In a recent email - 

I went to check how much this archive exclusion might set me back and I was shocked that on both accounts it’s listed as only $20/year. That is a mere fraction of what we are already paying.

This almost feels like two years two late. I wish zenfolio had offered this opt out in the initial roll out, it would have saved many photographers lots of headache and hassle and though we may have been disappointed at the cash grab, at least we wouldn’t have lost all of our folder structure, which I know I am still dealing with.

I recently received an order through zenfolio and realized it COST KLC ƒotos money to make a print sale when the price list was set to Base Lab.

Normally when I receive an email about a sale, the email includes the total dollar amount in my account. But this one showed nothing... that made me investigate.

So I went to the order report and saw that the nine 4x6 images that were ordered were resulting in a negative balance for KLC ƒotos.

How did this happen?!

There is a photographer who kindly volunteers his time for organizations, so I had set the price list to "Base Lab Pricing"

Base Lab Pricing is defined as:

Your visitors will be able to order prints and products from the selected Zenfolio Partner Labs at base prices set by the labs. You will not be making any profits on the orders.
 

That seems fine and great! But turns out, zenfolio still charges for the Processing Fees of the total the customer paid.

Thankfully,
a) It was only a $0.62 charge
b) I was able to catch it right away so I could go change the price list to a nominal fee instead before any more orders came in.

Can you imagine if multiple orders while I was away from my computer?! That would have been a disaster!

This is also slightly upsetting as I try to find the balance of how much KLC ƒotos supports photographers who do not create any profit for KLC ƒotos. It's one thing when it costs my time, it's another when it results in a direct cost to KLC ƒotos! Ooof!

This is another case of zenfolio similar to the archive, where I get the logic behind it, but the execution is problematic. I understand the purpose of archiving images, but it shouldn't destroy thumbnails and organization of a site. I understand that there is a price point to even base lab pricing, but either the base lab pricing should incorporate that so that it's just net zero to the photographer as opposed to costing us money.

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Thankfully I got to this in time and it wasn’t a disaster!

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Di you have zenfolio prints offered at “base lab”? Has this happened to you? Better go check!

Ask any zenfolio classic user and we are FRUSTRATED. The archiving has destroyed the look of our websites and our ability to deliver to clients. The email initially made me feel more frustrated and more judgmental. Referencing that over 2 million photographers have used zenfolio, but also highlighting that 20,000 have signed up for next zen. Not a great transition rate and now you are telling me I’m going to be forced to transition at some point. 

As you know, I use PhotoShelter (both for Brands and for Photographers) and SmugMug, and I have storage plans with DropBox, Google, Apple. I’ve looked into PixieSet, ShootProof and others. I went back down the rabbit hole and thought

I’m going all in on PhotoShelter-

Unlimited storage ( it currently offered but I’m grandfathered” in), can update metadata and filename ON the platform, can store RAW photos

But then I remembered, doh, they don’t offer video on the for Photographers plan, and the for Brands plan is way too expensive of storage for personal use

I’m Going All in on SmugMug

Unlimited storage, super fast, can share links for family and friends to upload, green certified, based locally

But then I remembered, no blog option, custom urls, 

I’m Sticking With Zenfolio

Alas. The zenfolio I use right now, is frustrating, but(mostly) functional. Now that I’ve found some work around for the archive, I’m just going to ride it out.

I almost view it like Olympus / OM Digital solutions, despite being sold and very uncertain future, it currently works for me, and I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

One key thing that made me feel like I’ll stay (at least for now) beyond just the intimidation of trying to move an archive, is that when I emailed with a few questions that weren’t answered on their FAQ, I quickly received a response that was not generic at all. Unlike my Peak Design exchange.

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I was able to get zenfolio to delay my archiving for an extended time

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Are you using zenfolio classic, do you plan to stay or leave?

Everyone loves a retro camera and my understanding is that “kids these days” are very into carrying point-and-shoot cameras. But do you know what else they love, filters!

While I don’t care about filters so much, I did order myself an OM-3 and I gotta say I’m VERY excited.

As a mom, I tend to fall victim to just taking photos with my iPhone  it’s great quality with computational support, Live Photos and really “good enough” for sending photos of my kids to our extended family and funny things I see to my sister and other friends. But when we go camping or take vacations, I still find myself wanting to bring a “real camera”. I do often bring my OM-1 Mark II (removing the grip that I normally use for work) but I don’t find myself using it that much (or sometimes at all!)

Some of our friends bring legit film cameras, or instapix, and I often give my kids the Tough TG-7 because photography is fun!

But I am so excited for the OM-3 because I can now have all the “hip” benefits of the retro style camera, the weight benefits of a point-and-shoot, the quality benefits close to a flagship mirrorless, that charges via USB-C and takes my OM-1 Mark II batteries and is weather sealed.

Despite still thinking that canon or Sony will likely be part of my future investment, I am so glad to still be an Olympus/OM Digital Solutions photographer because it just makes photography fun!

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Though I have not been sponsored by the manufacturer since they sold off from Olympus, I do still receive a discount on some items, so it is easier on my wallet to purchase this camera that I don’t really NEED.

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Are you excited about the OM-3. Do you plan to get it? 

This can be somewhat common, given all the moving parts and stations they have to go to, but something was said that CHANGED me.

All players were supposed to come take photos in one jersey, and then a few select players were supposed to come back in alternate jerseys.

When the player came back in the alternate jersey, the creative director asked him to wait so they could get the player who had yet to take any images (seemingly fair). He pushed back saying that he wanted to go first because this was his last station and he was done after this (and we were already behind the scheduled end time) The creative director followed up "do you have somewhere to be?"

"I Have A Whole Family"

For whatever reason, this retort ROCKED me.

It's not that he had class, an appointment, or another timed commitment, but he had a general commitment to his family!

I have a whole family too! - I suddenly felt like my time was being disrespected

It shouldn't matter what your other commitments might be, everyone's time should be respected!

The creative director let him go first. As we wrapped I asked him if he had kids. "An 8-month old daughter". And I was able to share that I have a 3 year old and 4 year old. We connected as parents.

Both my kids were at home waiting for me. Sure, I didn't have to be done at a specific time (say to pick them up from school) but I was going beyond the time we had scheduled and missing out on an extra hour that should have been spent with my family. My whole family. Two kids and a spouse!

As I navigate different asks of my time, I keep repeating to myself "I have a whole family"

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Sometimes players trying to rush through their media day, or go ahead of another teammate is more of a flex. This was said while a non-scholarship player was waiting to go, and the other player was trying to go before. Presumably the walk-on doesn't "have a whole family" in the same sense, but if we are talking about respecting people's time, we should be respecting ALL people.

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Do you have a "whole family"? What phrase do you use to relay to people that your time is valuable - regardless of family

*Note: None of the student-athletes here are the ones I'm referencing in this story. Just adding images for context of the type of content we get for media-day

Jump to How To

Backstory

At some point, zenfolio added a "collections" tool. This allowed you to upload an image once to a "gallery", and then add it to multiple "collections".

Say I had photos from a Cal Football game. I could:

Upload Image to Cal Football vs XYZ Gallery

From there I could Select All

Add to "Cal Football" collection

Add to "College Football" collection

and if there were any particularly great images, I could select just those images

Add to "Portfolio" collection

This seemed genius - because the price list on the original image would apply across all galleries. And is a feature PhotoShelter still uses where one image can be included in multiple galleries.

It was also zenfolio's method for saving storage. Instead of having to pay for that image to be uniquely uploaded multiple galleries, it would be uploaded once and then just "pointed" to the different collections.

KLC ƒotos used collections so that a photographer could upload their gallery to their personal folder, but then they could add those images to a collection in various client folders.

We could have 4 photographers cover a game, they would all upload to their unique gallery, but then add to one big collection of all the images.

This all worked great until the archive "tool" came around.

Now, any image in a collection, that has been added from a gallery which has since been archived, is no longer visible AND (this is the real problem) can only be restored from the gallery. Therefore, our entire Cal Athletics folder, compromised of collections populated from various photographer's galleries, just looks empty.

Clients can't restore on their end (because they can't see what galleries the collection was populating from)

Even when the images are restored, the cover album of the collection is not restored.

Zenfolio used collections as a way to save space on storage, now they use the "archive" to save even more space on storage costs, but I have a method that makes it all kind of backfire.

Here's how you can use the Collections feature to make sure your images do not archive but your site organization remains.

How To

1) Create one or more bucket Galleries

2) Create a Gallery Named "Incoming"

3) Create a Collection with what you would otherwise name the gallery (ex: 2024-09-14 Cal Football)

4) Upload images to the "Incoming" gallery

5) Select All --> Add to the Collection you created

(Optional) --> Set price list

6) Select All --> Move to one of your bucket galleries

And here you would move the images out of your "Incoming" gallery, to an all-encompassing bucket gallery that won't archive, either because you are updating it frequently enough, or because you've set it as one of your 20 that does not update.

Your encompassing bucket galleries might be chronological, say by year

2024 - 2023 - 2022 - 2021

Although if you have an archive of over 20 years like me, you'll max out your 20 galleries limit 

Your encompassing bucket galleries might be by genre.

I've broken mine down into

Portrait - Action (with individual bucket galleries for the sports I cover regularly MLB/NBA/NFL) - Event - Travel - Personal - MISC

How/why exactly does this work?

Collections don't archive only galleries

Bucket galleries are either updated within a year or part of your 20 galleries count

Collections can be individually downloaded - for whenever you need to access/move photos

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This still might be a heavy lift if your galleries are currently archived

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Any other ideas for managing the archive abyss?

I recently saw an advertisement on zenfolio promoting "Make 4-Figures with Mini Sessions" and I had to read it twice.

Maybe it's just in the bay area where most people have monopoly money (so much money, it feels fake) that when I typically hear about someone making "x-figures" as something to boast about, it's six figures minimum. Granted, that's talking annual salary. But it still seemed laughable to advertise 4-Figures

What do they mean "Make 4 Figures with Mini Sessions"

Make 4 figures per session - that could be promising if you are booking 10 mini sessions in a day.

Make 4-figures in a weekend - that's not something I would necessarily boast about

Make 4-figures in a day - that's more impressive.  But also, in the crossover market with 

Make 4-figures per session - that sounds promising... depending on how many mini sessions you book.

KLC ƒotos lists portraits at $700/hr (though we have a number of regular clients who are discounted to $650/hr). A single two-hour session would already put you in the 4-figure category... without having to coordinate multiple families both in the planning and delivery. Given that (and maybe it's just my workflow and distaste for most email communication) offering mini sessions doesn't seem like it would be worth it for just 4-figures.

In that spirit, I didn't have the interest to attend the webinar and figure out what 4-figures meant.

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When I first started, making 4-figures a month felt like I was crushing it. I don't want to knock anyone. If you are making money off your photography - good for you!

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Tell me, mini session photographers, what "4-figures" in relation to mini sessions would be something to boast about?

I've long suspected this from various photos I've seen, but the latest photo makes it quite clear, Taylor Swift uses Olympus!! (The internet super sleuths have confirmed it's an EM-10 Mark IV)

Now, I don't consider myself a "Swiftie" in it's true sense, but I do respect a success woman and I think this is worth noting.

Taylor Swift is someone who could easily afford a significantly more expensive camera. And there are plenty of point-and-shoot style cameras by Leica, etc.

I have no idea how an Olympus body initially ended up in her hands. It seems unlikely that it was a PR move, because they would have given her a body with OM SYSTEM labeling, not OLYMPUS. So I think she might (gasp!) genuinely like the Olympus system!

Stars, they're just like us 😜

I posted about whether AI will be taking over our jobs, but what about the ethics of artificial intelligence?

Though I haven't delivered images to Getty in a while, I am still technically on the roster of Getty contributors. I received an email which outlines their policy. Since the links are public I thought I'd share:
 

GETTY IMAGES COMPANY POLICY on NON-MANIPULATION (Incorporating AI Generated Content) of EDITORIAL NEWS, SPORT, & ENTERTAINMENT PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO

As well as the

Leading Media Organizations Call for Global AI Policy to Protect Editorial Integrity

I think Getty is republishing this now that Adobe has made additional AI-power tools

 

AI can improve our workflow, but it should not be used to alerter the original context or authenticity of a photograph

Acceptable Changes

• Cropping

• Minor color adjustments/corrections

• Limited lightening or darkening

• Limited sharpening

• Removal of dust spots (caused by a dirty lens • or sensor)

• Converting a color image or video to black & white

• Removal of Red Eye (caused by Flash Photography)

• Limited stabilizing of footage

• Minor corrections to level the horizon of an image

Unacceptable Changes

• Adding objects or information that were not in the original photograph

• Deleting or obscuring objects or information that were visible in the original photograph

• Pixelation or blurring of faces to grant anonymity (unless instructed by local laws and then only with the approval of a senior editor)

• Extreme lightening, darkening, color and contrast adjustments using any editing software (e.g., making a gray sky blue, a blue sky orange, etc.)

• Creating an extreme silhouette from a correctly exposed photograph

• Do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence subjects or events

• The use of artificial intelligence software to generate or modify images

Even if you are not a Gerry Image contributor, I still think you might find this "best practices" useful to keep in mind

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I used AI tools to make my background high-key white for marketing portraits, but these are for commercial-use portraits not editorial-only

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Are you using AI tools in PhotoShop? Which ones?

Challenge

Find ways that AI can improve your workflow and find ways your creativity can change your images

1) My photography - this has always been the core of my income, and remains so today. I have multiple clients, both sports and beyond

2) Agency - KLC ƒotos serves as an agency. We retain 20% over on assignments to cover operating costs. A small portion of that

3) Workshops - I lead workshops from time-to-time. My next venture is to start my own workshop!

4) Community - With kreadivs, I'm building out a community space. While I'd love to not charge at all, charging a nominal fee helps justify the operating expenses, and if I get some off the top, even better!

5) Commercialization - NILT is me capitalizing on the moment on Name Image Likeness

6) This blog - initially, this blog was just an outlet for me to post what I was up to. For a while the blog stopped entirely (I was too busy working!) then in the pandemic, I picked it back up because essentially ALL of my other income streams were put on pause. It became rather sporadic as work picked up (not to mention the two kids I brought into the world) but now I'm again finding it as a great outlet and I'd love if you supported it by clicking on affiliate links. I have no plan to paywall this blog otherwise.

I follow some more lifestyle-centric blogs like Reading My Tea Leaves and Cup of Jo.

I've also stumbled upon Shira Gil while looking for local. There are others like Amanda Goetz who I've found via X.

All inspire me to find a niche and continue writing.

I hope this blog provides that space for you, whether you are:

Looking for photography tips

A young woman with long term goals of being a mother and looking for someone who lived that (hurray for elvie!)

Someone looking for lifestyle and career insight even if this isn't exactly your lifestyle or your career. 

My mom, just supporting everything I do :)

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I've been in the industry for nearly twenty years. That has given me plenty of time to develop all of these streams and also work out which ones inspire me!

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Do you have multiple streams? Do you have a blog?

I actually had it in my drafts that I hoped to be all USB-C by the end of '23. Finances didn't quite justify, but I think I can get there now, especially because instead of putting it in my drafts, I'm publishing it on the blog. So now there's a chance someone will ask "are you all USB-C" and I hope to say yes!

I already had a number of things that charged via USB-C

✅ Laptop

✅ Cameras - both can be charged by plugging a USB-C cable directly into the camera. The OM-1 batteries pair with a charger that is USB-C powered. The canon battery charger plugs directly into the wall

My recent upgrades were

✅ Lighting (all my Elinchrom lights are USB-C powered!) The FIVE you even plug the USB-C cable into the spare batteries

✅ Charger Technically this isn't something powered by USB-C but rather something that powers USB-C, but it certainly needed to be purchased to support my USB-C goal

✅ Tough TG-7

✅ Kindle. My kindle, which was a hand-me-down from my sister, finally saw it's demise with a cracked screen. It was over 10 years old though, it had a great run/read!

Remaing

✅iPhone

Unlikely to Switch Out

🚫 Baby monitor. this is the best baby monitor and we still use it from time to time, like if we are in the hot tub when the kids are sleeping, just in case. I'm not sure if the updated models (this is from when we had our first in 2019) have USB-C, but if they do, I'm switching!

🚫 Car. While my friend's RIVIAN is all USB-C, our car still uses USB-A plugs. But, at least the compatibility means I can put an A-C cable in the car and it can still power my USB-C devices.

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If I wait long enough, sure, pretty much everything will be USB-C by default (remember the pushback when Mac first went USB-C?!) I'm just riding the wave a little early because I favor ease and efficiency.

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What about you? Are you a USB-C convert or do you have all kinds of cables everywhere.

I initially found this video

And I have additionally watch SO many other videos with tips and tricks on how to connect the R5.

While I was thinking about switching from Lightroom (which I don't love or otherwise use) to Capture One, I found this, more recent video by John Gress.

As some of the commenters say, I feel so seen when he discusses his embarrassment and frustration when the camera would have trouble connecting, ugh! I also find it kind of hard to believe that someone of his caliber would "put up" with that kind of disfunction and not just seek a different camera. Is what the R5 offers really worth the anxiety of wonder whether your tethering system will or won't work?

Since getting the R5, I've actually converted back to uses the OM-1 on portraits just because the tethering is so much more reliable!

I'm glad I didn't try to solve the problem by just throwing more money at it and subscribing to Capture One. And I am optimistic that just carrying extra cards can be my solution 🤞

I am also optimistic because both Lightroom and Canon R5 have had software/firmware updates in the last year.

If this could be the end of my tethering trials and tribulations, I would be SO happy!

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Technology both solves problems, and creates them!

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Is this the final solution? And do you also love John Gress?

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco GiantsJun 28, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; The fireworks show after the game between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

A bonus post today for some Live Composite - one of the coolest features of the OM-1 and the perfect tool for photographing fireworks. You set your exposure and then only new light gets added to the image.

When covering fireworks you don't have to worry that your long exposure over exposes other elements.

I messed up tonight because I got excited when fireworks blasted off the top of the videoboard... and then didn't end the live composite before they turned back on the stadium lights 🙈

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco GiantsJun 28, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; XXXXX after the game between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

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This wouldn't be an issue for anyone covering a regular fireworks show.

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Have you used Live Composite? What's another great use case beside fireworks?

I finally figured out how to use the joystick to move focus point!

As some you may have followed, I've actually been pretty frustrated with the Canon R5. Partially for it's tethering nightmare, but also because I just can't figure out how to control the focus button.

Previously if I wanted to put someone in the right hand side of the frame, I could just toggle 

I decided to commit to learning the R5 this summer, because I really want to make it my go-to for portraits given the pixel count.

I ended up watching this video

I will not necessarily sing the praises of the production quality of this video, but it was exactly what I (and 4K+ others needed)

Turns out, despite all my searching through the AF menu, it was actually in the custom functions menu. For whatever reason, the camera comes preset with the joystick just off.

Custom settings >> Tab 3 >> Customize Buttons

Scroll to the very last button options and huzzah!!

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I always advocate for learning your camera before you take it out. I should listen to my own advice!

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Do you have the R5? Have you figured this out?

It's a trade off where we are unquestionably getting the better end of the deal. Offering them to stay in a tiny bedroom in the back of our house pre-remodel, with one bathroom and set up their work from home office in the basement. Then we, a family of four, get to stay in their beautifully renovated home - in bedrooms that are larger than the bedrooms we had at our own house! Our room here even has it's own fireplace!

Living with me is hectic - I work odd hours, have lots of gear... and I'd say the same for every member of my nuclear family! 

Living with kids is hectic - They wake up early, sing loudly, run around the house naked, and despite their best efforts, never get 100% of any meal in their mouth.

Living with your siblings in adulthood is hectic - 4 adults, 4 different routines, 4 different morning beverage preferences, 4 (sometimes 5!) different vehicles to park.

Moving out of your house is hectic - How did we accumulate so much stuff?!

But none of this is me griping. This is the high life!! I say that not only because we are lifting our house, and currently living at my sister's place in the hills, literally living the HIGH life, but just because as hectic as it is, I know I will look back on this as one of the best seasons of my life.

While we are trying to not take advantage of the potential for built-in babysitting, it is such a treat to see my kids light up when my sister gets home from work. And I love watching them do legos or watch Bluey together on the weekends. Not only is it a little break for me after being with the kids all day otherwise, I am just so grateful for all the extra adult attention and love. It's assumed they get grandparent love, but auntie/uncle love (even if they aren't by definition an aunt or uncle, just a trusted adult) is special relationship too.

Not to mention the impromptu adult cocktail hours, especially during summer when the sun sets well after kid's bedtime.

The only downside is, my kids have more toys here than they ever did at our house. They are not going to want to go back!

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I am so incredibly lucky and privileged. Not only to have a home and the resources to renovate it, but also for the relationship with my sister, our spouses, and our kids.

How About You?

Have you lived with your siblings in adulthood? Would you?

If you are like me, you get countless emails each day. If you are also like me, you have filters set up and quickly swipe to delete emails you know you won't read. But do you actually unsubscribe. Or just kick the can down the road and plan to unsubscribe next time you get the email.

In reading Cal Newport's blog, I'm reminded how much email has gotten out of control. And how you have to keep in mind that each notification alert still draws away your attention. And if you are like many early adopter Gmail users, you're starting to realize your storage is not unlimited and all the pointless emails you mindless archived are catching up to you. Though also if you are Gmail user, your social and promotional emails go into folders.

Quick glance at some emails I get:

Pocket TrueBlue AspireIQ Canon USA Taylor from Later Zazzle AmazonPhotos DoorDash IFTTT HiltonHonors PhotoShelter JetBlue WholeFoodsMarket Refersion ZoomDigitalTransitions LinkedIn Facebook Twitter, MyFonts, The Boomerang Team, TripAdvisor, YouTube, Instagram, Mom365, PayPal, Marine Layer, Breathe For Change, Diane Clifford No, Ulta Beauty, Trim, Sur La Table, Carbonite, ebay, Shinola Detroit, Amour Vert, REI, Raven + Lily, RMS Beauty, Caviar, Zola, Rothy's, Poshmark, Hootsuit, prAna, StubHub, PBS, SportsBasement, Minted, Roku.

If you love getting promotional emails (my dad is in this category, I do not understand) I suggest signing up for these accounts with a separate email address. I have a sort of "burner" email that I've started to use. I'm also now committing to not just doing a mass delete but trying to prevent the email to begin with.

Many of these companies have subscription options that they automatically opt you into, but you can opt out without deleting your account entirely.

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It's my own fault for ever putting my email out there to begin with :P Also, a pre-emptive apology in case I ever start sending a newsletter and filling up your inbox.

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How's your inbox looking? Do you get thousands of promo emails, subscribe to a few newsletters, or are you an inbox zero kind of person. I encourage you this week, and indefinitely, to not just clean out your inbox by deleting, but prevent your inbox from filling up by committing to a month of not just swiping on your phone and clearing it (until the next promotion) but diligently unsubscribing from any emails which you know you won't access

I'm so honored to again be speaking at the Peter Read Miller workshop. June 21st in Santa Clara between the class covering the Earthquakes game and the A's game (final chance for this workshop to cover an Oakland A's game!)

Per usual, my presentation is about How to Build a Career in the Sports Photography Industry.

Sooooo many workshops teach you how to make great pictures. And if that's your only goal, that's great! But what's a good picture if no one wants it, or no one can find it!

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The workshop is not cheap, many of those just starting out can't justify $2K. But if you've already invested $30K+ on gear, you can justify a few thousand on learning how to use it. :P

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Are you attending? Have you been before?

I am relieved because all galleries on both KLC ƒotos and Kelley L Cox, have been restored.

I’m so grateful to Phil Ritti who really advocated for me and helped set up a meeting with me the CEO, John, to make this happen. The trouble is, even though the galleries have been restored, neither site has really been recovered, as any folder that had a thumbnail populated from a gallery that got archived, now shows up as just a blank folder - which might make someone visiting my site think that my MLB gallery is empty... when in reality it has well over 400 games (whoa - have I really covered over 400 games?!)

I suppose I could make a pun that it hasn't be re-COVERED, as all my select covered photos are missing.

So how do I feel about zenfolio now?

It’s complicated. I have so much appreciation for how I was able to grow my career and my company on zenfolio, but I'm also disheartened with the direction the current decision-makers have taken it. Yes, zenfolio wasn't perfect, but it was generally functional and I invested a lot of time and effort into customizing it and making it work for me and my business.

Will I be using zenfolio in the future?

I will continue to use zenfolio for this site. The archiving isn’t really an issue for me for that use since I’m not actively selling on the platform and I can set my portfolio and other galleries to not archive moving forward. Perhaps I will even make a "cover" gallery set to not archive and my cover photos will pull from that as opposed to the gallery of the event. Full disclosure, I pay only $200 for it, and that is well worth the price.

However, I am acknowledging and accepting that I can no longer consider zenfolio an archive. To me, an archive is accessible and searchable. The zenfolio "archive" is neither of those. Zenfolio can be a great website builder, CRM tool, one-time delivery tool... and a decent basic blog (if you don't need spellcheck).

For my archive, I'm using PhotoShelter and SmugMug. PhotoShelter is housing all of my WORK, while SmugMug is housing both work and my personal archive. This choice is mostly because SmugMug allows auto-upload and videos, both of which are not features of PhotoShelter.

For KLC ƒotos, I'm using PhotoShelter for Brands. I even participated in a webinar about how KLC ƒotos uses the platform.

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I know I am in a rare position to have the pull to get my archive restored without having to manually restore every gallery. I, along with many others, was initially doing this. I can't believe the time I spent clicking to restore galleries. The number of people manually restoring their galleries actually clogged up the servers. Take that as a hint that we all can't run a business with archived galleries!

How About You?

Are your galleries restored? Have you started moving them? Will you stay on zenfolio? If not, where are you moving to?

It has officially been one year since I've posted on instagram. (and almost a year since I posted on my personal account... before it was briefly suspended)

I'm a bit torn.

On one hand, 

- Instagram can be a useful place to showcase an active portfolio

- Instagram can help you find inspiration

On the other hand, 

- There are so many ads these days and some of the best photographers I know have <500 followers, whereas some of the worst have tens of thousands of followers

 - I want to dispel the myth that time spent on instagram has the same kind of return on investment than alternatives to promoting your business when it comes to photography

 - I want my daughters to not care about social media, or whatever is the popular platform promoting false standards and target young people, when they have independent access to internet. So I need to set the standard myself.

The only thing pulling me is losing out on opportunities to promote activities I'm associated wit like Peter Read Miller's Workshop or PhotoShelter for Brands. But I'm also not a fan of stories because t just seems like a tool to make sure you check the platform daily.

I wonder if there would be a benefit to KLC fotos having more of a presence and maybe posting there and adding myself as a "collaborator". But I think most KLC fotos clients just want us to deliver content so they can post it on their channels. And that's what I'm doing.

And I certainly haven't missed it.

I don't miss checking the engagement (and associated feelings) and having to respond to comments.

How About You?

Are you still active on instagram or another platform, have you waned?

Check It

I have been in the industry for nearly two decades and I'm not necessarily seeking new clients, so it's easy for me to say I don't need instagram.

Also, to be fair, I don't want to misrepresent myself, I have logged in, over the past year. Instagram is still where I exchange funny posts with my sister and sister-in-law. And occasionally check what Al Sermeno ate (when he prompts me to go check)
 

Challenge

Try being on instagram less and see what happens. Depending on where you are at, maybe not checking instagram for an entire day would be a big shift. Maybe not posting for a month for would be reasonable. Whenever you're at, try a little less social media and see how you feel.

Also, if you are looking for somewhere to promote your work or connect with other creatives, check out kreadivs!

I'm excited to share that I'll be a panelist on PhotoShelter's DAM Month speaking on 

Elevate Your Archive & Boost Your Brand

Digital Asset Management (DAM)

If you want to join in, can register here

NFL: NFC Championship-Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ersJan 28, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) holds the George Halas Trophy while after winning the NFC Championship football game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Last week (well after the 49ers Super Bowl loss), I received an email out-of-the-blue (name redacted)

Hello Kelley:
I love this shot that appeared in The Daily Journal here in San Mateo, CA.

I thought those were Brock's kids - they look like him!  I cut out the picture to show my

grandkids - such a happy capture!  

Do you know who the kids are?  They look like Brock!

Thank you, Kelley!

Redacted 

Redacted

San Mateo, CA

Isn't that the cutest?!

I love that there are people who are still getting a physical paper (even if it's grandpas) and that they are sharing clippings with their grandkids. This is an interaction that makes me love covering sports.

The story associated with the image

I tried to find this story on The Daily Journal website. I spent all too long scrolling through the Sports Section, both Local and National. I searched "49ers". I even searched "Kelley L Cox"

Without any luck, I tried searching "49ers comeback kelley l cox" on google images and found a link to the DeWitt Observer using an entirely different photo. 

Early in my career, I set up a google alert anytime google crawling found my name on an image in the last 24 hours. I (read: my mom) was saving all these clippings to a pinterest board But at a certain point, it felt saturated.

Subscription Models

There are SO many websites and blogs out there publishing my images courtesy of subscription model image use. When I say subscribers, I'm not talking about subscription users who pay to visit a website, but websites that have subscribed to the imagn "feed" and can use any image without an image specific licensce.

When I search Brock Purdy Kelley L Cox, I get these results

From Brock Purdy images alone, I can say I've been published In:

USA Today, The Jerusalem Post, Sports Illustrated, The Comeback, YardBarker, Bay Area Sports Hub, 49ers Webzone, Sportsnaut, On3, Fox News, AtoZ Sports, Longview News Journal, USA Today's FTW, The 33rd Team, Niners Wire, 49ers News, AZCentral, China Daily, Deadspin, Niner Noise, The Athletic, KNBR, ESPN,  Yahoo, The Guardian, MSN,

At a certain point, especially when I'm not receiving payments for each of these publications, it feels more inundating than important.

But I love to think that somewhere, my image is in the hands of a kid or two, sent by their grandpa. And while the internet is full of trolls, there's also a corner of people who have something nice to say, and a curious question, that they seek me out to ask. Without asking any favor in return (how many times have I had to respond, "No. Sorry, I can't sent the original to you".)

How About You?

Do you still get the paper? Do you still save your "tearsheets" of published work?

Check It

I am so fortunate to be in a place in my career where my work already has an outlet, I am paid to be there, not just working on spec, and I've been published enough that I no longer have to try to promote myself by promoting places where my credit line has appeared.

Challenge

I want to plug "support local news" which you absolutely should. But as someone who does not personally receive any physical newspapers myself, that would feel inauthentic. So instead I'll challenge you to get published in your local paper, print edition and observe how it feels to go beyond the screen.

Side Note: They are Jed York's kids. Not Brock's.

It was announced that Sports Illustrated is likely to lay off the entire staff. END OF AN ERA!

I still remember how excited I was when I had my first photo published in Sports Illustrated back in 2011.

I still remember how excited I was when KLC fotos had our first photo (not taken by me) published in Sports Illustrated.

It was a credit line that legitimized your work.

Sports Illustrated was not only the magazine for sports writing content, but it was the magazine for the best sports photography taken by the best sports photographers. I looked to the magazine each week to be inspired. To see what made the "double truck", SI version of centerfold. And in a pre-social media era, the credit lines made legends out of the best photographers whether they were staffers or other credit lines you came to recognize.

Early in my career, I assisted Peter Read Miller at games and I assisted John McDonough on a portrait session when they were Sports Illustrated staff photographers. Being able to watch them work left me inspired. As with any community, there are superstars, and in the niche sports photography community Sports Illustrated staffers were the KINGS.

I marveled at the idea that I was at a place in my career where I was covering major events, and these legends would say "Hi, Kelley" and occasionally "nice picture from xyx" thinking "oh my goodness. They know my name! They know my work. The like my work!?"

For a moment, it seemed like Player's Tribune was the next Sports Illustrated. A platform that allowed player's to tell their own stories (through ghostwriters and great PR teams) it felt groundbreaking to hear player's be so vulnerable on a major platform and see photos of them off the court/field that humanized them. These were the next-gen of sports photography, portraits, not just action.

But now it seems, "we" have no patience for long form content. Every site is click/ad driven. Every player has a "brand". I no longer know where to look for inspiration from my fellow colleagues. Reverting back to just checking imagn/Getty/AP websites.

I will not make any claims or even aspirations to have kreadivs be the next Sports Illustrated. But I do hope it can at least be the space where we feel inspired and learn from each other.

How About You?

Were you an avid Sports Illustrated consumer?

Check It

I don't want to wax on too much about Sports Illustrated. I wouldn't argue it was diverse in it's staff or ideas, even less so as it transitioned to AI writers. And the swimsuit edition (though it made strides in recent years) certainly had it's own issues. (get it... issues)  But I do want to recognize the good people and the incredible content (before content was common language) that was created.
 

Challenge

Find an old SI cover and see if you can recreate it.

January 19, 2024; Berkeley, CA; CAPTION at Haas Pavilion.

During the women's basketball season, I had a chance to meet Michael Lewis.

You might know him as the author of Moneyball and the Blindside, but in my house, he is known as the author of Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood.

Big ups to Michael Lewis for supporting women's sports and for unapologetically putting words to some of the less endearing emotions one might feel in early parenthood. And shout-out to Darren Yamashita for capturing this photo of me emphatically telling him how my spouse felt so "seen" when reading Home Game.

January 19, 2024; Berkeley, CA; CAPTION at Haas Pavilion.

Check It

Normally, I would not approach someone to say hi. That's not just true for celebrities (like when LeBron James sat courtside at Cal), but really all people. I am actually pretty introverted. But I felt like as a dad (and a dad with such tragedy) I wanted him to know how much he has helped other dads who discovered this book.

Check In

Are you a dad? How was early parenthood for you? Have you read Michael Lewis' book?

NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Golden State WarriorsJan 24, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; An empty chair behind the Golden State Warriors bench in honor of the late assistant coach Dejan Milojevic before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Golden State WarriorsJan 24, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors coaching staff stand in honor of the late assistant coach Dejan Milojevic before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

This was HEAVY.

NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Golden State WarriorsJan 24, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) wipes away tears before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Golden State WarriorsJan 24, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) and forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (32) before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Golden State WarriorsJan 24, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) with tears on his cheek while the team remembers their late assistant coach assistant coach Dejan Milojevic before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

In so many ways, I hate it. I like capturing the pain of losing a game, that kind of emotion is raw and real, but it also "doesn't really matter" because "it's just a game". But to try to photograph the pain of losing a person, it felt invasive. I can't imagine losing a loved one, having to grieve publicly, and having a bunch of cameras in my face... and yet here I am, being a person behind one of those cameras! (Though I tried to give them plenty of space, unlike TV that was right up in there!) NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Golden State WarriorsJan 24, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors staff and players honor the late assistant coach Dejan Milojevic before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The only thing that made me more uncomfortable than taking pictures of players crying, was that after the whole recognition (asking for an ovation as opposed to a moment of silence), player intros, then it's like "Wah-Wah-Warrrrrrriors! Make. Some. Noooooise!" Really?! Are we are all expected to flip a switch and carry on?
NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Golden State WarriorsJan 24, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after scoring a basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Golden State WarriorsJan 24, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) smiles after scoring against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

In some ways, I guess the answer is "yes!" And this is also why I love sports. Sports gives us this platform for big feelings. But yet, it also provides the distraction from those same feelings. Allows us to feeling alive again. Smile again. And be reminded that the world sometimes sucks and feels unfair but it is still turning and if we are so lucky to still be alive, let's be alive!

How About You?

All thoughts welcome. How are you feeling after hearing about his loss? How do you feel about death in general? Are there things you are uncomfortable photographing? Do you hope you'll have a big recognition when you die? Is your trust set up?

Check It

I have to remind myself I am a photojournalist. And in today's disheartening journalism landscape, I am always thinking what can I do to better tell a story. To be a more valuable contractor. To feel less like a vulture and more like a story teller who actively thinks about how to tell a story, note how I switched from f/2.8 to f/8 here so that "Dejan Milojevic" was more in focus

NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Golden State WarriorsJan 24, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; XXXX during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Golden State WarriorsJan 24, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr speaks about the late assistant coach Dejan Milojevic before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Challenge

Tell your people you love them. Be grateful for every extra day you get to spend with them.

Artificial Intelligence is incredible. It's come a long way from the Birds. But I'm sorry to say, it's still not there.

Using PhotoShelter for Brands Automated Metadata feature is great for searching images, but I noticed after the Sugar Bowl when I was downloading images from contributors, that downloading images with the embedded keywords can be a tricky! You can get yourself into trouble both journalistically and just personally if you let a keyword stay attached that shouldn't be there at all.

This photo of a Washington cheerleader automated labels like "bra", "lingerie" and "underwear". Had I IDed her, she might not want to be associated with "lingerie" photos of her being on the internet. And Rod would likely like his name to pop up as a sports photographer not an underwear photographer!

The cool thing about PhotoShelter is that you can download images with that metadata. But you better have a human giving it a once over so you aren't submitting an image of Steve Sarkisian with "firearm" and "weapon" attached to it!

I've also had it keyword softball players as male (not going to include that image because she probably would not like to be associated with "male") among other errors. So even though AI is a great search tool, it's not yet a great captioning tool.

Check It

This is still a very useful tool and I'd recommend keeping the AI keyword tagging on in anyone's internal archive. But I wouldn't recommend adding it to the file if you plan to distribute it anywhere

Check In

Have you had any AI mishaps? Are you using AI for captioning?

I keep trying to find the silver lining in the zenfolio archive tool.

I 100% understand that hosting a large number of files is an intimidating server task. But we were still are advertised unlimited storage.

The archive tool has destroyed how I organized images on KLC fotos.

And most importantly, even the archive tool, isn't working as advertised.

I go, as a client might, to restore a gallery, and just get an error message.

Sometimes the error message is on brand... though still an error message.

Other times, it looks like my website was built in 1992. I know zenfolio is old, but it's not that old!

Check It

Realistically, I don't need my archive publicly accessible online. But it's no less disappointing how the service I was paying for has been so diminished.

How About You?

Are you impacted by the Archive "tool"? Have you switched? Do you plan to switch?

Challenge

I'm not just complaining to the void. I have sent emails to support from both this account and KLC fotos account. If enough of us voice our concerns, will it have an impact? 

San Jose Earthquakes vs New York Red BullsFireworks display after the show. The San Jose Earthquakes tied the New York Red Bulls 2-2 at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California on July 2nd, 2011.

Same as anyone, I have the generic personal new year's resolutions: drink more water, exercise more, get more sleep (most of which are rolling resolutions) But here are a few of my photography-centric goals for the year:

Revisit My Cloud Archive Strategy

I diligently back up on external drives (but we know those eventually fail) and I have consistently uploaded to KLCfotos (via zenfolio) or KelleyLCox.com, but not always both. I started being diligent about PhotoShelter uploads a few years ago, and I've tinkered with Pixie Set and SmugMug. It may be time to revisit my 3-2-1 rule.

Send Invoices ASAP

Money has always felt awkward for me. I feel as though I'm being rude if immediately after upload, I send an invoice. But I'm realizing, that isn't rude, and in many cases, it's preferred!

Improve Photographer Onboard Process

There are, gratefully, a back-log of photographers asking to work with KLC fotos.

Every new photographer needs to send a:

Contractor Agreement - to ensure KLC fotos can legally hire them as contractors

Contributor Agreement - to ensure KLC fotos has the rights to represent the work they upload

W-9 (US Citizen) or W-8 (non-US Citizen) - to ensure we can report payments as required

From there I need to create for them:

a BILL account - to pay them

a PhotoShelter account

a Zenfolio accounts

Given that constraint, the current onboarding process has prioritized photographers who KLC fotos needs to hire for an assignment urgently, as opposed to welcoming in the number of photographers who could potentially contribute to KLC fotos.

Get Rid of Gear

I never considered myself a gear-junkie. When I used canon, I had two bodies (1Dx, 5D Mark II), and four lenses (70-200mm f/2.8, 16-35mm f/2.8, 300 f/2.8, 50mm f/1.5). When I switched to Olympus, and then was an "Olympus Visionary" it was all to easy to establish the mindset "hmmm, I might as well get that 60mm macro lens, and two 14-42mm to essentially serve as body caps that make my camera always ready" and I have an embarrassing number of both bodies and lenses that I'm holding onto "in case I need them". Same for those 3 paper seamless backgrounds I have in my basement and haven't used since pre-pandemic when I switched to cloth backgrounds.

Build Up kreadivs

kreadivs has been a quiet labor of love for me for years. I've successfully enticed a few well respected creatives to join (hi, Peter Read Miller) and I continue to build out the site to make it more functional, but I haven't yet fully established any given area (GEAR, JOBS, POSTS) to the point of feeling like I can really launch.

Launch NILT

As I've been working with college athletes for nearly two decades (gosh, that makes me feel old) I've watched the landscape change dramatically, and the last few years it has felt like the wild wild west (even if Cal is soon to join the Atlantic Coast Conference) With everything happening with the conference realignment, the transfer portal and name image likeness, and all those playing off of each other. The NCAA isn't providing much direction, many schools haven't developed the support systems for student-athletes (or creators for that matter!) to truly maximize the opportunities.

Check It

There is so much going on in the world and with this being an election year in the US, I worry 

Check In

What are your resolutions? Personal and/or professional

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Press ConferenceDecember 30, 2016; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Mercedes Benz Superdome. Photo: Kelley L Cox -KLC fotos for the Allstate Sugar Bowl

This week I could have been photographing the Sugar Bowl. I started covering the Sugar Bowl in 2016. I have so many great memories over the years. Most notably when I was able to have my yet-to-be spouse and their sibling as my assistants.

I took off the Jan 1, 2020 game, because I was due to give birth late-October. My OB suggested I not take an infant (with no immunity) on an airplane in winter. They said the baby would be fine if I left it at ~3months, but I likely (emotionally) would not. 2021 they didn’t even know if a game would be played and flights were mayhem.

The 2022 game I had another newborn. The 2023 game, I was ready to be back but the assignment fee was still 2016 rate, and the flight prices, were significantly higher.

When they called this year, I really wanted to cover it, just for my own sense of being back to my old self. I love (really only know) New Orleans at New Years. I bought terrible cheap connecting flights and was ready to basically break even just for my own sense of identity. But then it shifted…

The more I thought about it and talked it out with the Sugar Bowl team, we thought, why force this? I realized, I am not the same Kelley of 2017.

Ultimately, KLC fotos (aka me) hired three photographers 2 local, one traveling and coordinated a 4th volunteer. After demonstrating the day-of support and archive platform I could support, they increased the fee to have KLC ƒotos manage their 7 volunteer photographers they had independently coordinated.

So on New Year’s Eve, I will be working the Cal game 3 miles from my house (Go Bears!) then joining my kids and partner for a midnight countdown at 9pm, which is advertised for the benefit of being kid-friendly, though I think plenty of adults, sans kids, would appreciate a 9pm count down. Jan 1, I will be providing support to the great photographers that have been entrusted to cover the game.

This is shifting my approach to KLC fotos and I can’t wait to share what 2024 has in store!

As someone who receives a fair amount of test files, I always both laugh and cringe when I get a test file that is clearly a test file

I have a feeling, that pot on the stove is NOT part of California vs Utah Football.

Some photographers swing the other direction, and test file using a text graphic. This is certainly more professional, but it still means that your first isn't an image at all.

If you don't have administrative access to a platform, I would recommend sending a test file and letting someone with admin access know in advance so they can confirm it uploaded and remove it.

Check It

Though test files can be silly, it would be more silly if you went to a game and only on-site realized your FTP didn't work. I am quite appreciative of anyone who prepares... and anyone who cooks!

Check In

Do you send test files? Test graphics? Or wait until you are on-site

In the great debate of how to sign emails ("thanks", "best", "regards", "In community") I think I may have found my favorite:

Met sportieve groet
 

Which google translates to: "With sporty greetings"

I like this email signature because it's so specific to the job.

For context, this was an email from the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation to use images from Water Polo World Cup.

My other favorite part of the signature is:

Om de week vrij op woensdag
 

Which translates to:

Every other week off on Wednesday

European work culture is so different. 

As evident again by the Out of Office reply

Now the translation clearly isn't perfect, but

"Isn't it in a hurry? Then I will pick it up again on Monday December 4th"

It reminds me of the meme about European out-of-office vs American out-of-office

Check It

I am still working on inbox management. I try to respond to most emails in a timely manner. I've also tried to put links and guidance in emails so that if I have an out-of-office for any extended amount of time (rare, but hopefully more) the sender isn't just left waiting.

How About You?

In your line of work, what would be a similar sign off?

Challenge

Even if you are not ready to have sporty greetings, maybe spruce up your email signature in your send-off or your contact details.

Lately, I’ve been unsettled by how much "shot" and "shoot" are used in photography. 

To be fair, I was a proud member of SportShooter in it's heyday and I am just as guilty of continuing the language when I created the Shoot Like Shirley contest (I love a good alliteration) But that was then. It feels as though there are far too many shootings of the gun violence variety, to casually use the word shoot in relation to something as harmless as photography.

Currently, I’m working on finding good substitutes. So far I've come up with

photo shoot ➡️ photo session / assignment / event

headshot ➡️ portrait

shot list ➡️ photo list / run of show / image needs)

Check It

This is going to be difficult. It's so commonplace that it doesn't necessarily feel violent when you say it. Also, I don't know what I'm going to do in relation to basketball captions "shoots the ball". And I do enjoy the earnestness of "shoot your shot!"

How about you?

What terms do you use for a photo session/assignment/event? Would love to hear your suggestions. Or if you are outside of the photography world, what are some of the words your industry uses that you would like to see altered?

Challenge

Even if you don't agree with me and feel like geeze, even photography has been taken over by "the woke", it's a fun challenge to try to change your language. You could try with something unrelated to inclusive non-violent language. Say you always use "e-mail" see how hard it is to replace it with "e-message" or "online-mail" just for the spirit of seeing how challenging it is to change vocabulary.

Every photographer who is interested in joining KLC fotos and/or becoming a professional photographer, one of my first recommendations is to get PhotoMechanic.

PhotoMechanic is unquestionably the most efficient way to cull through images and add metadata

From a culling perspective, I don't think anything is faster. For metadata there are some workarounds

a) Editing metadata on PhotoShelter

b) Using Sony’s Transfer and Tag app (mobile only)

But none compare to the efficiency of PhotoMechanic on a desktop. ("Creators will always use Computers")

Subscriptions Are Coming

I have had a PhotoMechanic license for almost 20 years. I started with a student discount and have upgraded over the years to newer versions and the latest PhotoMechanic Catalog (though I still don't quite understand or fully utilize the catalog features) 

In a recent announcement, PhotoMechanic shared that they will be switching to a subscription license. And while I'm disappointed, it's also completely understandable. I can't expect them to build updates for each new operating system, all on my original $

For Cyber Monday, PhotoMechanic is currently $99!!! If you plan on using the same operating system for a while, I cannot recommend this enough! Buy PhotoMechanic perpetual license while you still can: store.camerabits.com

IGFacebookCM

Not too long ago, I bought the Elinchrom ONE dual kit and I finally had the use case where it they were the most appropriate tool for the job. A 7am Police Department Photo. I wasn't going to post about this assignment, but a photographer reached out to me: 

"This photo popped up in my Instagram feed this morning. I’m assuming the photo is yours  When you have time, can I trouble you for some basic behind the scenes info? I’m super curious about how you shot it as I try to learn and improve."

Lighting-  Strobes? One light on the right side and one light on the left side?  I assume you did not use a flash on your camera. 

Two Elinchrom ONE lights, one on either side, as high as they can be. If they are too low, the head of the person in front would cast an obvious shadow on the person behind them. Shooting RAW you can do a lot to bring up shadows, but nothing compares to real light. Technically this is "artificial" light, but you know what I mean.

Napa Police DepartmentOctober 12, 2023; Napa, California, USA; Napa Police Department at Napa Valley College; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

Is it a single image or are there any photoshop things like eye swaps to avoid somebody having their eyes closed?

I am not that advanced with my photoshop (I know there are automated tools that can do this, it's just not part of my workflow). I just take a lot and always end up with enough all-eyes-open options. I also often count "one-two-three" and that typically helps a) eyes be open b) people who want to adjust hair etc, know they can move when I'm not at the end of the count.

Aperture-  What aperture did you use to get all five rows of people in focus?

I was at f/6.3 for these. Though I was also a whole staircase away (on a ladder) so the difference between the front row and the back row was not as significant from a ratio perspective. My rule of thumb for any large group photo (and full body individual photos) is to get as far away as possible so you can "flatten" the image and not have any wide-angle distortion where the front row looks like giants and the back row looks like ants.

ISO/ Shutterspeed? 

ISO 3200. High, I know, but in today's world of ISO capabilities, that's not a problem. Shutter speed 1/250. Right in the flash range, I probably could have slowed it down to 1/200 but with a background in sports, I do NOT have steady hands, and there was enough ambient light coming through that I didn't want to have camera-shake-induced blurry photos.

How many pictures did it take to end up with “the shot”?

I think in total, we took 36 group photos, all in the matter of minutes, some smiles, some no smiles. In total, total, much more since I took a lot of set up photos to dial in my position and lighting and also move people around to make sure everyone was in the "window" of the person ahead of them. I like to give them a few options so they can choose "the shot" as opposed to me just delivering one shot (this is also why I don't do much PhotoShopping)

What is the location they selected to use difficult for you as a photographer to accommodate or easy?

Thankfully, this was a really collaborative process with a 2-month lead so we had time to discuss options. They knew their department meeting was going to be on the college campus, so it had to be somewhere near there. My goal was to find some kind of staircase to provide that elevation. The Sergeant worked with campus staff to secure the gymnasium. I was hoping to avoid the gym just because it would be obvious it was a gym, and I love environmental portraits. Though it was nice to have the gym as backup in case it was raining. These kind of department photos can't be rescheduled as easily as other portraits. I was able to use google maps to find a set of staircases and the Sergeant was kind enough to do some scouting for me so I didn't have to make the drive just to scout locations. The first staircase I "eyed" via google maps satellite, I didn't realize had a big sign that would have definitely been a problem. But the Sergeant found another staircase that worked perfectly. I also brought a small ladder that I placed on top of an elevated planter box (do what ya gotta do!) so that even though I was down a flight of stairs, my angle wasn't significantly lower than the group.

Napa Police DepartmentOctober 12, 2023; Napa, California, USA; Napa Police Department at Napa Valley College; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

On a related note, I am extra glad these were my lights for this, because

a) We had some extra time after taking the department photo before the all-hands meeting was scheduled to start so I was able to use them for some fun smaller group photos. The light provided just enough "pop" and was easy to maneuver.

Napa Police Department: All-Hands Event 2023October 12, 2023; Napa, California, USA; Napa Police Department: All-Hands Event 2023 at Napa Valley College; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos) Napa Police Department: All-Hands Event 2023October 12, 2023; Napa, California, USA; Napa Police Department: All-Hands Event 2023 at Napa Valley College; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

b) Even though we had discussed me covering the all-hands event and they decided they didn't need coverage of it, when I arrived, they asked if I would cover it after all (Thankfully I was up front with my pricing and budget so we weren't negotiating or setting terms on site). This was indoor in a very dark auditorium. I had no on-camera flash and had brought no other modifier for the lights than the translucent dome that comes with the Elinchrom ONE. (I hadn't even brought another lens, so thankfully I had the 24-105mm f/4 which provided some focal range versatility)

Had I been using my ELB500, I would have only had the wide reflectors which would have felt too harsh for both the portraits and then event style photography.

So dark!! Napa Police Department: All-Hands Event 2023October 12, 2023; Napa, California, USA; Napa Police Department: All-Hands Event 2023 at Napa Valley College; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

Also, this has nothing to do with the Elinchrom ONE but just wanted to share a fun hot air balloon that appeared during the morning. Reminds me of stumbling upon the Albuquerque Balloon Festival years ago.

Napa Police Department: All-Hands Event 2023October 12, 2023; Napa, California, USA; Napa Police Department: All-Hands Event 2023 at Napa Valley College; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

Well, after my post about gray tape being the all-in-one solution... here's me backtracking. I wish I had white tape!

The other day I had to take dance team photos and (for reasons I won't get into) we ended up taking them on the third floor of Haas Pavilion instead of the usual room. This area convenient has one big white wall, and considering everything is high-key white, I thought to myself, how convenient would it be to just tape my background on the wall to cover the trim.

The key benefit to this would been for the group photo, which was supposed to be taken on the court but couldn't be (again, for reasons I won't get into) so instead the photo had to be taken on my background.

Had I just had a giant white wall, I wouldn't have had to worry about the team going beyond my background and me needing to stamp it out.

I'll just grab that remaining roll that's in my... doh

Have I mentioned how much I don't like using PhotoShop? I want to spend as little time as possible manipulating photos so I can spend more time making photos.

Spirit: California Golden Bears DanceOctober 25, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Spirit: California Golden Bears Dance at Haas Pavilioin; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

So, I've ordered some white tape that will just stay in my lighting kit. And maybe next time my location gets chanced to a big white wall, I'll be able to take advantage of it!

In other news, this session was from 6pm-8pm and since I had brought my Elinchrome ONE lights for a potential on-court team photo, when I saw all the dancers were taking sunset photos from the balcony mid-season, I said, let's all get out there. I like this team photo even better!

Spirit: California Golden Bears DanceOctober 25, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Spirit: California Golden Bears Dance at Haas Pavilioin; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

A few week ago, I wrote about my disappointment with Zenfolio's archive "tool". I wanted to follow up on the pulse, online communities, real life chats with colleagues, and some email exchanges with zenfolio and most importantly, now that it's here, understanding it a little better.

Switching To New Zenfolio Won't Save You

The first thing I want to relay to people is that this archive tool is currently only affecting us Classic users, but it's coming for everyone. I questioned whether this was just a method to try to force the hand of those of us still on the Classic Zenfolio platform. The response from support:

At this time, while the Archive Service is active on Classic currently - we do plan to implement the service on our New Platform as well in the very near future.

I would hate for any of you to go to the trouble of moving your entire archive to the new zenfolio... only to have this archive tool find you there!

If that response isn't enough to make you think the archive is coming for the updated platforms, consider that the archive styling is identical to the new platform.

The Grass Isn't Always Greener

There is SO much I like about PhotoShelter (faster, ability to edit metadata online, highly searchable) that make it better for regular clients, but there are some areas where zenfolio is easier (friendly links, visual, purchasing images) for customers and occasional clients who don't need a live uploads, highly searchable archive system. And PhotoShelter has been quite the pain with permission and price list settings.

Check It

As it settles in, I realize, I am maybe not as upset by it as I expected to be. Yes, the sales are a disappointing fall off, but in terms of KLC fotos, there are 300+ contributor photographers and this might motivate someone who hasn't updated their profile to do so. Also, what I prefer over their RAW file storage, is that I can actually see what galleries are being archived, and then adjust.

How About You?

Have you left zenfolio? Are you planning on leaving zenfolio? Where are you building?

Challenge

Wherever your archive is, get it one place or have a strategic plan for moving.

Welp, I was suspended from Instagram because "Your account, or activity on it, doesn't follow our Community Guidelines on adult sexual solicitation" 😳

Of all the outrageous highly sexualized things I've seen on instagram, I thought my feet were pretty tame.

Yes, I acknowledge that foot fetishes are a thing, but I would argue most of my posts are more shoe than foot, there was certainly no sexual solicitation going on, and beyond that, I haven't posted to the account since March, so why the seemingly sudden decision?

I recently logged in to view some of my sister-in-law's wedding reels (really just to look for photos of my cute kids as flower girls) and I wasn't seeing any new followers or comments, or something that would suggest my account took on sexualized tone.

Beyond that, doing a quick search of "feet" on instagram, I came across some channels... With handles like beautiful feet models and teamprettyfeet, with tens if not hundreds of thousands of followers. There's even another kellyfeet6 that is live and with emojis like 🔞👅👄. I'd argue significantly more suggestive.

I appealed the decision which then made my account completely inaccessible for a day. And then I appealed again and now I'm back!

Check It.

I hadn't been posting to instagram in quite a while, either on @kelleyfeet which was more behind the scenes and following friends and family. Or on @kelleylcox which is my "professional" account, so this wasn't going to really be a big loss, though I imagine it would be a huge loss if I had built more of a network around instagram. And the good news is, I have an entire archive of feet pictures! Even though I haven't been posting on instagram, I've still been taking them just for personal pleasure, and you can see them all here. If you have a foot fetish, you will be very disappointed because it's mostly in shoes, and those shoes aren't nearly as fun and funky as they used to be. Mostly sneakers and boots. 👟🥾

How About You?

Have you been suspended before? Are you still on instagram? Do you think my account was inappropriate?

Challenge.

I know that "Delete Facebook" and "Delete Instagram" go through viral phases, mostly on the platforms people claim to intended to delete and then don't. I've been waffling for years about how I should interact with social media platforms and whether as a photographer, I could just delete them. Looks like instagram made that decision for me, thanks Meta! Even though my other accounts weren't deleted, I think this stark reminder that Meta owns the platform and can take it away at any moment, without much explanation or recourse. So come on over and join me on kreadivs, won't ya?

Weddings: Sara and ChrisJul 24, 2013; Nassau, Bahamas; Sara and Chris

Did you know that in addition to my (stagnant) portfolio. I also have other (stagnant, or let’s say, static, portfolios.)

Granted, I mostly cover sports, I mostly want to cover sports (and things related to sports), therefore my portfolio is mostly sports. However, I’ve certainly dabbled in corporate conferences, weddings, music, product and fashion. The latter of two which I am not even linking to because I am embarrassingly bad at, and also have no interest in pursuing. These aren't portfolios that I advertise or promote (remember I'm not looking to do more weddings) but they are ones I have available.

Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos
 

Having a few portfolios means that when the director of communications at USA Water is getting married, and wants to hire me, he can ask “have you ever covered a wedding before?” and I can quickly send him a link with some of my best work because I do want to cover his wedding. It may seem unusual, but a majority of my weddings I have been hired due to an established working relationship or friendship with the groom (or in some cases one of the two grooms) and I don't even meet the spouse until the day-of the wedding or for an engagement session when I've already been booked for the wedding.

Renee and LarryRenee and Larry - June 23rd, 2012 Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA ThailandMarch 30, 2017; Thailand; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos) M + DMay 26, 2015; San Francisco, CA, United States; Michael and Dana at City Hall. Photo credit: Kelley L Cox - KLC fotos Renee and LarryRenee and Larry - June 23rd, 2012 Weddings: Sara and ChrisJul 24, 2013; Nassau, Bahamas; Sara and Chris Eric Dezendorf and Rachel MariasNovember 12, 2017; UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA; Eric Dezendorf and Rachel Marias;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Check It

I'm posting about this today, because tomorrow, my sister-in-law is getting married! I will be enjoying the wedding without a camera and instead trying to wrangle the two flower girls.

How About You?

Do you have multiple portfolios? Are there any genres you never wish to cover again?

Al SermenoSeptember 16, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Football: California Golden Bears vs Idaho Vandals at California Memorial Stadium; Al Sermeno (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

Last week, when covering Cal Football vs Idaho overhead, I always have fun spotting other photographers and then tagging them on kreadivs. Al Sermeno, the KLC fotos photographer who covers all the home and away football games can be found on the field and even along the bench. That made me think to write a post about how valuable it is the be part of the team. Not only from the access it can grant you for better angles, but everything else that goes along with the team viewing you as one-of-their-own.

Working for the Team

I should preface that this is directed at those who work for a team. I wouldn't expect myself to EVER do this at a game where I am just working as general news freelancer.

Gaining their Trust

Deanne Fitzmaurice speaks on this often. You have to gain the trust of the team.

"I always have to earn the trust of my subjects so they'll let me into their lives. They have to know I believe in their story and want to tell it in the most truthful way I can." - Deanne Fitzmaurice

Working for a team grants you certain access, but earning the trust of the team, players, coaches, staff, security takes it to the next level. This is not assumed and it is not earned overnight. Even the great Michael Zagaris who is known for being embedded with the 49ers, had to earn the trust of Jim Harbaugh when Harbaugh was named head coach.

Know the Game

Just like sports broadcaster can be a seamless transition for a former player because they have the insight and phrasing that the pros use, knowing the game matters. Al knows the drills that they run in practice. He knows what plays during practice he can and cannot photograph. He knows when to be visible for players to "ham it up" and when to be invisible so that he's not a distraction.

Why This Makes a Difference

Sure, you can get great action photos from anywhere. But because Al is so embedded with the team and able to photograph from the bench it means his photos can be different from what everyone else on the field is getting. It means he can cover from closer angles for more dynamic photos because he's not stuck getting action from behind the end zone or only up to the 30 yard line. 

Beyond Images

And while this is all great and good for the images you create. I want to add another anecdote about why you want to develop this kind of relationship. In Cal's home opener, for whatever reason, service was terrible and Al could not deliver images via cell or wi-fi like we typically do. We asked Athletics IT to help but they were slammed with too many other projects. Yet football staff was able to get.it.done. and Al had a fiber ethernet line on the field. Easily accessed behind Cal's bench where other photographers aren't even allowed to pause as they pass from one end zone to the other.

Check it

I say all this as an outsider myslef. While KLC fotos has the Cal contract and I cover the media day for most teams and they are comfortably familiar with me in their huddles when I come out to games, I do not have the same kind of relationship that Al has with Cal football, with any team. So this is a bit of a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do shout out to Al for all the work he has put in to developing this relationship and making the images that he does!

What About You?

Are you embedded with a team? How has it helped you? Do you want to be embedded with a team? Do you know someone who is and want to shout out their work?

NBA: Playoffs-Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State WarriorsMay 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after a layup against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter in game five of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

When I speak at workshops, one piece of advice I emphasize is to promote the work you want to do. It is about time I take my own advice.

Previously, my Photos section was

Sports | Love | Corporate | Adventure

I enjoyed this arrangement because, cheekily, it was as much a phrase as it was links. All sports want, is corporate money, and all corporate folks want to do is go to sporting events. Sports love corporate adventure.

But alas Love (weddings, family portraits, bar/bat mitzvahs) and Corporate (conferences, awards, fundraisers) are not the work I want to do more of.

I "kept the lights on" by covering weddings and corporate events. I mostly enjoy weddings. I always covered for someone I knew or a friend-of-a-friend to try to avoid nightmare clients I had heard other photographers encounter. I might still cover one for the right couple. I also mostly enjoy corporate events, it was good food, typically good clients, and easy enough assignments. I will continue to do event photography for some of my favorite clients, but I'm not necessarily looking to do more "corporate" work specifically. But I really enjoy sports and more and more I'm enjoying portraits. (I used to be afraid of lights)

Action | Portrait | Event

My Sports category used to be broken down into Action, Portrait and Event. But now, my work in general is Action, Portrait and Event. This allows some of my favorite portrait work to be included in Portrait, not just sports portraits, and demonstrates that in terms of how I cover, a sports related event, be it a fundraiser or something else, is essentially corporate-style work.

I came to this conclusion while I was trialing other website platforms and building out the framework of what a new site would be. And now I'm bringing it back to my zenfolio site.

Living Portfolio, Not Archive

I previously viewed my website as a living portfolio. I would even blog about every assignment I covered. I was not as busy back then, in my career or my life! And it was before instagram, when you needed your website to relay that you were an active photographer available to hire. Despite having a recent section on my site, when I stopped posting on instagram, I was asked "Are you still working now that you have so many kids?" Had they not checked my MLB folder to see the 6 games I covered that month already?

Speaking of Archive

With zenfolio's switch to archiving galleries if they haven't been "modified" in the last 14 months, essentially my portfolio would not be visible to anyone, ha! So I am more motivated to maintain portfolios now. And ensure that my portfolio showcase the work I want to do.

Check It

This comes from a place of time and privilege. I am in a place in my career where I no longer have to say yes to everything and anything just to make ends meet. At a certain time, even if weddings and corporate work weren't the work I wanted to do, it was the worked I needed to advertise to get more clients.

How about you?

What's the work you want to do? Are you promoting it? When is the last time you updated your portfolio?

Challenge

I am going to be assigning myself this challenge too. Let's update our portfolios! Let's showcase our best work, not just in tiny squares meant for scrolling.

TeamSeptember 7, 2023; Hayward, California, USA; Women’s Soccer: Cal State East Bay Pioneers vs Biola Eagles; Team (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

When you see a photographer's image or set of images, you don't necessarily have insight on what they were thinking to make the image. You (hopefully) just think "nice photo", but you don't know the other photos that could have been.

For example, the other day at Cal State East Bay Women's Soccer, I was photographing the introductions from across the field (not a photo I delivered, just to give you an idea of where I was positioned) Women’s Soccer: Cal State East Bay Pioneers vs Biola EaglesSeptember 7, 2023; Hayward, California, USA; Women’s Soccer: Cal State East Bay Pioneers vs Biola Eagles; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)
Once it was time for the national anthem, I moved downfield so I could have a slight angle on them and not just be photographing the side of them as they faced the flag on the south end of the field. My first frame I thought the bright white signboards splitting where the player was kneeling was visually distracting.

Women’s Soccer: Cal State East Bay Pioneers vs Biola EaglesSeptember 7, 2023; Hayward, California, USA; Women’s Soccer: Cal State East Bay Pioneers vs Biola Eagles; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)
 

So I moved a little further down the field.

Women’s Soccer: Cal State East Bay Pioneers vs Biola EaglesSeptember 7, 2023; Hayward, California, USA; Women’s Soccer: Cal State East Bay Pioneers vs Biola Eagles; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

Then I noticed the foliage in the golden hour light. And thought, I'll move further down so it's all just foliage behind them. I liked this frame best.
    TeamSeptember 7, 2023; Hayward, California, USA; Women’s Soccer: Cal State East Bay Pioneers vs Biola Eagles; Team (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

Once you start thinking this way, you can try to have that mindset one step sooner. Instead of taking a picture and adjusting, you read the scene and position yourself appropriately. This is especially great for sports where you don't get a chance to make adjustments on the same picture, but rather hope you've put yourself in a good position so that when the play comes through, your lighting, background and settings are already dialed and waiting.

Check It

Sometimes you aren't able to be on the field, walking around, changing positions. If you are stuck in a designated position, consider moving up at down for different angles.

What About You?

Are you intentional about where you position yourself? Do you take a frame and adjust or try to just nail-it on your first frame?

A Challenge

Go out and photograph the same thing from different angles. Not just left, right, but up, down, telephoto, wide, and be thoughtful about the pros and cons of your various angles (ex: clean background, but bad lighting)

When covering a game for a team, I always overshoot. In many cases this is the one or two games per year that they will budget for my coverage so I want to provide them with images of every player. I will easily have thousands of photos to cull through to choose my selects.

PHOTOMECHANIC

You all know I love PhotoMechanic. I hate to ever use the phrase "you're doing it wrong" because so much about photography is about what works for you, but I would say, if you are using any other platform to cull through you're selects, you are not being efficient with your time.

FIRST CULL: Quality of Images

In my first cull, I'm just generally looking for good images. Making sure they are in focus, a player/referee didn't block my view, eyes are open, or, especially in the case of covering for a team, are images of the team looking good. No communications/marketing department or parent is looking for a photo of their player's turnover.  Men’s Soccer: California Golden Bears vs FDU KnightsSeptember 1, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Men’s Soccer: California Golden Bears vs FDU Knights at Edwards Stadium; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

ADDING IDs

Once I've culled it down to images that are remotely useable

CROPPING

I'll also do a quick crop on some images. For the most part, I'm using a long lens and cover action reasonably tight. I leave a little space for the designers to have some options, so I'm only cropping out distracting elements

SAVE

I'll save with player's name in the filename (automated by the IDs I added to the metadata)

SECOND CULL: Curation of Images

In my second cull, with files sorted by name, it gives me a good sense of which players I have TONS of images of and could maybe cull down further, and which players I only have a few images of where I might keep images that aren't as strong, just to make sure I'm sending something of them. As I'm culling down the photos where I have multiple, I'm considering light, expression, and their body position. I want dynamic light, looking athletic, with an intensity in their eyes. I am also considering backgrounds and am especially a fan of choosing one, maybe two, from a sequence, unless it was a scoring play or otherwise particularly epic peak action.

Giancarlo Mota (34)September 1, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Men’s Soccer: California Golden Bears vs FDU Knights at Edwards Stadium; Giancarlo Mota (34) (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos) Giancarlo Mota (34)September 1, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Men’s Soccer: California Golden Bears vs FDU Knights at Edwards Stadium; Giancarlo Mota (34) (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

RINSE and REPEAT

I don't have a set number of how many images I should have of each player. It depends on the game they played and what I was able to capture. But I may cull and cull again. Yes, content is king, but I don't want to look at what gets posted and think "why did they post that?!" In the end, I want to look at an overall of the gallery and feel like I'm submitting a very strong set that is great for their archive and that any given image, I'm proud to have my name attached to the byline.

Giancarlo Mota (34)September 1, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Men’s Soccer: California Golden Bears vs FDU Knights at Edwards Stadium; Giancarlo Mota (34) (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos) Giancarlo Mota (34)September 1, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Men’s Soccer: California Golden Bears vs FDU Knights at Edwards Stadium; Giancarlo Mota (34) (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Are you great about culling? Or do you just motor-drive and submit everything?

Alex Aguero, Emilio SheaSeptember 5, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Rugby: California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium; Alex Aguero, Emilio Shea (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/Ultimate Sports Guide)

A mid-week post to share some good news... I think I resolve my R5 tethering problems. 🤞

I tried reinstalling Lightroom, I tried reinstalling EOS Utility. I tried everything. Different cable, different port, different card, various "connection" settings on the camera (Wifi Airplane Mode, etc) changeing the destination folder, changing auto import settings, you name it! Nothing seemed to be working and I couldn't even trouble shoot where the error was. EOS Utility didn't open AT ALL (I think I needed to make sure I was using EOS Utility 3) Lightroom Classic kept giving me the spinning wheel of doom when I would try to say "start tethering".

When I went back to some of the YouTube videos that had referenced troubleshooting, some of the comments where how those steps didn't apply, given software updates.

My last ditch effort before giving up, was to follow these steps from helpx.adobe.com

1. Turn off the camera.
2. Disconnect the camera from the computer.
3. Quit Lightroom Classic and restart the computer.
4. Open Lightroom Classic.
5. Reconnect the camera.
6. Turn on the camera and try tethered shooting.

And tada! That seemed to do the trick. I got it to work consistently enough times, that I felt comfortable covering Cal Rugby Media Day bringing only the canon gear. (Will the comfort that rugby wouldn't be that disappointed if they weren't able to live view their images) and everything worked great!

So, that makes 22 team's media days. I don't about you but I'm feeling 22, a little better about my canon set up again. I'm still a little uneasy that I'll run into the problem again. But hopefully with more reps, I'll get more comfortable with it. And at least this time I have reference of all of the exact steps to follow.

I've now covered team's media days with the Canon R5 and I've been impressed with the camera.

The trouble is, a lot of these media days I shoot tethered and that has been a very stressful experience.

My understanding is, the best way to tether is via Lightroom Classic. I read forums and watched a bunch of YouTube videos to learn the specifics of how you have to turn on Lightroom Classic first (because if EOS Utility 3 registers the camera as connected first, Ligthroom Classic won't be able to recognize it). I've read how you have to be very specific about the folder it points to. When the batteries depleted during a 5 hour session, I had to make sure I followed all the start-up steps just perfectly. Same when my card ran out of storage (45MP RAW+Jpg adds up quickly!) and replacing the card effectively turns off the camera (not the case for Olympus) and I have to reconnect the tether.

I also ran into an issue where the card took too long to write, and so it just stalled out. I had 8 images of a student-athlete that fired, but just didn't record, not to my laptop, not to the card, no where. Since I was using a new ProGrade 512GB card, I assumed it was the card, and reverted back to buying a trusty ol' SanDisk. Thankfully I noticed before the student-athlete left and we were able to re-take her headshots.

Tipping Point

It came to a head this week, working with a top gymnastics recruit (trains with Simone Biles and recently made the national team) when I COULD NOT get the tethering to work.

I tried all the various restarts and removal of batteries and cables. And ultimately had to give up to keep the session going on time.

The camera still worked and the images were fine, but the staff, teammates and family didn't get to live-view the images on computer and ipad which is a service I typically offer. And more so, I just felt unprofessional trying to troubleshoot in front of a client. (I learned as I was arriving my usual hour early, that they wanted to start ASAP, so my set up was rushed with them present, but I don't think that would have made a difference)

When I got home, some forums suggested that maybe the card in the camera needed to be empty. So I tried that and voila, it worked!

Such a simple solution seemed too good to be true and I didn't totally trust that would be the reason the tether didn't connect, so I turned the camera off and back on... and sure enough, I'm back in the same boat where I cannot seem to get the tether to connect. If not worse, because now I'm getting a error code on the camera, note that the camera is turned off in this image AND Lightroom Classic enters "the spinning wheel of doom" when I try to start tethering... even when no camera is connected?!

Does anyone have a better recommendation to reliably tether with an R5?!

Ultimate Reliability

Now maybe I just don't like change... but I miss my OM-1 cameras. In the past, I've used Olympus Capture and Olympus Workspace (now OM Capture and OM Workspace) and it has worked reliably every time. When we were launching the EM1-X, Olympus shared the handwritten notes of lead designer of 40 years, Yoshihisa Maitai, and his belief that it was the responsibility of Olympus to provide "Ultimate Reliability" to photographers and that these three attributes were required to achieve Ultimate Reliability.

1. Precisely: ensuring the moment is always captured accurately and beautifully
2. Surely: ensuring the camera is always ready and never malfunctions
3. Confidently: ensuring the photographer can easily hold and operate the camera without undue effort
 

So Now What?

The good news it, I still have my OM-1 cameras and for my recruit session today, I'll be using them again. The 20MP isn't a problem since these recruit photos don't end up being cropped in to headshots that need to be blown up to billboards, and it's extra convenient because I am going straight from the recruit session to cover a soccer game, so I won't have to bring two-sets of gear.

But the real question is... what comes next-next. I have one more media day next week and then two-weeks before my next media day session. Will I have figured it out by then? Will I bring canon, but also bring Olympus just in case?

Why did I decide to buy the Canon R5?

I've mentioned before, I have a rubric for whether to buy new gear

✅ Can I afford this?

I maintain 20% of my photography income for the purpose of running my business, which includes buying new gear. This initially came from a place of privilege (yes, my parents bought me my first digital camera) and from years of buying second-hand one model below the newest model. I was able to buy it without credit (obviously using a credit card, but immediately paying it off)

✅ Will this gear pay for itself?

After my first two assignment with the gear, I had more than covered the costs (including cards and remote triggers I needed to buy). Now, of course assignments can't just be able paying off gear, I have other financial obligations and need to make a living with my photography, but it's reassuring that the cost of the camera is not so significant compared to the work I get hired by using it.

✅ Will this gear allow me to make pictures I currently cannot?

The creative teams I have been working with were asking for me to take photos both full-body and tighter in. During a session where I need to cover 30+ players, not only is there not time to take multiples of everything both full-body and zoomed in, so it made sense to just get higher resolution camera where I could take full body and any of those images could easily be cropped in with plenty of detail. It also means I don't risk missing a great moment that would be better as full-body, while I was zoomed in.

✅ Will this make my life easier?

*The only part that isn't making my life easier is having another system, another set of batteries which isn't my goal, but it seems worth it in this moment.

Are you giving up on Olympus/OMDS gear? / Are you selling your Olympus gear?

The Olympus/OMDS gear hasn't changed. It's still great, reliable, and the best gear for me and most of the action work I'm doing in this moment (how I love the weather sealing and Micro Four Thirds crop factor). I am selling some Olympus gear including my 300mm f/4, but that's mostly because I have other Olympus/OMDS gear that has made it obsolete in my kit (in the case of the 300mm, the 150-400mm f/4.5)

Why not Sony?

The Sony system is great. Most of it has to do with my own familiarity with the canon system. I was canon prior to being Sony and I just love the way it feels in my hands (is that weird? No! If I'm going to be holding something for 5+ hours/day, I want it to feel good in my hands) I also have stronger connections to the people at canon. As with so many things, it's about the people! While the gear is important (and at this point, they are all very capable) it's also important to feel like if I run into any issues, I have someone I can call, beyond just a general support email.

For better or for worse, Zenfolio has long benefited from photographers like myself who continue to pay the annual fee despite frustrations, simply because we don't have the bandwidth to move our archives somewhere else. I have over half a million images here, and well over a million on KLC fotos' zenfolio. The latest "archive tool" which means clients may have to wait up to 12 hours before they can view photos in galleries that haven't been updated in 14 months, seems incredibly out of touch with the modern internet user. X (previously known as twitter) is making headlines for throttling page loads by five-seconds. And we are expecting potential clients to return to order images after twelve hours?!?

While this adds another layer to my frustration with zenfolio, after exploring other options, I'm still here. With so many other projects going on, KLCfotos.com rebuild, kreadivs, NILT, (not to mention an upcoming house project and 2 toddlers) I was fooling myself if I thought I had the bandwidth now to do a major personal-site renovation. Though it did encourage some restructuring of this site. (Notice the blog is now the homepage?)

The Silver Lining

Embarrassingly enough, my portfolio was last modified over 14 months (It has no visitors because I just use this link to populate the slideshow and don't otherwise share the page). So I take it, this would mean that my portfolio wouldn't be visible, unless of course I make it one of the 20 galleries where archiving is turned off, which speaking of, I still need to remember to do.

Am I Leaving Zenfolio?

Yes and no. While I still plan to stay with zenfolio for this site which I use more as a blog and portfolio than for delivery or sales, it was the final straw for me to stop using zenfolio as the primary delivery for KLC fotos. I had already stopped using it as an overall website landing page. Roughly 6% of our sales come from events outside that 14-month window. 6% is not significant, but it's also not insignificant. It is worth switching platforms.

KLC fotos is also shifting, as most of our assignments are about client delivery. PhotoShelter is far superior (though I do miss friendly urls) in delivery, if not necessarily display.

Check It

The grass isn't always greener. This move is frustrating because we all feel a bit blindsided and perhaps a bit trapped. Ultimately, I don't think the platform you use is going to be the difference maker in your career success. It's the product and the service.

How About You?

Do you use zenfolio? Are you sticking around going down with the ship? Or have you already jumped ship to somewhere else? Where did you land?

Challenge

Get a real sense of your archive. Get it organized. Get it backed up.

Officially one month remaining for the chance to grab a free all access kreadivs membership.

While kreadivs will remain free to join, anyone who joins after August 28th will have to pay a subscription fee in order to access certain areas of the site.

So, what are you waiting for? Come join the creative community!

Something exciting is headed my way.

When eyeing the various discounts offered by Amazon, Samy's, etc. I noticed that B&H included a grip (that can give you a hint about what a bought) that is otherwise valued at $350. So it made the most sense to buy via B&H.

I would have loved to buy locally, but alas, not only was the added perk not there, but it was on backorder at my local camera store. After some major waffling, I decided I needed it before the Cal Football Media Day sessions this week.

If you don't want a spoiler alert. Stop reading now. If you think this kind of aaaaaanticipation pseudo announcement is pointless and just want to know what I bought, scroll down.

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It a Canon R5. I bought the Canon R5.

Kicking off our sixth year of KLC fotos being the official photography supplier for Cal Athletics.

And (with some breaks in between) it's personally my 18th (ooof!) year of photographing Cal Athletics.

A lot has changed since then! From the 17 year old with a camera hanging off my side, to my first credentialed game (looking so cool with my camera backpack) to the first time I got to use a 70-200mm (courtesy Michael Pimentel).

I am so grateful to the Cal Athletics staff for continuing to trust me to provide this service and to the KLC fotos Photographers who create great images, are a pleasure to work with and always over-deliver making KLC fotos look good.

I feel so lucky to not only be able to work at my alma-mater, coming full circle from where my career began, but to be able to bring my kids to games so they can see me working. For now, my parents or husband accompany them, but I like to think that someday they might just want to tag along and sit in the stands, Realistically, they will probably be too cool/busy... or they'll be trying to take my job!

Screenshot

As I waffle on the future of zenfolio and it’s support for the Classic platform (which it still markets as the platform for pros) I am a little concerned that the Zenfolio app no longer exists on the App Store?

As zenfolio shifted to the new platform, when you logged into the app it would display that it only worked for Classic accounts, but now it's just totally gone.

While the app was not a big part of my workflow (it actually used to be when I would post on instagram more regularly) it more so signals to me that zenfolio is not going to provide support for Classic accounts, which is disappointing, though I suppose not surprising.

The only thing that bothers me more than the mobile app no longer being available is that PhotoMoments is still available. That should have been removed from the app store 5 years ago when it stopped receiving updates. Or, if I'm being harsh, should have never been added because it was never usable as a client tool.

One of my favorite places to work is press boxes with field views.

I don't have coworkers or an office space and my (desk) work typically isn't meetings. I am a bit of introvert in that I don't necessarily want to interact with people while working, but I do like just being around activity. I am so grateful that our new house has a dedicated office space, but I struggle sometimes just working alone facing the backyard (gosh, let me check my privilege real quick) that I often work from the living room couch just because it's nice to see cars and people pass by.

When I can, I will get to games early just so I can set up in the press box. Not only does this mean I get to avoid the stress of traffic or looking for parking, but that I can pick my position and make sure my roster and IPTC is set. In open-air boxes like Oracle Park and Oakland Coliseum, I get... and the A's pressbox has plenty of unclaimed seats!

To be fair, this is because it was a shared press box with the Oakland Raiders so it required more seats, not that A's press coverage is that dire.

Kraft Fight Hunger BowlKraft Fight Hunger Bowl

Are people still using textured color backgrounds? Or is that look "dated?"

I work in sports where portraits are either solid white, maybe black, or something else vibrant. But as I was looking for a new collapsible background, I saw so many textured color backgrounds that have the muslin look and I wondered, are people still using this for portraits?

Years ago, I covered USA Water Polo headshots and they wanted me to match the style of previous headshots, including the textured blue background. USAWP: Mens National TeamDecember 22, 2014; Santa Ana, CA, USA; Bret Bonanni. USA Water Men's National Team. Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox-KLC fotos

I’ve also done a few corporate headshots.

The big benefit, especially for on-site photography where you are bringing in a background, is that since they are textured, you don’t notice the little wrinkles that you might otherwise see or need to photoshop out.

I feel like the “look” this days is more minimalist (solid color, perhaps with some tonal quality) or environmental with no background at all but if they are still for sale, someone must be buying them!

What about you? Have you used textured color backgrounds? Do you still? Love them? Hate them?

A strange thing has been happening at the last couple of A's games: fans have been asking for my autograph. 

Don't let this mislead you, this is not because they want my autograph specifically. They are just kids asking for the autograph of everyone who passes by. And I gotta say, it's pretty fun!

If you regularly cover sports, you’re probably like me and have quite the collection of credentials.

I’ve opted to keep mine organized by using an over the door hook.

I organize them into:

Current season | Undated Ongoing Credentials | Past Seasons | Extra Team Lanyards | Extra Generic Lanyards | Masks

I like to use lanyards that color coordinate with the team so it’s easier to find. Typically I’m using team issued lanyards which is helpful for easily spotting the credential needed for the day.

When a season is over, I hold onto the credential because it’s often helpful to show last year's credential to parking attendants and various security prior to picking up my season credential whenever I cover my first game of the following season.

Most venues no longer require masks but it’s nice to have a few KN95 ready just in-case.

I used to keep all my credentials in my bag or in my car. But I found in my bag, they got very tangled and that is prime real estate for other more photo related items. And I stopped keeping them in my glovebox because a) Car break-ins have increased substantially and even though I know would-be thief’s aren’t looking for credentials, they are likely to do and grab-and-dash and just take all the glovebox components and then dump them a few blocks later and b) Now that my family has two cars, I'm not always taking the same vehicle. Sometimes I even bike to a game!

I do keep a Long Credential Holder (ThinkTank | Amazon ) in my bag for instances where a venue has credentials but does not provide a lanyard and/or offers sticker credentials which always end up losing their stickiness before the end of a game, and I don't want to be backtracking my steps to find where it fell off.

In an effort to consume slightly less, if the lanyard offered is just a black string, I often opt out and use my own.

What about you, how do you store your credentials?

Also, if you are interested in any of my prior season team branded credentials, they are listed for free on kreadivs and I'd be happy to part with them.

LaCie External Hard Drive

In honor of World Back-Up Day I thought I'd share my back up strategy.

You may have heard of the 3-2-1 rule of thumb for storing archive images. Three different copies, two different types of media, and one off-site. This was so that when your hard drive inevitably fails (yes, this is a when not if) you have it saved on another device, and off-site so that in the unfortunate event that your home or office is burglarized, catches fire, floods, or some other disaster, you have a copy somewhere else. Now, with cloud storage as an option, my back-up strategy is:

Zenfolio: Selects Organized by Genre

PhotoShelter: Selects AND Originals on PhotoShelter - Organized by Date

External Drive: Selects

Let me walk you through my workflow.

For starters - I do not format cards until I have processed the photos. Most photos I process the same day or next day, but if it's an event like a wedding where I might be working on the photos for a week or two, I keep the images on the card, upload them to my computer and an external drive and sometimes even PhotoShelter to ensure that I don't lose any photos before they are even delivered to the client!

Once I have my selects, (aka images I have culled, edited, and processed) I put them on an external hard drive and on zenfolio (an unlimited jpeg plan) and PhotoShelter. I additionally put ALL the original photos (unlimited RAW and jpeg) on PhotoShelter.

Why don't I save originals to an external drive?

The short answer is, it's not necessary and it's not reliable.

Also as hard drives become outdated (easy rule of thumb is if the cable is outdated. What good is a 2009 firewire hard drive if none of your current machines can connect to the device), I transfer them to newer hard drives (hopefully with less chance of failing).

But PhotoShelter is so expensive

With the unlimited plan, I now have cloud storage for all of my RAW files. Yes, it is expensive. At the time of this post $540/year. But, that's less expensive than a single 12TB G-RAID hard drive. And as cameras keep producing larger files and faster frames per second, if you are saving all your originals on external drives, you would easily spend over $540, it's well worth having an unlimited cloud storage solution.

Isn't there a one-stop solution?

In many way, I wish there was a one-stop solution. PhotoShelter for photographers does not offer video. While I don't capture much video, I have needed it from time-to-time for clients, and it's also nice to store some personal videos which zenfolio can do. Zenfolio's search feature lacks compared to PhotoShelter. But zenfolio's website building is much more visually pleasing on the client side compared to the digital-asset-management "look" of PhotoShelter once you get into the galleries. Zenfolio only offers unlimited jpegs (though you can pay extra for RAW storage, per GB) where as PhotoShelter includes RAW images as part of their unlimited plan.

Another benefit of having multiple storage solutions is the organizational method. On zenfolio my images are stored categorically: Sports >> Baseball << MLB. Where as on PhotoShelter, my images are stored chronologically by year. On external drives I may have a 2021, 2021-2022, and 2022 labeled drives, where MLB (all summer) is on the annual drive. But NBA (crosses over the calendar year) is on a 2021-2022 drive.

My favorite LaCie hard drives are only $165 and are still part of my back-up strategy.
 

What about BackBlaze, Carbonite, etc?

Those are great back-up systems for backing up your computer and file in general. But I love having a dedicated photo back-up method.

What about really special photos?

For my most special photos (a few select wedding, baby, and historical family photos). I follow a 20-20-20 (or something like that) rule. I have them on my computer, on zenfolio, on PhotoShelter, on a hard drive, on a thumb drive, on iCloud, on dropbox, and a physical print as well.

Derrick ChenMarch 17, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Men’s Tennisu: California Golden Bears vs Arizona State Sun Devils at Hellman Tennis Complex; Derrick Chen (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

Between the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, I covered Cal Men's Tennis vs Arizona State.

Since I'm not totally familiar with the canon system yet, I thought I'd bring both my canon gear and Olympus (OM Digital Solutions) gear. Also, because my longest glass on loan from canon is the 70-200mm and I like to go overhead for some of my tennis photos.

My set up was:

Canon R3 with RF 70-200mm f/2.9

OM Digital Solutions OM-1 with 150-400mm f/4.5 and 8mm f/1.9 fisheye

All brought in a ThinkTank PhotoBacklight 26L on my bike because parking near Hellman Tennis Center is complicated at best.

TL;DR Both worked great!

I used the canon system for when I was court level and the 70-200mm was of course the perfect range, sharp, fast, and easy to use.

I used the Olympus system for overhead and also for huddle photos.

Mikey Wright, TeamMarch 17, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Men’s Tennisu: California Golden Bears vs Arizona State Sun Devils at Hellman Tennis Complex; Mikey Wright, Team (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

Starting with the fisheye for the huddle photo, I think how much I would miss the Olympus fisheye. It's so small and easy to bring. And I love that it basically doubles as two lenses. A fisheye, but also a standard wide with an in-camera ability for fisheye compensation (though you lose C-AF with this feature so better for overall stadium photos than action.

But when I went from canon back to Olympus, the EVF felt small and the grip felt worse. I really like the spinning thumb wheel on the canon as well as the shutter dial being on top of the camera instead of the front. With cameras being so capable these days, I've long advocated for getting a camera in your hands because whichever camera feels better to use, is the camera for you. Maybe it's just because I started with canon, but the grip, for me, is the best.

Carl Emil OverbeckMarch 17, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Men’s Tennisu: California Golden Bears vs Arizona State Sun Devils at Hellman Tennis Complex; Carl Emil Overbeck (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

For Cal, I have to deliver images in-game. Unfortunately, the campus wifi blocks FTP uploads so the only method to upload is to import from the camera to my phone and then upload via the browser on my phone. Maybe it's just because I am more familiar with it, but the OMDS camera-to-phone is seamless (significantly faster in the OM-1 than any other model) and the canon "camera connect" is buggy to say the least. For the final celebration photos, I ended up just using my laptop to send photos.

Carl Emil OverbeckMarch 17, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Men’s Tennisu: California Golden Bears vs Arizona State Sun Devils at Hellman Tennis Complex; Carl Emil Overbeck (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)
Ultimately, my takeaway is that I am so thankful to be able to cover a variety of sports, at great venues, in beautiful weather, with great gear... and a Cal win :)

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Arena view of League of Legends World Championships between DRX and T1 at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I had the opportunity to photograph League of Legends World Championship aka Worlds, at Chase Center.

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; T1 during opening ceremonies of the League of Legends World Championships against DRX at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports Complete with performance by Lil Nas X

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Lil Nas X performs during opening ceremonies before the League of Legends World Championships between DRX and T1 at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Opening ceremonies of the League of Legends World Championships between DRX and T1 at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Lil Nas X performs during opening ceremonies before the League of Legends World Championships between DRX and T1 at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Lil Nas X performs during opening ceremonies before the League of Legends World Championships between DRX and T1 at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I was somewhat hesitant to take the assignment as I've been trying to reserve more weekend days for my family (especially during fall when most weekends include me working a football game) but I really just wanted to know what it was all about. One of my favorite things about photography, is that it grants you access into whole worlds... and in this case Worlds!

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Arena view during the League of Legends World Championships between T1 and DRX at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

As someone with very limited exposure to video games, I still can't say I know much about LoL. But as someone who has photographed a lot of sports, I gotta say, eSports has everything to offer (and perhaps more) than traditional sports.

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; DRX and T1 compete during the League of Legends World Championships at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

A team based sport, with veteran and up-and-coming superstars, fast action where a game can turn in moments. And despite only being around a decade or so, has all the dramatic player storylines you could ask for. Faker and Deft went to the same high school?!

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Fans hold signs for T1 mid laner Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok (not pictured) during the League of Legends World Championships against DRX at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Fans bang thunder sticks during the League of Legends World Championships between T1 and DRX at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; A fan holds a sign for T1 mid laner Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok (not pictured) during the League of Legends World Championships agaisnt DRX at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Fans react during the League of Legends World Championships between T1 and DRX at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; T1 mid laner Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok before the second game against DRX during the League of Legends World Championships at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; DRX bot laner Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu after winning game two of the League of Legends World Championships against T1 at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports And there were no less than 3 marriage proposals, so it really offers everything traditional sports have, for better or worse. ;)

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Fans react after accepting a marriage proposal between games during the League of Legends World Championships between DRX and T1 at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

It offers more in the sense that it is very international, inclusive, and characters can change every game so while the player maybe have individualized skill set and knowledge of the game like a traditional athlete, they are also competing as various characters with different strengths and weaknesses every game. And more commercial viability as the sponsorships can appear on the players attire but also within the game on virtual flags. And while free-to-play, has infinite purchasable options both for players and fans.

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Arena view during the League of Legends World Championships between T1 and DRX at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The drawback for me, is that the "visual" part of the action is on the screen, not necessarily on the players who are mostly expressionless and sit still apart from very fast moving fingers. While fans (who know what's going on) respond through every moment with cheers and gasps, there isn't really much to photograph in the way of action.

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; DRX competes during the League of Legends World Championships against T1 at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; T1 competes during the League of Legends World Championships against DRX at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Though there was some great celebration as the play-in underdogs DRX defeated the highly favored T1 in a thrilling 5-game series.

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; DRX mid laner Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo joins teammates in celebration after winning the League of Legends World Championships against T1 at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; DRX players surrounded by confetti as they hold up the Summoner's Cup Worlds 2022 trophy after winning the League of Legends World Championships against T1 at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

During the translated interviews of the trophy ceremony, Deft (after he gained his composure) said how he had dreamed of the moment and being on stage to say he was the best in the world. But being in the moment, realized he has the best team in the world. Cue the tears!!

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; DRX bot laner Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu visibly emotional after winning the League of Legends World Championships against T1 at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; DRX mid laner Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo puts his hand on the back of DRX bot laner Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu as he gets emotional after winning the League of Legends World Championships against T1 at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; A DRX fan with visible tears after DRX won the League of Legends World Championships against T1 at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I really enjoy a good AI gone wrong. My favorite being when Keenai put a photo of my sister and I under the label birds (Instantly thinking of Notebook "if you're bird, I'm a bird")

As I was trying to research the best method for smoothing skin, I came across Neural Filters. As someone who really only uses the RAW processor to batch edit photos and rarely actually opens up an individual file in PhotoShop, this was all new to me!

The skin smoothing feature is actually pretty impressive, and I do like that it focuses on the face as opposed to trying to make your whole image look soft and glowing. For my use case, the person actually wanted smoothing on their legs, so my best option was still to use the quick selection tool and then use the RAW editor to decrease the texture.

But another student athlete wanted some more significant changes to smooth the skin on their face and bring down their hair.

I thought I'd see if this was something the neaural filters could do. I saw the Beta of "Smart Portrait" a filter that processes images in the cloud. The featured options are happiness, facial age, hair thickness, and eye direction. Between the regular "Skin smoothing" and the beta "Hair thickness" it was actually quite a quick edit to get something the student-athlete was pleased with. 

For my own curiosity, I wanted to test out the "happiness" filter. What does AI think makes a person look happier. I tested it on the student-athlete's image and was impressed if not surprised, at how it altered their smile. Although this is editorial use, I figured it wouldn't be kind to use a student-athlete's image as a sample, especially a student-athlete who is already insecure (as they put it) about their image. So instead I am posting the Beta test of Colin and I on Beta. Because it's hilarious.

Somehow we went from our regular smiles, to me having some spooky looking teeth and my glasses somehow also getting involved. Colin's face got a little more saturated and his lips took on quite a rouge.

This might work well on standard and true portraits, but I can see why it's still listed as in Beta.

Kreadivs (pronounced "creatives") is now live!

For those who don't know, I've been working on this for some time. It's still not perfect, or fully rolled out, but in the spirit of not letting perfect be the enemy of progress, it's officially launched!

Over the next few weeks (months, years), I'll be rolling out new features along with details about what inspired kreadivs.

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So, what is Kreadivs? It's a network for the creative community.

You're thinking, "ok great, what does that mean?"

Well it is designed to be:

A Photo Sharing Platform - for features, feedback, fun and failures

A Directory - both of clients and creatives. With creatives expanding beyond photographers to videographers, graphic designers, etc.

Community - connection point for creatives to share their work and find other communities on other platforms like slack, discord, facebook, etc.

Resource Center - Code Replacements creator, tutorials, contracts, etc.

Job Board - Listings for paid assignments and open salary positions

Gear Center - A platform to review, buy, sell and discuss gear

If this interests you, please join our network! The more creatives who sign-up, the bigger, better community we can build!

OM-1Amazon

I am often asked whether I'm still using Olympus (OM Digital Solutions) gear and the answer is yes... at least for now.

If you've been following my recent work, it's all with the new OM-1 and I gotta say, I love it!

When the camera came out, I ordered a few right away. What can I say, I like to go all-in. (Really it's because I have a pet peeve of having different batteries or menu systems)

The first thing I noticed was the ISO. On the E-M1 Mark III, you hit "extension" at 8000. Now, you aren't in extension until ISO 10000 and the ISO performance is significantly imptoved.

Another game-changer is it's ability to charge while photographing, via USB-C power bank. This means I don't have to worry about carrying around extra batteries, I can just carry around my power bank, which I already have on hand to power my computer. Though John Mabanglo did tip me off onto this much smaller power bank that I plan to use when on assignments where I don't need to worry about having battery power for my computer.

While the E-M1X boast the dual processors, I've actually found myself preferring the OM-1 with grip over the E-M1X. I would definitely recommend the camera to anyone.

As of now, I am still using Olympus/OM Digital Solutions gear. Value for dollar (especially because, full disclosure, I still get a pro discount) weather sealing and the lens range, in my opinion, make it the best camera for most sports photographers (and I suppose bird photographers too, but I don't have enough expertise in that field to speak on it). My biggest gripe is not the M43 sensor but rather that it doesn't have FTP capabilities. For most of my work, it's not a problem because I am either ingesting to a computer to add captions, or sending via built-in wifi to my phone, but for major events, I have to be able to send to a remote editor via FTP and have used sony cameras for that purpose.

Some other hiccups I've noticed is that it doesn't do as well finding focus behind netting. I used to be able to dial in my focal point on an object behind a net and it would grab, now it pretty consistently grabs the netting. I also had a hiccup where the first OM-1 that I received, randomly just stopped working while I was taking test photos for a Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 portrait of Maggy Carlyle. Thank GOODNESS I had an E-M1 Mark III with me as back up!

That and the uncertainty of where the OM-Digital Solutions brand will go doesn't give me the "ultimate reliability" that the Olympus brand focused on. I am testing out sony and am open to testing out other gear. I don't think I will be OM Digital Solutions indefinitely, but it is still the best system for me and the work I do.

See what other gear I am using on my gear page.

A few weeks ago I photographed Cal Men's Swimming Head Coach Dave Durden for the Cal Sports Quarterly cover which is out this week.

Having last seen him for media day in 2019 when I was pregnant, he saw me and (jokingly) asked with astonishment "You're still pregnant?!"

It does seem like time has stood still these past few years and that as you near the end of pregnancy you fear you will always be pregnant.

Had a great time photographing him around Legends, but my memory from this session will be that comment.

Some highlights of the G6 Max

- Offers a higher payload but is 20% smaller than the G6 Plus.

- Physical motor lock mechanism

- Multi Function "Magic Focus Ring" 2.0 with 25% increase in sensitivity

- Larger OLED Screen

- 9 shooting modes including: follow mode, inception mode, hunting mode, vertical shooting mode, motion time-lapse, self timer mode, lock mode, portrait mode

- Splash proof

- WiFi control and cable control

- 9 Hours of battery life

- Reverse charging

With a payload of 1200g you could easily mount a variety of mirrorless bodies and various lenses along with a Rode VideoMic. Unfortunately, Olympus bodies are not included in the compatible cameras list. I was able to mount my OM-D E-M1 Mark III, but the trouble is that the remote cable terminal cover is blocked by the tilt axis, and moving the release plate further from the base makes balance difficult. This gimbal is likely designed for more compact cameras, action cameras like GoPros and of course smartphones. For DSLR and heftier mirrorless cameras, you'd probably want to go for the FeiyuTech AK2000C with 2200g paylod or similar models designed specifically for DSLR and larger mirrorless cameras.

As someone who has never used a gimbal before, it is definitely worth reading the manual. This is not a plug-and-play type of device (nor is any gimbal) as you have to balance the axis before the first use. First balance the tilt-axis, then the roll-axis, then the pan-axis, then you are ready to use the gimbal. And although the app isn't required to use the gimbal it does open up more options and features, most notably the motion time-lapse.

The good news is, once you balance the three axes for your device, you're set. If you use multiple devices, you could just note the measurements for balance and quickly set with the quick release plate.

Between the quick release plate and physical lock mechanisms, it's easy to both set up and to break down and store. Some of the lock buttons are push down to lock while others are push up to lock, the more you use it, the more it will become second nature. You can set the lock without it being perfectly aligned, and it will easily snap into place.

The nine modes include: panning follow mode, tilting following mode, locking mode, hunting mode, vertical shooting mode, self-timer mode, 360 surround mode (all following mode), motion time-lapse, and inception mode. Traditional gimbals offer various stabilization but I can imagine the vertical shooting mode being used to increase the quality of a TikTok or instagram stories which tend to be more vertical. The motion time-lapse is a great way to add more interest to your time lapse. I can see this being used for wedding photography/videography. Inception mode is a little disorienting for me, but I can only imagine how disorienting it would be if you tried to record that kind of sequence without a gimbal!

The 9 hours of battery life is great, but even better is the ability to reverse charge. We all know how quickly video can consume battery life and when we use our smartphone for so many purposes, it's reassuring that the G6 Max can charge a smartphone so you can continue to record video throughout the day. And since the G6 Max charges via USB-C, it's easy to bring a portable charger to charge the G6 Max if you need to charge on the go. And just about every cable you could need, is included in the box.

For those looking for how-to's and more of the nitty-gritty details, the FeiyuTech YouTube channel has a dedicated G6 Max playlist and course their website has some in depth instructions. It can be purchased through Amazon, Manfrotto, direct from FreiyuTech among others. At time of this post, it's listed at $229.99

Cal vs Oregon

For those that have not noticed, I am no longer an Olympus Visionary. A bittersweet ending to a fun chapter in my career.

TL:DR I still use and love Olympus gear

In the middle of the year, Olympus parted ways with Alex McClure, Laura Hicks, and John Sterling Ruth, all great photographers, and I started to see the writing on the wall.

There are some key reasons I think my Visionary contract was not renewed. (This is my thoughts only)

• JIP is trying to make the company more lean

• My biggest advocates within Olympus were laid off in the transition to OMDS

• OMDS marketing is targeting landscapes, birds, (and I predict, soon video)

• A bigger push for individuals with a large social media presence

• I was brought on specifically for the launch of the M1X and sports

• OMDS cannot publish most of my work on their platforms. This was a constant legal question throughout my time as a Visionary

• I don't have time to create content specifically for OMDS.

I think the last two were the biggest. It's a catch-22. I was described by a previous employee as "checking so many boxes" for the Olympus Visionary program. Sports, West Coast, and Women. I was told I was the photographer with the highest profile career. But that doesn't necessarily translate into the kind of marketing opportunities they were looking for. While they want to promote that the gear is used by pros to cover pro events, without rights to those images (per league and likeness laws requiring model releases) my work actually has less value than someone photographing family photos or birds where the images can be shared commercially. Many of their Visionaries not only provide images that can used for product placement, but also are constantly creating content that you see on their website and email promotions. "How to photograph xyz". I was so busy photographing assignments and managing KLC fotos, I didn't have time to create dedicate "how-to" guides.

As I am no longer an official ambassador it frees me up to explore beyond OMDS. A friend lent me their Panasonic 200mm f/2.8... and ooooooh is it nice!

More critically, it frees me up from social media obligations. I used to be a person that justified my time spent on social media as "I have to do this for work" without a direct ROI. There was some return in the sense that it probably helped me be named a Visionary, but then instagram became part of my contractual obligations. While I love the connections that can be made via social media, it is clear that in its current form, it does more harm than good in this world.

Though I no longer have professional affiliation OMDS, it is not a termination of my enthusiasm for the OMDS system or more importantly, my access to discounts on gear, as I am still proudly a Featured Pro. As I consider whether this freed me up to explore Sony or canon's new mirrorless offerings, I still think Olympus gear is what serves me best for what I do, at this point in my career. Though now I am more open to having someone (or some piece of gear) change my mind.

Being an Olympus Visionary was so much fun. Having a crew come out and film me "in my element" for promotional pieces. Flying to Florida to be a hands-on resource to media who were getting a sneak peak of the camera. Flying to New York and speak at B&H weeks after the announcement. Having a sample camera body with the serial number 00001. Getting to meet individuals and teach them how to optimize their gear. Being a podcast guest. These are all memories I will treasure forever and I am so grateful for the experience.

On to the next iteration of my career!
 

After teasing it on their lens roadmap, Olympus is now officially introducing the

M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO Lens!!

You can get into all the specs at GetOlympus.com. But the key takeaways are:

Range: 150-400mm (That's the 35mm equivalent of 300-800, with a built in teleconverter making it effectively a 300-1000mm)

Aperture: f/4.5

Weight: 4lbs

Length: 12.4inches

Price: $7,499.99 USD

Ships: January 2021

Have I tested it out? Nope.

Will I be getting one? Going to try! I hear stock is going to be quite limited!

While the 100-400mm has a bit more range and a lower price point (1/10th the price!) and I've enjoyed using it on loan, but I've been waiting for this lens because f4.5 throughout will make all the difference in low light and making images "pop" with a slightly more shallow depth of field. And by the looks of some of the photographers who were able to test it out, it looks incredible.

I can't wait!

As many of you know, the OM-D E-M1 Mark II and the 300mm F4 PRO is what gave me the confidence to make an Olympus set up be my gear of choice for my sports photography. Prior to that I had been using Olympus as my personal travel camera system and Olympus didn't have cameras or lenses that were optimized for sports. Since making the switch, they've introduced the E-M1X and now this 150-400mm f4.5, and are becoming more and more of a sports camera system, even if it might be more-so marketed as a bird system ;)

Bird AF

Speaking of bird system. Along with the official introduction of the 150-400mm, they are also announcing a firmward update coming December 2, 2020 which will include Intelligent Subject Detection Autofocus for birds. So I guess it's not longer "Planes, Trains and Automobiles". I love that this update comes as a firmware update to current E-M1X bodies and isn't restricted to a new camera.

Even if you don't have an E-M1X, the E-M1 Mark III and E-M5 III are all receiving firmware updates. To keep your camera performing to it's maximum capability, don't forget to regularly update your firmware.

E-M10 Mark IIIs

They figured they'd make three announcements in one, and the third is the launch of the E-M10 Mark IIIs. Some minor changes  including the availability of silent mode, to silence all camera noises, and the availability of 16 unique art filters, including Instant Film, the E-M10 Mark IIIs is a great starter camera for anyone interested in photography, but not ready to commit to only manual modes and wants the camera to do some of the heavy lifting and creativity.

MLS: Real Salt Lake at San Jose EarthquakesOct 28, 2020; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski (8) celebrate sixth forward Cristian Espinoza (10) after scoring a goal against the Real Salt Lake during the first half at Earthquakes Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the new M.Zuiko 100-400mm F/5-6.3 lens and use it to photograph two San Jose Earthquakes games. 

Thoughts

At 100-400mm, it's been the perfect lens to accommodate our new photo positions that are further from the field. My typical soccer game set up has been the 300 F4 (for most action on the field) and the 40-100mm F4 (for starting eleven photos, and near goal action/celebration). The 40-150mm F2.8 and 7-14mm F2.8 also often get in the mix. But from our new positions, the 100mm is loose enough to cover near field which means not having to make that decision of when to switch lenses. (I still brought some kind of wide because you should always have a wide... ya never know what might happen!)

An 800mm equivalent is LOOOOOONG. It's great for getting action across the goal. When I first started using the 300mm, it felt pretty long too because I had only used 600mm equivalent lenses a few times in my full-frame DSLR career, but I ultimately fell in love with covering action at that focal length as I became more comfortable following the action. I imagine I will get more comfortable using the lens at 400mm.

The barrel zoom takes some getting used to. Just as it takes some time to get used to long focal lengths, it also takes some time to get used to zooming, especially with a moving barrel. Being so accustomed to my fixed 300mm, I found myself forgetting I could zoom in/out during plays. But when I remember, it was great to maintain a player's body as they brought the ball down the field.

MLS: Real Salt Lake at San Jose EarthquakesOct 28, 2020; San Jose, California, USA; Real Salt Lake defender Justen Glad (15) controls the ball against the San Jose Earthquakes during the second half at Earthquakes Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Is the F5-6.3 a problem?

The F5-6.3 is limiting. Not only in the sense that you need more light or higher ISO at that aperture but also because of the variable range. I'm in manual because the bright and changing sideline videoboards can throw-off exposure if I was otherwise in aperture priority, shutter priority, or auto ISO. While f/5 would have been nice for extra light and a slightly more shallow depth of field, I would have inconsistent exposure when I zoomed closer to 400mm, so instead I just left it at a constant f/6.3. While I tend to avoid putting my ISO in extension, it was necessary. I'm still pleased with the images at the higher ISO. The conversation around micro four thirds always comes back to ISO. I believe the crop sensor being slightly less capable than a full frame when it comes to ISO, is well worth the trade off in weight and size. I feel the same about this lens. Having an incredible 100-400mm range is worth losing a few stops and having to increase my ISO.

Does it replace the 300mm F4?

Not for me... but maybe for you. I still love the metal build and wider aperture of my 300mm. We sports photographers tend to be snobs about our long prime lenses.

Will it be added to my kit?

The one I am currently using is on loan. I am eagerly awaiting the 150-400mm F/4.5. My guess would be that I will prefer that lens over this one due to the wider aperture so that I can cover night games at lower ISO and have slightly more shallow depth of field to separate the action from the background. I try to not be a gear junkie and have gear that is redundant and the focal lengths are too similar to ever have both in my bag at once. But depending on what I was photographing if I needed to be a little wider or a little lighter, I may end up still choosing this over the 150-400mm or 300mm.

Should You Buy It?

Depending on what you mostly cover and your budget. If you only cover Friday night high school football at a poorly lit field, it might not be your best option compared to a lens with a wider aperture, but if you mostly cover day time games (or wildlife) and want to save some money, it is roughly half the price of the 300mm and has all the weather sealing and lightweight features you'd hope from a micro four thirds lens.

--

Thanks Olympus for letting me test out this lens. I'm so excited that even while the long term future of Olympus is somewhat unknown with the sale to JIP, releasing a lens like this gives a lot of hope that not only will JIP continue to launch new products but that the Olympus gear available now, can serve us well for many years.

Isabella StaddenOctober 19, 2020; Berkeley, California, USA; Cal Women’s Swimming; Isabella Stadden. Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos

After the weekend of covering men's basketball and football (with women's basketball coming up Thursday) I also covered women's swimming.

I mentioned how with football I bought additional packs and used Olympus Capture/Workspace to tether to my computer which was then mirrored on an iPad facing them. The swimming media day had an added layer of logistics because now instead of just taking marketing photos and having a separate headshot station, there was only to be my one station to take both headshots and marketing images.

They easiest method would have been to have the same lighting for headshots and for marketing images. Since marketing images aren't too dramatic of lighting, this was certainly a possibility. But marketing is also lit to have a blown out white background. While that's okaaaay for a headshot, traditionally, we've had Cal headshots being a little more of a dynamic gray or blue background. Now instead of headshots being solely for identification, it's now more of a portrait, lighting the subject and the background.

Emily GantriisOctober 19, 2020; Berkeley, California, USA; Cal Women’s Swimming; Emily Gantriis. Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos

In previous years, I've placed a backlight behind them during a portrait session that then I manually remove for the marketing photos. Since I needed to remain 30ft away and we were taking portrait followed by marketing as opposed to entire teams portraits followed by marketing, I couldn't approach the area they are standing to move the light and since they cannot touch anything that someone else has touched, they can't move the light off to the side. I didn't want to have to ask them to step aside between portraits and marketing and I didn't want to be cropping out a lightstand, so enter, light groups!

In my set up I have six lights. I'm using the Elinchrom ELB 500 system.

Group One:

My key light and a fill light (with just a stop of two difference because I want pretty flat lighting since these are more-so identification than beauty photos) on either side of the subject

A light off to the side directed at the background.

Group Two:

Two lights on either side directed at the background to make it white.

One rim light, behind the subject with a 40 degree grid to prevent flare.

For the portraits, I used just Group 1. You can see how the background isn't one solid gray, but rather fades from a white to a blue-ish gray to help separate the gray jacket from a gray background.

Alexa Skorus-NeelyOctober 19, 2020; Berkeley, California, USA; Cal Women’s Swimming; Alexa Skorus-Neely. Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos
 

For most of the marketing photos I had my remote set to ALL groups, the third background light wasn't a problem because the background was already going full white from the lights in Group 2.

Alicia WilsonOctober 19, 2020; Berkeley, California, USA; Cal Women’s Swimming; Alicia Wilson. Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos
 

Then, just to mix things up, for some of the marketing photos, I used just Group 2, background full white and then the rim light for something a little more dramatic.

Eloise RileyOctober 19, 2020; Berkeley, California, USA; Cal Women’s Swimming; Eloise Riley. Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos Eloise RileyOctober 19, 2020; Berkeley, California, USA; Cal Women’s Swimming; Eloise Riley. Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos

Taking these portraits has been quite a challenge as there is no cookie-cutter session. We start to get comfortable with our set ups, and anytime you are pushed out of your comfort zone, also gives you a chance to be pushed into something more creative. There are many elements of the upcoming photo sessions that I do not look forward to, photographing outside and balancing wind and sun. But I am so grateful that we are finding ways to do this while managing our COVID risk. With a few fun surprises

Sarah DarcelOctober 19, 2020; Berkeley, California, USA; Cal Women’s Swimming; Sarah Darcel. Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos
 

Think Tank Photo has just released their new BackStory backpack series. Available in two sizes, the BackStory 13 and BackStory 15 offer complete rear-panel access to your camera gear, and the top panel opening will speed your workflow. A deep front compartment with zippered mesh pockets has ample room for personal gear, including a 10” tablet and laptop (size specific). And with its plush shoulder harness and removable waist belt, the BackStory is comfortable enough to wear all day.

Use this link to receive a free Think Tank product and free U.S. shipping on all orders over $50:
https://www.thinktankphoto.com/collections/backstory-series-backpacks/?rfsn=140412.3578
 

Think Tank Photo is taking 15% off a collection off a selection their award-winning Rolling Cases. 

The sale includes their best-selling Airport Security, International, and Advantage XT rollers, in addition to their Production Manager stand cases, and Video Rollers.

The 15% off Rollers sale is active from Thursday October 1st, 2020 through Friday October 16th, 2020. Now is a great time to roll into Fall with the Think Tank Roller you've had your eye on!

Use my link www.thinktankphoto.com/?rfsn=140412.3578 to take advantage of the sale.

We've all been anxiously awaiting what the announcement of Olympus Imaging to Japan Industrial Partners aka JIP, will mean for Olympus enthusiasts. Today we received some more clarity on their plans.

While Visionaries were sent private notes and some FAQ answers, you can deep dive into the official public release in their investor relations public disclosure: https://www.olympus-global.com/news/ir/2020

Or view the pdf here: https://www.olympus-global.com/ir/data/announcement/2020/contents/ir00018.pdf

The most visible change is in name. Instead of Olympus, the company will be called OM Digital Solutions.

Some promising news is that head of sales and marketing, R&D and design departments are included in this transfer and will be transferring to the headquarters in Tokyo. And OM Digital Solutions Corporation will continue to manufacture cameras at the same Vietnam facility Olympus built. And, as they've been stating from the start, they will continue to provide support for Olympus products. I interpret that to mean, we as consumers won't necessarily feel the impacts of this sale, good or bad, for some time.

The reasoning for the sell-off doesn't come as a surprise. Olympus Corporation was established October 1919 specializing in microscopes and thermometers. Its first camera was introduced with a Zuiko lens in 1936. Today the bulk of Olympus Corporation business is in medical devices (70% share of the endoscope market) and the camera division may have suffered from the changing landscape of the digital photography industry coupled by being part of a larger organization. Anyone who has worked with big organizations knows how the bureaucracy can prevent astute action. While Olympus was first to mirrorless, which we now see the other major camera companies jumping on the bandwagon, the business side of operations wan't able to adapt to the otherwise shrinking market. The hope is, by being established as separate compact and agile organization (hey, just like the cameras are compact and agile!) it can more quickly adapt to the industry.

When the news first came out that Olympus had entered an MOU with JIP, some photographers were very fatalistic and asked me if they should sell off all their gear, others were a little more steadfast. My approach is, if the camera is working for you and you enjoy it, keep using it. This is true not only across systems but within them. I only upgrade to the latest camera model if it will significantly change my image quality, workflow, or bottom line. Is my current Olympus gear the best system for me and what I do right now? I would argue yes, in many ways, that hasn't changed. Will OM Digital Solutions gear be the best gear for me next year, in 5 years, in 10 years? ... if I had a crystal ball, well, wouldn't that be great!

In a year that has been full of uncertainty, this bit of uncertainty feels a little more conclusive. A new chapter. The people who I've worked with at Olympus are doing their best to keep us informed and I hope to offer the same to you. Take this announcement and interpret it as you wish. Try to stay off rumor sites and social media sites that make extremist predictions to make more money and instead spend that time making pictures!

Today Olympus launched and opened applications for the The Break Free Program.

"An opportunity for emerging creatives to work with Olympus mentors and build their passion projects" this is a three month program where participants pick a project and are given the gear, support, and publicity for their project.

I'm so excited about this not only because I get to be a mentor but because it is an important reminder of the purpose of photography. It's not just about making pretty pictures, but about telling stories, building your creativity, and finding purpose in your photography.

I have silly projects like my feet photos, that keep me creative. I have overarching goals of using my platform to cover sports from not just the perspective of capturing incredible peak action moments, but why sports matter and highlight female athletes. And I have purpose-driven goals to help make photography more accessible and inclusive.

I'm honored to carry on Shirley Pefley's legacy and manage the Shoot Like Shirley Contest which is a great award for young women and (I hope) provides a lot of value to the applicants who show promise and need the encouragement and financial edge to take the next step. And I'm excited to also be a part of this program that provides guided support and camera equipment that can really be the first big step in someone's career. I know so many young creative people who are creating powerful story telling images on their phones and don't have the audience to spread their message or the discretionary income to buy camera equipment. We are missing out on their stories. Olympus Break Free will help expose us to these story telling creatives.

Credit to Amanda Strozeski who spearheaded this project and the team at Olympus who helped make it happen.

I can't wait to be pair with the next great sports photographer!

Learn more and apply at http://bit.ly/TheBreakFreeProgram

Applications open August 28th- September 13, 2020

Hurray! Just as I mentioned in my original blog post about the OM-D Webcam Beta that hopefully a Mac OS version wasn't too far behind, less than two months later, it's here! 

Installation:

1. Download OM-D Webcam Beta.
2. Open the setup.exe file and follow the on-screen instructions.

Usage:

1. Connect your OM-D and PC/MAC using the official USB-C tether cable provided with the original box. 
2. Turn on the camera.
3. Select  on the monitor. 
4. Open your web conferencing application. 
5. Go to your video preferences in the application and select ‘OM-D Webcam Beta.’ 

We're about to know who has an Olympus camera because those Monday morning zoom calls they are going to be looking good :)

A big day of announcements for Olympus as users will also be excited for the M. Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS lens.

With the Micro Four Thirds Crop, that makes this the equivalent of a 200-800mm lens. For field sports (and birds, wildlife, any far away subject) photographers, this can have you covering cross field no problem! And if you paired with a 2x extender that's now 1600mm range... handheld. Unreal!

And it won't break the bank or your back at $1,499 and 2.5lbs.

I haven't yet tried this lens out as the PRO line of lenses is really my wheelhouse and the fully extended f/6.3 is a little limiting for night games. But one of my key reasons for using PRO lenses is the weather sealing. The good news is, even though this lens is in the ED lineup, it still boasts Olympus PRO level weather sealing.
I look forward to testing this out when it becomes available and will give a more thorough review and sample images at that time. Until then, you can view more about this lens on GetOltmpus.com. Shipping September 8, 2020.

Today Olympus announced the anticipated update to the E-M10 line, the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV.

This camera body, designed for beginner photographers, is a great tool for those ready to take a step up from phone photography.

While I have not personally used the E-M10 series and see it's limitations in megapixel size and shutter speed for my professional purposes, it appears to have great specs that would make it a great camera for someone just starting in photography who isn't ready to part with thousands of dollars to explore a new hobby. Say you get more into photography, all your lenses and bodies (Olympus, Panasonic, any M43 system) are compatible so you can scale up as your interest and budget grows. And I'll be jealous because I love the option to have a silver body (not available on E-M1 line) and every now and then, I wish I had a little pop up flash.

And now, through November 1, 2020  purchase a new OM-D E-M10 Mark IV and receive a free starter kit, consisting of an Olympus camera bag, extra BLS-50 battery and 32GB SD card. Available online at GetOlympus.com or through your local/online retailer.

Neowise CometJuly 17, 2020; Lassen, California, USA; Neowise Comet at Lassen National Park;

When Colin planned a camping trip for us this past weekend, two months ago, he didn't know it would perfectly coincide with the Neowise comet being visible. What luck!

With a great site at Summit Lake, we had dark night sky and thought it might be perfect viewing. But since the comet is visible just above the ridge line in the north west and we were surrounded by trees, we couldn't see it from our site. He decided to try and spot the comet from the lake. While he trekked to the lake, I stayed in the tent with the baby. He got an incredible photo of the comet reflecting off the lake and I just had to get that photo too!

Neowise CometJuly 17, 2020; Lassen, California, USA; Neowise Comet at Lassen National Park;
 

So on night two, we traded. I left him with the baby and I went out to the lake. I got the benefit of him already scouting the position and showing me the trail in daylight. I left early because I was afraid to walk to the lake alone in the darkness. For some reason, I trusted myself to get back to the lake in the dark, but not to the lake... and it wasn't unfounded because I did get lost on the way there. Without cell phone reception, I took our only reliable headlamp, the keys to the truck, and he was without two of the most critical tools that are used when A wakes up in the middle of the night (hint: they are connected to my body) Sure enough, she woke up about 15 minutes after I left, and apparently refused anything but being held for the entire hour I was gone. Oops!

I took my time, tried some tight, some wide. All the while, having no idea that our sweet little baby was doing anything but sleeping soundly. But hey, I made some fun photos

Neowise CometJuly 17, 2020; Lassen, California, USA; Neowise Comet at Lassen National Park;

For those curious about the technical aspect. These were all on the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III. I utilized the Starry AF setting in many and regular C-AF in a few where I wanted to make sure the trees were sharp. Most were shutter speed of 20 second or faster (beyond 20 seconds and the turning of the earth starts to cause the stars to blur) and I used a combination of M.Zuiko 7-14mm F2.8 PRO and M.Zuiko 12-100mm F4 PRO. In this case though, the real key to making these images was not the camera, but Colin.

Neowise CometJuly 17, 2020; Lassen, California, USA; Neowise Comet at Lassen National Park;

MLB: San Francisco Giants-WorkoutsJul 10, 2020; San Francisco, California, United States; San Francisco Giants players warm up before a workout at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

As sports start to return, it seems they've all moved to Florida in an attempt to create a bubble. But MLB has managed to put together a plan for a baseball season at the home ballparks. While season is scheduled to return July 23r, teams are having their "summer camp" workouts locally. On Friday, I had the opportunity to photograph the San Francisco Giants workout.

MLB: San Francisco Giants-WorkoutsJul 10, 2020; San Francisco, California, United States; San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (00) runs for second base at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

It is obvious the Giants, along with the many other teams, decision makers, and health experts, have thought about how to reduce exposure risk. I was 6ft+ away from others, apart from picking up my credential from a person behind the glass window at Oracle Park and getting a temperature check. And of course everyone is wearing a mask. We were allowed to photograph from the stands only, and restricted to three sections so we had angles from 1st base, 3rd base and center field.

This is their effort to keep Tier 3 people like myself far away from the Tier 1 (players, coaches, medical staff) and Tier 2 (those who require contact or access to restricted areas with Tier 1 individuals) people. While I miss being on the field and really in-the-mix, I am in full support of reducing the number of close contact we have with people, especially as the season begins and travel plays a role. I'd personally be just as afraid of contracting COVID-19 from the players, as I would be worried that I would unknowingly have it and pass it to them.

MLB: San Francisco Giants-WorkoutsJul 10, 2020; San Francisco, California, United States; San Francisco Giants infielder Abiatal Avelino (46) safe a third base against infielder Evan Longoria (10) at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

It seems unlikely that any league will be able to get through a season without anyone testing positive for COVID-19. Many already ahve positive cases and are just in management mode. That is scary. As players face that reality and weigh their risk tolerance with their family, you have players like Buster Posey who opt out. Knowing the money he leaves on the table for that decision, and how any pro-athlete just wants to play, you know that was tough. But with 3 World Series rings to your name and welcoming twin infants into the world, when you run the cost/benefit analysis while cases continue to grow, what's one season and a couple million dollars. Imagine living with himself if he ultimately brought COVID into the NICU or didn't get to hold his babies (and rest of family) in the first months of their lives. What is the value of money and sport? Buster's decision is selfless and I hope gives other people pause when making decisions that could increase their exposure.

MLB: San Francisco Giants-WorkoutsJul 10, 2020; San Francisco, California, United States; An advertisement of San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (28) who announced he will be opting out of the 2020 season before a practice session at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The dangerous thing is, as sports go, any person opting out, or getting sick/hurt, just opens the door for the next person waiting for their chance to prove themselves. You might change your risk tolerance if you feel like this is your chance, and it would be tough to blame anyone for making the decision they feel is best for their lives.

MLB: San Francisco Giants-WorkoutsJul 10, 2020; San Francisco, California, United States; San Francisco Giants catcher Joey Bart (77) during practice at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The more we can minimize exposure, the less likely we are to have super-spreader hotspots. If in effort to reduce case count, means I have to spend a season with all my images being taken from an elevated position, I'm all for it! As a photographer, it was fun to have a new perspective, take on new challenges, and find ways to be creative within the new guidelines (hey, new angle on the bullpen!). Everything is an opportunity.

MLB: San Francisco Giants-WorkoutsJul 10, 2020; San Francisco, California, United States; San Francisco Giants pitcher Tyler Cyr (87) throws during a workout at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I was thrilled to be back. Excited to see some of my photo buddies, excited to step foot in a ball park, excited to take sports photos, excited to work on deadline, and without too much "mom guilt", excited to have a few hours away from my baby. I love my baby more than I can express (seriously, mom love is INTENSE) and when she's just sleeping in her crib, I literally miss her, but I have also missed having an identity outside of motherhood. Being a full time parent can feel pretty isolating. Thankfully, my spouse could take the day off so I could work this event.

MLB: San Francisco Giants-WorkoutsJul 10, 2020; San Francisco, California, United States; A sticker promoting physical distancing before a practice session at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Trying to ID the players without numbers, wearing hats and masks, and from a distance was pretty tough until they started the simulated game and I could keep track of "who's on first".  I was also incredibly grateful for my Olympus system. I spent most of the 3 hour practice using the M.Zuiko 300mm F4 with the 1.5 teleconverter and was very pleased with the results. Now if only I already had my hands on the 150-400mm!

MLB: San Francisco Giants-WorkoutsJul 10, 2020; San Francisco, California, United States; San Francisco Giants outfielder Joe McCarthy (70) in the outfield during a workout at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports As we learn more about the virus and how much transmission is caused by asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic people, some of the elements like a questionnaire about whether I've been feeling sick or been knowingly exposed to COVID-19 seem more like doing due diligence and trying to encourage best practices, but really the best thing we can do to slow the spread is to practice physical distancing and wear masks. The sooner we can slow cases the more lives we can save and the sooner we can resume our lives as we knew them, sports included!

MLB: San Francisco Giants-WorkoutsJul 10, 2020; San Francisco, California, United States; San Francisco Giants infielder Brandon Crawford (35) during practice at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Image Provided By Olympus

I don't believe I know a single person who hasn't participated in a zoom call in the past few months. And that includes my mother who doesn't use email and my spouse's 90+ grandma in Kansas. Seeing the need (or just tired of looking at low quality video feeds), Olympus announced FREE value-add to many OM-D cameras (all the E-M1 cameras [-X, Mark II, Mark II] and the E-M5 Mark II) where you can convert your camera into a webcam via USB that you can download here

Unfortunately, this beta software is currently only for Windows systems, but there is hope that an macOS might be in the pipeline.

Mac + Olympus users aren't totally left out, Ted Colegrove did create this handy Learn and Support Article about Streaming Video with Your Olympus Camera. Obviously, a USB plug-n-play is an easier option. Which will come first, the end of coronavirus and excessive zoom meetings, or a beta for Mac? As with many thing, only time will tell.

Speaking of Zoom meetings, if you haven't already, I got a good chuckle from this "I Knew Zoom Was Trouble" - Taylor Swift Parody by the Holderness Family.

150-400mm

The much anticipated M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO is on schedule to be released in Winter 2020. With it's built-in 1.25x teleconverter, it boasts a 35mm equivalent maximum focal length of 1000mm. No, I haven't had a chance to test one out, but it looks enviable! Web_lens roadmap_191125

In addition to the 150-400mm, two new lenses, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm F4.0PRO as well as an unspecified macro lens, have been added to the roadmap.

I can't say what Olympus will look like 10 years from now, or what the photography/camera industry will look like even a few months from now given COVID. But I am optimistic that if Olympus is officially sold to JIP and they continue pursuing this roadmap, I think there is a lot Olympus users have to look forward to.

Birdy AF

They also quietly announced an upcoming firmware update for the Om-D E-M1X to have Bird Detection AF. So we are now planes, trains, automobiles, and birds. Olympus has such a strong birding community, I'm sure this comes as very welcome news.

Steve Ball

Speaking of Olympus bird photography community, Steve Ball, aka @old_steve1 has transitioned from Olympus National Account Executive to Olympus Educator. Having worked with him when I spoke at Glazer's in Seattle, I can say he is a wonderful addition to the Olympus Pros group and I'm thrilled he'll be less behind the scenes and get to be more active in teaching others how to optimize their Olympus gear. He has so much knowledge to share.

Free OM-DGet an OM-D Free with your purchase of 3 select M.Zuiko lenses

If you've been waiting for something to help you jump on the Olympus bandwagon, here it is! Now through July 5th Olympus is offering a FREE OM-D of your choice (E-M1X, E-M1 Mark II or E-M1 Mark III) when you buy 3 lenses.

M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f2.8 PRO,

M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f2.8 PRO

and the

M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f4 IS PRO

If you followed my transition to Olympus, you'd know I started with the 7-14mm and the 40-150mm as part of my travel kit and I fell in love with using Olympus for my personal work. When Olympus came out with the E-M1 Mark II and the 300mm f4, the system became not only a viable option for my professional work, but the best option for my professional work. While this is being marketed to Birding and Wildlife photographers, it's the perfect trio for sports photographers! Imagine a complete kit (though you might want a second body) covering your from the 35mm equivalent of 14-600mm all for less than $6,000.
 

In even better news. This deal is honored at GetOlympus.com/FreeOMD it's also honored at your local retailer. If your local camera shop is doing curbside pickup, this is a great way to support them.

Photography is more important and more powerful than ever whether you're a journalist documenting history, anxious and want to document birds and flowers in an escape from the 24 hour news cycle, or even to upgrade your webcam set up. And soon enough, photography will be important to cover the return of sports.

*Offer valid June 1, 2020 through July 5, 2020. Available in the United States only. Customer must purchase all three lenses and one of the three OM-D bodies listed above at the same time in order to be eligible for the free camera body. All products must be purchased at full retail price. This offer is not valid with other rebates, discounts or promotions. Limit one claim per household/address. Olympus reserves the right to void any rebate claimed under suspected fraud, misrepresentation, or other conduct deemed illicit or in bad faith. Return of any product shall void the rebate, where Olympus shall be entitled to seek any discounts received and attorney fees expanded to enforce this provision.
 

News: San Francisco Bay Water SportsMay 16, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; A kiteboarder kites ahead of the fog covering the Golden Gate Bridge in the San Francisco Bay. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY NETWORK

i love Golden Gate Bridge peaking out of the fog, and the kiter just in the misty abyss of the fog.

My first foray into kiting photos was actually C (😍) many years ago who was of course captain for this outing. What a refreshing way to social distance. We are so lucky to leave near the ocean. When feeling cooped up, it’s a nice to be in the vast expanse of water and I’m so grateful for such opportunities.

Again, this was picked up after-the-fact as an assignment for IMAGN. Another reminder of the importance of personal projects, and, begrudgingly, social media.

Now through May 31st, Think Tank Photo is offering 20% off all MindShift PhotoCross Backpacks.

While this offer is good on their website, it also applies to in-store offers from local dealers.

"In-store" may mean order online for curbside pick up where local jurisdictions have allowed. I love that Think Tank is encouraging photographers to shop local and help support the small business camera shops. 

A lot of people, myself included, are starting to bring their camera on daily walks. While I'm often just tossing my camera in the back of the stroller, if that doesn't apply to you, maybe a PhotoCross backpack is just what you need.

If that doesn't suite your needs, there's the rest of their offerings. Order through my link and you'll get free goodie with your order and I'll get a commission. Win-win!

Today, we were supposed to the “precious cargo” (aka passengers) landing on Bill Cox’s final flight from Sydney to LA, and then returning to SFO together to celebrate at the Millbrae Pancake House. We used all of Colleen Cox’s miles and then some, had our tickets, our hotel, our visas, and were prepared to brave taking a 6-month old on a 14 hr flight, for 23hrs in Australia and then loading up for the 14hr flight back! Due to COVID-19, not only do we not get to celebrate this moment, but after a 35+ year career with American Airlines, what ultimately ended up being his last flight, happened back in March without any fanfare or celebration with family, friends or coworkers. Retiring as Captain on the Dreamliner is not a bad way to finish a career, but since I can’t post a photo of his last flight, I've instead added these words, and commemorative page: KelleyLCox.com/captainbill

Born in San Francisco, raised in San Bruno, he grew up overlooking SFO airport and always knew he wanted to be a pilot. He took his first solo flight before he got his driver’s license. Never a good student unless it related to flying, he took the 5 year junior college path to San Jose State to get his Aero degree. Working as a private pilot instructor, he met my mom who randomly signed up for lessons “after talking to a nice old man on the phone”. That nice “old man” was my 20-something dad who thought he was talking to a little girl on the phone not a 20-something woman. He still has his log book from when they met: “What a fox!” Turns out, she enjoyed flying but lost interest when it came to weather (“what is the temperature dew point?” is still a recurring joke in our family). So when he asked her “I’d like to take you on a date sometime, but if you say yes, I can no longer be your instructor” she readily agreed. As the story goes, when my grandpa first met my dad he said “well you must be either a really great catch or a really sh*tty instructor!” 😜

She saw his hard work and determination and believed in his dream to become a commercial pilot as he went from flight instructor to charter pilot, to flying for a small commuter airline. She was proud and supportive of every step. A few months after Stacey was born, he got an offer from American Airlines (I have no idea why in the family photo album they took a picture of the offer letter in the refrigerator?) and that started his career on the 727, to DC10, back 727 as FO, 757/767, and captain on MD80. Initially assigned to be based out of Chicago, when a position at SFO opened, he jumped at the chance. His childhood dream come true!

When people asked if it was hard to have my dad gone overnight, I never understood. Their dads were home every night but exhausted from long days of unfulfilling work. Sure, mine was gone a few nights but when he was home, he was so present. Happy to go to work, happy to be home. (And he’d often bring home Rolling pin donuts!). He felt he had the greatest job in the world. It’s no surprise that I would marry someone who (prior to this year, and again in a few years) works 48hr shifts. And also someone with a private pilot’s license, who took me flying on an early date and still laments at how much it failed to impress me. 😆

Since he was always goofy “Mr. Bill”, my sister came home in tears one day worried because a friend told her he wasn’t serious enough to fly big planes. He had to reassure her that he was very knowledgeable and skilled at his job and capable of being very serious when he needed to be. A degree in Chemical Engineering, working in biopharma labs since high school, an MBA from MIT, named top engineering leaders under 40, she is currently taking all her zoom calls with Disney-themed backgrounds. I think the lesson stuck.

For me, I took to heart the idea that you can be anything you put your mind to and to follow a career that interests you. Though now I see the privilege in that reality, I’m incredibly grateful that when I feared I would fail at Cal amongst all the “smart” people, my parents reminded me I knew how to study and could succeed if I put my mind to it. When I wanted to become a sports photographer, neither of my parents discouraged me. They helped me buy my first gear and championed me every step of the way (while also emphasizing the importance of earning my degree). When I felt defeated, they’d ask “do you still enjoy it?... then you’ll find a way to make it work!” And helping at any opportunity, whether it was being my road trip buddies for an assignment, my assistant when I took Kings media day headshots ~2weeks before I was induced, to being the best babysitters around when I had to work, and hopefully will again as soon as it is safe!

My mom’s decision to not work out of the house, not only let my dad take trips without worrying about the care (both logistical and emotional) of his children, but enabled us to take full advantage of stand-by, travel often and touch all 50 states! To visit various parts of the US, learn history (even if I forgot most of it) understand what makes our communities unique and what connects us, and a love for travel is something I hope to instill in my daughter who flew to Kansas at 4 months and no doubt has more flights in her future, even if not with Grandpa as pilot.

When AA closed the SFO base, my dad switched from the Super 80 to the 777 out of LAX! When I flew standby on his 777 flight to Japan, there was an open seat in first class, so the purser kindly moved me up. As I sat down, he said “your father will be very happy to know you made it” making the guy in the apartment sized seat next to me pop his head over the glass “I gotta ask, who is your father?” and I got to reply “He’s the captain on this plane!” And recreate a photo from when I was a kid.

A few years later he moved on to the 787 Dreamliner! Though I never got to be passenger, not too long ago, on a bit of a whim, Stacey and Rick flew stand-by on his flight to Rick’s home country, New Zealand. They got to surprise Rick’s grandma. The trip was more special than they could have guessed, as it would be the last time he saw her before she passed away. 

He ends his career full of stories and friendships. While it’s surreal to think he‘s retired from safely transporting hundreds of people across oceans, there is plenty more sunny skies in Whirlybird’s future as with his Bell 47 helicopter, “Baby Belle”. And will be staying busy with my baby who consistently giggles most with him and stops crying when he plays guitar (even over FaceTime). And of course, and even more so right now, a whole lotta time with my mom who has been counting down days and points out that when he got hired, FAA mandatory retirement was 60, not 65.

To miss out on this because of the Coronavirus pandemic is insignificant compared to the struggle and loss that so many are facing, cancelled weddings, cancelled proms, losing jobs, losing loved ones. It is heartbreaking. But I just wanted to take a moment to virtually celebrate until we can have a proper celebration! Thanks and congratulations on an inspiring career, Captain Bill, aka Daddy, and now Grandpa! Even in retirement, I guess you had to be “Cox Early”. 😜

LensPenApril 2, 2020;

Let me start by apologizing if I appear to be hocking goods. In these unknown times and an unknown return to assignments, I was contacted about doing a review for LENSPEN and I figured why not. Maybe this is part of my next chapter. What else am I doing? Oh right, being a full-time parent to an infant.

I should add, while the pen was sent to me without charge for the purpose of review, I am not receiving compensation for the review, nor was I obligated to post a review. I am including links to amazon in this article and may receive a small commission should you (would you, please) order from my links. You can always visit my affiliate page for up-to-date info about any sponsorships or affiliate programs I am involved in. Anyway, here goes:

Many photographers are gentle with their gear and can keep it pristine. I am not one of those photographers. I typically have one camera in hand, and the other is hanging off my body bumping around. This is why it's so important that I have sturdy, not to mention weather sealed, equipment like Olympus. As sturdy as construction can be, the front element will always be the achilles heel of any camera system. I can maintain the front element of my long glass by extending the lens hood, but my wide I somehow always ended up smudging. And since wide angle is the one I tend to use smaller apertures with and try to get starburst photos, those spots only become more noticeable.

Enter LensPen. I reviewed, LensPen original aka NLP-1, which is designed to remove fingerprints, dust and grease from optical lenses. It's a great item to toss in your bag or pocket to use as needed.

I previously owned a knock-off LENSPEN that came as a package with something else I had ordered, but it was as good as useless because I couldn't quite trust that it was safe and not going to actually scratch my lens. I have used combos of blowers (great for sensor spots and removing dust) and a cloth (for removing fingerprints, rain spots) but LensPen seems to be that perfect tool that can do it all.

Lens cloths are great, I always keep one in my bag, but the problem is, if it's just dust (or more likely, warning track dirt) on my lens, a lens cloth is going to just scrape those tiny particles on the lens. So I could use a blower, but blowers are awkwardly sized and while easy to toss into a bag, not so easy to keep in a pocket.

LensPen isn't a replacement for having your lenses professionally serviced and cleaned but it is a great tool to bring along to maintain your gear in the field.

I'm not looking to create produced content because there are already plenty of people doing that at a quality that I can't feasibly replicate with my given bandwidth, but manfrotto has a great video that shows you how to use the LensPen. What I can share, is some before/after to show you it works, and a voice to say, "I use this" and "I trust this".

LensPenApril 2, 2020;
LensPenApril 2, 2020;

LensPen has a range of products, whether you want smaller size in your hand, want to work on a smaller sized lens (like the body cap fisheye I love so much), want to work on a screen (difference is the Cleaning Tip isn't curved like it is for optical lens) or one specific to filters, or a bundle, they have you covered.

When we talk about photography gear, it's hard to stay under $100, but at $9.95 here's a <$10 gadget to add to your kit, if you are so inclined.

My only con: based on how the lettering is printed, it was clearly designed for right-handed people :P

LensPenApril 2, 2020;

NBA: Brooklyn Nets at Golden State WarriorsMar 12, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; The box office at Chase Center with closed signs. The game between the Brooklyn Nets at Golden State Warriors was cancelled to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Within a few hours, everything would change. A game was cancelled with players already on the court and fans in the stands. As the rumor that a player tested positive became fact, all games were cancelled. My assignment then became to cover the empty plaza at Chase Center, and that was my last assignment for the foreseeable future.

NBA: Brooklyn Nets at Golden State WarriorsMar 12, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; Signage posted to doors at Chase Center. The game between the Brooklyn Nets at Golden State Warriors was cancelled to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

 Within a few days, I realized my work load was going to diminish dramatically as guidelines moved from no more than 250 people, no more than 10 people, to shelter-in-place. I stopped keeping track of cancelled assignments after it passed $12K in lost income. A month into a shelter-in-place, I questioned when I'd have a job to return to. As the shelter-in-place is extended, I wonder if I will ever be able to return to my career as I knew it.
 

On KLC fotos, I posted what people can do to support photographers during this time. (Spoiler: Biggest way is to follow social distancing guidelines!) While I hope to maintain KLC fotos to support photographers, I don't personally know what the next step is for me.

I went from navigating the balance of being a new mom and returning to work, with support of a spouse and parents, to a full time stay-at-home shelter-at-home mom, with a spouse who is an "essential worker" and working long hours, often out the door before baby is awake, and home after baby is asleep, and parents who are quarantining themselves and not able to help with baby. On both cases, it's harder for C and my parents to not see A than it is for me to be with her all day. And I know we are the lucky ones! My family is ::knock on wood:: healthy and safe. My spouse is salaried so we not at risk of being unable to cover our basic needs or losing health insurance. And my child is under 6 months so I don't have to worry about her education, social development, or really her having any idea what is going on. I am lucky, privileged, and very grateful.

NBA: Brooklyn Nets at Golden State WarriorsMar 12, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; A worker cleans outside Chase Center. The game between the Brooklyn Nets at Golden State Warriors was cancelled to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

My struggle is more of identity and intention. My decade plus career stopped overnight and I don't know whether it will return in a few weeks, a few months, or will it perhaps be years before we are again filling stadiums and collectively cheering. What will the landscape be when sports do return? I've already seen employees that I would see around the fields/arenas who have been let go by their employers. There is no guarantee there will be a market for the work I do did.

NBA: Brooklyn Nets at Golden State WarriorsMar 12, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; An empty plaza at Chase Center. The game between the Brooklyn Nets at Golden State Warriors was cancelled to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I felt like I was doing good work with KLC fotos, helping photographers, building client relationships, growing a business, but I'm wondering if I should be developing a skill set to be doing something more "essential". At the same time, I am now doing the very critical role of parenting an infant and therefore don't have bandwidth to take advantage of the shelter-in-place with pandemic productivity. I'm not leading zoom meetings, learning a new languages, volunteering. I feel the most I can do is just get through each day and remind myself that by staying home (apart from walks around the neighborhood) I am doing my part to flatten the curve.

While there is hope that sports and my career can simultaneously return by the fall, without knowing that as a certainty, am I to wait it out and see, and go months without employment? Is this my opportunity to take the maternity leave I never really gave myself and soon everything will return to normal? Or, is my career as I knew it over and I shouldn't be dragging my feet wasting time before discovering and developing my next chapter?

NBA: Brooklyn Nets at Golden State WarriorsMar 12, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; An empty plaza at Chase Center. The game between the Brooklyn Nets at Golden State Warriors was cancelled to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

You may find me trying different methods to have income, identity and purpose in these next few months and I hope you'll give me room for error, feedback, and support as we can all try to be gentle with each other and with ourselves. I hope you and your loved ones can be spared the worst of this pandemic.

Lots of Love,

Kelley

1. elvie Breast Pump(s)
2. Lagunitas Hop Water
3. Hakaa
4. Bamboo Nursing Pads
5. Storage Cooler
6. Dr. Browns Bottles
7. Medela Hand Pump
8. Nursing Tank Tops
9. Wet-erase Marker
10. Water Bottle

elvie Breast Pump(s)

This is the best thing to happen to breastfeeding moms since... ever. Most pumps require awful zippered tube top as visible pulsating nipples drop milk into hanging exterior bottles while tubes connect to a noisy machine that makes you feel somewhere between 1940s sci-fi and milkcow attached to a wall outlet or carrying a battery pack. These are elegant, effective, and allow you to actually make breakfast, walk around, or cover a football game. They are pricey, consider going in on the purchase with friends. It is worth it!

Lagunitas Hop Water

Did you know that brewer's yeast helps with lactation? That's great news for beer-drinking mamas. The problem is, alcohol can reduce supply and alcohol can cross over into breast milk. This carbonated beverage has the benefit of brewer's yeast, a refreshing beer-like taste and is alcohol free!

Hakaa

This handy little suction cup is perfect to easily capture some extra milk without pumping. While baby is feeding on one breast, the other will leak (oh the joy of motherhood). Instead of losing that milk, save it, and save a pumping session with your collection throughout the day. *Worth noting, this could cause an oversupply and is really only practical for when nursing in private as it is anything but discrete. Once my supply was established and baby was nursing in both breasts in a session, I stopped using this, but it was so convenient in the first months.

Bamboo Nursing Pads

Leaking, leaking everywhere! These reusable pads are soft and slip into your bra. In the early weeks and at night, you'll think you need a pack of 20. I had two packs, though now one pack is more than enough with the laundry we are otherwise doing.

Storage Cooler

There are so many baby items that seem gimmicky. Can breastmilk store in any ol' cooler, yes, but not so conveniently. Unless you kept an artic cooler from elementary school days of bringing a bag lunch, will need some sort of milk transport, even if have a refrigerator at work, then for the commute home. This is cleverly arranged with a freezer pack designed to curve around the bottles.

Dr. Browns Bottles

I like to store milk in the refrigerator more than in the freezer. While freezer bags are a nice option, these bottles are super convenient with a cover to store in the refrigerator or not spill in a diaper bag if someone else takes baby out for a day and brings bottles. Note: Most come with size 1 nipple. Our lactation consultant told us to order preemie size separately, even though baby wasn't premature.

Medela Hand Pump

If I don't have a whole session worth of pumping, even with the ease of elvie, if I'm at home, I found it easier to use a hand pump for a quick pump if I'm just looking to finish a session started by baby that didn’t fully deplete my supply.

Nursing Tank Top

To be honest, I was eyeing nursing tank tops from H&M well before I was even considering motherhood (organic cotton and cute patterns) but when it came time for nursing tank tops, I opted for tank tops that had discrete padded support. Nursing bras have their place, but I prefer to not have to lift up my shirt and expose my stomach and instead clip down. Not for modesty sake, but to avoid chilly air. I also purchased and was gifted some shirts and sweatshirts, but of my regular wardrobe can otherwise accommodate nursing.

Wet-erase Marker

As you are writing on various storage bottles, instead of using tape or trying to remember the date or hour when the milk was pumped, a simple wet-erase marker has been our solution/system.

Water Bottle With Straw

This one seems strange. Hopefully we all have a reusable water bottle at this point, but in those frequent feedings, it's so important to stay hydrated. And whether it's exhaustion or just odd angles you find yourself in trying to nurse, a bottle with a straw will be much more convenient that one you have to unscrew.

The Urban Access Sling bag from Think Tank Photo enables you to get to your gear quickly without taking off the pack. Innovative “Slings Both Ways” functionality allows you sling the bag over your left or right shoulder, depending on your preference. By simply switching the shoulder strap to either side of the bag, you can adjust the load for greater comfort on long outings. Panels on both sides provide access to your camera without having to take the pack off or reposition the dividers.

Purchase it through this link to receive a free Think Tank product and free U.S. shipping on all orders over $50:
 

I've offered some tips on how to replicate lit photos, with the cheat of "look into their eyes" but what about when you don't have eyes looking at you and the only eyes in the frame are a tiny baby?

Colin has had this photo of his dad holding him as an infant on display since before I knew him. A copy also hangs on the walls at his parent's house. When we had Adeira, we though it would be fun to try and replicate it. Trying to match how the light shaped around him arm and hit Colin's baby face was tough to replicate.

We tried half-heartedly with a flood light, it didn't look great and Colin focused so much on trying to match the hold (with a particularly squirmy and poopy baby) that he didn't look nearly as relaxed as his dad had and the lighting looked terrible. I don't know how he looked so relaxed AND triggered a film camera with the hand out of frame, Colin at least had me to take the photo, not to mention the benefit of digital.

But a few days later, I convinced Colin to try again with proper lights. Though still a simple set up of just a single Elinchrom ELB 500 and portalite softbox. Granted our girl had a bit bigger of a belly (hurray!) than Colin had as a newborn in the original photo, but also Colin grew more of a beard thanks to being a few more days into his family leave and not needing to shave.

Beyond trying to copy the original, I'm so pleased we took time to take such a special photo of Colin and Adeira. But perhaps it will become a tradition that our children's children will replicate with their children.

I also tried to seize the artsy opportunity to strip down shirtless and have Colin take some of me, not all photos are for public consumption. :P

HaveIBeenPwned.com is a website where you can enter your email and see if you have been "Pwned" aka your email exposed along with other details that can vary from a username, your physical address, your password, your social profiles, your social security number and whatever other information you may have put on the internet that was compromised by the website holding your data.

Unfortunately, I have been pwned on nearly all of my various email accounts. Various breaches have occurred with Adobe, tumblr, LinkedIn, TickeyFly, 500px, Dropbox. It seems no one is immune.

Step 1. Check the website

Step 2. Change passwords

Step 3. Delete Accounts

Even if you check the website and are the lucky few who has not been pwned (They've discovered 9 BILLION pwned accounts) you should probably still change your password and delete accounts you don't use.

I don't mean to be a luddite with technophobia, but there are some good steps to minimize your risk of a data breach.

NBA: Sacramento Kings-Media DaySep 27, 2019; Sacramento, CA, USA; XXXXX during media day at the practice facility in Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NBA: Sacramento Kings-Media DaySep 27, 2019; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) during media day at the practice facility in Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I originally planned to work through the end of September, I didn’t necessarily plan that the final week would include Cal Basketball Media Day, a soccer game, AND Kings Media Day. My mom was worried about me carrying my lighting gear and voluntold my dad to be my “assistant” and thankfully the Kings granted him a credential.

Some of the players said congratulations and asked when I was due, some said nothing at all as if they didn’t notice the giant basketball in my stomach. I guess you can never be too sure. When one player offered his congratulations, my dad excitedly said “I’m dad!” Which made them think he was dad to the baby, not dad to me, and then clarifying that was hilariously awkward.

NBA: Sacramento Kings-Media DaySep 27, 2019; Sacramento, CA, USA; XXXXX during media day at the practice facility in Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I am so thankful to my dad for joining and perhaps even more thankful that baby did not decide to make a surprise early appearance!

Looking forward to Photographer Chat or Tog Chat Live on YouTube on February 6th with fellow Olympus Visionary Joe Edelman at 3pm PT (6pm East Coast where he is at). We will be talking Olympus, EM1X and whatever else the comments inquire about!

Join us over his YouTube Channel

Supercross with the E-M1XDecember 14, 2018; Baker's Factory, Center Hill, Florida, USA; Supercross with the E-M1X; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox)

I had the pleasure of joining Olympus for a press experiential in Florida where camera review journalists could get early access to the E-M1X in advance of the announcement. They organized a trip for us to photograph the supercross riders at Baker's Factory. I've never actually covered supercross before so as much as I was there to offer real-life input on the E-M1X, I was excited to actually take some photos, rain didn't bother the camera, or me!

Supercross with the E-M1XDecember 14, 2018; Baker's Factory, Center Hill, Florida, USA; Supercross with the E-M1X; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox)

Taking advantage of the custom focus mode: Motorcycles, I was able to easily track the riders on jumps and corners.

Supercross with the E-M1XDecember 14, 2018; Baker's Factory, Center Hill, Florida, USA; Supercross with the E-M1X; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox)

Supercross with the E-M1XDecember 14, 2018; Baker's Factory, Center Hill, Florida, USA; Supercross with the E-M1X; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox)

It came in incredibly handy as, depending on my angle, instead of following them on the course, they were popping out from behind the dirt mound/hill and I needed to be able to quickly grab focus on them even if I didn't quite get my single-point focus point on them.

Supercross with the E-M1XDecember 14, 2018; Baker's Factory, Center Hill, Florida, USA; Supercross with the E-M1X; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox)

I wanted to share this supercross post to give you an idea of what I was able to get alongside the reviewers. What an incredible opportunity to not just cover, but have the access during their practice to get really cool angles you'd never be permitted to get during a true competition.

Supercross with the E-M1XDecember 14, 2018; Baker's Factory, Center Hill, Florida, USA; Supercross with the E-M1X; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox)

One big point of confusion for some of the journalist was the difference between continuous high (three boxes H) and continuous low (three boxes L). This is not obvious in the menu or manual so let me explain: 

a) Continuous low is not that low, up to 18fps with continuous focus

b) Continuous high is super high, up to 60fps and turns off the ability to track focus once you have fully pressed the shutter. 

Just to repeat that last bit.

Continuous high disables continuous focus once you press the shutter.

So, if you are photographing a motorcycle coming towards you in C-AF Continuous High, you can continuous track the bike as it comes towards you with the shutter half-pressed, you press the shutter and first frame is probably tack-sharp, but it locks in on that focus point, so as the rider comes even closer to you, it does not continue tracking them whether you are in C-AF+Tracking or regular C-AF (the whole "+Tracking" is also confusing... the camera still "tracks" in C-AF without explicit tracking turned on). If you didn't know that, you might (incorrectly) think the Olympus continuous focus is not that great.

As with most functions, I ask, what is the use case for this? Why would you have continuous high where C-AF prior to shutter release but doesn't continue tracking? Well, let's say the rider was coming from the left side of your frame so you offset your single-point focus point to the left so it can grab focus with the bike framed to the left instead of center. As the bike moves across the frame to the right, if you haven't moved your camera to keep your focus point on the bike, it might re-focus onto the dirt where the rider was milliseconds ago. It's moving in the same focal distance plane, you would want to continuous focus as you track the bike prior to the jump (C-AF) then as the rider jumps and you press the shutter, you would want it to hold that focal point as the bike moves perpendicular to you across the frame. 

This was a point of confusion for many of the journalists there asking whether the disabled continuous focus was a firmware bug that would be updated or a feature that would be added. It's not a lack of feature, that's how it's designed to work. I can't blame the journalists for not understanding this small but significant setting because they aren't necessarily primarily Olympus users and even though this is same functionality as on the E-M1 Mark II, they may not be familiar with the OM-D system in general and it's not overtly obvious in the Olympus manual (though the manual does spend more than one page explaining how to put on/take off lenses and lens caps :P). But it does serve as a good reminder that reviewers knowledge base is very broad. They are expected to be familiar with all systems, menus and quirks from cameras to lights to laptops (how they do this, I have no idea, so much expertise!) the compromise is, they might not have the intricate knowledge to give appropriately thorough insight on how to really optimize results with a specific product.

Their reviews are still incredibly helpful and valuable and you should certainly do your research before making a major purchasing decisions. But I hope that the review you trust the most, is your own. Go to your local camera store, hold it in your hands, take a workshop, and ask yourself will this camera help me make the images I want to create and will I enjoy using it? I do not think the E-M1X is for everyone. For many it's too much. Features you don't need at a price you can't justify. That's ok. There are tons of great cameras out there and you should find the one that works best for you. As for me, I look forward to using the E-M1X and the continued revolution of the OM-D.

To note all the images in these supercross photos are straight out of camera E-M1X with the MZuiko 40-150mm f/2.8, from a jpg file, and though I cropped some to better fit in the blog, there is no other fancy photoshop, enhancement or manipulation of the image.

It's official! The Olympus OM-D E-M1X camera was announced today. Olympus published the full-length version of the teaser video along with a video. If you've already watched those and read reviews, much of the information below might seem redundant. If you want to get all into the technical pixel peeping side-by-side comparisons, there are plenty of websites and blogs that offer that. But I wanted to share a hopefully straightforward approached to the features of the E-M1X and what makes it different from the E-M1 Mark II. With the exception of the product photos, all images in this post I took on the E-M1X. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out, comment or email me and I will address in future posts.

FZ2HNovember 24, 2018; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

In brief: All the benefits that make the O-MD system reliable and enjoyable to use are multiplied in the E-M1X. Bigger for a full-size ergonomic grip housing a significantly faster processor with enhanced and intelligent focusing abilities, built-in wifi, GPS, live ND, hand-held hi-res and about as many features as you could pack into a body. It's not necessarily the next generation of the E-M1 Mark II, but a power-packed flagship companion that proves the revolution of mirrorless is here to stay and certainly a viable system for professionals.

Mark FreemanNovember 20, 2018; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

O-MD

If you know the O-MD line, you already trust it's quality, durability, consistency. You know the quality of the sensor and processor will produce great files that despite a not-full-frame sensor, you can confidently create large prints and proudly deliver images to clients. You know it's weather sealed. It's rated to an even higher weather sealing mark. I don't know what more extreme case you'd be in than the downpours I've put it through, but when I came off the rope into a pool in Zion and accidentally dunked it, I was pleased to see it didn't seem to mind. Not to say I'd ever intend to dunk it, but it's nice to know that it can survive the kind of vacation I enjoy. I've had my E-M1 Mark II for over two years now and, as you know, sports photographers are not exactly gentle on their gear. It's consistent. I know when I turn it on, it will turn on and perform as expected. Ultimate Reliability is a core commitment of Olympus.

You know it pairs well with the line of M.Zuiko lenses which are sharp, fast, lightweight, small and overall incredible! My unexpected newfound love for the 12-100mm F4 is really surprising and I can't wait for the 150-400mm F4.5.

You know it's from a company that is committed to Micro Four-Thirds and who is building a reputation for great cameras on top of their reputation of well-loved film cameras. When I tell people I use Olympus gear, I can't tell you how many say that the OM film cameras were there favorite and how they took it everywhere. Now Olympus is making it's mark in the digital world with OM-D system.

FZ2HOctober 25, 2018; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

WHAT'S NEW ABOUT THE E-M1X

When the E-M1 Mark II came out, it seemed like everything was new. New sensor, new rotating screen, faster frames per second and all kinds of specs that blew out the original E-M1. To be honest, when I first received an E-M1X sample back in September (have I mentioned how exciting it is to be part of the Olympus Visionary group and get early access, testing and feeback to Olympus) it seemed to be an E-M1 Mark II with a grip you can't remove. But as you dive deeper into the processing power, AI capabilities and incredible features of the camera, you see that it is both familiar (which is a good thing) but packed with improvements (which is even better). My impression was "same, same" but as I continued to use it and became aware of more features, I realized how well it fits into the O-MD revolution.

The Build

The first thing you'll notice about the E-M1X is that it's bigger. It has all the ergonomics of a DSLR for those who want a full-hand grip but still the light-weight nature of a mirrorless. While it's bigger in size to accommodate an extra battery, if you are like me and are used to using the extra grip, it feels similar but more intentional.

The Buttons

The bigger build allows for some more buttons so you can quickly change settings without going into the menu or super control panel. All of these buttons are customizable. With the E-M1 Mark II, I customized the red record button to be an ISO button because I nearly never take videos and I often change my ISO without pulling the camera away from my face while shooting. Now there is a dedicated ISO button. These buttons also have a different tangible feel so if you don't have the muscle memory where the second-from-right button is, you can tell by the texture of the button. There are also buttons below the full articulating screen so you can quickly switch between cards and tag images to protect or share without having to go into the touchscreen menu.

The Multi-selector

This I suppose qualifies under buttons, but it deserves it's own segment. How many of you have changed your focus point to go for a rule-of-thirds focus point and used the back panel to do so. Now you have a little nub that not only goes left and right but also diagonal. It's like the queen in chess :)

C-Lock, Custom C-Lock

While having the grip on the E-M1 Mark II allowed you to lock the grip's shutter button so you didn't accidentally take pictures with your hip (we've all done it) you can now enable a custom c-lock that can lock a variety of buttons and wheels. Say to turn off your front dial so you don't accidentally hop from shutter speed 1/1600 to shutter speed 1/640 (that darn hip again!)

Focus Modes

Speaking of adjusting focus point, you can now set focal planes. Say your subject will be moving across the bottom of the frame from left to right. You can set your focus point to be the bottom of the viewfinder and it will grab anything in that plane. You can set multiple planes... I'm not sure what use case you would do that in, but hey, it's an option.

EVF

The EVF on the E-M1 Mark II was already much more natural than most EVF I've used with a refresh rate that wouldn't give you a headache. On the E-M1X it's even larger and more responsive.
 

USB-C Charging

Olympus put a USB-C slot on the E-M1 Mark II which made it easy to transfer images, update firmware, send to a monitor, etc. But the E-M1X USB-C port is now capable of charging your camera. As some have said, they don't see the need to use the battery charger because they will charge in camera. Anything that can make you bring one less gadget on a trip is a victory in my book! (Though since my non-sports adventures are often without electricity, I'll probably still be bringing extra batteries)

Two Batteries

I've said before that I could get through a football game on a single battery. But if I'm doing a lot of wifi sending, it might drain faster so I typically use the grip on the E-M1 Mark II if for no other reason than the comfort of knowing I can let one battery deplete completely and seamlessly switch the the second as opposed to wondering how long to risk 15%... 10%... 7% before swapping batteries. The E-M1X uses the same batteries, so no need to bring multiple chargers or buy new batteries if you already invested in the batteries for the E-M1 Mark II.

Two UHS II slots

While other companies are abandoning a second card slot, Olympus doubled-down on their commitment and instead of one UHS II slot and on UHS I slot, it's now two UHS II slots. RAW+Large Superfine jpeg to both cards? No problem!

Change Settings While Recording To Card

What good would two card UHS II card slots be if the camera can't keep up with writing to the cards? On the E-M1 Mark II while I could continue taking pictures while the camera was recording but I couldn't change settings like ISO or shutter speed until the camera was done recording. With the new faster processors, all features of the camera are accessible while the camera records those large files.

Built in-GPS

While the Tough T-G5 has built in GPS and the E-M1 Mark II had a way to link GPS to your phones GPS with their app, now it's part of the camera. While I get that the Tough T-G5 is more designed for adventure and maybe a wedding photographer doesn't necessarily need GPS and even sports, I identify the stadium in the caption and don't need GPS, but I always like to think that the flagship camera offers everything that any lower-level camera in the companies line might offer. Don't make me choose between wifi, GPS, and fast shutter speed, let me have it all in one!

October 4, 2018;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

WiFi Bluetooth

While the WiFi in Olympus is incredibly reliable, it does take some time to sync. With bluetooth connection enabled, your device can stay tethered to the WiFi making the WiFi on/off a faster connection.

Autofocus Modes - Planes, trains and automobiles.

Planes, trains and automobiles. Olympus spent a ton of time in development making life easy for photographers who cover trains, planes, and automobiles. With designated modes, it can find and lock focus on a car like you wouldn't believe. For photographers who cover those genres, I think this will be a complete game changer in the industry. It doesn't really affect me too much, but it does give me hope that Olympus continues to invest in R&D to not only make better cameras but offer features that weren't even part of the conversation before.

Live ND, Image Stabilization, Handheld Hi-Res, 4K video

September 14, 2018;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

The above features are all pretty impressive. I did take a 10 second hand held of the Boston skyline, but for the most part, they don't have a use-case for 90% of my work, so I don't feel I've utilized them enough to speak to them. Some of my fellow Visionaries I'm sure can offer great feedback and examples. (It's worth noting, as I read reviews of people who market themselves as angry critics, just because a camera offers something you don't need, doesn't mean it's not an incredibly useful feature that other users were begging for.)

The Menu

All of the new menu features could be overwhelming and trying to remember specifically where in the menu to access your most used custom settings could be awful. (On the E-M1 Mark II muscle memory can quickly takes me between formatting the card and checking the battery status but I couldn't tell you "cog wheel, J2, top line, over, second line" But thanks to 5 pages of a custom menu now my most accessed custom settings are easily accessible.

FZ2HOctober 23, 2018; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

THE FUTURE OF O-MD

No camera is perfect, turning on WiFi still disables the camera (though the bluetooth means it connects more seamlessly), the sensor is still not the best for extreme low light (you've all heard my argument of why this isn't problematic for me) and while they've managed to get trains, planes, and automobiles, there isn't a football helmet focus setting. I'm not sure if that will ever come, or if it would even outperform general continuous autofocus, but I am excited that Olympus continues to be on the leading edge of technology.

OVERALL

Will I be using this camera? Yes. Is this camera designed for everyone? No. Depending on how you use your camera and what you photograph, this might not be the camera for you. That's ok. While this camera is will be very appealing for those who photograph motorsports and plenty of professionals will be taking advantage of planes, trains, and automobiles, it's also an incredible camera for sports, weddings, portraits, you name it, just based on it's performance. I will be using the E-M1X to cover an alumni event tonight, followed by the Cal basketball game, and then for a portrait session with the lacrosse team Saturday. I'm so excited to finally be able to publicly use this camera and share images and details with you. Thanks for reading and please reach out if you have any questions that I didn't address here.

Pre-order the E-M1X here

Disclosure: I am sponsored by Olympus as a member of the Olympus Visionaries group. I was not paid or instructed to write this post but I was provided with the camera and the promotional images by Olympus.

After switching to Olympus at the end of 2016 and being named an Olympus Visionary in 2018, I'm as excited as ever to be involved in this product launch. Stay tuned

Texas Longhorns fansJanuary 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Texas Longhorns fans (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

Another year in the books covering the Allstate Sugar Bowl. This is always a fun way to close out the year and start the new year.

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Mercedes-Benz SuperdomeDecember 30, 2018; New Orleans, LA, USA; View of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. (Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox-KLC fotos)

My role includes covering the head coach press conference, parade and fan fest.

And I'll typically try to cover at least a bit of the concerts. This year Maren Morris and Florida Georgia Line.

Allstate Sugar Bowl New Year's Eve: Maren MorrisDecember 30, 2018; New Orleans, LA, USA; Maren Morris performs as part of the Allstate Sugar Bowl New Year's Eve at Jackson Square. (Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox-KLC fotos)

This year I also covered the Allstate Good Works team event and the Hall of Fame Brunch.

Oh and of course, the game where Texas defeated Georgia 28-21.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger (11)January 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Texas Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger (11) (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

Texas Longhorns running back Tre Watson (5)January 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Texas Longhorns running back Tre Watson (5) (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos) Texas Longhorns defensive back Davante Davis (18), Georgia BulldJanuary 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Texas Longhorns defensive back Davante Davis (18), Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Jeremiah Holloman (9) (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Collin Johnson (9)January 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Texas Longhorns wide receiver Collin Johnson (9) (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

With QB MVP Elingher proclaiming about the Texas Longhorns "We're baaaaaaack".

Texas Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger (11), Holly RoweJanuary 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Texas Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger (11), Holly Rowe (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

Though the ESPN highlight reel was much more dedicated to the story of the mascot faceoff between Texas Longhorns live steer, Bevo and Georgia Bulldogs, live bulldog Uga. Bevo knocking over a barricade in attempt to get a little Uga. Even after that event, ESPN was still committed to getting the clip so they tied up Bevo for the rest of the game and Uga's handler held him next to Bevo. I'm very impartial to dogs so I loved little Uga, but making an animal the size of Bevo stand in a cage tied up to wall in a stadium full of screaming fans, for hours, does seem like an pretty bad idea. To try and stage a faceoff between the two animals for a video clip, well, they are hopefully going to reconsider that.

Texas Longhorns BevoJanuary 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Texas Longhorns Bevo (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos) Georgia Bulldogs UgaJanuary 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Georgia Bulldogs Uga (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos) Georgia Bulldogs Uga, Texas Longhorns BevoJanuary 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Georgia Bulldogs Uga, Texas Longhorns Bevo (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

While every year I hope to get good action photos, and take my starburst Superdome and logo photo. This year, I wanted to give more priority to fan photos.

College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia BulldogsJanuary 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia BulldogsJanuary 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

It's a challenge because there is a 10ft wall separating the fans from the field, so if you are standing too close front of them, you can only see the first row and you the advertisements are distracting.  Georgia Bulldogs fansJanuary 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Georgia Bulldogs fans (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

But you can't back up much further without being on the playing field. So I opted for longer glass, even going for the 300mm and getting the angle from across the field to better capture the fans.

Texas Longhorns fansJanuary 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Texas Longhorns fans (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos) Georgia Bulldogs fansJanuary 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Georgia Bulldogs fans (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

Though the most famous "fans" were Evander Holyfield who is father to one of the Georgia players, and what Texas game is complete without a Matthew McConaughey spotting.

Evander HolyfieldJanuary 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Evander Holyfield (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos) Matthew McConaugheyJanuary 1, 2019; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; College Football - Allstate Sugar Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Goergia Bulldogs; Matthew McConaughey (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos)

The game is exciting, but truly, what I look forward to each year of covering the Sugar Bowl, is working with the communications staff, credential staff, all the support staff who work the Sugar Bowl, that I only get to see once a year but it feels like a reunion with old friends in the incredible city of New Orleans.

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Media PartyDecember 30, 2018; New Orleans, LA, USA; Allstate Sugar Bowl media party at Bourbon Vieux. (Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Media PartyDecember 30, 2018; New Orleans, LA, USA; Allstate Sugar Bowl media party at Bourbon Vieux. (Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

I hope you all enjoyed turning the page on 2018 and that 2019 is kind to you. Happy New Year!

I joined Derrick Story for an episode of his weekly podcast The Digital Story to talk about my gear, career and more.

Can listen wherever you get your podcasts or online here
 

My friends at Think Tank Photo just announced their Black Friday specials.  It will put its popular Airport Advantage Plus rolling camera bag on sale at 50% over Black Friday weekend. (I own and love this bag - read my review when I used the Airpot Advantage Plus in Kansas) In addition, several of its most popular camera bags will be on sale at 40% starting on Black Friday and through December 2nd.  And don’t forget, by using my special Web link when ordering, you will receive a free gift and free shipping on top of the discounts!

The Airport Advantage Plus rolling camera bag is designed specifically for traveling photographers. By it complying with international carry-on size and weight requirements, you can keep your most valuable gear safe and near you when flying.

On sale at 40% through December 2nd are Think Tank’s Spectral shoulder bags, UltraLight backpacks, Signature shoulder bags, Sidepath backpack, and Multi-Mount holsters. The UltraLight backpacks are the lightest weight photo backpacks on the market. The Signature shoulder series are designed for wedding and other event photographers who seek a more elegant and discreet shoulder bag.

I purchased a PhotoMechanic license with a student discount before I even had a website. As I've switched camera systems, external drive devices, website platforms, agencies, etc trying to find the best, PhotoMechanic has been the single constant in my career because there isn't any application that remotely competes. I would argue it is the most critical piece of software any digital photographer can own.

It will save you time. Browse through images faster than any other program I've used.

It will help organize your images. Quickly tag, favorite, color code, save, resize, add keywords, sort by date, sort by filename, you name it!...or hey, rename it!

It will help you deliver images. Upload to popular photo website providers at specific file sizes through PhotoMechanic without ever opening your browser and FTP at specific file sizes without ever needing to open an FTP application.

It will help your images reach a larger audience with copyright credit. Adding metadata in IPTC fields and your copyright ensures your images are searchable and your copyright is embedded into the file. What's a great picture if no one can find it and if they do, no one knows who took it?

In well over a decade of using and loving PhotoMechanic, it has in total cost me less than $200. No subscriptions, free updates except for major overhauls like version 4 to 5. I went to upgrade in 2016 having lost what my original subscription key was to pay the "upgrade" price instead of "new license" price, I emailed Camera Bits support and they responded the same day so I was up and running with the new PhotoMechanic right away. They also supported the Shoot Like Shirley contest by providing a licenses to both the winner and the runner up. Everything about the software and company is in the support of photographers.

I am not sponsored by them, I do not get any sort of kickback if you order through this link, as I might with other posts. This post is 100% just to spread the good word. So many of my Gear Review posts are specific to personal taste, what you photograph, what your budget is. PhotoMechanic I recommend for every photographer. When photographers want to work with KLC fotos, I am more concerned about whether they have PhotoMechanic than I am their portfolio or which camera they use. There are workarounds to not having it, but they are just that work-arounds.

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November 23rd-26th they are having a Black Friday Sale of $30 off, whether that's a new subscription or an upgrade. $120 for software that will make you enjoy culling through your images almost as much as you enjoy taking them. No discount code needed. If you don't already have it, what are you waiting for?! Well I guess at this point, wait until the 23rd, maybe 26th if you are a procrastinator, but seriously, go get it!

Paris Austin (3)November 13, 2018; Berkeley, California, USA; College Men's Basketball: Hampton Pirates at California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion; Paris Austin (3);
Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Per usual I started the Cal Men's Basketball game with my M. Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 and 9mm f/8 fisheye bodycap lens.

TeamNovember 13, 2018; Berkeley, California, USA; College Men's Basketball: Hampton Pirates at California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion; Team;
Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Darius McNeill (1)November 13, 2018; Berkeley, California, USA; College Men's Basketball: Hampton Pirates at California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion; Darius McNeill (1);
Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

While I sometimes swap the fisheye for the M. Zuiko 7-14mm f/2.8, especially for NBA games when I'm not on strobes, the wide and zoom are my wheelhouse for basketball.

I know photographers that use full frame 24-70mm and 70-200mm, while I could use the 12-40mm f/2.8, I just don't really prefer that focal range for basketball, seem not quite wide to feel epic, but not quite long enough to get a nice feature.

I was using the fisheye but I felt like I wanted to be a little tighter and have a little more control, as I was thinking of switching to the 7-14mm that was in my bag, but then I had an "aha" moment: just as I could use the f/8 fisheye because I was on strobes, I could use the 12-100mm f/4 without worry about being too dark using an f/4 lens instead of f/2.8

Justice Sueing (10)November 13, 2018; Berkeley, California, USA; College Men's Basketball: Hampton Pirates at California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion; Justice Sueing (10);
Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

So while I kept the 40-150mm on one body, I put the 12-100mm on the other body and used it nearly exclusively for the rest of the game. It's such a great range for basketball.

It's wide enough to get the inbound pass full body, the high five at the line and the huddle shot.

Andre Kelly (22)November 13, 2018; Berkeley, California, USA; College Men's Basketball: Hampton Pirates at California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion; Andre Kelly (22);
Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos
Paris Austin (3)November 13, 2018; Berkeley, California, USA; College Men's Basketball: Hampton Pirates at California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion; Paris Austin (3);
Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

TeamNovember 13, 2018; Berkeley, California, USA; College Men's Basketball: Hampton Pirates at California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion; Team;
Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

But still can zoom in enough to get the tighter portrait.

Justice Sueing (10)November 13, 2018; Berkeley, California, USA; College Men's Basketball: Hampton Pirates at California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion; Justice Sueing (10);
Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos Still long enough to not totally lose the cross court action.

TeamNovember 13, 2018; Berkeley, California, USA; College Men's Basketball: Hampton Pirates at California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion; Team;
Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

And the whole range in between.

Matt Bradley (20)November 13, 2018; Berkeley, California, USA; College Men's Basketball: Hampton Pirates at California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion; Matt Bradley (20);
Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

It also reminds me how much I like using strobes. Even though Haas Pavilion is bright enough to get away with not having strobes and I generally prefer to capture scenes as they are, and there is the trade off of recycle time and not being able to motor drive, the strobes just really make the action "pop".

Jacobi Gordon (24), Matt Bradley (20)November 13, 2018; Berkeley, California, USA; College Men's Basketball: Hampton Pirates at California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion; Jacobi Gordon (24), Matt Bradley (20);
Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

For the full set of images - check out KLCfotos.com

Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Back in the middle of 2017, the director of communications for USA Water Polo and his fiancé asked if I would cover their wedding planned for 2018 at teh Skirball Cultural Center. It's rare that I book a wedding over one year out and this one was incredibly important because it not only affected my reputation in regards to wedding photography, but if I totally blew it, it could also affect my relationship with USA Water Polo. Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

As it turns out, the wedding was at 6pm. 6pm in the summer is beautiful. 6pm in October, is, dark. They also went the traditional route of not having a first look. I had to be very candid with them that while this wouldn't be a problem for me per se, I wanted to make sure we shared expectations about how the images would turn out. I could bring lights but I couldn't make it look like 90% of wedding photos these days where the trend is bright light filled images.

Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos
 

Flying down to Los Angeles for the wedding, it would have been unreasonable to bring a truckload of lights but I was able to pack an Elinchrom ELB 500 with a light stand and small softbox. This turned out to be so critical.

Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

For the groom's images we had some daylight still to create a nice rim light in front of shaded trees.

Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

But by the time the bride was ready, sun had already set, so instead of trees for greenery, I found a nice wall (among other locations) and added just a bit of fill.

Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

By the time the wedding started it was twilight, which is great for landscape photos but not so much for portraits.

Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos
By the end of the ceremony there was barely a hint of blue left in an otherwise dark sky.

Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

I could have just brought an on-camera flash, which I did as well, but for someone who does 99.9% of my weddings with natural light only (excluding reception party photos) I typically don't like the look of artificial light because I love the nuances of natural light, not to mention the ability to be more flexible and not have to set up lights and stage images. But in this case it was absolutely necessary. And even better to be able to take the light off-camera so images weren't just a harsh -pop- in their face. With the ELB 500, I could have a slightly longer exposure to set a twilight scene instead of total darkness in the plaza without having their faces blurred from motion.

Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

My little speedlight flash wasn't totally forgotten as I set it to slave behind them to try and make the photo a little more dynamic.

Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

We tried to roam around the grounds a little more before heading to the party as the day wasn't quite going according to schedule (weddings never do, and typically it's the photos that they always try to cut to make up time). Just before they entered the party I took one more, which I think was perhaps my favorite. It's these candid moments that really capture a couple and the day.

Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

As I work in challenging conditions, I remind myself, this is why you hire a pro. Not someone who can make beautiful images at golden hour, but someone who can create images no matter what the scenario, timing, lighting, anything. The more preparation I can do the better, but I've also spent a career preparing for any scenario. I'm here to do my job and capture treasured memories. Cute kids and game time never hurts.

Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg MescallOctober 27, 2018; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wedding: Caroline Acosta and Greg Mescall;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Congratulations to the happy couple!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I'll be speaking Sunday November 4th from 10:30am-12pm at Kenmore Camera Digital Photo Expo.

I am part of the Sunday schedule, just one of 15 speakers (including fellow Olympus Visionary Peter Baumgarten) who will be presenting at the expo happening Saturday November 3rd 10am-6pm and Sunday November 4 10am-5pm. Admission is free!

In my post about Keenai Cloud shutting down I commented on how the AI (and this was in 2016!) was not quite there and thought my sister and I were birds.

Turns out google photos ALSO thinks I'm a bird! (Along with the birds at the Coliseum) Specifically when I'm in water with my hands up!

Check It

If you're a bird, I'm a bird

Check In

What funny mistakes has AI had for you?

Check It

Sorry - you probably don't care about Mickey Mouse or about BonBon... but I'm just keeping her memory alive

Check In

What happens when you search rat in your google photos, apple photos, or any app that has a.i. search

My friends at Think Tank Photo have released two new concepts in camera gear protection.  The Emergency Rain Covers, that come in two sizes, are small, lightweight, fast-deploying protective covers you can have on hand when weather conditions change swiftly and you need to protect your bodies and lenses. 

The Lens Case Duos are protective lens sleeves that can be used both when transporting your lenses in transit and while shooting.  They are available in a range of sizes to fit most DSLR and Mirrorless lenses.  Don’t forget that when you use these special URLs you will receive free gear and free shipping on all orders over $50

As a side note: If you you were shooting with Olympus like me, you wouldn't need a rain cover but from my days when my cameras weren't as weather-sealed, I loved Think Tank Photo Hydrophobia gear, I don't doubt that the Emergency Rain Covers are fantastic

Speaking of... if anyone wants my old rain gear, holler!

Milford Photo 10am - 1pm

A double header of sorts with Hunts Camera and then Milford Photo in Connecticut the next day. If you're on the east coast, come say hi and get some hands on time shooting sports!

The Hunts one is $29 but the Milford photo one, they just turned into a free event

Register here

Learn sports photo tips from a working pro on Sunday September 16th at 10am at Milford Photo. Olympus Visionary Kelley Cox will be in the house to review some of her images and offer tips on rendering a variety of sports more professionally. This should be a great opportunity for the sport parent to learn valuable techniques for shots of the kids! You don't have to be an Olympus owner to take part. However there will be Olympus loaner gear on hand in case you want to try one of the quick firing OMD models with compact telephoto zoom lenses down at the beach where we've arranged volleyball and fencing demos to photograph. [masked] Olympus and Milford Photo are offering this event for FREE. Please RSVP if you're sure to make it as space is limited.

If you've been following the saga of Eye-Fi turned Keenai turned nothing. We have reached the nothing stage.

Eye-Fi came before cameras had built in wi-fi and allowed you to send to your phone, computer, and would automatically upload to a cloud service with unlimited space for jpg and RAW photos. They partnered with companies like Olympus where the packaging advertised their compatibility and it tried to be clever and ID the subjects in your photos. Though it wasn't quite as refined as the services we use now, it lead the industry at the time.

The website is still up with just a small text at the top. Reminding you of the glory days of Eye-Fi

The technology was a little buggy but ultimately so fantastic there is still a big market for them on Amazon where new cards will set you back $250 (and they aren't UHS II) and EBay where used cards still sell for a couple hundred dollars. Photographers who work for MLB social still use these unsupported cards because there is not yet a better alternative (Flash Air seems to best, and significantly less expensive option, you'll see why in next paragraph).

What happened? Eye-Fi sold to Ricoh who licensed the Eye-fi technology to Toshiba aka Flash Air (recognize the name?), stopped producing the cards and focused on the cloud platform they rebranded to Keenai.

But yesterday they announced they'd be shutting down the Keenai service.

There's a lot of talk about how you shouldn't rely on google photos or other free services to store your images because terms and services could change at any time. But let this be a reminder to you that even paid for services are not necessarily reliable. If you are entrusting your data to a private company, they are just that, a private company that can be sold, re-organized, or just fold completely. Cloud services are great for quickly accessing your archive especially if you are offsite. But if you really want to ensure your image, you'll need some sort of external drive and better yet, a tangible print.

Keenai has given users until the end of November to move their data before the service is shut down entirely even though I was paid through 2021. Thankfully, I wasn't using it as a back-up method (I saw the writing on the wall) so it doesn't affect me but good luck to anyone who had GBs upon GBs of photos stored there.

LaCie External Hard DriveAmazon
I ordered one of these drives to help me transition from a USB 2 to USB-C computer. Backwards compatible and so fast. As I phase out older drives that are larger in physical size but smaller in storage capacity, this is a convenient streamlined portable drive that can easily be stashed.
They also make a more rugged one with bumpers.

For those curious - my external hard drive of choice is the LaCie Porsche USB-C external hard drive. It comes in 1TB-5TB depending on your needs.

I chose it because it was USB-C compatible but also backwards compatible with a USB-3 cable si it was easy to transfer from an old machine to a new machine.

I don't like external drives that need an additional power source or that back-up constantly. My spouse had one that he assumed was writing and backing up, not only did the drive stop backing up, the whole thing failed. We sent it in it to the manufacturer and they couldn't resolve. All his photos from when he first started using a digital camera to 2017, poof, gone! I also don't like the idea of having an external drive constantly on my desk.

External drives are a somewhat personal choice and I honestly think it's more important that you decide on a method and maintain or update if needed, than it is which specific drive you use. At some point, it will fail, at some point the connection will become outdated. Don't just back it up on a drive and stuff it in a closet, or you'll be that person asking if anyone has a floppy drive adapter.

I have also used the LaCie Rugged, Seagate (they are now the same company) and Western Digital. For the ease of view or physical storage I prefer my drives to be similar in size so I can store them together.

If you are using a drive simply to transfer data, go buy any ol' cheap and easy thumb drive. But if you are trying to save precious memories, get a drive you can trust (maybe two, to store in different locations), put them in the cloud, and print them.

I publish gear reviews every Monday so you can get in gear (get it?) and start your week!

NCAA Football: North Carolina at CaliforniaSep 1, 2018; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears running back Patrick Laird (28) scores a touchdown against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

It's not football season until it's college football season! Last year Cal opened on the road at North Carolina, this year they opened at home against them. And again came out victorious.

NCAA Football: North Carolina at CaliforniaSep 1, 2018; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears defense pose after the win against the North Carolina Tar Heels at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

KLC fotos was covered on the action side with Al Sermeno and covered on the on field presentations (plus some action) with Nathan Phillips. Marcus Edwards was assigned to the sponsor side of the game and Aditi Raghunath was assigned to the fan experience. And then Rob Edwards, Mike Wondolowski and Ariel Nava were all contributors/volunteers covering on spec. So lucky to work with such a great crew of photographers! Check out their collective coverage KLCfotos.com/calbears

I was going to cover for Cal as a volunteer so I could shoot features (like trekking up to tightwad hill for a photo), but ultimately ended up getting the gig for USA Today Sports Images. Since USA Today is just in-game action, I was able to cover pre and post game still for Cal. (Also a great reason to ensure your credential is under your name and you keep your copyright with all clients)

NCAA Football: North Carolina at CaliforniaSep 1, 2018; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears student section celebrate during the third quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

While covering "Tailgate Town" sounds like a drag compared to action, here's why it isn't. You get to interact with people. Great for the soul and means I can say hello to the former track stars I covered when we were both students and some alums who are big supports of the university.

And my parents - photo credit to my mama ;)

Also, you get a sense of the impact of college football. Families that create memories of bringing their kids to games and having a day outside, away from their phone, and some pre-game where they can play.

NCAA Football: North Carolina at CaliforniaSep 1, 2018; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears before the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NCAA Football: North Carolina at CaliforniaSep 1, 2018; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears fans before the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NCAA Football: North Carolina at CaliforniaSep 1, 2018; Berkeley, CA, USA; View of "tailgate tow" at Maxwell Field before the game between the California Golden Bears and the North Carolina Tar Heels at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

And beyond that, Patrick Laird and his reading program.

Last year, seemingly out of nowhere (while he had been putting in work for a while), a walk-on junior (entered as SEVENTH on the depth chart) earned a scholarship position and quickly demonstrated how he earned it. Hard work that paid off on the scoreboard. He started a tradition of mimicking that he was reading a book after a touchdown. To promote reading. What a unique and wonderful way to celebrate and use your platform for a cause close to your heart.

NCAA Football: North Carolina at CaliforniaSep 1, 2018; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears running back Patrick Laird (28) gestures reading a book after scoring a touchdown against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Then he took it a step further (as running backs try to do ;)) and started a website (WalkOnThenRun.com) and a Summer Reading Challenge, to prevent summer learning loss in student K-6. To share the core values on his site:

• ACADEMICS: FINDING THE VALUE IN EDUCATION AND STRIVING TO BE A LIFE-LONG LEARNER.

• ATHLETICS: USING COMPETITION TO BRING ABOUT THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF.

• HABITS: CONTINUOUSLY WORKING ON SELF-IMPROVEMENT TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN ALL AREAS OF LIFE.

Great program, yes. But even better, after the game, still suited up, Laird visited with the students, explained how he loved reading and why it was so important.

A fantastic idea by a student athlete, and the support of Cal Athletics staff to have the program be boosted by awarding students and their families with tickets to a game. As a student-intern who stepped away to pursue my professional pursuits and now back at Cal with KLC fotos being official photographer, I feel all the feels. This is the type of story that is why I love UC Berkeley and Cal Athletics. It's so much more than academics and sports. With the new athletic director Jim Knowlton and second year head coach Justin Wilcox, I have the sense that they are building upon the legacy of Cal and taking it to the next level.

NCAA Football: North Carolina at CaliforniaSep 1, 2018; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears athletic director Jim Knowlton and head coach Justin Wilcox after the win against the North Carolina Tar Heels at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
 

USATSI SpecialMay 15, 2018; Stockton, CA, USA; Manuel Flores. Feature on Fantasy Sports in prisons. We meet Earl A. Smith (team chaplain for San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors); Manuel Flores (a former inmate at multiple state prisons in California); Terry Williams (spent 38 years in California prisons, most in Pelican Bay State Prison and in solitary confinement). Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Most of my work with USA Today Sports Images is, routine. Not that the games are routine, but I'm showing up to the same venues, seeing the same staff (who are often around much longer than any of the players) and I know my shooting position, what the light will do, and the only thing unpredictable is the game itself. Sometimes I cover "Specials" for USA Today. Tom Seaver at his vineyard, Josh Jackson before he committed to Kansas, A's giving away memorabilia to a kid who lost his collection in the fires, etc. But this one was unique. How Fantasy Football Works in Prison

All I really knew going into this shoot was from the assignment editor: 

Feature on Fantasy Sports in prisons. We meet Earl A. Smith (team chaplain for San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors); Manuel Flores (a former inmate at multiple state prisons in California); Terry Williams (spent 38 years in California prisons, most in Pelican Bay State Prison and in solitary confinement).

I googled the given address in Stockton and it looked like a family home. I was expecting either a prison (that the group was visiting) or a center (that the group worked out of) I wondered if I had the right address. Turns out it's a sober house for those making the transition from incarceration while on probation that exists amongst your typical California suburb of single family homes and nearby schools and parks. (Wonderful for integration!)

I met with Chaplain Earl A. Smith's daughter while we waited for him to arrive, and again waited with Terry and Manuel in the gym while Chaplain Smith made a quick trip home to grab some potential "props" to use in the photos (even though while making the drive the reporter called and vetoed props). It was a strange shoot in the request of "Looking for a portrait of the three together, maybe individually also. Anything with the materials they use to do Fantasy Sports." Terry and Manuel are out of prison, so they aren't playing, and Chaplain Smith is the point of contact that connected the writer to current prisoners but isn't personally involved in prison fantasy sports. (I thought maybe this was some sort of Molly's Game with Chaplain Smith heading it up ;))

USATSI SpecialMay 15, 2018; Stockton, CA, USA; Terry Williams (left), Chaplain Earl A. Smith (center) and Manuel Flores (right). Feature on Fantasy Sports in prisons. We meet Earl A. Smith (team chaplain for San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors); Manuel Flores (a former inmate at multiple state prisons in California); Terry Williams (spent 38 years in California prisons, most in Pelican Bay State Prison and in solitary confinement). Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

While we waited for Chaplain Smith to return, I sat alone with Terry and Manuel. I didn't know what they had been incarcerated for. I had googled their names but they were both too common, and ultimately I'm glad. While I learned a bit about Terry through his stories, I was able to spend time with them without the judgement of what they had done, and just sit and have a conversation with them. As I reminded them, I'm not the writer, so what they shared with me wasn't going on record anywhere.

As I took some individual photos of them, Manuel said "oh, let's do a prison pose" I would never have suggested they pose like this, nor would I have suggested it using the term "prison pose", it obviously didn't get published. 

USATSI SpecialMay 15, 2018; Stockton, CA, USA; Terry Williams (left) and Manuel Flores (right). Feature on Fantasy Sports in prisons. We meet Earl A. Smith (team chaplain for San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors); Manuel Flores (a former inmate at multiple state prisons in California); Terry Williams (spent 38 years in California prisons, most in Pelican Bay State Prison and in solitary confinement). Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
 

I don't think I've ever met someone who spent time in Pelican Bay, let alone solitary confinement. I'm sure if I had told my mom about this shoot (and known Terry was convicted of first degree murder) she would have been worried, but ultimately, it was three people, hanging out, making pictures. One thing I will share from our conversations, was Terry's statement that his joy in life is walking with his grandchild, and how he had recently taught him how to skip rocks. I don't think we need the juxtaposition of incarceration to appreciate the simple pleasures in life, but I do think it offers great perspective on what can really bring us joy. Forget the story about fantasy sports in prison, let's find more stories about people appreciating what really adds value to life.

USATSI SpecialMay 15, 2018; Stockton, CA, USA; Terry Williams. Feature on Fantasy Sports in prisons. We meet Earl A. Smith (team chaplain for San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors); Manuel Flores (a former inmate at multiple state prisons in California); Terry Williams (spent 38 years in California prisons, most in Pelican Bay State Prison and in solitary confinement). Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

From a photo perspective, I wasn't too pleased, I always want to tell a story with my photos and I felt the story wasn't developed enough (they weren't even the characters of the story) to create something great. I'm a fan of utilizing natural light whenever I can, but I was quite pleased I had brought a single Elinchrom ELB 500 head so I could light these. Inside they keep most the lights off and blinds closed (to combat the 110 heat) and outside it was a bright 2pm where finding beautiful light is hard and shade isn't very nuanced. Having an on-camera flash would have just bounced off his glasses, being able to move it off center and off camera with a softbox made it a little more dynamic.

USATSI SpecialMay 15, 2018; Stockton, CA, USA; Feature on Fantasy Sports in prisons. We meet Earl A. Smith (team chaplain for San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors); Manuel Flores (a former inmate at multiple state prisons in California); Terry Williams (spent 38 years in California prisons, most in Pelican Bay State Prison and in solitary confinement). Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Retrospective V2.0

My friends at Think Tank Photo have just released Version 2.0 of what may be the most popular shoulder bags in photo industry history, the Retrospective V2.0.  The Retrospective V2.0 retain their classic look but include many innovative new features. Keeping the soft, form-fitting design, they are lighter than the original. For greater security, they added a zippered opening under the main flap that tucks away when not in use. Each bag has a dedicated interior tablet or laptop pocket, luggage handle pass-through, and a compressible water bottle pocket. They even improved their “Sound Silencer” technology to help you work quietly.  Be sure to use my link to order as you will receive free gear and free shipping!

I'm so excited to officially be a member of the Olympus Visionary program!!

As many of you know, I've been an Olympus fan for some time, professionally switching to Olympus at the end of 2016 with the introduction of the E-M1 Mark II.

I first purchased an Olympus system at the end of 2015 as a hobby camera (if you don't count some years of using my mom's point-and-shoot film Olympus camera as a kid) because I wanted something lighter and more inconspicuous for traveling, backpacking and general life adventures.

It's first big adventure was backpacking on the Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali Coast of Hawaii. I wouldn't have been able to justify the weight of a full frame DSLR but I didn't want to only have my iPhone for such epic terrain, even though it was more of a personal trip than a working trip.

As I became more familiar with the system, I would use the E-M5 Mark II as my third-body wide angle for football games so that I didn't have the weight of DSLR around my neck all game for the 1 or 2 photos I might make. While all the other photographers captured close ups of Colin Kaepernick leading the National Anthem kneel, I was able to get that photo, but also step back and get a wide angle that better told the story in one frame.

NFL: Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ersOct 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Eli Harold (58), quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) and free safety Eric Reid (35) kneel as members of the military hold the flag during the national anthem before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

It was never really intended to be my only system for pro sports (though I wasn't a fan of having two camera systems, bodies, lenses, batteries, etc) but that all changed when they introduced the E-M1 Mark II and 300mm f/4 (600mm equivalent). I was able to borrow that set up for San Francisco 49ers vs New England Patriots and told not to bother with putting rain gear on it. That alone could have sold me on the system. (Think Tank Photo makes fantastic rain gear with their Hydrophobia Rain Covers that I used for YEARS, but even well designed rain gear is a pain.) The OM-D E-M1 Mark II performed spectacularly! 

NFL: New England Patriots at San Francisco 49ersNov 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) tries to hold off New England Patriots strong safety Patrick Chung (23) and defensive end Trey Flowers (98) before being sacked during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I immediately went all in and ordered two E-M1 Mark II bodies and added the 300mm f/4 to my arsenal and used them to cover the Sugar Bowl where my contract is both game action and events. Walking to Jackson Square in the rain to cover the fan fest pep rallies, sending from built in wi-fi, sneaking into top floors of hotels to get cool angle of the Super Dome, walking to the cemetery in the pouring rain to grab an eerie graveyard photo, then easily being able to stash the camera in a bag and hit the bars... not everything needs to be documented ;) Not to say photography had ceased to be fun, but this made my job easier on my body, faster turn around to my clients, and on the whole motivated me to really have fun with photography both professionally and personally.

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma Sooners v Auburn TigersJanuary 2, 2017; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Samaje Perine (32) escapes defensive back Stephen Roberts (14) during the second half of the Allstate Sugar Bowl football game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Oklahoma Sooners defeated the Auburn Tigers 35-19. Photo: Kelley L Cox -KLC fotos for the Allstate Sugar Bowl

A year in and I knew I wouldn't be turning back.

Since Olympus had never really made a truly capable sports camera before, they didn't have any sports photographers using their system and I caught their eye. There's something to be said for social media, but there is more to be said for friend's/colleagues who make introductions and advocate for you, and so many people outside and within Olympus advocated for me from the initial introduction to being selected a member of Visionary program (Thank you!). While this may seem sudden because I am not a Pulitzer prize winner like some of the other Visionaries, or a long time coming because I've been promoting Olympus without any association for years now, this has been in the works for a while. Last September even hosting a workshop for the Olympus reps to meet and interact. For them to see what I was about, and me to see what they were about as a company and as individuals setting the culture of a company. I had such a blast then and continued having fun as I conducted some Olympus sponsored workshops in San Diego and Seattle. I am thrilled to be joining with a more official status.

Photo by S Ray Acevedo

Being a part of the program will help me reach more photographers through Olympus sponsored workshops and expos where I can provide tangible feedback and sometimes hands-on shooting opportunities. It will help me create resources and connect with photographers. And it will give me access to test out gear and share my feedback both as a review for photographers and as suggestions for Olympus. A key focus on their program is feedback. There are so many products out there where when you use them, you quickly realize that the designers are not also photographers. They make a product with incredible tech specs but then it's missing a critical feature and you think "hmmm they must have not asked many working photographers before introducing this". An uproar from the community causes the feature to be added on a next generation camera. That's not Olympus. They aren't trying to push a new camera every year making older models lose value but rather putting a lot of research and development in the products they create and adding features via firmware so that when a new model is introduced you know it's a substantial update in the actual hardware not just the software. The minimalist/environmentalist in me really respects this.

When I first switched to mirrorless, people thought I was making a strange decision because we had all been ingrained with "DSLR is best". Now it's pretty much consensus that mirrorless is the future and some big name manufacturers are scrambling to introduce their version of mirrorless so the market doesn't leave them behind. I'm excited to be a part of that future with Olympus who committed to mirrorless a decade (!!!) ago and look forward to having a larger platform as we all take our photography to the next level!

Changes to expect from me:

Blog Posts

I won't be blogging every event I cover (I tried that, it's exhausting!) but I will try to share some highlights and insights.

More active on social media

Instagram: No longer just kelleyfeet but also a kelleylcox instagram where I'll post photos which are hopefully fun and informative

Twitter: Sharing short-form insights, links I find interesting, a pulse on the photography community, and hopefully avoiding twitter trolls.

Facebook: Somewhere in between. If anyone wants to offer me social media suggestions, I'm all ears

Olympus Dedicated Pages

My Gear - With links to order if you want me to get a little kick-back for your purchases :)

FAQ - I get so many messages of "are you really using Olympus for your pro work?" I'll save you a click, the answer is a resounding yes!

Workshops

I will announce them on my blog but you can also check my Workshops Page for a calendar. Most will be hosted by Olympus in partnership with a local camera store (support your local camera store!) but since I also speak at the Peter Read Miller workshops and others, keep an eye out for those as well.

Resources

I'll be creating some content for Olympus Learn Center to share with their community. Look for some how-to guides, whether it is theory based like finding a good angle, or more tangible guides of exact camera settings I suggest for various situations.

Feedback

Please send me your feedback! What do you hope to see this Olympus Visionary turn into for me? I only have value to the program if I am useful to other photographers. How can I better serve you?

Johnny HooperAugust 16, 2018; Legends Aquatic Center, Berkeley, California, USA; Men's Water Polo: Cal Media Day; Johnny Hooper

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Photographers walk around seeing light. The stereotypical "stop right there, the light is perfect" that movies play upon the photographer and the leading lady being so enamored that she found perfect light. Other photographers see scenes and can both see and create light. Some still just have to wing it!

Johnny HooperAugust 16, 2018; Legends Aquatic Center, Berkeley, California, USA; Men's Water Polo: Cal Media Day; Johnny Hooper

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

When covering Cal Men's Water Polo the original plan was to take headshots and a team photo. But then the team photo got scraped when one of the players couldn't make headshot day. Since the shoot was going to have extra time, I had planned to do some fun creative photos with the players in the water. Somewhat similar to a shoot I did with USA Water Polo years ago but with lights now that I have my Elinchrom ELB 500. Hello battery powered, have lights, willing to go anywhere. But that also got scraped because some of the players weren't cleared for being in the pool yet.

Safak SimsekAugust 16, 2018; Legends Aquatic Center, Berkeley, California, USA; Men's Water Polo: Cal Media Day; Safak Simsek

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

That left us with two options, using the white background and making some generic photos, or since the SID said they'd only be used on social media and if it didn't work out, no worries, gave me a lot of flexibility to try something more creative.

Spencer FarrarAugust 16, 2018; Legends Aquatic Center, Berkeley, California, USA; Men's Water Polo: Cal Media Day; Spencer Farrar

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Just outside Legends is an area where they keep the trash cans... which actually makes a perfect background when you light it in a more interesting way. And thankfully with my Elinchrom ELB 500, I didn't have to worry about finding an outlet.

The beauty of photography, especially still photography, no one has to know the full scene, only what's captured in your frame.

Spencer TaggAugust 16, 2018; Legends Aquatic Center, Berkeley, California, USA; Men's Water Polo: Cal Media Day; Spencer Tagg

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

With a little help :)

Spencer TaggAugust 16, 2018; Legends Aquatic Center, Berkeley, California, USA; Men's Water Polo: Cal Media Day; Spencer Tagg

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

NFL: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ersAug 9, 2018; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) smiles on the sideline during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NFL: Detroit Lions at Oakland RaidersAug 10, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) smiles during warm ups before the game against the Detroit Lions at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NFL: Detroit Lions at Oakland RaidersAug 10, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive back Leon Hall (29) holds on to Detroit Lions wide receiver T.J. Jones (13) during the first quarter at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

To call it football season is generous. It's pre-season. This means you'll cover one drive of each starting lineup and then all the bench players will come in. While this is a bit of a bummer in terms of great action, it's a great excuse to spend the entire 2nd half just trying to take feature photos along the bench.

NFL: Detroit Lions at Oakland RaidersAug 10, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch (24) on the sideline against the Detroit Lions during the fourth quarter at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NFL: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ersAug 9, 2018; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive back Richard Sherman (25) celebrates on the sideline after a 49ers sack against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I had received multiple notes from editors to keep an eye out for anyone kneeling, especially with the Dallas Cowboys after Mr. Jones statement. Posting the below photo on social media (I'm trying to post on social media more) was a quick reminder of how dehumanizing some folks can be behind a keyboard at what would be 3am in their local time zone, yikes! And I'm just posting a photo. Don't shoot the messenger! (Or unarmed people of color for that matter).

NFL: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ersAug 9, 2018; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys players stand for the national anthem before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I have another preseason game the end of this month 49ers vs Chargers and then looking forward to the regular season! We'll see if Jimmy G can keep his streak, even if he only plays a few snaps.

NFL: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ersAug 9, 2018; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) throws the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Learning to Shoot Sports with Kelley L Cox, presented by Olympus

Register Here

Saturday, September 15th, 10am-2:30pm • Hunt’s Photo, Melrose

Instructor: Professional sports photographer Kelley L Cox, presented by Olympus cameras

Class Size: 25 students

Recommended Prerequisite: Basic knowledge of camera

All skill levels welcome!

Sports gives photographers an opportunity to capture incredible moments in time, but often presents challenging lighting scenarios and other elements outside of their control. Join West Coast-based photographer Kelley L Cox to learn how to see and think like a sports photographer and feel comfortable covering any sport. In this workshop, you will gain insight on how to cover specific sports as well as tips that can be applied to improve your overall photography skill set.

The class will be comprised of a presentation of sports photography insights and recommendations followed by a hands-on experience with option to borrow Olympus camera gear.

The presentation will cover:
Capturing Peak Action and Emotion
Story Telling with Sports Photography
Non-Action Sports Photography
Finding the Best Light and Angle
Camera Settings for Various Situations and Sports
What it Takes to be a Pro – Workflow and Management

Approximate layout for the day:
10am-12pm- Presentation and discussion with Kelley
12-12:30pm- Short break (Feel free to bring a snack/bagged lunch- we will provide water and a few snacks)
12:30-2pm- Hands-on shooting (Just across the street at Pine Banks Park)
2-2:30pm- Closing remarks, additional questions

Since there is a hands-on portion of this event, make sure to bring your camera! Olympus, our sponsor of the event, will also have their cameras on-hand if you would like to test them out. They’re a great option to try when photographing sports. (All you’ll need is a SD card to try them out!)

View this workshop and others KelleyLCox.com/workshops

It's been no secret in the photography community that MindShift Gear is tightly connected to Think Tank Photo. While geared towards two separate markets of photographers, they are both focused on creating high-quality products that photographers love. As we blur adventure, journalist, corporate, wedding photographer identities, so do they!

While MindShift Gear had a focus in outdoor photographers, creating amazing backpacks that I have in all shapes and sizes and Think Tank Photo makes unquestionably the best rolling cases around. It started to blur the line as I would use some Think Tank Products on adventures (the Speed Changer was my go-to for Patagonia [link is to V3, mine is V1 because their gear lasts THAT long]) and I'll carry MindShift Gear bags to shoots that are not outdoor focused (corporate shoots where I know there will be stairs, I bring my FirstLight 30L instead of my Airport Roller Derby) And I bring my Airport Advantage Plus on trips even when I'm not bringing a camera at all! When it comes to card wallets, general use backpacks, lens pouches etc, you can't really go wrong with either and the elements of one brand are definitely reflected in the other because the two have been working so closely. It only make sense that they would officially merge and create a seamless shopping experience for everyone.

So now if you want to purchase some great backpacks, rolling cases, shoulder bags, hard cases, belt systems, and all kinds of useful accessories, you now have a one-stop-shop at ThinkTankPhoto.com

If you use my link (which is tied to anything you'll click on in this post) I get a lil-kick back which I'd really appreciate and it would help validate that when I try to new products or explain why I love some of my tried and trusty products, that sharing the experience is beneficial to you.

You can also check out my gear page to see a more complete list of products I specifically use and recommend.

Rugby: Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018Jul 22, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; Gold medalists New Zealand, silver medalists England, and bronze medalists South Africa pose for a photo in the men's championship final of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Rugby: Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018Jul 21, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; Gold medalists New Zealand, silver medalists France, and bronze medalists Australia pose for a photo in the women's championship final of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

While the baseball bay bridge series hopped over to the east bay, AT&T Park was converted into a rugby pitch to host the Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament.

Rugby: Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018Jul 22, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; General view of AT&T Park before the men's championship bronze final of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports Sevens is a crazy format of 7 players, 7 minute halves (does this make anyone else think of Something About Mary "7 minute aaaaabs"?) and you have games non-stop all day.

Rugby: Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018Jul 21, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; Australia player Sharni Williams (2) tackles France player Joanna Sainlo (9) in the women's championship semifinal of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

With KLC fotos being the "official photographer" of USA Rugby and this being event in my backyard so to speak, I was looking forward to KLC fotos being pretty involved with RWC. I met with director of marketing and communications over a year out after the site had been announced, and we had exchanged emails a few after with a "I'll call on you when I need you", but ultimately nothing really came of it. I started to see the writing on the wall and agreed to cover it for USA Today Sports Images, figuring if nothing else, if KLC fotos was needed to cover, I could provide opportunity to another local KLC fotos photographer. Ultimately only two KLC fotos photographers were even approved. Two photographers that were denied credentials included one who covered USA Rugby in the Rio Olympics and another who had taken their player and staff headshots, both severely underpaid. And USA Rugby didn't try to pull any strings to get them credentialed. Meanwhile other photographers who lacked professional standards (cheering and cursing at referees to the extent which they were no longer even photographing the play). I'm pretty disappointed, but it does help me provide this sample to photographers when I discourage them for working for less than their worth in order to chase a carrot of "opportunity".

Rugby: Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018Jul 21, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; South Africa player Werner Kok (5) tackles Scotland player Jack Cuthbert (12) in the men's championship quarterfinal of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

In better news, Paul Rudman and Mike Lee were able to cover for KLC fotos and for USA Rugby and Chile. These two hustle and get clients and contracts. And it was wonderful to finally meet Mike who has been working with KLC fotos for years, but we had only worked virtually!

Rugby: Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018Jul 22, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; South Africa player Rosko Specman (center) runs the ball against Fiji player Leone Nakarawa (left) and player Jasa Veremalua (right) in the men's championship bronze final of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

In even better news, since I was shooting for USA Today Sports Images, we only needed to cover the games that were on track to the championship and Kyle Terada was my editor (we were denied a runner credential for Marcus Edwards) which is particularly hard when the players don't wear numbers anywhere on the front of their uniforms.

Rugby: Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018Jul 21, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; New Zealand player Ruby Tui (1) passes the ball against France in the women's championship final of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

New Zealand won the women's tournament and the men's tournament. Meaning a haka each day!

Rugby: Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018Jul 21, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; New Zealand performs the haka in the women's championship final of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports Rugby: Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018Jul 22, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; New Zealand perform the haka in the men's championship final of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

La Habra Boxing Club31 year-old Carlos Martin at La Habra Boxing Club in La Habra, California on April 10, 2009. Photo by Kelley Cox / SSAVI

I posted two weeks ago about how the Shoot Like Shirley Award came to be, then last week I received a message from Robert Hanashiro that he'd like to offer to cover tuition of Sports Shooter Academy for the award recipient. This is a HUGE contribution!

Matt ProsserAVP Beach Volleyball Player Matt Prosser in Long Beach, California on April 11, 2009. Photo by Kelley Cox / SSAVI

I attended Sports Shooter Academy in 2009 during the spring of my senior year at UC Berkeley and it changed everything for me. It was my first time lighting something beyond a basic headshot. It was my first time getting a real constructive critique of my sports photography. John DrakeCSU Fullerton Wrestler John Drake. Photo by Kelley Cox/ SSAVI

But more importantly for me at that time, it was the first time I found a community of people interested in what I was interested in: sports photography! And made me feel not only that I belonged, but there was a future for me. Sure the bay area had some photography icons that covered an occasional Cal games and I tried to befriend them and pick their brain, and Daily Cal had some student photographers who covered sports, but nothing compares to meeting fellow students (university enrolled or just student of SSA) who shares your passion and you collectively push each other to be better with the guidance from accomplished working photographers. Some SSA students came from photojournalism backgrounds, some came from a sports background, and then there was me! Though I lost touch with some of my fellow SSA alums, there are a handful who are still working professionals who I meet up with when I can, and even more folks who I've connected with years later, and we bond over our shared experience of being an SSA alum, even though they may have attended just last year.

Rod Mar, Jordan Murph, Robert HanashiroRod Mar, Jordan Murph and Robert Hanashiro become the new faces of AVP Beach Volleyball in Long Beach, California on April 11, 2009. Photo by Kelley Cox/ SSAVI

Now, in addition to the great prizes from Think Tank Photo, SanDisk, Camera Bits, and $1,000 from Shirley's family, the recipient will be able to attend Sports Shooter Academy with tuition covered.

Apply now!!

This blog post is all images I made at SSA in 2009 :)

Photo credit: David Bernal Photography

Photo credit: David Bernal Photography

I am so thrilled to announce the Shoot Like Shirley Award and that it is now accepting applications!! (June 15- July 15)

Women under 30, please check out the site and apply. Everyone, please share with your networks.

How this award came together:

When Shirley passed away, I reached out to her widower to see how he wanted me to handle any future royalties. He generously offered KLC fotos to keep them. It felt inappropriate for KLC fotos to simply profit off her work and while I didn't expect many future royalties (she had mostly covered Junior Olympics coverage which is pretty time sensitive on orders, though we have had some orders come in years later) I wanted to put her royalties to use in a way that honored her legacy.

As I started gathering ideas and asking for his blessing to name an award in her honor, as well as his insight on what Shirley would have wanted the award to look like, he generously offered to include a significant financial prize, and later increased it to $1,000 for the recipient and the $500 for the runner up.

I wanted to make sure we did right by Shirley and her family so I started drafting the site and reaching out to photographers who had worked with Shirley to be the judges. From there I thought I'd reach out to some contacts at various companies to see if they were interested in contributing non-financial gifts. It is AMAZING what response you will get when you ask for a favor.

When I asked if ThinkTank Photo would be interested in offering a card wallet or something, they instead immediately shipped a Signature Series shoulder bag (MSRP $249.75). Camera Bits offered TWO PhotoMechanic licenses (a $300 value) in formal pdf package and turned it around the same day as my inquiry.

As I asked 49ers team photographer Terrell Llyod if he would introduce to me his contact at SanDisk since I knew he was on their extreme team, he replied that he would make the connection AND wanted to be a judge AND would offer the recipient a game day photo credential to shoot a 49ers game!

And then SanDisk followed up, offering a 128GB Card and Reader ($150+ value).

And of course, a thanks to David Bernal for being willing to share the beautiful photo of Shirley, in her element, that her family treasures.

So, women under 30, go apply and let's build this award into something where including "Shoot Like Shirley award recipient" on a resume and any editor or client would know the prestige that titles carries for their work, and the quality of character that person maintains.

NBA: Golden State Warriors-Championship ParadeJun 12, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; View of downtown Oakland during the Golden State Warriors championship parade. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Not to sound spoiled (even though I am), I've covered my fair share of championship parades. I covered two Giants World Series parades. (I wasn't yet working with USA Today Sports Images [then still US Presswire] during their 2010 win, but have quite the memory of kayaking to McCovey Cove for game 1). The 2012 parade Giants one was fair enough, I was stationed to the stage and got some pretty standard photos. Nothing portfolio. The 2014 parade, I had a pass to join the players on the double decker bus and made some photos I'm really proud of and enjoyed taking.

NBA: Golden State Warriors-Championship ParadeJun 12, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates from a double decker bus during the championship parade in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports I covered the Warriors 2015 parade and it was a total nightmare. The event management team designed to organize was anything but. Maps were wrong, credentials weren't there nor were staff. They said you could shoot parade -or- rally and that no photographers would be allowed in the rally area after a certain time so anyone covering parade route wouldn't be let in. Myself and a few other photographers sat on a raised platform in the sun for HOURS waiting for the parade to reach the rally location, only to find that contrary to their stated rules, they let photographers who were walking the route walk right up to the base of the stage. My photos of the rally were garbage compared to anything taken from that vantage point, and certainly compared to anything on the parade route. And there wasn't wifi so it was an extra nightmare.

NBA: Golden State Warriors-Championship ParadeJun 12, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; A police vehicle with a card box cutout displaying a photo of LeBron James before the championship parade in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I hoped to never photograph a parade again and managed to get out of it in 2017. But when my assignment editor asked if I could, I caved and agreed.

NBA: Golden State Warriors-Championship ParadeJun 12, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) sprays champagne during the championship parade in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Early wake up to beat the crowds, walking to Bart with my gear on my back (MindShift makes fantastic backpacks but I always prefer to roll when I can), standing around for HOURS waiting for the parade to start (20 minutes late) I was a bit of a Krabby Patty (understatement). Klay Thompson was just on his phone before the parade because a) that's how engaging a parade it b) phone addiction is so real c) his mom was texting him d) all of the above?

NBA: Golden State Warriors-Championship ParadeJun 12, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) on his mobile device before the championship parade in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

As I would photograph each double decker bus with players (poor Patrick who? accompany Stephen Curry) and follow them along the route for a while, while the other community/Warriors staff groups that I didn't need photos of were in between. I had plenty of time to then walk back to the start and grab the next player bus.

NBA: Golden State Warriors-Championship ParadeJun 12, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) holds up the trophy during the championship parade in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

But then suddenly, well before I planned to walk back towards the next double decker of players, is JaVale McGhee walking along the route high fiving fans, taking off his shirt, tossing into the fans and just LIVING it!

NBA: Golden State Warriors-Championship ParadeJun 12, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center JaVale McGee (1) takes a selfie with fans during the championship parade in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports Then Nick Young, in his silk robe and cigar in mouth, feeling himself!

NBA: Golden State Warriors-Championship ParadeJun 12, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Nick Young (6) walks inside the first barricade during the championship parade in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Their energy, enthusiasm, and engagement with the fans totally turned around my mood.

NBA: Golden State Warriors-Championship ParadeJun 12, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Nick Young (6) and center JaVale McGee (1) celebrate during the championship parade in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Like Draymond Green's trolling t-shirt MOOD... 

NBA: Golden State Warriors-Championship ParadeJun 12, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) with his son Draymond Jamal Green during the championship parade in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I went to edit from Specialty's Cafe (free public wifi!) hung around to let the crowds (I think there's people somewhere behind all those phones) die down while Cary stayed along the route, and then caught BART home.

NBA: Golden State Warriors-Championship ParadeJun 12, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Fans during the championship parade in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I still wouldn't say I have any desire to shoot a championship parade in the future, but it was as terrible as I dreaded it would be.

NBA: Golden State Warriors-Championship ParadeJun 12, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) gestures to fans while holding the trophy during the championship parade in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports In better news, even though my new MacBook Pro (don't buy unless you have to) doesn't fit in My 2nd Brain 11 that use to love to bring my MacBook Air in, it DOES fit in my MindShift Gear Rotation Panorama 22L. Along with an EM-1 Mark II body in the main compartment. And then I had another EM-1 Mark II and two lenses (40-150mm f/2.8 and 7-14mm f/2.8... in retrospect the 12-100mm f/4 may have served me even better if I had it) in the rotating waist pack. Nick Wong caught me in action. Don't mind my really cool visor and expertly coiffed hair ;)

View More Photos from the parade

Me Assisting PRMPhoto by Matt Cohen - mattcohenphoto.com

For the third year in a row, I'll be speaking at the Peter Read Miller Northern California Workshop in Santa Clara.

While they are learning photography tips from one of the best in the business, Peter Read Miller himself (along with support from Greg Cooper and Jordan Murph), I'll be speaking on How to Build a Career in Today's Sports Photography Industry. Peter and I followed a somewhat similar paths, both Economics majors who were photographing our college teams (Peter at USC and yours truly at Cal, Go Bears!). Peter's transition from USC to Sports Illustrated isn't exactly a career path anymore since SI laid off all of their staff photographers. So I'm there to speak on how I've navigated my way into having a career in sports photography both with my freelance career with USA Today Sports Images and founding KLC fotos.

After my talk, the class will get a chance to photograph the Earthquakes at Avaya Stadium which I will coincidentally also be covering for USA Today Sports Images!

Can't make this one but want to check out another workshop? Visit my Workshops Page

*Please Note: This workshop has been rescheduled from Thursday 6/14/18 to Wednesday 6/13/18 to accommodate a scheduling change with the workshop program

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors fans celebrate in the plaza between Oracle Arena and Oakland Coliseum after the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

For the third time in four years, the Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the NBA Finals Championship. NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors fans celebrate in the plaza between Oracle Arena and Oakland Coliseum after the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors fans celebrate after the win at the watch party for game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

As Warriors went up 2-0 at home, then won game 3 in Cleveland, it seemed likely that they'd win the whole thing (to win one out of the next 3 would be significantly easier than the Cavs winning the next four in a row). With the potential of a sweep, USA Today Sports images assigned me to the watch party at Oracle Arena.

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors fans hold a 4-0 sign during the watch party for game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I covered this when they won in 2015 (it was AMAZING) and I covered game 6 last year (when they lost... but it's ok because then they won it at home) and I was pretty excited to cover it again.

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; A Golden State Warriors fan during the watch party for game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports Warriors games in the regular season, and even more so during the playoffs are not so much big time fans, but casual fans with big time bank accounts. Sure the action is incredible, covering elite level basketball, but it lacks the fan engagement and passion. Watch party is this incredible mix of extreme fans that want to watch the game with other fans, as well as families that want to give their kids the "game experience" without have to spend hundreds of dollars for three hours of entertainment.

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors fans celebrate after the win at the watch party for game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

And the "game experience" is amazing. The "players" are introduced, the flag is displayed for the national anthem, the dancers, breakdancers, and junior jam squad perform, t-shirts are thrown.

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors hype crew holding oversized cutouts of Warriors starters faces are introduced during the watch party for game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors dancers hold the American flag during the national anthem during the watch party for game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors dancers perform during a timeout during the watch party for game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

And Montell Jordan performs at half time. This is How We Do It!

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Recording artist Montell Jordan performs during the watch party for game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

And then the Warriors handedly win and everyone celebrates in the plaza between Oracle Arena and Oakland Coliseum (where the A's beat the Royals). And by everyone, I mean everyone. People smoking pot, kids dancing, adults losing their wallets and folks hollering out their name "Daniel ..... Daniel... we found your wallet" and returning it to him. Establishing a community with your neighbors and people you interact with regularly is fantastic, but I LOVE the idea of community.

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors fans celebrate in the plaza between Oracle Arena and Oakland Coliseum after the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors fans celebrate in the plaza between Oracle Arena and Oakland Coliseum after the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; XXXXXX during the watch party for game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

And since Wednesday didn't stay within the law, with a shot being fired in the parking lot post game, and the event was high profile in a way that might attract rogue criminals, thanks to the officers who had a strong but friendly presence to ensure the safety of everyone.

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Police officers in the hallway during the watch party for game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Members of the bomb squad during the watch party for game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors fans celebrate in the plaza between Oracle Arena and Oakland Coliseum after the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

As we have conversations about the GOAT I think it's unquestionable, LeBron James is one of the best players we'll ever see play in the league. But the greatest (whether it's players or people in general) make the others around them great as well. Congratulations to the Warriors team, the players, the fans, the town.

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors fans celebrate in the plaza between Oracle Arena and Oakland Coliseum after the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland CavaliersJun 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Fireworks go off above Oracle Arena after the Golden State Warriors win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsJun 3, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts following the 122-103 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game two of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

We are getting so spoiled with Warriors going to the NBA Finals the last four consecutive years. And it's all familiar as they again face the Cleveland Cavaliers.

NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsMay 31, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) moves the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first half in game one of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

With a lot of talk about the Warriors winning it all in 4, we expected Game 1 to be a lopsided game, but it proved to be MUCH more exciting.

NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsMay 31, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Kevin Love (0) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dive for the ball during overtime in game one of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsMay 31, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) is involved in an altercation with Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during overtime in game one of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

And ultimately an overtime win for the Warriors.

NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsMay 31, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) forward Draymond Green (23) and guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrate against the Cleveland Cavaliers during overtime in game one of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Side note, driving home heard a great forum episode on How Today's Athletes are Playing Harder, Faster, Longer, worth a listen!

NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsMay 31, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) moves the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the first half in game one of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Game 2, proved to be the blowout we expected. 

NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsJun 3, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after scoring a three point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers as center Kevin Love (0) and guard JR Smith (5) walk to the bench during the first half in game two of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

While the on-court action isn't dramatically different, they are still playing basketball, these games are an entirely different ball game for photographers. New credentials, new security protocol, new assigned seating. Showing up hours early staying hours post-game. Covering fans and warm-ups pregame much more thoroughly than I ever would regular season. Covering post-game pressers which I don't think I've ever covered in a regular season game (only pregame when injuries or major news is announced). And having a card runner and on-site editor so I can focus on shooting and don't have to worry about transmitting images during a game. Thanks to Miquel Jacobs for being my card runner and Gary Vasquez for editing my take.

NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsMay 31, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; General view before spectators are allowed inside before the Golden State Warriors play against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game one of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsMay 31, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors fan Phil Eugenio poses for a photo before game one of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsJun 3, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) before game two of the 2018 NBA Finals Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsJun 3, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard JR Smith (5) before game two of the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

While sometimes it seems (as Steph Curry said unrelated in his press conference) "Much Ado About Nothing" it's great to witness the best players playing their best games and it's so fun to have my "coworkers" who I rarely see all get together to cover a game.

NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsJun 3, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) to media following game two of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

We'll see if we come back or if Warriors do indeed win it in four. Just in case we took some fun photos of our crew. Credit to Jose Carlos Fajardo for the USA Today Sports Images crew photo and Cary Emdondson for the photos of me jumping... and retaking them with a tucked in my shirt, much less scandalous! ;)

NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsJun 3, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; USA Today Sports Images team after game two of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena.

NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State WarriorsJun 3, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Kelley L Cox after game two of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory credit: Kelley L Cox - USA Today Sports Images

Eric & RachelMay 26, 2018; Deer Park Villa, Fairfax, California, USA; Eric Dezendorf and Rachel Marias

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Instead of shooting Game 6 of the Warriors v Rockets, I headed over to Deer Park Villa for the wedding of E & R.

Eric & RachelMay 26, 2018; Deer Park Villa, Fairfax, California, USA; Eric Dezendorf and Rachel Marias

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos Eric & RachelMay 26, 2018; Deer Park Villa, Fairfax, California, USA; Eric Dezendorf and Rachel Marias

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

I showed up early to make sure I could get them getting ready and their first look.

Eric & RachelMay 26, 2018; Deer Park Villa, Fairfax, California, USA; Eric Dezendorf and Rachel Marias

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Eric & RachelMay 26, 2018; Deer Park Villa, Fairfax, California, USA; Eric Dezendorf and Rachel Marias

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos It was also great to knock out out some of the group photos before the ceremony. In an unusual twist for May it was raining during the week so we didn't know what kind of weather we were going to get. Even with weather uncertainties, I ALWAYS prefer an outdoor wedding! And in this case, it worked out. Everything was green and lush, not too dried out and the day was sunshine perfection.

Eric & RachelMay 26, 2018; Deer Park Villa, Fairfax, California, USA; Eric Dezendorf and Rachel Marias

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Such a beautiful wedding of a great couple.

Eric & RachelMay 26, 2018; Deer Park Villa, Fairfax, California, USA; Eric Dezendorf and Rachel Marias

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

I often approach weddings similar to sports. I'm working on my feet going to cover what happens. But it's also good to have some background whether it's knowing someone is about to reach a hit record or whether or not they plan to toss a bouquet. Touching base with the security officials about whehter I can shoot end zones and sidelines, or with the rabbi and where he's comfortable me shooting from so I am not invasive or disrespectful to the ceremony. In this case, the rabbi didn't want me anywhere near the chuppah during the ceremony, which I respected. It made it tough to get the perfect angle as I was blocked by trees and bridal party, but this is when having long glass comes in handy! Ultimately I think I found a way to make images they will treasure without it being at the expense of the rabbi's request. He later told me he didn't even see me during the ceremony, which I generally take a compliment when it comes to wedding.

Eric & RachelMay 26, 2018; Deer Park Villa, Fairfax, California, USA; Eric Dezendorf and Rachel Marias

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos Eric & RachelMay 26, 2018; Deer Park Villa, Fairfax, California, USA; Eric Dezendorf and Rachel Marias

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

After photographing this couple at Anna and Brendon's reception, I knew their reception would BRING IT! And it didn't disappoint. The Hora did not disappoint!

Eric & RachelMay 26, 2018; Deer Park Villa, Fairfax, California, USA; Eric Dezendorf and Rachel Marias

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

When started at 8:30pm and was scheduled to go until midnight, I thought no way. Most weddings have a crowd disperse by 10pm. Maybe some drunken folks remain around 11pm. But this was everyone, parents included, getting their groove on until the clock struck 12!

Eric & RachelMay 26, 2018; Deer Park Villa, Fairfax, California, USA; Eric Dezendorf and Rachel Marias

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Golden State WarriorsMay 22, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; The national anthem is performed before game four of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Headed to Oracle Arena for Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets with the series tied 2-2.

NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Golden State WarriorsMay 20, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors players huddle before game three against the Houston Rockets of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Previous playoff games when I shot elevated, I was assigned to a seat on the north-west side of the arena that had me facing the Warriors bench, while USA Today Sports Images staff photographer Kyle Terada, shoot from the floor opposite the visiting teams bench.

For whatever reason, this series they mixed it up on us and I didn't have an assigned shooting location, the stairwells on the west side (the side that faces the benches) were all otherwise assigned, which meant I had to find a spot in the stairwell on the east side and stand all game.

Standing in the aisle means I can't shoot and send as easily because I can't keep my laptop in my lap and try to quickly add a caption during a free throw or short timeout.

While obviously, some spots are undeniably better, I always try to have the outlook of "I'm going to create a picture here" and try to see the silver lining. Shooting from this different vantage point means I am not as easily blocked by standing fans, I can be a little more in the center so the hoop and stanchion don't block my shot, and most importantly, I'm not sitting in a row of photographers so whatever image I get, will be unique instead of being just a sliiiiightly different angle than the photographer next to me. Whether it's just a different angle of a moment everyone will get, or a moment that you can only get from my angle.

NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Golden State WarriorsMay 22, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) pulls aside guard Klay Thompson (11) as a timeout is called against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter in game four of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

And a reminder that it's not just the Warriors players bench that reacts. Here's a fun frame, that was made even more fun when Warriors World started a "Caption This" thread... with photo credit, mind you!

NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Golden State WarriorsMay 20, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors majority owner Joe Jacob celebrates after a play against the Houston Rockets during the first quarter in game three of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

This is also my reminder to photographers, unless you KNOW where you are going to be shooting from, bring all your gear. I ended up switching it up between my 40-150mm, the 300mm and also added the 1.4x extender for certain periods, and a wide for venue photos. I personally chose to shoot a little tighter in the 2nd and 3rd and a little looser in the 1st and 4th. I also wore a harness (mine is similiar to that one but can't find link) part of the time so that my cameras were easily accessible without having to hunch my shoulders to keep them up and brought my trusty ThinkTankPhoto Urban Disguise 35 (Mine is V2.0 they are now up to V3.0) to hold my laptop, exposure disc, and of course my canteens (one hot tea one room temperature water) and snacks... I love my Roller but I'm not about to climb the entire bowl section with it. A side note on how a live the good life. I met up with Kyle, Christopher Chung, Nhat Meyer and Jose Carlos Fajardo for lunch before Sunday's game. They had carpooled over from the arena after setting up remotes and I gave Kyle and Chris a ride back to Oracle. In my car they noticed my Tiger Tail, my trigger wheel, and my variety of Berkeley Bowl snacks and playfully made fun of me. As much as I love having my canteens, I love a little trigger point therapy while stuck in traffic. There is no shame in my game :)

NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Golden State WarriorsMay 22, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon (10) shoots the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) during the third quarter in game four of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Golden State WarriorsMay 22, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker (4) sets a screen against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) for Houston Rockets guard Chris Paul (3) during the fourth quarter in game four of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Game 3 was a total blowout in favor of the Warriors.

NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Golden State WarriorsMay 20, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) extends of rate ball against Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the third quarter of game three of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

And because Warriors fans are the new Warriors fans (or perhaps because our lives are too busy and it's Sunday night) instead of the fans losing their minds like they once did when Warriors even made the playoffs, half of them went home before the final whistle.

NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Golden State WarriorsMay 20, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; View of the stands with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of game three of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday it was down to the wire and most fans stayed (apart from a little hiccup where Rockets celebrated the victory before refs decided Shaun Livingston had fouled Chris Paul and then after missing one of two free throws, Curry had a chance to tie it in the final seconds) NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Golden State WarriorsMay 22, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets guard Chris Paul (3) reacts after pulling in a rebound against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter in game four of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Golden State WarriorsMay 22, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston (34) looks to make an inbound pass against the Houston Rockets during the fourth quarter in game four of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

But just because the fans were there physically doesn't mean they were there mentally. Phone addiction is SO real. I'm not calling them out personally because I too have a hard time not checking my phone. But here's to hoping we can all try to be more present.

NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Golden State WarriorsMay 22, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Court side fans on their mobile devices during the first quarter in game four of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Look at the interaction this woman was able to have as she handed the out of bounds ball to Trevor Ariza as quickly as possible, then he jokingly offered it back to her and they shared a smile. Despite her obviously not cheering for him, it was a nice moment of two humans interacting. She got to live that moment, that real interaction, because her hands (and vision) weren't occupied by her phone.  

NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Golden State WarriorsMay 22, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; A Golden State Warriors fan hands the ball back to Houston Rockets forward Trevor Ariza (1) during the second quarter in game four of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I'm heading up to Seattle tomorrow to speak at Glazer's Camera. I'll be talking sports photography with tips for creating great images! Register here.

It sounds like we'll be standing room only, but we've got room for you!

This workshop is a little different because it's all presentation no hands-on shooting like some other workshops, but I'll be offering both broad and very specific tips for taking better images whether it's how to look for light and great moments or what camera settings you need for various situations. Should be useful to all levels of photographers whether you are an Olympus shooter or not.

ALSO - Olympus technicians will be on-site Friday and Saturday from 10am-4pm offering FREE Camera Clean and Check. Get rid of those pesky sensor spots! Register here

Ocean BeachApril 27, 2018; Ocean Beach, San Diego, California, USA;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

I had such a great time in San Diego giving a workshop at Nelson Photo and thanks to Olympus tech rep Ray Acevedo for driving me around and giving me a quick tour of San Diego. I take for granted living near water, but these folks take for granted living near warm water!

Ocean BeachApril 27, 2018; Ocean Beach, San Diego, California, USA;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Additional thanks to the staff at Nelson Photo Supplies who hosted us and organized the event. They . Family owned and operated since 1950, Nelson Photo sell great cameras (and accessories) and offer insight, but hosting these photos classes really help their clients learn what their cameras are capable of. It was great to see the owner out there getting hands-on with the gear so that when folks come into the store and ask questions, he doesn't give a canned answer but knows from experience shooting with the camera.

Chula Vista Football ClubApril 28, 2018; Liberty Station, San Diego, California, USA; Chula Vista Football Club; Covered as part of an Olympus workshop with Nelson Photo Supplies.

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Also big thanks to Chula Vista Fútbol Club for scrimmaging for our crew of photographers after having played a competitive game that morning.

Chula Vista Football ClubApril 28, 2018; Liberty Station, San Diego, California, USA; Chula Vista Football Club; Covered as part of an Olympus workshop with Nelson Photo Supplies.

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

I'm nearly always photographing games that "count" so it was a real treat to photograph a scrimmage and see how much they just LOVE playing soccer with their friends.

Chula Vista Football ClubApril 28, 2018; Liberty Station, San Diego, California, USA; Chula Vista Football Club; Covered as part of an Olympus workshop with Nelson Photo Supplies.

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

The real superstar of the scrimmage though was this littler brother who was very serious about his job retrieving errant balls. Darting past the soccer moms, into the parking lot, and bringing the ball back to the big boys.

Chula Vista Football ClubApril 28, 2018; Liberty Station, San Diego, California, USA; Chula Vista Football Club; Covered as part of an Olympus workshop with Nelson Photo Supplies.

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Chula Vista Football ClubApril 28, 2018; Liberty Station, San Diego, California, USA; Chula Vista Football Club; Covered as part of an Olympus workshop with Nelson Photo Supplies.

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Chula Vista Football ClubApril 28, 2018; Liberty Station, San Diego, California, USA; Chula Vista Football Club; Covered as part of an Olympus workshop with Nelson Photo Supplies.

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

So sweet. These moments remind me how much joy sports can bring to people.

Chula Vista Football ClubApril 28, 2018; Liberty Station, San Diego, California, USA; Chula Vista Football Club; Covered as part of an Olympus workshop with Nelson Photo Supplies.

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Olympus & Nelson Photo Kelley L Cox Workshop   Saturday, April 28, 2018   It will be a great day of learning and shooting Olympus cameras.  We will have a 2 hour class taught by Kelley L Cox, a professional sports photographer, and then we will be off site near the store photographing a youth soccer game.  The class is free and is also open to anyone who is interested in learning to shoot sports and anything that moves with an Olympus camera system. Saturday April 28, 2018 10:00am to Noon Class at Nelson Photo  1:30pm to 3:30pm Sports Photo Shoot-Soccer Game   Class Description: Sports gives photographers an opportunity to capture incredible moments in time but often presents challenging lighting scenarios and other elements outside of their control. Learn how to see and think like a sports photographer and feel comfortable covering any sport. Gain insight on how to cover specific sports as well as tips that can be applied to improve your overall photography skill set.   The class will be comprised of a presentation of sports photography insights and recommendations followed by a hands-on experience photographing soccer.   Presentation to Cover: Capturing Peak Action and Emotion Story Telling with Sports Photography Non-Action Sports Photography Finding the Best Light and Angle Camera Settings for Various Situations and Sports What it Takes to be a Pro - Workflow and Management   Hands-On: Bring your Olympus camera for a hands-on experience covering soccer and challenge yourself to create compelling images. We will have a few demo cameras and lenses available to share.      Kelley L Cox has been photographing sports since she was a student at UC Berkeley. As a freelancer with USA Today Sports Images, Kelley has covered the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, Worlds Series, and NCAA Championships. She is the founder and managing director of KLC fotos which serves as official photographer for USA Rugby and Cal Athletics in addition to myriad other sports, corporate and personal clients. Kelley's images have been published by the New York Times, Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, among others. Her work was also exhibited by the Smithsonian Institute - Museum of the American Indian, "Best in the World: Native Athletes in the Olympics". Kelley enjoys sharing her experiences in professional sports to help photographers of all levels improve their photography. Sign up through www.eventbrite.com max 35 people     Nelson Photo 3625 Midway Drive, Suite J San Diego, CA  92110 619-234-6621 Monday-Friday 9am-6:00pm Saturdays 9am-5:30pm   Most Sundays Noon-4:00pm

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson (28) celebrates with teammates after hitting the walk-off RBI single against the Chicago White Sox during the fourteenth inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Andrew Triggs (60) pitches the ball against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Carson Fulmer (51) before his first pitch against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

After about two hours in and still only in the 2nd, I knew it was going to be a long game.

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Andrew Triggs (60) in the dugout during the bottom of the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

A run a piece in the 1st inning, five runs by the White Sox in the 2nd followed by three by the A's MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox second baseman Yoan Moncada (10) high fives center fielder Adam Engel (15), shortstop Tim Anderson (7) and catcher Welington Castillo (21) after batting them in on a grand slam home run against the Oakland Athletics during the second inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Another three runs by the White Sox in the 4th inning followed by four by the A's. MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics right fielder Stephen Piscotty (25) high fives teammates after scoring a run against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports By this point, I had already sent 50 photos and got a note from my editor to slow down on the transmitting and they didn't want anything else of players rounding the bases.

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Yolmer Sanchez (5) rounds third base against the Oakland Athletics during the fourth inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports Generally our shot list is something of each starting pitcher, any runs scores and the batter who got the hit to send em in. Then some detail plays.

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson (7) hits a single against the Oakland Athletics during the third inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

When the game is 9 to 8 after the 4th, the set tends to get pretty heavy.

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics designated hitter Khris Davis (2) scores a run as Chicago White Sox catcher Welington Castillo (21) is unable to control the ball during the fourth inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

But I'm still tempted to send photos that I think are visually interesting, even if they aren't necessarily part of the storyline.

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox designated hitter Jose Abreu (79) bends over after being hit by pitch by the Oakland Athletics during the second inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Adam Engel (15) throws the ball infield with right fielder Leury Garcia (28) below a Black Panther graphic on the wall during the thirteenth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I more or less stopped sending, as the game went 11-11 and into extra innings.

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Adam Engel (15) and left fielder Nicky Delmonico (30) sit on gatorade buckets above the dugout during the fourth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

For only the second time in a ball game, and the first time at the Coliseum (Giants there's a tunnel from the outside third photo well that you can access) I had to run up the stands to find a bathroom during the half inning break between the 13th and 14th innings. After two 20oz each thermos, I had to gooooooooo. Thankfully, unlike Tuesday's free game, there weren't many fans to contend with as I darted up the stairs.

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; An Oakland Athletics fan in the stands during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

I intentionally chose the half inning break between 13th and 14th innings figuring if I missed a White Sox run, I could still get celebration at the end of the bottom of the 14th if they won, but if I missed an A's run in the bottom of an inning, I would miss the walk-off win celebration.

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson (28) celebrates with designated hitter Khris Davis (2) after hitting the walk-off RBI single against the Chicago White Sox during the fourteenth inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson (28) celebrates with shortstop Chad Pinder (18) and third baseman Matt Chapman (26) after hitting the walk-off RBI single against the Chicago White Sox during the fourteenth inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson (28) celebrates with teammates after hitting the walk-off RBI single against the Chicago White Sox during the fourteenth inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Photo tip: Bring extra batteries. Also my love for grip batteries. Generally, I can make it through one game on one battery. But I ended up exhausting both batteries in the camera I had my 300mm lens on and needing to swap a battery from the grip of my wide. Thankfully the wide still had 100% in the body so I could quickly run and get the "pie" shot after the walk off win.

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics shortstop Chad Pinder (18) puts a pie in the face of first baseman Matt Olson (28) as he is interviewed by Dallas Braden after hitting a walk-off single for the win against the Chicago White Sox at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics teammates pour gatorade on first baseman Matt Olson (28) after hitting a walk-off single for the win against the Chicago White Sox at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Photo tip #2: Be aware of your surroundings and courteous of your fellow shooters (still and video)! The "pie" shot is a photo we know is coming after any walk-off win. We generally walk over to where the interview is and carefully duck below the TV camera that does the live interview. Another photographer who I won't name, obliviously walked over and stood in front of the TV camera while the cameraman was hollering "hey, get down!" and also blocked another photographer (thankfully not me) on the shot. The TV cameraman called the photographer selfish and they responded calling them a prick. TV cameramen are notorious for getting in our way, and it's frustrating, but when it's their shot for a TV interview, they definitely have the "right-of-way". Sometimes in the hype of jubee we forget our surroundings and don't look over our shoulder to see who we might be blocking, it happens. But if you get called out for blocking someone's shot, accident or otherwise, you should apologize and try to be more aware. We don't work for the same company, but we have to work in each other's company. There's no space to make enemies.

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics shortstop Chad Pinder (18) puts a pie in the face of first baseman Matt Olson (28) as he is interviewed by Dallas Braden after hitting a walk-off single for the win against the Chicago White Sox at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Also, question: Can anyone tell me why Mark Canha has been wearing this, it was not cold. Also Piscotty wore it in the outfield but not when he was batting. Hmmm?

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics center fielder Mark Canha (20) wears a mask in the dugout during the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics center fielder Mark Canha (20) returns to the dugout wearing a mask during the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Oakland AthleticsApr 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics right fielder Stephen Piscotty (25) returns to the dugout wearing a mask during the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Full set

NBA: Playoffs-San Antonio Spurs at Golden State WarriorsApr 16, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) reacts after scoring a three point basket against the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter in game two of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NBA: Playoffs-San Antonio Spurs at Golden State WarriorsApr 16, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; The scoreboard before game two of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Game 1 had been a blow out and while Game 2 was a tight and intense game in the beginning, it ended up being a blow out too.

NBA: Playoffs-San Antonio Spurs at Golden State WarriorsApr 16, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) drives in against Golden State Warriors center JaVale McGee (1) during the second quarter in game two of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Playoffs-San Antonio Spurs at Golden State WarriorsApr 16, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts after the San Antonio Spurs miss the free throw earned after Green was issued a flagrant foul during the fourth quarter in game two of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Playoffs-San Antonio Spurs at Golden State WarriorsApr 16, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) gestures towards teammates after scoring a three point basket against the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter in game two of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Playoffs-San Antonio Spurs at Golden State WarriorsApr 16, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; A Golden State Warriors holds a sign reading "BlasŽ blasŽ blasŽ blah blah blah..." during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in game two of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

We'll see whether the Spurs return to the bay for a game 5, let alone a game 7.

NBA: Playoffs-San Antonio Spurs at Golden State WarriorsApr 16, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs huddle after a foul against San Antonio Spurs center Pau Gasol (16) by the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter in game two of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Photo tip: Always bring extra gear. While USA Today Sports Images had a floor shooting position for Game 1, for Game 2 we had to share two spots between us, Getty and AP. After drawing from a hat, this meant I shot 2nd and 4th quarter from the floor and 1st and 3rd elevated. This wasn't too bad because it meant I could send from my laptop in the 1st without having to leave the court. But if I didn't have long glass (another photographer had only brought a 70-200mm) I couldn't have made images like I wanted (like my editors expect). While some events you can know and anticipate all the gear you need, if you have room in your bag and ability to carry it, why not bring extra gear? Better to have and not need, than need and not have! Oh and hey, if you are looking for a bag, check out ThinkTank Photo or MindShift Gear.

NBA: Playoffs-San Antonio Spurs at Golden State WarriorsApr 16, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors players forward Draymond Green (23), guard Klay Thompson (11), forward Kevin Durant (35) and center JaVale McGee (1) surround San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray (5) on a loose ball during the first quarter in game two of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Full set

Matt & SiobhanApril 14, 2018; Long Branch Saloon and Farms, Half Moon Bay, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

You might be thinking, wait, didn't you just post about M & S getting married at Shelldance Orchid Garden? Did I coincidentally photograph another M & S the next day? Nope, these two had their beautiful intimate wedding with family and close friends and then had a GIANT reception the following day at Long Branch Saloon and Ranch in Half Moon Bay.

Matt & SiobhanApril 14, 2018; Long Branch Saloon and Farms, Half Moon Bay, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Long Branch is a old western town themed ranch complete with saloon, slot machines, sling shot, mini golf, you name it!

Matt & SiobhanApril 14, 2018; Long Branch Saloon and Farms, Half Moon Bay, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

With the ability to host a larger (more raucous) crowd.

Matt & SiobhanApril 14, 2018; Long Branch Saloon and Farms, Half Moon Bay, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Since they already had the ceremony, they instead mingled with guests before making an official entrance to pipes and drums, to the chapel where bag pipe player, firefighter, EMT, ethnomusicologist, philosopher, husband, father and friend shared some comments about love and life.

Matt & SiobhanApril 14, 2018; Long Branch Saloon and Farms, Half Moon Bay, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos Matt & SiobhanApril 14, 2018; Long Branch Saloon and Farms, Half Moon Bay, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Before continuing on with the festivities.

Matt & SiobhanApril 14, 2018; Long Branch Saloon and Farms, Half Moon Bay, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

She has married into not only into his biological family, but the BFD family. And I can tell ya, they are quite the crew!

Matt & SiobhanApril 14, 2018; Long Branch Saloon and Farms, Half Moon Bay, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

This wedding I covered a little more casually, as the "real" wedding coverage was for Friday and Saturday I was supposed to more so just be celebrating with the group. But I'm glad I brought my camera so I could take this photo of Cowboy Colin on what was coincidentally our 6 month anniversary... mmHHmm yep.

Matt & SiobhanApril 14, 2018; Long Branch Saloon and Farms, Half Moon Bay, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Headed over to Pacifica to photograph the wedding of M & S!

Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

What a beautiful, intimate and full-of-love-and-laughter ceremony as they tied the knot, literally!

Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

And by beautiful I mean the couple, the love AND the venue. Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

It's official, Shelldance Orchid Garden is my favorite wedding venues. In some ways, pretty tight (you can't position yourself for the shot behind the couple, facing their loved ones without being SUPER distracting) there are poles everywhere making it tough to get a clean shot of entire bridal party.

Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

And the parking lot isn't exactly quaint, but can make for some baller minivan photos (their idea!)

Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

And at the right angle, who would even know they were standing in a parking lot?

Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

So why is it my favorite new place to shoot weddings? The fact the ceiling is greenhouse panels that diffuse all the light SO beautifully! And the gorgeous colors of the plants in other rooms that they can escape into for some posed photos away from their guests.

Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

And by guests, I mean all of them!

Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

And as with most experience, it's the people that make all the difference!

Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Matt & SiobhanApril 13, 2018; Shelldance Orchid Garden, Pacifica, California, USA; Matt & Siobhan;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

NBA: Houston Rockets at Sacramento KingsApr 11, 2018; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein (00) thanks fans before the game against the Houston Rockets at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NBA: Houston Rockets at Sacramento KingsApr 11, 2018; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (8) drives in against Houston Rockets guard Joe Johnson (7) during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Headed back to Golden 1 Arena for the final home game of the season where the Kings played the Houston Rocket's B-team while their superstars rested with injuries.

NBA: Houston Rockets at Sacramento KingsApr 11, 2018; Sacramento, CA, USA; Houston Rockets forward Ryan Anderson (33) watches the game against the Sacramento Kings from the tunnel during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

They even brought on players so unknown that the Kings paper roster had another player listed and their jersey had the name of the player he replaced covered up, in favor of cloth instead of his own name. What an unfriendly welcome to the big leagues for Aaron Jackson. Though I imagine, he's not complaining as he just got put on a playoff team.

NBA: Houston Rockets at Sacramento KingsApr 11, 2018; Sacramento, CA, USA; The name on the back of the jersey of Houston Rockets guard Aaron Jackson (55) is covered in cloth during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Houston Rockets at Sacramento KingsApr 11, 2018; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein (00) controls the ball against Houston Rockets guard Aaron Jackson (55) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

In all likelihood it will be Vince Carter's final game as a King, after signing for the season. Will not go down in history for his time as a Sacramento King compared to his six (younger) years with the Raptors. But Kings definitely appreciate his time here.

NBA: Houston Rockets at Sacramento KingsApr 11, 2018; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Vince Carter (15) dunks the ball against Houston Rockets center Chinanu Onuaku (21) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Though the biggest story was the retirement of longtime broadcaster Jerry Reynolds. My friend Ali Thanawalla with NBC Sports Bay Area (formerly Comcast Bay Area, I'm still getting used to the rebrand) gave me a heads up so I was able to catch him pre-game, in-game and post-game. After 20 years as the color commentator for the Kings after 30+ years with the organization in various roles including coach! NBA: Houston Rockets at Sacramento KingsApr 11, 2018; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings broadcaster Jerry Reynolds before the game against the Houston Rockets at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Houston Rockets at Sacramento KingsApr 11, 2018; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings broadcaster Jerry Reynolds acknowledges fans alongside Grant Napear during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

It's so rare to find someone with such a long career with one company, let alone one sports team. And sounds like he'll continued to work with the Kings in a reduced role. Seems totally fair for a 74-year-old! NBA: Houston Rockets at Sacramento KingsApr 11, 2018; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings broadcasters Jerry Reynolds and Grant Napear after the game against the Houston Rockets at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of people evaluating how they best spend their time at this phase in their life, this game also served as reminder of how much I want myself and everyone to reduce their phone role! I fall victim to using my phone on the court with various excuses: I need for my editor to be able to reach me, I want to receive and respond to the goodnight text from my husband who is in Santa Cruz mountain biking with his sister and her boyfriend, I want to be able to check twitter to confirm any plays/injuries that get announced by the team in-game. Ultimately everyone has some reason to be on their phone. Using it when you're home alone, sure. But using it at a game, in company of others, while there is action on the court... makes the addiction seem so scary!

NBA: Houston Rockets at Sacramento KingsApr 11, 2018; Sacramento, CA, USA; XXXXX during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports NBA: Houston Rockets at Sacramento KingsApr 11, 2018; Sacramento, CA, USA; XXXXX during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

What is happening?!?

NBA: Houston Rockets at Sacramento KingsApr 11, 2018; Sacramento, CA, USA; XXXXX during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear. MindShift Gear’s new Exposure shoulder bags are storm-resistant carrying solutions for the active photographer in virtually any outdoor environment. Built with high performance waterproof sailcloth panels, strategically placed storm flaps, water-repellent DWR fabric, and a sturdy Tarpaulin bottom; the Exposure protects camera gear from the elements and withstands the rigors of adventure photography. And, with its cross-body stabilizer strap, the Exposure moves with you while you’re active or is removable for more causal environments.  A waterproof rain cover is included when it’s time to put the camera away and hunker down. Exposure shoulder bags come in two models, the Exposure 13 and the Exposure 15, and in two colors, Black and Solar Flare.  The Exposure 13 fits a 13” laptop; the Exposure 15 fits 15” laptops.  A 10” tablet fits in zippered pocket.  And, don’t forget that when you use my special URL to order you will receive free gear and free shipping.

Joshua Tree National ParkMarch 27, 2018; Joshua Tree, California, USA; Joshua Tree National Park;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Headed down to Joshua Tree for a quick trip with the group Colin calls "the Old Friends" not in their individual ages, but in the age of their friendship.

Joshua Tree National ParkMarch 28, 2018; Joshua Tree, California, USA; Joshua Tree National Park;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

After a long day's drive, we caught a bit of sunset, played charades around a campfire, and then woke up for a day of scrambling and climbing before I had to catch a flight back up to the bay for MLB Opening Day. Joshua Tree National ParkMarch 27, 2018; Joshua Tree, California, USA; Joshua Tree National Park;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Joshua Tree National ParkMarch 28, 2018; Joshua Tree, California, USA; Joshua Tree National Park;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos Joshua Tree National ParkMarch 28, 2018; Joshua Tree, California, USA; Joshua Tree National Park;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos I feel so lucky to live within a days drive of such incredible places, grateful for the National Park system for protecting these places, and for Colin's friends who have welcomed me into their group, even though I'm not nearly as skilled a climber! Joshua Tree National ParkMarch 28, 2018; Joshua Tree, California, USA; Joshua Tree National Park;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos

Also, was another great excuse to bring my MindShift Gear Rotation 180 Panorama to pack my climbing shoes, harness, water and of course snacks!

Joshua Tree National ParkMarch 28, 2018; Joshua Tree, California, USA; Joshua Tree National Park;

Photo credit: Kelley L Cox- KLC fotos