Ron’s Photo World

Kenny Roberts maneuvers his Yamaha cafe racer through a turn at Laguna Seca Raceway; July 1975

01-08-2010

I have always enjoyed action and sports photography. In fact, it was my love of motorcycle racing that led to my love of photography. As a young adult, I spent countless hours tromping around the Laguna Seca Raceway, loaded down with camera gear, in pursuit of the ultimate racing photographs. Riders, like Kenny Roberts above, would maneuver their motorcycles at lightning speed, challenging the expertise and fast reflexes of photographers.

Action photography offers some special challenges. First of all, when dealing with high-speed action, it is important to capture enough frozen detail to give the viewer a “picture” of what is happening. Still photographs can disclose plenty of information not discernable to the naked eye. Check out the long-jumper below, frozen at the peak of her jump.

Fast shutter speeds freeze action, giving the viewer details about the movement

Her facial expression and outstretched arms are captured in great detail, this is something that you may not otherwise be able to see during the jump.

In many cases, it is important to include some motion blur in action photos in order to convey the sense of movement that is happening. A high shutter speed captures this bicycle racer in detail, but this image does not convey speed, movement or action. For all we know, the rider could be stopped and just balancing her bike upright.

Fast shutter speeds can stop action, but this photo does not convey "speed" or "action".

Having the ability to use 1/4000 second shutter speeds does not mean they are the best choice for action. Photos like these need some motion blur to give the viewer the necessary clues that movement is occurring. One method is to use a slower shutter speed to allow movement to register in the image, and then follow the subject with the camera while taking the photo. This is called “panning” and is similar to the technique that hunters use when shooting at moving game. A couple of important things to remember when panning:

 - begin the panning movement prior to releasing the shutter

 - follow the subject carefully and keep it in the same place in the frame; the objective is to minimize the relative movement of the subject within the frame

 - continue following the subject after the exposure has completed. If you stop panning when you press the shutter, the subject will continue to move across the frame, defeating the point of panning.

Following a moving subject while taking the photo will allow some motion blur to occur, yet there is enough detail in the subject to make the image interesting.

The result is some motion blur in the bicyclist’s legs and wheels. The background is heavily blurred because of the camera movement following the rider. Panning helps capture some detail in the bicycle frame, the rider’s head and upper body. Techniques like panning take lots of practice, so look for opportunities like local bike races to refine your methods.

The combination of detail with motion blur gives the viewer a good idea that the subject is moving quickly.

In my next post about action photography, we’ll look at the combination of motion blur and flash.

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Looks peaceful on the outside

01/01/2010

Since the Christmas Day Crotch Bomber’s failed attempt to bring down an airliner, air travel safety has been abuzz in the news. In a typically reactive fashion, safety measures have been introduced to protect us from an attempt that has already failed.

Remember the shoe bomber? Since then, millions of air travelers have endured the ritual of removing their shoes and walking through the metal detectors in their socks or, worse, barefoot.

I don’t want to begin to speculate how TSA would tighten crotch security.

Since the latest terrorist attempt has illuminated several weaknesses in our government’s safety protocols, the other typical reactive fashion is to put lots of energy (and money) into investigating the people who are critical of the weaknesses. A couple of bloggers have been visited by high-level TSA investigators, interrogated and had their computers confiscated. To my knowledge, these people have not ever attempted to place explosives in their underwear.

I think we are taking the wrong approach with airline safety. The airport screening measures seem to work at stopping the most obvious methods, so I’m fine with continued baggage screening. But that is pretty much the limit of its effectiveness. I believe the single greatest deterrent to any terrorist activity will ultimately depend upon the eyes, ears (and hands) of other passengers.

So here’s my solution (and it will solve more than one problem): On every flight, the airline attendants already spend a few minutes showing you how to buckle your seatbelt, put on an inflatable donut for water landings, and use the little oxygen masks that will appear when needed. At this point, they should add one topic: they should demonstrate four ways to immobilize another human being. If everyone on a flight is informed and empowered to act, then any suspicious behavior would receive immediate response. If you show a crowded, agitated cabin full of passengers how to kick out a knee, punch a larynx, break an elbow and gouge out an eyeball, then anyone contemplating a terrorist act would not get past first base.

This would be a very cost-effective method to intercept terrorists before they could cause serious damage. Really, it would cost nothing to implement, outside of the initial hand-to-hand combat training for the flight attendants. (And I’m pretty sure they are already trained in these methods.)

In addition to solving the terrorist threat, this would also eliminate a couple of other problems with air travel. First, it would make the pre-flight instruction much more interesting (imagine the play-acted attack and response demonstrated by two flight attendants). Secondly, and even more appealing, this approach would address much of the obnoxious behavior of other passengers. Drunken belligerence would be stifled immediately, people with loud headphones would be much more considerate of their neighbors and perhaps parents would think twice before allowing their little kid to whine throughout an entire flight. (”Hush, Billy, or that sweet little old lady sitting next to you will punch you in the Adam’s Apple.”)

Power to the People…right on.

12-19-2009

This is a multi-media project I put together about Black Friday. It contains images, audio interviews and some royalty-free music.

(Click on image to view slideshow.)
 
As the convergence of technical tools (still, video and audio) advances, the convergence of finished products will expand as well. Photographers will be expected to produce packages like these on an everyday basis – these won’t be “special” products.  This will require new skillsets beyond just producing images: it will require the ability to shoot and arrange images that flow and tell a story, develop and ask the questions that the viewer will have as they watch, and produce a finished product in a short time-frame.

And figuring out how to estimate and charge for these products will be a new thing, too.

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11-26-2009

Recently we took a drive to the Napa Valley area to photograph fall colors in the vineyards. These two gentlemen were relaxing in Calistoga, sitting along the main street. They were quite willing to be photographed, although they may look a little apprehensive here. This image was taken late in the evening, it was much darker than it appears. Gotta love the new 5D Mk II and its low light resolution.

A few red leaves frame a bunch of grapes in a vineyard.

A vineyard sits among the rolling hills of Napa Valley.

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11-21-2009

I hardly ever set my camera on any of the in-camera settings, such as black & white, or vivid, or sepia. I always prefer to do image-tweaking in post-production for two reasons: my computer has much more finesse than the in-camera processor, and I prefer to have the choice of using the original in color. Having said that, I was experimenting tonight with the black & white setting on my Canon XTi, perhaps for the first time.

I took this shot in my kitchen; the lighting was from one overhead fixture with two CFL bulbs. I shot it hand-held at 1/15 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600, with no image-stabilization. I was trying to replicate the old-school days of shooting pushed Tri-X in available light, manual focus, manual everything. My only comfort was the chimp-factor avaiable with the digital camera.

My dog, Pepper, has the most amazing dog eyes. She has some sort of genetic eye-liner which makes most women jealous. (You can’t see it in this image, but she also has a pretty dark moustache, so I guess that evens it out…)

In line with this attempt, it might be fun to really go old-school and turn off the LCD display, shoot without chimping and then seeing how the images come out later. I could even force myself to wait three days to see the results, just like the good old days.

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09-30-2009

I was driving home from a photoshoot and noticed that my odometer was rolling over a bunch of 13’s. It’s a good thing I’m not superstitious (I’ve heard that it’s bad luck to be superstitious) or I might have been worried that something bad was about to happen. I was more interested in stopping in a safe spot and taking this photo. Lucky for me I was able to stop at just the right moment. I parked in a nice little quiet spot, positioned  just under a ladder, in front of a black-cat-crossing, and I think my tires were resting on a crack in the street.

I can’t help it if I’m lucky.

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Amtrak passes a roadside store.

09-25-2009

I rode Amtrak to San Francisco to visit Kenny yesterday. It is a much better way to get to The City than driving. Instead of grinding it out in traffic, I was able to enjoy my coffee, read a book, listen to music, and watch the world pass by my window.

Carquinez Strait Bridges - new one on the left and old one on the right

The train travels more or less along the Interstate 80 corridor and makes about three stops before Richmond. The Richmond station is a great place to jump on BART and finish the trip into San Francisco. 

Kenny sitting in the lobby of his apartment building.

We had a great day, grabbed some lunch, walked over to a nice park, stopped at Rogue for cold beer and had a crazy-packed-rush-hour-Muni-bus-ride back to the BART station.

A little girl is no match for a stubborn dog at Washington Square Park.

A BART train streaks by as it leaves an underground station.

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Seventh green at Davis Municipal Golf Course

09-23-2009

I had the pleasure of playing some fun golf today at Davis Municipal Golf Course.  Steve Pajak, the Sacramento Bee golf reporter, has been running a series where he invites readers to accompany him on a golf outing and play a course he hasn’t played before. Today I was one of the lucky three to get selected to join him. The two other readers who made up our foursome, Terry and Paul, were even more fortunate as they played much better than I did.

Steve is posing next to some on-course artwork. (Steve is on the left.)

Even better, Steve paid for our green fees, so we started out the game already ahead. The course was in very good condition, especially for a little muni track. The course par is 67 and the longest hole is #13, a 476-yard par 5 (the only par 5 hole).  The course seemed to play longer than its 4,953 yards.

Steve and Terry walking along the 4th fairway.

Paul hits his approach shot into the 6th Green.

It was a great round – everyone was a pleasure to play golf with. Almost everyone scored birdies, well, everyone except me. I was the holder of a few double-bogeys.

Paul waits as Steve hits his approach shot into the 18th green.

Steve finished at 2 over, Terry had the best score of the three readers, and me? I had a fun time.

Thanks again to Steve for inviting us out and treating us to a great day.

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09-22-2009

On some days it pays to take a nice long walk. The other day was one of those days.  I always love to see a great sky overhead, it makes everything else look much more interesting.

Take these two palm trees…pretty boring without that amazing cloud pattern above…

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09-05-2009

I had lunch with a good friend up in Folsom yesterday; since I had brought my bicycle on Light Rail, I decided it would be a good chance to ride home along the majority of the American River Trail, also known as the Jedediah Smith National Recreation Trail. The trail runs 33 miles from Discovery Park near downtown Sacramento all the way up to Folsom Dam. I jumped on the trail around Mile 28 and took at least one photograph at each mile marker all the way down to Mile Zero. 

So read along and ride along with me…

Mile 28 – Negro Bar and the Rainbow Bridge, in Folsom:

Mile 27 – the bike trail winds along much of the shoreline of Lake Natoma:

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