Project 365 d-185

     Spent the whole evening with my family sitting in the first row of our local Semi-Pro baseball team. We got tickets to attend for the game and fireworks after the game. What a feast for a photographer to be so close to the field and the minutia that goes on during a baseball game. Not just the easy stuff like outfielders sprinting to catch determined balls from becoming a home run, but it's much more than that. I am watching for that telling look on a players face after a spectacular catch. The adjustment of a sacred Crucifix that was just caressed before it's tucked behind their jersey again. Players interacting with the crowd and just being themselves as they live out their dreams on that grass field. Usually, I can count on the stares of those sitting around me as they watch the tall man with the big lens. Often their stares lead to questions. "Are you shooting for the paper", they query? "That sure is a big lens you have there" they say. "Getting any good shots" they ask? It would be a lie to say that this doesn't make me feel a little good when they fire the question canon. Mostly, I just try to go unnoticed, so I can search for the happenings within the happenings.

     With long lens in hand; I sat there trying to decide what to concentrate on. The light was fading quickly now, so I chose to photograph light and movement. The challenge was to keep in understandable enough so that the sport would be recognized. It was really dark now, and I hoped that I could hide some of the digital noise within the motion blur. Close to where I was sitting was the bullpen overflowing with eager pitchers who all seemed to throw extra hard trying to  prove they deserve to get the nod. Switching to my medium zoom; I was able to get some really good shots of them warming up. Taking a quick peek at my LCD confirmed that the noise was being controlled by the blur. The starting pitcher was pulled, and I only watched the first relief pitcher as he trotted out to the mound. Sadly, he was pulled as a fly ball landed on the wrong side of the outfield fence. As the next relief pitcher got the nod, I followed him with my lens the whole way to the mound and today's image is the result of that. I turned the camera slightly to put it off balance and to try and divide the filed  in half diagonally. It is a good motion blur which allows the viewer to understand the subject, but is more interesting than a crystal clear, frozen moment. I'm glad that I followed him to the mound as he was the last pitcher to go into the game.

     They made the announcement that the fireworks were going to start, so I got into position for the coming light show. Really I was too close to the action to get it all in with my medium zoom, so I moved up the steps to the very top to get a wider shot. Standing up there was an employee who was stopping people from moving too far toward the outfield where they were lighting them off. It wasn't until the final explosion in the sky of Patriotic light started to fade that she approached me. "Are you doing this as hobby, or is this your job", she asked? "Well its a hobby that has turned into a job" I explained to her. She graciously listened to me as I explained to her all about my project and gave her the site address. We also talked about her photography, and I encouraged her to keep shooting with whatever she had available to her. It was a quality conversation, and I appreciated her interest in what I was doing. I felt good about all of the nights activities, the smells, the sights, and the sounds of America's past time right before my eyes. It was quality time spent with family among like minded people, who were there to eat hot dogs, nachos, and watch Baseball. Thank you to all of you that have blessed this great nation with your military service. For spending countless hours away from the people you love in harms way, so that we can be with ours in safety. Thank you that while you wander around strange parts of the world watching with a gun; I can wander around strange parts of my world watching with a lens. God Bless you and God save America.

Happy Forth of July.