On this day, one of the oldest Boy Scout Troops had a celebration for the cabin that they have called home as far back as anyone can remember. Troop 1 Huntington Beach was formed in 1917, and a few years later, the Lions Club, local community members, families of Troop 1, the carpenters union and log donations from the Edison Company built the cabin as a place for the scouts to use. The Cabin was used during war times as a logistics center and a R&R location for soldiers returning from the fronts. The state of the building slowly eroded and the building was condemned years after the war. Fortunately it was saved from the wrecking ball by the Troop, the community and members of the City that saw it as a historic site to be preserved. The families of Troop 1, various volunteers and the Lions Club came together to rebuild the historic cabin and rededicated it in the name of Russ Paxson, a HB local that was an Eagle Scout, and served twice as Scoutmaster to the troop, hence the name Paxson Cabin.
Festivities for the day included a pancake breakfast provided by the Lions Club, who have always shown their support for local community events and to Troop 1; Entertainment by Sounds of Paradise, a Steel Drum and guitar Island Themed Duo; visits from City of Huntington Beach Recreation Coordinator Chris Cole, Huntington Beach Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark, California State Senator Janet Nguyen and BSA Chief Executive Scout for Orange County Council Russell Etzenhouser.
1933 Photo from Russ Paxson's photos.
A demonstration of a typical campsite from older times. Canvas pup tents and wooden poles for tent support.
Typical modern camp site setup for Troop 1. The green Eureka tents, a camp table that the scouts put together, and a patrol food box that is used to prep and cook meals during camporee and similar events. Both these camp displays were put together with the leadership of Matthew Henricks and Michael Henricks of the troop.
Matthew Henricks, Albert Wang and Gordon Macpherson. Scouting happens because of the help of volunteers like these gentlemen and their families.
If you were able to visit us this day, the history of the Troop and the Paxson Cabin were showcased as soon as you stepped in. Photobook memories, plaques from past Presidents, Governors and Mayors, Boy Scout uniforms from previous decades, hours of photo slideshows from the 1930s to present, names of Boy Scouts that have earned the rank of Eagle, and everything to give you an experience of stepping out of the present and sometime into the past.
Meet our guests from the Huntington Beach Historic Resources Board. Visit their site and visit a place that you probably have not seen before yet currently live in. http://hrbhb.org/
The Lions Club members along with Troop 1 Scoutmaster and Eagle Scout Garrett Hay, getting ready to serve a few hundred stacks of pancake and sausage breakfasts to guests of Troop 1.
Garrett Hay along with his wife, Janet, daughter Maeve (in the baby carrier) and HB City Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark in front of the Paxson Cabin and a structure put together by the scouts.
Starting the event the Boy Scout way, with a flag ceremony and The Pledge of Allegiance.
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Pancakes and Sausages anyone? Served by the Lions Club. These guys do so much for the communities they are involved with. Refreshments served included coffee, lemonade, and Tang (if it was good enough for the Gemini astronauts, it is good enough for us!).
Troop 1 Scouts enjoying their breakfast. A few of the scouts in the photo are Dylan, Jaxson, Tyler, Emrys, Sawyer, Mauricio and Nick. Mauricio and Nick just recently earned the rank of Eagle.
Here are a couple of previous Troop 1 scouts visiting us for the day. Rod Megli (L) and Paul Howard (R) take a quick photo with Scoutmaster Garrett Hay.
Huntington Beach City Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark presenting Troop 1 with a plaque. In the photo is Dominic Ureno (honor guard), Scoutmaster Garrett Hay, Mayor Van Der Mark, and Troop 1 Committee Chair Kyle Gurwell.
Senator Janet Nguyen was also present to show support for Troop 1.
Orange County Council's Chief Executive Scout, Russell Etzenhouser.
Specific Events Supervisor of the City of Huntington Beach, Chris Cole, who was also a scout in Troop 1 and is a leader in Troop 274 was also present to show support for the celebrations.
Here is a scouting family that has been with Troop one for two generations. Dav Veylupek (Right) (1978) and his two sons, Keet (Left)(2012) and Alec (Middle) (2018). Dav was a scout when Russ Paxson was the scoutmaster of Troop 1.
A collection of former, current Scout leaders and families of the Troop!
Phil Palmquist (former Scoutmaster and forever Quartermaster), Guy Buker (former Scoutmaster), Gordon Macpherson (former Scoutmaster), Dominic Ureno (Assistant Senior Patrol Leader), Matthew Henricks (former Committee Chair), Garrett Hay (current Scoutmaster), Johnny Dale Ethridge (former Scout and former Philmont Ranger).
Towards the end of the day, we invited ALL previous scouts, adult leaders, and anyone that has had a hand in helping out the Troop, Scouting, and the Cabin for a group photo. Paxson Cabin is here not just because of a few individuals, but because of so many members of the community who pitch in, volunteer hours of time and energy to keep Scouting alive!
What would a Troop 1 Event be without a Troop War Path yell for all scouts to partake in?
It was a memorable day. Thanks to all that came out to support the Troop and the efforts for the Cabin. The Lions Club, The Orange County Council, Mayor Van Der Mark, Senator Nguyen, all the current and former Troop 1 families. Mr. Paxson's nephew, Sal Alvarez (Tim Alvarez' son), Brian Rue and family, Bill Prescott and his son Mason, the Veylupeks, the McHenrys, Joe Hartche, The Baumgartners, Rick Caruso, The Carlsons, The Ludwigs, Ken Curtiss, and a lot more families and faces that I can not remember or that were before my time but were still there to support Troop 1 and The Paxson Cabin.
]]>Always fun to shoot an energy-laden event with Christian performers.
Daren Mulligan of We Are Messengers makes a fan's day with a fist bump!
Tim Simmons was up next!
Pastor Greg Laurie giving a message.
Can't have a Fish Fest without Big Wave Dave as the emcee!
And the team from 95.9 The Fish that made this event possible!
Always a blast to shoot this event for 95.9 The Fish!
For those that visited us at our booth, it was a pleasure to meet you!
]]>An intimate venue for an intimate event for Shanna and Fabrice.
You see a pair of laughing eyes
And suddenly your sighing sighs
You're thinking nothing's wrong
You string along, boy, then snap!
Those eyes, those sighs, they're part of the tender trap
Congratulations on your special day!
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Thank you all!
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what cuts through all this and becomes the foundation of a new family?
Love.
You'll always be near as though you were here by my side.
No matter where - in my dreams I'll find you there
Close to me, sharing you're caress.
Can't you see you're my happiness?
Mariya and Jesus, we thank you for letting us be part of your special day! We wish you the best!
]]>Nuvision Credit Union holds events to like these to celebrate members, recognize organizations, veterans, first responders among other things, and to just be part of the community.
The master of ceremonies for the evening, Thom Tran (www.thomtran.com) of KNX 1070 NewsRadio.
VIPs from Nuvision Credit Union.
Jazz performer Michael Paulo (https://www.michaelpaulo.com/) and his band played for the members and nearby onlookers.
Another great event hosted by the Nuvision Team and organized by Nadia Flores of Nuvision and Shannon Keany of Keanyevents.com
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I was fortunate enough to have my camera in my car which allowed me to take part of some fun photos of Phillip with his model friends.
This was a limited print of Nichole Hopkins (signed by both Nichole and Phillip) that was auctioned off that evening.
Happy Birthday Phillip! May you have more to celebrate!
For the gallery of all the photos click here
]]>Nuvision Federal Credit Union is at it again! Hosting an event to honor active veterans and our veterans that gave the ultimate sacrifice for us.
Nuvision handed out gas cards and free goodies to the vets and first responders that registered and came out for the event.
Posing for us after the festivities are the cadets from the Young Marines (above photo).
Boy Scouts from Troop 1 Huntington Beach lining up for some breakfast burritos provided buy Tacos4Troops (tacos4troops.org).
Always a great experience shooting for Nuvision!
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Michael Paulo did not disappoint. My co-shooter for the evening was my son Dawson, who himself is not a slouch on the sax, and he was impressed to say the least. Ok, enough talking, here are the photos!
A group shot of the band as they are getting ready to go on. This was a jam session of epic proportions. Second from the left is Kimo Cornwell, keyboardist for the the Jazz band Hiroshima, Darryl Williams, and Peter White (Peter's brother is Danny White, as in Danny White of Matt Bianco and Basia). So if you listen to Jazz of the 70s, 80s and 90s era, these names should be familiar.
VIPs from Nuvision lending their smiles to the camera.
Michael Paulo's tools of the trade. Yanigasawa saxophones. "Buy this and be done with it the rest of your life." - Michael Paolo
Nuvision CEO Roger Ballard with Michael Paulo right before showtime.
The team from Nuvision that made this happen.
Michael Paulo with Peter White, having an epic jam for the evening.
Michael B, Michael P and Dawson.
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Meet and greet with Sam Kelly (DJ from the Fish 95.9), Matthew West, Nolan (also a DJ from the Fish) and Amberly Neese.
Welcoming the audience and introducing the artists for the evening.
Sam Kelly, Nolan and Darla from 95.9 The Fish
Matthew West (https://matthewwest.com). Great voice and an awesome songwriter.
Amberly Neese (http://amberlyneese.com). This lady has a talent for humor. When someone can make you laugh out loud without resorting to profanity or dirty jokes, that is the sign of a talented comedian; now Amberly takes it up a notch by making your sides hurt with Christian humor and delivering a message with it.
I interrupted this interview for a photo. It's what I do :)
A really great evening for those that attended. This wasn't my first 95.9 The Fish event to cover, but was my first Women's Night Out event.
Huge thanks to Darla of 95.9 The Fish for giving me the call for this event!
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Jamie Kimmett
Tauren Wells
Kari Jobe
The team from 95.9 The Fish.
Casting Crowns. Great music, awesome message in the music.
It's great when your work does not feel like work and you get to photograph incredible artists like these!
For those wondering, yes, NuVision is the same organization that gives free gasoline to Veterans and Active Duty members of the armed forces on Memorial Day and Veterans Day. "Honoring those who serve"
Bikers roll into NuVision's lot at 7am.
Welcoming the participants and giving a some safety reminders, and making sure everyone registered properly so that the toll road fees are properly covered.
From what I heard, there were over 200 participants to the Freedom Ride.
Dakota Meyer, USMC, rolling into Cook's Corner.
Cook's Corner, Biker Bar. Check them out if you're in the area. 19152 E Santiago Canyon Rd, Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679.
Here's the Nuvision staff getting a photo with Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer (5th from left).
NuVision donated $25 per rider to The Freedom Committee of Orange County; this is the organization of veterans that brought The Wall That Heals to Orange County. Check out their site via the link.
If you are looking for more photos of the event, click here to enter the gallery. There's a number of photos, so be a bit patient to let them load.
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“In family life, love is the oil that eases friction.” Friedrich Nietzsche
Thank you Milan, Scott and Emilie for letting us be part of your day!
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Nashville based performer, Tori Harper.
Big Wave Dave the emcee for the event!
The group that made this possible, the staff from 95.9 The Fish
That was an incredible event!
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“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.”
―
This gentleman was creating dragon, flowers and other interesting candy delicacies for the guests.
Featured at this Housing Outlook forecast was one of California's leading economists, Dr. Robert Kleinhenz.
After the economic forecast, guests were entertained Gregory Adamson.
“The most important thing in the world is family and love.” –John Wooden
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“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” –Michael J. Fox
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“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” –Michael J. Fox
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“Life is beautiful. It’s about giving. It’s about family.” –Walt Disney
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Yesterday's little photographs become tomorrow's precious memories...
]]>-Samuel Ullman
"That depends on where you want to end up." - The Cheshire Cat
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Swim in the sea.
Drink in the wild air."
- Ralph Emerson Waldo
"Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August."
- Jenny Han
Steven and Dena, thank you for trusting us to photograph your wedding! We wish you health, and more than wealth, we wish you love!
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Free gasoline for military members. Active and veterans.
Cadet volunteers were helping out where they could.
Volunteers along with NuVision C.E.O. Roger Ballard were filling up tanks for veterans.
This image gives you a tip-of-the-iceberg idea on how many veterans and active military members were able to fill up with the free gas.
Image above and image below show husband and wife volunteers at the Mobil gas station at Beach Blvd and Edinger Ave.
A good amount of bikers turned up for the Poker Ride.
Dani Romero and Cynthia Nicole from K-Earth 101.
Hell's Kitchen Motorsports Bar & Grill (https://www.hellskitchen74.com/) was serving up smoked BBQ treats.
Most of the volunteers; The Nuvision team, U.S. Naval Sea Cadets, Marina H.S., and family members.
The team from Hell's Kitchen Motorsports Bar & Grill.
NuVision Presented Veterans Outreach OC (www.VeteransOutreachOC.org) with this check.
K-Earth 101 (https://kearth101.radio.com) DJ Gary Bryan was there to hand out prizes.
Free gas, a Poker Ride, Music, Raffle Prizes, Good eats, and Remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. An awesome community event brought to you by NuVision Federal Credit Union.
To view the entire gallery of photos from this event, click on this link here or visit NuVision's Facebook page.
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This event transforms the 14th floor of Knobbe Martens from an IP Library to a posh restaurant.
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You cannot buy happiness, happiness is born.
The littlest feet make the biggest footprints in our hearts.
Baby Levi, thanks for being a fantabulous and cooperative model :)
Kathy and Peter, thank you for inviting us into your home to photograph your bundle of joy!
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It was a very busy day at the historic courthouse in Santa Ana. With the hustle and bustle of long lines and tight schedules, a perfect day was brewing for this couple.
Betty and Danny, thank you for having me as your photographer for your big day! I wish you both happiness and prosperity to go along with the love you have found in each other's arms!
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The featured panelists for the evening were Christopher Thornberg (rightmost), Steven Thomas (2nd from right), Scott Jackson (2nd from left) and Thomas Turk (leftmost) . They provided insight and their expert outlook on the economy and growth.
Former NFL linebacker Thomas Ray Williams was also at this event; here he is talking about Nuvision's Essay Challenge. More information about this HS Scholarship program sponsored by Nuvision, visit www.http://essaychallenge.com.
The evening's entertainment featured the resident illusionist from Las Vegas' Wynn Resort: Shimshi. (http://www.shimshimagic.com/) This guy is amazing and entertaining.
A great evening of information, inspiration and entertainment.
An excellent event put together by the Nuvision Federal team and Shannon Keany of Keany Events, Inc (https://www.facebook.com/KeanyEvents/).
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Being a HUGE fan of Julie Andrews and Christopher Plumber in Sound of Music movie, I was not sure what to expect in seeing it performed by a younger generation in a school production, but all questions were put to rest once I saw the dress rehearsals and experienced the talent that these young actors and actresses brought to the stage.
These photos will not do the show justice, as even though a picture may be worth a thousand words, perfectly delivered notes in songs just bring one word to mind: Awesome!
Brianna Whitlinger as Mother Superior with the Nonnberg Abbey Nuns. Brianna's performance of Climb Every Mountain was absolutely impressive.
Madison Shipley as Maria Rainer.
Lincoln Ward as Captain Georg von Trapp, Stasiu Kieta as Franz, Brianna Whitlinger as Elsa and Zach Voss as Max
Alex Sotello as Elsa for opening night's cast.
Do - Re -Mi scene.
Leisl (Kylie Coppola) and Rolf (Daniel Rodriguez) performing Sixteen Going on Seventeen.
Lonely Goatherd Scene. A bit of a variation from the movie as I think they sang "My Favorite Things" for this scene, but movies and live performances do not usually line up identically.
The von Trapp family singers! (L-R) Lincoln Ward, Madison Shipley, Shelby Kulek, Breanna Whisman, Teague Rodriguez, Hannah Leverett, Alexis Langley, Joseph Campbell and Kylie Coppola.
The Wedding Scene. For some reason I love the bouquet hand-off shot.
If you are looking for the Sound Of Music Photo gallery, click on this link.
Camera Gear info - Canon 5D Mark III and 5D Mark II with 70-200 and 24-70 lenses. No flash used, just available stage lighting. For those aspiring theater photographers, do avoid using flash for the safety of the performers and not to mention it changes the mood that the director is trying to convey.
]]>I initially tried shooting @ 1/250 then ended up close to 1/1000 just to freeze some action. ISO was pretty high @ 3200 upwards to 6400. I was shooting mostly @ f 3.2. Camera used was my 5D Mark III and the 70-200 2.8. I was planning to use a couple of 600ex-rt flashes to lift some shadows but that didn't really happen as the light stands that I brought with me could not clear the glass around the rink, and there was not any cat walks that I could mount the lights above the rink, so available light it was. I did try out a few shots with the flash bouncing off the walls towards the ceiling, but I don't think that helped.
I was shooting through the glass on a 6' ladder. I had to locate a portion of the glass that was not too scuffed to shoot through. I was hoping to shoot above the glass, but my ladder was not high enough. Lesson learned for next time: taller ladders, taller light stands and a thicker jacket and maybe a 7D Mark II.
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"Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is different..." - C.S. Lewis
"Chase your dreams but always know the road that will lead you home again" - Tim McGraw
"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory" - Dr. Seuss
“When we are children we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind.” - Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind
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"The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides."
The best thing to hold onto in life is each other. - Audrey Hepburn
Congratulations to Allison and Fernando!
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Roberta and Mike, Isaiah, Noah and Ella, thanks for letting me be part of your day to capture memories of your family!
]]>Neil provided the Profoto B1 and individual triggers for us to work with, and I must say it is pretty neat to have gear like that for a free flowing shoot like this. No wires, no battery pack tethered with wires...just a monopod and the Profoto B1 in TTL mode :) ...for those wondering why it was in TTL and not in manual mode, this was due to the number of shooters sharing the light.
First up to be photographed were Travis and Haley. They're Oklahoma based wedding photographers, and for this workshop, they are working in front of the camera.
Here's a pull back view of the group.
These next photographs were taken inside one of the decaying buses parked in the town. These photographs were without the B1.
Neil is giving some instructions here to get a similar shot to those taken above while avoiding the hot spots.
I posted two of the same pose here to show natural light (only) and a shot with a bit of kick from the flash to get a little more "oomph" for the shot.
Here's Haley posing with the 38 Chrysler Plymouth.
There's the Profoto B1, taking a break.
...Would not be complete without a photo of myself with Neil.
That was a great experience overall. It was awesome to be able to ask questions while being on location with Neil and other photographers that share the enjoyment of the art.
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The costumes were incredible and made you feel like you were in a totally different time zone. Some of the guests look like they're about to hop aboard the Titanic, some look like they just got off the Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow movie set, and some look like they are ready to fill the timelines of everything in between.
This fine Banjo-totting Troll is with the Mystic Midway. And for a sharing a story that is most terrible, he gifted me with a Mystic Midway dollar.
Clap for fairies. CLAP!
This fine gent is James Lopez, a Disney animator. His current project is Hullabaloo, a Steampunk animated film. Hand drawn cartoons are a lost and dying art. Just compare the cartoons you grew up with to the CGI crap..., I mean cartoons that are on TV now. Anyway, if you would like to support James' project, click here.
These fellas are The John Brothers Piano Company. These guys are beasts on their instruments!
This was part of "The Deflowered Tours", a homage to Edward Gorey's "Recently Deflowered Girl." ...Just go with it.
Le Cancan Bijou
Christopher Buttner, President of PRThatRocks.com, presenting an award from the City of LA to the Edwardian Ball for 7years of gaiety.
Cassie and Peter, we wish you the best in your bright and fun future together!
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We started past 5:30ish pm, so we were losing sunlight pretty quickly on this shoot, and by the time we were done with the brick wall shots, there wasn't much ambient light. I had to use a flashlight pointed at Dawson's face to get the lens to focus.
This is a shout out for the natural-light-only photographers out there, you can still get good shots after the sun goes down. Get a flash (GASP!) and drag your shutter a bit to get some light in there. Steady hands definitely help and it's a good way to find out what your limits on keeping a shot steady at different focal lengths. I probably wouldn't shoot 1/10sec @ 200mm, but you won't know till you've tried it.
ISO 160, 35mm @ f1.4, 1/80 sec.
ISO 640, 85mm f1.8 @ 1/15sec
ISO 800, 35mm f1.8 @ 1/30 sec.
The first and third images were taken with the sigma. Off camera lighting was with a flash minus any modifier attached...The reason I did this was for hard-edged shadows....it felt appropriate for the look i was after. The second shot was with an Canon 85 1.8 with the flash positioned behind Dawson. I tried some shots with some lens flare peeking at the side, but I didn't care much for it...felt too wannabe JJ Abrams...not for me :)
Gear used for this shoot: Canon 5D Mark III, Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG HSM Art, Canon 85mm 1.8; a couple of Pocketwizards and Canon Speedlite 600EX. Whitebalance @ 5500 via Adobe Lightroom.
Special thanks to my cool, cooperative model :)
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The Beast looking at the magic mirror. He's a bit blue, but you know what? It's all good. That was the scene. I added some warmth to the photo to how I remember it to be, but the director wanted the scene to be like this, so the final photo will have casts of blue. (Beauty and the Beast)
First Thing's First! For Theater Photography, follow some common courtesy concepts (think of them as "hints") so that you don't get people around you upset and may lead to an escalation of incidents that usually turn out bad for you, the person with the Camera.
- Are you allowed to be taking photos or recording the performance? This is usually not an issue for school plays and such, but it's always good to ask the Director or any of the Administrative people if you can take photos. It will save you the embarrassment of being approached and possibly being asked to leave. Getting permission is a MUST if you see that they are selling photos of the performance at the lobby or online. Get it in writing way in advance if possible. Doing this prior to the event may have its merits... if the venue needs a photographer for the event, you may get a chance of shooting and getting a gig.
- Put that huge phone or tablet away. Doing this is this just inexcusable! You see this everywhere... someone decides to take out their iPad / Tablet to use it as a camera and is holding it up to get a good angle of the stage. Forget that the people behind them can't see the performance any longer, and are having to duck around to get a view. Don't be this fool!; you are blocking the view of other patrons and you are probably distracting the performers and embarrassing the life out of your child / friend that you are recording. Block your own view if you need to but be courteous to others. If you do this, I hope someone gets security to lead you out of the venue. You ruin the experience for everyone. Put the tablet away.
- No FLASH please! You are putting the performers in danger if you are blasting a strobe into their eyes as they are moving on the stage. Distracting the other patrons is another reason not to do this, the safety issue should be concern number one.
- Set your camera to silent mode. Turn off the beeping as well as the preview on the LCD after each photo. Don't know how to do this? Read your manual or don't use the camera for performances until you figure it out. The key here is not to be a bother to people around you.
- Get that tripod off the isle. That's a trip hazard. Dark venue, broken camera, another person gets injured, embarrassed actor and a potential lawsuit! Sounds bad already? Just wait until their lawyer contacts you.
- Don't walk to the front of the stage, and start blocking everyone's view while rationalizing that you are entitled to do that because it's your child you are photographing. News flash...if everyone there uses that same reasoning then everyone will be standing in front of you as well. Sit down and shoot from where you are. Lens not able to zoom in close enough? Too bad. That still does not give you a right to be the village idiot and block everyone else's view. Sit down.
- If you think you are bothering other people, ask them if you are, and be prepared to stop what you are doing. Try to practice common courtesy.
Okay! With those courtesy suggestions out of the way, here we go with WB for Theater photography.
Adjusting White Balance for theater photography can be a nightmare if you are fighting it and you are trying to get skin tones that you would expect from portraits and studio shots, but remember, this is Theater (or Stage) performance, not studio portraits. Those color casts that are overwhelming your sensors are what the director wants. This is the director's vision, not yours. All you are doing here is capturing the work of other artists... the Director and the performers.
These photos have a LOT of magenta on them I chose to keep them this way because that's how it was in the show. That's how the director wanted it, that's how the audience saw it that night, and that's how it gets preserved in photos. The photo below is a pulled back shot of the scene. Notice how a the actor's positioning on the set changes the color cast on his skin as well? (Aladdin)
One of my friends was directing a Christmas concert and he had photographers approach him saying the color casts were not acceptable for their photos! As the photographer, this is not your moment to direct, change colors, tell people to move their chin up or hold a pose a few seconds longer so that you can capture it...Nope! You are here to capture things as they happen. Capture the energy, capture the drama, the moment... you get the drift.
So how should you do this? This is where your creative brain comes in to observe and adjust; but here are some tips that may help you out:
- Shoot RAW. Why RAW? You have more leeway in post processing if you want to adjust some color casts to get better skin tones.
- Try to shoot during rehearsals or press nights so you can walk around freely and change angles.
- Familiarize yourself with the show. I can't emphasize this enough. Even if you feel you are just that good with your shooting skills, and your ability to cover events is impeccable; having an idea on how a scene develops will give you better photos than just shooting without this information. Knowing what angles to shoot at certain scenes will give you an idea of the flood lights and when and when not to shoot.
The colors in the scene above changed drastically in a matter of seconds. Positioning and familiarity allowed me to catch this before the blue lights flooded the scene to give the ominous sense of despair. (Les Miserables)
Unbalanced lighting is also a part of shooting theater. You can't fight it, so learn to work with it. This shot was color balanced off the actors' costumes. Look for a piece of the costume that you know is white, and balance off that. (Cats the Musical)
Isn't that a lot of work to get a few photos of your child / friend's performance? Well yes, yes it is. The performers, stage crew, lighting, sound and the Director have already put in weeks or possibly months of work, so get out of their way, let them do their work, and just try to do your best to get good photos... and put that tablet away.
]]>I had a friend visit over the holidays and we had a few discussions regarding topics that involved WB and stage / theatre photography, so I'm hoping this article helps a few people in understanding what WB is, regardless if you are in front or behind the camera or admiring photos. (This first article is basic WB, and the next article will be about Stage / Theatre photography and WB.)
It happens every now and then that after taking photos, and loading these images onto a computer, people take notice that the subjects have Greenish, Orange, or Blue tones. The scene that was shot did not look that way when the photo was taken, so what happened? The camera snapped a photo of the moment, but the camera, unless instructed to use a specific color balance, will use an algorithm with the colors present to decide how warm or cold the photo should be. ...ok, in English, the camera is giving you its best guess on what color temperature the existing light is. Light can be either warm or cold, tinted green, or anywhere in between. In some cases, the best guess your camera can offer is good enough, but with some good guesses, there will be terrible guesses that can leave skin tones less than flattering. For serious photographers that are trying to convey a feeling, or capture the moment, using the correct WB can make a big difference (or using a different WB to create a mood). Auto WB is fairly good in modern cameras, but relying on it may lead to inconsistent color tones.
White is white, what's the big deal?
White is white, but how many tones of white are there? A human eye sees a white car and your brain has marked that car as white; now look at a wall and your brain also says that the color is white, then look at a white shirt, a white refrigerator, white clouds, photo copier paper...they are all white, albeit different tones of white. Your brain is doing your white balancing for you.
When you take a photo with your digital camera, you will have to specify what temperature of light should be used for that photo. This affects all the colors of that photograph (and the next photos you take), not just white surfaces; the white color is just easier to reference. So if you set the incorrect WB, or if your camera uses a bad guess (Auto WB), your photo may result in strange skin tones, and the colors may just look "off" and unflattering.
Here is a sample photo with three different values set for the white balance. One of them is set to a WB value of daylight, one is set to Tungsten and one is a custom balance set from a white portion of the image (the letters). Can you tell which one is which?
The first image is the Custom Balanced image. The second is the Daylight balanced and the last one is the Tungsten balanced. The slight difference between the first two photos is the warmth that the Custom WB shot has compared to the Daylight balanced. Not such a huge difference, but adds up to the final image nonetheless.
How does this affect skin tones? Check out these next set of images. One is balanced for Shade, one for Flash and one for Tungsten. Skin tones are less forgiving...unless blue or orange skin is what you are looking for. The image balanced for Shade can work as the warm tone is acceptable, but if the skin tone is a big deal for your clients, then be aware of that concern.
So what to do to prevent or correct this?
If shooting in JPEG format, you will want to set your WB prior to taking the photo. Locate the WB settings on your camera and specify the type of light you are shooting in (daylight, flash, fluorescent, etc).
If shooting in RAW format, you can use any current post-processing software to adjust the WB when processing. If you like to crank up the colors by adjusting saturation and making blue skies really blue, and green grass almost-neon-like; please do take care that you preserve the correct skin tones. Deep colors are great, but orange skin just reeks of over-processing. If you are not familiar with how to adjust WB in post processing, I would suggest going to YouTube and locating a tutorial for your software.
There are companies that sell white balance assisting devices that can range from $ to $$$. Some people will swear by them and some people will say use a Pringles cap or any translucent food container to achieve the same thing. If you shoot RAW, just do it in post processing. Save your $ and get a good photography book instead. If you shoot JPG, look into using your camera's Custom White Balance feature. Learn and master your gear instead of buying more gizmos.
So Hopefully that gives you an idea of what White Balancing is.
Drop me a message if you have any questions or comments.
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A few years ago, we took photos of Angela. She's one of the babies that stayed asleep for most of our photo sessions! Our newborn clients usually have a balance of awake-time and sleep-time, but for Angela, she was happy to snooze while we took her photos. Here's one of the images we took of her...
Fast forward three years to the present, the little lady is all wide awake and excited for her baby brother's photo session.
Karren and Victor, you guys are blessed to have a beautiful family!
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It was a very pretty day in Southern California, and capturing memories with a camera is a good way to remember great days like this. Mason Park in Irvine is quickly becoming regular place to photograph families for me as the place is photo friendly and very convenient for a lot of clients.
Sara, Humberto and Aaron, we enjoyed photographing you guys! Thanks for letting us be part of your plans for the day!
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Emilie and Milan, thank you for allowing me photograph your family portraits again this year!
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