Favorite Images 2014

2014 is now history, and I decided to share my favorite images. Many have appeared in blog postings with some details on the technical aspects, whether they be photographic or diplomatic. Not everybody likes to be photographed, but with a little ingenuity and some complimentary patter, you can sometimes coax out a sincere smile to replace the forced grin I sometimes get. It's mostly fun, but always a challenge.

February 3: Reaching For The New Year. Young performers wait their turn to demonstrate a traditional Dragon Dance for the Year of the Horse at the Foster City Recreation Center's Lunar New Year's celebration on Feb. 2.

I wished that the face of young lady in blue was more visible, but her smile helps to carry the theme of the shot. Under the circumstances, this was the best I could do. Kneeling beside a crowd of fidgety children from my position on the other side of the room can make things difficult.

March 18: Guest Of Honor. Congresswoman Anna Eschoo, D-Palo Alto, congratulates 95-year-old Navy veteran Carl Clark, the guest of honor at the Herby Dawkins Freedom Fund Banquet and 88th Anniversary of the NAACP, San Mateo Branch, held on Sunday, March 16 at the Elks Lodge in San Mateo. Clark received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with the Combat Distinguishing Device in a ceremony at Moffit Field on Jan.17,2012, more than 60 years after his actions helped prevent the sinking of the Destroyer USS Aaron Ward during the Battle of Okinawa in May of 1945.
If there is any lesson to be learned, it is to be prepared. The embrace was completely spontaneous. I submitted a more traditional "picket fence", but my editor chose this shot as a more honest representation of the spirit of the presentation.

March 24: Justice Served With Honor. Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner was congratulated by U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, after being inducted into San Mateo County’s Women’s Hall of Fame Friday night.

This photo accompanied an article by Michelle Durand printed in the Journal. I had been trying to capture a telling movement while she gave her acceptance speech. Unfortunately, Justice O'Connor chose to sit at a desk making it difficult to photograph her. After the speech, she received a standing ovation, during which photographers and well-wishers surged forward to make their photos. All I could do was put a speedlight in the hot shoe of my camera and join the scrum. I was too far away attempt to get their attention, but when Congresswoman Eschoo turned to smile at the former Judge, I managed to get this shot.

March 31: Superhero Cancer Survivors Play Batman and Harry Potter. San Bruno was made safe March 22 by the combined efforts of two young superhero cancer survivors during “Batman And Harry Potter Save San Bruno.” Cheering crowds greeted the pair at the San Bruno Senior Center, Capuchino High School and the San Bruno Recreation Center as they battled, and finally caught, Peter “Bruno The Bandit” Johnson. Jim Davis served as Batman’s Chauffeur, Cole Baker as Harry Potter, Nico Castro as Batkid, and Sammy Rantisi as Superman. The event was sponsored by the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life San Bruno, which is scheduled for April 26 and 27 at Capuchino High School in San Bruno.

I literally had to run across a baseball field to get this shot and managed to get a speedlight on the camera while on the move. They were just about to leave when I (nearly) shouted, "How about one more for the San Mateo Journal?" This got their attention, and the minute I need to get the shot. I used a Nikon D70 because I needed the higher flash synchronization it provided, but the tiny LCD display made it difficult to review the image. Perhaps I might have noticed the stadium lights coming out of Mr. Rantisi's head.

These two photos show the advantages of adding a flash when photographing outdoors. Without that added bit of light, Bruno the Bandit's eyes would have been lost. When using a Nikon D70 at shutter speeds higher/shorter than 1/500 of a second, you will lose TTL control over the flash. In this case, I manually adjusted the flash output to provide the desired fill.

May 8: Solemn Ceremony. A color guard representing San Mateo County law enforcement professionals pays silent tribute to fellow officers who gave their lives protecting their communities Wednesday at Courthouse Square in Redwood City. In 1960, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as Peace Officer Memorial Day to recognize the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The situation of the Honor Guard included a slight gap between members #4 and #5 which allowed one member's profile to be displayed in full. When I saw the gap, I waited until just before the audience was called to a moment of silent reflection.

June 20: Before The Court. Judges Night is an annual gathering of Judges from throughout San Mateo County. This is third time I've covered the event, and while they have become a bit routine, this one was different. The setting sun forced me to move the group to the higher steps to prevent direct sunlight from landing on their faces. It took two speedlights on a 10-foot tall light stand to balance the lighting to an acceptable level.

May 21: It's For The Dogs. Service dog Miss Bea gets some extra attention from Warrior Canine Connection Director Cate Dorr, left, and Registered Veterinary Technician Marianne Lange, right, before her eye exam at Veterinary Vision in San Carlos on May 13. Miss Bea’s examination took place as part of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists’ Seventh Annual Merial National Service Dog Eye Exam Event, which arranges for service animals to be screened at no charge during the month of May. Miss Bea is a service dog with Warrior Canine Connection, a non-profit organization that teaches service members with post-traumatic stress disorder to train mobility service dogs to be partners for veterans with mobility impairments.

I look forward to these annual doggie eye exams. Getting some quality time with these affectionate service dogs is a real treat for someone, like me, who wishes fervently for a time when I can own another dog. This is an available light assignment because flash would be very distracting, maybe even frightening, for a dog who was already nervous enough.

May 26: Preparing To Honor Veterans. A local Boy Scout makes one last check on the flags he and his fellow scouts planted during Gravesite Decoration Day on Saturday, May 24.Over 100,000 flags were placed on gravesites at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno by local scout troops and veterans groups.

Memorial Day seems to be the only time I use my 150-500 mm lens. The front to back compression of the foreground and background elements makes these flags appear much closer together than they actually are, emphasizing their number.

August 11: 100 Year-Old Mansion Party. Kay Armacido and Russ Cohen, Vice President of the Burlingame Historical Society, join in the 1914-era fun at the Birthday Party On The Green at the Kohl Mansion in Burlingame on Aug.3.The event, which commemorated the 100th birthday of the famous estate, included guided tours, a display of classic cars, and guests dressed in period costumes. For more information on upcoming 100th Anniversary events, go to http://kohlmansion.com.

I like that this photo shows the impact proper flash fill can have on an outdoor photography. This photo balances the existing ambient light with the proper amount of flash. It is not great art, but an example of a combination of exposure technique mixed with a tiny amount of luck. I wish that I had moved to the right to show more of the architectural details of the mansion in the background.

October 27: General Manager John Hutar accepts the Employer of the Year Award for Hotel Sofitel. The award recognizes Hotel Sofitel’s efforts to provide training and employment for adults with special needs. Community Gatepath has been “Turning Disabilities Into Possibilities” by providing programs for people with special needs at all stages and ages, and creating opportunities of greater independence for children, youth, and adults with special needs and disabilities.

The caption is typical of what I try to include with my submissions. In the first sentence, I addressed the who, what, when, and where. When possible, I like to acknowledge the contributions of the recipient which I often find in the printed program given to each guest in the second sentence. Lastly, I will give some background on the sponsoring organization, something I copy directly from the organization's web site.

November 3: There was lots of scary hair at Borel Hair Care in San Mateo on Halloween. Here, from left to right: hair stylists Heny Taherian, Denise Fahrer, Theresa Schmieder, Cindy Varas De Valdes, Michele Updyke, Rita Oskoui, and Kathy Nederman prove that Halloween isn't just for kids.

I submitted this photo for possible publication on the day after Halloween. Instead of a photo of costumed children, I sent this image of some hairdressers. It was done outdoors under an overcast sky. I used a small softbox held aloft on a monopod to give some form to my subject's faces.

December 17: Philz Coffee Comes To Town. Owner Phil Jaber jokes with customers at the soft open party of Philz Coffee at 113 S. B St. in San Mateo on Dec. 16. The original Philz Coffee, located in San Francisco’s Mission District, opened in 2003. Philz Coffee offers more than 30 coffee blends, each brewed one cup at a time.

This was a quick and simple shot, done in "Hail Mary" fashion from high overhead. When I posted the event to my blog, I commented on the difficulty of properly framing this shot. I should have gone to the Live Preview mode, but since I hadn't used this feature in quite a while, I started to fumble with the controls. Instead of trying to remember how it should be done, I pushed ahead, making a half-dozen quick photos and selecting the best shot after viewing them on my computer. Maybe "Hail Mary" is an appropriate name for this go-for-broke approach.

December 25: Bethlehem A.D. 2014. Redwood City’s Bethlehem A.D. 2014 gave visitors a chance to experience village life as it might have been on the night of the first Christmas this week. Visitors mingled with colorfully-costumed villagers, enjoyed period dances and watched craftsmen at work. Highlights included a live Nativity scene and portrayals of apprentice metal smiths by Emon Goduci, left, and Danielle Dinulos.

This shot was chosen over a technically beautiful photo of a nativity scene feature a live Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus, and a Heavenly Host of beautiful angels. I suspect that this image was chosen because it is a historical reenactment unrelated to the religious implications of Christmas. Keeping things secular has become more important these days, and an important distinction if one presents to a diverse audience.

Unpublished: Squirrel Eating Bird. I made this photo at the Arts and Gardens Center in Marin County. For those of you who didn’t know, squirrels are opportunistic feeders, and will eat small birds and eggs when they are available. This squirrel was eating some road kill left by a crow. Their eyes turn red when photographed with a flash under the right lighting conditions, as this one did. The eyes were really red; I just enhanced them in my computer.

2014 was a great year. 2015 will be better!