Z Nationals - Carrolton, Ga

Z Nationals 2009 came to Metro Atlanta on the heels of serious flooding in the Metro area caused by eight days of heavy rains. Fortunately for the event, the rains held off for the better part of the day but forced attendees inside at times. For the most part, the packed house crowd on Saturday swarmed Z1 Motorsports in Carrolton and enjoyed a day of dyno pulls as well as the chance to see some of the hottest Z's in the game. Looking forward to this event again next year.

Bridal Shoot

Bridal shoots remain remain one of my favorite areas of photography. I shot bridal photo's for Porsche late Saturday morning in a local park. I usually perfer shooting early morning or late afternoon to avoid harsh lighting. We selected this park because it has a large lake, and wooden fencing which we thought would provide some appealing backdrops for our photo's. The photoshoot went well and we were able to capture some very nice images. I did quite a bit of post processing to eliminate an electrical power line in one of the shots that I didnt see while shooting. For this photo shoot, I used my Canon 20D and my Canon 24-70 "L" Series lens, which is one of my favorite lens.

Corndogorama 2009 - East Atlanta

Shooting this years Corndogorama 09 was definitely a blast. I covered this event with two Canon 20D's, a Canon 24-70 "L" and a Canon 70-200 "L" lens, and a single Canon 430 EX flash unit.

The two day event featured great corndogs, various types of drinks and of course the summer favorite...watermelon. The featured event for this venue was the corndog eating contest;what a blast that was. Also on hand for this two day event were fifty bands that played one after the other on two stages. As soon as one band finished the other one began...very well planned. The crowd was great and everyone had a tons of fun.

Event Photography

EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

As a professional event photographer, I cover numerous events at various venues each year in and around the Atlanta area. Let me state up front that all events are different by the sheer nature of the type of event and pose a unique set of challenges. Being that event photography takes place in a dynamic environment that changes constantly, a successful event photographer must constantly be on the lookout for interesting scenes and situations that capture the moment.

Event photo from: A Taste Of Sandy Springs 2009 – © Everett R. Davis

To be a successful event photographer you must capture the moments of an event so that your photos tell a story and leave the viewer(s) feeling as though they were there.

My favorite types of events to shoot are the outdoor events that include live music, food sampling, people having fun, and maybe even throw in some custom hot rods. Shooting these types of events are a relaxing atmosphere and also gives you the photographer a chance to enjoy the event, as well as capture the event.


EQUIPMENT LIST

I always carry as a minimum, two or three camera bodies to every event that I shoot. The reason for this is that cameras are like anything else in that they will fail just when you need them the most. Being a professional Canon shooter, my favorite lenses for event photography are the Canon 17-40mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm, Canon “L” Series lens plus a Canon 1.4 TC which can be attached to the Canon 70-200mm lens to extend its focal length to 280mm for long distance shots. This combination of lens, gives me excellent coverage for any situation that may arise while shooting.

It’s also a must to carry external flash units and reserve battery packs, and/or extra batteries to each shoot. At the time of this article, I currently utilize Metz AF58-C, and Canon 430 EX external flash units with diffusers. These are excellent flash units and have great light output for any situation. As for batteries, I find it best to invest in rechargeable 2200 mAh lithium ion batteries and a 15 minute rapid charger for a quick turnaround.

New Orleans Street Performers

I got the chance to visit one of favorite cities recently and man, did I take advantage of it. The French Quarter in New Orleans is home to some of the most unique street performers that you will see in any city. As you walk around the French Quarter you will see some very good bands performing on just about every street corner as well as Jackson Square.







Another type of street performer are the human statues standing still for up to ten minutes while their cash buckets fill up from passing tourists as they gaze at them and wonder if they are real. If you havent been to New Orleans lately then I can tell you that it's alive and well and teeming with life and excitement.

Indy Pre-Season Test Barber Motorsports park

Some shots from last weeks Indy Pre-Season Test at Barber Motorsports Park. Images were shot with Canon 1D MKII and Canon 70-200mm  +1.4tc or Canon 20D and Canon 300mm +1.4 tc.

Cinque Terre Italy

The Cinque Terre consists of five coastal villages.
The villages can be reached by train or hiking
between villages.

Just in time to see the sun

This early morning shot was taken as the sun rose over the Choctawatchee Bay, Florida. I grabbed the shot with the Canon 20D and the 17-40 lens stopped down to f/10.

Signs of the past

These two nostalgic Coca Cola signs were taken less than 15 miles apart in the towns of Hiram and Douglasville, Georgia. These signs are truly reminiscent of an era gone by. Traveling around the state of Georgia still yields many visions of the rural past including barns and farms which are slowly but surely yielding to urban sprawl. I’ll be taking more photos along the Scenic Byways of Georgia in the near future.

Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway

Just east of Calhoun, Ggeorgia lies the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway. The Byway stretches over 50 miles through the rolling countryside. Along the route you'll find well perserved old barns and sheds. This area has become one of my favorite routes to capture landscape photography images.

All images shown were shot with a Canon 20D and Canon 70-200 f4 lens mounted on a Manrfotto 681B Monopod.
© 2005 Everett R. Davis

South Fulton Scenic Byway

Old barns and rustic buildings can be seen all along the 29 mile stretch of the the South Fulton County Scenic Byway. This area offers some outstanding photo opportunities so take your time and enjoy the scenery.

© 2005 Everett R. Davis

Wakiki Beach

On a recent trip to Hawaii, I decided to climb Diamond Head. After about an hour of climbing, I found this impressive view of Wakiki Beach.

Butterfly

I snapped this butterfly at Callaway Gardens, Georgia
with a Sigma 28-300 AF DI (macro) zoom lens on my
Canon 20D DSLR. The Sigma is a versitile and sharp
macro lens. I no longer own this lens as I upgraded
to the Canon "L" series lens.

Shrimp boats

I came across these shrimp boats while traveling through the town of Darien, Georgia a few months ago. I found the town to be quite interesting because there are both walking and biking trails which take you past some very interesting historical points. The town of Darien is about 60 miles south of Savannah, Georgia. Click here to see more pic's in my On-line portfolio.