GOYA - Group Ride

Part of my triathlon training is participating in organized group rides. This particular ride, The Jackson County Brevet, is organized by our head cycling coach and raises money for Aplastic Anemia. A cause that hits close to home as his wife has been living with this disease for many years. Our club comes out in big numbers to show our support. I brought along the Kodak PlaySport camera. It shoots stills and video.

It was my intention to shoot video during the ride and later post those videos on Facebook as well. I thought I had the camera set to shoot videos, instead I only took still images. I was disappointed at first and then got a really nice surprise. Read on to see more.

On Assignment: Achieve Kids Tri

I know, I haven't written a blog in a couple weeks. I've fallen behind, but there's been a bit of work that's been taking up some of my time. I've got a list of items to write about, so let me get started with a quick and easy post.

Back in June I was asked to photograph an event for Achieve Kids Tri, a non-profit organization that helps under-privileged and at-risk youth enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle. The kids were part of a week long camp and on this day, they were going to have Jeff Galloway as a guest speaker.

If you're a runner or have ever thought about running, then there's a good chance you recognize the name. Jeff Galloway was a member of the 1972 US Olympic team in Munich. He has also written several books on marathon training and writes a monthly column for Runner's World magazine.

GOYA - Atlanta Triathlon Club | davem photography

It's been severals week since I wrote up a blog post. I've been working on a couple projects that have taken up some time and since I'm ramping up my training for my 2nd Half Ironman next month, there seems to be little time left to blog. Keeping with the triathlon theme, today's blog is from a triathlon I shot back in May.

The plan was for me to volunteer before the start of the race and then cover the race including the swim start. I wanted to see what kind of shots I could get if I got knee deep or even waist deep into the lake. That didn't pan out. There was a shortage of volunteers and I went to help out on the run course for a bit. Once the sprint race had gone through the run course, I was able to cover the half iron distance.

On Assignment : Getting 2 Tri Paratriathlete Camp

I think this has to be the work I'm the proudest of since I started doing photography. It has nothing to do with how I used lighting (actually it was all natural light except for the group photo below) or how I used gear to capture these images. It's about the moments, faces, emotions, reactions, and interactions between an incredible group of individuals.

I came into this hoping to create some powerful and dramatic images, similar to some of the athletic portraiture I've done recently. I still think they are powerful, due to the individuals and the subject matter. But that all changed when I arrived and started to shoot as a documentary photographer or photojournalist. Keep in mind I have no formal training in either, but respect the kind of work that these photographers do.

I'll post several of my favorites from this 3 day event and finish it off with a video slideshow that captures a lot of what went on.

On Assignment: Engagement Session

You might remember Rachel form a previous blog where I was testing out some new gear and then later when I did another session with Rachel and her brother. Rachel and I used to work together and she must really like my work because she called wanting me to do her engagement session.

We were discussing locations and I happen to throw out the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. The Atlanta Botanical Gardens requires a special event fee for professional photography on their property. When I suggested it, I was thinking of keeping it on the down low, only bringing a camera and 2 lenses. Many photographers have done this without any problems. Rachel loved the idea, but wanted to make sure we played by the rules and she made the arrangements and paid the special event fee. Rachel, you rock!

GOYA - Atlanta Triathlon Club | davem photography

The GOYA shoot returns. For those of you just tuning in for the first time, GOYA stands for, Get Off Your A$$. I didn't coin the term, but liked it when I heard it from Zack Arias. Basically, it's when I give myself an assignment or just shoot for myself. It's always a learning experience, fun and keeps my skills sharp.

This was kind of the official start of triathlon race season. The Atlanta Triathlon Club had huge participation at this race. It was a chilly morning and the water temperature was actually warmer than the air. It was still wetsuit legal.

South Atlanta Flickr Meet - Season's Bistro | davem photography

I hadn't been out to one of these meets in a while. When it was posted that it would be a theme and possible some old vehicles, I knew I had to be there.

There was plenty of ambient light to shoot without strobes, but I wanted to control the ambient and subject exposure for something a bit more dramatic. I like shooting wide angles and I wanted to get the entire vehicle, but you can see the reflection of the strobe and umbrella on the truck. Getting around that would mean creatively positioning the lights much higher or on booms requiring sandbags and counter balance weights to make sure the stands don't tip over. We didn't have the time or the gear to pull that off. My solution was to shoot around the problem.