How is done

Have you ever wondered how that picture was taken? I’m sure you have. In this case, I’ve got a video for you that shows how to create striking sports pictures. I’m planning to do something similar in the near future.

can you guess the ISO?

Photographing a Sport Event in a hotel conference room is challenging and often results in high ISOs. Can you guess the ISO in this picture?

 1/32000! Tools like DXO PureRaw, Topaz Photo and Adobe LrC perform miracles cleaning these pictures.

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. 

Practical Uses of HSS

HSS or High Speed Sync can be used for many things including and the most common use, overpowering the sun. 

However, I find it particularly useful for other purposes, such as creating a completely black or nearly black background.

The image above was taken indoors with an ISO of 1/100 and a shutter speed of 1/4000. This combination was sufficient to achieve a nearly black background. 

Be aware that if your flash is not powerful enough to handle such a high shutter speed, you may notice some banding in the darker areas of the picture. 

What is the most difficult shot you’ve taken?

Good question. In general, birds in flight are difficult—especially small birds that tend to fly very fast. Swallows are particularly challenging, so that would be my first choice.

Another difficult shot is that of a flying dragonfly.

Of course, hummingbirds should be included on this list. Their erratic flight patterns make them very hard to capture. You have to wait until they hover near a flower.