Tom's Blog

Reno Wheelmen Aircenter Criterium Photography – Camera Perspective

Thomas D Compton — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:54:25 +0000

Last night concluded the 2009/2010 Twilight Road Series sponsored by the (link) Reno Wheelmen. I have been shooting the cycling club events here in Reno for several seasons now.

One of the biggest challenges is how do I keep growing as a photographer when I shot the same venue? Perspective.

Last night I went out with my flash gear but the light was so nice I shoot until Twilight using available light. So armed with nice light I played a lot with perspective. I moved around the course to shoot. Some Images I took from a high vantage point, some low. Sometimes I held the camera horizontal, others vertical, and others on a 45°. These turned out to be my very favorite images.

Jordon McElroy Riding for Paco's Nikon D3 | 70-200 f/2.8 | 1/1000 sec f/5.6 ISO 200

Reno Wheelmen | Nkon D3 | 70-200 f2.8 | 1/800 sec f/5.6 ISO 200

I like both of these images. The top image of Jordon was shoot from standing on a sign to get higher up. The second shot low with the camera tilted for perspective.

It has been a fun year.

To see other images from this event please click here: http://www.thomascompton.com/galleries/Road_Cycling/20100831/

Thanks for following along,

Tommy

Bicycle Racing Photography Using 1 SB900 Hot Shoe Flash

Thomas D Compton — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:59:28 +0000

I had Tuesday off from work allowing me the time to get up to Truckee, California in time to photograph the Reno Wheelmen Twilight Series Boca Road Race.

The race is an out and back course starting at the Boca Reservoir and winding along a river then climbing up to the Stampede Dam. I chose to shoot about 3/4 of the way up the climb.

Since this is an out and back course, I had once chance to shoot the riders going up, and once coming down. The race started at 6pm. I was about 7 miles up the road so I figured the riders would reach me about 6:30 – 6:45.

I was shooting in the shade but when I panned the camera I noticed a variance of about 3 stops of light. With that in mind I chose to shoot in Aperture Priority so the change in light would change my shutter speed, not my aperture setting. The following images were made using my Nikon SB 900 Hot Shoed to my D3. I was shooting a 28-70 f/2.8 Nikor Lens zoomed all the way out to 70mm. I zoomed the flash head out to 105mm and changed the light distribution pattern from Even to Center Weighted. This gave me more fall off to the sides and a little more punch to the image. I really like the results.

Boca Road Race Nikon D3 | 28-70 f/2.8 Nikor Lens | 1/160 sec f/5.6 ISO 200 | SB900 Speedlight Hot Shoe Mount

After shooting the climb I figured I had about a half hour before the riders would begin descending towards me. By this time the light had changed, the sun was behind the mountains and it was full twilight, very little light. The riders would be coming at me pretty fast, I would guess 40 to 45 mph. I changed up my mode to Shutter Priority and took this image at 1/200th sec with the same flash settings.

Rider during Descent Boca Road Race | Nikon D3 | Nikor 28-70 f/2.8 | 1/200 sec f/2.8 ISO 200 | Nikon SB900 Speedlight Hot Shoe Mounted

Shooting at f/2.8 was a little risky. If I did not nail the critical focus point (riders eyes), the rider would be soft and not sharp. I am very happy with this result.

Thanks for following along. To see more of the images from this event please go to : http://www.thomascompton.com/galleries/Road_Cycling/20100824/

Tommy

Sierra Nevada Hill Climb Time Trial Series, Mt Rose Front Side 08-08-2010

Thomas D Compton — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:09:54 +0000

Got up bright and early yesterday morning. Pounded my espresso and was on the road by 7:15 am to set up for my shoot.

Today the riders would take on the front side of Mt. Rose to the summit. The course record is right around 1 hour. I figured that would put the first rider in my area around 8am. I picked my shooting location-at the “S” turn below Tannebaum just above the switchbacks. To see all images in my photo gallery please click this link. As always please click on image to see the image in large format.

Sierra Nevada Hill Climb Time Trial Series Mt Rose Front Side 08-08-2010 Nikon D3 | 70-200 f/2.8 VR Lens | Off Camera Flash | 1/200 sec f/9.0 ISO 200

Today I would be shooting my Nikon D3 with my 70-200 f/2.8 VR Lens. All images were captured using off camera flash (2 SB800s, 1 SB900 mounted to a mono block and triggered with Elenchrom Skyport triggers) I have also started using Michael Bass design sync cables which allow me to split the signal from the Elenchrom Receiver three ways. These cables are really awesome (Michael Bass Link).

From my vantage point I could see riders coming through the switchbacks. While waiting this AC Cobra came up the road. Hot August Nights was ending today in Reno.

AC Cobra on The Mt Rose Highway Hot August Nights Nikon D3 | 70-200 f/2.8 VR Lens | Off Camera Flash | 1/200 sec | f/9.0 | ISO 200

All in all I was ok with the shoot.

Sierra Nevada Hill Climb Time Trial - Mt Rose Front Side 08-08-2010 | Nikon D3 | 70-200 f/2.8 VR Lens | 1/250 sec | f/8.0 | ISO 200 | Off Camera Flash

To critique myself, I liked my framing and focus but would probably change up the lighting scheme. For this type of event I do like on camera flash using TTL. I had some natural side light from the east and I was facing southeast. I think using on camera flash would have limited the shadows on the face of the riders. I would welcome your thoughts.

Thanks for following along.

Tommy

Squaw Valley Wild Flowers In Full Bloom

Thomas D Compton — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:59:26 +0000

I took the opportunity to go up to Squaw Valley and ride the Tram to Highcamp (link) on Monday. I was hoping to find the wildflowers in full bloom and they were.

If you like hiking in the high country I would really recommend this. You can make the hike up from the bottom and ride the car down, or do as I did and ride the car up.

There are many hiking trails that are out and back hikes. You can hike up to Siberian Ridge which overlooks the Sierra. I chose to hike down to Shirley Lake and back.

As always, click to enlarge my images.

Shirley Lake Squaw Valley Summer 2010

As I hiked out I did a little Bouldering. I came accross these wildflowers . . .

Wildflowers

As I was heading back to Highcamp, I wandered into the Wildflowers and captured this image . . .

Wild Flowers at High Camp, Squaw Valley, California 07-19-2010

If you had not had a chance to experience this hike, I highly recommend it. You can even go swimming after hiking and the tram runs till 8pm.

Thanks for following along,

Tommy

The Beauty of The Sierra Range

Thomas D Compton — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 04:02:58 +0000

Wild Flowers | Nikon D3 | 28-70 f/2.8 | 1/90 f/19 ISO 200

As always please click to enlarge

Plumas National Forest | Nikon D3 | 70-200 f/2.8 | 1/45 f/19 ISO 200

Frazier Falls Plumas National Forest | Nikon D3 | 70-200 f/2.8 | 1/6 f/22 ISO 200

Frazier Falls from Lookout Point | Nikon D3 | 70-200 f/2.8 | 1/30 f/8 ISO 200

Sierra Butte | Nikkon D3 | 70-200 f/2.8 | 1/20 f/19 ISO 200 | Polarizer Filter Attached

Sierra Creek Plumas National Forest | Nikon D3 | 28-70 f/2.8 | .7 f/22 ISO 200 | Polarizer Attached

It was a wonderful day. Thanks for following along.

Tommy

Mt Rose with Car Streaks

Thomas D Compton — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:02:18 +0000

There are all kinds of people. Some people love the ocean & sandy beaches. Some love the city, others the prarie. Me, I am a Mountain Boy. I am so blessed to live in such an amazing place. The Tahoe Rim and Mt Rose are 20-25 minutes from my home.

It has been hot here in Reno and getting hotter every day. We are supposed to hit 100 degrees by Friday. Even though I can look out and see the Rim from my house, I felt the walls closing in on me today. I Had to get out, even if for a short time.

I had originally planned on attending a music production tonight-a part of our month long celebration of the art in Reno “Artown.” But, I wanted fresh air, pine forests and a cool breeze so I grabbed my camera and headed up to Mt. Rose around 8 pm.

I thought I would use the serpentine roads to create some fun headlight and tail light streaks. I set up for this first shot just below the East Bowl turn off.

As always, click to enlarge the image

Tailights on The Mount Rose Highway Camera Nikon D3 | 28-70 f/2.8 | ISO 200 1/20th sec f/20

As the Mosquitos and I were waiting for the light to fall I noticed that there was a Crescent Moon tonight. After capturing the above image I tore up the road looking for a good angle to shoot Mount Rose (not the ski area) with the Moon and Stars. It turned out that the parking lot of Sky Tavern afforded the best angle. The moon was dropping like a rock but I got there in time.

Mount Rose Silhouette with A Crescent Moon Nikon D3 | 28-70 f/2.8 | 1/30th f/18 @ ISO 1000

It felt so good in the Mountains. It was 60 degrees at 9,000 feet compared to the 80 degrees in town. I had to throw on my Monkey Fleece.

Thanks for following along.

Tommy

2010 Tour de Nez Cycling Classic

Thomas D Compton — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:13:01 +0000

The Mighty Tour de Nez rolled into town last week. What a great event.

The 3 Stage Tour started with an Individual Time Trial in Sparks, Nevada. This was followed by The Winfield Park Criterium in downtown Reno, Nevada and concluded with a Village Criterium at Northstar at Tahoe.

I will be showing you my favorites but if you would like to see more please click on this link to view all my event galleries from the Tour de Nez. Link to Galleries

I walked the course starting at The Nugget in Sparks. I found a corner where I had natural light from the west to side light the riders but also elected to use on camera flash.

Note: to view these images in a large format please click on the image with your mouse.

Thea Rosa of Cool, CA Stage One 2010 Tour de Nez. Nikon D3 | 1/800th | f/5.6 | ISO 200 | On Camera Flash TTL

The athletes that compete belong to the US Handcycle Association. To learn more about the sport, the athletes and how you can help please visit their site (Link). To learn about Tour Director Tim Hileon’s vision for this event please visit the Tour de Nez web site at this (link).

There was also a Women’s Pro and Men’s Pro field.

Then the Under 23 Juniors

Alredo Cruz of Herbalife LaGrange on Course Stage One 2010 Tour de Nez | Nikon D3 | 1/1250th sec f/5.6 | ISO 200 | On Camer Flash TTL

Pro 1-2 Males:

Day two consisted of a Downtown Criterium in Reno, Nevada. The riders rode through parts of the West Street District and Winfield Park.

Master’s 35/45 were first up followed by Handcycle, Women’s Pro, and at 7:30 pm the Pro Men.

Stage Three was held in the Village at Northstar at Tahoe. What a great venue. Cobbled avenues, nice people, great hosts – Wow

To take my final image I was sitting on a hay bale in the “Fall Zone.” If a rider would have gone down, I would have to jump out of the way. Have to live dangerously to get this angle. The riders are going 45-50 as they enter the turn.

I hope my images gave you the flavor of the event. It is an amazing Bike Race. Speed, Color, Effort and Agony. I love this sport.

More later,

Tommy

Why I Mainly Shoot in Aperture Priority

Thomas D Compton — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 04:26:57 +0000

I have considered writing this article over last couple of days. Why would you choose to shoot in Aperture Priority the majority of the time?

I know for some of you this is something obvious, while to others of you it may be something you are trying to sort out. I would like to share my take on this idea.

I have been shooting for about six or seven years with the last two years at a serious level. I would not be where I am today without the help of my fellow photographers (Dan, Fielding, Brian Peterson to name a few) to bounce ideas and questions to. Also, I want to pay tribute to Kelby Training (link) and N.A.P.P. (link). With the help of Kelby Training I can take video classes on Photoshop, Lightroom, or learn lighting techniques from Joe McNally (link) and post questions on Forums. This has put me lightyears ahead of where I would be without them.

Now I heard this idea again and again “I almost always shoot in Aperture Priority.” Okay I thought, if they do I should too.

I heard this from Sports shooters, Landscape photographers, Portrait Photographers. It was a common theme. Okay, why? Why not Manual? Why not Shutter Priority, especially for Sports?

Well let’s start with a basic premise, one of the first artistic decisions you need to make when you pick up the camera is how much depth of field do you want or need for the shot. That goes for you too Sports Shooters.

As an example, I have made the mistake of selecting a too shallow depth of field while photographing ski races. Often I find myself in low light situations during the winter months. I shoot a Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR EDS lens for these events. This allows me to shoot at f/2.8 no matter what zoom length I am shooting. Natural assumption that in low light shoot wide open (f/2.8) right? Not so much. If I do not nail the critical focus point (the athletes eyes) while they are moving at speeds up to 50 mph, they will be out of focus! So the first artistic decision you will want to make is what Depth of Field you need. If I am shooting a single bicycle racer on the course f/5.6 will probably be fine. If I am photographing a pack of riders at f/5.6, the leaders will in focus and the rest of the group blurred. An f-stop of f/8 or higher would be better.

What about shutter speed you ask? Well, that is another decision you need to make. How much do you need? Are you trying to freeze action ( 1/500th sec or higher). Are you trying to show motion with blur? If so, a slower shutter speed is in order. So what happens if you are in low light and have of Aperture setting of say f/5.6 but you want a fast shutter speed of say 1/500th sec or even 1/1000th sec to freeze water and snow?

Your ISO now enters the equation. Today’s cameras will allow you to shoot at higher ISOs and still retain low or reasonable noise levels. So raise your ISO value until you get a shutter speed you want with little or no noise. That’s the balance.

Okay but you did not answer why Aperture Priority, why not Manual? Why not Shutter Priority. Well here is what I have found.

If you are in a controlled environment where your light is constant and you can control the light-shoot Manual if you want. But what happens if you are outside and shooting action? Cars, bicycles, skiers, snow boarders, horses, etc? You could set up where it is bright and pan on your subject while they move into the shade. There could be three stops or more light difference. That’s where Aperture Priority comes into play. Aperture Priority will vary your shutter speed automatically to keep your f-stop and maintain a proper exposure. But what if you do not want your shutter speed to fall too low?

Consider Auto ISO. Auto ISO allows the camera to raise the ISO if it needs to in order to keep your shutter speed within a range you set. As an example, you could set Auto ISO to a limit of say 800 and your shutter speed within 1/250th sec on the low end and 1/1000th sec on the high end and still maintain your creative f-stop.

Give it a try. Go out and shoot, experiment. Good old trial and error. That’s how we learn and improve our art form.

Thanks for following along,

Tommy

Reno Saturday Night

Thomas D Compton — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 05:59:26 +0000

Last week I mentioned an Icon of Photography, Jay Maisel (link). Jay walks the streets of New York City daily shooting life as it happens before him. Jay is always dressed in black (shirt, Levi 501s, and Shoes) so he will not be highly reflective in building windows (good tip). Jay teaches to stop- if you reach a point of interest. A building with nice texture for a background, etc. Wait, don’t hurry, a subject of interest could come to you. He looks for people, buildings, anything that might make an image “Pop.” Jay is not afraid to approach people and ask for their permission to take their image, but he also shoots a lot of candid images.

After watching Jay at work I made a commitment to myself that if I did not have a scheduled shoot on Saturday that I would do a photographic walk. Today is week two.

I went out after 5pm today and drove up to a Regional Park off Wedge Parkway.

I was looking for a Soccer game in order to exercise my eye and work on my skill with moving subjects.

There were no games going on but I did see to guys working out with a ball. I headed down to the field and asked if I could photograph their workout. Turns out the Father who moved here from Hungary is also a photographer. He shoots a Nikon D700 and has attended a Location Lighting seminar with Joe McNally (link). Not to digress, but Joe McNally is one of my heros. Anyway got permission to shoot the session with his boys. I used my SB900 flash hot-shoed to my camera using I-TTL/Auto FP so I could shoot above 1/250th sec.

Nikon D3 ISO 200 1/750 sec f/5.6 Flash I-TTL Auto FP

I shot 100 frames with this family-then headed downtown to see what I might find.

I parked and walked up Sierra Street. As I came up to 1st Avenue I saw three people on green bikes. Now, I am not being Candid here. I am wearing my Khaki shorts and flip flops, no black for me. I am shooting a medium telephoto lens with a hot shoe mounted flash and dome diffuser. I kind of stick out if you know what I mean. I fired off a couple of frames.

Wedding on Bikes

I later found out that these riders were part of a large wedding party (literally) on bikes. The bride and groom rode by on a tandem, but I missed the shot.

As I headed down 2nd Street I came across people dressed as Pirates. So I asked “How come you all are dressed like Pirates?” They told me that there was a Pirate Pub Crawl tonight so most of the downtown bars were filled with “Pirates.” I asked if I could take their portraits and they gladly complied.

Pirate Pub Crawl, Reno, Nevada Nikon D3 Aperture Priority 1/60 f/5.6 -.5EV ISO 200 Flash I_TTL Fill Flash

I then headed down to the River and came across a group of kids skate boarding. One of the boarders was pretty good. Don’t know the name of the trick he performed but I approached him and asked “would you like me to take your picture doing that trick again?” He asked if my camera could shoot a bunch of frames and said he would give me one shot. He asked if I thought I could get it? I said “yeah, I think so” and through the camera into continuous high (11 frames/sec) flicked the flash off and said “hit it.” He chimped the back with me and said “Oh Yeah!” and gave me the fist!

Skate Boarder Nikon D3 Aperture Priority 1/90 sec f/4.8 Release set to Continous High

I decided to walk down to West Street Market. I love this area of Reno. Tonight was no different. Nice people, great music. Lots to shoot. The music was performed by a Community Jazz Band. I asked if I could take some pictures and the Pianist waved his head, okay!

Jazz Hands. Nikon D3 Aperture Priority 1/90 sec f/2.8 Flash I-TTL Fill

Jazz Pianist, Nikon D3 Aperture Priority 1/20 sec f/4.0

Bass Player, Commuity Jazz Band playing West Street Market, Reno, Nevada Nikon D3 Aperture Priority 1/60 sec f/3.3 ISO 200

It was a good day. a good afternoon of shooting followed by a great night of shooting. I love the diversity of people, the energy and vibrancy of Reno.

Thanks for following along.

Tommy

Walking The Street and Learning to “See”

Thomas D Compton — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 03:59:52 +0000

For those of you who follow my ramblings, you know that I have been pushing myself and the envelope of my photographic knowledge. This art form never lets you rest. There is always something to learn, something new to experience.

I love photography. I love to catch the moment, and oh boy how many moments do I miss. Like the scateboarder being pulled up the street by a Vespa-ops!

I do not want to stagnate and I want to continue to push myself artistically. I love to shoot sports, but I do not want to stay in my comfort zone. I was watching a Kelby Training Video (Link) on ” A Day with Jay Maisel.” (Link). Jay Maisel is a Street Photographer living and working in New York City. He teaches to walk and see. See the people, see the moment and capture the moment. So today I vowed to go walk the street and just see what happens.

I parked along Sierra Street in Reno and headed down to West Street Market. (Please click on a photo to enlarge)

Scooter at The Market

As I entered the Market from the Alley, I noticed this scooter parked along the wall. I rounded the corner and saw this Gentlemen sitting in a chair enjoying his Cigar. Now I work with people everyday which gives me a distinct advantage in approaching people. Some photogs never do. So, I approached him and asked his permission to take his photograph. He happily complied. Now I have to mention I was turned down a couple of times tonight. You just have to keep asking.

Enjoying the Cigar

As I walked around the corner onto West Street, I encountered Rick the Security Guard on site. He asked how David was doing and I shared how great David is doing and how much he loves the Navy. Rick is a retired Marine Sargent that I got to know last summer. I headed down to the water and came across this old VW Truck. Friend of mine back in the day drove one of these. Said it handled like a Rhinoceros on a wet clay bank.

Old V.W.

I headed down to the River level by Java Jungle and came across some musicians playing Guitar.

Guitar on The River

Headed down to the basketball courts on the River. Always have loved the murals here. Found this pickup game and shot a couple of frames:

Basketball at the Park, Winfield Park Reno, Nevada

I wandered through the park up to Sierra Street. I came across a Restaraunt featuring live Jazz and asked the hostess if I could come onto the patio and take some pictures of the musicians. Nice light, nice background, nice music. Summer in Reno.

Music on the River

As I rounded the corner to my car, I man was crossing the street with Golf Clubs on his back. Must of just wrapped up because no where to hit a ball down here.

Golfer on Sierra Street Reno, Nevada

More later,

Tommy