Category Archives: Photography

Photography

Your most gut-wrenching story about your gear

9 Comments
A busted UV filter is cheaper to replace than the front element on my 17-35 mm zoom. This latest accident dented and tweaked the filter bad. Sometimes the damage can be so bad, you can’t even get the filter off.

When was the last time you heard that dreaded thud?

Until recently I’ve been super vigilant about my gear but the streak has ended.

The crappy strap on my Canon 40D slipped and the camera body and my wide angle zoom hit the tiled floor.

It’s a good thing the lens and the camera body survived unscathed.

Prior to this, I shattered a UV filter which was on my 50mm lens.

Just think, if I didn’t have one on. It would have been a $400 replacement.

I’ve never really baby’ed my equipment even back when I was working at the newspaper.

They provided the gear but I never, ever abused any of it.

Bottom line is, I’m the one who gets burned if I reach for it and it’s not working. Continue reading Your most gut-wrenching story about your gear →

Assignment, Photography

Dr.Juliet Beni–UCR’s youngest doctoral candidate

Dr. Juliet Beni earned her doctorate in psychology from UC Riverside. She is the youngest person in UCR’s history to be awarded with a doctorate.

One of the biggest appeals to photographing mostly people is the chance to meet new people.
Even the most ordinary person has at least one interesting and remarkable story.

You just have to ask the right way and hopefully that will come through when they talk about it.

But you need to be ready with that camera.

I got a chance to meet UC Riverside’s youngest doctoral candidate, Dr. Juliet Beni, 19. Continue reading Dr.Juliet Beni–UCR’s youngest doctoral candidate →

Assignment, Photography

More pictures after UCR 2012 school of business graduation

Jessica Hala’s family brought out a special mat, decked her out in floral wreaths and other decorations so they could pose with her after the ceremony. I shot this with a wide angle lens on my Canon 5DM2 raised on a monopod and triggered the shutter by a cable release.
Guests, family and friends of graduates enjoy each other’s company as they pose for pictures

After the formal affair ends, there are still plenty of picture-taking opportunities.

Remember, there is limited seating, each graduate only gets a few tickets for their family and guests.

So you can expect that the graduates will have family and friends waiting outside with balloons, flowers and other gifts.

Be ready for lots of hugging, hand-shaking and kissing and other emotional outbursts.

Your biggest challenge?

Finding a way to eliminate clutter in your viewfinder in an area that’s sure to be crowded with lots of people trying to get pictures too.
Continue reading More pictures after UCR 2012 school of business graduation →

Assignment, Photography

Faces at UCR 2012 school of business graduation

2 Comments
This graduate was searching the crowd for familiar faces I imagine.

Picking out interesting faces from amongst a crowd of thousands can be daunting at first.

I usually walk around and take note of the areas where the light looks interesting.

Then I make eye contact and smile at the people to gauge how receptive they are to my pointing the lens at them.

While it’s true they may not like it and can’t do much about it, I’d rather take pictures of people who don’t scowl at me.

All those years of photographing felons giving me the evil eye while being led away in handcuffs took a toll. 🙂 Continue reading Faces at UCR 2012 school of business graduation →