A set up still-life.

 

 

Gene Tabagan, one crazy raven.

 

 

Guests in the V.I.P. room before the ball.

 

 

Fun times ahead! Shaken, not stirred.

 

 

More from the V.I.P. room.

 

 

Actress Q'Orianka Kilcher ("The New World") and friend.

 

 

Probably my favorite photo of the day. I was digging in my camera bag and when I looked up there he was!

 

 

Capturing some of the details that made for such a nice atmosphere.

 

 

Not a bad subject.

 

 

Q'Orianka gave a great speech encouraging all present to give to the  Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation. Images from "The New World" movie play on the screen behind her.

 

 

The event was filled with wonderful people having, well, a ball.

 

 

The camera man was filming one of the auction pieces for the big screens while a co-worker lit it up with a small flashlight.

 

 

You have to capture the musicians!

 

 

More items up for auction. These are made from reeds.

 

 

The artist holds his work up for auction.

 

 

Gene Tagaban told great stories, danced, sang, and played the drum!

 

CAPTURING ALASKA

with Wayde Carroll

 

  2009 Raven's Ball

 

 

  Last weekend I was lucky enough to be hired to photograph the Raven's Ball again by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. This event is a "black-tie affair to benefit the Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation".

 This event is a wonderful mix of the more affluent and influential Alaskans' and people from small village communities being honored for their work in the health fields. There were mayors, governors, movie stars, and "normal" people who do incredible work for the people of their communities. Natives and non-natives.

 Some Senators and other guests missed the event because they weren't able to fly into Anchorage due to the ash in the air from the recent Mt. Redoubt eruptions. My good friend and photographic partner for the event, Brian Adams, suffered the same fate. Thankfully, Kris Swanson, was able to fill in at the last minute!

  Listening to the speeches and stories of the people who live and work out in Alaska's villages, hearing how deeply they love their culture and their land, really made me think about living out there again.

  The event made me even more passionate about protecting the native lifestyle and I can't wait to get out to the bush this summer!

  Photographing events like these can be very tricky. There are so many different colored light sources and the over all lighting is very dark.

  In situations where there was good lighting on a subject, the speakers at the podium for instance, I used no flash, ISO 800 at F2.8 in aperture priority mode and auto white balance. In darker areas I would use a diffused flash mounted on my camera, usually bounced off a wall or ceiling, with a diffuser to bounce light into the eyes as well. In this situation I would swith to manual mode and I think most images were 1/80th of a second at F2.8. I wanted to be able to still pick up some of the ambient light and avoid the pure flash photo where everything else is in darkness.     Sometimes it gets a little crazy trying to catch the action jumping from one situation to the next and changing my cameras settings!

  For room shots, details etc. I would set up on a tripod and use the ambient light.

 The most important thing to do is have fun. That way your subjects have a good time with you as well and you get better photos!