I thought I would take a moment and tell you a little bit about Myself & Photography by Char

I grew up in Athens and graduated from Athens High School (Charlotte Converse).  Shortly after I moved to Union City where I was married and started a family.  I since then I have divorced and now live just outside of Tekonsha with Mark.

I have been asked if my photography skills came from taking classes or if I am self-taught.  The answer to this question would be both.  I started taking sports pictures of my brothers when they played baseball, basketball and football with a 35 mm film.  I also did some portrait and candid work at weddings, anniversary and birthday parties.  I did take a black and white photography class where I learned how to develop my own film and prints in a dark room.  I bought my first digital camera several years ago and I have taught myself how to use it.  It has taken me a long time to get where I am now.  At the age of 44 I finally turned this passion of mine into a business, Photography by Char.

Another question that I have been asked has been “Do you ONLY photograph Union City School Sports?”  The answer to this is NO!

My 2 children have attended Union City Schools and have been involved in sports pre-k thru graduation.  Union City has been a wonderful place for me to start my business but I certainly do photograph for other schools and communities.   For example:

1)        I have always enjoyed photographing any Athens vs. Union City sporting competition.  I have also photographed Athens Winter Homecoming, their 2013 Follies and followed the Lady Indians to Regional and State Final Tournaments at the Breslin Center.

2)      I have also traveled to Battle Creek to photograph Harper Creek Middle School Football, Freshmen Volleyball and traveled to Coldwater to photograph the Varsity Harper Creek vs. Coldwater Football game this past fall.

3)      I have been asked to travel to Battle Creek for Baseball this spring/summer and to Marshall for Soccer.

4)      I have had parent customers from Athens, Bronson, Harper Creek, Quincy, Union City and

I do not charge at the present moment to attend and photograph a sporting event or other special events (dance recitals, proms, etc).  I also do not charge to travel to your home school to shoot a Portrait Shoot of a team or group.  I rely solely on the sale of my photographs and portraits to athletes, parents and coaches.  I also work with schools and coaches to provide photographs for the organizations and publications.

I also photograph Seniors & Families along with Weddings.  These have mostly come from my work as a Sports Photographer!

I have found a real joy in my ability to provide documentation of not only an athlete, team, school year but the life of these teens, young adults and families.

Now that my kids are grown (Martha graduates this spring!) I am looking to expand and cover more schools and teams in the area.

Now would be a great time to schedule those Summer and Fall sporting leagues for Portrait Shoots and Game Coverage.  You can contact me and request a photo shoot on my website www.photographybychar.com, by email photographybychar@gmail.com, by phone at (517) 767-3013 or by commenting here on my blog.

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Does your Athletic Director or School contract a Sports Photographer or is it up to the individual Coaches?

I am a Freelance Sports Photographer in Southern Michigan.  I have come across some schools where the Athletic Director will make the decision and contract a photographer to do all of the Athlete & Team Portrait shoots for all of their Sports Team for the year.  I have also come across some schools who make recommendations but ultimately leave the decision up to the individual Sports Coaches.

I am curious as to how your school handles this?

     I am going to share with you some information on how I go about an Athlete & Team Photo Shoot

Location:

I shoot Athlete & Team Portraits on your home field and natural setting of your sport.

The Athlete Portrait:  

I encourage the athletes to do what they would like for their portrait.  This includes their particular area of expertise and contribution to the team and sport.  Examples would be: the pitcher having their portrait done on the pitching mound; a solid hitter having their portrait done up to bat; a discus throwing having their portrait done in the discus circle with the discus; a pole vaulter having their portrait done in the pole vaulting pit with the pole; or a good putter having their portrait done on the green with their putter & flag.

 It has been surprisingly amazing that when an athlete has the opportunity to do what they want for a portrait, they really like their portraits more and are more willing to have their portraits done.  A photo shoot also tends to go a little bit faster!  Track may be the only exception to this considering there is such a large range of events that could be involved.  However, I always attempt to limit the amount of time I take an athlete from practicing their sport.

My Objective as a Sports Photographer:

Throughout many years of being a parent of an athlete, I have learned what parents and athletes are looking for in a good Athlete & Team Portrait and Memory Mate.  In my opinion, one of the main objectives a portrait photographer should have is to capture the true contribution, dedication and expertise an athlete brings to a team and sport.  An Athlete & Team Photo Shoot should not be about me and what I perceive as the perfect pose but instead what the athlete, team and coach perceives as the perfect pose.

I will bring suggestions and guidelines to help an athlete and team portray what they are aiming for.

It is my belief that the athletes and teams should have ownership in their portraits.  This would be the foundation of Photography by Char.  It would be a great pleasure to be able to photograph your school’s athletes and teams.

You can see more of my work on Facebook or on my Website.

March Madness… yes, I am talking about Basketball!

As many of you know the NCAA March Madness tournament begins March 19.  Now I don’t usually follow college or professional basketball.  To be honest the only thing March Madness has meant to me in the past was that normal Channel 3 shows were going to be interrupted!  However, this year I am actually looking forward to March Madness.  Yes, Dish Network has assisted with this since I can now find The Young & The Restless on the Soap Opera channel…  but more importantly would be my enjoyment in photographing the sport!

In the past, my favorite sport to photograph has always been whichever sport my teens were participating in at the time.  They are grown now with my daughter graduating high school this year and as a result I have noticed a shift in the way I go about photographing sports.  Instead of just focusing on my teens and their team… I am striving to capture the whole game showing the dedication and determination that all athletes bring to the competition and their team.  While I enjoy photographing all sports, basketball has become one of my favorite to photograph.  You can literally test all of your photographic skills while photographing a basketball game.

From capturing the action of a fast breakaway to freezing the ball in midair or a player jumping for a jump shot… to the contemporary portrait shots of a player concentrating on that all important free throw.  To capture the facial expressions of a player while waiting for a rebound or a pass… to the physical contact on the floor with blocks and picks… nothing is better than that up close action right under the basket.  There is a play on focal points and depth of field with capturing the spectators in the stands, the team on the bench and the lectures of the coach during a time out.

Ultimately, I have seriously enjoyed this past basketball season!  Not only have I photographed 7-12 grades in the Big Eight Conference in Southern Michigan but I also followed the Athens Lady Indians to their Regional Victory and second trip to the Breslin Center at MSU for the Class D Semi Final State Championship Game.  What an experience!  These young ladies played an awesome game and I was extremely proud to be a photographer down on the floor while they played.

Spring brings a whole new round of sports.  I have already lined up several Athlete & Team Portrait Photo Shoots along with athletic events.  If your school needs a photographer, give me a call at (517) 767-3013 or email me at photographybychar@gmail.com.  You can also see more of my work on Facebook @  https://www.facebook.com/PhotographyByChar.

In the meantime, I will be watching the NCAA March Madness tournament to see different aspects of the game that I can look for next year!