Paying Attention to Backgrounds

This is a photo of former Baylor forward Cory Jefferson, who's now in the NBA but is unfortunately just known for this play, participating in the 2014 NCAA Slam Dunk Contest. It's one of my favorite photos.

If you're going to shoot a slam dunk contest I feel like a wide angle lens is the only way to do it. For this photo event I was using my 16-35mm f/2.8L II lens. The wide angles just provide a lot context to the photo and really exaggerate the athleticism of the dunker. In this shot Jefferson is just about his peak altitude just before finishing this dunk. His body is at full extension, his face is focused on the rim and his jersey is rippling in the wind--it's stunning. BUT ... every time I look at this photo I'm devastated that at that exact moment the arm of an ESPN camera rig is right behind Jefferson causing it to look like some odd extension of his body. 

I was really careful about keeping this camera rig out of my shots but it crept in at the worst moment. Usually when backgrounds distract from the subject I toss the photo because that's one of the first rules I learned--keep your backgrounds clean--but in this case I couldn't toss this one aside. Instead I cherish it as a fantastic photo with a terrible flaw that teaches me to do better next time.

Listening to the Radio While Shooting Games

In the past year that I've been shooting games I really try my best to keep up with the action as it's happening. Of course I keep track of the situational stuff such as downs and yardage as well as the clock, but sometimes aspects of the game aren't so obvious from the sidelines such as stat lines and approaching milestones. Sure, I may be aware TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin has thrown the ball to wide receiver Josh Doctson several times, but as a photographer without a stat sheet in front of him I may not be aware he's set a school record for receiving yards in a game and if I haven't snapped a photo of Doctson reflecting that story line I'm not doing the best job possible. 

To make sure this doesn't happen I've started listening to the radio broadcast of the game. Luckily I have a phone (HTC One M8) that has an FM player built in and I've yet to encounter any frequency issues. 

During this particular game at Amon G. Carter stadium in October this really came in handy. The TCU broadcasters pointed out that linebacker Paul Dawson had recorded about 10 or 11 tackles by the second quarter and was on pace to break a school record. Knowing that would be an interesting story angle, I started focusing in on Dawson (47) and more often than not he led me right to the ball and I ended up getting some great photos because of it.

I've listened to the game on the radio several times and it has been a big help. TCU has several track sprinters at the wide receiver position and rotates them in quite frequently. At the time of this game, Kolby Listenbee (7) was one of those receivers making lots of plays when he entered the game and I was able to keep track of him when he was on the field because the broadcasters always made sure to note when he entered the game. Again, a great aid.

When people ask me if I have any tips on shooting sports, I'll definitely be sure to tell them to bring a pair of headphones and listen to the radio broadcast--it's a huge help. 

Looking For Variety & Action

This weekend I shot the Battle For The Iron Skillet, the annual meeting between Dallas-Fort Worth rivals SMU and TCU. As is the case with every event I shoot my aim is to allow the photos to tell the story. 

But with this quest I'm consistently looking for lots of variety and action shots. Looking at my football photos from the past year I have far too many shots of quarterbacks in the pocket and ball carriers getting up after a tackle. Essentially I missed the play because I was too focused on following the ball but usually end up reacting to a throw too slowly and ended up missing the catch and or tackle. 

This year, I've made it a point to focus less on the quarterback and predict the action more. This method has led to greater action shots. Like a middle linebacker I'm reacting to the movements of the guards to determine if it's a run or pass play. After that I take my best guess as to where the action will be. I'm still struggling to track a football in the air and snag a photo of a receiver leaping for the catch, but that's next on my agenda. I also want to start capturing the physicality of football. Not necessarily big hits, but the physical interaction between a guard and a defensive tackle or fullback and a linebacker.

Garrett Gilbert & The Mustangs

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Last year (2013) was the first season I began shooting football. I had the opportunity to cover both the SMU Mustangs and North Texas Mean Green for Central Track. 

Although I write recaps of the games I always try to make sure I walk away from the field with photos that can tell the story on their own. The first few games I shot, I struggled with an introductory shot -- a shot to open the photo essay. Unfortunately SMU's fan attendance is extremely low so a crowd shot wouldn't be very sexy and the Mustangs' pre-game tradition is to run through pyrotechnics that keeps photographers at a distance and those shots lack intimacy. 

So for the final SMU game I attended that season I decided to get in the tunnel before the team ran through the fire display. What I didn't expect was for the team captains to come out to the field so soon, so without much time to shoot I quickly shot from the hip and was fortunate enough to capture a candid image of the captains led by quarterback Garrett Gilbert.

Settings: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF28mm f/1.8 USM, Manual exposure, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200