Thanks, Popular Photography

Today started out like many days - wake, shower, dress, kisses goodbye, drive, coffee, email, catch up on blogs, etc.  Late in the morning, however, it got a nice boost when I received an email from Dan Bracaglia, Assistant Web Editor for Popular Photography.  Dan's note said an image I'd submitted to Popular Photography's Flickr pool was selected to be today's Photo of the Day on their website, www.popphoto.com  The image was one of several I'd recently added to the pool and, with busy days at work and home taking my focus elsewhere, promptly forgotten about.  Suffice it to say, unlike if I'd received a note from the IRS, I was very pleasantly surprised by Dan's note.  Thanks, Dan, and thanks Popular Photography for the recognition of this image:

At the same time that I'm thankful for this tiny bit of recognition, it shared billing with remembrance of two extraordinary men - photojournalists Ted Heatherington and Chris Hondros - who lost their lives in Libya while doing what they both loved to do.  Please keep their families and friends in your thoughts and prayers as they mourn these two men who used their passion and skills to help share stories that might otherwise have gone untold, and in doing so, to help make the world a better place.

The image above was taken in downtown Atlanta, late in the afternoon on a beautiful, sun-filled day.  Unfortunately, I'd been inside for most of the day, but for a very good reason: to attend the Atlanta stop of Joe McNally's and David Hobby's The Flashbus Tour.  Wow, what a day!  Either one of these guys for a day would be great, but both of them for a day was incredible.  Talk about drinking from a firehose!  But I digress - Joe and David are amazing and there's nothing I could say or write to underscore this fact any more. 

After the The Flashbus Tour event ended, a buddy and I took a photo walk around downtown Atlanta.  The sun was still bright, but dropping quickly, and the shadows cast as the waning rays danced through the streets of Atlanta created many compelling photo ops, including the one above.  The building is the iconic and oft-photographed structure originally known as The English-American Building, but more commonly referred to as The Flatiron Building.  More facts about it can be gleaned on the National Park Service's Atlanta site  I'd been hoping to capture a more traditional full-building shot with my long zoom, but the shot just wasn't coming.  I kept my eye on the building though, and as we walked closer, I noticed the shadows and light playing on the facade.  These elements coupled with unique window shapes, reflections off the glass, and the light color of the masonry immediately drew my eye, and it was then that I decided upon an abstract composition.  This shot was taken with the lens zoomed to 170mm in order to fill the frame and allow the image to become more about the symmetry of the scene and less about the building.  Lesson learned: If your gut tells you a shot is there, don't give up on it if you don't see it immediately.  Sometimes a change of perspective is all that is needed.  In my case, half a city block and a tighter zoom was the only change needed.

Post-processing was done in Lightroom and Nik Silver Efex Pro.

Thanks again, Dan, and Popular Photography for making my day a bit brighter by choosing this image as your Photo of the Day for April 21, 2011.

The Masters - Par 3 Tournament

As a golfer and fan of the game, and like so many others, I've always looked at The Masters as a magical, almost mythical, event.

The Masters, played at the equally esteemed and mythical club, Augusta National Golf Club, is unlike any other event and obtaining tickets to practice rounds and especially tournament rounds is beyond difficult.  Tournament tickets have officially been unavailable for years.  The only way to obtain one is through scalpers or the generosity of a Patron with a badge.  In case you're wondering, people who attend The Masters are officially referred to as "Patrons" - just one of the many facets & traditions of this tournament that make it special.  Through the generosity of friends, I've had the good fortune to attend The Masters twice - once on Friday and another time on a Saturday.  Both times were amazing.

Practice Round tickets are only available on a lottery basis.  After sending in my application and striking out for the past six or seven years, I finally lucked out for 2011 and was able to get tickets for myself, my son, and my father.  My father introduced me to the game of golf and we spent many, many hours playing rounds on various courses around US.

To be able to spend the day at such a special place with such special people is one of the highlights of my life.

As can be seen above, the crowds were very thick but everybody was in great spirits!

These fans from Australia know how to represent their Motherland.

Prior to playing in the Par 3 Tournament at The Masters, Arnold Palmer spent quite a bit of time on the balcony of a residence at Augusta and appreciated the many fans who stopped by to appreciate him.

Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus tally up the score after playing in the Par 3 Tournament at The Masters.  Seeing these two legends was wonderful.  Jack was one of my favorite golfers when I started playing the game and he remains so today; seeing him win the 1986 Masters, at the age of 46, was special!

The Blue Hour

Simply put, the "blue hour" is that special time when the sky transforms to a deep, deep blue, typically after the sun has set and prior to complete darkness.  The image below was taken on April 2, 2011 at 8:30PM; the sun set at 7:58PM.

Pentax K-5, ISO 100, F/32, 20s

 

Alexander

Several friends and I attended the Atlanta stop of The Flash Bus (http://www.theflashbus.com/) tour (David Hobby and Joe McNally on steroids) recently.  The event was held at the Georgia World Congress Center in the heart of the city.  In light of several other major events taking place the same day, repaving of one of the major interstates through the city, and Spring Breakers hitting the road early, we decided to head downtown early as well and avoid any traffic headaches.  This would also give us a chance to shoot for a bit prior to the event.

While milling around Centennial Olympic Park, I saw this gentlemen working intently at a bench under one of the public break areas.  He looked interesting and I wanted to take his photograph, so I asked for his permission.  With as pleasant a smile and response as a person could hope to receive from a stranger, he kindly said "Yes" and went back to work.  I snapped a few shots and then asked if he would look at the camera for a couple of shots.  Again, he complied with a graciousness that was almost unnerving.

After snapping the shots, I showed him the LCD, told him what a handsome face he had and thanked him.  I also asked his name and in a very heavy accent - not sure of the origin - he replied "Alexander," or so I think this is what I heard.  I asked, "Alexander?" and he smiled and said "Yes."  Based upon the notebook filled with loose papers, it was clear that Alexander was a busy man.  I'm also guessing that he is homeless, based upon the two suitcases that were sitting on the ground near the table.  Regardless, to look at him in this context, Alexander is you, Alexander is me - a human being with a purpose and a story.

We exchanged a few more pleasantries and I bid him adieu.

I am...

...so many things, but I am not (yet) a consistent blogger.  Since posting my last entry in October, much has happened - some of it bad like the death of our dog, Chess, but most of it good like the wonderful education I'm continuing to gain as a photographer.