Summer for a lot of parents mean a lot of time spent at the ballpark practicing and on the weekend All-Star tournaments. Payton, one of my granddaughters fits into that category. But this isn’t about her story. As they used to say these are “Kodak Moments”. If you spend all that time you need good memories. And not just the team or posed photo. So I’m going to share a couple tips to improve your chance to get good photos.
This is not the big leagues. Every where you look there are fences you have to shoot through. Most of the photos above were taken through fences. If you have a dslr first put your shutter speed on a high setting, 1/320 or higher. The longer your lens the faster your shutter should be to minimize vibration and movement in the photos. Your aperture (f4.0, 5.6, 8.0) on the lens should be at the smallest setting. The ASA should be set as low as possible to get a quality image. But if you need go up to asa 400 or 640 to get the proper settings. These combinations when shooting through the fence will start to give you good results. To improve on that go to the side of the fence where the sun is behind you or totally in the shade. Move the lens as close to the fence as possible. What you want to do is avoid the sun bouncing off the fence into your lens. Remember your pictures that look foggy? That’s what happened. The light bounced into the lens creating flare (photo term). This won’t work all the time but most.
What if you have a iPhone or Android? Same concept. Get close to the fence. Make sure you know where the lens is and carefully place it in-between the wire so you have a clear shot. And don’t forget to use the zoom. As our editors always said, “fill the frame”. Lastly, do you use one hand when holding your smartphone? Unless you’re blessed with ultra steady hands don’t. Two hands will make you steadier and your photos sharper. Below are a couple tips that will give you your “Kodak Moment”.
• Move around. Don’t always shoot from the same place.
• Don’t just shoot the action. Look for reactions. Sports is about emotion, the kids having fun.
• If you have a long (large 200 or longer) lens go to the end of the fence to get different looks. Even if they look small in the frame you can crop in. If your camera has a lot of megapixels use it.
• Learn your camera. Don’t wait till you get to the ballpark to figure out how to use it. You don’t want to miss the action.
• Have fun. Capture the action but always remember, it about the kids. They won’t always be young.
Need something to do but want to be productive? Revisit your old files and take a fresh look at them. Perhaps you missed an interesting image or, it just wasn’t edited right. Here are three images that I shot in 2012 back in Kansas, where I grew up. 
This one I particularly like. I missed originally that it was sitting in a pocket of light shining through the trees. Once I started working on the file I also saw the subtle pink and magenta tone sitting in the low laying clouds. 
I was stoked. I’ve shot thousands of images from Kansas over the years and many views get a repeated look. Different times of the year, different times of the day. You never know where that special light will occur, or if it’s already in your images. Revisit….
My website: www.zwink.com Techy stuff: post production in Adobe Lightroom 5.
Charlie
(This is a guest blog written by my oldest daughter Rhianna. “Rana” is our oldest, probably our most unique, well all our kids are Unique. But she has alway seemed to have a very eclectic mixture of friends. I met Charlie yesterday. Charlie just finished treatment for a brain tumor. He seems like a very happy kid. We’re not sure if it was successful yet.)
Allow me to introduce you to Charlie! He is 14 years old, loves soccer & snowboarding and has a heart of gold! How bad do you want to pinch his freckled cheeks?!?! Back in March, after 8 weeks of complaining of headaches and umpteen tests his family received a phone call that would change their lives!
Charlie was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor! After surgery to remove the tumor and several rounds of chemo & radiation Charlie is on his way to recovery! This poor kid has been through more torture than anyone should ever have to go through let alone a child!!
Charlie is the youngest brother of one of my closest friends, Chelsea!! They are 12 years apart so Charlie is more like a child to Chelsea than a brother. She absolutely adores this kid and will do anything for him! And he certainly looks up to her! Next to Mom, he wants Chelsea there with him for all the bad as well as the good throughout this journey. I am forever in awe of this entire family and their love & commitment to each other and giving all they can to help charlie through this nightmare!!
For more info here is a online fundraiser to help defray the exhorbidant expense of the treatment and surgery. http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/help-charlie-our-13-year-old-son-fight-brain-cancer/163010
I just spent the week going thru my Hawaii archives….and I came across a folder from a trip back home a couple years ago. Not sure where it is exactly, sometimes I just drive. As a documentary photographer I’m drawn to places like this, to get a glimpse into our past. I think then I’m partially a historian.
But in my day to day life I promote myself as a architectural and corporate photographer. Can I do both? Not if I want the big boys to take me serious. This was a concept I struggled with mighty in the past. I was trained as a photojournalist. As such you had to learned to be good in several specialties. The more diverse, the more value you were to the editorial brand. I took pride in being able to venture into unknown situations and produce, it’s what we did.
As a “commercial” photographer the more you specialize, the more value you bring to the table, the more you can charge. The perception is that your image as a specialist will bring more value to their product, brand and reputation. It isn’t always who is the best image maker, who is perceived as such.
In my financial portfolio, I diversify, as a business owner I’m an Architectural Photographer (and don’t tell anyone, a darn good documentary, travel and corporate one also).
My work: http://www.zwink.com My editorial archives: http://www.bigstudioz.com
The following is a blog on the Asmp.org site by my good friend, Kevin Lock who I’ve known a long time. His blog post was part of a series about other photographers that had an effect on their careers and lives. Here’s Kevin’s story.
Fellow photographer. Mentor. Friend.
Posted: 15 Oct 2014 09:01 PM PDT
[by Kevin Lock]
I met my mentor in college and didn’t even know it.
While attending San Diego State, I took my first ‘paying’ photographic job at the Daily Aztec. After only being on staff for a few weeks I attended a slide show presentation on Somalia, presented by a photojournalist whom had begun the rocky transition from newspaper photographer to freelance. After the presentation I ran down the photographer and interviewed him for an hour or so. I had no idea at the time how profoundly this photographer would affect my career and how quickly. I had just picked up my second job. Assistant.
Over the years my relationship with this photographer grew. My photographic career metamorphosed. He introduced me to his fellow photographers which led to new jobs, I mastered the art of being his gopher, dark room technician, second shooter, digital retoucher, studio manager, problem solver, occasional house sitter, and in time, business partner. This ever evolving relationship has taken us on photographic adventures across the country and to a few international destinations.
It was with his encouragement that I joined the ASMP in 2003. I attended a few board meetings and then he pushed me to run for president of my local chapter. After 2 years as president and as I approach my final year on the national board, I can’t help but think how differently things would be for me today had a photographer not taken interest in my journey and taken the time to help me succeed over the years.
Joel Zwink, I thank you for your guidance, encouragement, and your friendship.
Kevin Lock is a current director of the ASMP. While Kevin and Joel joined the ASMP at different times, they both continue to give back to their community by being photographers, helping photographers in San Diego and in a town near you.
Techy/Credits: Photo of Kevin Lock by Joel Zwink
Kevin’s website: http://www.kevinlockphotography.com
My sites: http://www.zwink.com – http://www.bigstudioz.com
One of my regular gigs (hate that word) is shooting commercial real estate. It doesn’t excite me but I’m good at it, my clients appreciate my ability to make their multi-million dollar listing look good. I do hope it helps them sell quicker. But this not about them. It’s about opportunity, photo ops.
Earlier in my career when working out of town I’d do the project and then head back home. Why the hurry? All these locations offered opportunity, the chance to improve my skills, to learn about the area I was in, to go home with a story. So, as one of my mentors preached to me I slowed down. Now after a shoot I like to explore. Maybe I find something, maybe I don’t. Then I look one last time at my project. The change in the light and shadows has often made better images.
I like to shoot, whether for my client or myself.
Techy stuff: all image with the Apple iPhone 6+. Processed in Snapseed.
Above Location: Battery Spencer. From 1897 until 1943, Battery Spencer was a cold, isolated, and vital military outpost protecting the Golden Gate Bridge and SF. Several buildings and placements for the large cannons that used to stand guard on the hill remain. It offers one of the best views of the bridge and SF but when we went it was fogged in….. we’ll just have to go back.
ALOHA:
Everyone should have their own special place. Even though Patti and I have done a fair amount of traveling Kauai is ours. It is where we go to refresh our bodies, physically and mentally. During the year we get caught up in the rat race, the day to day reality. Pressure to perform, meet goals and expectations slowly build up and affect who we are. Time for a break. You don’t need to run off to Hawaii, but we do.
MAHALO:
Being on the island helps us refocus, relax and regain clarity. There is a feeling of the beauty that nature is sharing through the lush tropical landscape, cascading waterfalls, the myriad of hidden beaches and the power of nature as the north swell arrives increasing the waves from 1-3 feet to often over 10 feet. Kauai has been our home away from home for over twenty year. We always find or have a new experience. I return to San Diego more centered ready to share my refreshed vision. Mahalo Kauai.
techy stuff: Nikon D810 camera with a 14-24, 24-70 and a 70-200 lens with a 1.4 convertor. Images processed in Adobe Lightroom 5.
I was in SF last week on an extensive corporate photo shoot for Swinerton. When I was leaving I decided to take the Treasure Island exit on the way back to the airport. The last time I was on TI was in 1975 when it was a Navy Base and I was a naive young seaman in Electronic Warfare school. So many memories…… I first decided to do a quick photo shoot of the skyline which was etched in my memory. I first shot it with my Nikon D3 and then decided to try my iPhone on Hipstamatic mode. Ugh…… it looked as flat and hazy as the skyline. So then I opened my new favorite app. Snapseed. With a few adjustments and then a frame adjustment the above photo is what I ended up with. I know, it looks grainy and it does. But, the end result is that I’m going to print it on watercolor on my Epson inkjet printer. A few years ago I did a similar series that I printed on the watercolor paper and it looked great. Now, we’ll find out how IPhone photos hold up.
The techy stuff: camera: iPhone 4 (the 5 is on order)
Apps: Hipstamatic and Snapseed by Nik
My real work is at: http://www.zwink.com
My three Gds (l-r) Payton, Natty and Parker
This post is actually for my Granddaughter, Payton. I hope someday she spends some time and reads my blog to see what “PoppaZ” did and thought. But I’m a little ahead of myself.
Payton Jo Rohrer was born seven years ago yesterday. It has been a crazy time. Having a grand daughter is the best reminder that you’re not young anymore. I’m not….
I was very blessed to have been invited to see the birth of Payton. I was there documenting the experience until the doctor told me to get out. A short time later we heard the newborn cry. And there she was.
Payton created a lot of fun even before she was born. Her mom, Tiffany, and I had several heated discussions about the choice of Payton as a name. My argument, it’s a boy’s name and as a Charger’s fan, it’s the same as Payton Manning, our arch nemesis, on the football field. I lost the argument, and Payton Jo it was.
Personally, I was hoping she’d be born on the 4th of July. It would be special imagining her sharing a famous holiday as PoppaZ does (Cinco de Mayo). But once again true to her Mom’s stubbornness Payton arrived on the 3rd instead. She wasn’t going to share here birthday with anyone….. Happy Bday Pay.
