Growing Pains: Don't Make This Terrible Mistake

My friend and photo colleague Tiffany Trott was right on the mark in her blog post today at 23photos.com when she suggested that photographers reset their camera settings before putting away their equipment.

I made the terrible mistake of not checking my settings during a shoot at the Democratic National Convention. The night before, I had been inside a dark museum, requiring me to boost my ISO to the highest setting possible on my Canon 5D, which was an amazing 3600! My shots were perfect from that night, but I forgot to change those settings the very next day when I was shooting in broad daylight in front of Mezcal when celebrities associated with the Creative Coalition made another appearance.

I didn't realize my mistake until I uploaded the photos for post processing. As you can image, the increased ISO made the photos incredibly grainy and the color noise was out of this world, peppering darker African-American skin tones with speckles of blue, green and red. I was so sick to my stomach, I thought I was going to vomit! Some noise correction in Photoshop took care of most of it, but some of the shots just couldn't be saved.

From this point on, I would advise all of us to take Tiffany's advice. Don't store your gear away without resetting to your basic shooting mode. For me that's ISO 100 and turning the dial back to Manual or Aperture Priority. It's a great routine to have and include in your overall work flow.

DNC Coverage: Praying for a Miracle

Photos I took of Cynthia Parish appeared in print and on denverpost.com today!

DNC Coverage: WARNING DISTURBING IMAGE

After I finished writing my daily for the DNC coverage yesterday, I left the office and wandered around downtown Denver to see what I might come across. I happened upon this very intense protest against abortion and couldn't resist a chance to capture such raw human emotions and confrontation.

While several police officers flanked the perimeter of this scene, keeping a close eye on things, a large group of people crowded around this disturbing display of photos of allegedly aborted fetuses. I say "allegedly" because I've covered numerous abortion protests where I later discovered that the photos they were showcasing were not actually of human fetuses. I do not know about the legitimacy of these images; I only know that the response they drew from passersby was real.

To capture this shot, I used my 16-35 wide angle lens and placed myself directly between the protesters and crowd. While the poster itself is indeed very disturbing, I find my eyes moving around the image and focusing on each of the faces. Notice how the man in the right portion of the frame is lost in thought, biting his fingers. The woman with her hand on her hips is clearly arguing with the protester who is trying to argue her point of view. The other young protester isn't speaking, but his gaze is directly pointed at the woman confronting the protesters and their display. The young man in the yellow t-shirt directly across from me is caught in the middle, just like I am, but his gaze is on the woman as well.

One could argue that the image is too busy...that there is too much going on in the image for a viewer to be able to focus on. I say this is a pretty good example of photojournalism, capturing a moment filled with life and humanity. What do you think?

DNC Coverage: Celebrity Appearances in Denver

Trying to capture this image of Spike Lee was difficult because I am so dang short! So I had to hoist my camera above the fray and pray I got the right angle. A little straightening in Photoshop CS3 and this image was totally successful. Maybe next time I'm at a "red carpet event" I will do what the photographer on the left did: stand on a step ladder during the interview!

What I found interesting about this experience (other than fighting being star struck while I was covering the event for The Denver Post!) was Lee's refusal to deal with the media onslaught. He was angry that he got mobbed in front of Mezcal. Once he was rushed inside, he refused to come back out again. But other stars appearing at the same event willing gave numerous interviews and plenty of time in front of the camera.

To see other celebrity photos, visit my Flickr page or check out celebrity galleries at denverpost.com.

DNC Coverage: The American Presidential Experience

On Friday, I covered my first Democratic National Convention event -- "The American Presidential Experience" traveling exhibit running at Invesco Field at Mile High. The exhibit was an opportunity for Colorado residents to indulge in some nonpartisan fun before the Dems took over Denver.



I took the above picture of Josh Widoff teaching his daughter Molly, 7, how to cast a vote at an interactive station in the exhibit. I like the intimacy of the image showcasing this father-daughter relationship as well as capturing a "teaching moment" where Widoff said he wanted Molly to be a part of a decision-making process where her thoughts and ideas counted.



Following a brief ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and other dignitaries, the local media got a first peek into the exhibit before it opened to the public. Special features included one of the 25 original copies of the Declaration of Independence, a full-size replica of an Air Force One fuselage used by Kerry Edwards, and an Oval Office circa Ronald Reagan, rare political memorabilia and fun peeks inside the lives of the nation's most influential leader.





It was more difficult than I thought trying to do the double duty part of writing notes and interviewing people while trying to get their picture for the paper at the same time. Today will be even more difficult as I troll around downtown with two cameras on me, one with a 70-200 2.8 fitted lense and the other with a 16-35 2.8, so I can quickly move from a wide angle to the zoom without any interruptions.

Here are some shots of Denver Councilman Michael Hancock purchasing some Barack Obama buttons.

Breaking News: Covering the Democratic National Convention

The Democratic National Convention is converging on Denver this coming week, and I've just been given my press creditentials to cover the event as both a print and photojournalist! The features and entertainment editors at the Denver Post said I have been given free range to keep my camera on me and shoot whenever possible in addition to my normal written assignments. We are so short staffed that everyone is pulling together doing double and even triple duty to cover this historic event.

I feel proud to know that my bosses at the newspaper support and encourage my freelance photography. They have seen me grow in my new craft over the last year and they know it's not some passing fancy, but a legitimate skillset that can make me a more well-rounded journalist. Look for shots I will be taking throughout the week here my blog!



If you are in the Denver area or will be traveling here to catch some of the action, use these photography tips from Illuminate Workshops executive director Efrain Cruz.

"The opportunity to make important, historical photographs is less than 48 hours away. If photojournalism is your forte or if you just want to go out and see what you can see, here are some tips for you to take great photos and stay out of trouble.

1) keep your ID (and photography business card) with you
2) be mindful of your camera gear and pocket-contents
3) travel light (a tripod may not be advisable)
4) be mindful of your surroundings
5) keep someone's phone number handy.

If the crowds and hoopla isn't your cup-of-tea, then perhaps heading into nature may suit you better. There are plenty of beautiful scenes in nature this month. Wildflowers are in full bloom, streams are flowing and the elk look majestic.

1) Make sure your batteries are charged
2) memory cards are ready to fill
3) bring suitable clothing for changing weather and temperature
4) for great photos, "get close", while maintaining a safe distance from wildlife. Read park literature for more information.

There's plenty to do this month. Whatever you chose to do, be prepared, be safe and bring your camera."