Julie's Eyes

As part of my photo class, one of the assignments is to look at your archive of favorite photos for common themes.  But as I look through my favorites, I need to break things apart just a little more.  First are my sports photos.  Some of these are about lucky timing, but they are more than the average snapshot.  I get a thrill of being able to make the most awkward 8 year old look like a superstar!  I love catching the precise moment of action with clarity.  And I love to see the girl's pride at the end of the season when they realize that they ARE an athlete!

There is another group of sports photos that are more about moments than action.  They might catch a  coaching moment.  Maybe a success.  Maybe a connection with a teammate or parent.  Maybe just a moment of determination.  These pictures have a story.  They become part of our family lore and are the subject of laughter for years to come. 

For example, this shot of my daughter and her soccer coach.  In a mid-game adjustment, Megan had been asked to defend the best player on the other team man to man instead of playing her normal position.  She had never been coached in one on one defense.  And the other girl was impossible to stop.  Megan knew that she was letting down her team.  Poor girl!  After a quarter of play, she lost it and was consoled by her coach.  This photo provided a nice reason for us to explain that she was asked to do that job because she was the best on her team and that her coach knew it was impossible to stop the other team.  Her pain immediately turned to pride.  

 

As I develop my photo skill, I have been challenged to take in more landscape and portrait photography.  As I look through my inspiration file, I can tell that this work is less settled.  These favorites are all over the map.  Some of the standout themes include night shots (something that I've barely played with), great color in nature, and brief moments.  I'll have to watch my class work for more themes in this cluster of my work!