Last night, I attended a presentation at the Writers Guild of America theatre premiering a cut of a new documentary film about writer Harlan Ellison, Dreams with Sharp Teeth. The theatre was packed, the film was terrific, and I didn't get home until about 2 a.m.
What does this have to do with photography? I photographed the event, starting with dinner at Pink's Hot Dogs beforehand, during the Q&A after the film, and even a few photographs of the reception and signing afterwards.
One camera, one compact flash card, one lens (traveling light.) The nice thing about digital is that I could change the effective ISO to reflect the different light conditions.
At Pinks around 5:30, with lots of white walls and overcast bright skies, ISO 200 (the lowest speed available to me) worked quite nicely. In the WGA theatre, where shooting with a flash was discouraged--it interferes with video cameras--I tried ISO 400 and moved up to ISO 1000 to try and stop motion. Harlan's always in motion. For the signing and reception, I relied on the in-camera flash on automatic, to allow for ambient light. I did, unfortunately, forget to adjust the ISO back down to 200. The photos will still come out, but they're not what I wanted. I expect quite a bit of "noise" at the higher ISO. In general, the best ISO is whatever is considered optimal for the camera (often the lowest ISO, but it would be the default for Auto settings--if your instruction book gives you that information.)
Next month, on May 22, Harlan Ellison will make an appearance at Pierce College as the first in our planned series "The Creative Voice." During the afternoon, he will meet with students and in the evening, at the P.A.B., students and the public will be able to attend his appearance at 8:00 (doors should open at 7:30, but the theatre only seats 370.) A reception is planned to follow the appearance and books will be available for sale. Harlan will sign books during the reception.
In his 50+ years as a published writer, Harlan has produced more than 1700 short stories, written for television and motion pictures, recorded audio books, hosted the radio show Hour 25, and appeared on numerous talk shows. He is one of the most honored writers of the 20th century, receiving Hugo Awards, Nebula (R) Awards, Writers Guild of America Awards, and Grandmaster Awards from both the Science Fiction Writers of America and the World Fantasy Convention. (Do not use the term "sci-fi" within his hearing.) A colorful personality who is in demand as a public speaker, we are privileged to have him appear at Pierce.
I would encourage all of my students to attend his appearances on the Pierce Campus. It will be a most memorable experience.
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