PBPhoto

I was hired by 3 families to photograph their children who were on the Homecoming court at Merritt Island High School this weekend.
 


So after getting lost a couple of times (thanks google maps), we made it to the stadium.  By we I mean that the whole family was with me.  It was raining and we were late but we made it.  So I broke my first rule of photography which is: be early to the location.  It gives me time to survey the situation, look for inspiration, and come up with a plan to light things if necessary.  That was out the window.  I walked as fast as I could with my gear to the opposite end zone where there was a tent with the young ladies and their escorts and mothers.  And they were ready to start taking shots.  No time to set up so I just started shooting ambient light only.  Which ended up turning out well but from the back of the camera, I wasn't all that confident. 




So I put a strobe on the camera and took some using the strobe for key light.  I really really really don't like doing that.  But the results here are good I think.  After removing some red eye.  I love this candid.



That didn't last long and the parents and myself headed up into the stands to wait for the halftime events.  I kept looking down to the tent and thinking I wish I would have stayed down there to get some more shots.  Gretchen confirmed that idea by asking me about it.  So I went back down there.  Not sure about security at these things.  There was a couple of deputies at the gate to the field.  I suppose a guy with a camera body with a battery grip and a strobe looks professional and they never questioned me.  You just have to look like you belong.

This was a much better situation.  No one was rushed.  The kids were having fun talking and joking.  And I was thankful that they were under a white tent.  The worlds largest softbox.  So I used it as you can see in the lead picture above.  Nice soft light.  I dragged the shutter (slowed down the shutter speed) to allow the field in the background to burn in.



Then came halftime. 


As they walked across the field I tried to incorporate the marching band and ROTC kiddos.  Looked great by the way.  I took some without flash but the umbrellas were shadowing their faces too much so I went back to using the strobe as more of a fill in this case and also allowing the stadium lights to backlight them and make their umbrellas glow.


And the winner was . . . one of the girls that I was covering.  How cool.