nocklebeast: August 2013

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

SCDG Harbor Hellcats vs CCAD Atomic Assault

I get to the venue a little early and end up warming up the trigger finger by goofing around with my 24mm,

It'd be cool if I could get this shot from where press row is sitting. I'm not sure how easy it would be to shoot over their shoulders or get friendly and shoot in between them.

Still with scrum starts now all the rage, it's hard to reliably capture something like this as it was during the olden days of derby

29 March 2009. Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. Santa Cruz, CA. Santa Cruz Roller Girls vs LA Derby Dolls Sirens.

Every time I see Atomic Assault's logo I think, "argh! out of focus again!"

the full flickr set is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nocklebeast/sets/72157635129887289/

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Faultline Derby Devilz vs Quad City Bombshells at Bolado Park

There's a park, Bolado Park, just a little beyond Tres Pinos, outside of Hollister, California, where they play roller derby outdoors on a concrete patio. The last time I was there to shoot derby, it was a February California Dreamin' winter's day.

This time, I was there in August. It's not too warm, just shy of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It was a good that there was a canopy shading the track this time. It was good for the skaters, good for the refs and NSO's. Good for the comfort of the photographer shooting center track.

It did pose a special challenge as the track was shaded slightly differently as each canopy had slightly different transparency with hot spots between them sometimes ruining exposures.

I know, I know. Photographers! Always bitchin' about the light. It's too bright! It's not bright enough! It's too contrasty! It's not contrasty enough! It's the wrong color!

It's funny, the more I shoot derby, the more I shoot with manual exposure.

And so this particular lighting posed a special challenge. So many different amounts of light.

I'd like to think, I'm getting a better sense of light, but I have a ways to go.

Also, groms!

I know, I know, they're only called groms in Santa Cruz. But I call junior derbiers groms everywhere.

Groms are awesome everywhere.

the full flickr set is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nocklebeast/sets/72157635030789847/

Who would win in a fight? SCDG Thursday Night! 60Hex vs 50Cron!

Who would win in a fight?

This is the sort of question was often posed in nerdom on the Internet.

Leica Summicron 50mm f2.0 APO ASPH

Who would win in a fight?

Captain Jean-Luc Picard? or Captain James Tiberius Kirk!

Xena, Warrior Princess or Susan Ivanova?

An X-Wing? or a Colonial Viper?

Konica Hexanon 60mm f1.2 LTM

Who would win in a fight?

Leica Summicron 50mm f2.0 APO ASPH

A 60mm f1.2 Konica Hexanon? Or a 50mm Leica f2 Apochromatic Aspherical Summicron?

Leica Summicron 50mm f2.0 APO ASPH

Konica Hexanon 60mm f1.2 LTM

I've had the Hexanon for quite some time now. The focal length is a bit odd to use with the canonical 50mm rangefinder frame lines, but the throw is short and smooth. I recently acquired the Summicron by winning the lottery. So, I thought I'd try it out in a totally unscientific head-to-head contest shooting with both lenses at Thursday night scrimmage. The throw on the Summicron, while not long, is a bit stiffer than the Hexanon. I have an impulse to buy a steer from LeicaGoodies and superglue part of it onto the lens to supplement the manual focus tab that is on the lens now.

Leica Summicron 50mm f2.0 APO ASPH

Konica Hexanon 60mm f1.2 LTM

Leica Summicron 50mm f2.0 APO ASPH

All the files were processed in Capture One in a similar manner. I did not make a special effort to preserve the straight-out-of-the-camera look.