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On The Road
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#3 Black Swan Dreams ... The ballet dancers toe shoes can
be worn out in as little as a week. This cumulative collection
of one ballerinas toe shoes is a Lightpainting that incorporated
a "pull focus" technique. As with any Lightpainting
I focus on the subject and then turn off the auto focus
function so the lens does not try and search in the dark
for something to focus on while I Lightpaint. For this image
I Lightpainted only a portion of the scene with the lens
focused on the toe shoes, then I turn off my Lightpainting
flashlight and un focused or "pull Focused" the
lens completely and then resumed Lightpainting the areas
of the scene not previously Lightpainted. The results is
this; the first portion of Lightpainted toe shoes are perfectly
in focus while the second portion of Lightpainted toe shoes
are out of focus and have a soft dreamy quality. For those
of you who enjoy Lightpainting, this "Pull Focus"
Lightpainting technique can add a new creative dimension
to your images. Nikon D2Xs, ISO100, 1 minute Exposure at
f5.6, Nikon 17-55mm Lens, WB 7000K, Lightpainted with Stylus
Streamlight, Gitzo Carbon Fiber Tripod with Gitzo Ball Head,
Lexar 8G Flash Card. Although a small scene, I used a 1
minute exposure time so that I could Lightpaint the focused
portion for about 20 seconds and then take 20 seconds to
gently pull the focus on the lens and still have 20 seconds
to continue Lightpainting the un focused portion of the
scene. |
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Image #4 Final Preparations ... Before the curtain goes
up there are always some final preparations. Sometimes there
are ballerinas scurrying around backstage, sometimes it
is someone stretching and sometimes there is a delicate
moment like this one of a ballerina adjusting her toe shoe.
Nikon D2Xs, ISO250, 1/250 using a Lens Baby, WB 7000K, One
Remote SB800 Speedlight with LumaQuest Snoot and a power
output of -1, Nikon SU800 Commander, Lexar 8G Flash Card.
I occasionally use a Lens Baby to create a dreamy effect
similar to the previous "pull focus" Lightpainting.
The Lens Baby creates is a sweet spot of perfect focus along
with a very soft focus perimeter all in the same image.
In this case the sweet spot of focus is on the ballerinas
thumb and index finger adjusting the toe shoe. Everything
else in the picture is extremely soft and out of focus.
I used one remote SB800 Speedlight with a LumaQuest Snoot
to also highlight the sweet spot. |
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#6 Ballerina in Red ... Photographing the ballerina is like
photographing an Olympic gold medalist. Years of photographing
figure skaters and gymnasts executing dance moves makes it
easier for me to not make use of multiple frames per second
but to shoot single frames instead. I anticipate the peak
of the action and capture one frame at a time. Keep in mind,
I'm photographing from the front of the theater where the
audience can hear the shutter. I try to choose my pictures
wisely so as to minimize disturbing the audience. I offer
two points of advise to help you anticipate peak action and
to accomplish capturing the moment; 1. Study your subject.
If you come to practices and rehearsals you will know when
the best moments will occur and perfect timing will be assured
because of your acquired knowledge. 2. If you are photographing
a performing art like the ballet, Listen to the music. The
music has a beat and the peak action usually occurs on the
beat. Knowledge gained during practice will help you anticipate
peak action in any sport. Add that knowledge with listening
to the music and you will greatly increase your anticipation
for peak action in the artistic sports of gymnastics, figure
skating and synchronized swimming and of course, the ballet.
Nikon D3, ISO4000, 1/400 at f2.8, Nikon 300mm, WB 2980K, Lexar
8G Flash Card. |
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#1 The Practice ... The dance studio to a ballet dancer
is like the gymnasium to an athlete, a second home. Too
often the photographer only spends time taking pictures
at the competition and fails to investigate the training
that is so crucial to the eventual outcome of the performer
or athlete. I have spent many long hours in gymnasiums,
ice rinks, swimming pools, and practice fields collecting
pictures for my clients and studying my subjects. This Lightpainting
from a dance studio is one of my favorites. Nikon D2X, ISO100,
30 second exposure at f8, Nikon 17-55mm Lens, WB 10,000K,
Manual Focus, Lightpainted with Inova XO3 LED Flashlight,
Gitzo Carbon Fiber Tripod with Slik Super Ball Head, Lexar
8G Flash Card. 
Image
#2 Back Stage Stretching ... Just like with many athletes,
stretching is an important element of life for the dancer.
Back stage work before a performance is difficult in that
the lighting is usually very poor quality and minimal.
I try and remain very still and minimize my movement.
If I'm not noticeable by the dancers I will have a much
better chance of capturing a delicate moment. Nikon D200,
ISO400, 1/60 at f4, Nikon 17-55mm Lens, WB 4000K, Lexar
8G Flash Card.
Image
#5 Waiting for Her Entrance ... As dancers interchange on
and off stage during the performance some will watch from
the wings prior to their entrance. Working in the wings
can be very difficult and requires a great deal of patience.
The photographer must be quiet and nearly invisible to the
performers. This special access is not often granted and
must be arranged well in advance of the performance dates.
Nikon D3, ISO5000, 1/3 at f2.8, Nikon 14-24mm Lens, 3D Focus
Tracking with 51 points, WB Auto A1, Lexar 8G Flash Card.Well, I hope you have enjoyed this On the Road
at the ballet. I encourage all photographers to find personal
projects and to actively pursue accumulating a body of work over
time. It's fun and will help you discover new ways to accomplish
making interesting pictures that you can carry over to your more
usual subject.
See you next time On the Road ...................... Adios, Dave
WORKSHOPS and PRESENTATION Schedule
January 11-13, 2009... Imaging USA tradeshow in Phoenix, Presentations at the Nikon Booth www.imagingusa.org April 14-22, 2009 ... Photo Quest Adventures, The Netherlands. www.photoquestadventures.com June 30-July 14, 2009 Photo Quest Adventures, Mongolia. www.photoquestadventures.com |
December,
2008 (click here)
Memory Lane
November,
2008 (click here
Gone Fishing
October,
2008 (click here)
National Geographic Adventure Photography Workshop
September,
2008 (click here)
Olympians, Weather and Workshops
August,
2008 (click here)
Camp Life
July,
2008 (click here)
Lightpainting the Southwest
May,
2008 (click here)
A Southwest Tour
April,
2008 (click here)
The Endless Winter
March,
2008 (click here)
PMA Show in Las Vegas!
February,
2008 (click here)
At the Ballet
January,
2008 (click here)
One Week of Work
December,
2007 (click here)
A Look Back at 2007
November,
2007 (click here)
Traveling
with the New Nikon D3
October,
2007 (click here)
High Country Journey
September,
2007 (click here)
Walking
On The Road
August,
2007 (click here)
Speedway
Thunder from PA
July, 2007
(click here)
"Arlington National
Cemetery"
June, 2007
(click here)
"Kentucky Derby Day"
May, 2007
(click here)
"Mexico Trek"
April,
2007 (click here)
"Egypt Trek"
March,
2007 (click here)
Transit Mix
"Images From the Air"
February,
2007 (click here)
Ice Climbing in Ouray
January,
2007 (click here)
2007 Year in Review
People of Willoq, Peru
Lexington, Kentucky TREK
Training for the Mr USA Title
"The International Golf Tournament"
"Tour of Champions Documentary"
"Northern California, the FBI and Clint Eastwood ..."
"The 2006 Kentucky Derby"
"Off the Road Picture Sales"
Ladies Olympic Figure Skating
Torino Italy and the 2006 Winter Olympic Games
"Hey Dave, are you going to the Winter Olympics in Torino and What Equipment Do You Take?"
The Holiday Tea with Tchaikovsky
presented by Colorado's Classical Youth Ballet
Landscapes at Pebble Beach:
a look back at 2005
Lightpainting Landscapes
NFL Football
3 Day Photography Workshop
Gardner-Webb University, Boiling Springs, North Carolina
Michelle Kwan
International Gymnastics Camp
the Men's US Open Golf Championships
The Kentucky Derby
Nevada Photojournalism Day
John Bolin's "The Thorn"
Indoor Track and Field
UC Irvine's Paul Spittle and
the Sports Shooter Academy
with Nikon's new DX2
Broncos Football:
Denver vs Indianapolis
the US Figure Skating Nationals
Portland, Oregon
College Basketball:
Colorado State vs Air Force
Broncos Football:
Broncos VS. Dolphins
Assignment work:
Wrestling
A look back at 2004
Rich Clarkson's Photography at the Summit Workshop &
Moose Peterson's Digital Landscape Workshop Series
Whitewater Kayaking
Gymnastics and more
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games
Athens, Greece
A look back at some wonderful Olympic moments
USAFA Graduation flyover
US Olympic Training Center - Swimming and Gymnastics
Last Month the Masters, this month The Kentucky Derby......I love my job
Masters at Augusta National
The American Cup Gymnastics
NIKON COLLEGE WORKSHOP
Indoor Track and Field
Women's Freestyle Wresting
Rhythmic Gymnastics Nationals
The Glass Flower Ceiling at the Belagio Hotel in Las Vegas
College Basketball
Women's Waterpolo
Olympic swimmers on their way to Athens
NFL Football
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Finals
A look back at The Greenbay Professionals
Monday Night Football the Sports Shooter Workshop and Luau in LA
Photography at the Summit workshop
Portraits to workshops to stock image sales
Lightpainting in Banf
The World Gymnastics Championships
International Gymnastics Camp
Thunderbirds
Gymnastics
The Sports Photography Workshop with Rich Clarkson
Velodrome Cycling, More
The 129th running of the Kentucky Derby
White water kayakers
The Champions on Ice tour
PBR Rodeo
Chris Shivers and Little Yellow Jacket ride for $1 Million
Nikon's featured speaker at PMA in Las Vegas
American Cup Gymnastics
USAFA Women's Basketball
USAFA Swimming
USAFA Boxing
NCAA Fencing Championships
USOC's Titan Games
Air Force Basketball
Pro Football Pre-Superball Stock Sales
Swimmers train at the Swim Flume at the USOC
Much more!
Diving at the Air Force Academy
Denver Broncos VS. The Arizona Cardinals
Olympic Hopefuls Lenny Krayzelberg and Tom Molchow practice at the USOC
