M ö b i u s I m a g e s

Pelicans

2011-04-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

Look above the San Diego County beaches and you won’t have to wait long for a flock of pelicans to pass overhead. In graceful flight, they travel back and forth along the shoreline in formations. They’re fun to watch, but don’t get right under them. You know what can happen, so wear a hat just in case.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of the San Diego Union-Tribune

Easter

2011-04-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

It was the annual Easter sunrise service atop Mt. Helix, in La Mesa, just a few miles east of San Diego. Everything went as planned, except for the lack of the sun and the threat of rain, but that didn’t matter. The meaning of the service was not lost on those who came to worship and rejoice in the true meaning of Easter. More Photos.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Runners

2011-04-20T05:12:00.001-07:00

San Diego is home to a yearly menu of races. Just about everything from the Marathon to 5Ks. They all attract thousands of people from all over. Having shot them many times offers the knowledge of what the lay of the land is, but also presents the challenge of how to be different. Getting a clean finish line shot of the men’s and women’s winner for the sports pages is a must. After that, almost anything goes. I like to take these opportunities to experiment and see what I can do to be different than the last time I shot the same race. The exposure was 1/8 of a second at f8 on ISO 50 with the lens set at 35mm. The camera was panned left to right during the exposure. More Photos.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Fly by Night

2011-04-14T06:54:00.001-07:00

I’m a sucker for big airliners, time exposures, and the angles that offer different points of view than we see in San Diego. While on a visit to Los Angeles, I ventured to LAX where everything with wings and engines departing and arriving to and from all parts of the World can be seen and heard day and night. It had rained almost continuously for the two days prior to my visit, so the air was clean and clear. Just a few blocks away from the airport is a neighborhood on a hill that overlooks half of the airport, so it was just a matter of setting up the camera on a tripod, playing with the exposure until I got what I wanted for the light streaks, and then waiting for the right opportunity to fly by. The exposure was ¼ of a second at f5 on ISO 400 with a 300mm lens. I followed the plane as it took off and kept firing the camera continuously. Only one or two frames with the right light streaking, sharpness and silhouetting was the result.

Howard Lipin

Over the Spillway

2011-03-29T22:37:00.001-07:00

For the first time in six years water flows over the Lake Hodges Reservoir spillway in Escondido, just north of San Diego. A somewhat rare occurrence considering just a few months ago the water level in the lake was dangerously low, only 20 percent full due to the seemingly never ending drought. My original idea was to shoot the water at sunset, and hope for a combination magenta/blue sky, or as I like to call it, Sky Blue Pink. But Mother Nature wouldn’t cooperate. The sky was overcast and no sunset. In color it looked pretty lifeless, so I desaturated the color to make it turn into black and white, and then boosted the contrast. The exposure was for 2.5 seconds at f20 on ISO 50 with a 70-200mm lens set at 200mm on a tripod and triggered with an electronic cable release.

Howard Lipin

Buddha

2011-03-24T08:54:00.001-07:00

When over 1,000 Buddhist statues were moved to the new location of the store that sells them, it became a three-block pilgrimage. Followers from all over the area converged to move the statues in this spiritual way. Participants chanted, Om Mani Padme Hum, the Mantra of Compassion, during the short trek.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Bernanke

2011-03-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

When Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks, people listen. It also attracts photographers jockeying for position trying to get a photo better than everyone else. Conventions by their very nature are difficult places to shoot something different. The light is terrible, the access beyond the front of the stage is almost impossible, and when a camera shutter decides to blow, it further limits what can be done. That’s what happened while I was photographing the man a person attending the speech was overheard saying is more important than the President.

Howard Lipin
Photos used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

After the Rain

2011-03-21T21:58:00.001-07:00

I like a good rain. It cleans the air and makes for interesting cloud formations after the rain stops. I didn't have a lot of luck chasing many of the formations in San Diego, so I went to East San Diego County, and La Mesa, where I found the American flags and a pretty good set of clouds above. It may be the first full day of Spring, but don't tell us that. Between one and two inches of rain fell in less than 24-hours.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Charger Girls

2011-03-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

I was going through some photos shot last year and came across Charger Girls tryout photos. It might be a long while before they grace the sidelines of football games as the NFL owners and the players, play a 9 billion dollar game of chicken. More Photos.

Howard Lipin

Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Going March Madness Dancing

2011-03-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

With the best season in school history in the bag, the San Diego State men's basketball team celebrates as the announcement is made on CBS television that they are the number two seed in the West Region for the NCAA Tournament.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Protest

2011-03-12T10:02:00.001-08:00

As political unrest spreads from one country to the next in the Middle East, protests in The United States supporting the ouster of one dictator after another continues. One Sunday afternoon a group of protestors took to the streets of San Diego calling for the end of the regime in Iran. Most of the protestors themselves are from Iran and other countries in the region, and many were reluctant to give their names. They fear what might happen to family members still there.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of the San Diego Union-Tribune

Gas

2011-03-06T07:35:00.000-08:00

Just about everyday the price of gas keeps rising, the result of revolutions going on in faraway places around the World. I have a feeling we're going to be photographing gas stations for a while, so finding different ways to do it is the challenge.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

San Diego Winter

2011-03-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

It seldom snows in San Diego County low enough on the mountains so it can clearly be seen from the downtown skyline. When it does, it's a big deal. Like everything else weather related in this semi-arid desert, we make a big deal out of it while the rest of the country looks at us and says, so.....what's the big deal. Because it happens so seldom, we like to make a big deal out of it, savor the moment, and take pretty pictures of it.

Howard Lipin

Raptor

2010-10-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

The fast moving F-22 Raptor, one of the latest and greatest next generation jet fighters made for an interesting photo as the water vapor in the air was squeezed out during higher speed, and high-G turns, causing the plane to become enveloped in the moisture during the annual Miramar Air Show in San Diego. I’ve seen the plane at the Reno Air Races when it was 100-degrees, and no humidity, and no matter how fast it went, this kind of photo wasn’t possible. I dropped the color because the sky really wasn’t very good. In fact, it was really, really bad, and the black-and-white added drama, which is what it’s all about.

Howard Lipin

Car hits gas line, garage goes up in flames

2010-07-25T23:21:00.000-07:00

A car struck a natural gas line in Mira Mesa late Sunday afternoon, triggering a house fire, San Diego fire officials reported. The incident occurred about 5 p.m. at 8136 Calico St. A fire department spokesman said a motorist hit the gas line, igniting a fire that destroyed the home’s garage. The driver was transported to a hospital and treated for minor injuries.

Ronnie Revoredo

Cool Riders

2010-07-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

The first day of summer in San Diego started out as an overcast cool day. The kind of day I like. Not too cold, not too hot, and overcast for the soft lighting. I was searching for a picture that illustrated the cooler than normal temperature and was different. I spotted the group of riders, and waited for them to pass in front of me. With a slow 1/50th of a second shutter speed and panning the camera as they passed, I was able to get the shot.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Come Out with Your Flippers Up

2010-06-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

It was just another day in San Diego as I hit the streets at 6 a.m., with the goal of finding, shooting, and transmitting breaking news photos, so they can be used on The San Diego Union-Tribune website ASAP. In many ways it’s a cat and mouse game of listening to the police scanners to find out where the action is, which has become more difficult because the cops are doing a lot of their dispatching via computer, and not the audible Adam-12 thing on a lot of good stuff. So listening for any type of tip, or out of the ordinary communication on what’s happening early-on, is more important because there's less of it than in the past. An officer reported to his sergeant that he couldn’t move his patrol car because “It“ was still under the car wouldn’t move, which got me wondering what could keep a cop from moving his car. After figuring out where it was happening, I headed to the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego to find a sea lion hiding under a police car. It had come out of the ocean and decided to setup shop under the patrol car in the middle of the street at 4 a.m. The officer was checking-out a report of a sea lion under a parked car, and when he arrived, the pup came out from under the parked car and headed to his patrol car where he stayed four several hours until the mammal rescue folks from SeaWorld arrived, and in a matter of a couple of minutes, convinced the little guy to come out. They took him back to SeaWorld where he will stay for several weeks until he’s ready to go back into the ocean. This brings the motto of "To Protect and Serve," to a new level. More Photos.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Just a Little Taste

2010-05-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

It was an easy assignment to photograph. A lady that was a shut-in, and one of the thousands in San Diego County that receive their hot meals via Meals on Wheels. As she started to enjoy her lunch, her dog jumped up on the couch, and just sat there with that, aren’t you going to feed me look in the eye, waiting for her to give-in and offer just a little taste. Her four-legged friend didn’t have to wait long.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

The Fallen

2010-05-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

Memorial services are humbling no matter who they are for. And in some way, even more-so when they are for members of the law enforcement community and the military. This year, as in past years, memorials are held in every community in America to honor and remember those who have protected us, served and paid the ultimate price while doing so. In San Diego, San Diego County Deputy Sheriff Ken Collier, was one of two members of the law enforcement community to die in the line of duty during the past year. The other, Border Patrol Agent Robert Rosas. Their names are the 81st and 82nd to be added to a law enforcement memorial wall outside the San Diego County Administration Center, so they will never be forgotten by the communities they served, and the friends and family they left behind.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Above it All

2010-05-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, it’s nice to get away from the everyday grind of life. And that’s what I did when I had the opportunity to go for a late afternoon flight in a 1927 Travel Air biplane over Carlsbad, California, just north of San Diego. There were two planes, the one I photographed and the one I was in. It couldn’t have been better. Late afternoon light, and flying fairly low near some hills. It’s times like these I can see the real beauty of the World, that sometimes I forget actually exists on the ground. Hmmmmmmm. Maybe I should go flying more often. Yeah, that’s the ticket……

Howard Lipin

Paper or Plastic

2010-04-22T06:04:00.000-07:00

Earth Day fairs bring out some interesting outfits worn by those trying to make a point about the environment, and in San Diego it’s not too much different than everywhere else. The challenge is to make a photo that reflects the purpose of the event in an interesting way. This can be frustrating, because it can be pretty difficult to do. I was heading out, feeling ok, about the photos I shot, when I saw the Plastic Bag Monster, all decked out in her outfit of plastic bags. When people would ask her to let them take her picture, she would say, “as long as you promise to stop using plastic bags you can.” More photos.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Play Ball

2010-04-12T19:43:00.001-07:00

It’s that time of year again, when the lights of baseball stadiums all around the country burn brightly into the night. As the San Diego Padres begin their seventh year at Petco Park in the downtown area of San Diego, I thought it would be a nice time to show a couple of photos from the first opening night in 2004. The photos were shot from a helicopter using a Nikon D1x, at the time one of the latest and greatest. Attached to the camera was a gyro stabilizer, which allowed me to use a slow shutter speed, between 30th and 50th of a second, and keep the images sharp. It was my private skybox, complete with most everything needed to watch the game, except for the food and drink……

Howard LIpin

Photos used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Nimitz

2010-03-30T06:45:00.001-07:00

In San Diego, photographing the departure and arrival of navy ships is just about as common as the sun rising. So when Mother Nature throws a little rain and big beautiful clouds in the mix, it can make for out-of-the-ordinary photos. Between heavy downpours, I created this image of the aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz, complete with sailors lining the rails, as it began to pull away from North Island Naval Air Station, in Coronado, across the bay from downtown San Diego. It was a gray day, so in color it didn’t look much different than it does here in black and white.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Night Flight

2010-03-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

While transferring some of the older shot on film images to digital, I came a across this night time exposure shot from inside a nameless blimp. You know, the ones we see over sporting events and flying aimlessly around cities. As the blimp lifted off, I shot the pilots in the foreground with a 16mm fisheye lens at f-8 for 20 about seconds on ASA 100 Fujicolor negative film handheld and hoped for the best. No second chances or chimping here! Remember the days of film when you had to use what you knew, rather than what you saw on the camera’s monitor? Over the years I’ve screwed enough time exposures up and learned what works. You’re probably wondering why I’m leaving the name of the blimp out. That’s a story for another day.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Sportrait

2010-03-19T04:10:00.001-07:00

I love shooting after a rain. It cleans the air, and most of the time leaves big beautiful clouds behind. Since in San Diego we don’t get that as often as other parts of the country, I took advantage of it when I photographed Todd Baek, an up-and-coming high school golfer. It was late in day, and I used one small pocket sized strobe on a light stand to the left of the camera, and narrowed the beam of light on the strobe to 50mm giving me the light falloff throughout the frame other than on his face and upper body. I used a 16-35mm lens set at 16mm and a PocketWizard to trigger the strobe. If you're wondering about the name of this post, "Sportrait," it's the new lingo to describe a sports portrait....

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Mourners

2010-03-08T20:22:00.001-08:00

As San Diego County mourns the second teenager to be found dead in as many weeks, it has the community hurting, and outraged at the same time. The investigation continues, but it is thought the accused killer of one of the girls may be the same person responsible for both murders. A registered sex offender who spent five-years in prison, but was let out early against the recommendation of his psychiatrist at his sentencing for an attack on 13-year old girl in 2000. These types of assignments are the most difficult. It wasn’t always that way, but as I get older, that’s what they have become. In some way, I hope the images I create will help with the healing.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Press Conference

2010-03-07T17:47:00.000-08:00

The First Amendment grants us all access to court proceedings... that is in most cases. Last week's courtroom proceedings was no exception. The national coverage presented a handful of complications that news media outlets needed to work out with the court's lead and approval. In this case and rightly so, the courts didn't want the news media to take up huge spaces blocking hallway access. So it was worked out that 5 photographers would be granted access to the court arraignment proceedings, and the remaining 6 still photographers and 22 television cameras, two-dozen reporters and more than an handful of ENG technicians would set up in an empty courtroom for the press conference that would immediately follow the court proceedings. This assembly of tripods was about two-thirds of those who would eventually setup for the presser.

Nelvin C. Cepeda
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Slow and Steady

2010-03-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

The 17 Galapagos tortoises at the San Diego Zoo were moved out of their home so it can be replaced with the latest and greatest digs a tortoise could ever want. In order to do that, the slow movers have to be taken temporarily to the other side of the zoo, so the wrecking ball can go into action and then their new chalet built. It was and up-close and slow moving experience watching these creatures, some quite old, make the trip. Not knowing how far away from these guys I would be shooting, I brought the 300mm, and because it was early in the morning, and quite chilly, I wore a heavy jacket. WRONG on both accounts. I was so close; many of the photos were shot with a 16-35mm lens. And because they were kept locked in their heated and I mean heated enclosure until it was time to go, we all were sweating. When the door came open, it was a breath of fresh air and a big relief…. More Photos.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Flying Fortress

2010-02-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

“Liberty Belle,” one of only 14 World War II era B-17 “Flying Fortress” bombers still flying visited San Diego County on a tour honoring those who flew in them, and in many cases died while doing it, as they defended the World against the Nazis. The plane really isn’t as big as most people think it, but it sure packed a punch when it went into action in the skies over Europe. As is the case with many tours like this, media types at each stop are invited to go on a flight so we can publish stories and let the public know they can come out and see the plane for themselves, which is what I was able to do. It was a quick flight, only about 15-minutes, so shooting as many photos while in the air as quickly as possible was a must. This incarnation of the Liberty Belle never saw combat, but is named after the original plane that flew 64 missions before being salvaged in 1945. More photos.

Howard Lipin
Photos used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

San Diego Sheriff's Dept. 2010

2010-02-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

Got the call from Mobius Images partner Sandy Huffaker to help him out on a shoot for the San Diego Sheriff's Department. These are a sample of the images from last year.

I hope to never experience this in real life. It was a particularly challenging because of the constantly changing light due to cloud cover. Being in manual mode and having quick dials on the camera made it easier to change my settings on the fly. After applying some selective sharpening and using the Dave Hill technique for RAW images, these are what I ended up with.

Ronnie Revoredo

Morning Dew Drops

2010-02-19T21:52:00.001-08:00

I took this photograph last fall, and sometimes the coolest photos just happen to be in your backyard. One early morning while enjoying my coffee, the morning news, and a view thru the sliding glass door this spider web in my backyard caught my attention. Shot at ISO 50, 320@2.8 and a little strobe off to the right side to help accent the morning dew drops.

Nelvin C. Cepeda

Cha Cha Cha

2010-02-19T11:39:00.000-08:00

It was blast-shooting photos of Cha-Cha, an Asian elephant at the San Diego Zoo, one of four brought in from the San Diego Wild Animal Park as part of a program to blend multiple herds. You’d think blending herds would be an easy process but it’s not. There are more steps to it than Dancing with the Stars. Everything is planned and specific. After all, we’re talking about elephants, a smart group of critters. Remember how it was when from time-to time, you moved to different places and had to get to know, and get a along with your new neighbors. It’s the same with elephants. Now at her new home, Cha-Cha spends a lot of her days hanging out with her newfound friend Sumithi, whom has lived at the zoo almost all of her life. Cha-Cha Cha. More photos.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Liberty

2010-02-12T06:30:00.001-08:00

While finishing up and assignment in El Cajon, California, I noticed this guy all dressed up like the Statue of Liberty waving an American flag, promoting a tax preparation service. I’ve seen and photographed them before, and especially during tax season they seem to be everywhere. They all have their unique ways of getting the attention of people passing by, and they got mine too. After all, they’re live sized advertisements. It was the flag, and the way the mid-morning light was lighting-up the flag that compelled me to shoot it. Lady Liberty helped too.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Bet You Can’t Eat Just One

2010-02-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

Girl Scout cookies. They’re hard to resist no matter who is selling them, let-a-alone a cute salesperson like five-year-old Daisy Girl Scout Emilia Quintanar. Emilia and her sister, Andrea, along with their parents spent the morning in their Eastlake neighborhood of Chula Vista, California selling the famous cookies on the first day of the annual fundraising selling season, and the first year you don’t have to wait for them to arrive. Bet you can’t eat just one. More photos.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Bolt Fans

2010-01-26T20:16:00.000-08:00

They’re colorful, crazy, raucous, sometimes ridiculous, and dedicated to their football team. They’re San Diego Chargers fans. Each home game they come from all over to Qualcomm Stadium tailgating and party it up until it’s game time. Then they take it inside and become the 12th man on the field. At the hands of the New York Jets, the season didn’t end the way anyone wanted, but next season they’ll be back, crazy, raucous, sometimes ridiculous, and just as dedicated. After all, they’re San Diego Chargers fans……… More photos.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Raging Waters

2010-01-26T19:33:00.000-08:00

With the recent heavy rains in San Diego came the flooding that is all too common in this semi-arid desert, and it looked more like a rushing river than a business street. It seemed like the car was floating, but it wasn’t. Experts will tell you that it only takes six-inches of water to make a car float away. Luckily for the owner, that didn’t happen. A short time after the photo was taken, the water started to subside.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

New Mobius Images Photography Courses

2010-01-23T23:51:00.000-08:00

If you have ever dreamed of learning photography from a professional photographer or photojournalist, then we have the opportunity for you. You can learn from photographers whose work has appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, San Diego Union-Tribune and the London Times, as well as being part of the news/photo department of an award winning newspaper.

Our team of instructors have over 100 years of experience in the field of photography and now you have the chance to learn from them in group classes as well as one on one in this series of informative and hands-on classes.

The first series of classes is on Saturday, February 20th, with photographers Howard Lipin, Sandy Huffaker and Ronnie Revoredo at the Mira Mesa Village Rec hall at 10550 Caminito Flores, San Diego, CA 92126. The courses for the day are Intro to Photography 1 at 10am, Intro to Photography 2 at 12:30pm and Portrait Photography at 3pm. For future classes you can choose from any combination of the following courses:

Introduction to Photography
Introduction to Photography 2
Travel & Landscape
Portrait Photography
Sports Photography
Lighting
and Advanced Photography (File management & Processing)

Don't delay as these classes will fill up very quickly, so reserve your spot soon.

After our meeting last night

2010-01-22T02:59:00.001-08:00

The Mobius Image partners had a long and spirited meeting last night and after all was packed up and done we lumbered our way out to the parking lot, where out of the corner of my eye I could have sworn I saw lightning. At first I thought perhaps I was imagining things, but I decided to cruise around just to be sure. No sooner had I driven 5 minutes, than I had my confirmation. Lightning! As elusive as Mother Nature can be, I was pretty certain of the shot that I wanted, now it was up to her to cooperate.

She didn't. She is fickle. I waited and I drove and waited some more. Unfortunately, we don't always get the shot we want, but I did get a tiny taste of what I wanted. Next time Mother Nature, next time.

Ronnie Revoredo

Veterans Day

2009-11-10T22:50:00.001-08:00

It was on my third trip to Iraq when I met Marine Capt. Douglas Zembiec, I was embedded with Marines in a forward operating base in Fallujah, Iraq. And earlier that day I made of point of meeting the 3 company commanders at the FOB. The first company commander made it clear about his dislike of the idea of having a journalist alongside his men in battle but would tolerate. The 2nd commander was indifferent, at best. The last commander I was to meet was Capt Douglas Zembiec. Right from the beginning there was something different about him. Zembiec was candid and bluntly honest. He felt there was no greater honor than leading Marines in combat in defense of one’s country.” He later also said One of the most noble things you can do is kill the enemy. He then shared a copy of the letter he wrote to the parents of one of his Marines killed,.. At your son’s memorial services in Iraq, His death brought tears to my eyes, tears that fell in front of my Marines. I am unashamed of that fact.” When I asked if I accompany his Marines on a plan raid he quickly replied “absolutely anytime Nel, the truth will set you free” Like most journalist I wondered how long the invitation would hold true on future missions. On one such mission where his Marines were assembling a quick reaction team to join in a firefight just outside of Fallujah, his Marines kidded me that when all hell breaks out, just stay close to a Marine.. besides Capt Zembiec is going too, things will be o.k. Weeks and several raids and firefights later it didn’t take long to realize that Zembiec’s had a reputation as a warrior who led from the front. And his Marines trusted and believed in him wholeheartedly. I believe if Zembiec were leading them, his Marines would take the fight to the fires of hell and back for him.

On May 11, 2007 Zembiec was serving what was his fourth combat tour in Iraq when he was killed while leading a raid in Baghdad.

I knew you for such a short time, however you have left a lasting impression on me and for that I am grateful to you.

God speed to you Doug.

Nel Cepeda
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Shadow Flight

2009-10-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

The sky looked threatening with what was left from storm clouds that wouldn’t open up and rain on San Diego, but it did make for an interesting backdrop for this photo. So while on assignment near the airport, and with a few minutes to spare, I waited for an airliner to fly through my frame at just the right place. Now if it would rain………

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Triathlon Swim

2009-10-07T05:35:00.000-07:00

Some of the more than one thousand competitors in the annual Mission Bay Triathlon start the three-event competition by swimming in San Diego’s Mission Bay. It seems like there’s a race of some kind in San Diego most every weekend most of the year, so making a different kind of photo is the challenge. When Mother Nature cooperated by providing the dramatic sunrise, all I had to do was wait for the swimmers as they went by the boat ramp I was standing on along with a lot of the family and friends. I added a little flash fill for good measure. After that, it was just like shooting fish in a barrel.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

You’ll Be Fine

2009-09-17T14:42:00.001-07:00

It happens every year. Four and five year olds everywhere enter kindergarten, for the most part without fanfare. I went to the Scripps Ranch neighborhood of San Diego looking for something special, and it happened. After checking her backpack for all the essentials; the father of the little girl gave her some fatherly encouragement as they waited for the school day to begin. With little kids, you really don’t know what you’ll get. Most of the time it’s either crying, or hugging. It was a plus that her body language that said anticipation, and her dad reassuring her that you’ll be fine.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Serendipity

2009-07-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

Shot a wedding not too long ago in L.A. Not too surprisingly, like pretty much everyone right now, the new couple were a little tight on funds and weren't able to get all of the things they wanted for their wedding. In their case, they wanted an old school classic car. Something particulary southern California. And nothing says L.A. like a classic lowrider. Well as it happens, the small park by the beach cliffs where we were shooting happened to be a meeting spot for some guys and there lowriders. The rest was pure serendipity!

Ronnie Revoredo

Happy Birthday America

2009-07-04T08:48:00.001-07:00

Members of the Point Loma Optimist Club in San Diego place about 170 American Flags along Rosecrans Street every Sunday, on holidays, and of course on July 4th. While on my way to another early morning assignment, I spotted the flag truck and made a quick detour and followed them for a few minutes. Would like to have spent more time, but the assignment I was heading to couldn’t wait.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Hot Shot

2009-06-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

“Murrugun the Mystic,” aka Scott Nelson is a hot act to swallow during a performance in San Diego’s Seaport Village. I shot a lot because the combination of the fire, noon sun, and brightly lit background. There were only a few angles to shoot from in order to get a clean dark background, so the fire would stand out and also minimize the distractions. He likes to move around a lot, so that added to the fun too.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Sunset Flight

2009-06-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

My wife and I were heading home when she commented that the clouds and the light were very pretty. At about at the same time, I noticed a hot air balloon flying high above the clouds on a sunset flight and mentioned that they would have to get down pretty soon, or it would be too dark. Her response; "Duh, why do you think it’s called a sunset flight." After we arrived home I saw the balloon again, and with every passing second, the light was reflecting off the clouds with even more intensity. I pulled out the 300mm, put a teleconverter and monopod on, and started shooting from my driveway until the balloon finally disappeared in the clouds.

Howard Lipin

Foggy Fishermen

2009-06-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

Many days the agenda includes looking for slice of life feature photos that stand on their own and don’t relate to a specific story. This kind of photo can be the most challenging because you can look for hours and not find anything worthy of publication. So using any element that can make them stand out and be different is a good thing. Interesting photos on a foggy days can happen, but it’s not always a slam-dunk. When all my other ideas didn’t pan out, I decided to look at a boat dock I hadn’t been to in the past. Boating photos in San Diego are easy to come by, so it would have to be different enough to make it worthy of publication. I arrived just as the fishermen were about to shove off, so working fast was important and paid off. If the photo didn’t happen with them, it wouldn’t have happened. They were the only people at the dock.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

21-Gun Salute

2009-06-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

The Marine Corps Rifle Team fire a 21-Gun Salute at the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial atop Mount Soledad in San Diego during the annual Memorial Day ceremony. As the team moved into position at the start of the ceremony I figured, I would get a cool close angle at the end when they normally do the salute. WRONG. They did it right at the beginning and I wasn’t where I was planning to be and pretty much had no choice but to shoot from where I was. It didn’t turn out exactly as I had planned, but maybe it’s where it was suppose to be all the time.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

The Pomeranian and the Monk

2009-06-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

Tashi, the 3-year old Pomeranian companion of Tibetan Monk, Drupon Samten Rinpoche puts his paws on his master’s head in the meditation room at the Tibetan Meditation Center in Escondido. The dog is pretty amazing in what he can do on command. He’s been in television commercials, print ads and is the star of a calendar for an air conditioning company in San Diego. Drupon Samten, says Tashi learns almost everything in only one or two attempts.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Sister Act

2009-06-04T09:43:00.001-07:00

Sister Ana Rosa Aceves’ habit floats in the wind as she makes her rounds at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School where she is the principal. It was hard to get her profile and the wind working together all at the same time. It was a waiting game. I shot many frames and only this one had all the ingredients.

Howard Lipin
Photo used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Graduation Day

2009-06-04T09:34:00.001-07:00

Assignments that come around every year pose the special challenge of trying to shoot something different each time. Most readers won’t know the difference if the photos are pretty much the same year-to year, but we as photographers do, which is what keeps us searching for that different image. For the last several years I’ve shot the graduation of the University of San Diego, and like all assignments, shoot the obvious stuff while looking for those few opportunities that make it all different. I always try and arrive at scheduled events well in advance of the start time so I can scope everything out and see if I can make interesting photos before everything gets going which is what I did with the headless graduate. He was standing behind one of the numbered signs where the students were to gather based on their name, and his body was placed just in the right place right to make it look like the sign was his head. Still searching for a different kind of image paid off at almost at the end of the ceremony. I was just finishing the seventh or eighth lap around the graduates in the gym, when I noticed two students kissing at the bottom of one of the stairs nearby. I shot several photos with different lenses until they came running back inside just as the full class of 2009 was being introduced as the newest graduates of the university.

Howard Lipin
Photos used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Memorial Day

2009-05-27T19:46:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day; it's a typical assignment. In fact it’s an annual assignment almost every newspaper photographer has had to shoot at one point or another. My assignment was to come up with a few photos from Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery that would be iconic for a broader story on the entire cemetery that would run on Memorial day. Carrying everything from a 16mm to 300/2.8 I must have walked the entire cemetery’s 70+ acres at least a dozen times, wandering in every direction for hours, shooting with wide angle lenses, closeups, telephoto, shallow and deep depth of field and yes even the low-low angle photos. In fact on two occasions while shooting several photos on my knees I was caught off guard when the cemetery's auto sprinkler system started. On my 2nd day out on the cemetery I was fortunate to stumble upon a Marine burial guard. And of course the gear I needed was back in my car. I had less than 10 minutes to get back to my car, drive my car over to where the burial guard was and to quickly setup a couple of portable strobes to photograph Cpl. Kevin Silva playing taps.

Nelvin C. Cepeda
Photos used by permission of The San Diego Union-Tribune

Michelle Obama at UC Merced

2009-05-17T02:35:00.001-07:00

Sitting in the 102° University of California Merced sun, thousands of family members, friends, faculty and staff gathered from what has to be up to this point in UC Merced’s history, it’s most prestigious and proudest moment. Thanks to an incredible letter writing campaign started by students at the university and continued by its community, they achieved what other larger and more prestigious universities and schools haven’t been able to do. They got the First Lady, Michelle Obama to be the Keynote speaker at their graduation.

Up to that point, it had already been a long day for most family members and graduates. People had started arriving as early as 7:30 in the morning for a 1:30pm graduation. Some even attending smaller ceremonies on the small and remote campus.

The nervousness of people could be seen in the fast flitting eyes of the many who were working to bring this event to fruition. University staff and faculty darted about trying to get people and things in the right places. Police officials screened visitors through large metal detectors. Secret Service agents walked stoically among the crowd with dark sunglasses and occasionally speaking into the cuff of their coats. In the distance of the campus’ rooftops, small silhouettes could be seen raising binoculars to their eyes and shifting from one end of a rooftop to the other.

The nervous energy present earlier in the staff could now be felt spreading among the attendees even in the 100 plus degree weather. Eventually the time passed and the time grew closer for the graduation. Some of the elderly or those who did not drink enough water had to be attended to by Emergency Services only to ultimately be carted away to a shadier respite, no doubt where there was water and shade available.

It was then, after a few minutes of standing, saluting and crowd cheering did the graduation platform come onto the stage. During the few speeches and introductions before the First Lady’s commencement address, the vibe in the crowd was electric and soon enough erupted in tremendous applause when Michelle Obama stepped to the dais.

Mrs. Obama spoke about inspiration and giving back. Speaking confidently and directly to the crowd she talked about why she decided to make UC Merced the first university to give her very first commencement address as First Lady. She told the crowd that it was because the students and the people of Merced inspired her and touched her so much that she felt that she had to go. When referring to the vast diversity of Merced’s community and the struggles of their families to get their sons and daughters to this graduation, she asked them to give back to the community that gave them the very university that they were graduating from.

Reminding the crowd of graduates that “you are blessed”, and that everyone once in a while they should “bend down and let someone else stand on [their] shoulders”, and asking them to be the “realization of our dreams and the hope for the next generation”.

Ronnie Revoredo