Tyler takes it

In Keith’s case, he got a portfolio, award-winning photograph out of an SG election.

My first trip my freshman year failed me, as I think it was the first time I had ever used a flash. I got a crash course from Keith during the three minute walk to the presidential announcement. This year, when I’m comfortable with my gear and completely prepared, there wasn’t much of a celebration. Tyler was the only candidate running, so the photo below was about as much celebration as I could ask for.

The photo below has more emotion. This girl has tears in her eyes, but I’m not sure if she lost a senate position, won it or is just happy. I have her information and could look it up but I really don’t think this picture is worth the caption info.

UK vs. UT - Remote shots

Blogger note: These photos are the property of the Kentuckian and Brad Luttrell. Respect the Kentuckian’s property. If you are interested in purchasing my work, please email me. 

Remote cameras are a good way to get where your big bulky body can’t.

Basically this is just a camera set up on the floor in front of where I was sitting with a wire attached and a button at the other end so I can fire it. It gets me a low shot and I can keep firing with my other camera to get nice tight photos, as in the previous post. The shot I’ve been trying for is kind of the one below but I want people chasing the ball right for my face. Remotes are basically thinking of the shot you want, setting up a camera, and hoping the moment is right.

Please, please, please tell me which one you like the most. If you just hover over the picture a number will pop up. Comment. Even if you don’t know jack about pictures.

Always be prepared

I took this car out into the snow at 6:45 this morning. Snow covered roads and ground. All excited to shoot, I pulled up to the sidewalk, similar to the photo above. I waited from the car for the sidewalk duster to come by, fired five frames. After which, I chimped of course. No, my histograms weren’t bearing to the left or right, and my lens cap was removed. I had just forgotten to put a card back in it after dumping the last card.

Drive home. Come back. Get out of the car, come to take this picture. I look down. The battery is flashing. Not just low, but flashing. Apparently I didn’t charge my camera after my last shoot either.

Do I feel pretty stupid? Of course. A wise man with a beard always said that anticipation is the key. Always be prepared. Did I miss out on something super important? No. Just a rare snow in Kentucky. After my battery charges I’ll be back out in it. Hopefully to bring you some good pictures back. I’m not pleased with a single one of these.

But you’re going international

Mary Margaret and I went to see the Scourge of the Sea at the Dame Saturday night. I found out about the Lexington natives my freshman year and have seen them play twice now. I love their shows. They’re music is pretty chill. They really let loose on their last song, Chocolate Chips. Don’t listen to me talk about music though, check them out at Matt’s blog. I do pictures, and sometimes pictures of musicians. But I would be doing an injustice to both the Scourge and you if I tried to give you hip comments about their music. So be sure to roll over to You Ain’t No Picasso.

I will say I love their music though. I hope you will check them out. We toughed out the 10 degree weather last night (felt like -3 with wind chill) and checked them out.

There was some dancing going on, and since I have been playing with slow shutters and dark light I tried to capture that. You really need a lot of card space to waste when you do this. I’m not good enough to nail it in three frames. So I wanted to represent the Dame’s atmosphere and show the fanaticals of the Scourge.

I’m only leading in with those few pics of the band. Those are coming.

Scientifically artisticated

Important blogger note: If you take this post as serious science, and myself to be a real scientist (or know-it-all) then you are completely missing out on the sarcasm that makes this post fun, but also a learning experience for the both of us.

I realize you haven’t been seeing them, but I have been taking them.

These aren’t my favorites from my most recent photographs, but they were a learning process. A friend had a celebration of his birth and we stopped by after dinner the other night. It’s highly challenging to photograph in darkness. When you think about the ultimate requirement for photography it seems near impossible. Light is that requirement. So when there is a lack of light, the challenge to make not only compelling, but just sharp pictures, dramatically increases.

Pazzo’s on Limestone has tons of little clusters of light and then black holes. It makes for interesting photos.

Let me explain. I have developed a complex equation to show what I mean.

Quality of your photography = (x)light + (y) ability to use light

X is the amount of light you have, or say a measurement of radiant energy. With a great enough X, anyone can make an appealing photograph with hardly any ability. For example, sunsets or sunrises. The golden hour provides newbs with a means of making good photos without any ability. Take the newbs sunset or sunrise photos and compare them to a professional’s. Now those photographs that were displayed proudly in photo albums would be tucked away into the closet. The professional is packing more Y than they can fit into a camera bag.

Mary Margaret and Eric (sorry Eric, can’t remember that last name…Sohl?). While this room is basically black, there was light coming in from the hallway. Which was cool.

With enough Y, you can learn to photograph in darkness. Y is you. You are what matters. When you hear a photographer speak to a group and at the end comes the questioning, listen to the questions and you can pick the amateurs from the pros. The newbs ask questions like, “Why did you use such a high f-stop?” or “How long did you have to leave your shutter open to catch that?” When it comes to the real questions, the questions you can’t learn from reading a manual, those are by the pros. “When do you draw a line and say that you could do more good for a person by taking them to a hospital rather than taking there picture?”

I think she is showing her friend a photograph. I can’t really tell.

“Leica, schmeica. The camera doesn’t make a bit of difference. All of them can record what you are seeing. But, you have to see.”

-Ernst Haas

I don’t have anything that will change your life. Actually I would be willing to state that these are the type of photographs that wont even inspire you beyond lunch. But every shutter that fires, I learned something. Every time I have to compose, I’m thinking of why I am composing that way. I’m giving myself reason. I’m giving myself style and still debating seemingly the heaviest question of my life.

If I had one story left to tell, what would it be?

This is by far the most interesting photograph of these. There is a lot going on, if you just look. The girl, Kellie Oates, is laughing at this guy (black blob in middle of frame) while the two girls in the background are dancing. There are some subtle pretty colors. This feels right for the atmosphere.