FIRST Photography

[Vin211]

I was also a team photographer during my years on my team. I filled about 5 or 6 photo albums with hundreds of photos. Taking photos with the guidance of Mr. Reynolds helped me learn quite a bit!

What are the good spots to view from at competitions?
A fantastic spot to take a picture is in an area where no one will step in front of you and behind you. These folks can easily cause you to be distracted from your view points!

How do you capture the true excitement that everyone feels at competitions?
Capturing the true excitement involves you to experience the excitement. Afterall, the photos are your memories and your team's!

How do you translate the fast paced action during a match into a still image?
In order to capture that single awesome shot is to sometimes to take several pictures. A scene may consist of several pictures but include only 1 or 2 acceptable shots! Having a camera that is easily winded and reloaded is key!

How do you get the team to stand still during the group photo?
In order to have everyone stand together in the group photo you must offer some sort of incentive. Try to get Dean Kamen or Woody or someone on the ups with U.S FIRST!

How do you make a photo of a robot look interesting to a person not involved in FIRST?
Keyword! Multiple angels! The more of the robot and the robots features being displayed the more interesting it will appear. Also, focusing in on special components whether it be a transmission or an arm mechanism.

What types of photos do sponsors like to see?
Sponsors like to see in my opinion what the robot looks like. They also like to see that the students are actually doing most of the work. They're not paying the engineers to build the robot (like some of the teams do). They want to see that they're money being donated is being put to good use!

What types of photos do you like to take during the build season?
I figure there are about 6 weeks of the build season. I would try to use one - two rolls of film each week. Towards the last 2 weeks, more rolls may be needed. The important aspects you must cover during the build season may include how the robot is actually being pieced together.

What equipment do you use?
3.2 Megapixal Digital Camera
120mm zoom lense Minolta (fully automatic with digital display)
250mm zoon lense Minolta SLR (RETIRED)