You don't see pictures like this everyday!

You don't see pictures like this everyday!  I went to my very first prom yesterday.  It was called, "The event formally known as Prom".  The theme of the event was the movie, "The fifth element".  As the photographer I wasn't sure how I was going to pull it off, but it ended up being a great success.  Kudos to the event committee, and the people in character for a job well done.  Everybody had a great time!
All of the event photos can be seen at: http://www.captivatingsportsphotos.net/MobileStudioPartyBooth/The-event-formaly-known-as/
I think we need more of these type affairs to get people of the couch and away from their TVs!

www.captivatingphotos.net

How good am I today?

How good am I today?  As artists we often struggle with this. I can go through my files on Monday, and think, "Man I'm good!"  On Tuesday I can look at the same files and think, "Man I really suck!"   My Ex-wife and I owned a Cake Decorating business 100 years ago, and she had it then.  Everyone thought she was an artistic genius, but she would pick apart every flaw and beat herself to death over ever detail.  I didn't understand it then, but I do now.  Most of the photographers and Artists I know complain about it, and it seems to get worse as the years go by.  So, how good am I today?

Does anyone else struggle with this? If so, how do you rationalize your feelings?  

The picture below was my inspiration for many years, it's called "Superman".  I took it at the State Fair a few years ago, just playing around. It speaks volumes to me about what we can achieve with practice.

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Bluebird of Happiness

Bluebird of Happiness:  Here's a beautiful image of a Bluebird stopping for a drink at his favorite watering hole. We noticed that many birds frequented this faucet for a drink, so Brigitte just set her camera up nearby and let the birds come to her.  She was able to photograph several different species in a short period of time, and never had to move.  Wish it was always that easy!

Shot with 500mm  f 4 lens with 1.4x teleconverter.  400 ISO F5.6  1/640 sec
On a tripod with a Wimberly head

www.captivatingphotos.net

Shooting Panoramas

Shooting Panoramas:  Brigitte and I shoot a lot of panoramas.  We do a lot of wall art, and panoramas fit well on long walls.  The image below is a 180 degree view of Yosemite Valley from Glacier point, and is comprised of 9 separate images.  This particular image was printed at 144" X 30", and is hanging in the Tax Collectors of of the San Joaquin County Administration building.

Tips for shooting Panoramas:

• Use a tripod
• Shoot all images vertical
• Overlap each image by 20%
• Do not use any filters
• Set camera to manual to avoid the camera's meter from changing your settings
• Turn off manual focus to avoid changes in the focal plane.
• Shoot in jpeg
• Under the tools tab of  Bridge, use photomerge
• If the images do not stitch together in one layout of photomerge, try a different layout you will have six layouts to select from.

www.captivatingphotos.net

Vibrant!

Vibrant!  On Saturday as we were leaving Lake Lopez in Arroyo Grande, Ca, we saw large patches of this flower along the side of the road. The flowers exploded with color so bright and vibrant that I had to stop to photograph it.

This was shot handheld with my 24-105mm lens.  Since it was in full sun I used ISO 200.  F22 for depth all the way through the shot at 1/125 sec  For composition I placed the Bee in accordance with the rule of thirds.
God did the rest!

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Pre-race Prayer

Pre-Race Prayer:  Air Temperature 38 degrees, Water Temperature 56 degrees, a 1,500 meter swim, a 24.7 mile bike ride, a 6.2 mile run..................God, please give me strength............!

This photo is from the March Triathlon Series in Arroyo Grande, Ca. put on by Cal Poly.  I so admire these Tri-athletes for all that they do!

About the photo: Shot with my 24-105mm lens  ISO 1600 f 7.1 at 1/300 with diffused flash to pop colors.
Handheld

See these and other sports photos at:
www.captivatingsportsphotos.net

In the Nest

In the nest:  Most people get excited to see a Great Blue Heron up close,  but how cool would it be to see them nesting and feeding their young.  Brigitte and I have found many nesting sites in the area where many species share the same tree.  Herons, Egrets, Cormorants, and other birds happily will coexist a few feet from each other.
This photo was taken by Brigitte in the Pleasanton area in April 2010.  She used a 500mm f4 lens with a 1.4X converter.
The photo was shot at ISO 400, f 13, 1/1250 sec

Watching these huge birds taking turns hunting and returning with food, and then feeding the young is truly interesting.

www.captivatingphotos.net