#WildlifeWednesday Tree Squirrel

It’s not a very glamorous rodent, but then that might just be an oxymoron in itself. Squirrels live on every continent of the Earth except Antarctica. They have adapted to life with humans quite well and are so common they are often overlooked or ignored. I admire their fearlessness. They leap from perch to perch, scurry up trees, and run full speed down the bark, always sure of their footing. Confident of their speed and agility, they tempt fate against stronger and bigger predators. And to top it all off, they are planners, thinkers, collecting food while it’s abundant, and saving it for the famine of Winter. Pretty smart for a rodent.

Nikon D7100 Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.5 @ 500mm (750mm at 1.5 crop) f/8 ISO 100 1/320 sec

Nikon D7100 Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.5 @ 500mm (750mm at 1.5 crop) f/8 ISO 100 1/800 sec

Action in the Dark

As a professional sports photographer one of the challenges I face is stopping action in low light situations. The physical difficulties (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) are topics for a different post. I wanted to take a few minutes to share a little secret about black and white images. Contrast is the amount of difference between the light areas of a photograph and the dark areas. In black and white images this tonal difference can be exploited easily. Without the distraction of colors, our brains can only work with what our eyes supply, or… contrast. When our eyes detect a sharp difference between adjoining sections of a picture, the edges look sharp, crisp and clean. Look around the face of the fighter in the background and down the muscles in his arm. The sweat looks exact, precise, and defined. The opposite occurs when gradual shades of gray are prominent, like on the shoulder of the fighter on the ground. Molding this very distinct attribute of contrast in a picture can lead the observer around the photograph, their eyes lingering in different places. It’s all about me showing you something I thought you should see, and using the camera to bring it to you.

By the way, the picture was taken at Harrah’s Casino during the XFE 36 Mixed Martial Arts event that took place last Friday night. My pictures from the fight are on their website.

February 21, 2014: Josh Key (white  gloves) sits atop Elder Ramos (black gloves)during the XFE 36 MMA event at Harrah's Philadelphia Casino in Philadelphia, PA.

February 21, 2014: Josh Key (white  gloves) lands a punch to the nose of Elder Ramos (black gloves)during the XFE 36 MMA event at Harrah's Philadelphia Casino in Philadelphia, PA.

Quiet Stillness

Winter brings a stillness when the Earth is covered in folded snow. Winds speed over silent meadows, passing unimpeded by leaves and foliage. Silent yet forceful breaths of nature, fill the muted dawn. Barren trees reach into the sky like lifeless memories, and bleak thoughts of quiet stillness float in the thin air. A time to reflect, a time to remember, a time of repose.

Nikon D4 Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm f/4.5 ISO 400 1/2500 sec

#TravelTuesday Evergreen Lake

Last year my wife and I took a short trip to Aspen, Colorado. To avoid a monumental change in altitude it was suggested to me that we might want to spend a night in Denver and allow our bodies to get acclimated more gradually. The spot we chose was the little town of Evergreen. Bear Creek rambles its way through the small rustic town, winding its way beneath narrow bridges and around the setting of our hotel. Following the stream upwards leads to Evergreen Lake. Evergreen grew as a town in the late 1800’s and was primarily a lumber producing village. At its height of growth back then it boasted 200 residents and six saw mills. Now the lake is used mainly for recreational purposes.

The evening we were there became cloudy and overcast, but for about fifteen minutes the Sun tried desperately to break through and light up the sky. It created this interesting sight in the sky.

Nikon D800 Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 44mm f/9 ISO 100 1/40 sec

Underdogs

Yesterday I got to photograph the NCAA Basketball game between the Temple Owls and the SMU Mustangs. Many considered Temple a weak opponent for SMU (ranked 23rd going into the game) since they had lost to them earlier this year and Temple was ranked far beneath them. The Owls fought hard and relentlessly pressed the home court advantage to overcome the Mustangs. The energy was palpable in the arena when the scores came dangerously close during the game. Chants from students, rousing melodies from the band, and shouts of support from the fans created a platform of spirit for the men to walk on. Temple’s shooting got better and better, and SMU’s offense crumbled, missing free throw after free throw. Why, I can’t explain it, except that it was the will and passion of the home crowd that elevated the performance of their heroes on the court. The players gave it their all, and maybe the crowd gave them even more than they knew they had. Victory was within their grasp, and they took it!

Click the picture to see all the pictures I took at the game.

Click the picture to see all the pictures I took at the game.