The Chief Source Photography

2 Vegetarians and Some Flaming Pig

2009-07-14T08:26:00.001-05:00

My wife and I stumbled upon the Akron Rib Fest on our way to the Lock 3 Farmer's Market. All we wanted was a red tomato and some fresh zucchini. Instead, we got nostrils full of red BBQ sauce and freshly burning pig flesh. Despite the floating aroma, the atmosphere proved quite entertaining. Each "ribber" displays its deserved BBQ contest trophies. Instead of golden baseball players standing tall atop these trophies, plastic pigs decorate the awards. Lines of ribs lay across burning grills waiting to be basted with thick rib sauce. Mmmmm. But my favorite is all of the happy pigs who willfully present the menus, sharing the prices of their spiced body parts with the customers.

Team Photos

2009-07-13T00:01:00.003-05:00

As the rain poured down, the tournament crowd huddled under a large tent that covered a portion of the driveway. People milled around somewhat bored and anxious to get started. To help pass the time, I set up my shoot through umbrella to take team pictures. The scoreboard was on a giant foam core board, which made the perfect white backdrop to reflect the light. I set my nine foot stand as high as it would go and aimed the umbrella down trying to imitate the beauty dish style that strobists use. I cranked it up to full blast and backed the light up to what I thought would cover the entire board. Usually I use a 50mm lens for portraits, but the cramped space of the tent didn't give me the room so I put my 10-22mm on and started shooting. I took most shots at 22mm because I find the wide angle lens gives a fun house bend on bodies the wider I zoom. People started rotating in to have their picture taken and it was the most fun I've had shooting in a while. Click here for the rest of the team photos.

Clintonville Cornhole Classic

2009-07-12T16:45:00.008-05:00

This past weekend I ventured down to Columbus to play in the Second Annual Clintonville Classic Cornhole Tournament. The event is a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's team in training and was hosted by my college room mate Nate and his wife Sarah at their home in Clintonville. I'll post a picture of the host committee tomorrow. The event was very well organized and everything from registration to the trophy presentation was well done. The big board had 48 teams of two registered to play in the tournament. Despite pouring rain when the tournament started, most of the teams showed up to play. The slight delay gave everyone a chance have a few beers and talk before things kicked off when the skies finally started to clear. The crowd was very patient and everyone was in good spirits. It was a great group of people. See more event photos.

I played with another college room mate and long time friend Josh "Woo" Norwood. We won our first two games, but we ended up a little too focused on the beer donated by the Elevator Brewing Company in our downtime instead of the sports drinks donated by Vitamin Water. Our competitive spirit suffered and we got knocked out. Many of the teams were very good and it was fun to watch them battle down the stretch. Overall, the Clintonville Classic was a great way to spend the afternoon and nice to support a good cause. I look forward to next year's event and thank the host committee for putting it together. Team photos will be posted tomorrow.

Italian-American Festival

2009-07-10T22:34:00.005-05:00

This is a 30-second exposure of Akron's Italian-American festival on Friday night. It is good to see so many people downtown. The event runs all weekend and admission is free. Click here for more info.

Marshallville-Works

2009-07-09T00:04:00.002-05:00

The Chief Source dispatched Tim and Greg to Marshallville in order to cover the brilliance of its celebrated July 3rd fireworks show.

With each year, this joyous gathering grows in numbers and patriotism. Nothing screams patriotism like food, drinks, camaraderie, a couple more drinks, explosions and pinatas.

Pinatas? Yes, pinatas. Especially pinatas shaped like a star decorated in red, white and blue. Little Americans took their turns bashing the stars and stripes into oblivion until Old Glory burst in an explosion of candied sprinkles, followed by an orgasmic rush for sweets. Even though I directed the pinata bashing, I couldn't help but wonder if what we were doing was anti-American. I think I've seen the same image on the Hugo Chavez Show.

In any case, I spent some time learning some camera techniques needed for shooting outside during dusk. How to play with the aperture, shutter speed and flash. As someone with little patience for taking time to think, it's often difficult for me to get good night shots, but a with a few clicks of buttons and switches, a bland shot can turn quite vibrant.

Thank You For Smoking

2009-07-08T07:25:00.006-05:00

Taken in Kent, OH.

Will Padilla, Candidate for Ward 8

2009-07-06T08:11:00.014-05:00

One of my favorite holiday traditions in West Akron is the 4th of July parade held on my street. The registration fee for the Castle Boulevard Parade is 50 cents and kids have the chance to win a decoration contest. Everyone gets a post parade Popsicle. It is the kind of event that really makes me proud to live in Akron. Parades are also a time for local politicking.

Will Padilla is running for Akron City Council in Ward 8 and is the candidate I'm supporting in the Democratic Primary. I invited Will and his family to come to the parade so I could introduce him to some of my neighbors and so his daughter Chloe could ride her scooter in the sea of kids. After the parade, we shot a short video which I posted above.

Will Padilla is the kind of councilperson we need in Ward 8 because of his professional experience and personality. Will works as a Senior Title Underwriter for First American Title Insurance Company and spends his days working to insure the value of his clients' homes. In addition, Will graduated cum laude from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University and is studying to take the bar this summer. The combination of his financial and legal expertise make him uniquely qualified to be a member of council. He's also a great guy and I hope to introduce him to many of you in the coming weeks.

Will understands the impact that crime, traffic, local economic development, and a variety of other factors have on our property values. I don't plan to move anytime soon, but I know that maintaining the quality of my neighborhood hinges on property values being stable or hopefully appreciating. I want my councilperson focused on our homes and neighborhoods everyday. Will's experience makes him qualified to do that on day one. I'll be posting more on Will's campaign in the coming weeks.

The Rockets' Red Glare

2009-07-05T12:48:00.004-05:00

Last night some friends and I watched Akron's fireworks display from the roof of the United building downtown. It was a really cool view and an overall fun time. I took my camera and a small tripod and tried to do some long exposure shots of the fireworks, but the only shot I got that I really liked was this one I took with my phone.

Race ya

2009-07-05T12:01:00.001-05:00

Despite the rosey prognostications of the liars at the Weather Channel iPhone App, Friday ended up being a time to make the best of a gray day. A small group of us went to the official Chief Source recreation destination - Munroe Falls - to try to get some sun and relax. Attendance was sparce and the lifeguards would make safety announcements to the often empty lake. As motivation to get into the water, Chad, Kristin, and Greg decided to have a foot race. I took it upon myself to determine the winner. The guys bet each other that the loser had to blow up the raft. The photo above showed Chad with a commanding win. Dejected, Greg headed to shore to blow up the raft. It gave him time to think about what he needs to work on for next time. More pictures.

Takin' the Bus

2009-07-02T07:42:00.010-05:00

I toured the new and snazzy Akron Metro Transit Center, the central nervous system of all those buses you see slugging down Market Street and the rest of Akron.

It is a very high tech, kind of Epcot Center looking building. Silver walls with red highlights decorate its innards. There is nothing in common between this building and, say, the train station in Chicago made famous in my childhood by the film The Untouchables. However, it was interesting to see people with suitcases waiting for their bus to Chicago (around $70, by the way).

A rare Akron blue sky with bubbly clouds made for some good pictures from the top of the Transit Center. The Akron skyline decorates the distance. However, my favorite shot is the greener one (pictured).

Atop the building sit hundreds of solar panels that could power 130 Akron homes.

If you are interested in monitoring the solar energy generated by the Transit Center, you can check the website.

Hand in Hand

2009-07-02T00:01:00.003-05:00

This is Akron/Kent's indie rock super-group 'drummer'. Every member of the band has been a drummer in a different band - most famously Pat Carney of The Black Keys.

I went over to Pat's studio to snap some promo shots for them on Tuesday at one in the afternoon. While we were waiting for one of the members to turn up I got to hear the mixes of their forthcoming record 'Feel Good Together' (which sounded amazing!) We started to shoot around 1:45 and I took about 90 photos over the course of an hour. When we finished up I was informed that they were trying to e-mail the shots to their publicist by around 4:30. I ran home and picked my ten favorites and did the best quick edit job I could. I returned to the studio with disk in hand - the band was going over their final track order for the album. When they finished they went through the photos - I've posted the four favorites here - the big one seeming to be the consensus pick as the best. The serious looks on their faces combined with the ridiculousness of holding each other's hands really seemed to do it for them. I agreed that it fit the band's personality - which is your favorite?

Although the shoot was a bit rushed it was still fun and I was happy with the results(more importantly the band was too).

Drummer plays Square Record's 6th Anniversary Show at Musica on August 7th and the album is planned for a September release on Pat's Audio Eagle Records.

The Peanut Shoppe

2009-07-01T18:58:00.007-05:00

I'm enjoying my summer lunches with the Downtown Akron "Get Out of the Office" series. Throughout the summer, between noon and one, Downtown Akron hosts mini-field trips to various Akron locations. Although, being a teacher who doesn't work downtown, I feel a bit of a mooch.

Today's expedition took us to The Peanut Shoppe.

There exist very few sincere stores like The Peanut Shoppe, let alone peanut shops, in America. The store roasts and sells an assortment of nuts. In this era of super-stores, its narrow niche might sound ridiculous, but the store is a wonder. Display windows of another time run the length of The Peanut Shoppe. Historic pictures and grade school thank you letters decorate the walls. A 1930s Mr. Peanut costume sits high above the customers just waiting to be used for promotional flair. The roaster warms the interior and leaves a comforting nutty aroma. An array of Akron memorabilia fills in the rest of the gaps, creating a sensory overload for the Akron nut.

Marge Klein, the proprietor, is a happy lady, welcoming visitors and handing out items on the house. She and the rest of the ladies still use all the vintage peanut shop necessities: scales to weigh the nuts, the original roaster, and all the other appliances a peanut store needed in the 1930s.

It truly speaks Akron and shows that a little store with a lot of heart and sincerity can play with the big boys. Unfortunately, only eleven peanut shops survive nationwide. So, next time you're on Main Street, make a stop in The Peanut Shoppe and get a couple bags of nuts for $5.00. There's even peanut butter and frozen yogurt for the kiddies.

New Staff Member Greg

2009-06-30T21:46:00.006-05:00

I am proud to announce that Greg Milo will be joining The Chief Source staff as a contributor very soon. Greg is a fellow Akron resident and has written several guest posts for us over the past few months. He's a guy uniquely in tune with what is happening here in Akron who will bring a fresh perspective through the his lens and written observations. Look for his first post very soon.

As part of his official orientation, I went over to Greg's house last night to shoot a couple of introductory pictures and have him sign paperwork for his health insurance, 401K, ect. Greg is a dog lover and Kimse was quite cooperative as I got things set up and Greg settled down in his fire pit for a few pictures. There was still enough late day light to snap a few shots wide open. I liked this one with his hair up Kramer style. From a composition standpoint, do you find the plant distracting or does it add to the picture? I put it in there intentionally when I was snapping, but after editing the picture I considered taking it out with the patch tool. In the end, I thought it was a good distraction. Let me know your thoughts.

We'll be making official updates to the site over the weekend. Have a fantastic holiday.

Happy Birthday McCoy

2009-06-29T21:02:00.006-05:00

I wanted to take a moment to formally wish staff friend Gregory McCoy a belated Happy Birthday. Chad and K hosted the birthday party at their home. I find when I'm with good friends that simple plans seem to make for the best evenings. We threw some cornhole bags, ate a ton of food off a newly assembled grill, and relaxed around the fire until late. The reindeer was a weathered lawn ornament that had seen better days and became the center of conversation once it was placed over the flame. Renowned party conversationalist Reid started taking action on which way the deer would fall once the flame burned through the torso. I didn't pack my real camera and just snapped a few pics with my iPhone. Cheers McCoy.

Munroe Falls

2009-06-29T08:51:00.008-05:00

On Saturday Kyle, a group of friend and I went to Munroe Falls Metro Park. We cooked some burgers, hot dogs and sausage, went for a couple swims, threw the football around and mixed up a few "special" drinks. We talked about how it felt like a mini-vacation and what a good use of a beautiful weekend day it was. In my opinion you have to do a few things like this over the summer to earn the right to complain when its 5 degrees out with ten inches of snow on the ground.
Its easy to forget that we have places like this around to go and enjoy.

Since we get asked a lot here if we "enhance" or "photoshop" our photos I figured I explain a few things I did to this one of Kyle.

First I cropped it in a little bit(to 5 by 7). I turned up the saturation and vibrance to make the greens and blues pop more and then balanced the color to make it look more natural. Since I used the flash I had to darken the grill to make it more black instead of the more blown out grey that it looked at first. I turned up the overall contrast a bit and then added some sharpening. Last I converted it from a tiff to a jpeg and uploaded it to flickr.

Candidate Adam Van Ho

2009-06-25T20:01:00.003-05:00

This week I met my friend Adam Van Ho and a few volunteers to take some photos for his campaign for Stow Municipal Judge. We met up near the clock tower in the falls to get a couple of shots in the popular square where so many people go for community festivals or to let their kids play in the fountains. We started at about 6:15pm and the late day sun provided some nice light for the back ground. I had my Canon Flash mounted on a stand with a shoot through umbrella. I tried to use it to balance the light so it was well lit, but looked natural. I also tried to get Adam and the volunteers into natural looking poses and comfortable enough so they weren't paying attention to me or the big white umbrella my friend Annie was holding for me.

Mencken had told me to think about the background and then think about the subjects in the space. This photo by the Cuyahoga Falls sign was my best example of placing the subject into a scene. The late day sun lit the side of Adam's face and the flash lit the other side and his body. I liked the results and his pose. I thought it looked natural.

I could have done a better job thinking about the background with the photos I took in the square. I liked the expressions of the subjects, but the background was kind of distracting in a few of the shots. I needed to use a shallower depth of field or pose the subjects near a less distracting back drop. I'll be more mindful of that next time. I also relied too heavily on the flash and didn't think about taking a few pictures without it. Still, it was good practice and I think I got some shots that will work well for his website.

Recall Failed Miserably

2009-06-24T07:39:00.006-05:00

The eggs over at Akron's Country Diner are extra scrambled today as those who tried to remove our mayor ended up rallying the city around him. Warner Mendenhall and his small band of followers have no escape from the embarrassing election results from yesterday's recall election. The recall was soundly defeated 74% - 26%. In another decision that shows a complete lack of political instincts, Mendenhall used the occasion of his city wide shellacking to announce that his wife Kelly will be running for Akron City Council as an at-large candidate this fall. Yawn. I'm tired of these people who waste the valuable time of those of us who want to make Akron better. Do something to help instead of running another complain campaign.

Congratulations go out to Mayor Plusquellic and his campaign staff. The people of Akron have spoken and this was a big win last night. Our staff at The Chief Source believes in the direction the mayor is taking our city and we are hopeful for our future under his continued leadership.

Fun with Flashes

2009-06-22T09:38:00.008-05:00

Kyle and I went to a friend of his Dad's on Saturday to shoot some photos and practice our lighting skills. We brought two flashes, two light stands and two shoot-through umbrellas. We took turns passing the camera back and forth and adjusting our flash placement. We used the self-timer for the shots with both of us.

We had some fun, got a little experience and came away with some cool shots.
Side Note: If you're an Akron resident don't to forget to vote in tomorrow's recall election. Here at The Chief Source we come down on the Mayor's side - so vote against it!!!

The High Line, New York City

2009-06-19T15:41:00.005-05:00

This is a short video about the urban renewal of an old railroad track into a public park. The cinematography is excellent. High Line Park is a great short story about transforming space. It reminds me of what Akron did with our locks through downtown.

Good News For Rolling Acres

2009-06-15T12:45:00.005-05:00

Habitat for Humanity to Announce Purchase of 67,000 square foot building on Romig Road

"The Romig Road facility [at 2301 Romig Road, Akron, former Handy Andy store] will become the new home for Habitat operations, pre-fab warehouse and the ReStore, which is currently in Springfield Township. The space will allow Habitat to build more homes on an annual basis. The organization has recently launched a $2.2 million capital campaign."

It is great to finally hear some good news for Rolling Acres area. The blight of that part of Roming Road has a domino effect into the surrounding parts of the city. Hopefully this is a start towards revitalizing this cooridor.

Parade the Circle

2009-06-14T13:21:00.006-05:00

Yesterday Tim and I ventured up to Cleveland to check out Parade the Circle at University Circle. PD reports that there were 7,000 in attendance. The theme was a carnival style with lots of colorful costumes. Surprisingly there were no politicians, which I thought came standard with every community festival.

Side note: Me, Brian, and a couple other buddies went to see The Hangover last night. I recommend it highly.

Fairlawn Lanes

2009-06-12T10:33:00.009-05:00

My friend Gabe and I were hanging out shooting some photos....we both felt fairly devoid of ideas - Gabe then suggested heading over to the old Fairlawn Lanes building. We walked there with my umbrella and flash and snapped a few different things. I really liked this one - the dilapidated bowling alley made for a good background.

I remember a few years back I heard one of the owners of Annabell's bought this place. For a couple of months I saw some activity - some new drywall going in and a fresh coat of paint on the outside - but ever since then its been left to rot again....

Tiger Fighter

2009-06-10T21:27:00.013-05:00

I took this photo of the new band Tiger Fighter in the basement of Square Records in Highland Square. They are a typical Akron band in the sense that every member is also already in another band. Dave plays in Houseguest, Andrew and Matt are in Big Sur, and Ian is in Twilight Hobs. They play their first show a week from Friday at Musica opening up for Drummer(Pat from the Black Keys other band). They don't have anything recorded yet but I heard them play a few songs and it will be a show worth checking out...
I lighted this photo using two flashes shot through umbrellas and I knocked the shutter speed down a bit to get the string of lights in the background to show up.

Follow The President On Flickr

2009-06-10T08:16:00.015-05:00

I did not take these photos.

There has been so much that is remarkable about watching an engaged American President whose middle name happens to be Hussein make his first trip to the Middle East. One of my favorite places to see a different perspective on the President's work without the noise of the media has been the Official White House photostream on Flickr which showcases the work of photographer Pete Souza. I learn a lot about the trip quietly sitting at my computer clicking through the photos. President Obama's recent trip to the Middle East made for some fascinating images and moments. Click on each picture to read caption and learn more about the images. The New York Times Photography blog "Lens" also posted some fantastic images from the President's trip. These tend to be more artistic and political. Seeing the composition of these professional photos also gets me to think about how I can improve my work at my next political event.

Fun Fact: The picture at the top of Secretary of State Clinton was taken one year (361 days) after she conceded the Democratic nomination for President. That seems so long ago.