After what seemed like a really long, long time, Access magazine was finally published, and inserted within newspaper AnnArbor.com‘s Dec. 6th, 2009 edition. It was the 20th annual edition of the mag, and the makers at the Center for Independent Living wanted it to be extra special.

An interior story of Adam Rose and the I-Ride

If you’ve been following my work long enough, you’d know I was asked in July to provide photography for the magazine. In all, we spent almost three months shooting the events and portraits that are featured inside. The (partial) cover you see above was taken from Brock Mealer’s set. Because of paralysis below his waist, this photo of him kicking a football showed the impact of his rehabilitation.

It’s already a great honor to have your photos featured in any magazine, so bagging the cover brings an even more sensational feeling and definitely a sense of accomplishment! Although it may look staid in photographic artistry (head-on shot), it gets the Center’s message across, that they help people with disabilities, and with great success. Pair it with one of America’s biggest sports, with an iconic backdrop (The Big House stadium) and it’s a winner. Looking at it again, his hand movement, jutting tongue and even the excellent placement of the football was just perfect.

Ha, pat on the back for me!

So, the publication of Access could mark the end of my relationship with the mag, or it could just be the start. But since it’s only published once every year, they won’t be needing my photos again so soon. Furthermore, I may not be around in the U.S. next year. The future is truly up in the wide, open skies. Honestly, I wish I can go on contributing to the mag and their cause. They’ve given me creative freedom, which is almost everything a photographer would need. May this freedom and relationship carry forth into the future!

Ashley's also featured inside the mag!

Taking a group shot is like going on stage to do a solo act in front of a packed auditorium. Everyone’s eyes are on you, expecting you to deliver. Fail, and they will remember you even more.

But they’re also dynamic, as each one will contribute their own poses, and it’s nice to see (later in the day) how people can be so different and yet go together so well. Today I covered a group of YMCA kids who baked cupcakes for those at Ann Arbor’s Ronald McDonald House. This group shot was virtually the last snap of the day, when all the trays were scrubbed and the tables wiped clean.

Now this shot isn’t bad, but it’s not perfect. The fundamentals are there thankfully. I ensured there was enough depth of field by closing the aperture to f7.1. Doing so, I had to boost the flash power. It’s important to get some catchlight in the eyes, which I did successfully for most of them, but less on camera right. Doesn’t matter what type, but it’s important to use a diffuser for your flash.

If I could change some things about the photo, I probably should have asked for them to stand in an arc around the cupcakes. There was too much rigidity, almost like taking a high school class photo. But it’s also important not to get people too close to the corners as wide-angle lenses (and I did use one) tend to distort the edges. Bear that in mind when you’re taking group shots.

Overall, I’m happy with the shot.

Backstory: I got accepted to be photographer for Access, a magazine published by the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living, which caters to the welfare, education and awareness of people with disabilities. It’s only a temporary position, but it gives me free reign to shoot various styles, from events to studio shots, and the point of this post — sports.

Sports photography has always been for the royalty. The most expensive telephoto primes and fast-acquiring, quick-shooting bodies are required. To get all that gear means you are backed by wealthy employers, limitless endowments or high-paying gigs in the Annie Leibovitz range. I don’t belong to any of these categories.

To shoot this water sporting event, customized for disabled individual, I had to do a little customization myself. I had never shot water skiing before, much less this modified version. Not that it’s much different; a boat pulls someone on a surf/ski board via a rope. It sounds straightforward, but there were unimaginable difficulties that didn’t surface till I put my eye to the viewfinder.

Firstly the speedboat rocked like a raging bull. Looking through a long zoom lens only made the vibrations worse. To round off the disaster, the skiier being towed was also bouncing violently on the waves. It was almost a “spray & pray” scenario, though I tried to refrain from that. But looking back at the images I got, I was somewhat disappointed with slight motion blur (or is it soft focus?) on some of the skiing shots. I had though 1/2000 or 1/2500 sec would be fast enough but apparently not.

If it’s not motion blur, then either my camera or len’s autofocus was out of whack. My telephoto lens had never let me down before and there was no reason to suspect the camera either. So I’m guessing user error on my part, failing to focus accurately on the person instead of the seawater that was splashing all over (especially at the front of the person). The next time I shoot this sport, I’ll make sure to have at least a 1/4000 shutter speed with perhaps more depth of field to make sure everything is sharp and crisp.

See selected photos from the day’s shooting:

[Show as slideshow]