Spring Training: Off Day

The sun sets being the statue outside of Space Coast Stadium.

Hey kids.....

Its an off day. This means being able to sleep in and having a good dinner .... as well as editing more photos, data management, laundry, and all the other things that i may have neglected in the past 27 days such as my car registration....

My update and more photos after the jump....

Dispatches from Clearwater

Ryan Howard walks off the field to head to the dugout.

Its Tuesday. I think.

Part of covering Spring Training for a wire service is that I'm on my own here.  No support, no resources, no reporters bird dogging anything for me.  There are 12 teams in the grapefruit league and I have to follow my instincts....

Spring Training Update (Pt 1!)

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer signs autographs after the Tiger's first workout of Spring Training at Joker Marchant Stadium. 

I've spent the past two weeks crisscrossing the State of Florida covering Spring Training workouts.

I've been as far south as Fort Myers for Red Sox Media Day, Bradenton for the Pirates, TanakaMania and the laid back fun of the Blue Jays in Dunedin.   Spring training isnt about (just) grabbing a photo of player X doing whatever to feed the beast. Its an opportunity to make some artistic photos and step outside of the box.

Its been a lot of frames and a lot of features so far.... and here's some of my favorites. 

Lots more after the jump...

Whats in the Bag? Spring Training Edition

I try to travel light.....

Ive never done one of these "What's in the Bag" blogposts.  I'm not a gearhead and I'm not impressed by people who walk around like a pack mule.

That being said.... I wanted to share with everyone what I'm bringing to Spring Training. (*Photo day lights not included)

Here's my game action kit.

• Nikon D3 (Its a workhorse)
• Nikon D700 w/Battery Grip (The best camera Nikon ever made IMO)
• Nikon D7000 (Remote Body)
• Kodak Vigilant Six-20 (It was my Grandfather's)
• 300/2.8 (Its a very old one but sharp)
• 300/4 (When I dont want to carry the 2.8)
• 70-200/2.8 (Recently repaired by Kiwi Photo in Orlando! Best repairs around)
• 85/1.8 (Remote Lens!)
• 24/2.8 (When I need a wide)
• 1.4x Teleconverter (For when 300 isnt long enough)
• Nikon SB-800 Flash. (There's a lot of dust on it)
• PocketWizard Plus III (x2)
• Pretrigger Cable
• Manfrotto Magic Arm w/ Super Clamp and Ball head.
• Safety Cable! (Very VERY important)
• Not pictured: Wawa Iced Tea, Memory Cards, Film, Batteries, Suntan Lotion, Sun Hat, more Wawa Iced Tea, Monopod, Laptop, Extra Hard Drive, Thinktank Utility Belt, stool to sit on, batting helmet, iPhone and the good Tastykakes.

I try to travel as light as possible. I enjoy my Wawa. There's a film camera in there.... I'm just trying to do something unique. 

Orlando Cruz (March Fight vs Aalan Martinez)

Puerto Rican boxer Orlando Cruz punches Mexican boxer Aalan Martinez during the fifth round before a sixth-round knockout at the Kissimmee Civic Center on March 15, 2013 in Kissimmee, Fla. 

A few months back, It caught my eye that boxer Orlando Cruz was boxing locally. Cruz. from Puerto Rico, is the first openly gay boxer.  This was his second fight since coming out last October. I called my editors and photographed the workout and then the fight.

It was the marquee matchup and was by far the best of the night.

More after the jump....

Boxing, Pt 1

Luis Olivares fights Victor Vega before winning in a first-round technical knockout at the Kissimmee Civic Center in Kissimmee, Florida on Friday March 15, 2013.  Olivares' win was his second while fighting for SMS Promotions, owned by Rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.  (David Manning/DavidManningPhoto.com)

So I photographed boxing for the first time several months ago here locally at the Kissimmee Civic Center, mostly for the Orlando Cruz fight later that night. I photographed all of the undercards and here's the best of those.

More, as always, after the jump....

Murphys Monday..... six months later

Al Barr of Dropkick Murphys sings while playing at House of Blues as part of their annual St. Patrick's Day Tour on Saturday, March 2, 2013 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The Murphys are currently supporting their new album "Signed and Sealed in Blood." (David Manning/DavidManningPhotography.com)

If you've followed this blog for years, you know that I'm a fan of Dropkick Murphys and I've photographed them several times. Through a stroke of luck, I got a last minute photo pass complete with the sarcastic labeling "Out of my way, I have a fancy camera" .... Which aptly describes most concert photographers that I've met in my days.

I meant to share all these months ago but through circumstance, I withheld them until now.  More photos after the jump

Star Wars Weekends Redux

Emperor Fabulous

Stepping outside of the photojournalism realm for a minute and into a galaxy far, far away.....

I went to many of the Star Wars Weekends at Disney this May & June.

Here's a sampling of many of the guests and cast from the show.

FBI Shooting in Orlando (May 22nd)

A member of an FBI evidence recovery team photographs the building following the shooting of Ibragim Tidashev, 27, in the 6000 block of Peregrine Ave., in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday, May 22, 2013. An FBI agent with two Massachusetts State Police troopers and other law enforcement personnel were interviewing  Tidashev in connection with the Boston Marathon bombing investigation when a violent confrontation occurred. During the confrontation, the individual was killed and the agent sustained non-life threatening injuries, said Special Agent David Couvertier, Public Affairs Officer for the FBI's Tampa Field Office.

(David Manning for The Boston Globe)

Its always fun when the phone wakes you up.

In this case, it was the Boston Globe. The FBI shot and killed a man allegedly connected to the Boston Bombing.  I'm an hour from the scene. You get out the door in five minutes and hope to hell I don't hit traffic.

Trayvon Martin/Anti Gun Violence March

J'Mila Pittman, of Orlando, Fla., yells during a rally in support of slain teenager Trayvon Martin in Orlando, Florida July 17, 2013. Martin was shot dead by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in 2012.  REUTERS/David Manning  (UNITED STATES)  

In the wake of the George Zimmerman verdict, many rallies have taken to the streets to protest the verdict.  I will touch on covering this trial sometime in the future.

I covered one last week in Orlando that drew 1500 people at the last minute.  It was peaceful; one counter-protester and overall was the typical protest march.

As always, hit the jump.

NAACP Convention in Orlando

Hazel Dukes, a member of the board of directors of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), cheers at the end of a speech by NAACP president Benjamin Jealous  to the 2013 NAACP convention in Orlando, Florida July 15, 2013. In the wake of the George Zimmerman murder trial, civil rights leaders, including Jealous, are urging the Justice Department to pursue federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman.  REUTERS/David Manning 

Stepping back into my role as a press photographer, I spend two days at the NAACP convention in Orlando, mostly for NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous.

As always, hit the jump for more photos

Eric Holder at NAACP (laterpost)

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder speaks at the annual convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Orlando, July 16, 2013.  Holder on Monday called the death of Martin, an unarmed black teenager, "unnecessary," raising questions about whether he believed Zimmerman, acted in self-defense.  REUTERS/David Manning 

I'm working in reverse order on my posts.... 

Last week I went to the NAACP convention for two days; the first day for Benjamin Todd Jealous and the second for Attorney General Eric Holder.

Some thoughts after the jump....

Daytona International Speedway for the New York Times

Crewmembers for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.,'s crew push his race car toward the inspection area at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, July 4, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Fla. International Speedway Corporation, parent company of the racetrack, recently announced a $400 Million renovation plan for the grandstand of the 54-year-old track.  Changes would include improved aisle ways in the grandstand as well as 53 hospitality suites and the eventual removal of the backstretch grandstand.  The renovations are expected to be completed by January 2016. (David Manning for The New York Times)

Hey Folks.  Its been awhile....  Call it a seven month hiatus.

Anyways, for July 4th, I went our to the Daytona International Speedway to photograph for the New York Times for a business story on DIS' redevelopment plans.  More after the jump.

Two from Nassau

Nassau/Paradise Island on Sunday, October 21, 2012 in Nassau, The Bahamas. (David Manning/David@DavidManningPhoto.com)

As I'm going through things I've meant to blog about, I stumbled over these two shots from my last trip to the Bahamas.

Above, what i refer to as "THAT Palm Tree" on Paradise Island at the Atlantis Resort.  Its very distinctive and if you've walked the beach there, you know exactly where this shot is.  Suffice to say, that is the quietest place I found on Paradise Island.

Other photo after the jump....

Foggy Fireworks

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm an insane fireworks junkie.  Living in Orlando allows me to see high quality shows on a regular basis.... to the point where I can tell when things change.

Alas sometimes, mother nature plays havoc.  Usually December yields great weather for fireworks - low humidity and strong breezes to blow the smoke away.... sadly in the photo above, not quite the case.  A horribly thick bank of fog rolled into the area just as I pulled up.  Knowing the show i was about to photograph, I decided to make the best of a bad situation and try and use the fog to my advantage.

This is the finale of their Holiday Wishes show. Slightly overexposed. But i love how the fireworks just open above the clouds....

Holga Fun....

Beast's Castle in the New Fantasyland section of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Every now and again I like to break out the old film Holga 120 camera. Best 10 dollars I ever spent on a camera.

So I decided to take it around the New Fantasyland area at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.  (That should drive some SEO & page hits....)  More after the jump....

iPhone Zombie

So the other week I photographed a zombie run (5k) for an "event" photo company.  Really cool thing, shot on their cards, can't keep any of the photos.

Still not sure how I feel about that.  I like keeping my photos, owning my own photos and being creative. On the other hand?

Except then I have my iPhone.

I've been milking the double-exposure feature on Hipstamatic (if you follow me on Instagram, you know that already) and I was determined to make a nice creepy-as-hell portrait before I was leaving.

So I did.

Tilt/Shift Fireworks

Well this is just weird.  I decided to dig out my lensbaby and try and photograph fireworks.  (Such is the beauty of living near a theme park empire, there's a constant supply of fireworks and photographic subjects.) 

Not sure if this works.... more after the jump  

Double Exposure

Lately I've been abusing playing with Hipstamatic's Double Exposure feature. Its lead to some bizarre and cool photos.  Take a look, more after the jump

OneBeat

Foot percussionist Aditi Bhagwat, of Indian, dances as fellows with OneBeat rehearse on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. OneBeat is an intentional cultural exchange program that brings together over 30 young musicians from around the world to live together and write and perform music. The program is an initiative of U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Last month, I went out to New Smyrna Beach for The New York Times to cover the rehearsals of OneBeat, a musical collaborative program sponsored by the State Department that brought together 30 musicians from around the world.  In short, they took some highly talented musicians, threw them in a room with the express purpose of making music and then taking the show on tour.

More after the jump....