#34 - Inspire Me - Congrats Steve

[conropl]

@Jonathan Huyer I just took a quick run through your gallery. Wow. You do great work and live in an incredible place. You and my uncle would get along well, although he primarily has been focusing on birds lately. His photostream is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25467848@N08/

I agree. I have looked at Jonathan's site in the past and it is a bit humbling. What a great collection. I think the Snow Owl on the home page is the best shot of a Snow Owl in its environment that I have seen (love the frost on the barbed wire that defocuses as it goes into the shot).

Yes I do live in a very scenic place, and with the huge changes we get through the seasons there is never a dull moment...

You have said in the past that you are lucky to live were you do, and you do live in a senic area; but I have seen a lot of ugly pictures from others in your area also. So this is simular to Sean's post today: That is, it is the photographer that makes a compeling shot not the scene or the camera. There is some luck to being at the right place at the right time, but you make your own luck by putting the time in and being out there. Plus you have skills... don't sell yourself short.

[Jonathan Huyer]

Again, many thanks. Yes I work hard at it, but only because I see the great results being achieved by people on this forum. I have to confess, I steal a lot of ideas from what I see here, and then I try my best to duplicate your work. For example, I'm going to start looking for cool building reflections now, thanks to Steve's great shot. Plus, I now have to get a sunset photo with a silhouette of people in it like Pat's... I sure like that a lot. I hope your royalty rates aren't too steep!

[Steve U]

You have a great portfolio Jonathan, I look forward to all your posts.
Thank you all for the kind comments and encouragement.

[Sheiky]

In 2009 the Triathlon European Championships where held in a small village about 7 km from where I live. The event took place over an entire weekend. I knew this one was coming a long time before it took place and I baldly asked press accreditation. (I started my photographic hobby only half a year before this). Since I did not have any press-passes or something they offered me to shoot on Saturday. The least important/busy day of the weekend for the press. Not only was this my first big event, I also had the best press-vest ever, because I was officialy photographer number 1!!

On Saturday there was the fun triathlon for locals, the womens EC Triathlon and the EC Triathlon for disabled people. To be honest, it was the most shocking yet incredible and beautiful thing I had ever seen.
In this sport you see people who, by standards of normal people, shouldn't be able to do these kind of things. I was training myself as well for a local triathlon, but these people with their disabilities(no arms, legs, blindness etc.) where pretty much all faster than I, a healthy young man, was. That was incredible to say the least.

The winner of the EC was a woman/girl my own age. She couldn't use her legs. I was really fascinated with her, because apparently she had been studying the same degree as I am in. And man, even with a hand-driven wheelchair-bike she was just as fast as a regular cycle racer. It's really impressive. About a year ago I heard in the news that after an accident and long/intensive revalidation she can now walk again! Better yet, she's now enlisted in the national womens cycle racing team, which is a huge thing.

Enough text now! This is my favorite shot of her from that day and it will be my entry:


EC Triathlon Holten 2009 by Jan Paalman, on Flickr

[Andy Stringer]

Great story Jan. People like this really are inspirational.

I've found similar inspiration from the natural world, witnessing the struggle for survival against the odds. One episode sticks in my mind from a safari trip a couple of years ago. I witnessed a wildebeest migration crossing the Mara river when one unlucky calf became separated from its mother. It eventually made it to the other side, exhausted from the effort of crossing the river and scrambling up the steep bank, but by this time the herd had moved away. At this point, a pride of lions emerged from cover and I thought I was about to witness a quick kill. I didn't expect the calf to put up a fight, charging at the lions.


1D Mark IV, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM +1.4x II @ f/4, 1/320s, ISO 200

In the end, the lions did take the calf to the ground, but apparently they were not hungry and they let it get up again. This was repeated a few times. The young lions clearly just wanted to practice their attacking technique but had no need to make a kill as they had already fed well. The calf was eventually reunited with the herd, with a few scars on its back.

[ddt0725]

In this sport you see people who, by standards of normal people, shouldn't be able to do these kind of things. I was training myself as well for a local triathlon, but these people with their disabilities(no arms, legs, blindness etc.) where pretty much all faster than I, a healthy young man, was. That was incredible to say the least.

Very inspirational story and great photo, Jan! It really hits home for me since my ex-brother-in-law was a full leg amputee and what he was capable of doing on his own amazed me! He was a fantastic swimmer and taught me how to swim and drive a car and when I thought he wouldn't be able balance while driving his motorcycle, he did just fine and I had alot of fun riding on the back! When I thought I wouldn't make it in college (I was a high school goof off) he talked me into enrolling and attend the same school as him and I graduated with honors! Inspirational indeed, you captured the topic well!

[qwRad]

Excellent submissions and stories behind them so far.

Mine will fit into the "I've got to try this" category.
I saw a YouTube clip by Evan Sharboneau aka PhotoExtremist and just had to try this technique.

In short it goes like this:

1. Stuff 0-grade steel wool into some kind of a metal frame (I used a whisk) that you can tie a line to
2. Start a long exposure shot
3. Light the steel wool on fire
4. Let it SPIN!

I think it turned out quite well:

7D + 15-85 @ 21mm, ISO100, f/8.0, 20s

I have a few more in my blog for anyone who is interested.

And please take care that you don't light anything on fire with the sparks and remember to protect your eyes if you give it a try!

[Kayaker72]

Great shots everyone....there is a lot of inspiration out there.

I had hoped to make it down to the Boston Marathon for this assignment, but work got in the way. But i thought I'd submit this recent sunset.....the inspiration...I am always inspired by nature and, in particular, trying to capture a sunset like this had inspired me to learn about play with several different filters (this was taken with a Singh-Ray3-stop reverse ND filter)


Small-4273 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing...Brant

[ddt0725]

Taking Nick's quote from my Photographing Smoke thread ...

I was inspired by this thread to try this myself, so I went out and picked up some incense today and gave it a go. Here are a few results from my first attempt. I plan on doing many more. Its really fun and easy.

I thought I would post this for the assignment, the photo itself isn't really inspirational but lately I have been attempting to try a number of new things with my photography and I am very pleased that I inspired another photographer along the way!


Smoke by Denise Trocio ( www.dtrociophotography.com), on Flickr

[bouwy]

My entry is the birth of my latest grand son Henry. It always inspires me, when I look of photos I've taken of my family over the last 15 years, is to go on, and keep on taking photos.