Snaps and Frames

During a strong gust of wind, Michele Purkey’s umbrella flips back as she crosses the intersection of First Avenue and Wall Street on Monday, Nov.19, 2012, in downtown Spokane, Wash.

I’ve been been waiting forever to capture this proverbial wind-blown umbrella photo. I got my chance when a woman flipped her umbrella in a huge gust of wind, and then fought to keep control of it it as she crossed the street. I stood with the wind at my back for 20 minutes while I waited for some kind of wind moment to happen. When it happened, I was all over it. I’m just glad  she was willing to give me her name  for the caption. I sent the photo to the Associated Press, where, much to my surprise, it was used by dozens of newspaper websites to illustrate the wind and rain storm that hit the Pacific Northwest on Monday. Nikon D3s, Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 Colin Mulvany © The Spokesman-Review

 Rob Roose and his daughters Lena, age 5, front, and Robin, age 10, in back, sled down Manito Hill in Manito Park, Monday, Nov. 12, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

With three inches of fresh snow on the ground, I decided to crank out a quick feature picture of people sledding in Manito Park Monday morning. With my trusty 24-120mm lens, I shot at a slow shutter speed, while panning the camera. It is a technique that usually doesn’t work for me. This time I turned on the built-in vibration reduction in the lens, and it made a big difference in sharpness of many of my photos. The key in every pan shot is to pick the slowest shutter speed that will yield the best chance for a sharp photo, then match perfectly the speed of the subject as you pan the camera. In this case, a 30th of a second worked best. Out of all my shots, this one, with the fun expressions stood out. There was one better snap, but it just wasn’t sharp enough. I don’t dwell on all my missed shots. If I did, I would be a very depressed Photographer. Nikon D3s, Nikkor 24-120mm Colin Mulvany/© The Spokesman-Review

As a wind storm arrives on campus, Whitworth University students Eli Deitz, 19, left, and Elisabeth Spencer, 20, watch the pine needles fly from the window ledge of Deitz’s McMillan Hall dorm room Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012.  Today I was trying to shoot a feature photo of students walking through a cascade of pine needles during a wind storm when I spotted these two perched up high in dorm room window. What caught my eye was the light and shadows. I fired one frame and reviewing the image. At first I thought it was under-exposed. Looking closer I decided that it looked more dramatic just exposing for the highlights while letting the shadow go dark. When the woman turned her headI know  that would be my best snap. Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review Nikon D3s, Nikkor 300mm f/4 lens

Andrew LaVoie with Jung Kim’s Martial Arts, breaks two boards with a double split kick during a tae kwon do exhibition at Valleyfest Saturday in Mirabeau Point Park. This is one of those snaps you just have to spray and pray. In other words, hit the shutter and fire off a blast of frames hoping you’ve captured the moment. I like the sawdust coming off the board on the right. I used my 85 mm  f/1.4  lens wide open to soften the background up and make the subject pop. With  only a few inches in focus, I caught the moment just as Andrew passed through the plane of focus. With many DSLR cameras having fast motor drives these days, it is much easier to shoot a burst of frames while letting your subject pass through a point of focus. You should get a least one useable image sharp like I did. Whew! Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review Nikon D700 Nikkor 85mm f/1.4

Tyson Ross passes time watching an episode of  “Friends” on his iPad in front of the RiverPark Square Apple Store Thursday while waiting for the release of the Apple iPhone 5 on Friday Morning. Ross said this is the seventh time he has waited in line for an Apple product, but this is the first time he has been at the front of the in line. “It a lot better experience than buying online,” said Ross who said he was ready for a long chilly night. “I have a couple of sweatshirts, he said.” Nikon D3s, Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 lens. Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

At the Spokane Falls Northwest Indian Pow Wow Friday in Riverfront Park, I spotted Colville Tribe member Tarah Loer,16, preparing for the grand entry. The car interior was dark and the background was backlit, so I used that to my advantage. I shot the photo wide-open with my 85 mm f/1.4 lens, which softened the background and isolated the my subject. I like the mix of warm and cool light and the intimacy the moment holds. Nikon D 700.

On my way tonight to cover a pow wow in Riverfront Park, I spotted Jess Jacky strolling down the street with Iggy, his pet Iguana. I shot this with my 85 mm f/1.4  nikkor lens. I just love how sharp it is and how shallow the depth of field is when you shoot it wide open. Nikon D700

I had a few minutes to kill before shooting a Lakeside high school football practice so I cruised  around the Suncrest , Wash. neighborhood in search of  a feature photo for Tuesday’s newspaper. As I came upon a corner lot full of sunflowers, I thought I’d  stop and give it a shot. Most of the flowers had bees on them, which made  for an extra element to draw your eye. The sunflowers were back lit, so I use my trusty NIkon SB-800 strobe, off camera, with a LumQuest softbox attached to open up the shadows. The extra light helped the overall color saturation. Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-120mm lens, Nikon SB-800 strobe.

Tonight my assignment was to photograph deserving high school students receiving scholarships at a large banquet. I know the routine well. I watch 300 people eat rubber chicken, while said photog kicks back in the shadows waiting for the perfect time to jump up and capture the moment. One thing I find at these type of events is that the mathletes are seldom showboaters. Tough gig, which is why upon my early arrival, I tuned and walked out for some fresh air. Crowds with roving fiddlers sometimes put me on edge. That is when I spotted these two ladies, who after eating a dinner of Pita Pit wraps by the river, were getting ready to hop their vintage tandem bicycle for a spin through Riverfront Park. The light was just right, and the white wall the Spokane Convention Center made the cyclists stand out. I just picked my spot and waited for them to pass.

With temperatures in the 80's, Jenny Smith, left, and Calli Martin ride their tandem bike through Riverfront Park Monday evening. Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Looking for a feature picture today, I spotted a group tree squirrels probing for acorns amongst the leaves in Corbin Park.  The little buggers were soon  on to me as I slowly inched my way closer.  Most scampered up the nearest tree, but this brave one, with an acorn stuffed in its mouth, seem to enjoy the attention of my lens.  Nikon D700, Nikkor 300mm f/4

With winter fast approaching, a squirrel gathers acorns amongst the leaves in Corbin Park Monday, Nov. 7, 2011. Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review