Photography is all about light. Good light can make for great photos with little effort as long as you know the basics of composition and your way around the appropriate settings on your camera Throw in bad light and getting good images from the same camera gets a little trickier. Now you might need to know how to use flash lighting to get the same result. But when using flash isn't an option and you are in a dark environment where the subject is fast moving you better know your way around the camera and have at least one low light lens to get anything useable. To get the shots that will give the viewer a sense of the action some educated guessing of where the action  might take place and the timing of it, and a little luck helps.

On Thursday when I was getting ready to shoot the show at the downtown theater that my wife is lead singer for I was excited for the opportunity but apprehensive as to what the final results might turn out like. As a photographer I'm used to shooting in daylight, I don't do a lot of night shots, even less with fast moving action. Normally when I am doing so its on the basis its for my wife's own personal facebook and it doesn't matter much. For this event though there was no other official photographer so the stakes were higher. I wasn't too concerned about getting shots of the band. The low light lens I had at my disposal would do a reasonable job at that.

Getting pictures of the dancers, aerial, fire and Brazilian material artists throughout the show were going to be a whole lot trickier and all something that I had struggled mightily with in the past. This time though, although it was a new show with new routines, I was somewhat familiar with what to expect action wise. That certainly helps. As did somewhat knowing my way around the lens I was about to use a bit more than I had previously. Still on the Thursday night I was just largely trying to shoot the action by guesswork, not really sure what the lighting might be at any given moment or where the various performers may stand, dance, jump etc. I was totally underprepared for the theater to be darker than expected for the opening act of the aerial performers. The images were useable but I was hoping to get better shots on the Friday performance. I did some research for the following night's show as to what to do from some dance photographers blogs online, and it turned out I should have stuck to my gut and just marginally changed my settings from the previous night, because on the second night that same segment of the show got worse results. It's a shame because it was a very impressive element of the show.

Thereafter though I did stick to my instincts and feel like I got better results on the second night for the faster moving elements of the show. Now because I changed the settings on my camera all that much from the previous night, but because I was there the first night I was more able to better guess the positioning and movements of the dancers and martial artists.

 

 

Timing, and luck is everything, but be aware of the action going around you and trust your instincts regarding your own cameras settings and those special one off moments can be captured.

Fall, Winter, Fall

One of the joys of living in our canyon is Fall. The leaves generally start changing colour here around the start of August and then the leaves don't fall off until around the end of September / start of October, giving us almost two months to enjoy natures show, which seems to change the look of the canyon on a daily basis between the time when we drive off at half seven in the morning and return about half past six at night.

This year though, things were different. Not sure what it was, maybe it was the long hot summer and a consequence of the lack of real moisture throughout the year for the past two years, but the leaves didn't change colour like in years past this time around. This year the leaves of the trees changed one day to an orange or yellow, then shriveled up and fell off the next. I was starting to thing that we weren't going to get a real display. But then last week there was a cold spell, followed by a warming spell while we went to Vegas at the weekend. On our return the canyon had transformed. Trees that had managed to hold onto their leaves but had stubbornly refused to change to their Autumn shades had altered he look of the canyon in our absence in the three days that we were away.

I should have taken a picture then, but we had dogs to walk after a long trip, and dinner to eat. A couple of late days at work meant more photographic opportunites were lost. Then this morning the first signs of winter looked like it had arrived.

 

Beautiful as it may be I hope winter stays a way a little longer yet. It would be bad enough only enjoying my favorite season for a short time. That would be made all the worse by having a long winter.

I'll Be The Alpha Dog, Dammit!

Bonding with the new dog has had it difficulties. I didn't think it would be too much of an issue, we already have a hyperactive high energy jack russell after all. The new guy though is high energy and then some. I did not know what I was letting myself in for. Old girl likes to run, and likes to rest. New boy likes to run, and run, and run, and if you don't take him he'll run away, usually to some of the neighbouring dogs taking a direct route through trees (and weeds that stick to his coat) that involves a 20 minute detour for me. Cranky ogre becomes even more of a cranky ogre. Well its not fun working 10 hour days to then run around the neighbourhood looking like the eejit who can't control his dog! Especially after he breaks the long extendable leash, that was helping to control his wandering ways.

The tactic lately has been to take new boy, and old girl on long walks (when I have the energy myself to do said walks) and get them both, but mainly new boy, suitably tired so that he doesn't run off, or listens to my call if he considers it. He's a great listener, until he decides to make a break for FREEDOM! Should have renamed him Braveheart, except he's kind of scared of things, a lot of things. Possibly a good call on the no name change.

As part of the get them tired to make bonding easier plan I took them both on a 2 hour hike to the ridge of the mountain the one morning I had no work this week. It was supposed to give more time to get on with things when we got back to the house, thus allowing me more to play bonding games later when he was less tired. He got home suitably thirsty, hungry and tired. Unfortunately he also had diarrhea that day, and there wasn't much resting going on when we spent all day going in and out, in and out, in and out the house to deal with his runny stinky poop.

Talking about stinkies, not sure why old girl is farting what smells like split pea soup on my lap. Must be the new food.

Anyway, got through that fun day of diarrhea and many walks and somehow survived without him running off that day in the process. Maybe something clicked but there hasn't been too many moments since then when he hasn't responded to calls of wait or stay when he has been tempted to get out of range, and he has been even more affectionate and needy. Let's hope. All these walks up the mountain are sure making me tired and its going to be a pain in the butt, back and legs if he's just lulling me into a false sense of control, again.

That wandering look, that spells trouble

In the 80's when I was growing up in Scotland I don't remember too many reality tv programs being on the box. Back them there were no shows depicting the lives of rich American housewives or shows that locked up a dozen strangers a house, but there was One Man And His Dog. The concept was as real as it gets. You take a group of sheep, one smart border collie, and a man (usually older) with a long staff (stick) and a whistle who stands in the distance as the dog brings the sheep into the pen within a given time slot (hopefully). As a young, young boy I was glued to the tv. I was amazed at what those dogs could do, from afar, just from a few whistling calls of control from their handler. The older I got though the more I started to think that it was nerdy and wanted nothing to do with watching it.

Now though that I am about to take my wife to the Soldier Hollow Classic here in Utah on her return from California at the beginning of September, I have a a whole new respect for those dogs and handlers. Especially now that I have a border collie of my own who doesn't like to stick around when on a walk and instead likes to run off the beaten path and meet the neighbouring dogs and will not respond to any of my calls or whistles and I have to go scampering off in 100 degree weather to fetch him.

I might have to get myself some tips.

If You Love Someone, Set Them Free

Sometimes I can be selfish. I admit it, this not too long ago loner, has grown up, settled down, and become a family man. A man who values his time with his family. I've become a man who holds that time dear. Who doesn't want to give up too much of that precious time for others.

The best of times for me are simple moments. The time I roll over in bed - just before I fall asleep - spoon my wife and feel her fingers instinctively entwining mine just as she drifts off to dreamland. I live for her smiles, her touch, her warmth, the laughs.

The best of times don't involve going places, or buying things. If I had been a single guy the last 4 plus years I would have probably spent a lot more on books, on clothes, and kitted my camera out with more lenses but none of that I've missed. Some of the best times that we've had is when we've had no money. Just simple time together has been enough to make it great. We have something special going. In the same way that magnets do, or the tide and the moon.

Next week though I have to learn to be a little bit less selfish. I have to learn to share her with the world for 10 days. 

Have a wonderful time my dear.

One of the things I didn't want to talk about was getting that big scary C. It wasn't the cancer itself that was scary. I had learned to live with it for 18 months or so. When you have something visually growing in your body that shouldn't be there, you just kind of know. Even if you do hope for the best. And I was hoping that it would be something else. Every time I looked online for the symptoms the diagnosis was that it wasn't. So I would be like 'thats good, I can save up then'. Then that hot summer of last year came and passed, work dried up just when I needed it most and and spare money went on childcare, going to a clinic for diagnosis was put to the side.Without insurance it just didn't seem like an option that could be affordable. I knew if I went to a clinic and the diagnosis wasn't good and it was there in black ink that I wouldn't be able to shrug it off to the wife as nothing. At the same time if it was something big, and expensive I couldn't see how the wife could pay for those medical bills in the winter months when we would be relying on the one wage coming in. Besides the growth was only painful one or two days a month. The rest of the time it could be managed, with baggy pants, and sleeping in bed in some funky positions.

Eventually of course your body goes 'Hey, Stoopid! Why you no listening!?! You really that stupid, well I'll make you listen!'

Inevitably it did so right after Christmas, when I was hoping to hold off to Spring - when we might actually have money. No money, no insurance meant a trip to a clinic that deals with mostly immigrants in similar situations. By then the pain and resultant swelling was so severe, the doctor wasn't sure that he wanted to see or not see it. Had me confused at the 'let me see, no put it back', but nonetheless he was able to say that it wasn't Cancer. So those online diagnosis sites must be right after all. Money however was wasted on a scan that showed nothing due to the swelling. A shot leading to a sore bum with a 4 hour trip in the car later and two weeks of antibiotics should be the answer for that. No follow up by the doctor and his words ringing in my ears "its not cancer', a bank balance that allowed us to pay the bills and nothing but that month, and I use the excuse not to find out any more until I see some more money coming our way. For a while the pain subsided, and I could put the worry aside, then it returned.

By now I wasn't so good at hiding the pain. Hadn't been for a few weeks now. I'm sure I wasn't much fun to live with. I can be shrek like at the best of times, but the pain and worry was probably making life living with me extra unpleasant. Thankfully I have a wife that loves me through my unpleasantness, who despite my outrageous pride and for reasons unknown wants to save my anus, if not my ball.


She was able to find another clinic, who referred me to a specialist within a few days after yet more tests. Who then told me there was no time to waste and I had to come in again tomorrow.

Cue - the shakes.

Damn those shakes. I knew I had cancer. Despite what I had read online. Despite what I had been told earlier, I just knew. It wasn't s a surprise. I just put it to the back of my mind, and now here it was front and center. But still the shakes would not freaking stop. I hated those shakes more than the cancer itself. To me it was a relief, lets just get that thing out of there. The worst thing was the waiting, its spiritually draining just waiting, waiting, waiting some more. Its anti climatic. And yet it was nothing really, I had a great hospital care and I was in and out next day, god knows what it would have been like if I had to wait like many others before me have ad to do.

Six months on, those bills I thought I might not be able to afford 18 months ago are almost paid. Tomorrow I will see 36, and have yet another reason to love the woman in my life just a little bit more.