Kite Festival - Approach

Some more shots from the festival:





If you look at these as well as yesterday's shots, you'll notice a few key themes:

Shape - I tried not to take pictures of anything that was straight on, if that makes sense.

Framing - I made sure to use the space wisely. A small kite with a long tail can still take up a lot of space. That was my goal.

Clarity - My telephoto lens rocked the house! I held very still, and was amazed at how good these shots were.

Color - Given that it was a sad and cloudy day, I really relied on the vibrancy of the colors of the kites.

What would I do differently next time? Try to use the surroundings to create drama. As an example, a blue sky with clouds would have been more interesting. Perhaps I would take more pictures of the people and the festivities - at a distance so I don't have to worry about model releases.

Tomorrow - some inspiration from Popular Photography.

Kite Festival Previews

Taking pictures at the festival was interesting, but hardly easy. Once I got the hang of it, though, I did end up with some interesting shots and details. Here is a sampling of some of the best ones:

Technical details:

My telephoto lens was a MUST. I'm not sure how or if these could have been taken with a regular camera. Because I don't use that lens as much as the others, it was a treat. I have to say, though, that people must have thought I was the paparazzi - it's a very distinct looking and long lens.

White balance - cloudy.

ISO - 200.

Tomorrow - a few more good shots, as well as my overall approach and methodology.