In the early afternoon, people drift in and out of the Grand Dell. It's a meeting place, somewhere to spread out your papers, or just catch up with friends. On this day, not many folks, a bit early, although there are regulars at all hours of business, including an early lunch crowd. Shooting in the place is still a bit tricky, not everyone wants to be photographed in a Saloon in the middle of the day especially if you are out on a job. So, I'm careful about people at this point. You will see more of the people after Feb. 5, since Hold The Eye Images is sponsoring free portraits at that outing where tri-tip steak and chicken are cooked on the open grill and a blues band plays at night. A local photographer Virgina Becker is undertaking a personal project of offering free portraits in the rural areas of California. She did this along with Nate Donovan earlier in the year and was moved by folks who showed up in their "Sunday Best" and said they couldn't afford a picture of their family and were grateful for this opportunity. So, she decided to do this, quite a special project by a special person. So the portraits at the Grand Dell Saloon are a dry run for what's to come for her.
Back to the Dell, so we will have more images as time goes on building a portfolio of folks who hang out with friends and enjoy each others company. At this point I intend for the majority to be in black and white, but we will see how that works out. I don't use any lighting since that would be distracting having a flash pop in an otherwise subdued environment. I shot all these images with a Nikon D3s and a 24-70mm/2.8 lens. So here are 3 images from today to get acquainted with the Grand Dell Saloon. The first image is just of the entrance with someone coming in and a few at the bar. Some folks come in and just spread out to do a little work, some come in to work on their laptop, some come in for a couple of shots. You likely know this drill, mix it all up and .....typos.
This wiley guy is one of my partners at Hold The Eye Images, just walked next door for a Guinness. Tony the owner is Irish so you bet they have Guinness. I have not talked him into getting in front of the camera but I will. Bye the way the wiley guy's name is John Omvik and he is a great photographer. His current website is being redesigned but there is a link to some of his other work at johnomvik.com. He is also the Marketing Director at Unified Color, the maker of some terrific HDR software. John has played a major role in developing the requirements for these products. And finally a closing image for page 2, of the center part of the bar with the "legends" photograph. What more could you ask for, sports heroes, good food, and blues music at night with a tall Guinness if you are so inclined. Stayed tuned for page 3.
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