UAB Gameday...
posted by Gameshots, 9/28/2008 01:19:00 PM
Then a bit closer to home, the conversation would turn to the upcoming game for the Gamecocks. For a non-conference game, the storylines for this game were everywhere. The ups and downs of college football. Some players were not going to be able to participate. Other players were going to 'get the opportunity' to show what they good do for the team but not on the 'Proving Grounds' on Bluff Road but on the main stage at Williams-Brice!
With #1 running back, Mike Davis, sitting this one out, the door was opened for increasing exposure of Maddox, Baker, Wallace and others. I was preparing on the field and was working with my 'suitcase' full of camera equipment when Tommy Beecher and Stephen Garcia walked out onto the field (maybe 90 minutes before game time). These players certainly did not go unnoticed by the Gamecock faithful in the area who were cheering and encouraging the two quarterbacks (as well as other players).
My assignment would be to capture the excitement, energy, and 'electricity' of the atmosphere in photographs. Photography is interesting on one side you have the action (a touchdown, a great catch, whatever) and nearby you have the reaction (the joy, the relief, the disappointment, whatever). A good day is when you can capture BOTH. Was this Saturday the beginning on 'An Era' at South Carolina? Time will tell but the goal of capturing it all was very real.
Stephen Garcia immediately after the game...
Changes occur but much stays the same...
Whether the game decides who wins the East in the SEC (this game certainly did NOT), or is a non-conference game to continue working toward the constant goal of becoming a better team this week than you were last week, my job is very much the same. In photo journalism, we not only work to catch the action but of equal importance - capturing the reactions.
On any given play there are 'stories' all around. The fans and their reactions to the action. The coaches and their reactions to the action. Even the players that are not on the field have very interesting reactions to the action on the field. But whether it be offense or defense, action is everywhere.
IF the action were predictable, which it isn't, by design, photographing the action would still be a challenge. Each facet of the game has its opportunities. Blocking, passing, receiving, running, special teams and changes come very quickly. For instance, instantly changing from shooting the quarterback scrambling or dropping back to pass and finding, focusing on, and shooting the receiver catching the ball takes practice, good equipment, and, often, a degree of good fortune.
Several times Saturday I was fortunate, or maybe guessed correctly, and was keying on a given defensive player, for instance, that turned out to be the one who made the tackle when the action headed in his direction.
Today is different than usual...
Ordinarily I would now be going through my pictures from the game, deleting ones where the focus wasn't sharp (yes, even the pro's have this problem!) and selecting and editing my next gallery. No, today many of the over 2200 pictures I have not even yet seen (but plant too soon!) but wanted to write a short blog while everything was still fresh in my mind.
As I had mentioned previously, CJ and I work together and try our best to coordinate. I, often, visually locate him and notice which camera and lens he is using and although he could point his camera anywhere I have a feel for what he will be capturing. Yesterday, we ended up within a very few feet of each other at one time.
It was a key moment. The action was directly in front of us. This was immediately prior to Garcia's first collegiate touchdown, although one NEVER really knows what will happen next. CJ and I discussed the plan. He would be using his 300mm telephoto lens and get the close-ups on the action and the far side of the end zone (if they went the other way) and I would use my 70-200 zoom and get the action plus the near corners of the end zone.
The plan worked well and you can see some of my pictures in Gallery 1. Other pictures coming in future galleries. Earlier in the game, I was shooting from the corner of the other end zone and I guessed wrong (as sometimes happen). I had been using my 70-200mm lens and changed to my 300mm for ONE PLAY and, yep, next play was a deep pass and touchdown right in front of me in my corner of the end zone.
Oh, by the way, the Wofford offense last week gave the defense a stiff challenge. The many hand offs were hard to follow and defend. But it wasn't just the defense that was challenged, many a photographer 'went for the fake' on several occasions and I was one of them.
Post Game activity...
I'm getting anxious to go through my photographs now and see what I have and begin putting the next gallery together. After the game it is always rather intense. All pictures must be downloaded to the computer (around 2300 shots for this game). Next, the pictures are selected as quickly as possible for the post-game photo gallery. Once selected, the pictures must be edited and prepared for the website. All the time the clock is ticking.
There is no time then to begin to savor the efforts of the game. The goal is to get the gallery up (and other pictures for the home page) as quickly as possible. I left the press box about 11:45PM, last night, and was able to get to bed around 2AM. It was a good night, technologically speaking, as all went smoothly. By the way, if you're not on the roads at that time of the morning, you may be amazed at how the traffic flows so smoothly!
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You could feel the excitement in the air. After having to wait an entire week, Saturday had finally arrived. How many times prior to the game this week were you involved in a conversation with someone, maybe even a stranger, and a question was asked about another recent college football game? Did you stay up for the Trojans/Beavers game? What about the Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Maryland, fill in the blank, game!? Have you heard a score for such-n-such game?
Then a bit closer to home, the conversation would turn to the upcoming game for the Gamecocks. For a non-conference game, the storylines for this game were everywhere. The ups and downs of college football. Some players were not going to be able to participate. Other players were going to 'get the opportunity' to show what they good do for the team but not on the 'Proving Grounds' on Bluff Road but on the main stage at Williams-Brice!
With #1 running back, Mike Davis, sitting this one out, the door was opened for increasing exposure of Maddox, Baker, Wallace and others. I was preparing on the field and was working with my 'suitcase' full of camera equipment when Tommy Beecher and Stephen Garcia walked out onto the field (maybe 90 minutes before game time). These players certainly did not go unnoticed by the Gamecock faithful in the area who were cheering and encouraging the two quarterbacks (as well as other players).
My assignment would be to capture the excitement, energy, and 'electricity' of the atmosphere in photographs. Photography is interesting on one side you have the action (a touchdown, a great catch, whatever) and nearby you have the reaction (the joy, the relief, the disappointment, whatever). A good day is when you can capture BOTH. Was this Saturday the beginning on 'An Era' at South Carolina? Time will tell but the goal of capturing it all was very real.
Stephen Garcia immediately after the game...
Changes occur but much stays the same...
Whether the game decides who wins the East in the SEC (this game certainly did NOT), or is a non-conference game to continue working toward the constant goal of becoming a better team this week than you were last week, my job is very much the same. In photo journalism, we not only work to catch the action but of equal importance - capturing the reactions.
On any given play there are 'stories' all around. The fans and their reactions to the action. The coaches and their reactions to the action. Even the players that are not on the field have very interesting reactions to the action on the field. But whether it be offense or defense, action is everywhere.
IF the action were predictable, which it isn't, by design, photographing the action would still be a challenge. Each facet of the game has its opportunities. Blocking, passing, receiving, running, special teams and changes come very quickly. For instance, instantly changing from shooting the quarterback scrambling or dropping back to pass and finding, focusing on, and shooting the receiver catching the ball takes practice, good equipment, and, often, a degree of good fortune.
Several times Saturday I was fortunate, or maybe guessed correctly, and was keying on a given defensive player, for instance, that turned out to be the one who made the tackle when the action headed in his direction.
Today is different than usual...
Ordinarily I would now be going through my pictures from the game, deleting ones where the focus wasn't sharp (yes, even the pro's have this problem!) and selecting and editing my next gallery. No, today many of the over 2200 pictures I have not even yet seen (but plant too soon!) but wanted to write a short blog while everything was still fresh in my mind.
As I had mentioned previously, CJ and I work together and try our best to coordinate. I, often, visually locate him and notice which camera and lens he is using and although he could point his camera anywhere I have a feel for what he will be capturing. Yesterday, we ended up within a very few feet of each other at one time.
It was a key moment. The action was directly in front of us. This was immediately prior to Garcia's first collegiate touchdown, although one NEVER really knows what will happen next. CJ and I discussed the plan. He would be using his 300mm telephoto lens and get the close-ups on the action and the far side of the end zone (if they went the other way) and I would use my 70-200 zoom and get the action plus the near corners of the end zone.
The plan worked well and you can see some of my pictures in Gallery 1. Other pictures coming in future galleries. Earlier in the game, I was shooting from the corner of the other end zone and I guessed wrong (as sometimes happen). I had been using my 70-200mm lens and changed to my 300mm for ONE PLAY and, yep, next play was a deep pass and touchdown right in front of me in my corner of the end zone.
Oh, by the way, the Wofford offense last week gave the defense a stiff challenge. The many hand offs were hard to follow and defend. But it wasn't just the defense that was challenged, many a photographer 'went for the fake' on several occasions and I was one of them.
Post Game activity...
I'm getting anxious to go through my photographs now and see what I have and begin putting the next gallery together. After the game it is always rather intense. All pictures must be downloaded to the computer (around 2300 shots for this game). Next, the pictures are selected as quickly as possible for the post-game photo gallery. Once selected, the pictures must be edited and prepared for the website. All the time the clock is ticking.
There is no time then to begin to savor the efforts of the game. The goal is to get the gallery up (and other pictures for the home page) as quickly as possible. I left the press box about 11:45PM, last night, and was able to get to bed around 2AM. It was a good night, technologically speaking, as all went smoothly. By the way, if you're not on the roads at that time of the morning, you may be amazed at how the traffic flows so smoothly!
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Paul Collins. Paul has been a GamecockCentral photographer since 2005, with a focus on Gamecock football, men's basketball and baseball. He may be reached by email at paul(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.