I met Gabe of www.dsmskateboarding.com at Skate South where they gather once a week or so.
This being my first time shooting any indoor low light sports, I didn’t do horrible but I didn’t do as well as I wanted to either. The poor and sparse lighting (rollerskating rinks usually only use their mood and disco lighting) didn’t help me capture action very well. I had to use compact strobe flashes to illuminate and freeze the action. I should have used more variety in lighting setups for better results. It was definitely more challenging than any shooting I’ve done before, a learning experience no doubt.
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Gabe of DSM Skateboarding on the rainbow box
Action, Des Moines, Greatest Hits, People
My NAS (Nikon Acquisition Syndrom) continues. I decided I have to have a medium long-range lens to add range. The economy Nikkor 55-200mm VR fit the bill for this use.
Not only does it give me better reach for when I can’t get up close, but also it adds the ability to compose images differently because your angle changes.
I can better capture people without them knowing or being anywhere near them, great for street photography when I don’t feel like getting caught.
Nice bokeh. Notice how the background is soft and out of focus. Using a wide aperture with a longer lens will result in this narrow depth of field which can be placed at your preferred distance to add bokeh where you want it.
Nature, Outdoor, People, Street Photography
We went with the mother and Ken to the Grand Piano Bistro in the East Village area of Des Moines. The bistro is an interesting place to go for something different. They will play almost any request within reason that you throw at them, along with humerous games with on-stage volunteers. Also I’d place them in the local top 10 for the best variety of beers.
Bars, Des Moines, Music, Night, People
This really should have went with the Product Shots post I made not long ago. I was just testing out different lighting methods for various smaller objects.
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Fashion shot. I thought it was funny.
Sorry for the boredom but I took them, so might as well post them.
Animals
Tom and I went to the Woodland Cemerery near downtown Des Moines to scope out the awesome sights reported to exist here. Not being ones to spook easily, we went there around sundown. Be aware of their closing time, as the automatic gate will lock you in and you’ll have to resort to more creative methods to exit the grounds. Besides that, there’s not even enough light on the grounds to avoid tripping over the cold hands that reach out of the ground to grab your feet.
Many fancy mausoleums were scattered around the place.
Des Moines’ “City Receiving Vault”
Des Moines, Night, Outdoor
Gabriel (Flickr, Website) who I know from Flickr wanted to take photos at the old Titan Tire complex. I wanted to do another visit anyway to get more shots of the “itsy bits.”
Gears and sprockets
This spiral staircase was awesome. If it wasn’t outrageously hot and humid I would have spent more time perfecting it.
My excellent planning skills selected one of the most unbearably uncomfortable weekends. I could barely see through my viewfinder anymore from all the sweat smeared on the glass. Enough is enough, back to A/C.
Buildings, Des Moines, Urban Exploration
We all met up at West Port in West Des Moines. After taking a couple serious pictures, I’m known for randomly taking a few more without warning. Catching people off-guard can be fun.
The girlies
Then we went to Jeannie’s Bottle where they had karaoke night.
Jake does this strange Irish Jig thing when the camera points in his direction. Some kind of nervous tick or something?
As if you don’t see Irish Jigs in bars all the time. Nothing to see here folks.
Jake shows off his tattoo. He courteously censored his nipple to avoid contaminating the minds of young children who haven’t yet been exposed to such obscenely terrible body parts.
I terrified the bejesus out of the singer from Hulk and the He-Men. He was frightened that I’d melt his skin with my flash again.
Karaoke is not just about your singing, it’s about your stage presence as well.
Lawn mower time is my favorite!
Richard met Cal Woods, the news director at KDSM Fox 17 in Des Moines.
Pee Wee
The lack of Ham was short lived.
Bars, Des Moines, Night, People
I arrived at the National Balloon Classic in Indianola, IA (30 mins from downtown Des Moines) just in time to see the balloons heating up in preparation to fly.
More hot air balloons than you can shake a stick at, literally. Over 80 balloon pilots participated in this years event.
They have to try to catch a flag on this pole. Balloon pilots can only steer by adjusting altitude to catch different directional air streams. Even then it’s usually not possible to move more than a couple directions. Learn more.
I was shocked by the massive number of people that drove to Indianola on a Wednesday night to see the balloon classics. Although I can’t blame them, it’s something you have to see in person.
Night Glow, or “Nite Glow Extravaganza” according to National Balloon Classic lingo. All participating pilots attempt to simultaneously release gas into their balloons, making them glow in the twilight.
Tree birdhouse hot air balloon
Towards the end of the Night Glow (Nite Glow Extravaganza) the staff opens the gates, allowing spectators to visit with the balloon pilots and get a much closer look at these huge contraptions.
Attractions, Greatest Hits, Night, Outdoor, People