Shooting the Charm City Music Festival

Posted on September 25, 2012 by AgeOwns

Getting ready for Ballyhoo
Shutter: 1/1000, Aperture: f/2.0, Lens: 50mm, ISO: 100

There is no sight more inviting than a long empty photo pit right before an act goes on. Ok, sure I can think of a few other inviting sights, but is one of my favorites. I just shot the Charm City Music Festival in Baltimore the other week. It featured tons of local Baltimore acts, as well as heavies Stephen Marley, Flogging Molly, Eve 6, and Weezer. This was my first time shooting an all day multi-stage music festival. Check out all the things I learned and kick-ass pictures I got.

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Following in my footsteps

Posted on September 11, 2012 by AgeOwns


I shot a local music festival this past weekend and my son came with me. He had his trusty Fisher Price Kid Tough camera and enjoyed shooting the musical acts right by my side. He also really wanted to get up on stage as he knew that was a better vantage point. Good kid. I think I’ll keep him.


Stay tuned, I’m shooting the Charm City Music Festival in Baltimore next weekend (9/15), with headliner Weezer. Pics coming soon.


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300mm vs 200mm (L): The Harvest Moon

Posted on September 1, 2012 by AgeOwns

200mm f/2.8
Shutter: 1/160, Aperture: f/2.8, Lens: 70-200mm, ISO: 400

We got lucky and caught the blue moon (second full moon in a given month) when it was a harvest moon (bright orange). Today is August 31st, the day of Neil Armstrong’s memorial, so it was fitting. I ran out with my tripod and shot the moon with both my 75-300mm f/5.6 and then with my 70-200mm f/2.8. Check out the comparison below.

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On Assignment: Montgomery County Fair

Posted on August 21, 2012 by AgeOwns

View from the Ferris Wheel
Shutter: 1/80, Aperture: f/2.8, Lens: 15mm, ISO: 800. ©2012 Patch.com

A year ago I sold my first picture to MontgomeryVillage.Patch.com, a local hub in a nationwide network of blogs. Ever since, all I’ve wanted was an assignment (and credentials) to cover the Montgomery County Fair. I’ve been tasked with covering local events, but this is something I really had passion for, and was given carte blanche to shoot whatever I wanted. I love walking around and getting pictures of the rides, the animals, the general vibe. I live about 10 minutes away from the fairgrounds and wanted to go over multiple times in the week (sometimes with my family, other times, just me and a tripod). I got the above photo from the top of the Ferris Wheel. Note to other photographers, the Ferris Wheel operator didn’t allow single riders, so I had to bum a spot in someone elses party (spoiler: it’s mostly young couples trying to make out). I found a pair of girls that didn’t mind me joining them*, and I got this fantastic view of the midway. More photos from my first big assignment below.
*there was no making out, just enjoying the view.

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Shooting a band in a (recording) studio

Posted on August 14, 2012 by AgeOwns

ben_09
Shutter: 1/50, Aperture: f/2.8, Lens: 70-200mm, ISO: 1600

I’ve shot DC area band South Rail a few times now, and recently they asked me to join them in the recording studio. It was a cool opportunity to try shooting them in a documentary vein, and to work with a band in an environment that’s a polar opposite of the club stage. I don’t rely on Pshop actions all that much, but this one I felt benefited from Omar the Radwan‘s Cross Processing action. Give it some life. Click below for more.

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311 in Concert

Posted on August 1, 2012 by AgeOwns

311's Tim Mahoney
Shutter: 1/320, Aperture: f/2.8, Lens: 70-200mm, ISO : 1600

I got to shoot 311 at Jiffy Lube Live this past weekend. This is the biggest concert I’ve shot so far, and it’s a great story of how I got to this particular point. I got a ton of sweet, face-melting rock ‘n roll pics (see more below). Check it out.

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Shooting an American Bald Eagle

Posted on July 27, 2012 by AgeOwns

American Bald Eagle
Shutter: 1/500, Aperture: f/5.0, Lens: 70-200mm, ISO: 100

I just spent the week on the Eastern Shore near Ocean City, Maryland, and I googled places where I could spot a bald eagle. Ayers Creek Adventures came up. I thought it would be awesome to hike through the woods a little and try to get a photo the majestic bird. But the folks there said the nests weren’t really viewable from foot. I’d need to hop into a kayak.

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Shooting the sunrise

Posted on July 24, 2012 by AgeOwns

Silhouette
Shutter: 1/160), Aperture: f/5.6, Lens: 24-135mm, ISO: 200

I love shooting sunsets, and I get very jealous that our west coast friends get all the stunning sunsets and I’m hardly ever up for sunrise. Well this morning I found myself awake at 4:00am, so I figured what the hell. I hopped out of bed, grabbed my tripod and hit the beach shortly before the sun came up.
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Shooting Goldfinger / Reel Big Fish

Posted on July 6, 2012 by AgeOwns

WHAT?!
Shutter: 1/250, Aperture: f/1.6, Lens: 50mm, ISO: 1600

Continuing my series of shooting 90s all-stars, I was very excited to hit the Summer of Ska show at 9:30 Club, featuring Goldfinger and Reel Big Fish. It’s been 20 years, but the energy is definitely still there. In this shot above of John Feldmann, I dropped it into black and white to accentuate the moment. Click below for a ton of photos from this energy-packed show.

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2012 Firework/sparkler photos

Posted on July 5, 2012 by AgeOwns

Fireworks
Shutter: 7 seconds (bulb), Aperture: f/8.0, Lens: 15mm, ISO: 100
I took my tripod and remote shutter trigger out to the fireworks last night. I got some decent stuff, and I got the sparkler portrait of my son I was hoping for. Click below for more shots, and tips for shooting fireworks/sparklers.
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Firework photo!

Posted on July 3, 2012 by AgeOwns

Squiggles
Shutter: 16 seconds, Aperture: f/8.0, Lens: 28-135mm, ISO: 100

Now is the time to get ready to shoot photos of fireworks. Here is an earlier blog post with some tips and a plug for our mobile site TOOLS page. Visit that page on your smartphone for some quick tips while in the field. This year I will track down sparklers (illegal where I live??) and give them to my four year old (illadvised?) and get some cool pics with those. I’ll write those up soon!


And as you may have seen, I’m now a big fan of the Gizmodo Shooting Challenges. The next one is to take a kick-ass fireworks photo. Deadline is July 9th. Good luck!

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Empty metro / timelapse composites

Posted on July 1, 2012 by AgeOwns


Update: this entry was one of 12 featured images. Check out the others selected.

Gizmodo issued a Photo Challenge last week to take a series of photos of a busy public area, and then painstakingly remove all of the people. The theory is that after taking enough photos, you’ll have enough coverage to effectively erase all of the people. One of my favorite examples of this technique is in this video Running on Empty, depicting the streets of LA, abandoned, but with moving clouds and blinking traffic lights. Click below to see how I did the shot above, how I got stopped by the police, and a few other tricks you can pull off with a similar method.
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GOOOAAAAAL – shooting a pro soccer game

Posted on June 30, 2012 by AgeOwns

Jermain leaps, Landon slides
Shutter: 1/640, Aperture: f/2.8, Lens: 70-200mm, ISO: 640

I had an amazing opportunity a few weeks ago to shoot a pro soccer game, specifically the USMNT vs Brazil game at FedEx Field near Washington, DC. I was there on behalf of one of the sponsors, to shoot the fan access events they were hosting, as well as documenting their logos on the jumbotrons and around the stadium. I had access to the field (with a sweet all-access laminate), getting to stand neck and neck with the other professional photographers, as well as access to the club level, to shoot the interior of the sponsor’s suite. Today I’m showcasing the photos that I took from the field.

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Shooting Monster Jam

Posted on June 12, 2012 by AgeOwns

Grave Digger Destroying the RV
Shutter: 1/80, Aperture: f/6.3, Lens: 70-200mm, ISO: 800

It’s that time again. Monster Jam monster trucks hit the Baltimore Raven’s stadium last week and I was there to capture the bone-shaking action. Overall, I was really excited about these shots because I was able to get the look I wanted, more readily. See, practice does pay off. Anyway, I got a whole host of sweet face-melting action in these photos below. Click!

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I see my world below, shooting the Collective Soul concert.

Posted on June 1, 2012 by AgeOwns

Joel Kosche
Shutter: 1/200, Aperture: f/2.8, Lens: 15mm, ISO: 1600

This has to be one of the best concert experiences of my life. I’m a big Collective Soul fan and I could not wait to simply go to the concert. To be able to shoot it was fudge on the sundae. To make it even more sweet, I was the only photographer there, so I had the whole pit to myself. It was glorious. Because I was the only one shooting, the band made eye contact with me much more, leading to career defining shots like the one above. The audience was great, the music was amazing, and it made every other concert experience leading up to this one worth it.
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Home is shooting Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Posted on May 21, 2012 by AgeOwns

Alex Ebert
Shutter: 1/400, Aperture: f/2.0, Lens: 50mm, ISO: 1600

I’m a big fan of hippie rock act Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (you’ve whistled with their song Home, and heard Janglin in that Ford Fiesta commercial) and I was very excited they were coming to DC. The vibe of the audience was amazing… young, hopeful, and full of love. This is the closest I’ll get to a 60s era love-in. I think I got some photos that reinforce the messianic persona of (the fictional) Edward Sharpe. Click below for more shots and to hear about this evening.

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Black Taxi at DC9

Posted on May 14, 2012 by AgeOwns

Ezra laughs
Shutter: 1/320, Aperture: f/1.4, Lens: 50mm, ISO: 1600

I’m constantly on the look out for great opportunities, and one hit me in the face the other week. Friends of mine have good friends in this band Black Taxi, out of Brooklyn. They were finally coming to play the DC area on their latest tour and they told me I had to check them out. I got credentials to shoot and then showed up a bit before the show to meet lead singer Ezra Huleatt. He turned out to be a really good guy. I wasn’t super familiar with their work or the venue, DC9, but I had a blast. Check out my pics below.

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Model Meet & Greet at Baltimore’s Graffiti Warehouse

Posted on May 14, 2012 by AgeOwns

Prepare to depart.
Shutter: 1/1250, Aperture: f/4.0, Lens: 15mm, ISO: 100

This past Saturday I checked out the Spring Model Meet & Greet at Baltimore’s Graffiti Warehouse. It’s a great artists space with three stories of studios (and a roof and a cool alleyway). You can rent out individual studios, or come by these open houses and just mingle and shoot. I got to work with a lot of different models and hang out with my friend Paul who showed me all kinds of cool things to do in a studio setting. Click below for a lot more shots and see some of the stuff I learned.

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Achievement Unlocked: SLASH

Posted on May 7, 2012 by AgeOwns

SlashShutter:1/250, Aperture: f/1.4, Lens: 50mm, ISO: 1600

If you’ve been reading my concert posts on here, you’ll know that I’ve been aiming to shoot pics of Slash for the last several months. When I first started shooting concerts, my goal at the time was to pinpoint a certain upcoming act and then get permission to shoot photos of that band, regardless of their stature (or mine). I obviously wanted something of a challenge, but I knew it would be more about the resulting photos than anything else. Then they announced that Slash was kicking off his U.S. tour in Baltimore, and I’ve had the blinders on ever since. Read the twisted path that led me to the photo pit three feet away from Slash, and critical mistake I made once I got there. Also, these pictures will melt your damn face off. I’m not lying. I really did it this time.

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Shooting a Fashion Show

Posted on May 3, 2012 by AgeOwns

Waiting
Shutter: 1/125, Aperture: f/1.4, Lens: 50mm, ISO: 400
Chosen as Photo of the Day on WeLoveDC.com

My co-winner from that trip to Africa a few years ago is an instructor at a local Paul Mitchell school for hair design (you should have seen her winning safari video). Last week the school had their second annual fashion show for the future professionals to show off their best designs to family, friends and potential prospects. I of course jumped at the chance to shoot something new. (Especially when it featured over 100 models). I’ve never shot a runway show before and it certainly came with it’s own challenges. Click below for more shots.

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