Pacers at Bulls

I found out early this week that I would be covering the Bulls today for a feature story that our beat writer is working on. I'm glad that I finally got down to the United Center for a game as I've been bugging my editors for an assignment. The majority of the sports that we cover are at the high school level so I was dying to cover something with a little faster pace. The 4A state championships last weekend, however, were thrilling and a blast to cover and right up there with the intensity of the NBA.

I arrived with plenty of time to get my gear together, set up my photo mechanic/code replacement and get acquainted with my new surroundings. I made sure to get out to the court early to shoot file stock for our archives since we don't shoot the NBA that much. 

I was really disappointed in the light in the United Center. Available light settings were 1/500 f/2.8 at 3200 ISO. Those are the same settings that we shoot pretty much 90% of our high school basketball at so I was really taken back to get that poor of light quality in an NBA arena. I shot the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center back in January and the light there was a full stop and a third brighter. Even Magness Arena at DU is considerably brighter than the United Center. 

The light was terrible but I quickly forgot about it and focused in on the the game. Both teams played fairly patient and kept the score close the entire game. I made the mistake (sort of) of sitting away from all the other photographers. When I can I like to network with the other photographers especially in a new city where I don't know anyone. On the flip side it can be good to concentrate completely on the game and your assignment. Sun-Times staffer Keith Hale did, however, come sit next to me in the second half and introduced himself so now at least I'll know one familiar face sometime along the way.

The two hour trek home in traffic and rain was not amusing. Hopefully I can avoid both next week for the White Sox opening day. I'm really looking forward to baseball season and glad that I get to start my year off yet again with an MLB opening day game.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Earth Hour

"On Saturday at 8:30 p.m. more than 2,800 municipalities in 84 countries plan to take part in the second worldwide Earth Hour by dimming non-essential lights for one hour to conserve energy. Major landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Sears tower and McDonald's restaurant all plan to participate ."

Photo illustration by Justin Edmonds

Page design by Amy Simpson

I got a call from the office late Friday afternoon asking me to hurry back after my assignment because they needed me to do an illustration for A1. Somehow things got mixed up in the budget and this wasn't planned so we didn't have any art. I had to come up with something, and fast, because the editor who was producing the page was leaving soon.

I used a green gel on a speedlight that was set really close to the black seamless and placed the clock in front of that. After I got the light spread and level to my desire I used a second light with a snoot to light up the clock. The earth was added in photoshop and when I realized that cutting out each of the numbers would be too tedious and time consuming considering my deadline I just added those in photoshop as well.

Considering that I had zero notice and less than two hours to complete the project I'm pretty pleased with the result.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Molly Malone's

"Lauren M. Anderson pauses for an impromptu portrait in the middle of Monroe Street in Forest Park after working on a video assignment at Molly Malone's Irish Pub on Thursday, March 26, 2009."

After work I tagged along with Lauren to assist (read: carry stuff) her on a video project of a harpist that she's working on. My two assignments today weren't very exciting so I was hoping that the hour trip into Forest Park would provide some comic relief, and it did.

The pub was an absolute cave, as predicted, but she was able to make it work. She worked pretty quickly to get the extra B-roll that she needed for the project and then we headed out. She has some early assignments tomorrow morning so we skipped the traditional Irish stout pints.

When we were putting the gear back in the car the streetlights caught my eye. I asked her to stand in the middle of the street while I made a few quick frames. Lauren, however, was more interested in trying to catch the baby bunny rabbit that she saw on the sidewalk and at that moment our impromptu portrait session was over.

There is nothing like some late night comic relief to make up for a rather colorless day.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

State Basketball Championships

"Whitney Young's Marcus Jordan (5) and Ahmad Starks (3) celebrate a basket by teammate Sam Thompson (not pictured) as Waukegan's Mike Springs (1), Aaron Johnson (20) and Colin Nickerson (30) react to the call late in the fourth quarter of the IHSA Class 4A State Basketball Championships at Carver Arena in Peoria, Saturday, March 21, 2009. Whitney Young defeated Waukegan 69-63 to capture the title."

I spent the last two (long) days photographing the Illinois Class 4A State Basketball Championships in Peoria. I was there to cover one of our local schools, Dundee-Crown, who laid two eggs (read: back-to-back 21 point losses). Dundee-Crown had a great season and ran through the playoffs but the talent of Waukegan, Thornton and Whitney-Young were miles above anything that the Chargers had to offer. 

I stuck around to shoot the fourth quarter and post game celebration of a great championship between Whitney-Young and Waukegan. NBA legend Michael Jordan's (yes, THE Michael Jordan) son, Marcus, plays for Whitney-Young so it was a real circus to cover but it made for a great story line as Marcus led Whitney-Young to the championship. Both teams are stacked with NCAA Division I prospects which made for a real March madness atmosphere. I have never seen a more intense high school basketball game with exorbitant talent ever, period, end of story. Imagine the best high school players in the nation on one court playing as if they are in a Michael Jordan commercial and you basically have the game tonight.

I had to take advantage of the opportunity to cover the championships so I brought along enough gear to more than cover my bases. In all I brought four Canon 1D Mark II bodies, and six lenses ranging from 16mm to 300mm and a case full of grip and safety equipment. I ran two remotes each night from a few different angles and ended up making a few nice images. I guess all that gear drew some attention because Peoria Star-Journal staffer Fred Zwicky came over to introduce himself and find out who was this "kid" with more gear than him which I got a little kick out of.

Here are some of my favorite images from the weekend:

"Whitney Young celebrates their 69-66 victory over Waukegan in the IHSA Class 4A State Basketball Championship at Carver Arena in Peoria, Saturday, March 21, 2009."

"NBA Legend Michael Jordan, father of Whitney Young guard Marcus Jordan, applauds Whitney Young's 69-66 victory over Waukegan in the IHSA Class 4A State Basketball Championship at Carver Arena in Peoria, Saturday, March 21, 2009."

"Waukegan guard Quan Conner (24) leaps over Whitney Young forward Antonio Johnson (33) in the fourth quarter of the IHSA Class 4A State Basketball Championship at Carver Arena in Peoria, Saturday, March 21, 2009. Whitney Young captured the state title with a strong fourth quarter performance in the 69-66 victory."

"Whitney-Young forward Sam Thompson (25) fouls Waukegan guard Quan Conner (24) in the fourth quarter of the IHSA Class 4A State Basketball Championship at Carver Arena in Peoria, Saturday, March 21, 2009. Whitney-Young defeated Waukegan 69-66 to capture the state title."

"Thornton guard Jamal Gray (34) flies in for the easy bucket against Dundee-Crown guard Gregory McNally (left) in the second quarter of the IHSA Class 4A State Basketball Consolation Game at Carver Arena in Peoria, Saturday, March 21, 2009. Thornton defeated Dundee-Crown 73-52."

"Dundee-Crown center Charles Kimbrough (33) slams the ball home in the first quarter of the IHSA Class 4A State Basketball Consolation Game against Thornton at Carver Arena in Peoria, Saturday, March 21, 2009. Kimbrough contributed four points, three rebounds and three blocks in the 73-52 loss."

"Dundee-Crown starters, from left, Charles Kimbrough, Aaron Reams and Justin Strzelczyk sit dejected on the bench as the the clock ticks down in Waukegan's 67-46 victory over the Chargers in the IHSA Class 4A State Basketball semi-finals at Carver Arena in Peoria, Friday, March 20, 2009."

Patience is rewarded

"Retired Army Sgt. and American Legion Post 491 member Gerald Raske of Wonder Lake is silhouetted by the American flag and fading sunset while waiting to welcome home Navy ensign Kevin Haggerty at McHenry VFW in McHenry, Friday, March 13, 2009."

A lot of what I do on assignment involves waiting. Patience is not necessarily something that I'm good at but I'm rewarded when I wait for moments to evolve and come together.

Friday evening I was covering a homecoming ceremony for a single Navy soldier, Kevin Haggerty, and I was forced to wait around as the parade of sorts had not arrived. It doesn't really bother me but I'm always confused at how the military runs like clockwork but these homecoming ceremonies never run on time. Instead of twiddling my thumbs I decided that I was going to make a frame for myself before the soldier arrived. I knew that I wanted to be able to focus my efforts on one person because that would force me to really work the situation until I made it work instead of getting frustrated and moving on too quickly.

I liked all the pins and patches on Mr. Raske's hat and decided to key in on him. After I took down his name I went to work. Luckily for me he really didn't seem to mind, nor notice, my interest in him at all. Just like the little girls from my assignment the other day he was a very cooperative photo subject.

The scene at the VFW was very busy as the parking lot full of cars, tree branches, power lines, swarms of friends and family of the soldier made for a difficult place to make a "clean" photo of Mr. Raske. After about 20 minutes of working the situation things finally fell into place. The wind picked up and the sun was dropping in the sky, giving it a great warm color. There were flags lined up along the sidewalk and when Mr. Raske got into formation with the rest of the American Legion Post 491 I made the above frame.

The quasi silhouette really makes it a winner in my mind. Anyone can shoot a silhouette but to find the right moment when the backlit light source reaches an unusual balance with the front of the subject takes real patience. It's amazing what happens when I push myself.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Afternoon tea

"Gabriella Zmich, 4, of Huntley lifts up her dress while trying to find the perfect pair of shoes to match her polka dot ensemble during a Little Ladies Etiquette party at My Secret Garden in Algonquin, Wednesday, March 11, 2009."

I had a great day that was capped off with a fun little (no pun intended) assignment. I thought that this one might be a challenge but the two little girls in the class COMPLETELY ignored me the whole time I was there which made this like shooting fish in a barrel. If you've ever tried to photograph kids you know what I'm talking about. Usually they just stare into the lens and follow you around but Gabriella and Lindsey (not pictured) were perfect little princesses. If all of my subjects would ignore me like these two did today my job would be a lot easier...not that I'm complaining ;).

This isn't my favorite image from the assignment but seeing as though it might never see the light of day otherwise I thought that I would post it here.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Dribbling to the next level

"Richmond-Burton freshman point guard Erin Thomas gave an oral commitment last week to play basketball at the University of Dayton. The 15-year-old made a name for herself by playing AAU basketball for six seasons, and she has starred in a Converse shoes commercial alongside Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade."

This girl has mad game.

I spent this afternoon in a small middle school gymnasium in Richmond with Erin and her parents shooting a portrait for sports writer Maureen Lynch's feature story. The Thomas' were an absolute pleasure to work with and let me take all the time I needed to really work this one. Since it was my only assignment of the day I took a little extra time to break out some more lights and really "blow this one up."

I haven't had the chance to shoot any sportraits since I was at The Gazette so I was really excited when I saw this one on my log yesterday. I have to admit that I was a little confused at first because I didn't think that a freshman could commit to a University but since it's only a verbal commitment and not a signed Letter of Intent, it's fine. I worked for the athletic department for four years at DU including some time spent in compliance and I didn't even know that. I guess you learn something new every day. 

Dayton saw her play in an AAU game and were interested. When Erin and her parents found out they drove out to Dayton and took a tour which all but sealed up the deal for them. I couldn't imagine putting all your eggs in one basket so early in a career but after talking with Erin and her parents throughout the shoot I can understand why it is the right fit.

She even got to be in a Converse shoe commercial with Dwyane Wade that you can check out on YouTube here.

I had a great time working with Erin to get an exorbitant amount of different looking shots including action and safe posed portraits. We have a few 5D's laying around the office so I've been using them here and there for things, as I did today, and I'm impressed with the way it handles tonal gradation.

I'm really happy with the way the images turned out and glad that I got the chance to break out all my lights and spend some time to work my vision.

...UPDATE...

As per a request I'll give you a little info into the technical details of the photo.

-Canon 5D with an 85 f/1.8, 4400K WB, 50ISO, 1/200 at f/5.6 (this overpowered what little ambient there was in the gym).

-Main light is a Dyna Lite head at 250w/s with a full CTO in a medium Chimera soft box on a boom set about six feet from the subject at camera left. I used the boom to position the box downward to prevent spill into the gym and to avoid a lightstand in the frame.

-There is a 400w/s Dyna Lite head with a 30 degree grid on both sides behind the subject at 45 degrees at about 12 feet. The grids prevented the light from spilling into the gym walls and floor.

-The net is lit with a Canon 580 EX II at full power with a 1/3 CTB and snoot at about 15 feet directly left of the hoop. The 1/3 CTB helped to cool the light source below the two kickers without it becoming a gimmick.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Long overdue

"From left, McHenry guard Josh McNaughton, forward Chris Madson and Prairie Ridge forward Jon Williams fight for a loose ball in the first quarter of McHenry's 56-50 victory in the IHSA Class 4A McHenry regional championship at McHenry High School West Campus in McHenry, Friday, March 6, 2009. McHenry captured their first regional title since 1978."

GREAT game tonight! I made probably 4 solid frames in the first five minutes of the game which isn't a surprise because I had such a great day today. I have a feeling that the 60+ degree weather may have lifted my spirits a bit. I'm sure Chipotle didn't hurt either, nor did the beers after work.

I'm looking forward to a really cool portrait session later tomorrow (today actually). It's been a fantastic but long day so I'm going to bed.

More from the game HERE!

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Developing a portrait with rapport

"Mark Murray of Woodstock is a philanthropist and artist as seen at Woodstock Public Library in Woodstock, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009. Murray also teaches part-time at DePaul University in Chicago helping students find a way to turn their creative juices in the arts into a professional career."

I have been enjoying a few days off and haven't had anything to post but I thought that I would update with a portrait that I shot a few weeks ago. We (Northwest herald) have a question and answer series called "On the record with..." that focuses on a member of the community that you might not know but probably should. We shoot a lot of these well in advance for the weekly Sunday series which is why I'm just now posting this one.

I'm always interested in talking with my subjects and learning a little bit more about how they have got to where they are today. It allows them to talk about themselves which makes them feel comfortable and helps me prep them for being in front of the camera. 90% of the people that I photograph have never had a professional take their picture. They don't know how to act, pose, stand and a lot of the time just be their self. It's crucial to the photograph that they're calm, relaxed and open to my ideas. In order to accomplish all this I have to create a rapport with them in only a few minutes.

 When I photographed Mark Murray (above) I got a sense from the get go that he was a little nervous, as most people are. I knew that if I didn't establish a relationship with him quickly the stiffness would show in the photo. 

I like to think that I can connect best with business professionals and the like very easily because I come from a business background and I'm very professional on a shoot. The most important thing that I did during the shoot came long before Mark even showed up. I was there about 45 minutes early to scout a location at the library where we were shooting and get all my lights set up. Mark was impressed that I was not only on time but ready to go when he got there. People say that a first impression is built in the first 30 seconds when you meet someone. Being ready to go really got me going in the right direction.

I found a quick connection with Mark because I'm basically the end product of what he teaches his students. I freelance when I can and having a business background has really helped put me ahead of the game when it comes to dealing with clients, vendors, subjects, ect. I worked this angle and talked with him about his class, his art and his family. Keep in mind that I'm doing all of this while shooting a few different looks in two different locations. It can be tough to talk and shoot at the same time but I feel as though you have to keep conversation going throughout the shoot in order to keep things moving.

In about 15 minutes with the subject I was able to create four different looks that would give me some leeway during the edit. Although I knew that we were only going to run one portrait I still shoot all my portraits (time pending) as if they were an editorial magazine assignment where the art director will want at least four looks to play with.

The end result is a solid portrait for the paper and a business relationship all built in 15 minutes. Mark even asked me if I would like to come and be a guest speaker in one of his classes as an example that anyone do what they want to do with their art right out of college if you put your mind to it.

Ok, I've rambled enough for one evening. The moral to the story is that building rapport with your subject will lead to pictures that weren't possible otherwise. Take a few minutes the next time you work with someone to get to know them, I promise the end result will be better than you anticipated.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Lt. Dan

"A multitude of colored stage lights illuminate Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band guitarist Kimo Williams during a concert to benefit McHenry County Public Action to Deliver Shelter at the Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009."

Did you ever see Forest Gump? Of course you did, everyone did. Do you remember Lt. Dan? Well he (Gary Sinise) has a band and they preformed in Crystal Lake tonight. I didn't even know that it was a big show until I showed up. The Raue apparently sold out weeks ago and rightfully so because the bad didn't disappoint. They played a great mix of covers that the crowd knew and loved.

As most photojournalists will tell you, shooting a concert usually isn't that difficult because it's a stage performance with great lighting. All you have to do is find the moment and push the button. However the difficult part about it is that most bands only give you two or three songs to get your pictures before they kick you out. I had a totally different experience tonight. The band and their manager were great and let me shoot backstage and in front of the first row for as long as I so pleased. They understood that I had a job to do and that is to make great pictures of them so the better the access I had the better chance I had of taking great images.

I haven't shot very much concert photography so I spent a good hour working a few angles to get some things that I liked. You can see the rest of my selects HERE.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Art?

I spent the afternoon downtown with my friend Michelle who is in town training with the Chicago Red Stars, the new women's professional soccer team. After wandering for a bit and grabbing a bite to eat we met up with some of her teammates at the Navy Pier. 

I was playing around with a few different things and the above image is something that I came up with. Yes, I know it's out of focus...I did that on purpose. I don't know that I can start to call it a piece of art but I definitely like it regardless. There is something whimsical about it.

What do you think?

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com