2017-11-15 Wild Wednesday

The Minnesota Wild shut out the Philadelphia Flyers again last night. This time out in Saint Paul. It does sadden my heart a bit when my home team loses, but in this case it lets me show one more picture from the Flyers vs Wild game that happened here, in Philly, over the weekend. Here's Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (14) as he slides with his eyes closed towards the net with Philadelphia Flyers center Claude Giroux (28) close behind during the NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and the Philadelphia Flyers on November 11, 2017 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia PA. (Photo by Gavin Baker/Icon Sportswire)

Nikon D4 Sigma 35mm 1.4 art lens @ 1/1600 sec f/4 ISO 1600

2017-11-14 Travel Tuesday Sedona

I'll probably be exploring Sedona AZ often as it's one of our favorite spots to visit. Each time it's beauty is wondrous and yet it evolves. When clouds adorn the landscape view change by the second and you've got to be alert and ready to adapt quickly to capture whispers of light that can appear from almost anywhere. Here's another of my favorites. Click here to see purchasing options.

Nikon D800E Sigma 50mm f1.4 art lens @ 1/40sec f/8 ISO 50 

2017-11-13 Motorsports Monday

I know F1 cars are fast, and I mean amazingly fast, and I had heard about how fast their pit stops could be, but wow! To see it all happen so quickly was like watching a time lapse video of Michelangelo sculpting his David in 4 seconds. It unfolded before me like a work of art in flowing motion that boggled my mind lasting just longer than a full breath.

To set the scene I was walking down the inside access road headed down from the top of turn one at the Circuit of the Americas when I noticed that from this view I could get a perfect head on shot of the mighty F1 cars as they performed their pit stops, so I decided to hang out a few minutes to see how it would look in action. I wasn't disappointed. Two laps later a car (don't remember who at this point) pulled in for his pit stop towards the back of pit lane. As I watched it unfold a few things dawned on me. One, I would need to be ready and fast, for a bink could cause me to miss half of the action, and Two, I needed the Sauber C36 of Marcus Ericsson to come into the pits. His stall was the first one and the view was unobstructed by all the other apparatus in pit lane. My heart leapt when he pulled in...

Nikon D500 Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 @ 1/800sec F/4 ISO 80

2017-11-11 The Luck of the Puck

Sometimes being in the right place at the right time isn't enough. Sometimes 12 frames per second isn't enough. Sometimes great light isn't enough, and sometimes great action, even paired added to all the other things listed here isn't enough. The luck of the puck is what's needed in hockey. For many hockey pictures I want the puck in the picture. It informs the viewer what going on with the players. It shows how a play is moving, or gives excitement to the moment. The problem comes when you consider the size and color of that little black piece of vulcanized rubber. It can get lost easily in a photo. If it's in the right place but there's a black pad or glove behind it, then it doesn't catch your eye. Every now and then, all the factors mentioned earlier, and the luck of the puck align for a fraction of a moment, and the shutter happens to fall at the precise moment and magic happens...

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 11: Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk (40) makes the save against Philadelphia Flyers right wing Wayne Simmonds (17) during the NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and the Philadelphia Flyers on November 11, 2017 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia PA. (Photo by Gavin Baker/Icon Sportswire)

Nikon D4 Sigma 35mm f/1.4 @ 1/1600 sec f/4 ISO 1000

2017-11-11 Back to Basketball!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Basketball is one of my favorite sports to photograph. For an adrenaline junkie the speed of basketball, with its spontaneous changes of directions, fakes and split second decisions, keeping up with the action takes agility and speed. It's great to have a home team like the Villanova Wildcats, because they have been great competitors over the past recent years. This year their home games will be played at the Wells Fargo Center as their usual home turf undergoes a transformation.

Here's Villanova Wildcats guard Mikal Bridges (25), determined to get past Columbia Lions forward Myles Hanson (31) during the game between the Columbia Lions and the Villanova Wildcats last night at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Nikon D4 Sigma 50mm f/1.4 art @ 1/1600 sec f/3.2 ISO 2000