Posts Tagged Chesapeake
An Annapolis Artisan - Justin de Gast
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on June 17th, 2009
Every once in a while I’ll sway away from the wonder of photography to go on a side subject. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to shoot some interior shots for a local cabinet maker. Justin de Gast has been crafting wood for a lot of years and when I had the chance to see his work in person, I was amazed.
Justin de Gast did all of the panel work and joinery for this staircase and hallway. Even though I had two soft box lights with me, I ended up using natural light and a long exposure to bring out the warmth of this space.
He’s one of those people you find who really really cares that you’ll be happy with his work. And that showed when he asked his customers if it would be alright if he and a photographer could come into their homes to take pictures of his work, they were eager to help him.
Jusin did the bookcases which are part of this huge entertainment center. (I don't think he did the bowl.)
Now I benefited from this experience too. A few of the photos I took while with him ended up in the portfolio section of my website. But he made it easy. When you’re shooting beautiful things, the beauty comes through.
Justin de Gast outside of his cabinetmaker's shop. A traditional man and a true craftsman.
Enough of me pitching Justin’s work. But, when you come across something amazing, you want to talk about it. You can learn more about Justin de Gast and see some (really great 
) photos at his website; www.AnnapolisFineWoodworking.com
Keep shooting,
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
Photos of Annapolis to Newport Race finally in Gallery
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on June 14th, 2009
Well that took a while. But all 430 (or so) images are up in the Galley section of my website.
Bright spinnakers on a rainy day as the fleet departs for Newport.
Go to www.MarkDuehmig.com, click on Galleries and you’ll see one listed as Annapolis to Newport Race 2009.
A boat races down the Bay, stowing sails that won't be used until they hit the Atlantic. The foul weather gear hid faces in so many shots, removing the all-important human element.
There are a lot more photos than I’d normally put in any gallery. You’ll see three or four (sometimes more) of nearly the same shot and I HATE doing that. But I’m going to let the race organizers know they are there so maybe people will pick and choose the ones they like. I’m not going to charge for this shoot since I didn’t make a real effort to get every boat.
The Cal 36 Diamond in the Rough prepares to start for Newport.
Here are a few of the photos I thought were a representative mix of photos. If you like these, paw through the whole set on my portfolio page and I’d love to know what you think.
Thanks,
Mark
Dawn Treader jockeys for position at the start.
The maxi racer Rambler spreads her huge wings as she heads down the Bay. Rambler was the first to cross the finish line but did not set a course record. Notice the vignetting on the photo. My 70-200 2.8 sometimes does this when the light is right and I usually correct for it. This time I thought it added concentration to the image so I left it.
My gear packed in a Pelican waterproof case, we race out to the starting line. It was really hard to keep gear dry, so you did what you could.
Another photo from the race
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on June 9th, 2009
I didn’t plan to piece-meal out the photos from the race. Just a busier conference than I expected.
Two boats race to catch the class that started before them on the Annapolis to Newport Race.
Here is another quick grab from the photos. Two bright colorful spinnakers on a sea of gray, rainy weather. I’m glad there were more boats on the horizon to give the photo depth, but the fog keeps attention on the boats in the foreground. As always, feedback and critiques of the images are appreciated.
One other tool I forgot to mention. I grabbed a cotton t-shirt before I ran out the door to shoot the race. Every time I raised my camera to get a shot, the lens got spots. Water was dripping off the small cabin top, blowing in the wind and generally everywhere. A big soft piece of cotton allowed me to do a quick wipe between the shots. Much better than a non absorbent lens cloth. (And never use paper products like kleenex or paper towels.)
Ok, back to work.
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
Got it covered…
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on May 31st, 2009
I am honored to announce that one of my photos is gracing the cover of one of my favorite magazines, Spinsheet.
I’ve written in this space before that I am a real fan of this magazine. It maintains a true Corinthian spirit to taking to the water. Everyone belongs on the Chesapeake Bay and this magazine celebrates that. And I’m proud to be part of it.
Cover of Spinsheet Magazine
I did some traveling this month so I didn’t get to haunt the boat yards and docks like I wanted, looking for photos of opportunity. But one Sunday morning my daughter and I had gone out for a drive and she fell asleep in the back. As we crossed the Eastport drawbridge I saw a line of boats tied up and a sole figure working on them in the rain. I circled back and had a look.
The boats are part of the CRAB fleet. That’s Chesapeake Regional Accessible Boating. This wonderful organization has boats equipped to make sailing possible or easier for people with disabilities. Again, helping get everyone out on the water.
I had my cameras with me* and I stepped out into the rain and shot off a handful of photos. My gear was getting wet, but then again, taking pictures is why I have it. And both the gear and me would dry.
There are a handful of elements that make this photo work. I wanted a short focus so I dialed the aperture to the max opening of 2.8 on my Nikon 70-200 lens. There was too much busyness on the other side of the creek that would distract from the foreground subjects. There is also an interesting reflection on the wet docks. But I think the boat’s name, Steamed, next to the CRAB logo was also an important draw.
So, I’ll thumbtack this up on my wall of my studio and smile when I look at it. It means a lot more than some anonymous magazine I don’t care about. I’m still waiting for that National Geographic assignment, but until then, I’ll try for next month’s Spinsheet cover…
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
*You should always have a camera with you. (http://blog.markduehmig.com/index.php/archives/55)