Lacrosse Face-Off Classic
Saturday was a beautiful day for lacrosse despite the wind and the hint of chill in said wind. For the first time in almost a month, a sporting event was on the agenda -- the Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium. Two games, the first at noon -- Syracuse against Virgina, followed by powerhouse and hometown favorite Johns Hopkins playing Princeton. For those not in the know, the Baltimore area is home for several top-notch lacrosse programs and has a strong following.
At the office before the game I rummaged through the big glass trying to decide what to use. My confidence in the Nikon 400mm f/2.8 lenses was not high, as they are the most used lenses and often get dinged up. So I turned my attention to the Nikon 500mm f/4, with which I have had a lot of luck in the past -- and the added fun of trying to shoot the game with an extraordinarily tight angle of view.
The opener was a tight fight as underdog Syracuse battled Virgina, leading for much of the game.
(Nikon D2X, Nikon 500mm f/4, 1/5000th @ f/4, ISO 320)
The back-and-forth continued throughout the game in Syracuse's favor until Virgina, playing aggressive, strong-arm defense, was able to tie the game with little time in regulation. The sudden-death overtime did not last long as Virgina quickly scored and celebrated the grinding victory.
(Nikon D2X, Nikon 500mm f/4, 1/5000th @ f/4, ISO 250)
The Hopkins game was not nearly as exciting.
(Nikon D2X, Nikon 500mm f/4, 1/2000th @ f/5, ISO 200)
For a change of pace I headed to the top level of the stadium to photograph from an elevated angle and give a different look from the first game. It did not take long for Kevin Huntley (above) to score one of his four goals as Hopkins dominated the first half. I stayed up top for most of the first quarter and then descended to field level for the remaining time in the game.
(Nikon D2X, Nikon 500mm f/4, 1/1000th @ f/5, ISO 400)
Two problems arose during the day: the inability to position myself on the backlit side (for some reason lacrosse is very controlling of the sidelines, particularly the team side) and the sun going behind the stands in the second half of the Hopkins game. The combination of the two made the light almost unworkable in some positions. Hopkins goalie Michael Gvozden is in shadow while the empty seats in the background are broadlit by the sun. Not ideal in any situation, but I tried my best to make it work.
(Nikon D2X, Nikon 500mm f/4, 1/640th @ f/4, ISO 400)
This did present some really nice light, briefly, at one end as Hopkins was on the defensive. Some light slipped through the gaps and made the players sing as they stood out against the darkened background. This is why I love shooting subjects when they are rockingly backlit. Getting used to shooting this way takes some time, and shutter speeds have to fall to make up for the light falloff, but the results are well worth it.
Comments
Chris:
I was at the game but could not find the photographers. You did not have on your official NFL red Canon vests. You were right the first game was very exciting. The second a sleeper -but being a Hopkins grad it was enjoyable. How did it feel to be back as a shooter?
Posted by: Dennis Gray | March 3, 2008 7:23 PM
No vests, but they did keep us to one side. It was strange shooting a longer assignment for the first time in several weeks, but the rust quickly dissipated. Who knows when the next time will be when I grab a camera.
Posted by: Christopher Assaf | March 4, 2008 10:20 AM