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I took the picture above during a 12 mile hike up to Lawn Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. I was looking to get a silky look in the water, but didn’t have a tripod with me at the time. So, I steady the camera in my hand on a large rock. I found that this is the slowest shutter speed I could acquire and keep the rock in the foreground in acceptable focus.
I’ve decided to broaden the focus of my blog (and then hopefully blog more often). I tend to look and listen for new web sites often. I thought it would be interesting to share some of them here (as well as my photos). For example, I found out about a fun, new social type of site this week. It’s called Hunch. If you haven’t played with it, you are in for some fun (that is if you like learning more about yourself!). The site asks you as series of questions (that you can choose to answer or skip). Then, based on your answers, you can ask it questions and it will give you answers and tell you how confident of it’s answer it is. The more questions you choose to answer the more accuracy it will likely have! For example, I asked what type of pictures I should practice taking next and it said flowers with 61% confidence. Like I said, it not always right Check it out and let me know about your experience with it.
The picture above is made up of three shots that didn’t make it into the newspaper from this years Baseball Semi-Finals game. This was the first time I was able to get into a game with credentials. It was really quite exciting for me. I owe a big thanks to Dick Bolton (photographer for the Morning Sun). When central Michigan landed 3 area teams in the Semi’s (Mt Pleasant, Beal City and Shepherd), and they were all playing on the same day, the paper needed an extra photographer to help them cover all three games. Dick had opened doors for me in the past to shoot Shepherd’s crowning of the Homecoming Royalty for the paper. Since I hadn’t screwed that up too badly, Dick called me and asked me if I would like to help them out – “Are you kidding?”, I said! Over came Dick with credentials to enter the dugouts during the game and a two page typed out explanation of what I was to do, how I was to do it, where I was to do it and when I was to do it! Most of it I was familiar with, but since this was my first time – I read it over and over and over (well, you get the picture!).
I shot about 400 images that Friday. A lot of that is due to shooting 9 frames a second on action photos. I submitted 5 images. The paper ended up printing two of them. One of those made the front page (WooHoo!). The three above, are the others that I submitted.
Shooting the game went fairly smoothly for me. The tense part came when I went up into the press box to upload my pictures. I plugged in my card reader so I could download my images, opened up Adobe Lightroom on my computer and nothing happened. I disconnected the card reader and then reconnected it, and still – no images. I started to panic – my life began flashing before my eyes. Well, not really – but I was getting more frustrated by the moment. In the end, another photographer loaned me his card reader. I always bring a backup body with me, now I will also have a backup card reader!
As a bonus (since we won the semi’s), I was able to use the credentials to shoot the state championship game (which of course we won!). Dick shot that game for the paper, so I was just there to have fun. It was a great opportunity and I loved every minute of it. Besides the shooting images, I had the best seat in the park!
Spring sports opened up their seasons this last week. That is everyone except Golf, they open up this coming week. Wednesday Baseball and Softball faced Frankenmuth in their season opener. Baseball swept their double header while Softball split. On Thursday, rumors where flying that there was suppose to be a UofM scout at the game watching the Mt Pleasant pitcher. Whether or not that was true, the game definitely lived up to it’s billing. Bluejays held a slim lead till the last innning when Mt Pleasant put up 4 to take a 3 run lead. But the Jays came back with 3 of their own in the bottom half to tie it up, lead by a Pifer dinger. Then in the 8th Colton flared a single to right scoring the winning run from third for the victory. Check out all the pictures in the galleries and leave your comments!
Check out the new Animoto Video below hilighting some of the weeks images!
We’ve been waiting for this moment since 1993, a Basketball District Championship in Shepherd! The Bluejays defeated Bullock Creek 66-52 (beating the Creek for the third time this season!). It wasn’t as easy as the final score looks. The Bluejays had a hard time getting the ball in the paint in the first quarter and when they did they appeared a little tight missing several puppy shots. This result in Jays trailing by as many as 7 points in the first quarter. But ‘Silver’ finally got the momentum going by dumping in a couple of threes. After getting the lead the Bluejays never trailed again in the game. In the second half they lead by as 14 points, but in the fourth the Creek cut the lead to 8. The Boy’s tightened the D down, forced a couple of turnovers to regain the double digit lead and never looked back from there.
Check out the pictures in the galleries. What was big in this game (as it has been all season), was the large, loud, cheering contingent of students. Thanks to David and Big John for organizing and leading the Bluejay Faithful. They’ve kept it positive and loud. In doing so, they helped lift the team in close games this season. Great job students!!
The video includes Channel 9&10’s coverage of the Alma game (both girl’s and boy’s). Also, you’ll find some words to wise from Coach Balzer and the cutting of the net by the seniors following the boy’s game. I see that I did screw up one title screen, try to ignore it. And, thanks to our videographer, Derek Yesmunt. Great job, Derek! Enjoy!
Spirit week was successful on many accounts. Bluejays were winners in most of the games this week, students dressed everyday wild outfits, and the weekending Spirit assembly was a blast! Friday was the last varsity home basketball games of year. Following a win by both the boys and girl’s teams, the seniors cut down the net! Channel 9&10 News recorded parts of both games and aired them on TV that night. With the Boy’s win over the Panthers, they are now 14-1.
Congratulations go to the Student Council for putting together and orchestrate the weeks activities. Paige and Nathan worked their butts off (along with their support staff). Be sure to thank them (if there still conscious!).
I visited the bowling team down at the 300 Bowling Ally in Alma on Saturday. I tried to take some pictures of them in action. I was able to get an angle on the boys, but due to the low lighting – I shot nothing worth posting. The girl’s I couldn’t even get close to. Bowling Alleys were definitely not set up with the idea that someone might want to watch the activity (or for that matter photograph it!).
The Wrestling team had their team districts in OE on Saturday. At post time, I still haven’t heard the results.
It was a great week. The boy’s basketball team won two more to take their record to 12-1. The Girl’s won their second crossover game against our favorite team to beat, the Ithaca Yellowjackets. Let’s see, that makes Cross Country, Football and now Basketball. I can’t wait til we pay them back in Baseball!
And then on Friday, at halftime of the varsity basketball game, Pom put on it’s annual Guy-Girl Routine. It was a 50s gaila and as you can see above they had fun with it. Only one problem, at the end of the routine they all pose in a group for the camera guy … and, well, he had the wrong lens. No picture. Sorry about that. But, I got lots of other pictures from the event. Check them out in the gallery or in the Animoto Video (below). If you would like a DVD hires copy of the video, see Mr Vee.
I was hoping to get to the Bowling Match on Saturday. But, I had a prior commitment – a date with my wife. I promise I’ll get out to one of your matches … soon.
Other galleries put up this week include Varsity Boy’s and Girl’s Basketball games. Check them out in the galleries.
This is a picture I took at a ‘Butterfly Farm’ in Costa Rica this summer. I’m using Pixelpipe (Pixelpipe.com) as a test upload to see if it will simultaneous upload this to my WordPress blog, facebook and Twitpic at the same time!
Check it out and let me know about your experience with it.
The picture above is made up of three shots that didn’t make it into the newspaper from this years Baseball Semi-Finals game. This was the first time I was able to get into a game with credentials. It was really quite exciting for me. I owe a big thanks to Dick Bolton (photographer for the 
We’ve been waiting for this moment since 1993, a Basketball District Championship in Shepherd! The Bluejays defeated Bullock Creek 66-52 (beating the Creek for the third time this season!). It wasn’t as easy as the final score looks. The Bluejays had a hard time getting the ball in the paint in the first quarter and when they did they appeared a little tight missing several puppy shots. This result in Jays trailing by as many as 7 points in the first quarter. But ‘Silver’ finally got the momentum going by dumping in a couple of threes. After getting the lead the Bluejays never trailed again in the game. In the second half they lead by as 14 points, but in the fourth the Creek cut the lead to 8. The Boy’s tightened the D down, forced a couple of turnovers to regain the double digit lead and never looked back from there.
Spirit week was successful on many accounts. Bluejays were winners in most of the games this week, students dressed everyday wild outfits, and the weekending Spirit assembly was a blast! Friday was the last varsity home basketball games of year. Following a win by both the boys and girl’s teams, the seniors cut down the net! Channel 9&10 News recorded parts of both games and aired them on TV that night. With the Boy’s win over the Panthers, they are now 14-1.
It was a great week. The boy’s basketball team won two more to take their record to 12-1. The Girl’s won their second crossover game against our favorite team to beat, the Ithaca Yellowjackets. Let’s see, that makes Cross Country, Football and now Basketball. I can’t wait til we pay them back in Baseball!
