We won’t make it to the soccer game this weekend.  It’s off to the air show!  Partly cloudy skies would be nice.

Tom and I went to watch the college kids play soccer last weekend.  I learned just how quickly things can happen in soccer.  I had a hard time keeping up.  It was fun to be pushed & challenged.  I want to go back soon and get more practice.

I’m starting to have a little bit of success using the remotes.  Turns out it is a lot more work, and more difficult than I imagined.  I wouldn’t want to rely totally on remote cameras, it is hit or miss at best.  I never would have intentionally framed this image the way it appears, but I consider it success nevertheless.  The light wasn’t what I wanted so I decided to experiment and try to learn something instead of shooting.

I liked the humor in this one so I played it up with color.

Well well, a sunny day.  It was a bright day and the game was scheduled for noon.  What right-minded person would schedule a game for the middle of the day?  Certainly not a photographer.  I’ve heard some old advice.  Put the sun to your back and point your shadow at the subject.  No thanks, not for me.  It doesn’t matter how interesting the action may be, the light doesn’t move me.  This is what I don’t want.

This is a little bit better.  This is the same day, same game, just a different end of the field.  I went looking for some shadows and found them.  If my background would cooperate and allow me to shoot from ground level, I would be able to reduce the amount of brightly lit grass.  I’d also get a low key background.  I’ve not shot soccer with my belly in the soaking wet grass while trying to track action with a 600mm … yet.

I’m either totally nuts or a photographer.  Is there a difference?

Shooting in the middle of the day can be a challenge on a sunny day.  I was fortunate enough to get a nice overcast day.

The one to two inch taller, “big kids” beat the Blue Sonics 7-0.  Those “big” kids are fierce.

Tom’s team beat the other guys 5-0.

My first day of shooting with a remote camera was a good lesson in what not to do.  I don’t have a single image to show for my efforts.  I’ve learned that I need to make plenty of mistakes before I am allowed to succeed.  I can practice in the “lab” and then apply what I’ve learned at the game this week.

It has been about two years since I shot soccer.  I am happy to have another chance in spite of the fact that the available backgrounds are driving me nuts.  I just wonder what a 600mm could do to clean them up a bit.