during the second quarter of their CFL game at McMahon Stadium in Calgary Saturday, October 1, 2011.
I understand how the Canadian Football League game, and that of its even popular brother the NFL, is played. I appreciate the skills required. I can appreciate the athleticism needed to play it. I know the amount of effort put into the tactics, by players and coaching staff alike.
But football has too many things working against it to ever hold my interest as a spectator.
There are the 3 minute stoppages in play for television commercial breaks, in my eyes destroying any rhythm or flow to the game. A game can take around two and a half hours to play out despite the fact that it starts with one hour on the clock. That’s an hour and a half of nothing happening – far too much wasted time for me. It’s name even puzzles me – only one or two of the extremely specialized 40 odd players actually use a foot to do anything to the ball. The list goes on. I’m resigned to that fact that I’ll never be a huge fan of the game.
But seen through the eyes of a photographer, the battles on the grid-iron become a different prospect.
during the third quarter of their CFL game at McMahon Stadium in Calgary Saturday, October 1, 2011.
You’re constantly moving with the play along the sidelines – always trying to anticipate where you’ll get the best shot from. In one minute a photographer might find themselves at the back of an end-zone hoping to get a touchdown photo, the next minute they’re standing next to mammoth sized players on the sideline shooting a midfield interception. Football is often, despite my listed complaints, a fairly decent way for a photographer to spend their day.
I’ll admit that football goes a long way to redeeming itself in my eyes with its access. It’s almost as if as a photographer you’re involved in the action – moving and interacting with the game.
But as is common with many things, great access comes with a certain level of risk.
And I had a close call with that risk during last weekend’s CFL tilt between the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders at McMahon Stadium, in which the Stamps destroyed the Riders 40-3.
Below are two photos taken of the moment. The first is the one I took with my wide angle lens as the action got close to the sidelines. The other is of me realizing that they’re getting a little too close for comfort.
The Stamps player ended up falling and sliding through where I had been kneeling. In the end the only result was a fairly dramatic increase to my blood pressure level that lasted around 30 seconds or so.
I concede, football is fun to shoot – despite the worry sketched across my face.
who eventually scored a touchdown on the play during the second quarter of their CFL game at McMahon Stadium
in Calgary Saturday, October 1, 2011.
their CFL game at McMahon Stadium in Calgary Saturday, October 1, 2011.
during the fourth quarter of their CFL game at McMahon Stadium in Calgary Saturday, October 1, 2011.
of their CFL game at McMahon Stadium in Calgary Saturday, October 1, 2011.
trekking your amazing photos!!! thank you for inspiring people especially an amateur photographer like me! keep it up!
…TREK…