Check out My New Website

Please take some time to check out my new web site at www.patshannahan.com. My friend Dan Kempton recently built it for me. We're still fine tuning it, so any feedback would be great. If you want to go right to the panoramic VR photography you can go to www.stepintoaz.com. The website hosts my photojournalism portfolio, documentary work along the U.S. /Mexico Border, a galley of interactive panoramic images, videos, and portraits.

Thanks for the feedback.
Pat

Cabeza Preitea

Cabeza Prieta - Images by Pat Shannahan

I have been meaning to post this for a while. I made these images while backpacking on the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge for a travel story. What struck me most about the area is how rugged and dry it is. The conditions pose a challenge even to the most prepared. Evidence of the challenge can be seen among the fallen Saguaro cactus, laying on the ground with outstretched arms like chalkings at a crime scene. This part of the desert really is unforgiving. For an overnight backpacking trip we had to take 2 gallons of water each. During the day the sun washed out all the color but as the sun set, the colors really came alive.

Watching the Game

I spent the afternoon covering a high school baseball game yesterday. The action got a little slow so I tried shooting something a little different.

CLICK HERE TO SEE 360-DEGREE INTERACTIVE PHOTO

The world may be ever changing, but the fair stays the same. The animals, rides and fried food bring on a sense of nostalgia. I get sent by The Republic to shoot the county fair each year. This year, I decided to try something different. I prefer to shoot it at night. If you drop the shutter speed down in your camera, you can pick up the twirling and swirling of the rides, and the fair takes on a surreal, dreamy quality. The link above will take you to AZCentral.com - The Arizona Republic's website - where you will see the full interactive photo. The image is made up of 6 photos stitched together. Each photo is taken during a 10 second exposure, which is how I picked up the movement of the rides.

Alien Jellyfish Lands in Phoenix

Today I photographed the opening of Phoenix's new Downtown Civic Space Park. The main feature of the park is a big sculpture of hanging nets titled "Her Secret is Patience". You are welcome to make your own decisions about the art. This was our first chance to make images of the new artwork with people around it. The first photo shows the sculpture with the Valley Ho in the background. The Ho is a well known old feature in downtown Phoenix that at one time was a hotel that presidents stayed while visiting AZ. The other shows the park with people.

Field View

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I did a pano last night as the Dbacks lost to the Dodgers. I wanted to do a photog's view from the field. I plan on doing more at Chase FIeld. Maybe I'll do one this summer from the pool out in right field.

Happy Easter.
Pat

Story for the Birds

I spent the morning with two biologists with the Arizona Game and Fish Department as they tagged, weighed and measured two baby bald eagles near the Rio Verde River. It was amazing to see the size of the nest.

Concert Pano

CLICK HERE TO SEE INTERACTIVE PANO

Last night I tried doing panos from the pit at the Tempe Music Festival. The two main acts were Kid Rock and Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. It ended up being harder than I thought. Concerts have a lot of changing variables such as lighting and tons of movement. I wasn't abel to get a full 360 degree pano, but I was able to put together about 280 degrees of viewing. These were all shot on a monopod with a 8mm lens.

Pano from Tom's Thumb Trail

On Tuesday, I was able to hike the new Tom's Thumb Trail in the McDowell Mountains. The trail is part of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. A team of trail builders spent 6 months working on this trail, camping out at the base of the mountain. It's a good hike. It will get your heart pumping. The first pano is taken from about half way up. The second pano shows the view from next to Tom's Thumb.

Click Here to View 360-degree Interactive Photo