MeanRob's photostream

What’s better than having a camera on hand for a magnificent beach sunset? Having a beautiful belly dancer there to pose for you, of course! This past weekend I had the pleasure of experiencing both scenarios.

I’ve had this shot in mind for sometime now and finally got around to putting it together. There has been so much going on lately that finding the time to create my weekly images has become quite the challenge. I scheduled the weekend photo shoot earlier in the week with a good friend who happens to be practicing in the art of belly dancing. Being at the mercy of the weather for this kind of portrait, I had very high hopes for a decent evening. As luck would have it, Mother Nature smiled down on me with a dazzling display of gorgeous golden sunlight. Sprinkled into the equation, was just the right amount of cloud coverage to help reflect and illuminate the sky with vibrant tones of yellow and orange...

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Strobist:

AB1600 in Medium Softbox (Camera Left in Front of Model) 1/2 power
AB800 with with 40 Degree Grid (Camera Right, Behind Model) 1/4 power

Triggered via AB Cybersyncs.

Nikon D300
Nikon 24-70 2.8
27mm, 1/250 sec at f/8.0, ISO 200

During this past weekend, in celebration of the July Fourth holiday, my wife and I took the boys on a trip through the past. We visited a nearby 19th century village restoration to enjoy a re-creation of a Long Island Fourth of July celebration in 1861. Activities for the day included band concerts, fiddle music, children’s games, musket firings, a 19th century baseball game, as well as a patriotic parade and ceremony.

This amazing 209 acre village allows one to step back in time and experience life on a typical Long Island farm village during the mid eighteen hundreds. The village restoration, which began in 1963, now contains 51 historic buildings and 7 reconstructions. Each of the buildings that were selected to be moved to this property, for restoration and preservation, where chosen with careful consideration to their architectural detail and historical significance.

The thorough research that was done on the lives of those that occupied the original buildings allows participants at the village to reenact the community life that existed at the time. In addition to the Fourth of July celebration, the village is host to a number of family oriented events and exhibits throughout the year. This includes a traditional county fair that attracts tens of thousands of visitors each fall.

As we prepared to head out that morning for our journey to a time past, I actually half considered not bringing my camera. My thought process was that the crowds brought by the event would make good picture taking difficult and that Gail and I would already have our hands full enough tending to the kids anyway. The photographer in me quickly dismissed the perceived challenges, however, and I slung the camera over my shoulder at the last minute. It was a decision I’m happy to have arrived at.

The biggest obstacle, photographically, was in separating the old from the new. While the structures and villagers were time period appropriate, it was often difficult to find an angle or a view that did not include the very modern day looking visitors and tourists that crowded the village that afternoon. A bit of patience and strategic positioning, however, did allow me to come away from the day with some images I am glad to have taken. The final touches were made with a short amount of time spent in post production. This provided the photos with the vintage look they called for and deserved.

Our visit to the village was such a pleasurable experience to have included in the extended holiday weekend and I look forward to getting back there for future events.

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Ambient Light...

Nikon D300
Nikon 18-200 3.5-5.6
170mm, 1/500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400

Let me start by saying that this has been one crazy week for me! So much so, that I was quite sure I’d be faced with not being able to produce an image to post today. Not being ready to throw in the towel though, I decided it would be one of those weeks in which the photographer would become the subject. With just a handful of self portraits under my belt, it would also serve as good practice to turn the camera on myself.

I titled this one “Game Face” since it recently occurred to me that I have yet to really get into training mode for an upcoming triathlon I am registered to participate in. After completing my first and only swim, bike and run event last August, I tapered off the training as the colder months approached. The tapering off quickly became more of what you might call hibernation. The result of this time off (and the extra pounds that came along with it) became more than apparent recently as I found myself plodding through a morning run at little more than a snail’s pace.

Unlike your’s truly, my wife has been diligently training for the same event. This year she joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s “Team in Training” and along with the hard work she has been putting in to prepare for the triathlon, she has also been raising funds to be used towards finding a cure for blood cancers. It’s a very important cause to us both and she is doing a wonderful job.

So as I attempt to get back in shape and in the proper mind frame to compete, I decided to use the motivation I am feeling as inspiration for my portrait. I must be honest here though. Although it may appear that I have just finished a grueling swim, the truth of the matter is that I created the photograph while enjoying the air conditioning and sitting comfortably at my dining room table. Dressed in my swim gear and armed with a spray bottle, I positioned my lights, focused the camera on a tripod and snapped away.

While not many calories were burned during the creation of this week’s photograph, I was pleased with the results and it does represent the drive I am feeling to get back on my game. The triathlon will take place just two months from now and I am determined to participate and complete it, while sharing the excitement of the day with my lovely wife!

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Strobist:

Key - SB800 in 24x24 Lastolite Softbox - 1/2 Power (Boomed Above)
Rim - 2 AB800s with 40 Degree Grids - 1/8 Power (Camera Right and Left, Behind Model)
Silver Reflector Just Below Chest
Triggered via Alien Bees Cyber Syncs

Nikon D300
Nikon 24-70 2.8
55mm, 1/250 sec at f/11, ISO 200

This week I had the pleasure of having my all time favorite model step before my lens for me. Not only is she a beautiful subject to capture photographically, but she also happens to be an all around amazing woman that I constantly find myself in awe of. She’s an accomplished athlete, a professional educator and most importantly, a loving and nurturing mother of two. I know all this because she also happens to be the love of my life, that I am both honored and blessed to call my wife.

With summer having officially arrived, we headed to the beach this past weekend to enjoy some fun in the sun with our two boys. It was a gorgeous day and I of course, had the camera in tow. Upon arriving, we parked at the very edge of the parking lot which happened to be lined with some sparse trees and shrubbery. Although at first glance it did not appear as anything out of the ordinary, I knew that if captured properly, it could serve as a nice background for a lovely portrait...

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Nikon D300
Nikon 24-70 2.8
70mm, 1/640 sec at f/2.8, ISO 200

So this week I had the honor and opportunity to photograph gold medal winner and top ranked American cyclist… Sorry, I can’t even finish writing that sentence with a straight face! What I meant to say is that this week I dreamt of photographing an athlete of that caliber, while having the work appear in a publication like “Sports Illustrated”.

Someday perhaps, that will not be just a dream, but for today it was truly my pleasure and honor to photograph one of my cycling buddies, Yvon. He and I met last summer through my long time friend and amazing cyclist, James. The two of them have been riding together for some time....

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Strobist:

Key - AB800 with Beauty Dish - Full Power (Camera Left - 8:00)
Rim - AB800 with 40 Degree Grid - 3/4 Power (Camera Right - 2:00)
Triggered via Alien Bees Cyber Syncs

Nikon D300
Nikon 24-70 2.8
24mm, 1/250 sec at f/11, ISO 200