Photowalking Utah: Tulip Festival Recap

In spite of high winds and dust that threatened to derail the event, 15 courageous photographers showed up at Photowalking Utah's Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival event on Saturday. The recent cold snap had slowed the emergence of the tulips, but there was still plenty to photograph.

Instead of carrying my normal SLR camera gear, I opted to travel light and loaded my pockets with a Canon G7 (10 mp point-and-shoot), Canon 430EX strobe, 2 Pocketwizard radios and a handheld light meter. Today's image of a tulip was captured with this equipment.

I lit the subject by placing the strobe on the ground to the left of the subject. The directional light created a nice rimming effect on not only the flower petals, but the leafs as well.

For those that skipped the event because of the wind (I know I was tempted to), you missed a great time. It was actually quite peaceful with very little wind once we entered the gardens.

The details for next month's Photowalking Utah event are being put together and will be announced soon. To see more images from the participants in the April photowalk and for announcements about future events, visit PhotowalkingUtah.com.

Canon Powershot G7 - 1/125 second, f/8, ISO 100

Save the Date: Photowalking Utah Tulip Festival

The next Photowalking Utah event is coming up on April 19th. Here are the details from the announcement:

This month's event is scheduled for Saturday April 19th from 5:00 pm to closing at 7:00 pm. We'll enjoy the blooms of spring around the Gardens at Thanksgiving Point catching the evening light.

They are located just off I-15 in Lehi. Click here for a map.

As always, this is for photographers of any age and skill level to come and enjoy taking pictures with other like minded people.

There is an admission fee:
Adults: $10.00
Child (Ages 3-12): $6.00
Senior (Ages 65+): $9.00
Tickets are available online.

Afterward, we'll be meeting for dinner at some place yet to be determined.

As was stated in the announcement, these events are open to photographers of any skill level. The group is a great way to meet other shooters and advance your own photography knowledge. Feel free to contact me at rich(at)leggnet.com with any questions about the event. You can also add to the conversation on the Flickr discussion. I hope to see many of you on the 19th.

Photowalking Utah: Trax Event

There was a nice turnout for today's Photowalking Utah event in Salt Lake City. I joined twenty-five other photographers aboard TRAX (Salt Lake City's light rail system) for a train ride around the city. We got off the train at various stops to photograph, before boarding the next train to continue our journey. It was great to meet several first-time photowalkers as well as catching up with the regulars.

The next Photowalking Utah event will be in April as the group heads South to Thanksgiving Point for the annual Tulip Festival. Stay tuned for details.

Today's image is of one of the original members of Photowalking Utah, Scott Smith, working his new 40D aboard the train as the event unfolded. Be sure to check out Scott's photoblog at www.scottosmith.com.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/160 second, f/4, ISO 1000

Save the Date: Photowalk #7, March 29, 2008

This month's Photowalking Utah event is coming up on Saturday March 29th at 4:00 pm. We will be riding TRAX (Salt Lake City's light rail system).

We will begin our journey at the University of Utah and head West toward our final stop near the Gateway. We will be getting off at various stops to photograph and then catch the next train. Depending on how many stops we get off at, this will take around 2 hours.

As always, these events are open to photographers of all skill levels, from brand new shooters to seasoned pros. Our main goal is to get together and have fun.

We will be meeting at the station adjacent to the Moran Eye Center at 4:00 pm. This is located at 65 Medical Drive in Salt Lake City (there is plenty of parking at the eye center).

For more information, visit Photowalking Utah's community page on Flickr at www.photowalkingutah.com or email me at rich(at)leggnet.com. If you are planning on attending, please comment on the thread on Flickr and/or comment here.

See you all on the 29th!

Photowalking Utah - February Event Video

Here is a video of last month's Photowalking Utah event at the University of Utah's Moran Eye Center. As always, big time thanks go to Jeremy Hall for shooting and editing video for the events.

Photowalking Utah - TRAX

The monthly Photowalking Utah events have become quite popular. Last month's event at the University of Utah's Moran Eye Center attracted over 50 photographers. Thanks to everyone who supported the outing.

This month's event is tentatively scheduled for Saturday March 29th at 4:00 pm. The plan is to have the group meet at the TRAX station located at the University of Utah. We will then ride West toward the Gateway, getting off at each stop to photograph then catching the next train.

We have applied with UTA for the necessary permissions to bring 50+ photographers onto their trains. We did this to minimize the "FREAK OUT" factor that the railroad cops might have when we showed up photographing everything in site.

I am posting this now (prior to permission being received) so everyone can mark their calendar. In the event that we don't receive permission in time, we will push this event to next month (April) and come up with an alternate location.

As they say in show biz, "Stay tuned for details..."

For more information on Photowalking Utah, please visit our Flickr community page at www.photowalkingutah.com.

Save the Date: Photowalk #6, February 23, 2008

The next Photowalking Utah event is fast approaching. The event will be held at the University of Utah's Moran Eye Center located at 65 Medical Drive in Salt Lake City. Here are the details:

Our sixth Photowalk will be February 23rd at the Moran Eye Center from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm. We've got a two-part indoor event: a Photoshop tutorial by Ann Torrence and photographing the new Moran Eye Center (architecture, scientific labs, microscopes small and large, glassware, computers, etc.). We will start capturing photos at 9 am, Photoshopping at 11. You can attend either, part or both.

These event are open to anyone who wishes to attend, regardless of skill level. We typically have participants who vary in ability from beginners with point-and-shoot cameras to seasoned professionals with their high-end gear. The main emphasis is a sharing of knowledge and building of friendships.

For more information visit the entry on Jones Blog and/or drop by the Photowalking Utah discussion group at www.photowalkingutah.com.

Canon PowerShot G7 - 1/500 second, f/4, ISO 400

Photowalking Utah - Video

Jeremy Hall was kind enough to shoot and edit a video from our last Photowalking Utah event. This was the indoor photowalk featuring studio lighting.



Thanks for the hard work on this Jeremy, it turned out well.

Photowalking Utah: Studio Photography - Recap

What happens when you put 75 photographers, 8 studio lighting setups, 9 models, a gear tryout table and 25 door prizes in a 6,000 square foot church auditorium? The answer is simple - a great photographic time!

Last Saturday's indoor photowalk was a rousing success. With the addition of the Utah Photo Safari & Salt City Photo club members joining the Photowalking Utah regulars, the energy in the room was incredible. The participants got a chance to walk among the different lighting setups and to shoot the various models while meeting and talking with fellow shooters.



Our good friend Berkely at Pictureline hooked us up with plenty of Nikon and Canon swag for the prize table. Many a photographer walked away with more Canon and/or Nikon goodies than they arrived with.

To take a look at the 150+ photos (posted so far) in the Photowalking Utah Flickr group, visit flickr.com/groups/photowalkslc.

Special thanks go out to Gateway Community Church for the use of their building, Pictureline for the prizes and to all of the folks who brought gear and muscles to set-up and tear down the room. It was great to hear from the church that they felt we left the room in better condition than we found it.

The triumvirate leadership of Photowalking Utah is busily planning the next two events. Stay tuned here or at PhotoWalkingUtah.com for details.

Update: Here are a few other articles and/or blog posts on the event:

http://www.photowalking.org/2008/01/14/photowalking-utah-indoor-studio-wrap-up/
http://www.anntorrence.com/blog/2008/01/photowalking-studio-workshop-l.html

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Studio Photography Photowalking This Saturday

We are having our January Photowalking Utah event this Saturday. This will be an indoor event with multiple sets for doing studio photography. Based on the response in the Flickr discussion, it looks like we are going to have a HUGE turnout. This should be fun.

Here are the details:

When: Saturday January 12, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm (ish)
Where: Gateway Community Church - 584 E. 12300 South, Draper UT 84020

As always, these events are open to anyone interested in attending - regardless of skill and/or equipment level. If your camera has a flash, we will be able to sync you to the lights.

I have scheduled six amateur models to be available to pose for the photographers. We are asking each photographer to make a $5 recommended donation to compensate these models for their time.

For more information, visit the group page at www.photowalkingutah.com or read my previous post by clicking here.

Feel free to contact me at rich(at)leggnet.com or (801) 259-3500 with any questions.

I look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday.

UPDATE: I just came from my favorite photography store Pictureline where I picked up the door prize donations. They have generously offered up over 20 items including Nikon thumb drives, Canon memory card holders, Nikon coffee mugs and much more. These will be given out by random drawing at the event. Please keep Pictureline's generosity in supporting this event in mind the next time you need to make a photography purchase.

Save the Date: Photowalk #5, January 12, 2008

The date for the next Salt Lake City Photowalk has been set for Saturday, January 12th. This will be an indoor photowalk exploring the nuances of studio lighting. The nice folks at Gateway Community Church in Draper have allowed us to use their rather large sanctuary (pictured, courtesy of Gateway Community Church) to set up at least three different 'studios', so unlike previous events - weather will not be an issue (and it will BE WARM!).

In addition to the opportunity to learn about studio lighting, we will have "gear sharing tables" available to try out other photowalker's camera gear. I plan on having my 5D, 30D and G7 cameras plus an assortment of lenses all available for use at the Canon table and I know that at least one shooter (Ann!) will make their high end Nikon gear available.

We will even have at least five young people available to model for the photographers. This will be a great hands-on way for shooters to play around with lighting. There has been discussion on the Flickr Group about doing at least one of the sets as a budget setup, to show photographers how to get great results on a shoestring lighting budget.

If this wasn't already enough incentive to come, my contact over at my favorite camera store Pictureline has offered to make some kind of gear donation for a door prize or two.

As always, these events are open to anyone interested in attending - regardless of skill and/or equipment level. If your camera has a flash, we will be able to sync you to the lights.

When: Saturday January 12, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm (ish)
Where: Gateway Community Church - 584 E. 12300 South, Draper UT 84020

For more information and discussion on the local (Northern Utah) photowalking events, please drop by the Flickr group at www.flickr.com/groups/photowalkslc. Feel free to contact me with any questions at rich(at)leggnet.com.

I hope to see a lot of you on the 12th!

Photowalking Salt Lake City - Tonight!

The next Photowalking Salt Lake City event is tonight. The group will be meeting at 5:15 pm for a visit to the Christmas light displays in and around Salt Lake City's Temple Square. Everyone is welcome to attend, regardless of skill.

For more information and details, check out my previous post or the Photowalking Salt Lake City Flickr group.

Canon 30D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 10 seconds, f/22, ISO 100

Photowalking Salt Lake City #4: December 11th

NOTE: The meeting time has been moved to 5:15 pm

The next Photowalking Salt Lake City event is scheduled for the evening of December 11th. We will be making a visit to the Christmas light displays at Temple Square. The rendezvous time is 5:15 pm near the large red tree at the intersection of South Temple and Main Street (the tree in the center of today's image).

Anyone who wants to attend is welcome to do so. While there will be many advanced photographers, there will also be many novices. These are non-competitive events aimed at having a good time. Please dress warmly and a tripod is nearly a must.

For more details or to announce your intention of attending, visit the Flickr group at flickr.com/groups/photowalkslc.

Canon 30D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 8 second, f/22, ISO 100

Impromptu Portrait: A Man and His Skull

During the Provo Photowalking event earlier this month, the group came across this cigarette smoking donkey skull mounted on the front of a Jeep. While we were checking it out by alternating between photographing it and laughing about it, the jeep's owner emerged from the tavern it was parked in front of (yes, there are taverns in Provo). After getting over the initial shock of seeing 10+ photographers around his vehicle, he posed for a portrait.

To light this shot, I had my friend Dale hold a Pocketwizard triggered 430EX to the left of camera. I then quickly balanced the strobe's power to about 2/3 f/stop above the ambient light. This gave the subjects face (and the skull) a bit of pop to separate them from the background.

The next photowalk event will be a December visit to the Christmas lights at Temple Square. Details will be posted here as well as the Flickr group.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/30 second, f/5.6, ISO 200

A bit of Zoom-Blur on the Photowalk

The photowalking event this past Saturday evening was great. We had a group of 15 photographers (and friends) join in as we walked the historic downtown district of Provo.

In addition to capturing images of my fellow photowalkers, I got into a Zoom-Blur mode on several shots - as evidenced by today's photo. As I was following the group up the street, I made this shot. If you look closely, you can spot six of the photowalk participants in the scene. The blur effect was created with a quick twist of the of the zoom ring on the lens at the end of the half second exposure.

To see more images taken by the photowalk participants, visit the Flickr group at flickr.com/groups/photowalkslc.

The next photowalking event will be in December as we set out to capture the Christmas lights at Temple Square. I will post details on the Flickr group in addition to this site when they become available.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - .5 second, f/13, ISO 200

Reminder: Photowalking This Saturday

If you are in the Northern Utah area this weekend, please consider joining us for the Photowalking Event on Saturday. Here are the details from my earlier post:

________________________________________

It's Photowalking time again, and even though we are based in Salt Lake City this walk will be in Provo. The third photowalk is scheduled for Saturday November 17th. We will be walking around the historic downtown district in Provo. Interesting sites include:

- Provo Tabernacle
- Utah County Courthouse (pictured above)
- Pioneer Park
- Countless sidewalk shops and such

The group will be meeting in the Southeast corner of the Albertson's parking lot located at 560 W Center Street (Provo) at 4:00 pm (click HERE for a map). We will then head Eastward toward the courthouse area. If you have a tripod, it will be helpful. We will have about an hour of light before darkness sets in.

Again, these events are very non-competitive and ANY photographer is welcome to attend regardless of their skill level or camera equipment. This is a great way to introduce a friend to photography - so please invite one!

In recap, here are the details:

What: Photowalk #3
When: Saturday November 17th. 4:00 - 6:00(ish) pm
Where: Downtown Provo. Meet at 560 W. Center Street.
Who: Anyone!

For more information, visit the our Flickr group at www.flickr.com/groups/photowalkslc. Please feel free to contact me at rich(at)leggnet.com with any questions.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/60 second, f/4, ISO 100

Photowalking Salt Lake City #3

It's Photowalking time again, and even though we are based in Salt Lake City this walk will be in Provo. The third photowalk is scheduled for Saturday November 17th. We will be walking around the historic downtown district in Provo. Interesting sites include:

- Provo Tabernacle
- Utah County Courthouse (pictured above)
- Pioneer Park
- Countless sidewalk shops and such

The group will be meeting in the Southeast corner of the Albertson's parking lot located at 560 W Center Street (Provo) at 4:00 pm (click HERE for a map). We will then head Eastward toward the courthouse area. If you have a tripod, it will be helpful. We will have about an hour of light before darkness sets in.

Again, these events are very non-competitive and ANY photographer is welcome to attend regardless of their skill level or camera equipment. This is a great way to introduce a friend to photography - so please invite one!

In recap, here are the details:

What: Photowalk #3
When: Saturday November 17th. 4:00 - 6:00(ish) pm
Where: Downtown Provo. Meet at 560 W. Center Street.
Who: Anyone!

For more information, visit the our Flickr group at www.flickr.com/groups/photowalkslc. Please feel free to contact me at rich(at)leggnet.com with any questions.

Today's image is of the Historic Utah County Courthouse which is one of the stops on the photowalk.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/100 second, f/8, ISO 100

Photowalking Salt Lake City - This Friday Night

There is another Photowalking event coming up on Friday evening (October 19) beginning at 5:30 pm. Here are the details from Ann Torrence:

Theme: The Grunge/Gentrification Interface

Location: Meet at the corner of 500 West, 200 South. (Parking is available in 100-200 block of 500W)

The walkabout is from 500W 200S to the new (?) depot at 6th west, down 300 S toward the back side of the Rio Grande station (which could be awesome in golden light), return north on 5th west toward the galleries at the corner of 200S and 500W as people start to arrive. If they are still working on the rails that late, there could be some fun shots after dark with their lights. Today (Tuesday) they are pouring the concrete on the turn at 4th west, who knows how far they will get. But they told me they are working late shifts.

I am probably the last person in SLC to realize that the construction on 200S is connecting the new Frontrunner to the TRAX, but the gentrification is happening RIGHT NOW, and there are photos that will be possible today but not next week or month. Lots of old brick with faded paint signs, Thomas Electric's pile of rusty motors along Eccles Street, the old brothel (had a long chat with the bricklayers working on 200S about the area, naturally they had read the historic marker about a brothel.) The new/remodeled depot reminds me of an arcade in Auckland, NZ.

Late afternoon light is going to be as good, if not better, than after dark light. There's not as much artificial lighting as on the east side to work with, except the gallery windows. At least 4-5 galleries in the 2x2 block area are participating in gallery stroll, so there should be some people about.

Special considerations: The safety factor needs to be considered, but I think we can work with it, if folks stick together and act like we are in an urban area. I'll have a couple bills in an outer pocket for panhandlers, and will be traveling light.

I will be in Provo photographing a wedding and won't be able to attend this photowalk, but I will catch up with everyone on the next one. The West side of Salt Lake City is an intriguing area and should provide plenty of interesting subject matter to shoot.

These events are non-competitive and a great way to get to socialize with other area photographers. Anyone is welcome to attend.

For more details (or to ask any questions), visit the Photowalking Salt Lake City Flickr group at www.flickr.com/groups/photowalkingslc.

p.s. Let's hope it doesn't rain this time :)

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/200 second, f/4, ISO 800

Photowalking in the Rain

The Photowalking Salt Lake City event went off last night without a hitch. Well, that is unless you consider pouring rain and a temperature hovering around 40 degrees a problem. Six of us braved the elements for 3+ hours trekking around the downtown area in search of the perfect shot. Since the LDS Church's semi-annual General Conference meeting was taking place, the city was buzzing with activity that made for many excellent photo opportunities.

The best part of the night for me was hanging out with fellow photographers and bloggers. Pictured in today's image is the photowalking group (left to right): Harley, Rich (me), Diane, Bryan, Ann and Scott. Look closely at the shot and you will see that it appears Scott didn't get the memo on the dress code for footwear :)

We are planning another Photowalk in the near future. Keep an eye on this site or photowalking.org for details.

To see images from the participating photographers, check out the Salt Lake City Photowalking Group on Flickr: flickr.com/groups/photowalkslc.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/30 second, f/5.6, ISO 400

Photowalking Salt Lake City - Today at 5 pm

Today's the day for Photowalking Salt Lake City. Judging by the weather forecast, I would definitely recommend to dress warmly. Here are the details on the event from my earlier postt:
____________

With a deserved nod to Thomas Hawk's semi-famous San Francisco Photowalks, I will be participating in a Salt Lake City Photowalk on Saturday October 6th. I"ve teamed up with several other Utah photographers to organize this outing. Here are the details:

When: Saturday October 6th at 5:00 pm
Where: Meet at the main entrance to the Salt Palace (100 S. West Temple) on the East side of the building under the tower (see today's photo)
Who: Anyone who wants to attend

This will be a non-competitive opportunity to photograph in and around downtown Salt Lake City and to get to know other photographers. You don't have to have the "latest-and-greatest" camera to participate. In fact, if someone wants to come and doesn't have a camera, I will have a couple of loaners available.

We will start at the Salt Palace and head out from there. I would expect it to last no more than 2-3 hours. Since it is LDS Conference Weekend, parking might be troublesome. I am considering riding the train into town to alleviate this concern.

If you have any questions or need to contact me about the activity, give me a call at (801) 259-3500 or email rich@leggnet.com (gutsy move giving out my info, eh?).

I hope to see you there!

Reminder: Salt Lake City Photowalk this Saturday

Here's a reminder about this coming Saturday's Photowalk in downtown Salt Lake City. If you missed any of the earlier posts (here and on a few other sites), here are the details:

When: Saturday October 6th at 5:00 pm
Where: Meet at the main entrance to the Salt Palace (100 S. West Temple) on the East side of the building under the tower
Who: Anyone who wants to attend

(click HERE for the rest of the details)

I have already heard from several photographers that are planning on attending, so we should have a good turn out. Also, Ann Torrence has started a Flickr group for the Photowalk. You can find the group at flickr.com/groups/photowalkslc.

Please feel free to contact me at rich@leggnet.com if I can provide any further info on this event.

Canon 30D, Canon 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 - 1/60 second, f/4.5, ISO 100

Photowalking Salt Lake City - October 6th

With a deserved nod to Thomas Hawk's semi-famous San Francisco Photowalks, I will be participating in a Salt Lake City Photowalk on Saturday October 6th. I"ve teamed up with several other Utah photographers to organize this outing. Here are the details:

When: Saturday October 6th at 5:00 pm
Where: Meet at the main entrance to the Salt Palace (100 S. West Temple) on the East side of the building under the tower (see today's photo)
Who: Anyone who wants to attend

This will be a non-competitive opportunity to photograph in and around downtown Salt Lake City and to get to know other photographers. You don't have to have the "latest-and-greatest" camera to participate. In fact, if someone wants to come and doesn't have a camera, I will have a couple of loaners available.

We will start at the Salt Palace and head out from there. I would expect it to last no more than 2-3 hours. Since it is LDS Conference Weekend, parking might be troublesome. I am considering riding the train into town to alleviate this concern.

If you have any questions or need to contact me about the activity, give me a call at (801) 259-3500 or email rich@leggnet.com (gutsy move giving out my info, eh?).

I hope to see you there!

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/100 second, f/7.1, ISO 50