing being off.
"The Dawg Pack", as the Washington student section proudly calls itself, showed up early and was busy razzing the Washington State players as they warmed up a full hour before tipoff.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 160mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f4.0 + arena strobes)
During pregame introductions, they waved photos of the seniors as they were announced.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 125mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f4.0 + arena strobes)
Each senior entered the floor with their families, and then posed for a quick photo with head coach Lorenzo Romar.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 32mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f5.6 + arena strobes)
Once the ball was tipped, the game was all business. Hard fouls (yes, one was called on this play, Coug fans, despite the "all ball" you might see in this photo) were common, as befitting a rivalry game.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm lens @ 42mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 + arena strobes)
Husky coach Lorenzo Romar exploded on the officials a couple of times during the first half.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 400mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 + arena strobes)
Washington's tenacious defense, as applied here by freshman Isaiah Thomas, tried to render Cougar guard Taylor Rochestie uncomfortable all day long.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 200mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 + arena strobes)
Thomas, who was named the Pac-10's Freshman of the Year, split the Cougars zone for an open jumper as the Huskies led most of the game.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 48mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 + arena strobes)
At the final buzzer, the Huskies had claimed a 67-60 win and the conference title. Fans rushed the court and Thomas, the smallest Husky, was lifted by the crowd. Would have liked to have found a better frame of this, but got caught in the fray. I had just popped a frame when I shot this one, so I didn't have the benefit of a full recycle on the strobes. But because I was shooting raw files and not jpgs, I was able to salvage much of the image.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 240mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 + arena strobes)
A ladder was raised and the players and coaches cut down the nets in the traditional manner. Senior Justin Dentmon, who struggled as a junior only to find his comfort zone as a senior, was named the league's Most Improved Player and was named to the all-conference first team.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 240mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 + arena strobes)
Brockman, the foundation of the team, was also awarded all-conference first team honors.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 200mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 + arena strobes)
All in all, a fun day. I love shooting, and just have not been doing enough of it lately as I continue to build the foundations of a freelance business.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 14mm, ISO 2000, 1/100th sec.,f4.0)
Mariners: Shooting a Commercial Job.
Freelance photographers mostly refer to their shoots as either "editorial" or "commercial" jobs. The distinction is pretty clear — editorial work is published as part of a magazine or newspaper, and commercial work includes advertising, public relations, annual report work and the like. If you needed any other distinctions, think of if this way — commercial work by and large pays way more than editorial work. Editorial assignments, on the other hand, can usually be a lot more interesting and a lot more fun.
I did a commercial shoot the other day. Not an annual report, not an ad. I shot stills at an actual commercial shoot. The shooting of a commercial. The kind on television.
To me, television commercials fall into three basic categories. Those that bore me (most of them), those that annoy me (Snuggie, anyone?), and those that make me laugh.
The Seattle Mariners commercials have always made me laugh. Many seasons the commercials have been more successful than the product on the team. The spots are original, they're funny, and they also let the fans see sides of their favorite players that they would never see during a game.
Impatient and hot-tempered former manager Lou Piniella as a therapist…Randy Johnson, all 6-foot-10 of his flamethrowing body dressed as a carny….Edgar Martinez using a "clapper" to turn the lights of Safeco Field on and off….you get the idea.
Former outfielder Jay Buhner has some humorous spots (his bald pate blinding hitters, a role as a horribly bad standup comic).
I'd argue though, that Buhner's most memorable television appearance only mentioned his name and he wasn't even on the show. Remember the "Seinfeld" episode where Frank Costanza takes George Steinbrenner to task for trading Buhner from the Yankees to the Mariners?
Frank: What the hell did you trade Jay Buhner for?! He had 30 home runs
and over 100 RBIs last year. He's got a rocket for an arm. You don't
know what the hell you're doin'!
Steinbrenner: Well, Buhner was a good prospect, no question about it.
But my baseball people loved Ken Phelps' bat. They kept saying "Ken
Phelps, Ken Phelps."
Loved that.
Anyway, Mariners award-winning marketing genius Kevin Martinez brought Buhner, along with Edgar Martinez, back for the filming of the team's 100th commercial.
Yes, 100 spots. You can vote for some of your favorites over at the Seattle Times website, where Danny O'Neil breaks it all down, including links to some of the best commercials.
I arrived at the team's headquarters at Safeco Field where members of the crew were getting ready for filming.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 22mm, ISO 1000, 1/60th sec.,f4.0)
Buhner received some final touches on makeup, yes, including his head.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 70mm, ISO 1600, 1/60th sec.,f4.0)
The advertising company, Copacino + Fujikado, has partnered with the team for years. Their creative group includes top-notch writers, but I am here to tell you that most of Buhner's off-the-cuff one-liners during a day of filming are worth a 60-second spot all their own. He made everyone laugh on the set, ruining multiple takes with jokes, improvised lines, funny faces, you-name-it.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 48mm, ISO 1600, 1/60th sec.,f4.0)
Meanwhile, it fell to director Ron Gross to not only keep things on track, but to orchestrate the chaos of a crew, Mariners staff, and an invited group of media, not to mention Buhner himself.
I've often said that my job, well, my FORMER job as a photojournalist was an invitation to a lifelong Career Day. You know, 15 minutes in the lives of all these great people in all these great situations.
That said, watching Gross direct this shoot was nothing short of amazing. It was clear that he'd put together a great team, many or most of whom he was very familiar with. Petr Litomisky, who did the shooting (I have been informed that his title is most likely "Director of Photography", although I did not ask him to make sure) seemed to know exactly what Gross wanted every step of the way. Even when improvisation was called for, they Litomisky knew exactly how to capture the vision of Gross and the creative team. Litomisky laughs with the players between takes.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 70mm, ISO 1600, 1/60th sec.,f4.0)
Everyone knew their jobs, but it was up to Gross to keep the thing moving along. About halfway through the shoot, it became clear to me that his job was similar to that of an orchestra conductor.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/60th sec.,f4.0)
Gross was the maestro of the show. He knew what the pace should be. He knew where the big moments were and which were little. He knew when to bring up certain passages and which players needed to come forward and when. It was so fun to watch and I learned so much about how he handled all the people around him.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 22mm, ISO 1600, 1/60th sec.,f4.0)
Patience is needed on the set of any type of filming, and Buhner and Edgar, both veterans now of commercials, understood the pace. Kevin Martinez oversaw the entire shoot for the Mariners, and his easy familiarity with the former players was evident.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 16mm, ISO 1600, 1/40th sec.,f4.0)
The gist of the commercial is this — Buhner and Edgar are reminiscing about the commercials and they pay a visit to the genius behind the spots. I can't and won't ruin the ending for you, but they do end up in the advertising office at the end.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 36mm, ISO 1600, 1/50th sec.,f3.5)
Seattle Sounders FC Training Match.
The world's game is coming to Seattle.
Not America's Game (Used to be baseball, is now football? Debate amongst yourselves…), but rather the WORLD's game has arrived in the Pacific Northwest.
Welcome to the Seattle Sounders FC, the newest entry into Major League Soccer.
While the Sounders can't replace the 41 years of history like the N.B.A.'s Seattle Sonics compiled here before they were stolen away to Oklahoma City, the name of the team does have a rich history in the Emerald City.
Way back in 1974 (before you born, but after I was), the name Sounders was chosen as the moniker of Seattle's entry into the North American Soccer League (NASL). The team played at both Memorial Stadium and the Kingdome, reaching the league's title game ("The Soccer Bowl") in both 1975 and 1982, falling both times to the New York Cosmos.
Although I never played organized soccer, I became a huge fan of the Sounders, as were most of my friends. We listened to games on the radio, went in person when we could, and I remember the entire city stopping when the Sounders played in the title game.
Pele, once (still?) regarded as the best to ever play the game, starred for New York. It was like Beckham's coming to America — revered foreign star coming over to share the world's game with the Yanks.
In fact, the biggest soccer match ever played in Seattle had to be when Santos of Brazil (Pele's Brazilian club) faced the Sounders in front of 60,000+ fans at the Kingdome in 1977.
Fast forward to 2009, and the Sounders FC (an evolution of the Seattle Sounders of the United States Soccer League) are preparing for their inaugural match on March 19 at Qwest Field.
The team is currently in Argentina preparing for the season. Baseball teams go to Peoria, Arizona, soccer teams go to Argentina. Go figure.
Instead of the exhibition games that baseball and football teams play, the preseason matches in soccer are called "training matches". Not to be confused with "friendlies" which are true exhibition matches, usually between teams who wouldn't ordinarily meet (like Chelsea and the Sounders, who will play a friendly this summer).
The team's first training match in Seattle was against the Vancouver Whitecaps at Qwest Field. No fans were allowed in, which created a strangely quiet atmosphere (who knew that players from different countries can all swear in English?).
For photographers, the backgrounds were the biggest problem. For me, it was a chance to brush up on my soccer shooting, which is something I hadn't done a lot of until the Olympics this past summer in Beijing.
The Sounders gathered in a team hug before the start of the match.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 1000, 1/1250th sec.,f4.0)
Sanna Nyassi is a fleet midfielder from Gambia.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 400mm, ISO 1000, 1/1250th sec.,f4.0)
Osvaldo Alonso, battling a Vancouver player in the second half, is a Cuban midfielder who played for Charleston of the USL. I'm telling you that because I don't really know much more about these guys yet, but trust me, I will by season's end.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f2.0 lens @ 400mm, ISO 1000, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
Alonso (facing, center) hugs teammate Fredy Montero after Montero's second goal of the match. Montero and teammate Nate Jaqua each scored twice in the 4-0 victory.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f2.0 lens @ 340mm, ISO 1000, 1/1250th sec.,f4.0)
Headers are always hard to shoot — releasing the shutter at the proper moment is tough to do. I tried to shoot as many headers as I could to work on my timing. Was also messing around with focal length and used an extender on the 600mm lens just to see how it looked.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/4.0 lens + 1.4 teleconverter = 850mm, ISO 1000, 1/1000th sec.,f5.6)
Rarely do we get nice warm light in Seattle, especially in February, but when Tyrone Marshall shot from the top of the box in the second half, the light was low enough to make a nice frame (okay, absent of ball, legs, feet, shoes, fans…fine). Maybe testing the 1.4 extender on the 600mm lens was a little long for this frame.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/4.0 lens + 1.4 teleconverter = 850mm, ISO 1000, 1/1000th sec.,f5.6)
Shooting soccer is exciting — one never knows when the key moment will happen or when a goal will be scored.
But take it from me — in training matches it's easy to get distracted — just as I did when I made multiple (bracketed!) frames of a spare soccer ball sitting on the turf.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 290mm, ISO 1000, 1/1600th sec.,f4.0)
Do 1 Thing.
My life is so different than it was even three months ago.
Then, I had regular assignments, a schedule, a routine, and as you have well noticed, a lot more material about which to blog.
That doesn’t mean my life was necessarily better — it’s just different now.
Like they say, though, change is relative. My life changes are nothing compared to those of a young man named Dennis Molino. But more about him later.
The past few weeks of my post-newspaper life have been busy negotiating contracts and taking meetings with different possible clients. I’d like to write more, especially about the contract negotiation, since I think the business part of photography is so often overlooked. Maybe after everything shakes out, I will be able to share my thoughts on the process.
Until then, I’ve had this general unsettledness about me. Couldn’t put my finger on it really, until my wife and I decided it might be from my, for lack of a better phrase, “lack of creating” (that’s my awkward phrase — she’s much more eloquent).
As she so correctly pointed out, I’d spent the last couple of decades producing and creating content every day. Now, as I embark on Career 2.0, I spend more time setting up the back end of my business so that someday soon I can spend more time creating once again.
That’s why I was thankful when the opportunity to help when I came across the opportunity to become involved with the “Do 1 Thing” project.
The goal of the project is to join photographers, videographers, editor and other multimedia storytellers to illustrate the challenges facing homeless youth across America.
Organizers chose Valentine’s Day, February 14, to spotlight the issue and to urge people do “do one thing” for the cause.
Visual journalists all across the country produced multimedia pieces, photo stories and portraits, some in advance of the day, while some blogged from shelters on Saturday.
I only had two days to find a subject in Seattle, and thought I had everything set up with one organization who found youth willing to participate. However, the morning of the shoot, they called back and said their leadership had a change of mind and were withdrawing their cooperation.
Left with little over a day until organizers wanted my project, I called the local office of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, and by the next morning, they had scheduled me time with a 20-year old named Dennis Molino.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 48mm, ISO 3200, 1/80th sec., f5.6)
I met Dennis at the United Indians Youth home. Quiet and reserved, Dennis was at the same time not afraid to tell his story. We did an audio interview, then we hung out and photographed him for an hour or so.
Growing up in a home filled with drugs and violence…moving from foster home to foster home until he “aged out” (reached age 18)…living on the streets, moving from couch to car, and even breaking into schools to sleep. His is a familiar story, and maybe one we’ve heard so often we don’t pay it the attention we should.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 48mm, ISO 250, 1/400th sec., f4.0)
Now, thanks to the United Indians, Dennis has in his words, “a bed, three square meals a day…a roof over my head”. He’s living in the home now for just over a month. About the same time I left my job and began my own life changes.
Like I said, it’s all relative, isn’t it?
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 175mm, ISO 250, 1/640th sec., f5.0)
Dennis works at a fast-food restaurant, which has piqued his interest in pursuing a career in culinary arts. He wants to get his G.E.D., and says he’s happy to have lived his former life behind.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 130mm, ISO 250, 1/320th sec., f3.5)
When we parted, I asked him about the changes in his life. He replied, “Now I see that there’s hope, that it doesn’t have to be bad anymore….I see light, you know?”
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 170mm, ISO 250, 1/400th sec., f3.5)
In the end, I produced a quick little audio slideshow, which while light on the visuals, lets viewers see the face and hear the voice of one of the many youths trying to conquer their challenges right here in our own cities.
The organization’s website is www.Do1Thing.org but you have to hunt in the multimedia section to find the piece on Dennis.
Here’s a direct link to the multimedia piece, which is a very quickly done Soundslides converted to video using the Soundslides Video Export plug-in, and then uploaded to www.blip.tv.
iPhone and Be There.
“f8 and be there.”
For decades, that old saw defined the meaning of spot-news photojournalism.
Technically, this advice instructed photographers that when they really needed to quickly get a shot, to set their cameras at f8, which is in the middle of many aperture dials. Given an roughly appropriate ISO and shutter speed, the photo would probably come out okay. That said, technically, this is not the greatest advice in the world, but back then, cameras didn’t have automatic exposure modes either.
Practically, what this saying meant was that being there and getting the shot is the most important thing. All the fancy equipment and technical know-how will not help you if you are not there.
Time and time again in the history of photography, the best and most important story-telling spot news images of our time have been the result of someone, anyone, really, being at the right spot at the right time with a camera.
This happened again last week when U.S. Air flight 1549 had to ditch in the chilly waters of New York’s Hudson River, where miraculously, all aboard survived.
We all know the heroic story, and we’ve seen many incredible images.
And the most compelling of all of them was NOT taken with fancy dSLR, or even a digital point-and-shoot.
No, the most compelling photo of the scene was shot with an iPhone.
(Janis Krums via his Twitter page)
In a photograph shot by Florida resident Janis Krums, the Airbus A320 is seen floating along the Hudson, with some escaped passengers standing on the wing and others filling life rafts. He shot it from a commuter ferry he was on that aided in the rescue, and quickly uploaded it to his twitter feed in the brief moments before the vessel he was on arrived at the scene where he helped with the rescue.
Here’s the twitter post where he uploaded his photo.
Krums writes about new newfound fame.
Here’s an interview he did with MSNBC.
Krums is not a professional photographer, but he does contribute his photos to Flickr, the popular online photo sharing site. According to his twitter bio, he’s an entrepreneur “working on the Next Big Thing”.
In short, Janis Krums is Everyman.
That is, he’s Everyman with an iPhone. And that little 2 megapixel camera in his iPhone, combined with his instincts, a sharp mind and a twitter-feed gave the world what very likely will be the most remembered image of 2009.
UW Basketball: Remembering What It Is I Do.
There's a very distinctive smell to any basketball gym in the world. My best guess is that it's a mixture of sweat (mostly), leather, rubber and popcorn (although the popcorn smell has gone away in recent memory since vendors don't pop it on site anymore, they just bring it in bags).
As a sports photographer, a basketball official and a lifelong hoops nut, I can say with all certainty that I LOVE the smell of the gym.
And when I sit on the baseline to shoot, even the specks of gritty dirt on the court feel familiar.
Weird, I know. But that's what a lifetime of basketball will do to you.
So I was excited to get away from the phone and the computer (where I've been doing a lot of business prep — website, contacts, etc) and back into an arena to make photos.
The game was a college men's contest between the University of Washington and California. I had assorted things to shoot, but spent time working on my shooting (with the cameras, that is, not the roundball).
It had only been a few weeks since my last assignment, but because I'm not in a regular shooting schedule, packing up my gear to head out felt like a brand new thing, even thought I've done it for nearly 20 years now.
In the past when shooting UW basketball, I've had the benefit of shooting with arena strobes. I've always considered strobes a benefit, because if you can be patient, you can make nice images, popped on strobes, at relatively low ISO's. The challenge is that because the strobes need time to recycle, you can only shoot once every couple of seconds.
Without the strobes, one is left with shooting at a high ISO like 1600, but you get the advantage of shooting eight frames per second on the motor drive.
It can be a difficult decision — shoot ONE frame every 2-3 seconds with great quality? Or shoot with lower quality and with the ability of shooting 24 frames during that same 2-3 seconds.
Since I no longer work for the paper, strobes weren't an option (they owned the ones that I used to shoot with). But this gave me a great opportunity to do more high-ISO tests on the Nikon D3.
Prior to the game I ran into my friend Donna Verretto. Donna does marvelous work for the Make-a-Wish Foundation and she'd brought to the game a cool little dude named Arjun. Arjun got "backstage" with the Huskies right before the pregame introductions and posed for a picture with the Dawgs.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 44mm, ISO 1600, 1/125th sec.,f2.8 + flash)
Following that, the Huskies included him in their pregame chant, just before they took to the floor. Arjun seemed a bit intimidated standing among the giants.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/125th sec.,f2.8 + flash)
But then the group started to sway and chant and laugh, and there he was right in the middle of it all.
width=900>
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/125th sec.,f2.8 + flash)
I didn't shoot a lot of the game as I was working on other non-action things, but I did capture a decent sequence that illustrated the "strobes vs. ambient" discussion I'd been having with myself (yes, I tend to talk to myself. Is that weird? I'm not sure. Wait. Am I doing it again?)
Washington's Darrnell Gant found himself posted up defensively against Cal's Jamal Boykin. While defending, Gant got his hand caught up in Boykin's jersey. Boykin first screamed for a foul, and when none came, he tried to shoot anyway. Eventually the foul was called.
As you can see, it's a decent series, with Boykin "giving good face", especially in the early frames. Not sure whether or not vertical is best, and you can see that I cropped the first frame horizontally as well.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 42mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 42mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 42mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 42mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
width=900>
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 42mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 42mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
It was nice to back on the court shooting pictures. It's what I do, and despite the fun of starting out on a new adventure and all that brings, getting the camera back into my hands reminded me why I'm going through all the other steps.
SportsShooter Academy — April 8-12, 2009
One of the best parts about my job is being able to pass on things I’ve learned to those who have a hunger to get better.
So I’m excited to announce that I will be teaching at the sixth Sportsshooter Academy, being held in Southern California from April 8-12.
This is a five-day, intensive workshop where shooters have the opportunity to get hands-on instruction while shooting a series of NCAA Division I sporting events. As well, there will be coverage of non-college sports such as boxing, beach volleyball and horse racing.
Sportsshooter founder Robert Hanashiro has invited me to be an instructor in the past, but the schedules have never worked out until this year.
While I’ve taught at larger workshops, the chance to work in smaller groups with more personal attention to students is a chance I didn’t want to pass up again.
There are still a few openings for the Academy, which is being underwritten by Nikon,, with additional sponsorship from Think Tank Photo, and Samy’s Camera,.
You can read more about the Academy and find enrollment information in this article posted at Sportsshooter.com
Southern California, here I come!
Building a Business, Part 1. It Takes a Village.
Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools.
– Jeff Spicoli Fast Times at Ridgemont High
In the previous post, I talked about the decision-making I was doing with my wife Kari about my career.
Whoa. Wait a second, dude? Your wife?
I know what you're thinking — having your friend/relative consult on your website is like hiring the same to take your wedding photos
(see "Disaster, Recipe for…").
When people do that, it's like having Spicoli use his television repairman dad's tools to fix a wrecked car.
However, in this case, Kari comes solid credentials. She's a consultant and project manager for a firm that produces websites for some of the most well-known companies both nationally and internationally.
If only I had their budgets!
Along with Kari, I also rely on the
experience and advice of some of my close friends in the business. Guys
like Grover Sanschagrin of Photoshelter,
freelance studs Brad Mangin,
Robert Seale and David Bergman.
People who will give me their honest opinions.
And that's only the start.
My point is, it takes more than
just one's self to succeed.
As the incoming Secretary of State used to say, "It takes a village."
But at the end of the day, I know the final decisions are mine. Much like a head coach in any sport, I can collect all the advice and feedback I can, but only I know what's best for me.
Man-to-man or zone? Punt or go for it? Bunt or swing away?
Those are the decisions I'll have to make. I'm so comfortable making split second decisions with my cameras. Years of experience have made it easy to make choices like shooting with a medium zoom or going with the wide-angle in the end zone.
How will I do in business?
I know this: I am doing all the training I can to prepare.
More to come.
Happy New Year — No More Slacking and Sledding!
Happy New Year!
It’s time to get back to work.
Since my last day at the Seattle Times on December 16, I’ve tried to take it easy, enjoy the holidays and not panic too much about my unknown future.
As you might guess, that’s easier said than done.
Here in Seattle it snowed a bunch (at least for Seattle — 14 inches is a blizzard here), and I got in some good sledding with the kids before Christmas.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1 1.7 sec,f4.0 + fill flash)
And partly by design, that’s all the shooting I’ve done in the past few weeks.
At the urging of my wife Kari, I have tried hard not to think about photography and work for at least a couple of weeks. Hitting the reset button on the career, in a way.
The way we figure it, if I don’t take advantage of this time off, I won’t have the chance to do so for (hopefully) a long time.
Even though I put all cameras away except for my point-and-shoot (okay, and a couple of sledding photos with the D3), I couldn’t completely get away.
I planned, I wrote emails, I read books. I studied. Spent countless hours on phone with friends in the business.
I’ll detail all that planning in the next couple of posts.
Meanwhile, Happy New Year.
May your 2009 be joyous and rewarding!
ESPN.com Looks at the Sad State of Seattle Sports.
Here’s a quick little video I did over the weekend for an ESPN.com project looking at the sad state of Seattle sports in 2008. It features Lorin “Big Lo” Sandretzky, who bills himself as “Seattle’s Biggest Sports Fan”. You’ll see why.
The entire piece can be seen at ESPN.com in a piece for their “Outside the Lines” features.
I promise to write more about this assignment soon, but there’s gifts to wrap (as soon as buy them), trees to decorate (as soon as I get one) and the whole “over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go” thing (oh wait, everyone’s coming to my house so I’ve got to clean this mess up).
Thanks for understanding and Happy Holidays to you and yours!