Hi and welcome to the June edition of Workshop at the Ranch. This month’s article deals with one of my favorite things to do………..photography! Yes, I love to take pictures. I don’t need a paycheck or an editor, or an assignment to enjoy capturing wonderful moments. I just like to photograph images for the pleasure of it. I begin my Derby adventure each year by teaching for Skip Dickstein at the Collegiate Sports Journalism Seminar at Churchill Downs. This workshop encompasses three divisions, Broadcast, Print and Photojournalism. Twenty college photography students from a variety of schools across the USA attend the photography division of the workshop each year while Broadcast and Print Media students attend the other divisions. Photography students learn Lighting, Remotes, Portraiture, Action, Stories, Business, portfolio reviews and more. The workshop is sponsored by Nikon and everyone gets a feel for a big time sports event with the annual Opening Day at Churchill Downs. One of the perks of the workshop for the staff is…..we get to shoot pictures too! Here are a few of the images I set out to look for, capture, and…well….just plain enjoy.

Hi and welcome to the June edition of Workshop at the Ranch. This month’s article deals with one of my favorite things to do………..photography! Yes, I love to take pictures. I don’t need a paycheck or an editor, or an assignment to enjoy capturing wonderful moments. I just like to photograph images for the pleasure of it. I begin my Derby adventure each year by teaching for Skip Dickstein at the Collegiate Sports Journalism Seminar at Churchill Downs. This workshop encompasses three divisions, Broadcast, Print and Photojournalism. Twenty college photography students from a variety of schools across the USA attend the photography division of the workshop each year while Broadcast and Print Media students attend the other divisions. Photography students learn Lighting, Remotes, Portraiture, Action, Stories, Business, portfolio reviews and more. The workshop is sponsored by Nikon and everyone gets a feel for a big time sports event with the annual Opening Day at Churchill Downs. One of the perks of the workshop for the staff is…..we get to shoot pictures too! Here are a few of the images I set out to look for, capture, and…well….just plain enjoy.

Simple enough….. the finish line post at Churchill Downs. Shot at high noon I decided to use a polarizing filter to deepen the sky and a tiny bit of fill flash. NikonD2H, ISO200, Nikon 12-24mm lens with a Polarizing filter, Nikon SB 800 Speedlight dialed down -2.

The click of the shutter can disturb a horse especially when you are this close. I used the COOLPIX 8700 (AKA ” Little Nell ” from the Masters) because of its silent shutter. Nikon COOLPIX 8700, Aperture Priority EV -1.3, ISO100, and the Coolpix’s in camera zoom lens.

Perhaps my favorite image from the trip was this saddle with bronze stirrups during beautiful early morning light. Scenes like this are out there but you must keep looking all the time. The splash of color thanks to a green blanket really helps give this image a painterly quality. Nikon D2H, 12-24mm Zoom lens with a Close-up filter that allows me to get 6 inches away from the stirrup and create this interesting perspective, ISO200, 1/250 at f14.

Detail work is fun to do. A sort of “stop and smell the flowers” approach to sports. This image of horse blinders with initials was unique and colorful. Nikon D2H, ISO200, Nikon 70-200 VR Zoom with Close-up filter again with the intention of getting 6 inches from the subject this time at 1/2000 at f2.8 so as to dissolve the blinders and only focus on the initials, a depth of field of about 1/2inch.

Same detail concept as the previous two images. Nikon D2H, ISO200, 70-200mmVR Zoom lens with the close-up filter, 1/2000 at f2.8 to dissolve the foreground and background and focus only on the buckles. The depth of field is about 1/2inch.

“Little Nell” (AKA Coolpix 8700) was very useful again when working in tight quarters around the horses. Its silent shutter enabled me to shoot very close indeed. Coolpix 8700, ISO50, Aperture Priority, Coolpix in camera zoom lens.

Jockey Edgar Prado ends a long day after several defeats. Nikon D2H, ISO250, Nikon 300mm lens with TC-14E 1.4X Teleconverter, 1/400 at f4, hand held with Nikon Pistol Grip.

Again the Coolpix 8700 (Little Nell) and its silent shutter give me the opportunity to shoot several “silent ” frames and capture a very pretty scene early in the morning. Nikon Coolpix 8700, ISO100, Aperture Priority, in camera zoom.

Well…there you have it, some of the images at Churchill Downs that I found fun to shoot. It is always a good idea to step back on occasion and examine the details and beautiful scenes that each venue offers. You will be glad you did and your editor might enjoy the change of pace Till next time, Adios, Dave.