When shooting sports, kids or any moving object, if you wait to see if there’s a photo to take, it’s way too late. Sometimes it’s fate, some times it’s luck---but a lot of it is being familiar with the subject you are about ready to shoot with your camera. That’s what makes it all special---when you capture that moment that a split second ago was not there. Only your camera knows for sure if the shutter opened and closed in time.
Today fate must have been on my side. I was walking to get lunch and decided after I had picked up my food, to stop in a bookstore I had visited a few times. They sell books by the weight of the book. Yes you read that right. At $3.99 per pound it’s less than steak but more than potatoes, however if you put them together you sometimes walk out with a great meal. Today I got lobster for the price of bologna.
What could possibly be such a good deal? I purchased a practically new copy of Sports Illustrated “HOTSHOTS,” the best photos of the 21st Century. When I walked into the store I said, “I am the guy who is into photography, do you have any new books?” She said, “We do and I was wondering when you were going to come by.” I thought she was kidding but she was not. The moment I saw the book I said, “I will take it.” I picked it up and said, “This is going to be a lot more than I thought it was.” I was wrong, I got it for less than 1/3 of the cover price.
When I opened the book and saw the pictures I felt my heart take a leap. These photos are just phenomenal; they reinforce why I should be taking sports shots, and how far I really have to go to shoot for Sports Illustrated. Sure, the photographers have the best seats, and they have the best photography equipment, but what they also possess is something you can’t teach. It’s the ability to anticipate and react; one sneeze, blink, or cough and you miss your shot. It happens to everyone of course, but when you miss the shot of a lifetime, there is no turning back.
A friend of mine wrote to me today to tell me how much she enjoys reading “Snap. Shot.” and how she reads it regularly. She was honest in saying she does not read it on the weekend, but does every morning. Her daughter is a cheerleader, they just won a big tournament, and she likes when I write about cheering. So Sandi, this one’s for you and your daughter Alyssa!
The photo above was taken at a recent cheerleading event. I realize I have written about this event already, but what I liked about this photo was the “wall” that divided those teams who were on stage, and those anticipating being on the other side of the wall performing. Photography, like any sport, takes time to develop; when you feel you are ready, it takes a belief in yourself that as a photographer you can bring your camera anywhere and have the confidence you will be able to capture a moment. Whether you shoot for Sports Illustrated or the school newspaper, it’s all about doing your best and making sure you hit the button at the right time. It’s okay to miss it once in a while, there’s always another picture ready to be taken.
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