Thanks to the Marketplace at PentaxForums.com, I found a wonderful deal on a new-to-me lens last month. The Sigma 24mm f/1.8 is superb on a Pentax K20D body. 

Although I tend to stop down to around f/4 in most situations, the lens is quite capable of turning out crisp focus wide open. The peacock feather above was taken in ambient window light using f/1.7 (which the camera reports in EXIF data when the aperture is set to 1.8).

I've only really given it a test run with flowers and food so far, but I'm impressed already. Clean, dreamy bokeh. No purple fringing as far as I can see.

There are so many low-light instances were even a 50mm is too tight, and I'm glad to finally have an alternative to the kit lens in such situations. I look forward to putting it through the paces of capturing the atmosphere at sporting events and concerts where I typically spend all my time hunting close-cropped portraits with a telezoom.

Most people are in a factory from nine till five. Their job may be to turn out 263 little circles. At the end of the week they're three short and somebody has a go at them. On Saturday afternoons they deserve something to go and shout about.

- Rodney Marsh, 1969

In eighth grade, I wrote an essay devoted to my dream job.  In it, I declared I wanted to be a corporate lawyer, working my way up to a lofty position as CEO of Mead.  They owned the tallest building in my hometown of Dayton, Ohio, and I thought the view afforded from the top-floor corner office would be impressive. 

At other points, I was quite certain I'd become a teacher, an animal psychologist, Community Relations Director for the Dallas Cowboys, and/or an Academy Award winning actress. 

After a stint in pro sports, with degrees in marketing and English, I found myself outside the cubicle, spending each day being as creative as possible while still keeping my checkbook balance in the black.  Looking back, I'm sure I'd have hated life as a corporate lawyer.  Photographer?  Far better choice for my sanity (if not for my 401K). 

Reevaluating the dream job situation:  sign me up for the position of Official White House Photographer.  You get Top Secret security clearance, access to some of the most spectacular events on the planet, and the honor of witnessing and cataloguing the behind-the-scenes world of the First Family. 

Learn more about photographing the White House on their official photo page and in this outstanding PBS conversation featuring Susan Stamberg of NPR, Cecil Stoughton (White House photographer for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson), David Hume Kennerly (White House photographer for President Ford), and Diana Walker (White House photographer for Presidents Reagan and Bush Sr.).

Photo Caption: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama wear 3-D glasses while watching a TV commercial during Super Bowl 43, Arizona Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, in the family theater of the White House on Feb. 1, 2009. Guests included family, friends, Cabinet members, staff members and bipartisan members of Congress. 

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

I photograph things to see what they look like photographed.
- Robert Frank

{Reblogging from January 2011}

Editing photos from the University of Dayton vs. New Mexico men's basketball game today led me to consider the relationship between art and sports.  Reviewing my galleries, most sports editors would agree my work isn't always suitable for the news pages. And, frankly, I like it that way. 

I don't see a scene in terms of whether it follows all the rules for sports photojournalism (every frame needs a ball and face, for example).  Instead, I consider the available light, the personality of the subject, and the aesthetic of the form.  I photograph sports hoping to capture the beauty of the game, and that often means ignoring the box scores. Instead, I'm seeking moments which may or may not involve the star player and the game-winning shot.

Studying art history in college, I was drawn to baroque painting.  Though formal portraits, stark landscapes, and abstract splashes of color all have their merits, the candid movement and intensity from artists like Caravaggio most inspire me when it comes to photographing athletes.  The lights, the darks, and the passion motivate me to find similar scenes on the court.

Backdrops are enormously important in achieving this look.  Distractions can be minimized by shooting with a wide open aperture.  (The basketball shots here were taken at f/2.0.)  Well-placed, careful burning in post processing can be helpful as well. 

Perhaps most important is the venue.  Who hasn't seen the shots from Ali in the ring or Jordan taking flight in the old Chicago Stadium?  What helps those photographs stand out from the rest -- beyond the incomparable gravitas of the subjects -- is the jet black background.

UD Arena in Dayton offers such a stage.  The historic building, unveiled in 1969 and recently remodeled, has hosted more NCAA tournament games than any other venue in the nation.  Its house lights are always turned down, spotlights are centered on the court, and the scene resembles that of a prize fight.

On Saturday, I shot Dayton's double overtime 76-73 victory over the New Mexico Lobos.  Inexplicably graceful athletes, including standouts Chris Wright and Drew Gordon, combined with a cinematic location and passionate fans to create a perfect setting.

Although college basketball isn't as dangerous as an historic battle or as choreographed as a performance of The Nutcracker Suite, many of its freeze frames can be just as striking.

Consider these examples:

Caravaggio, The Taking of Christ (1602)

David Gandy, Boston Conservatory Ballet (2005)

Andrea Nay, Basketball (2011)
 

Readers, what motivates your style of shooting?  Is it the editorial requirement for an assignment?  Artists of other mediums?  The imagery from a particularly memorable dream you had last night?

Sports fans, which do you prefer seeing in your daily paper?  Stock issue photographs from the foul line, or an artistic look at sports from a different point of view?

More of my sports imagery may be found in my portfolio.

This collection of Whitney Houston's casette tapes serves as proof that I really do keep everything. Played these today and am having trouble choosing a favorite song. "How Will I Know" (which I recorded at SoundTracks in fourth grade for my birthday), "Didn't We Almost Have It All," "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," etc.

The happiest by far is "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." The remix is fantabulous.

What about you? Memories to share?

The SoundTracks experience comes with a story. I wanted to sing "Papa Don't Preach," but my parents thought Madonna was a poor role model and the lyrics were too suggestive. Instead, they let me record a Whitney Houston song and bought me her first record (the little orange number in the photo). I played that tape until it began to warble.

Now, 28 years later, Madge and Whitney are in the news together. One for pulling off a show stopping performance in the Super Bowl, and the other for finding heaven far to soon.

Sweet dreams, Whitney.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer met again last night in the Australian Open Semifinals. I have no idea who won. Setting my alarm to watch at three thirty in the morning local time seemed a bit obsessive, so I settled for the tape delayed version on ESPN today. 

As I watch these gladiators bring their storied rivalry into a new year, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have seen them both play live multiple times from courtside and interact with fans and media both on and off the court. {Photo passes do have their privileges.} These two men are among -- if not the -- best players to have ever touched a racquet. By all accounts, they are friends. However, in so many ways, Fed and Rafa are polar opposites. 

Nadala (as I tend to call him after hearing excited little kids in France scream after him with the emphasis on the "la") is the Energizer Bunny. He hits with ferocity, scampers around the baseline, and screams to himself, his box, and the heavens after nearly every point. 

Federer, by contrast, is nearly always cool, calm, and composed. He epitomizes grace under pressure, rarely breaking a sweat. His shots are carefully calculated, swift, and efficient. His fans post a telling banner at tournament after tournament: "Quiet, please. Genius at work."

Off the court, both players are generous with their time, allowing every opportunity to sign autographs after matches and organize fundraising exhibitions for charities.

With the media, it's different. Federer speaks impeccable English, French, and Swiss German (his native tongue), and he comes across as refreshingly honest during interview sessions. Perhaps not in the sound bytes you hear on the news, but certainly when you hear his complete answers and see his inflection in person. Nadal, by contrast, is more reserved. He smiles, he laughs, he tries to be comfortable . . . but his English is a work in progress, so he chooses from a standard set of answers and rarely deviates from the script. In this case, it's Nadal's turn to conserve emotion.

Do I have a favorite? Absolutely. 

Federer gets the nod for several reasons. He doesn't make me nervous -- unlike Nadal's frenetic pace. Like me, he's faced mono later than usual in life and at the height of his game.  Although most of us are smitten by Nadal's boyish charm, Federer presents himself as a seasoned gentleman. And most of all, I appreciate the fact that even after marrying the love of his life and welcoming twin girls, Federer is as competitive as ever. (Fatherhood, by the way, is a stark rarity among active players.)

Now that I've jinxed the Maestro, shhhh. Quiet please. I've got tennis to watch. Don't tell me the score!

Photo Credits: Andrea Nay (Left: Rafael Nadal, 2011 Western & Southern Open; Right: Roger Federer, 2010 Western & Southern Open)

We're all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness - and call it love - true love.

- Robert Fulghum