Hockley Photography

The last couple weeks have been a bit slow on the commercial front, but I’ve been doing plenty of photo-related work. Last Wednesday was Ignite Portland 3, a gathering of Portlanders to share burning ideas. The folks with the Legion of Tech asked me to be the “official” photographer (though in reality, everyone is welcome and encouraged to take photos). I shot a few hundred photos of the event and pared it down to 80-some photos in this Flickr set. The interior lighting was definitely darker than last time and it shows in the pictures.

There’s a new Portland-related blog in town called OurPDX, and my friend Betsy approached me about licensing some photos for the header on their site. I was happy to do so; based on the folks involved I expect the website will grow into something great.

Last night I shot Ignite Portland, a fast-paced program featuring a series of presenters. As I’ve started shooting more events that involve using two cameras, it has become quite obvious that carrying two bodies on neck straps is highly impractical.

I did a bit of research and yesterday on my lunch break I headed over to my favorite Portland photography store and purchased an R-Strap. What is an R-Strap? Go to their website and watch the videos - it’s a nylon strap with a heavy-duty fastener that can slide along the strap. The camera hangs from the fastener, along your side or behind your back depending on how the strap is adjusted. To shoot, just swing the camera up to your eye and fire away. Unlike a traditional neck strap, the camera is out of the way when not in use and it also leaves both hands and arms completely free to move around.

The R-Strap is simple, but very functional. I used it last night to carry my 300D + battery grip with a 135 f/2L lens. It was comfortable and very practical; I could swing the camera up for a quick shot in less than a second. I would highly recommend it for event photographers or others who shoot in fast-moving situations.

I’m going to Portland tomorrow night with the goal of getting some night shots of the Rose Festival fleet as well as some carnival shots. I decided to let folks know and if you want to join me for the photowalk, all are welcome.

Details can be found on Upcoming but anyone is welcome to show up.

I was asked to serve as the semi-official photographer for BarCampPortland, an unconference held a couple weeks ago. I was able to be there for most of the event and captured a variety of the activities and environment, as well as a brief nighttime photowalk on Saturday evening.

I’ve put around 100 photos on Flickr; here are a few:

 

With Startupalooza being relatively fresh on my mind, I figured it would be appropriate to put together a post talking about space and room considerations when shooting an event with a large group of people. Ideally a photographer will scout out event facilities prior to the event, but even if you have to make same-day plans there are several things to keep in mind when photographing a conference or other gathering. In no particular order:

• Access: are there multiple entrances to the room(s)? Might these entrances be used for access to different areas for different angles?
• Aisles: can the photographer freely wander the aisles? Are there any obstructions or loose cables to worry about?
• Speaker Positions: where are the speaker(s) going to be standing or sitting? Is there a clear view from where the photographer plans to shoot? How about the background behind the presenters?
• Lighting: what are the light sources? Any particularly bright lights to watch out for? Are the lighting levels going to change during the course of the event as lights are brought up or down for a presentation?
• Windows: along with room lighting, what about windows? If they aren’t covered, exterior windows are going to let in a lot of light during the day and can lead to blown-out areas in photos.
• Projected Screens: if there is some sort of projected slideshow, PowerPoint presentation, or video, find out about the lighting on the screen and how that large area of lit screen (in a dark room) will affect photography.
• Lens Choice: based on the various factors above, which lenses will be appropriate for various types of shots in particular places in the room?

I’m sure there are other things that could be added to this list (please leave a comment below) but this is a basic checklist of some things to consider.