Tips for Breaking into Sports Photography

Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC, student photographer Chris Osborne hopes his experience in sports photography will take him to the next level - his goal for every shot is "Sports Illustrated Cover".

Osborne explains how a sixth sense is valuable in sports photography, but without the basics of photography, you will still miss the shot.

What first attracted you to photography? How did you get started yourself?

Photography was something I could do since I have always been able to see how I wanted things to look. I have started and restarted a few times. My first camera was a 110 mm back in 3rd grade. I moved onto other interests until college, where I got a Coolpix L3. It is good for general use, but trying to shoot basketball did not work at all. So, I purchased a Rebel XT and have not looked back.

What photographers - well known or unknown - inspire you?

Beyond the sports photography culture, two unknowns got me where I am today. The first is my sister. She says that I stole her interest in photography and will not hold back any criticism of my work. The second is Paul, a fellow photographer at the school paper. After seeing one of his pictures in the paper and not liking it at all, I decided that I could do a better job and filled the other sports photographer position. Only later did I learn that an editor and not Paul made the cropping decisions.

What equipment do you use? Is there a certain piece of gear you could not live without?

I am currently using a Canon Rebel XT with the kit 18-55mm lens, Canon 50mm 1.8, Canon 75-300 4-5.6, and a Tamron 28-200mm 4/5.6. My only other add ons are a Canon battery grip and a polarizing filter. Being on a college student budget, I do not buy new equipment unless I will really use it. But if I had to pick one item that I couldn't live without it would be the battery grip. I missed too many shots by flipping the camera the wrong way to shoot vertically or simply missing the shutter button.

Do you have any goals in mind with your photography?

For my sports shot, there is always one basic thought running through my mind - Sports Illustrated cover. I would love to have one someday. For everything else, I think about if I could see the shot hanging on someone's wall. If I cannot, I find something that fits that requirement.

What do you feel are your strengths and weaknesses in sports photography?

As much as I hate to say this one, one of my strengths is that I have a camera that can handle the speed and lighting at college sporting events. Beyond that, I am able to have a personal relationship with most of the athletes and am able to predict fairly well what is about to happen. My weaknesses are that I am still too slow at times to get the shot that I want, despite knowing almost exactly what is about to happen and that I have a tendency to tilt my camera. Also, where the Winthrop athletic department lets me go during games limits what I am able to shoot.

What does it take to be a quality sports photographer?

To be a quality sports photographer, you have to be a little bit psychic. By that I mean that you need to be able to know where to point the camera to get the shot. Some sports are easier than others. What sports do you like to shoot? I like to shoot basketball and volleyball most. They are high intensity and usually have something new to get every time. I like baseball the least because most of the shots are just excessively similar.

What post-processing tools/software do you use? How much does that influence your photography?

When I want better control over the photograph, I will use Photoshop 7 or Gimp depending on which operating system I am working under (desktop runs XP while laptop is in the process of switching over to Linux). I use Picasa for basic editing such as cropping and overall brightness/contrast. I sacrifice the overall control for speed when I have to turn things in to the school paper.

What advice would you give new photographers?

A) Don't get discouraged. Photography is an art, which means you will have to work at it.
B) A good photographer can overcome bad equipment, and good equipment will not make you a good photographer.
C) Less time editing your photographs means you'll have more time to take more, so get things right in camera as much as possible.
D) Try to see all of what there is to shoot, not just the stereotypical snapshots that everyone else will find.

Check out Osborne's photography at http://sapidexistence.com

Amazing Secrets of Underwater Photography

Do you like underwater photography? Do you want to know how it is done and what are the different things you should look out for when taking underwater pictures? Then you have come to the right place to learn what really underwater photography is. We all know that underwater photography can be a great fun and enjoyment activity and it can be more enjoyable experience for you if you really know all the nitty-gritty about underwater photography.

If you want to take beautiful underwater pictures then most importantly you should have a powerful digital camera which can work underwater without any hassles. Because it is not like that you go underwater and immediately start taking pictures. Rather you have to take care of many things when taking pictures in the deep water. If you do not take enough care then your pictures can become blurred and quality can be compromised. You should always look out for the direction of the sunlight underwater as sunlight travels differently in the deep water which affects the picture quality. You have to adjust your camera angle properly with the direction of the sunlight when you are underwater.

Then there is the impurity in the ocean water like mud and dirt which can really affect the picture quality underwater. This dirt can make the water so impure that you can not see properly in the deep water. But this happens most of the times only in the lakes and rivers. But many of the oceans are so clear and pure that you can see longer distance without any problems and your pictures most of the times comes as a quality product.

Many people who try underwater photography; takes their own friend's and families pictures and this can be more entertaining and really memorable experience for the family members to cheer for long time. But one of the most important factor every underwater photographer should remember is that the underwater currents and their effects. It is the most unpredictable factor which really affects our picture quality when you are underwater. When you are underwater it is extremely difficult for everybody to stand still in the same pose. And with the dynamic nature of underwater currents it becomes more difficult to give the still pose for the photo. So you should always keep in mind the direction of the underwater currents while taking pictures.

With the advancement of different types of digital cameras it will become easier in the future for us to take underwater pictures and really enjoy the experience of underwater photography.

A Need-to-Know Basis: History of the Sundance Film Festival

here

I'm starting a new series of stories and articles, ones that have a particular focus and energy towards either history or information, particularly in sports and entertainment. They talk about things being talked about only in "need-to-know" bases. I have decided to take some of the important people, events, and outlets that have made these things important. These are things you need to know, and I'm gonna tell you. My first one is going to be about the Sundance Film Festival.

Intro to Sundance

For much of the year, when you think of Park City in Utah you are usually thinking about great slopes, soft snow, and luxurious spas. However, for a couple of weeks in January, the peaceful getaway that is Park City is transformed into a mecca of indy filmmakers and the world's biggest stars. The movers and shakers get away from the sun and the lights of Los Angeles, New York, and everywhere else in the United States and they head out to Utah for the Sundance Film Festival. Examine the history, from the mythological start of the festival to it's meteoric rise into the elite of the film world, and the tradition that comes along with Sundance.

It Begins With an Idea

Back in the late 70's, there were two major individual leaders who led the charge to bring the Sundance Film Festival to life. The corporate side was handled by a man who held the title of Utah Film Commissioner John Earle. On the side of the filmmakers and the artistic voices was Sterling van Wagenen, a Brigham Young University Film School graduate. They, along with a group of other people who supported the cause either financially or artistically, went forward to found the U.S. Film Festival. This group of people looked to accomplish three main tasks for the state of Utah and the film industry. They wanted to bring an artistic forum where people could watch and discuss the best of American films. Also, it was an idea meant to bring more filmmakers and studios to Utah with a national event that they could host. Finally, this group also looked to get a competition that would showcase and bring forward films that were not from the Hollywood Studio systems, or independent films.

The festival begun very small. It even added the "Utah" to the name of the film festival to make sure that citizens of Utah could feel as though it was an event all their own instead of something created outside of the area and therefore not authentic to their state. By giving them that connection to the festival in the early stages, some locals were able to lend their support and to persuade others to offer their support. One key to the early development was the involvement of Utah citizen and film star Robert Redford. He became the festival's first chairman and lent some instant credibility to the festival. Early on, they also switched the festival from a traditionally warm summer season to January, the heart of the ski season in Park City, the festival's new home in 1981. This would attract a lot more film heads, if for nothing else than to watch some films and ski the slopes.

Early funding would be largely provided by the commissioner John Earle, although many other sources could be found. Some local investors put money into the event in an effort to promote growth and development in the area. Other contributions came from some wealthy contributors and sponsors from within the business looking for a festival to support and allow to compete with some of the best festivals the world had to offer. They especially wanted a festival that they could call their own version of Cannes, which had been running since 1939.

Growth in the 80's

Although having some varied success in their first few years, it was after the 1981 festival when things began to come into focus and the picture looked bleaked. The year prior, they had been able to make up a lot of the debt that had been produced by the first one, and although the move to Park City had proven successful in terms of filling a time of the year which was considered vastly dead in terms of tourism and also brought record attendance at film showings. However, that positive energy quickly faded when it was realized that although there were record numbers in the films themselves, overall attendance had dropped due to the snowstorms. They would even find themselves over $100,000 in debt after this third festival. They would garner enough support to continue the festival by getting some key in-state donors and fundraisers by the Utah Film Commission. That 1982 festival would prove the turning point because they would broaden the span of films being shown while raising the box-office numbers.

After two more festivals, they seemed to receive the critical acclaim they were hoping for, but financial dificulties continued to threaten the festival. It was then, in 1985, that the Sundance Institute decided it would be in their mutual interest to take control of the festival. The institute's purpose was to continue to bring exposure to independent films, and having a festival under its wing would be a powerful ally in that fight. Meanwhile, the Institute, a non-profit organization, could provide for people to work all year organizing and promoting the events and, of course, much needed financial support. They would double their attendance that year and begin to grow with new, edgy films and an array of international films added.

A breakout moment, not only for the festival but for a young volunteer-turned-director, seemed to bring the festival to the mainstream like it had never been before. Steven Soderbergh, who once served as a volunteer driving a ferry bus around the festival, had brought into the festival his debut film Sex, Lies, and Videotape. Not only did he win the first ever audience award, he sparked a bidding war between major studios unrivaled in film history. His success earmarked the January festival as a "must" for industry execs looking for a breakout film that would make it in the mainstream audiences.

The 90's: Growing Media and a Name Change

The early 1990 festival did not receive the accolades that the prior year received, although it did display a few good films. In 1991, however, the festival would be changed forever in a way that makes it more recognizable now in the world's perspective. Geoffrey Gilmore took the lead of the festival, and they would give it it's final and famous name; The Sundance Film Festival. Interest in independent films grew exponentially and they would in turn see, in the early 90's, the emergence of young filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Richard Linklater, Kevin Smith, and Robert Rodriguez. Films began to push the envelope with its new forum, and while they produced awesome films, they were also the subject of some controversy in the industry.

As we would move later on in the decade, the influence of the Hollywood corporate system began to slowly take stronger hold of the festival. More and more, agents and lawyers were scurrying around the streets of Park City in hopes of finding that next breakthrough filmmaker. Studio heads were making their way to the event to attract films and cause stirs with bidding wars. As this growth continued, it was believed that they should move the festival back to Salt Lake City, it's original home, to house the larger crowds and the businesses. In the end, it was subdued by the building of the Eccles Center, which holds 1,300 people for a screening.

The end of the 90's would bring forth it's biggest buzz, which came in the form of The Blair Witch Project. It would breakout almost immediately, although the buzz for the movie was basically non-existant and considered very lackluster for its eventual success. It would end up bringing in $140 million domestically and would bring in more worldwide, making it the most successful independent movie of all time. It was not the only movie, however, as a movie called Go by Doug Liman, who had brought Swingersto the festival some years prior, and a German movie called Run Lola Run would intrigue festival goers.

The Future of Sundance

With the festival moving into the 21st century, they would turn away from the hype machines that the festivals embodied in the 90's and turn its attention back into the films that were there, not to the hype and the speculation surrounding them. They continue to set attendance records and have now easily cemented its place as one of the top festivals in the world, matching up to its French and Italian counterparts in Cannes and Venice, respectively. Big name stars are going back to doing independent films, bringing big-star credibility to the smaller films which have little else to draw on with the rising of the studio blockbusters. As Sundance continues to progress, as do the hopes and dreams of independent filmmakers everywhere.

Make Your Own Baby Food With a Grinder

celtics baby clothes

Baby food is a necessity for infants and small children but you can save money on purchasing jars and jars of baby food by making the foods yourself. Of course, in order to make all-natural baby food you'll have to start with all-natural foods. You can check the local grocery store aisles for foods that have no added sugar or salt.

Baby food is easy to prepare while fixing your own meals or to store for the baby's daily meals. Using a blender is a lot of trouble for small portions of food. Another idea is a baby food grinder. They are available in styles where you use a hand crank or electric ones. They work like a blender but hold small portions and are easy to clean.

Babies can eat many of the foods we eat if they've been pureed. Try cooked carrots, peas, green beans and other vegetables in the grinder. Mix them together or make them separate. Simply put them in the food container and attach the grinding mechanism. Hand-grinders are simple because you give the machine a couple of cranks and the mashed food appears before you, ready to eat. If the food, after going through the grinder, appears too thick simply add a few drops of formula or milk, or even broth, depending upon the age of the child.

Vegetables are the easiest foods to prepare in the baby food grinder. Fruits like apples or pineapples are difficult to grind completely. The grinder will often leave "threads" of the pineapple that could cause baby to choke. Other fruits like pears and peaches do fine after the peeling is removed.

Use the grinder to mix foods together, such as oatmeal and peaches. Try mixing milk and mashed potatoes in the grinder when the baby is old enough for starches, to make the mashed potatoes a more appropriate consistency for the baby. The grinder can also make some cereals perfect for the baby. Cereal that is made like flakes can be put in the grinder with some fruit and milk and prepared for baby.

Some meats, like hot dogs or ground hamburger, can be placed in the baby food grinder but most meats are not suitable for baby grinders. Hamburger that has been made in spaghetti or other pastas will usually do okay in the grinder, though. Canned pasta meals are perfect for the baby food grinders. After grinding the food store the large portion in the fridge for later usage and serve a small portion now. Or, grind just a little for baby and serve the rest to older kids.

When you make your normal family dinner try to add side dishes, like macaroni and cheese, that can easily be put into the grinder, as you sit at the table. Most of the grinders have a "dish" that holds the food after it is ground, making it easy to feed baby at the table. Go online to find the grinders or check your local department store.