Shooting Sports

Lately I've been shooting a lot of surfing and I've added a few more skills to my repertoire: football and baseball photographer.

I wanted to get another chance at shooting a professional football game so I asked (begged) my wife, who is the sports editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel. She was nice enough to get me a press pass for the sideline of the 49ers-Saints Monday Night Football game.



Not too long after that, she just asked if I wanted to shoot the Giants' final game of the season. When she asked the Giants were up 3 games over the Padres in the National League West and were supposed to have clinched a playoff spot by the time I was going to shoot the game. The Giants don't make things that easy though. Turns out they clinched on the very last game of the season -- the same game I was at.

Now, I had never shot baseball before and it took me a while to figure things out, but by the end of the game, I think I had it. So I got some pretty good shots but the best part was that I ended up in the Giants clubhouse afterward getting sprayed with champagne by Giants pitcher Matt Cain. Sure, for the everyday photographers it was no big deal, but for me ... well it was a moment I'll not soon forget.