Recently this past week I was able to shoot my first WV Power game. The opportunity came about when WV Power reached out searching for photographers, I messaged them my portfolio and resume and less than 24 hours I was on my way to the game to shoot my first West Virginia Power Game.
In college, I shot a lot of sports, even had the opportunity to shoot West Virginia University against Glenville State in an exhibition Basketball game held at the coliseum. Just last year I was also able to shoot the Harlem Globetrotters for a game in Philippi, WV. But nothing was quite like this.
I’ve always been a baseball fan and enjoyed games but baseball along with basketball is definitely my favorite sports to shoot. This game was a 6:05 pm game so we were able to get a great golden hour. However, one of my biggest pet peeves is shooting under stadium lights. The artificial lights can be a killer on your ISO.
The tricky part is that you want to have a fast shutter speed to catch crisp movement, such as the baseball, dirt flying up from cleats, sweat, etc. Finding the nice balance between these as the night goes on may be a challenge but is definitely worth it in the end.
Some of my favorites shots can be shots that you just only wish for, you know? For instance this one of #17 Connor Kopach sliding into home is one of my favorites for many reasons. One being thee sand is in focus and makes the picture just as dramatic. Second, being in marketing the logo of WV Power on the helmet provides great brand awareness. I know that this picture could be used in multiple ways for the brand. Finding these shots when shooting for a brand in my opinion is the honey pot.
One of the things I noticed being in the dugout is I thought I would have more room. But having more room can sometimes hurt more than help you. You have to be creative and think of shots that viewers may not see on a daily basis. This shot below is a batter in the bot but shot through the arms and thighs of a leaning player. As if its a window to the dugout. I know, sounds pretty magical but isn’t that what sports is all about. Every time I go to a game no matter the sport win or lose people remember their time spent. It brings people together and can tear them apart for more of the die hard fans. But being a fan is not just about the team but the people and community your surround yourself with at those games.
After my first experience, it became clear that I wanted to shoot more. So I have been asked to shoot 3 other games at the end of this month. Definitely an experience I will never forget. This has been the first time in a year that I shot sports. A little rusty but definitely had fun shooting in the dugout. During this I shot with a Nikon D750 with a Tamron 70-200mm F 2.8 lens. It was definitely one of my larger setups before.
And if you’re wondering, WV Power won 4-0 against the High Point Rockers.