Spring 2009

Baseball is in Full Swing

Baseball games have started and most teams are already in full swing! My son, James, plays for a 13U baseball team in the Lehigh Valley--the LVBA Stars. I created a team page for them, which you can check out by clicking on the link.

I enjoy the challenge of capturing the action on the baseball diamond with my camera. My new Nikon D300 allows me to capture many exciting moments during a game. I prefer to set up down the first-base side of the field, somewhere between home plate and first base. This position allows me to capture just about any play in the infield, but also gives me a great view of the hitters, too. Equipped with a 70-200mm lens and a 1.4x teleconverter, I am able to capture the action up close.

I will also be taking the player and team portraits for all the baseball teams at The Lehigh Valley Baseball Academy. They liked my photographic work and are giving me the opportunity to photograph more games, as well as the individual and team portraits.

In addition, I recently photographed the Pleasant Valley High School Baseball Team's game against Freedom. You can view their page here. The PV Bears played an excellent game and won by a score of 7-1.

Another Awesome Elk Experience

Our 2nd "Pennsylvania Elk Photo Experience" is in the bag and we had a great weekend! Three participants joined us to photograph the PA elk amid winter scenes. It was cold and snowy, but the elements did not prevent us from capturing some amazing photographs. We all had a fantastic experience! You can see a slideshow of this trip by clicking on the adjacent photo and see more information about our experience here.

Our next trip will be the 2009 "Fall Rut Experience." There is plenty of time to sign up for the September Elk Photo Trip, so check out this link to find out more information. Send this information to your photography friends and if we receive a sign-up from your referral, we will offer you a 10% discount off the price of the trip. You will experience a great time in the mountains of north-central Pennsylvania, experience the unique Pennsylvania elk culture, and have numerous opportunities to photograph the elk yourself. It will be an unforgettable experience!

Website Visitors Break 1,000 Mark

During the month of March, my website hosted over 1,000 visitors. This mark was nearly reached in January when 998 visitors came to check out the website. I knew it was only a matter of time before the number exceeded 1,000. March was the month to celebrate when a total of 1,210 visitors check in. If you find this website helpful, please forward my link to others who might be interested in checking out my website.

My Favorite Link

My “Favorite Link” for this edition of my newsletter is Rick Walker's Nature and Travel Photography website. Rick does some fantastic photography and is the co-host of The Image Doctors, a bi-weekly podcast about all things in the Nikon world. Check out his website. I am sure you will find his photographs inspirational and even breath-taking!

Wrestling

Our nephew, Shane Rosenberry, is a high school senior and a terrific football linebacker and wrestler. This past month we were able to attend one of his team's wrestling tournaments and I was able to capture some of the action with my camera. This was the first time I ever photographed a wrestling tournament and I found it enthralling. The excitement in the air was apparent as the fans cheered and screamed support for their favorite wrestler as there were four different bouts occurring at the same time! You can click on the photo to the left to view a slideshow of some of the photos I took at this event.

Online Ordering

This is a new feature on our website! You can order any of my prints online. Some parents like this feature for the sporting or theater events that their children participated in recently. I keep the photos up on my site for a long time so they are available to view and to purchase.

The nature and or wildlife prints are available, too. So now you won't have to wait for the next Holiday Boutique or craft fair to place an order. Photographs make great birthday gift ideas.

You can also register for any of our photo trips or workshops online as well. It is fast, easy, and secure. You can use a credit card or PayPal to place your order.

Chincoteague

I recently spent some time in Chincoteague, Virginia at the wildlife refuge. This has quickly become a favorite destination for me! I spent many hours photographing some of the birds and other wildlife in the refuge. You can see some of them by clicking on the Chincoteague photo gallery. I hope you enjoy viewing these photos at least half as much as I enjoyed taking them! Drop me a line if you see something you particularly like or have any questions about.

Did you know?

I update my Photograph Blog about every other week. My photo blog simply shares some of the details of my photography adventures and shares some of things I learn in these experiences. I thoroughly enjoy getting behind the viewfinder and attempting to capture those special moments with my camera. Sharing these experiences, and the knowledge gained from them, is the least I can do to show my gratitude to those who have taught me about the wonderful world of photography. I learn something every day if I am open enough to learn each potential lesson! Learning is only the first part though. Sharing these lessons and learning from each other is what it is all about. What have you learned today?

Equipment Update:

I have recently made two new additions to my photography equipment. I purchased a Nikon 1.4x Teleconverter, which allows me to reach out further with my 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens. The teleconverter multiplies the reach by 1.4 times so my longest focal length now with this lens is 280mm! I do lose an f-stop, which means that a little less light reaches the sensor, but with the fast 2.8 aperture of this lens I only get bumped down to f/4 when I attach the teleconverter. And believe me, when shooting wildlife this extra reach is extremely important!

My second acquisition was a new Nikon D300 camera body. This digital camera has received rave reviews from a number of sources and I can easily see why--this camera rocks! I enjoy the professional feel and features of the D300. It has numerous buttons and switches on the outside of the camera body so the photographer can quickly make changes while capturing a special moment.

Are you ready? Boy Scouts are taught to "be prepared" and this is a very good and important lesson for any photographer to learn. Carrying your camera with you all the time is a good first step in being ready to capture those unexpected moments. You just never know when a special photographic opportunity might present itself. Another tool to help you always to be ready for that unexpected moment is an equipment belt, such as those manufactured by ThinkTank Photo. The belt is comfortable to wear even on long hikes, and allows different size modules to be attached, which hold lenses and other photo equipment like memory cards, teleconverteres, and much more. One module even holds a water bottle and an energy bar! Be prepared the next time you are on a photo excursion by keeping your equipment close to your side with ThankTank Photo products. Their modular belt system helps you to always be ready!

Website: www.bobshankphotography.com

Email: bob@bobshankphotography.com

This newsletter was a bit longer than the first two editions, but I had a lot of information to share with you. I hope you enjoyed it. Please give me some feedback on this newsletter. What photo questions do you have to ask? What is your favorite kind of photography? What would you like to learn photographically speaking?

Feel free to pass this e-newsletter along to friends and colleagues who have a passion for photography.

Happy Shooting!

-Bob Shank