Finally!

A few posts back, I pondered on how I would photograph a wedding.

First of all, I don't really do that.  Wedding photography, like architectural photography or fine portraiture or any other specialty, is just that: special.  The people who work in that area have developed skills and techniques and reflexes to produce the best possible results.  Now, most reasonably experienced photographers can do any of those things competently, but one should go to the guy who does something all the time -- and is the thing he chose to do -- to get it done right.

All the same, I have done a couple of weddings.  Once, many years ago, it was for an extremely budget-strapped colleague at UPI.  More recently, it was truly the only wedding present I could afford for a friend.

In the end, because she knew who I was and what my work was, I'm pretty proud of the product, as I shot it the way I wanted with the gear I wanted to use ...

Another thing that worked for this was that the subjects were friends, meaning they were used to me shooting all the time, including the dinner on the first night as everyone arrived.

And then there was the rehearsal, in the field at a nature center where the bride worked at the time.

A quiet moment for the bride before practicing the march in.

Flower girls and ring bearer.

 

And finally that night, the rehearsal dinner at a favorite club of the couple.

NEXT: The Wedding Day, preparation and ceremony.

Loosen Up

So we shot a story last Sunday on a local pro wrestling camp.  It's run by Jimmy "Boogie Woogie Man" Valiant, a veteran of 50 years of pro wrestling who now lives and runs his training camp in Shawsville, Virginia.  He's a delightful man, generous with his time and a pleasure to talk to, vigorous at age 71, despite the abuse of decades in the ring.  He told us he still runs 2 miles a day ...

The Boogie Woogie Man, left, with Tara Wheeler, co-anchor of the Fox 21/27 Morning News.

We spent the day there, our anchors learning how to wrestle with the other students at Boogie's ring.  After shooting for the story, I took the opportunity to get some still photos of the regular students at their practice.

 Training is also offered for "managers," characters who also take part in the wrestling drama, often as villains who try to stop the ref from noticing violations like choking.

Sadly, still shot with the Nikon D200 (the Leica was with me, but loaded with Fuji Sensia 100 film for the autumn leaves -- not really suitable for the darkened ring area) on a 17-55 f/2.8 Nikon zoom lens.  I set the camera at 400 iso, and processed the pics in Photoshop to remove the color, dodge and burn a bit and increase the contrast some. 

What a Question ...

Something either so big and all-encompassing, or so basic and ridiculous, as to leave me without response ...

From Tamarkin Camera's Facebook page ...

Finally, something new ...

Still not shot with the Leica, though I did have it along (unfortunately loaded with TMax 3200 ... not very useful on a sunny day).  However, I wanted to share some shots from a VMI reunion, made during the "Old Yell" in the barracks, when current cadets cheer along with alumni.

The newest students -- not yet cadets but "Rats" -- are lined up at attention throughout the event, and cheer along while "braced up."  They hold the M-14 rifles (yes, fully functional) they just carried in the parade while passing in review for the alumni and guests.  To show approval (when, say, an alumnus climbs to the top of the guardhouse in the barracks central courtyard without assistance of the ladder provided), they pound the rifle butts on the floor.

I think perhaps the sign speaks for itself...

The officer left in charge of the Rats.  In the lower floors, you can see upperclassmen still in their parade dress.  They are not required to brace up, but casually and lustily cheer along.

The general view of the barracks courtyard, guardpost in center.  The cheer is led from its roof, reached by the ladder to the right ... or, if you want to prove your vigor still, by scaling the wall.  The alumni are clustered in class groups (three classes attend each reunion weekend) and the band stands drawn up at far right.

All shot on a Nikon D200, with an old, manual Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 lens.