Stop the whistles

"A field hockey player since sixth grade, Centennial senior goalie Liz Snyder will look to help guide the Eagles to a Howard County championship in the 2008 season."

Ever get an assignment and become excited? Sure you have. We do it all the time. Once you get it, you preconceive all the different elements that you think will make a remarkable image. All day you look forward to it, trying to map out your game plan.

This happens more often than not for me, but something changed that made me have to put a spin on my intended shoot when I arrived.

Approximately three weeks ago I got my first sportrait of the Fall sports season. I was pumped.

I should note that I love shooting sportraits (mom note: sport + portrait). There is something about getting one-on-one time with an athlete to make them look totally, for a lack of better words, bad ass.

Although they can become redundant, it's a challenge to try and come up with something new each and everytime.

Anyways, my first sportrait of this soccer player was a complete flop. I had over thought my idea and then was put in a tight situation where the coach was badgering me to get the player back to practice.

So I went with safe, pedestrian image, yet lit her with two lights. I was disappointed in myself. I needed another one to make up for my lack luster attempt.

Well, last week I got my chance. I was amped when I knew I had the possibility to redeem myself, so I wanted to "blow it up" and "work it" as I am often told.

This time around it was to shoot a field hockey player. She was a senior and looking to lead her squad to another Howard County championship.

The assignment didn't have much information on the player, so I assumed she was the power forward that soaked up all the ink in the paper in the score box each with a lot of statistics.

I was right about a lot of statistics. Wrong about her position. She was the goalie. I had to scratch all my previous ideas of an attacker.

Luckily I had a nice dramatic sky to work with and totally killed all the ambient. But I didn't know if the player would go for it or it would fit her.

She was a really polite girl with a fantastic personality, and I always try to scope out the personality of the player, subject beforehand. But she kept telling me how intense she was and that she didn't want to smile, so I went with the dramatic light, although she did have a little smirk on her face.

I was happy with it. Sure I could have done a little better, as I always feel I can after a shoot, but it made me feel better about my last sportrait.

I am just glad it was only a portrait and not a game. They never stop blowing the whistle during field hockey and quite frankly I have no idea what they are sounding it for.

Well, I am off to the beach (following my shift) since I have the weekend and Monday off, so I should be back Tuesday. Enjoy the weekend people.