State Track, Day 1...

I always look forward to shooting the state track meet every Spring. Even though there have been some year the officials seem to have a bigger bug up their ass than others in trying to flex their muscles and show who's boss, the meet is still one of the best run track meets in the country. Not to mention Texas has some of the best track and field talent in the country competing in this meet.

The biggest thing I try to show while shooting this meet, or any track meet is there is more to it than just kids running, throwing and jumping. And having a photo page to display my work as well as an online slideshow is not only a great way to show it, but also shows a need for more than just the standard action photos. Of course, there are plenty of those to show too, but my favorite photos are always the emotional shots, especially those who weren't expected to win their respective races or events.

One thing I have been trying to do for years is the hurdles shot of the runner in the blocks while framed by all the hurdles from the finish line. There are still a few things I don't like about it, but at the same time I liked it enough to publish... I'll try again in a couple years and hopefully shoot it better.

Now, These are the Games That Count...

The playoffs started on Tuesday. These are finally the games that count. Every game I shoot now has some sort of meaning and has something riding on it. It seems like every February I begin to enjoy basketball season a lot more. Mostly because I finally get to see some decent, competitive games.

So, my playoff opener started with a pair of area teams, Comanche and Clyde facing off in Eastland. The game was really kind of sloppy, both teams are young and the majority of the players on the court were underclassmen will be back next year. And the playoff inexperience really showed in all the missed shots. But, at least it was even, the final score had Clyde winning 29-28. A scored that stayed that way for the final 2:09 of the game... neither team made a shot, free throw or field goal for the last 2+ minutes of the game. That was kind of ugly, but at least with a close win there is the chance for a nice celebration. Thankfully, since there wasn't much scoring.