On Jun 14, 2011, at 3:03 PM, Christine Nielsen wrote: > Well done, Larry. I really like the first two, and the silhouetted > shot. The simpler backgrounds really enhance the photos, I think, and > it's hard in those environments to get an uncluttered look. I've > encountered the same issues -- cluttered background, poor light, fast > action -- at my daughter's gymnastics meets this year, and it's tough. > The action is where it is, and often it's hard to move around for a > better vantage point, if there even is one. Nice work. > :)
Thank you very much > -c > > > On Tue, Jun 14, 2011 at 4:16 AM, Larry Colen <[email protected]> wrote: >> Yesterday, a friend of mine tested for second degree black belt in aikido. >> As long as I was there, I took photos of the two belt tests. >> >> It was a very challenging venue to photograph, as sunlight from the two >> skylights hit the wall, and some of the mat behind the action. There was >> one spot, where I could shoot from the side, and avoid the patches of light, >> but then I wasn't sitting with the other students, and I was worried the >> sensei wouldn't call on me to participate in my friend's test. As it turns >> out, the sensei was so focused on the test, he forgot that I was there and >> only called members of the dojo. >> >> In any event, I did my best to work around shooting into the light, as well >> as trying various exposures, whether it was way underexposing on the people >> so as to reduce overexposure in the hot spots, or just exposing for the >> people, bright background be damned. >> >> In retrospect, when I processed the photos, I practiced the principles of >> aikido and rather than trying to fight the hot spots, I went with them, >> often using the dodge tool to white out large expanses of the background to >> meld with the blown out sections. In one case I went for extreme contrast, >> blowing out everything light, or in the background, and bringing the people >> full dark. Just out of a sense of perversity, I did my best to maintain the >> blue of the mat, so that the only color in the photo, is something that's >> almost irrelevant to the action. >> >> The result of my thrash to deal with the horrid lighting was the sensei >> posting this comment to my facebook post of the link to the pictures: >> >> "Your work is amazing! I love your photos of the test, including the effects >> that emerged when you shot into the sunlight on the wall. These are some of >> my favorite aikido photos ever, and I'm really looking forward to posting >> some of them on the website." >> >> So, it's funny how you can make the best of a bad situation, and if you >> don't mention that it wasn't what you meant to do all along, rather than >> being complimented for making the results not suck too bad, someone can be >> really impressed and think that you're a creative genius. >> >> I wasn't going to post the set, because with all of the technical >> difficulties I had, I wasn't really please with any of the shots, but since >> I was so amused by Nick's reaction.... >> >> http://www.flickriver.com/photos/ellarsee/sets/72157626831857291/ >> >> -- >> Larry Colen [email protected] sent from i4est >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> [email protected] >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >> follow the directions. >> > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- Larry Colen [email protected] sent from i4est -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
