I have shot this event in the past, but the last time I covered it the route ran through the streets of Lake Elsinore. It is now done at a local motocross track, which really takes away from the crowds atmosphere. I ended up shooting the last race of the day which started at 1:45 pm ans lasted for 20 laps of the five mile track. The first few shots were of the start and then I moved locations and tried for some more interesting shots.
I made this image after a quick run from the starting line to the first big turn, I decided that I wanted to convey the speed at which these racers were going so I slowed down my shutter speed and panned with the bikes as they raced by.
I was shooting on the other side of the track when I noticed this climbing section and the large amount of dust the bikes were turning up as they went by. So I ran over there put on my 16-35mm and got low. While making this shot I got completely covered in dirt, the three frames after this one are just brown dust.
Tuesday the 11th
I had four assignments this day, and the first one was the Murrieta Veterans day parade.
I have shot this event for the past two years and this year I tried to get as many different shots as I could, however I made an image very close to this one last year. This time I tried to get more in the frame then last year and get the planes in a better spot in the frame, and I think I did it.
In covering any kind of large public event I always look for someone who stands out, or who can sum up the feel of an event in one frame. And in this case I got lucky as I was getting ready to leave I saw this cute little girl holding up this sign.
Second assignment: Deputy D.A.
I didn't have much time on this assignment it was at 4:00PM and I needed to get to my next one (about 15 miles away) by 5PM.
Her office was really badly lit and full of a lot distracting things, so I decided to go dark. I don't normally like this look but I am somewhat happy with how it came out. I used two flash units one on the sign on her desk and the other on her face.
Third assignment: Reality show contestant
This was another one with every little time, and also I had to shoot it at her work a winery. A business that had absolutely nothing to with the show she was on. The show was like some what like Fear Factor with out the bug eating.
So after walking around the winery with her I found the barrel room, which had great light and a real spooky kind of feel. I took a few shots with her using an off camera flash and am fairly happy with how they came out.
Last assignment of the day: Girls Volley Ball
This was a CIF simi final match between Palos Verdes and Temecula Valley a pretty basic assignment just set your exposure right and watch for action.
Wendnesday the 12th:Late night construction shoot
Even though this one was at 10:30PM and it was really hard to get my butt up and go shoot it, I really enjoyed shooting it. I can't remember the last time I got to shoot traffic at night and really experiment with different exposures. I used a tripod and my 70-200mm, and due to the fact that I don't have a shutter release I set the timer up on my camera so the shutter would close 15 sec after I hit the button.
Thursday the 13th
Assignment one: Horribly lit after school program.
This assignment was of an after school program for kids who like Anime the Japanese art form that spawned that unforgettable classic Pokemon. This was at the Murrieta public library and all the lights were turned off so the kids could watch the movies. Luckily there was one window that let in just enough light make the shoot possible.
In this shot I used the low light to an advantage and shot the screen with the kids in the forground to give some scale to the shot.
With the one spot in the room that had some light I got this shot of a couple of the kids laughing at the movie.
Second assignment: More Volley Ball finals
This time Anaheim Katella at Lake Elsinore
Friday the 14th
1st assignment
Helper dog test
In this one A local canine helper dog training facility was holding there final test before the dogs can graduate and live with their new humans. It was held at a local mall and even though I wanted to follow them in and get shots of the dogs working with money and helping them navigate the mall, I have had problems in the past with security at this mall and didn't have clearance to be there, so I made sure to get my shots before the dogs and people went inside.
Second assignment:
High school football Hemet at West Valley
Just like the volley ball this one is pretty much set your exposure and wait for the action plays to come your way
Saturday the 15th
I had five assignments this day, my first one was a Veterans tribute at 9:00AM, then a Tech piece at 10:30AM, then a recycling drive at Noon, then a Fashion show at 1:30PM, and finally a Christmas tree lighting at 3:30Pm that ended up being at 4:50PM.
Veterans Tribute
This event was in a really badly lit rec-center with glass doors running down both sides of the building, also for the most part it was an award ceremony. Which is something really dull to shoot, you just can't get interesting shots when you just have people talking at a mic. The other thing is that this was a Veterans event so I felt obligated to get some good images. So I spent the whole assignment trying to find people in audience reacting to the ceremony and then the JROTC came out with their sabers and gave me even more to work with.
Tech piece
This one was at the public library and was of local elementary school students participating in a technology education class. The class is part of a federal grant the
Recycling drive
What should have been really simple one, a local school did a recycle fest in which they collected recyclable materials. In this type of assignment I try and get photos individuals not just a big overall shot. At this particular assignment I had to deal with an overzealous organizer who thought he knew what photos I should take, including dressing up a school official in a green costume and parading him around like a bad Disney character in front of me, so I spent most of the time trying to avoid him. I really hate dealing with people who think they are helping me out by saying “hey photographer here’s your shot” or “Look up and smile big for the camera” that type of photo is fine for your family photo album but doesn’t belong anywhere near a newspaper.
Fashion Show
This was a weird one a fall fashion show at a middle school featuring elementary thru high school students. I don't really like the idea of little kids dressing up and walking down a runway trying to look sexy. But it did lend it self to some fun candids before the event started so I tried to focus more on that side of it.
Tree Lighting
My last assignment of the day was a newly established city (Menifee, my town) first Christmas tree lighting ceremony. It was the first time I got to shoot tree lighting in the day light. The lighting took place at around 4:45PM and it was nice to get a chance to shoot a tree lighting and actually get all the people's faces in the shot without having to use a strobe, even though I did use one to make them stand out.
Sunday the 16th
low-security women's correction facility
This one didn't go the way we had planned; it was suppose to be about inmates reading bed time stories on camera that would be turned into DVD's so their children can hear them. However this facility is part of Cal Fire and the inmates had to work on the wildfires that broke out that weekend.
So insted of doing that the reporter and I got to tour the facillity with one of the CO's
Suicide
As I was leaving the correctional facility I got word of a Police pursuit in
By the time I got there he had crashed into a brick wall, then the officers tried to get him out, he didn't comply so they fired pepper spray into the cab of his truck. Shortly after that the officers on scene heard a gun shot. This is the kind of story that is really not easy to photograph, you tell you’re self that it is news and it needs to be covered, but it is still a human life that just ended.
