Mary Weiland Photography - A Lighter Side: 2009

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Going on VACATION! Check back Jan. 19

I'm going to Argentina for 2 weeks (YAY!), and will be too busy dancing the tango, drinking wine, hanging with the gauchos, and hiking around Patagonia to post to my blog :)

I've got 42GB worth of memory I'm taking with me, along with my Nikon D90 and D80 infrared conversion, and 4 lenses...including my last minute splurge: the new 10-24mm Nikon lens!!! Check back with me on January 19 for the first of many Argentina posts. In the meantime, have a very happy New Year!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Happy Holidays

Not too much to write, but just wanted to share some pics I shot after the massive amounts of snow DC received last weekend. The shot of the Capitol Building is not very original, but it's still a beautiful site - especially for Christmas. The black and white infrared of the Potomac River was taken along Ohio Drive, looking towards Memorial Bridge. I hope you enjoy, and have a happy holiday season!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Friday, December 18, 2009

Just an Experiment

I rarely have my camera with me at all times due to the nature of my workplace as well as commuting to work via public transportation instead of my car. But, I drove to work earlier this week to take care of some things after and threw my camera in the trunk just in case. There weren’t any just-in-case moments, but I figured since I had my camera, I might as well park myself somewhere for a few minutes and shoot.

Being that I love “painting with light” and knew lights from airplanes would make nice streaks across the evening sky, I ended up at Gravelly Point Park – just at the bottom of the runway at National Airport. It’s a great place to watch planes take off or land, as they are literally right on top of you. Picture the scene from Wayne’s World. I always thought it would be fun to shoot there, so I gave it a try.

I didn’t have my long lens with me, so these were shot using an f/2.8 17-50mm lens and then enlarged. I played around with the settings, but had a rough time. The faster shutter speed freezes the motion better, but the slower shutter speed is what allows for the streaking…which in turn blurs the movement of the planes. It produces an almost dizzying effect. Needless to say, this was just an experiment and these are not the most exciting shots. I need to figure out the best combo and try again with my long lens, but this is what I have for now. My one observation while looking at the pictures - I think it’s interesting that the wings of the planes look skeletal. I also found a spec on each shot and will need to figure out if it’s in the camera or the lens. Grrrr.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Arlington National Cemetery

On Saturday, I went to Arlington National Cemetery and participated in the Wreaths Across America project. It was a humbling experience to pay respect to our deceased warfighters and their families, reflect on their contributions to our country, and remember them through the laying of evergreen wreaths on their gravesites. The speeches given at the opening ceremony were incredibly touching, especially one by a Gold Star Mother who described the pain of losing her son to the current war and her efforts to do all she can so that he will never be forgotten.

I brought both my Nikon D90 and infrared-converted Nikon D80 to the event. I didn’t take pictures during the laying of wreaths, but took pictures after the three truckloads of wreaths had been distributed. My intention was to take both color and infrared pictures, but I ended up only taking infrareds. I may go back this Saturday with my D90 and get some color shots – the red bows on the evergreen wreaths were beautiful and should be captured. It just so happened that by the time the wreath-laying was over, it was late morning and the sun was strong.

Some of the pictures in this post didn’t have to be shot using infrared. Part of me was experimenting since this was only my second time using the converted camera and I’m getting an idea for what I like and don’t like. And, in all honesty, some things happened so quickly (like the changing of the guards), that trying to use both cameras was more of an ordeal than I wanted. I have easy access to the cemetery, and knew in the back of my mind that I could come back anytime for another photo shoot.

Some conclusions from the day's shoot: I think the tombstones, grass and leafless trees in winter look especially cold and eerie with infrared. I do not think people look much different in infrared than regular black and white. This is okay to me – I think it still makes for a nice documentary shot, but the specialty of infrared really lies with foliage. I like the look of the street signs against the dark sky, but think this could be replicated with regular black and white and a red filter. I'm still learning and most definitely having fun – but this Saturday was really about giving time to a worthy cause and I'm thankful I was able to help and be a witness to it.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Digital Infrared: My Day in the District

I just got my Nikon D80 back in the mail after having it converted to be a dedicated black and white infrared camera. Yay!!! I've been waiting for this for quite some time. I took my "new" camera down to the National Mall today to test it out, carefully bracketing each shot so that I could learn what exposures work best with the conversion.

My first stop was the White House and the National Christmas Tree. This picture makes me chuckle - the White House behind bars with what almost looks like a door bell and welcome note attached. Could this make some sort of statement? I wasn't there long before being forced to move back from the fences and roads - apparently Obama's motorcade was about to leave for a special Sunday session at the Capitol and the police were clearing the area.

So I ventured across Constitution Avenue to shoot some pics of the Washington Monument. I still need to find an original view of the Monument - something that really stands out - but since I'm sharing my day and what I saw with you, this is okay for now.

I concluded my day at the Reflecting Pool and the area around the Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials. I love this part of the Mall. It's just beautiful and serene and so peaceful to walk through.

It was liberating to just walk and take pictures without any sort of agenda. I took my time and when my hands became too cold to press the shutter release, I called it quits. As soon as I got home, I put my pics on the computer to learn how the conversion worked and the results it produced. The first thing I learned is that it is better to err on the side of overexposure. Only a 1/3 stop underexposure made the images too dark. The second thing I learned is that all of the images were red! I looked up the Lifepixel site (the company who did the conversion), and my conclusion is that they put the Standard Color IR filter in the camera, as opposed to the Deep Black and White filter I ordered. I'm not sure yet if I want to send it back or just ask for the price difference (I paid $50 more for the B&W filter). Here's an example of the difference of the two images after Photoshop corrections. Part of me likes the reddish tint but I can't decide. I guess it's not that hard to convert to B&W so part of me just says let it be. Comments?

Friday, December 4, 2009

Reflections

The following picture is being recycled from my website. Shame on me, but for lack of shooting pictures this week, I didn't want to go too long without a new post.

I snapped the shot of the reflections in a puddle at Dupont Circle several years ago. I was taking a color photography class at Montgomery College and at the time, was using only Fuji Provia slide film [does this date me?]. My intent was to shoot pictures of the marble fountain in the center of the Circle, but I became more enthralled by the puddle and the images it was producing. To capture the picture, I remember squatting down to get the right angle, my knees in an adjacent puddle getting soaked, and patiently waiting for a passer-by wearing just the right colored clothes to make the image pop.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Scenes from Iota

I went Iota Club and Cafe in Arlington, VA this past Tuesday night to see and shoot the Ryan Montbleau Band with Laura Tsaggaris. Even though this blog is about photography, I'm not going to "talk shop" in this post. The venue and the music were too great to not share.

Iota was very chill (I hate to use that word, but it was!), and right up my alley. Warm and laid back, with an open interior of exposed brick walls and high ceilings supported by wooden beams. The architecture presented a cozy, comfortable vibe without making you feel claustrophobic. Christmas lights adorned the two bars, one on either side of the floor. One of the bars opened into the restaurant area, making the place feel unified.

In addition to the bar being my kind of place, the music was perfect...and perfectly suited the venue. Laura Tsaggaris sat on a bar stool at the front of the stage and plucked away on her acoustic guitar while singing about things such as love and being a song-writer. She was very comfortable in this environment, and her personality came out in both her music and light-hearted quips in between songs.

What more can you say about a headlining act then when you leave the show and buy all of their CDs for sale at the merch booth?! The Ryan Montbleau Band was my cup of tea...they had a great blues/blue grass/rock type of feel and the members completely gelled on stage. To put it simply, they clicked. The clean sounds of the viola, upright bass, drums, guitar and keyboard rung from the stage, with Montbleau's voice being the perfect complement to the music. The band members had so much fun up there (the drummer was never without a smile), and it carried through to the audience.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Guitar Hero: Take 3

No, Guitar Hero: Take 2 wasn’t skipped. I just didn’t post shots from the actual concert, but rather scenes from the stage instead. Take 3 happened at the Rock and Roll Hotel on Wednesday night, with Baroness as the headliner. The band exhibited tons of energy and character, which helped inspire me and keep my interest peaked in the picture-taking department.

The stage lighting made it difficult to come away with solid shots (is it okay to blame the lighting instead of the photographer?...in this case, I say yes until I learn more). The lights were coming from behind the stage so that the band members were backlit…which equates to silhouettes or darkened faces. Hard-to-work-with lighting combined with non-stop movement from the band members made the majority of the shots blurred and unusable.

As of my 3rd try on shooting bands, I’m finding it more satisfying to take pictures of the stage and what is on it rather than the band. This may solely be because the stage, equipment, and instruments remain still, which makes it easy to come away with a clear shot…not to mention I don’t need to fight with the crowd to get up close during set breaks. It may also be because I am shy when it comes to shooting people and am still learning what the best angles are that make a solid photograph. Whatever it is, I really do just love the simple, clean look of the guitars and drums standing by themselves in the spotlight.

The last picture in this post just makes me laugh. After the band left the stage, the crowd was emphatically cheering them on to play one more song. I love the girl on the left clapping and eagerly waiting for Baroness to return. The two guys to the right of her look just as enthused and completely satisfied with the show they just witnessed. But what makes the shot for me is the 4th guy from the left. He totally caught me taking pics of the fans, and his expression screams “I see you!” all the while saying, "Hey! I'm having my picture taken!"

Friday, November 13, 2009

Infrared Photography

I LOVE black and white infrared pictures, and the dream-like state they portray.

I have been slowly testing my hand/eye at it over the last few years, with my most recent shots taken in Amish country [Lancaster, PA]. Because of the beautiful farmlands and old barns, I thought Lancaster would be a fun place to experiment. Here are a couple shots from that trip, followed by some challenges/considerations of working with infrared film.

It is a challenge working with infrared film for various reasons. Below is a list of difficulties I encountered, as well as some things to consider when shooting infrared:

Cost: The cost of the film is very expensive.

Handling: You can only load and unload the film in complete dark. This means the amount of shots you have is limited to the roll of film in the camera…or you buy yourself a cumbersome dark-room bag where you can change out the film at any time.

Exposure: As with any film, you do not know if the exposures are correct until the film is developed. You lack the immediate knowledge of how to better expose the picture or perhaps compose it differently.

Processing: It is expensive to have the film processed, not to mention the time to drop off the film and pick it up. Additionally, there are few labs that process infrared film. The one lab I was using started to go downhill - the negatives would come back scratched or under-developed, and were not usable.

Post-Processing: After the negatives are back from the lab, you still have to scan the film to digitize the images (unless you trust your lab to do it without scratching them). This is extremely time consuming...especially when you are not good at removing dust before scanning and subsequently have to use Photoshop to do so.

Air Travel: If you plan to bring infrared film with you on a flight, do not pack the film in checked baggage - it will most likely be destroyed by the X-ray machines. Bring the film in your carry-on bag and have it hand-inspected.

With all of these challenges, I decided to convert my Nikon D80 to be a dedicated B&W infrared camera. I am SO excited about the conversion. I ship the camera off on Monday to Lifepixel, and should have it back within a few weeks. The cost of the conversion was expensive, but I am confident the costs will be recouped over a short period of time.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

New York, New York

I risked life and limb to capture the thrilling pace of New York City in this picture. Positioning myself in the middle of Broadway, I squatted low to the ground and began to click away. My goal was to get a panning shot of the NYC yellow cabs, while recording the glow of the neon lights that make Times Square so recognizable. It probably wasn't the safest place to shoot, as I was nearly invisible to passing cars, but I am happy with the end results and had fun taking a little risk.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Lost and Found

I am preparing for my first portfolio review this Sunday through fotoweekdc.org. I have been going through my photo archives to see if there were any shots I wanted to pull - possibly some pictures that have been overlooked. I rediscovered the following two images - both taken in Prague, both indoor architectural shots. The first is St. Vitus, and the second is Wallenstein Palace. I'm not sure if I will use them in the final portfolio, but for some reason, they caught my eye when I saw them again.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Beer is King

I went to see Pinback play at the Black Cat on Wednesday night, and was hoping to walk away with some decent band shots and improve on my experience with the Deer Tick show. After the opening band (Obits) played, I found myself in a sour mood – tired of being pushed in the crowd, tired from the workday, not excited about what I was shooting, and feeling like hanging my camera up for the night. Granted, I was there for fun and the opening band was great, but I couldn’t help but feel a little down after not capturing anything to my liking.

Once Obits finished their set, the stage really cleared up for Pinback. Waiting for the headliners to come out and not wanting to lose my front row position, I started to take notice of just the stage itself – the bass guitar standing alone, the pedals, the amps, the endless cords, the guitar stands, speakers, drum set, and yes…the beer bottles.

I started clicking away at the scene before me, and felt re-energized and my spirits lifting. Maybe it was the multitude of colors or how things were laid out, or maybe getting a little elbow room from the crowd and not feeling rushed, but I began to have fun again. The real kicker was when co-lead singer, Rob Crow, plopped down 5 beer bottles next to his mic stand [which came equipped with a beer holder] to stock up for the performance. Seems like it was the missing piece to the puzzle and really completed the scene.

In the end, I came away with some decent shots of the band, but had more fun shooting the stage and just enjoying the great sounds of Pinback. My next step for the band shots is to analyze [seems so stiff, but I can’t help it - it’s what I do for a living] the differences in the pictures from the Deer Tick show and the Pinback show – lighting, stage set-up, camera settings, etc. so I can get a little better for next time. I plan to make a little diary/guide-book of what works with the various settings to have some sort of quick reference point for future shows. I also plan to buy a few music magazines to see how others are shooting bands and learn from that as well. Most of all, I need to relax and have more fun with it -realize when to take a breath, step back and get re-inspired.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Strike a Pose

There’s nothing I look forward to more in Washington, DC than the annual Drag Race, a.k.a. the annual High Heel Race. This event is held every year on the Tuesday before Halloween in Dupont Circle. The participants are a bunch of men dressed in drag, each one required to sport some sort of high-heeled shoe and proceed to sprint 3 blocks down the closed city streets.

Costumes range anywhere from incredibly elaborate to sheer ridiculous to mirror images of famous women past and present (Marilyn Monroe, Paris Hilton) to just a skirt and pumps. But the best costumes are the ones that make you a little uncomfortable – the please-God-divert-my-eyes-but-I-can’t-stop-staring uncomfortable...the ones that make straight dudes question their manhood just because they attended.

A handful of guys actually sprint the 3 blocks and take the race somewhat-seriously (really, they are liquored up pretty good and are there for shits and giggles), and the remaining “runners” take this opportunity to parade the city streets and strike poses for [and with] the thousands of onlookers. Spectators rush the streets as soon as the race ends and pure mayhem ensues, but everyone is in good spirits (or ingested lots of good spirits) and fun is had by all.

Despite the rain, I took to the streets this year and snapped away. I’m still learning my new camera, and again, missed some great photo ops...especially with my slow-to-focus lens. I’ll have my camera figured out in time for next year’s race, and will come out with some winners.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Guitar Hero: Try #1

Several years ago, I attended a White House News Photographers Association lecture and panel discussion. These photographers had a front row seat to the making of history, and they each were incredibly passionate about their careers. I came out of that event feeling truly inspired. One thing I noted during the panel discussion was how competitive their field is - constantly fighting with other photographers as they bump elbows to vie for best position to capture that award-winning presidential expression. Well, I got a small taste of that competitive edge on Tuesday night (10-20-09) at a music festival at the Black Cat in Washington, DC.

I was allowed to bring my DSLR into the Backstage concert room to snap away at the bands. I knew this would be a great opportunity to explore shooting live bands, as the Backstage is very small and intimate (about 200 people max capacity) and allows the concert-goer to be almost literally right on top of the band. I guess a few other photographers felt the same way, and I found myself competing for the best angle among them. I felt quite intimidated as I watched them shoot – what angles they positioned their cameras, how close they got to the band members, who they were working for, did they get "the shot"? I knew I had to be different, not be a copy-cat, and in all honesty, just be downright lucky.

This was the second time for me testing out my new equipment [Nikon D90 with a Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 VC lens], and my first time shooting band shots without a point-and-shoot. Not having read the camera manual, I found myself winging it. I set the aperture to f/2.8, played with the ISO, and went to town. My goal was to capture sharp images of the bands rocking it out with the ambient light enhancing the photograph – i.e. no flash. I think I came away with a few decent shots, but for the most part, unusable. I found that my new lens was very slow to focus. I’m not sure if this was due to the dark lighting, the movement on stage, the lens itself, or a combination of the three. But the slow focus made me miss a lot of opportunities, which was disappointing.

I thoroughly enjoyed shooting the bands, and it certainly made the show go by fast (understatement – especially since the bands played from 9 pm – 1 am!). I will definitely test my hand again in this area, and hopefully I will learn something new each time – whether it be a feature on my camera, learning the most interesting angles, or working with the lighting. One thing I did learn, though, is that when you have a big camera in hand, most people get out of your way! Little did they know that these pics were experimental and only for my blog...but I was certainly glad for it!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Missed Opportunity

I was immediately captured by the look of the moon and clouds hovering over St. Paul's Cathedral in London [2007]. I found the sight a little eerie...and I loved it! Too bad I was on a bridge that was heavily trafficked by cars. The movement of the cars made the bridge bounce, and even on a tripod I couldn't get a sharp shot. This doesn't look so bad as a small image, but is disappointing when enlarged.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

My Inaugural Post

The following images were taken as my venture back into photography after almost a 2-year long hiatus. My camera was a little dusty, as was my picture taking, but it was exhilarating to have the camera back in hand.

A few years back, I had taken a picture of the Washington Monument which I liked, but because I shot it too late at night the sky turned black in the photograph. I always wanted to try again, but timing it about 30 minutes after sunset, when the sky is transformed into a blanket of intense deep blue. When I went to re-shoot the photograph, I was excited to have an overcast sky. No matter how overcast the sky is, you will always be rewarded with the deep blues after sunset – and the clouds enrich the photograph by giving it texture. The Monument and flagpole are a bit distorted…maybe I’ll go back next time with a view camera.

Because the shooting window to capture the rich blues only lasts about 10 – 15 minutes, I missed my opening on this shot and as a result the sky went black. I don’t mind it so much because the tinge of red and purple in the sky compliment the red in the flags as well as the gold on the tops of the flagpoles. I’m not sure if the flagpole in the center of the photograph is distracting, but found that no matter what angle I shot at, I could not avoid some “obstruction” in the frame.