I got a last-minute invite from a photog buddy, and we went out to join the crowds (about 50,000).  The weather wasn’t too hot; the skies were overcast, giving us even light but boring skies.  It was a great day for the races.  Robert Duvall presented the trophy to the winner.

These events are as much about “meeting and greeting” as they are about the horse races.  We didn’t have too much time to go out and shoot photos of the crowds before the races, but, as in Kentucky, Gold Cup folks were wearing their hats.

The ladies had on their new sun dresses and were sporting fresh paint jobs on their toes.  Even the band wore fancy hats and skirts.  

Unlike the Kentucky Derby, we had six races around a meadow course, with jumps scattered throughout.   Each race was a different length (2-4.5 miles), and the riders came from different directions.  The crowd was on the rails cheering them on.

We found a spot on the rails between a couple of jumps to maximize our shooting options.   Our shooting position offered two different jumps and an open stretch.

With fast-moving subjects, we bumped up the ISO to keep the shutter speeds above 1/1000 and the racers sharp.  Between the jumps, we shot them racing by at a full gallop.

It was a fun day at the races for all.  Something I’d never done before.  There is another race in October to give me another chance.  I’m betting the grandchildren would really enjoy being there, too.   Sharing the experience is one of the things that makes photography so much fun.

We had several registered walkers withdraw, leaving only a handful of us to take the walk.  A disappointing turnout, but it was great for getting to know everyone.  Before we even started walking, there was a drawing for the highly-prized, official Worldwide Photowalk sweatshirt.  Mark is wearing his in our group shot.

Even in our small group, we had the a good mix of characters.  We had one professional photographer. There was the normal mix of Canons and Nikons and ribbing on both sides.  As usual, there was someone trying a different path – a pinhole camera setup.  Cool.  Strangely, only two of our walkers were from nearby.  Most of us were from northern Virginia, and one came from Pennsylvania.  This is one of my favorite parts of photowalks – you always have a big variety in skill levels, photographic agendas, and equipment.  Everyone is there to have fun with photography.

A modern Canon camera, with a pinhole, instead of a lens.

We left the visitor’s center and barely got started, and the crowd was drawn to a big cow.  How many photographers does it take to take a cow’s portrait?

Yeah, I know it isn’t a cow, but, I am a people photographer.  I started after a young maiden in the field, but she was in a big hurry.  She said something about needing to get to her grandmother’s house.

As soon as we turned the first corner, people began stopping and spreading out.  Not unusual.  A photowalk leader lays out a course, but people wander off to follow their own interests.  A photowalk has very few rules; creatives don’t like rules.   We had discussed the general route before we started – two miles, in two hours – but no one is restricted to any boundaries.

I split off from the group for a while and went after some of the actors in the reconstructed stores and shops where the craftsmen demonstrate how things were made back in the 1700s.  These folks are always in character, telling the history of their little piece of Williamsburg.  I really like the cabinetmaker’s shop.  The items they make with period-correct tools show top-notch craftsmanship.  The cabinetmaker/actor was waiting in the front room to explain all aspects of his world.

I went out to Duke of Gloucester Street to catch up with the group and ran across a painter with watercolors, capturing his view.  I’ve always wanted to paint, but he spent all day capturing his one image.  I’ll keep the camera.

We walked along the street, taking in all the sights.  We had a nice, leisurely walk.  The weather was cool and cloudy, with a couple minutes of drizzle.  We stopped into the general store, but there were no Cokes in the 1700s, so I was out of luck.  The proprietor tried to sell me some of his colonial candy.  I was more interested in a portrait of him with his wares.

Colonial Williamsburg, as we’ve told you before, is loaded with photo opportunities.  If you get the chance to stop by, make sure you have your camera with you.  Several of us stopped into a nice restaurant at the end of the walk.  We did some chimping and solved many of the world’s problems while we dined on some fine modern food.  You should plan to come with us next year.  It’s always a fun time.

I lived 50 miles away, in Virginia Beach, several times as a Navy brat and in my last Army assignment.  My daughters graduated from the College of William and Mary, just blocks away from the area, but I hadn’t walked through the colonial displays in decades.  So I really needed to go through it again before the photowalk.  I selected a route that is almost 2 miles long for our 2 hour walk – the pace will be leisurely.  There is still room to sign up here.

While I was down there, I noticed the effort the Colonial Williamsburg folks have taken to keep their displays “authentic”.  I’m not being critical of them because this is not an easy task.  The site is surrounded by the city of Williamsburg, and, of course, if it was absolutely authentic, it wouldn’t lend itself to pleasing the thousands of tourists who visit and demand certain comforts.  But for my challenge, I tried to avoid capturing anything out of place for the times.  (Of course, Colonial Williamsburg was established more than 250 years before the camera was invented, but we’ll let that slide.)

Some of the displays were ideal.  This lady works in a small garden, surrounded by a rough fence to keep out pests.  The uncleared forest is just outside the garden plot.  Especially in the early days of the settlement, there was forest all around the small areas of cleared land.

The cobbler’s shop was also well done, although his haircut is wrong.  His wares are created as you watch, using the tools of the time and are hung in the window by twine.  His shop even had a poster of the king.

There were some little things that had to be removed, like ropes to keep visitors from entering buildings.  These can be fixed in a couple of minutes.

Every now and then, I had to clone out some of the tourists who were visiting.  (I’m ignoring the driver’s sunglasses.)

Some of the props were very real – the fife and drum boys are marching down the street toward some…uh…um…garbage in the lane, left there by the horses. 

I had a great time, and I’m really looking forward to seeing all the variety of images from the photographers on the walk.  It is always interesting to see just how different the photos turn out, even from photographers who are standing right next to each other.  I think we’ll all have a fun time, and that is what this event is about.  There are lots of images waiting there, even if your interests lie outside the historical sites.

Northern cold vs. Southern warmth

It even snowed some more on Saturday morning.Quite heavily in fact.  It did look picturesque.

So because C-ville is such a lovely city, Roger brought Cathy down and we went shooting.  On the way back we traveled some back roads to visit a couple of the now more than 100 wineries in the state. 

The ruins at Barboursville, were designed by Thomas Jefferson.  Why did he design ruins?—of course he designed the building that burned in 1884, but that joke was enough to amuse us for quite a while. One of the ways to get more interesting photos is to change your perspective.  Even a little bit can make a big difference.

Roger Dallman chimping

 It’s been a busy couple of weeks and I am happy to be back home.  Too bad this week doesn’t look much easier.   It looks like my friends and family in the Midwest are going to get clobbered again by more snow.  Oh well, get out and take some pictures.

 Every year the center of the horse culture here, Middleburg, VA, holds the Hunt Country Parade.   One of the many fox hunting groups in the area, the Middleburg Hunt put on their formal pinks and lead the holiday parade down main street with  the full pack of hounds. 

Some years it snows, but this year it was just cold - really, really cold, like 34 or so with a few flurries.   The horses are all as turned out as their riders.

 I was really surprised to see one audience member watching. 

Shouldn’t he be home grooming the reindeer?

Following the pack, is the regular Christmas parade.  Middleburg’s other love, beside horses and money, is dogs.  For a dog loving place, the cruel costumes they put on the poor critters, makes me want to yell for the SPCA—the Society for the Prevention of Costuming Animals.   One of the Appalachian Great Pyrenees Rescue society dogs was so embarrassed, he had to wear sunglasses.  The greyhound really wanted to run out of there.   Some of the dogs were pretty strange looking for sure. 

Kids on floats are always fun and catching them with the light on their antlers is always tricky. 

Roger and I trying to get up above the crowds to get a different angle.  Actually, we had a really authentic Bratwurst and saw the glass for the reflection shot.

That’s all for this one folks, We plan on writing more about shooting Xmas lights later on this month.  Please tell your friends or enemies about the blog, depending on how much you like/dislike it.  Get them to add us on Facebook, please.