Catching Fish

"Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim slides safe into home plate as catcher Jose Lobaton #59 of the Washington Nationals cannot make the tag in the sixth inning at Nationals Park on April 23, 2014 in Washington, DC."

As a photographer, you spend a lot of time working alone. And when you break away from the pack, which is one of the best pieces of advice I ever received, it's certainly lonely.

After multiple consecutive nights of baseball games, I felt as if my images were looking the same each night from the field level. Shooting strictly from the photo-wells, I knew I needed to get away from the large group of photographers also occupying the same space and change my game plan.

At Nationals Park, there is a lovely overhead vantage on home plate that is beautiful and clean. Around the middle of the game, I ventured to the upper deck hoping to see things different than the dozen or so shooting images at eye level with the players.

Fortunately, it didn't take long, as Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim came sliding home to beat the tag and score a run enroute to helping his team top the Nationals for the night.

With risk comes reward. Things don't always happen when you try to shoot differently, but when they do, it's a good feeling.