Do you shoot?

Nice job Matt. I can only imagine a shot like that. Here in NC, prep games get called off over a few drops of rain.

 

Yeah, I had to rewrite the cut line for print because I didn't even see him at first. Here are a couple of others from that afternoon. Honestly, just went out to watch the game since we had a reporter and freelance photog there. Glad I ended up bringing my camera.



Start


Finish

 

Nice work, Matt. Who else has some new stuff to show off?

 

Matt, you obviously don't need any help, but just as a general talking point: I do the photo/report thing as well, which makes it difficult sometimes, but I almost always kneel for photos when I can. Especially for football. It's not much of a change in angle, but I think it makes a big difference. You were able to get those kids' eyes in the photos you posted, so the point really doesn't fly here, but I always seem to get better eyes and faces when I'm kneeling as opposed to standing, and it's because of the angle.

Or maybe you were kneeling in those photos. I thought otherwise, but could be wrong.

 

This one's not new, it's from a couple of years back, but I'll drop it in here for the story behind it.

I showed up early to this game and the JVs were in the fourth quarter, so I started shooting a few to get adjusted to the lighting. Podunk, the team in white, was slaughtering Bumfuck to the tune to 45-0 or something.

With a few minutes left, Bumfuck sends this skinny-ass kid onto the field as a wide receiver. Had to be a freshman. He looked like it was his first time setting foot on a football field. The coaches had to direct him where to line up for each play, and with each snap he jogged around in confused little circles.

Then one of his teammates fumbled the ball, and when it rolled right up to his feet, he bent down and grabbed it. He straightened up with the ball and, in the moment captured here, looked around with this "Oh God, what the hell do I do now?" look spreading across his face.

That's when #15 there clobbered him as the other guy wrapped up his legs. Kid nearly got torn in half -- he got rocked about as hard as I've seen a JV kid get rocked. But he held on to the ball. His whole team went nuts with joy for this kid, and he was grinning ear-to-ear when he wobbled over to the sideline to accept his high fives.

I couldn't help but smile as I watched, and it remains my favorite photo to this day.

 

Hearing the story really makes the photo change a lot in the eyes of the viewer. I like it.

Pilot- Great idea I've never really thought of, even though hearing now almost seems like "duh!" Thanks a lot, I'm definitely going to try that next time I'm out.

 

The best thing about shooting low is that your background is more likely to be sky. Much cleaner than stands/teams in the background.

 

I got a shot like that once at a hoops game in Vermont.

 

And to answer the original question, I tend to wait until I see the whites of their eyes.

 

I don't know a lot of technical things about photography, and I have little to contribute to this thread, except to say: I miss it being more regularly updated. It's obviously got great advice, and it's interesting to someone (me) who isn't a shooter.

Please pardon the bump, but I'd enjoy seeing some activity here again.

 

I like the background combined with the look she is giving.

 

I was not planning on taking a picture, but the setting sun just lit her up. Maybe it was here, but I have heard that when you take a picture, you are taking pictures of light, not of your subject. Sometimes that rings true.

Iphone photo