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Archive of ‘Ballroom Dance’ category

Ballroom Dance, Event, Photography | 0 comment

Early September Canvas Sale

©TimeLine Media - dancing at the American Star Ball

Custom Wall Art

Happy September! This is a popular time for sales from the print labs as schools are getting back into session. The lab that I primarily use is having a canvas sale. From today, September 1, 2013 to next Sunday, September 8, 2013 prints are discounted. The prices have already been changed on the proofing website. With this in mind, no coupon or special codes are needed to receive the 20% off discount.

http://www.timelinedc.com/proofs

©TimeLine Media - Arthur Murray Virginia Beach at the Spring Freestyles
©TimeLine Media – Arthur Murray Virginia Beach at the Spring Freestyles

Canvas Sale

As I have noted, canvas prints have become a popular way to hang art on your walls. These prints are a more contemporary presentation of images, without frames, or borders. However, if you would like a more traditional setting, these can be placed into wood frames, or created with a color border surrounding the edges. At this time I have many of my personal prints hanging in my house this way. Mine are grouped into collections for wall spaces. I especially enjoy the reaction people have from seeing large, custom-made photographs in my home. Of course I appreciate having paintings or reprints of famous photos, but as personal as photography is to me, it is a perfect way to present my craft to family and visitors.

Example of canvas print collection
Example of canvas print collection

So much of my photography is from the ballroom dance floor. Many customers have emailed, and we have created nice groupings of canvas prints for their spaces. While some are on walls, some have them gone up staircases, others have been placed in their entertainment rooms where they practice some of their dancing. Unlike paper prints, it is much easier to hang these as larger prints – they come with rubber bumpers, and framing wire already attached so you just need to mount a picture frame hook to hang these pieces. If you have any questions about them, please let me know! I can help you measure out a good size for a space you were thinking, and can recommend images if you have a few in mind. My email is rassi @ timelinedc.com, phone 703-864-8208.

©TimeLine Media - dancing at the American Star Ball
©TimeLine Media – dancing at the American Star Ball

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Ballroom Dance, Event, Photography, Sports | 0 comment

Sports Photographer Idols – Part 3

©TimeLine Media - USA Dance Mid-Atlantic Champsionships - ballroom dance

In two previous posts, here and here, I wrote about lessons learned from studying another sports photographer to improve my own photography. I will be going out to another sporting event today, and will be on the look out for more inspiration. Another lesson that Dave Black will emphasize with action sports photography is gear. Yes, this aspect of photography can be really overdone! In the competitive world of sports photography, it can be determining factor in whether you can survive shooting only sports.

Photography Kit

If the people around you are shooting at 200mm, you need to get a 300mm length lens. Comparatively if everyone is shooting at 400mm length, you need to get a 600mm length lens. If everyone has an 800mm lens, you need to stick a teleconverter on your lens to extend passed 800mm. Moreover if this sounds like an incredibly expensive “arms race”, it is. But it is hard to argue in an age where everyone has access to good camera bodies, and long lenses – where iPhone and tablet photos can pass as publishable images for newspapers and websites. Photographers also need to up their game in terms of equipment, and putting that equipment in places where everyone else does not have access.

©TimeLine Media - ballroom dancing at the 2013 American Star Ball
©TimeLine Media – ballroom dancing at the 2013 American Star Ball
©TimeLine Media - Baltimore Dancesport Challenge
©TimeLine Media – Baltimore Dancesport Challenge

The last point that stuck with me from Dave, is positioning of the photographer with relationship to his subjects. When shooting sports, it is important to get down low to the ground. The subject you are aiming for, if they are down the field, will look like they are right in your plane of view. And when they start to move towards you, then will look larger and fill up the frame making for an “hero” shot composition. Viewers will be drawn to the main subject. They will look powerful and dominate the frame which is the goal in most action images – even from the dance floor!

Sports Photographer

The sports photographer will be on the ground with knee pads or stretched out just off the edge of the dance floor trying to get the camera to places that people in the audience or in the stands would not be able to get their camera. This is their job, and why they are given the task and position in the venue. If they do not take advantage of their setting, then smartphone and tablet images will become more acceptable. And exceptional sports imagery will no longer be sought after by editors, and customers.

©TimeLine Media - Arthur Murray Summer Showcase
©TimeLine Media – Arthur Murray Summer Showcase
©TimeLine Media - USA Dance Mid-Atlantic Champsionships - ballroom dance
©TimeLine Media – USA Dance Mid-Atlantic Champsionships – ballroom dance

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Ballroom Dance, Event, Personal, Photography | 0 comment

Needs Improvement

©TimeLine Media - Piano Keys

In my corporate job, “Improvement Needed” or “IN” used to be the lowest rank you could receive on a review. Yes it does not sound good, and is in fact very discouraging. It was meant to be a sign to the person receiving the score that they are the lowest performer. Subsequently it will likely push them out the job to something else, or out of the company completely.

Work Review

As a freelancer, it seems like I do nothing but look at where I need to make my skills better. I look at things like photo shoot setups, camera technique, composition, post-processing, etc. Then there are business things – my contracts, marketing, website – it is really an endless list. Looking back on where we are now, it would be possible to think that everything is setup just as we like it. However, I am constantly thinking it needs improvement.

©TimeLine Media - Piano Keys
©TimeLine Media – Piano Keys

I do see a correlation between my view of my work, and the work that is done by my photography subjects. I revisit many venues and events. It is easy to see the progress artists put into their craft in between the times that we see each other. It inspired me to come up with new ideas. My setup cannot be the same as the last time. It would look like I am satisfied with where I am, and what I am doing. This pushes my photography to improve every time I go out on a shoot.

©TimeLine Media - American Star Ball - Professional Ballroom Dance Competition
©TimeLine Media – American Star Ball – Professional Ballroom Dance Competition

Use weaknesses to push you off the plateau and get to the next level. Yes, a photographer needs to have good gear, but you need to have something in the frame that will hold viewer’s attention. For a singer, singing in key is the prerequisite, but singing something that people want to hear will bring you to the next level. More shoots are on the schedule, hopefully more improvements will be made!

©TimeLine Media - Blue Jupiter at SingStrong 2013
©TimeLine Media – Blue Jupiter at SingStrong 2013

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

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