I am finally getting around to posting about my trip to Philadelphia with my Fuji X100S. While I was accompanying my wife on a business trip, I had a chance to tour the city. While we had plenty of space, I did not want to bring my bulky camera setup with me. On this occasion, we took the train from DC, and not worrying about a large camera bag was very freeing!
In case you are unfamiliar, the Fuji X100S is a mirrorless camera. Without a doubt it is a much smaller package, but the performance is not compromised. Also the software built into the camera has some features that are not in other cameras I have used. For example, the Independence Hall above was stitched in-camera! Of course that could be done in post processing, but testing it here was impressive.
The picture styles of their JPGs particularly change the look. Since these are from the same company that makes Fuji film stocks, they named the styles in the same way. This last photo is a monochrome image out of the camera – lovely – just like the Acros film I remember from film-shooting days!
Today the photos from the 2015 UPenn Classic photos expire at the TimeLine Media proofing site. This event was held last February at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA. Thanks to Penn Latin and Ballroom Dance for having us come back to cover their event! Back in 2009, they were one of the first dance events that we covered outside of our home base in Washington, DC. It was great to see the group flourishing with lots of support from surrounding schools. To get one last look at the photos, please visit the link below:
This venue is one of the grandest ballrooms we have photographed with such a large space above the dance floor. When we arrived, I was almost overwhelmed with the amount of air between us and the ceiling. It was a good thing that I no longer bounce my flash for my action photos – there would no power left by the time it came back from up there! Therefore, I had to quickly come up with a different setup.
We had to quickly set up in the morning as we did not have a chance to set up the night before. So less than a half hour after getting our gear into the ballroom, the dancers were about to start. Luckily, I had a lot of help, and the very long ballroom helped to give some distance between me and the background. In other words, it was an easy assignment to have the dancers pop out in such a large space. In addition to the space, having the flashes directly going towards the dancers helped. A great day of dancing!
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.
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.
Ballroom dance competition
Ballroom dance competition
Standard Ballroom Dancing
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.
Ballroom dance competition
Smooth ballroom dancing
Rhythm Competition Dancing
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.
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!
