Friday Night Lights

I wasn't planning on going to the game last night, but a couple of my students were hot to shoot some pictures and it worked out that they were able to get out on the field with another teacher.
So I loaded up the ole camera bag for them and gave them a quick briefing on shutter speed, ISO and aperture.
I think it all went above their heads.
Maybe.
I mean I've been making them read the camera manuals and it doesn't help that I shoot Nikon and the school is all Canon all the time.  I'm not sure they learned how to use either camera.
Anyways.
Off they went!
I got out of my oil change a little early and the varsity game started late so it was perfect timing.
Another short talk about trying not to get run over and the two girls hit the field.
I spent some time with our old camera and I gotta say, it's just not ready for prime time.
So I went back to the car to grab a real camera.
If you know what I mean.
I would post up pictures of how my new camera did, but I didn't use it; the pictures were taken by the students and I don't have permission to use them.
The pictures I mean.
Ethics and all that don't you know.
I spent most of the night shooting the sidelines and keeping an eyeball on the two girls.
In a safety kind of way.
Anyways, touchdown!

I told myself that this year I'm going to focus more on what's happening on the sidelines.
I'll leave the action pics to the kids.
Sort of.
The good news is that my new camera takes some nice pictures.
The bad news is that between the two of them, they took like five hundred shots.
Five.
Hundred.
Smoke was pouring out of my camera at the end of the night.
I haven't even looked at the school camera.
Which by now, is no longer new either.

One of our trainers watching the action.
This year, our AD has restricted our photographers to the track surrounding the field.
Liability and all that and I sort of agree.
I'm going to make up passes that my students will wear that have their emergency contact info.
You know, just in case.
While the two girls were burning up my flash card, I was patrolling back and forth trying to find a good angle to watch the game:

Which is difficult on the sidelines.
Most of the time, the only way I know what's happening is by the down and yard markers.  If you are really into the game, the sidelines pretty much suck.
Ooops! I need to straighten that photo.
Next game I'm going to try and shoot film, so I might try and get some fast film.
I don't think 400 speed film is going to cut it even though I have a f1.4 lens.
I think the reason I like shooting sports is the challenge.
Subjects are constantly on the move and you never know when a good shot is going to appear.
Volleyball is next week and we'll see if the kids learned anything.
After five hundred plus shots, I sure hope so.
If you know what I mean.
Oh, by the way, we won.