OT:shooting the Gov.
JAG
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Hey I know this isn't challenge stuff but since this is the board I spend my most time I just had to tell you all here that I am very excited. I got a call about 30 minutes ago from a director at the small local theater here...he asked me if I could come do a few pictures tonight after the show of the cast of the current play and SARA PALIN!:barb
Well of coarse I would throw my bedtime out to go get a picture of Alaska's govenor! What photographer in their right mind wouldn't?! Now I am not only excited but I have butterflies in my stomach! I don't know why. I have taken millions of pics....this is just a routine shoot. The only thing is I can only keep her there for about 5 minutes after the show. So I cannot bring a tripod in and set it up for my flash.
I will put my sb on my camera and hope for the best. I get two shots! :deal :clap Wish me luck!
Well of coarse I would throw my bedtime out to go get a picture of Alaska's govenor! What photographer in their right mind wouldn't?! Now I am not only excited but I have butterflies in my stomach! I don't know why. I have taken millions of pics....this is just a routine shoot. The only thing is I can only keep her there for about 5 minutes after the show. So I cannot bring a tripod in and set it up for my flash.
I will put my sb on my camera and hope for the best. I get two shots! :deal :clap Wish me luck!
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Do a walk around with camera set for continous shooting.....by walk around have her stop pose and hold pose except for her head following you in a 180* walk around in front of her this should net a lot more photos and also looks.....remeber she was a model..............
Hey Art....On continuous shooting do you think my sb800 can keep up with me???? Seems I can only get a couple shots before the thing has to recharge. I am not allowed in the theater with the camera until its over...then I have to move quickly. I wont be able to use the flash till the audience clears. Man I tell you...I am really starting to sweat. I went through all my equiptment that I am bringing. And did some palimanary shots to be sure my settings are ok with the flash. Now I am wondering if I should keep my red eye on on the flash.....I second guesing myself like crazy. The lighting on the stage comes out orange (I know from other shoots I did for them)......I usually do a manual wb setting but the printer they use doesnt do pics well...
Gosh I can go on and on cant I? Thanks for the vote of confidence!
"Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like it's heaven on Earth." — Mark Twain
Oh I will put these in their own gallery. I drop a link here when I get them all done. Thanks for the good luck wishes!
1. I arrived earlier than 10pm (which was about when the show would be done) and it was still intermission. When I see the director I asked him if he was certain he got permission for me to take pictures. He said he hadn't asked yet. I told him he was killing me and he better get in there and ask. I am assuming he did. So I go in and sit in the theater to watch the rest of the show.
2. At the close of the show I grab my camera and set the iso high because the house lights were not very high and Sara was not up front where I expected her..but center stage up toward the top row of the audience. She was immediately bombarded by people. I tried to snap a few off from where I was but it was just too dark. So I grabbed my flash and lowered the iso back down.
3. By this time Sara is by the stage greeting the cast members. I turned my flash on and got to stage level. Thus the next problem....I am only 5ft and I couldn't see where she was because of the forest of giant people! I ended up just getting up on the stage and squeezing between cast members. I snapped as fast as my camera would let me.
4. My camera couldn't keep up! I was shooting in raw as well as jpeg knowing that post processing was inevitable with the poor lighting situation. Between the camera processing and the flash having to charge every 3 or 4 shots...I was somewhat unhappy with the performance. I will have to refer to the manual to see if it was something I was doing wrong.
5. My flash was annoying Sara. She didn't come out and say it...but she gave me a side glance and a questionable look. I backed off some because I didn't want to be rude. After all...I am still wondering whether the director did his part and asked permission.
6. Even though the theater has a strict policy about cameras in the theater...there was one guy other than myself who had a camera. Now I am the paid photographer...and I asked him nicely to let me shoot first since I was invited there to shoot and he just happened to have a pocket camera with him. Well...long story short...quite a few of my shots have ghosts from him taking a picture at the same time I was.
7. From start of shooting to the last picture taken...I only had 5 minutes. I am not kidding! Thats it. From the end of the show till she walked out the door. I took a cast picture and another picture of cast and crew with her. Of which..one of them was ruined by the guy with the other camera...I managed to salvage them somewhat...but I am embarrased by the quality. Just too much pressure and not enough cooperation with this other guy. I actually felt like smacking him!
Anyway...I was so excited when I finished...Sara came over to me and I shook her hand. I thanked her for being such a gracious person to let me take pictures of her with the cast. I handed her my card and told her if she ever was looking for an average "joe" type photographer...give me a call. She laughed and thanked me. So all in all it was all good!
Thanks for letting me go on and on!
The album can be found HERE.
PS. One thing I'm learning - when there's money involved, always expect it to be way more difficult than you'd planned (or...why I don't shoot weddings!)
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Peace, gail
Be proud.
Virginia
"A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know." Diane Arbus
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Sherry
Sound to me like to did a very good job......never worry about red eye LR and PS can take of it easily and I think even picassa can also......
Not sure I have such a look, but I LOVE the response.
You are right about the red eye. That is mostlikely what slowed the flash down. I hadn't thought of that. Next time (if there ever is another opportunity) I will know better.
I did some pp on one of the images...HERE. The comparison is next to it in the album. What you think? You'll have to ignor the watermark for now.
There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.~Ansel Adams