Arena Racing

I posted some images from the lawn mower races quite a few months back.
Arena racing is a similar sport from the standpoint that just about anyone who wants to participate can afford to do so. Many of the cars are owned by the people driving them.

These cars run around 60 MPH during a race. The track is designed to fit in the space a hockey rink would set. So even though the cars are small there is just enough space to run them two abrest.

Because of the small track space and speed of the cars spinouts and smash ups are a regular part of these events. It is the only racing I have been to where when a car gets fliped over on it's roof two or three track guys come out, check the driver out, and flip the car back on it's wheels so it can be on it's way. (here's a good example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpgVck6QpvM )

If for some reason a body part like a fender, hood or trunk lid become loose they are re-attached with liberal quanities of duct tape.

Pre race check out.


up on 2 wheels.

Spin in turn 4

This young lady just won her first race. Iwas rooting for her.

Heated words between a drive and race offical.

If you want to find out more http://www.arenaracingusa.com/

or

http://www.arenaracinggr.com/

Lighting The Way

As photographers we concern ourselves with many things while pursuing the craft. What lens to use, camera type, film or digital, do I need a tripod, etc.

But before we ask those questions we need to ask ourselves what about the light. I would dare say the most important component of any photograph is light. Sure other things are important but without the light you have no image.

I know this seems like a very basic statement, but I think you would be surprised just how many people are out there shooting with no regard to the way the light is falling on their subject, and I don't necessarily mean people new to photography.

Learning to see and use light is sort of like learning another language, the more you understand it's subtleties the better you can communicate your thoughts and ideas. The more you study the light and what it's doing the better you photography will become.

Let's say you are out shooting an environmental portrait and light is very hard. You make the decision to move your subject into a shaded area, this helps you with your subject so you take the shot. When you look at it you see that the background is really washed out because it is so much brighter. If you would have studied the scene a bit closer you would have noticed that this was a problem and you could have made a different choice as how to proceed. All this comes with experience. The more you look at the light and learn how it behaves the better you results will be.

So do yourself a favor, study your light a bit closer. You'll be glad that you did.

Shooting with Friends

Last Sunday I left the comfort of a nice warm house to go shooting with a few friends. It was some of the same group of folks who get together every so often to make the great photographic masterpieces of our time.

We decided to go out to the lake shore by Grand Haven MI. The power station in Grand Haven discharges warm water into the channel and the open water attracts eagles who feed there.

I don't have a really long lens, the eagles were far away and Sam wanted to shoot at the pier so I went with him.

He had never been out the the big lake in the winter to shoot before. I think he had a good time. We need to make a return trip on a day with more sunshine.

Sam the artic photographer.

Blowing snow.

Shooting New Year's Day

I went shooting with a group of fellow photographers on new years day.

John

Steve

Sarah

and Sam.

Film is Dead?

Here is a link to an interesting story about a resurgence of Kodak film use.

The use of film has been relegated to a niche but the niche seems to be growing especially among younger professional photographers and fine art shooters. Film does have it's own look that can't be duplicated digitally, it's not better or worst, just different. I think that different look is what many people are after.

There are a number of informational sources specific to the use of film, magizines and some websites. Here are two resources on the Web that you may like to check.

First is APUG the Anolog Photography Users Group and Second is the podcast Inside Analog Photo Radio.

If you still shoot film check them out.

Baby it's Cold Outside

I drove my daughter back to Chicago yesterday, so on my way back I stop at St Joe and took a few shots of the Lighthouse. Man it was cold and I didn't have any gloves.

But I did manage a few nice shots anyway.

Camera Talk

Here is a link to an interesting bit in the Summit Daily. I ran across it looking for something unrelated, sometimes a bum search can take you to very some interesting places.

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20081110/AE/811109989/1057&title=On%20Photography:%20Camera%20curiosity


After reading this article, I saw myself in the very situation. I'm not big into photo gear as a rule. I do own a lot of stuff, much of it old, like me, but I do get sucked into the what camera do you use conversation way more than I should.

In high school the editor of the yearbook and I were sent to a week long seminar on dealing with putting together the year book. He went to the classes for editors and I did the photography track. The main photo instructor was a very cool guy. He had worked for one of the big papers in Chicago for years.

He made a comment that has stuck with me for all these many years. "It's not what is between the photographers hands that count, but what's between his ears".

I try to remember that quote when I get involved in a serious camera talk. I doesn't always work but I try.

I guess the better question one should ask is how did you shoot that? Not what did you shoot that with.

I Disagree Strongly

I enjoy listening to photography related pod casts. While I was listening to the "Inside Analog Photo Radio" pod cast for October 18Th 2008 the guest made a comment that made me cringe.

The guest was Steve Anchell author of the "Darkroom Cookbook" and it was a very good interview, he talked about his book, how he got into photography, the value of silver photography and a lot of other interesting things.

I was in agreement with most of the things he talked about until a comment was made about digital photography. He called it basically it is a point and shoot Photoshop process. He said digital is not about photography it's about Photoshop. When he uses the term photography he means a silver based process.

With this I Disagree Strongly.

To me It doesn't make any difference how you make your image, the basic process is the same. You focus light and expose some type of media to capture your image. Then you take your image and process it either electronically or chemically to arrive at your final piece. Granted making a B&W print using film is quite different that make a B&W print with your computer and an ink jet printer, but you still go through some kind of a process to get there.

I'm sure that as older processes we replaced by newer ones you had the same kind of debate churning in photographic circles.

I shoot film and I love it for many reasons, but I also shoot digitally and the same is true there.
They both do things that the other can not, but that doesn't make either one better than the other.
-