Chumash Heritage Celebration 2005 [Large Images Warning]

[DwightMcCann]

I was privileged to be invited to photograph the Santa Ynez Band of the Chumash Indians' Heritage Celebration this year. It was solemn, majestic, beautiful and respectful. The entertainment included both traditional and modern Native American dancers, many of whom compete and are champions. The lighting was much more subdued than usual in preserving the nature of the event.

First, the obligatory collage:
http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/ChumashCollages/HeritageCelebrationCollage-1000.jpg


Then three of Brule, which I thought of as a New Age or Yanniesque group that also includes Native American dancers. Quite impressive and inspirational.

http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/BruleHeritage2005/Brule3751-1000.JPG


http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/BruleHeritage2005/Brule3784-1000.JPG


And a couple of the more traditional dancers:

http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/BruleHeritage2005/Brule3853-1000.JPG


http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/BruleHeritage2005/HC3444-1000.jpg


There are, as always, more images on my website at http://www.dwightmccann.com/ChumashCasinoResort/BruleHeritageCelebration11082005.htm for your viewing pleasure.

I have Marcos Antonio Solis and a poker tournament in the pipeline and they should show up in the next few days to a week. Questions, edits, upsets and admiration always welcome.

[subtle_spectre]

Dwight could you post a crappy image every once in awhile so we have something differnt to say, rather than the same old "these are excellent shots both technically and artistically".;)

[DwightMcCann]

Subtle, it's the price of age and experience, but someone's gotta' do it. OTOH, when I post these at PhotoBlink I am told, "the color is too hot", "there is a shadow in a bad place", "the microphone is blocking part of his face." Can't please everyone.

[BottomBracket]

How could I have missed this? Excellent photos as usual, Dwight! I was going to comment on the white balance but I think the lighting is deliberate. Some photos are glowingly warm, perhaps signifying the sun, and/or sunset, while others are coolishly blue, maybe denoting night. Some sort of a Ying and Yang thing going on? The collage looks good, but it seems to be a bit busy on the left side, perhaps because of the intricate garb of the subjectsthere as compared to the right (except for the wayward warm photo in the upper corner). But I am nitpicking. Great work!

[luckyart60]

Really bur really great captures and a pleasure to view. thanks for sharing

[DwightMcCann]

Bottom, that is precisely correct ... the LD wanted exactly this light because of the solemnity of the occasion ... I spoke to him and others of the crew about it ... it was well planned for weeks, with special placement of a large lighting truss above and tower mounted lights to the sides of the runways. The imbalance in the collage is due to traditional dancers on the left and Brule with their modern dancers on the right (this is my interpretation of the types of dancing). I considered a separate collage for each and offered the idea but never heard from anyone so left it as its.

John, I would like to say it is a failing of mine to do such great pictures but it is really the fault of the excellent lighting at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California, where these were taken. They provide for my every whim! :-) You could search on threads that I have started in Urban Living to see much more.

Finally, Belmondo and his daughter (I guess he said his wife but she was young a fanciful with a cute siamese cat in her lap) stopped by this afternoon. Contrary to popular belief he is tall, slim and handsome. I think he really wanted to see my equipment and facilities to see what ideas he could steal, but I cleverly cut him off by asking how we might petition for a Live Entertainment forum. A Wedding forum was recently created which doesn't get near the action we guys do with the clubs and other entertainment events ... he said he would be amenable to us bringing it forward, so if anyone else thinks this would be be beneficial, please post here or on any of my threads or in your own threads or PM the moderators or whatever!

I gotta go to dinner now. [Damn that Belmondo is good looking!]

[elTwitcho]

Nice stuff Dwight. It's a fine line between capturing warm lighting and having a white balance that just plain looks wrong, I think this is a good example of the former.

Would have liked to have seen a fullsize of the flute player shot in the top right of your collage, looks like an excellent shot.

[Croasdail]

Dwight.... I wouldn't (and am sure you didn't) put to much weight in the critique you got from Blinkphoto - and not that they are not knowledgable, but you look at 90% of the stuff on that site and it's either not moving (landscape) or posed. Sure it is easy to get the mike in the right place when you subject will sit still for ya for a half hour. Your genre of work is just something they don't see that much. I do admire a site that will give you real critique though.

Please look at http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=114369 and give me something to work on.... I know you'll be able to find the areas for improvement...

cheers!

[DwightMcCann]

Mark, thanks. Yes, I fully appreciate that all of the negative comments from Photoblink, which are extensive, come from those with no Live Entertainment experience ... these are people who I expect would criticise the light, composition, poses, facial expressions, color cast, etc., at a racetrack (cards, dogs, horses, people) or hurricane ... they have the same problem with sports images, too! :-) And oddly, the more amazing the captures, the more critical they become. But no amount of reason has ever overcome a single complaint of "the color temperature is too hot and makes the skin tones look awful" ... it does not matter what it actually looked like! I don't think I've posted over there in four months although they really did "teach" me to be a much better photographer.

As for your volleyball images ... I am still trying to catch my breath. I have always found athletic girls to be by far the most appealing, particularly during play, and your images are awash in estrogen ... phew, I think that set would fit right into Glamour!

[DwightMcCann]

Sorry, didn't mean to ignore your request for the flute player, Nicole, but you could have followed the link I provided above to see all twelve images from this set. However, being the friendly guy I am, here she is through the magic of the embedded link:

http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/BruleHeritage2005/Brule3488-1000.jpg

[gmen]

Super duper stuff Dwight... the flute player image is a beauty.

---- Gavin

[DwightMcCann]

Gavin, thank you! I would really recommend looking at the rest of the images in this collection on my website ... I keep going back to look myself as I am enjoying them so much.

BTW, I still have all my questions about the remote shooting kit, but I am simply too swamped to put my questions together yet: I have Marcos Antonio Solis concert images plus a full day poker tournament images in the pipeline. I am having to build a new computer so my old one can act as a backup storage system. And I am still building garage cabinets (Belmondo came by to inspect them yesterday) and I actually have a life, too. But I will get back to you on it.

[gmen]

BTW, I still have all my questions about the remote shooting kit, but I am simply too swamped to put my questions together yet: I have Marcos Antonio Solis concert images plus a full day poker tournament images in the pipeline. I am having to build a new computer so my old one can act as a backup storage system. And I am still building garage cabinets (Belmondo came by to inspect them yesterday) and I actually have a life, too. But I will get back to you on it.Very busy here too Dwight, there's always something to be getting on with ;) ... but is it worth opening a thread on remote photography? I'm sure there are others with experience here that would chime in with their two pennies worth... it might gain an 'organic' life of its own!

PS - Just posted some boxing pics over in the sports section: http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=114779

---- Gavin

[DwightMcCann]

I'm sure we'll get a lot of participation ... I'll get something together after our Thanksgiving Holiday here in the colonies in the equipment talk section. I'll go look at your boxing now.

[Croasdail]

Thanks Dwight for the comments and compliment... but putting these in glamour would be a career limiting move. But I agree, these young ladies are fantastic to photograph... it is a real pleasure.

You are still inspiring me to try some live performance work - just haven't gotten the guts up enough to do it yet. I have seen such great stuff here by you and others, I want to have something like this for my portfolio.

[mikegoat]

1.2L


We wait and we wait. We are a patient lot. :confused:

[DwightMcCann]

Jeez, Mike, if you only wanted to see 300mm f2.8L IS images ... I keep getting better and better ones, but that 1.2L just doesn't fit well with most of my current shooting ... either too long or too short. I even tried it at the poker tournament, but none of those images are "artistic" ... so I'm pleased that you have the patience of Gods as it may yet be a while before I post something from that lens.

[PetKal]

Very colourful well captured series, Dwight. Restrained on PP colour enhancement too, it would seem. Rewarding people, material objects and atmosphere to photograph. Must be also damn hard to do it well.

[DwightMcCann]

Petkal, no color enhancement beyond very minor adjustment of color cast and very slight levels ... this is a very colorful place in which I shoot! :-) The people are wonderful to me. They pay me well. And it seems that others that shoot there don't get the images I do ... I don't know why! I try to be humble ... which is easy with Mike Goat jerking my coattails all the time! I am afraid to have him down since he might sneak in a camera and make me look bad. :-)

[PetKal]

Petkal, no color enhancement beyond very minor adjustment of color cast and very slight levels ... this is a very colorful place in which I shoot! :-) The people are wonderful to me. They pay me well. And it seems that others that shoot there don't get the images I do ... I don't know why! I try to be humble ... which is easy with Mike Goat jerking my coattails all the time! I am afraid to have him down since he might sneak in a camera and make me look bad. :-)


Hmmm....you mean the guy who shot "Please allow me to introduce myself" ?
No fear, I'd say.;)

[DwightMcCann]

Ah, but Petkal, have you seen all the impossible burlesque shots he's taken? He is really quite a wonder ... do not underestimate his talent or his brain! He's a doctor, or rocket scientist or a lawyer or something in real life and I think very, very talented. I'm hoping to meet up with him in San Francisco some day to shoot his scene ... he lives south of there and north of me. He nags me only to help me and I would not have him stop for any reason ... a really good guy!

[PetKal]

Ah, but Petkal, have you seen all the impossible burlesque shots he's taken? He is really quite a wonder ... do not underestimate his talent or his brain! He's a doctor, or rocket scientist or a lawyer or something in real life and I think very, very talented. I'm hoping to meet up with him in San Francisco some day to shoot his scene ... he lives south of there and north of me. He nags me only to help me and I would not have him stop for any reason ... a really good guy!


No Dwight, haven't seen all nor many, but I believe I remember two portrait shots taken with the EF35(or 24) f/1.4 backstage......they were superb !

[DwightMcCann]

I got a couple that are reminiscent of his burlesque shots in the Marco Antonio Solis thread I just started but they were shot with a diametrically opposite lens ... http://www.dwightmccann.com/ChumashCasinoResort/MarcoAntonioSolis11172005.htm ... 300mm f2.8L IS with a 1.4 TC.

[DwightMcCann]

Mike Goat, I just noticed that the second image here was taken with the 85mm f1.2L ... I'm surprised you didn't check the EXIF data on it! :-)

And here's another from that event shot with the 85mm f1.2L ... I hope I am now exonerated!

http://www.dwightmccann.com/Images/BruleHeritage2005/Brule3613-1000.jpg

[BottomBracket]

Dwight those rays of light look unreal. That's it - all physics books should replace the term 'Tyndall Effect' with 'McCann Effect'. :)

[DwightMcCann]

I agree ... and pay me royalties! That's just the way they look on stage ... ending in strange places and sometimes with lots of holes in them. When I do my studio room I will get a smoke machine and a fan ... those two things, with lights, are really gnarly! Perhaps you will come out here, stay with us and model for me ... you can use my bikes. :-)

[RockSlut]

Great work as always, Dwight. It looks like it was a fun show. There's nothing quite like shooting performances that are a little different to the norm. You got some really nice photos.

[DwightMcCann]

Thanks, Angus! Just went to your angusyoung.com.au ... you are almost as good looking as me ... but I've got age on you! :-) Nice images but somehow the site seems almost too bright and cheery ... a bit of a clash with your style. Oh, well, these things change all the time (or none-of-the-time if they're like mine). Thanks for touching base with skn ... we almost need a FAQ for new Live Entertainment shooters ... I actually think we need our own forum.

[mikegoat]

Mike Goat, I just noticed that the second image here was taken with the 85mm f1.2L ... I'm surprised you didn't check the EXIF data on it! :-)

And here's another from that event shot with the 85mm f1.2L ... I hope I am now exonerated!



You didn't need exoneration my friend! I am pleased you gave it a try at your venue. Looking closely at the photograph in its full blown glory, I hope you are getting the full sense of what a remarkable (but challenging) lens that is. I have been busting your b***s over the issue only because I have the feeling from your work that you will do some remarkable things with the lens. Whether that can happen at the Casino seems to have been answered. I had a terrible time trying to use it with moving subjects on stage in marginal lighting. I have a real newbie quesiton: How do I see EXIF data on pictures posted here? When I right click and go to properties, all I get is an address for where the image resides.l No data. Zip. Nada. I really do hope you can come up for a shoot in SF. That whole scene is very new to me (remember I used to take pictures of cars) and performance photography is the most damnably frustrating experience I have had yet! You are the teacher of this difficult art.

[DwightMcCann]

Mike, first let me be clear that I take it all as good fun. I was actually very pleasantly surprised when I realized that those images were taken with the 1.2L ... I actually think they are darn good ... primes certainly do rule. But it sure is a tough lens to work with.

To see the EXIF data you will need to suck the image into a local program ... I don't know of any browser that has the ability to decode the EXIF data .... if someone knows of one or a plugin I'd be interested.

I've got to spend today working on my poker tournament images, sigh.

[Cybnew]

Buellton! I live in Cayucos (north of morro bay and san luis)...nice pictures dude!

[DwightMcCann]

Cybnew, Welcome to POTN! Thanks for the compliment. We have several folks that live locally and at least a couple nearer to you than me. Glad to have you aboard ... do you have an area of interest? Do you do Live Entertainment? Will you be sharing images or just lurking over here? Whatever, we're glad to have you with us. :-)

[Cybnew]

Cybnew, Welcome to POTN! Thanks for the compliment. We have several folks that live locally and at least a couple nearer to you than me. Glad to have you aboard ... do you have an area of interest? Do you do Live Entertainment? Will you be sharing images or just lurking over here? Whatever, we're glad to have you with us. :-)


Just getting back into photo after a brief hiatus, and i will be sharing some stuff...areas of interest mostly include glamour shots and scenery..ill get some good shots of morro rock up just as soon as i have my film developed (i dont have any color equipment :( ) And i generally dont do live entertainment...but hey...anythings possible...right

[DwightMcCann]

Matt, where are your glamour shots?