Football, my family

On Friday night, I covered the Class 2A Carlisle Bison as they hosted Class 3A England in the first football game of the season. Carlisle is my alma mater and I still love being a Bison! Carlisle beat England 26-19 in a very ugly game. For those of you who don't know, I keep a running chart of the game while also shooting. I'm a one-man show!
The football game was a great way to hide away from problems we've been having at home with my mother and my wife's mother. They are both having medical problems and my mom's will get better. She's only 60. My mother-in-law, we're not so sure. She's 83.
At the Carlisle, I let my emotions show somewhat. I have a sore throat after yelling at the officials and just having a grand time. I know I'm supposed to be impartial but I always want to see each of the three teams I cover do well.
I just thought I would post a variety of shots from the game. All were shot with the Canon 20D, 70-200 2.8L and with or w/o the sigma flash on 1/16 power.
Thanks for listening.

HS volleyball

I shot my first high school volleyball matches of the season on Tuesday. I used my Canon EOS 20D, 70-200 2.8L and my Alien Bee B400 with the ebay radio slave.
Most of the shots were at 1/250 second, f4.0 and either 400 or 800 ISO.
This was the first time I've shot a game in this gym and I had to find a spot to mount the AB. Luckily, no one complained about the flash. I made sure I told the AD and the local coach that I would be using the flash. I was pleased with the results.
The second photo is the lead photo on the Lonoke Democrat sports page.
Also, my mom starts her chemo on Thursday and my wife's mother is having issues so please pray for us.
Mark

Footballl scrimmages, life

This has been a very hectic, stressful and fun week all rolled into one.
I shot football scrimmages three nights this past week and enjoyed most of it despite my sore right shoulder. I've got tendinitis and arthritis in my rotator cuff but I went to my doctor on Friday morning and got a steroid shot (thanks Barry Bonds) and the pain, for the most part, went away for a while so I was able to shoot Friday night pain free.
As I posted last time, my mother has been diagnosed with the C-word. I can't bring myself to say or type that word when it pertains to her. She will start chemo and radiation therapy this next week. She is just ready to get it going and be able to do all her normal things. She and I work together at the newspaper and it is going to stay that way.
My wife started back to work this week, starting her 25th year of teaching 7th grade English at Lonoke Middle School. However, this is the first time she has started a new year in a new building and it has invigorated her!
As for my photos, since part of my games started with bright sun light, I was able to use my 70-200 2.8L with my 2X extender. When it got dark, I took off the extender and tried some stuff by using 3200 ISO on the 20D to see what I could get. Also, I used my Sigma EF 500 DG ST flash on 1/16 power on either 800 or 1600 ISO. This was suggested by sportsshooter member Scott Varley in a trade secrets column and through an email with him.

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1485

I had some decent success but I'm ready for the regular season, which starts this week. And I'm ready to shoot some volleyball too!

Football practice

It has been a long time since my last post which was only my second one! Life has been hectic as my mother and coworker has been diagnosed with a tumor and I covered a buttload of baseball and swimming all summer but it is finally football season! Yee Haw!

The first scrimmage games are this week and I'm very excited about it. I'm putting up three photos from the three schools I cover. They are Cabot, Lonoke and Carlisle. Cabot is a reporter's best friend because they put the player number on the helmet even if it looks like 'Bama. (Go HOGS).

I'll start updating more in the near future. Please also pray for my mom.

Mark