Well, I got most of my to do lists done this weekend. The fun part was doing a “photo shoot” with my son.

As you all know, every year I create a football webpage for my son. It’s more for our families than anyone else. They need a schedule and I guess I could just scan the black and white form and email it, but then I do need to keep up with my Photoshop and web page building skills don’t I?

So I build a webpage that our families can view in case they want to attend games. I’ve been doing this for two years, 2007 and 2008.

Since my son is an 8th grader and this will be his last year at Blessed Sacrament Catholic school, I decided to go with a more “sports style theme.”

I needed my son on a black backdrop with some dramatic lighting, so I used some PVC pipe to construct a stand. My wife was kind enough to go buy me a king size black sheet and my and buddy Fernando let me borrow his video lights. I set up photo studio right in our living room.

I had my son get into his jersey and I experimented with different shooting modes. I then brought these into Photoshop and experimented with some desaturation etc.

I like the way it came out. The black hole, next to his right arm is where I’m going to add the schedule via Dreamweaver (web) application.

I hope to have this up and running by this week since football season has already begun! I’ll post again once I do that.

Thanks for letting me share…my big boy.

Beto

PS – My daughter asked me why I don’t do one for her…oh well…next on my list.

Popularity: 18% [?]

My son’s team, Blessed Sacrament Catholic school has begun their football season with a bang! I’m filming the games (see me in the back ground?) with my new camera, shoulder mount and varizoom control. My boy is in the center of the picture busting through the line on defense.

Cool picture eh? My wife was taking the pictures from the stands since I’m shooting video instead.

We had a good game. We beat St. Lukes 25-21. It was an exciting game to win.

A number of parents saw me on the sidelines filming and asked if I could post some “Highlights” from the game. I’m not planning on doing this for every game but one father in particular (Mike) missed some key plays that his son made as QB. His wife (and QB’s mother) was out of town so she was not able to be at the game. So…Mike, if this gets you out of the dog house, I’m glad to help. Just kidding Mike, some of the boys wanted to see those great plays as well.

You can view the short clip below and everyone please keep in mind I would love to put in more plays of their sons, but I just can’t place two hours of footage on my site. So the plays that made the reel are only there because our guys had BLOCKERS which allowed them to score.

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Blip.tv video.

Now…next on my list. I have to convert the “game film” another wonderful father shot for the coach. Then I have to build my son’s webpage since he was cleared to play. Finish up a slideshow for my son’s Boy Scout troop by this Tues. Oh…and let’s not forget the Blessed Sacrament Catholic School Football program me and another two fathers are putting together as well.

“Calgon…take me away.”

Beto

Popularity: 20% [?]

Got another new piece of equipment for my new camera just the other day.

…oh…did I not mention I got a new camera?

Yep a Panasonic DVX100B. Pretty cool. But I didn’t get it for the 48 hour film project. I got so I can start filming my son’s football games and when I’m walking on the sidelines…no one should question whether I’m doing it for the school. I think I mentioned a while back in my blog that I had been shooting digital stills but now, I’m going to try and capture the action on video. Plus as some folks have put it – it’s time for me to take it to the next level on video.

So, to add to my arsenal of video equipment, I purchased a Varizoom or which is basically a remote control for my camera. I mount this little device to my tripod handle, fig rig, jib or my shoulder mount and instead of having to reach up to control the camera, I just use the smaller buttons on the Varizoom module.

I can control the zoom, focus and iris controls with just one hand. I tested it out and, Wow, it rocks. I know that I’ll be running around on the field chasing the football players and this little device is going to come in handy with my should mount.

Beto

Popularity: 18% [?]

This is totally wrong! Who doesn’t need EVEN more stress by playing this stupid Jenga game and then have someone come along and build a contraption to help you win?

I mean C’mon!

We are life stress junkies right?

Found this on the internet – Kudos to the guy that did this!

Beto

Popularity: 11% [?]

We got some good news today. Our son Joaquin will be allowed to play football this year. We’ve had a couple of tense weeks because he pulled a muscle in his back on the first day of tryouts for football at Blessed Sacrament Catholic school. He is an 8th grader and had played two years prior.

He really wanted to play this year but “popped something” in this lower left back. He stuck it out and made the team. But even with rub downs from Trainer Dad it wasn’t getting better so that Friday, I took him to our pediatrician to get him checked out – just to be safe. That was early August.

During the examination, our pediatrician noticed something odd about Joaquin’s back. So he sent us to get x-rays that same day. They took so many x-rays that I thought Joaquin would glow that night.

The technician called our pediatrician with the results. While he was on the phone, I took a peek at the x-rays myself and something didn’t look right to me either. Later that day our pediatrician called me to let us know that we should see an orthopedic pediatrician for Joaquin’s scoliosis.

…scoliosis? what?

A 10lb bowling ball was unexpectedly dropped in my lap.

Turns out Joaquin has a slight curvature of his spine and we would never have known this if we’d never gotten x-rays. He was not to do any “team sports.”

(continue reading…)

Popularity: 14% [?]