I couldn’t decide how to title this article, should it be “The Hay Bales are
Gone,” or “Some Days are Windy in El Centro?” I, like many of you, have
seen previous issues of the ISnAP Magazine that covered the El Centro
Spring and Fall Photo Call events. As soon as the email for the spring
photo call arrived, I quickly responded with my request for a spot in the
group. After a few days, I received confirmation that I had a spot and the
trip planning began. This photo call included a one day workshop led by
ISAP President, Larry Grace at the hotel the day prior to the shoot. I flew
from Atlanta to San Diego the afternoon prior and made the two hour
drive to El Centro after first picking up some In-N-Out Burger (a treat for
those of us who live on the East Coast).
After a good night’s sleep, I awoke around 0530, had breakfast and
decided to go out and scout the area around El Centro on my own.
This exploration paid off as I found a good spot outside the fence to
catch some T-45s returning to base. At 0800 I saw the Blue Angels
begin to taxi. I received an almost 20 minute personal show until they
departed the airport area to the northwest.
At this point, I returned to the hotel, where I met the other ISAP members
who would be my learning and shooting peers for the next two days.
After introductions, we set off looking at images that each member
brought to show the group. My images were the first to be reviewed
and I learned a number of things about composition, cropping, editing
techniques, and more than anything, I enjoyed the comments and
critiques of the other photographers in the room.