Volleyball: FBA ladies host Gulf Coast Sharks

I have to admit, I have not shot volleyball before. I was not planning on shooting it today either. So why do I have volleyball pictures to share with you? Well, I could ramble on, but suffice to say, I stumbled upon a match at FBA, was asked (with some perceived enthusiasm) if I was going to shoot, so I said I would - after the soccer match.

Now, I find that every sport has differences in the best way to shoot, and it takes some experimentation to see what angles, focal lengths, shutter speeds, lighting etc. work best for each sport. So I had to do some experimentation today, and I will continue to learn better ways to capture the players and action. I might not have presented these "experimental" shots, were it not for the fact that these players put such enormous effort into their work, and probably don't receive the kind of attention other sports do. So I feel compelled to find some of my shots that worked, and present them here.

Update: I have finished my editting and processing for the New Volleyball gallery which you can see by clicking here. It took some time to evaluate, crop the photos, and perform color correction. Shooting indoors is always a challenge, because there is seldom adequate lighting for action photography, not to mention the artificial lighting changes colors dramatically. I hope you enjoy these pix, and as always, please mention to other players and parents that we have some shots they should check out on Naplespix.com.

Thanks,

Mike

Soccer: FBA Varsity Men host Seacrest Country Day School

First Baptist Academy played host to Seacrest Country Day School for a Soccer match this afternoon. It was hard fought, but the second half belonged to Seacrest, and so did the game.

I snapped a number of pix, and the coloring was interesting to me, since the sky was so dark to the east, and overcast to the west. Usually when I shoot there, it is in strong westerly sun. These kinds of conditions provide some interesting backgrounds, and nice colors.

If you know anyone from Seacrest, would you kindly tell them about these pictures, or provide a link to naplespix.com so they can see them too.

Thanks,

Mike

Football: FBCN Beacon "Bowl"

Okay, nobody actually said that Beacon "Bowl" comment. I might be a bit punchy, but somehow it seemed cute to me at the time.

It was nice that today was cooler and cloudier at the FBCN Campus. Today was Beacon vs. Beacon with all 3 divisions. Since I was out of town last weekend for the games at Marco, this was the first time in two weeks I had watched the teams, and improvement was evident.

I snapped a lot of pictures, so you may have to wade through many to find yours, but I have made an attempt to show quality shots of as many kids as I can. Personally I recommend clicking on the slideshow - adjusting it to "fast", maximizing my browser, and sit back to watch.

As you might expect, the Pee Wee game is first, Junior begin around picture 121 and Senior pix start about number 173. Check your browser, but this should be close.

I do intend on shooting next Saturday as well, so if we didn't get everyone this week, there is still a chance next week!

Thanks,

Mike

naplespix.com

Football: Barron Collier Cougars host Palmetto Ridge Bears

I attended Friday night's Barron Collier vs. Palmetto Ridge Varsity game at Cougar stadium. There was lots of action, and the Cougars led most of the way by a comfortable margin. It was quite late Friday night by the time I was able to post my images on Naplespix.com. As it is I am writing this almost 24 hours later because I have been shooting other football action since early Saturday morning.

Please check out the photos, and tell everyone connected with Barron Collier to check them out too. Give them a link to naplespix.com and tell them to click on the "football" tab.

Thanks,

Mike

Football Barron Collier JV hosts Palmetto Ridge High JV

Thursday night, I took some time to attend the JV game between Barron and Palmetto Ridge at Cougar Stadium. It was a nice night with the humidity and temps down from the usual, but the crowd was on the small side. The game was entertaining. I had missed the Freshman game from earlier, but was told it was quite good.

I snapped a few shots, and hope you will enjoy them. I am trying to shoot some of the defensive and offensive lines too. Those guys play their hearts out, but since they don't carry the ball, they don't get all the attention they deserve. Look for players you know, and pass along our website address, so they can see themselves on Naplespix.com

The Varsity game is tomorrow night. See you there!

Mike

Weekend Update

The weekend has passed, and with youth sports really heating up, so has the traffic on NaplesPix.com. I have seen a large increase in picture views (happy), and some orders for prints (also happy). I know that my coverage of other schools has brought in new viewers to the site, so I want to mention a few items that might not be obvious.

If you like any pictures, you can order prints in a variety of sizes and finishes. We are debuting a brand new "hi-tech" Metallic paper and finish from Kodak. These should produce awesome pictures that really pop! Click the logo for more information.

You can also buy any picture for download to your computer. It's a great way to have a picture to send to friends and family by email, to make a screen saver, or to print unlimited copies for personal use on your own printer at home. If you click on "Buy this photo", you can see all the options without committing to actually buying anything.

I have been receiving requests for actions shots of specific teams and events, and I will try to accommodate as my schedule allows. Email me schedules and information. If I can get sideline access to your event, it will help dramatically.

I have also started team photo's where (as with school pictures) we can offer packages with individual and team shots in a variety of sizes and printed on specialties (trading cards, calendars, mouse pads, etc). Let me know if your team has interest in this service.

Thanks for your support! It will help me be able to keep taking pictures!
Mike
http://www.naplespix.com/

Football: Gulf Coast Sharks host Immokalee High Indians

Another Friday Night Lights... Football in Naples. I chose the Gulf Coast Sharks hosting Immokalee High tonight. I had not taken pix of either team yet this season, and I was looking forward to watching both teams, along with rounding out my offering on NaplesPix.com.

It was a good game, with the exception of penalties, which seem to me to hurt Immokalee more than the Sharks (but that's just one opinion). Gulf Coast won.

I was able to get a good offering of shots up on the website Saturday morning. Tell parents and classmates from Gulf Coast and Immokalee they can take a look. And remember, you can also buy prints online and they will be professional printed and shipped to your address.

Thanks

Mike

FBA Boys JV Soccer hosts Cape Coral Christian

Thursday afternoon I dropped by First Baptist Academy of Naples to do a retake on a FBCN Beacons football player for the team and individual photos. The FBA High School (JV) Soccer team was hosting Cape Coral Christian School.

The match was late in the second half when I finished my retakes, but I squeezed off a few pix while I was there. Apparently the game was tied 3 apiece, and had been for quite some time. Shortly thereafter FBA scored two goals, and won the match 5 to 3, but hard fought all the way.

I didn't have time for many good shots, but this was my first glimpse at this particular squad this season. (I have a hard time keeping track of Varsity Middle School and Junior Varsity High School, not to mention the 6th grade team).

I wanted to recognize these young men with a posting of at least a few. I hope to see more of them this season.

If you know anyone at Cape Coral Christian, please tell them to look for these pix on NaplesPix.com!

Thanks,

Mike

High School Football Barron Collier JV Host Golden Gate Titans JV

I had a request emailed asking if I could take some pictures of a Barron JV game. I wasn't sure I could make the timing work this week, and next Wednesday wasn't looking good either. But I managed to sneak in the first half of tonight's (Wednesday 9/17) game, and have posted some of my shots.

I have no idea if I got any pix of the boy who's mother asked me to come. That's the way it goes sometimes. I would be happy to try for another game this season to round it out.

I do enjoy mixing up the teams, so I hope not only the Barron Collier JV's will like these pix, but the Golden Gate Titan JV's as well. Perhaps you could let them know where to look...NaplesPix.com!

Thanks,
Mike

FBA Boys Varsity Soccer hosts Sarasota Christian

I was able to watch the first half of the FBA Boys Varsity Soccer match versus Sarasota Christian School. I have to find out who won and edit this post later, but by the end of the first half I think FBA was up 3-0.

Even though FBA's squad is dramatically reduced this year due to "Beacons Football" defections, they still seemed to have some genuine talent on the field. I was told there are only a handful of 8th graders on the team, and the balance is 5th-7th grade. What I saw was good.

I managed to snap off a few pix, and since I don't know how many of their games I will be getting to this season, I hope I got a majority of the team. It's hard with substitutions, and not always being on the "action" side of the field.

Whenever I shoot sports I have a tug of war with myself. My intention is to try and get a feature shot of each player, but a "follow the action" drive seems to take over, and I always walk away wondering who I missed, and hoping I'll get them next time around.

Sometimes a very active player doesn't get the best shot because I may have been blocked by another player, or his back is to me, is too far away, or yes once in a while... out of focus. Ironically, this is most frequently the case on scoring plays. If I am ready for a close shot at one end, invariably the action shifts rapidly to the other end. I may shoot in vain, getting shots of players backs moving swiftly further and further away! Such are the travails.

If one waits patiently though, sometimes they are rewarded. If you look at the gallery of pix from this game on NaplesPix.com, you may just see such a reward.

Feel free to leave comments.
Mike

Naples High Eagles Vs. Palmetto Ridge Bears

Naples High School came to Palmetto Ridge High School after a heartbreaking 1 point loss the week before. I had never shot at the Ridge before. As with most High Schools, stadium lighting is fine for watching a game, but less than ideal for stop-action photography (Big College and Pro stadiums light for television, and as a result, throw many more lumens down on the field). This makes picture taking a bit more of a challenge.

Photographers try to make up the difference with "fast" lenses (they allow in more light), "pushing" the ISO (to increase sensitivity), using "fill flash", and setting shutter speeds lower than they would during a day game. All of these techniques can help, but all have drawbacks as well.

This week the job was made even harder by the presence of smoke wafting across the field from the concession grills on the east side of the stadium. Smoke tends to make pictures look hazy instead of crisp and clear. A west wind would have made all the difference!

I have some shots from the Naples and Palmetto game, and hope to get more of both teams as the season progresses. Keep checking back to see if your favorite player was captured on NaplesPix.com!

Beacons vs Marco Eagles Football Sept 13, 2008

Saturday was the "opening day" for the FBCN "Beacons" Football teams. The six teams in 3 divisions played against teams from the Marco Island Eagles. I think the players and families all had a great time, and enjoyed finally getting to have a "real" game.

I have pictures from one of the Pee Wee division games, both Junior Division games and one of the Senior Division. It was a long day, and other obligations kept me from being there from 8 until 4.

I hope to be able to catch the other teams in action soon.

I appreciate Coach Sparacio and Coach Jansen's encouragement to get right out on the field so I can bring you closeups like the one I have here.

Please take the time to browse all the galleries on NaplesPix.com to find shots you would like to keep.