# Denver March Powwow Shots



## FattyMcJ (Mar 23, 2010)

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C&C always welcome.

Gear used: Pentax K-x; Soligor Manual 80-200mm f/4.5 (crappy, but free); Kit Lens.

I think you can tell which photos were shot using the 30yr old telephoto and which were using the kit lens.  Grr I want a better telephoto.

A question if I may, when shooting events, how do you approach people and ask them to "stand still" for a minute or move to an area with a less distracting background...or do you?

Thanks,
-Jason


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## xjrrrdx (Mar 23, 2010)

Is that at the convention center?


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## JimmyO (Mar 23, 2010)

Why the big ugly watermark dead center?

2nd is the best


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## LahPhotographer (Mar 23, 2010)

I find it interesting. Many many years ago Native Americans used to believe that when someone took a picture of someone it stole a piece of their sole(spirit). Really cool you got to capture this and you did a great job!


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## gsgary (Mar 23, 2010)

I like shot 2, but shutter speeds look to low making some of the images soft, what ISO were you using ?


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## jtee (Mar 23, 2010)

LahPhotographer said:


> I find it interesting. Many many years ago Native Americans used to believe that when someone took a picture of someone it stole a piece of their sole(spirit)



Nice shots, The Amish (The Amish that I know in Buchanan County Iowa) believe this also and practice it to this day. A PowWow that I attended 3 or 4 years ago here in Northern Illinois turned out to be a bashing of the White people and a attempt to get as much money as they could out of everybody attending, I was kinda turned off to that aspect of it.


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## c.cloudwalker (Mar 23, 2010)

LahPhotographer said:


> I find it interesting. Many many years ago Native Americans used to believe that when someone took a picture of someone it stole a piece of their sole(spirit). Really cool you got to capture this and you did a great job!



Actually, this is a white man's invention. Think about it.

How would an indian (savage that he is) know what a camera pointed at his face did? This is Popular History 101 BS and nothing more.

Sole vs. soul? An indian may actually have been more worried about his sole than his soul. 

Hard to run/hard to eat without his sole (depending on which definition you use), while the soul is a white religious man's invention.


To the Op, don't ask, just shoot. And be ready to shoot things that move.


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## FattyMcJ (Mar 23, 2010)

Thanks guys, I enjoyed #2 as well, I actually didn't do any PP other than crop and whiting out the number cards. They lit the four guys in the middle with spotlights...very cool effect.



xjrrrdx said:


> Is that at the convention center?



The National Western Stockshow Complex off I-70.



JimmyO said:


> Why the big ugly watermark dead center?
> 
> 2nd is the best



I put the watermark there because 1) I had to pay to take photos at the event, I then posted them for viewing to those that were there. I didn't want someone right click saving the picture without my knowledge. I posted under each pic "For full size, no watermark images please email me."  I don't want to charge $, I just want to know who wants them and where they're going.



gsgary said:


> I like shot 2, but shutter speeds look to low making some of the images soft, what ISO were you using ?



Shutter speeds varied from 1/125 to 1/250.  Too slow for my liking, hence the soft focus; coupled with the CRAP telezoom I had to use...they could have been better. I agree.

ISO was from 2200 to 3200.  It was indoor with only a few "gym" style lights above the dance floor and I could only get about 20 feet from them dancing so the stock flash wasn't an option.

Believe me, I was frustrated as hell after paying $30 to take these photos that they turned out as soft as they did...but I didn't have a choice given the lack of lenses and this being my first "event" shoot.  I actually took over 500 shots this day over a 6 hour period...these were the few that were worth keeping. 

But...I did learn a LOT. So for $30, it was a good lesson in event shooting. 



c.cloudwalker said:


> LahPhotographer said:
> 
> 
> > I find it interesting. Many many years ago Native Americans used to believe that when someone took a picture of someone it stole a piece of their sole(spirit). Really cool you got to capture this and you did a great job!
> ...



LOL @ Sole/Soul.

"Don't ask, just shoot" ... alright, fair enough! I'll be more assertive next time :thumbup:


Thanks for the comments guys!


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## LahPhotographer (Mar 23, 2010)

FattyMcJ said:


> Thanks guys, I enjoyed #2 as well, I actually didn't do any PP other than crop and whiting out the number cards. They lit the four guys in the middle with spotlights...very cool effect.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
yeah yeah shaaaaatup! haha  YOU KNEW what I ment....


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## FattyMcJ (Mar 23, 2010)

LahPhotographer said:


> yeah yeah shaaaaatup! haha  YOU KNEW what I ment....



:lmao:


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## LahPhotographer (Mar 23, 2010)

FattyMcJ said:


> LahPhotographer said:
> 
> 
> > yeah yeah shaaaaatup! haha  YOU KNEW what I ment....
> ...


 :mrgreen:


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## pgowder (Mar 24, 2010)

FattyMcJ said:


> A question if I may, when shooting events, how do you approach people and ask them to "stand still" for a minute or move to an area with a less distracting background...or do you?
> 
> Thanks,
> -Jason



You just have to shoot with fast shutter speed and pick the best angle for the bg.


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## pgowder (Mar 24, 2010)

LahPhotographer said:


> I find it interesting. Many many years ago Native Americans used to believe that when someone took a picture of someone it stole a piece of their sole(spirit). Really cool you got to capture this and you did a great job!



I'm the owner of a Pow Wow website:
www.powwows.com

Some groups may have believe that, I don't know for sure.  But probably a myth that has been handed down incorrectly.

The rule of thumb at most Pow Wows is that you can shoot the dancers while in the arena.  Outside the arena you should ask permission.


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## pgowder (Mar 24, 2010)

jtee said:


> LahPhotographer said:
> 
> 
> > I find it interesting. Many many years ago Native Americans used to believe that when someone took a picture of someone it stole a piece of their sole(spirit)
> ...



Please don't judge all Pow Wow by that one.  

If you all want to photograph an incredible Pow Wow, visit Gathering of Nations in April.  It is THE largest one!  There will be over 3,000 dancers!

Grand Entry





Click photo to view them on flickr.

Gathering of Nations info:
Gathering of Nations


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## FattyMcJ (Mar 24, 2010)

pgowder said:


> I'm the owner of a Pow Wow website:
> www.powwows.com
> 
> The rule of thumb at most Pow Wows is that you can shoot the dancers while in the arena.  Outside the arena you should ask permission.



AhHA! I'd actually visited your site the night before the shoot to get an idea of what was common for these events. Small world lol

About the rule of thumb, ya, I found out the hard way...a lady got REALLY pissed at me for trying to photograph her husbands gear that he had draped over a railing. I was passing by, noticed it...so I tried, she got up and stood in front of it and said no.  Being respectful I apologized and deleted the photo in front of her, then went on my way.  No harm done, and lesson learned.


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