Face the Flag

"Center fielder Adam Jones #10 of the Baltimore Orioles stands with teammates Nate McLouth #9 and Nick Markakis #21 during the national anthem before playing the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 21, 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland."

Every time I see a friend at Camden Yards during an Orioles game the first exchange is always the same - They say how awesome my job is; and I state in jest I'd rather be sitting where they are.

Their words are out of jealously. I can't blame them, I truly have the greatly job in the world getting the opportunity to document professional sports and news, amongst other worldly happenings.

My response is said because shooting a lot of one subject can get repetitive through the lens, and they remind me to change my view and sit/stand where they are.

It's a challenge every night to come up with something fresh, new. As photographers, we can get trapped into a rhythm - we get comfortable and before we know it, we're making the same pictures over and over. Sure each game is different - teams change, weather and light effect what we see, but with limited space on the field level, the images can feel the same to us.

We're all guilty of getting into a scripted routine at the ballpark. A majority of the time, we're all consistent. Yet we're also human - we have bad days and good - and other times we're inspired to be greater than we've ever been before.

Last night I needed a change for no known reason. I decided to shoot a majority of the game from the nosebleed section away from the rest of the pack of photographers to be different. Show something extraordinary from an ordinary position to most.

While it didn't yield anything spectacular photos, it was the change I needed to keep me seeing fresh.  Thanks to my friends for reminding me to change my vantage point.