Busy Sunday today! Someone on the email list informed me that I forgot to post photos from the professional formation from the last Arthur Murray DC event. So sorry! Of course, I did not mean to leave them off my blogging list. It was on there, however just waiting its turn. And here they are! These are my favorite photos from the Salsa professional dance formation. It was performed by the Gaithersburg and Silver Spring studios. The team performed the dance so smoothly – transitioning between partners, forming lines, circles, all while
Overall it is a lot to take in when photographing formation groups. Especially with the staff performing at a professional level, there is a lot to attempt to capture. Of course they have the dance figures, but they have the added element of their body position to other couples. With this in mind, I don’t think I have a good strategy for photographing this aspect. I do love having the chance to try!
I am hoping it will be a beautiful Saturday! My assignment today is to be a second shooter and assistant on a wedding today. This is one of the best jobs as a photographer. You have to use all your photographic skills in technique and composition while trying to manage different environments, and lighting situations but from a slightly different perspective. When assisting, my first thought is not what looks best from behind my camera, but from the camera of the primary photographer. Do not be in his shot first and foremost! Then think what different lens you could use to capture the same scene so that they have a variety of photos to choose from when editing the whole day.
With the gear you are carrying, make sure you keep your eye on it – the primary photographer may unexpectedly be running to keep up with the bridge and groom! You do not want them to worry about where their things are and missing shots because of that. Finally, during posed portraits, I do not have a camera in my hands. The less cameras pointed at a group during that time, the more likely that everyone will be looking at the primary photographer’s lens. This part will take much longer than anyone, including the photographer, wants it to take.
During this time, I will see if an extra light or reflector will help, or I will try to figure out family members that need to be in photos are ready when it is their turn. It is still a busy day even if you are not the main photo person in charge! Hope you have a great weekend!
The Pre-Season NFL football games have begun indicating a quickly ending summer. From my one season of trying to photograph football from right on the field, I learned much about photographing sports – football specifically, and I learned about other applicable photography skills that I could use off the field. In researching how to better photograph the practices and the games, I visited lots of blogs, watched online videos and slideshows. One sports photographer that made an impression on me was John McDonnell.
Football Photography
At the Washington Redskins training camp, preseason and a regular season game, I had the opportunity to meet and watch Mr. McDonnell work as he covered action on the field. He has been a sports photographer at the Washington Post since the Superbowl years. You can view his images at the Post every day as the season unfolds both online and in the paper. I was not the only photographer that kept my eye on John’s shooting position! He is in the perfect position to capture the action more than most. I learned that there is always something that would be good capture to more complete the story of the game. This can be both on and off the field – there are coaches, trainers, people in the crowd, players on the bench – so much to get, that you have to keep your eye to the camera before the moment passes.
Attending an NFL football game in person is designed to be overload the senses. Trying to capture this event in camera is a challenge that definitely takes years to be comfortable doing season after season. Not only are the thousands of fans adding to the frenzied action, obstacles on the sidelines to avoid, but American football is a game of inches! Keeping track of the ball – who has it, who is getting it, and the game situations that could affect where the ball is going next keeps everyone on their toes.
Thankfully, I will concentrate on photographing ballroom dancers. They have a much easier environment for photographers to work, but they have their own challenges. You should always keep your eye to the camera – dancers always make for fun moments to capture!
