This was my first year covering a wide range of summer league games and I was amazed with not only the teams but the umpires as well. Most of them are or were Varsity Softball & Baseball Players for Athens & Union City High Schools. I love the fact that they were given the chance to learn what it is like to be behind the plate and show their knowledge of the rules of the game but to also be a role model for the younger players.
Kudos to all of you…
The crowd is roaring and you can feel the excitement in the air! The game has ended its 4th quarter but the score is tied… everyone prepares for OVERTIME!
There is a buzz in throughout the gymnasium… “Who is going to win?” Someone shoots… misses then a rebound… Now someone is at the free throw line. The crowd comes to a low roar but then as the shot is about to be made there is a frantic cry for a miss!
The score goes up for one team and then the score goes up for the other team. There is a break away and a block… the clock is counting down the seconds… and then buzzer goes off. The score is still tied. OVERTIME once again!
There is finally a break through and one team takes a lead. With the sound of this final and third buzzer Athens wins with a final score of Athens 77 Union City 71.
It was once again another game for the record books! It was about 4 – 5 years ago that the boys Varsity Basketball Game between Athens and Union City went into multiple overtimes. The ironic thing is… the game was played at Athens and Union City won the game. This year the game was played at Union City and Athens won.
But I remember that game at Athens all too well. I was not photographing it but instead I was a parent of a Union City Junior Varsity basketball player. We were watching the Varsity game to support his school team and fellow athletes. However, a part of me was also supporting the Athens team… you see, I am an Athens Graduate (1986).
It is amazing now going to these games and photographing them. I’m not rooting for one or the other teams any more… but instead I am thrilled to be a part of documenting such a great rivalry between schools. Click here to see more photos from last nights game between Athens and Union City.
Sometimes while photographing a sports game, I will get a little sidetracked and photograph something other than the game! I usually try to make it something challenging like a juxtaposition which is “the act of placing things side by side, especially for the purpose of comparison or contrast.”
One way I have found to capture a juxtaposition during a basketball game (actually during warm ups) is to capture the basketball as it comes thru the hoop and net. For me it is more of a comparison of technique, focus, position and timing. The shear timing alone can be extremely tricky but always such a delight when I capture that perfect moment in time!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Juxtaposition
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!
MY PHOTOGRAPHS & WORDS 