San Jacinto Tiger sculpture, Ramona Boulevard
Though I haven’t produced anything for them in nearly a month, the Valley Chronicle continues to use pieces I’ve done (thanks to Charlie for keeping things flowing). This photo illustrates a story on the renovation of a street in San Jacinto in preparation for July 4th activities.
I won’t be covering July 4th celebrations for them, but I do hope to get some good fireworks shots from a local display.
iLily, From my iPhone 3G S
Picked up my iPhone 3G S this week, and the camera in it is as impressive as I had heard. As camera phones go, my 1st-gen phone was serviceable when I had no other options (and there was plenty of light, and nothing was moving), but this new gadget is pretty nice. I’m especially enjoying the tap-to-focus feature and the lower-light capability.
I’ll have to make an effort now to bulk up my meager phone cam set on Flickr.
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Turns out I was unjustifiably hard on myself over the quality of the photos I got on the dual high school graduation assignment on June 11. Despite what I thought to be a poor showing, the editor chose a number of shots and each grad story (West Valley HS and San Jacinto HS) got an illustration. I needed the confidence bost.
As a bit of a bonus round, a follow-on story from the Memorial Day event got a pic as well. You can call me “File Photo”.
West Valley High School Graduation, Hemet, CA
If I’ve learned (or confirmed) anything from my last assignment, it’s that I do not do good work when under pressure or when under-prepared. As one who puts the “Pro” in procrastination, I’ve always tried to fool myself into thinking that I do, though the results are consistently disappointing. Whether its a report for work or photography, I need to give myself more time or opt out of things that I can’t hope to do well.
Any chance to shoot is a chance to improve, but while I’m grateful for the opportunity, I had people depending on me. I’ll be lucky if they can use any of what I produced at all.
My second byline, June 5, 2009
As previously posted, I worked the Hemet-Ryan air show and got some decent things in to the paper for consideration. The editor picked two, and the story is here. I’m assuming the dead-tree edition will use the same pieces (Update: for good or ill, they did).
I think I kind of like this. San Jacinto High School graduation up next.
Aviation Casual, originally uploaded by NoIdentity.
I covered my second assignment for the Chronicle on Saturday. The Hemet-Ryan Air Show is a small, yet popular event, and this was the first time in a few years that they’d held it. Admission was free, so the airport grounds were packed. The weather was cool, and the activities played out under overcast skies.
The aerobatic performances were impressive – these guys are good, no doubt, but their displays are all about motion and don’t translate well to the newspaper page. I was more interested in capturing audience reaction to what was going on in front of and above them and their interaction with the static displays. I’m getting over my shyness of photographing people, and I guess the cover of reportage helps. Folks were either oblivious or happy to be involved, and I got a lot of camera questions.
I ended up with quite a few shots I think the editor can use, and number of Flickr-worthy pieces. The selects for the paper are here, and the Flicker set is here.
I had a hard time getting manual exposure right for a lot of the day due to the overcast skies. On a gear note, I was shooting both the 30D (50mm) and the 5DII (70-300mm), and the 70-300mm f/4-5.6 with the hood produced some really nasty vignetting. I was able to correct most of it in post, but I’m not happy about it at all. I guess it’s not the right lens for the big sensor. Have to do something about that soon.
My first byline, May 29, 2009
Well, here it is – my first published photo byline. The Valley Chronicle chose three of my photos from the Memorial Day event to accompany a lead story, which you can read in the online edition. It feels good to see it up there. Now I need to get a print copy Got two print copies for posterity. Even better on paper – feels more real.
My second opportunity is tomorrow. It’s an air show, so it should give me a lot to work with. Wish me luck!
Well, I’m officially a photojournalist. Not a paid one, but I guess that doesn’t matter so much. I’m in it for the experience, and a photo credit or two wouldn’t be a bad thing.
My father-in-law is a reporter with a couple of papers in the area, and I asked about opportunities to cover some things if they were looking for a cheap/free photographer with questionable-but-improving skills. He said he ask around, and a couple of jobs came up, but they were mid-week gigs and I just couldn’t break away from work to do them.
Fortunately, some weekend events popped up and I jumped at the chance to work on them. The first of these was a Memorial Day event honoring veterans at a little cemetery. The ceremony was touching. There were lots of opportunities for people shots, with some set-pieces to consider around the periphery, and the pageantry you’d expect from such a thing – presentation of colors, Taps, Two Bells, 3-musket salutes. I got a few human interest things, including conversation shots of two vets in their 80s who fought in the same Pacific island battles and now lived near each other but, until that day, had never met. That will turn into the lead for the feature story.
I can’t say I produced my best work, but I was new to the milieu. I ran around with two bodies – 5D and the old 30D – and tried to get everything I could without being in the way. I forget sometimes how big an obstacle I can be until I’m really blocking things up. The organizers appreciated my being there, and so far the newspaper editor seems happy.
I’ll post an update after publication.
Vivid, originally uploaded by NoIdentity.
For a very long month, I’ve been without inspiration and time. In my world these days, they’re so intertwined that I can’t have one without the other and the absence is simply filled with tiredness.
A rare uncluttered weekend and a couple of trips out to nearby spots helped me to get back in line. I really shouldn’t let life get in the way of what I love to do. I want to keep life vivid.
“Yeah, can we call it a loan
Till I’m paid in full for the seeds I’ve sown
Yeah, can we say that I’ve grown
In some way that we may have yet to be shown”
– Jackson Browne – Call It A Loan
Spent some time out and about in Hollywood with the AE-1, trying to capture enough of something interesting to finish off my first 36-exposure roll. There’s graffiti all over the area – most of it’s tagging and such not worth a second glance, but you can find the occasional Banksy if you look in the right places.
I took a chance drive down an alley behind the South side of businesses on Melrose near La Brea, and found a little trove of intricate wall-work. I liked the colors and style, and wanted to see what the film would do with it.
Shot on Fuji Pro 160 S.
