military boots in a row
Soldiers standing at attention.
Soldiers standing at attention.
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Feb, 2012Views
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Awards
Legendary Award
Featured
Contest Finalist in My Hero Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Jaw Dropping
Great Find
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken during the Salmon Days parade in Issaquah, WA. With all the festivities and noise of the parade, seeing the soldiers march by in such uniformity and calmness caused an emotional change in the crowd and the sounds turned from laughter to applause and cheering. The soldiers paused in perfect rows and I knew I had to take the shot to try and capture both the uniformity of their rows and the hard work they put in every day protecting us and therefore, focused on their boots. I think this shot captures that.Time
This was taken in the morning and unlike other October mornings in the Pacific Northwest, it wasn't raining or too cold on this day.Lighting
It was an overcast day so luckily the lighting was very uniform which is what I wanted. I didn't need harsh shadows or contrast to make a good picture, I wanted the attention to be on the pattern of boots and uniforms.Equipment
I took this photo with my Canon VIXIA HF200 because I wanted to take videos of the parade. But this camera came in handy for photos during the parade as well. I actually don't carry this camera with me anymore. It was hand-held during the day, so no tripod or flash was needed.Inspiration
I loved the patterns of the boots in a line and how they all looked the same. It allowed me to take a photo that was patriotic and compelling. And by focusing on the boots, I removed the personal aspect of identifying each soldier while conveying the message around hard work and bravery that all soldiers have.Editing
I cropped the photo a bit to remove any distractions around the frame.In my camera bag
I usually have a Nikon SLR and a 24-120mm lens along with a Panasonic DMC-ZS20 for the times I need to take a quick shot. I've learned to plan ahead on what I may encounter that will be interesting to shoot. I took this photo in 2010 before I learned that. Now, I may take a tripod or a zoom lens if I know I'll be photographing distant objects or with low lighting. Or I'll take a water-proof camera in case I'm near a river or lake, or it starts to rain when I'm photographing.Feedback
Always have that photographer's eye and you'll see the world slightly differently than others. Then, when you come across a scene, take a picture. Over time, you may learn what equipment works best for each condition, but you won't learn that if you don't take the shot. So worry less about your equipment and more about your composition. Capture as many views as you can and learn from the photos you capture. Not all of them will turn out, but just keep shooting.
