Rain, rain go away...or not?

Muddy uniforms can add additional interest to sports images.

As a sports photographer I have been cold, baked, drenched, and even cold and drenched while on assignment at an event.  Yet, while being wet on a late fall, or winter, evening is no ones opinion of fun, I have captured some rather unique moments in--to quote a former high school assistant marching band director of mine--passing moisture moments.

2020 (and in to 2021): Photography During a Pandemic...Continued

Swimming action taken from the stands due to Covid restrictions.

The winter and spring sports seasons brought much of the same challenges as the fall season did.  While there were a few exceptions, there was still a lot of photography from the stands, or from outside the courts, or playing fields, flexibility required, and mask wearing was still a must.  So, while not a whole lot changed one sport stuck out.

2020: Photography During a Pandemic

Army vs. Georgia Southern game action taken from the upper deck
 of Michie Stadium due to Covid-19 restrictions.

2020 certainly has been an interesting year.  

As a sports photographer, 2020, and the Covid-19 pandemic, has provided unique challenges, but also unique opportunities.  As the year nears it's end, I'd like to take a minute to reflect on some of the experiences, challenges, and unique learning opportunities that 2020 provided for me.

PSU vs. USC 2017: A Rose Bowl for the Ages

Chris Godwin and DeAndre Thompkins celebrate a touchdown.

On January 2, 2017 the Penn State battled USC in the "Granddaddy of them All"--the Rose Bowl Game.

The Nittany Lions and Trojans duked it out in an instant classic with the Men of Troy ultimately prevailing over PSU by a 52-49 score.

PSU Women's Soccer: 2015 National Champions

Penn State players celebrate a goal during their NCAA tournament second round game against Boston University.

The Penn State women's soccer team won the national championship this past weekend.  The Nittany Lions, who finished the season 22-3-2, and who also won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, dominated their opponents through most of the NCAA tournament.  Penn State kept a clean sheet in each of their six NCAA tournament games, outscoring their oppents by a combined 20-0 margin.

PIAA District 6 Softball Championships

Central’s Olivia Smith and Marissa Snyder celebrate a Smith’s game tying run during the Lady Dragon’s District 6 AA championship victory.

On May 27, the PIAA District 6 softball championships were held at Penn State's Beard Field.  After an hour and a half rain delay to start the day, eight teams played in four games to decide the district champions for the four classifications.  The championship winners were West Branch (A), Central (AA), Bellwood-Antis (AAA), and Mifflin County (AAAA).

A Top-5 Wrestling Matchup: PSU vs. Iowa

The scene inside the Bryce Jordan center for the PSU/Iowa wrestling match.

On Feb. 8, the Penn State wrestling team took on Iowa in a top-5 showdown inside the Bryce Jordan Center.  15,967 fans packed the BJC to watch what promised to be an entertaining dual match, and the two teams did not disappoint.  The Nittany Lions stayed with the Hawkeyes through the final match, but PSU eventually fell to Iowa 18-12.

PSU Lady Lions at Rutgers

Penn State's Tori Waldner fights for rebound.

While on a trip to the New York City area a few weeks ago, I attended the Penn State Lady Lions' women's basketball game at Rutgers.  PSU was unable to to pull off the upset, but the Lady Lions held a five point lead midway through the second period, and gave the Scarlet Knights all they could handle, falling to Rutgers 76-65 at The RAC.  The following post includes a few photos from the game.

HDR and Photojournalism: Part 1 - Against the Use of HDR

The front page of The Washington Post with the "culprit" HDR photo.

Note: This is part one of a two part post regarding the ethics of HDR photography in photojournalism.

In 2012, The Washington Post ran a High Dynamic Rage (HDR) photograph on the front page of the Jan. 13 issue of its newspaper (see image image above).  The image sparked a debate among photojournalists as to whether or not the HDR photo violated photojournalism ethics.

So, what's the problem with The Post running the HDR photo?  To understand why an HDR image may be considered unethical in photojournalism, first people need to understand what an HDR image is.  Simply stated, and HDR image is an image that is usually comprised of, three or more images, of different exposures, of the same scene laid on top of each other in some photo editing software.  When combined, these multiple images produce one image with greater color saturation and greater shadow and highlight detail.

With that bit of background knowledge, that then begs the question, is HDR photography ethical in photojournalism?

Are Camera Phones the Death of Photography?

Have Instagram and Snapseed replaced knowledge of shutter speeds, f-stops, and ISOs?  Are people with cell phones replacing trained photographers?  Check out "Are Camera Phones the Death of Photography?" an article on LinkedIn by yours truly.

I am excited to, again, be photographing Penn State footbal games for The (Lewistown) Sentinel this season. I will post pictures from this season, along with those from last season on my other blog CT's Nittany Notes and Pics (http://ctnittanynotes.blogspot.com).