A quote to live by

"Ella Martin, 5, watches her step as she walks over a rock on Coyote Run trail ahead of her grandfather Ed Barrett as the two along with sister Amber, not pictured, enjoy a nature walk at Cheyenne Mountain State Park in Colorado Springs, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008." 

JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

Today was my next to last day at The Gazette and lucky enough for me I had the chance to be outside and enjoy the warm 50+ degree weather on an assignment covering a nature walk at a local state park. There wasn't as much nature as the assignment suggested so I struggled for a bit trying to make a picture of people walking along a trail. There wasn't any interesting vegetation or animals to see so I really had to work this one into the ground.

These are the types of assignments that have taught me the most about how I shoot and where I need to improve. I think the most important aspect of being a photojournalist is turning the mundane and straightforward assignments into visual pieces of information for the reader to draw upon. Most of the time the story provides the reader with an idea of the accounts of the event but as photojournalists it is our job to go a step further. I live and shoot with the thought of a quote that I once heard somewhere, "show those who weren't there what happened but also show those who were there something that they didn't already see."

One day left.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Making it look easy

"Air Force forward Anwar Johnson (42) dunks the ball after beating Texas Southern guard DeAndre Hall (1) down court in the first half of an NCAA basketball game inside Clue Arena at Air Force Academy, Colo., Monday, Dec. 22, 2008. Air Force dominated Texas Southern with a 65-41 victory." 

JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

Tonight was just one of those nights where it seemed as though most everything went my way. In the life of a photographer that means that my images were well composed, well exposed and sharp. All but one image were spot on tonight and, for the most part, I'll take that every night of the week. The one image that I missed would have been close to a portfolio shot so I am disappointed about that.

I arrived a good two and a half hours early to set up a remote behind the glass but the SID said that their coaches won't let anyone do it. That was a HUGE let down because I already had it in my head of how I was going to shoot the game and that was in my game plan. We talked about a few other options but nothing worked out. I've put a remote behind the glass before but haven't don't it in a while so I was really looking forward to getting some different stuff in my take. I've done remotes just about everywhere imaginable at basketball and to be honnest I'm getting a little bored with the typical glass, floor, overhead, stanchion, ect. I really have to work on a different angle for the next game. I did however end up setting up a remote on the floor set to vertical directly underneath the basket. Here is how I had the remote setup:

I didn't want my MultiMax to get kicked or hit by the ball while on the hot-shoe since it was so close to the court so I used the PC cord that came with the wizard along with a mini-phone extension cord to place the wizard out of sight inside the base of the basket. I set my MultiMax to receive on channel 15 and relay to channel 16, which my strobes were on. I also used a super clamp/magic arm combo to secure everything so that it wouldn't move. Here is the angle the remote captured.

I didn't get anything worth transmitting to the paper but that's ok because I'm not always going to get something spectacular every time I set up a remote.

Basketball is probably one of the better sports I'm good at shooting because I know the game well. I understand where the action is going to be so I can anticipate for the peak action image. Now that probably sounds a little silly because we all know that the players have to put the ball in the hoop eventually but what I'm good at is the how and when. I understand how different teams run their offense and can pick up on that pretty quickly. Understanding why they're giving the ball to the man in the low post rather than skipping it across the key is really helpful when I'm trying to make images of peak action. I'm also shooting on the lights (aka strobes) and only get to take a picture every three seconds so I have to pick and choose my moments.

As I discussed in my last entry I LOVE shooting on the lights because of the look that it creates, the drama if you will. At Air Force's Clue Arena The Gazette has a set of strobes installed in the catwalks. Kevin Kreck and I fiddled with the setup at the beginning of the season and we really have them setup perfectly. Very little light spills into the seats which allows the players to pop. The above image is pretty much straight out of camera with the exception of a little crop.

I do however shoot a little differently than most who shoot on lights. It seems that most shooters that I run into are shooting somewhere between f4 and f6.3. I guess you can get away with all that DOF at an NBA/NHL/Big College arena because the backgrounds are so much farther away. I usually shoot in much smaller venues so I try to shoot wide open as possible. I have even cranked down my ISO to 50 to shoot at f2 with my 85. Tonight I was at 1/250, f2.8 at 100/125 ISO depending on where on the court I was shooting. The shallow DOF really allowed Air Force's Anwar Johnson to pop in the frame. IMHO f2.8 on lights is just about as good as it gets and man does Anwar make it look easy!

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Finding the good in the bad

"Pueblo South's Brody Lockett (30) and Tyrell Williams, far right, battle Mitchell's Davis Munoz for a loose ball in the first quarter of Pueblo South's 64-37 victory in the opening game of the Harrison Classic at Harrison High School in Colorado Springs, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

Tonight was one of those nights where I had to earn my money. I could shoot sports all day, every day but there are plenty of times where it can be more challenging than it should. High school basketball is a perfect place to show that you are a better than average sports photographer.

For starters the games are played in the smallest, worst lit gyms (read: caves) imaginable. That means that shooting available light, except for the proud D3 owners, is out of the question. I'm a Canon guy and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the look of shooting on lights so I solved the "cave" problem by bringing a set of strobes to the game. I know that the paper is only going to run a couple of images from the game so some would say that bringing, setting up and tearing down lights is too much of a hassle. I, on the other hand see that as an opportunity, an opportunity to set myself apart from the next shooter. The image quality is better and the faces just "pop" that much more on lights.

The other important thing that I strive to achieve is clean backgrounds. Shooting in a high school gym makes this one a real challenge because since everything is so close to the action it can be difficult to separate the action from the background. I look for the cleanest backgrounds possible to aid me in making solid images. 

The above photo is a perfect example of how a clean background and strobes aid me in turning a rather rudimentary image into something that I feel confident running in tomorrow's paper with my byline underneath it. I get paid the big bucks (read: pennies) to find the good in a bad situation.

I'm shooting this same basketball tournament for the next two days and plan to try some different things so look for that soon.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Peak Performers

Photo illustration by Justin Edmonds, The Gazette

Design by Matt Steiner, The Gazette

Well as promised here are the 2008 fall Peak Performers!

I spent the past few weeks photographing 12 area high school student athletes for The Gazette's special season ending section. It turned out to be one of the most challenging things that I have ever had to shoot because of the limited access. If you have ever tried to schedule 12 different photo shoots with 12 teenagers then you know what I'm talking about. It was hard enough just trying to get ahold of them.

Additionally I had my ups and downs with The Broadmoor. What seemed like amazing access slowly turned into more and more restricted access. A location I was told I would have access to one day turned out to be restricted the next and visa versa. I wasn't allowed to shoot in any of the famous suites that The Broadmoor is known for which was a huge let down but I made it work.

I know that I have gained a few extra pounds of muscle because dragging three/four bags or cases to each shoot was a task in itself. I chose to keep it light and used somewhere between one and three speedlights for every shoot except for one where I brought out the Dynalites to over power the sun. I didn't want the images to look the same so I used a combination of soft boxes, strip boxes, grids, snoots, stands, boom arms and two different beauty dishes depending on the situation.

Overall I am really pleased with the images. The project consumed my life for a good two and a half weeks but in the end it was all worth it. Enough with all the banter, go check out the images.

Damon McCain

Canon City High School

Class A-3A Football

Location: Pool entrance

Equiptment: three speedlights, one with a snoot on his face from upper camera right with a 1/4 CTO, one with a grid as a rim light behind his head and a third speedlight with a flag to light up half of the archway. Canon 1D Mark II with a 70-200 2.8L at 70mm.

Settings: 1/60, f3.2 at 100 ISO

Brittnee Martinez

Doherty High School

Gymnastics

Location: Main entrance

Equipment: three speedlights, one with a home made beauty dish on a boom above camera right with a 1/8 CTO, one with a snoot on the logo and one with a flag to light up part of the rest of the archway. Canon 1D Mark II with a 70-200 2.8L at 70mm.

Settings: 1/250, f4 at 200 ISO

Josh Chance

Pine Creek High School

Class 4A-5A Football

Location: Escalator near main front desk

Equipment: one speedlight snooted high directly above the camera. Canon 1D Mark II with a 16-35 2.8L II at 17mm.

Settings: 1/4, f5 at 400 ISO. Sunny white balance.

Raquel Howes

Liberty High School

Softball

Location: South tower lobby

Equipment: two speedlights, one with a homemade beauty dish above camera right with a 1/8 CTO, one snooted and aimed at the side and arm of the chair with a 1/4 CTB. Canon 1D Mark II with a 70-200 2.8L at 78mm.

Settings: 1/30, f3.5 at 400 ISO. 5,000K white balance

Morgan Broekhuis

Colorado Springs Christian School

Class A-3A Volleyball

Location: South tower mezzanine level lobby

Equipment: two speedlights, one with a homemade beauty dish and 1/4 CTO on a boom above camera left, one with a 1/8 CTO in a medium softbox low, camera right next to subject. Canon 1D Mark II with a 70-200 2.8L at 78mm.

Settings: 1/50, f2.8 at 500 ISO. Sunny white balance

Ryan Warren

Liberty High School

Soccer

Location: Pompeiian room

Equipment: two speedlights, one in a large strip box camera left, one with a camera right to provide separation on his jacket. Canon 1D Mark II with a 70-200 2.8L at 75mm.

Settings: 1/50, f4 at 400 ISO. Sunny white balance.

Allie McLaughlin

Air Academy High School

Cross Country

Location: West tower lobby

Equipment: two speedlights, one in a medium softbox camera left on a boom with a 1/2 CTB, one behind the statue aimed at the water with a blue gel. Canon 1D Mark II with a 16-35 2.8L II at 16mm.

Settings: 1/80, f4 at 400 ISO. 10,000K white balance.

Mike Guerra

Air Academy High School

Golf

Location: 18th hole on the East course

Equipment: three speedlights, all three camera left, bare, aimed at his upper body. Canon 1D Mark II with a 70-200 2.8L at 70mm.

Settings: 1/200, f13 at 50 ISO. Sunny white balance

Amanda Stammer

Cheyenne Mountain High School

Field Hockey

Location: Mountain view terrace

Equipment: two speedlights, one in a medium softbox with a 1/2 CTB camera right and another with a 1/2 CTB on the back wall from camera right. Canon 1D Mark II with a 70-200 2.8L at 125mm.

Settings: 1/100, f5 at 50 ISO. 4,200K white balance.

Wes Rickman

Falcon High School

Cross Country

Location: Cheyenne lake bridge

Equipment: one Dynalite head and 1,000ws pack at about 1/2 power with a large homemade beauty dish and CTO on a boom arm above camera left. Canon 1D Mark II with a 16-35 2.8L II at 27mm.

Settings: 1/250, f6.3 at 100 ISO. 3000K white balance.

Nikki Kinzer

Rampart High School

Class 4A-5A volleyball

Location: West tower lobby

Equipment: two speedlights, one in a homemade beauty dish with and one with a grid behind the subject camera right. Canon 1D Mark II with a 70-200 2.8L at 200mm.

Settings: 1/80, f2.8 at 250 ISO. Sunny white balance.

John Adams

Cheyenne Mountian High School

Tennis

Location: Outside main entrance

Equipment: three speedlights, all inside a medium softbox at camera right. Canon 1D Mark II with a 16-35 2.8L II at 16mm.

Settings: 1/250, f8 at 50 ISO. Sunny white balance.

Email me if you have any questions!

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Catching up

"Michael Woods paces while waiting for his bus to arrive at the bus station in Colorado Springs, Monday, Dec. 8, 2008. Woods was headed to Manitou Springs for the afternoon." 

JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

I know, I know, it's been over a week since I posted anything but I have a good excuse. The past week I've basically been shooting nothing but high school athletes for our Peak Performers (HS athletes of the year) section that comes out this Friday. Thus I've been shooting plenty but it just isn't anything that I can publish until it comes out.

The whole process was a little daunting to say the least. If you have ever attempted to schedule and photograph 12 teenagers in about 12 days then you know what I'm talking about. The images look great and I'm anxious to share them with you soon so look for that on Friday.

The above image is a result of me wandering to the top of a parking structure in the middle of downtown and searching for a feature. The light wasn't so great so I didn't know if I was going to find anything interesting but I decided to go up anyway. I walked around the top level looking over each edge for a few minutes before I spotted the cowboy hat wearing Mr. Woods. Without the cool garb this wouldn't be much of a picture. 

I really wish the light was better. I may go back sometime in the early morning in the next week or so to see if I can improve on this attempt. I can't really decide how I feel about the image so let me know what you think.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Old stomping grounds

"Denver's Rob Lewis (10) pulls up from just past half court over Northern Colorado's Robert Palacios (15) for what would have been the game winning shot with 1.7 seconds remaining in regulation of an NCAA college basketball game at Magness Arena in Denver, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008. Northern Colorado defeated Denver 71-66 in overtime."

Sometimes you just need to go shoot. No assignment, no stipulations, no editor to please, just your camera and some inspiration. 

I had a chance to make some pictures for myself Wednesday night at the DU home opener. I actually hadn't planned to shoot at all. I was looking forward to just watching the game from the stands for once and catching up with some friends. I saw Trevor Brown from Rich Clarkson & Associates down on the floor so I headed over to say hi. Trevor is a great guy and definitely someone I can shoot the shit with on the sidelines. We got to talking and before I knew it the game was about to start. For whatever reason I just decided to grab a seat next to Trevor on the baseline and hang out. 

Seeing as though I never leave home without a camera I decided that I might as well make some pictures. I had brought my Mark II and 85 f/1.8 with me which was a perfect setup for basketball. I think the fixed focal length helped me because I could really focus on the action. I didn't have any pressure on me and I didn't have a deadline to make. Trevor and myself could just chat and shoot which isn't something that I have been able to do lately for the paper. When I have an assignment I'm a little more focused on what I need to shoot and then go edit as quickly as I can.

I also knew how DU ran their offense which was great because I could anticipate where the ball was going next. My "fanhood" as my younger brother calls it is on point because I watch games and SportsCenter every day so I can learn the teams and players. However that doesn't beat the knowledge I have of my alma mater.

The above image would have been great if he would have made the shot. I honestly thought DU was going to get blown out. They have the youngest team of all of the NCAA Division I teams in the country. They played surprisingly well for about 38 of the 40 minutes but they showed their inexperience in the final two minutes missing several key free throws that would have iced the game in front of the home crowd. They will learn and get much better by seasons end. In three years I'm sure they will be a force to be reckoned with in the Sun Belt Conference.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

2 remotes, 1 set of strobes...no problem

"Wofford guard Junior Salters (3) scores a layup over Air Force guard Evan Washington (35) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game inside Clue Arena at Air Force Academy, Colo., Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008. Salters led all scorers with 28 points in the 74-61 win." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

A couple of months ago I blogged about using a remote(s) to capture multiple angles of the same play. Well I'm back at it again only this time I'm syncing up two cameras with only one set of strobes for basketball. The above two images show two completely independent angles of the exact same moment in time. 

Remotes allow me to be in places that you just can't physically stand during the game, such as in the catwalk above the basket or on the stanchion. Additionally using strobes allows me to produce higher quality files because I can shoot at 200 ISO instead of 1600+ ISO. Clune arena is pretty dark for a NCAA arena (1/400 f/2.8 at 1600 ISO) so the strobes are pretty much necessary. 

If you flip through the pages of Sports Illustrated you will see that nearly all of their basketball images are shot on strobes. Their images just pop out of the frame and if SI is going to do it then so am I. After all my goal is to be shooting consistently for them in no more than 8 years and to become a staffer in 15 or less. Sure, that may seem like an unrealistic goal or one that hundreds of shooters have but they're not me. I know how hard I push myself every single day in this industry to get better. That's not to say that I don't often fail, but I fail trying new things. Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled blogging. 

SI also triggers SEVERAL remotes (read: 15 for the final four) on strobes when they cover a big game. Considering that I'm just shooting little ol' Air Force, who lost by the way to Wofford (read: who?), and I don't have an army of assistants to help me I decided to keep my setup manageable. Then again I did shoot with all of the gear that I had with me so maybe if SI shipped me 11 more bodies, lenses, grip gear, wizards and cords I might give it a try. In addition to the two remotes I also had two cameras with me, one with a 70-200 and another with a 300. I triggered the remotes and strobes simultaneously with a foot switch that I made from a guitar pedal. 

Now, it is important to note that my remote setup is a little more complicated and requires more precision and gear than if I were shooting the remotes on ambient light. Each camera has to be set to fire with a delay (read: lagged) based upon how long it takes the camera to complete a full cycle. This requires a Pocket Wizard Multi Max to be able to program in the delay and each camera as well as the strobes needs one. By lagging each camera it ensures that each cameras' shutter is wide open at the exact second (read: 1/2000) the strobes fire. Now I could really give you a proper explanation of this long and tedious process but that would take three pages of explanation and most of you would be bored out of the universe by then. See, all photographers are geeks. Instead, if you really want to know how this is done read SI Staffer Robert Beck's instructions here or give me a call.

I didn't get any mind blowing images from the setup tonight and that's fine, it's a learning experience. I already know a few different angles that I want to try for the next game. Regardless, this is still really cool. I'm obsessed with using technology to make better images so I guess it's no secret why my parents still call me MacGyver. I'm not going to lie, using 4 bodies/lenses, a set of strobes and a bag full of wizards to cover a game is heaven for me.

I wonder what I'll try next...

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

P.S. If Porter Binks or anyone else from SI is reading this and needs an assistant for the upcoming basketball season call me!

Next stop: The Windy City

Things have been falling into place lately and this week was no different. Monday morning I got a call that I've been waiting for from Shaun Sartin at The Northwest Herald in Crystal Lake, Illinois. It's official, I'm the new photo intern due to start a six month internship in mid-January.

After coming close to getting another six month internship at The Advocate in Baton Rouge last week I felt the pressure as I waited to hear from The Northwest Herald. I knew that I made the finals there and had a phone interview last week but I couldn't do anything but wait to see what happened. Although in the back of my mind I think my heart was set on going to a big city paper, at this point I didn't care where I went as long as I wasn't trying to "freelance" out of my parents basement. Don't get me wrong I love my mother but if I have to hear another one of her "stay home and freelance" ideas I think I'll drive myself crazy. I had sent out a total of nine applications for winter internships and the thought of batting .000 like I did with summer applications wasn't something that I wanted to deal with.

The more and more I think about it the more excited I get about moving to Crystal Lake. Despite the unwelcoming cold and windy conditions that I'm about to ensue I probably couldn't have picked a better place to go. I have a TON of friends in the Chicago area and I'm really excited to move somewhere different but with a group of people I know will be more than willing to show me a good time. One friend in particular, Kelly Anne, lives only about 20 minutes from where I'll be living so it will be great to have a good friend close. 

Chicago is about an hour away, so I'm told, but I will be visiting as often as possible, on assignment or not. Being such a huge sports nut will make watching and shooting the Bulls, Cubs, Sox, Blackhawks, Fire and others a blast. I've been blessed to live in such a sports saturated market such as Denver my whole life and moving to another one really puts a cherry on top.

The way I see it this is just another stop along the way to doing what I love full-time. The staff at The Northwest Herald has some young, great shooters that I am anxious to mix it up with. I want to push myself and the limits of my portfolio and I think that I will be able to do that in Crystal Lake. 

I still have a month and a half left here in the Springs and I want to take full advantage of the opportunity before I move on. Mark helped point out some things that I still need to improve upon and I'm going to make sure that I work on them the next 6 weeks.

Back to the grind in the AM...

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Climbing the career ladder

"Brigham Young running back Fui Vakapuna (1) celebrates with fans following Brigham Young's 38-24 victory over Air Force in an NCAA college football game at Air Force Academy, Colo., Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008. The Cougars improved to 10-1 on the season." 

(AP Photo/Justin Edmonds)

I had yet another great opportunity this afternoon to cover the BYU and Air Force game for the Associated Press. I got the call on Wednesday afternoon and since I didn't have anything to shoot for the paper they let me off to cover the game. I owe a big thanks to AP Denver editor/shooter Ed Andrieski for taking a chance on me.

The game was pretty competitive throughout the first half but BYU's offense took over in the third quarter and pretty much had the game in control from that point on.

I'm glad to say that despite this being a big game for me I wasn't all that nervous. It was just another football game and that is how I chose to approach it. I can, however, say that seeing a few familiar faces eased the tension. I ran into fellow Denver shooter Marc Piscotty up in the press box and the one and only Mr. Rich Clarkson down on the field. I owe a lot to Mr. Clarkson as I basically got my internship at The Gazette while attending his sports workshop this past summer. Beyond the fact that he is probably one of the classiest guys I have ever met (he wears a sports jacket whenever he shoots, even on the football sidelines) he is one heck of a shooter and a great inspiration. I took a minute to shake his hand and say hello before I was off to the field-side workroom to get set up.

I wish there was something interesting that I could tell you about how I shot the game but it's pretty straightforward. Since I was the only shooter for AP I had to stay pretty conservative with the way I approached the game. I really like to try unique angles and find cleaner backgrounds by going up in the stands but I didn't want to risk anything today. I've established myself to the editors that I can cover a game so next time I can push the envelope a little bit.

There are a LOT of media outlets that subscribe to the AP so I knew that my images would be all over the internet. However, it's still awesome to experience typing "(AP photo/Justin Edmonds)" into Google and getting more than a dozen results minutes after I filed the images.

My day was capped off pretty well with these two digital tear sheets. ESPN and Sports Illustrated...it doesn't get much better than this. I know it's getting to sound redundant but, I LOVE MY JOB!

Above: SI

Below: my image

"Brigham Young tight end Dennis Pitta (32) congratulates teammate Austin Collie (9) after Collie hauled in a 6-yard pass for a touchdown in the third quarter of Brigham Young's 38-24 victory in an NCAA college football game at Air Force Academy, Colo., Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008. Collie led the Cougars with 130 receiving yards including two touchdowns." 

(AP Photo/Justin Edmonds)

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

You have a WHAT in your house?

"Aviation artist Rick Broome walks around in his studio which is home to a retired United Airlines Boeing 737 in his home in Colorado Springs, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008. The airplane, bought from a movie studio in California, was lowered into place by a crane and his studio was built around it." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

You can chalk this one up to just another reason why I love my job. I arrive at my assignment today to photograph a guy and his neighbor who have a wildlife duck habitat in their back yard. However when I show up Rick wanted to show me something before we even took a look at the ducks. He starts to lead me through the kitchen and into a large room where I can see something huge but can't quite make it out. When I get all the way into the room I realize that there is half of a 737 sitting in his studio. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

I have seen some crazy things in my life but this HAS to be right up there.

At this point I can care less about whatever ducks he has in the backyard, I just want to shoot this plane. Rick took me inside the plane where he has a living room set up where the seats used to be. I also got to step into the cockpit where we talked for a minute or two. He then took me downstairs to show me another little work space he has set up underneath the plane. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw a can of coffee beans sitting on the landing gear.

Apparently we've already done a story on Rick and the plane so I didn't have anything that I could bring back to the paper and brag about but it was cool regardless. I'm thinking about going back on my own time to do a proper portrait of him.

So the next time you find yourself watching "Cribs" on MTV and Shaq is on there bragging about his custom cars, 26" dubs (read: Shaq feet), monster bed and the basketball court in his house just take a second to realize that he doesn't have anything on my man Rick Broome and his 737. Holla back two times!

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

P.S. I got a call from Kevin Martin from The Advocate in Baton Rouge letting me know that I was a finalist for their winter/spring internship but wasn't selected. I was obviously disappointed that I didn't get it because I really wanted to get the chance to work at a strong paper in a big city and experience the southern culture. However, the fact that Kevin even called to let me know I didn't get it was extremely professional. I haven't had any other editor call to let me know that he/she was impressed with my work but that I didn't quite make the cut. It shows that Kevin and The Advocate really care and that counts for a lot in my book. I'm going to push myself even harder to improve my portfolio and can't wait to apply there again in May. Thanks Kevin.

Just ok

"Julie Boswell, who says she is "committed to exercise," braves the cold and wet weather during her afternoon walk at Bear Creek Regional Park in Colorado Springs Monday, Nov. 10, 2008." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

I had just an ok day today. It wasn't good, it wasn't bad, but just ok.

We were short art for the metro cover so I trekked (read: drove) out into the cold, wet weather in search of a daily to fill the hole. It may sound a little ridiculous but I already had the above picture in mind when I went out searching. 

We have been spoiled with great weather here in Colorado all fall and still haven't seen the first snowfall, except for the mountains of course. The sky was grey which I knew would help some bright colors really stand out and I knew that a weather feature was right on the money. After stopping by the cemetery and CC I headed to Bear Creek park which is literally across the street from my place. I spotted the colorful umbrella, parked my car as quickly as possible and ran into the field trying to compose the shot as I ran. I found some nice trees to layer my image and waited for Julie to line up perfectly.

She probably thought I was nuts to be out there with my camera gear in that weather chasing after her but she graciously obliged and provided her name.

I took out the 400 and shot some birds near my car before I took off to transmit. I had another athlete of the week portrait in the area so I transmitted the feature back to the office while grabbing a bite to eat at Panera. Gotta love free Wifi!

The Cheyenne Mountain Indians captured their first 4A volleyball title ever this past weekend so Katy and I were on campus to give senior Laura Brodie her 15 minutes of fame. Laura was by far both Katy and my favorite athlete that we've worked with. She was really easy going, helpful, open to my ideas and willing to do whatever to make the portrait work.

Last night I had envisioned a few different looks that I wanted to try, one being with the championship trophy. I thought I had really thought it through but in the end Mark convinced me that it just didn't quite do it. I was a little disappointed and frustrated with myself but I can just chalk it up to a learning experience. Here is the image that we decided to go with.

I finally figured out a concept for our "Peak Performers" section that is due to run about a month from now. I don't want to give anything away but I can say that it's going to be much different than my recent sportraits.

P.S. The New York Times picked up another one of my images through AP last week...on my birthday non the less: CHECK IT OUT!!

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

I could do this all day

"Doherty gymnast Brittnee Martinez poses for a portrait at Colorado Aerials Gymnastics in Colorado Springs, Monday, Nov. 3, 2008. Martinez, who will compete at the University of Michigan next year, won the all-around, vault and uneven bars titles at the CHSAA State gymnastics meet this past weekend." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

Practice does make perfect. I'm getting better and better at these portraits and am doing so with an exponential growth curve.

I walked into the gym this morning about 35 minutes before my subject was due to arrive. One of the coaches escorted me into by far the busiest place I've ever had to make a portrait. There was stuff EVERYWHERE. The plain white walls didn't seem to be helping either. I must have stood there just looking around and thinking for at least 10 minutes before I decided to do anything. I had my lights up and ready to go in about 20 minutes and hung out with one of the coaches and Katy while waiting for Britnee. Having everything ready to go is great because I already know what I want to accomplish so all I have to do is push the button. 

I finally saw something that I could work with, ugly overhead florescent lighting. Instead of using it as a source I determined that I could use it as a graphic. I kicked the white balance to tungsten and since the lights recycled at different times each set was a different color blue or green(ish). When Brittnee showed up in a leo with blue and green on it I knew I was in business.

I used a medium softbox with a 1/2 CTO folded in half to create a full as the main light and a bare head in the background to add some separation. The back head fell to a cool blue color because of the white balance setting allowing it to match the blue in her leo and the blue in some of the lights overhead.

I made a simple posed vertical, more unique vertical and the image seen above in just 27 frames. When I saw the image up top I called it a wrap. Using only 8 minutes of her time Brittnee couldn't have been more pleased. (Not that hs students worry about missing class for their 15 minutes of fame)

I could do this all day...now I just need someone to hire me.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

CC still sucks

"Colorado College forward Scott McCulloch (26) is swarmed by teammates as they celebrate his goal against Denver goalie Marc Cheverie (1) in the first period of a WCHA college hockey game at World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008. CC defeated their I-25 rivals 3-2 to remain unbeaten with a 5-0-3 record on the season."

 JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

I had a pretty good night behind the lens, but unfortunately I can't say the same thing for my alma mater. Both teams played well but it was CC goaltender Richard Bachman who stole the show with a stellar 40 save performance. Bachman stoned DU's Patrick Wiercioch with 55.9 seconds to go from point blank range to preserve the win, and their No. 1 ranking. Gazette beat writer Kate Crandall blogs about the game and my shot of Bachman's save here.

I've shot plenty of DU hockey and even had the opportunity to shoot the frozen four in Denver this past April. Despite the fact that I have a hockey photo in my portfolio it is by far my worse sport. I know the sport, the teams, the terminology and the rules but I am just not as good of a hockey photographer as I would like to be.

However I am good at putting my own touch on things and that style is still evident in my hockey photos. The paper shoots every CC home game so I knew that I wanted to try and come up with something different. We have 6 strobes installed in the arena but I only used 4 at a time tonight to achieve a different look. I pointed the two in the middle towards the end where I would be shooting so that I could concentrate all the light in just one end. As a result the background drops off quickly to near black. It really helped the images pop like my shot of CC celebrating a first period goal above. Seeing DU goalie Marc Cheverie's face and body language in disappointment really makes the photo. Having shot from an angle that you usually don't see also made the image different from all the hockey images that get published in the paper.

To further add my touch to the assignment I made sure to set up a remote. 

I set up my 30D and 85mm on a small overhang above the north goal on available light. I also increased the contact time on the Pocket Wizard Multimax to 2.5 seconds so that I wouldn't need to continuously hold down the button. I could hit it once when there was commotion in the crease and get 13 frames. The good thing is that I made half a dozen or so solid images. The bad part is that I had to scan through 600+ frames during my edit. I'm very picky when it comes to making a clean photo and this remote from above achieves the look that I'm after.

Peak action is great but I'm always looking for other ways to tell the story. 

Being that this was a rivalry game between two top ranked teams I knew that there would be plenty of emotion, both jube and dejection to shoot. Knowing that I wanted to get an image with some depth I positioned myself ice level at the end of the rink as I had done in the first period. At the end of the game I caught Denver's Tyler Bozak bent over as CC skated to congratulate their star goaltender. Since I had the strobes set to only fire in the near offensive zone the background, and CC, faded dark and allowed Bozak to pop in the frame. It really brings just enough attention to Bozak that couldn't have been achieved with an evenly lit rink.

Going into the game I was a little anxious because I wanted to show the staff that I could produce solid images from a big game. In the end I feel like the assignment was a success as AP picked up at least the three images that I posted in this entry. Kate, the CC hockey beat writer, showed me the images on the AP exchange server and I couldn't help but smile.

DU may have lost but CC still sucks. Go Pios!

The countdown is on to my 23rd birthday, and the election, but I have one more day at work before I get to celebrate. The good thing is that I have a portrait of the prep athlete of the week for the third week in a row so at least I know that it will be a good day.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

On the run

"The Classical Academy's Kaitlin Hanenburg poses for a portrait at Mary Kyer Park in Colorado Springs, Monday, Oct. 27, 2008. Hanenburg, a junior, captured the 3A State Cross Country title for the second year in a row this past Saturday." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

On Monday afternoon I had the chance to shoot another prep athlete of the week portrait. 

I talked with Kaitlin the day before to choose a location and time to meet. 

I asked her and her mother for location suggestions and they came up with a great one. In reality it was just a park but it had great views of the mountains as well as a nice water feature that I could use. I planned to shoot it at 5pm just before sunset that way I could get some images with the sun and some without. The timing couldn't have been better. 

I lucked out and found power about 100 feet from the location I wanted to use near a gazebo in the park. I've been falling in love with the light quality of my Dynalites and when I have the time to set them up they just can't be beat. 

I use my speedlights all the time for speed and efficiency but they just can't match up to the raw power and quality of the big strobes.

I wanted to be able to work quickly as the light fell so I decided to set up two one-light stations about 15 feet apart each with their own pack and head. For the first set up I used a medium soft box as the main light and the fading golden sun as a rim light. The light was perfect and held for about 12 minutes with gave me time to shoot several different versions with the same setup. 

I can work really quickly with one light and that was the key to getting several looks in the short amount of time.

Most of the first set of images are what I like to call "safe images." I can shoot those any day of the week and can get them done in a flash. After I get the safe images then I always try something different with my subjects that way I've covered my behind but I also push the envelope.

The second set up was a little more difficult because it required Kaitlin to run through the shot. Believe it or not it was not easy to get the image that I was hoping for. 

I wanted to exaggerate her running style so I wanted to get both of her feet off of the ground in the image. The lighting was simple, just one head/pack with black wrap to act as a snoot. 

Katy Booth, our writer, is always willing to lend a hand so I used her as a voice activated lightstand to try and keep the light pointed on Kaitlin's face and she ran. I made a few ok images shooting from the front lit side of her (the sun was behind the mountains but the sky still created a deep blue tone). Then I moved to shoot backlit with the mountain range in the background to add another layer or depth to the image. Her legs were falling into the black hole created by the silhouetted mountains so I had Katy take the snoot off the head to make Kaitlin pop in the frame.

I shot 65 frames in 23 minutes creating roughly 11 different looks. I'm constantly working with my subject, pausing, moving the light and keeping them engaged in the process so that they don't feel like a statue throughout the shoot. 

The thing that I have learned about the most from shooting portraits is that the engagement between the subject and the photographer makes or breaks the shoot. Most subjects aren't used to posing so they get tired relatively soon. I like to show my subject an image or two about 2/3 of the way through the shoot. That way I can show them how "cool" I'm making them look which allows them to relax and as a result I can capture some great images in the last few minutes of the shoot.

A week or so ago I was assigned to shoot the fall prep athletes of the year section which requires 12 athlete portraits for the cover, 12 inside large portraits and if I can accomplish what has never been done, a 12 column double truck to run in the center of the section. I was really amped when I got the assignment and can't wait to get started. I have to come up with a consistent theme for all the images. I have a few solid ideas but I'm just ironing out all the details in my head. I really want to shoot all 12 athletes at once for the double truck purely for the fact that it has never been done. Scheduling 12 athletes for one portrait will be a nightmare but I'm up to the challenge. 

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

The Curse

"Liberty's Javier Salome lies on the ground in dissapointment as Denver East High School cheerleaders celebrate their 3-1 victory in the background following 5A State playoff action at Denver East High School in Denver, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

I'm officially the curse. It seems as though I have adopted the curse from Rod Mar. I don't know how to explain it but I am just plain bad luck.

ATTENTION all Colorado Springs area high school athletes, parents, coaches, administrators and fans. If you would like to continue in the playoffs then call my boss, Stuart, at the paper and beg, plead and bribe him into assigning someone else to cover your game instead of me. I'm sorry, I'm the curse. Don't get me wrong when I see an afternoon prep matchup on my log I'm grateful because I could shoot sports all day every day. The problem is that if I shoot your game, match, round, ect., you will lose. 

I promise.

Don't believe me, well let me explain. So far this fall I have shot the State golf championships, one 5A softball playoff game, three 4A State softball games, the 4A State tennis championship match, and now a 5A State soccer playoff game and EVERY single Colorado Springs team has lost.

Like I said beg, plead or bribe Stuart.

That being said I had a great time this afternoon. The light was sick, access was great and I made some solid images.

Hey I guess what they say is true. One's loss is another's gain. Sorry Liberty.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

New territory

"In the ring Nicholas Kisner and Joey Dawejko spar while Kevin Rivers, foreground, practices with a partner during a training session for the Youth World Championships at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Monday, Oct. 20, 2008. The championships take place Oct. 25-Nov. 1 in Guadalajara, Mexico." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

On Monday afternoon I was assigned to cover some youth boxers preparing for the World Championships at the OTC. I have never had the chance to shoot any kind of boxing so I didn't really know what to expect. After spending three hours in the gym with a group of focused young men I can now say that I love shooting the sport.

I didn't shoot any actual matched, just sparing and training but the images seem to be coming in an endless manner. Maybe it was because I had never shot it before and therefor everything was fresh and new but regardless I seemed to see something different almost every minute.

The lighting was flat so I worked with what I could. 

I shot some sparing and some of the training with a speedlight set-up near the ring that helped make some more dynamic images like this one.

One of the things that I think really helped me in my process was that the coaches and young men were really receptive to me being there and gave me access to do pretty much whatever I wanted to do.

Don't let me fool you though, these young men were fast, focused, strong and clearly working hard towards a goal. In Gazette writer Brian Gomez's story Oscar Cantu, seen taking a punch in this photo above, states that his goal is to make the London 2012 Olympic team. 

When training was done I pulled a few of the athletes that Brian talked to aside for a quick two light portrait. 

Athletes always amaze me with their excitement after they see the results on the back of the camera. Most people can't see the vision of the final product by seeing the lighting set-up. I often show my subject how "cool" they look which then allows me to work a little bit longer than usual with them. I've been getting really comfortable with working with portrait subjects which has lead portraiture to quickly become my second love right behind shooting sports. While I don't have control of my images, to an extent, while on the sidelines I do however have the ability to control the final product in a portrait and I really like that.

The light looked much different when I didn't have the subject in place and it forced me to move my light a little. I wanted the main light to be a little more directional. I had a snoot on it to create a shaft of light but that didn't allow me to light his shirt as well which I thought the logo added to the context of the portrait. As always feedback is always welcome.

I (finally) added my wedding portfolio to my website so be sure to check that out!!!!!!!!

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Homecoming without football?

"Friends and family members wait for soldiers from the 549th Quartermaster Company and the 360th Transportation Company to be dismissed during their homecoming ceremony at Fort Carson Army Base in Colorado Springs, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

When I heard the word "homecoming" come out of my editor's mouth this morning I immediately thought of football. I love shooting football so I was hoping that he would come around the corner and hand me the prep game of the week.

I obvously wasn't in the right mindset because the piece of paper he handed me said "Ft. Carson...12:30pm." High school is still in session at 12:30 so I was shooting homecoming but there weren't any footballs to be found. 170 soldiers were returning from Iraq and I got the opportunity to cover it. Seeing as though I didn't have a single assignment on the log for the day I was even more stoked to be doing something other than staring at a computer screen or cruising for features.

Like a total rookie I drove to the gate, provided my ID, insurance, registration and opened up the car so they could search it only to be told that I needed an escort to get onto the base and that he was waiting at the parking lot 100yds behind me. You would think they would have told me that before they searched my car like I was hiding Osama in there.

Myself and a few TV crews were escorted to the gym on the base where the troops would be meeting up with their families. As soon as I walked in I realized that I would be earning my money today. Translation: 1600ISO, f2.8, 1/50...further translation for all you non photo nerds: the gym was a dark CAVE. To be honest it didn't really phase me because it is what it is and I can't change that. The other thing that I noticed was the HUGE American flag hung along one end of the gym. After listening to the Army media guy explain what would make a good picture (like it was the first day I picked up a camera) go on and on and on, I headed to the opposite side of the gym to get ready for the ceremony.

I set up a body on the floor with a wide angle and a shutter release cord with home made extension to that I could fire it while standing up. I set that camera with a slow shutter speed (1/20) so that I could get a little movement from the soldiers while the flag remained still. I had a 70-200 in my hands shooting some tighter stuff at the same time (see above).

The ceremony itself is another experience. Although the soldiers have been away for 15 months they are forced to stand in formation all of 50 feet from their families. They have to wait for the National Anthem, some big names to say a few words, and the Army song before they are released. But boy when they are it's a real sight to see. The soldiers try to act professional and "hustle" to their families but the families beat them to it and practically sprint and fly into their arms. One lady literally jumped from about eight feet away into her husband's arms.

While I was firing my slow shutter body on the ground I made what I like to call a happy accident. A family member's flash went off when the shutter was open and created a nice flare underneath the American flag.

After the initial chaos I made a few nice frames of the soldiers and their families greeting each other before I left. It was a good experience considering the lighting conditions and was something that I'm glad that I can say I had the chance to cover.

In addition to The Gazette, the Rocky Mountain News wanted a few photos from the event so be on the look for those in their paper and online.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Just another week

Instead of just going on and on about my week I thought that I would post some of my favorite images from my assignments this past week, enjoy.

"Vancouver Cougars Club President Peter Champion celebrates with his team after defeating the Baltimore Washington Eagles for the U.S. Australian Rules Football Division I Championship at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

"Pedestrians walk past Dan Romano's sculpture "Man in Z Moon" along Manitou Avenue in Manitou Springs, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

"Fountain/Ft. Carson's Sam Jorgensen plays from the trees on the 16th hole during the 5A State Golf Championships on the Eisenhower Blue Course at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Monday, Oct. 6, 2008. Jorgensen finished with a 4-over par 76 to sit in a tie for eleventh place after day one." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

"Rev. Dan MacFadyen preaches during Amplify Church's meeting at the Thirsty Parrot in Colorado Springs, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008. The parish of young evangelicals meet at the bar every other Sunday evening." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

"A group of T-6 airplanes piloted by, from left, Chris Barton, Dr. Julie Smith, Jack Cronin and Jim Munn perform during the "In Their Honor" Colorado Springs Air Show in Colorado Springs, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

"Denver Broncos running back Michael Pittman poses with a game ball that he received for scoring a touchdown against San Diego earlier this year at the Broncos training facility in Englewood, Friday, Oct. 3, 2008. Pittman collects all of his game balls and keeps them in a display case at his home." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE