tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91872645846801939632011-04-21T18:14:23.070-05:00Because sleeping 4 hours fast is like sleeping 8 hours slow...Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.comBlogger821100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-40477862466239795482008-07-19T23:24:00.004-05:002008-07-19T23:36:32.785-05:00

My travels through Atlanta were delayed twice this week. Sunday afternoon I was flying back to Mississippi from Hartford, Conn. We were hit with a 90-minute ground hold in Hartford because of weather. Once the plane touched down in Atlanta, we sat on a taxiway for an additional 90 minutes until a gate became available. My connecting flight to GTR was delayed until 11:30 p.m. (original scheduled

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-61933777471460855592008-05-25T22:56:00.003-05:002008-05-25T23:01:50.712-05:00

I've been in Mississippi for two weeks now, but if you take away the seven days I was in Salt Lake with ALMS, I've only been in town for about 10 days. Last night I headed to the Columbus Speedway to check out dirt track racing. The place just screams photo story, but we'll see how things turn out over the next few months.Sometime back I swore I wouldn't go to a race like this just to be a fan.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-36774939080355282202008-03-08T19:22:00.003-05:002008-03-08T19:26:07.289-05:00

I was scheduled to shoot the Central Florida Home Show and UF Softball today. I was told that if the home show was not very visual, I needed to find a stand-alone centerpiece as well. Needless to say, the show was bland. But lucky for me, the Gator Swim Club was practicing in the O'Dome natatorium. I climbed to the catwalk to find this picture.Softball and baseball aren't my favorite sports to

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-35136310226079041192008-03-05T18:10:00.003-05:002008-03-05T18:12:21.790-05:00

Today I shot a portrait of Buchholz catcher Brett Bozeman for The Sun's A to Z feature. I shoot a lot of these, and they have to be verticals. That might explain why many of the portraits on my Web site are vertical images.I had a hard time deciding where to shoot this picture. Once I saw the "field closed" sign behind the dug out, I knew what the picture would be.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-11632725148075632832008-02-29T19:28:00.004-05:002008-02-29T19:33:04.007-05:00

P.K. Yonge lost in the state final for the second consecutive year. Tricia Coyne (shooting video) and I got to Lakeland extra early so that I could hang a remote on the hoop.I think my pictures are solid, but I wish they were better. Since hoops season is over, it's time for baseball, spring football and a little bit of track and field. After several months of working in gyms, I'm ready to be

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-79067606765311856942008-02-25T22:10:00.002-05:002008-02-25T22:15:55.916-05:00

I've been planning this portrait for about a month, so I was really happy the day finally came to shoot the image.I brought a whole lot of extra gear that I don't normally use on a shoot. Namely, that extra gear was a giant boom and large octabox. I knew that I would be shooting the group of five straight on, and I needed to get a large light source directly in front of and above the team members

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-85442015282336726002008-02-24T19:09:00.003-05:002008-02-24T19:22:22.059-05:00

I thought it would be a good idea to borrow my brother's bike to use while covering the marathon this morning. Half the city is blocked off because of the race, but on a bike, I don't have to worry about that.I scouted the half marathon route yesterday and found a few places to shoot from. After the start, I went to the 34th Street wall and shot from there. Then, I left the race route and

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-35590982636767241432008-02-12T16:10:00.000-05:002008-02-12T16:14:30.653-05:00

I haven't shot golf in a few years, so I was excited to shoot the last round of the Gator Invitational on Sunday afternoon at the University Golf Club. I tried to shoot a mixture of clean golf action and sense-of-place shots.  My skill level is very low, so I hope to continue shooting the sport and eventually make some really nice images.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-15029414942138549082008-02-09T16:08:00.000-05:002008-02-09T16:17:25.542-05:00

Hannah Yun is a 15-year-old golf phenom and she's majoring in psychology at UF. We had to reschedule the portrait shoot several times, but the results were worth the wait.Originally we were going to shoot early in the day, and I planned to set up on the 18th green. There's a large oak tree that cast a great shadow over half of the green. My plan was to have Hannah sitting in shadow on the green

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-80210568399367505292008-02-01T22:37:00.000-05:002008-02-01T22:43:52.032-05:00

A few weeks ago I was at the UF-UGA gymnastics meet. I had a great time, even though the Gators lost. When I heard there was another meet tonight, I volunteered to shoot it for The Gainesville Sun. I'm glad I did.I photographed the Gators on vault and uneven bars from the floor. For the balance beam and floor exercise rotations, I climbed to the top row of the O'Dome with a long lens. When I'm

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-29573866859340280462008-01-31T20:52:00.000-05:002008-01-31T20:54:25.392-05:00

Hamilton County's regular season ended on Tuesday night with a win at Fort White.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-84057279816226172732008-01-24T16:43:00.000-05:002008-01-24T16:51:38.737-05:00

The hoops team at Hamilton County High has to share the school gym with several other teams. Some days, they head into downtown Jasper and practice in the gym at the school board building. Such was the case yesterday.Somehow, a fire extinguisher had been discharged in the gym the night before - leaving a powder on the surface of the court. The team ended up practicing outside.Coach Murphy had to

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-21444028570171285882008-01-21T21:45:00.000-05:002008-01-21T21:48:25.274-05:00

Josh Jones is one of Hamilton County's best players, and I photographed him for The Sun's A to Z feature before a game last Thursday.It was misting that night. I thought it would be neat to work the weather and the outside lights into the shot. I shot with a very slow shutter speed and jiggled the camera to provide the halo look.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-19307726586582696302008-01-20T00:24:00.000-05:002008-01-20T00:29:14.682-05:00

Nick Calathes scored 24 points and Marreese Speights added 20 more in Florida's 81-70 overtime win against Kentucky. Since the game started so late, I had a 10 p.m.-ish deadline. I shot the first half, edited and transmitted pictures, and then shot the remainder of the second half and overtime for file art. It was a good win for the Gators. Their streak over the Wildcats now stands at seven.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-27775338999177487572008-01-16T23:04:00.000-05:002008-01-16T23:07:27.268-05:00

I should have posted a few of these last Friday, after my visit to Coach Murphy's home on Thursday night. He's had a few players at a time come spend the night at his house this season. They eat dinner, play Wii, hang out, and ultimately bond as a team. It was pretty cool.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-78688362656952650162008-01-16T18:19:00.000-05:002008-01-16T18:20:56.211-05:00

I tried to shoot this differently, but I think it turned out well this way.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-11543834679269824092008-01-11T13:14:00.001-05:002008-01-11T13:17:04.173-05:00

This has been a busy week. I only have school on Tuesday and Thursday, but I'm either working or studying the other days of the week.Last night I ran up to Hamilton County to work on my basketball story. I got to bed a little past 2 a.m., and was up at 7:25 to photograph two stories at Santa Fe Community College. This picture is for a story on the success SFCC's building construction program is

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-55963505532187350862008-01-06T18:44:00.000-05:002008-01-06T18:55:42.226-05:00

This morning I photographed the worship service at Fountain of Life Church of God in Christ for the Gainesville Guardian. While I was there, I saw this 8-month-old boy sitting off to the side. At first he was just staring at me, so I made a few frames and went on to something else. I walked by him again a few minutes later, and he was holding his bottle. Once it fell to the ground I waited for

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-10506252139241292822008-01-05T22:50:00.000-05:002008-01-06T18:56:19.263-05:00

Today I shot a few games of the inaugural Dante Anderson Memorial Invitational. Dante played hoops at Eastside High School and was killed in a car accident last spring. This shot, from my remote floor camera, was one of my favorites. Ironically, it came near the very end of the game (within the last minute of regulation). Eastside won in overtime, 50-47.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-9855315776574609032007-12-18T23:34:00.001-05:002007-12-18T23:36:10.041-05:00

Today I shot the first of several portraits for The Sun's stories on the athletes of the fall. The shot will run in color in the paper, but I'm toning them in black and white for myself.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-28537228934313220542007-12-14T17:07:00.000-05:002007-12-14T17:10:53.409-05:00

I had to shoot a few products that are heavily packaged today. The idea was to show the amount of packaging and get some sort of still-life of the toys partially unpackaged. As I started to brainstorm and set up the studio, I came up with the idea to have one doll unpacking the other.It's pretty close to what I intended, but in a way it looks like one is being tortured by the other. I guess it

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-33310902916974058002007-12-12T22:51:00.000-05:002007-12-12T23:04:15.735-05:00

Over the years I have shot a few rolls of Tri-X, the industry standard black and white film. The new story I'm working on is in a dark gym, so I shot at ISO 3200 and then convert to black and white. The noise in the digital files reminds me of the grain in Tri-X.I am really happy with the above frame of Coach Murphy surrounded by the players. They all recited The Lord's Prayer before practice

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-47170211304770389182007-12-07T22:58:00.000-05:002007-12-07T23:04:06.771-05:00

Florida's volleyball team ended the season with a loss to Texas in the semifinal round of the NCAA regional tournament.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-36637559303709362022007-12-06T19:36:00.001-05:002007-12-06T19:40:50.755-05:00

I had to run over to Jacksonville this morning to help edit my story on the cancer floor at Wolfson Children's Hospital. On the way back to Gainesville, I stopped at Tom's Cypress in Waldo and shot this feature for The Sun.I've driven by the store many times and never stopped. When I walked around to the back this afternoon, I was surprised to find many hidden photo gems. Perhaps a future

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-86168849781492733642007-11-28T00:55:00.000-05:002007-11-28T01:01:25.882-05:00

I decided to work on another sports story this winter season. Unlike my story on Trevor Bunch, when I was given pretty much any time I needed over a two week period, this will be on and off coverage over the whole season. I'll try to work on it regularly, though.Hamilton County High School is close to the Florida-Georgia line, about an hour up the interstate from Gainesville. They lost two

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-61421256043685074852007-11-27T22:28:00.000-05:002007-11-27T22:32:29.046-05:00

Every Tuesday from now to Christmas, pets can sit with Santa at the Oaks Mall. Some might bark or try to wiggle. Others might stay still long enough for a picture.A select few might actually tell Santa what they want for Christmas. Combine puppies, kids and Santa, and it's hard not to make a picture.Happy Holidays.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-3447418160963364452007-11-18T18:37:00.000-05:002007-11-18T18:41:26.625-05:00

Buchholz beat Durant 3-0 last night to win the school's first state championship in Volleyball. I had a good two days in Lakeland and enjoyed covering the tournament.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-44921386131366939682007-11-16T21:12:00.000-05:002007-11-16T21:19:44.921-05:00

I decided to put my new remote gear to the test today at the FHSAA Volleyball Tournament. At first, I had a wide angle up in the catwalk. But then I changed my mind and switched to a 70-200mm lens. It paid off.In the 30 minutes leading up to the Buchholz-Miami Killian game, I fretted over the focus, alignment and firing of the camera. I was having problems with the camera going to sleep on me.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-79661428929833095542007-11-16T16:29:00.000-05:002007-11-16T16:35:08.566-05:00

I came down from rigging a remote camera in the catwalk at The Lakeland Center and saw this shot. I had to run back to the media room to grab my telephoto, though. Oak Hall lost a semifinal game to Evangelical Christian earlier today, and Buchholz plays tonight. If Buchholz wins, I'll stay in Lakeland to cover their final tomorrow night.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-70410086900544037832007-11-13T19:11:00.000-05:002007-11-13T19:14:48.854-05:00

My phone died yesterday on the way home from a weekend climbing trip to North Carolina. It's such a weird feeling not to have a working telephone. Hopefully the warranty replacement will arrive tomorrow.This afternoon I shot a portrait of Oak Hall School's Ronnee Fleming and Katie Robinson. They're leading the volleyball team to the state tournament this weekend.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-27240818012941572442007-11-04T16:13:00.000-05:002007-11-04T16:21:52.823-05:00

After losing three of the last five games, and having not played in The Swamp for over a month, Florida was ready to come home.As I waited for the opening kickoff, I looked to my left and Tim Tebow was kneeling right next to me, preparing for the game. I grabbed my wide angle, took a few shots, and Tebow stood up and walked away.It was a good homecoming game. Tebow set the SEC record for number

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-4728059689956300172007-11-01T21:44:00.000-05:002007-11-01T21:53:06.244-05:00

Florida's basketball teams opened the 2007-08 season with a pair of exhibition games. The women's team, under new coach Amanda Butler, scored more than 100. That hasn't happened in a long time.The men's team, which lost its top six players, beat Flagler College, 97-51. I'm glad hoops season is finally here. Remotes begin next week!

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-33703479531098968282007-10-28T22:57:00.000-05:002007-10-28T23:00:54.969-05:00

After watching the Florida football debacle against Georgia yesterday, I was eager to shoot UF volleyball and soccer today. Both were almost guaranteed wins. Sure enough, UF beat LSU 5-0 in soccer, and volleyball beat Ole Miss 3-0.I haven't edited everything for soccer yet, as there's some file art to tone still, but these are my favorite shots from the day.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-37981411756177093672007-10-11T22:03:00.001-05:002007-10-11T22:07:26.693-05:00

Some people liked the term Sportraits at Barnstorm, others hated it. I had a great time at the Eddie Addams Workshop and I'll share some pics soon. Getting back into the swing of things has been a little tough, and I'm coming down with some sort of cold.Anyhow, today I shot a few sports portraits for The Sun. On the vertical locker room shot, I wish I would have realized I needed to move my

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-42917008615531257252007-09-28T21:26:00.000-05:002007-09-28T21:28:58.863-05:00

It's been a few weeks since I shot football. Since then, the days have gotten shorter and the game is played completely under the lights. It's much harder to shoot action on poorly lit fields.Anyhow, here's one I liked from pre-game.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-75771573054225349232007-09-24T16:03:00.000-05:002007-09-24T16:05:55.346-05:00

Today I had the opportunity to photograph Watsu, which is a type of massage done in a heated pool. It's for an upcoming Sun story on emerging alternative massage therapies.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-78960243255466409932007-09-17T20:44:00.000-05:002007-09-19T15:07:44.555-05:00

I'm standing at the back of the University Auditorium. My left hand is wrapped over the top of my 400, and I'm kind of staring at the ground. John Kerry has been talking for almost 90 minutes, the last 30 of which he has occasionally stopped in order for the audience to pose a new question.At one point in the "town hall forum," I was really listening to the senator. That doesn't happen often. Out

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-70585268984627151612007-09-09T11:17:00.000-05:002007-09-09T11:28:14.798-05:00

In coachspeak, a football team makes the most progress between weeks one and two. That mantra does not necessarily apply in sports photography. I was really happy with my photos from the Florida vs. WKU game.This week, I tried shooting with a 600mm lens instead of a 400mm. I had mixed results. I shot from field level in the first quarter and from the first level of the south endzone in the second

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-22147432204252230152007-09-07T21:44:00.000-05:002007-09-07T22:07:20.548-05:00

It's week two of high school football. Tonight I was at Citizens' Field in Gainesville for the Buchholz-Columbia County game. I wish every game was played in nice light...

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-25491624239847775862007-09-04T19:23:00.000-05:002007-09-04T19:27:49.060-05:00

A beautiful golf course and nice evening light are a great photographic combination. It was hard to pick just one picture to run as the local centerpiece for tomorrow's paper. Ultimately, the copy desk and I chose this one. It says golf without focusing on action, and it's pretty enough to work on the front.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-78359069612332939722007-09-04T16:09:00.000-05:002007-09-04T16:16:33.634-05:00

I tried a few different locations and poses before settling on this shot. It's in a back entrance/storage area of the gym. Normally I try to stay away from gels, but I think it helped in this case.Meet Leah Leventhal, a senior outside hitter at Santa Fe High School. She'll be featured in The Sun's A to Z on Friday.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-40632139558667523402007-09-02T12:45:00.000-05:002007-09-02T12:50:53.065-05:00

Here are some of the images I submitted for publication in the Florida Times-Union from the Florida-Western Kentucky game. I was disappointed it was called with 8 minutes remaining due to lightning, but there's always next week.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-19482156791786114082007-08-22T18:30:00.001-05:002007-08-22T18:32:06.856-05:00

I shot the Bucs-Jaguars preseason game last week, and I thought this frame was a bit unique. I'm back in Gainesville now; school starts tomorrow with four hours of newspaper editing.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-74723274685479147412007-08-16T20:23:00.000-05:002007-08-16T20:25:06.173-05:00

Today I had the opportunity to photograph Gator Great Kerwin Bell, who is the new head coach at Jacksonville University. It was media day, so I shot portraits of a few players as well.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-88015159656424802732007-08-15T18:08:00.000-05:002007-08-15T18:11:42.086-05:00

It's been way too long since I posted a picture. Over the last three weeks, I've been working on a story about the pediatric oncology floor at Wolfson Children's Hospital. Tonight I began editing the images that will be used in print and online. It's been a great way to finish up my time in Jacksonville. Next Tuesday is my last day, and the emotional impact of working on this story has been

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-54667997696495813662007-08-13T22:03:00.001-05:002007-08-13T22:04:42.222-05:00

I shot Florida's media day last Friday. I'd share a pic, but the images are on my work computer. If you are interested in seeing some of the portraits I shot, click here.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-15218606269973621312007-08-06T22:26:00.000-05:002007-08-06T22:30:01.177-05:00

I headed out to Jags practice tonight. I'm not sure why I mostly shot player features; guess I was in one of those moods. Tomorrow I'll be at Jacksonville University's first practice. Former Gator Kerwin Bell is the new coach, and there's a fair amount of excitement around his arrival. Maybe I'll shoot more action.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-68236614519844304492007-08-01T16:26:00.000-05:002007-08-01T18:52:15.268-05:00

I had a hard time captioning this picture earlier today, because the kids aren't really golfing or playing mini-golf. I opted for "practicing their chip shots." A different image will run in sports tomorrow from the dedication of this nine-hole mini course in Northwest Jacksonville, but this is the picture I liked.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-76666262593190342412007-07-31T20:40:00.000-05:002007-08-01T18:52:52.900-05:00

This morning I was sent to cover the search for a boy who went missing on Sunday afternoon. When I arrived at the location where the searchers were supposed to meet, I found a field wrapped in police tape.Over the course of the morning, we learned the police had found a body, and there was a good chance it was the missing boy.I hate hearing about Amber alerts and children lost to predators.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-41183617389485197542007-07-30T14:17:00.000-05:002007-07-30T14:19:55.775-05:00

I've been busy breaking telephoto lenses, moving apartments and working on a photo story. But here are a few singles from the last two weeks that I like.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-76370633939888441482007-07-19T12:32:00.000-05:002007-07-19T12:37:11.829-05:00

Because my last aerial adventure yielded several nice pictures, the folks at the T-U asked if I was interested in taking to the skies once again. I love to fly, and I like aerial photography, so I couldn't say no.The tournament started earlier than sunrise this year. Instead of getting a beautiful shot of boats waiting to leave the inlet as the sun rises, I got a tight shot of a 32-foot vessel

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-45200919059934620932007-07-16T22:13:00.000-05:002007-07-16T22:25:54.032-05:00

If the picture above is the Sports centerpiece tomorrow, I will be:A) SurprisedB) HappyC) Mildly ShockedD) All of the AboveI'll go with D. The Kingfish tournament is a big deal around here. Today was the VIP tournament, and a few more than 70 boats participated. When the main tournament takes place on Thursday and Friday, there will be more than 200 boats.My primary mission was to get a picture

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-59604392078735375162007-07-14T18:22:00.000-05:002007-07-14T18:35:20.134-05:00

I had to spend the week shooting with my newspaper-issued Nikon D1X's. They're not bad. I'll admit it, they're not bad. But I'll take my Canon gear over Nikon any day. Especially considering most of my work is shot with available light indoors....My camera started acting up last week. At first it was hard to make the review button work. Then I couldn't change ISO, White Balance, etc. So I FedEx'd

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-8548078852142392902007-07-14T18:10:00.001-05:002007-07-14T18:19:42.995-05:00

When I started in Jacksonville over a month ago, our DOP, Dede Smith, gave me a pamphlet listing all of the local summer camps. I'd be lying if I said I was excited.Back when I worked in Sebring, a lot of my summer was spent working on summer camp picture pages. Unless the camp is unique, has interesting participants, or is just plain different, I struggle with making great pictures.Armed with

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-35916732954746777692007-07-12T16:36:00.000-05:002007-07-12T16:42:06.645-05:00

Since my last post six days ago (notice my lack of creative post titles), I've worked on several neat assignments.It's really hot all over the country right now, but these muggy Florida afternoons make life miserable. I went to a local park Tuesday afternoon to shoot kids playing in a fountain.Yesterday, I worked on a story about the president of the Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police. (He's

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-5301251082861303672007-07-06T17:12:00.000-05:002007-07-06T17:15:43.773-05:00

Today I shot a portrait at a pizza restaurant. From the story summary: "Need a restaurant review photo of owner Vic Comastro at Chicago Pizza and Sports Grille. He'll have a pizza prepared."Since it was the only assignment I had, I tried to make it really slick.Tomorrow I'll be in Daytona for the Pepsi 400. It's my first NASCAR race, and I'm looking forward to it.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-13551604424061848882007-07-06T00:02:00.000-05:002007-07-06T00:05:01.119-05:00

I've always wanted to ride a bike in three feet of water. Next week, when I return to this piece, maybe I'll give it a try. One of the YMCA's in Jacksonville has underwater spinning, and I'm trying to take underwater pictures. This was my second visit, and I was much happier with the results this time.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-62522282711509387342007-07-02T23:00:00.001-05:002007-07-02T23:02:33.942-05:00

Friday night I asked Kristen to marry me, and she said yes. I thought preparing myself to pop the question would be the hard part. I think planning a wedding will be a bit more involved.We couldn't be more happy, and we're looking at dates next summer.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-56400504007099626592007-06-30T13:31:00.001-05:002007-06-30T13:38:30.148-05:00

I guess the 25th post is a milestone, considering that after my third or fourth post several months back, I wasn't sure if I would continue blogging. But here I am, 25 posts in.Yesterday I was sent to Putnam County to work on a story about a proposed 2,000 acre development called Mariposa.I like working on stories like this because I'm free to make any picture I want. Basically, if it looks cool

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-49028916180679989162007-06-28T20:18:00.000-05:002007-06-28T21:48:09.356-05:00

The last two days have been rather uneventful. Tuesday afternoon, however, I got the chance to hang out on top of the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.One of the Lifestyle reporters was at a minor-league Suns game last weekend and wondered how the fly balls are recovered from the roof. It's quite simple: team employees climb on top of the stadium after every home stand and collect the balls. This

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-45032885654585499532007-06-28T20:14:00.001-05:002007-06-28T20:17:47.136-05:00

Back in March, Pastor Dan's church was destroyed by arson. Church members began the long process of clean-up and rebuilding a week ago. I stopped by earlier several days back to take some shots of Pastor Dan in the church.This moment happened during a portrait shoot, when he leaned down to take a break from posing. The vertical was what I pictured going in, and the horizontal was the hidden gem

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-4698259665031703082007-06-23T13:36:00.000-05:002007-06-23T13:39:45.651-05:00

A few weeks ago Vincent Laforet had an aerial sports photography project published by The New York Times, which inspired me to try it. Unlike Laforet, I used a normal telephoto instead of a tilt/shift lens.My 10 favorite images can be viewed on my SportsShooter member page: http://www.sportsshooter.com/jbake.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-73096047201256733552007-06-19T20:53:00.000-05:002007-06-19T20:57:10.847-05:00

Today I was accepted to Barnstorm XX, also known as The Eddie Adams Workshop 2007. To view all the winners, click here: http://www.eddieadamsworkshop.com/alumni/2007. I should add thatUF student Kristin Nichols and alum Andrea Morales will be attending as well.I'm really excited that I was accepted. There are so many talented shooters who will be attending. But that's not the most humbling part.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-8825508486973272262007-06-18T23:03:00.000-05:002007-06-18T23:06:00.200-05:00

I'm working on a story for this weekend about real-life Johnny Depps. That is to say, a story about archaeologists and treasure hunters. Meet Chuck, one of the good guys. He's an underwater archaeologist in St. Augustine.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-9340949584515991982007-06-14T23:19:00.000-05:002007-06-14T23:28:49.553-05:00

I saw the Miss New Berlin last night when I was driving home from the beach. She was moored in the salt marsh, and she was begging for me to take her picture. My longest lens was a 200 mm, and the misses was about 1/4 mile away. So I returned today. With a 600mm.I'm a Canon shooter, but at the T-U, everything is Nikon. On Wednesday, while shooting Jaguars off-season practice, I went through four

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-90267342058557294432007-06-14T23:10:00.000-05:002007-06-14T23:31:25.781-05:00

I took a drive north of Jacksonville last night, searching for landscape shots. I roamed around Huguenot Memorial Park for about an hour as the tide rolled in. It's been a while since I shot any scenics.The folks back in Gainesville would say the art school called, but I enjoyed making pictures without any people in them. That doesn't happen very often.The best part was, park admission was only

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-10476309383096416182007-06-11T22:41:00.001-05:002007-06-11T22:45:42.005-05:00

If you've been reading my blog from the beginning, you know I'm not used to the cold. And while I enjoy warm weather, I don't like when the mercury tops 90. That's not a good thing when you live in Florida ... and it's summertime.After photographing the congressman on his tour, I headed north on A1A to look for beach-goers beating the heat. I thought Hannah, a 5-month-old yellow lab, represented

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-70387645785709552922007-06-11T22:38:00.001-05:002007-06-11T22:47:10.079-05:00

Congressman Mica came to town today. In South Ponte Vedra Beach, backyards are eroding into the sea.Residents wanted to know, could the politician help?He brought along the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and several members of the media for a look-see. The congressman will try to be of assistance.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-42235805168988904682007-06-11T22:31:00.000-05:002007-06-11T22:37:57.777-05:00

I was going to post several times last week. It didn't happen. So here are a few pictures from my first five days in Jacksonville.Last Monday was a slow day. Aside from filling out paperwork and going on a ride along, not much happened. Thankfully, I was very busy the rest of the week.My favorite assignment was a boxing match on Friday night. The light was horrible; 3200 ASA, f/2.8, 1/500.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-31015423066423871432007-06-05T21:06:00.000-05:002007-06-05T21:19:45.612-05:00

Today was my second day at the Florida Times-Union, and it was my first day on the street. I shot two assignments in St. Augustine. The first was at a skate park for a story on boarders who raise money to help their city or county build them a park. I hung out for about an hour and a half and got some cool snaps. This shot didn't make the final edit, because the editors felt it wasn't the best

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-2587548476144513752007-05-24T16:56:00.000-05:002007-05-24T17:00:58.848-05:00

Marguerite was tired of having a white house. So, more than a year ago, she painted it pink. Renters tried to destroy it back in the '70s, when Marguerite was traveling the country developing nursing programs. "If it hadn't been concrete block," she said, "it wouldn't have survived." But it did survive, and now it is pink. Really Pink. "It looks pinker to me every day," she said.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-68061261203634405782007-05-23T16:02:00.001-05:002007-05-23T16:06:37.748-05:00

I shot this image of Al Horford a few minutes after The Oh-Fours announced their intention to hire agents and enter the NBA Draft. It never ran in the paper, but I like how the shadows on the wall frame Horfy. And if you're wondering, he was training in Gainesville last week, but should be with his former teammates in Los Angeles now.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-49129142073249888412007-05-22T14:16:00.001-05:002007-05-22T14:18:18.179-05:00

Today I had the opportunity to photograph Calvin Smith, a freshman All-American sprinter at UF. He recorded the nation's third-fastest time this year in the 400m a few weeks ago, when he notched a 45.74 at the SEC Championships.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-75771334530822914702007-05-12T13:16:00.000-05:002007-05-12T13:19:18.586-05:00

It's been about two years since I last shot tennis, and I forgot how much I enjoy the sport. I'm covering the first two rounds of this year's NCAA Women's Tournament in Gainesville. Here are several of my favorites from Florida's match against Jacksonville.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-53160379822462418192007-05-07T13:52:00.000-05:002007-05-07T13:59:27.148-05:00

I've been shooting sports portraits lately. Today I worked with UF tennis star Jesse Levine, the third ranked player in the country. I tried lighting his face in profile, but I think the safe horizontal shot worked better.Here's Santa Fe Community College baseball coach Johnny Wiggs, who I photographed last week for a state baseball tournament preview story.

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-57109303268194022772007-05-03T09:02:00.000-05:002007-05-03T15:37:07.374-05:00

Lately I've been lazy. Weimer Hall veterans tell countless stories about how they covered hurricanes or the fires of '98. Those tales, about ambitious college photojournalists who load the car with supplies and chase after the big story, have motivated me over the last few years. So far, I can only tell one, and it didn't end up so well. After Katrina hit New Orleans, I decided I would cover the

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-35032636605619891262007-04-30T16:49:00.000-05:002007-04-30T17:01:24.486-05:00

So I previewed a post I just wrote, then realized I spelled commitments wrong (two t's), tried to go back and change it, and I lost the whole post.I'll try to remember what I had written, and add some more.It's been really busy around here lately. I thought I would be able to update this space more frequently. But between working at the paper, finishing a year-long research project (What an

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-27620928241602418062007-04-19T16:18:00.000-05:002007-04-19T16:29:03.319-05:00

For some time now, a Home Depot retention pond has been home to a flock of Muscovy ducks. They aren't the most attractive creatures, but I had fun trying to make a good picture this afternoon. While driving to the Home Depot, I saw a few hundred pinwheels planted in front of North Florida Regional Medical Center.I shot the quackers, called my editor to tell him I got some nice pictures, and

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-61848210623527142212007-04-13T10:41:00.000-05:002007-04-13T12:25:04.017-05:00

Have you ever wondered what it's like to shoot a gatefold image for SI or National Geographic? Joe McNally has some interesting stories about getting the picture on his Web site. Click on "Special Projects" and then click on the image with the hand-written notes.On a similar note, have you wondered if those chain-link fence backstops at recreational baseball fields would support a person?

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-73180343068436642562007-02-09T23:57:00.000-05:002007-02-10T00:06:24.519-05:00

Wednesday morning I was sent to photograph ice rescue training on a suburban St. Louis lake. It has been unusually cold around here the last few weeks - and the lake was coated with about six inches of ice. Coincidentally, two kids were rescued after falling through ice the night before - which gave us a news hook, or reason to go take pictures of the training.I like taking tight shots of faces -

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-76516287901548016682007-02-09T23:30:00.000-05:002007-02-08T02:23:03.529-05:00

I got my first Canon SLR camera for Christmas, way back in 2001. You should see some of my first pictures. They were horrible - and that's being kind. I took pictures of chain link fences, weeds, weeds at sunset and blurry shots of my dog.I was just getting started. Would I be a wedding photographer? A fashion photographer? Could I see myself taking school portraits?Who would look at my pictures?

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187264584680193963.post-68479086354493213722007-02-08T02:07:00.000-05:002007-02-08T02:07:26.115-05:00

For a Florida boy, 42 degrees is cold. In fact, it starts getting cold when the mercury drops below 55. So when I'm inside, wearing a sweatshirt, pants and slippers, it's certifiably freezing.I'm nearing the end of my second month at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. When I accepted the internship, no one told me the thermometer would stay below freezing for nearly a week.Several years ago, I tried to

Jarrett Bakernoreply@blogger.com0