Flash Fire Meet-up

One undeniable truth ringing in my ears from the flash fire meet-up: “Everybody who first starts working with flash sucks at first”. I have up to this point been primarily a natural light photographer so I really enjoyed the free training I received from professional flash artist Brett Jarnigan on Saturday evening. It was looking a little shaky at first with all the rain, but Mr. B’s was gracious enough to give us a full hour in a back room of the restaurant and we received a crash course on how to get started using flash to accent textures, bring pictures to life, and create some drama in our work.  I have been told that mastering flash is one of the finer points of photography and I felt this free meet-up was well worth the time invested because I really wanted to learn more, and I really did.  The meet-up was only about 2 ½ hours but we covered a lot of ground in that time and the weather cleared up for us to wander outside and get some hands on experience. Brett was also hosting his full 12 hour flashfire workshop the following day and we really got a heavy dose of what could be expected if we were able to attend. Because we were such a good group he even gave us some “extras” that he usually saves for the full workshop (yeah smuggies). I found it interesting that many of the attending photographers had experience with flash but still found it worth-while to come out and learn something new, which goes to show you the quality of this opportunity. We all had a great time and we hope to see you at the next meet-up. Keep Shooting!

Outside hands on after on-screen lecture

Explaining his equipment

Showing us the basic set-up

He passed his camera around so we could get a glimpse of his work

He snagged a Smuggie couple and took some great shots!

Our youngest Smuggie

A Smuggie shooting too :)

Showing off some more mad skill

We asked questions.....

He had answers

Any more questions? Time to go!

Birds Of Prey Meet-Up

Birds-of-Prey are some of the more difficult shots to get in the wild, because it never fails when you go searching in nature that you can never get just the right angle or light. What better an opportunity to capture these magnificent creatures than a nature preserve where they can’t really escape and have no choice but let you get some pictures?  The Detroit Smugs set out to participate in the winter photography workshop hosted by the Howell Nature Center in Howell, Michigan.  The Howell Conference & Nature Center is dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of injured and orphaned wild animals as well as to educate the public about the wild animals that share our world.  All of the birds-of-prey you see pictured were at one time either injured or orphaned and the preserve has nursed them back to health.  The majority of the birds have been deemed unable to return to the wild and stay permanently at the preserve.  At any given time the HNP, cares for over 2,000 different animals yearly and relies on donations and efforts from concerned volunteers.  Nothing screams majestic quite like a bald eagle (I think that’s why we didn’t listen to Ben Franklin and make the national bird a turkey as he had hoped).  This snow owl is another of my favorites; although I can’t stop thinking about the old “how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop commercial.”  I’m also not sure why I assume that every owl is a male, but we’ll just say HE is beautiful and he looks like he means business.  I’m sure you have your favorites as well but it gives you a glimpse of this fantastic event.  If you would like to learn more about the Howell Nature Preserve you can visit their website at www.howellnaturecenter.org  I look forward to seeing all of your Detroit Smug faces at the next meet-up :) Till then keep your camera shooting ~

North American International Auto Show

One word could describe the 2011 North American International Auto Show ELECTRIC. I’ve attended the auto show in years past experienced first-hand the growing sense the Detroit show had lost some of its prestige but this year brought a buzz and excitement not seen in quite some time and I was able to experience this with my Detroit SmugMug friends, with my camera in hand.  With the political wrangling over the future of Cobo Hall having been resolved, the people of Detroit have finally reclaimed our position as the unquestioned leader of the automobile world.  Gone is the sense of despair left in the wake of bankruptcy and bailouts, and the big three auto companies, which comprise the economic lifeblood of our region, are finally showing some real signs of life as shown in just a few of the up and coming concept cars and cutting edge vehicles.

Of course the star of this year’s shows is the North American Car of the Year; The Chevy Volt. There were so many photographers looking for the perfect angle to showcase this special car. All of the electric and hybrid cars have generated a lot of interest but the Volt has come to represent more than just a car but a symbol of hope that Detroit is still on the cutting edge of innovation in the 21^st century.  The cool sporty feel of this vehicle gives you the sense that hybrid/electric cars may in fact take the next step and actually look like something you wouldn’t mind driving if you were bigger than 4’ 3”.

Any auto show would not be complete without the absolutely absurd concept cars, of which plenty could be found like this pimped out police segway (not sure if I would want to chase down criminals in that).  My crazy cool award definitely goes to the Green Hornet car.  I keep thinking of all the useful things I could do if I had those cannons mounted on my Suburban. I’m not one for road rage but it would be pretty cool to see people get right out of my way if they seen those babies pop out.

The auto show is a great experience to take in, if you love cars or if you just want to see some interesting colors, shapes, and dimensions. One things is for sure, things are starting to look up. Big thanks to the Detroit Smuggers, it was a great time and I look forward to sharing great shots, tips, and more.