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- Jan 16, 2006
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I'm, as usual, way behind in processing my photos, but I thought I'd put together a few shots from things that I have gotten processed so far. Hardly a comprehensive rundown of my summer, but a couple mildly interesting things. 
I generally don't like going to "festivals" but I usually end up getting dragged along to the Lilac Festival, which is a pretty big one. I took along a camera for the first time - it figures that it was very windy that day, making photography very difficult! I got very few sharp photos with my macro lens.
This guy stood still for me though... but I didn't want to get too close and scare him and didn't have a chance to put on a longer lens.
Another non-flower shot.
Another festival is the Harbor and Carousel Festival, which is more of a little carnival. We skipped the main event but did watch the fireworks from my father's boat. I posted some elsewhere, but here's one to show you what it looks like when you do the standard fireworks technique (tripod, remote shutter release, bulb mode) from a boat that's rocking back and forth.
In June, we finally got back to Watkins Glen International, we hadn't been to the racetrack since before my son was born - so it'd probably been four years or so. As a "test", we went to the Historic Races for one day, which is a relatively small event. We're going back in a couple weeks to the Vintage Races, which is much larger, and we'll camp at the track so we'll have more time there next time. Anyway, here's a few shots...
The paddocks are a place where HDR might come in handy; the dynamic range is pretty huge.
Surprise surprise... rain! The weathersealing of the K20D came in handy many times this summer, and it's always fun to see the cars racing in the rain.
Racetracks give you plenty of chances to practice your panning... I also was experimenting with what shutter speed would give blurred tires and wheels but keep the car sharp.
A fun thing about these kind of events is to see the wide variety of cars out there racing.
OK, one for the Nascar fans... this is as close as I'll probably ever be to taking Nascar photos.
I have a soft spot for Porsche 914s, especially since I used to own one, but mine certainly wasn't this nice. I like this shot as it shows how hard they go through this turn, note how low the left side of the car is.
Restricted!
It started to rain again, harder this time. Mostly visible as "blotchiness" in the Viper photo, easier to see in the shot with the Mustang and the 914.
There's many more but I can see the non-car-fans dozing off so I'll move on.
A few days later, we caught an outdoors show of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. There was some rain (visible in the first shot) - it's been very wet in Rochester the past couple months!
Anyway, it was a great concert, and my first attempt at shooting a concert (outside of live shows at Disney.) The results were... ehh, it gives me something to improve upon next time. I actually had been having minor focus issues so the sharpness wasn't always there, I corrected it soon after this concert.
There were plenty more shots from the summer but I haven't processed them yet.
So maybe there'll be more later...
I generally don't like going to "festivals" but I usually end up getting dragged along to the Lilac Festival, which is a pretty big one. I took along a camera for the first time - it figures that it was very windy that day, making photography very difficult! I got very few sharp photos with my macro lens.
This guy stood still for me though... but I didn't want to get too close and scare him and didn't have a chance to put on a longer lens.
Another non-flower shot.
Another festival is the Harbor and Carousel Festival, which is more of a little carnival. We skipped the main event but did watch the fireworks from my father's boat. I posted some elsewhere, but here's one to show you what it looks like when you do the standard fireworks technique (tripod, remote shutter release, bulb mode) from a boat that's rocking back and forth.
In June, we finally got back to Watkins Glen International, we hadn't been to the racetrack since before my son was born - so it'd probably been four years or so. As a "test", we went to the Historic Races for one day, which is a relatively small event. We're going back in a couple weeks to the Vintage Races, which is much larger, and we'll camp at the track so we'll have more time there next time. Anyway, here's a few shots...
The paddocks are a place where HDR might come in handy; the dynamic range is pretty huge.
Surprise surprise... rain! The weathersealing of the K20D came in handy many times this summer, and it's always fun to see the cars racing in the rain.
Racetracks give you plenty of chances to practice your panning... I also was experimenting with what shutter speed would give blurred tires and wheels but keep the car sharp.
A fun thing about these kind of events is to see the wide variety of cars out there racing.
OK, one for the Nascar fans... this is as close as I'll probably ever be to taking Nascar photos.
I have a soft spot for Porsche 914s, especially since I used to own one, but mine certainly wasn't this nice. I like this shot as it shows how hard they go through this turn, note how low the left side of the car is.
Restricted!
It started to rain again, harder this time. Mostly visible as "blotchiness" in the Viper photo, easier to see in the shot with the Mustang and the 914.
There's many more but I can see the non-car-fans dozing off so I'll move on.
A few days later, we caught an outdoors show of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. There was some rain (visible in the first shot) - it's been very wet in Rochester the past couple months!Anyway, it was a great concert, and my first attempt at shooting a concert (outside of live shows at Disney.) The results were... ehh, it gives me something to improve upon next time. I actually had been having minor focus issues so the sharpness wasn't always there, I corrected it soon after this concert.
There were plenty more shots from the summer but I haven't processed them yet.
So maybe there'll be more later...
But, those of us who stayed heard a great concert. And what a perfect photo op it would have been! It would have been zero problem to walk up as close as you wanted to.
It is mounted on the camera right now, and I did use it some more for later events of the summer. I love that lens. 
I'm sure you remember, but I have the kit lens, the Tamron, and then the 50mm f/1.4, and now I'm not sure where to go from here. Suggestions? 
