(Nikon D90, Sigma 70-200 II @ 70mm, f/4, 1/2500, ISO 400)
Tis another Saturday of softball. More after the break.
Sunny, sunny Wigmore Park. Correction. Sunny, freakin' hot Wigmore Park. Granted, anyone living in the Toronto area could probably say that it's been a pretty hot summer. To some extent, I was glad we had some clouds rolling by, periodically blotting out the sun... that is, until they started to look like rain clouds, then actually became rain clouds. Thankfully, the rain subsided quite quickly, though not before I cut my right middle finger in a frantic "OMG OPEN UMBRELLA OR RISK EQUIPMENT" struggle. Some things never change.
(Nikon D60, 18-55 VR @ 18mm, f/3.5, 1/800, ISO 200)
Going into the game, I had the feeling that a lot of my pictures lacked a bit of 'oomph' or, as I related to the team in an analogy, pictures that didn't quite scream "GO BENNNNNNNNN" (as one team fan likes to often yell from the bleachers). Upon reviewing some of the pictures from this particular doubleheader, I think I've managed to regain some of the magic. Although like the photo above with Justin, staging your own shots can work just as well too. :~)
(Nikon D90, Sigma 70-200 II @ ~70mm, f/4, 1/1250, ISO 200)
I don't think it'd be a softball shoot without some of the standard shots, like the one above. Personally though, if I had to choose a first base shot, I'd pick the one at the very top. It's a much tighter shot, which to me allows the view to 'get closer' to the action, while still being able to explain just how the play ended (you can catch a glimpse of the ball in the first basemen's glove). On a minor note, it's also better exposed, in my opinion.
(Nikon D90, Sigma 70-200 II @ ~160mm, f/4, 1/3200, ISO 400)
There are times when, I ask my self why in the hell did I shoot this the way I did. In the end though, I do like portrait slant. It's different. Most of my second base slide shots have often been shot in landscape orientation, rather than portrait or in this case, tilted portrait. Would it always work? No, but I think it did in this case, such that I was able to maintain the intensity and storytelling aspect of the photo (he literally took out the base though as he slid into it), whilst presenting it in a slightly different way.
(Nikon D60, 18-55 VR @ 26mm, f/5.6, 1/125, ISO 200)
Of course, there is the human side. The side that I feel as though I don't do enough to capture. I think that's something that people need to see with this team, and this league. It's not just about softball. It's about the bonds, the fellowship, and the community-esque nature of it all. If there's one thing I haven't felt like I've really been able to do all season, it's to communicate that. Still workin' on it.
(Nikon D90, Sigma 70-200 II @ ~200mm, f/4, 1/1000, ISO 200)
Other times, you're just plain lucky. Pulled the above frame from a burst as Justin attempted a dive on an blooper. He didn't make it, but I'd give him an A for effort. It was also the second time he had attempted such a dive during the doubleheader. Normally such a frame comes from the middle of a burst, but this time it came on the very first shot. Not usually the case, but I'll take it.
So I'm not sure if I've completely come out of the burnout, or if it was just a false alarm. In any case, what I thought was going to be another dull doubleheader came out quite interesting, once I made it back to a larger monitor. Oh, and Ekklesia won both games.
What did you expect from this post though? I'm a photographer, not a scoreboard.
More to come.
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