Event

First Communion Celebration at Don Cesar St. Petersburg with Isabella

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Isabella dancing at her first communion celebration at the Don Cesar St. Petersburg Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/200th Strobist: SB-800 with diffuser cap @ 1/4 power to frame rightPhotographing Isabella at her First Communion Celebration at the Don Cesar in St. Petersburg, Florida was a lot of fun and allowed me to make what I am sure will be one of my ten best images of the year (above).  Last week it was my pleasure to have two returning clients within a few days of each other.  I really appreciate clients who continue to choose me as their photographer, and from a shooting standpoint, it is great to have that already existing familiarity with the client.  This time, however, instead of just shooting Vanessa during one of her professional flamenco dancing performances (dance 1, dance 2), as mentioned above I was able to photograph her daughter Isabella and the rest of her family as well.

Isabella (center) and friends with the Don Cesar in the background - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 250 1/200th Strobist: SB-800 with diffuser cap @ 1/4 power to frame leftThe Don Cesar is a great location to shoot at, although at the time of the event (12:30pm to 1:30pm) the midday Florida sunshine was as it always is, harsh and unforgiving to photography.  Further, to keep things simple and quick for the girls in the photo I used only a single speedlight (SB-800) with a diffuser cap on a light stand to make these shots.  Can you spot the ones that were made in direct sunlight and the ones that were made in the shade?

Isabella showing off the back of her pretty first communion dress, Don Cesar in the background - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/13 ISO 250 1/200th Strobist: SB-800 with diffuser cap @ 1/4 power to frame leftVanessa wanted a photo of the back of Isabella's pretty dress so I tried to make it a kind of model shot by having Isabelle look back at me over her shoulder.  I composed the shot to use the curb as a leading line along with the railing choosing to have more foreground than blue sky background.

Isabelle twirling her first communion dress at the Don Cesar - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 250 1/200th Strobist: SB-800 with diffuser cap @ 1/4 power to frame leftThe above shot was a rather tricky one to execute, that took quite a few takes, but I am glad we stuck with it and made the photo exactly as I previsualized.  First, Isabelle was standing in complete shade while most of the background was in strong sunlight.  I again used just my single speedlight to put light onto the subject and adjusted my shutter speed to expose the blue sky in the background.  A little Photoshop dodging helped balance out the foreground.  Then it was just a matter of capturing Isabelle spinning exactly centered between the two columns with her dress flowing in a good look.  As I mentioned, a tricky shot, but it turned out better than I thought as Isabelle appears to be still herself while her dress has the appearance of motion creating an unusually dynamic visual.

First communion dress & veil at the Don Cesar St. Petersburg, Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 105mm VR micro @ f/8 ISO 250 1/200th Strobist: SB-800 with diffuser cap @ 1/4 power to frame leftThis photograph is one of my favorite kind to make incorporating a veil in the wind (actually held up by her mom out of frame, shh!) and the subject looking into the distance with a contemplative look.  I asked Isabelle to look to her right and think of her future.  The result is the above image.  This photograph paired with the top image in this post cover a wide range of emotion that I hope Isabelle and Vanessa and the rest of her family will find valuable when they look back at these photos in 10, 20 years from now.  I want Isabelle to wonder what she was thinking at that moment.  I wonder if she will be able to remember . . .  

Ribbon Cutting Event with Mayor Bill Foster at Office Depot

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St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster (3rd from left) helps with a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new Office Depot on 34th Street NOn Tuesday I was able to continue my great photography relationship with Office Depot in St. Petersburg by photographing a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new store on 34th Street North.  This was also another chance to photograph St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster helping cut the ribbon on a new local business.  I am starting to get familiar with who in the local government attends these events, like Council Chair Leslie Curran (4th from right) and Council Member Bill Dudley (5th from right).  

Office Depot handed out "big checks" to several local non-profit groups and donated 200 backpacks for school children.After I photographed my first Office Depot event in December I realized how a large corporation like Office Depot actually reaches out to be a helpful member of the local community by investing in local non-profits through donations of both cash and goods.  They continued this custom handing out three more checks and 200 backpacks filled with school supplies to be given to local school children.  Being able to photograph and be a part of an event like this is a satisfying experience.  Office Depot has earned my business, which is mostly the purchase of printer ink, but still, in my mind through their charity work they have established a very positive image.  It was also my second time to meet some of the regional management and they remembered me as well.  I hope to continue to be able to photograph future Office Depot events showcasing their community work and new stores.

Office Depot Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Event St. Petersburg Florida

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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Event for a new Office Depot location in St. Petersburg - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 800 1/60th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight hotshoe mounted @ 1/4 powerI have a new respect for Office Depot after photographing their ribbon cutting ceremony for their new location on 40th Ave NE in St. Petersburg.  Not only did they help support a local business by hiring me to photograph the event, they also took this opportunity to give to local businesses doing community work.

Nothing like being handed a big check! Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 800 1/60th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight hotshoe mounted @ 1/4 powerPhotographing an event like this is pretty straight forward and I was provided an excellent shot list and agenda by the home office.  When big checks are in shots, they can tend to act like reflectors and being more blown out than any other subject in the shot.  I balanced the exposure of the check itself in the above shop by selecting just the check in Photoshop CS5 and then adjusting the highlights until it matched more with the rest of the image.  This also makes the red in the check look a more true, deep red instead of a light pinkish red.

St. Pete TV was there filming the event and interviewing Office Depot managers and other VIPsI really like photographing ribbon cutting events because the atmosphere is celebratory, I am always trying to top my previous ribbon cutting action shots and there are often great cookies or other treats up for grabs.  I look forward to continuing my business relationship with Office Depot and using them as a customer for my printer ink needs as they are located very close to my neighborhood.

Carnival rides motion blur at night St. Raphael Festival Snell Isle Florida

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Carnival rides intersecting motion blur - Nikon D300 with Tamron 17-50mm @ f/4 ISO 200 1 sec mounted on Induro CT214 tripod with cable release

I feel lucky to live just a few hundred yards from a field that is home to an annual carnival.  Where do the come from?  Where do they go?  I do not know.  For three days and two nights they bring their rides, their prizes and their deep fried Oreos (delicious!) and delight this small island community.

Concentric circles ferris wheel motion blur - Nikon D300 with Tamron 17-50mm @ f/16 ISO 200 15 sec mounted on Induro CT214 tripod with cable releaseYet, the cost of enjoying the carnival to its fullest is too expensive for me.  Each ride is about $5.  There is the option of buying an unlimted ride pass for . . . $30.  I did not go on a single ride.  Each food item, likewise, is basically $5 or more.  I could not resist a huge sign declaring, "DEEP FRIED OREOS."  They were not what I expected.  Basically funnel cake batter surrouned a very warm Orea cookie that loses all of its crunch in the frying process so it warmly dissolves in your mouth leaving the familiar Oreo aftertaste.  If they were not $1 a bite, I would have eaten ten!

Fiery Ferris Wheel reflection - Nikon D300 with Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/16 ISO 200 5 sec mounted on Induro CT214 tripod with cable releaseSince I could not enjoy the carnival in its intended purposes, I instead had to appreciate it only for its night photography opportunities, of which there were many.  I stood at the east edge of my apartment complex in complete darkness before my tripod pointing my lens at the lights just across the water.  I felt like an astronaut observing an alien world.  Mine was dark and silent, theirs filled with dazzling light and laughter.

 The time machine conductor - Nikon D300 with Tamron 17-50mm @ f/4 ISO 200 1 sec mounted on Induro CT214 tripod with cable releaseThe pilot of the ferris wheel remains stoic as carriage after carriage passes through time and space.  Who knows what speed they pass by?  

like a spool of colorful thread - Nikon D300 with Tamron 17-50mm @ f/4 ISO 200 1 sec mounted on Induro CT214 tripod with cable releaseYet the ferris wheel almost seems a snail in comparison to this machine which lifts its subjects into the night sky spinning so fast that one appears to be a constant at once everywhere and only there.  

Night Over Carnival motion blur - Nikon D300 with Tamron 17-50mm @ f/16 ISO 200 25 sec mounted on Induro CT214 tripod with cable releaseSurely when one visits Mars the view from outside of town mirrors the one above.  Hopefully they have deep fried Oreos on Mars as well.

Ride first, eat second - Nikon D300 with Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1 sec mounted on Induro CT214 tripod with cable releaseIn the warped world of the carnival, food is the only constant.  Everything else flirts between dimensions.

Tilt A Whirl motion blur - Nikon D300 with Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/16 ISO 200 15 sec mounted on Induro CT214 tripod with cable releaseHaving no Martian technology the semi truck in silhouette is like the octogenarian observing the child with today's digital devices removing one from the present.  For me, I will remain with the truck on the outside, as always only the observer.

St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster Ribbon Cutting at VIP Eye Care

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St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster helping Dr. Mona Henri with the ribbon cutting for her boutique's new location.This morning was my fourth opportunity to photograph St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster at a ribbon cutting for a local business.  VIP Eye Care has been my source for contact lenses since moving back to Florida 2.75 years ago.  I chose Dr. Henri's (in red above) eye care facility because I wanted to support a fellow independent St. Pete business rather than a chain with outlets across the country.  As you would expect, the service is great and Dr. Henri's eye exams are actually kind of fun.

Warning, looking closer may cause sticker shock! - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th with Nikon SB-800 Speedlight @ 1/4 +2/3 power hotshoe mountedMost of the times I visit VIP Eye Care I am just in and out to pickup my contact lenses.  At the ribbon cutting this morning I had a chance to browse the many designer brands of eyeglasses on display.  Now, I have been a loyal Oakley man since I was 16 years old, so I am accustomed to paying a not insignificant sum for eyewear.  However, Oakley provides "thermonuclear protection" which I absolutely believe in.  Thus, $300 to $400 sticker prices for just an empty pair of frames was shocking to me!  At least the ones for $400 were made of carbon fiber!

Candid Mayor Bill Foster trying on a pair of square lenses at VIP Eye Care in St. Petersburg FloridaMayor Foster declared himself as a person who really loves wearing glasses having no interest in lasic surgery or contact lenses.  I liked that.  You do not often hear people being proud to wear glasses, although I think it has gotten a lot cooler to do so in the past few years compared to when I was a kid.  

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Candid Birthday Party Photography Tampa St. Petersburg Clearwater Florida

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Numis Network 2011 Annual Meeting Grand Hyatt Tampa Event Photography

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Ray Higdon is the top earner at Numis - f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 @ 1/4 on hotshoe - Tampa event photography

Numis Network is a company that sells coins.  I had never heard of them when they booked me less than a week before their annual meeting at the Grand Hyatt in Tampa.  I was expecting a somber affair with lots of dry talk about the details of the coin industry.  However, in the two days (over 16 hours of photography) I was photographing the event the energy level was more like a rock concert rather than a business event.

Numis reps from all over North America in Grand Hyatt lobby - f/5.6 ISO 400 1/40th SB-800 @ 1/4 power hotshoe mounted - Tampa event photographyI arrived at the Grand Hyatt Tampa on a Friday at 5pm, and luckily there was not yet much traffic over the Howard Franklin Bridge.  There were so many people it was hard to get a shot at crowd level so I used a staircase to get some air and the above wide shot of the gathering crowd of reps from all over North America.  Numis headquarters is in Tampa though. 

Numis Network 2011 annual meeting MC Matt - f/2.8 1/100th ISO 800 SB-800 @ 1/4 power hotshoe mounted - Tampa event photographyMatt, also a Numis executive, MCed the entire event and understandably was getting a little horse in the voice by late Saturday night.  I learned that he has had his mustache for thirty years.  I have had mine for less than half that time.  I also sat at his table for (a brief) dinner break Saturday evening.  

Jake Kevorkian speaking at 2011 Numis Network annual meeting - f/4 ISO 800 1/100th SB-800 @ 1/4 power hotshoe mounted - Grand Hyatt Tampa even photographyThe founders of the company frequently took the stage, largely to thank all the reps for their support and promising that the company is only just going to get bigger and better, as well as introducing some new product lines and vacation bonuses.  The crowd seemed to hang on every word of every speaker and there were frequent shout outs.  

Grand Hyatt Tampa event hall - f/4 ISO 800 1/20th SB-800 @ 1/4 hotshoe mounted - Tampa event photographyTo be able to light up the large hall in the Grand Hyatt housing the event stage I had to use some really slow shutter speeds, like 1/20th of a second in the above shot.  There was not a wall or anything to brace myself against so I had to use my most steady shooting technique and really control my breathing.  At this event I used the slowest shutter speeds yet and was still able to produce satisfyingly sharp enough shots.

Distinguished Numis Annual Meeting Award Winners - f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 @ 1/4 hotshoe mounted - Tampa event photographyThe whole 2-day event ended with a (long) awards ceremony where it seemed like everyone in attendance had a chance to hear their name read out loud and to go up on stage.  In fact, the ceremony ended over one and a half hours late!  Imagine if the OSCARS dared do that!  From the above shot you would also have no idea that by this time I was having to battle with dozens of people with camera phones trying to get shots of the people on stage.  It was not a battle I won.  Even though I was standing on a chair for this shot, it was still hard to make sure no random cell phone holding arm was thrust into frame.  

This event was the first time for me to really use my Black Rapid RS-Sport strap which I will be writing a formal review of with photos soon.  However, I can state that even after 16 hours+ of shooting I felt zero shoulder fatigue hoisting a D300 with an 80-200mm f/2.8 lens and 17-50mm f/2.8 lens also with a SB-800 Speedlight hotshoe mounted.
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