The 5th ranked Tribe of the College of William and Mary.

Since the Canon 50D was designed to handle noise past the 1600 ISO threshold, I decided to use this as my primary camera during the second half instead of my normal workhorse the Canon 1D MKIIn.   Although the 50D is a reasonably priced Prosumer camera, it handled very well under some difficult shooting conditions.  So if you are in market of buying a digital SLR camera that is under $1500 dollars, I highly recommend this camera.

Since shooting in the dark has become the norm in recent weeks I also decided to give NIK Software’s version of its noise reduction software a try as well.  Normally I’ve been using the “Noise Ninja” by Picture Code, but I grew tired of how it was smoothing out my images.  Bring on the “DFine 2.0” by NIK Software.  I won’t get too technical with the settings, but for the $80 dollars I paid for this program.  It was well worth it.

As usual, I arrived at the stadium 2 hours before kickoff to set up and was on the field as soon as the Spartans’ began their pre-game warm-ups.  During that time I concentrated on guy’s I still needed images of that were new, but the overcast sky was making me push my ISO up to 640 mark and noise country.

Spartan students fixing their ripped banner.

The "Go Spartans" Banner that started to rip because of wind conditions.

Norfolk State's fateful students awaiting the Spartan entrance.

The Norfolk State Spartans' running through the fan tunnel.

The game started out with a bang.  After the Spartans’ (1-2) three and out, the Tribe (3-0) quickly showed why it was ranked 5^th in the nation and their 26 – 14 victory over Division I Virginia wasn’t a fluke.  The Tribe marched 67 yards in just 8 plays that took only 4 minutes to do so too.  This was capped off by Senior QB R.J. Archer’s 10 yard scoring strike to Sophomore RB Jonathan Grimes and a 7 – 0 score.

Tribe Senior QB R.J. Archer's (16) 10 yard TD pass to Jonathan Grimes over the outstretched hands of a blitzing Terrell Whitehead (9).

On the Spartans’ second possession Senior QB Dennis Brown was picked off by Tribe Sophomore LB Jake Trantin at the NSU 35 yard line.  It only took the Tribe 52 seconds to make it 14 – 0 as Archer this time connected with Senior WR D.J. McAulay for 15 yards and the score.  This was way too easy and the thought of witnessing a triple digit football score wasn’t too far from my mind.  I looked up at the scoreboard and it was still 8:15 left in the 1^st quarter and NSU was down 14 – 0 and every play that W&M ran seemed huge.

On the Spartans’ 3^rd possession Junior WR Dwight Fluker-Berry couldn’t advance the ensuing kickoff past the 12 yard line and heads were starting to drop as it seemed like the NSU fateful were questioning themselves on if they were in over their heads.  Senior RB DeAngelo Branche sprinted for a nice 12 yard run on the first play of that drive, but a 3-yard loss, a sack and Brown again running for his life resulted in yet another Spartan punt.

NSU Senior QB Dennis Brown was running for his life all day.

W&M's Terrell Wells (8) breaks this pass up to NSU's Dwight Fluke-Berry (1). The Tribe dominated the first quarter, as it outgained NSU, 134-7, and held the Spartans to zero passing yards.

On the Tribes’ 3^rd possession of the game, which started at their own 45-yard line, they again moved down field like they were running 7 on 7 drills.  Most of the time I couldn’t find a Spartan defender in my viewfinder to shoot because W&M was blowing them all over the place and I was running out of available light.  Up into that time I might have had only 2 good images and the 1^st quarter was almost over.  They were inside the Red Zone again, but the NSU defense stiffened and Senior K/P Brian Pate’s 30-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to the right.  The score was still 14 – 0.

The Spartans’ did settle down as their next 2 possessions were drives of 67 and 46 yards with the later resulting in a blocked field goal attempt and a 21 – 0 halftime deficit.

Halftime Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

By the 4^th quarter W&M sat comfortably ahead 27 – 0 with 13 minutes remaining in the game.  After Senior LB Shawn Childress’ fumble recovery, Brown capped a 4 play 32-yard drive by connecting with Sophomore WR P.J. Hayden in the end zone to make 27 – 7 W&M.

NSU Senior LB Shawn Childress with this 4th Quarter fumble recovery. This image was shot at 6400 ISO.

Spartans' Sophomore WR PJ Hayden hauls in this 32 yard TD pass. This image was shot at 6400 ISO.

The Tribes’ next possession resulted in a safety as Pate recovered a bad snap that was headed towards the goal line and tossed it out of the back of the end zone.  This resulted into the NSU sideline going nuts as complaints of the toss being illegal to the officials became very heated, but the score now stood at 27 – 9 with just under 5 minutes to play.  That was also the only time W&M had to punt in the game too.  Unbelievable.

Spartan Coach Vince Sinagra has to be restrained after another blown call.

The Spartans started their next drive after the free kick at the W&M 45 after Fluker-Berry’s 22-yard return.  Brown then capped yet another quick scoring drive by finding Junior WR Chris Brown deep in the corner of the end zone as Brown out leaped W&M’s Junior CB Ben Cottingham for the ball, but the 2 point conversion failed.  Just that fast the Spartans’ only trailed 27 – 15, but time was quickly running out.

NSU Senior WR Chris Brown (19) out jumped W&M’s Junior CB Ben Cottingham (24) for this late 4th quarter TD. This image was shot at 6400 ISO and cleaned up with DFine 2.0.

With the Spartan’s failing to recover their on-side kick, the Tribe ran out the clock with Archer kneeling on all 3 snaps.  Final score 27 – 15 the Collage of William and Mary.  Now for the post processing of what I shot and I was strongly curious of how the 50D handled the difficult shooting conditions.  I pushed the ISO to 6400 late in the 3^rd quarter and at first the RAW image looked a mess.  Very grainy and noisy, but “DFine 2.0” reduced it all and cleaned up all the images as well.

Final analysis, the combination of the Canon 50D paired up with the NIK Software DFine 2.0 was a complete success.  I have 3 more night games on my schedule and I look forward to the challenge.  I’m back at Norfolk State again this coming Saturday as they take on the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman University.  This is a 4 o’clock kickoff, so dusk will create yet another challenge.

Some of the biggest or may I say most famous sports rivalries of the century can basically be classified by who you are asking.  Ask a boxing fan and they’ll tell you that the Ali – Frazier trilogy was the greatest of all time.  Ask a football fan and if they are from the Philadelphia area like myself they’ll say the entire NFC East, just depends on who the Eagles are playing that week.  Ask a baseball fan and they’ll say the Yankees – Red Sox or they may even say the Dodgers – Giants.  In basketball there is nothing bigger than the Lakers – Celtics, but where I’m from we hate Boston.  Period.

In college athletics it depends on which state you are in.  In North Carolina there’s nothing bigger than Duke – Carolina in basketball.  In Los Angeles nothing is more important than the USC – UCLA football game.  In the Midwest the biggest football game of the year is always the Ohio State – Michigan game.  The list can go on and on, but the rivalry that is interesting me the most these days is the one between Hampton University and Norfolk State University.

Located in the Southeastern part of Virginia or what we call the “Hampton Roads” area and a mere 16 miles between both campuses and separated by the most congested tunnel on the east coast “The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel”.  These two universities simply hate each other and both are big customers of mine’s, so I’m in the middle of their feud sometimes too.

HBO will do a documentary on the feuds between Carolina and Duke in basketball or more recently the Ohio State – Michigan war that I watched the other night, but as far as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) go.  There is nothing bigger than the rivalry between Hampton and Norfolk State in ANY SPORT and can be well documented.

Both were proud members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and with Hampton leaving for the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in 1995, not to be outdone, Norfolk State became a member of the MEAC in 1997.  That scenario is so similar to the Dodgers – Giants departures from New York in the late 50’s.  You ask why did the Giants follow the Dodgers out to California?  There is only one answer to that question.  Rivalry.

The National Football League recognized the importance of rivalries when they set up their divisions many years ago that we have grown accustomed to when they kept the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.  Again you ask why?  Well because of their rivalry with the Washington Redskins.  Not to mention that the Cowboys are a mere 3 million miles away from the east coast.

Hampton's biggest fan Ms. Thompson and Mr. CIAA dressed in his "Green & Gold" at last year's Hampton - Norfolk State basketball game.

When it comes to Hampton and Norfolk State, it doesn’t matter what the sport is, they hate each other with a passion.  I cover everything for both universities and take my word for it, I’ve seen and heard it all.

The 2009 basketball game at Norfolk State was very close to being sold out.

In football the feud continues at it’s annual showdown on October 17^th at Dick Price Stadium on the beautiful campus of Norfolk State.  It’s billed as The State Farm Battle of the Bay.  Last year the Pirates’ of Hampton blew out the Spartans’ of Norfolk State 35 – 17, but in 2007 the Spartans’ upset the Pirates’ 20 – 19 on a last second missed field goal.

Radio & TV host Tom Joyner of "Tom Joyner in the Morning" tossing the coin before the 2008 "Battle of the Bay" won by Hampton 35 - 17.

In 2007 this late 4th quarter TD run by Hampton's TJ Mitchell set up the stage for the Pirate's to tie only to have their extra point attempt blocked. Norfolk State wins 20 - 19.

Basketball is no different either.  Although the Lady Pirates’ have been having their way with the Lady Spartans’ in recent seasons, both programs are going through coaching changes this season.  On the Men’s side the Pirates swept the Spartans during the 07 – 08 season while last year the Spartans returned the favor by sweeping the Pirates in both games.  In these games both the fans, the bands and the cheerleaders do battle as well.

Norfolk State fans show their compassion during last year's basketball game.

Not to be outdone the Hampton fateful show their spirit too.

Norfolk State fans show how they feel about Hampton.

These are actually Norfolk State Cheerleaders.

In Track and Field the Lady Pirates have won 4 straight MEAC Championships while the Men’s squad finished 2 in last years event.  While the Spartan Men won their 4^th straight MEAC Championship last season the Lady Spartans’ finished 3^rd.

Hampton and Norfolk State sprinting side by side.

So, if you aren’t doing anything during the weekend of the 17^th of October?  The Pirates’ and Spartans’ get their annual football feud on.  Make your hotel reservations now because it starts off with the “Battle of the Bands” that Friday night.  Then the tailgate party the next morning on the Norfolk State campus, which is something you don’t want to miss either and the kickoff is at 1 o’clock.  You don’t want to miss this feud or may I say rivalry.  I know I won’t.

Norfolk State's new helmet logo.

The only bad thing about the game was it’s 6 PM kickoff and shooting in the dark at Dick Price Stadium on the campus of NSU isn’t fun.  I tried to get enough shots during the pre-game and before half time.  Since it was the first game of the season, my main focus was trying to get enough shots of the Spartan newcomers.

Because it was the first game and available light was definitely going to be an issue, I really had to concentrate on getting those newcomer shots early.  I really wanted to venture outside of the stadium and get some shots of what was happening out there with all the vendor’s and tailgaters on hand, but I didn’t.  I did smell the great food coming from those tailgater’s but it’s a long season and I’ll get my chance another time.  I also got a chance to chat with one of my favorite photographer’s in the business Mr. Francis Curley of All-Pro Photography who was there covering the game for Va State.

Norfolk State’s “Spartan Legion” Band is perhaps my favorite of all MEAC bands.  I didn’t say they were the best, but they are my favorite.  I still get chills when they come into the stadium and do their pass and review.  Kind of reminds me of the music from the movie Ben Hur.  Behold the Green and Gold.

The Spartan Legion Band's Pass and Review.

The Spartan Legion Band. My favorite MEAC band.

The first important shots of the season came from the pre-game when they honored all the teachers in the Tidewater area.  Group shots and individual shots were needed plus the coin toss which was sponsored by The Virginia Lottery.  Once I got those shots everything else was gravy.

Tidewater Teachers. My first important shot of the season.

The coin toss.

This shot was from last year's game. Almost the same shot.

Va State won the coin toss and quickly marched down the field with surprising ease on the opening drive, but as common as rain falling in April, the “village idiots” had to put their stamp on the game too.  The ref’s killed their drive with penalty after penalty and the Trojans’ had to settle for a field goal and a 3 – 0 lead.

Then it was the Spartans’ turn under the direction of Senior Quarterback Dennis Brown as he directed a 10 play, 54 yard drive which was capped off by his 10 yard TD pass to PJ Hayden.  Of course I was screened in the back of the end zone by one of the “village idiots” who walked into my line-of-site and took my camera focus off during PJ’s initial catch.  I was able to refocus as he came to the ground, so I did salvage a shot of him coming to the ground.  I was also able to snap a few images of their celebration after the TD, which is always a good thing to do.

The photographer's worst night mare.

Most photographer’s in that situation would have stop shooting after the TD just to make sure they got something in focus because of the referee screwing up the initial shot.  Chimp’n is what we photographers call it when a photographer immediately looks at his screen analyzing what he just shot right after the play.  I try to teach new inspiring photographers to shoot through the play.  That is where you capture all the emotion, which are GREAT shots and are portfolio winners.  I also managed to get a shot of the fire coming out of one of the cannon’s NSU has perched behind the end zone, which they fire after every touch down.

The ol' cannon shot. Look at the fire..

Can't do a blog without including Mr. CIAA.

Norfolk State’s defense was the stars of the game though as they forced the Trojans’ into 5 turnovers.  Pre-season MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and game MVP Terrell Whitehead got things stared with his late first quarter interception.  Whitehead also finished with 6 solo tackles in route to the MVP award.

I didn’t shoot much in the second half because of the terrible lighting at Dick Price Stadium.  You would think that if you have several night games every year that you would at least change the bulbs in your lighting system.  Better yet, invest in a new system because shooting a night game at Norfolk State means a whole lot of time editing and color correcting images.

With my first game of the season under my belt my and getting everything needed I will now relax and start being creative with my shooting during my next game which is another night game at Norfolk State on the 19^th of September.  I have this weekend off as my oldest daughter’s Fall Basketball season kicks off with 2 games on Saturday, so until my next game, take care and keep on shooting.

Because of NCAA Rules, I’m not allowed to display images of student athletes who currently hold their eligibility.   To view game action photos please visit the NSU website or click here.

When you obtain media credentials with promises of giving images you shoot during that event for free, you are not only hurting yourself but the entire photography business as a whole.  We as photographers will never make any money if promoters have options to get images for free or at a reduced rate.  I got into the photography business for the sole purpose of making as much money as I can.  This is not a hobby for me and should not be for you either.

Every photographer should have this mind set every time they take their camera out of the bag, that camera equipment isn’t cheap and repair cost is very expensive too.  Each time you press that shutter release button on your camera you are putting wear and tear on your equipment.  Free is not helping you with equipment upgrade or equipment repairs.  Never reduce the value of your services for a media credential.

These same photographers when questioned often talk about working on their portfolio as their main reason for selling their souls.  My answer to that is most editors or potential clients don’t care if you have images of Joe Montana throwing a pass or the local high school quarterback throwing that same pass in your portfolio.  They want to see things like image quality, clean back grounds, peak action, emotion and if you can do it more than once.  You don’t need the Redskins or the University of Maryland to get this when you can get those same types of images at your local high school or Little League field.

Image quality is a must.  You as a photographer should never submit any images that are soft or out of focus.  Always edit your photos and never submit substandard photographs.  Learn how to shoot tight or crop tight and never submit images with cutoff limbs.  Also a rule of thumb, never submit an image if you can’t see the players face.  I always say if you can read their name on the back of their jersey, then don’t submit it.
Clean backgrounds are also an essential part of shooting and you must always pay attention to what is in your background.  Whether it’s cheerleaders, parents, vendors, distracting signs, cars or lighting fixtures you should always take the time to look at the backgrounds and if it cluttered?  Move around and find another shooting position that will eliminate or limit the clutter and present you with a cleaner background.

Cluttered Background Image

Cluttered Background Image (the car in the background)

Your portfolio should also consist of images that have captured peak action in it.  These images don’t have to be touchdowns, homeruns, diving catches or dunks; they just have to be images that capture peak performances.  My favorite magazine for the past 40 years has been Sports Illustrated and the images you see when you open this magazine is always a tight action image shot horizontal.  This image usually takes up both pages, which are referred to as a “double truck”.

Tight Horizontal Image "Double Truck"

Peak Action Image

You should also pay attention to your surroundings when shooting to capture emotion during an event you are shooting.  In sports the sidelines of a football game, the dugouts of a baseball game always presents you with the perfect opportunity to capture some emotion.  I love getting to the field early to shoot pregame warm-ups, which is also a good place to get emotional shots.  Moments after made baskets or first downs are also good times to capture emotion.  Be creative too.  Shots of helmets sitting on the bench, end zone pylons and footballs can also show your creativity.

Emotional image after a tuff loss

Emotional image after a great play

Looking for that creative edge

Creative shot of writing on player's sneaker

You don’t need to be at a professional or college event to get images for your portfolio.  You also don’t have to give images away to gain access to an event to build your portfolio either.  The examples I just presented to you can be captured at your local high school, Pop Warner football game or Little League game.  My first portfolio consisted of images shot at my daughter’s AAU basketball games, the local high school baseball and basketball games and a friend’s son’s youth football games.  I had a variety because editors or potential clients want to make sure you aren’t a one hit wonder or very lucky.

Also learn to shoot all sports and display them in your portfolio too.  Never be considered just a particular photographer or you will miss out on work as well.  If you are only considered a baseball photographer and a client is looking for someone to shoot their volleyball match they won’t call you because all you shoot is baseball.

These are a few tips to keep in mind before you step out in this world of photography.  There is lots of money to be made if you keep in mind you are only hurting the business if you decide to give your images away.

Thanks for reading my blog and keep shooting.

The main reason why I like to show up for an assignment early is peace of mind.  I try to arrive to any assignment at lease 2 hours before game time.  When I say peace of mind, let me explain a little.  Traffic is always an issue when traveling along the east coast and mainly up and down Interstate 95 (I-95).  I-95 is notorious for it’s traffic jams or “lock downs” as we call it.  The worst feeling in the world is to be stuck in a traffic jam clock watching, so I have peace of mind when I’m in the area of an assignment and not 100 miles away stuck in traffic.

I usually bring my laptop (Apple MacBook Pro) to all assignments and once I arrive the first thing I do is set it up and find out if they have Wi-Fi or do I need to plug in my air card.  While the laptop is booting I will grab some food if it’s available and locate the Sports Information Director (SID) to go over the particulars or what needs to be covered.  Usually a shot list of the players will be provided at that time, but sometime during the week leading up to the game.  I will print off a roster from their website and circle all freshman and incoming transfers.

I will then focus on my equipment and it’s preparation or setup.  For football I usually shoot with three Canon Mark IIn’s and the following lenses attached:  a 300mm f/2.8, a 70 – 200mm f/2.8 and a 24 – 70mm f/2.8.  The camera with the 300mm lens attached usually gets the most work because I can shoot from a long distance and stay out of harms way.  I will also place a few items in a backpack such as rain gear for me and my cameras, Gatorade and snacks and head to the field to cover pregame warn-ups.

When I changed my focus to covering college sports and shooting primarily for the SID’s I had to change my shooting style and how I covered a game.  My style had always been from an editorial point of view, so I always concentrated on plays and getting images that reflected the whole game.  Peek action and emotion was a key element that I tried to capture, well for an SID that style did nothing for their primary publication.  The media guide.

Norfolk State University 2009 Football Media Guide

Editorial style shooting.

Editorial Style Shooting

Inside a team’s media guide each student athlete has their own section filled with past accomplishments such as previous years highlights, high school awards and personal information.  The SID’s also like to add images in that particular section of that player and editorial images wouldn’t suffice, so a style change was needed in the way I covered a game.

The style I developed was individual or isolation shooting where I concentrated solely on a particular player and not the whole play.  I also realized that new comers saw limited playing time, so the only way to get shots of them was during pregame warm-ups.  Now arriving to an assignment had more purpose.

Pregame warm-up shot

Pregame Warm-up Shot

Game Isolation Shot

Game Isolation Shot

Once I felt I got enough footage of the pregame I headed outside the stadium to shoot various happenings around the stadium.  Such as tailgaters, vendors, program sellers and the crowd entering the game.

Game Program Sellers

Tailgate Party

Tailgate Party Dee-Jay

After all that I still have time to return to the press box and down load everything to my laptop and start immediately backing it up to a portable external hard drive I carry in my computer bag.  I also have time to relax a little before heading back onto the field to cover the band entrance, the player’s introduction, the coin toss and the kick off.

Band Entrance.

Band Entrance

The Coin Toss

The Coin Toss

Since I shoot primarily for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) there’s a whole lot going on before a game, so telling a story with your images is definitely not a problem.  I enjoy it and if you haven’t been to one?  I highly suggest you attend a HBCU football game for an experience you’ll never forget.

Owens that year was suspended during camp, which may or may not happen to Marshall.

T.O. was then suspended by the Eagles for the rest of the season, which screwed owners throughout Fantasy Football.

I call it “Fantasy Poison” and I will highly suggest you stay away from Marshall in the early rounds in your up coming drafts.  He’s a risk before six, but a steal after 7.

I really didn’t have Marshall high on my list of receivers anyway.  Remember last year between the 20’s Marshall was money.  With Jay Cutler at the helm he caught an outstanding 104 balls last year, but only saw glory 6 times.

In a draft the other day he stayed on the board until the 4^th round, but the owner is now trying to trade him.

He is also missing valuable time in camp with Kyle Orton which points to a very slow start.  I’ve read in some publications that he’s rated as high as 11^th of all wide receivers this year.

Like I stated earlier he’s a risk before six, but a steal after 7.

(The images provided in this article were not taken by the author)

I next traveled to the beautiful city of Norfolk, Virginia the following Thursday the 20^th of August to cover Norfolk State’s media day and I got a different feeling that day.  The Spartans seemed confident and loose.  The kids had fun, probably too much fun.  Nonetheless it seemed like the tide had shifted in the Bay Area.

The Battle of the Bay on October 17 should be very interesting.

The 1^st game for both is on the 5^th of September and I will be at Norfolk State for their annual Labor Day Classic against Virginia State University.  Which I covered last year too won my the Spartan’s of NSU 47 – 7.

Photographing football games in the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) can be a bit of a challenge on the sidelines.  Sometimes there are way too many photographers on MEAC sidelines, especially at Norfolk State University.

You would wonder were you covering the Super Bowl with the amount of photographers on their sideline.  Who are these guys’ shooting for?  The NCAA has a strict rule about what you can do with eligible student athlete’s images and selling images to the players is a definite no-no.  I always wonder?

The night before each game I usually re-format all my media cards, clean my lenses, charge my batteries and go over the rosters to find new players especially impact players who transferred in.  I try to arrive 2 hours before game time to setup and to discuss anything in particular the Sports Information Director (SID) wants covered.  I also request a shot list and itinerary and study that as well.  I put my cameras together and head to the field to cover pregame warm-ups’.

Secret number Uno, “I get some of my best images during the pregame warm-ups.”

Once the game kicks off I’m zeroed in on the action and the seen.  I try to take a storybook approach to covering a football game.  I try to make a person feel like they are in the play when they look at my images.  I try to shoot from different angles throughout the game and I also try to cover what’s happening on the sidelines as well.

Shooting is the easy part.  Postproduction is sometimes the most challenging, especially after shooting a night game at most of the stadiums in the MEAC where the lighting is simply terrible at best.  Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop has been a major part of my postproduction for the past 3 years.  I also try to provide each SID with about 15 or so images for their game stories and web galleries before I pack up and head for home.   Not bad for about 6 hours of work, give or take a few minutes.

This was my first blog.  Thanks for reading.  Please feel free to leave a comment.