Snow in May

Ok, so not really snow in May. Just me digging through the archives again. This is one I shot a couple winters ago when there was a light snow on here in Kentucky. I really liked the natural blueish tint to the photo and how the snow was sticking to the thistles and the fence post. The roll bale in the backgroung just added to the image for me. Can't remember the camera settings. Sorry to any of those interest in those details, but I think I did use a 50mm lens and I know it was shot with the D200.

Life, Luck and Preparedness

As a photographer you have to be prepared. That means having your camera with you all the time. Even though I don't work full time as a photojournalist anymore I rarely go anywhere without a camera of some sort with me. I didn't have my lens that I would really have wished for for the photo but I did have my camera and a moderate zoom with me so I was able to make a few snaps of a scene I might have otherwise missed. I was prepared. Throw in a little luck for being in the right place at the right time and I ended up with the photo of the mother cow cleaning off her newborn calf in the snow covered field. The calf couldn't have been more than a few minutes old and I was lucky enough to be traveling past during the first minutes of its life.

Don't neglect your lenses

I have been shooting quite a few senior photos lately and while shooting the other day realized that there was one very un-used lens in my bag. Everyone always raves about the quality of the 50mm lens and says that it is a must have lens for any photog. I would be inclined to agree. Mine unfortunately had been sitting un-used in my bag for quite sometime until a couple of weeks ago. I must say I am sorry I had neglected it. I always carry it with me but use my zooms more often than not. I forgot how great the shallow depth of field of the Nikon 50 f/1.4 can be and the great contrast if gives the photograph. I finally dug it out for a few shots on my last senior shoot and am glad I did. Below is an available light shot with my Nikon 50mm f/1.4. If you don't have a 50mm in your kit yet, pick one up. If you are short on cash then go for the f/1.8, even a used one. Nikon, Canon, Pentax, whatever you shoot, it's a must have. Those of you who have one already. Please don't neglect it.

Presidential Visit

Wow! What a week. Little did I know when I came to work Tuesday morning that I would be covering former President Bill Clinton's visit to my tiny (and I do mean tiny) hometown. It was a whirlwind as he dropped into town that afternoon on an impromptu visit between campaign stops in Kentucky while stumping for his wife. Here are a couple of photos from the exciting 20 minute visit.

For those of you interested in my setup for covering this event, the details are as follows.

I arrived early to check my lighting (even though I've been in the place a hundred times) and knew it would be crowded so I used my wide angle Nikon 12-24 f/4 lens. I had my file size set to RAW so that I could get the most out of this one time event and recover in case of a bobble on my part. Settings were ISO 400, 1/200, f/5.6, SB800 flash set at 1/8 power and tilted at a 45 degree angle with a stofen flash diffuser.

It was definitely an adrenalin rush and a fast 20 minutes. I had more excitement the evening prior when I covered the premier of George Clooney's newest movie Leatherheads in a nearby town. Check back for those pics later. Whewwww! I can rest now.