On The Road
"Tour of Champions Documentary"
August, 2006
Welcome to this edition of On The Road. Photographing
Figure Skating has been a part of my career for a long time. So
when the opportunity to shoot for Tom Collins and his Champions
on Ice tour comes up ... I jump ......... or should I say "axle".......Here
is what I found interesting during one tour stop.................
Image
#1 Wardrobe ... No, this is not my closet but the wardrobe
room for the skaters costumes. A very simple image that
goes together well with the documentary style of images
I gathered during the afternoon prior to showtime. Nikon
D200, ISO200, 1/60 at f4.5, Nikon 12-24mm Lens, Aperture
Priority EV -1.3, WB 3300K, Two SB800 Speedlights using
the i-TTL setting and the Remote mode are banded together
(tandem) for twice the power and 1/2 the recycle time each
with the Warming Gel (orange colored gel) that comes standard
with each SB800 power output +1.3 Hand Held in my left hand,
SU800 Commander on the Hotshoe is used as the Master to
trigger the remote SB800s, Lexar 4G Flash Card.
|
Image
#2 Ready and Waiting ... Michelle Kwan waits for her turn
on the ice during the cast introductions at the opening of
the show. I set the exposure for the performer on the ice
by "taking a shot and taking a look" on the LED
screen on the back of my D200. The skaters who are waiting
are in complete darkness so I prefocused on my outstretched
hand that I could silhouette against the ice. This distance
is about the same as the distance that Michelle is from me
(an arm length.) I positioned my hand held tandem SB800 Speedlights
with warming gels out to my left and took a "shot in
the dark" and revealed Michelle from total dankness while
preserving the performer on the ice. Nikon D200, ISO500, 1/13
at f2.8, Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye Lens, WB 3300K, Two remote SB800s
with Gels (tandem) power output +1.3, SU800 Commander, Lexar
4G Flash Card. I like this image. It is simple image in content
but not often seen as I had special permission to join the
skaters in this restricted location. (NOTE: I zoomed one SB800
to 105mm in order to spotlight Michelle and set the other
SB800 on 24mm in order to spread light and illuminate the
other skaters nearby.)
|
Image
#3 Star Wars ... Great theater and great athletics best
describes the Champions On Ice tour. This image of Marina
Anissina and Gwendal Piezerat of France, Gold Medalists
in Ice Dancing at the 2004 Winter Olympic Games, performed
a brilliant program complete with a Light Saber duel to
a medley of themes from the Star Wars movies . Nikon D2X,
ISO800, 1/60 at f2.8, Nikon 300mm Lens, WB 3300K, Nikon
Pistol Grip for lens support of the 300mm Lens, Lexar 4G
Flash Card.
|
Image
#4 Backstage ... My special location at the entrance to
the ice made it easy to slip backstage. While Dan Hollander
skates beyond the curtain Johnny Weir, Tanith Belbin and
Rudy Galindo are waiting for their "Q" to step
into the spotlight. Here again is a situation where I set
my exposure for the performer on the ice and then used my
Speedlights to reveal the skaters waiting in complete darkness
off ice backstage. Nikon D200, ISO500, 1/4 at f2.8, Nikon
10.5 Fisheye Lens, Two SB800s with warming gels, tandem,
with a power output of 1.7, SU800 Commander, Lexar 4G Flash
Card. I like to rubber band the SB800 Speedlights together
for a tandem package that is easy to hold and delivers twice
the power and faster recycle time. The rubber bands also
allow me to swivel the two tandem speedlights so that in
this case I can illuminate both Johnny Weir on my left and
Tanith/Rudy straight ahead individually without flooding
light all over the scene ....a sort of spotlight effect
on each of my subjects. This system works well and the more
I use the "tandem" speedlight set up the more
applications I find.
|
Image
#5 Classic Michelle ... My long time work with Michelle has
been a key highlight of my sports photography career. No other
athlete has been so generous with her time and skill. Her
family has on several occasions opened their home and their
lives to me. I always enjoy photographing Michelle. Nikon
D2X, ISO800, 1/200 at f2.8, Nikon 300mm Lens with Nikon Pistol
Grip for lens support, WB 10,000K, Lexar 4G Flash Card. The
choice of using a WB of 10,000K was to counter the deep blue
spotlights that Michelle used while performing her final program
of the night. |
Image
#6 "Au Revoir"... Gwendal Piezerat strips out of
his costume immediately following the evening show as he heads
backstage while the sold out audience continues their standing
ovation. It is a special treat and a privilege to photograph
so many of the greatest champions of the decade in one show.
Nikon D200, ISO500, 1/25 at f2.8, Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye Lens,
Two Nikon SB800 Speedlights (tandem) with warming gels, power
output of 1.7, SU800 Commander, Lexar 4G Flash Card. Gwendal
is on the move and rushing past me as the show ends. The 1/25
shutter speed allows the background to pan blur while the
SB800 freezes Gwendal and creates a wonderful mood of "Au
Revoir" to the image. |
Well, I hope you have enjoyed this
slightly different look at the Champions On Ice Tour. Creative
lighting is not just for portraits but can be very effective when
doing documentary work On The Road.
Adios, ............ Dave
August,
2008 (click here)
Camp Life

July,
2008 (click here)
Lightpainting the Southwest

June,
2008
The Kentucky Derby

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

December,
2006 (click here)
People of Willoq, Peru
November,
2006 (click here)
Lexington, Kentucky TREK
October,
2006 (click here)
Training for the Mr USA Title
September,
2006 (click here)
"The International Golf Tournament"
August,
2006 (click here)
"Tour of Champions Documentary"
July,
2006 (click here)
"Northern California, the FBI and Clint
Eastwood ..."
June,
2006 (click here)
"The 2006 Kentucky Derby"
May,
2006 (click here)
"Off the Road Picture Sales"
April,
2006 (click here)
Ladies Olympic Figure Skating
March,
2006 (click here)
Torino Italy and the 2006 Winter Olympic Games
February,
2006 (click here)
"Hey Dave, are you going to the Winter Olympics in Torino
and What Equipment Do You Take?"
January,
2006 (click here)
The Holiday Tea with Tchaikovsky
presented by Colorado's Classical Youth Ballet
December,
2005 (click here)
Landscapes at Pebble Beach:
a look back at 2005
November,
2005 (click here)
Lightpainting Landscapes
NFL Football
October,
2005 (click here)
3 Day Photography Workshop
Gardner-Webb University, Boiling Springs, North Carolina
September,
2005 (click here)
Michelle Kwan
August,
2005 (click here)
International Gymnastics Camp
July,
2005 (click here)
the Men's US Open Golf Championships
June,
2005 (click here)
The Kentucky Derby
May,
2005 (click here)
Nevada Photojournalism Day
April,
2005 (click here)
John Bolin's "The Thorn"
March,
2005 (click here)
Indoor Track and Field
UC Irvine's Paul Spittle and
the Sports Shooter Academy
with Nikon's new DX2
February,
2005 (click here)
Broncos Football:
Denver vs Indianapolis
the US Figure Skating Nationals
Portland, Oregon
College Basketball:
Colorado State vs Air Force
January,
2005 (click here)
Broncos Football:
Broncos VS. Dolphins
Assignment work:
Wrestling
December,
2004 (click here)
A look back at 2004
November,
2004 (click here)
Rich Clarkson's Photography at the Summit Workshop &
Moose Peterson's Digital Landscape Workshop Series
October,
2004 (click here)
Whitewater Kayaking
Gymnastics and more
September,
2004 (click here)
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games
Athens, Greece
August,
2004 (click here)
A look back at some wonderful Olympic moments
July,
2004 (click here)
USAFA Graduation flyover
US Olympic Training Center - Swimming and Gymnastics
June,
2004 (click here)
Last Month the Masters, this month The Kentucky Derby......I
love my job
May,
2004 (click here)
Masters at Augusta National
April,
2004 (click here)
The American Cup Gymnastics
NIKON COLLEGE WORKSHOP
March,
2004 (click here)
Indoor Track and Field
Women's Freestyle Wresting
Rhythmic Gymnastics Nationals
The Glass Flower Ceiling at the Belagio Hotel in Las Vegas
February,
2004 (click here)
College Basketball
Women's Waterpolo
Olympic swimmers on their way to Athens
January,
2004 (click here)
NFL Football
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Finals
A look back at The Greenbay Professionals
December,
2003
Monday Night Football the Sports Shooter Workshop and Luau in
LA
November,
2003
Photography at the Summit workshop
October,
2003
Portraits to workshops to stock image sales
September,
2003
Lightpainting in Banf
The World Gymnastics Championships
August,
2003
International Gymnastics Camp
July,
2003
Thunderbirds
Gymnastics
The Sports Photography Workshop with Rich Clarkson
Velodrome Cycling, More
June, 2003
The 129th running of the Kentucky Derby
White water kayakers
The Champions on Ice tour
May,
2003 (click here)
PBR Rodeo
Chris Shivers and Little Yellow Jacket ride for $1 Million
April,
2003 (click here)
Nikon's featured speaker at PMA in Las Vegas
American Cup Gymnastics
USAFA Women's Basketball
USAFA Swimming
USAFA Boxing
NCAA Fencing Championships
March,
2003 (click here)
USOC's Titan Games
February,
2003 (click here)
Air Force Basketball
Pro Football Pre-Superball Stock Sales
Swimmers train at the Swim Flume at the USOC
Much more!
January,
2003 (click here)
Diving at the Air Force Academy
Denver Broncos VS. The Arizona Cardinals
Olympic Hopefuls Lenny Krayzelberg and Tom Molchow practice
at the USOC