The past few weeks for me have been spent in a small room with a mega fast computer and two computer screens. Cutting video. Video is fun, don’t get me wrong. It makes you look at things on a moving scale, incorporating your style of shooting in to a cohesive (hopefully) story line.
In college, the great John LeBaron told me that I should get a degree in painting, citing that I was always spot toning my black and white photos in the SRJC photo lab. My negatives looked as though I had dropped them on the floor and tap danced on the images I needed to print. With photoshop now, you can remove those black specks of dust from the CCD and the photo looks great.
With video, it’s f18 an be there. The depth of field is just ridiculous. Every speck of crud shows on a rendered video frame. Since I’m not employed by Industrial Light and Magic, my skills at getting rid of squiggly artifacts in the frame are somewhat neolithic. The lesson here? Don’t change lenses in the middle of a brush fire and get the CCD cleaned every once in awhile.
That being said, I’ve been cut loose to shoot assignments here and there. Hopefully this post will appear more than few and far between. So, here you go.
Windsor High School swimmers cheer teammate Jared Laskey to a victory in the 100 yard breaststroke, Saturday May 14, 2011 during the SCL finals at Ridgeway swim center in Santa Rosa. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
At the anniversary of the Santa Rosa Community Health Center Saturday May 14, 2011 in Santa Rosa, Coyolxauqui Aztec dance group started the festivities. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
Mark Samet of Casa Grande starts the 100 yard backstroke, Saturday May 14, 2011 during the SCL finals at Ridgeway swim center in Santa Rosa. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
he 30th annual Human Race, Saturday May 7, 2011 in Santa Rosa. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
Catfish Jack plays a mean harmonica as Jim Bryant, right, strums along with a blues melody at Greg's Clean Cuts in Larkfield, Wednesday May 4, 2011. Greg Bedford cuts the hair and also plays guitar. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
Mary Kate Dreyer talks softly to her son Brad Dreyer during his physical therapy, Tuesday May 3, 2011 in Glen Ellen. While riding his skateboard two-years ago, Dreyer was struck and severely injured by an intoxicated driver. Brad was an avid drummer before the injury and uses those in his rehab. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
Jon Reiter of Reiter Fine Home Building, Friday April 29, 2011, built a European style home in the hills above Kenwood which will be featured in the Sonoma Designers Showcase beginning in May. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
At the bus stop facing Santa Rosa Junior College on Mendocino Ave., students load a Santa Rosa City bus, Thursday April 28, 2011. SRJC students may pay higher bus pass prices as SRJC is looking to end the subsidized program that gives students a break on the price of a monthly transit pass. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
Numerous veterans groups were on hand to view the funeral of Mervyn Earl Sims of Petaluma, Friday April 22, 2011, at Cypress Hill Cemetery in Petaluma. Sims, an Army PFC from Petaluma, died in the rugged Himalayas in a plane crash 68 years ago during WWII. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
A military honor guard escorts the remains of Mervyn Earl Sims from a Horizon / Alaska Airlines, Wednesday April 20, 2011 at The Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa. Sims, an Army PFC from Petaluma, died in the rugged Himalayas in a plane crash 68 years ago during WWII. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
Marcus Wessels dresses as his favorite storm trooper as part of a Petaluma Museum entry, Saturday April 16, 2011 during the Butter and Egg Days Parade.(Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
There wouldn't be a Butter and Egg Days Parade without a few USDA cluckers from the Petaluma Museum Association, Saturday April 16, 2011. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
ason Bostrom of Vallejo celebrates a successful run on a drift course at Infineon Raceway, Wednesday April 13, 2011 in Sonoma. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
Roger Vincent as Abraham Lincoln relaxes, as he preps to give a speech during a 150 year commemoration of the Civil War at the Santa Rosa Rural cemetery, April 9, 2011 in Santa Rosa. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
Rosanna Morse and her Arabian, Mystic, of Sebastopol, plod along the Lake Trail near Lake Ilsanjo, Tuesday April 5, 2011 at Annadel State Park in Santa Rosa. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
teve Jorgenson of Yosemite has been getting tattoos since 1997. During the Tattoos and Blues 20th anniversary festival at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa, Saturday Feb. 26, 2011 artist Natalie Chandler of Oakland added to Jorgenson's collection.(Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
There you have it. More to come. Stay tuned. Just wait. The cobwebs are gone.
Really.
-Kent Porter
