Opening day on the Bay

Opening day on the Bay:  One of our favorite events of the year is the Opening day on the Bay parade which signals the official start of yachting season for the year.  We get to ride on the judging boat which is aboard the Hornblower California.  We photograph several hundred people as they board, and throughout the day.  We photograph the boat parade and associated events.  It is a grand affair, and a truly fun event to cover.

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High Fashion

High Fashion:  I've been spending a lot of time getting ready to teach a class on Flash and Lighting.  I approached this kinda of loosely, thinking it would be easy.  As I spend night after night building the info for the class, I add more and more information.  Flash and Lighting are often the biggest hurdles for photographers to overcome, and I must admit I still learn something new everyday.

One of the most challenging photo shoots I have been involved with was a Fashion Show put on by the University of the Pacific.  The lighting was low, ever changing, and colored, the walls were covered with black drapes, and the table cloths were black.  Trying to get proper exposure was a nightmare.

If I knew then what I know now I would have approached the shoot completely differently.

Shot by Bill  ISO 800,  F5.6, 1/125   Flash set on ETTL

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Being a Boy:  I was photographing the finish line at the Double Dare Duathlon this weekend when I saw this image out of the corner of my eye.  This young man was waiting for his dad to finish the race, and he filled his time doing what boys do.  He balance along the train tracks for a while, tried to catch a lizard, played with a toy car, and threw some rocks....Just being a boy.  I had to capture the moment.

Taken at the Asti Winery in Cloverdale, Ca

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A day with Trey

A day with Trey:  On Monday this week Brigitte went out to Trey's Ranch to "Photograph Ducks".  Brigitte got up before the sun, bundled up and headed out for a day in a duck blind.  When she arrived she had to pile on, chest waders, and a ton of Camo gear.  All of her equipment was wrapped and protected and placed in a little towable boat to pull behind them.  Wading out in the mud they had to probe the ground ahead to make sure they weren't stepping off of a drop off.  They settled into the duck blind to notice that their view was blocked by the Tulle reeds, so Trey did his best to knock those down.  Then they waited.....
After a few hours sitting in a blind they finally realized that the ducks were not cooperating. Apparently they didn't get their invitation!  Brigitte refusing to go home empty handed, spent a few extra minutes photographing this Marsh Wren.

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A second look

A second look:  I took this sunset image in Fresno County about a year ago.  I never really liked it, but today I looked at it with new eyes.  After a small crop and brightening of the mid-tones I think I like it now.

What do you think?

Shot by Bill  Canon 24-105mm @ 24mm  ISO 1000 F8 at 1/800

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Awesome light!

Awesome light!  We were driving home from Yosemite one late afternoon, and somewhere near Oakdale, Ca. we saw the most amazing light.  Very dark stormy skies cleared enough to allow the long afternoon sun to fill this hay field with warm light.  This long warm light looks twice as intense when paired with the dark stormy sky.  Finding this perfect mix of light is like finding rainbows...Beautiful and intense, but it does not last long.
I love it when I see it!

Photo by Bill:  Canon EOS 1D MarkIII,  17-40mm lens at 40mm,  Handheld, 1250 ISO, f 16 at 1/800

Bathing in the last light

Bathing in the last light:  Here are two Sandhill Cranes bathing in the last light of the day. The backlighting really makes the shot work.  Taken by Brigitte using her 500mm f4 lens with a 1.4x teleconverter  ISO 400 f 5.6 at 1/500 sec.

Although the cranes are looking out of the scene, the image still works because it is showing habitat and habit.
It was cut as a panorama for a more dramatic presentation.

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We're off to save the world!

We're off to save the world!  We are headed out to shoot a half Marathon at Annadel State Park which is set to be closed in July of this year due to budget cuts.  All of the proceeds will be used to try to keep this park open.  Now here's the serious part:  This year there are 70 state parks on the closure list,  please look at the attached list and just think of the impact.  There are some really big names on the list, it will shock you.

http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/2011ParkClosures_attachments20110513.pdf

How can we help?

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She's Home!

She's Home!  After 3 and a half long month in Boston Brigitte is finally back!  You'll understand me keeping it short....... I got some hugs to catch up on!

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A funny thing happened at the State Capitol

A funny thing happened at the State Capitol:  A few years ago LA Metro brought two test buses up from Los Angeles as part of a demo package for local transit agencies.  LA Metro wanted photos of their fancy new buses in front of the State Capitol, so they asked me if I would do the pictures.  We took the buses to Sacramento negotiating the congested streets.  When we arrived at the Capitol we had perfect position and perfect light, so as soon as traffic cleared getting the picture was easy.  I shot the smaller bus first, then moved on to the big bus.  I got the shot then ran across the street to board the bus to go back home. As I boarded the bus the driver was saying something,  but I had trouble comprehending what he was saying. Between the time I took to photo, and the time I boarded the bus disaster struck.  A passing pickup truck got to close and collided with the front corner of the bus causing about $8,000.00 in damage to the bus. Whoops!  And it was such a pretty bus.

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I finally found them!

I finally found them!  The Happy Cows, I found them!  They were on a hillside in Marin.  It's not a myth, they do exist!  They sure don't look this nice in the dairies around here.

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The world of Macro

The world of Macro:  In the world of Macro photography Depth of Field is reduced dramatically.  I once tried photographing a moving snail with a macro lens, and was very frustrated. Using a 100mm macro lens the depth of field was so minimal that the snail was constantly moving out of focus. If you look at a Depth of Field Chart it will show you that using a 100mm lens at a focus distance of 4 feet at an aperture of  f 3.4 your depth of field will only be .06 ft, and if you get closer to your subject it gets dramatically less.  If you use the same equipment and reduce your focus distance to two feet, then your depth of field reduces to .01 ft

Tips for good Macro images:
Use a tripod
Focus manually
Use Mirror lock up
Use a shutter release
Stop breathing......just for a minute
Serious Marco shooters use a focusing rail to move the camera in & out to obtain focus, it is easier.
Sample of Focusing rail shown below.
Ring lights are best for shooting macro, because most flashes are ineffective at such close distances.


For samples of a Depth of Field Chart, go to: http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html


In Brigitte's lizard image shown below, look how narrow the Depth of Field is!  The eye and claw are in focus and the nostril if out of focus.  This was shot with a 100mm Macro lens 200 ISO  F 3.5 at 1/800 sec
I do not know for sure how close see really was from the lizard, but knowing Brigitte she probably kissed it when she was done.

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Need your vote!

Need your vote!  Captivating Sports Photos photographed the Marin Marathon at McNear Beach park in San Rafael on April 7th.
Our team consisted of Trey, Michael and myself on still cameras.  Dan White and his assistant on video, and Ivan & Cheyenne on printing.  We have a friendly competition to determine the best photo of the event.
Attached are six photos please use the comment box below to pick your favorite 1 thru 6, 1 is the top 6 is the bottom.

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Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from Bill and Brigitte!  Attached is an Easter photo taken by Grandma Brigitte who obviously still likes to play dress up!

Brigitte is metering the available light then shooting the shot to appear very soft & natural.  ISO 2500, f 5.6 at 1/80 sec

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Great news!

Great News!  Many of Brigitte's images will be showcased in an upcoming show at the Haggin Museum.
The show, "Fine Feathered Friends", features the work of four photographers, one sculptor, two painters, and some donated art.  Brigitte is contributing 10 pieces, and one of the pieces will be displayed at 72"X54".

The show will run from April 19th, through June 17th 2012.   There will be a reception on Saturday May 12th.

Brigitte is thrilled, and we are very thankful that her work is getting noticed and appreciated.

Attached is an image of a Ruddy Duck given away by its blue bill.

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Make it stop!!!!

Make it stop!!!!!   I have devoted the past several months to learning more about Marketing, social network marketing, search engine optimization, Facebook timeline, inbound links, keywords, adwords, pay-per-click, inbound marketing, physical networking........................................Ahhhhhgh! Make it stop!

Too much input!

Being a photographer is the easy part.  It's all of the websites, web-presence, and marketing that is the challenge.  Trying to find a way to separate yourself from the other 1000,000 photographers in the world is a whole other challenge.

It's not enough to be a good photographer,  the world is full of those.  We have to figure out how to stand out in today's complex market, and that in itself is a full time job.

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I'm Sexy and I know it!

I'm Sexy and I know it!  This bird obviously had a high opinion of himself as he was strutting his stuff.  Normally when photographing wildlife the animals run away from you, but not this guy.  Brigitte had a big lens, but had to keep moving back because this guy kept moving in closer.

This is a Grouse in breeding plumage taken in Glacier National Park, Mt

Shot by Brigitte with a 500mm f4 lens   800 ISO  F4.5 1/400 sec

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Just a flock of birds!

Just a flock of birds!
The photos below are photos of a small segment of a larger flock of birds called, "Starling".  These shots were taken in a rice field in Lodi, Ca.  These birds a often seen in large flocks especially around farms and dairies.
One farmer referred to them as Rats with wings due to the damage they cause to his rice crop.  Given the large numbers I'm sure you can imagine how much they might eat in a day.  I am often amazed watching them fly; it is like watching a large school of fish in the ocean, or a swarm of Locust....they all move in the same flow.

The first photo shows more detail, while the second photo shows sheer numbers.

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Today I discovered that the earth is round!

Today I discovered that the earth is round!   My photo proves it!  I like simple yet stunning photos, and hopefully I captured that in this image.  I spent the day in Walnut Creek, and on Mt Diablo. I was looking for a shot that a client can use for their newsletter, and this shot is one of many I will be submitting for their selection.

I used a polorizing filter to pop the colors.  I hope you like it.

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