Glad I didn’t stay home

Posted on May 16, 2011

Conor Jackson #28 of the Oakland Athletics catches a fly ball in right field off the bat of Chicago White Sox batter Carlos Quentin #20 during the game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on May 15, 2011 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

 

We have been having winter-like weather here in the Bay Area recently. Not like they are having in Chicago, but cooler and wetter than we are used to for mid-May. Yesterday was no exception. The A’s were hosting the White Sox in Oakland and I was planning to go and shoot a little stock. When I woke up it was cold and wet as it had rained over night, and rain was in the forecast for the afternoon. I was thinking of taking the day off so I could stay home, watch the Giants play the Cubs at Wrigley on television, and get caught up on a few things. When the Giants game was rained out in Chicago I decided to go to the park anyway. I am always afraid I might miss something. Boy am I glad I went!

Since my good friend and Chicago White Sox team photographer Ron Vesely has all the best pictures of the White Sox in action wearing their home uniforms I decided that the last thing I wanted to do was shoot the standard stock pictures of guys swinging the bat and throwing the ball. I went to the yard with two cameras and two lenses: an 800mm 5.6 and a 16-35 zoom. When I am working for myself it is fun to go to the extremes in both directions and just see what I get.

Before the game I had fun shooting the dugout candids of the White Sox players goofing around minutes before the 1:05 pm first pitch. Omar Vizquel was in the starting lineup and his positive vibe in the dugout was contagious as many of his teammates played around with him, giving many of us some good pictures. After the pre-game hijinks were over in the visitors dugout I ventured up to the upper deck of the Coliseum- the land of the tarps. I like going up there a few times each season to be by myself and try to make some different pictures from this very high angle on the first base side of the field.

Once I got settled into my position in section 311 I was ready for any of the action that happened below. From high up in the tarps, with birds circling above, it is easy to follow the action. When players are at the top of their game they say that the game slows down, allowing them to see the ball better so they can do a better job of hitting, fielding, etc. When I am shooting from this high up the game slows down for me because it is much easier to see the ball as it travels to all parts of the field, allowing me to swing the 800mm lens to get a picture of whatever is happening.

I was having a good time up there and thought I had a few decent frames, when suddenly the picture of the day happened right below me in the top of the 8th inning when A’s right fielder Conor Jackson made a great catch in the right field corner on a line drive off the bat of Carlos Quentin. When something like this happens late in the game when the light starts getting pretty the 800mm lens really becomes a magical weapon. There is nothing like filling the frame with tight action of an outfielder, and this pictures of Jackson making this play were things of beauty filling the frame as I happily chimped after the play was over.

This was one of those games that I couldn’t wait to edit when I got back home. Knowing that I would not have to caption hundreds of clean batting pictures was a great feeling. Yes- these are the bread and butter images that I need to get during the season, but every once in awhile I need to have fun and take a chance. Yesterday it paid off. Boy am I glad I didn’t stay home!