Two Wheels and Perspective

I [HEART] quad rugby. A few years ago--when I was still in newspapers--I got the opportunity to do a two-part story on a local man who went from being a regular suburban husband and father to a quadriplegic in 24 hours due to a condition that attacked his spinal cord. In the wake of his injury and rehabilitation, he discovered wheelchair rugby and feel in love.

It's a story that still inspires me, even years later. I hadn't been out to shoot the sport or hang out with the athletes since completing the story, so I took the opportunity to get out this weekend for the Mile High Massacre tournament in Denver. What an awesome display of punishing metal on metal collisions.

Looking at these pictures tonight makes me realize how insignificant the challenges of my Monday truly are. Life is all about choices. Sometimes these decisions are in your control and sometimes they are so beyond your grasp. It's all about perspective, right?

Baseline Sitting

Got out to shoot some high school basketball a few days ago. It had been a good long while since I pulled out the gear to shoot sports. It was a lot of fun and I think I could still compete for column inches in **most** newspapers. Too bad newspapers are dead. Hopefully this is the beginning of me spending more time tucked inside the finder of my cameras. On a side note, these are all shot ambient with the amazing Nikon D700 and 70-200 combination. In the past, I would have pulled out my speedlights to throw a little light around. That approach would have added some separation, but I'm pretty pleased with the nat light (read: cycling mercury vapor lights of death) results.

Gridiron in Motion

It happens in towns big and small and far and wide this time of year - high school football. Now that I am a shooter without a newspaper, I decided to give myself a self-assignment to cover a showdown between two Class 5A rival schools last night. The stands were packed, the uniforms were clean and the weather was perfect as Ponderosa and Mountain Vista hit the green for the 2007 campaign opener in Highlands Ranch, Colo.

In years past, I found myself working for the storytelling picture from the game to publish in the newspaper. Old habits die hard they say and so it isn't surprising that for much of the first half I was shooting the game pretty straight and sharp. With those frames tucked in my back pocket I decided to play and have some fun as action resumed in the second half. I slowed the shutter down to a crawl and let light, color and motion work a little calculated magic in the camera. I think it worked for the most part and I am really glad I decided to take the chance on something I haven't done much of in the past. I am also glad that I spent my evening witnessing some fine athletes unconcerned with endorsements, huge contracts and fame.

Thank the Lord for prep football season.

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