Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 08:28 PM AKST
[
General]
Capturing California!
with Wayde Carroll
2009 KVMR Celtic Festival, Grass Valley, CA
Natural light portrait of a Scottish clansman.
Natural light portrait trying to show a sense of place as well.
I backpedaled, snapping photos with a wide angle lens, as this group marched by.
This image uses selective focus (wide aperture) to isolate the Queen from the foreground subjects.
The magnificent Merloc the Magician. I specifically asked him to come over to this background. Backgrounds can make and break a photo!
Detail of one of the walk in musicians. People are encouraged to bring their instruments and play along. I love the jug. Cropping in tight makes this a little more intimate.
Using a zoom lens at 200mm really compressed this scene and makes the crowd look more closely packed than it was.
Dougie MacLean. One of Scotland's most successful and respected musicians.
Dougie.
Off-camera flash made these kids pop out in the late afternoon dappled light.
Sometimes a little camera tilt can add some added interest and dynamic to a photo.
Fast shutter speed!
This guy was in the shade and the background was bright behind him. Off-camera flash to the rescue again!
I just loved the repetition of form in the shadow.
I took a lot of photos to make sure I got a decent one of these two dancing to the live music.
I used a high ISO and set my camera for tungsten white balance to render more natural color from the yellow flames.
Poet Molly Fisk and friend.
Brian Buchanan, Enter The Haggis
Enter The Haggis, backstage. I love this band! Mixture of celtic and hard riving rock n' roll.
World class fiddler, Lisa Schneckenburger
The Reel Stepsisters!
Cathy Jordan of Dervish, from western Ireland.
I can't recall the exact number off the top of my head, but I think this was the eighth year I've photographed the KVMR Celtic Festival held at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, California each October.
It is always one of the highlights of the year. As a photographer there is are so many exciting image possibilities it's amazing. From the action of live bands, sword melees, dancers, and children running about, to the colorful and visually stimulating reenactment groups portraying various clans of Scotland and Ireland. Details of exsquisit hand made period dress, portraits, candids, and the beautiful pine forest all make for two days of non-stop photography.
To make it even better there are world class celtic musicians playing all day on several stages and of course- Guiness.
Another thing that makes this event special is the people. After doing this so many times I end up running in to many of the same people over and over. The many smiles and greetings make it a joy to work. I could even say I've made some great friends there. A special treat for me is being able to be backstage with the musicians and to have access to the stage during performances. It's wonderful how down to earth some of the more famous celtic performers really are. I have to thank Amy Terhorst of Empire Events for having me back so many times. She runs a top-notch event.
For anyone who happens to be in California, or just has a real interest, I'm working on putting together a "travel photography" workshop there next year. The plan is to have a couple of sessions together before the Celtic Fest. Then I'll give everyone certain assignments during the event and hold a couple different "lessons" there. Then we'd all meet up the day after and share photos etc. I think it could be a blast.
Even if you decide just to go to the festival on your own, it's well worth it. I'm sure there are similar festivals wherever you are. They are a wonderful opportunity to practice a wide variety of photo skills.
