Purposeful

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from all my sports shooting it’s that high-speed burst shooting should be used very sparingly.  I think it was last year that I came home from shooting Winchester Applecross with close to 7,000 images.  Three 0’s people!  Sure the high-speed bursts have their place, but for me I’d rather come home with images that were shot purposefully as opposed to images that are simply part of a series of high-speed bursts where maybe one is decent.  I don’t want to be that photographer who tries to impress people with the sound of their shutter rapidly firing off 20 frames at a time in a couple of seconds.  So how, then, do you get the good images you might ask?  Anticipate the action and know the sport you’re shooting.  I still came home with a crap ton of images (2k but that’s a far cry from 7,000).

Winchester Applecross coming my way.

Winchester Applecross coming my way.

Flat

I spent the day at the local city park shooting cyclocross.  I don’t race cyclocross and never will.  My license plate even indicates that I’m a road cyclist.  Anyway, I don’t know what the cyclists were complaining about all day – that Belgian wall looks pretty flat to me.  Easily rideable.

The Belgian Wall at the Applecross cyclocross race in Winchester is approximately a 45º angle, which is eliminated with this top-down, mapping view.

The Belgian Wall at the Applecross cyclocross race in Winchester is approximately a 45° angle, which is eliminated with this top-down, mapping view.

Senior

We have a senior in high school and I’m going a little nuts with the photos.  I suppose that’s saying something considering the nature of this blog.  As I’m just snapping off a bunch of tests shots this evening while she’s prepping, this happened…

Another happy accident photo...

Another happy accident photo…

Quick

What a great opportunity for aerial photography.  I’m finding more and more ways where getting above the mess on the ground creates these unique opportunities for photography.  I had my aerial cam in the car, but I didn’t have an SD card for it so I had to be quick about getting home this morning and going through the pre-flight stuff to get up and get this shot.  It was worth the rush.

I got up in time to get some pretty cool images before the sun burned off all the fog. | Order a print of this image.

I got up in time to get some pretty cool images before the sun burned off all the fog. | Order a print of this image.

Stink Eye

[stingk ahy] noun

1. a facial expression of distrust, disdain, or disapproval; also called skunk eye, hairy eyeball

Example

“That cow knows I had a burger for dinner.  Why else would he be giving me the stink eye?!“

Word Origin – 1962

I stumbled onto this herd of cattle while I was out surveying the Fall foliage. That's a stink eye if I've ever seen one!

I stumbled onto this herd of cattle while I was out surveying the Fall foliage. That’s a stink eye if I’ve ever seen one!

Workshop

Teaching creative workflows is tough.  I’m quickly learning that I really need to back up and start from the beginning.

I took this group through the workflow of capturing and aerial image and editing it with a miniature effect.

I took this group of Handley students/faculty through the workflow of capturing an aerial image and editing it with a miniature effect.

Bamboo

I only post one image here per day, but I’ve taken countless images over this past year.  I should start going back through my photos more often because I’d find stuff that I completely forgot about.  Perhaps that’s why I took the image in the first place…

We usually go to Williamsburg in the cold months, but we recently went in the summer so everything was still green.

We usually go to Williamsburg in the cold months, but we recently went in the summer so everything was still green.

It Begins

The yearly migration of the biggest leaves in the world from their branches to our front door is about to begin.  Ok, they may not be the world’s biggest leaves, but they sure as heck feel like it.  This tree is in our back yard and yet, somehow, the leaves end up down the stairwell in the front of our house!  It wouldn’t be such an issue if this tree didn’t litter our yard year round.  Somebody needs to invent the device where we can be proactive just suck the leaves right off the tree.

Sycamore

 

Cross Season

Who thought I would ever be looking forward to cross season as much as I am this year?  Cyclocross season, that is.  I’ve shot cycling now for several years and am always looking for new ways to differentiate myself from other shooters.  A definite difference, IMO, is the fact that I shoot both still and video.  I’m leaning more toward the still side these days, but I produce both and I have a great time doing it.  I certainly created a buzz when I shot an aerial video in Page County earlier this year and plan to do more like it.  But what’s crazy to me is that when I look at a new piece of gear these days I find myself thinking “wow, that would be awesome for cross season.”  So, I may never race during cross season, but at least I’m out there supporting it.  That’s a start, right?  Can’t wait to put the new iPhone 6 through it’s paces this Sunday at the annual Winchester Applecross race.

Granted, this is a video of my dog, but think of all the amazing race footage I can get with it!

The English Channel

So we took a tour of Handley High School today.  We, who have a child who is a current senior.  We, who have a child who is a recent graduate.  We took a tour of Handley today.  It was sort of cool.  A little weird, but cool.

We’re trying to get our daughter to start referring to the English hallway as the English Channel.  We want to see if we can start something.  A tradition of sorts.  Wink, wink.  Nudge, nudge.

One of the really cool "new" hallways on the tour of the school today.

One of the really cool “new” hallways on the tour of the school today.

Homecoming

So this is it.  The last homecoming.  This year marks the 25th (2 and half decades!) since my wife and graduated high school (separate high schools).  And tomorrow marks the last high school homecoming for our family.  What the heck – where has the time gone!  Although…look out empty nest, here we come!

Happy 25th to all the 1989’ers!

Handley High School (a favorite photo spot for me) celebrates their homecoming tomorrow.

Handley High School (a favorite photo spot for me) celebrates their homecoming tomorrow.

Tri-al Period

Something weird is happening.  I’m hating running less these days.  I’m not a runner and am not trying to be one.  I’d still always choose the bike over running.  But I don’t dislike it as much as I used to.  This is probably how I’ll remain in shape throughout the winter.  Perhaps next year I’ll focus on some sprint and Olympic distance triathlons.  Who knows?  I do know this though – my body hates running much more than I do.  I’m going for a ride.

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Futile

It’s very difficult for me now to resist sending up the aerial camera when the skies look like this.  I have a feeling that I’m going to be posting lots of aerial images throughout the coming Fall season.

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Rescue

He was a stray with his two brothers.  Huh.  I always wonder what he was like before we rescued him from the shelter.  We got him at six months old (roughly) so he lived on the street before then.  Where did he come from?  Did someone just let him go?  Or worse?  I’m glad we found him.  He was a guest on the most recent weekly show with Barry Lee – “Talk of the Town.”  He was rescued before that show even aired.

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Train!

You’re not supposed to walk along the train tracks.  I get that but I was scouting out a location for an aerial shoot and a train needed the tracks.  I actually heard the gates closing before I heard the train.  It was a total Back to the Future moment (you know, at the end of the third one – anyway…).  I jumped off the track and launched really quickly.  So quickly, in fact, that I thought for a second I was going to hit the train on the way up.  It really wasn’t as dangerous as I’m making it out to seem.  The train was moving fairly slowly, I wasn’t anywhere near the tracks when the train passed, the aerial cam was well clear by the time the train passed…

…just enjoy the image.

The train tracks that run through the Abram's Creek Wetlands Preserve.

The train tracks that run through the Abram’s Creek Wetlands Preserve.

Chillax

I read somewhere about someone flying theirs while lying down.  It was kinda relaxing.  Look at Waldo there just chilling.

It's a word.  Look it up.  I did.

It’s a word.  Look it up.  I did.

Change

It’s so weird driving through the JMU campus nowadays.  There’s so much that I remember, but there are so many new and subtle changes.  And, of course, as I look around (not paying attention to the roads) I miss traffic lights and totally look like a tourist.  Never mind the fact that I grew up here.

Today we’re band parents at the first-ever Band Day (I swear I’m hearing “band-aid”) at JMU where high school students will be on the field (briefly, but still on the field – and in the stands) with the JMU Marching Royal Dukes.  What an awesome experience for these students.

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Even the potted plants have the team spirit!

Restoration

Originally opened in 1948 and involved in a recent overhaul and restoration since very early 2009, the Triangle Diner is just sitting there.  For the longest time it was an eyesore of a construction zone, which surprises me because it’s extremely visible to the hundreds of thousands of visitors at the annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival.  It’d be cool if it were to open like their Facebook page has been saying since very early 2010.  Can’t wait until it’s back – it’ll make for some great images.  And I suppose it’d be a neat place to eat.

The Triangle Diner on the corner of Pleasant Valley and Handley Blvd in Winchester, VA. | Order a print of this image.

The Triangle Diner near Handley High School in Winchester, VA. | Order a print of this image.

Race

About 10k from finishing my ride this evening I realized that it was going to be an awesome sunset.  All I could think about was getting back in time to send up the aerial cam and get some great shots.  The race was on.  That was a pretty fast 10k especially at the end of the ride.

My view at the end of my ride this evening in Clarke County, VA.

My view at the end of my ride this evening in Clarke County, VA.

Night Owl

Anybody else see the moonrise tonight?  I’ve always tried to photograph the moon when it’s just over the horizon and have always missed it by the time I find the right place to set up.  I almost missed it again tonight.  I got some really decent images of the moon as it was rising in front of Handley High School.  I had some fun with this one.

Handley High School's iconic cupola at night.

Handley High School’s iconic cupola at night.