So the subject of the email reads "Blog", the first line of the email is "My writing sucks today and I want this to be funny so if I were you I would redo the entire thing."

At the end of the line is one of those sad little "poor-me" emoticons.

So now you better understand how our business relationship works and how things get done around here. Not exactly sitting at the round table voting on who does what. Round tables bug me anyway because it's always a struggle to find the power position or sit at the head of the table for that matter.

So here I sit on the first day of a much needed escape from the proverbial grind doing what? Working on a blog because Devona is suffering from writer‘s block. So much for holidays.

As soon as this is done, that's it. The voice mail and email vacation alerts have been set, the desk is cleaned off and for all you know I could be in Alaska, Italy, TukTiYukTuk, Cuba, or hiding under my sheets for the next ten days. Either way, I will not be an accountant, sales person, photographer, business manager, two-hour-a-day warehouse dude, PR director, toilet bowl cleaner or executive assistant for the next ten days. If someone needs a RFP answered or wants pricing to do a wedding re-shoot because the person they hired took a year to send the proofs and every image they select is "not good enough for editing or print" they are out of luck. I'm outta here, finished, terminado, befejezett, wrapped, history.

Wait a minute, is that the phone ringing? Should I pick it up? Nope. Gotta write this thing and then disconnect from all technology other than the coffee maker and the beer cooler. No cameras, no laptop, no crackberry, no interweb. Just me, some written word, and someone else’s photos of two-wheeled transportation devices… on paper.

So let us get this final pre-holiday task out of the way. Remind us again how two months go by without a blog entry. Oh yeah, life.

Note: This is where we go back to Devona writing the blog and I throwing in two cents worth set off with a pair of ~ for a change.

What has been keeping us so busy??

The end of June entailed shooting some grad photos of a cousin’s daughter in Saskatoon… the dress - beautiful!

ISO: 320 Aperture: 2.8 Shutter: 1/250 Exp. Comp.: -0.7

From there it was off to Fishing Lake for few days of relax - the daughter/pseudo step-daughter - beautiful! The pose - just a tad over the top. 

Below model/daughter gives mom the "you get one more frame here" look because last I heard there were no hundred dollar bills involved in posing at the lake.

Aussie Cowboy Rob headed out to Kelliher to shoot some images of a ranch rodeo for a client so Brooke and I decided to stop by for a bit. This image admittedly was shot with a camera phone so the quality isn’t exactly stellar.

Our annual summer field trips have started up once again and have been a huge success…here are some shots from the first “Peoplescapes - Portraits in the Park” session that from a few weeks back: 

Below is an image of Brooke … I know that you are all thinking that she must get her vertical from her mother ~ROTFLMAO~ ~See Devona, now this is funny.~

The weather that evening was absolutely perfect… nothing like the warm evening light when shooting portraits. Ick, just realized how Hallmark cardsish that must sound. ~Wait, I can help a bit here: Graced with the warm kiss of golden hues our models find themselves ever so softly wrapped with light as smooth as flower petals. Shadows fall ever so gracefully behind our subjects and air fills with the sound of shutters firing like those of fully automatic assault rifles.~

Rob (Vanna) demonstrates how reflectors can be used to fill in shadows:

Another shot of the “shooters” 

When your subject is moving sometimes you can use a panning effect with a slower shutter speed to really show the movement in the photo. It is important when trying to achieve this effect that the camera move on plane with and at the same pace as the subject you are photographing.

ISO: 500
Aperture: 5
Shutter: 1/50
Exp. Comp.: +0.3

Another shot of the group:

Lastly, this image of my nephew is brought to you by Rubbermaid spas and hot tubs:

Until next time…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

And so goes Devona’s entry. As mentioned, while her holiness takes part in leisure activities and tends to her day job some of us work.

Said work this month has involved some shooting a little freestyle:

Lens (mm): 24
ISO: 320
Aperture: 5
Shutter: 1/1000
Exp. Comp.: -0.3

and a little high speed fill flash from my 580 EXII Shooting on the waives at Tobin Lake rendered not much more than images of guys fishing without life-jackets (Doh!) and speck of bald eagle:

 

The very hospitable folks (George & Jean) of Torch Valley Country Retreats put my brother/assistant Howard and I up for a couple of evenings. Rather than extend the afternoon nap I spent a few minutes honing my multi-exposure skills. 

The days preceding Canada Day were spent at the Pasquia Regional Park. The visitor centre and Pale ontological Exhibit was a smallish room that with the exception of the natural light coming through the glass door and one tiny window opposite the display that needed capturing, had so little light that the backlight on the camera needed to be activated so as to read the camera settings. This presented a few challenges. (Yes, on rare occasion I still need to look at a camera to change settings - lol)

On the opposing end of the light spectrum there was a requirement for images of the public pool… can you say sweet light even at two in the afternoon. Balanced light accomplished thanks to a highly reflective body of water.

How many of you have ever heard of Kelliher, SK? Look it up and get there if country style sporting events peak your interest. To supplement the traditional rodeo they put on annually, the small town played host to a “Ranch Rodeo” on the second of July that saw participant compete in events that simulate the day to day activities of a modern day rancher. Very, very entertaining.

Trailer Relay

Team Penning 

There were also calf branding and wild cow milking competitions that you just have to see for yourself.

Canada Day celebrations at the Nipawin Heritage Museum:

Threshermen’s Festival in Yorkton Heritage Museum on the August long weekend

 

ISO: 100
Aperture: 5
Shutter: 1/15
Exp. Comp.: -1.0

Notice a theme here? Photographers work long weekend which is why, at times, albeit the times rare, we take a weekday off to ride motorcycles and wax toys.

Playtime involved, surprise, more photos. Pseudo step-daughter paddling the kayak just off Leslie Beach in such amazing light that the beer needed to be put down.

Image below depicts another recreational activity that involves cameras where one need not put down the beer in left hand to actuate the camera with cable release in right hand.

Can you tell we are on holidays? All this talk of beer leads me to believe it is time for a beer.

My mother on occasion would refer to me as a bit of a horse’s ass…. This is my research project and am failing to see the resemblance.

See ya!

Thanks again very much for taking the time to read this. Sorry again for the wheels have fallen off the podcast train but there are only so many hours in a day and I'm sure you can appreciate that we all need to choose our battles. Don't forget to "Like" our Facebook group. For that matter, show some love for sportsshooter.ca on facebook as well. Comments, questions, concerns and credit cards are always welcome. For convenience, please subscribe by clicking on the "Subscribe" Button on the Main Page of this blog... a mechanism that will provide you with notification each time we publish a new blog. For information on photo workshops and field trips please visit http://www.thosetwophotographers.com/Classes.htmlOur Services can be explored here, our Portfolios here, and those similar things in the name of photographing sports by Sportsshooter.ca here