Competition spanned two days, starting at 8 a.m. on Friday.  Schools were divided by divisions (1A-5A), and I had a list of athletes in almost every division.

The way this usually works for me is that newspapers will send me a list of athletes with their school name and event, and I make a master schedule for myself.  There are often several events happening at the same time, so I have to juggle a bit.  For example, I could shoot boys and girls high jump at the same time because those events happen side by side, and also get a shot of a runner as they pass on the track during a race.  Thank goodness the field events give each athlete more than one turn!

The real trick is to find time to edit, transmit and eat.

Anyway, I could go on and on about logistics and strategy, but you really just want to see the photos.  Here are a few of my favorites.

For more photos of Day 1, click here.

For more photos of Day 2, click here.

I hadn’t shot a ribbon cutting ceremony in a while, and, truth be told, they’re usually not very exciting to shoot.  People stand at a podium and talk until everyone poses together behind a ribbon and smiles for the camera.

This one was a little more exciting.  There were performances, a Native American blessing, tours of the new facility, activities for kids, and the best part – a slide made for adults!

I’m going to skip to the slide first, and show you the rest of the pictures later.  The slide was inside the office building, and was built to be a creative and convenient way for employees to get from one office area to another.  Apparently Southwest Key planners studied corporate offices like Facebook and Apple, and they wanted their office to function similarly.  So the slide idea was born.

Each tour group got to try out the slide, which had plexiglass windows on the top.  I stayed at the top and looked down.

I was last in my group to try out the slide, but I gathered my two cameras and my bag on my lap and enjoyed every second!  Then I took another couple shots at the bottom when a few people went for round 2.

Alright, back to the other photos.  Like I said, there were performers, speakers, a blessing, the cutting of the ribbon and tours.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Southwest Key Community Center offers classes to further education for area residents and help find jobs.  It is part of a national non-profit.

So was the case during SXSW a few months ago.  The Houston Chronicle called, wanting me to shoot Jack Black and Matthew McConaughey at the Four Seasons during the promotion of their new movie, Bernie.  Of course I said yes, then hung up the phone, jumped up and down with excitement, and then panicked a little.

I called the reporter, veteran film writer Louis B. Parks, and he said usually they did the photos in a hotel room, where the interviews were held, and that there wasn’t usually a lot of space.  I envisioned what that might look like and thought about other possibilities, then did some research on the movie.

At that time, there wasn’t a lot published about the movie, but from what I gathered, the storyline centered around Jack Black’s character, Bernie, who is an undertaker in a small, east Texas town.  He befriends wealthy widows and ends up killing the meanest and wealthiest of them all, then spends the rest of the movie evading Matthew McConaughey’s character, the local law enforcer.

With what little knowledge I had of the film and the shoot location, I thought about what I could do to try to make my photos different from everyone else’s.  I read somewhere that Bernie would show up to the widows’ homes with small gifts, like flowers.  I know it’s cheesy, but I picked up some flowers on the way to the shoot.  I was determined to add a little something to my pictures that no one else had.

I showed up and the location was nothing like what I expected.  Rather than inside a hotel room, it was outside near a garden.  I walked around with a bouquet of flowers, feeling like a complete rookie, or a crazed fan.  I kept having to explain that the flowers were a prop, not a gift.

I had about 10 min. with Jack.  I told him where to stand, but I hardly had to direct him at all.  Then, when I brought in the flowers, I didn’t even have to explain.  He knew the reference and played to the camera.

I took a few shots then removed the flowers.  Again, I didn’t direct much, just let Jack Black be Jack Black.

Before long, our time was up.  Matthew McConaughey and director Richard Linklater came around the corner with another photographer, who got a few shots, then I asked if they minded if I jumped in.  The photographer finished and McConaughey and Linklater politely posed for me.

I made it through the shoot with photos of the people the Chronicle requested, and I didn’t make anyone angry, so in that respect, it was a successful assignment.  However, looking back, I wish I would have done a few things differently, taken a few more risks.  I guess there’s always next time.

Louis B. Parks snapped a couple shots on his cell phone while I was working:

Click here to read Louis B. Parks story about Bernie.

I had four matches to cover, three of which were scheduled at the same time.  I wasn’t worried, though.  Tennis matches can be fairly long and I only needed a few action shots from each.  It also helped that they were already running late when I got there, so the matches I needed to cover were more staggered than expected.

Tennis isn’t terribly complicated to shoot.  Really the hardest thing about it is timing and making sure you know which match is on which court.  Every court at this particular facility had a fairly clean background, so there’s not too much to worry about there.  I used my D700 with my 200-400 f4 most of the time.  Keep your focus on the player’s face and follow them with your lens as they play, then click the shutter just before the ball enters the frame (use peripheral vision).  You should get a shot with the ball close to the racquet, just before or after it’s hit.

If this were Wimbledon or the U.S. Open, there might be rules about where to stand/sit, how loud your shutter can be, what to wear, etc., but there aren’t any rules like that for high school tennis.  Also, I shot the quarterfinals, so the matches weren’t very emotional.

Anyway, first up was girls singles – Jarrett Fisher.

Next up – boys doubles with Alejandro Sanajo and Tucker Brown.

Next up was another boys doubles team – Hunter and Yates Johnson.  They’re identicle twins.  It’s really not fair to have to write cutlines for twins who play doubles tennis, especially when they’re dressed alike and use the same racquet.  Thank goodness one had a yellow arm band and one had a navy arm band, and that I found their parents outside the court.

After that match, I had about an hour to kill, so I went and got my laptop from the car, found a quiet spot inside with an electrical outlet and edited.  When I finished editing and lunching, it was time for the fourth match – girls doubles with Kelli Hine and Liza Fieldsend.

When I had a few shots, I headed to the nearest Starbucks to transmit, and went home.

Click here to see the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung story by Chris Hoffman.

UT lost the first two games and was expected to lose the third, which is why I imagine they sent a stringer to cover it, rather than a staff member. I’m, of course, always supportive of them doing that because that means that I can go play–I mean work.

I knew it was going to be a good day when I saw Ray Benson, guitar in hand, walking out to the field to sing the national anthem. He was with a handful of other Texas artists, but it’s hard to notice anyone else when Ray towers over and sings lower than anyone there.

Both Austin and College Station needed photos, so that made a game that was 1-0 (Aggies) until the bottom of the ninth a little more interesting for me. I got pictures of the pitchers and then a few batters and then went up to send my first edit. Then I came back down to the field and shot the new pitchers, and by then the batters were giving the infield a little more to do, so I shot them too.

Seventh inning stretch rolled around, and I thought about going back up to the press box to send another edit, but the score was still 1-0, so I figured the game was just a time bomb waiting to go off. The ninth inning started and UT kept A&M from scoring a second point. I was about ready to pack it up and call it a third UT loss. Then UT got a few hits and some guys on bases and before long, it was 1-1.

It was starting to get hot, so I was thinking, please don’t go in to extra innings! I’m sure I wasn’t the only one because a softball game across the street was about to start and most of the media had to cover that game as well. Extra innings would have meant camera guys donning a uniform and running from home through the outfield between plays.

Anyway, UT’s Jonathan Walsh was on third and Jordan Etier was up to bat. Etier hit a ground ball and Walsh dove in to home plate, probably saying a little prayer as he flew through the air. The A&M catcher had the ball in his glove and reached out to tag Walsh, but the ball fell out of his glove and missed Walsh.

The umpire called safe, bringing the score to 2-1 in UT’s favor and craziness ensued.

Before the play, I focused on Walsh at third, knowing that if he made it to home plate, the game was over and UT had won. I didn’t watch Etier batting, just got a shot of him on first right after the safe call was made. At the end of the game, I had three shots that I was pretty proud of – Walsh diving in to home, the umpire calling safe with fan reaction in the background, and UT players jumping in the air with Etier. Here are those shots:

After those shots, the rest of the game photos didn’t really seem that important. Those three pretty much told the story. But since A&M will be leaving the conference and it will be a rarity to see these two teams play again, I’ll leave you with some photos to reminisce over. Do you have the memorial ballad of your choice playing in your head? Okay, here they are…

If you want even more nostalgia, click on one (or all) of these links to read about the game and see my photos:

Austin American Statesman game story by Mark Rosner.

Bryan/College Station Eagle game story by Richard Croome.

Houston Chronicle game story by Brent Zwerneman.

I was only there through the semi-finals, so I didn’t get to see the last day of competition.  There was still plenty of action, and not just from the players.  On Friday, storms caused an hour and a half game delay, but after the rain blew through, it was back to soccer.

These athletes weren’t going to let go of their chance at a state championship.  They elbowed, kicked, pushed and kneed their way through the games.  Who said soccer isn’t a full contact sport?

Here are some of my favorite action shots from semi-finals.

Emotions always run high during these tournaments, no matter the sport.  So here are a few of my favorite reaction shots.

I wish I could’ve seen the championship games and been witness to the madness that is always expected during those games, but after two days of soccer in the heat, rain, wind and sun, I was ready for a break.  Maybe next time!

I was happy to oblige, and I began thinking in my head about shots of the tower.  She requested a few shots of the tower, the fountain on the south end of the tower and the mustang statue located on San Jacinto Blvd.

Knowing that we were in the middle of the worst drought ever, I had to warn her that the fountain had been off for several months to save water.  I also kept in mind that the grass on the lawn would be more yellow and brown than green.  But I know that the tower is always lit up beautifully at night, so I decided to try some night photos.

I was sitting at home one evening watching the news, when I saw a story about the 75th anniversary of the tower, and that it was lit up orange with a 75 lit up in the windows.  I immediately thought of my client and drove down town to get some pictures.  It was raining lightly, so I didn’t stay long, but here’s one of my images.

Another concern was that I needed to shoot at a time when foot traffic was minimal.  Slow shutter speeds (30 sec, give or take) allowed for some walk-throughs, but not a lot.  I waited until spring break to go back for another attempt.

This time I showed up around 6 p.m. on a Sunday.  I had enough light to shoot some daytime photos, but I wouldn’t have to wait long for the sun to go down so I could get some night shots.

I framed up a lot of the traditional shots, and experimented a little too.  Here are a few of my favorites.

I hope my client was happy with the results and that her father received a great birthday gift!

The race is 10 miles of running with 20 live bands playing along the route, and an after-race performance by Everclear.  I had never heard of a race like this, but it seems like a fantastic idea.  Runners stay motivated and entertained, bands play for thousands of people (even if it’s just for a few seconds as they run past), it’s a win-win situation.  Plus, if you can’t make a combination race and music festival successful in Austin, you’re just not trying.

I got to The Domain about a half hour or so before the race so I could find a parking spot, pick up my credential and shoot a bit before the start.  I always like to get to these races early because I park far away and because there’s always some confusion about credentials.

Luckily, I ran in to Brom, the reporter for this story, near the start line.  He’s fairly well-known in the race community and asked me if I wanted to shoot from the crane/bucket truck thing (please help me with the correct terminology if you know it).  I said sure and he got me in.  I shot the start of the race from there.

As you can see from the pictures, the weather wasn’t ideal.  It was windy and cloudy and a storm was on the way.  The wind was so bad over night that the race director decided to remove signs that would normally cover scaffolding at the starting line.  The signs were acting more like sails.

After the runners took off, I decided to try and get a couple shots of the bands.  I couldn’t get them all – 20 stages is a lot to hit before getting back to the finish line for the winners.  I had about half an hour before I needed to get to the finish, so I shot the bands that were on the way.

Now for the winners.  Linus Chumba won for the men with a time of 48:31.  Misiker Mekonnen Demissie won for the women with a time of 55:41.  Demisie was the last person to register for the race, but the first woman to finish.

Of course, there was plenty to see through the race – people in costumes, people wanting their picture taken, people excited to win, you know the drill.  Here are a few of my favorites.

After the race was an Everclear concert.  I was finished shooting what I needed about a half hour before the concert, but I thought I’d stick around for a song or two and get a couple shots.

It was a full morning of activity and I managed to escape before the storm blew in.

Click here to read Brom Hoban’s race story.

Click here to see more photos.

You know when you have one of those days where everything just seems to come together?  This was one of those days.  I had a great subject with a great story who was doing something visual, an interesting and naturally lit location, plenty of time and my equipment worked as it should.  It was just an all-around positive experience.

Keridwyn (I love her name, by the way) was a joy to work with.  She was willing to show me every step of what she does in the most calming manner.  Plus, the ingredients she works with are wonderfully fragrant.  They set a nice tone for the assignment.

She makes incense, soap and candles from raw ingredients in her shop in down town Smithville.  She recently moved in there after losing her home and shop to wildfire in Bastrop last year.  The fire was so bad, she said, that when she was allowed to return, she and her father, who lived on the same property, had trouble even finding where the buildings used to stand.  She lost all of her equipment, her home and her pet goat.

Keridwyn’s father started the company in the 60′s and recently turned it over to her.  They’ve made incense for temples, churches, even the Vatican.

Anyway, let’s get to the photos.  Here are some of my favorite images that I captured while she worked.

 Click here for Louis B. Parks’ story and more photos.

She will be graduating from Texas State University in May and she’s been asking me to take her senior portraits since her sophomore year.  I was happy to help her out because she’s a friend and well, she’s gorgeous, so I was happy to have a beautifully silly model to work with.

We met last week at a park in San Marcos where there are walking trails with lots of greenery.  That made for a lovely late afternoon background.

We started out with some close-ups.  I used a 50mm f1.8 lens, set on f2 to bring out her eyes.

I caught her doing this…like I said, beautifully silly.

We also got some wider shots of her in that outfit.  I used my 24-70mm, f2.8 for the wider shots.  (I used my new SB910 flash to help light some of these, but not all.)

Here are a couple photos from the waist up…

Then she switched to her cap and gown…

She had one more outfit that we got a quick shot of before moving to phase 2 of the shoot.  Here’s that shot…

Then we moved to Sewell Park, which is outside of Strahan Collesium, where Cassie’s graduation ceremony will be held.  The tradition is to jump in the San Marcos River, which runs through Sewell Park, after graduation.  Cassie said she didn’t want to do that on graduation day and risk having to go to a celebration dinner in wet clothes, so she instead jumped in while I documented.

She was a bit apprehensive, so I suggested we take a shot of her splashing in the water from the bank.  Once she dipped her toe in, she decided to go for it and jump in.

When I saw the photos, I wasn’t sure how to present the succession of photos of the jump, so I put together a quick composite that included the shot of her splashing.  Here’s what I came up with.

It was a fun challenge to work with Cassie on her senior portraits and I’m pretty happy with what I came up with.  Congrats Cassie!