______, Camera, Action!

Sports photography is a little difficult to execute when minimal light is available which is frequently the case at high school football games. Even with the D3's and the Canon EOS Mark IV's abilities to crank up to 1,000,000 ISO, the image quality is still pretty shitty. So, I usually don't shoot action at the games scheduled at 7pm. The light is gorgeous around that time in the beginning of September, but it quickly slinks behind trees and buildings, then disappears for the night.

Oddly, I've grown fond of the overhead fluorescent lights of locker rooms across the country. The light shines brightly overhead in one spot, then falls off pretty quickly. I think it compliments the tense drama often felt among teenagers in the caves of high school football.

So here we are again, football season officially begins. Hopefully I can avoid shooting the same pictures from last year. We'll see. Shout out to the Trainers. New blood, fresh start.

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McKinley Tech Football...and so it begins.

August is here and football practice on the local high school scene has started. For the past four football seasons, I'd been reporting live from 6315 5th St. NW aka Calvin Coolidge High School. It's like I graduated! Some things went down in March and former Coolidge coach Jason Lane is now leading the helmeted high-schoolers at McKinley Tech. Now I'm shooting them. Colt no more. Trainer for now. Shout out to the Maroon...or Burgundy...I should probably figure that out.

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No Pads: McKinley Tech Football Passing League

It's still very early in the preseason for high school football. As part of the preparation for the Friday night battles in August, the DCIAA schools participate in a passing league which consists of 7 players on a side, one football, no pads and no helmets. The receivers sure up their route running and catching and the defenders work on pass coverage. No pads means no tackling so the receivers are subject to some vicious shoves disguised as two hand touches. McKinley Tech lost to Dunbar in the last game which eliminated them from the passing league playoffs. Tick tock tick tock until late August.

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Hello McKinley Technology High School!

The prep sports seasons are over and school is almost out for the summer. But of course the public high schools here as well as many around the country are competing in 7 on 7 passing leagues. Usually my football coverage consists of orange, orange and more orange. This post includes orange but the focus is on a new color. Burgundy...or maroon.

Coach Jason Lane stepped down as head coach of the Coolidge Colts after the 2009 football season. He was then replaced by Coach Natalie Randolph in March. The media storm has died down during the off-season but I'm sure it'll kick right back up in August because it sounds like a plot from Friday Night Lights.

For now, I'm introducing McKinley Tech. But first, the good ol' orange (I'm gonna make my way back eventually).

DCIAA Quarterfinals: McKinley Tech @ Coolidge

The game was supposed to start at 8p, a tad late for a high school game but whatever. Twenty minutes and two tardy referees later, the quarterfinal matchup between Coolidge and McKinley Tech was underway. Coolidge, undefeated in the West, struggled in the early quarters but was able to advance to the semifinals. Read about the game here. Shout out to coaches and their halftime "encouragements". They usually seem to work.


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