I figure I share a little bit of the Tidal Basin shoot experiences.

 


The night before I set everything up on my big camera bag (it is a lot easier to distribute the weight comfortably on the big backpack comparing with the smaller one when it is completely loaded), and went to bed…

4:30 AM – Alarm rings, I turned it off and stretched…

5:30 AM – I actually wake up, curse the gods of alarms, and the scientist (for not yet given me a time manipulation field) equally, and start getting ready.

The original plan called for a 5 o’clock arrival to DC, I was going to park at Union Station, get a coffee, perhaps a pastry, and then take a cab to the Tidal Basin area… Instead, I arrived to DC at 6 AM, parked in Ohio Drive (you’re not supposed to do that until 8 AM), and ran to the Tidal Basin area (with a total lack of caffeine in my system) to meet with Kevin (seriously, check this guy’s HDR work).

Then off course, I ran into a bit of problems with my chosen focal length (I recently mentioned that I only carry the 50 and a 85mm now… well, what I forgot to mention was this)

my 50 took a fall

So I was left with the 85mm as my primary lens… not the best of options.
Anyway, I took a ton of pictures, I borrowed Kevin’s 17-40 and made some more panos, and life was good.



I decided that I was gonna go back, and hopefully the blossoms would be out, Kevin went today and said that there were some, but hopefully tomorrow would be better (it will be the last time I go out this season), and I’m bringing this puppy with me.



So testing for review, and perhaps future purchase… we will see.

Please check Kevin’s site for more pictures, also, Gilmar Smith started a blog (if you haven’t seen her shots… go do that now… fine, HERE), subscribe, and I am really waiting for her to start posting lighting diagrams and tutorials… it is very promising.

Here are some more pictures from the weekend.






Thank you very much for reading,

Andres Trujillo
Photographer

Writing is hard

 

 

Well, I’ve been absent for a bit, in my defense, I didn’t have much to write about (I’ve gone to Florida, Florida has come here, I had a couple of snow storms, and I’m getting good at grappling again).

This past weekend I met with Kevin (his HDR work is AMAZING), and we took some pictures of the Tidal Basin at sunrise, I’m happy (ish) with my shots, but I’m waiting for Kevin to publish his and frustrate the heck out of me.

I'm long overdue for a review of Fundy Software's suite, I switched computers and I'll admit that I haven't fully used the software since I got it. Also, I got a couple of toys for my lighting (an umbrella style octa, and a Cheetah Stand tri-flash bracket) that I will too review (as soon as I get a subject in front of my camera).

In the meantime, here are a few more pics:

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Ranting and Healing (now with pictures)

I feel like I need to go back to Florida, for a little bit, and photograph some Judo action.
I haven’t been with the pack since last summer (I actually went for much more important reasons), and stayed with a good friend and coach in Boca Raton, I was supposed to take some pictures for them:


but somebody else showed with a camera and I only got a couple of test shots before I realized that I rather do Judo (Above is Bill Hudson Sensei, at Delray Judo Club), but I really want to go back and take another shot at them.

Street photography is another thing that I’ve been missing since I stopped working in the district, I really need to get my ass in gear and take some more shots, here are some of my favorites:























I just got done going thru most of my images from last year, and I will be archiving them (and not looking at them for a while), so as to force myself to take new pictures (as opposed to relying on older ones when I need an image for the blog).

I’ve spent some time feeling down on my photography, guess it happens to us all, but after a couple of jobs last year (that didn’t go the way I was planning), and after putting so much time on networking, to get basically nothing in return, I guess I felt that my idea of becoming a “pro” was never gonna come to fruition… and it sucks, but recently I have become a little more aware of something I’ve known for a long time… I will be taking pictures one way or another, and whether I get pay for it or not, it doesn’t change that I’ve been doing this since day fucking one for the love of the craft, and to become better at it. Getting published/paid for what I love to do would be great, but it won’t be defining of who I am as a photographer.

On a positive note, I did do a couple of free portrait sessions with two performers last year (a comedian and a musician), that I was fairly happy with the end result, and it taught me the value of planning ahead for a session.

First off, Mike Smith (go to his “Home” page and watch the video of his performance in Baltimore)





and now, Johnny “Jet” Del Rosario





And here are a couple of shots from the The IPI (International Psychotherapy Institute) dinner gala (thanks to Darin Del Rosario who is an excellent photographer in his own right (and taught me a lot about event photography), and his wife,Fran Bilotta):





I will continue to take this little “jobs” to further my photography technique, and to try and learn new things, on a setting that offers little to no risk.

Also, my favorite person in the world, Pat started her new blog, it is in Spanish, but you can go and see the pictures (and she speaks English, so go ahead and ask her shit). Also, she bought a new lens and had it delivered to me until she gets here in a couple of weeks (Canon 70-300 IS), and I gotta say, I love that lens. I miss the Macro capabilities of my shitty Tamron (that will get replace this year), but between the IS, and the sharpness, I’m loving this lens (although, just like the Tamron, it is pretty soft on the far end of the zoom [and, just like the Tamron, I gotta stop it down to at least F/8 to get usable shots]). I will be posting some shots taken with the new lens soon.

If you made it this far, thank you, I know it was a long rant, here are the rest of my favorite shots from last year (in no particular order):
 













And here’s to a better year in photography (6 months into it)…
Andres Trujillo
”Photographer”