Thursday, October 14, 2010

Anticipation

Anticipation

My favorite shot from the night. The same five-year-old-boy expression on the opposing players as they race after the falling ball. That "Whoa-damn, lets go!"-face.

I've been looking at this shot for a while, and today I realized it's because I'm making the same expression as the players when I'm shooting them. That urgent feeling and tension is on me for the entire game, for every action. Every time a person moves or twists or kicks, it's a ball falling that I need to get to to make The Shot.

Shooting sports is difficult for me because of this. Each moment keeps building up tension that doesn't get released by looking at the shots in the camera. I know chimping is bad, but it's so difficult not to peek right after shooting ten frames of a guy rushing up the field and making an awesome kick. I just don't have the willpower right now not to look. The need to see if you translated the amazing spectacle you just witnessed is powerful, and it can't be satisfied on a three inch screen.

The release doesn't come till back at the office, sorting through the shots and realizing that there are actually some worth printing. Some actually worth feeling a little pride about. Some worth writing about.

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No Torch next week, looking forward to the time off to work like mad.

Dejection

Take Your Corner

These are from the St. John's University v. Cincinnati Soccer game last Saturday. St. John's went 0-2, but I was shooting it so my involvement was separated; the score is almost inconsequential. If anything, there are better shots when they don't do well. Our team has some really emotional people, and it bubbled up to the surface during the last twenty minutes of the game.

Kick

Number 10 got angrier and angrier as the game went on, and his movements got more reckless and dark when it was sure St. John's wasn't going to win. The kick above missed badly and he knew it as soon as he connected, but he kept running towards my end of the field. Before turning the corner and getting back in the game he kicked the fence that the cheerleaders were leaning on, which sent us all rattling.