Bellingham photographer | Ralph Vernacchia Team Track and Field

Ralph Vernacchia Team Track and Field Meet 4/8/11 at Civic Field in Bellingham, Wash. Photo by Bellingham photographer Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

On Friday, April 8 I photographed the Ralph Vernacchia Team Track and Field meet at Civic Field in Bellingham. I went with about a half dozen members of the Western Washington University chapter of the National Press Photographers Association. Everyone went their own separate ways in an attempt to get something different.

With that in mind, I got the idea to do a remote camera from a high vantage point. At first, I was going to clamp a camera (in this case a Nikon D300 with 17mm lens at f/8, triggered w/ Pocket Wizards) to a standard at the pole vault area. Then a volunteer came up to me and wanted to know what I was doing.

I explained, and they offered to let me put a camera on a pole vault pole! I jumped at the idea, no pun intended, and in a few minutes and a guess at focusing I had my rig up in the air. I shot hundreds of images and after much finagling and adjusting I made a few frames I am happy with. I definitely would like to do this setup again at another track meet — the vantage point is just so different!

Here’s a photo of me shooting with this pole vault pole cam, by Rhys Logan

Ralph Vernacchia Team Track and Field Meet 4/8/11 at Civic Field in Bellingham, Wash. Photo by Bellingham photographer Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Ralph Vernacchia Team Track and Field Meet 4/8/11 at Civic Field in Bellingham, Wash. Photo by Bellingham photographer Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Ralph Vernacchia Team Track and Field Meet 4/8/11 at Civic Field in Bellingham, Wash. Photo by Bellingham photographer Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

I also did a remote camera with the same lens at the steeplechase event. The camera was protected from the waves of water by a Penn Camera/Think Tank cover system that leaves just the front lens element exposed. Everything else is waterproofed! It came in handy as those runners really gave the system a soaking.

After each pass of the athletes I literally poured out water from the lens hood and quickly wiped off the front element to get rid of the accumulated droplets. I felt like a member of the NASCAR pit crew!

With a remote camera, I have the choice of being in two places at once! I put a Pocket Wizard II in the hotshoe of my main camera and each picture was synced with my remote. I got this steeplechase moment from two different angles:

Ralph Vernacchia Team Track and Field Meet 4/8/11 at Civic Field in Bellingham, Wash. Photo by Bellingham photographer Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Ralph Vernacchia Team Track and Field Meet 4/8/11 at Civic Field in Bellingham, Wash. Photo by Bellingham photographer Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Ralph Vernacchia Team Track and Field Meet 4/8/11 at Civic Field in Bellingham, Wash. Photo by Bellingham photographer Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Ralph Vernacchia Team Track and Field Meet 4/8/11 at Civic Field in Bellingham, Wash. Photo by Bellingham photographer Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

All in all it was a fun couple of hours spent hanging out with photo friends and enjoying the sunny weather. What more can ya ask for?

Thanks for looking!

Daniel

Bellingham sports photographer | Bellingham District 2A Track Semifinals

On Wednesday I photographed a high school track semifinals meet at Civic Field here in Bellingham and had a blast soaking up the sunshine and looking for creative and interesting angles and moments. It was great to just roam and explore the grounds. Once again, one of my favorite images was made from atop the roof of the grandstands (check out the last one).

Mount Baker senior Nick Jacoby jumps a distance of 40-feet 10-inches in the second heat of the triple jump during the District 2A track semi-finals at Civic Field in Bellingham Wednesday May 12, 2010. Photo by Daniel Berman

Burlington-Edison senior Chelsea Genther (lane 4) leads and finishes first in the 100m hurdles at the District 2A High School Track semifinals at Civic Field in Bellingham, WA Wednesday May 12, 2010. Photo by Daniel Berman

Burlington-Edison freshman Trenton Hamidou clears a height of 5-feet 2-inches near the start of the District 2A track semifinals at Civic Field in Bellingham Wednesday May 12, 2010. Photo by Daniel Berman

Please click here to view