Morning light at Churchill Downs

One of the best things about working the Derby is getting out in the morning and shooting the early light. This morning was my best morning ever for conditions. It was cold, 39 degrees and the sun came up with hardly a cloud in the sky. Kathy Siler and Tracey Hettrick from NAPP, joined Skip Dickstein, José Ramos, Francis Yeh, Rick Schmidt, and myself for a morning outing. Cold toes and fingers, but warm smiles, as we shot some awesome scenes. Skip was great, being one of the best horse racing photographers in the country and a master at working the Derby. Rick is also a wiz around the downs and really knows everyone, which really opens doors. The light provided ample opportunities for wonderful shots. I hope you like some of my picks for the day;

It was a great morning even if
the alarm went off at 5:00 a.m.
So what is my point? Sacrifice
is necessary if you want to get
great shots. Early mornings,
late evenings, lots of prepar-
ation, all add up to getting the
image. As a photographer
getting the image is every-
thing.

Great days like this are the
result of people doing their
part, having a great life is
because Jesus did His part,
He died for us so we might
have this awesome opportu-
nity for the life we have.

Be blessed,

the pilgrim

*Photo Notes: All images,
D7000, 24-120 AFs VR &
70-300 AFs VR ISO 1600
and 800.