Gamers

I've been attending a regular game night with friends since about , at least 2006. We play on Wednesday nights, and it has been very much fun. I am not a hard core gamer like some of them, more of a social gamer who shows up for the photos, beer, and an occasional game play.
For a long while, I have been posting my photos of the games and people who are playing them. It has been a fun exercise. I've seen my photos get a lot better along the way. From available light, to other lenses, to bounce light, to multiple remote light triggers. I like the challenge, and it is a great way for me to get regular practice at photography.

In early 2011, the President RBM design studios, Rodger MacGowen, contacted me about my game night photos. He offered some mutually beneficial exchange between me and his group. He would send some magazines and games for photos to be used on his website for his magazine- C3i. Alrighty then... I had no clue who the guy was. I talked to my gaming buddies, and as it turns out he has put out a CRAP load of games. He is part of the management team at GMT.

To put it mildly  the dude is in gaming. He contacted me for photos to use. Really?


Rodger asked me to do some photos for the C3i magazine, adverts. The first couple were not QUIET what he was looking for. Ok ok ok... they were total ham shots. I wanted to come up with something slightly better.

My mind started thinking of posed shots- not the impromptu shots I am used to getting with the gaming friends. Rodger game me a couple ideas he was looking for, and I ran with them.

First, I needed to light the C3i magazine. Thats a given. Snoot or grid spot. That takes care of one of my two light sources. The 430EX because of the ability to dial down to like 1/64 power. Ok...  Then a soft light for another axis of light. This would be on the subjects face while 'reading' the magazine. That would get my Vivatar 285. Which means I had to go 1/4 or 1/16, as it does not have 1/8 power. *sigh*

Seemed like a great idea, the problem is I don't do this type of shooting enough to just setup and go. It took me a good 10-15 minutes to dial everything in. But once I did get it, I was just nailing shot after shot. It was like shooting fish in a barrel.

Nice soft light on one side of the subject away from the magazine cover, and the cover nicely highlighted with a direct light source.

Rodger was very happy and turned it around the next day for an on-line advert.

[follow-up] I often joke with the guys that if a GMT game is on the table, I am legally obligated to photograph it. Rodger did me one better, he said I was ' "unofficial" GMT photographer.'

David Gray, 9/30/12 Baltimore Lyric

I was not planning on attending the 9/30/12 concert of David Gray in Baltimore at the Lyric. A buddy contacted me two days before, and asked if my wife and I wanted to go with him. Someone who had planned to go dropped out last minute. We scrambled for support of the kids, and we were going!
Buddy of mine had 2nd row, center tickets via the fanclub. Pretty darn sweet.

My next set of questions involved photographing the show. As I stated with U2, if I didn't have my camera at the show- all I would be doing is thinking about taking photos at the show. It is how I am wired. I could not find any photography policy either by David Gray's fansite, nor via the Lyric. My one phone call to the Lyric got sent to voicemail, it was the weekend I suppose. The fansite was pretty lacking in the support area, but then again I believe the height of his musical influence occurred in the 2003-2004 time frame.

I debated to myself on what to do, and the day of the show was rainy. That sealed the deal. Because we were so close, I would take the Canon 7D body without the battery grip, and ONLY the 50mm f/1.8 lens. While I would have loved to take the 17-40mm, or even the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS, being in the second row would have been too much. I also did not want to get to the door and be told to go away until I got rid of that stuff. I was also not sure how the fanclub operated entry etc. So less risk on my behalf.

When we got there, it turned out I could have taken a duffel-bag of camera gear in. No one cared what you had to be honest. I was thankful that our seats were so close, so my 50mm was effective. Lighting was not too challenging. David Gray did not move around too much, though for a couple songs he moved to a piano further back. Otherwise it was just lighting effects, a very active head movement by David, and getting the right emotion during the song. Dialing in the camera was pretty easy- it stayed at 640ISO the entire show.

I took about 110 photos total. Not that many... But I was pretty happy with most I took. I did publish 30 of them on Flickr.

Image use requests

Occasionally I get a request for use of my images for various reasons. Three of the most recent images were for completely different reasons. This was over the past two/three months. I don't get them too often, well, in terms of requests per year.

The first was of Sierra's paws in a stream. (see right image)
The group who wanted to use it was for a non-profit book of poems and short stories. The proceeds were going to support a local SPCA.
Not only did I agree with enthusiasm, but I supplied a higher quality image than they were expecting. I love to help non-profits in this manner.

I even submitted an image of Sierra to the Lab Rescue group calendar. Not sure if it will be picked, but if it helps get a few more dollars in the donation box for a great group, I am more than happy.

The second image was for the use of Bono U2 image. (image on left)
I am usually happy to help folks as best as I can. Occasionally they find the image because they are in the background, or that it was a moment they recalled from the show.
In each case, I ask them if they are familiar with the African Well Fund. Once they are, I ask if they make a donation for getting a print made, it is up to them. I have no real way to find out if they donated, I suppose I could inquire,  but I am the trusting type. At least 75% of the time people disappear after me asking for that donation.  It is a little sad to think people just want a free hand out, instead of making a small donation for a great charity to get something they want.

The third and last image still makes me laugh. I was contacted by a magazine company owned by a MAJOR credit card company. They stated they had a very tight timeline and if I agreed to have my credit with the image, they would be happy to use it.
I replied with a very nice, "thank you, but I value my images more than to have a photo credit. If we can sort out a compensation for use, I'd be happy to help out."
Needless to say, I never heard back from that contact. I am all in favor of promoting my images, but not for free folks. You have crap loads of money to put that product out. I am sure they found someone else who was more than willing to give their product away for "free." Oh well.


Some random photo links I have found recently:

- Gizmodo: The ASCII Photobooth! Wow that is just so super fantastic I can't believe it hasn't been brought back yet for hipster weddings.

- Photography Blog- CameraImagesSensor.com- I wish I had more of a use for something like this.

- DIY Photography- How to Build A Beauty Dish- I still really want to do a project like this. And from the looks of things, I think it is highly doable. Just need to find the time and parts. Ha.

- LifeHacker- A Geek's Guide to Budgeting Hobbies- Yes, photography is a hobby. Some really good tips... now how to balance hobbies and being an active parent!

- LifeHacker- Know your rights!- Knowledge is indeed power, especially when people are paranoid as hell and just assume you are doing something wrong.

- LifeHacker- How to keep track of your media on-line- I've tried Tineye in the past, pretty much a pain to use and keep up on. The Google Alert bit is nice, assuming they credit you.

The Daguerreotype

Been forever since I posted, but I thought these two videos are fantastic in terms of photographic history. Even if they are short, they are great brain fodder in my opinion. I am trying to wrap my brain around the idea of seeing a photograph for the first time of what truly was instead of an interpretation. (painting, etc) I agree that this process changed the way humans thought.

Providing prints

Bono in Pittsburgh
(my image, my permission)

Over the past year or two, I have had various requests for some of my U2 photos. I always engage the requesters, and ask about what and why they are looking for. Often it is a shot from a show they went to with a friend, or they are looking for something in their basement, office, or where ever.  Great!

I always ask if they know of the African Well Fund. I have lead a couple photo auctions in the past to help them out, and they have been highly successful. So I figure, why not have my U2 photos continue to help them out.

I write back saying, what I can do is put the images up on my favorite print site, MPIX.com, let them print however they want, and if they like them- make a donation to AWF however they feel they want to.

The downside of this? After I tell them this is how I would like to proceed, they go silent. I didn't ask for additional money up front, I didn't ask them to send me their first born... Just if they liked what they saw, consider making a donation. They didn't have to, they were paying for the print and I was doing most of the work. Maybe they found someone else to do the work, I dunno.

Bono in Chicago
(my image, my permission)

So now I am think I ought to do something else. Maybe I should setup a SmugMug pro account with my U2 photos so anyone can order prints to their hearts delight. I would get 80% of the profits, and every now and then, I would throw some of the profits in to the AWF coffers.

I don't know of any better way to do this right now. There is some sort of market out there for these services. I have tried the fair and nice route. I know people are just printing the images off the screen, even as crap as they are. Or taking them for their own. I want to at least give a professional way for people to obtain them without too much extra work on my end every darn time.


Or maybe I need to find out if the demand is really there or not. *ponder*

Resolution- new Zelda useage

About two months ago, the same ad agency which ran the initial "Zelda" series for Eukanuba contacted me again. They were looking for some follow-up information about Sierra. Thats cool. However, they also asked if I might be interested in allowing the image to be used in a Canadian ad campaign.

Alright! Bonus!

Sure I said, I would love to. How long? Four months they said. Sounds reasonable, back and forth on some details, and we settled on a rate. Then they sent me request for service, but the dates they had listed were for time that had already past by.  They asked for my invoice, and things could get moving along.

Wait a second, what do those back dates mean? I emailed with the follow-on question with my contact, no response.

Something was not right there. I asked a buddy in Canada to pop in to a local news shop and look at a few magazines to see if what I suspected was true- it was. The ad had already been running and they were now trying to secure the rights to cover up any problems. This would also explain the higher rates of hits I was getting from Canadian addresses on my blog.

Whoops on their part, now- what do I do as a photographer? I had a working relationship with that agency, so to speak. They had been upfront about things and were not unreasonable.

I talked with photography friends, I talked with a family lawyer who really does not know copyright, but read up and knew the law system better than I did. One suggested I just take the money that was in front of me, and be thankful. One suggested to ask for a reasonable amount more. One only could suggest things if I had officially registered my images with the US Patient Office. Creative Commons was not good enough for a real court case. No one suggested I get all lawyer-ed up and threaten all sorts of problems.

After thinking about the conditions and input to date, I put together a simple email with an invoice for the additional fees that the violation, I felt, would cover.  Then I waited, and waited, and waited. They said they would have to talk to the financial folks.

I got a little worried to be honest. The ad was done in another country. I may not ever have found out about it if they hadn't contacted me. The ad agency in question could have easily ignored me after I made my counter request- which was basically doubling the initial fee because they had violated my copyright on the image. They could have easily ignored me and I would have had very little real leverage. 

Finally last week- they agreed to the additional fees. They were decent about it all through-out the process. I felt violated at first. How DARE they use that image without my knowing?! Then I was also flattered- they wanted to use my image again!

In the end, everything is working out. We can get some extra bills paid with the money, and Sierra is a star in Canada.

Calvert Hall Lacrosse

#24 Stephen Kelly

I had the opportunity to go to Calvert Hall and photograph the lacrosse team's first ever game under the lights at Russo Stadium on campus. (Flickr set of the game here)

Calvert Hall lacrosse was ranked #1 nationally by many polls. Wow, I had no idea. They were going to play their first game under the lights at the stadium, again cool. The Philly based team was ranked as high as a top 10 team, so they were no slouches.

However, I have never shot lacrosse before. I played it when I was a wee-dude. But that is as close to a lacrosse game as I have gotten in a couple decades.  I started to do some research on team members I should target. I searched which players have college commitments- seniors, 15, juniors (yes, juniors) 1 that I know of. We are talking loaded at every position apparently. They are loaded, talented, driven, and very hungry.

I talked with a co-worker who had played in college to get a better idea of where to setup shop. I started watching some videos to get an idea of what to look for.

Turns out- shooting lacrosse is not as difficult to shoot as I thought it would be. However, I was limited by my one lens- 70-200 f/2.8. I do wish I had the 1.4x extender to get slightly further reach. I don't need the 300mm, thankyouverymuch.

I would say half of the game I was just waiting for the action to come towards me. I would setup in different spots along the back corners just waiting. A few times I tries going behind the goals, standing with my lens just about touching the netting.

#3 Brian Bolewicki

The only other 'problem' was the shifting light during the first quarter or so of the game. As the sun fully set, and the lights of the stadium took over. I had to adjust shooting as things progressed. Once it was fully dark, then I could just sit on the settings of the camera without too much adjustment.

One thing I was aware of, slightly concerned about, but never had to react to was a stray lacrosse ball coming at me. That small rubber ball could have done some damage to my gear!

Level of inspection

I have been helping, well, more like talking, to a co-worker about photography. I gave him inputs, and showed him examples. I didn't push Canon, but I could only talk about it because thats what I know. Generally tried to guide him in the confusing world of stuff that is photography. I am not a historian, I don't know much, but I like to share what little sliver I do know because it took me a while to figure out what I do know.

I explained the various layers of photography, that the more doors you open there are more to follow. Photography is an expensive hobby, but rewarding. I always look back to the previous year's images and find myself unhappy with the results. (don't let me look at stuff I shot five years ago, I might pass out) There were plenty of websites to share, books to suggest, but the ultimate suggestion was to shoot and keep shooting. 

Then we got in to the technical realm. In terms of which lens is better than another, and why. I fell off the conversation at that point. He was reading all sorts of material on-line about why the 70-200 f/2.8 IS version 2 was better than version 1. (and when the heck did it get to $2,200?) Or which lens should be better than the 17-40 f/4 I typically use. He was talking to another friend who did photography and got more opinions on gear. I didn't have much of a leg to stand on for why one thing might be better than another.

Then I realized a very important point about my photography- I didn't care. Not one spec. I am not a pixel peeper. I don't care what kind of glass Canon manufactures the lense out of. I just want the damn thing to work. I know what to expect out of the image, and I know, usually, how to get there.

Should I care than the 16-35 f/2.8 is better lens than the 17-40 f/4? Probably, but reality has me. I don't have endless cash, I want to take good images and be able to do other things. Reality hits home. I am a practical person. If my humble little home 'studio' is currently working for me, then thats what I will keep using. I am not going to go out and buy a parabolic strobe setup because it is so great. I can't, and maybe in 15-20 years maybe, but for practical life I am where I am and it works.

Which also reminded me, this is very much how I live my life. If it works, great! If there is a better solution, I will take my time to understand it and work towards it if the new solution makes sense. (recent example- taking my old computer and trying to use Linux on it instead of Windows for a project- turns out for my project, Windows was better suited. Thats fine with me, but it took some playing around and research to figure that out for myself)

While I am frustrated with what "COULD BE" I am usually very happy with what is and I do have. It is an internal struggle, but all I need to do is look back to see what I have done and the frustrations calm down and I am able to focus again. (pun fully intended)

What would next be?

I have been thinking, what I would want next in terms of camera gear? I know I would rather have more time, or a focus, with time to shoot a project. Then I thought, what would I do with $3,000 if it suddenly just landed in my lap?

If I know where I want to go, I need to know where I have been. What I want to do in the near future. Knowing limits of my gear, or getting frustrated because I can't get the shot I want with what I have right now.

I would LOVE to have a Canon 5D, not the Mark III, but the Mark II. Even at reduced prices, $2,200 is too much. Most of my gear prices are from B+H, the perfect place to buy all your camera gear. Woot.

Things I can think off the top of my head:

- 2 or 3 Canon 43EX II Speedlights $300 each, say $900 total.
- Canon extender, 1.4 or 2x? Might as well go for the gusto and get the 2x, $500
- 2 more CyberSyncs $70 each, $140
- 3-4 Manfroto light stands, new ones that do what I had always wanted- lay flat. $50 each, $200

I really want a super wide angle lens, which combined with the cropped sensor of the 7D is limiting... but I I have tried it before and it is super nice. Too bad an L series wide angle is over $2,000.

- A 28mm f/1.8 Canon EF lens, for $500
- Say a couple subscriptions for Flickr for renewal, update my website renewals, and keep some other on-line costs going.
- Prints for lots of future projects and family stuff via MPIX.
- Money for diy photo projects
- More rechargeable batteries
- A new BIG monitor

I think I could get to $3000 without trying too hard nor going to get a couple new lens or a new camera body.

Zelda from Eukanuba

In December of 2010, I was contacted by an advertising firm asking about the use of an image of Sierra. (right) After a little bit of negotiations, settlement was reached and the rights to the image for a year were obtained. (see here for advert Eukanuba removed it, go here instead DO NOT go to that site, it was taken by some porn site... ugh)
They renamed her to Zelda, used another image to blur the rocks on top a bit, and removed the red collar. They added some text about how good of a water dog she was.

I didn't think much more of it... until someone said they saw it in National Geographic. Not only in one issue, but in three months running. It may never happen again, but I had an image in National Geographic! (ok ok, it was for an advertisement, but still- work with me people!)

Then other folks started chiming with places they had seen the image of Sierra... Outdoors, Dog Fancy (back cover), Canine Review, Men's Health, and others. So they spent quiet a bit of cash showing off my dog to advertise for their product- I am still in awe of it all.

For the record, Sierra has never had Eukanuba.

Thanks again to the great folks over at Lab-Rescue of the Potomac for helping me find her.

Many more images of Sierra.