Tonight, I will be doing my annual shoot for Masuk High School Boys Basketball. I've been covering this for the past five years and it's one of my favorite shoots of the year. One of the first times I realized I wanted to be a photographer was after seeing the Cleveland Cavaliers upset the New Jersey Nets in the final seconds of the game. I tried to take pictures with a 35mm point and shoot Kodak film camera. If those pictures weren't tucked away in the crawl space, I'd have scanned one for this post. They're HORRIBLE, yet I love them. Shooting sports is always a fun challenge for me: timing, position, proper lens selection. It's thinking on the fly and it's exhilarating. And it always feels cool to be standing on the court with my press pass.
Then what's with the title of this post? I got the call to cover the game tonight early on in the month and agreed to it. At the time, there was nothing going on. About two weeks after I made the commitment, I found out about this.
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRG!!!!! (is the edited version of what went through my mind)
Another amazing photo exhibit that is all but screaming, "Audra! Come see me!" 120dB. The level of sound intensity at every concert. The level of passion and perseverance echoed back by every one of these photographers. The sheer level of artistic energy and audience engagement that resonates loud and clear in their each and every shot.
For those of you that follow this blog, you'll remember my post on 12 New Things. If you forgot, check out number four on that list. Yes, several of the photographers at this exhibit are ones that I want to contact. More than likely, many of them will be at the opening tonight. And I am stuck in Connecticut, shooting basketball.
But that's not how I'm letting myself think about tonight. I'm fortunate enough to be covering something I love, and getting paid to do it no less! I have a great relationship with this client and I look forward to working with them in the future. Although this event seems like a great networking opportunity, it's not the right one for me. Not at this time. My website is close, but it's not complete yet. I refuse to rush that and put out a product I'm not proud of, and I don't want to pitch myself as a concert photographer when my work isn't properly displayed, i.e. my current website. There will be other opportunities for me to reach out.
Just in case you were wondering who my favorite basketball player was, it's a tie between Mark Price and Craig Ehlo. Mark Price you might have heard of, highest all time free throw percentage in the NBA and two time 3 point contest winner. One of the purest shooters ever to play in the NBA and was my ACL recovery inspiration. (Price also had a complete ACL rupture in his left knee.) I bet you know who Craig Ehlo is, even though you think you don't. Ever hear of The Shot?
Effing Michael Jordan, but talk about drama! That's when basketball was good, my friends. Ehlo was one of the most under appreciated, yet hardest working players I've ever seen. And this link made me remember what a fantastic human being he is.
Sorry about the basketball geek out. I bet you weren't expecting that!
In closing, I'm covering a basketball game tonight. And for a girl that dreamed of doing exactly that when she was 11, I can't tell you how happy and proud I am.
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