Fall baseball is in full swing and on Wednesday PV played Liberty in an exciting game.
PV went up on top early and kept adding to their lead. Late in the game, however, Liberty put on an attack that produced enough runs to make it a one-run ballgame. PV tacked on one insurance run late in the game to seal the deal.
I did miss some nice shots again at this game. My 70-200mm lens, even with the 1.4x teleconverter, just doesn’t have enough reach to get the outfielders. Once in a while I can capture them making a catch, but they are quite small in the viewfinder, which makes the auto-focusing difficult and spotty.
One of my primary goals in shooting any sport is to get the ball in the frame. This is easier with a fast camera that can burst 7 frames per second, but it also helps to be able to time the shot properly. I can tell now, for example, when a hitter is going to swing at the pitch. I pay attention to every detail of the batter’s stance and approach to each pitch. If he is going to swing, I see the muscles twitch into action and I know to be ready.
This is a bit more difficult for defensive plays on the field. Getting the ball in these shots takes some forethought and a little luck at times. My nine years of coaching baseball surely helps me anticipate where the next play might take place. This is a huge help in getting the ball in the frame of these defensive plays.
I also like action shots. These shots consist of players running around the bases or reacting to a play. Who says baseball is boring? I don’t buy that argument for a second!