Seahawks: The Calm Before the Storm
As fans, we are constantly aware of the violent fury of football, whether we are watching at home on TV, or from the 50-yard line at the stadium. There are many quiet moments that surround the games, however, and those moments remind us that the sport is played by real people — not superheroes in helmets and pads. Here, Seattle’s first-round draft choice Aaron Curry collects his thoughts before his first regular season game as a pro.
While most of us see the beginning of a game as the opening kickoff, players arrive hours before the game, and slowly build their emotions to a crescendo by game time. Seattle defensive tackle Colin Cole, 330 pounds of rock-solid fury in the middle of the line during games, spends quiet time on the phone with his wife hours before the action begins.
Seattle’s new head coach Jim Mora finds some solitude as he gathers his thoughts in his makeshift coaches office on the road at San Diego.
Players in the locker room before a preseason game in Kansas City are quiet during the moments before they hit the field for pregame introductions.
Defensive end Lawrence Jackson gets himself pumped with music before the game.
In Seattle’s home locker room at Qwest Field, rookie wide receiver Deon Butler, center, with teammate Ben Obamanu, prepares mentally for the game at hand.
Players and coaches take a knee in their locker room before walking into the din of 60,000 screaming fans at their home opener at Qwest Field.
Seafair, Part 2: I’m on a Boat!
And no, I don’t got my flippy-floppies.
But having spent the early years of my life living only two blocks from the “pits” of the annual Seafair unlimited hydroplane races, I still get a kick out of photographing these big, fast, if a bit balky, flying boats. Having grown up in awe of the sport, it’s pretty cool to now have an all-access pass to the event as a photographer for the annual Seafair races on Lake Washington.
If you’re reading this and you’re not from Seattle, the following will all seem very strange. I don’t blame you. It’s a weird sport. The hydroplanes literally fly on top of the water, skimming along with only three points of the boat in touch with the water — the front two sponsons and the back of the boat.
But it’s a pretty sport because the boats go fast, and when they do they leave huge sprays of water (called “roostertails”) in their wake.
Back when I was a kid, the boats were powered by loud piston engines rescued from old World War II fighters, like the P-51 Mustang. The noise was so loud you could hear it from a couple miles away. Today’s boats are powered by quieter turbine engines. The cool sound is gone, but the newer engines are much more reliable, and the racing is better.
As well as boat races, the biggest air show of the year takes place over the race course. The Navy’s Blue Angels are an annual guest, thrilling crowds not only on race day, but for the three days prior as the practice their routine over the lake.
Even after seeing their routine year after year, it’s still an amazing show.
My job on Seafair Sunday is to create images that make the event look cool and fun. I shoot from the shore, the air (as seen in the aerial at the top of this post) and I spend the last hour or two of the afternoon shooting from a boat (thanks, Dave and Lorrie!). This is so I can capture the crowds on the shore, the racing and also the unique crowds of people on boats that line the race course along what’s known as the “logboom”.
Boats pay to tie up the log boom that circles the course, and a weekend-long party takes place, interrupted only by the Blue Angels and the occasional hydro race. I doubt many of the revelers know the outcome of the races.
But there is a winner, and this year the race was won by veteran driver Dave Villwock, who was showered with the bubbly stuff on the stage after he accepted the trophy.
At Seafair there are good pictures to be had around every corner, and the chance to shoot fast boats, faster jets and crazy people on a summer day is always a a great time for me.
Seafair, Part 1: It rained on my parade.
Seafair is Seattle’s annual celebration of people, boats and airplanes that spans two weeks every summer. There are a lot of neighborhood parades during a two-week span, but parade-wise, the big event is the Torchlight Parade that runs through downtown Seattle. Working for the organizers, I was tasked with making some compelling images showing smiling happy people watching the parade in the early evening setting sun.
Which is a good plan, right up until the rain started.
“Can you make it look like it’s sunny?”, asked one of the organizers.
I thought for a moment. “Do we have a big enough hair dryer to dry all of Fourth Avenue?”, I replied. ”
He called me some names, and I promised to do the best I could. I though to myself that if I couldn’t magically dry the streets, make rain jackets disappear from parade-goers and change the quality of light from dark and cloudy to warm and sunny, well, then, I’d have to make the weather itself disappear.
My premise was not to show the weather at all. That way, next year, when the photos are used in programs, brochures and ads, it wouldn’t look like rain, and maybe everyone will have forgotten that it wasn’t gorgeous and sunny (by the way, Seattle had one of it’s nicest summers ever — something like 30+ straight days without rain…so go figure).
To do this, I thought I’d mess with flash — drag it, zoom it, spin it. Anything to add a fun and zany feel to the photos (and c’mon — when’s the last time you used the word “zany”?)
The event starts with an 8k race whose last half is run along the parade route right through downtown.
This guy tried hard to tie in the theme of the night with his own, uh, desires?
When you’re shooting for the organizers, you gotta show the logos and sponsors. A little help from a camera with a wide-angle lens mounted on a monopod helped me get the height required to look down on the participants while including the logo.
While it was gloomy and cloudy during the race, the first actual drop of rain didn’t fall until the parade started in earnest.
It was easy to find great faces along the parade route. Doesn’t everyone love a parade? Actually, I’m not sure if these kids loved a parade nearly as much as they did having their picture taken.
What’s a parade without clowns…?
…and drill teams…
…and PIRATES…?
Okay, as far as I know, the pirates thing is unique to Seattle. Called the Seafair Pirates, this group of, well, clowns dressed in skulls and crossbones, rampages around the city during Seafair. They pride themselves on scaring kids, preying on the local wenches and generally disrupting the relative quiet of the city with booming cannon rounds from their wheeled ship, the aptly named Moby Duck.
Yeah, if you were a little kid, or a woman in her 20’s, you’d be scared too.
Sounders FC: Another colorful match.
Seattle soccer fans saw bright blue skies on Saturday, Sounders players only saw the black of Chicago keeper Jon Busch's jersey, and Freddie Ljungberg saw red, courtesy of referee Baldomero Toledo.
Sounders FC played to a 0-0 (that's "nil-nil" to those of you in the know) draw with the Chicago Fire at Qwest Field, despite having multiple chances to score.
Before the game, I saw some kids with great painted faces. They were in the shade of the tunnel where the players enter the field, and the open shade made for a soft light.
Check out this dude's ears — how about that contrast from the paint?
(Nikon D3, VR 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 180mm, ISO 200, 1/500th sec.,f2.8)
Love this guy's face — eyes, teeth, smile, paint.
(Nikon D3, VR 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 150mm, ISO 200, 1/500th sec.,f2.8)
One of my duties for the team is to document pregame. This procession of players in the starting lineup walking with local kids is always fun.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/500th sec.,f4.0)
At midfield, captains C.J. Brown of Chicago and Kasey Keller of Seattle met for the coin flip with referee Baldomero Toledo.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f4.0)
Seattle controlled much of the pace of play in the first half, and only great stops by Chicago keeper Jon Busch kept the Sounders from scoring.
Busch denied Fredy Montero along the right side of the net.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4 lens @ 290mm, ISO 500, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
On a corner kick, one of eight for Seattle, Busch came out and leapt among the big bodies of Chicago's C.J. Brown and Seattle's Nate Jaqua.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4 lens @ 310mm, ISO 400, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
Later in the first half, Jaqua fired point blank, only to have Busch make the stop on the left side.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4 lens @ 300mm, ISO 500, 1/250th sec.,f4.0)
Chicago's Cuauhtemoc Blanco's free kick in the second half hit a wall of Sounders, denying the Fire a chance.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4 lens @ 300mm, ISO 400, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
Tempers flared through out the match because of rough play. With Chicago playing a man down due to a red card issued to John Thorrington, Seattle looked to have an advantage. However, that advantage was quickly negated when Seattle's Freddie Ljungberg was issued a yellow card for "simulation" (i.e. "flopping"), which was quickly followed by another yellow for "dissention" (i.e. "arguing"). Love how polite the language is, don't you?
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4 lens @ 290mm, ISO 500, 1/2000th sec.,f4.0)
Ljungberg's ejection left both teams with ten men, and he left to a mixture of cheers and jeers.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 35mm, ISO 200, 1/500th sec.,f4.0)
Seattle had more chances in the second half, but couldn't break through. Fredy Montero hit the corner of the post with a shot and Nate Jaqua had another great chance in the second half. After getting by Chicago's keeper Busch, Jaqua had the ball knocked away by another defender before Jaqua could put it home.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4 lens @ 220mm, ISO 200, 1/1600th sec.,f4.0)
A tough draw for Seattle, but they maintain second place in the west. Players and fans alike were frustrated by the draw — missed goal opportunities and the red card for Ljungberg dulled what otherwise was a beautiful afternoon at Qwest Field.
Sounders FC: Getting Friendly with Chelsea
Sounders FC played a "friendly" (read that, "exhibition" match) against Chelsea FC, one of the most famous clubs in the world. Chelsea plays in the English Premier League, arguably the top league in the world.
As this was a friendly, action photos from the match were not as important to me as capturing the atmosphere of the event.
The day was perfect. Bright sunny skies and temperatures in the high 70's. Qwest Field was packed.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 14mm, ISO 400, 1/1000th sec.,f8.0)
Shooting "color" was not a problem.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f7.1 + fill flash)
This fan's shades were not only Rave Green, they also reflected the distinctive arches of the stadium.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm f4.0 lens @ 400mm, ISO 400, 1/640th sec.f4.0)
The notoriously loud and raucous fans in the south stands were in full effect with their flags and chants. Note — the flags make a great photo. The chants? Not so much.
(Nikon D3, VR 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 125mm, ISO 200, 1/1250th sec.,f4.0)
World-famous glass artist Dale Chihuly was on hand to receive the Golden Scarf before the match. He also donated an original glass piece to each club to commemorate the event.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 270mm, ISO 400, 1/800th sec.f/4.0)
One of my duties in working for the Sounders is to document things other than the team. For example, the club has begun selling seats that are right next to the pitch. That's right. For the right price, you and friends can sit on along the sidelines, right along the midfield stripe, with food and drink served to you all game long.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/640th sec.,f5.6)
Not only do you get the view and the food, you're also so close to the players that they'll come over and pose for pictures. Pretty cool. (And no, I don't get a commission for selling them, even if that did seem like an ad…)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f4.0)
The game started, and there was plenty of action, even for an exhibition. Chelsea's Frank Lampard had no problem taking down Freddie Ljungberg in the first half.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 400, 1/1250th sec.,f4.0)
Seattle did a decent job of keeping possession and applying pressure near the Chelsea goal. Chelsea's Michael Ballack heads a cross back out of his team's area.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 400, 1/1250th sec.,f4.0)
Kasey Keller was very busy back in goal for the Sounders. Chelsea scored in the 12th minute and made it look easy, but Keller kept flying around to make saves.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 400, 1/1250th sec.,f4.0)
Post-match, Ljungberg, who used to play for Arsenal in the Premier League, visited with friends who play for Chelsea.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f4.5 + fill flash)
Always great with the fans, he also stopped to sign autographs for fans near the tunnel leading to the locker room.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/250th sec.,f13 + fill flash)
The Sounders, juggling three different commitments, face the Houston Dynamo on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup. Yes, that's the same team they face last week in M.L.S. competition. For those of you keeping score at home, the Sounders are involved in league play (Major League Soccer), tournament play (U.S. Open Cup) and exhibition play (friendlies against Chelsea and Barcelona).
Marathon Man.
ROCK 'N' ROLL, DUDE!
My specific job that day was to photograph the race leaders throughout the course. This meant riding on a motorcycle facing backwards as we moved ahead of the lead group.
I either had the best or worst assignment, depending on how one looked at it. Most of the photographers thought it was pretty cool. However, one experienced marathon shooter looked me dead in the eye and said, "You're crazy. I did it once, Never again."
Party on. I was fitted with a helmet and matched with a rider. I asked one of the experienced video guys if he had any advice. He told me to scout the bikes and choose one that didn't have too wide of a seat, and didn't have raised handles for the rider to hold onto. He said that after a couple of hours, raised hard plastic handles are NOT friends of your thighs.
I wasn't really nervous. The Rock 'N' Roll Marathon series is a big deal, professionally run, with events all over the country. They'd keep me safe, right? Before I hopped on the back of my BMW motorcycle, I shouted at my driver through the muffled helmet. "You've done this before, right?". He answered, "Ridden this bike? Yes. Ridden someone backwards at a marathon? No.".
Okay, now that we had that settled (two rookies leading a marathon), we were ready to go.
There wasn't much time to think once the race started. Luckily, we were weaving through streets of Tukwila and south Seattle that weren't really photogenic, so I had some time to get my bearings. The race organizers wanted me to focus not only on the leaders, but also to make images that showed the landmarks of the city as the runners made their way through the course.
Participants stretched near the starting line before the race:
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 28mm, ISO 200, 1/320th sec.,f2.8)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 70mm, ISO 400, 1/1250th sec.,f2.8)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 120mm, ISO 400, 1/1250th sec.,f2.8)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/125th sec.,f7.1)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/1600th sec.,f3.2)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens + 1.4 ext @ 240mm, ISO 400, 1/1600th sec.,f6.3)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 4000, 1/400th sec.,f4.0)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 120mm, ISO 400, 1/2000th sec.,f4.0)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 400, 1/1250th sec.,f4.0)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/1250th sec.,f4.0)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 170mm, ISO 200, 1/1250th sec.,f4.0)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens + 1.4 ext. @ 280mm, ISO 200, 1/1600th sec.,f4.0)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens + 1.4 ext. @ 280mm, ISO 200, 1/1600th sec.,f4.0)
Seahawks: Fill ‘er up with 23,000 lbs of jet fuel, please
You know how it is when you're on a long road trip.
Can never find a gas station when you need one.
I was lucky enough to tag along with Seahawks coach Jim Mora, strength coach Mike Clark and tight ends John Carlson and Joe Newton as they went on a little field trip to watch some refueling…at 25,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean, going oh, say, 400 miles per hour.
As guests of the Washington Air National Guard, we were invited to ride on an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker as it refueled F-15 fighter jets in midair as part of a training mission.
Yes, one of the great things about my job is some of the perks that go along with spending your life visually documenting the world.
Some of my friends argue that my entire career is a perk. I can't say I would argue.
We knew we were welcome when we saw the Seahawks logo painted on the tail of our plane.
(Nikon D3, VR 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 200, 1/320th sec,f5.0)
Unlike a commercial 707 (which is the same body as the KC-135), there are only a couple of windows along the fuselage, so the cabin is very dark. But we were fortunate there were actual seats (although they faced the rear of the plane) so we didn't have to sit in the webbed seats that military personnel have to use.
Seats facing backwards (or, more correctly, "aft"), resulted in a spate of jokes about frequent flyers (as most who cover sports are). Which way is first class? Is it the first rows, which are in the very back? Or the last rows, which are in the very front?
Turns out first class is the little seat behind the pilots. I found this out because that's where Coach Mora was seated as we took off.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 800, 1/200th sec, f4.5)
Bryce Fisher, former Seahawk and longtime NFL player, graduated from the Air Force Academy and helped coordinate the flight as part of his duties with the Air National Guard. He chatted up some of the Air Force personnel during the flight.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 22mm, ISO 400, 1/60th sec, f4.0 w/ flash)
Seahawks tight end John Carlson took some photos out of the window as we headed out to the ocean to meet a group of four F-15s that had taken off from Oregon.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 800, 1/100th sec, f2.8)
In case you're wondering, this is what he saw (cue "Top Gun" music):
(Nikon D3, VR 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 160mm, ISO 200, 1/2500th sec,f4.5)
Pretty cool.
Back in the refueling bay, there was room for two guests to lie down next to the the person doing the refueling, in this case Sergeant Steve Tilford. Joe Newton squeezed his big frame down next to him for a bird's-eye view of a fighter first approaching, then refueling, finally falling away after a thumbs-up from the F15 pilot.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 14mm, ISO 800, 1/640th sec, f2.8)
Here's the view:
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 44mm, ISO 200, 1/2500th sec, f4.5)
Yeah, in my professional photographer opinion, that's worth a photo. We were so close it was like you reach out and touch the fighter. How close? The photo above is shot with a 44mm lens, which is wider than the "normal" 50mm fixed length lens that used to be standard on cameras.
That's a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo. This image, shot with a 200mm lens from over the shoulder of the John Carlson, puts in better perspective.
(Nikon D3, VR 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 200, 1/1000th sec,f4.0)
Upon landing, the Air Force guys gave us a walkaround tour of the plane. Coach Mora checked out the bottom of the refueler where there aredirectional arrows and lights that show the F-15 pilot whether to move forward or back in order to position the fuel pipe.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/200th sec, 2.8)
As much of a highlight as the flight was for us, the opportunity to meet Mora and the players was great for our military hosts.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 34mm, ISO 2000, 1/200th sec, f4.5)
They talked all afternoon about the signed 12th Man flag that was presented to them on behalf of the team.
Afterward, there was time for pictures and an autograph session. The usual assortment of posters, helmets and footballs was signed, but the most unusual item of the day was this training bomb (filled with cement, not explosives) that was passed down the table.
Definitely NOT the type of bomb that football players usually catch, but John Carlson didn't bat an eye when he signed his name.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/200th sec, 2.8)
Sounders FC: That Winning Feeling Again.
After seven weeks without a win, Freddie and Fredy came to the rescue and each scored a goal to lead the Sounders FC to a 2-1 win over the visiting San Jose Earthquakes.
It was another great evening with pleasant temperatures in the 70's and a full house of fans decked out for a win.
(Nikon D3, VR 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 320, 1/400th sec.,f2.8)
Shooting the action of Major League Soccer is always a blast, but the artsy-fartsy photographer side of me (it's not a big side, I mean, I don't wear black turtlenecks to the matches) was on the lookout for nice moments. I found this young flag bearer preparing for the pregame ceremonies and waited for some nice composition.
(Nikon D3, VR 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 400, 1/500th sec.,f2.8)
As a former journalist (that seems very weird to say, er, write), I have many friends in the sports media world who scoff at soccer. Too many ties, they say. Not enough action. While a couple of players are around the ball, the rest are standing around. Clearly they're not real athletes like football or basketball players.
Well, check this out as Fredy Montero leapt and corralled this long pass with his foot while still in midair before landing and controlling the ball deep in the San Jose half.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 1600, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
I often get asked what the game looks like from the field level where I shoot. Photos shot with a long telephoto lens really don't show the perspective I see, but this shot of a Sebastien LeToux corner kick will give you a pretty good idea.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 800, 1/1000th sec.,f2.8)
As in past Seattle matches, physical play was common. Multiple yellow cards were served to San Jose, who while entering the game with a subpar record, seemed bent on making Sounders FC lose their temper. After all, with the number of red cards the Sounders have amassed so far this season, making them angry seems like a reasonable strategy.
However, the Sounders held their emotions in check much of the match, and defender Tyrone Marshall and Earthquakes defender Ryan Johnson each smiled as they tied up on a corner kick into the San Jose area.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 250mm, ISO 1600, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
Once again, opponents had to deal with the speed and skill of rookie Steve Zakuani on the left side. Here he left Chris Leitch is is wake on a first half run.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
LeToux got a leg up on San Jose's Aaron Pitchkolan.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 400mm, ISO 1600, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
Seattle kept the ball in the San Jose end for much of the first half and failed to capitalize on at least three chances before Freddie Ljungberg put one home in the 42nd minute. I was shooting from left of the goal (as the players were facing) and the shot came from the left so I didn't have a great angle. But Ljungberg turned towards me and ran in my direction. The first frame is with a 200-400mm lens zoomed all the way out, and as you can see I am cutting off feet and the composition is tight.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 200mm, ISO 1600, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
I switched to the wide-angle camera (24-70mm) that I had around my neck in time to make a nice frame when Steve Zakuani came over to celebrate with Ljungberg. Here's the full frame, followed by a cropped version. Which do you like?
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 55mm, ISO 800, 1/1000th sec.,f2.8)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 55mm, ISO 800, 1/1000th sec.,f2.8)
When I teach and when I speak to groups, I always preach the importance of staying with the scene and shooting, versus stopping to look at the review screen to see "if you got it". This paid off as even though I thought I had a nice frame of Zakuani and Ljungberg, when the rest of the players came over, the video board read "GOAL" and everything came together.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 55mm, ISO 800, 1/1000th sec.,f2.8)
Here's a different angle than I usually shoot. From the top of the box, I was able to look in to see Patrick Ianni heading a service towards the San Jose goal.
(Nikon D3, VR 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 180mm, ISO 1600, 1/800th sec.,f2.8)
Moments later, Fredy Montero scored but ran the other way to celebrate. You're never going to get every moment, so make the most of the ones that come your way.
I stayed for a bit longer in that spot and caught a decent frame when San Jose goalkeeper Joe Cannon came out to save a ball as Sebastien LeToux charged in.
As the game entered the final minutes, I took some chances and tried to shoot really tight with a 600mm lens wherever the ball went. Trust me, out-of-focus shots of socks and shoes and turf are NOT where it's at. Made one okay frame when Seattle's Stephen King and San Jose's Jason Hernandez battled in the air in the San Jose area.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/4.0 lens, ISO 3200, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
The game got physical towards the end as San Jose scored to come with one goal of a draw and Seattle tried to retain possession. When LeToux came over to the corner I was shooting from, San Jose's Aaron Pitchkolan dumped him towards the sidelines.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 200mm, ISO 4000, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
The Sounders held on for a 2-1 win to get back on the good side of the ledger, and after the game head coach Sigi Schmid was still coaching as he pulled defender James Riley over for some quick postgame instruction.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
However, the fans were happy as the team finally got a victory, even if it was over the last-place Earthquakes. A win is a win, and the Sounders desperately needed one.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/400th sec.,f2.8)
There was a nice moment on the field after the game when Freddie Ljungberg picked up his five-year old godson for the traditional team salute to the fans in the south stands.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/400th sec.,f2.8)
I'll be shooting plenty of soccer in the next couple of weeks. Sounders FC plays again this Wednesday, and then the following weekend.
Thanks for reading!
Sounders FC: Tying One On (Again)
Seriously, dude, what's your excuse this time? Why so long between updates.
Well, I don't want to use it as an excuse, but on Tuesday I had to shoot a group portait of the 2009 Seagals.
You wanted to be my assistant for that shoot? I called you, I left emails and a text and you never responded.
Tough work but someone had to do it. Might as well have been me. Photos to come, soon.
Back to the weekend, and our beloved Sounders FC, who once again played well enough to win, but didn't, settling for a 1-1 draw with the Columbus Crew.
The Crew are the defending M.L.S. champions, which they won under current Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid, so that was one of the story lines.
Could this young fan be any cuter? The color of her eyes even matches her scarf.
(Nikon D3, VR 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 125mm, ISO400, 1/125th sec.,f2.8)
Seahawks head coach Jim Mora was presented with the honorary Golden Scarf before the game. He's a big Sounders FC fan, and brings his family to games. But more on that later.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 270mm, ISO 800, 1/400th sec.,f4.0)
Sounders players and coaches huddled before the start of the game. It was a warm, pleasant evening and a perfect night for soccer.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 800, 1/250th sec., f4.0)
The game was closely contested, and in the first half Seattle's Tyrone Marshall got himself above Columbus's Emmanuel Ekpo to win a header.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 2000, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
After Columbus scored to take a 1-0 lead in the first half, Seattle had a great chance when Freddie Ljungberg was taken down in the box. However, his penalty kick was wide of the mark and a great opportunity was missed.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 240mm, ISO 2500, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
Fans at Qwest Field reacted after finally, an official's call had gone the Sounders way, only to be wasted.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 2500, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller continued his stellar play, stopping a straight on shot by Ekpo.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 2500, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
Nate Jaqua tangled with Columbus's Eddie Gaven, as the Crew worked hard to smother Seattle's forwards.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 2500, 1/640th sec.,f4.0)
In the second half, Jaqua finally worked himself free and made a perfect strike on a volley after a nifty pass from Freddie Ljungberg.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 280mm, ISO 3200, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
The ball rocketed into the top of the net and the celebration was on.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 70mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
By the way, the guy lower right high-fiving? Yep, that's Coach Mora. Told you we'd come back to that.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 66mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
Can't have an M.L.S. game without cards being given out. At this rate, maybe Hallmark should be a presenting sponsor (*note to self — call league office). After Columbus goalkeeper Andy Greunebaum illegally touched a back pass, Seattle was awarded a free kick at the six-yard mark. Defenders are by rule supposed to be at least ten yards from the ball, so they should have been on the goal line. Referee Michael Kennedy was doing his best to keep the Crew defenders back, and when they crept up he finally got tired of it and issued cards.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 270mm, ISO 3200, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
The rest of the match was physical, as Columbus was fighting for a draw on the road and Seattle pressed for a victory to end their own recent run of draws.
Jaqua found himself sandwiched between two Crew defenders on a corner kick.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 240mm, ISO 3200, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
Later, Ljungberg left Columbus defender Gino Padula on the Field Turf. Yes, this was quite likely a hand ball, and no, it wasn't called. Ljungberg made off with the ball anyway, and that might have been the reason for the non-call.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/4.0 lens @ 400mm, ISO 3200, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
After the game, Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid hugged his former player Alejandro Moreno, who scored the lone Columbus goal.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 62mm, ISO 1600, 1/500th sec.,f4.0)
After settling for the draw on their home turf, Seattle's Fredy Montero sat somewhat dejectedly on the bench until teammate Steve Zakuani came by to offer support.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 36mm, ISO 1600, 1/500th sec.,f4.0)
Sounder FC next plays at home on June 13, on the Xbox 360 Pitch at Qwest Field.
Thanks for reading!
Seahawks: OTA’s with the O-Line.
O.T.B. — Off Track Betting.
But O.T.A.?
Here's a hint — it's a football term.
Off-Tackle…Attack?
Try this: Organized Team Activity.
Otherwise known as "football practice". But unlike the other forms of practice in the NFL (regular practice, training camp, and mini-camp), OTA's are voluntary — players are not required to attend, and there is no contact allowed.
New Seahawks head coach Jim Mora has his team fired up to improve on last season's poor 4-12 showing, so all of the off-season workouts have been well-attended.
I was shooting stuff of only certain players like third-round draft choice Deon Butler, who changed his number to 11, after wearing 85 for the first minicamp.
As I worked my way around the field, I noticed the offensive lineman working on a drill involving a blocking pad and some mats. They were pretty close to the edge of the field, so I wandered over. Any chance to use a wide-angle lens at football is cool — mostly because it is a different angle than we get most of the time.
One thing about football practice is that except for the football staff, no one really knows how long each drill lasts. Seems like just when I get settled for a shot, the horn blows and every one runs away to a different part of the field.
So hustling over, I started shooting quickly. Wanted to get something "in the can" before the drill ended. My best hope was that I had at least a couple of minutes to shoot before they changed drills.
The first shot is, well, back-focused (focused on the players in the background, not the foreground). I shouldn't have to tell you that this is unintentional, just a result of moving too fast. Yuck.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 38mm, ISO 400, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
After that, I find a low angle so that I can make the players loom larger as they dive into the block. Only problem is that the coach holding the blocking pad has moved to my side and so now I'm a bit blocked.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 48mm, ISO 400, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
Luckily, the coach changes side and the angle opens up. One challenge here was the exposure. Bright sun in the background, players in dark jerseys jumping into a dark mat. If only fill flash were allowed. Actually, not. Fill flash would make the exposure better, but would introduce an artificialness to the photo that would suck. And no, I don't know if artificialness is even a word.
With the frame below (rookie Andre Ramsey), I feel I'm getting somewhere. But other photographers and television cameras have wandered over, and they're right over my head. I prefer the low angle, but I'm kind of contorted on the ground and having a tough time keeping the horizon level and the camera as low to the ground as possible.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 66mm, ISO 400, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
When Rob Sims goes through, I think I have a usable frame. I can see his face, his body position is good, and the pad is in midair. Now I can experiment a bit more.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 48mm, ISO 400, 1/1250th sec.,f4.0)
The more the players hit the mat, the more it slides, and soon I have a nearly perfect horizontal composition. Good for the position of the bodies, not so good for the faces, but hey, I'm shooting wide-angle, no one has hit me, and the coach doesn't seem to mind that I'm close to the action. Remember that with the wide-angle lens, I'm about 10 feet from the players. In the realm of pro football practices, that's much closer than one usually gets. This one is of Mansfield Wrotto taking his turn.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 45mm, ISO 400, 1/1250th sec.,f4.0)
Coach didn't like that first try (and I didn't either, but for not the same reasons), and on Wrotto's second try I made a frame that has better body angle,but he's not high enough off the ground to create any separation.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 36mm, ISO 400, 1/1250th sec.,f2.8)
Satisfied that I made the photo I was looking for, I just went looser on the last turn before the end of the drill. The result is a more classic looking football picture.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 26mm, ISO 400, 1/1250th sec.,f2.8)
It's always fun finding a new angle and new opportunity. I feel completely geeky when I break down a simple picture like this, but I figure I have to push myself on every frame or I won't get better.
Sounders FC: Giving Cards for Mother’s Day.
Well, I guess if you hold a soccer match on Mother’s Day, everyone should expect a card, right? On the Xbox Pitch, there were plenty of them handed out — red and yellow ones to be exact.
Head referee Tim Weyland handed out nine cards during the 90 minute match, including a damaging red card to Sounders FC defender James Riley in the 57th minute.
If you’re a Sounders FC fan, you’re already familiar and probably sick of discussing the officiating, and frankly, I don’t know enough about soccer to even pretend to have an informed opinion. However, the general consensus was that Weyland was in a bit over his head during the match, and he did the unforgivable in terms of officiating — he became the center of attention instead of the on-field arbiter.
Little did anyone know during the national anthem that Weyland (far right) would have a controversial afternoon.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
Check that. Seattle coach Sigi Schmid did say after the game that he’d vetoed having Weyland on his games back when Schmid was coaching in college, so at least one of the 29,000 folks at Qwest Field had an idea of what might be coming.
Seattle sought to contain Galaxy forward and U.S. National Team star Landon Donovan, as Sounders FC defender Nathan Sturgis showed in the first half.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 200mm, ISO 200, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
Without David Beckham, the star power was concentrated on Donovan and Seattle’s Freddie Ljungberg.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 360mm, ISO 400, 1/2000th sec.,f4.0)
The Sounders took the lead when Sebastien LeToux knocked in a wide-open goal after a nifty pass from Nate Jaqua.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 310mm, ISO 200, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
Weyland held his whistle just before halftime after Jaqua was taken down in the penalty box by Los Angeles’ Dema Kovalenko.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 400, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 400, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
That non-call earned the officiating crew a lusty booing as they went to the dressing room.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 400, 1/1000th sec.,f4.0)
In the second half game seemed to get out-of-control as both sides took the physicalness to a higher level. Tempers reached a peak in the 57th minute when Seattle’s James Riley cuffed Los Angeles’ Mike Magee behind the head after Magee and two other Galaxy players scuffled with Riley after a foul.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 240mm, ISO 400, 1/2000th sec.,f4.0)
Head referee Weyland initially issued a yellow card, then upgraded it after conferring with one of his linesmen.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 270mm, ISO 400, 1/2000th sec.,f4.0)
After the ejection, the teams seemed more content to play soccer. Playing a man down for the third time this season, the Sounders were forced to apply all their energy on preserving a draw or sneaking in a potential game-winner.
Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller was stellar again, as he leaped high over Magee for a save.
(Nikon D3, VR 600mm/f4.0 lens, ISO 400, 1/2000th sec.,f4.0)
Action was fierce when (l-r) Seattle’s Tyrone Marshall, Los Angeles’ Alan Gordon, Seattle’s Nate Jaqua and Los Angeles goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts all battled for a service into the goal area in the second half.
An excellent chance for Sounders FC game when Nate Jaqua was inches from a goal, only to have Los Angeles’ Stefani Miglioranzi get a foot on it at the last possible second as goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts closed in.
With the 1-1 draw complete, Freddie Ljungberg traded jerseys with Donovan, which he wore backwards and inside out in his haste.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 32mm, ISO 200, 1/640th sec.,f4.0)
Seattle coach Sigi Schmid and Donovan chatted briefly after the match near midfield.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 58mm, ISO 200, 1/500th sec.,f4.0)
As he left the pitch, local fan favorite LeToux reached over to shake some hands as he made his way to the locker room.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 324mm, ISO 200, 1/500th sec.,f4.0)
Seahawks: Aaron Curry Arrives in Seattle.
As a contract photographer for the Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle Sounders FC, I am getting to witness the culture of sports from another angle — that is, the side behind the doors typically closed to the media.
Today I had the opportunity to jump behind those doors with the Seahawks.
The biggest sporting event of the weekend (with apologies to my Sounders FC mates) wasn't even a game or a match. It was the NFL draft, and in it, the Seahawks had the fourth overall choice.
As head coach Jim Mora quipped, "it's not a position we want to ever be in again". That's because if you're picking fourth, it means you had one hell of a sh*tty season the year before. To anyone's reckoning, a record of 4-12 fits that bill.
But that's so last year, and with a new coach and a healthier roster, the Seahawks are on the rise.
With the fourth pick in the weekend's draft, Seattle selected linebacker Aaron Curry out of Wake Forest. Curry arrived late Sunday evening, accompanied by his fiancee and his mother. By 9am they were on their way to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, headquarters of the Seahawks, and I was waiting to document Curry's big first day in Seattle.
Curry was accompanied by Seahawks director of player development Maurice Kelly, and a cameraman from NFL.com.
Upon first arriving at the VMAC, Curry walked up to the building and raised both fists and yelled, "yeah! this is IT!". Unlike many high draft picks who are flown to the city of a prospective suitor for the purposes of pre-draft interviews, the Seahawks were discreet about their desire for Curry so no such visit was arranged.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 32mm, ISO 800, 1/200th sec.,f6.3)
The four pillars of the franchise's mission statement are emblazoned in large print in the lobby, and by all accounts, Curry will fit the bill.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 65mm, ISO 1250, 1/100th sec.,f6.3)
Curry appeared tired, albeit just briefly, on the elevator ride up to the offices of head coach Jim Mora and team president and general manager Tim Ruskell. "Just for a second," said Curry, of his yawn. "Our plane was delayed last night and I was up early today because I wanted to get this day going!".
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 16mm, ISO 1250, 1/8th sec.,f2.8)
Up in the coaches offices, Ruskell and Mora handed binoculars to Curry so he could see the bald eagle that flies over the outdoor practice field which borders Lake Washington.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 48mm, ISO 1250, 1/125th sec.,f4.0)
His tour continued with a visit to the draft room, where Seahawks staff had gathered over the weekend to select players, including, of course, one Aaron Curry.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 42mm, ISO 1250, 1/60th sec, f3.2)
Curry marveled at the size of the new indoor practice facility, and endured some playful teasing from veterans who were working out.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 16mm, ISO 1250, 1/250th sec., f2.8 + flash)
The players' locker room is new and plush, with recessed lighting and wood fixtures. Curry took in the size of the room and wondered where the linebackers sat.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 17mm, ISO 1250, 1/40th sec., f2.8 + flash)
Kelly, the player development man, quickly said, "not so fast, man, the rookies dress IN HERE" and opened the door to a small room with black metal lockers and harsh florescent lighting. Curry laughed and said, "Okay, I see how it is. That's good. We'll bond down here, us rookies".
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 17mm, ISO 1250, 1/25th sec., f4.0 + flash)
In the equipment room, Curry posed between huge movable storage units that hold every type of football gear imaginable.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 17mm, ISO 1250, 1/40th sec., f6.3 + flash)
A trip to the players lounge, outfitted with computers, flat screen televisions and video games with customized chairs gave Curry a moment to reflect on how his life was about to change.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1250, 1/40th sec., f5.6 + flash)
Finally it was time to change into a suit and head up to his first press conference with the Seattle media. His first "Welcome to the NFL" moment came just before he took the stage when a team official handed him a jersey with his name and number on it, then gave him instructions on how to hold it in front of the cameras.
"You mean hold it up in front of me? That's all big time! Wow…Really? Man, I see that on television and it's a big deal." Guess what, Mr. Curry, you're a big deal, too. In front of the lights and cameras, he looked at ease, and handled himself comfortably.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 160mm, ISO 1600, 1/250th sec., f4.0)
After the official press conference it was time for one-on-one interviews.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24/f2.8 lens @ 21mm, ISO 1600, 1/200th sec., f3.2)
Like most athletes, as soon as the suit wasn't needed, he changed back into more comfortable clothes, and made his way out of the VMAC with a day full of memories and an handful of hats. A true player, he couldn't help but stop at a nearby television to watch just a little more draft coverage.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 800, 1/40th sec., f3.5 + flash)
Curry flew back home tonight, but will return in time for the start of this weekend's minicamp.
It was fun for him, but it was also a fun day for me, combining some of my journalism instincts (find storytelling moments) with my new job (getting behind the curtain and sharing what I see).
Thanks for reading and thanks for your patience as I have been taking more time between posts.
iPhoning It In at Sportsshooter Academy VI.
The past three weeks have been a whirlwind. It’s not like I didn’t have time to blog — I did. But I used that time to rest and spend time with family — priorities, right?
Now I have a chance to catch my breath, catch up on the blog, and catch up on my sleep. I’m lucky and grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way in the recent weeks.
In that time I shot the Seahawks first mini-camp of the season, did some work for a non-profit, flew to California to teach at a workshop, and then shot the first home series of the Mariners season. Because I was in California, I wasn’t able to shoot the Sounders FC home game against the Kansas City Wizards.
Let’s start with the workshop.
The Sportsshooter Academy started as the brainchild of my good
friend Robert Hanashiro of USA Today, who also started the
Sportsshooter newsletter some years ago, then evolved it into the most
popular website for sports photography in the world, Sportsshooter.com.
Along
the way he wanted to keep giving back so he started his now-famous
“Sportshooter Luaus”, which were two-day workshops full of speakers and
breakout sessions featuring such photography luminaries as Bill Eppridge, Vincent Laforet, Brad Mangin, Peter Read Miller and Robert
Seale.
Although Bert has been inviting me to help with the
Academy for years, this was the first time my schedule allowed me to
participate.
I was fortunate to be invited to participate as one of the faculty of what essentially is a four-day, intensive workshop where participants spend the day shooting sports under the watchful eye of veteran photographers. The nights are spent editing and critiquing. The next morning, there is a quick slide show of the each participants favorite images along with faculty critiques and then we hit the streets (or in this case, horse tracks, boxing rings, baseball diamonds and beach volleyball courts) in order to do it all again.
Thanks to the generosity of Nikon, in particular Bill Pekala and Ron Taniwaki, the students had access to a bevy of top-of-the-line Nikon gear. Want to shoot a Nikon D3 with a VR 400mm/f.28 lens? Nikon loaned it to you. Longer? Smaller? More? Nikon not only loaned equipment but the underwrote the entire cost of the workshop for participants. That’s right. Each student attended for FREE, thanks to Nikon.
Boy, what I had been missing! It was four days of fun andteaching, but also LEARNING for yours truly.
I arrived at 9:00 am after an early morning flight, and was whisked from the airport to the academy hotel by 9:20. By 9:30 I was giving a presentation in front of 50 participants. My job was to send them out the door to their first assignment, inspired and ready to work.
By offering them 10 tips on how to make better sports photos, I shared some of my knowledge gleaned from nearly 20 years in the industry. Not sure how much of an impact my talk had, but that night I was treated to some wonderful imagery captured by the participants over the course of the day.
My first day was spent teaching remote cameras and baseball shooting. We started at a junior college game, then were along the foul lines at a Division I game between Irvine and Long Beach State. While the students wandered seeking the best positions and the best angles, I wandered around with my iPhone taking pictures between bouts of answering questions and offering advice.
This isn’t supposed to be an ad for the iPhone, but we did think it funny that while the students were running around with top-of-the-line Nikon D3’s and D700’s, most of the faculty was taking pictures with iPhones.
Spare bats and balls, along with some fertilizer wait for use in a groundskeeper’s shed:
Used baseballs sit in a bucket waiting for batting practice.:
Players from Fullerton College prepare in the dugout for their game with East Los Angeles College:
Fullerton’s lineup card:
One of the Academy participants seeks a different vantage point after reaching the top of the dugout via a convenient ladder:
A reliever for Fullerton takes his warmup tosses in the bullpen:
Over the four days I saw some great photos and also some brave mistakes, but more importantly I met some incredible people and learned so much myself. If you are EVER able to listen to Dave Black speak or offer a critique, lend an ear. His attention to photographic detail is unmatched and I was taking copious mental notes every time he uttered a word. Add that Dave is as humble and personable as he is knowledgeable, and well, it’s just a treat to be around him.
Also on the faculty were Matt Brown, a freelancer who works for a number of universities and athletic conferences in Southern California, Wally Skalij and Myung Chun of the Los Angeles Times, Michael Goulding of the Orange County Register, and freelancers Lucas Gilman, David Honl. Great shooters, even better people.
If you are interested in stepping up your game in sports photography, try to attend one of the Sportsshooter Academies. They are held in Southern California, and dates are announced at Sportsshooter.com months in advance.
Sounders FC: From Fredy to Freddie
Last week it was Fredy Montero who nabbed the spotlight, leading Sounders FC to a 3-0 win over New York in the inaugural match, but this week, all eyes were on Freddie Ljungberg, who made his Seattle debut in the 61st minute in a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake.
Over 28,000 Sounders FC fans and supporters once again packed Qwest Field, creating the second sellout in as many games. The Supporters groups in the south stands once again set the tone for the entire stadium, with their flags, banners, chants and songs filling the air.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 400mm, ISO 3200, 1/400th sec.,f4.0)
After team emerged from the tunnel for the start of the match, goalkeeper Kasey Keller gathered his teammates in a circle and then implored them to “PROTECT OUR HOUSE!”
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
Seattle’s starting lineup was nearly the same as in the opener but with Sanna Nyassi injured, rookie Steve Zakuani started in his place.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mmf/2.8 lens @ 70mm, ISO 1600, 1/500th sec.,f4.0)
Zakuani made is presence known almost immediately, making a deft move with the ball down the left side before crossing it to Nate Jaqua in the 17th minute for the game’s first goal.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 200mm, ISO 3200, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
I was shooting about 10 yards up the sideline from the endline, and Zakuani was actually between me and Jaqua when the goal was scored, so I was blocked from having a clean photo of the actual shot. But Jaqua ran towards me and leaped on top of teammates in celebration.
This shot is a little tight, as I’m shooting with the Nikon VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens. I had three bodies and because of the threat of rain, I didn’t want to mess around switching lenses. So my kit comprised of a D3 with a VR 400mm/f2.8 lens + 1.4 extender (550mm/f4.0), a D3 with the VR 200-400mm f/4.0 lens (which I raved about in the entry from last week’s game)
and a D3 with the Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens. I’d rather carry the 24-70mm than the 700-200mm, because I think if players run towards me and I can get them into the foreground of the frame, the wide-angle image is infinitely more dramatic.
Having a lens that’s near 600mm (either the VR 600mm/f4.0 lens or the combo of the VR 400mm/f.8 + extender) allows me to be on one end of the field and still have a reasonable (yet not quite optimal) chance of shooting the other goal as well. As the field is roughly 120 yards long, it’s quite a throw.
But it can pay off, as I found when goalkeeper Kasey Keller, the local hero from Olympia, Washington, came out of his net to make a save high in the air on a corner kick.
(Nikon D3, VR 400mm/f2.8 lens + 1.4 extender, ISO 3200, 1/640th sec.,f4.0)
Keller was stellar once again, with five saves and another shutout. For his efforts and his “clean sheet” (soccer slang for a shutout — see how much I’m learning?), he was named “Man of the Match”.
Jaqua, who I found out has especially great games against Real Salt Lake (six goals in his last six games against RLS), was a force in the first half, using his size and strength on balls in the air over the middle.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 330mm, ISO 3200, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
In the 61st minutes, Sounders fans got what they’d been waiting for since his announced signing, as Freddie Ljungberg took to the XBOX 360 pitch for the first time. Ljungberg acknowledged the standing ovation for him as he entered the field.
(Nikon D3, VR 400mm/f2.8 lens + 1.4 extender, ISO 3200, 1/640th sec.,f4.0)
Head coach Sigi Schmid remarked after the game that he thought Ljungberg’s ball control skills would help as Real Salt Lake dominated the ball in the second half as they looked desperately to tie the match.
(Nikon D3, VR 400mm/f2.8 lens + 1.4 extender, ISO 3200, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
Ljungberg’s surgically repaired hip was put to the test early and often, as when he was taken down by Real Salt Lake’s Kyle Beckerman.
(Nikon D3, VR 400mm/f2.8 lens + 1.4 extender, ISO 3200, 1/640th sec.,f4.0)
(Nikon D3, VR 400mm/f2.8 lens + 1.4 extender, ISO 3200, 1/640th sec.,f4.0)
Freddy Montero scored his third goal of the season in the 77th minute, firing a rocket from outside of the box. It was an incredible goal on a high-risk shot. Replays show that Ljungberg was wide open if Montero would have put a through-ball to him, but the shot paid off for a 2-0 lead.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 260mm, ISO 3200, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
After the final whistle, Montero acknowledged the standing ovation.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 32mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
Keller, who had before the game implored his teammates “protect our house” during a pregame huddle, led his teammates in a linked-hands show of thanks to the fans.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
Ljungberg, who traded jerseys with one of the Salt Lake players, gave a thumbs up to the fans as he headed off the pitch.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 28mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
Sounders fans now have to wait until April 11 for the next home match, but one doubts the fever will subside before then.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 32mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
Sounders FC: Some Enchanted Evening, Part 3.
The crowd at the Sounders' inaugural match created an atmosphere that reminded veteran soccer observers of contests in Europe (Okay, without hooligans. Yet. Remember that Portland just got a franchise). Flags, banners and metallic confetti filled the air in Qwest Field.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/500th sec.,f2.8)
In the south end of the stadium, supporters groups, anchored by the Emerald City Supporters, were loud, enthusiastic and visible for all 90 minutes.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 29mm, ISO 1600, 1/500th sec.,f2.8)
When the referee's whistle ended the match, players gathered at midfield and saluted each side of the stadium. Man of the Match Fredy Montero saved his best for those supporters in the south end of the field.
(Nikon D3, VR 400mm/f2.8 lens + 1.4x extender, ISO 3200, 1/400th sec.,f4.0)
With head coach Sigi Schmid's blessing, players wandered over to the stands and accepted congratulations, shook hands, gave high fives and signed autographs. James Riley was first, and he spent over 15 minutes with fans.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/500th sec.,f2.8)
Sebastien Le Toux, who has been in Seattle for three years (first with the USL Sounders) was mobbed.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 35mm, ISO 1600, 1/500th sec.,f2.8)
Montero shook hands and signed autographs before leaving the field.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/500th sec.,f2.8)
Local hero Kasey Keller finished interviews and then thanked fans before heading to the locker room.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/500th sec.,f2.8)
Sounder FC – One Enchanted Evening, Part 2.
This continues Part 1 of my post on incredible evening that was the inaugural match of Seattle’s newest sports franchise, Sounders FC.
When game time finally rolled around, the lower and middle decks of Qwest Field were crammed with soccer fans, a buzzing, swirling mass of Rave Green jerseys and scarves waiting for the ball to be put in play.
Soccer is full of traditions, one of which being the parade of officials and players to the pitch (field).
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 200mm, ISO 1600, 1/400th sec.,f4.0)
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 200mm, ISO 1600, 1/400th sec.,f4.0)
Because I was in place to shoot the pregame events, I found myself next to Seattle coach Sigi Schmid and his assistants during the national anthem.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 26mm, ISO 1600, 1/250th sec.,f6.3)
But before any soccer match is the traditional photo of the starters. After player introductions and handshakes with the opponents and officials, the players group near the sideline and pose for about 15 seconds so a gaggle of photographers (does that make me a goose?) slam away at their shutters. After one team comes the other, then the coin flip, which is the last pregame event before the action starts.
In American football, you have to also wait until the coin flip to figure out who is facing which way. Not a huge problem there because you are free to move pretty much anywhere at any time during a game. However, in soccer, you can’t switch ends once the ball is put in play until the half is over, so you have to be aware of what’s going on or be stuck on possibly the “wrong” end of the field.
So the smart thing is to try to linger after the team photos somewhere in the vicinity of midfield behind the benches and then make the mad scramble to whichever end the team you are covering is shooting at. (Wow. That is one awkward sentence. Would you believe I once taught high school English? Now you probably know why I don’t do that anymore…)
It didn’t take long for history to be made. Fredy Montero, the 21-year old Columbian scored the club’s first goal on low shot in the 11th minute.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 260mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f4.0)
There was a lot of pressure among the shooters to “get” that first goal on film (well, digital), and really my frame is just a picture of record. You can’t see the keeper, and he ran to the corner away from me to celebrate, but hey, at least it’s something. Had the first goal come off of a corner kick on a header in traffic, that would have been harder to shoot. Even though I’m shooting a 200-400mm lens here, I noticed in the metadata afterwards that this frame is at 260mm. I think I was preparing to come looser with the lens because I was anticipating a pass or cross to the middle, not a shot.
It wasn’t until I saw a video clip that I realized he and some teammates had done a little dance over in the corner. Can’t be everywhere at once, I guess. Luckily, I made a few frames as he celebrated while returning to midfield.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 400mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f4.0)
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 260mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f4.0)
Forward Nate Jaqua almost scored after sliding to beat a New York defender to the ball, but the shot was saved.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 220mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f4.0)
That black stuff popping up from the turf is little black rubber pellets that basically serve as the “dirt” for the Field Turf surface.
Sebastien Le Toux, who played for the Sounders former U.S.L. team, also had a good chance in the first half, but New York goalkeeper Danny Cepero came out to block the ball away
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 200mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f4.0)
The Nikon VR 200-400/f4.0 lens is the PERFECT lens for covering soccer at the near end of the field. The high ISO capabilities of the D3 allow me to shoot at f4.0 instead of f2.8, and the flexibility of the focal length makes life VERY easy because the ball swings from near to far and far to near so quickly in soccer.
Midfielder Brad Evans tallied the second goal of the game, taking a through-ball from Montero and left-footing it between the legs of the keeper to make it a 2-0 game. Evans was in front of me as he shot, then turned in celebration. Because I’m focusing and shooting, I have to rely on the sound of the crowd erupting and Evans’ own reaction to know he scored.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 200mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f4.0)
He ran over to the corner nearest me, and I dropped (well, carefully placed) the long lens down to shoot wider with the 24-70mm lens which was around my neck. I like the way the crowd is reacting around them as they celebrate.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 70mm, ISO 1600, 1/500th sec.,f4.0)
When we think of sports photography, we often think first about peak action photos. Players competing at their highest level, often with their faces and bodies showing us the strength and grace of the sport. When Seattle’s Nate Jaqua got tangled with New York’s Kevin Goldthwaite, along the sidelines, we see such an image. It’s a big crop since I was shooting with the 200-400mm lens, but I think it holds up okay.
(Nikon D3, VR 200-400mm/f4.0 lens @ 400mm, ISO 3200, 1/800th sec.,f4.0)
But by trying to provide a different look at sports photography instead of just tight shots of players competing, we treat the viewer of a shot that includes the environment surrounding the action. It’s why the swinging boom camera that sweeps over the crowd is so popular for televised sports now. Heck, they even used one at the Grammys broadcast. Showing viewers an angle that don’t usually see is always one of the goals as a photographer.
When Fredy Montero scored his second goal, it was on a great steal, fake and shot. Great on video. Still-wise, there is no decisive frame that tells the story. At a fraction of a second per frame, it’s “guy steals ball”, “guy dribbles”, “guy shoots”. Not thrilling images.
But afterward, Montero turned to celebrate, and I was fortunate that like Evans, Montero came right at me. This allowed me to use the wide-angle again, and it adds a lot to see the full stadium behind him and teammate Nate Jaqua.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 28mm, ISO 1600, 1/500th sec.,f2.8)
Eventually they stopped RIGHT in front of me and celebrated as a group.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/500th sec.,f2.8)
It’s always smart to stay with a situation until it’s completely over, and I was rewarded when Montero turned one last time to acknowledge the raucous fans in the south stands.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 70mm, ISO 1600, 1/500th sec.,
f2.8)
To be continued…
On Assignment: Portait of Fred Beckey.
Here’s a recent assignment I shot for a newspaper client on the East Coast.
The subject was famed climber Fred Beckey, who turned 86 years old this past week.
Pretty straightforward assignment as these things go — meet the subject at his home and make a portrait.
From the email detailing the shoot from the photo editor:
“We’ll need a great environmental portrait. Something really strong…maybe a close up of his face (weathered?) or hands. This could be nice. Can you light it? “
Like I said, pretty straightforward.
Immediately I’m thinking about shooting him climbing at one of the local rocks around Seattle or at an indoor climbing gym.
As always seems to happen (and you editorial photographers out there have all experienced this), the subject has already gone to the climbing gym with the reporter, and they didn’t make the assignment until after the reporter was done.
Nice.
Mr. Beckey is busy preparing to go to Europe and he doesn’t have time to climb or go to the gym, so we’ll meet at his home.
He lives in a very standard split-level home in North Seattle. Small rooms, no real space to set up a good lit portrait. Some of his photos hang on the wall, but the rooms are crowded and tight.
I do the standard walk around his home, feeling that familiar sense of panic set in — there’s no good place to shoot, there’s no good backgrounds, I’m totally screwed…etc.
In my pre-assignment brainstorming (which we all do, some of us write things down, some of us just obsess over the possibilities), I did make a mental note of getting some of his climbing gear into a shot. Beckey has been climbing for the better part of six decades, so I figure if climbers are anything like photographers, he’s got to have a ton of gear lying around somewhere.
So I ask him about his gear. Tells me there’s much of it down in the garage, but that it’s a mess.
We walk down there, and it’s a treasure trove of climbing gear, just as I’d imagined.
Now, where to put him?
I spot some ropes and axes and other tools hanging on a wall. There’s even kind of a natural space for where his head could be if I shot it from the right angle.
I snap a quick shot of the wall and can see that it will work.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 66mm, ISO 2000, 1/100th sec.,f4.0)
What about the light? It’s flat.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 32mm, ISO 2000, 1/80th sec.,f2.8)
We open the garage door and voila, there’s the light. Streaming in from one side if I pose him correctly. It’s a large and soft light source, one that I could duplicate with strobes, but why?
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70mm-200/f2.8 lens @ 102mm, ISO 2000, 1/100th sec.,f4.0)
Now that I’ve established the background, the light and the composition, it’s time to work on the most important part of the portrait — the position of the subject and what we can share about him in the final image.
I decide that I want him close to the wall of equipment — I want the viewer to know it’s climbing gear.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 32mm, ISO 2000, 1/125th sec.,f2.8)
With this image we have established the following about Fred Beckey — he’s well-lived, he’s an adventurer and we’ve done it in a distinguished manner. It’s a fairly strong portrait and it conveys the basics of what we know about him.
Moving on, I try to work in a piece of equipment as a prop. The ax I find beneath some bags of gear is fitting. It’s decades old, it’s rough and it’s sharp. Just like Mr. Beckey.
I shoot a couple of frames loose. I’ve brought him away from the background of gear now. Because he has the ax in his hands, we don’t need to see the detail of the gear behind him. It will distract. I shoot a little longer, at 70mm, and wide open at f2.8 so I can control the depth of field. I want the background to blur away.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 70mm, ISO 2000, 1/320th sec.,f2.8)
From here, I shoot tight details. The photo editor suggested maybe tight shots of the hands that have conquered so many peaks. I use the sharp features of the ax as a contrast to Beckey’s weathered, yet soft hands.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 70mm, ISO 2000, 1/100th sec.,f4.0)
We move from a tight shot of his hands to one that incorporates his face as well.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 70mm, ISO 2000, 1/100th sec.,f4.0)
To wrap up, I shoot a tight frame of his face.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 170mm, ISO 2000, 1/200th sec.,f4.0)
The soft light wraps around him and falls into every weathered crease in his face. Beckey manages a crooked smile for me but the thing I think the viewer notice first is the life in his eyes.
Portrait assignments can be challenging, especially for me. But I try to remember that each photo I take needs to tell a story. The light and the composition give the viewer a frame of reference to Fred Beckey, but his face and hands tell the story of a man who has “bagged” many many peaks all over the world. And at 86, he shows no signs of stopping.
Seahawks: Familiar Surroundings
So less than a week after my last day at the newspaper, I was back “in my office” working at Sunday’s game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New York Jets.
No, not the offices of the Seattle Times, I mean Qwest Field, which for years has been one of my “offices” — the place I go to work.
I was shooting for someone other than the paper, of course, but even then I couldn’t escape the Times. When I contacted the Seahawks to request credentials, they asked my to just wear the season credential I’d already been issued, since it has my photo on it for identification. Problem is, the affiliation says, “The Seattle Times”.
Apparently, you can go home again.
It was weird to enter the photo workroom and not sit down at my accustomed seat, where I’d set up my laptop and gear for the past seven seasons. Former co-worker Jim Bates was set up in that area, and I set up my gear on another table and went over to say hi.
Signing in for my NFL-mandated photo vest, the person spoke aloud as he recorded my name, credential number and affiliation. “Rod Mar, Seattle Times…”.
“Um, no. Not anymore,” I corrected him. Same dork, different affiliation. There’s a reason this face is usually BEHIND a camera…Anyway, thanks to Ted Warren of the AP for sending over this photo of me. That way, if my mom see it, she’ll know I’m still working for someone.
(Photo courtesy Ted Warren/Associated Press)
Once the game began, everything was comfortable and familiar.
Except — I wasn’t there to cover the game for the paper — telling the story of the game wasn’t my job. I was there to shoot a couple of specific things, and I needed to concentrate on them and not fall into my old familiar habits.
As it turned out, the things I needed to photograph didn’t really pan out the way we needed them to. It was frustrating, but shooting in the snowy conditions did make for unusual photos, at least for Seattle.
Despite a week of heavy snow and more forecast for game day, fans showed up in droves, in part because it was the final home game of the season, and more so because it was the last game that Mike Holmgren would coach as head of the Seahawks.
Snow did interesting things to the various blue and green hairdos in the stands. This gives a new meaning to the term “frosted tips”.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)
(Nikon D3, VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)
Employees with shovels and brooms were stationed around the field to keep the sidelines and yard lines visible. Some of them were members of the Mariners grounds crew, who pitched into help at neighboring Qwest Field.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)
Fans seated high in the north end zone “Hawks Nest” made snow benches to sit on.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)
Those in the lower levels built a “snowfan” to occupy one of the rare vacant seats.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)
The conditions played predictable havoc on the game, and especially in the first half, both the ball and the field were slick. Seattle tight end Will Heller fumbled, and the Jets recovered, then lost it, and finally recovered it for good.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)
However, on the next series, Seattle’s Josh Wilson intercepted the first of his two passes off of New York’s Brett Favre. That’s a Jets player coming off the sidelines at right nearly obscuring the play.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)
While the snow was messing with the players, it was also messing with the autofocus on my cameras and lenses. I’d like to tell you I’m being arty and focusing on snowflakes, but really, that’s a camera front focusing on snow as Seattle running back Maurice Morris runs for yardage.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)
Olindo Mare’s field goal gave Seattle a 10-3 lead as the snow fell.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)
New York’s Laveranues Coles is an offensive player who ended up playing defense on Seattle’s Josh Wilson to prevent an interception in the second half.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)
After Seattle sealed the win, the entire stadium squarely placed its focus on Mike Holmgren. He reunited with his former quarterback in Green Bay, Brett Favre.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1250, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 w/ flash)
Holmgren then took a lap around the field and waved to fans. He said it was his way of saying thanks to them.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1250, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 w/ flash)
One way this fan said thanks to Holmgren was getting a tattoo of him on his calf. I guess that will have to do until they put him in the team’s Ring of Honor.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1250th sec.,f2.8)
I actually had the opportunity to talk to the coach well after the game was over. We ended up in the parking lot at the same time. I’ve covered him for 10 years and have shot numerous portraits of him, so we know each other a little and I went over to say goodbye.
We chatted for a moment, and I told him I wouldn’t be going to the season finale in Arizona next week and so I wanted to thank him for all his cooperation over the years. When he learned that I’d left the paper, he wished me luck and told he was sure I’d find continued success.
After we shook hands and were parting, he turned and with a twinkle in his eye said, “Rod — how come in EVERY picture in the Seattle Times I’m yelling at someone?”
I was taken aback for a quick second before replying, “Sorry coach — I just take pictures of what I see.”
We laughed and went on our separate ways.
Seahawks: Spotlight On the Sidelines.
In photography, sometimes we get so satisfied just finding a good
situation that we don’t follow it through to the end and find the very
best image in that situation. Even if the frame we make isn’t a “contest winner”, we still want to find the best possible photograph at any given time or place.
This especially happens when we are
presented with a different view of a situation that we are used to
seeing in a particular way on a regular basis.
At most NFL
stadiums, the actual benches the players sit on are set back from the
sides of the marked bench area far enough that we have to use a
telephoto lens to make a good shot. If we’re lucky, sometimes a 50mm works.
One of the interesting things I’ve found about the
Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis is that the benches are located really
close to the end of the marked area for the teams (in the N.F.L. this
area is between the 32-yard lines).
Hang on. Let’s backtrack a
step. The bench proximity might be the ONLY interesting thing I’ve
found in that stadium. I hate domes. I shot in one for the first 15
years of my career. No interesting light. No unusual weather. Just
football being played in a loud terrarium.
Back to the benches.
One
of the story lines of the past few weeks with the Seahawks is their
patched together offensive line. Four of five starters were out with
injuries. Not surprisingly, the starting quarterback suffered injuries
while those starters were falling by the wayside.
So there we
were in the Gateway City (did they once used to make computers there?)
and I was photographing a second string quarterback playing behind a
second string line as they played out the season for pride.
Knowing that I want each of my photos to tell a story, I wanted to make a photo of the O-line at some point during the game.
I
found my chance after line coach Mike Solari came over to talk to his
troops after they’d allowed a sack of quarterback Seneca Wallace that
resulted in a fumble.
In the first frames, you can see that I’m
kind of, dare I say, intimidated at shooting these guys from so close.
One mighty swipe of a big taped left paw and I would have been just
another pile of those little gritty rubber things that pass for “dirt”
on the FieldTurf.
I’m standing up while I shoot, and the first frame is underexposed. Remember that when you move from the field of play to the sidelines, the light starts to fall away.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 28mm, ISO 2500, 1/1000th sec.,f2.8)
In the second frame, you can see that the composition is a little better, as the players at the right of the frame are no longer talking to one another, but they’re at least looking towards the coach. I’ve also reduced my shutter speed by 2/3 stop.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 28mm, ISO 2500, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
At this point I’m confident enough to know I’m not going to get beaten for being that close, and I take a knee to improve the angle. I’m shooting at 40mm here on a 24-70mm lens. Still, I’ve got some giant hand coming into the frame at upper right, and the scene is still a little chaotic for my tastes. Understand that chaos is part of the story, but this felt more like visual chaos, and it was detracting from the image.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 40mm, ISO 2500, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
Keep in mind that I am not just rapdily firing off frames. I know I’m close enough to be be noticed, IF I bring notice to myself. I’m there, they are vaguely aware I’m there, but I’m firing off a frame or two, recomposing, thinking the entire time. My goal is to get the frame I need and then be on my way. No better way to attract the attention of a security guard (even if you are in a “legal” position) than to make a spectacle of yourself.
Now I am pretty sure I have at least something useable, so I put the camera on the ground to further try to improve the composition. I take the lens wider, out to 26mm. Shoot a frame, look at the image on the camera. Recompose, try again.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 26mm, ISO 2500, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
I’ve shot wide frames by now, and I know I’ve tried to capture the organized chaos of the sidelines, so now I want to shoot tighter and to see what’s there. Unfortunately, I’m not the type of shooter who can “see” what his lens will give him before he looks through the camera. I think I take that class next semester, right before Civics and after Latin. Anyway, I fire off a frame or two at 58mm. I like this one a lot, but stay another 15 seconds or so to fire some backup frames.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 58mm, ISO 2500, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
I move wider again to 36mm, and I like the framing. Still the manager holding the water at right of center seems distracting.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 36mm, ISO 2500, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
Last frame is at the same focal length, with the coach looking up and at least the figures on the left of the frame seem engaged. Somehow, though, I’ve lost the faces at right. Life in the big leagues, right? I feel like I’ve give it a good go, I know I have a frame I can use, and besides, I’ve missed two or three plays on the field in a close game.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 36mm, ISO 2500, 1/640th sec.,f2.8)
I find my way back to the action, knowing that “in my pocket” I have a different angle of a different part of the game than is usually featured in the next day’s coverage. When I am being asked to provide a cover photo and 2-3 images per each of the three inside pages, I want that visual variety to help set images apart. To me, there’s nothing more boring than seeing 8-10 images in a row all of someone throwing, catching, or running with the ball.
My philosophy of “taking the readers with me” is something I take very seriously. You’ll probably get a little tired of me talking about it, but it was a great lesson I was once taught and I feel it has value to everyone who has the privilege of covering an event for their readership.