Up, Up, and Away
October 8, 2008 | Filed Under Editorial | Leave a Comment
After being asked Friday morning by the Baltimore Examiner if I was available Saturday evening to take some photos from a Blackhawk helicopter — it didn’t take long to answer “YES.”
Even though I had an already busy weekend schedule — Parkville Soccer Team & Individual Saturday morning, Henry’s birthday Saturday afternoon and the Ravens game on Sunday — squeezing in a 1-hour flight from 6p-7p seemed easy-peezy.
After shooting 14 soccer teams, I got home around 2:30 and was pretty beat. Did I make a mistake squeezing in this assignment?
My son Henry’s birthday party was getting underway and after wolfing down some pizza, and chicken wings, I felt a bit better.
I arrived at the airfield in Edgewood at about 5:15p and signed my life away in case of a crash. Then was issued earplugs and a headset. I was then able to sit in on the preflight meeting with the three pilots, copilots and navigators. The mission was to fly over Fort McHenry at exactly 6:30p for the Michael Phelps Celebration.
They flew doors open so I would have the best opportunity for photos, and I had my own private seat in the back of the helicopter. Whoever, no one came by and asked me for my choice of dinner — or even got me a drink. Heck, I didn’t even get a bag of peanuts. I guess accommodations on this flight were different than I was used too.
The helicopter ride was one awesome experience.
Halloween House
October 17, 2007 | Filed Under Editorial, Photo Tips | Leave a Comment
I just returned from an assignment to shoot a home here in Bel Air that goes all out in decorating for Halloween. I purposely arrived at sunset so I could make good use of the sky as well as see the lights on display.
This shot was taken at 6:50p — about 20 minutes after sunset.
To make the sky look even more blue, I set my camera’s white balance to tungsten. The rest of the camera settings were 1/4 sec SS, ISO 200, f/5.6.
I also used two off-camera strobes, both with a CTO gel to match my tungsten setting of the camera. One Vivitar 285 at 1/8 power on lightstand about 15 feet in front of left side of house. Second Vivitar 285 at 1/2 power in my right hand over my head pointed at front door area.
This technique works great for portraits taken at dusk with the sky in the background.
Bel Air’s Got Talent
August 21, 2007 | Filed Under Editorial, Personal | Leave a Comment
Just hours before the finale of “America’s Got Talent”, I got a call from The Baltimore Examiner to run downtown and get a photo of the banner on display at Buontempo Brothers on Main Street. They want to run an image on Page 5 in the morning.
For those that haven’t been watching the show or hearing the reports on local radio, 14-year old Bel Air native and Harford Christian student, Julienne Irwin, is one of four finalists for the $1 million first place prize.
Julienne, who has never had a singing lesson and only sang in her bedroom prior to the trying out for the show, has a phenomenal voice. If you close your eyes when listening to her, you would swear it was not coming out of the mouth of a 14-year old.
Tonight we will all learn if she is the winner. Whether she is the winner or not, there is no doubt in my mind that this girl is going to make it big in the future.