Filed under: Boston Whaler, Michael Bagley, Michael Bagley Photography, nautical photography, Photoboat, Sailboats, Sailing, Sailors, Uncategorized, Viewfinder | Tags: Boston Whaler, marine photography, Michael Bagley, Michael Bagley Photography, nautical photography, Photoboat, sailing photography, Sailors, Viewfinder
This year the season started early with a trip to Charleston, South Carolina to work with our friends Allen and Daniela from Photoboat to cover Charleston Race Week. Though the drive is long – and with today’s gas prices, not cheap! – it was an adventure worth taking.
Friday’s racing was exciting, with winds hovering between 15-20 knots and seas rolling in at 4-6 feet. Daniela and I used Viewfinder to cover the two offshore race courses while Allen took care of the three inshore circles with the dinghy. The racing was hard fought and the action on deck was fast paced. I did most of the driving so Daniela could concentrate on shooting, and she did a great job capturing close up images of the shipboard action.
When I awoke Saturday our friend Jim Cantore on the weather channel was warning of severe weather including tornadoes for the area. Yes, Jim can be a drama king, but in this case he didn’t seem to be exaggerating. In fact, by the time the judges had to make a call about the day’s racing the sustained winds were already above 30 knots. No racing in those conditions. I hauled Viewfinder onto her trailer in case the major storms did come through, and then spent most of the day wandering around Charleston exploring with my camera. What a beautiful city! Great architecture, friendly people, lots of green space, and I even found a schooner! I am looking forward to getting back there again in the future. Fortunately, the dangerous weather never did bother Charleston.
The weekend wrapped up with light winds but blue sky and warm temperatures. Again Daniela and I focused on the offshore racing and we were able to get some nice images. Allen started with the inshore crowd, but the Melges’ and J’s aren’t too exciting in 5-10 knots of breeze, so he joined us outside the jetties. Between the three of us we had thousands of shots to share with the sailors.
It was great to visit a new place and fun to work with the Photoboat crew. Next stop: Cedar Point Yacht Club’s One Design Regatta on Long Island Sound on the first weekend in June.
Filed under: Boston Whaler, Danise Cavallaro, Leukemia Cup Regatta, Michael Bagley, Michael Bagley Photography, nautical photography, Sailboats, Sailing, Sailors, Uncategorized | Tags: Boston Whaler, Danise Cavallaro, marine photography, Michael Bagley, Michael Bagley Photography, nautical photography, Photography, sailing photography, Sailors
Winter can feel like a long time. When the boat is winterized in November, spring seems like it is years away. Regular winter blizzards help support the theory. Slowly but surely signs of change appear. Days get longer. Temperatures rise. Trees bud. Boats are back in their slips. And boating season is upon us.
Last weekend made it official. We traveled to Connecticut to shoot the Cedar Point Yacht Club One Design Regatta. We were grateful to be partnered with our friends at Photoboat, who have made the One Design Regatta a regular on their schedule, but had to be away and couldn’t cover it this year. So they called in reinforcements. We enjoyed two days of good wind and good sailing. Saturday offered three races, all of which were competitive between the fleets of J80′s, J30′s, J105′s, Farr 30′s and Beneteau 36.7′s. The breeze continued to build Sunday morning, but the racing had to be called early due to a tornado warning. Fortunately, the tornado never formed, but a hearty thunderstorm passed through, vindicating the judgment of race committee. Back ashore, we printed our photos of the win, place, and show boats, and the framed images were used as the regatta trophies.
To check out the photos visit Photoboat.com. Next stop: Keyport Yacht Club Leukemia Cup Regatta on Saturday and Sunday.
And so it begins. Another season aboard Viewfinder, committing a sailing moment in time to pixels. Here’s hoping summer feels as long as winter did.
Beating to windward
Revelation prepares to set the spinnaker.
Excitement aboard Mischief
Filed under: Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, Barnegat Breezer, Boston Whaler, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, Classic Sailboats, Danise Cavallaro, Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, Hobies, Leukemia Cup Regatta, Lightning Atlantic Coast Championship 2009, Lightning Championships, Michael Bagley, Michael Bagley Photography, nautical photography, New Jersey, Sailboats, Sailing, Sailors, Schooners, Toms River Yacht Club | Tags: 2009 Leukemia Cup, Annapolis, barnegat bay, Barnegat Breezer, Boston Whaler, Chesapeake Bay, Classic Sailboats, Danise Cavallaro, Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, Hobies, Keyport Yacht Club, marine photography, Michael Bagley, Michael Bagley Photography, nautical photography, New Jersey, new jersey photography, new jersey sailing, Photography, Raritan Bay, sailing photography, Sailors, Schooners
We’re getting organized for 2010 and we have updated our Where We Will Be page.
Dueling in the KYC Leukemia Cup
We will begin our season in late April in Annapolis for the NOOD Regatta. There is always an impressive fleet of sailors in that race, and the spring weather usually provides exciting racing action.
After a few weeks to let the weather warm we will spend another weekend in Keyport, New Jersey shooting the Keyport Yacht Club Bill Volk Leukemia Cup. Last year this was one of the highlights of our summer, with great winds and outstanding racing action (You can read about the 2009 event in our post written last June). In the spirit of the event, we contributed a portion of our sales of event photos to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and plan to do so again in 2010.
Other highlights of 2010 will include a few dates with the Hobies, the Lightning Class North American Championships, a trip to Newport for the NYYC Classic Regatta, and, of course, the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. We hope to bring Viewfinder north to shoot in other New England locations, maybe as far up as Maine at some point. In between dates we will be on Barnegat Bay following the amazing A-Cats and shooting some of the many other sailboats and sailors in our home waters.
Stay tuned for updates and additions. If you have an event you would like us to cover please feel free to contact us. We look forward to seeing you on the water!
Filed under: Acura Key West Race Week, Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, Boston Whaler, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, Danise Cavallaro, dolphins, Key West, Leukemia Cup Regatta, Lightning Atlantic Coast Championship 2009, Lightning Championships, Michael Bagley, Michael Bagley Photography, nautical photography, New Jersey, Sailboats, Sailing, Sailors, Toms River Yacht Club, Uncategorized | Tags: 2009 Leukemia Cup, barnegat bay, Danise Cavallaro, Keyport Yacht Club, marine photography, Michael Bagley, Michael Bagley Photography, nautical photography, New Jersey, new jersey photography, new jersey sailing, Photography, Raritan Bay, sailing photography
Tis the season to look back on the previous 12 months and reflect on the passing of time and all of the events that filled the year. At MBP we had a great year. We shot some excellent regattas, witnessed some impressive sailing, and enjoyed a lot of beautiful scenery. While we could fill pages with the great memories, instead we have picked our highlights and present them here in brief and in no particular order (If something here piques your interest, we encourage you to scroll down to previous entries and read the full story!):
Key West Race Week – though it was under 60 degrees all week, it was still warmer than New Jersey in January!
Key West Race Week
Leukemia Cup Regatta – Sailors in Raritan Bay dueled in great winds and showed tremendous skill as they raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We look forward to the 2010 version!
Leukemia Cup Regatta
Beauty on Barnegat Bay – On June 19, after a stressful day, Mike spontaneously decided to grab the cameras and go for a boat ride. As it turned out, the light was perfect and he shot several of his favorite photos of the summer. You never know…
Sunfish sailors racing in Toms River.
Lightning Atlantic Coast Championship – This year’s ACC provided some heavy weather sailing. We had fun watching Lightning sailors young and old race around the buoys.
Lightning sailors hiking
Dolphins – We will never forget the awesome experience of being with a pod of 70+ dolphins near Cape May. Truly awesome.
Playful dolphins near Cape May
Other exciting highlights from 2009: we presented a gallery exhibit titled Sails, Spars and Wind in Newark, and had a photograph published in SAIL magazine.
SAIL Magazine published this MBP photo in the July issue.
We thank the frequent visitors to our website and to this blog, and especially all those who chose to purchase our work. We are already looking forward to “the thaw” and the opportunity to be back on the water in 2010! Meanwhile, we wish you a healthy and happy new year.
Filed under: Boston Whaler, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, Classic Sailboats, Danise Cavallaro, Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, Michael Bagley, Michael Bagley Photography, nautical photography, Sailboats, Sailing, Sailors, Schooners, Uncategorized | Tags: Boston Whaler, Classic Sailboats, Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, marine photography, Michael Bagley, Michael Bagley Photography, nautical photography, Photography, sailing photography, Schooners
Yesterday we lost a dear friend of ours. We had many good times and fond memories with this friend both on our boat and off. And while this was not a lifelong friendship, the impact this friend made on our lives was substantial and revolutionized the way we thought about things. With this, we say a fond goodbye to our Nikon D300, drowned yesterday afternoon.
It was an accident, a total stroke of bad luck (potentially brought on by bringing bananas aboard, but that hasn’t been proven scientifically!). We could not have predicted its demise. We thought, hey, if we designate one of the sinks on board as the “dry sink,” we can leave the camera in it all day. Dishes in one, camera in the other, beats having to dig the camera out of the bag every time we see a good shot. And then the weather turned nasty, blowing stink, if you will. We were heeled over for perhaps the last 45 minutes of our trip. Apparently, the steep angle of the boat caused some water to come up through the drain hose and soak the camera. After congratulating ourselves for having safely docked the boat in 20+ knots of wind, we began to clean and discovered our dear friend dripping wet. Smelling of corrosion. Fried. Toast. DEAD.
We tried a few rounds of CPR to no avail. A night’s drying out did no good. With heavy hearts and a to-be emptier wallet, we say goodbye to our D300. Rest in peace, dear friend.
Autopsy complete
We’re off to shoot the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race’s Parade of Sail today with a lonely D200 and our sad selves. Check back here for images of the Parade and the start of the race.
Filed under: Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, Barnegat Breezer, Boston Whaler, Danise Cavallaro, Hobies, Michael Bagley, Michael Bagley Photography, nautical photography, New Jersey, Sailboats, Sailing, Sailors | Tags: barnegat bay, Barnegat Breezer, Hobies, marine photography, Michael Bagley, Michael Bagley Photography, nautical photography, new jersey sailing, sailing photography
Waiting on Saturday
Hearty Crew
After being enticed by forecasts all week about strong winds coming on the periphery of TS Danny, we headed out Saturday morning on a Barnegat Bay that was glassier than we had ever seen before. No. Wind. And then it rained. And then the race was canceled.
Sunday looked much more promising, with clear skies and a forecast for winds around 10kts. The Hobies pulled off a few light-air races before the wind died again. The race committee and the fleet exhibited great patience awaiting fresh breeze. Alas, none arrived, and we bade our goodbyes as towlines were being set up for the haul back to Trixie’s. Ironically, no sooner did we get to the western side of the Bay did a stiff breeze of 12-13 kts. begin filling the sails. Of course. Barnegat Breezer? More like Barnegat Snoozer. But it’s always fun to be around the Hobie community. Better luck and fairer winds in ought-ten.
To view photos from the weekend, please visit michaelbagleyphoto.shutterbugstorefront.com.
~ Danise
Filed under: Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, Boston Whaler, Danise Cavallaro, Lightning Atlantic Coast Championship 2009, Lightning Championships, Michael Bagley, Michael Bagley Photography, nautical photography, New Jersey, Photography tips, Sailboats, Sailing, Sailors, Toms River Yacht Club
We spent yesterday bouncing around the Bay, chasing the Lightnings at the Lightning Atlantic Coast Championship, hosted by the Toms River Yacht Club. The wind was stiff, hovering around 15 knots out of the south. While certainly it was refreshing on a hot humid day, it stirred up the water out on Barnegat Bay, giving the sailors (and us!) some, well, interesting conditions to work with. We were impressed with the skills and abilities of all of the crews as they screamed around the buoys reaching speeds of five and six knots into the weather, and taking bona fide sleigh rides once they flew their spinnakers. It seemed as though there were one hundred boats in the fleet, and with that many boats sailing in those conditions it was a testament to the talent on the water that there were no major incidents. Even the best sailors, though, can get caught out by a rogue puff of breeze here and there, and we consider witnessing several sailboats capsize as the events that will be remembered as the most exciting of the day (especially when we can caught them with our cameras!).
Lightnings are small, 19-foot centerboard sloops, and were once considered a high tech racing sailboat. Designed in 1938 by Sparkman and Stephens, they are hard chined hulls with large sail areas for their size. Though other more modern designs gain popularity in certain locales, Lightnings have never lost their appeal, and there are racing fleets, both junior and adult, all over the United States. Barnegat Bay has a 50-year tradition of Lightning races, and there currently exist about a dozen clubs in the area. We have no doubts that there were some locals among the excellent competition out on the water, and we hope their familiarity with Barnegat Bay gave them an edge.
Our post about Top 5 Photography Tips (see below) addressed the challenge of shooting a moving object from a moving object. The key to success on a day with choppy seas and three or four foot waves is timing. I was reminded how frustrating it can be to try to juggle the movement of your boat and the movement of your subject and get the shot you want. Last week I worked on getting a good feel for how our sturdy Viewfinder moves when floating idly or running slowly in the water. Being mindful of the movement of our boat through the waves, and training my brain to predict when we would be cresting or coming down from a swell, helped me this weekend when the conditions were less predictable. We were happy to come away with more than 400 usable images from our afternoon shoot. This zen-like focus, however, did not save Mike nor myself from the occasional dousing of both human and camera. It is fair to say that the cameras dealt with it better than the humans.
Our photos are available for purchase at michaelbagleyphoto.shutterbugstorefront.com. We hope you will take a look to see the action from Saturday.
~Danise
Filed under: Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, Boston Whaler | Tags: Boston Whaler, Michael Bagley Photography, Spring
Heading Out
It’s here. Finally. Warm temperatures have descended on the east coast. And though there have been a few days earlier this month that made a boat ride tempting, yesterday’s blue skies and 70 degree air made it mandatory. In typical Barnegat Bay fashion, the forecast SW 5-10 knot breezes came up to almost 25 by mid-afternoon and made for a bumpy, sloppy, wet ride down the Bay aboard Viewfinder. But it was the ideal conditions to do a shake down and make sure all of the boat parts were staying where they are supposed to. As expected, the 19′ Boston Whaler Outrage performed admirably, and she seems as excited as I am to start another season.
This week I’ll be putting a T-Top on Viewfinder that will provide some well-needed shade in the hot summer (and will keep my dermatologist happy, too!). A good wax job will follow, and we’ll be fully ready for another great season.
It’s here. Finally.
