Push and Shove

"Pierre-Edouard Bellemare #78 of the Philadelphia Flyers lays at the bottom of a scrum between teammates and Toronto Maple Leafs players during the second period at Wells Fargo Center on January 19, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."

Hockey is a fast sport. One, if not, the quickest in my opinion.

Take that fast sport and slow it down to one picture every couple of seconds. That's what the best hockey photographers are doing when shooting the sport on strobes.

I've always been interested in hockey my entire life. From playing in the street to on the television screen with video games, I am up to speed on the game. However, I am really behind the curve on shooting on strobes.

Instead of letting the shutter click at 13 frames a second during a great moment, I am now limited to one picture every few seconds. This takes patience and knowing when to make the exposure.

I love a challenge. So when I come away with a perfectly layered moment, it helps my confidence throughout the rest of the game.

Cam

"Quarterback Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers runs through the tunnel before playing the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game at Bank of America Stadium on January 17, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina."

Every stadium is different. And no team is the same. But there is always one thing a photographer wishes they could take back to their home town team after visiting a new stadium venue.

Documenting the Seattle Seahawks take on the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs was exciting and everything was fresh to my eyes.

Thankfully our team at Getty Images knew the logistics and of how the show is run in Carolina making our approach powerful.

One of the coolest things was getting access to the pregame tunnel for the Panthers. Lights, fog and energy. A rare glimpse behind the scenes for all photographers to see. In most stadiums, this is forbidden and cut off to photographers.

I loved how they made this portion of the game just as energetic as the game itself. If only all stadiums were so open to photographers pregame.

One can only dream.

Season Turned Over

"Jeff Janis #83 of the Green Bay Packers is tackled by Tanard Jackson #36 of the Washington Redskins during a kick-off return in the first quarter during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at FedExField on January 10, 2016 in Landover, Maryland."

Playoffs are here and not everyone makes it to the Super Bowl.

An exciting run for the Washington Redskins - they found themselves looking to continue winning in hopes of making it to another round of the playoffs.

Unfortunately, the Green Bay Packers decided they didn't want their season to end yet, winning the NFC Wild Card Playoff game on the Redskins turf.

A close game at half turned into a lopsided battle, eventually ending the Redskins hopes at a Super Bowl run.

As the action continues, I think everyone is excited to see who will meet in San Francisco.

Blocked

"Goran Dragic #7 of the Miami Heat has his shot blocked by Otto Porter Jr. #22 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Verizon Center on January 3, 2016 in Washington, DC."

The first assignment of a new year is always a mind game.

With a new year comes a new beginning. Photographs from the previous year live on, but in terms of building a yearly portfolio, they're gone.

After twelve months of shooting and compiling favorites that tell a story - one must start over.

All photographers essentially start from scratch every year. While sports seasons occur over two calendar years, the year in sports globally starts on January 1 - and rarely are there major stories in sports or unbelievable plays that already occurring on said date.

For photographers, some years start out fast and for others slow. It all comes down to what you're photographing, where you're positioned and the homework you've done as a team.

It's no different than sports itself - some games you'll handle the ball a lot and other games you may never get possession. Some games you score multiple goals and others you don't even get a shot off. Some games you bunt with the bases loaded, and others you swing for the fences.

As the year progresses, things change, some days are great and others are a struggle. Yet that's why athletes and photographers alike return to the playing field each and every year. For a chance to be apart of the greatest moment in sports and better themselves and their teams.

While this above image certainly isn't anywhere near the greatest moment in sports for 2016, it was a reminder to always stay focused - whether the first or last game of the year.