Photos from an NBA game in Portland
Now here are a few photos I shot solely for my own enjoyment. I was at an NBA game in Portland, having loads of fun.
Dirk Nowitzki dunks on Brandon Roy.
I went to the game a week ago (Dallas Mavericks at Portland Trail Blazers), for only my second NBA game ever. My son and I got great seats; we were only five (VIP?) rows from the sideline, looking straight at the home bench.
I didn't know how the rules were at the Rose Garden, if I were allowed to bring and use my camera or not, but I liked my chances and brought along my camera and two lenses. When I got inside I was asked by a security guard to open my bag, which I did, and the lady startled me a bit when she said "Oooh, I'll have to take this home with me". Of course my brain only registered the first part. She was only kidding, of course, and in I went. Nobody said a word or even gave me a second glance when I waved my camera around, taking photos of some of my favourite players..
LaMarcus Aldridge about to post up against Dirk Nowitzki.
Sure, some of the photos scream at you that they were taken from the stands (they have an out-of-focus head at the bottom), but I'm pretty happy with them nonetheless.
When I first got an SLR camera, and with it an 85mm f/1.8, I shot a lot of basketball games. I kind of miss basketball photography, as I think I've mentioned before. Shooting an NBA game from the stands was a thrill. I can only dream of shooting at a pro game with the big boys, but dreams can come true, can't they?
I guess now I just have to figure out a way to get a seat with the other photographers - right at the baseline.
I'll never be an NBA referee, like Ken Mauer, but I just might be able to get a baseline seat with my camera.
Peja Stojakovic guarding Brandon Roy.
Jason Kidd standing still on the court, while Blazers coach Nate McMillan prowls the sidelines.
Victoria Marathon
Last year I ran the 8K run at the Victoria Marathon, and after a lengthy running hiatus last winter and spring I wanted to do it again this year. Unfortunately I wasn't able to run myself into the shape I wanted to be in, but instead another opportunity presented itself; Don Denton, the photo editor at Black Press, contacted me and offered me the chance to photograph the marathon.
I went for one last run to see if I was ready to participate in the 8K or not, and subsequently decided to take the work instead. A great experience? Yes. Was I done when I was done? Pretty much. Lugging two camera bodies and a heavy backpack (which I tried to keep as light as possible) around for five or six hours - even running from the start line, over the Legislature lawn, to catch the runners going past the Empress hotel - left the bottom of my feet swollen and sore. But it was worth it.
Three of the following images (and one more which isn't here) found their way to the pages of most or all of the Black Press papers in Greater Victoria.
Half marathon runners going past the Empress hotel.
Dr. Corey Renaud stretches before the marathon. No, this is not a Photoshop disaster.
Almost every marathon runner in the front row was on the clock when the race started.
James Lander, Philip Samoei, Gilbert Kiptoo and Bernard Onsare got the early lead in the full marathon.
A young woman was overcome by fatigue less than 200 metres from the half marathon finish line and was taken care of by the medical crew.
Half-marathon runner, whose full name I couldn't find, needed a breather after the race.
Anna Russell receives a medal after finishing the half marathon.
Catrin Jones was the surprise(d) winner of the women's full marathon.
Jeff Thompson won the wheelchair marathon.
And then two photos of newlyweds at the finish line:
Michelle Morris and Oliver Hohertz got married on marathon day and then walked across the finish line a few minutes ahead of the first marathon runners.
Newlyweds Oliver Hohertz and Michelle Morris were interviewed by media after they walked across the finish line at the Victoria Marathon.
Icelander playing hoops for Texas in Vancouver
North-America is quite big. No, really, it is! So, even though there are a few Icelandic talents all over the continent, I rarely get a chance to see them.
So when I read on Helena Sverrisdóttir's blog, that she would be playing pre-season games in Canada I contacted her to find out if she would be in or around Vancouver.
For those of you who don't know, Helena is an Icelandic basketball star, who is now starting her senior year at Texas Christian University. She was league MVP in Iceland three years running, first receiving the award when she had just turned 17 years old. Last year she was Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and an Honorable Mention All-American. So, yes, an Icelandic basketball star - however strange that may sound.
She got back to me, telling me that yes, she would be playing in Vancouver. So I took my family over for a trip, and me and my son Márus (whom Helena had briefly coached back in Iceland) went to see TCU's final game of the trip, against University of British Columbia. Márus didn't know exactly what or who we were going to see. Throughout the day I gave him hints, and allowed him to make a few guesses. When we walked into the War Memorial Gym he asked me one final time who we were going to see play, and as soon as he had asked he saw a purple team standing by the bench. He knew the answer, and he was more than a little happy.
I took two camera bodies to the game and ended up letting my son shoot the second half of the game with my Canon 40D and the 85mm f/1.8. I used the 5D Mark II, and then switched between the 70-200 and the 24-70. The 5D is not exactly a sports camera with its 3 frames per second capability, but it is a lot better than the 40D in badly lit gyms.
When shooting, I discovered that I kind of miss being around basketball as much as I used to, and I also found that I would love to shoot more sports in general.
Helena Sverrisdóttir going strong to the basket after an offensive rebound.
TCU's Helena Sverrisdóttir driving past a UBC defender.
Antoinette Thompson.
Meagan Henson.
Helena going out of bounds with the ball.
Briesha Wynn.
Helena Sverrisdóttir (TCU) against a UBC player. Márus took that picture - not bad for a ten-year-old, eh?