Nearly run over by a bunch of fans

I was standing on the side of a fence waiting for the golfers to finish when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a fast approaching group of people. Little did I realize my life was at risk. :-] The fans nearly knocked me over as they attempted to obtain the autograph of their favorite golfer.

Wow, I never realized photography would be considered a contact sport.

Bridgestone Invitational

I had the opportunity to shoot a few pix at the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the FedEx cup and the final day of practice was delayed by severe rain storms in the middle of the day. I was able to shoot a few hundred images before calling it a day. More images can be found on my web site.

I give the pros that shoot golf a lot of credit. Ensuring the shutter doesn't fire until after the moment of contact is very challenging.

I found this image interesting due to the way the trees framed the scene.

The story behind my theme image

While on a business trip to south Florida in November 2007, I captured this sunrise. I was up and at the beach very early in the morning and this was my second or third morning at the beach. I put my 'mini' table top tripod in the sand and composed the image. It wasn't until I was processing the image and I stood back from the monitor that I realized there is a crown with rays coming out of the clouds.

Immediately the scripture verse "crowned with glory" came to mind. There are two scripture verses that include "crowned with glory":

Psalms 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Have fun shooting! Capture the beauty of God's creation.

Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Downtown Memphis

Beale Street, Memphis, TN "Home of the Blues". This image is from the summer of 2007 when I was in Memphis on a business trip. A friend and I decided it would be an interesting night to walk the streets of downtown Memphis and photograph the town. Little did I realize it appears to be home for as many panhandlers as tourist. At every street corner and at times in between, we encountered a panhandler attempting to sell something to us. A few even attempted to sell their "face" for a buck. Hey buddy, you can take my picture for a dollar.

Unfortunately, the nuisance got the best of us and decided Beale Street was not the place for us to walk and take pictures.

This image was taken hand-held using a 50mm f/1.8 on my D50 [before I purchased the D200]. It is an amazing camera/lens combination. Very small and able to take amazing shots in low light.

This image is from the polo match and is an attempt at panning to obtain a motion blur for the background and the subject in focus. Overall, the background needs more panning blur and more of the rider's polo stick should be in the image. The shutter speed was 1/60 of a second. I experimented with 1/60 and 1/125 of a second for different looks. Possibly, if I would have panned at a different speed the background would blur more. Maybe next time.

Till next time;
"Practice and learn."

My first polo match 'shoot'

This was taken at the Darlington Polo Grounds in Darlington, PA. The light was fading fast and the dust was heavy. Creating a great photo opportunity.

I have many other images from the match on my web site. www.kendralla.com

It was very fun and an enjoyable time. I shot the match with a friend who invited me along and I am glad I went. Another very interesting item about the event is the fact I live within a few miles from the polo grounds but never new they existed. We travel all around the earth and at times miss tremendous photo opportunities in our backyard.

The Moment it clicks by Joe McNally

I recently finished an amazing book on photography by Joe McNally.

The book covers the career of Joe McNally and he describes how he obtained all the photos in the book. Open the book anywhere and you will see an amazing photo on the right hand page and on the left hand page is a description how he obtained the shot. Joe includes secrets and techniques concerning lighting and insider tips to capture amazing photos. This book is for beginner and advanced shooter.

Even if you are not interested in learning how he captured the shots, the photos are worth the price of admission. The book is like a workshop in print.

Mi niño hermoso

Te amo presioso q guapo