New Mexico Rodeo Council College/High School Challenge

I'm using this blog as a place to post the photo essays that I'm doing for the month of November (got the idea from the DPC thread, but mainly for my own practice since I'll need at least one super polished one for my portfolio).

Here's the first one I put together, to start it off - I shot it before the rodeo started on Friday night. I was covering the rodeo for the paper and also needed a 'wild art' shot, so I went early and shot the people getting ready for it.




Competitors relax behind the chutes before the New Mexico Rodeo Council College/High School Challenge at McGee Park on Friday.

Clay Geronimo of New Mexico State University talks to another rider as he straps on his glove. Geronimo later scored 72 in the Bareback competition.

The last light of the day streams through the dusty air in the stadium as competitors prepare for the rodeo.

Steers destined for the steer roping/wrestling competitions enjoy a snack of hay before the rodeo.

Bethany Whitley, of Blanco, brushes a horse's mane to prepare it for the rodeo.

Competitors circle the arena during the ceremonies before the start of the rodeo.

Some product shots on a red backdrop. Used two $7 clamp lights with t-shirts over them, nothing fancy at all.

My dad reeling in a fish he caught in the river today.

One of the bridges on the natural trails in farmington.

One of my nieces hanging upside down from the monkey bars at the park. I'm really happy with this one, I'm not too good with portraits but I like this.

The kids fishing for tadpoles and guppies in a mostly dry branch of the river. We caught a ton of them and put them in a tank - there's probably hundreds in that spot, and all of the fish will just die when the water dries up. The tadpoles have to grow into toads first, or they're done for too.

This is an old (early-80's or late-70's) road bike that I got at a yard sale a while back. It's rideable as it is, but it could use some work. I'm going to convert it to singlespeed properly, and possibly put on some flat (or riser) bars. I'd like to get a coaster brake hub, too, but I might just stick with the front brakes.

Drumming during prayers at the retreat. The 55 1.8 came in handy.

The first one is my niece in a fabric store, they were looking for some fabric and we played around and shot some photos. Her expression isn't really sadness, it's more like "awww, when are you going to let me take a picture?" The others are from this evening, there was a lightning storm overhead and it made some beautiful skies at sunset. I also shot a bunch of pictures in hope of getting a lighting bolt, and got one decent one... good thing I didn't have to pay for film to shoot all of the duds. It was handheld at ISO 800 and about 1/30th, didn't have a tripod with me.

The first full day, the youth and a few of the adults went from the camp, to a challenge course owned by a christian school about 30 miles away. Most of the exercises and obstacles are designed to make you learn teamwork and overcome limitations, but the zip-line thing at the end is just plain fun.

On Wednesday we went to our annual summer camp/retreat thing a few hours away. I shot a lot of photos, this was one of my favorites. The Hopi dancers from Gallup did a performance on Friday, in their regalia. I would probably have entered this in the natural light portrait challenge at DPC, but I got DQ'ed because I wasn't at a computer to send in an original so I got suspended from challenges for a week.

Some more nieces. I like this 28-105.

My niece, when they came to visit the other day. 1D with 135 at 3.5 and iso 800.

There's a big fire somewhere or another, so all the smoke in the sky makes for a really diffused and red sun. Shot with the 1D and 135mm.

So I finally got another digital camera. It's a Canon 1D, and I ordered a 28-105 lens for it but that didn't get here yet. Shot a little with my Pentax 55mm, which is super sharp at f/11 (which I shot this photo at, using an extension tube. The second one is a 100% crop).

I like the camera so far, it's pretty huge and heavy, but other than that it seems to be what I was looking for. I still want a K10D for a backup/portrait camera, but that'll have to wait until I can get a zoom tele for this.

A couple more shots of the chipmunks from a couple weeks ago in Colorado. They were chilling on those rocks watching us, that one let me get pretty close with my 135mm.

Fireworks next to the clock tower of San Juan College yesterday.

Moonrise over the canyon outside of Farmington, last full moon.

A series of shots in an old metal shed that some farmers keep their equipment in. I wasn't really supposed to be there.

A chipmunk on a rock in Colorado. I have more shots from that trip that I like, it was a great place to have a picnic and spend the afternoon (summitville area, north of wolf creek).

Just some clouds.

R.I.P. Bud.

He was a hell of a dog, we've had him since I was 6 or 7. He was mostly blind for the past few years and his hearing was going, but he was still happy. Then he got a growth on his throat and was bleeding through his mouth and we had to put him down so that he wouldn't be in pain.

It's a goat. M3, 35mm 2.5, Velvia 100.

I had my first art booth this weekend, at a local festival/art show - the first day I sold 4 prints and the second I didn't sell any. Pretty disappointing; I didn't even come close to covering the cost of the materials. Oh well, at least I still have all of what I didn't sell, and I can hopefully sell it later.

Here's a shot of a plant that I like pretty well, the plane of focus isn't parallel to the plant so it makes it look kind of soft overall, but in a good way, and I like the bokeh.

Just a shot from under the highway at sunset, one of the bridges is pretty old and it's been retired and the other is part of the highway.
Haven't updated this in a while, mostly because I haven't gotten anything new scanned because I've been completely broke... Next weekend I have a booth selling prints at an art show, and if I don't do well enough there I'm just going to get another real job. Either way, I should be able to afford a scanner or another DSLR before too long and I can either work on my backlog of slides and negs or see the images the same day I shoot them.

A shot from a while ago. I love the light that was hitting the mountains that day. I want to reshoot with a longer lens soon.

And this is the better scan of the previous image. It was scanned with an Imacon 848. Going to get an 18x12 of this, and 5 other prints, for a local show.

Elevator. I love shadows. I'm getting this one scanned properly soon, and I'll post it to compare. Kodachrome 64.

Distribution room/closet at the college. Taken during a tour of the IT facilities the other day. Kodak 400VC.

Canyon outside of town. Taken on a trip with some other photographers, the light was pretty harsh that day but meh. Sensia 100.

The back wall of the IT building of my college. Kodachrome 64.

Long exposure, the moon behind the tree there. Kodachrome 64, 35mm f/2.5 for a couple hours.

Going to space the pictures out a little more now, I have quite a few that I just got back. This one was shot up on the mountain across the highway from me, you can't see the sun rise or set from my house. It's pretty representative of New Mexico... oilfield equipment, dirt, and pretty skies once in a while.

I just left my part time job at Officemax, and I'm going to try freelance photography, so if anyone reading this wants to hire me - yes, I'll probably shoot it, and I'll probably hook you up cheaper than someone else would :P

Some shots around the campus of my college, it's one of my favorite places to shoot. This was on efke 25 also, I like the look of this film.

I haven't been shooting a whole lot, and I've been too lazy to update this, but it's getting to be macro/green trees season and I should have more photos to post...