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Bring On Summer

Well it is here, the unofficial first day of Summer has finally arrived for us here in Oklahoma. To kick off the season I had an assignment to go take pictures of 1400 third and fourth grade Oklahoma City Public School students taking a water safety class at White Water Bay. The result was this photo that ran on page 1 Friday.

After it ran in the paper I received a number of inquires about how I took the photo. So, I thought I would take a few minutes and give a run down on how it was taken.

Overall, it was not very different from most other assignments that I go out on each day. The only difference was the equipment used to take the photo. Instead of the normal cameras I use from day to day, I used a Canon G9 point and shoot camera and an underwater housing that allows me to take the camera up to 140 feet under water. Luckily I did not have to go diving that deep in order to get the photo.
The next step was just trying to get a photo that I liked. As any of you who have been around a lot of kids playing and have a great time at a swimming pool know, it is chaotic to say the least. Knowing this, I settled in to be patient, and wait and shoot and wait and shoot……well you get the idea, till I got the photo that would work. I set the camera to a wide angle setting, and put the camera half way into the water with half the lens above the water and half under. From there I hoped to capture kids swimming above and below the surface. It took me about 45 shots or so till I got the one I wanted, which I believe was the 43 photo I took. As they say patience is a virtue.

–Chris Landsberger

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Storm Clouds Build

-Chris Landsberger

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Golfing with Wet Shoes

The state 5A Girls Golf Campionships were played in what one golfer optimistically called “heavy humidity.”  When I got there at around 9:30, the golfers had been going  for an hour and it had just barely cleared up enough to see the edge of the greens.

-Steve Sisney

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Double Takes……..Another Look.

Each month I am part of the team that puts together the publication OKC Nstyle. I provide the photography that makes up the visual elements of the monthly featured fashion spread, and the oh so important cover.

When the photo shoot is done for each issue, I go through hundreds of photos, and edit out photos that I feel best represent the section. Some of the photos are to run for the inside spread, and then there are others those that are potential cover options. The cover options are a little more difficult to edit out. They have to meet a very specific size constraint that is very narrow, but also keeps the visual requirements of artistic value, composition and content. In the end there are usually between 7-12 photos that make the cut as options for the cover.

From there section designer Suzanne Green takes these options and makes up a few mock cover choices for the team to look over and proof.

As with all committee type input sessions, everyone has different cover options that are their favorite(s). After everyone has their input and offers up critiques, sometimes the cover that is chosen is the one we were hoping for, and other times it is not. Maybe next time right?

So after thinking about it for a while, I thought why can’t the next time be now. Why not provide a little behind the scenes look at some of the hard work that goes into the other cover options, and keep them from being lost in the mix.

To provide for your visual consumption, Each month when the new OKC Nstyle is published I will post the 2-4 cover options that did not make it to the presses. As and added bonus for the first installment there will be cover options from the last few month that differ from those that were actually published.

Hope you enjoy another look.

 

Don’t for get to check out the online version of  April issue of OKC Nstyle at okcnstyle.com, and fashion editor Linda Miller’s blog at Fashion Matters.

-Chris Landsberger

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OU Men’s Road Comes To An End

Well, with the help of Blake Griffin the University of Oklahoma men’s basketball team had a great run to the NCAA Elite 8. I missed out on covering them in Kansas City, but was able to pick up with them in regional action played in Memphis. The Sooners had an impressive win over Syracuse, but just did not have the fire power to keep up with a North Carolina team with weapons that could score at will.

Below are a few of my favorite photos from the week in Memphis.

To see a gallery of photos from the loss to North Carolina, click here.

To see the win over Syracuse, click here.

-Chris Landsberger

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Class A & B are through the semis

Hillary Konsure of Crowder celebrates beside Okarche’s Macy Kunneman, left, and Katie Beebe after Crowder’s win in the Class A girls basketball state tournament semifinal game at the State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 6, 2009. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

The finals of the Class A & B state basketball tournament are today at State Fair Arena (aka the Big House). Sarah Phipps and Brenda O’Brian, our intern, will be down there all day covering the action and emotion.

Here’s a gallery of photos from Thursday’s first-round games. And to see a gallery from the semifinals on Friday, click here.

Below are some photos from Friday.

Chattanooga fans Payton Howell and Corey Garza, from left, cheer on the Lady Warriors as they take on Varnum during the semifinals of the Class B girls Oklahoma State Basketball Championships at the State Fair Arena on Friday, March 6, 2009, in Oklahoma City, Okla.  PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN

Cyril’s Emily Horn and Chelsea Reynolds (20) react to the overtime win against Lomega during the semifinals of the Class B girls Oklahoma State Basketball Championships at the State Fair Arena on Friday, March 6, 2009, in Oklahoma City, Okla.  PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN

The Okarche girls huddle up at center court before the semifinals of the Class A girls Oklahoma State Basketball Championships against Crowder at the State Fair Arena on Friday, March 6, 2009, in Oklahoma City, Okla.  PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN

Big Pasture’s Dillon McGill, left, and Red Oak’s Jordan Booth dive for the ball during the Class B boys basketball state tournament semifinal game between Red Oak and Big Pasture at the State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 6, 2009. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Preston’s Willie Huffman (10) reacts after hitting the game-winning shot in the final second of overtime against Ripley during the semifinals of the Class A boys Oklahoma State Basketball Championships at the State Fair Arena on Friday, March 6, 2009, in Oklahoma City, Okla.  PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER , THE OKLAHOMAN

Cashion coach Chad Tichenor consoles Alycia Cavazos during the Class A girls basketball state tournament semifinal game between Preston and Cashion  at the State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 6, 2009. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN 

Red Oak’s Lane Adams scores a basket between Big Pasture’s Briton Groves, left, Tyler Waggoner, Trace King, and Dillon McGill during the Class B boys basketball state tournament semifinal game between Red Oak and Big Pasture at the State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 6, 2009. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Check out more pictures in our galleries from Thursday and Friday.

We’ll have more after the championships

-Nate Billings

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The Big House and strobe lights

In this view from the catwalk, workers assemble the Big House floor at State Fair Arena in preparation for the state high school basketball championships, in Oklahoma City, Monday, March 2, 2009. BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

The Oklahoma State Basketball Tournament begins tomorrow with Class A and B high schools at the Big House. For those of you who do not follow high school basketball, the Big House is the nickname given to State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City for the state basketball championships. Class B through 4A play at the Big House, while the 5A and 6A championships are at other arenas. This year 5A and 6A are at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla.

The yearly ritual for photographers at The Oklahoman is to go down to State Fair Arena and check our strobe lights. Sports photographers often install strobes lights that can be triggered remotely at arenas for basketball games when the available light is too dark to stop the action in photographs or the light is just plain ugly. The Big House is too dark to shoot without some sort of flash.

Oklahoman staff photographer Chris Landsberger cuts cable to connect a strobe light in the catwalk at State Fair Arena in preparation for the state high school basketball championships, in Oklahoma City, Monday, March 2, 2009. BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

We also have lights in the Ford Center, Gallagher-Iba Arena, and the Lloyd Noble Center. Those arenas are just bright enough to photograph with available light, however, we often use our strobes for remote cameras or when we just want the photos to look better. Instead of taking pictures at 1600 ISO or higher, we are able to shoot at 200 ISO with the strobes installed in the ceiling. The lower the ISO, the better the quality. The downside to using the strobe lights is you can only get one shot about every two seconds while the lights recycle. Without the lights, our cameras will shoot between 5 and 8 frames per second.

On Monday, Chris Landsberger with a little help from me went down to State Fair Arena to check our lights and reinstall the the cable that links all four lights together. There are two radio receivers attached to the cable. The radios receive a signal from our cameras and then fire the strobe lights (there’s one in each corner) in sync with our cameras.

A view of the spookiest part of the catwalk at State Fair Arena, the walk from the stands to the ring around the ceiling of the arena, in Oklahoma City, Monday, March 2, 2009. BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

I’m not a big fan of heights, but the State Fair Arena catwalk doesn’t bother me as much as the one at the Ford Center. Perhaps that is because the Ford Center’s catwalk is more than twice as high. However, the catwalk at the State Fair Arena is very dark, dirty, and sways back and forth when you walk on it. Not very reassuring.

Look for our photos from the championships for the next couple of weeks in The Oklahoman, on our photo page NewOK.com, and on this blog.

We’ve also got a gallery of some of the pictures from past state tournaments. You can check that out here.

-Nate Billings

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Storm Damage

When ice and snow storms hit the metro area a few weeks ago, Nate Billings wrote that when the meteorologists tell everybody to stay inside, that’s our cue to go outside. The same is true with severe storms and tornado damage. Here’s just a few pictures from the storms around Oklahoma City and Edmond.

A firefighter talks on a cell phone in front of damage to the Chuck E Cheese restaurant following storms near NW Expressway and Rockwell  in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman

High line polls blown over on north Penn just south of 150 in Oklahoma City, Tuesday , February 10, 2009.  By David McDaniel, The Oklahoman.

Carol Grieb carries a few items from her house at 5213 Circle Glenn that was damage by the tornado that hit north Edmond on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009, in Edmond, Okla.  Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman

To see a gallery of more photos taken on Tuesday of the storms, click here.

-John Clanton

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Remote Camera at the Capitol

Gov. Brad Henry is joined by state lawmakers in applauding for First Lady Kim Henry after he introduced her at her seat in the gallery at the beginning of  his State of the State message to the 52nd Legislature at the Oklahoma State Capitol,  Feb. 2, 2009. Senators joined state representatives in the  House Chamber to hear the Governor’s speech.  By Jim Beckel, The Oklahoman

Staff photographers Jim Beckel and Chris Landsberger teamed up to get pictures as the Oklahoma Legislature opened a new session at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City on Monday. Jim had the idea to set up a remote camera behind Gov. Brad Henry to get a picture (shown above) that we haven’t seen before. Photographers are only allowed on the floor for the first five minutes of the session, then they are asked to retreat to the balcony. Without a remote camera, this picture would not be possible.

Jim talked with officials at the capitol about the idea of a remote camera on Friday and got permission to go ahead with the set up. On Monday morning Chris and Jim arrived at the capitol early and began getting the camera set up. They used a Canon 5D Mark II, a 16-35mm lens and shot at 4000 ISO, 100th of a second at f4. Beckel used a Pocket Wizard radio remote control to fire the camera when the Governor turned to his right. Originally, the idea was that Brad Henry would turn all the way around and wave to people behind him, showing more of his face, but, Jim was ready with the shutter button when he turned to his right.

You can see the remote camera near the Lt. Governor in the picture below.

This is a cropped picture, showing the remote camera behind Gov. Brad Henry.

To see all the photos that Chris and Jim took during the State of the State address, click here.

-John Clanton

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Obama Inauguration in Oklahoma

Now that everybody has had  a chance to see the national photos from the inauguration in Washington D.C., check out the photos from our photographers who covered the Oklahomans watching the inauguration here. Here’s some of the work from Jaconna Aguirre, Paul Hellstern, Chris Landsberger, Jim Beckel and Steve Gooch.

To see a gallery of more photos, click here.

Civil rights pioneer Clara Luper reacts to the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Luper was watching TV with Councilman Ronald “Skip” Kelly, her daughter Marilyn Hildreth and 9-year-old Alexia Grant at the Freedom Center at NE 26th and Martin Luther King Blvd. in Oklahoma City, January  20, 2009. BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN

American flags are poked into the blinds in Marie Grubbs’ classroom. Students and teachers at Boley Public Schools in the historically black community of Boley in Okfuskee County celebrated the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States Tuesday,  Jan. 20,  2009. BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN

Philip Dunlap watches the inauguration of President Barack Obama while Phillip Gates cuts his hair at Gates Barber Shop at NE 26th and Martin Luther King Boulevard in Oklahoma City. January  20, 2009.  BY STEVE GOOCH, THE  OKLAHOMAN.

Gaylord Hall hosted a watch party for the inauguration of President Barack Obama Tues. Jan. 20, 2009 on the OU campus. BY JACONNA AGUIRRE, THE OKLAHOMAN.

UCO President Roger Webb speaks during an inauguration watch party for UCO officials and students at the Nigh University Center Constitution Hall on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla., Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

Northwest Classen junior Yasmine Fields reacts on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, in Oklahoma City to the conclusion of President Barack Obama’s inauguration in Washington D.C.  PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN

To see all the photos, click here.

-Nate Billings

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