kirt1

Funny, this field had horrible access (high fences all around, except outfield) so I climbed up in the stands where I couldn't get clear shots of home or 1st base, grumbling about it the whole game. But, I concentrated on the SS, 3rd base and the occasional shot to the outfield. After getting home (literally, back in CA as the tournament was in TN), I realized that I'd gotten a handful of real keepers from up there.

I suppose the title of this comment could have also have been, "Shut up and shoot."

Kirt

David,

Thanks again for your kind words. In this case, I was in the dugout shooting through the field opening. Most of the time there is a place just up the line from the dugout where the fence is short enough that I can shoot over it (I'm 6'5", so that helps). I haven't shot on a field that has a photographer's dugout yet.

Incidentally, I have this picture printed and on the wall at work. I've had a couple people say that their favorite part of the photo was seeing all the intensity on the girl's face, then noticing that she had recently had her nails done. Kind of shows both sides of girls' sports, I guess.

At least the club meetings won't be crowded. :-)

Seriously, thanks, but when it comes right down to it, I think any "talent" I might have is more a matter of repetition and perseverence than anything else.

David, I take lots of bad shots! I have to take a lot so I can get a few good ones to post. :-)

The 3/3s seem to come with the territory. I'm okay with getting them, even if the poster would put in a note like, "I don't think sports belong in P.N." Even better if there's something they really don't like about the shot that I might not have noticed or given much thought.

One thought on this is to try a longer exposure. Stop down, put your camera on a tripod, then you should get a little more of a "silky" effect to the water. Not necessarily an improvement, but if you haven't tried it, give it a shot (pun sorta intended).

Not many waterfalls in Kansas, that's for sure. :-)

This shortstop struggles to maintain control of the ball after her

impact with the ground. The initial "dive" is also in the same

folder. Always interested in comments or suggestions, especially if

you rate it a 3/3. Thanks for looking.

I'll definitely take a look at it with the lower-right photo removed. The one caveat is that at 20x30, I've had cases where I thought it was going to look too busy and it didn't once I got the print back.

The biggest problem that Dad has with removing the lower-right photo is that it's the only one that really shows her face in a somewhat flattering way.

Not enough wall space for two posters, so I'll have to make one work. :-)

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment/critique. I sincerely appreciate it!

Hi Jamie,

I love the point of view of this shot. Very interesting.

Looks to me like the best focus is either on the tree or the referee, not the real subjects. Focus in a situation like this can be pretty tricky. If you can anticipate the play a bit, and get your camera to initially focus on one of the players who ends up at the net, that might help.

Hope that helps, and hope you didn't get too much sand in your camera!

Wanted to do something special for my daughter, so this is what I came

up with. It's actually designed to be a 20x30 poster, but I haven't

had it printed yet. Let me know what you think, and if you have ideas

for improvement, I'd like to hear them.

Thanks.

This was a pop-up behind 2nd base. Shortstop ran and then made an

all-out dive to catch the ball. This shot, due to focal length,

distorts how far she actually had to stretch out to get the ball.

I debated a lot over how to crop this. If there is interest, I'll

post the uncropped version and you can take a look for yourself.

Comments about that or any other aspect of the shot are welcome. Thanks.

A moment before this pop-up was caught by the pitcher, the runner and

her dugout/fans in the background seem to anticipate the outcome.

Thanks for looking, and please make comments and/or rate anything in

my portfolio.

About to sell out in a vain attempt to stop this base hit, this

2nd-baseman's face seems to anticipate a date with the infield dirt.

Thanks for looking, and let me know what you think.

The runner is safe at home, but the catcher is still working hard to

keep another runner from advancing to 3rd. Thoughts and comments

appreciated, thanks for looking.

Sadly, the ball isn't visible in this shot, but it's in the web of her

glove.

I posted two shots from a series. The other one is in the same

folder, so compare and contrast if you would like. Thanks for looking.

Center-fielder made a number of nice, diving catches in this tournament.

The shot right before this one in the sequence is also posted in the

same folder, so comparisons between the two might be fun. Please

rate/comment on that or anything else in my portfolio. Thanks!

The tournament is the USA/ASA 14 and Under National Championship Finals, held in Johnson City, Tennessee. 112 teams entered.

As for her coach, if you mean the batter's coach, he shouldn't judge too quickly, as the compression effect from a 300mm lens is significant. It's hard to judge how close the ball is to her from these kinds of shots.

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

Kirt

Another from the recent ASA 14U National Championships, and again from

right-center field. Please take a moment to post your thoughts.

Right-center field isn't my favorite shooting spot, but on some

fields, that's all you can do. I thought the arrangement of players,

umpire, and ball was interesting. What do you think? Comments

appreciated.

Isn't "solo synchronized swimming" an oxymoron? :-)

The thought that occured to me is that this could be cropped square. What do you think?

It's a very pretty shot. My favorite part is the water along her back. I'm thinking a slightly higher angle might have helped, as the line of the pool in back is sort of distracting.

Kirt

Neil,

I very much appreciate your "long-winded" (I would say "thorough") analysis.

Part of the 3/3 could come from "fatigue" as I've recently paid my fee to become a full member. I want to use P.N as a tool to help me become better as a photographer, and part of that, I think, is to post shots that you don't have great expectations for, as it relates to ratings. So I've been putting up shots at a somewhat faster rate than I have in the past.

I actually think a 5.5/5.5 is a pretty generous score. I do think that technically there isn't that much I could do to execute the shot better, but asthetically it leaves a bit to be desired, though it does tell a story, which I think you have relayed quite accurately.

The girl in the photo is a great shortstop, with impending major D1 NCAA scholarship to testify to that. She did make a mistake, and I think it was due to looking away, then we see her in the middle of trying to look back, all the time worried about the speed of the batter who hit the ball (which was considerable). It's an attempt to capture that "oh no" moment.

Thanks to Sachin as well for taking the time to post his opinion. If someone else has a different suggestion as to crop, do take a shot at it.

Three 3/3s and not a bit of criticism or discussion. Hmmm...

Okay, I'll try beating myself up over it to try and stimulate a discussion: Can't see the player's face well. Not particularly indicative of anything competitive, in that I suppose it could have been taken during warm-up. Questionable crop (full-frame, reduced resolution above).

Why did I post it, given the above? Well, I liked the precarious position of the ball on the glove, the lighting was nice, and wanted to break the record for 3/3s on one of my photos... Okay, just kidding on the last one, though I expected it would overall be lower rated than some of the shots I've posted. :-)

If there's anything amazing about this photo, it's that this shortstop

rarely makes an error. Actually had a bright day with a little cloud

cover to minimize the shadows. Appreciate feedback and/or discussion.