Thanks to the girls for making team photo day really exciting!  I mean, the guys did ok, following directions and everything, and I think you are going to like the end result when the poster comes out, but the girls .... we just had a lot of fun!  It will be a few days before I put the gallery up, and I may even just post the untouched pictures anyways.  But I am really gonna love touching up these precious shots!

I will update this post with a link to the gallery once I get everything uploaded.  See you at the opener on Moday!

Only a few more days until the High School Baseball season gets under way.  Valley's first game is scheduled for the 19th ...

The players and coaches are not the only ones who have to prepare for the season though.  Parents know that they have had to be at the ballfield for practice for several weeks already.  There is much to learn, even for the returning players.  While the Booster club is out shopping for hot dogs, I figured that I had better start getting my ducks in a row as well. 

First off, I am checking my gear to make sure that it is all in operating order.  Had to send a lens in for repair, and am now in the process of checking and adjusting the micro-adjust feature on my autofocus.  It's important that your lens acually focusses properly if you want to get good photos during the game, and many of the higher end cameras these days allow you to fine tune the auto-focus. 

Somewhat related to this, I am ordering a new clip to help me carry my camera.  With the back problems I have been experiencing, I want to get as much of the weight as I can off of my shoulder.  A friend recently showed me the spider camera holster which allows me to shift the weight of the camera and lens onto my waist rather than my back.  I am excited about trying this for baseball, since I usually carry a second camera, and that should be so handy! 

The next thing I am doing is to look back through my notes on baseball and softball.  Yes, I keep notes on these things so I can learn how to get better shots.  I also look at respected photographers to see what they are doing.  Every now and then I get a cool picture idea from Sports Illustrated or ESPN.  Sometimes they work out, sometimes not.  But I really don't  like to stay in a rut where everything is predictable.  Who knows what I might experiment with this year! 

My favorites from last year came from simply knowing where to be at a given moment and having the discipline to get there in time. 

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As you can see, its not always about fast action, but knowing where to be and when to press the button made this memory.

That being said, I do love the expressions you guys give me, and capturing both the action and the expression is what makes the best photos

 I hope to get better this year!

Spring is just around the corner, and this year, the blooms are bound to open early with the mild winter we have had.  Some of those who call themselves photographers love to go out and chase the beauty of spring.  There is something about the early spring greens that just cannot be matched throughout the rest of the year.  The very shapes of flowers intrigue us as we literally watch life unfold before our very eyes.  Personally, I love ferns and dogwoods, and have been privileged to be able to shoot both in thier various stages of life.  One glows with effervescent colors while the other intrigues with its curling pattern.  Each as unique as we are!

Yet we usually do not see many of these unique features simply because we don't slow down enough to really see them.  This spring, as life returns to these mountains and valleys, take a few minutes to slow down when something of beauty catches your eye.  Spend some time getting to know that flower or tree or bird or whatever it may be.  If your camera is handy, make some pictures.  One of my favorite images to date comes from an afternoon I spent literally dancing with a dogwood tree - getting to know it from every concievable angle.  By the time the evening light was hitting it just right, I knew exactly the shot that I wanted from that tree .... and she graciously gave it to me.  04-24-6730