A Step Too Late

The D-guy has nearly eluded the offensive blockers and is making his way to the quarterback in this scrimmage game, but it is a tad late, meaning the blockers did their job.

One of the expectations of sports photography is the unexpected, unpredictable high-jinks that trigger the adrenals to dump their magic juice into the systems of players, fans, and coaches.  Those moments are the stuff and substance of sports photography.  Generally speaking, in an ideal sports picture you can see the ball and the eyes of one or more players.

You're Out!

Mr. Runner, welcome to Outsville.

There is a lot of luck in sports photography.  The occurrence of lucky shots, however, is heightened with knowledge of the sport and where to initially aim the lens.  From there you’d better move fast and hold the shutter button down while you are moving.

No Escape in this Run-Down

A fraction of a second later, the player to the right tagged the runner out in this classic run-down play.

Because you are holding the shutter button down, you crank out a lot of images.  I figure if you come away from an entire game with less than 400 shots or so, you probably missed some of the good stuff.  In fact, even at 400-plus, you are almost guaranteed to miss some of the good stuff because you were pointed the wrong way at the decisive moment or you are shooting with the long lens, when you should have been shooting with the short lens.  And vice-versa.

Close Play at First

The shortstop hit his target, the first baseman’s mitt, just in time to send the runner back to the bench.

Which images are published in a newspaper or magazine is generally not a photographer's decision.  It is the decision of the editorial staff.  I have no argument with that.  They have their job and I have mine — and we are all happy with the arrangement.  Given that fact of professional life, one or two shots per game are about all that can be expected to go to print.  What you are seeing here today is a collection of those images that did not make the cut.

Safe!

The runner was safe by a hair’s breadth

He Beat the Throw.

It was a good catch, but too late and too far away from the plate.  “SAFE!”

Pure Shooter

In my humble opinion, in girls’ basketball you see more really pure shooters than boys, since the girls are generally smaller and have to rely on skill rather than brute strength.  This jump shot took nothing but net.

He'll Be Going to the Line.

This lofty attempt was handily foiled, followed by free throws.

Thanks for looking.  

PS:  See our current collection of 32 “did not make the cut” pictures in our “Did not make the cut” gallery.