How It's Spun

Another Saturday and another full day of shooting winterguard. Again, winterguard is all about the colorguard and it is done indoors.

Once again, one of my favorite images of this past weekend was a rifle shot. This time, this performer was spinning the rifle, which creates a nice visual effect, when viewed from up in the stands.

When I shoot winterguard, this is a type of shot I love to capture. I call it the hand-eye coordination shot. You can really see the concentration while she spins this rifle.

When I compose colorguard photos, I tend to shoot most of them at an angle. I do this for a few reasons. One of them is that the depth-of-field is razor thin and if you shoot straight on them, there is a good chance the camera's auto focus will lock onto the bright white object in front. If that happens, the face will be slightly out of focus. By shooting at an angle, the rifle and performer are almost in the same focus plane. Thus, even if the auto focus locks onto the rifle, the performer should be well enough into acceptable focus.

Another reason why I shoot at an angle is that it fills up the frame better. It also reduces limbs from being chopped off at bad spots and it also makes the shot more 3D-ish and more dynamic. By dynamic, I am referring to motion and not dynamic range.

Lastly, I decided to use a different method of noise reduction. I left the contrast noise in tact and only concentrated on the color noise. The color noise is what bothers me. The grain type of noise doesn't. I have come to the conclusion that no matter how great the noise removal software is, it will noticeable soften your image and you will also lose that subtle detail and make your image look a little plastic. That is why I only remove color noise from now on.

Wawona Covered Bridge Crossing The South Fork Merced River

I decided to go back and look at some of the photos I have not processed from my last trip to Yosemite, the last week of 2009. This was the last place I visited on this trip to Yosemite, before heading back south to San Diego.

In this area, it's an area of Yosemite that not many photographers take many photos of, to my surprise. This is in Wawona, in Yosemite National Park. The famous Wawona Hotel is right close by to this location. Which, makes it all the more surprising. Not to mention, it has the best outdoor toilet of anywhere I have found in Yosemite, thus far.

In this photo, you see the Wawona covered bridge crossing over the south fork of the Merced River. There is also the Wawona stables (not seen) off to the left in this image. This is where you can make reservations, during the Summer months mainly, to take a half-day horseback ride to picturesque Chilnualna Falls. But, don't overlook what is right in this immediate area.

I found the sparse snow mixed with the green moss on the rocks interesting. Then I was fortunate enough to get a bit of diffused sunlight splashed on the covered bridge. I tried to get out as far as I could into the river, so I could lead the river to the bridge and place the bridge appropriately in the shot.

I didn't quite get to where I wanted, but I think the log cabin off to the upper right really was a crucial element in the photo and really tied things together in this shot. I believe that, because it gives the viewer some info as to what is across the bridge, but without telling too much at all. It leaves the viewer asking, "What is over there?" Many interpretations can be made about what purpose the bridge actually serves, which leaves intrigue in the shot.

On your next visit to Yosemite, check out this little area.

Right Outside My Window

I really went far for this photo. Ok. I just clicked the sarcasm off. This was taken at one of the entrances to my apartment complex.

There were obvious things that attracted me to this photo. One of them is the circular shape when you walk through the gate, as you look up. I then use the shape of the shadow, as well as the path that leads back into the complex, to create a lead-in line. Kind of almost looks like a keyhole shape. The other things that obviously stands out is the orange stucco against the blue sky.

Anyways, sometimes it is very easy to walk out in our immediate neighborhood and forget that it can be photogenic, as well. That great photo can literally be right outside your window.

Aaaargh!

Some days, we all feel like this swamp monkey. Aaaargh!

The monkey was actually yawning. But I liked where he was perched and seems the monkey picked that high spot on the branch to let out a loud screech for all to hear.

This was taken at the world famous San Diego Zoo.