Hampton, An All-American City

The All-American City Award is an honor given by the National Civic League annually to ten communities across the United States that exemplify civic excellence and achievement throughout their respective communities.

In 2014, the City of Hampton, VA, won its third All-American City award (1972, 2002, and 2014) from the National Civic League. This was a huge honor, not only for the residents of the City of Hampton, but also for me, as the city decided to use a photo of mine in their campaign.

I would like to take this time to congratulate the City of Hampton on their prestigious award and to thank the City for using my photograph as a part of their presentation.

Norfolk Public Art

In Spring 2014, the city of Norfolk officially established an art district designed to build relationships between business owners, private investors, and civic organizers, in an effort to showcase variations of art and other creative ventures throughout the area. The Norfolk Emerging Arts District (NEAD), or Norfolk Arts District, is set in an area between Brambleton Ave and Granby St/9th St in Downtown Norfolk. The project is very similar to the Richmond, VA art plan, which began in 2011.

Politics aside, I think that this district is a great idea for people from all likes of art in Hampton Roads. Such a district can grow with the support of local businesses, educational institutions (Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, and Tidewater Community College), the citizens of Norfolk, and other Hampton Roads communities. From my view as a frequent visitor to Richmond, I must admit that I truly desire for Hampton Roads to have the support in the arts that the city of Richmond has displayed for itself. Hopefully, the Norfolk Arts District will gain the support of the city and will continue to grow for years to come.

Here are a few examples of some current pieces of art around the district:

More about the Norfolk Arts District can be seen by following these links:

Norfolk Arts District's Facebook Page

Downtown Arts & Design District - City of Norfolk

AltDaily - A magazine about the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area

ARTS ZONE Norfolk arts district plan aims to link downtown to Ghent area - Inside Business

Mount Trashmore Summer Carnival

Who doesn't love a good carnival? Personally, I enjoy carnivals due to the abundance of photographic opportunities. Carnivals allow camera buffs to capture people, lights, rides, and other imminent objects provided by the fair.

Unfortunately, there are not many carnivals that visit Hampton Roads. One of the few fairs in the area takes place at the Mount Trashmore Park in Virginia Beach. I really enjoy photographing this carnival because it is moderate in size, yet the attractions that are provided present a lot of movement and photographic opportunity. Here are a few photos from this year’s occasion:

Tips for shooting at a fair/carnival:

If you want to avoid the crowds, attend the carnival on a weekday, as opposed to the weekend.
Bring a tripod or something to stabilize the camera. Your shutter speeds will be low, and you do not want to risk ruining an amazing shot due to camera shake. You should also use a remote or the self-timer on the camera (2 seconds) to eliminate any camera shake that could occur when pressing down on the shutter.
Watch your focal points. Focusing on the light bulbs can trick the sensor into searching for a focal point when you may have already chosen one. This could prevent you from capturing that perfect shot or even produce an out of focus shot. Make sure that you choose your focusing points wisely and lock in before you shoot. I tend to focus on an inanimate point as opposed to the actual moving part(s) of a ride, for example, then turn off the autofocus on the lens to prevent the camera from searching for another focal point.
Shoot in shutter priority or manual. This will help you control the outcome of streaking lines in your picture. Here is the trick: The longer your shutter stays open, the more solid your streaking lines will appear in the picture. The shorter your shutter stays open, the more likely your streaking lines will appear uneven. Understand that the ideal appearance of the streaking lines is completely subjective, so aim for what you prefer.
Keep your ISO down. Shooting at a high ISO will increase your shutter speed and freeze the movement of the attractions.
Take several pictures of the attractions because of the changing lights. This will ensure that you will capture the lighting arrangement that you prefer.
Be mindful of the patrons and who you photograph. The patrons are there to enjoy the fair, not you. Also, a lot of the patrons are children and they must have consent from their parents if they appear in your photographs, especially if you are making a profit from that particular photo.
Always be cautious of your surroundings! There is a reason why there are not a lot of carnivals in Hampton Roads, and that reason is called crime. Avoiding big crowds allows you to also avoid any misconduct that may occur at the fair. Remember to always be careful when you are taking pictures at night and always watch your surroundings.

15th Annual Blackbeard Pirate Festival

The Blackbeard Pirate Festival is an annual event in Hampton, VA, that celebrates and portrays the life of the infamous pirate Edward “Blackbeard” Teach. The festival lasts the entire weekend and presents several events, to include reenactments, costume parties, and musical performances.

Most of the participants of the festival are Hamptonians who dress up as swashbucklers for the occasion. Although donning the latest buccaneer fashion is not exactly my cup of tea, the festival does provide several chances for hilarity, especially for younger children. Here are a few (and I do mean few) pictures from this year’s festival.

Memorial Day 2014

I would like to take this time to wish everyone a happy and wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. Please take some time this weekend to honor all of the brave men and women who have served this country with honor and pride, and to remember with utter gratitude those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Words (or pictures) cannot express our deep appreciation for your service.

All photos were taken at The Hampton National Cemetery in Hampton, VA.

13th Annual Virginia Beer Festival

The 13th Annual Virginia Beer Festival took place in Norfolk, VA this past weekend. I enjoy this event not only for the beer, but also for the opportunity to take candid pictures of the beautiful people Hampton Roads has to offer. Enjoy.

Florentijn Hofman's Rubber Duck

Florentijn Hofman's Rubber Duck is making an appearance on the East Coast this May in Norfolk, VA. The Rubber Duck is a 40 foot tall PCV inflated sculpture that is affixed to a supporting barge in the Hague Inlet, right in front of the Chrysler Museum's front entrance.

Cirque Mechanics

The Cirque Mechanics Gantry Show made a recent stop to Hampton Roads in May 2014 during the Virginia Arts Festival. The exhibition took place at the Scope Plaza, right in front of Chrysler Hall. The performance lasted about thirty minutes and consisted of several acrobats performing various performances on their 22' high stage-like mechanical apparatus, displaying their strength, agility, and athleticism. The performers were very talented and friendly and even socialized with the crowed and posed for candid pictures. I truly hope that this troupe returns to Hampton Roads in the future.

Although the pictures came out crisp, I do not believe that one can appreciate the provocation of the show without actually being there. Maybe next time I will shot at a wider length.

Altoona Curve vs Richmond Flying Squirrels

This entry exhibits photos from the Altoona Curve and Richmond Flying Squirrels Minor League Baseball game in April 2014. As usual, I sat on the first base side of the field in the lower bowl of the stadium. Although the most of the backstop is covered with netting at The Diamond, I was able to focus on the action.

The Flying Squirrels won 4-3.

Tips for Outdoor Sports Photography:

Shoot in either Manual or Shutter priority modes (Manual is ideal).
Use a shutter speed of 1/300 or faster to freeze the motion of the sport. However, understand that you must shoot much faster than 1/300 to stop the motion of the ball.
Expect to shoot at a high ISO to achieve a high shutter speed.
Use your high-speed continuous shooting mode.
If possible, use a telephoto lens to get closer to the action.
Try your best to anticipate the action of the sport to yield superior photographs.
When photographing a baseball game, try to sit/shoot on the first base side of the field. This will give you an ideal perspective of the game.

RVA Street Art Festival - 2013

The RVA Street Art Festival is a reoccurring art exhibition that includes several local and national artists who present several exhibits in a monotonous area. In September 2013, the exposition took place at the Greater Richmond Transit Company’s bus depot on Cary St. However, access to the exhibit was suspended due to an attack on a security guard in November. Recently, in March 2014, the GRTC announced that the exhibit would reopen to the public at a later undisclosed date.