LJ sports: Refracted through light

By Ed Piper

I'm really enjoying the start of the time change.

And what's interesting--and maybe odd to others--is that I'm seeing it through light, and increasing amounts of it.

No longer using my large camera equipment, which I shelved several years ago, I am seeing the capabilities of my small Canon Powershot camera that has more capabilities than I thought before.

Specifically, with the Viking girls' lacrosse match at home last night (March 16) against La Costa Canyon, I was looking forward to the extra hour of light I would be afforded to take photos of the action following our changing our clocks three days before.

With the game starting at 6:30 p.m., I would have another hour of light from prior to the time change Saturday night, March 12.

I was quick to start taking photos from the opening faceoff, to take advantage of the light. The results were fantastic. Luca Demaio, who took all the first half faceoffs for the Vikings, was bright, visible, and recorded with decent resolution by my small "secret-weapon" Powershot. People looking on would think I wouldn't be able to capture any action. Well, the results prove otherwise.

Set to "Time" priority (speed, instead of aperture), the camera, with my looking at the rear monitor, enabled me to get La Jolla defenders swarming Maverick offensive players.

And at the other end of the field, I was able to capture Delaney Walsh and other Viking offensive specialists as they moved upfield and toward the LCC goal.

The extra light before things got darker at 7:10 p.m. or so showed in my ability to depict one-on-one action, Delaney or Luca or another offensive player against an LCC defender. (In sports photos, I often think in terms of one offensive player vs. one defensive player--it simplifies things and makes the action image understandable to the human eye.)

One position I've found helpful at the Vikings' offensive end is moving down the field a little past the opposing goal, then shooting back toward the goal. I'm able to show Viking players nearing the goal, with the intent to shoot to try to score. Some of these shots come out really well. They also give a variety to just shooting from one-third or one-fourth down the field behind the offensive players to try to take shots.

Verbalizing about light and camera angles, etc. can be a little tricky in communicating the concepts I'm working on. But thinking through what I'm actually doing when I stand on the sidelines and try to capture different aspects of the action, is really beneficial. It helps me to expand and improve what I want to show in my photos.

Take a look at the photos from the LJ-LCC game last night. With my small Powershot, they can be a little pixelated. But for such a tiny piece of equipment, shooting at night, it does wonders with the available light and from the distance from the action that I am shooting.