Lesson Learned: Hats Are Still Bad

Once again, hats got the better of me. The very attractive girl on the right is almost totally shadowed by the brim of her hat. If it wasn't for Lightroom, her face would have been completely dark. That would have been a shame. I should have asked her to take off her hat. Better yet, I should have taken a cue from all the professional photographers around me and stuck my flash on the hotshoe to provide some on-axis fill light.

More Memory Equals More Freedom

I'm really happy that I bought more memory cards. It's nice shooting without having to worry about whether or not I should save space for future shots. At the Red Bull Soapbox Race, there was a constant parade of parents who wanted to have their kids taken in the racer. I knew I had plenty of space on my cards left, so I was able to accommodate everyone. Raw space is not the only benefit. Often, I'll replace the memory card in my camera with a fresh one even when the card isn't full. I do this because I don't want to be in a position where I have five shots left on a card and then a great opportunity opens up for me and I start shooting. Then five shots later, my card is full, so I have to stop shooting and waste time putting in a fresh card. I like to swap cards when there is a lull in the action, even if the card has 50 shots left (my cards can each hold about 250). Of course this wastes precious space, but I'm willing to do that if it means that I don't waste an opportunity to capture a great moment.

Panning, Part 2

At the Red Bull Soapbox Race, it was very crowded and I only had one opportunity to take an action shot of a soapbox racer. I decided to try panning again. I only had one chance and I blew it. The fire truck came down a blind corner, so I had to anticipate its arrival based on the cheering of the crowd. This proved to be very difficult. Even worse, I forgot to prefocus. Oh well, hopefully the race will come back to San Francisco next year, so I can devote more time for action shots.

I Still Wish I Had A Wider Lens

Last month I wished I had a wider lens, this month during the Red Bull Soapbox Race I again wished I had a wider lens. I usually "zoom with my feet", but there were so many people that I could not always back up as far as I wanted. Even if I could back up, there was a constant stream of people walking between my lens and my subject.

Point and Shoots Can Serve a Purpose

I didn't have a chance to create a post yesterday, because I was out with some of my lovely friends. As much as I hate missing a day blogging, I couldn't resist hanging out with these ladies. You can't blame me though. Though I had my DSLR, I left it in the bag and pulled out my point and shoot instead. Point and shoots have many disadvantages, but they have some very compelling advantages: 1. Easy to carry 2. Simple to operate 3. Non-threatening Because a point and shoot is easy to carry, I can take it anywhere. Because it is simple to operate, I'm more likely to use it, especially when I'm inebriated. I'm also more likely to ask someone to help take a photo with me in it. Because it is non-threatening (compared to a DLSR), I can take photos with it around people without them being suspicious of me. In certain situations, e.g. hanging out in a crowded bar, I definitely prefer having a point and shoot over a DSLR.

Red Bull Soapbox Race

This past Saturday I attended the Red Bull Soapbox Race in San Francisco. I was cheering on my friends who entered as team Eat My Sawdust. Here's a photo of their racer after its run. Notice the damage sustained by the front wheel. Viven, the driver, wasn't hurt. ;-) Tens of thousands of spectators descended upon Dolores Park to watch the races. It was breathtaking looking over this sea of humanity. I have more photos and more things I've learned coming in the next few days.

Lesson Learned: Watch the ISO

Ugh, I keep forgetting to keep track of the ISO. I don't set my camera on auto ISO, because I like to be in control as much as possible. Sometimes that's not good: Exposure info: 52.5mm focal length, 1/50 sec, f/2, ISO 100, 1:15 pm. Trying to capture nine people seated along a large table in a dark room with a long exposure time, large aperture, and high ISO was not a good idea. I don't have steady hands and people were moving, so along with long exposure time some of the people appear blurry. The large aperture also meant the depth of field was shallow, which didn't help the focus issue. If I had raised the ISO, then I could have decreased the exposure time and/or stopped down the aperture.