On the road again

I found myself in unfamiliar territory the other day on assignment. Country music legend Willie Nelson was scheduled to open the sixth season of musical entertainment at the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts with two shows on September 11 and 12 and I was asked if wanted to take pictures at the concert. there was only one stipulation, I would only be allowed to photograph the first three songs.

When the Grand first reopened their inaugural concert featured Linda Ronstadt.  When we asked about photographing the first ever concert we we were told no photography allowed.  I sort of figured that with a star of Willie Nelson's caliber photography would be prohibited as well so I was more than surprised about the opportunity.

I haven't photographed two many music performers from the national stage before.  We had a few concert shows I shot in my Turlock Journal days covering the Stanislaus County Fair.  the rules for most of the performers were the same, maybe the first two or three songs then security hustled you out of the arena.  the one exception was Lee Greenwood to his credit actually stopped the concert and had all the security crew lining the front of the stage removed so the audience could enjoy the show.  Anyone was welcome to step up to the stage front and snap a picture.  I think he actually waved at me once.

So setting up to photograph Willie Nelson presented some challenges.  first was the time constraint.  This was going to be run and gun.  Shoot as many frames as possible in the time allowed.  I figured roughly three songs might round out to about 15 minutes.  He was scheduled to take to the stage at 8 p.m. so my night would be over about 8:20 p.m.

My shooting location was going to the the ground floor all the way to the back of the theater.  I figured this would be a long lens shoot so I packed my 300mm f.4 with the 1.4 extender on my Canon Eos 40D camera and the work 70-200 mm f2.8 zoom on the work Canon 1D MKII.  I decided to make the 40D my primary camera because it has a slightly higher resolution, buffers to the memory card quicker and has newer color chip that could handle the stage lighting.

The lighting was my next concern.  I've shot drama rehearsals and some events there and the lighting normally is tricky at best.  Big wide stretches of darkness punctuated by spotlights.  Not the type of lighting you switch your camera to auto and let the frames fly.  I figured I would have to be dialing in some exposure compensation in along the way to accommodate the contrasty lighting.  Flesh tones would have the priority and I would let the background fly.  I figured there would be a mix of colored gels and background scenery so this was going to be a shoot then chimp to see what kind of adjustment I needed to make.  I figured I would lose about half the first song just dialing in the right exposure.

There not really that much to say about the actual shoot, it is kind of like taking a picture of a man at a podium, they don't move around too much.  My biggest problem was when Nelson wore a hat casting a shadow over much of his face, although the "got Weed" hat did add a nice touch.  The lower lighting values dropped my shutter speed some although blurring his hand on the guitar in some frames.  I tried to shoot at mostly wide open apertures and focusing was sometimes tricking in the mixed light.

To tell you the truth I can't tell you what the three songs he played were.  I was too busy shooting and chimping to really listen to the music.  Sometimes when I cover a sporting event the last thing I do is look at the scoreboard  to see who is winning.  Shooting sports I am not watching the score but the players so sometimes I lose track of the scoring.  It is easy to spend more time shooting than watching an event, there is a big difference.

Anyhow back at home I process a quick 30 photos from the overall 760 I shot with both cameras.  i had a lot of outtakes but I happy with the results and I think for just shooting three songs I captured a good variety of poses and moments to give readers an idea of his performance.  My one brief brush with name star, it was fun but I'm ready to go back to the quiet calm of my normal assignments around town.  Give me the small town stuff any day.

One of the those weeks

Earlier this week I said we were going to sacrifice a jar of two-year-old tuna to the scanner gods to see if they would give us a little action.  Ask and yea shall receive.

So I had a an arson fire, a drunk crash into a pole and to top it off tonight someone opened fire during a botched robbery attempt at West Valley Bowl.

Sometimes it is best not to wake the scanner gods and incur their wrath.

Although it does make for some snazzy photos.

Prelude

This is a magical time on the trail.  I know that sounds corny but for a photographer this is a special time.  The summer is nearing an end and the fall color will soon emerge.  My Saturday hike at Morgan Territory was a good prelude of the colors to come shortly.

I picked a nice 9-mile trek from Morgan Territory's Old Finley Road trailhead.  I would take the Sulphur Springs Trail for an out and back hike with a short loop along the Grizzly and Jeremiah trails.

Honestly it was strange day.  The hike had and odd feel to it.  The light was very subdued.  The morning started out with a thick fog shroud that cast deep shadows in the tree line and twits and turns of the path.  It almost felt like in some ways I was hiking at dusk, with darkness approach.  In someways it was perfect sky for the colors unfolding around me.

No kidding this is a great time to take pictures.  Trees are filled with shades of red and green as the leaves change, making one last bold statement before the coming change of seasons.  In the soft light these hues seemed to almost shine as the light struck them.

The shadows behind them were dark and almost foreboding.  It was just one step short of being an eerie time on the trail.  There was no one else on the trail except me.  The still air had a heaviness to it.  All I could hear was the sound of my own footsteps on the leaves in the path.  Part surreal, part peaceful, it was an odd hike to categorize.

But everywhere I looked the colors are what stood out.  In this pre-fall day the colors seemed to almost glow.  I came across a tree with it leaves that reminded me of stars twinkling against a night sky.  Standing on top of a ridge I looked across at a slope leading down to a dark tree grove.  The juxtaposition of the gold in the grass and the trees shadows seemed to be out of a dream.

Making my way back to the car with about a mile to go the sun finally broke through the fog.  The trail was cast in a different light as sunlight filtered through the leaves.  A breeze finally rustled the trees and the glow that I had seen earlier receded back into the trail.

This is truly a magical time to take pictures on the hiking trail and this short preview is a promise of the fall colors to come.

Own it

"You do too know why.. own it"

Those were the words left on a picture I posted on Facebook when I said I didn't know why this picture was my favorite from a Saturday hike at Morgan Territory's Sulphur Springs Trail.  Reading those words I actually had to stop and think why did this photo strike a chord with me over all the rest?

I shot over 500 photos as I huffed and puffed up and down the trail taking in the fall colors.  I was nearing the halfway point on the hike when I came across this spot.  Withered leaves had fallen from the trees lining the trail and fell in a line one either side of the trail.  The leaves formed a dark red border running for dozens of feet along the trail's path.

Honestly it was one of those moments when you see something visually stunning and you don't know why for sure.  In the subdued light from the fog sides of the trail were dark and somewhat mysterious.  Not nighttime dark but shadows deepened and there was peculiar feeling about the trail.  The air was still, not a breeze to be found and it was very quiet and peaceful as I walked alone on the path.

When I came to the leaves it was almost a surreal moment.  In someways the whole hike had a slightly odd feeling, almost like watching a movie.  I stopped and looked at the different hues and shades of reds in the leaves and the shadows as they piled atop one another.  I must have looked at the leaves for a good 15 minutes trying to find just the right cluster to take a picture of.

Then I found one leaf that looked out of place, a small white leaf that stood out from the almost monochrome pattern around it.  I framed a couple of quick shots with this one lone bright leaf in the sea of red and headed out for the rest of the hike.

What was I trying to say in the picture?  I'm not sure.  I thought it was going to be a study of hues and colors and shadow.  Why did this one leaf add another dimension and make it something I like over all the all others? I'm not sure why.

Was it a just break in the monochromatic patterns in the leaves or is it a statement of being different in conformity?  Maybe it is just a pretty picture?  I guess maybe yes.  The more I think about it I like it most because it is such a simple and quiet photo, far from the pictures of confusion and turmoil I often produce at work.  Maybe it was that quiet moment on a dark section of trail with a quiet stillness in the air I like the most.  I like those moments, they come to few and far in between.

I guess I did know why after all, I just need a reminder now then to make these moments my own.