Wizards in Winter

There are time when I complain about being busy....  but let's face facts.  No one is as busy as Santa this time of year.  Photo ops to create at every mall in the world, meeting a deadline for making all those toys with a work force of elves, all leading up to one big night of deliveries without Brown doing anything for him at all.  He truly has to be one of the Wizards in Winter to make this all happen.

All these demands on his time makes every visit a bit more special.  So when the 8 tiny reindeer brought the big guy to Pittston for a breakfast with the Home Depot staff and their families... I felt privileged to be asked to photograph the event.  Of course..... FotoFink has a bit more to say about things.....

Sure- Santa is great.... but the elf really makes or breaks the scene.

For the most part, kids love Santa.  For the most part.

It's not fair to have favorites....  I'm a parent too- I know that my kid's photos were always better than the others.  Still...  Can this kid work that hat or what?

Love it when Santa brings out the kid in all of us.

Giving back to Santa.  This girl gets it.

Proof of Santa's magic, Part 1-  This girl goes from scared to happy in the lap in no time.

Part 2- this happy couple becomes this engaged couple.  Need a wedding photographer?

Best line of the day.... "Would you like to sit on Santa's lap?"   Look of disgust.....  "I'm THIRTEEN"  We were also informed that she is amazing.  Good to know.

Another gift for Santa.... LOVE these kids!

Nice to see that the Grinch and Santa have worked things out.  Apparently, three sizes were enough.

Some shameless marketing....  There is still time to schedule a Christmas shoot.  Contact me at sfinkernagel@hotmail.com for details.... you can still have the coolest Christmas cards ever!

Enough from me..... here are some photos-

Breakfast with Santa

FotoFink

Enjoy!

Just Another Night

Nothing unusual here- the girls of Holy Redeemer traveled to Meyers for a volleyball match.  Redeemer  was clearly the better team this time- winning the match in three straight games.  Just another night on the busy WVC sports schedule, right?

No.  But we'll get back to that.  For now- here's something else to consider.

How do you gauge the success of an athletic program- say.... a volleyball team?  You could look at how much things improve as players pass from JV to Varsity.  You could look at the legacy of the team- do the alumnae come back to watch?  Try looking at the girls on the team- are they having fun?  How about off the court- does god's light shine on them?  Do they come together to bond as one?  Do they play as a team?  Can they jump serve?  How about fan support- Do they draw a lot of spectators?  How about coaching- is your head coach adored by lovely ladies of all generations?  You could and should look at all of this- because after all, winning isn't everything.

You can pick any of those topics- but the one thing you can't ignore is simple- wins and losses.  Remember this post?   Most of you probably don't- it was a long time ago when we wondered how long the Royals dominance of the local volleyball scene would continue.  We still don't have an answer to that, but we know it's still going strong.  With the win over Meyers, the Lady Royals volleyball team notched its 100th consecutive regular season victory.  Say what you will.... it's tough to argue with success.

Some more sights from around the game-

It wouldn't be a volleyball photoshoot if Sara and Nicole didn't do this.  Thanks to Alyssa for jumping in too.

The next generation.

The man at the top.  He mentioned how much he loves the spotlight, and baloons that look like hemorrhoid cushions.

The whole batch of photos is not ready yet....  but when it is, you will be able to see them here.

The whole site, as always, is here.

Enjoy!

Where Do You Think You're Going?

As Fall approaches, preparations are underway here at the house of FotoFink.  In general, this is shaping up to be the busiest season ever, thanks to girls' soccer moving to a fall season.  (Who thought that was a good idea?  I have my theory....)  In order to keep things sane, and so Mrs FotoFink isn't constantly asking "Where do you think you're going?"...  here is the official, written in ink, shooting schedule for the fall season.

A few items of note.....

"Written in ink" is a bit tongue in cheek.  It's going to rain.  Hopefully not like last year, but still... it's going to rain.  This schedule is more of a framework.

36 or 37 stops in about 2 months.  36 different teams covered, although... preference is definitely shown to the ones who have shown interest (bought photos) in the past.  Favored teams include Holy Redeemer and Wyoming Area Field Hockey, HR and Crestwood Soccer, HR and CW Volleyball, and HR Football.  The teams from Wilkes will also be well represented.  Interested in having more coverage for your team?  Want to schedule a session for team, individual or senior photos?  Contact me- sfinkernagel@hotmail.com, and we can discuss what it takes to make the list.

Added to the list are HR tennis, which has never been covered, and HR Cross Country, which has had very sparse coverage in the past.  Tennis is actually tentative, pending my contact with that program, but I hope to be able to include them in the mix for the first time ever.

Noticeably absent from the list are the West Pittson Rams.  I deeply regret that the Rams board and I were not able to come to terms with issues surrounding field access and photo sales, and as a result, the difficult decision was made to eliminate the Rams photos for the coming season.  I have truly enjoyed my time shooting both the football and cheer groups there, and the friendships that have resulted.  Rams photos from years past will remain on the site, but... not forever.  Count on them being removed sometime after 10/1.

A few changes to the site this year as well.  Most importantly, photos will no longer be available forever.  At some point after the season, photos will be removed, so shoppers will have a deadline to make their decisions.  That window will be generous, but not indefinite.  Plenty of warning will be given.

Our photo above truly is the lovely Mrs. FotoFink, running in the "Color Me Rad" 5k race in June.  It doesn't really fit the theme at all... but it was one of the more interesting shoots from the summer.  Our musical link is another Dire Straits track- Happy Birthday to Mark Knopfler, who turns 63 on the day of this post.

Nothing new on the site for most of our readers, but for you nostalgia buffs- Here is the whole thing- www.fotofink.net

Enjoy!

Ch- Ch-Changes....

Something new this time out for the Whitewater Cup teams- We will be at the tournament all weekend, but we will only be shooting teams that have contracted with us in advance to do so.  Why the changes?  Several things should be better for all of us.

For the teams- More photos, less dollars.  Pay one fee up front, and we will deliver full resolution jpg files of every shot from your game.  You can print your photos where you like, share them online, etc.- without restriction.  For an amount equal to about 2 average sized orders- you will have many more shots, and much more flexibility than previous tournaments.

For our staff-  Less waste.  For prior tournaments, we have processed literally tens of thousands of photos trying to shoot every team there, with only a small percentage of those actually being purchased.  This way, we can focus our efforts on the teams that want photos- and not bother those that do not.  You'll get more photos faster, and with less effort from us.

Reviews of this process have been stellar-

North Babylon Thunder-
Wow....great job......you guys did a great job thank you......im sure everyone will be impressed with these pics.....hopefully we will see you at the next tournament.....

Foothills Lightning-
I just viewed the photo gallery! Great job on the photos!
Thank you,


Triboro Inferno-
Wow Steve,
This is GREAT!!!
Thank you!


More from the Triboro Inferno-
PS: My parents LOVE the photos you took of our team. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN!!!


BAYSL United-
Steve,
Thank you so much for the pictures. You did an awesome job with these pictures. Next year when we return you will be the first person we call. Thanks again.

 

Details- The cost to have your team shot is $80 if the arrangements are made in advance of the tournament weekend.  Contact us at steve@fotofink.net for details.  We will take requests at the tournament as well, but the cost will jump to $100 per team.  If you really need to hear my voice, you can call me at 570-350-3677.... but I am just going to ask for your email address so we can transact business online anyway.

Fine print-  We will do our best to shoot everyone on the team, but weather, injuries and coaches decisions may make that impossible.  If two of three players have chipped in to cover the cost, let us know which ones they are, and we will make sure to emphasize those players.  Requests will be scheduled on game day only as time allows- the better way to do this is to register in advance!

But wait, there's more!!!- We can shoot individual players also- the arrangements will be different though.  Check with us at the tent on game day for details there.  Come check out the cool merchandise we will have on display too!

Don't wait!

The Weight

Since many viewers from the Ice Breaker Relays may be new all things FotoFink, it seems sensible to have a bit of a "how-to" post on the blog to guide and introduce our newest friends.  After all- the weight of learning a new website can be overwhelming.  As a side note.... that link should have opened in a new browser window-  Let it play while you read this- you deserve the break.  It's my habit to inject a little music into my posts, usually something that I've been listening to, or timely.  In this case, RIP Levon Helm.

Happily- as of Thursday night, 4/26....  All the photos are posted.  1,600 plus from the day, thanks in no small part to my second shooter for the day- Antonio.  Thanks to those of you who recognized the FotoFink T-shirt, and hammed it up for him as you usually do for me.

We did our best to shoot a wide variety of competitors- but its just not possible to be everywhere with a staff of 2 people for the day.  This event came together at the last minute after a series of complex negotiations (me-  "Can I?  them-   "Sure") so as much as I may have liked to have shooters at every event, all day- it wasn't possible for this time.  My apologies to girls' pole vault, and boys' high jump, which I am pretty sure were missed totally. Edit: There are actually a couple of girls' pole vault shots.  Hopefully, we captured those athletes in other events, and anyone who won a medal should have a shot from the podium.  If we missed you, and you would like some photos, feel free to contact me and we can talk about having us out to shoot another event.  The "Contact FotoFink' button on the website works really well for that.

Note that photos are sorted into both event and school.  Thoughtful people may wonder "My daughter was in the high jump, and she competed for Pittson.  Which gallery should she be in?"  The answer is both.  If I tagged and sorted everything correctly, then the same photos will likely appear in more than one place.  Please make sure to visit the unclassified gallery as well- for the shots where I could not identify a team or event.  As a last resort- the full gallery has every shot from the day in it- it will take a while, but you can check there to be completely thorough and find any errors I may have made.  (Thanks honey.....)

As you browse, please take note of the "buy" button near every photo. (subliminal message...  the buy button is your friend.  LOVE the buy button....)  The relays are a fund raiser, and I will be donating a percentage of sales (prior to 5/31/12) back to the cause.  You have a chance to support the team, and get some great prints as well-  Win/Win.  Note that the event will stay online until at least that time, and will be removed shortly after- buy early and often!  Note that the shots you see online are low-resolution previews- your final copies will be cropped, color corrected, sharpened, and adjusted for brightness, contrast and clarity.  Of course, the watermark will also be removed.....

Thank you again for having me out to shoot your athletes.  The weather turned out to be great, enough so that I was able to capture the newest event- the Wallenpaupack Water Crawl.  More questions?  Would you like to arrange for FotoFink to shoot your team, graduation party or wedding?  Contact me- sfinkernagel@hotmail.com, or by using the "Contact FotoFink" button on the website.  Want more still?  Ask to join the FotoFink group on facebook.  Follow me on Twitter (@FotoFink).  Teach me Google+ so I can do that too....

Enough from me-  Here's what you want-

Ice Breakers 2012

All of FotoFink

Enjoy!

Feel Like a Number

Far too long between posts here at FotoFink, so here's a fast one....
Many of you may know that I have a couple of ways to track "Hits" on the website.  I have no way to know if its accurate or not, and in fact, the 2 methods never produce identical results.  The one I trust most, however, suggests that sometime in April, FotoFink will have its three millionth hit.

I don't recall exactly when I started tracking with that tool, other than to know that it was not from the very start of this project.  In truth then, 3,000,000 may have already come and gone...  but lets go with that for a minute.

Three million times, someone has been interested enough in the photos to click again.  I'm humbled.  I have always tried to make sure that you don't feel like a number here- I consider most of you friends and extended families.  That's hokey sounding, but its true.  I have witnessed your triumphs and failures on the athletic fields, I've met your new babies, I've been at your weddings, and I've been to your performances on stage. I've seen you at your best, and sometimes not.

I'm not foolish enough to think that I would have had the chance to do all of that were it not for photography.  I still appreciate it though.  And I LOVE being FotoFink.  Thank you all.

Some recent stuff-

Redeemer Boys Volleyball team and individual shots

Redeemer Track Scrimmage

Wilkes Baseball v Immaculata

Nicole Turner's Sweet 16

More coming- from all kinds of places.  The spring is a busy time.  Enjoy it all here-

Moondance

I have to confess- there are a few shoots that I come to look forward to-  and ski club is always one of them.  The group photo is always a challenge to set up- tight quarters and bad lighting are never a good mix.  Remember the year we threw a few folks out of their seats for this shot? Mrs Fink as the Pizza Nazi?  Jimmy's last moment with an intact ACL?  This season's skiing schoolgirls? Good times.  Action shots were turned up a notch in the last season or so when lights were brought into the mix, so the shoot has become far more of a production- and the results have become far more interesting.

Here's a bit of a photo lesson, for those that are interested....  (waiting for the room to clear..... ) Ok- for the 2 of you that are left-  Light falls off (dies/dims/whatever) according to the inverse square law.  Suffice it to say, that means that light gets dim very quickly as it moves further from the source.  So light from a flash that is enough to illuminate a jumping skier 20 feet away, will not be anywhere near bright enough to light the background that is 200+ feet away.  The end result are these very cool (IMO) photos that look like some sort of moondance- well lit subjects, very black backgrounds, and snow that could almost pass for the lunar surface (I guess- what do I know about the lunar surface....).  The photos are cool to me because.... well- they look cool, and not everyone would make the effort to create them.  Thanks to my assistants and models for their time and efforts- this is far more than a one-man operation.

Also on a photographic note- these shoots, like many, are a bit experimental.  Not only in technique, but in equipment as well.  In the last several trips out, we've learned several things:
1. It's cold in the winter time.  Some kind of gloves that allow fingers to work the camera buttons are a huge help.
2.  Cold affects batteries- a lot.  Storing extra batteries in a camera bag on the snow will render them useless.
3.  5 stars to the inexpensive flashes from Yongnuo.  Those are manual only, but if I were looking for something with ETTL capabilities, I would not hesitate to get this one.
4.  In spite of a catchy name that suggest otherwise, the Frio is probably not suited for cold-weather use.  We snapped 2 of them in the course of the shoot.

A few comments on that musical link before this is over-  There are plenty of versions of Van Morrison's classic available online, and honestly,  better ones.  Check out that lineup of musicians though-  Joining Van onstage are Carlos Santana, Dr. John, Tom Scott (confession- I don't know who he is.....) Etta James skatting (For the younger fans, skatting is like rap, only it requires musical talent).  Comments on the page suggest the George Benson is in there too- I am guessing he has the guitar part in the early middle.  Carlos drew me in, but that's quite a lineup beyond that.

One more night of ski club, and no- I will not be shooting again.  Twice should be enough.  Links are below-

01/21/12

02/03/12

FotoFink

Enjoy!

Another Day

Ladies and gentleman-  Meet Logan.  While shooting the girls' basketball game last week, Logan, as you see, ran up to me on the sideline, and asked if I would take his picture. On another day, I may have politely done that, then moved on.  As luck would have it, this day, I decided to engage my new friend in some conversation.  Here's how I recall things happening:

Logan, as noted asks "Will you take my picture?"

"Sure" I reply.  I kind of like taking pictures.  I figure that I should find out who he is though- maybe his parents will want to buy one, right?

"Who are you?"

"Logan..."

"Are you here with someone Logan?  Do you have someone playing?"

"My friend Richie and I are playing Mario Brothers"

Not where I wanted him to go, but I should know better than to try to control the direction of this conversation.  I decide to roll with it.  After all, I'm hip to the Mario stuff.  Mario and I go waaaayyy back.  My boys were of this generation too.

"So are you trying to save the princess?" I ask

"My girlfriend is my princess"

.........

Well done Logan.  You will NEVER want for a date.

Game photos are here-

Freshgirls

JV

Varsity


Lots more photos.

Enjoy!

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

 

So... what gives FotoFink?  You take these great photos of our girls wearing Santa hats, but then there's no way to get them before Christmas?  You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch....

Actually- there is a way.  If anyone is dying to get the photos before Christmas, we can do that.  Instead of ordering from the website though, contact me- either at sfinkernagel@hotmail.com, or 570-350-3677.  We can figure out payment, and I can have them printed locally in an hour.  If there is no rush, then of course you can order from the website, as always.

Besides all of that, let me extend a warm welcome to the players and parents from GSA's 8th grade girls basketball team!  One connection led to another, and your coach helped set up this shoot, and some game/action shots should follow as well.  Hopefully everyone enjoys the photos, and if you are new to the world of FotoFink, here are a few FAQs to enhance your experience.

Cool photos!  How can I buy some?  Thanks for asking- that's actually my favorite question!  As you browse, every photo has  "buy" button nearby.  Click it, and you are a few credit card digits away from photos in the mail.

Can I get the jpg files?  Yes.  After you click buy, you will see a tab for downloads.  You can purchase a digital copy of the file from there.

But.... I didn't want to pay.....  I'm enjoying these questions less and less.  Actually, there are lots of ways to share and enjoy without the exchange of funds.  You can share links to the galleries and individual shots with as many people as you'd like.  You can download a low-res copy that will post nicely onto facebook, twitter, etc.  Read the 6th paragraph of this post for details.  Remember to credit the amazing photographer and you'll have no bad karma issues.

Cool!  More?  Yup.  I was at a game last weekend for about one quarter, and I plan to be at more.  Game shots will follow as I have time to take them and get them processed for posting.  The more interest I sense, the more photos I can justify taking.  (That may have been too subtle.... let me be more clear, for those of us without a private school education- If the photos sell well, I will take more)

I like you FotoFink- how can I enjoy this experience even more?  Thanks honey.  I'll be a little late for dinner tonight.  If you are actually wondering this.... there are lots of 12 step programs that can help.  Short of that, you can join our facebook group, follow us on Twitter, and if I can ever figure out google+, I suppose you can hang out with me there.  Not yet though.  You can read some old blog posts too- sometimes they are funny.

All kidding aside- This was a fun shoot.  Parents- you should be proud of your girls- they were fun, involved, and incredibly polite as the shoot progressed.  A few of the shots spilled out over the background, but we'll blame the tight space in the library for that.  Fun shoots tend to provide the best shots- and I think these photos confirm that.

One more brief tidbit-  If you played the Grinch song from the first link, or if you've ever seen the TV show (is there anyone who hasn't?) you know that the late Thurl Ravenscroft had an amazing voice- amazing to the point that its hard to imagine anyone else singing that.  Did you know, however, that Thurl was also the voice of Tony the Tiger?  Characters from the Haunted Mansion in Disney world?  RIP Thurl- you are missed.

Back to some photos?  Sure.

Good Shepherd Team and Individual

All of FotoFink

Enjoy!

Buddy Holly

A few quick thoughts-

Editing photos is tedious at best.  Sitting in front of the computer, look, assess, click, repeat...  a normal mind tends to wander.  Mine too.  This time, I couldn't get this song out of my head.

I wonder why?

Woo Eee Ooh, I look just like Buddy Holly.....

Oh Oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore.....

Mary Tyler Moore may be a stretch... but I had to work with the Buddy Holly reference.  Just go with it-  Poetic License and all.

Just a quick post today.  My marketing department advises me that I will probably blog more if the posts are shorter.  Hard to argue that.

Photos from the Cross and Crown game are posting now- 286 Varsity photos are here.

JV & Freshboys to follow.

The Pretender

OK....  7 1/2 months, and no blog posts?  WTFFF?  (where's the fun, FotoFink)  Are you the blogger, or just the pretender?  All good questions.

So really- why the gap?  I don't know for sure- only that I just wasn't feeling it for a while.  In the very early days of FotoFink, it became customary for me to write a bit on the "header" of each gallery.  While quick and easy, that was really not enough for all the bloviating I was compelled to do.  The blog was born, and became an editorial outlet.  For a while, every shoot had an accompanying blog post- full of the wit and wisdom of FotoFink.  The blog, however, was always the least important piece of the FotoFink puzzle- after all, there was no immediate financial reward, it was hard to justify taking the time to blog when I had shoot after shoot of photos to edit, so when time was short, the blog was the first to go.  I tried, for a time, to blog once a week, saying a little something about all of the shoots for the week, and while it was ok from a time management perspective....  the blog posts felt uninspired, almost forced.  The facebook group was picking up some of the slack as far as comments on some of the photos, and with nearly 700 members there, blogging for 6 followers seemed.... unimportant.

So what now?  I'm still not sure.  While FotoFink continues to grow as a business, most of you realize that it is much more than that to me- this feels like at least a community, and usually more of a family.  My hope is that the blog can reinforce that feeling in some way.  As far as posting frequency goes- I don't make promises I can't break.  (that's a second music clip...  it would seem I owe you a few after all that time away.  Feel free to skip over the first 30 seconds....  Marie looks good, but doofus does all the talking.)  I hope to do this when I feel inspired, and I hope that is often.  A colleague has been offering some marketing advice, which, thus far, has been- "tweet".  I am sure this blog will fit into the strategy at some point also.  More meetings are planned, decisions will be forthcoming.  One thing is for sure- I like the music references.  That will have to continue.  Feel free to make requests- they will likely be ignored.

Unrelated to photography in any way but very cool regardless-  Did you see any of the 300 showings of this last weekend?  Wow.  Palladia is rapidly becoming a favorite channel.  If I can ever get Mrs. FotoFink to turn the food shows off, I can usually enjoy whatever they have on.  But this..... Does it get any better than Crosby, Stills and Nash helping Jackson Browne on The Pretender?  Paul Simon, David Crosby and Graham Nash performing Here Comes the Sun in tribute to George Harrison?  Stevie Wonder and John Legend doing MJ's The Way You Make Me Feel?  (you make the call-  what happens at 1:40 of that clip?  Technical difficulties?  Forget the words?  Too choked up to continue?  All I know for sure is he didn't lose sight of the lyric sheet...) Jeff Beck accompanying Stevie Wonder on Superstition?  More Jeff Beck, as he plays as Sting sings People Get Ready?  U2 starting to play Gimme Shelter, and guess who struts out to help?  I had a hard time looking away.

Ok-  we are even now.

A fall recap seems foolish at this point- lets pretend all of that never happened.  You folks in West Pittson can relate to that.  Some of my Tunkhannock friends too.  Instead, lets look ahead-  what's coming up this winter?

Basketball- Wilkes Men and Women.  Holy Redeemer Boys and Girls.  Wyoming Area Girls.  Freshmen, JV and Varsity for all.

Wrestling- Wilkes Men.

Hockey- On ice.  They way Lord Stanley intended.  Holy Redeemer has asked for some shots, and here is their first gallery.  Nice to be shooting hockey again.

Skiing-  Holy Redeemer ski club.  Hopefully Snoooo Mountain manages to open, and we will get some shots from the hill on Friday nights.  Those were fun last year.  Bernie (Mojo) K was just telling me how much he liked this shot.

Weddings-  We are booked for the Ball Ball in February.  Lots more when the weather warms.

Anything else you want shot?  Send me a note.  We'll try....

Some recent work?  Glad you asked....

HR Girls T&I

Engagement shots at Grey Towers in Milford (great location!!)

Where to this week?  Another good question.....

Looks like a private session for some Christmas photos on Sunday.  HR Girls Basketball on Friday, followed by HR Hockey Friday night.

Want more FotoFink?

Follow this blog-  Let me know you care about all this chatter.  You have to click over on the right somewhere....

Follow FotoFink on Twitter.  I'm tweeting more and more.

Join us on facebook.  Join the group.  Liking the page will connect you with another FotoFink in CA.  A lesser Bobka.

Enjoy!

Mr. Bad Example

The blog post is a little late this week- surprisingly, no one seemed to mind.  What's my excuse?  Is this delay intentional, or am I just Mr. Bad Example, missing my self-imposed 1 week/1 post commitment?

A little of both actually.  Sunday was the end of a busy week, this week holds a trip to the remote southern headquarters, so looking ahead, it seemed that a slight delay in the post would allow everything to be covered for a while.  Thrill-a-minute stuff, I know....

So how were the shoots since last time?  Thanks so much for asking!!!!

Berwick visited Wyoming Area, and I found out that it rains inside the fences too.  Another fantasy crushed.

Nice slide.  Love it when the base gets uprooted.

Happy Birthday Lexi!  Nice face...

Tuesday was the day I expected to find HR baseball and softball playing side by side.  Good idea for an overwhelmed photographer.

Better game face- Mary, or Stacey?

Throw Steve into that game face contest.  I think we have a winner.

No shots from Wednesday- I am sure something was rained out.

Thursday I had an adventure shooting for Wilkes-  Let's just say that I may be the first guy to break a sweat on a golf course.  After the great golf debacle, it was back to Hollenback for more softball, and surprise- baseball too!  The original plan was to include soccer as well, but of course that match wasn't at the field indicated on the schedule.  That would have been far too easy.

As out as he looks, he was safe.

As bad as this looks, it ended well.

Looks bad, was bad.  Thankfully no injuries.

Love the shades, really.  The sunflower seeds too.

Saturday brought up a decision- volleyball at Pottsville?  Or track at Wallenpaupack?  Toughest call ever...  volleyball is indoors, and 2 teams that I am shooting were on the schedule.  Martz Hall is one of my favorite places to shoot also.  Icebreakers were great fun last year though, and there are always more shots to find with the three-ringed-circus that is a track meet. Hmmm.....   In the end, two external factors helped sway me- First- Flyers tickets.  I had arranged for a pair of seats to game 2 of the series, long before I knew when that game would be.  It was, of course, Saturday night, and knowing that I'd be leaving early, volleyball made more sense than track- I would still get shots of everyone, even with the early departure.  Driving out to Pottsville, the second reason became clear- Rain.  Lots of rain.  Flooding, Noah's ark-type rain.  There was no way Icebreakers would happen-  I was in the clear.....  Wrong again.  Total props to the track team for braving the elements...  As for icebreakers.. maybe next year.

Robert and Brendan were glad I came.  FotoFink is number 1.....

Congrats to the boys too.  After losing to Easton at Valley West, and splitting with Fleetwood in pool play, the Royals beat both of those teams to take the gold at the Pottsville tournament.  Come out to watch these guys.

Part of my logic for skipping track on Saturday was knowing that I'd be shooting in on Monday.  So I did.

Game face, Hurdle face, whatever.  Add Maria to the mix.

Landings on the long jump....  awesome.

The mid-air part can be good too.

That shot reminds me of something... I dislike rules.  A lot.  There are lots of rules in photography though- the rule of thirds, the sunny 16 rule, on and on and on...  In light of this, I am starting my own list of rules.  FotoFink's rules.  I am starting here, in no particular order.  When nothing is going on, find Nicole.  There is always a shot there.

Ok- I sense that this is too long already.  Looking ahead, we have...... nothing.  Really.  I'll be traveling until the next scheduled blog post, so there will be no new events before next weekend.  Not sure how I will handle that- either postpone (why not- everything else does) or maybe post some sort of shameless self promotion piece.  I am leaning towards the latter.

Links-

Softball galleries

Baseball galleries

Pottsville Volleyball

Redeemer at Wyoming Area Track

Everything

Enjoy!

Walk

From last week's post-

Looking ahead- we have a week filled with Wilkes softball (Tuesday) Holy Redeemer/Coughlin soccer (Wednesday) Holy Redeemer Softball (Thursday) and Holy Redeemer Junior High Track (Friday).  Finally, Saturday will see the return of the Photobooth at a sweet sixteen party.  Most of that is weather dependent, of course, but it does look as if the snow may be over...

Softball on Tuesday was postponed due to weather.  Soccer on Wednesday was postponed due to weather.  Softball on Thursday was moved to Friday well before the weather was bad, which opened up a chance to get to Jr High Track at Wyoming area.  Friday arrived, and as I am getting ready to walk out of the cozy mountain retreat, the rain starts.  Shortly after I made the decision not to stand in the cold rain to shoot softball, that game was postponed due to weather.  Saturday  had a spare couple of hours in the afternoon, so a visit to Wilkes to make up the softball shoot was squeezed in, and lastly, the photobooth/sweet 16 party went off without a hitch- ironically, some of the only good weather for the week was when the only indoor event was on the schedule.

Flexibility is proving to be the key here at FF HQ this Spring, as we will see when we look to the week ahead.  Thanks to the weather changes, literally every day will likely find us at a different venue than was originally scheduled.

Before getting to that, I want to address a question that came up a few times this week- several people have asked if I can come and shoot their team, and with the schedule as crazy as it has been- what goes into that decision?

If at all possible, sure-  I will shoot almost anything.  I am more inclined to shoot where I know there is some interest.  If I can get a list of emails, or present some photos for sale in person, then I am far more likely to be excited about coming to shoot.  Its actually more than money that drives that- It just seems silly to take photos and have then wither away unnoticed.  So how can you get your team on the list?  Just ask.  Then help me get word out to the team about the photos.  The rest should take care of itself.

Holy Redeemer at Wyoming Area Jr High Track was just such a sequence of events.  FotoFink had a pretty good audience at the varsity level of Holy Redeemer, so when the Jr High asked, a mental note was made to get to at least one meet.  Another request from a WA competitor, and a timely weather postponement or 3, and last Thursday became a perfect fit.  Since that event, there have been an average of more than 10,000 hits per day on the photo site, and sales are starting already.

I have said this before- track has become a favorite event here at FotoFink.  So many cool events.

On that subject- cool events....  Let me add that I understand the logic of not having the pole vault at Holy Redeemer.  The equipment is costly, especially considering that there are usually only a small group of athletes at most school that would participate.  Still.  It would be great.

Another fun event.  Thankfully Javelins seem to be worth the investment.

The FotoFink FotoBooth is another fun gig.  (Note the alliteration there....its a marketing gimmick)  For this event, the guest of honor got to be silly with her friends and family while posing for the camera.  Mix in a few serious shots, and we printed enough on site to fill the photo album that we gave to her at the end of the party, complete with notes from the party guests.  The Fotobooth is available for hire with a wedding or party shoot package, or as a stand-alone bit of fun.  Contact me at sfinkernagel@hotmail.com for details about arranging an event.

Looking ahead-  we'll see how much of this goes as planned-

Monday-WA area softball takes on Berwick, and Holy Redeemer track visits WA.  Things are ridiculously tight, so yes- I am going to try to shoot both.

Tuesday- Holy Redeemer baseball at Nanticoke.  First time out for baseball.  If it doesn't snow.

Wednesday- Wyoming Area at Pittston Area girls soccer.  Another request.  I would have replied directly to the WA parent that asked for my presence, but there was no return email address on the message I got.  FYI- if you use the "contact FotoFink" button, you have to fill in all the requested info for me to reply.

Thursday-  Holy Redeemer Softball and Soccer.  Yup.  Another double header.

Friday- HR JR HI track at Nworthwestern.  Maybe.  That's far.....

Saturday- A dilemma- The Icebreaker Relays were rescheduled for this day, and the Pottsville volleyball tourney was/is on the same day.  Also influencing the decision is the fact that I need to be in Philadelphia in time to get to game 2 of the Flyers/Sabres series (watching, not shooting).  Weather depending, I am leaning towards IceBreakers....

Some links-

HR/WA JR HI Track

FotoFink Fotobooth

Everything

Enjoy!

For Crying Out Loud

One extreme to the other this week at FotoFink- From a week riddled with weather related postponements, to one where almost everything went as scheduled.  For crying out loud, is there no happy medium?

Actually- there was not much to rant about this past week.  the one postponement of note was the Icebreaker Relays, which keeps a glimmer of hope alive that there will be some photos....  depending on the reschedule date.  If anyone hears of that, passing that info on would be appreciated.  Considering how busy the Spring schedule is, pushing these events back has to catch up with us at some point, so its actually good to get them "in the camera" even if we get behind with edits and posts.

Our musical reference this week is Meat Loaf- a long-time favorite here at FotoFink.  Lots of fond memories of the first major release, "Bat Out Of Hell"- long before "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" became a karaoke staple.  Sadly, none of those memories are suitable for sharing here.... Its actually not a completely random reference- During a long night of editing photos, HDNet, the cable channel, had a Meat Loaf concert playing- the show is called something about "Three Bats", and if you are at all a fan, I recommend it highly.

If you'll permit me a bit of a tangent here- (this whole blog is a tangent....) Here's a question - Is karaoke really just Satan's way of ruining our music?  That's my theory....

So what happened this week?   Glad you asked-

Wilkes kept us busy with Lacrosse, Baseball and Tennis game/matches at various times during the week.  Check here for some samples of that work, since it is not sold on the FotoFink site.

Redeemer v Lehman track on Tuesday was a huge shoot, as we were able to encourage our long-lost staffer to come out of hiding for a day.  Track meets are far easier to shoot with 2 people- I may have noted in the past that when I am alone, I always feel like I should be somewhere else.... usually on the other side of the track.  This outing felt much more sane.  Sadly, no Jav though...

 The high jump is always a great photo op.  Since Katy is a former competitor in that event, it was decided to let her shoot it.  She found a great angle that I have overlooked in the past, which worked well for the traditional jumpers.  To no one's surprise, Nicole is not a traditional jumper.  Hard to find fault in success though, as I believe she won the event that day.

Love these throwing events.  Love them.

This is fun to shoot too....  I have really missed track.

We also got a taste of Wyoming Area Softball for the first time.  This is a relatively small gallery, as there are some access issues on that field that we are trying to iron out for next time.  Enjoy what we have for now, hopefully there will be more to follow.

I know it is still cold and all, with winter lingering this year... but when I see this, I can't help but think of this.

We paid a visit to Crestwood volleyball on Friday, as they swept the visiting Cougars of Hazleton.  Crestwood volleyball continues to mature, with last year's extremely young team growing into this year's very young team.  It would seem that there is such potential for these young men in the next season or two.

What is it about volleyball.... ?

Also in the volleyball world, the Wyoming Valley West marathon/tournament was Saturday, which gave us a chance for photos of several teams on our lists- Holy Redeemer, Crestwood, Coughlin...  I had the pleasure of meeting a Lake Lehman player in the stands, and was encouraged to get a few shots of their squad as well.

Once again- something about volleyball.  My favorite comment- "If he were my kid, they'd call him Lefty"  Lost on us at the time was the fact that it was a fake.

Volleyball again....   Wow.

Lastly, Sunday was filled with more Irish Step Dancers- and I continue to become addicted to this music and activity.   Shots from this event will likely take a few more days to post, so check back for some notes on those.

Looking ahead- we have a week filled with Wilkes softball (Tuesday) Holy Redeemer/Coughlin soccer (Wednesday) Holy Redeemer Softball (Thursday) and Holy Redeemer Junior High Track (Friday).  Finally, Saturday will see the return of the Photobooth at a sweet sixteen party.  Most of that is weather dependent, of course, but it does look as if the snow may be over...

For now-

Redeemer at Lehman track

Lehman at Wyoming Area Softball

Hazleton at Crestwood Volleyball

WVW Volleyball Tournament

Emerald Isle Step Dancers  (As of this post, the newest shots are not yet on the site- but they will be soon!)

All the FotoFink excitement

Enjoy!




Enjoy!

I'm Amazed

This past week looked to be packed with shooting opportunities- until winter returned.....  I'm amazed at how little the actual week resembled the original plans.  Saturday was the prime example-

Originally, there looked to be three separate events to shoot on Saturday- Holy Redeemer baseball, Holy Redeemer Girls Soccer, and Wilkes tennis.  Concerns ran through the halls of FotoFink-how can we be in three places at once?  I can't, of course, so up went the bat signal to summon some help, in the form of additional shooters.  No small feat considering little (no) pay, the only benefit is the experience of shooting, and it works best if you have your own gear.  No surprise that its hard to find help.  After pulling strings, calling in favors, and making promises, a staff was in place to handle the onslaught.  ..  Then... after all that...... If you live here in NEPA,  you know how this ends.  One by one (First Friday baseball, then Saturday- baseball, tennis and soccer, in that order) everything was postponed or outright canceled- which really doesn't help the already-crowded-rest-of-the-Spring schedule at all....

The week was not a total loss, of course. Monday brought us to a doubleheader of womens' softball at Wilkes, Which, while cold and damp, was at least held.  As usual with the Wilkes shots, they went right to the athletic department and are not available for sale here.  There are a few samples on facebook though- but I believe you have to be a facebook person to view that.  Really though- If you are not a facebook person by now, shouldn't you be?  Furthermore- while you are there, shouldn't you join the FotoFink group?

In another case, the weather worked to my favor- I had left a Holy Redeemer track meet off my schedule, as it was originally slated for Monday (two places at once and all...) but the powers that be decided to move that one to Tuesday- which gave me the chance to be there and capture some pre-season action.

I am sure I have mentioned this before- but a track meet, to me, is like a three ringed circus.  There is always something going on, and there is always the feeling that I should be somewhere else at the event to capture it.  Picture this- in ring one, the track itself is almost always in use- hurdles, running, whatever.  In ring two, there are jumpers- high, long, triple (oh how I wish we had pole....)- who seem to have only a vague sense of schedule at  most meets.  Ring three- throwers- discus, javelin, shotput.  Ring three is especially tricky, because it is rarely in sight of the other events.  I generally feel like a dog chasing its tail as I walk around looking for photos.

There would be more links in that last passage if all of those events were run.  Actually- perhaps they were, and I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The week ended up on a good note as well- My friends at the Emerald Isle Step Dancing School were on the slate to perform at the benefit for Mackenzie Marx on Saturday night at Rodano's.  Some scheduling issues (I swear they told me 7:00...) resulted in me seeing only part of the show, and the atmosphere was not quite as "Irish" as our last get-together, but in the end, things worked out- there are a few more photos added to their page.

A quick look at the coming week-  Wow....

Monday- Wilkes for Baseball and Lacrosse
Tuesday- Holy Redeemer at Lehman Track
Thursday- Wyoming Area Softball
Friday- Crestwood Volleyball
Saturday- WVW volleyball tournament, Wilkes Tennis
Sunday- Emerald Isle Step Dancers at Pittston High

Sadly, the Ice Breaker Relays are on Saturday, and I don't see any way I can get to that part of the world to get some shots.  Very disappointing, as last year that was a very fun day.  Hope for bad weather maybe, and another reschedule.

Well-  Due to inclement weather... the rest of this post is postponed indefinitely.  Here are a few links-

Wilkes Athletics-  Why not?  You can see lots of FotoFink work on there.

Holy Redeemer Track at Solomon

Emerald Isle Step Dancers at the Mackenzie Marx benefit

The whole enchilada

Enjoy!

Local Hero

Another busy week here in and out of the cozy mountain retreat- with Spring finally arriving, we are seeing the end of the last of the winter sports, and a start to the very busy warm weather seasons.  Not all of what goes on at FotoFink makes it to the galleries on the website, so its here on the blog where you can get a look behind the curtain, in case you really are wondering....

In no particular order- some random ramblings-

First- something I need to get off my chest.  For a number of years, FotoFink and the Red Sea/Argent nation have enjoyed something of a symbiotic relationship- Photos on my site, and facebook, have furthered the legend of the most devoted fans in the local leagues.  Likewise- Chants of "FotoFink, FotoFink..." ringing through the gyms have made me feel like something of a local hero. So what's the problem?  The warm fuzzy feeling that I get when you cheer "FotoFink" is cheapened when you clearly use your cheers to further your own fame.  Imagine how I felt, watching the boys basketball game,  and hearing cheers of "Service Electric" to get the attention of the video camera.  Or worse still-  "Camera Guy"  Camera Guy?  If you are going to solicit the charms of another, at least learn their name.  Service Electric?  The evil cable empire?  As the godfather once said- "True love is hard to find, sometimes you think you have true love and then you catch the early flight home from San Diego and a couple of nude people jump out of your bathroom blindfolded like a goddamn magic show ready to double team your girlfriend..."  I know just how you felt, Mitch.

In happier news, Wilkes baseball and lacrosse started their home seasons this past week and FotoFink was there to capture the highlights.  Although those photos all went to Wilkes, we may try to get out and shoot a game or 2 for the FotoFink site before the season ends.  Leave a comment if that is something you'd like to see.  In he meantime, you can see some of the shots on the Wilkes Atheletics site.

Crestwood Volleyball asked for the FotoFink magic for their Team and individual photos for this season, and of course, we are happy to oblige.  A note to other teams- Some attractive pricing and packages are available for this kind of shoot- Contact me if you'd like to set anything like this up.  Leave a comment, use the contact button on the website, or just send an email to sfinkernagel@hotmail.com.

Not to be outdone, Holy Redeemer volleyball set up a tri-scrimmage on Saturday, inviting teams from Lackawanna Trail and Blue Ridge for some pre-season fun.  The Royals look to have some size and experience this year- and should be hopeful for a great season.  We also took some headshots for the long-awaited boysvb.com site- which, I am told, may actually go live this season.

The volleyball season is young, and it will take a bit for me to get my timing down.  Usually, if I miss the ball in the frame, I delete the shot.  Something about this photo struck me as funny though...

While the event was over a week ago, the shots from the Hoops for Hope 3v3 basketball tournament are finally  posted. A full gym of basketball players, all having fun, all for a good cause- Make a Wish..... FotoFink was happy to be there.  Some highlights-

I know there are a few photographers (parent/photographers- nothing wrong with that at all) shooting the Dallas teams.  My hear goes out to you if you shoot a lot in that gym.  No gym has really good lighting, but that one was especially funky- Blue/green coming in one side, daylight in the other, gym lights over head.... Thanks for the challenge-  Its rare that the colors are so bad in a photos that I resort to B&W, but this was a time....

I've noted before, as I edit a large batch of photos, my mind wanders.  After this shot, I couldn't help but think about the last part of this scene.  Thankfully, that didn't happen- in front of the camera, anyway.

Looking ahead, this would appear to be another busy week- Wilkes Softball today (Monday), Wilkes/Kings Baseball on Friday, then a triple-play Saturday of Holy Redeemer baseball, Holy Redeemer soccer, and Wilkes Tennis.  Warm weather would be nice....

Some links-

Crestwood volleyball team and individual shots

Redeemer volleyball headshots

Redeemer volleyball action shots

Hoops for Hope

FotoFink.net

Enjoy!

Drink The Night Away

Longtime fans may be aware that parades are not really my "thing"  I may have to change that opinion though.  Its a little hard not to enjoy the atmosphere with so many people there to drink the night away, even if I am focused (get it?  focused? ....  sorry...) elsewhere. This past week, the Emerald Isle Irish Step Dancers brought me first to their studio, then to the Scranton parade, for a day of celebration and a surprisingly good time.

So first things first- how does a club-footed, overweight,  non-dancing (seriously non-dancing- there was no music even at my wedding) German photographer get involved with a Irish step dancing school?  Photography has taken me to some strange places, I have pretty much learned to enjoy the ride.  I connected to Emerald Isle through a cheer family, and found a few friends of FotoFink there already.  For all the evils that the internet is supposed to bring, I have to say it is a tremendous way to network and market.  Remember this?  Social media is like that on steroids.  Anyway, after a brief meet-and-greet at the studio, it was go time on parade day in Scranton.  The float girls were strapped in, the dancers stayed loose with some sort of slappy, cardinal puff type of circle elimination game, and the fun began.  My prior parade experience was a few years back for Bishop Hoban's last stand.  I recall not really having any trouble keeping up- I was able to easily walk circles around the float, and shoot it for the whole parade route.  This one felt more like a race to me.  Keeping up was no easy feat.  A day of running never hurt anyone though, and the photos were worth the effort.  How about the background in that shot?  Sometimes even I get lucky.

The parade, of course, is filled with other stuff too, and the floats are maybe 1/2 of the attraction-

Didn't Tom Petty wear that hat in a video?

Cast your vote-  Leprechaun #1?  or #2?  I am going with #2- blending his own mustache into the outfit pushes it over for me.

Nice hat- let me get a shot of that....  mmm  not a great face-  I'll try again...  Alright- time to move on.  Some things just aren't going to happen.

Hey!  HEY!  Take my picture!  OK- you are famous now.  And drunk.

Scranton is the greatest city in the world, and this is the BEST day of my life!  Lord I hope not.  I do like your hat though.

Getting back to our connected world- I love how it takes no time for Charlie Sheen to be part of the T-Shirt pop culture.

Step dancers, FotoFink... STEP DANCERS!  Oh yeah... sorry.......

There uni-suit guys look odd enough no matter where you put them, but for some reason, waiting in the port-o-pottie line struck me as funny.  Is there a zipper in that suit?

Next stop was the Scranton Cultural Center, which will now be known as SCC to save me typing.  Cramped quarters, but some very cool lighting led to some of my favorite photos from the day.  Tastes vary, of course, but I like photos where you can still see what the light of the room looks like, still sense the atmosphere.  Green stage lights and yellow house lights are a little tricky to mix with camera flash, but I was happy with most of the results.  Here's an example of what I mean-  This photo is clear, and the colors are basically true to life.  The flash is too much there though- and it has over powered the house lighting that gave the show atmosphere.  Compare that to this shot, where the ambient light took a bigger role.  For me, I love the second.

The cultural center also brought some new friends to the FotoFink world- Kilrush.  The show alternated between dancers, pipers, and the band, so I was able to capture a few shots of the band while I enjoyed their music.  This proved to be another pleasant surprise-  The live show was full of energy, fiddles and fun, and I am now a Celtic Fusion/Kilrush fan.  Again- thanks to our amazingly connected world, a quick google search, some facebook friend requests, and a day later I am chatting with the band.  They seem to love the photos, and the link at the top of the post is a clip of theirs from another show.  That clip seems to have been pre-Marissa, who has since joined as the fiddle player, and has been my source of info for the band.  They are playing in Wellsboro on Friday night, and if Mrs FotoFink were not already sick of me playing their music, I would consider the roadtrip.

Long week, long post.  Here are the goods-

Emerald Isle Step Dancers

Kilrush

FotoFink

Enjoy!

Tempted

Fans of the blog (haha- both of us....) may have noted a drop in frequency of posts in the last several months.  The truth is, there is just not the time that I would like to compose something witty to post after every shoot.  At times, I have been tempted to give it up entirely- but every once in a while I am reminded that some of you read and enjoy this.  Something, however has to give.  As I look ahead to the spring, there are as many as 14 teams that have interest in FotoFink attention this spring, plus a few weddings, parties, etc. thrown in to the mix... It should take very little time for me to fall well behind.  Hopefully to no one's surprise, I have an idea though- a compromise.  I am going to try to commit to a weekly blog post, where I will summarize the most recent shoots on the site, look ahead to what is coming up, and try to embarrass and insult a few folks as we've become accustomed to.  Use the RSS to subscribe, or check back on Sunday/Monday every week if you have some interest.

Last week saw the playoffs begin for basketball, and Holy Redeemer sent both the boys and girls all the way to the district finals.  First, the ladies-

A big thank you for scheduling these games at Wyoming Area.  Although the roof may have issues, the lighting in there is better than any high school (and many college) gym that I've shot in. In what we would soon find to be the norm, the Trojanettes pushed your Lady Royals to overtime, causing lots of stress all through the gym.  In spite of their attempt at divine intervention, Nanticoke would come up short in the extra period, moving HR to the next round.

Game 2 saw the girls face off against Scranton Prep- again at Wyoming Area, again a great effort, again overtime, and again- jubilation as Redeemer moves on.

So there is no need to worry when the district final game goes to OT, right?  We've been here before.  Besides, Gumby and Pokey are on our side. We even had Fallyn doing the three-headed finger wiggle hex...this is a lock....  Sadly, the third time was not the charm, and Redeemer settled for district silver before heading into the state tournament next week.

The boys had their own ride through districts, of course.  After winning a FotoFinkless opening round, we were able to catch up with the boys at Wyoming Area (yay!) for the second round game with Abington Heights.  Plenty of bad history here, as AbHeHi won the district from HoReHi last year, and handled them again back in December.  None of that mattered for this game though, as HR managed to power past AH to the district finals.  As a side note- Opinions will vary, but here since you are reading my blog, you get my opinion.  This  >  This.

The district final game brought the Royals to Kings College (perhaps the only better gym in the area than WA-  good choice!) for a matchup with West Scranton.  1,000 career points and Ivan Putski's belt (look it up yourself....) were still not enough for West Scranton to stop Holy Redeemer from finally reaching the top of the district.  Whether this was 1,000 or not, points like these help you win.  Santa knows this, cows know this, John Mendola knows this-  West Scranton now knows this too.

So on to states for both teams- As far as I can tell, PIAA has yet to work its voodoo to tell us the times and places yet, but both teams will likely see action this Friday or Saturday.  Depending on down and distance, FotoFink may or may not be able to be there, but best wishes go out to both teams.

We also had some fun with a photobooth shoot this past weekend-  There needs to be more of this going on.

In other FF news, we will be branching out this week to include some Irish Step Dancers on the site.  We have a Tuesday visit planned to their studio, then will catch some live performances at the Scranton Parade and then Cultural Center on Saturday.  Busy times....

Here, as always, are some links-

Girls Basketball

Boys Basketball

Mike Clark's Birthday and photobooth

All the FotoFink goodness

Enjoy!