San Diego Sheriff's Dept. 2010

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

San Diego Sheriff's Dept. 2010

Morning Dew Drops

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

Morning Dew Drops

Cha Cha Cha

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

Cha Cha Cha

Liberty

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

Liberty

Bet You Can’t Eat Just One

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

Bet You Can’t Eat Just One

Bolt Fans

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

Bolt Fans

Raging Waters

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

Raging Waters

New Mobius Images Photography Courses

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.

Photography Courses

Introductory course $60.00 Intro Course DUO $100.00 Single Course $80.00 Two Course $140.00 Three Course $160.00 Four Course Suite $180.00

New Mobius Images Photography Courses

After our meeting last night

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

After our meeting last night

Veterans Day

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

Veterans Day