Hand off.

It's Christmas. Today I received a book that really helped put it in perspective of what a great photographer has inside of him. It's not just the ability to push a button, it's the foresight to capture a moment you are pretty sure is going to translate into an excellent picture. It doesn't happen on every click, it sometimes doesn't happen on a 1000 clicks, but when it does, you just know it. The book I received is by Walter Iooss; a long time sports photographer for Sports Illustrated and other organizations---Mr. Iooss can read a picture before it has been taken. He was able to do this when we didn't have digital cameras...meaning, he didn't know he had a good picture, with proper exposure, until he went to the lab. That seems like light years ago, but we're talking less that 12 years. The book contained photos from the late 1990's and they are flat out great.

This is not the first book I have from Walter Iooss; he has produced many on sports and the people behind the games. What I love about his photography I have attempted to capture in mine. For example, he has made it part of his vision to capture players when they may not be on the field, instead they might be sitting on the bench; he has the ability to take you closer to the thoughts going on in their heads. That makes for fantastic photos. You might be thinking, big deal. When you see his work you know it is a big deal. How do I know ? Many of his pictures are the iconic photos you will recognize as part of sports history.

Being a professional sports photographer sounds very appealing to me, but it's not an easy profession. It's one where you have to be in the right place at the right time with all of the right things coming together in an instant. That's not easy. But it can be done by the pros and the amateurs. The difference is the pros know what they are doing. I am truly in awe of Walter Iooss because he owns the mold of the great sports photographer, I would love for him to share it with me. He is that good.

The photo above will not win any awards unless you are the quarterback in the picture. These are action shots that are most frequently found in magazines, newspapers and online. What do I call them? A dime a dozen. It's when you apply the imagery and knowledge of the great sport photographers to the situation that you come up with the winners. I am trying every day to be a better photographer because when it's my turn to walk in the shoes of the masters, I want to make sure I have received the proper hand off and run it for a score.

Thanks for stopping by.