Alemany @ Chaminade HS Football

The sky above Chaminade High School Friday night put on a show as the pre-game warm-up was under way. This HDR image from a single shot is my attempt at accurately conveying exactly what I was seeing from my vantage point.

See more sports photos on our website at www.precisemomentsphotography.com

An Hour or So before Sundown

The other night, about an hour or so before the sun was to set, I arrived home from cubicle life with the urge to journey out to the park (Malibu Creek State Park). I thought to myself, the light is gorgeous right now, I really should go out to the park to make some pictures. I took only my camera and a 180 mm prime lens. I wanted to keep away from complexity by only taking one lens. Keep it simple.
    About a quarter of a mile into the park on the Grasslands Trail, I heard a faint buzzing in the bushes. Looking over, I spotted some honeybees collecting pollen on some flowers that were towering up toward the blue sky. I found my angle, composed the shot, and then stood there waiting for a bee to fly into my frame.

 

Over the first hill in the park I decided to check the creek next to Crag's Road to see if there were any birds near the water.  The creek was mostly dried up but I still spotted a tiny pool of water behind some reeds. An egret was foraging for what it could find, probably some insects finding home in the mud and algae. “What a great moment this would be!” I thought. But by the time I raised my lens, she had seen me and took off into the air. Fortunately, one shot was all I needed. Even though she was flying slightly away from me, the warmth of the sunlight gave a nice feel to the scene. A more dramatic appeal to a photo that could have been otherwise been labeled as boring and/or forgettable.

Walking over the dry creek bed, the moss and algae crunched beneath my steps. Just a month ago I would have been steadying myself from slipping on the bright green slick beneath a flowing stream of clear water. Now the algae was dried up and encased each rock in a sort of shell. Just as I was thinking, “what else am I going to find down here to shoot?”, I looked up and a Sycamore tree was glistening in a bath of sunlight. I had to get a shot of this. I was too close to get the whole tree in so I decided to just look through my lens and compose what would fit in the crop of the camera.

I climbed back up onto the road now deciding that it was a good idea for me to start heading back to the car. I had about a mile to walk and the sun was about 15 minutes from disappearing behind the slowly darkening mountain ridges. It would probably take me a good half hour or so to find my way back since I get distracted photographing everything I see and I didn't want to be walking in the dark. I was in flip flops and know that rattle snakes love to slither out onto the roadways when the sun goes down to keep warm. Stepping on one would not be fun.
    As I headed toward the path along Crag's Road, I saw a picnic table under an oak tree. The hillside was lit behind it with a warm and inviting light. Right away I thought, “wouldn't this be a great silhouette?” I love the silhouette in photographs. I know many photographers find them cliché but I think if done right, it really adds drama to the image.

A few meters away and up the trail, I could see my favorite oak tree perfectly lit from the side by a sun that was half way behind the mountains. The way the light created a stark contrast on both sides of each branch gave a depth to the scene that I could not resist. I just wonder what this shot would be like if a coyote or deer were wandering the path below the tree? I'll have to go back and stake out a spot and just wait for something to happen.

Back over the hill now, on the way back to where I parked on Mulholland Highway, I looked back at the path. The sun had hidden itself behind the mountains and the sky was losing it's warm yellow glow. The way the grass was contrasted against it really caught my attention. I thought about waiting for some runner or bicyclist to come roaring over the hill and as soon as I decided I didn't feel like waiting, two mountain bikers crested the hill. I should have waiting but even though I didn't I am still happy with the simple photo I made.

I think the hardest thing about photography is being patient. My mind sometimes wanders as I try to focus on one particular scene, wondering if I am missing something else that is happening around me. Something much better or more intense than I am looking at through my view finder. My best photos have not come from stumbling on a scene and firing off a bunch of shots hoping I catch the moment. My best photos have been created when I anticipate what will happen, compose the scene, and then wait for the moment to unfurl itself right in front of me.

    Can't wait to go out shooting again!

    Peter

Great White Shark @ Monterey Aquarium

 Every now and then Peter and I (or both of us, hopefully) get a chance to shoot something really different and unusual. When I read that the Monterey Bay Aquarium was caring for a great white shark ((website)), I knew I had to see it. Growing up on the east coast (where the ocean just isn't as inviting) and having seen Jaws at a young and imaginative age, I've always had a dread fascination with sharks.

The shark was tiny - 4'7", only 50 lbs, but WOW! What a presence. Sharks may be nightmarish animals to some, but you have to admire the power and grace of them. This little guy was an amazing creature to see!

It was crowded, but I was also able to spend a bit of time shooting some of their jelly fish. I could have done this for hours.

Enjoy,
Jesse