rattling chains photo focus

Photo Focus: Feb. 26

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(Photo focus will run every two weeks or so on Rattling Chains. The idea is to focus on disc golf photographs submitted by staff members and readers. To see the guidelines for submitting a photograph for this feature, click here.)

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The frustrations of winter disc golf (photo by David Prunty)

The seventh hole at Panther Highlands in Dryden, New York, finishes with a steep, right-to-left slope. A second shot landing close to the basket is all most average players can possibly hope for, given the long and narrow approach — and the slope — to the area.

Playing after some moderate snow, my playing partner made a solid second shot that appeared to land very close to the basket.

Or so we thought!

As we walked up to the landing area, we saw these marks in the snow. Clearly, his disc landed and rolled backward down the hill, flipping over five times and then landing on the top of the disc to skid the rest of the way down the hill.

The disc ended up about 120 feet away from where it landed.

This kind of thing happens all the time, but you rarely see this “CSI” level kind of proof about what happened when you walk up and see your disc a long way from where you thought it would be!

Techie info:

  • Camera: iPhone 5
  • Aperture: ƒ/2.4
  • Exposure: 1/3623
  • Focal Length: 4.1 mm
  • ISO: 50

– David Prunty

If you have any comments, questions, thoughts, ideas or anything else, feel free to e-mail me and the crew at: pj@rattlingchains.com. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

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Photo Focus: Feb. 12

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(Photo focus will run every two weeks or so on Rattling Chains. The idea is to focus on disc golf photographs submitted by staff members and readers. To see the guidelines for submitting a photograph for this feature, click here.)

Disc golf silhouette. (photo by Ben Honey)

Disc golf silhouette. (photo by Ben Honey)

I see a lot of photos of winter warriors playing outside in the cold and snow — and I respect them for their love of the sport and their fortitude.

However, I don’t think I can say I envy their winter wonderland as I’m down in Houston, Texas. Don’t you guys lose your discs in the snow? The average high temperature on the day of this year’s Houston Ice Bowl is 67 degrees.

Brrr!

The weekend leading into Martin Luther King Jr. day was no different. It was stunning for January and I was able to play more than 54 holes over three days. On Sunday afternoon, me and my friend Jon drove to Hitchcock, Texas, to play the challenging 36 holes at Jack Brooks Park.

With a healthy mix of open holes, tight wooded holes and long bombing, but tight, wooded holes (no joke), it took us more than three hours for our two-round outing.

We were coming around the first lake on Cedar Hills — hole No. 13 — as dusk quickly came upon us. We had five holes remaining, including the 700-foot 15th, but we figured we could finish if we threw only our brightest-colored discs. As we threw over the lake on hole No. 17, there was but a small amount of light left in the sky. It was hard to see our drives. I took the left route over the long part of the lake and Jon took the safer route, to the right.

My 300-foot drive skipped too much to the left and went out of bounds on the edge of the water. As I retrieved my disc, I turned and saw Jon putting out for his four as the basket, which was on the side of a hill. The silhouette of the hill and basket and Jon setting up his shot against the remaining light among the wispy clouds surprised me.

I had to pull out my iPhone to snap a picture. After Jon putted, I had him fake it a few more times to try different timing, but the first photo was the best. A disc golfer can’t ask much for a better weekend and I think this picture captures it well.

Techie info:

  • Camera: iPhone 4
  • Aperture: ƒ/2.8
  • Exposure: 1/15
  • Focal Length: 3.9 mm
  • ISO: 1000

– Ben Honey

If you have any comments, questions, thoughts, ideas or anything else, feel free to e-mail me and the crew at: pj@rattlingchains.com. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

Photo Focus: Jan. 29

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(Photo focus will run every two weeks or so on Rattling Chains. The idea is to focus on disc golf photographs submitted by staff members and readers. To see the guidelines for submitting a photograph for this feature, click here.)

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Disc golf is a sport consistently growing to new heights. It’s a sport with a variety of differently styled courses around the globe. And it’s the sport we love so much.

A friend and I decided to take a trip to Sandy Point Resort Disc Golf Ranch in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin. It was a four-hour drive to Northern Wisconsin to play a round. My disc golf group and I love traveling around the Midwest, finding new courses on which to challenge one another.

With our first round coming to a close, we stepped up to hole No. 25 with high hopes. A huge American flag was in the background of the basket. There was a pretty wide fairway and the hole measured in at about 250 feet. But with a handful of scattered trees, the drive would be nearly impossible to reach the basket without finding wood.

Originally, this photo was only going to be of the flag. But, I thought to myself, I should draw a connection between disc golf and America. I had to make sure I got the right result and I believe I did just that. With the basket complimenting the flag, I thought this image had a lot of symbolization. It displays a unique expression of patriotism and shows how great this sport truly is.

Techie info:

  • Camera: Sony SLT-A55V
  • Aperture: ƒ/4.5
  • Exposure: 1/50
  • Focal Length: 30 mm
  • ISO: 125

– Kevan Greunke

If you have any comments, questions, thoughts, ideas or anything else, feel free to e-mail me and the crew at: pj@rattlingchains.com. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

Photo Focus: Jan. 15

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(Photo focus will run every two weeks or so on Rattling Chains. The idea is to focus on disc golf photographs submitted by staff members and readers. To see the guidelines for submitting a photograph for this feature, click here.)

Hole No. 22 at DeLaveaga. (photo by Jack Trageser)

Hole No. 22 at DeLaveaga. (photo by Jack Trageser)

The trees at DeLaveaga Disc Golf Course — especially the oaks — provide all kinds of unique framing opportunities for disc golf photography.

The original shot of the hole. (photo by Jack Trageser)

The original shot of the hole. (photo by Jack Trageser)

This particular photo of hole No. 22 was taken on a cold — for Santa Cruz — morning at about 10 a.m. It’s of the gap through which I had just attempted a birdie putt.

I used my Samsung Galaxy S3 Android phone using a simple auto focus setting.

This image is cropped in. The original provides a better idea of the true shape of the tree. By cropping the shot as I did, I thought it created an image that invokes the possibility of an entire mystical disc golf course, accessed through the knothole of an old, gnarled oak tree.

Techie info:

  • Camera: Samsung Galaxy S3
  • Exposure: 1/180
  • Aperture: F/2.6
  • Focal length: 3.7 mm
  • ISO: 80

– Jack Trageser

If you have any comments, questions, thoughts, ideas or anything else, feel free to e-mail me and the crew at: pj@rattlingchains.com. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

Photo Focus: Dec. 12

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(Photo focus will run every two weeks or so on Rattling Chains. The idea is to focus on disc golf photographs submitted by staff members and readers. To see the guidelines for submitting a photograph for this feature, click here.)

Parma, Ohio. (photo by Trevor Tippets)

Parma, Ohio. (photo by Trevor Tippets)

The Story: The fall in Ohio can be bleak and cloudy, so when a sunny day comes, it’s hard not to take advantage.

It was a fall day in mid-October. A friend and I had decided to get in an early round of disc golf. The day could be described as crisp, or as they say in Spanish “fresco” or fresh.

I like the term “fresh” to describe a sunny fall morning. It’s a feeling that things are new and the day could bring many great things.

This photo is at hole No. 4 at Veterans Memorial Disc Golf Course in Parma, Ohio. We generally start on hole No. 1, which faces west. The next two holes also face west. Turning east to hole No. 4 was the first real view I got of how grandeur the sun was projecting in my direction.

The hole plays from an open area into the trees, and as I got to my disc after my drive, I looked up and saw my friend standing with a perfect and sunlit group of trees at his back.

With the basket in the foreground, it seemed like the perfect shot. There was just a little bit of fog, giving the area a little mystery. There was also the right amount of sunlight to project rays through the boughs and fog.

I pulled out my phone and hoped I could capture, even if just for the memory, a little bit of what I like the call the perfect day for disc golf.

Techie info:

  • Camera: Galaxy Nexus
  • Exposure: 1/100
  • Aperture: F/2.8
  • Focal length: 3.4 mm
  • ISO: 50

– Trevor Tippets

If you have any comments, questions, thoughts, ideas or anything else, feel free to e-mail me and the crew at: pj@rattlingchains.com. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

Photo Focus: Dec. 4

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(Photo focus will run every two weeks or so on Rattling Chains. The idea is to focus on disc golf photographs submitted by staff members and readers. To see the guidelines for submitting a photograph for this feature, click here.)

From Hawk Hollow in Virginia. (photo by Kevin Morrow)

The Story: Fall is my favorite time of year to photograph disc golf. Not just because of the bright fall colors, but the light has a great yellow hue during the afternoon.

This is one of my favorite images from the fall.

The blue disc in contrast with the orange and yellow leaves really appealed to me. This was an approach shot on hole No. 15 at Hawk Hollow in Spotslvania, Virginia.

Hawk Hollow is the most photographer-friendly disc golf course I’ve ever been on.

For this shot, I hung back about 50 feet and used a 300mm F/4 lens to get this shot. When I realized he was going to throw an overhand shot, I tilted the shot to make sure I got the disc in the frame.

Techie info:

  • Camera: Nikon D2X
  • Exposure: 1/2500
  • Aperture: F/8
  • Focal length: 300mm
  • ISO: 400

– Kevin Morrow

If you have any comments, questions, thoughts, ideas or anything else, feel free to e-mail me and the crew at: pj@rattlingchains.com. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

Photo Focus: Nov. 20

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(Photo focus will run every two weeks or so on Rattling Chains. The idea is to focus on disc golf photographs submitted by staff members and readers. To see the guidelines for submitting a photograph for this feature, click here.)

The before and after photos of hole No. 12 at Rockburn Branch. (photo by Mike Chvojka)

The Story: Taken on hole No. 12 at Rockburn Branch in Elkridge, Maryland.

On Saturday, Oct. 27, I found myself at a course the locals like to call “Rockburn.” I had never played Rockburn before that gorgeous fall day, but I had an upcoming doubles championship there and I wanted to get a feel for the course so I wouldn’t go into the tournament completely blind.

A lot of people consider hole No. 15 as the signature hole and I can’t say I blame them. But the uniqueness of that hole is hard to capture with a cell phone camera.

As I walked up to my approach shot and lined up for my putt, I thought to myself that this hole was pretty unique as well. In the background was this metal roofed building, which had really weathered wood. That helped illustrate its age.

I know this building is still being used and I wondered if it was once a barn for someone. Or, perhaps there was some historical significance tied to it?

The color photo helps illustrate exactly what I was seeing as I lined up for my putt. But, I felt the photo was a little too dark as I was standing in the shade when I took it. I also felt, because of the amount of shade and lack of vibrant color, that you focus more on the building and less on the basket. I knew this photo would be better if I changed it to black and white.

I edited the original photo by changing is on my phone to the “documentary” setting. I think it suits the photo better. Changing it from color to black and white brightens the photo, highlights its simplicity and makes it easier to focus on the real subject — the basket.

Techie info:

  • Camera: Motorola Droid Bionic
  • Exposure: 1/500
  • Aperture: F/2.4
  • Focal length: 4.6mm
  • ISO: 100

– Mike Chvojka

If you have any comments, questions, thoughts, ideas or anything else, feel free to e-mail me and the crew at: pj@rattlingchains.com. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

Photo focus: Nov. 6

/ P.J. / Leave a comment

(Photo focus will run every two weeks or so on Rattling Chains. The idea is to focus on disc golf photographs submitted by staff members and readers. To see the guidelines for submitting a photograph for this feature, click here.)

Stacked baskets (photo by Jenny Cook)

The Story: Taken in Oswego, Illinois, this photo is of stacked disc golf baskets.

During the Discraft Ace Race, tournament director Scott Pitner decided to stack six baskets together for the finishing hole. There was a point system in place for each row.

With each player starting and finishing on that hole, I decided to stand behind and capture the action. It also gave me a better view of the hole so I could figure out what I was going to do when it was my turn to play the hole!

Techie info:

  • Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T1i
  • Exposure: N/A
  • Aperture: N/A
  • Focal length: N/A
  • ISO: N/A

— Jenny Cook

If you have any comments, questions, thoughts, ideas or anything else, feel free to e-mail me and the crew at: pj@rattlingchains.com. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!