The power that Karate gives you is a big responsibility

Karate is not just about kicks, punches, and self-defense. It’s a discipline that builds strength, confidence, and focus — but with that power comes responsibility. Every student must understand that the true spirit of Karate lies in respect, humility, and self-control.

The power that Karate gives you should never be used to intimidate or harm others. Instead, it should be used to protect, to stay calm under pressure, and to inspire others through example. A Karateka who misuses their skills becomes a bully — and that goes against everything the martial art stands for.

Remember: your Sensei teaches you to be strong, but also to be kind. Use your power wisely, always with respect and integrity, both inside and outside the dojo.

Done editing the last Karate Competition

All photos are available now at my Flickr page in two albums (here and here). Like usual, feel free to use these pictures crediting my work, of course. After all, that is the only payment I'm asking for. 

Liam's surprised me with this jump.

After editing for over three days, I feel both exhausted and fulfilled. Each photo evokes cherished memories from the competition—moments that I’ll never forget. 

Our 3 grandsons performed well, but the most important part, even more important than any medal, is the fact that they enjoyed it. They came home tiered but happy. After all, competing is for making friends and having fun, even when few may think about it like a business and forget that bullying and low instincts do not have a place in the dojo. 

There’s no price to put on a child’s smile. 

Last weekend

 Last weekend, I had the opportunity to shoot the USA Sport Karate Strike Fest in Bradenton, Florida. And what better way to capture the essence of this event than through this photograph?

 

Canon R6 Settings: Wildlife Photography vs. Sports Photography

Many of you have probably heard me mention changing the settings on my Canon R6 to suit my needs when shooting either wildlife or sports. This article explains why and How. 

 

The Canon R6 is a versatile camera capable of handling almost any situation — from the quiet patience of wildlife photography to the fast-paced action of sports. While both genres rely on speed, precision, and timing, the way you configure your camera can make a big difference in your results. Here’s a closer look at how the settings for wildlife photography differ from those used for sports.

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1. Shutter Speed: Controlling the Action

Wildlife Photography:
In wildlife photography, your shutter speed depends largely on the subject. A perched bird or a resting animal allows for slower speeds — around 1/500s to 1/1000s — especially if you’re using a telephoto lens with image stabilization. However, for birds in flight or fast-moving animals, go up to 1/2000s or faster to freeze motion cleanly.

Sports Photography:
Sports require consistently high shutter speeds because the action is continuous and unpredictable. A good baseline is 1/1000s to 1/2000s, though you might go even faster for sports like soccer, basketball, or tennis. The key is freezing the peak of motion — the ball in midair or the player at full sprint.

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2. Autofocus: Tracking Your Subject

Wildlife Photography:
Wildlife subjects can appear and move unpredictably. The Canon R6’s Animal Eye Detection AF is a game-changer for this. Activate Servo AF and select the Animal Detection option in the AF menu. Using the Whole Area AF mode works well since the camera can automatically detect and track the subject’s eyes or head across the frame.

Sports Photography:
For sports, switch to People Detection under the same Servo AF mode. The R6 does a great job identifying and tracking players, even when they’re wearing helmets or moving rapidly. You can also use Zone AF or Expanded AF Area for slightly more control, particularly if the scene is crowded, or you want to keep focus on a specific player.

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3. Drive Mode: Continuous Shooting

Wildlife Photography:
Wildlife moments are fleeting — the flap of a wing or a sudden glance can make or break a shot. The High-Speed Continuous+ mode (up to 20 fps with the electronic shutter) helps you capture multiple frames per second, giving you more choices later. However, be mindful of buffer limits and the need for fast SD cards.

Sports Photography:
The same burst mode applies here, but you’ll often hold down the shutter longer during plays. To avoid filling your memory card too quickly, consider shooting shorter bursts. Use mechanical shutter (up to 12 fps) if you’re under artificial lighting to avoid banding, which can sometimes appear with electronic shutters.

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4. ISO and Aperture: Balancing Light and Depth

Wildlife Photography:
Lighting in nature is unpredictable. You may shoot in the soft glow of sunrise or the harsh contrast of midday. Keep your aperture wide (f/4 to f/6.3) to let in more light and blur the background, isolating your subject. For ISO, use Auto ISO with a cap around 3200–6400 to maintain quality without excessive noise.

Sports Photography:
Indoor or evening sports often push ISO higher. Don’t hesitate to go up to ISO 6400 or even 10,000 if needed — the R6 handles noise well. Aperture depends on the sport and your lens, but f/2.8–f/4 is ideal to freeze motion while maintaining enough depth of field to keep the athlete sharp.

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5. Metering and White Balance

Wildlife Photography:
Use Evaluative Metering for balanced exposure in complex lighting (like sunlight filtering through trees). For white balance, Auto WB generally works well, but if you’re shooting during golden hour, switch to Daylight or manually set Kelvin temperature for warmer tones.

Sports Photography:
Lighting in stadiums and gyms can be tricky. Stick with Evaluative Metering but check your histogram often. For indoor events, manually set the White Balance to match the lighting (e.g., Fluorescent or custom Kelvin value) to avoid color casts.

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6. Other Helpful Settings

• Image Stabilization (IBIS): Keep it on for wildlife handheld shots, but turn it off when using a tripod or monopod for sports.

• Back Button Focus: Assign AF-ON to your thumb for both genres — it’s invaluable for separating focus from the shutter.

• Silent Shutter: Great for wildlife to avoid disturbing animals, but not ideal for sports under flickering lights.

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Final Thoughts

Both wildlife and sports photography demand quick reactions and precise control, but they differ in rhythm. Wildlife photography is about patience — waiting for the right moment and blending into the environment. Sports photography is about anticipation — predicting the play before it happens.

The Canon R6 excels in both worlds, but success comes from understanding your subject and adjusting your settings accordingly. Whether you’re tracking a heron taking flight or a player scoring the winning goal, the right setup ensures you never miss the moment.

 

Dramatic Sport Photos

You can shoot dramatic/overexposed sport photos in daylight and in your driveway by using flash and HSS.  can shoot dramatic/over exposed sport photos in day light by using flash and HSS. Here is a video that explains how you can do that. 

Another picture from the last event

Editing over 1000 pictures, selecting the ones to keep, and then processing them is a lengthy process. It’s been two days since the event, and I’m still editing!

One of my favorites.

Editing, editing and more editing

Many assume that a photographer’s work ends the moment the shutter is released. While this may hold true in a studio setting—where conditions are carefully controlled, and images are often captured exactly as intended—in uncontrolled environments the situation is quite different. Once the shooting concludes, the extensive process of editing and post-production begins. If you think you can get a clean, noise-free, perfectly colored picture straight out of the camera, think again—especially at Karate events, which often take place in poorly lit venues rather than well-illuminated professional arenas.

Another important point to consider is that in this business, rushing is your greatest enemy.

I spent some time adjusting this picture of our grandson, taken at the USA Sport Karate, Mayan Challenge Competition in Clearwater, Florida.

Our grandsons don’t pose for me. Since they were born, they’ve been used to their paparazzo Abuelo running around with a camera. From time to time, they look at me—probably just to see what I’m doing—like in the picture above. The smile you see there is genuine; I couldn’t replicate it if I asked them, or any child, to pose and smile.

After finishing the editing, I still felt this picture had potential if the background were different. That’s when an AI tool helped me in my creative process.

Here is the end result. 

There are many AI tools available online that can do this kind of editing work. Most of them offer a free trial; after that, you need to pay for a subscription based on a credit system, where credits are consumed, and you must purchase more once you reach your monthly quota.

I’ve read many articles and opinions about photographers using AI tools, with some even being labeled as “cheaters.” I don’t see it that way—unless the image is being created entirely from scratch. In this case, everything begins with a real boy, in a real setting, captured through a genuine photographic process. The editing, supported by AI, simply enhances the image to reflect the photographer’s artistic vision. To me, there is nothing “cheating” about this creative process.

It all started with your RAW image and ended with your image still.

P.S. If anyone is willing to fund a trip to a location in Japan for me to take a picture like this—including handling the numerous permits, fees and other paperwork required to shoot in a sacred location using flash—please let me know. 

What happened last weekend

 Well, last weekend we travelled to a Karate competition in Clearwater, Florida. Here is an image to proof it. 

This picture was taken using a Canon EF70-200 L f2.8 which is around 20 years old and adapted to a Canon R6 Mark I. 

Karate Events in Hotel Conference Rooms

The last karate event was held in a hotel conference room, and the lighting was less than ideal for sports photography.

 For this event, I set my Canon R6 to Auto ISO capped at 25,600, which wasn’t enough to produce bright images when shooting at a 1/1000 shutter speed even when I was using my trusty EF70-200 L f/2.8. All my photos came out dark, and fixing them in post-processing was challenging because bringing up the exposure also amplified noise, which ruined the shots.

 In my usual post-editing workflow, I start by running all my photos through DxO PureRAW. This step helps clean up the files and prepares them for Lightroom Classic, where they’re automatically exported at the end of the process. In Lightroom, I fine-tune the exposure and adjust other aspects of the image, and for extra sharpness, I often send them through Topaz Photo AI. Normally, I don’t rely much on the DeNoise feature in Topaz Photo AI, but in this case, the amount of noise in my pictures made it necessary. It’s a good reminder that each situation requires flexibility in editing, even if it means stepping outside of your usual workflow.

 Another challenge is that in such large rooms, the lighting is uneven across the space, which often requires more frequent exposure adjustments during post-processing. This significantly increases the amount of time spent on editing.

I hope this gave you a better sense of what goes on behind the scenes, because photography is so much more than just pressing a button. For me, the joy is not only in creating the pictures, but also in sharing the journey with you.

Do you need a Karate Photo Session? Check my services here.   

Karate: A Path to Strong Friendship

 

When I look at karate, I don’t just see a martial art. I see a place where friendships grow stronger than anywhere else.

In the dojo, I’ve watched people of all ages train together. At first, they’re strangers—unsure, maybe even a little nervous. But as the weeks pass, something special happens. The shared sweat, the discipline, the challenge of pushing past limits—those experiences bring people closer. Sparring partners become teammates, and teammates become friends.

What makes karate different is the respect it builds. Every bow, every handshake, every word of encouragement deepens trust. Even in sparring, where intensity is high, there’s no room for malice. Instead, there’s a bond—an understanding that we’re here to help each other grow.

I’ve seen friendships form in karate that last years. Kids who cheer for each other in tournaments, adults who encourage one another through tough times, families that come together around the dojo. These friendships aren’t casual—they’re forged through discipline, respect, and shared effort.

For me, karate is more than training or competition. It’s about the people, the friendships, and the sense of community that stays with you long after class is over. The punches and kicks may fade, but the friendships remain strong.