September 12

I first shot for the Pioneer Press at the opening of the TCF Bank Stadium for the Gophers v. Airforce football game. Football is one of the few sports I have not shot before so I was up for the challenge. I was assigned to shooting Gopher fans and tailgating from 4 -7 p.m. with a 7:30 deadline. Photographing fans is easier said than done. Fifty percent of my roll has random hands jutted in the frame and druken, cheesy smiles attempting to get their face in the paper. I ran back to the stadium interview room to FTP the photos to the newsroom before the second half of the game began.

Shooting the game was another story. The stadium was packed and full of energy which made it intimidating to be in front of everyone (I can only imagine how the players feel)! I did a good job keeping up with the game and catching action shots every now and then. I had one photo from the shoot added to the online slideshow of the game.

What I learned:

• Arrive at the shoot plenty early to adjust the camera and become familiar with the area in which you are shooting.
• Take more pictures than seems necessary.
• When photographing football, follow a action shot with a photo of the players number visible to make cutline easier when recapping the play.