Head Shots in the Garage

Got together with my buddy Mark a couple of weeks ago and while I was unloading the truck to prep for a camping trip to the beach we shot some photos of each other's ugly mugs. To state the obvious: the photos of Mark I shot and the photos of me Mark shot.

Here's the overall scene of the garage:



Here are a couple of finished photos (I'm not entirely sure if the "neon" looking edging around us is the chromatic aberration from the Nikon 50mm 1.8 or the blue-gelled softbox behind us.





And here are a couple looking out of the garage door, sitting on the tailgate:

Impromptu Parkour

I'm still doing Tuesday Night Photo shoots/walks with friends as a way to experiment and to be surprised by their randomness. A couple of Tuesdays ago, I was out with Keegan and Mark walking the PDX waterfront in Industrial NW Front (really cool angles and images to me discovered down there).

We went by one of the hip condo buildings that is right on the river and it had a railing with some potential. I know Keegan likes to try things and has some pretty good hops, so I asked him if he could clear the railing. He did not disappoint.

Work and Practice via Teaching

So I've shot somethings for work (some images for promoting the climbing gym). While I can't show you those, I have some others from the same day up at www.urbanboyscout.com. At the end of the session, the climbers I was shooting started trying dynos (all points off jumping between holds) in the bouldering cave.

I really like the set of them, but if I had to pick two:


and this one:


And inorder to help me produce new personal work I've gotten some friends together of varying abilities. The reasons are several:

1. Shoot photos
2. Try new things
3. Accountability to not only shoot, but edit and post new work
4. Get critiques
5. Drink beer with friends

So we've met the last two Tuesday Nights and we've made a few frames, mostly of each other right now.





Here is a product shot a friend wanted to try:



Since most of the group isn't really experienced with flashes, I've been setting up the lighting for the shots and then we swap off the Paul C. Buff remote and make our frames. So when a friend suggests something they would like to try, i get to engineer the lights or reverse engineer the lights if they have a specific example. The strawberry shot is based off a photo by PVA_1964.

Equipment used in the photos above: Nikon D90, Paul C. Buff triggers and remotes, Canon 580ex, Vivatar 285h, Honl Speed Grids, Westcott Umbrellas and 28" Apollo Softbox, and a DYI softbox/strip-light

Intramural Sports - As Promised

Got the one sweet basketball shot above and the next one with one 1/4" Honl Speed Grid on a flash mounted above the basket and aimed straight down and a second flash on a stand just off court to light the players bodies. Both flashes were Vivitar 285HV's (above the rim 1/2 power; off court [12'] full power.

Here's an ambient light shot of the action:

And here is one flag football shot and an indoor volleyball shot.



That's it for now. The weather is starting to get consistently nicer here in the PNW and was able to get a couple of shots last weekend while out bouldering and hope to post those next. But I have to get through shooting various Aqua Exercise and Swim Conditioning classes first.

I've Been Busy

So this infant blog has been neglected and while I have excuses I wanted to apologize first.

"I'm sorry about the single post that promised so much and delivered so little."

Here are the reasons, all true and chronological: 1. My wife broke her foot 2. We moved to an new apartment (thanks to everyone who helped - 16 people and we moved out & in in 2 hours) 3. Work got crazy (but I've taken some cool photos)

This post is without photos for the simple reason that it is an apology and a restart.

Intramural Sports Photos coming soon.

Hello and Welcome to UBS and 2010

Writing a first blog post is so weird. How does one really start? My name is Spencer Williams. I am a photographer and I used to update my personal blog, Pop Misery Blog, but haven't done that since the summer. I also blog about the bouldering at the Carver Bridge Cliff near Portland, OR at the original sounding Carver Bouldering Blog. (I will start to update this blog again soon. It is raining in Portland, Oregon and that makes it hard to write about climbing outside here.)

But this is a new blog and I am going to use this Google sponsored space to show off my pictures and talk about photography. I'm relatively new to the photo world, but I am easily obsessed with a thing and become a voracious learner. I got my first DSLR - a Nikon D40 - just before getting married in 2007. I am currently shooting with the Nikon D90 and having a great time. I also have a full-time job in the Sports & Recreation Industry.

If you have a photo project please contact me through my website, Urban Boy Scout.

I get to shoot some photos for work for various promotions we offer our members. Here are a couple of recent photos for a health promotion that will be starting at the end of January. I have gotten and continue to get a lot of useful info from Strobist and so I will try and include a behind-the-scenes, lighting set-up shot when possible and when I remember.

This first photo doesn't have a set-up shot, but the block of ice is on a piece of white foamcore and the light is from one Canon 580ex with a 1/8" Honl Speed Grid about a foot over the block (I am really digging these grids).

It was really hard trying to find good lighting info on shooting blocks of ice and making relatively clear ice was a pain, but I am really pleased with the outcome. One of the most useful pieces of info (plus photo to deconstruct) I found was on Dan Saelinger's blog (I am really digging his photos).

The next two photos are from the same shoot as above, but of individual letter blocks on a piece of glass with 3 flashes.

I'm also on twitter @spencerpdx.

And thanks to Chase Jarvis I am rocking The Best Camera app and posting my iphone photos in The Best Camera Community.