I was honored to be selected as the official photographer for Chalk the Block again this year. The event is always packed full of opportunities to create stunning photographs and try some new techniques. This year I tried a few new tricks that I had been hoping to test for a while.
Pop-Up Gallery Crawl
Chalk Art
One of the techniques that I used was long exposures during daylight. This is accomplished through the use of a variable neutral density filter that allows me to select the amount of light the filter blocks – which allows me to use a much slower shutter speed than would be possible in bright daylight.
The result is an image that is brightly lit, but contains the energy and motion normally only seen in a low light photo.
Performers
Another technique is shown below. I used a painter’s pole to get the camera to a high perspective and show the performers in front of the crowd. A wirelessly-connected tablet was used to view what the camera was seeing, set the focus, and trigger the shutter.
Austin Bike Zoo
The Austin Bike Zoo provided some excellent opportunities for long exposure and low level aerial photos.
Face Forward
The Pool
This was the attraction that I was most excited about when I saw that it was coming to El Paso. It allows people to interact with colorful light pads that are arranged in a large circle. It was an incredible photo opportunity.
Everything Else
