An interesting browser add-on

Many photographers are interested in the settings that were used in order to create an photo. However, many people are not aware of the information that is collected and stored as part of an electronic image with many cameras today. This information is called EXIF data or Exchangeble Interchange Format. Many software packages are out there that allow you to read this data when looking at your own photos. But what if you want to see the data from the photos posted online?

First and foremost, your ability to view such data relies on the person who is posting the photos to the web. They need to include that data in the actual file that is posted to whatever site is hosting the image. But presuming they do, how can you view it? One free add-on available for the Firefox is a user script that was developed by John Friend back in 2008. Here is a link to the web page that contains more information on this very useful script:

In order for it to work, however, you will need to install a little add-on called Grease Monkey. That can be downloaded here.

I hope you find it useful.

Funeral Photography, Pt. 3

Obviously this is not “just” a photo shoot. You are recording the end of a person’s history and providing a remembrance for not only the family alive today, but for future generations. With the wake now complete, we focus on the final two events: the funeral Mass and the Burial.

Keep in mind that I am using the example of a deceased who is a military veteran and was involved in several fraternal organizations, including the Knights of Columbus. Not all of what I describe herein may be seen for every funeral. Thus, it is incumbent upon you to work with the Liaison I described in my earlier post.

The Day of the Funeral

The day of the funeral Mass is fraught with lots of movement. The family will begin the day at the funeral home along with the priest who will receive the body. The coffin will be placed in the hearse and the procession will head to the church. You ultimately need to find out from your Liaison if the family will want you at the funeral home first, or if you can go straight to the church.

At Catholic Masses of any type, there is a fine line between getting a photo and being an unwanted nuisance. For any Mass, but particularly a Funeral Mass, you need to make every effort to stay out of the way and be innocuous. Definitely, keep the flash at home. Definitely get your high-end glass out.

Obviously it is preferable to get to the church so you can get a sense of the place and where you can set up so as to be out of the way. Generally, however, it is best to look at the choir loft and balcony for locations. If the church has side aisles photos from those locations may be an option. To get a sense of the design of older churches, I would recommend visiting this site. In the newer style churches that are more elliptical and oval, with the altar more formed as a platform than a formal front, you may be challenged in remaining unobtrusive. Once again, however, your lenses with the high f-stops are going to help you here. Regardless of the style of the church, using a flash is only going to massively distract from the Mass.

But you still need to know what is going on to figure out the best locations to be at during each part of the Mass. Below are the crucial points of the funeral Mass in the Roman Catholic Rite.

1. Reception of the Casket – The priest will stand outside or in the Vestibule of the church while the pall bearers heft the casket from the hearse and onto a carrier. In the case of older churches with steps, the pall bearers will literally bear the casket to the entrance of the church. Photos can be taken outside the church of the pall bearers and of the priest if he permits it. the priest will sprinkle the casket with Holy Water prior to its entrance into the church as a symbol of the baptism of the deceased.
2. Placing of the Pall – For Roman Catholics a large white pall is placed over the casket at the entrance to the Nave of the church. This area is called the Narthex. Usually you can get good vantage points from either in the middle of the church or from one side of the Narthex.
3. Entrance Procession – The “cross and candles” (held by altar servers) will lead the procession up the main aisle to the altar. If an Honor Guard from the Knights of Columbus is present, they will follow the altar servers and present swords at the Chancel (the wide opening between the first several pews). The priest and deacon will follow the Honor Guard. Lastly the casket will be wheeled to the Chancel. If you are in the middle of the church, make your way to the Apse of the church, directly in front of the altar and move down one of the side aisles and back up the main aisle to get photos of the next part of the Mass..
4. Placing of Christian Symbols – When the casket is present in the Chancel, the priest will place either a cross or a Holy Bible on top of the casket. the Honor Guard will then process to the back of the church and await the next portion of the Mass.
5. Liturgy of the Word – There are actually five parts to this portion of the Mass. In each case, photos can usually be taken from the balcony unobtrusively. Just be aware of which side of the church each part takes place on. In older churches, there are usually two stations from which the Word of God is proclaimed. As you face the altar, the 1st and 2nd Readings and the Responsorial Psalms are read from the right side known as the lectern. The Gospel, proclaimed by either the priest or deacon, is done so from the pulpit, located on the left side. In newer churches, there is only one location which is on the left and is known as the ambo. The 1st and 2nd readings are usually proclaimed by a family member of friend of the family. The Responsorial Psalm is sung by a cantor who is generally not part of the mourners although this is not always the case. The final part of the Liturgy of the Word is the Sermon or Homily. This is usually a five to ten minute reflection by the priest or deacon on the teachings of the Church about death and the Afterlife. It tends not to be specific to the deceased, but may be if the priest or deacon is close with the family.
6. General Intercessions – Also known as Prayers of the Faithful. This is a brief period when prayers are offered for the family and friends of the deceased, for the Church, and for the World. Usually these are read by a member of the family, usually one of the lectors of the 1st or 2nd reading.
7. Preparation of the Gifts -  How this works depends entirely upon how the priest wishes to have this done. Some priests may be willing to have the Honor Guard and cross and candles escort two or more family members bearing the bread and wine to the altar. Other priests may prefer to have the bread and wine on the altar. Either way, shots from the balcony are probably best.
8. The Consecration – I generally try not to take pictures of the priest during the Consecration and the Second Elevation of the host and chalice. However, you may want to ask the priest who will be celebrating the Mass if he would permit such photos. Photos of the family at this point may be poignant, especially if the deceased was active in the parish as a Eucharistic Minister.
9. Communion – After the Second Elevation, Catholics will process to the altar and receive the Body and Blood of Christ. If you are intending to take pictures at this point, do so along the side aisle after the person has received under both species. These are solemn photos that should elicit the reverence the person has for their Faith and for the deceased whose “final Mass” they are attending.
10. Eulogy – While most “remembrances” of the deceased are given at the wake, some priests may permit brief talks by family members. These are usually two to three minutes and are presented at the lectern.
11. Final Commendation – The Honor Guard of the Knights of Columbus will surround the casket as rest. The priest sprinkle the casket with Holy Water again and may incense it as well before stating several specific prayers. A position in the middle of the main aisle would be good for pictures as well as from the choir loft at the back of the church.
12. Recessional – The cross and candles will lead the procession down the main aisle followed by the Honor Guard, the casket, and the priest and deacon.

While the Mass has ended, the pall bearers still need to load the casket into the hearse. In some instances, such as for those of Irish descent, a bagpiper may be playing while the casket is made ready.

The Burial

Without question, this is probably the more difficult of the three parts of funeral photography. Not because of the wide open space, but because of the emotion that can be exhibited by distraught family and friends. Thus, be very aware of who you are photographing and how they look. The first few times it may be difficult to judge, but if you have done portrait work especially of young children, you will have a bit of a leg up.

Keep in mind that you do not have to be part of the funeral procession, even if you are a family member of friend. If you know where the cemetery is, you can go ahead and give yourself time to set up. But if you don’t know where you are going, get in line!

Once as the cemetery, you are not going to have a lot of time to pick and choose your shots. Things are going to happen relatively quickly. So here is a quick check list of what to look for. Keep in mind this check list is based on my example of a deceased person who is going to receive full military honors.

• Identify the Honor Guard Commander.
• Find out when and how they will remove and fold the flag.
• Find out who will be presenting the flag to the immediate family.
• Talk with that person briefly letting s/he know that you would like to be able to take several specific shots.
• Identify the Sergeant at Arms who is marshaling the gun team who will give the 21-gun salute.
• Determine when the salute will be given.
• Identify the trumpeter who will be playing Taps.
• Confirm when s/he will begin to play.

Some distinctive photos you can get for the family include:

1. A few photos of the folding of the flag over the casket,
2. The hand-off of the flag from the Honor Guard to the Commanding Officer or highest ranking officer who will be presenting the flag,
3. The presentation of the flag to the immediate family,
4. The Final Salute of the Commanding Officer to the deceased.
5. A photo of the trumpeter with the casket and family in the background.
6. A reverse of the Depth of Field so the casket and family are tack sharp and the trumpeter is out-of-focus.

Keep in mind that your camera makes noise, even if you have the mirror up. As such, seriously consider one of the longer primes such as those used by sports shooters to get some of the photos. If that is not an option, make the effort to be discreet when you do take the photos at this time.

Be aware that the casket may or may not be lowered into the ground at the conclusion of the grave site service. Thus, you may find that some of your final photos are of the mourners walking back to their cars. One final, sometimes poignant photo can be of the casket in the foreground with the mourners returning to their cars in the background.

Indeed, you are capturing the end of a lifetime and an event within the lifetimes of others.

Funeral Photography, Pt. 2

[Editor's Comment: As I transferred posts from Blogger to WordPress, this one showed up as having never been published. When I opened it, I saw about 3/4 of my post was missing. <sigh> So I have attempted to rebuild it and actually decided to split it up into two separate posts, one about wakes and the other about the day of the funeral Mass. Do ask questions if there is something I've missed.]

 

Following up a bit on my prior post regarding funerals …

First, my fellow Nikon Cafe denizen was very appreciative of the comments I had given her. She was very happy with the pictures she was able to get of family and friends and mentioned the close ups seemed to be a big, big plus. Needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway), I was glad to have heard my comments served a valuable purpose.

But as I thought about this topic, it gave me pause to consider the emotions that are always present at such events. Inevitably the subject of death and the the events surrounding a person’s death are dichotomous. For many, it is a somber time because of the sense of loss. The dead person is no longer here on earth. There is the sadness that comes with knowing the person is not going to be there to talk to, to share memories, be there for happy events and sad times. However, for those of the Roman Catholic Faith, there is also a sense of peace, if not a feeling of happiness. That flows from the belief that the person’s life has “changed.” No longer is the person affected by the trials and tribulations found here on earth. In the Roman Catholic Rite, it is believed the person is now seeking admission to Heaven.

To say the least, it is never easy to be involved with death. Certainly your own death is never a good thing! The death of any loved one is difficult. But even the death of a stranger can sometimes affect those who are at the wake or funeral. So how does someone approach such a difficult photo shoot? Here is my perspective.

Understanding What You Are Shooting

Obviously, this is short notice. The person dies on a given day. For Catholics and most Christians, the wake is held within a couple of days followed by a Mass or Service. For Jews, the process is even faster with no viewing or wake and almost immediate interment. Muslims also follow a simple burial practice.

To become familiar with these practices, you may want to visit the following websites:

Catholic Funeral Practice

Guide to Jewish Funeral Practice

Islamic Funeral Practice (not a fan of Wikipedia, but the only link available)

The Liaison

Certainly the photographer isn’t just going to walk in and announce themselves. Likewise, s/he can’t be a wallflower either. You need to balance your approach. The first step is to make sure the person who has requested your presence be the liaison between you and several key people: The family, the funeral director, and the priest. If the deceased was active in organizations or a veteran, getting in contact with the chief executive of the local chapter or council will be critical in making sure you know what they may be doing as part of the service. That responsibility falls on your shoulders and I’ll discuss it further later on.

Know the Events

As this post is the outgrowth of a question regarding a Catholic funeral, my comments are going to be specific to that situation. However, you can draw from this commentary to get a sense of how to approach other  funerals.

Understand each event that you will be covering. Do not make the mistake of thinking you will simply walk in and snap some photos. There is a solemnity and decorum you need to observe whether at the wake, the funeral Mass, or the cemetery.

The Wake or Viewing

In the Catholic Rite, the deceased will be laid out in the casket or coffin for a period of time at a local funeral home. The term “Wake” refers to the time when the deceased is at the funeral home. The term “viewing” refers to the actual times when the surviving family members will be present at the funeral home to receive visitors. Generally, viewing times are in the afternoon and evening, usually 2 to 4 PM and 7 to 9 PM on one given day.

It is critical to remember that most organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus, and the Equestrian Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem will hold a “wake service” for a deceased member during the evening viewing hours. For the deceased who are members of such organizations, an honor guard may also be posted. Thus it is good to talk with the guard commander to identify where they will be stationed and when they will be present at the wake.

Generally the “wake service,” that is the prayers and brief eulogy offered by the priest will be given during the evening viewing if the wake occurs on a weekday. If the wake is held on a weekend, the wake service is generally held in the afternoon.

The Funeral Mass

Unlike other Masses, this is a distinctive celebration of specific rites that are held dear within the Roman Catholic Rite. As such, it is essential for your liaison to make sure you have adequate time to speak with the priest who will be celebrating the Mass.

You need to make it clear to the priest that your intention is to remain out of the way and innocuous during the Mass. You are only there to record specific moments for the family and not to be “seen” or “heard.” It is also critical to make it clear that you will be respectful of the solemnity of the Mass and that you are aware of what is actually transpiring at certain points in the Mass. Failure to do so will definitely get you a stern “no” from the priest.

The Cemetery

This is a significantly more personal and private portion of the funeral as it is the place where the family will say their final good byes to their loved one. The emotions here may be much more raw than at the funeral home or even the church as the finality of the loss will become much more real at this time, especially if the coffin is lowered into the grave while they are present. It is rare that this is done, but it may still be done for more traditional families.

Here you need to be aware, not only of what will take place with the coffin, but also the reverential elements such as the playing of Taps by a trumpeter or Amazing Grace on the bagpipes, or a 21-gun salute.

Know the Equipment to Use

So what you you going to take with you? Glass with high f-stops is the way to go. But keep it simple. A wide-angle lens from 24-70 or even 120 with an f/2.8 is going to be your friend. In the church setting, a 300mm f/2.8 is going to be a good option when shooting from a few of the vantage points I’ll mention shortly.

Do not make the mistake of thinking any of these venues should have flashes going off. Regardless of what the “pros” do, they are only embarrassing themselves and showing their lack of respect for what is going on around them.

Keep the kit you work with simple. Do not make the mistake of trying to stuff lots of items into your bag. You are not going to have any space to work with at any location. Funeral homes are usually going to have more than one wake taking place on a given night and preference for rooms is going to go to the honor guards and guests. In the church, even with a small number of attendees, there is not going to be time or space to switch among multiple lenses.

The Agenda

As always, get to the event in advance of the actual start time. In this case, however, it is more than just looking around so you can see the layout. You and your liaison need to be there to take time and talk with several very important people: the family (even if the Liaison is one of them), the funeral director, and the priest. In each case, you need to convey to them your understanding of the solemnity of the event and your respect for the deceased. Even at raucous Irish or Slovak wakes, your demeanor and unobtrusive behavior will go a long way to giving you greater access to people and more natural photos.

But before you even get to the funeral home or to the church, you need to know what is going to be happening at each venue. Consider the following

The deceased is a veteran of Vietnam, Grenada, and Panama
serving in the 101st Airborne. He was also a member of the
local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and was a member of
the Knights of Columbus and a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre.

The wake is going to be held on a weekday.

He’ll be buried with full military honors.

What that means is you are going to need to ask your liaison to find out which groups are going to show up and conduct the “wake service” I mentioned above. You are also going to need to find out if there will be an honor guard at the wake and from which groups. Also, you need to know if his regiment will be attending.

For the funeral Mass, you need to find out if their will be a military honor guard, who the pall bearers will be, if there will be a bagpiper or other solitary musical accompaniment for the processional and recessional, and if the priest will even allow you to take pictures at the Mass.

At the cemetery, you need to consider what aspects of the ceremony will you want to cover. As a single person, it may not be possible to get all the shots, but you still need to be aware of them. In the scenario I gave, I said “full military honors” would be given. That means the casket will be draped with the United States flag during the Mass and at the cemetery. There will be a gun salute and Taps will be played. The flag will be folded at the cemetery and given to the immediate family member.  To get a better grasp of what takes place at military funerals, I would recommend reviewing the contents of this page.

I’m sure you probably just sat back and thought, “Wow! That’s a lot of work.” Yes it is. So how do you handle it all? Start by breaking it down into manageable chunks; the easiest way being by venue.

The Funeral Home

As I said earlier, get there before the viewing begins. Use this time to talk briefly with the funeral director to reassure him or her know that you will only be photographing the wake in the room where the deceased is located.

Spend a few moments getting shots of any displays that may be near the front of the room where the casket is located. Some of these may include memorabilia the deceased collected, uniforms, awards, and medals and ribbons as well as floral displays.

Of course the biggest question is: “Do I photograph the corpse?”

Honestly, that is at the discretion of the family. If they ask you to take photographs of the the deceased, do it. At the risk of sounding flippant about this, the body has been prepared for burial and the family who asks for the photo is seeking a remembrance of their loved one in that state. You are not going to Hell nor will you be struck down because you took the photo. Personally, I have taken photographs of deceased family members without a problem.

Returning to our example above, let’s assume there is an honor guard and there will be wake services offered. Generally honor guards are relieved in 10 to half hour intervals. Thus, make sure you talk with the guard commander to find out if they will permit a photo to be taken. Even if the family says yes, there may be other rules that govern how the honor guard may be shown.

As guests arrive, take time to quietly photograph them from a distance so as to minimize the possible shock of being photographed at a wake. You may notice groups arriving as a sort of contingent. If you can get candid shots of them as a group, it will make it that much easier to identify people later by the family. If possible, have the liaison point out who the members of the deceased regiment are. In some instances, a few photos of the surviving members may be appreciated.

The priest will usually conduct the Catholic “wake service” at the evening viewing on a weeknight. Usually he will start around 8:00 PM. For the most part, this service is finished within 15 minutes to a half hour. When he has finished, take a few moments to speak with him if you have not done so already to find out if he will be celebrating the funeral Mass and if he will permit photos to be taken as requested by the family. Make it clear to him that you will remain innocuous and will not interfere with the Mass.

For weekday wakes, most fraternal organizations will hold the “wake service” during the evening viewing. Generally they will start soon after the priest has finished. Most services take between ten and 15 minutes and conclude with either a proclamation or gift of remembrance being presented to the family at the end.

I’ll discuss the Funeral Mass and the Burial in another post.

Hello world!

Yes, indeed. I have made the move from Blogger over to WordPress.

Now I will ask you to help me and and give me some insight as to what you would like to read about. Sure I’ll still post what is on my mind, but I would like to hear from you about situations you’ve faced and solutions you’ve found. It’s that kind of interaction that makes the blog come alive. So let me hear from you.

Sports Shooting … On The Field – Part 2

We now continue with my thoughts and recommendations regarding shooting on the field.

On the day of the event …

Know your schedule and stick to it.

Get your pass early so you are not dealing with last minutes lines.

Check in with the contact from the media relations department. Don’t be a stranger to this person. They made the contact with you to shoot the game. Let them put a face with a name and give them a chance to give you any last minute information you may need to know about. It will also give you a chance to provide them with your business card so they know how to get in touch with you after the game.

Find out from your contact how to provide copies of the photos to the school. Usually there will be an file transfer protocol (FTP) site on the Internet at which you would post your files. In most cases your contact will give you the address, user name and password via email.

Ask for a game card. This is a two-sided card with the names and numbers of the players for both teams listed in both alphabetical and numerical order. It will also have quick reference points about each team that may help you to key in on certain players.

Confirm what and where that pass gives you access to. You want to make certain you maximize your time. Knowing for certain where you can roam helps you to confirm your itinerary and not waste time with Security or other venue staff whose job it is to keep out those not cleared to enter a part of the site, which could be you.

Get to your locations and setup. As soon as you get to the site for the first round of shots, identify the security or event contact for that event and confirm who is going to be there and what they will be doing. Make sure you know the entrance point and the what will be taking place. Find a location with a clear line of sight and get situated. If anyone gets in that line of sight, be polite but firm and ask them to move. If they refuse, don’t waste time arguing. Acquire a new position and set up.

Get your shots and move on. Don’t dawdle at each site. Get in, get your shots, and get out.

On the field…

Keep your mind on shooting the game, not watching the game. The team has brought you onto the field to do a job. You are not there to be a spectator. Identify the location of the players who you are to focus on.

Shoot the action. Keep in mind that the game is not just about a few players; it is about the team. Sure shots of the quarterback (QB), wide receivers (WR), tight ends (TE), and backs will be of importance. But the guys on the line, the left and right guards (LG, RG), the left and right tackles (LT, RT), and the center are equally important. Some of the more interesting shots are ones that go down the line of scrimmage, especially when the team on offense is close to the goal line.

Recognize when the action is coming your way. When you photograph plays, you obviously have your eye to the viewfinder. But it is critical that you be aware of where other players are in relation to you so you are not bowled over.

Example: Say you are positioned in the left corner of the end zone and are focusing on the QB who is on the 20 yard line. You need to be aware of crossing patterns to that corner of the end zone. You can do this by look at the eyes of the QB in your view finder. If you see him looking right at you, grab the shot and look around quickly to see where the other players are. I would bet money that you will see a WR coming across the end line or a running back coming toward you for a catch in the corner.

Do not get in the way of other photographers. It may seem obvious, but you need to be aware of the people around you. When you watch sports on television, you will see that photographers are generally lined up shoulder to shoulder. This is to make sure everyone has equal access to the field of play. Follow through on that when you are on the field and be respectful of the other photographers.

Do not chimp. Every photographer is going to want to look at the pictures they have taken during the game. Some may do so because they are trying for a “perfect” shot and need to check settings or the like. You may even want to delete a few that were blurry or for which the settings were blown. BUT DO NOT CHIMP.

What is chimping? It is the act of looking at photos on the LCD screen, finding one that you really like and making sounds like a chimpanzee (ooo – ooo; wow – wow), then trying to show the image to another photographer.

In the world of professional sports shooting, however, even taking time to look at photos is generally frowned upon. Why? Because most magazines like SI and The Sporting News want every photo, regardless of who good or bad it is. While you are not shooting for one of these entities, it’s good to take photos as if you were just to learn how to be more professional in your approach.

Finishing up…

When the game is over and you have finished taking your photos, take a moment to take stock of your gear and make sure you have all your cards, all your lenses, all your bodies, monopods, and bags.

Then go back up to the press box where your media relations contact will probably be and thank them for the opportunity. Ask if there is anything else they need from you. Finally, ask if there may be additional opportunities for photographing another games. You may get a yes or a no. Take it for what it is; it’s not personal, just business. Be sure to also confirm the access information given to you for the FTP site or make sure your contact has the email address to which it needs to be sent.

Finally get back to your car, but keep your wide-angle lens out just in case you run across some funny or interesting post-game celebrations.

Do not wait on doing post-processing. Many times, people will try to rationalize why they shouldn’t do post-processing immediately. None of them hold water for me. If you have to wait until the morning, it is time wasted that could get a top-quality shot to the school’s media relations department for use. So jump on this. Get the import done to your cataloging software (I use Adobe Lightroom) and start work on processing.

Once you are done, post them to the FTP site and burn a DVD of your images for reference. If you can, submit the copyright paperwork that evening through the Copyright Office online site.

Last, but not least, take a moment and reflect on your experience. Make notes of things that worked and what did not. Jot down anything that sticks out in your mind as a positive or negative. In the morning, review the notes and see if other things pop into your head or if you’ve come up with ways to address the negatives.

Happy shooting!

Sports Shooting … On The Field – Part 1

A few weeks ago I received an email from the Assistant Athletic Director for Communications at Rutgers University. He mentioned that they really appreciated the photos I had taken from the stands and would like to offer me the opportunity to shoot on the field for the next home game against Texas Southern which was also the Homecoming game.

Never one to turn down such an opportunity, I went for it. And on Saturday, October 10, I set foot on the turf at Rutgers Stadium during a regular game. For the fan in me, it was a thrill, but I also knew I couldn’t be star-struck and shirk my responsibility. So I got down on the field with Rutgers driving toward the South End Zone. I set up on the end line and started shooting. Four hours later and about a mile or so of walking around the field, I had a little over 1,500 pictures.

So what did I learn from the experience? Many, many nuances that no amount of questioning of pros could have identified for me. I’m going to break this down into two parts. The first gives insight on how to prepare for the event. The second will focus on the day of the event.

First, be aware that these opportunities do not just drop into your lap. You need to cultivate them by being recognized. Part of that means getting to games and getting shots from the stands without causing a disturbance to other fans. it also means promoting those pictures that you have taken with others who are interested. In my case, I did this by sharing some of the pictures on recruiting boards like StateofRutgers.com, ScarletNation.com, and ScarletReport.com.

On the high school level, it may be a bit easier because you can directly contact the Athletic Director at the high school and provide them with a portfolio. However, at some of the larger high schools, especially those that are national power houses, you may find yourself in the position of needing the help of boosters and others with connections to the AD to get you a foot in the door.

Regardless, once you have that invite, there are several things you need to do to be professional and not just an avid fan with a camera.

At least two weeks prior to the game…

Make contact with the media relations department and understand what they are looking for. In my case, the comment I got back was “Just shoot the way you have been shooting. We really like those action photos you have been able to get.” But don’t think you know what they want in advance. Ask! Understand what they are after. Make sure you know who the “stars” are on the team. Are photos of the coach or specific groups of players going to be valued more than other images? What about crowd shots? Is there a section that is more lively than another? What about the opposing team? Does the client want to limit shots of them or include them for future reference?

Find out what you cannot photograph. In many instances teams are not going to permit you to photograph certain players on the sidelines who are sending in signals. Also, some teams may not permit photographs to be taken of players being worked on by the training staff.

Make sure you are clear on copyrights. Ask specifically who has copyrights for the pictures. A well-run organization will tell you the copyright will be shared by you as the “image author” or “photographer” and by the Media Relations Department of the school. In most cases you will be the one who will need to submit the copyright to the Copyright Office in Washington, DC.

Determine what type of credentials you need to show in order to obtain your photo pass. Don’t assume that a driver’s license is enough. Most schools/teams will give you a specific list of acceptable options.

Identify what equipment you can and cannot get into the site. Never assume anything.
Just because you “usually” use a certain camera and lens combination, don’t think that will be permitted into the venue. Just because you have used a flash in the past, don’t think it will be allowed at another venue. While it may be okay in some high school venues, I am not aware of any college venue that allows flash on the field.

Discuss logistics for you and for the event. Find out where you are permitted to park. While most places identify a location for broadcast media, photographers may not have the luxury. Make sure you are aware of what that location entails in terms of lugging equipment to the actual venue.

Make sure you know when the agenda for the event. It may sound like a no-brainer, but this is critical. Nothing says amateur like a person not being aware of the timing for each part of the event. And this is not just about when do the players run on the field. This is about the entire day. When do fans start showing up? Where are the staging areas for each part of the day? Are there specific events taking place that will be unique for that day either before the start of the game or at halftime? Will there be any special guests?

For example, on a game day, the Rutgers Football team will arrive two hours before the game and enter Rutgers Stadium through the Scarlet Walk. The Scarlet Walk starts at the road in front of the Stadium. The players walk down a brick walk and touch the base of a statue commemorating the first game played on November 6, 1869. There are numerous points during the walk where good shots can be taken. But I need to get there at least 10 minutes in advance to make sure I can set up where I want to be. Does that take me away from other shooting opportunities? Yes, but shots of Scarlet Walk are much more interesting.

Know the venue

If you can, case the venue in advance. We all know what a football field looks like:

But there are some issues you need to consider.

Find out where you can roam on the field. In most cases when you watch games on television, you see that most photographers are clumped in the end zones and along the sidelines from the end zone to the 20 to 25 yard lines. This is because of rules limiting where non-team members (guests, media, etc.) may be on the field. And those rules are throughout all levels of the game.

Get down on the field and see exactly how much room you have from the end line to the walls of the stadium. This is going to be critical for a couple of reasons: 1) you want to know the amount of space you will have to move out of the way when the play comes toward you, 2) you need to look for any obstacles that may be on the field like the goal nets, video and audio wires, electrical cables, trainer’s tables, benches, heaters, exercise bikes, and coolers.

Get a sense of how high the crown of the field is. While high school fields may be flatter, in college, there are some fields that have significant crowns for drainage. This may not seem to be significant, but it will affect you on the field because of the angle of the players relative to your position. Depending upon the angles, you may be able to get some fascinating shots from ground-level.

Even if you are going to be shooting a Pop Werner game, take some time and walk the site. Thank about your vantage points. You need to understand the physical locations so you can pick and choose your locations for shooting wisely.

Plan your day taking into account time for a walk through and any activities that may be happening outside the stadium. If you can do yourself a favor and plug in your schedule to your iPhone or BlackBerry with alarms set to ring 15 minutes before each event.

Determine which lenses and bodies you are going to use. Seriously consider using two bodies. One should carry your wide-angle lens and the other should hold your tele-photo.

The night before …

Charge your batteries. Don’t presume anything. Check each and every battery you have for your camera as well as your flash. Huh? You said earlier flash isn’t allowed on the field. Right, but you can still use it if you need to outside the stadium.

Clean your lenses. Check each lens you are intending to use for any scratches to the glass or dust.

Check your bodies and cards. Start with the cards you are going to use and make sure they are clear of any prior pictures and are formatted for the camera you are using. Make sure you have at least three or four cards to write to. Certainly you want every shot to count, but when you are firing off multiple shots as a play unfolds, you may find that you have taken 60 to 70 shots for just one play.

Check each camera body you are going to use. Make sure the settings are correct for what you are going to be shooting and the time of day. Double-check the inside of the camera for dust. If need be, use a cleaning cloth to gently wipe away any dust or debris from the mirror. Attach the lenses and make sure they fit snugly.

Check your monopod. I am presuming that you have a monopod for your camera that will be carrying your tele-photo lens. Check the locking mechanisms for each of the sections that they move freely, yet lock securely. Check the head and make sure the plate is locked onto the base of the camera once your battery is in the camera.

Pack carefully. Pack your gear carefully in your bag, making sure the lenses and bodies are secure and won’t fall out. If you are bringing extra lenses such as a prime that you will interchange on the wide-angle, pack them with that camera for ease of access.

Check the weather forecast. Huh? Yes, seriously, check the weather forecast. You are going to be outdoors and you need to make certain your equipment is going to be dry. If rain is called for, make sure you have a cover such as a Storm Jacket. If you don’t have one, get a heavy-ply extra-large poncho and use the shoulder section from the edge to the beginning of the hood and down to just below the first snap as a cover, but it will not look professional.

Thoughts on a few new items

Over the last several months, I’ve been rather judicious in accessory purchases for the camera. I’ve chronicled the Wolverine GPS and I have reiterate that it is a great option for the wilderness photographer.

I’ve also purchased two other rather inexpensive items. The first is the Seculine Twin 1 R3 UT wireless shutter release. The second is the Delkin SD to CF Adapter. Overall, great little products.

Seculine Twin 1 R3 UT Wireless Shutter Release

The Seculine shutter release was recommended by one of the staff at Le Camera in Lawrenceville, NJ. At first I was a bit skeptical about it, mainly because I had not heard of the company before. But I decided to take a chance on it and see what it could do. On the downside, it does use the ten-pin remote terminal. So you need to make a decision which is more important GPS information or remote shutter release. Usually this remote shutter release wins in low light situations.

Regardless, I appreciate this product because it is functional in several ways. First, it is both wired and wireless. Thus, depending upon what you are taking pictures of, you have options, especially if you don’t want to rely on a self-timer or you need some freedom to move around the subject without the potential for getting tangled in cable. I also appreciate the little utility flashlight that is included. It is great for seeing just enough to dismantle a lens and it helps for spotlighting a subject.

Setup is simple with little more than a few turns of the locking wheel to make sure either the IR receiver or wire are connected. Once you have your camera’s settings ready, the remote offers a half-way position to allow you to confirm your settings before actually taking a photo. Once you are comfortable with the settings, the remote also offers a continuous shutter mode where you can actuate the shutter up to the usual 11 fps with the battery grip.

All-in-all, this was an expensive purchase at $50.00 with good results so far.

Delkin SD to CF Adapter

A member of the NikonCafe.com Forums site actually brought this little product to my attention through a post on the site. The member mentioned how he had a number of SD cards from his times using point-and-shoot cameras and consumer DSLRs. He had seen this product in a local camera shop and wanted to know if anyone had experience with it. I was intrigued by it because I, too, have a number of SD cards from San Disk and other manufacturers that were sitting around with nothing to do now that I was shooting with the D300 which required CF cards.

I contacted Delkin to get more information on the specs for the product. Specifically, I wanted to make certain this was a through-put device and not one that had a limitation because it was converting information or the like. I honestly did not expect the speed of the response that I got. Nor did I expect the courtesy I received. My email went in around 9:30 AM and I had a response by 6:30 PM that evening. The email was concise an confirmed the adapter was a through-put device. This means whatever the camera is recording is written directly to the CD card at the maximum speed the SD card can handle. That was great news for me as the SD cards I had were mostly SanDisk Extreme III cards.

So I ordered one direct from Delkin. Keep in mind that Delkin is not Belkin. This is a separate company that makes its own products. Anyway, The order went in on a Friday. I had a shipping confirmation on Monday and the package arrived the following Friday. (They use UPS Ground from San Diego, CA.)

the item itself is solid-state. No moving parts, just the small space for the SD card to be inserted. So I gave it a run with one of the 16GB SDHC cards I have. I was able to hold down the shutter and actually take about 8 to 11 fps with no problem. There was no significant lag in the write time as long as you don’t make the mistake of trying to look at the pictures while the camera is still writing to the card.

In all another great little product.

I’m sure there will be more accessories. There always are. It’s just a matter of figuring out which ones work for you and which are impulse buys. Of course, no lens is ever an impulse purchase… That’s just NAS.

A Photo Essay

Since 2007, I have been following the construction of the Rutgers Stadium Expansion. While the Athletic Department puts up a round of photos every other week, I am not going to try and download them for posterity. Rather, I prefer taking my own pictures for my family and friends. Those I have taken can be found in my gallery Rutgers Stadium Expansion 2007-2009.

As I get ready to take another round of photos tomorrow at the Stadium, I thought it might be a good topic to comment on, simply because it is something that anyone can do whether you have a high-end DSLR or a simple point-and-shoot camera. For those who haven’t seen these, you may find the following interesting. For those into photography, you know what I am talking about. It is the photo essay, defined as a series of pictures taken to tell a story. Keep in mind, however, that photo essays are not just about taking a picture. It is as much about you growing and developing as a photographer as it is about the subject.

To that end, here is how you go about completing a photo essay.

Your Topic

It seems obvious, but this can actually be quite a challenge. Consider for a moment the broad range of options. It could range from something seemingly mundane as a small garden to something considerably more grand as photographing the skyline of New York City. It could be people, places, animals, flowers, buildings, cars, baseball stadium seats, various types of sports balls. Of course, there is also what I would call the “sudden essay.” This is the opportunity for a series of photos that just happens in front of you. It could be something serious and somber like an auto accident or it could be wacky like a dog you see in a park chasing a Frisbee. But for the purposes of this article, let’s consider the more planned form of a photo essay.

While most photo essays are similar to the one I am working on now, there are others that may pique peoples’ interests, especially if you have certain types of equipment with a DSLR. In these types of essays, the emphasis is not necessarily on the subject, but on the equipment you are using. In essence, you are reversing the topic a bit and putting together a group of photos taken over the course of a year with a particular camera body and lens or a particular flash or using a particular f/stop or aperture.

Personally, I think some of the more dramatic essays are the ones that include boundaries for the equipment being used because it puts more emphasis on the skill of the photographer to draw out the intensity of the actual subject.

However, for the purposes of this entry, I’m going to use my current essay as an example. My overall topic is the expansion of Rutgers Stadium. How I arrived at this as a topic was based upon a lack of opportunity to chronicle the initial expansion of the stadium, which put the second level seating on each sideline, and lowered the floor of the Stadium to allow for more seating closer to the field. All this was done during the 1993 season. A grand re-opening was conducted in 1994. Regrettably, I did not have the opportunity to take photos of the massive undertaking this initial project was. Thus, when I first heard of the approval being given by the Board of Governors at Rutgers to expand the Stadium, I decided to focus on this as a long-term project.

Choose The Length of Your Essay

How long do I want this essay to take? A day? A week? A month? A year? Multiple years?

For example, one essay could encompass the entire season of football games or just one game. In some instances, it may be impractical to shoot for an entire year, simply because nothing is actually happening or because of natural impediments like weather or ground conditions. This is true when considering topics within woods or areas “off the beaten path” as it were.

In the case of my current essay, I’m actually looking at somewhat of a multi-year project owing to the fact that construction actually began at the end of the 2006 regular season. It is supposed to be concluded by 2009.

Determine Your Location(s)

Location, location, location. It is truly everything, even more so in bringing out the quality of a subject or topic. Also, location is usually different from topic. By this, I mean you may have a specific topic you are focusing on, but now you need to determine where you are physically going to stand to take pictures of your topic. Your first consideration is on a macro scale. If, for example, your essay will be on your children playing on jungle gyms, do you just want to capture them on one jungle gym in one park or do you want to see them in multiple parks?

In my essay, I knew I would only be at Rutgers Stadium. But there was more going on than just in the area near River Road in Piscataway, New Jersey. Therefore, once you decide if you are going for one or many locations, then you need to be aware of the challenges in each location, which brings us to our next topic.

Scouting Your Location(s)

If you are shooting a topic that is on the grounds of your home, then you have a broad range of options. If you are going to be shooting something that is on other property, then check in advance for hours of operation and rules governing the use of cameras. Nothing in worse than showing up at a location and the place is closed or under repair.

Next, evaluate the location vis a vis your subject. Look at what is around you. Do you want to incorporate one or more of the items in the background? If you are outdoors, start with immediate surroundings and work your way out. For example, if you are shooting flowers, look at the mulch, the borders for the bed, the grass. Are these things you are going to want to include or exclude? Another example: kids playing. What is beyond the tot lot? Are cars going to be potentially in the background? Is this a good thing or a bad thing for the photos? Look for different angles and look beyond your subject to see what is in the background. Likewise, know your compass directions and where your natural light source is located. This is going to impact White Balance, shade, and shadows that will be picked up in the photographs. It is also going to more than likely dictate the time of day when you will want to take photos.

If your topic will be indoors, many of the same considerations will also apply but in different ways. While you still want to look at your backgrounds, now your concern will be about the paint color on the walls, shadows caused by ambient lighting, and people walking around or through your line of sight. In terms of lighting, the issue now is going to be what is used to light the space: incandescent, halogen, fluorescent? What about the fixtures? Are they spot lights, recessed, shop lamps, table lamps? As before, the type of lighting will affect your White Balance, shade and shadows. But because you will also be dealing with paint on the walls, you are going to have the added issue of how the light refracts or bounces off the paint.

If your camera has the option to set the white balance, as the D300 does, it is probably useful to bring with you a white balance card or at least a clean sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper that you can focus your camera on to set your white balance.

Whether you are shooting indoors or out, be aware of the seasons, especially in the Northeast. Weather is going to affect your schedule more than anything for travel conditions and the availability of your subject. For example, if you are shooting a flowerbed at a public park, be aware of what the weather is like and how it may affect your shooting plans. If the beds are not watered and there has been little or no rain, those flowers may not make it. In similar fashion, if you are shooting a topic indoors, the weather may affect your ability to get to the location and if the facility will be open.

Another example of an essay actually incorporates both the fore-going aspects and this one. In this example, That is, the topic or subject was actually the scene found outside a specific window in a specific building at a specific time each day for one year.

In the case of my essay on the Rutgers Stadium Expansion, I had to search for locations that would provide vantage points for an understanding of the work being done, I knew I would need to take pictures from different points around the Stadium. This was especially essential because of the weekly changes in the location of the large staging area that is needed for the work being done. I needed to identify positions around the Stadium that would offer a recurring vantage point without putting me in harms way or running afoul of the restrictions around the construction site. Most of the vantage points wound up being through the fencing that surrounds the main concourse of the Stadium, Gates C and D and across River Road in Johnson Park.

Now that you have the logistics out of the way, it’s time to get down to the business of actually shooting your essay. But that is up to you. It is your essay and your photos!

Some more thoughts on the D300

Certainly I won’t claim to know everything about the D300 this early on. But what I can say is the camera is complicated for a reason: it is a “prosumer” camera. That means it is one of the entry-level cameras that professional photographers use, but it can still be used by a consumer who wants high-level controls to get top quality pictures.

I do want to comment on a couple of things.

First, the little Wolverine GPS came in today. First thoughts: very easy to install on the camera. Yes, thick fingers can be a bit of an issue just because of the tight location of the 10-pin input location (top right of the camera just to the right of the lens mount and flash head). There is an on-off switch on the cable and you do need to be aware of it. But the switch can be turned off and on easily. There is a red light on the unit that lets you know when it is on. It will blink when acquiring position and turn solid once location is determined. Others have stated that it will not acquire indoors. No kidding! Go stand by a window and it will acquire with no problem. I’m going to put it through its pases this weekend with several shots here in Central Jersey and up at the Great Falls in Paterson, NJ.

Second, I want to give you a little sense of the types of lenses I am looking to get in the next 8 to 10 months. I’ll also give you a sense of why I am looking at these lenses.

1) Nikon TC-20E II 2x Teleconverter

Rationale: This add-on provides the opportunity to expand the focal length of select lenses by 100%. Huh, you say?

Focal length refers to the distance from the middle of the lens to its focal point. The focal point is the area in front of the camera at which parallel rays of light strike a lens when it is focused at infinity. For example, a lens listed at 300mm (the maximum focal length) will have that doubled to 600mm. Why is that a big deal? It is basicallly a simple, inexpensive way of expanding one’s lens options without having to buy the “big glass.” Consider for a moment that a Nikon 600mm lens costs upwards of $9,500.00. I’ll take a $500 teleconverter any day.

2) Nikon Telephoto AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 AF-S ED-IF VR Autofocus

Rationale: This lens provides a strong basis with a low-end f-stop that is perfect for shooting night time sports events.

F-stop? What’s an f-stop? Okay, an f-stop is a number that correlates to the amount of light allowed into the camera. F-stops also control what is known as “depth of field.” Depth of field is the amount of area closer or further away from the camera that is in “acceptable” focus from the point that is in the sharpest focus.

What does that all mean? Put simply, if you wanted to take a picture of Times Square from the the Flat Iron Building looking south and you wanted everything to be in focus from the closest object all the way to the horizon, about 10 to 15 city blocks, you would need a very small f-stop.

BUT, and this always confuses people, a small f-stop is actually a large number. So in the example above, an f-stop of about 22. A smaller number is actually a large f-stop.

So why do I want a lens with an f-stop of 2.8? Because there is an interrelationship between f-stop and exposure time. What’s exposure time? In a nutshell, exposure time is the amount of time the shutter is open to “accept” light and expose the picture. The longer a shutter needs to stay open, the more steady the camera must be. While in daylight conditions, especially at noon or in mid-afternoon, f-stop isn’t that big an issue. But when you get to late afternoon, early evening, and especially at night, the lower the f-stop, the better, more brilliant, the picture will be. Of course, by opening the f-stop to a lower number, like 2.8, more light will be allowed into the camera. This, in turn, will allow for a faster shutter speed. A faster shutter speed means the camera will need to be held for a shorter period of time.

Consider it this way: By closing or making the f-stop number larger, the exposure time will double. Of course, exposure time is measured in hundredths of a second, but it is still enough to impact what a photo will look like, especially when taken at night with minimal lighting. It will happen. As with everything, it just takes time.

Last, but hardly least, I would like to wish every mother a happy and healthy Mother’s Day. And to my own mother, THANK YOU! You are a treasure and I thank God for you every day!

New Camera to Work With

So on Monday last week, I was poking around the Adorama website looking to see if there were any deals to be had. I click on DSLR bodies and I see a link for a Nikon D300 for $1,199. Whoa! What is this? Well, it turned out it was a refurbished model for sale. Now I know there are lots of people who would say, “I’m not buying something someone else may have had a problem with.” And I grant it is always a risk. But you have the same risk with buying new with the added hassle that you are person with the problem.

I hemmed and hawed about it and mulled it over as to whether or not I needed it, was it a good deal, what would I use it for … all the thoughts that go through the mind of a pinch-penny like me. And I thought, “Enh. I’ll wait.” Then I went over to my favorite haunt, other than ScarletNation.com, NYYFans.com, and City-Data.com, the Nikon Cafe. And as I was scrolling through some of the threads, I see one titled “So tempted … D300 with grip for $1,250.” I start reading and then add a link to the Adorama deal. And as I’m thinking about this, I’m saying to myself, “Think dummy! $1,199 for a camera that retails at $1,500 to $1,700! Just do it!”

So at 2:30 PM on April 30, 2009, I pull the trigger on the purchase of a refurbished Nikon D300. Along with it, I broke down and got a 3-pack of SanDisk Extreme IV 8 GB CompactFlash Cards as well. SanDisk is running this deal right now where you buy three of their cards and mail in for a $200 rebate, but only from certain resellers like Adorama. *sigh* And I got a second battery for the camera. So on Friday, May 1, the UPS driver shows up at 10 AM with a box from Adorama with my loot. And after reading over the Quick-Start guide, I felt I had the rudiments down. And to a point, I did. My first photo shoot with the new camera was the
UMass vs. RU Lax Game on Saturday, May 2.

To say the least, I was impressed and enjoyed the ease with which I was able to acquire and frame the shot, focus, and get multiple shots quickly. During this week, I have been boning up significantly on the camera and I love it. Probably the biggest help I have had so far is the Setup Guide from Out There Images. This is a great help in setting up the camera and understanding the multitude of menus on the camera.

Of course when you get Nikon Acquisition Syndrome or NAS, you don’t just stop with that purchase. There are always at least one or two more purchases that come along. And I am no exception. As I was using the camera on Saturday, I realized that a secondary grip was in order. So that is on order, as are two more batteries. But as I was reading through the 421-page user’s manual, I read in more detail about the 10-pin terminal. I knew it was for a remote shutter release. But on page 201 I find out there is an option for a GPS unit. Something else useful! So I start looking into what options are available. Again, thanks to the people at Nikon Cafe, I find out about an inexpensive, but high quality GPS unit from Wolverine. Another item on order from Adorama.

So is all this stuff worth the money spent? It depends on what you are going to do with it. If all you are doing is taking a few vacation snapshots, the D300 is definitely not something to consider. But if you are taking pictures as a semi-pro photographer, you are much further into photography for either artistic purposes or to record the world around you on a daily basis, or you find yourself taking photos of your kids’ sports and other fast-paced events, then this is definitely the camera for you.