Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships

Westworld in Scottsdale was the scene of the 4^th Annual Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships.  Saturday 25 October in the Phoenix area and you’d think it would be in the 70s… but oh no, it was 95 degrees and incredibly sunny. 

This is, by all accounts, the biggest polo party in North America.  That’s what the experts told me. 

Polo might have been the centerpiece event, but there were more things going on at the same time!  Bentley’s, Ferrari’s, Fiat’s, and more.  A world food championship that reminded me of a kinder gentler “hells kitchen.”  Dog shows.  Models and fashion shows.  An art auction.  And of Heineken beer.  I actually found a type of Heineken I could enjoy called Heineken Light. 

My camera is a Canon 5D Mark III and I used two lenses: the Canon 24-105mm and for most of the shots of polo action I used the Canon 70-300mm.  For postprocessing I used Lightroom and MacPhun Focus2Pro, SnapHeal Pro, and Intensify Pro. 

Until My Next Adventure, 

See You On Down The Road!

Jim Patterson

See all of my photos from this adventure on Flickr or by clicking the Zenfolio slideshow below!

Turf Paradise Opening Day 18 October 2014

A lovely autumn day in Phoenix as Turf Paradise opens another racing season.  It was as crowded as I've ever seen it, but there was plenty of hot dogs, beer, and soft drinks for racing fans.  

I photographed and betted.  My normal perch is at the top of the grandstands.  I use a Canon 5D Mark III with a Canon 70-300mm lens.  

For post processing, I used Lightroom and this time made extensive use of MacPhun's ColorStrokes (to paint color back in on a black and white photo) and SnapHeal Pro (to eliminate distracting items from the background).  

Former PVCC Science Division Chair Dr. Hank Mancini provided betting tips.  We used "Docs" tip sheet along with one last hunch bet from yours truly on Dirty Diamond Jim to win (he did, at 16 to 1 odds!).

Until My Next Adventure, 

See You On Down The Road!

Jim Patterson

See all of my photos from this adventure on Flickr or by clicking the Zenfolio slideshow below!