Finding Artistry in the Pool
In my second outing for swimming this year, I wanted to find some of the beauty of the sport.
In this example, I used the 300mm lens. At the right distance, it compresses items and makes them appear closer together – in this case, making the lane dividers appear stacked.
Working the Backlight
I recently heard a parent at a soccer game talk about preferring to photograph only when the sun was to his back – and in the faces of the players. While there are certainly advantages to using a light source to the front of your subjects, a backlit situation is still manageable and can even be advantageous.
Let’s start by defining a backlit situation: it is one where the primary light source is behind your subject, putting your subject’s face and front of their body in a shadow (cast by their own body).
Decatur’s New Home and Light Quality Versus Quantity
Friday night Greater Atlanta Christian School traveled to Decatur High School in downtown Decatur for another Region 6-AA match up. It was also Greater Atlanta Christian’s first visit to Decatur’s new stadium.
Last fall, GAC was the last opponent at a Decatur home date and closed out the stadium. Since then, Decatur demolished and rebuilt their football stadium in great fashion.
The field surface is a new Sprinturf playing surface, which has become a popular option in drought-prone metro Atlanta. Gone are the uneven surface and thinning grass – replaced with a well-cushioned durable surface. The field now has seating on both sides, a video scoreboard, and the best lights I’ve seen in three years of high school football beat coverage.
One of the big controversies (if you can call it that) in high school football photography is how to get the best photographs in the low light of most stadiums. Most photographers usually say, “If I could use a higher ISO with good quality then I would.” However, in most situations in high school football even a higher ISO (film speed equivalent) will not solve the problems of the lights.
A Tough Way to Start the Season
After last week’s loss to Hart County, Greater Atlanta Christian hosted Atlanta’s St. Pius X for the home opener. St. Pius, like Hart County, was a AAA class school. Unfortunately, it ended in another loss – this time 31-10.
Just like when you play sports, you need to follow through when you photograph sports. This means that as the action continues, and after the play you keep shooting.
The first example is quarterback Colton Chapple’s first quarter run out to the sidelines.
And when the St. Pius defender catches up…
Summer Practice: Getting More Practice
Just like the players drill and practice to get ready for the season, I do the same as a photographer. My goals are improving my timing and looking for creative opportunities.
An example of timing is a receiving drill the players run. Two lines, going opposite directions with a coach throwing to each line. I try to time my images to catch the ball in flight, in frame, just before the player catches the ball.
I’ll shoot a burst for each player in the drill – trying to time one of the shots at the moment mentioned above.
The first example shows the ball just outside of the player’s grasp. Not exactly what I was going for, but close.
The second shot is more what I was targeting. The ball is just landing in the hands of the receiver, and the player shows some motion with his feet.
The third shows the full drill set up. The receiver is shown in the rear of the image, set off with one of his teammates on the opposite line. This image shows more of the story of the drill. The earlier images more of the individual within the practice.
