View 135: The Boys of Summer

I spent the weekend photographing Under-16 and Under-18 All Star Baseball teams participating in the CNY Thunder Classic Tournament.  I borrowed my friend’s Nikon D700 digital SLR camera and put on my Nikon 80-400VR f/4.5-5.6 lens to capture the action and talent of these Boys of Summer.  With the D700’s ISO capability, I was able to shoot from 1/1000th to 1/5000th of a second shutter speed.  I have almost 2,000 photos to process this week and here’s a small sample.

Looking for Photos from the Tournament?

CNY Thunder Classic Under-16 Games

CNY Thunder Classic Under-18 Games

A Boy of Summer who wanted to make sure I got a good photo of him.

A Boy of Summer who wanted to make sure I got a good photo of him.

Turning a Double Play.

Turning a Double Play.

A baseball tradition...Bubblegum!

A baseball tradition...Bubblegum!

A Pitcher hurls a fast ball at the plate.

A Pitcher hurls a fast ball at the plate.

From his knees, the second baseman throws the runner out at first base.

From his knees, the second baseman throws the runner out at first base.

Swing and a miss.  A batter strikes out.

Swing and a miss. A batter strikes out.

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Travel Photography Ideas

To help in the assignment on Travel Photography, here are a few ideas as you prepare for your trips or, having already traveled, your photo essays.  Keep in mind this is not an essay but I will provide extended captions.

Sports/Games – if there are people around, you will see them playing sports and games.  Sports is an integral part of every culture.

Playing Horseshoes in rural United States.

Horseshoes is a game played throughout rural areas in the United States.  Popular at family gatherings, the game depicts two players or teams of two players each pitching horseshoes with the goal of making a ringer on the stake (the red post in the photo above).  A “ringer” is a horseshoe which surrounds the stake.  Points are rewarded for ringers and for getting within a horseshoe’s length of the stake.  Thus the saying, “Close doesn’t count except in horseshoes” makes sense.  The game is fun and competitive and sometimes is accompanied with the drinking of beer for both participants and spectators.

Icons – these are places, things and even people who are synonymous with the area you are traveling in.  This one should be easy for those of you who where here for my first assignment on Local Landmarks.  Remember that one?

The United States Capitol building in Washington, D. C.

The United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., is among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. It has housed the meeting chambers of the U. S. Senate and the House of Representatives for almost two centuries. Begun in 1793, the Capitol has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored; today, it stands as a monument not only to its builders but also to the American people and their government.

Food – you can tell a lot about a place and its people by the kind of food they eat, prepare or sell.  I put that last one in as this photo is from a resort in central Florida.  Can you guess which one? 🙂

Mickey Waffles served at the Maya Grill in the Coronado Springs Resort, Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida.

Known for its themeparks, the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, Florida has many hotels and restaurants to accommodate their guests.  Restaurants range from fast-service to formal attire.  Disney chefs have developed many unique foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner like Mickey Waffles served at buffets and sit down restaurants daily.  Certainly brings a smile to a kid of any age.

Economy – show how an area makes a living.  You can look for markets, stores, offices and other places of business to photograph the places and the people who work there.

The famous Sagamore Inn on Lake George in upstate New York.

The Sagmore Resort situated on Green Island in Lake George, New York, is a vital part of the local economy since it was built in 1883.  The resort employs up to 600 people during the peak summer season and brings in millions of dollars to the towns along Lake George.  A recently announced $20 million renovation bodes well for the resort’s future after a couple of tough economic years that saw The Sagmore shut down during the winter months for the first time in its history.

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Bighorn Smile

Unlike my blogmate Terry in Montana who is able to photograph Bighorn Sheep in the wild, I visit the small herd at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York.  Last week I witnessed for the first time something I had only seen on film.  The bighorn sheep ewes where running around their enclosure and got the two rams riled up.  I was photographing this when the two rams unexpectedly butted horns.  So unexpectedly, I missed the shot.  It is not something I would normally post but it will explain the photo below it.

Two Bighorn Rams collide horns at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York.

Two Bighorn Rams collide horns at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York.

As you can see, focus is off, you see some of the fencing and a blur of an object between myself and the dueling rams.  I have never seen this before and it was a thrill to hear the sound as the horns of the rams made contact.  After this encounter, the larger ram raised his head and “smiled” while the other one walked off.  Dominance restored, all the sheep went back to browsing for food or laying down to rest.

A Bighorn Ram "smiles" after his confrontation with another ram at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York.

A Bighorn Ram "smiles" after his confrontation with another ram at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York.

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Cloudscapes

I have admired many a photograph featuring beautiful cloud formations and colors.   My attempts at trying to capture the beauty of clouds had been disappointing until last weekend.  While attending a concert on Paper Mill Island in Baldwinsville, New York, I noticed these clouds being lighted by the setting Sun.

Clouds in the distance being lighted by the setting Sun to the east of the village of Baldwinsville, New York, on Saturday, July 17, 2010.

Clouds in the distance being lighted by the setting Sun to the east of the village of Baldwinsville, New York, on Saturday, July 17, 2010.

Using my venerable Nikon 18-200VR lens, I switched to manual mode and exposed for the brightest of the clouds and zoomed in to focus on the area above the Seneca River bridge.

Clouds as seen from Paper Mill Island in Baldwinsville, New York, on Saturday, July 17, 2010.

Clouds as seen from Paper Mill Island in Baldwinsville, New York, on Saturday, July 17, 2010. Nikon D70, 18-200VR, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 200, EV +0.3, 105mm focal length.

I zoomed in further to photograph this most interesting area of the beautifully lighted clouds.  For another beautiful cloudscape, visit Birgitte’s post called A view.

Cloudscape by Scott Thomas Photography.

Cloudscape by Scott Thomas Photography. Nikon D70, 18-200VR, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 200, EV +0.3, 170mm focal length.

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Bird Portraits

Normally, I do not post two days in a row unless I am on vacation.  However,  I am finding I have a backlog of photographs I want to share so I hope you do not mind a couple more animal portraits of the avian variety.

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) photographed at Rosamond Gifford Zoo's Sunset Safari in Syracuse, New York on Tuesday, July 13, 2010.

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) photographed at Rosamond Gifford Zoo's Sunset Safari in Syracuse, New York on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. Nikon D70, 70-200VR, 1/100s, f/2.8, ISO 200, EV +0.6, 200mm focal length.

Both of these photos were taken using the fabulous Nikon 70-200VR f/2.8 lens.

Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) taken during the Sunset Safari evening at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York on Tuesday, July 13, 2010.

Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) taken during the Sunset Safari evening at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. Nikon D70, 70-200VR, 1/250s, f/4, ISO 400, EV +0.6, 200mm focal length.

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