While I had every intention of sitting in on the judging of the Natural History singles, stories, and Global Vision Award judging today at Pictures of the Year, I couldn’t make it after all. That said, the second place winner is particualrly effective in my opinion: a series of portraits of endangered species from the United States.  It’s worth a look, especially to other nature photographers cum story-tellers.

Tags: contests, Pictures of the Year International
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Leopard-skin Pillbox Hat Tights | Canon 7D and 16-35mm f/2.8L II lens @ 25mm; exposed 1/6 sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 6400

Last night I found myself playing with zoom blurs at Jakob Berr’s 29th birthday at RagTag.  While most people were wearing jeans, one woman was wearing leopard print tights.  I was trying to make an image with her in focus, but I did not quite make the image I want.  Maybe next time.

Tags: EOS 7D, photojournalism, Thirty Days
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Sidewalk Conversation | Panasonic Lumix G1 and 45-200mm f/4-5.6 lens @ 140mm; exposed 1/400 sec. @ f/5.1, ISO 200

Tags: Lumix G1, photojournalism, Thirty Days
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Katie Wood reacts after completely missing the cue ball at McNally's Irish Pub in Columbia, Mo. | Canon 5D Mk. II and 16-35mm f/2.8L II lens @ 35mm; exposed 1/40 sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 1250.

I really hope Katie forgives me for making this one of my Thirty Days photographs, but it was hard to pass up as the crew (and the first week’s judges) celebrated the end of the first round of Pictures of the Year International.  Only two weeks left, gang!

Tags: EOS 5D Mark II, photojournalism, Thirty Days
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Heading home from the store at twilight | Panasonic Lumix G1 and 45-200mm f/4-5.6 lens @ 45mm; exposed 1/20 sec. @ f/4.5, ISO 400

This is the second time that the “30 Days” project has taken me to the Gerbes parking lot, but I think this image is infinitely more successful than the last.  I was focusing on this person walking their shopping cart towards their car when another vehicle drove past me.  I only made one frame, and this was the result.

An image from the return home after the jump!

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Lumix G1, photojournalism, Thirty Days
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"Garçon?" | Canon 1D Mark III and 16-35mm f/2.8L II lens @ 31mm; exposed 1/200 sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 1600.

Last Friday, after reviewing our colleagues’ “30 Day” project photos in our Picture Story class, Professor David Rees suggested that we all should start including more people.  I don’t think this was quite what he had in mind.

Here, he rallies our class together after viewing a judging at Pictures of the Year International, an annual photojournalism contest held at the University of Missouri.  People can either sit in on the judging as it happens, or stream it live on their computers.  We chose the former.

Have no fear, David, you won’t be the only person in my 30 Day Project!

On a technical note, this image would have been far better if I’d used fill flash (and exposed for the background).  However, a surprising amount of highlight detail was “recovered” in RAW processing in Lightroom.

Tags: EOS 1D Mark III, photojournalism, Thirty Days
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Bird and human tracks in snow | Canon 5D Mk. II and 85mm f/1.8 lens; exposed 1/125 sec. @ f/4, ISO 200

Today, I turn 26 years old, and to continue along the idea of “urban wildlife,” and my greater goal of reminding people that we are not the only living beings on the planet, I offer this image of both bootprints and bird prints in the soft snow.  We share this world, whether we like it or not, and our actions affect not only the human population, but all plant and wildlife as well.

Tags: EOS 5D Mark II, photojournalism, Thirty Days
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Construction Site, Columbia, Mo. | Canon 5D Mk. II and 85mm f/1.8 lens; exposed 1/320 sec. @ f/5.6, ISO 200

I’ve enjoyed construction sites for a long time–they have so much visual variety as they morph over time.  This abstraction will eventually be a support column of a new, multi-story public parking garage to equal the height of the Tiger Hotel in Columbia, Mo.

Tags: EOS 5D Mark II, photojournalism, Thirty Days
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