EYB LITE 2023 - Sunday Coverage /  by Matt Pham

EYB Lite or End of Year Bash hosted but NODRFT at NOLA Motorsports Park. EYB started on Friday and ended on Sunday. I was only able cover Sunday but everyone still going full out. It’s my favorite event of the year since everyone tends to go all out 100% and people from out of town come to drift. We had a crazy weather shift, Saturday was rather hot for this time of year. But Sunday was much different and more what you think of as winter temps. Not only was it cold but it was extremely windy that I had to fight when using the big lens.

It’s always a good time to catch up with everyone and meet new people. I hope with every passing year the EYB continues to grow bigger and bigger! These are some of my favorites from the day’s coverage.

The diverse types of cars and driving styles kept things interesting all day!

A lot of makes and models was represented.

What I was waiting for capturing images during sunset. Only during this time of year can I capture drifting during sunset and I had to make the most of it.

Dean's First Christmas /  by Matt Pham

A quick portrait session to document Dean’s first Christmas! I had to a chance to add some Christmas magic in the session.

Ready To Be: Houston Day 1 /  by Matt Pham

I had the opportunity to see Twice in person for the first time and it was amazing. I really wish that the venue wasn’t so strict on cameras. I had my RX100 with me but the staff was watching the crowds like hawks. But Sana did acknowledge my existence during sound check and that was worth the price of admission.

During when Twice was singing when we were kids, I notice that Sana was getting emotional and teary eyed. She was fighting back some tears.

Getting blessed by Momo and Jeongyeon was a great way to end the concert. The time really went by and I was there for soundcheck. Time really went by quick, it was worth every penny to see them in person. I wish I could afford to do multiple stops to visit other cities.

In Search of Bald Eagles /  by Matt Pham

February 19th, I headed about an hour and half down to Gibson to go on a tour in search of Bald Eagles on the Cajun Man's Swamp Tour. This is no normal tour since it’s catered towards birdwatchers and photographers. You’ll want to contact Captain Billy to secure your spot. I think there was about 10 or so people on the tour, enough room for everyone to spread out and get their photos.

I mainly used the Nikon D5 with a 200-400mm and eventually used a 1.4 teleconverter. I also had my Nikon D800 that started with the 70-200mm but ended up switching to the 20mm F1.8. I had a few other lenses with me but didn’t use those but brought them just in case. I had my monopod but didn’t end up using since we were able to walk about on the boat. But thinking about it, I should’ve used the monopod to increase stability and reduce strain.

We had some rainy days recently so I’m glad it cleared up but still had clouds for more dramatic photos. The landscape photos enjoyed taking with the new 20mm.

We saw alligators of various stages of life all at different parts of the tour. I wouldn’t want to be stuck out in the swamp after dark that’s for sure.

We saw a lot of eagles at different nesting sites. But they were often way off in the distance and almost out of reach with lens. I recommend having a teleconverter with you or having a lens with a lot of reach. Ideally 500mm or more for the eagles. A 70-200mm might be good to have on another body for the closer animals but often things happen so quick that you may miss out on the photo trying to reach for the other body.

Ending the tour with a sunset on the swamp was truly beautiful. It got dark pretty fast and it was very eerie as we make our way back to land. It was worth the drive and the price of admission to see all these beautiful animals! I would again highly recommend taking a drive and experiencing it for yourself.