You Don’t Always Have To “Go Long” In Football
Going Long. In football, it’s a way to go for it all, to throw the long bomb and hope for a touchdown. When shooting football, it’s not always wise to “go long”. Even though a 400mm/f2.8 lens is a mainstay for shooting college and pro football, it’s often the photographs shot with shorter lenses that have the most impact. Tight shots of action and player reaction are great when caught with a long lens. But images taken with shorter lenses often give photos a better sense of atmosphere. When we talk about shorter lenses for sports, we’re talking about lenses in the range from 70-200mm to 24-70mm or even 16-35mm. When the action gets close to the end zone, I’ll usually switch from a 400mm or 300mm lens to a 70-200mm lens as my main lens, and something wider on another camera. It’s risky, because if the action takes place on the other side of the field, or on the opposite line of scrimmage, you’re pretty much screwed. But if the action comes your way, it’s a unique opportunity to show more of the field and surroundings in the photo. I realized this a number of years ago, after poring over issues of sports Illustrated. Their photographers, obviously among the best in the world, are great with shorter lenses. Walter Iooss’s shot of San Francisco’s Dwight Clark making “The Catch” against Dallas is a great example. In it, you can really feel the drama in the stadium. It would have been a far different image if taken from the sidelines with a 300mm. Also, touchdowns are important, to state the obvious. So I think that if a run or a pass reception results in a touchdown, the image shouldn’t look like it was taken anywhere on the field. As I say when I speak to photo students, “There’s a reason they paint the end zones differently. It’s a special place.” As yesterday’s final preseason game didn’t feature the marquee players and doesn’t count in the standings, I used the game to work on using my short lens. When seattle’s Nate Burleson caught a six-yard pass from Seneca Wallace for a touchdown, I was fortunate the play was on my side of the field and I shot it with a 70-200mm zoom. To me, what makes this photo is the pylon at the lower right of the frame. Instantly, the reader knows this was a touchdown: The last frame is nice, but I somehow cut off his feet at the bottom of the frame. The black blur you see at right is a steadycam operator who’s to my side and slightly in front of me: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/640 sec.,f2.8) One challenge about using short lenses in the end zones is that when the play comes towards me, I have to hold my position and know when to bail out and when not to. At the point of the frame above, Burleson is less than five yards from me. Luckily, he’s running parallel to the goal line, and not towards me. NFL players can make up five yards in less than a second. Another chance to make use of the shorter lens was when Oakland was backed up to its own one-yard line after a seattle punt. As a photographer, I’m always thinking about the possibility of a safety, because they’re rare, and they’re usually dramatic. Of course, a 99-yard touchdown run the other way is also dramatic, but that’s the risk. It’s an easier risk to take as long as seattle’s players are facing me at the start of the play. To add emphasis, I’m lying prone on my stomach, with my camera as low to the ground as possible, for a different, and hopefully more dramatic angle. This is the Raiders’ first play from scrimmage: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/640 sec.,f2.8) On the next play, seattle does manage to get a safety, when linebacker Niko Koutouvides tackles Oakland’s Dominic Rhodes in the end zone: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/640 sec.,f2.8) Because I wanted to be directly behind the quarterback, the padding of the goal post is very near to my left. The play actually goes that way, and I lose some good frames to the post (anyone want to buy blurry pictures of the blue padding at the base of the goal posts?): (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/640 sec.,f2.8) But because of the resulting safety, I get some decent, but not great celebration. If this was a regular season game, I think it would an important play to have represented photographically, either the actual tackle or the jubilation: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/640 sec.,f2.8) Like the players and coaches, I used the preseason to work on things that I’ll want to use during the regular season and playoffs. Now we’ll see whether I can execute when it counts.
Attitude Adjustment
Been having a cruddy coupla weeks at work. Haven’t been playing in the sandbox well with others. Many mentions in the office about my “attitude”. Hmmmmm. Thought it was time for a self-imposed attitude adjustment, so I made my way out to the Washington Special Olympics Summer sports Classic and photographed the finals of the softball tournament. I found what I was looking for. A reminder that just because I want to do my best work doesn’t mean I have to flagellate myself to the point of making myself and my teammates at work miserable. And that any day taken too seriously is a day wasted. The players I watched played hard and had fun hard. They listened to their coaches and followed instructions to play the game the right way. Mike Lyngstad of Spokane tags out Davey Gonzales of the Lake Stevens during the final inning on a double-play: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 300mm f2.8 lens, ISO 200, 1/1000 sec, f2.8) Robin Ainsworth, a player on the Spokane team that won the Masters 3 Level of the tournament, celebrates after the final out. Her team, the CCS Spokane Sasquatches defeated the Lake Stevens Vikings, 7-4. (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIn, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 35mm, ISO 200, 1/640 sec., f4.0) “We won! We won! Finally! After three years!” yelled Ainsworth after the final out. Spokane had finished second for the previous two years before prevailing in their third try for the title. After the final out of a taut, 7-4 victory, the Sasquatches tossed hats and gloves in the air and celebrated. I sought out my boss today and pledged to work hard, have fun, and to play the game the right way.
Seahawks vs. Cards: Did Anyone See That Coming?
Driving to the airport after seattle’s choke/loss to Arizona. Traffic sucking. The freeway is closed for repair and I’m driving around back streets looking for the airport. An email from my friend James comes in and as usual, he summed it up best: “The Hawks totally Coug’d it.” He would know. He’s a Coug. The game turned on completely unexpected play, one that no one in the stadium could have imagined — seattle’s best two players, Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck, fumbling away the football with a chance at a game-winning field goal virtually assured. Not sure if “The Hawks Coug It” would be a very fair headline in Monday’s paper (but unfair to whom? The Cougs? The Seahawks?). (I’d have to check with a copy editor, but I’m fairly certain “Coug’ing it” is in the Associated Press style book these days, since you hear the refrain so often…) That big fumble was a hard photo for me to get, and of course, I didn’t get a clean shot at it. We’ll run an AP photo of the play, shot from behind the line of scrimmage. With the Seahawks driving and in field goal position, I was just at the point where I was deciding the best place to shoot it from. Three options run through my mind: — Should I be in front of the play along the seattle sideline. If Josh Brown makes it me might leap towards me? — Or, should I position myself far behind the line of scrimmage so I can shoot the Cardinals trying to block it and seeing Brown’s expression if he turns back towards the sideline? — And, most importantly, will I have time to get to In-n-Out burger on my way to the airport? Anyway, I’m watching the Seahawks run down the clock with running plays, trying to get within the 30-yard line, and then it happens. Simple handoff, but Hasselbeck and Alexander run into each other, the ball comes loose and chaos reigns. The best place to shoot it would have been from far corner of the far endzone, where an Associated Press photographer was stationed. It looke like this from my angle: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/640 sec., f2.8) And it just got worse from there (this photo will probably not win an award in the annual NFL Hall of Fame photo contest, but i could be wrong. Wait. None of these will win any awards): (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/640 sec., f2.8) The best frame is actually after the play, when Alexander is walking off the field and the Cards’ Darnell Dockett is celebrating with the football: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/640 sec., f2.8) After the game, I work on Alexander and Hasselbeck. The two could not have more different reactions to losing. It almost appears to me that Alexander knows the cameras are on him and smiles so that we can’t use a dejection photo of him. Every photographer in the workroom complains about this. I think it’s pretty funny. Then, I find out that in his postgame comments, Alexander doesn’t accept much responsibility for the play, and he’s apparently as carefree after a tough conference loss as he is any other day of the year: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 29mm, ISO 800, 1/500 sec., f4.0) I find Hasselbeck leaving the field, and I like how this one came out — I think it captures the shock of losing a game the way they did. By putting the camera low on the ground I’m able to capture the stadium environment: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 16mm, ISO 800, 1/500 sec., f4.0) Finally, I go to Coach Holmgren’s postgame press conference, and of course he’s not very happy, but the photos are pretty mediocre: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 800, 1/160 sec., f2.8)
Fall Color on an NFL Sunday
I love the opening of the NFL regular season. The repetition of training camp is over. The boredom of the preseason games is past. On the NFL’s opening weekend, everything seems to rev up 1000%. Former Seahawks quarterback Brock Huard once told me his first pro preseason game was twice as fast as any college game he ever played in, but his first regular season game was exponentially quicker and harder-hitting. When we set out to cover the opener, we are not only looking to shoot action photos on the field, but also to cover the game as an event. To that end, we search high and low to discover the color, the craziness and the exuberance of the game both in and out of the stadium. After all, there are only just over 100 players from both teams on the field, and 68,000 fans just like you in the stands. Both are integral to the very life of the event. And so, we can’t pass up the chance to capture that with our cameras. Before the game, staffer Chris Taylor and myself hit the parking lots to find some tailgating action. Because of the lack of large parking lots around the stadium, the pregame partying is not as evident as it is in say, Kansas City or Green Bay, where the stadiums are surrounded by massive lots full of cars, trucks and grills. I did find this guy and his friends in the north parking lot enjoying some grilled steak and televised games on three (!) televisions hooked up in the bed of their pickup truck: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 38mm, ISO 200, 1/250 sec., f4.0 with flash) Walking back along the west of side of the stadium, I ran into these four nuts from Vancouver B.C., who made the trip to see the Seahawks: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 34mm, ISO 200, 1/250 sec., f4.0 with flash) Back in the stadium, the players were on the field for pregame warmups. A camera I rigged on a monopod held high over my head found an interesting view of the team coming together before returing to the locker room before kickoff: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 16mm, ISO 200, 1/640 sec., f8.0) Just before the game, a giant flag was unfurled for the playing of the national anthem. A high angle showed the vastness of the colors: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 16mm, ISO 200, 1/640 sec., f8.0) Using the same camera, I shot the famous dressed up fans in the south end zone. Usually you see these fans shot from field level, and you can’t see anything behind them. I try not to shoot them because they’ve been published so much that it’s now a tired shot. So I tried to add some newness: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 16mm, ISO 200, 1/640 sec., f8.0) Just then, the most valuable person in the stadium walked by — make that the HIGHEST valued person — as billionaire and team owner Paul Allen walked by. He’s kind of reclusive and his security is nervous about having photographers close to him, so I was fortunate to get one frame off before getting shooed away. It’s interesting that I would work so hard to get a frame that’s mediocre both compositionally and technically, but is important simply because of the subject: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 38mm, ISO 200, 1/250 sec., f4.0 with flash) Following the anthem was the player introductions. Last year, I placed a remote camera on the field to shoot the intros with a wide-angle. This year, I stayed with a long lens on the opposite side of the field to capture new Seahawk Deon Grant being introduced. My goal in the player introductions was to shoot one of the new players to the team, so Grant worked out great when he stopped to soak in the energy: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 200, 1/2000 sec, f4.0) This last photo is the old, tired, cliched “photograph into a pair of mirrored sunglasses to see what’s in the reflction” shot, but I liked the color and the goalposts, so you get to see it here. Actually, focusing a shot like this is a little tricky, since the part you want in focus is on a different plane that the subject: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 400, 1/1000 sec., f4.0) It was too bad that none of these photos made the newspaper, but hey, that’s life in the big leagues.
Time Machine - Sell And Spin: A History of Advertising
How to Avoid Trouble While planning your website promotion strategy, it is wise to remember that the search engines are very capable of sniffing out when someone is trying to trick or deceive them. A certain road to disaster is to consciously try to fool search engines into giving you a […]
Compromise reached on Kirby Drive project
The Upper Kirby Redevelopment Authority and Trees for Houston reached a compromise plan for the Kirby Drive drainage and redevelopment project, with the help of District C Councilwoman Anne Clutterbuck.
Game Report: WSU at Wisconsin
It feels great to get back into football season. The weekend games provide a rhythm to my work weeks (Friday through Tuesday), and each game is a unique challenge to shoot. After a couple of NFL preseason games, I made my first road trip of the fall to Madison, Wisconsin, for the game between Washington State and Wisconsin. The travel went smoothly. Check that. Actually, I left a FedEx envelope with my credentials on kitchen counter, so I had to drive home during last Friday’s morning rush hour and barely made my outbound flight. And, I made a hotel reservation for the wrong night in Chicago (flew to Chicago and drove to Madison), and was left nearly hotel-less since everything was sold out. You’d think I’d never done this before. On to the game. I already wrote about the pre-game festivities, but the game itself was fun to shoot as well. One of the great things about college football versus pro football is the environment. Witnessing college games in college towns is one of the great experiences in sports. Make no mistake — Madison is a college town, and Camp Randall Stadium is one of the shrines to college football in America. With that in mind, I wanted to make sure to capture that atmosphere in my photographs. With the Cougars at their own ten-yard line and the ball perfectly lineup up between the hash-marks, I was able to frame the large scoreboard at the end of the stadium. The sea of red-clad fans makes an amazing backdrop. By laying on my stomach, I was able to capture this image: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 70mm, ISO 200, 1/1000 sec., f5.0) The student section in Madison is one of the most fun, if not foul-mouthed groups I’ve ever seen. When not divided into two sections alternately screaming ‘f–k you’ and ‘eat s–t’) at each other, they’re a joy to watch as they jump around, dance, do the wave and engage in singalongs: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 200, 1/2000 sec., f5.0) The students love them some “Bucky”, who is the Badger mascot: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 200, 1/1000 sec., f/8.0) Like many mascots, Bucky does pushups after every score. Notre Dame’s leprechaun does pushups, but he isn’t wearing a hot and furry costume. By my count, the Badger performed 119 pushups during the game. He or she was wearing that big ol’ suit, it was hot and I’m sure whomever was in the costume was hoping for no more scoring: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 400, 1/1000 sec.,f4.0) Action wise, the game had its share of moments. The Cougars had a punt blocked early in the game, and as always, blocked kicks of any type can make for good pictures. The Cougar punter actually picked up the loose ball and ran for a first down, but those photos look like, well, a guy running with a football. But the blocked punt sequence is nice. The first frame is typical: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 200, 1/1600 sec., f2.8) The second frame after that one is nice because of the great expression on the Wisconsin player’s face: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 200, 1/1600 sec., f2.8) Washington State scored on that same drive, when running back Dwight Tardy scored in the corner of the end zone. I was able to put down my 400mm lens and switch to a shorter zoom to get this shot. Amazing how red uniforms and early fall sunlight make pictures pretty, isn’t it: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 75mm, ISO 200, 1/1600 sec., f2.8) Something I learned long ago that I still remember is that low angles make for dramatic action. In this frame, WSU quarterback Alex Brink scrambles for a first down. The low angle accentuates the speed and size of the sport, and cleans up the background because only the stands show up behind him: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 200, 1/1000 sec., f/4.0) Because of a mishap at the end of a game a few seasons ago that left people injured, no longer are photographers allowed between the 10-yard line around the corner to the goal post on one corner of the field. Because of this, many photographers eschew that side of the field. But it’s also the backlit side, which can produce the nicest light if you’re willing to take on the tricky exposures. Early in the game, the light looked harsh and backlit in this shot of WSU coach Bill Doba: (EOS 1D, EF 16-35mm lens @ 22mm, ISO 400, 1/1600 sec. @ f4.0) The stadium has suites on both sides, and the setting sun hits the windows of the suite, effectively kicking light back onto the field, which is in shadow late in the game. The effect is amazing. Here’s a shot from nearly the exact same spot as the Doba photo, only late in the game. Notice how dark the background is as the stadium is completely in shadow, save for the light being bounced back onto the field from the window of the suites: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 95mm, ISO 400, 1/1000 sec., f5.6) What I did well: I worked hard to capture the great college football environment in Madison, at one of the great venues in America. What I could have done better: Sheesh, nice job of leaving my credentials on my desk and making hotel reservations for the wrong day…rookie stuff. Also, I missed a great image of the head referee pouring a water bottle over his head to combat the heat at midfield during a television timout. Lastly, I needed to make a stronger lead photograph of Wisconsin’s domination during the second half. Something for me to work on: Just because I made some nice images during the first half doesn’t mean those images will be storytelling when all is said and done. I had nice photos of Washington State playing well, but with a 42-21 final score, that doesn’t cut it.
PTS America 222 Fifth Slice of Life Air Ships Mug
Eager to tap developing markets to jump start its PC business, Dell has found a willing partner in Gome, China’s largest retail electronics chain. EMC to Acquire Berkeley Data Systems The enterprise storage giant will get its hands on Mozy, the subscription-based, online provider […]
It’s Never Too Late To Be Great If You’re Nate.
Nate Burleson was the hero. But not before he was…well, let’s not say he was going to be labeled a goat. However, after dropping two possible touchdown passes earlier in the game, he was starting to grow a shaggy little beard, some pointy ears, and I did spot him gnawing on some Field Turf at halftime. Of course, I jest. Nate Burleson is one of the finest people I’ve ever met in nearly two decades of covering sports. I could tell you more, but Times’ columnist Steve Kelley writes about Burleson in today’s game coverage. I do know this — Burleson is as fine an athlete as he is a person. However, he’s been the victim of some tough luck (injuries) and spotty play (dropped passes). During Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Burleson found himself open behind the defense a number of times. And the first three times, he didn’t catch the ball. The first happened late in the second quarter when Burleson split Cincinnati’s safeties but Matt Hasselbeck’s pass was ever-so-slightly overthrown: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 400, 1/1000 sec., f2.8) In the third quarter, Burleson got behind Cincinnati’s Johnathan Joseph on a deep post route but couldn’t hang onto the ball, despite an open path to the end zone in front of him: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 250, 1/1600 sec., f4.0) In the beginning of the fourth quarter, Burleson made a tremendous effort on a “jump ball” along the sidelines, battling with Bengals’ defender Johnathan Joseph. Both players appeared to come down with the possession, but the ball popped out when they fell to the turf, and the resulting loose ball was intercepted by Cincinnati: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 400, 1/1000 sec., f2.8) Things only got worse with six minutes left in the game. seattle faced third-and-four at the Cincinnati five yard line, and Burleson found himself open in the back of the end zone. A touchdown would have given the Seahawks a 21-15 lead, but Burleson couldn’t hang on, and it would have been hard for him to make the catch inbounds: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 500, 1/1000 sec., f2.8) After all of this, I’m really feeling bad for the guy. I’ve got four nice photos of him dropping passes. But on seattle’s final drive, Burleson made two great catches to spark the Seahawks’ final scoring drive. In a no-huddle offense, Burleson ran an out-route and kept his feet inbounds while falling out-of-bounds for a 15-yard reception and a first down. Not only did this catch move seattle into Cincinnati territory, it also stopped the clock. No problems concentrating on the ball here: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 400, 1/1000 sec., f2.8) Then, with only 1:06 left in the game, Burleson caught a crossing route and raced for the corner of the end zone to give the Seahawks a 24-21 lead: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 200mm, ISO 640, 1/640 sec., f4.0) The lighting is tough to shoot in because the field is in shadow and the stands behind them are in extreme highlight, so the photo looks funky. I was able to switch from my 400mm lens to a camera with a zoom lens, because if he scored, I wanted to be able to see the end zone. It all happened so fast that I wasn’t able to get wide enough. But I did manage to get a frame of the winning touchdown, so I guess I shouldn’t complain. Still, the photo is underexposed, has some movement (1/640th of a second isn’t quite fast enough to freeze motion when someone is running right at you — 1/1000 would have been better). The other challenging part of this situation is that the players got very close to us and photographers and sideline officials were all scrambling to get out of the way. Here’s what the page looked like:
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
