Monday, April 26, 2010

Satisfaction Guaranteed

The weekend forced a decision at FotoFink- leave for the annual spring retreat to the remote southern headquarters, or stick around for the Ice Breaker Relays?  After careful consideration, obviously the track meet won out.  After all, the last few have been fun, and this one was somewhat hyped- it seemed to be a case of satisfaction guaranteed.  Happily, there are no regrets about that decision.  The day was full of fun events to shoot, and the atmosphere was electric.

Face it- when you hear "Ice Breaker" relays, thoughts of a cold day immediately leap into your mind.  As it turned out, nothing could be further from the truth.  This may have been the nicest day of the spring so far. Judging from the fans, this could have had a beach party theme and still made sense.  The warm weather/cold name situation must have led to some confusion for this girl- who pulled out parts of both her winter and summer wardrobes.

Is there a better background to put a shot against (wow- kind of a dual meaning there...) than a lake with a thin cover of trees?  Doubtful.  Now if only Tommy-Tape-Measure would get out of the way....

Nicole's style is a little.... unorthodox.  In the high jump, the camera will usually be pointed right at the bar, pre-focused, so all that needs to be done is click the shutter as the jumper clears.  It should be easy, as there is only one place that the jumper is going to be, right?  Julia gives a good example here.  Nicole is not nearly so predictable.  To be fair, the high jump is not really her event.  Thankfully though, she doesn't disappoint in the long jump either.

It turns out that the javelin is more than just a rumor.  Thanks to Fallyn, the jav (which seems to be the cool way to refer to it) was included in the day's photos.  This, by the way, is what the longest women's jav throw of the day looks like.  And here's the reaction.

Getting back to the high jump for a moment- Maria H. seems to have an interesting technique as well.  Apparently, the flex in the bar can be used to propel you over the top.  Who knew.

An announcement was made that there was a "Professional Photographer" covering the event.  Sadly, that was not made on behalf of our staff.  I am anxious to see the kinds of shots that are presented from the pro however.  Here at FotoFink- we got the "2 thumbs-up" rating from the crowd, so that's really enough for us.  We have our own marketing strategy here, although it's not always implemented well.  First- take pictures of the right athletes.  The coach's daughter is a great idea- keep your "centers of influence" happy.  Great strategy, but sadly the best picture of Ashley from the day was a nose wipe on the sideline.  Another great way to showcase photography is to make sure that the bad pictures are deleted.  No picture at all is better than a bad picture.  Once again- this is not always implemented well.  In truth, some of the outtakes are too fun to leave out.  Can you name the headless high jumper in that last shot?

Of course, no recap of the day would be complete without noting the newest event in the PIAA Track and Field handbook- The rocky-bottom, coed, cold water relay.  Here are the boys, pretending that it's not cold, and that their feet don't hurt.  Not to be outdone, here's Maria M pretending to be a pirate.  Not all the action happens on the field.....

Tonight on American Idol.....


Onto the pictures-


857 Ice Breaker photos

The rest of Fotofink

Enjoy!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

The Way It Is

Holy Redeemer handled Crestwood in 3 straight games on Thursday, in a match that showed 2 programs in very different places.  Redeemer's lineup, which is evenly mixed across the upper grades, seemed relatively unchallenged by Crestwood's group of freshmen and sophomores.  This is neither good or bad for either program, it's just the way it is some years.  Time passes, programs change, and new teams dominate.  Remember when Lake Lehman had a team?

Our staff is soon off to the annual retreat to the remote southern headquarters (beach trip) so there is lots to do at casa del FotoFink.  This increased activity level will serve as the latest excuse for the short post....

Sometimes the photographer gets the best seat in the house.  Sometimes not.

Does Pete crush a volleyball, or what?

In fairness, Seth is flattening this one out as well- how about the timing on these shots?

AJ has great hair for pictures, doesn't he?

We have a piper down..... (that's a Mike Meyers reference- can you name that incredibly quotable movie?)

Enough for now- as noted- there is lots to do.  Rumors of a party tent on-site may coax our staff out to the Ice Breaker Relays on Saturday, then it is off to the beach for a week of pressure washing, painting, and repairing.

For now-

Match Pictures

FotoFink

Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Not Fade Away

Crestwood visted Holy Redeemer on Tuesday for what proved to be a thrilling girls' soccer match.  Redeemer jumped out to a first half lead, only to Crestwood tie the match in the second.  The Royal's lead was not fade away, however, as they quickly scored the go ahead goal and held on for the win.

First things first- There has now been major progress in the lifelong project- once Heart was in the rear view mirror, the next few albums were actually cd's- which rip in just a few seconds, and allowed a bit of a cushion in options for blog titles.  As noted previously- Buddy Holly has lots of good choices, so for now- It's so easy.

Part of the fun when searching for the links in these posts are the random bits of "other stuff" that turn up.  It turns out that lots of artists cover Buddy Holly, especially Not Fade Away.

Check out-

Tom Petty

The Rolling Stones (In lego- way cool)

Rush (What a manly voice for Geddy Lee, huh?)

Bob Dylan (Speaking of great voices....)

James Taylor (who moved more in that picture than he did in the concert at Montage)

Among others of course, but enough-  onto the game-

After seeing this photo on facebook, an old friend said "I love your photos, they show so much emotion"  It's not the photos- it's the subjects.  Thanks girls!

It was noted last time that Kiera spends a lot of time with her tongue out during a game.  Tuesday was no exception.  It was actually interesting to note how many of the girls can't seem to keep their tongues in their mouths during a game-

AlliChristineCrestwood's #7AgainCrestwood's #1.  Wow.

An old friend, back to visit.

Here's a quiz- name that Royal.  Leave you answer in the comments.  Bonus points if you can name the Comet as well.

This is reminiscent of this.  How do they look so good AFTER a long game?

There's a lot of clowning on the sidelines of these games- which is probably a good sign.  Here's Christine striking a pose- which reminds us of why we prefer candids....

The rigors of a long game are sometimes going to leave your skin a little blotchy.  After all, what else could that be on Lindsay's neck?

This blog is too long?  That'll be the day.  Here's the goods anyway-

Match photos

FotoFink in total

Enjoy!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Oh Boy!

Saturday afternoon- does anyone want to head out to a volleyball match that has no bearing on the standings or records of either team?  Oh Boy!  Exhibition volleyball matches don't usually hold a lot of appeal.   In fact, exhibition matches in ANY sport are kind of...... vacuous. (Try and find a better use of the word vacuous than that skit-  not possible).  Consider though- a rematch of last year's first round of states....  BeCaHi returning their entire team except one graduating senior... Redeemer's young crew playing some good volleyball in the conference.... what better way to measure the progress of the team?  This was worth a trip.

The resulting matches were spirited, with BeCaHi in their summer UPS uniforms, managing to best HoReHi in 4 close games.  Is this a vote of confidence for a young Redeemer team with high aspirations?  Or a wake-up call, to see where the bar will be set if and when the state tournament rolls around?

It seemed that the Royals were having a hard time establishing their rhythm in the game- there were not nearly enough simple, pass, set, hit combinations.  Instead, there seemed to be much more of this kind of thing, which makes the entire point much harder than it has to be.  If that's an easy fix, then another go at this team could end differently.

The "Wall of Champions" makes a great backdrop for some of these shots.   Let's see if there is another entry after this season, eh?

As noted in an earlier post, Buddy Holly is a bit of a cheat- the lifelong project is not quite to that point yet, but it should be shortly.  There's no cause for worry though- there seem to be plenty of options from the Buddy Holly album until things are actually caught up.

Elsewhere in the land of FotoFink, the shooting schedule is remarkably tight lately.  Real job commitments, travel plans, etc. are limiting the chances to get out and snap some photos.  Redeemer volleyball is in pretty good shape, as both matches this week should be covered, as well as the Cinco de Mayo showdown with Coughlin.  After that, it may be playoffs before we get to another match.(Revision- It seem likely that Hazleton does not have a JV team.  If that is confirmed, girls' soccer may be on the schedule for Tuesday.  Feel free to leave a note if you have any info on the JV game for Tuesday.)

For now-

Match photos

All of 'em

Enjoy!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Well.... All Right

The burning question on everyone's mind (Yes everyone.  No one is focused on any sport other than boy's high school volleyball on The Ocho) was "How would the Crusaders fare against the undefeated Cougars from Hazleton?"  For the lucky few that were able to get a ticket to this event, they found the answer- the Crusaders did... well... all right.  Better than alright actually, knocking off the Cougars (Sorry... my mind wanders... Do you think that would ever be chosen as a mascot nowadays?  Who says nowadays?) in four games, 3 of which should not have been close.

Buddy Holly is a bit of a cheat in the lifelong project- I am skipping ahead a little.  I just don't have the heart (get it?) to use another song from the current point of progress.  While searching for that clip though, I did find a cover of that same song, performed by Blind Faith, on my 7th birthday.  You are welcome to choose a favorite- I am stumped.

The match featured plenty of exciting points, a few of which were captured on camera.  There may have been more, but my prime seat for the game was often obstructed by a few fans who must have had some pressing issue that kept them in and out of their seats.  Not that I am complaining.  I've had more unpleasant obstructions.

Thanks Tim.  I couldn't have set that up any better if I wanted to.

Ditto to you Justin.

Well.... Alright.  On to the photos-

Match

FotoFink

Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Heartless

Huh? A bit of a stretch with the title today.  Here at the cozy mountain retreat, the lifelong project is still stalled at Heart.  As a result, to find a creative way to link this post in to the pictures, it is now opposite day- Take all the comments below with that in mind....

Track is an easy sport. Let's face it, the competitors are heartless.  No intensity at all.

Since our crackerjack staff arrived on time for the meet, we were able to capture all of the events, and every participant.  Track meets are so neatly organized and easy to watch.

Nicole's long jump form is perfect.  Here is a great shot of that.  Here at FotoFink, we never make mistakes...

Zach is careful to clear all of the hurdles in the course.

It's easy for anyone to tell just what is going on here.

Maria has very special training methods, clearing 4 hurdles instead of the normal 1.  Now that this photo is out, expect the competition to start the same practice.

It's a shame coach Sarge doesn't get into it at all.

Since he knew this was the 40,000th picture posted to the site, Micheal put his tongue in and gave his best expression for this shot.

Fallyn really enjoyed having her picture taken during the discus.

You guys are really overusing the buy button on the site.

You are surely enjoying this rant, and probably aren't looking for the picture link yet.

You won't like these.

These either.

Enjoy! (Opposite day ended there, btw...)

Monday, April 12, 2010

White Lightning and Wine

A busy weekend has overflowed to the work week, so this post may be done in record time.  First off, yes- still on Heart.  This past weekend was a flurry of activity- A concert, volleyball tournament, soccer match, senior portraits, hockey game...  No time at all to enjoy any White Lightning and Wine, much less continue with the lifelong project.  Maybe this week.

In case you have been wondering, it has been a conscious effort to find Heart videos from "back in the day".  It's shallow to say this, but Heart was much better to watch when you could actually have an sensible conversation about which Wilson sister was hotter.  If you've seen them recently, then you know.

The Valley West Tournament had a new twist for our staff- In the past, there has been one team to shoot, and a lot of waiting around for them to play.  This year, there were actually 3 teams to shoot (almost 4, more on that later) (hehehe-  he said moron...) and still- lots of waiting around for them to play.  The blame can't all be placed on the tournament organizers though- It was our staff that decided to sleep in a little, and maybe miss the first game.  What are the chances that all 3 teams would be playing at the same time, and the very first game as well?

Josue with an early prediction-  How did he know?

Early on, here's a shot of a calm, collected coaching staff.  Apparently, it didn't last.

We are doing a little better with the flash shots.  Still some work to do though.

I had the pleasure of chatting with this young man's father during the Easton/Coughlin match, and ended up handing him a card with the website address.   As a result, there are a few shots featuring the Easton players as well.  Sometimes, it's that easy.

This was the first outing for volleyball this spring, and we will be shooting games for Redeemer, Coughlin and Crestwood as the season progresses.  If the photos from the day don't happen to show your best side- relax.  There should be more.

On the subject of poor pictures,  here's another example (way to showcase your best work FotoFink....)  Careful viewers will remember the young lady in the middle from several prior matches.  Volleyball is truly a small world.

It looks like the next batch of photos (Track on Tuesday?) will load the site with a total of over 40,000 shots.  Feel free to buy a few... thousand....

Onto the photos-

Tournament shots

More FotoFink than you can handle

Enjoy!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Straight On

Wednesday was new territory again for our staff, as we made our way over to Crestwood for the track meet against the visiting Spartans of Wyoming Valley West.  Although these teams were new to the FotoFink fold, Track and Field is rapidly becoming a favorite here at the site- with lots of opportunities for interesting shots, track meets have produced some critically acclaimed photos in a very short time.

Since the teams are new, some readers may also be here for the first time- Welcome!  You are reading the FotoFink blog, which is basically a way to reflect on the day's shoot before showing off the gallery of photos.  If you have questions about the site, the photos, the blog,- whatever- you can start here.  There are also "Contact FotoFink" buttons all over the site, and you can leave comments on most of the pages if your questions run deeper.  In brief- photography is a hobby/business, and hopefully you will like the shots enough to buy a few.  If your credit card is already out, and you'd prefer to skip these words of wisdom, the links to the photo galleries are always at the bottom of the posts.

After sharing some photos on a photo-based forum/message board, a discussion cropped up about the best angle to shoot triple/long jumpers.  Some suggested that from the side is best, as it provides some perspective on the distance involved.  There is no doubt here though- Straight on gives the best photos.

Pole vaulting was a new event for our staff.  Wow.  LOVED the pole vaulting.

In competitions, an athlete's body will get into some odd positions.  Nearly 40,000 photos later, there's been a lot of that on the site.  This still amazes though.  That HAS to hurt.

"Game faces" make for fun shots as well.  This young lady is obviously focused.

Some photos just scream for captions.  Any ideas for this one?  Or this?

Are there rear view mirrors in track?

If you enjoy these photos, say a quick thank you to the Morans.  Their interest in soccer pictures of Jim was the primary reason for the visit to the track meet.  If you don't enjoy the photos- why are you still reading this?  It's a big internet.

Looking back at the photos, it is clear that some events were not covered very well, or even missed entirely.  The truth is, our huge staff can't be everywhere.  If your athlete was missed, feel free to make yourself heard.  The season is still young, and if there is more interest, another meet can probably be arranged.  Comments, emails, facebook, whatever- FotoFink is all ears.

Onto the photos-

From the track meet

From the last 4 years of youth sports

Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Kick It Out

An outstanding weather day brought our staff to Naneecoke for some girls' soccer on Tuesday, where your Royals bounced back from a tough outing on Monday to convincingly put away the Lady Trojans.  As always, time is short, so too will be this post-

The lifelong project will be stuck on Heart for a few posts now-  It's not that there are so many Heart albums to record, it's more that it will be such a busy photo time over the next few days, so progress will seem slow.  Considering this, Kick it Out seemed like the logical choice for a soccer match.  For comparison, try and work Bebe Le Strange into any kind of normal conversation....

Be prepared- The ads an the side of this page are somehow chosen based on the text that is entered.  As a result of using the Nanticoke or North Pocono mascots in the entry, there will usually be a birth control ad or two over there.  If that offends, well.....  buy more pictures, and the ads won't be as necessary.

It's been said that throw-ins are not very picture worthy.  Thanks to Erin for proving that wrong.  Twice, in fact.

Great pictures tell a story, obviously without words.  Leah provides an example of that here- even if the story is not a happy one.  Just for good measure though, she repeats it later.

Something about spring brings out the Separated at Birth photos- Here's a new entry.

Here's another story that may not end well.

It's neither good or bad, of course, but here is something you will likely never see on the sideline of a boys' game.

Here's Mrs. Rexer getting ready for the next season of American Idol.

Here's fair warning- If you play with your tongue out, the camera will find you.

As promised- a brief entry this time.  Here's why you came-

Match Photos

One Million Photos (in my best Dr. Evil voice, and no- I can't back that up)

Enjoy!