Advice, Assignment

Arlington Business Partnership 13th Annual Chili Cookoff and Car/Cycle Show

A view of the crowd from Main Stage looking south on Magnolia Ave
A view of the crowd from Main Stage looking south on Magnolia Ave.
A pug sleeps peacefully as it is carried and rocked like a baby during the Arlington Business Partnership Annual Chili Cook-Off & Car/Cycle show
A pug appears as if asleep as it is carried and rocked like a baby during the Arlington Business Partnership Annual Chili Cook-Off & Car/Cycle show. Very tough to isolate them from the clutter in the background because of the time of the day,

Overcast skies are sometimes preferable over sunny skies when I have to photograph events when the sun is overhead.

A textbook example is when photographing anyone during those hours under a canopy.

If the sun is out, there is just too much contrast between the shade under the canopy and the bright outdoors.

Alia's Hula School dancers perform at the community stage during ABP's 13th Annual Chili Cook off and Car/Cycle show.
Alia’s Hula School dancers perform at the community stage during ABP’s 13th Annual Chili Cook off and Car/Cycle show. Under overcast conditions, contrast is reduced which is good but lighting is still coming from overhead. Everything is lit up so you  only have composition, choice of focal lengths  to eliminate distractions from your main subject.
Under the canopy, I had to compose tight to get rid clutter to feature Elvis impersonator John Reade Poole more prominently. Fortunately the sun was behind clouds the whole day so I didn't have to resort to using flash to control the contrast.
Under the canopy, I had to compose tight to get rid clutter to feature Elvis impersonator John Reade Poole more prominently. Fortunately the sun was behind clouds the whole day so I didn’t have to resort to using flash to control the contrast.

Choosing to shoot raw files helps but I expect not to like what you see.

If it’s really important like a paying gig, I would still have to boost the exposure under the canopy.

Over the weekend I photographed musicians for the Arlington Business Partnership’s 13 Chilli Cook off and Car/Cycle show under those exact conditions.

Had the sun been out, I would have to boost the lighting under the canopy with flash.

The problem with flash?

Festival attendee spotting Stars and Stripes flags documents what they see since the Chili Cookoff coincided with Memorial Day weekend.
Festival attendee spotting Stars and Stripes flags documents what they see since the Chili Cookoff coincided with Memorial Day weekend.

Whenever flash is used, spontaneity is often lost.

Your subject often stops whatever they’re doing and pauses unless they are so pre-occupied with their activity or are expecting tons of flashes like on a red carpet event.

Elvis impersonator John Reade Pool dances with a member of the audience. I opted for a long lens but you can still see lots of clutter in the background. Shooting with a wide and getting close is ok but you could be an annoyance to the audience for obscuring their view.
Elvis impersonator John Reade Pool dances with a member of the audience. I opted for a long lens but you can still see lots of clutter in the background. Shooting with a wide and getting close is ok but you could be an annoyance to the audience for obscuring their view.

Lighting makes the most dramatic difference in your event pictures.

I lucked out that I got overcast conditions since I was hired to photograph just the musicians.

If I were told to also photograph the general event, I would want a variety of conditions so that my pictures wouldn’t all have the same feel and look.

Compare this with another Riverside festival “El Dia de los Muertos” from last year.

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