Messi

"Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina looks on from the bench before playing El Salvador during an International Friendly at FedExField on March 28, 2015 in Landover, Maryland."

When the biggest name in soccer comes to the United States, everyone wants to witness the skill.

Lionel Messi made his way over to the nation's capital with his international club, Argentina, to take on El Salvador in an International Friendly.

The hype was pretty unbelievable, and so were the crowds. Unfortunately, due to an injury, Messi not only sat out of a practice the day before, but the game itself.

However, being in the right spot, images on him on the bench were able to be shot before kick-off. What seemed like only a couple seconds, I was able to work images of the superstar that not only told the story of him sitting, but also gave clients a up close view of Messi.

I don't get starstruck, but I would have enjoyed seeing what many call the best player in soccer take the field. Alas, I understand where his obligations are and creating a worse injury during a friendly match would not be great for his other club.

Pacing to a Win

"George Hill #3 of the Indiana Pacers reacts after defeating the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center on March 25, 2015 in Washington, DC."

With all eyes on the NCAA March Madness tournaments, one would think no one is paying attention to the professionals.

That couldn't be further from the truth.

Emotions are running just as high in the NBA with teams pushing to make the playoffs.

The other night in Washington, the Wizards let a game slip away from them as George Hill and the Indiana Pacers came from behind to help ruin chances the Wizards had to make the playoffs.

Some late heroics by George, scoring a layup with only second remaining, helped the Pacers show they won't end their season on a low point.

Feet Up Foul

"Beno Udrih #19 of the Memphis Grizzlies falls to the court after being fouled against the Washington Wizards in the first half at Verizon Center on March 12, 2015 in Washington, DC."

Recently I've been on the other side of the camera - actually - I haven't even had the camera in my hand.

This past week I spent a couple days remotely editing more than five college basketball games during March Madness.

I'll be the first to admit, I've never been the greatest basketball photographer. I would say that is mostly due to the fact that my time court side has been few and far between due to other assignments during hoops season.

So sitting behind a computer in my office, catching hundreds of amazing basketball images the past couple of days has not only gave me a new level of respect for editors, but also, has been a great opportunity to see how my co-workers document the sport.

As I approach basketball moving forward, I know it will be a lot more of a challenge as I try and one up my teammates and competition.

Flying Low

"Claude Giroux #28 of the Philadelphia Flyers walks to the locker room after losing to the Dallas Stars at Wells Fargo Center on March 10, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."

There is nothing more telling than when an athlete lets their guard down. Win or lose, joy or sorrow, the minute they walk off the playing field is when real emotions come through.

Unfortunately, these type of solitude moments are hard to come by in professional sports. Getting access is often forbidden, and without it, photographers are left to tell the story of the night by documenting images on the playing surface.

In Philadelphia, the arena is setup a bit different than other hockey venues around. I recently found that the tunnel to and from the locker room was accessible without being obtrusive. A small cutout path between the exit of the door and the access to the bench made images possible.

After getting permission to shoot available light and remain behind the line, I tried to work the scene the best I could as players walked out for the game. To my dismay, it was rather dark and tough to document with the allowed angles due to staff blocking the open pathway.

At the end of the game, I took the risk to shoot again, knowing I could maybe lean out a bit further once the last player walked by. That extra lean, paired with the body language of the athlete and behind the scenes vantage, helped make a telling image of the night.

Get Loose

"Carl Edwards, driver of the #19 Comcast Business Toyota, is involved in an incident on the track during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada."

Did you get it? That's often the question asked after any on track incident during motorsports.

In all fairness, it's a good question. With more than 40 cars speeding by at over 150mph, for more than 200 laps, it's easy to feel like every passing is the same - but they're not.

Each lap means that every time the drivers pilot by your perch, something storytelling could happen. Whether it's a pass, lead change, crash, or something completely different than the two.

As soon as the green flag waves, the adrenaline is flowing. Once the race gets going, that dissipates naturally, meaning one must focus even harder. Some tracks boast three and four cars wide the entire time - while others produce single car action. Getting creative, while shooting telling images, can be a challenge at any track which makes motorsports fun.

Wanting to combine the two aforementioned elements with really nice light patterns across the track, I worked hard at making sure I was alert and ready.

This one small incident could have completely changed the outcome of the race and without being ready and in the correct spot, would have been missed.