West facing stairwell bathed in superwarm light appears even warmer.When I popped my head into one of the studios at the Life Arts Building during Art Walk, I came across this wonderful sight. There was little time to pull out the off-camera Speedlite. ISO 100 1/2000 sec f1.4 50mm lens, Canon 5DMark2.
As our summer days start to grow shorter, I have to remind myself to get outside earlier with my camera.
Riverside’s Art Walk typically starts at 6 pm.
For the month of August, that’s when the light is golden, very directional but often difficult to manage due to the extreme contrast.
Sometimes it’s best not to fight it and just expose for the highlight especially when you want to work fast and not pull out a speedlite for off-camera use.
Accept that there will be no detail in the shadows.
This floral arrangement used to welcome visitors In the lobby of the Life Arts Building. As you can see from how the late evening light falls, even artificial flowers look great at this hour.
In that instance pick out some form that is recognizable and has interesting texture and let your imagination run with it
I tend to use my 50mm lens as my walking around lens.
I favor it more than the 80-200 non-IS zoom lens because I usually ask folks if it’s ok to take pictures of them unlike many other photographers who aren’t comfortable talking with strangers.
Using a long lens means I have to step back away from my subject but in crowds, that’s an impossible situation.
The wonderful evening light also provides great ambience for concerts on the roof of the Life Arts Building.
Take a look at UC Riverside Keroncong’s pictures when they performed on the roof.
2003 San Bernardino "Old" Fire
09:12:25am---My 1st meaningful image when I started my shift that morning in Rancho Cucamonga.
10:43:50am--News crews set up for a live shot in Rancho Cucamonga at the start of my day. Things were to get a little more interesting within a few minutes after I took this picture. I was about to be dispatched to the city of San Bernardino to cover one of the worst fires to threaten the city.
12:37:54pm---Home owners flee their homes as the fire approaches.
12:42:12 pm---Darkness in the neighborhood results when heavy smoke covers the neighborhood.
12:43:58 pm--A firefighter checks on the advancing fire as they prepare to make a stand.
12:44:49pm--An ornamental tree catches fire
12:45:04 pm---A firefighter extinguishes a fire on an ornamental tree close to a home as the hillside behind the yard is totally engulfed in flames.
12:54:29 pm--Eery darkness event though it's close to 1pm.
12:59:42pm--A San Bernardino police officer stops and turns a resident along Carleton St near 59th St after the mandatory order of evacuation was given. A strong brush fire closed in on the north San Bernardino neighborhood.(The Press-Enterprise/Peter Phun)
12:29:30 pm --Water dropping helicopter to the rescue.
12:20:05 pm--A resident runs inside to grab belongings as she hears the mandatory evacuation order.
12:28:29 pm--The same resident hurriedly stuff belongings into the trunk of her car as the fire approaches behind her home.
12:59:58pm--A San Bernardino police officer dons a full face mask to direct traffic close to where the flames threaten homes
12:32:04pm--San Bernardino police officer Gary Shuelke warns residents to evacuate.
13:05:17pm---Exhausted, eyes-burning, I start my car, turn up the air-conditioning and douse my face with water before I head back to the paper with my pictures.
I don’t feel my picture-taking should hold up the foot traffic on sidewalks.
The last thing I want is to have folks to think I’m so important that they have to yield to me.
So the ability to blur out backgrounds using a long lens is nullified by crowds of folks walking into my frame and ‘photobombing’ my picture.
Maybe you’ll get to see if my piece of advice works if you come down to Riverside’s next Art Walk on Thursday Sept 4.
I don’t feel my picture-taking should hold up the foot traffic on sidewalks.
