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:

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.

And a couple of the more traditional dancers:

There are, as always, more images on my website at http://www.dwightmccann.com/ChumashC...on11082005.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/fo...d.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:

[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]

Originally Posted by DwightMcCann

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/fo...d.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.