Basketball player in mid-air doing a jump shot

I’m not much of a basketball sports fan, but the community in which I live has reached a fever pitch over March madness and the NCAA Basketball Tournament.  The level of excitement is at the point where strangers are exchanging hugs.  If this is the catalyst that can bring neighbors closer together, then I’m for it.

Not knowing a “Rim Wrecker” from a “Tap and Trap” I was curious to see what all this dribble talk was all about.   Wow, a fast-paced game of elegant hoop thoroughbreds had me cheering, and wanting to don my earplugs and photograph courtside!

Inspired by the amazing athleticism of these players and their ability to hang-glide above the rim all day, I  wanted to create a high-speed stylized image of a basketball player doing the same, under controlled conditions.

I began by borrowing all the flashes and studio strobes from my photographer friends.  I used eleven TTL flashes and 2 studio strobes.   Thanks to everyone who lent me their lights!  Some were optically fired, others were radio synced.  The technology used was the same as for my High-Speed Soccer Kick Photo Shoot – see the previous blog post.

Overcoming the ambient light in the gym with all this firepower was easy, but it soon became apparent that to sculpt the light for the floor, to keep the highlights on the basketball player where I wanted,  and to isolate only the net and backboard, all in one exposure, was more of a challenge than I had anticipated.

To achieve the look I was going for, I ended up lighting the floor as a separate image, and lighting the net as another image, and then stitching the floor, player, and net together in Photoshop.

Soccer Player in mid-air about to kick the ball

I decided to dip my toe into the world of video and produce a “behind the scenes” documentary of an outdoor studio photo shoot – photographing a professional soccer player.  My goal was to demonstrate the use of studio strobes and speedlites to freeze the athlete in mid-air while he did a scissor kick.

I went into the project with big expectations and imagined a high-end production  result.   I see all these great videos on the web and I thought, how hard can it be.   Boy, did I ever have a rude wakeup call.  Two of the editing suites I used, Sony Vegas and Camtasia, have a large learning curve.   I now have a newfound appreciation for video editors and sound engineers.

Regardless of the mediocre results, I learned a lot about the craft of videography, and even managed a few giggles along the way, between bouts of pulling my hair out.   A special thanks to   Al Horner, who without his help, this project would have never got off the ground.

In the film, I also show the post-processing work in Photoshop necessary to get to the final frame.  Enjoy.

Fall Cranberry Harvest, New Jersey (Steve Greer / SteveGreerPhotography.com)

The berries have ripened, the bogs have been flooded, and its time to put on your chest waders.  Let the annual cranberry harvest begin!

Each year in October, cranberry growers (many whom are proudly fifth and sixth generation cranberry farmers), harvest millions of pounds of cranberries from their farms in New Jersey.

A perennial plant, cranberries grow on long-running vines in sandy fields called “bogs” (marshes).  After the bogs have been flooded, machines referred to as “egg-beaters” agitate the water to loosen the cranberries from the vines. The cranberries float to the water’s surface, as they contain three pockets of air. The deep reds of the floating cranberries, framed against the backdrop of the surrounding Autumn foliage and the bright blue sky, make a stunning scene indeed.

As a photographer, I feel like a kid in a candy store – one that is full of vitamin D.

To see more photos of the Pine Barren Cranberry Harvest visit my website.

Brigantine Golf Course Community, Brigantine, New Jersey (Steve Greer)

This year the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an active hurricane season for the Atlantic coast.  Now that Hurricane Irene has safely passed, New Jersey’s shore towns came through the storm relevantly unscathed.

With this in mind, I was looking for a unique vantage point to illustrate the development of Brigantine Island and how precariously perched the people that live on it are.   With the back bay on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, most of the island is just 5 to 10 feet above sea level.

I made this photo from a Robinson R44 helicopter.  The pilot took the doors off and I was strapped in and able to lean out. From this unrestricted perspective I had complete freedom to look out at spectacular views up and down the coastline.

When shooting aerials you need to use a high shutter speed. The vibration from the helicopter and its wind drag from the main rotor wash can make for a wobbly flight and some possible blurry images.  It’s important to keep your elbows in, isolate yourself from the vibration by not touching any part of the helicopter, except the padded seat, and shoot a lot of frames.  And don’t forget to keep your camera strap around your neck!

To see more aerial photos of the New Jersey coastline visit my website.

My setting were 24mm, 1/1000sec, ISO 400

Amusement Theme Park, on the beach, Wildwood, New Jersey (Steve Greer)

Each summer, people from all over New Jersey head down to the shore to stroll Wildwood’s boardwalk, a two mile long human circus of noise, honky-tonk, and amusement rides.  Vendors sell t-shirts with bawdy messages, and there’s no shortage of pizza and soft custard.

Jutting out from the boardwalk to the ocean is Morey’s Pier, a family friendly amusement park.  At the end of the pier is the famous 160 foot high Morey’s Pier Ferris Wheel. When you’re perched at the top it affords terrific views of Wildwood and the back bays.  No matter what time of day, it’s always a great photo op

The day I was there the weather was dull and overcast.  Not very inspiring.  Regardless, I staked out the Ferris wheel to try and time my ride to the top to coincide with the sunset.

I knew that once the sun dipped below the horizon the sky would turn a predictable cobalt blue.  To my surprise some light-colored reds began to spill into the blue.  I knew it would only last a few minutes.

You only get three rotations on the Ferris wheel before returning to earth.  Three chances to time the weather, and the lights below.  With a little luck I managed to anticipate the wait time in a long line of people and the ride to the top to create this image.

My setting were 24mm, 1/20sec, ISO 1000

This image was chosen for the front cover of my latest hardcover pictorial book, America the Beautiful, New Jersey

Hikers on the Appalachian Trail, Shenandoah National Forest, Virginia (Steve Greer / SteveGreerPhotography.com)

Along the mountain ridges in the Shenandoah National Park this summer, I met some intrepid thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail. They began their journey in Georgia and were going to arrive in Maine in the fall, a distance of over 2,000 miles.

I saw this chance meeting as an opportunity to learn what they have learnt, and to try to document the freedom and adventure of their quest. They inspired me to remember to take some time to shed the trivial distractions, and the busyness that can so consume us in our modern lives – to stay in the moment, to simplify.

The low light conditions and rolling fog added to the mystery of this backcountry, and the challenge to have enough light to photograph. With my 35mm lens at f2.8 and ISO at 800, my shutter speed was 1/15 sec – not quite enough to freeze the action of the hikers moving on the trail. Mounting the camera on the tripod, I asked them to walk very slowly, and even freeze in mid-step in order to achieve critical focus.

If by chance you’re out on the trail this summer and happen to see them at a trailhead, open up your picnic basket, or fire up the grill at your Winnebago and offer them some tasty vittles. They will be most grateful.

To see more images of these hikers visit my website

Hikers on the Appalachian Trail, Shenandoah National Forest, Virginia (Steve Greer / SteveGreerPhotography.com)

Hikers on the Appalachian Trail, Shenandoah National Forest, Virginia (Steve Greer / SteveGreerPhotography.com)

Bearded Dragon, eating an insect (Steve Greer)

On a recent photo assignment a client wanted an action shot of a reptile catching an insect.  The concept was to illustrate the speed and accuracy of an animal that dates back to the age of dinosaurs.  Talk about great design.

This lizard, with it’s beautiful arrow-shaped head and spiny points, and scales along the skin of the throat made it an ideal subject to photograph.  The “beard” in the dragon’s name comes from it’s ability to flare out it’s throat to scare off potential predators.

The tongue of a lizard is covered in a thick mucus, which sticks to the prey, and allows the dragon to draw the tongue, with prey attached, back into their mouths for eating.

Because the reptile flicks it’s sticky tongue out to snare their prey faster than the human eye can see, high speed strobes were needed.

Setting my flashes to high speed sync, and my camera to it’s maximum flash sync speed of 1/250 of a second, my settings were ISO 100, 84mm, f16, 1/1000sec.

My three 550EX flashes had no problem keeping up with my settings and the lightening fast tongue strikes.  It was my reflexes on the shutter that made the photo shoot go into overtime.  Thank goodness this cooperative lizard had a healthy appetite.

Bearded Dragon, eating an insect (Steve Greer)

This cricket didn’t stand a chance.

Monarch Butterfly emerging from it's chrysalis

I had a chance to photograph this caterpillar spin it’s chrysalis and then 10 days later, watch it emerge as a monarch butterfly.

During the 10 days it looked like nothing was happening  inside the shell.  But it was a time of rapid change.  For within the protective covering, the old body parts of the caterpillar underwent a remarkable transformation, called metamorphosis, to become the beautiful parts that made up the butterfly.

From the time when the butterfly breaks free of it’s sleeping bag to when the wings are inflated and begin to dry, takes approximately 12 minutes.  So without a crystal ball, on the ninth day, I set up my own sleeping bag next to the caterpillars’ and wait.  I don’t dare sleep.  I’ve watched paint dry and grass grow, but not being able to examine the inside of my eyelids was not fun.  But then it happened.  Miraculous!

This is a time lapse photo over those 10 days.  Each individual image was then stitched together in PhotoShop, and put together as a montage.

To learn more about these amazing flying flowers and what you can do to help ensure their survival, visit the good folks at Pollination Station.

And to see more photos of monarch butterflies, visit my website.

Mountain Climbing, Ruth Glacier, Denali National Park

Mountain climbing, especially in winter is an exciting and challenging sport.

 Evaluating the amount of loose snow and ice on a rock face, and anticipating the ever-changing weather conditions while sucking high altitude air, can influence the next spot you decide to plant your ice axe.

 Looking up, a climber’s technical knowledge, fitness level, hydration intake, and body temperature, all have to be evaluated properly to match the degree the tectonic plates clashed millions of years ago.

 I always marvel at the skill of a climber who is also the photographer. They carry the same gear, plus their camera gear, hold onto the same rock face, and then scale to a vantage point that will make a compelling image.

 Yet, as a spectator, appearances can be deceiving.  I’ve included the accompanying photograph below to illustrate how composition and focal length can make an easy technical climb look like something more precarious.   One climber, one “well positioned” photographer….. and one wide angle lens.

 Side note:  Just off camera there was an assistant holding my cup of coffee.

 For more image of  Mountain Climbing visit my website  

Photographing a mountain climber, Ruth Glacier, Denali National Park

Located in the heart of Trenton, the New Jersey State House is history come alive. It is the nation’s second oldest capitol in continuous use, the first being in Maryland

Its rotunda and145-foot dome was an essential keystone image for my latest book entitled

“Our New Jersey”

Because I wanted maximum depth of field to capture all the details in the foreground and the background, I dialed in an aperture of  f/16.  And being pressed so close to the sheer size of the space, I needed a 16mm wide angle lens.  With my ISO set at 100, my faithful light meter advised me the sensor required a 15 sec. exposure.  Ok, break out the sturdy tripod with a cable release, and be thankful for the unshakable solid marble floor.

All under the watchful eye of Abraham Lincoln’s bronze statue, sitting squarely in the center of the rotunda, it’s  a wonderful introduction on your way to the gallery to watch the New Jersey Senators, Assemblymen, and Governors making the laws of the state.

Side note:  In 1999, the dome was covered with 48,000 pieces of gold leaf. Each piece of gold leaf cost $1.00 and was paid for with money raised by New Jersey school kids through the “Dimes for the Dome” program. As a thank you for their contributions, the dome stands in honor of New Jersey children.

For more image of the State House visit my website