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Back Focus: The Photo BlogBy The FLS Photo Dept.
Brotherhood of the Traveling Pants Sep. 19, 2009 7:46 pm
Some people thought I was crazy. Some people laughed. My wife, well, she got a little mad. Last week, while returning from Richmond, I picked up a hitchhiker for the first time in my life. I spent part of my childhood in the 1970s living in Southern California. My family, including my mom and older sisters, routinely picked up hitchhikers. Some of them they knew, others they didn’t. Back then, it was no big deal. Nowadays, it’s almost unheard of to help a stranger in this way. Most people tend to think of hitchhikers as potential serial killers. I saw Tobias (he pronounces it Toe-BEE-us) Kempf sitting near an Interstate 95 on-ramp. He was trying to get to Charlottesville to meet up with his fiancée, who was flying in from Germany. It was because of his colorful pants that I decided that if he was still there when I returned, I was going to pick him up. It’s a shame that we as a society aren’t less suspicious of the strangers we meet. We tend to come to each other’s aid only in times of great disaster. Despite what other people may have felt about my little adventure, I was happy I did it. I met someone I might not otherwise have met, and I was able to offer him a hand when he needed it most. Besides, what kind of serial killer would wear pants like that? – Dave Ellis Moments is an occasional photo feature about people and places. Submit ideas moments@freelancestar.com
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=44&p=1253403980
Tags: Dave Ellis, Back Focus, The Free Lance-Star, moments, Dave Ellis
Aug. 26, 2009 7:33 pm
As some of you may have noticed the Moments photo column is a weekly feature in the Free Lance-Star once again. Each photographer is responsible for four consecutive columns. They can be fun projects to work on, but sometimes things don't go according to plan. After having to punt an idea, I grabbed a 105mm macro out of the pool equipment room. I wasn't sure where I was headed with the macro idea, but a walk along Fredericksburg's canal path made things take shape. I noticed a lot of blooms along the path and when I slowed way down to investigate them I saw there was a lot of activity in the flowers. So I started shooting.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=44&p=1251329607
May 22, 2009 11:11 am
I have to admit, I don't usually like shooting softball and baseball. Not because I don't enjoy the sport... I grew up playing it and love ballparks. But it is difficult to get a great shot. Covering it takes a lot of focus for all 7 or more innings. You may have been ready with your finger on the shutter for 5 innings, and miss the big play because you sneezed. Or follow the play, but the focus doesn't lock as fast as you got the lens there, and have a great action shot of the fence behind the ball. It is always great, however, when they (the coaches/umpires) do us the favor of drawing a box on the sidelines in the field. I love the box. No fence in the way, you're right on top of the action... It's exactly what happened last night. I got to the Commonwealth Distrcit game and one of the Mountain View coaches asked, "Hey, do you want a box?" This happens less and less over the years. So a painted line was drawn for me just beyond the dugout on the first base line. Photographers may still move around outside of the fence, but it is always great to have that box on the field. So as Mountain View slid into home to score the game-winning run, I got the shot from behind the backstop. As Stafford fought in the final inning to get another runner to home, I was able to see it from the field. But as the Wildcats began to celebrate on the field after the big win, that box gave me quick access to get the shot. The score: 3-2.
- Rebecca Sell
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=44&p=1243005064
Tags: Mountain View Stafford softball Commonwealth District Rebecca Sell
The Friendley Face at Einsteins: Ray Kasper May 21, 2009 12:50 pm
My husband and I have been going to Einsteins Bros Bagels since we met. It's right across the street from where he works, the people who work there were friendly, and there's Ray. If you never met ray, now you have. Definitely worth it. Maybe somewhere else.
- Rebecca Sell
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=44&p=1242924630
Tags: Ray Kasper Einsteins Bros Bagels Park N Shop Rebecca Sell
May 7, 2009 11:00 am
Covering The Great Train Race was an experience, especially this year given that it was the first time in the race's history it has ever rained. Thousands of children, their parents and other family and friends booked around Caroline and Sophia streets in search of a familiar face in the feet pounding the pavement through downtown Fredericksburg. Photographer Pete Cihelka, reporter Dan Telvock and I took to covering the event, this year focusing on one girl running the race for the story, and did two videos: one focusing on the girl and another about the race in general. We also had a goal of getting the photos up quickly after the race. It made for a long morning of rushing between locations of start, finish and the race course (especially given that there were miles run in amazing times like sub-5 minutes), trying to catch up with people to get names and making sure we were able to see bib-#s for identification in captions later, and making sure we met up with our subject and her family for the story. Keeping the rain-gear over the cameras ended up being the biggest challenge, however. Plus making sure you're out of the way of the runners speeding by. In the end, though, I really enjoy covering such events. People are excited to be there and kids are nervous about running the race, then feel real success when it is all done, and for the most part everyone is easy-going and there to have a good time. - Rebecca Sell
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=44&p=1241708434
Tags: Great Train Race, Rebecca Sell, Peter Cihelka, Dan Telvock, downtown Fredericksburg, road race, run, video
Apr. 23, 2009 11:48 am
Occasionally we get to cover stories about people who just do the right thing. Such was the case when I was assigned to shoot video at Eagle Hill Equine Rescue in Culpeper County. Annie Delp and her crew save foals that are considered by products by some farms in the thoroughbred breeding industry. "The majority of these foals will be left to die, or the farm owners shoot and bury them," Delp said in a story that ran on April 23. Watching the interaction between the young horses and Delp's crew pushed all the bad news we tend to be inundated with to the back of my mind. Here's a link to the video. Enjoy
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=44&p=1240501731
Something's up (arms) at Easter Sunrise Service Apr. 12, 2009 1:45 pm
At the end of the Easter sunrise service - with the Canaan Faith of God Church - at the Belle Plains Boat Club along Potomac Creek in Stafford County, Va., I noticed a pattern:
and . . . and . . .
Happy Easter, Happy Passover and Happy Spring to everyone! Bob Martin
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=44&p=1239558353
Tags: easter sunrise arms dale earnhardt
Apr. 8, 2009 1:01 pm
The web is a big big place. Bigger than we can really comprehend. And really anyone can create content to go up into it. So the Photo Department has decided to get the work out there as well. We've created a feed on Twitter (look for flsphoto), a group on Facebook (Free Lance-Star Photography), a channel on Vimeo and a channel on YouTube. You can link to these, get feeds from these, find out about some of the work we've been doing, send people to it to check it out, send it to others, etc. I hope you'll add us to the networks you're a part of! - Rebecca Sell
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=44&p=1239210097
Tags: Social Networking, YouTube, Rebecca Sell, Facebook, Vimeo, Twitter
Mar. 30, 2009 11:19 pm
In June 2008, Fredericksburg (va.) Police officer Joe Young took up a tactical position to help stop a gunman from killing a fomer girlfriend. His actions saved lives, but fellow officer Todd Bahr was killed in the line of duty by the same gunman. Officer Young, as well as two city deputies, were awarded the Medal of Honor for their brave actions that summer night. Officer Young is also nominated for an award from the television show "America's Most Wanted." (You can vote for Officer Young by going to this link. I was assigned to provide a still image for print, as well as provide a short video piece for fredericksburg.com. What appeared to most as a beautiful, bright sunny spring day - i.e., "what a great day for taking pictures" - can be a day that too bright to take pictures. Looking through the viewfinder, and using my hand as an extended lens shade, I noticed that I needed to "add" some light to the top half of Officer Young. (See image number one.)
Not being one that argues with the light - or the fact that The Almighty is controlling brightness and contrast - I used a single off-camera flash unit (Nikon SB-800) - the zoom head "zzomed out" and set at 1/2 full power - and a Pocket Wizard to trigger the flash. Image number two shows my minimal lighting scheme.
The result is a brightened - if not brighter - Officer Joe Young, with a proper amount of "fill flash" in his face and upper torso. (Yes, there is detail in his dark blue uniform.) For added excitement, a bit of the flash struck the side of his police cruiser and then "bounced" back into his left side. Below is image three: (I'd like to thank the "man above" for the "rim light".)
In all seriousness, Officer Young, and all of the officers who responded to the domestic violence incident of June 6, 2008 - as well as the investigating officers - deserve praise and honor for their selfless acts and efforts to serve and protect. Bob Martin The Free Lance-Star
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=44&p=1238469596
Tags: Joe Young, Todd Bahr, Fredericksburg, FPD, Nikon SB 800, Pocket Wizard
Mar. 30, 2009 10:03 am
The Stimulus: Bringing It Home , a series localizing aspect of the stimulus package, has been continuing on strong. Many of these stories do not lend themselves to photographs easily... how do you take photographs of COBRA coverage? Renewable energy sources? Funding for Community Colleges? But the photographers have jumped on board to working with the reporters, who have been finding subjects (people) who will be affected by the stimulus. They go out and spend time with the people, who share their stories, or photograph the problems that are in need of improvement. Keep checking out the package for upcoming stories about Funding for Police Departments, Foster Care, College Tuition and more. We're also coming up with multimedia for the stories... whatever fits it best... some are maps, and others are videos. - Rebecca Sell
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=44&p=1238421806
Mar. 20, 2009 5:32 pm
One of my favorite things to photograph is wildlife. I hail from the west coast and did a lot of backpacking in my home state of California and in the Pacific Northwest. So I was excited when I found out I would be shooting an eagle’s nest along Towles Mill Road in Spotsylvania County. When I awoke the morning of Friday the 13th the sky was very gray and light snow was falling. There was no magical morning light, which was a bit of a let down. While driving out Route 208, the reporter, Dan Telvock, divulged that he wasn’t sure where the nest was exactly. My spirits were beginning to slip. I’ve been a photojournalist for 18 years and have seen potentially great assignments spiral into what fellow Free Lance-Star photographer Mike Morones calls “soul crushing” assignments. This was starting to smell like one of those assignments.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=44&p=1237584779
Trying not-so-straightforward shots Mar. 18, 2009 11:48 am
Sometimes it's nice to have a little fun and try something different with portraits. The weekly Deal photo series in the Business section is often a chance for us to give it a shot. But I always try to shoot something normal in case it doesn't work out. Straightforward:
Not-So-Straightforward: - Rebecca Sell
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The results were mildly interesting, and our director of photography Dave Ellis recognized the potential in the photographs. He suggested I set up strobes to illuminate the bugs and flowers to bring in more detail. I took his suggestion and ended up getting some interesting frames. 
And the eagles were active.
I put a 2X teleconverter on a 400 millimeter lens and started making pictures. Once I got over the excitement of finding the nest and seeing the eagles flying around I began to realize I was in trouble. I had black and white birds flying in incredibly gray conditions making the scene extremely monochromatic. And the teleconverter wasn’t helping the sharpness of the photos at all.
Then I noticed the power lines (across the top of this frame.)
The best I was going to get that day were photos that would be O.K. but not spectacular. A passerby pulled up to tell me how beautiful the eagles look just after sunrise on clear days. He said they appear to glow in the sun. I hoped I could return to the nest on a better day before the story ran in the paper. An assignment at Lake Anna took me past Towles Mill Road a day before the story was to run, but there was a light rain and the sky was just as gray as it was on Friday the 13th. Seeing and photographing the eagles was fun, but the photos could have been much better on a different day.
The Photo Department consists of five staff photojournalists: Ben Fredman, Mike Morones, Suzanne Carr Rossi, Peter Cihelka, and Robart A. Martin,
two image techs: Kevin Morrow and Mikhail Hardy,
Multimedia Editor Rebecca Sell and Director of Photography Dave Ellis.
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