PawPaw's

Here are some pictures from my grandparents' house. Shot all with a 50mm.

TO HELL WITH GEORGIA!

We did it! Finally, after seven years of losing to the sickening Georgia Bulldogs, Paul Johnson and the Yellow Jackets proved victorious last Saturday winning 45-42. In the cold, rainy drizzle, the Jackets stuck it out with Nesbitt running the "perfect" triple option and Dwyer and Jones rushing for a combined 358 yards. These two guys helped achieve the most rushing yards allowed by Georgia since Vanderbilt rushed for 415 in 1994. To see all the pictures from the game, visit my website.

New Photos & More to Come!

Hey guys. So I've been taking a lot of pictures. What's new. I've taken some portraits recently, but mainly sports and concerts. Some of the sports are football, basketball, and swimming. Also, I've been to several concerts in the last couple of months. Some of the bands I photographed are Underoath, Anberlin, and Mae.

I've got most of the pictures on my website, so check them out (here) and tell all your friends...

Thanks,
MTJ

Half Mast Show

After not taking any formal pictures in a few weeks, I shot a concert at the Masquerade in Atlanta on Wednesday night. A friend of mine plays in the band Half Mast and wanted some pictures of the show.
When I got there the lighting was a little challenging and forced me to really put my new Canon 50mm f/1.8 to the test. I was satisfied with what I got, but wish the lighting could have been better. Check them out on my site in"The Masquerade" gallery. The bands were Anchors, Ethanol, and Half Mast. Horse the Band was also playing on another stage at The Masquerade and there are a few pictures of them at the end of the set.

Georgia Yearbook EXPO 2008

Hey guys. Last week I went to the Georgia Yearbook EXPO 2008 hosted by Herff Jones (a company that makes yearbooks, Super Bowl rings, and other things). I took photography classes for most of the time from a guy named Tom Cannon. And yes, he shoots Canon. But he gave some very good tips on general photography, equipment, and photography links.

First, with photography:

• Simply remember to vary perspectives/angles. Also use framing with foreground/background objects.
• When using flash (as much as I hate the necessary evil), remember to adjust the FEC (Flash Exposure Compensation). Doing this will let you increase or decrease flash power. This is useful for shooting flash in mid-day sunlight by filling in harsh shadows on people's faces.
• Regarding light and flash, if you must use a flash, try to bounce the flash of of the ceiling or a wall. Basically, always try to avoid having a full frontal flash, which creates flat, abnormal pictures. What's more, when not using a flash and using available light, use some sort of reflector to minimize harsh, unwanted shadows. This allows you to control/bounce bright lights like the sun and use them to your advantage.
• He also taught the basic principle behind shooting in full Manual mode. First, set the metering mode to "spot." Second, adjust your aperture according to your desired depth of field and/or necessary lighting conditions. Third, take a spot reading on either a)Caucasian skin (EV+1) b)a patch of grass (EV 0) or c)African American skin (EV-1). This reading is located on the exposure level by the EV marker. Now you just adjust the shutter speed to properly expose the image. It may seem difficult, but once you master Manual mode, photography will never be the same.
• Use zone focusing (focusing on an object in the frame where you know the subject will be prior to the subject entering the frame). This is ideal for action shots or whenever you want to make sure your picture's in focus and you can't risk missing the shot. Some examples might be shooting up at a pole vaulter (focus on the pole and wait) or when a runner is coming by on a track (focus on the track and wait).
• Don't forget to use leading lines and other objects to lead to main subject.
• (For photojournalism) Try to always tell atleast two (2) different stories in a picture. That gives it more depth and more ways to relate.

Second, Tom Cannon gave some good tips on equipment:

• Some really good, budget lenses for Canon users: Canon 50mm f/1.8 - only about $90!!! The Canon 85mm f/1.8 (great for portraits). The Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD. Whatever you get, try to shop for fast lenses (lower f-numbers: 2.8, 1.8, etc.)
• Also, he said Quantam flashes were good for lower budget photographers as opposed to the higher end Canon brand.
• As mentioned above, a reflector is a very useful tool for shooting available light. Portable, collapsible reflectors made by companies like Lastolite can be bought for reasonable prices. But a far cheaper alternative (and very affective) is to buy a piece of $2 white, poster-sized foam board at a craft store. This will do the job as a reflector for next to nothing!

Third, he recommended some places on the web for purchasing, reviews, etc.:

• To make basically all your photography purchases, go to B&H Photo Video. They have great prices and great service. TAX FREE, too!
• DP Review is great for reviews of cameras, lenses, software, and other stuff.
• For used equipment, go to KEH.com based out of Marietta, GA.
• FredMiranda.com is another great photography site with forums galore.

I hope you guys enjoy these tips as much as I did at the Yearbook EXPO.