March 16, 2015

Ballroom Dance, Event, Photography | 0 comment

2014 New Jersey State Open photos expiring

Atlantic City, NJ

Two big updates are on the TimeLine Media proofing website today. The most urgent is today is the last day to view and purchase photos from the 2014 New Jersey State Open! This was a great event at a new venue last year held October 23-26, 2014. The Bally’s in Atlantic City is the site of the first time I ever seriously photographed ballroom dancers, and this was a nice way to recharge my photography with a new scene, and a new lighting setup. Because of the way the room was setup, I had a very two-sided lighting setup that really worked well over this weekend.

http://proofs.timelinedc.com

The photos as usual, were organized by the number worn by male dancers during competitive heats. We saw a lot of familiar faces out there, and they seemed to really enjoy the setup this year. If you did dance at this competition, but you had some trouble finding your photos, please let me know. I would be happy to find your photos, or take your orders over the phone. I know there can be some snafus placing an order online, and I would be happy to talk with you about your images too.

Dancesport Competition

These were some of my favorite images from the pro-am part of the competition. The majority of the action at these competitions have students and their instructors on the dance floor, and I thought I should feature them on here as I usually post photos of the professional competitions. This is an example of what your photos will look like if we are sent to cover your upcoming competition. We love having good images of our dancing to have and share with friends on social media. The videos just do not have the same impact as a good still in my mind.

Also, please note that the early-bird sale form the UPenn Classic also ends at the proofing site today. This is the 15% off sale on all orders from this event. The photos will still be available to view from this event, only the sale is ending. The New Jersey State Open, however, will not be available to view after tonight. The files are moving to the archive to make room for new events on the website.

http://proofs.timelinedc.com

We have two events on the schedule coming up this weekend – the DC Area Arthur Murray Spring Freestyles, and the Baltimore Dancesport Challenge. Stay tuned here and at the proofing site for updates on them. See you on the dance floor soon!

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

March 6, 2015

Personal, Photography, Technology, Travel | 0 comment

Black and White Challenge – Part 2

Nokesville, VA

To follow up from a post a few Fridays ago, I’m posting here more black and white photos I made specifically for the Facebook Black and White Challenge. Being that these were made over the holidays, we spent a lot of time with our family. The familiar surroundings sometimes makes it difficult to make new photos. The scenes are too familiar, and nuances that make for compelling images seem difficult to pick out. Sometimes, you just need to change your angle. Get higher, or get lower. That is usually my first go-to move! Here Dani, a little dachshund becomes much larger in the photo. I put my head and camera right on the ground. I took a series of photos as she sniffed around the grass. In a stroke of luck, she licked making her look like a lioness!

Moody Environments

In these other photos, the mood was really helped by a thick fog rolling in from the river. It was an unusually warm air day, but the water was still cold creating the foggy scene. You could almost feel the low ceiling when you were standing by the edge of the water. Not too much noise was cutting through their either – only lapping water and shore birds. This image of the tree branches cutting through the negative space of the cloudy background made me think of canvas paintings of a coastline. This is almost exactly how the photo was captured in camera:

The last took a little more work in Photoshop. I placed a neutral density (ND) filter in front of my wide angle lens. This filter does not change the color tone of the scene, it only makes it darker – like sunglasses for your camera! Putting the camera on a tripod, the ND filter allows you to lower the shutter speed which makes the moving water smooth into a blurry sheet at the bottom of the photo. To simplify the photo even more, I removed some string running across the pylons, and other piers that jutted into the left and right sides of the frame. It makes for a more minimalistic presentation that my eye likes much more than the original. Have a great weekend, readers!

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

March 4, 2015

Ballroom Dance, Event, Photography | 0 comment

Maryland Dancesport Championships sale ending

Baltimore, Maryland

I extended the sale for the Maryland Dancesport Championships a few days. Since I did not properly give notice on the blog or on the social networks it, I added some days. The new deadline in FRIDAY March 6, 2015 for the early-bird discounts at the TimeLine Media proofing site:

http://proofs.timelinedc.com

Maryland Dancesport Championships - ©TimeLine Media — Maryland Dancesport Championships – ©TimeLine Media

The photos from this competition were excellent all-around. We had a great group of photographers that helped us cover the action on the dance floor! I am just disappointed that I have not had the time to properly blog about the experience at this competition with awesome new owners, Amanda and Ilya Reyzin. We were so happy that they invited us to photograph another of their events, and we had a great time over the 3 days in Baltimore.

Ballroom Dance Venue

They always decorate the ballroom so nicely, but they add in a bit of modern technology with each competition. This time, they had a huge 4K screen as a backdrop to the dais above the floor. The photographers really used this to their advantage to make for some different image compositions.

We had a great time visiting with so many local dancers since it was so close to home. We made sure to reconnect, and of course, get their new figures in the can as they have been working hard on new moves and new costumes since they last time we saw them. The professional competitive heats were really exceptional to watch. This was the one time I was thankful that I did not have to photograph as much so that I could enjoy seeing the action without being stuck in the viewfinder!

Professional Competition

This is the second competition where I had the opportunity to do so, and it is hard for me to decide which I enjoy more – enjoying the dancing live, or revisiting the action in photos after the fact. I do love reviewing the photos, but being in the room with the music blasting, and the dresses whizzing across the floor right in front of you – it is an awesome experience that is impossible to replicate in stills or video. The photos are still excellent, but I have to admit, I have enjoyed both and cannot wait until the next opportunity to see dancers on the floor!

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

TimeLine Media Blog

Archive of ‘Photography’ category

2014 New Jersey State Open photos expiring

Atlantic City, NJ

Dancesport Competition

Black and White Challenge – Part 2

Nokesville, VA

Moody Environments

Maryland Dancesport Championships sale ending

Baltimore, Maryland

Ballroom Dance Venue

Professional Competition

Archive of ‘Photography’ category

Atlantic City, NJ

Dancesport Competition

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Nokesville, VA

Moody Environments

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Baltimore, Maryland

Ballroom Dance Venue

Professional Competition

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