a slightly different focus

Just want the photos? Go here. Otherwise, read on.

Photographed a Kentucky Derby Party for friends Pam and Dick Thomasson tonight. As expected — and as usual with the good folks in Macon — it was a great time. Thanks, Pam, for the invite.

Pam (in Derby Hat)

Several people asked me this evening how taking photographs at a party like this works. So … here’s how.

Tonight’s event was scheduled from 5pm until folks felt like leaving, with an open bar, the Derby itself scheduled for a little after six, and a buffet to follow. Some would stay later than others, of course — especially those without young children — but 8 or 9pm was a given.

So in addition to making sure the various batteries were charged and lenses cleaned this afternoon, I checked the sunset and twilight stats — 8:18 and 8:44pm, respectively — to get an idea of how late I’d be able to shoot without a flash. (Generally speaking, I prefer to photograph without using a flash — referred to as “natural light” photography.) Most of the night — good.

I arrived a few minutes early, to chat with Pam, tour their (beautiful) home, and set some preliminary areas that I would utilize for taking photographs — places in and around the house where the light was good — again, so I could avoid having to blast folks with a strobe flash.

I also found an accessible corner for the camera bag, although, unusually for me, I only used one camera tonight— thus, didn’t need the bag to be as accessible as usual. Most of the time, I’ve got a second camera, with a different lens (for a different “look” out of the same “scene”), strung over my shoulder, and often switch out different lenses for different “looks.” But, I’m breaking in a new camera, and wanted to concentrate on perfecting it — so stuck only with that one tonight.

(The Always-Glamorous) Mrs. Bennett

While the event was in progress, I followed a few “rules:”

• Candids should, preferably, contain laughter. Never embarrass.
• Babies, children, and pets always make interesting, if unpredictable, subjects. Make time away from the main party “action” to photograph them.
• Don’t forget the surroundings. I can do a decent still-life on the fly, if that makes sense, and try to do so whenever opportunity presents.
• Most of all, enjoy myself. Having a good time means better photographs. (Helps with great people, like tonight.)

Thus, walked away from five hours of fun with 327 photographs. Of those, 257 survived the initial pass; some were thrown for blurriness (camera or subject moving — happens more than you’d think), some due to operator error (wrong focus point, usually — something I control manually, and sometimes just flub), and some due to factors out of my control (the subject blinking, a background character doing something unflattering, etc.). Plus, there are duplicates, where I took a couple in a row, sometimes knowing one of the above problems just happened, or sometimes to get a slight variation on the same “scene.”

Of those 257, 89 were “starred.” These are the photographs I look at “developing.” Of the 89, 17 were “multi-starred,” meaning that these are, even at first glance, the real keepers — the photographs I know will be part of the final set.

Blue Eyes [My initial pick for favorite photo of the evening.]

Probably another 10-20, perhaps more, will earn multi-star ratings, and thus be added to the online gallery, in the next few days. The final number, as I mentioned tonight, is usually about 10% of the total [327 shot] take — or 33 photographs, more or less. Right on track for that.

The still-life photographs, by the way, usually get one star at first — and gain more as I decide which I want to develop; unless the still-life photos are extraordinary, I feel the initial gallery should be about people.

Clara [In my humble opinion, one of the most beautiful — and certainly one of the most camera-shy — women at the party.]

So … what’s this “developing” thing?

Despite being digital photographs, supposedly ready to go immediately, there’s more to my photography than just being there and pressing the shutter release. Indeed, as I stressed in some conversations tonight, I don’t stop there — the line of separation between myself and a photojournalist. They document. What I do is something between documentation and art; if pressed, I’d answer with, “photographic artist.”

Party Friends

After the photograph is actually taken, there’s work in the two programs I use to organize, make adjustments to, and finalize shots for publication: Apple’s Aperture, and, for fine-tuning, Adobe’s Photoshop. Together, they make a powerful combo that enables me to take those photographs that are good … and make them great:

Blissful Leap

It’ll take me a few days to chunk through the 71 photographs that aren’t immediately “the best of the best.” Those that make the cut will be added to the 17 already online. Please check back.

Thanks to everyone tonight — had a great time!

Please note: Ultimately, I optimize the published photographs for printing, not for viewing online — the quality of which varies from computer to computer. To see the best, order a print — they start at $3. And, in all modesty, I’ve got four or five spots yet to fill on this summer’s wedding calendar — if you know of anyone getting married this summer (even next!), please pass the word. Thank you.