What the heck is Airsoft?

So, from time to time I go out and get completely unladylike and play Airsoft with my guy friends. "What is airsoft?! "you say? Well, Airsoft is basically just military style gunfight games using souped up BB guns. I know what you're thinking, "how did she get involved in this? It's so opposite of what I'm seeing on this blog!" This is very true, but seeing as video game development was once my primary career, these kind of things just tend to fall into place. For me, this is second nature. Really the only reason I'm putting it on here is because I happened to take some great photographs of our recent game. So for me, its relevant I think.

This most recent event was a blast considering that I really wanted to get some in game action shots. Normally, I just take before and afters, then go to play and forget all about my camera. This time was different. This time I wanted to get the best vantage point I could; right in the middle of the action.  I flagged myself with tons of orange tape, donned my 200mm prime, and went out into the battlefield.

Here are some of my fav's from the day. These shots may look intense, but I can assure you these guys are some of the nicest and most polite you'll ever meet. This kind of thing falls in the realm of grown ups playing with toys. Really, really fun toys.

 The hardest part about shooting in game shots is that you have a few things you gotta look out for. I mean, it IS a gun battle and you rarely want to get in between a pellet flying 300-500 FPS (feet per second) and its target. For the most part, I think I figured out the best way to eliminate my chances of getting shot as well as get a good angle without informing the other team where the opposing force is. The key is, being as aware as you possibly can of  the key players locations. You have to know where every one is for the most part, by walkin' the ground at the beginning of the game and waiting for the ambush to start. As soon as the firing has begun it's a lot easier to not worry about giving away anybodys location, because chances are, they had a pretty good idea where the shooting just came from. Then at this point, really the only difficulty is trying to go around them, while taking cover and trying to get the best vantage point. You also have to make sure your lens is covered and held tightly while trekking through the bush.

 

 Be veeeewy quiet. 

In the end, sometimes accidents do happen, but they usually yield a good story to go with the battle scar. Airsoft games are fun, intense, and great! They make a weekend feel like a weekend. I'm always happy to play and of course, always happy to hang with good people. Thanks for keeping me on the list guys. :)

Houdini would be proud

The more I photograph people, the more I realize that the subjects need to be excited about being photographed to truly capture that certain magic inherent in a good picture. The best part of my job is when the people I'm photographing are stoked to get some quality pictures for themselves. THAT is when the magic happens and when the magic happens, its golden and end up feeling like the Houdini of photography.

TADA! (That's what I feel like saying when I present awesome shots like the ones I got in this session)

Rene is an old friend of mine from my game development career. I am fortunate enough to live near a place that holds a large convention for gamers every year called PAX. She and her husband Randy came into town for said convention. I think its really awesome that they travel together. She had recently found out that I'm doing photography now and got in touch to schedule a session with me. I was so super pumped, because I knew she'd deliver and we'de get some amazing stuff. She just has that awesome personality where you know it's gonna be good. She's in control, laid back, and I gotta say, the girl knows how to strike a pose. Then there's Randy. This was the first time I'd met him. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pretty sure it was going to be one of those instances where the chick is so cool that chances are, by default, the guy is equally as awesome. I was absolutely right. Duh! He was fun and lovable and these two compliment each other so perfectly, it's unreal.

So, here's a sneak peek of some shots from the session.

TADA!!

This one cracks me up because I told Randy to stay hidden behind the door and jump out. He jumped out at the best time ever. haha!

♥ I love moments like this. ♥

To Rene and Randy, I had so much fun. Thanks for the great time!

Good weather = good light = good photography and I ♥ the sun

I have a shoot this evening and lets just say, I'm feelin' good. I like sun A LOT and today, there looks to be a healthy abundance. The Sun is not only great for lighting purposes and photography, but its also good for cheering people up. Let's get this party started! I can't wait to see what this shoot will bring.

Truth be told, I miss it (the sun) a lot since moving from Texas. I came to the worst possible place for a sun lover. But, I'm here now, and I may as well make the best of it. This reminds me of a quote:

"Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." - legally blonde

Except I like to swap the word "Sun" for the word "exercise" and "Vitamin D" for the word "Endorphins"

Baileyfied version:
"The Sun gives you Vitamin D. Vitamin D makes you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." - Bailey

I guess that about sums it up. haha!

-Bailey

"Always look on the bright side of life." - Monty Python

The only thing I regret is my business card

So, I just got back from the WPPI Road Trip and am pretty pumped about all the knowledge and inspiration I  witnessed.

For some time now, I'd been looking for a photographic association to join and I knew my friend Ketti, who is also an awesome photographer, was a member. This specific group is primarily devoted to wedding photography, which is a subject I've become a LOT more interested in as I grow my business. Periodically, Ketti will give me her extra Rangefinder magazines; the publication WPPI gives you a subscription to when you join their secret club. haha. I had researched other associations previously, like PPA, ASMP, PSA, and other abbreviated 3-4 letter combos that have P somewhere in them, but they weren't as exciting as what I was seeing in the WPPI community (plus PSA uses comic sans on their website, so they get omitted just for that). Anyways, after some thought and a lil' dough, I decided to join up and see what this shindig was all about. All in all, I found that my money had been well spent and I met some really cool people along the way.

Now, looking back, the only thing I regret is my business card. So, for anyone who was unfortunate enough to receive it, and is reading this, I promise that this is terrible representation of what I stand for, but sometimes ya gotta do what you gotta do. So again, if you're reading this, here's my explanation and apology. :)

Basically, the story is short and sweet, in that, I was pretty unprepared for the Road Trip because I decided 3 days before that I'd actually be attending. So, seeing as I haven't gotten around to sending my business card off to my lab yet, this was my last minute attempt to salvage my procrastination. I performed the cardinal sin of buying some "business card" paper, nabbing a template offline, and printing them myself. The final product came out super thin and my cutting job was, well, lets just say, shotty at best. I cut those yesterday morning before I left with a dull pair of scissors and razor sharp determination. haha! I thought it was better than nothing. Even though I'm just a soul who's intentions were good, Oh lawd, please don't let me be misunderstood. Basically, if you took the time to read this, thank you, and I'm sorry. haha Next time we see each other at an event, I promise I'll give you a much better example.

Btw, I really liked all of you wonderful people I met. If you're local or ever in the area, lets do lunch!

Downtime

In between sessions and when there is some downtime, I like to take photos for no reason at all, other than to flex my creative muscles. I specialize in portraiture, but periodically I get a primal urge to shoot landscapes and architecture. Recently, I had a really good friend move into town. He just picked up a new lens and he's got a few weeks before he starts his new job up here. I asked him if he wanted to take a photo stroll. He was down, of course. We took a 6 hour journey through Bellevue, Wa; stopping when we felt inspired. Here are some of my favs from the day.

Fond memories

I just came across this photo I took this on my most recent trip to Texas and it reminded me of how much I missed that place. Thought I'd share.

The Simon Family

Atussa is a good friend of mine from the game industry. Her mother and father, Mary and Massood, came in from Australia to visit. I really wanted to do a session before they left, and luckily they had the time. When I first got there, Atussa's son, William, was still asleep. Massood soon came in to hold him so that we could start getting ready for the session. It was apparent throughout the whole session that William loved his grandfather and found comfort and intrigue whenever he was in his arms.

Here are some more of my favorites from the session.