“Take That, Great One”

Hockey body checks provide great picture opportunities with players being knocked off their feet and into the air.

Boston Bruins forward Steve Kasper (11, left) checks Edmonton superstar Wayne Gretzky into the air, but Gretzky’s Oilers inflicted the biggest hurt by defeating the Bruins (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
Body checks can often provide outstanding hockey photos as one player gets knocked in the air or to the ice. Boston Bruins forward Steve Kasper made his career out of being a strong defensive forward, and he was renowned for his ability to shadow and control Edmonton Oiler superstar Wayne Gretzky, who scored very few points in his career when facing Kasper. Shooting from above ice level, I watched Kasper and Gretzky throughout this game, but shadowing a superstar does not typically make great photographs, for Gretzky usually was too fast and agile to be body-checked. On this play, Gretzky was racing down ice after a loose puck, no doubt hoping to break in quickly and put the puck into the Boston net. However, Kasper saw him coming and stuck out his hip, while Gretzky was still looking elsewhere. When they made contact, Gretzky was knocked into the air, and I timed my photo perfectly. Had I been at ice level, the photo would have been stronger because Gretzky would have seemed to be higher in the air off the ice surface.

3 Tips:
1) Body checks provide strong photos of players being knocked into the air or to the ice.
2) Follow the players who have consistently been tough checkers.
3) Also watch the fastest skaters, who are frequently the target for opponents looking to check and slow them down.

#3,000 -- at Last!

Achievement of a sports milestone provides a mix of emotions and activities to photograph.

After going hitless for several games, Boston Red Sox star Carl Yastrzemski swats his 3,000th hit at Fenway Park vs. the Yankees and is honored on the field (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
For five days, some 40 photographers squeezed into Fenway Park’s small media pit near first base, seeking pictures of Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski (“Yaz”) slugging his 3,000th career hit. After he collected three hits in a game to put him at 2,998, cameramen from all over the country crammed in with the photographers who typically cover a Red Sox home game, leaning over and into each other every time Yaz batted. However, it took him two more games to get number 2,999, and he went hitless another two games. Photographers pursued him after the games for disappointment photos, and the pressure Yaz felt was evident as he sighed, “I just want this to be over.”
Yaz’ big moment finally came against the rival Yankees, and before the game, all the optimistic photographers autographed a baseball to be given to him when he got his hit. A first base side shooting position meant that when Yaz got his milestone hit, he would run toward first, enabling me to capture any emotion he showed, plus it provided quick access to the field for photographing the celebration ceremony the Red Sox planned. Most of the great photo opportunities would be spontaneous reactions, so I stayed ready to react quickly. Yaz came to bat in the eighth inning, and the cameras again fired on everything he did. On the first pitch, he swung, I shot two pictures, and a roar from the fans told me the batted ball found its way between first and second base for hit #3,000. I kept the camera on him for an expression of happiness, but he was more relieved than happy. The Red Sox mobbed their captain at first base while Yankee right fielder Reggie Jackson, who earlier joked that he hoped he didn’t misplay Yaz’s 3,000th hit into a double, brought him the ball. As he displayed it to the crowd, accepted a trophy from the Red Sox, and thanked the fans, photographers filmed every gesture, searching for the right expression to sum up the event. A weary Yaz was glad this pressure-packed event was finally over, but I think the photographers were equally relieved.

3 Tips:
1) Position yourself to get the initial emotional reaction when the milestone is first achieved, and look for any subsequent range of emotions.
2) Remain flexible to react to the events as they spontaneously transpire.
3) If there are high expectations or pressure for achieving the milestone, try to convey it visually (crowds, media, strain on face of player, etc.).

Laughing Audience

Never pass up the chance to photograph happy children, laughing heartily.

An audience of children enjoys a puppet show at the Morey Elementary School in Lowell, Ma. (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
An elementary school puppet show usually provides a few photos of puppeteers with puppets either performing or interacting with children in the audience. On this occasion, the audience was the best part of the show, as the children were intently watching, laughing, cheering, gasping, giggling and yelling back to the puppets. I shot only one photo of the performers, but many great audience expressions and reactions, and this was the best. The only problem was the poor lighting required I use a direct flash for every shot, creating harsher lighting on the faces than if the auditorium had more adequate overhead lights. However, the facial expressions were so strong, the flash effect really didn’t detract from the powerful reactions. Many times, as in this case, the audience is the most photogenic part of the show – there was really no need to photograph the puppeteers.

3 Tips:
1) Expressions of children watching and reacting can be much stronger pictures than a shot of the event they are viewing.
2) If the lighting is not sufficient for naturally lit photos, don’t hesitate to use a flash, for you don’t want to miss a powerful picture.
3) Photograph a wide range of kids’ facial expression because you’ll often get increasingly better pictures.

“Here, You Take It”

Watch basketball action closely, stay ready to shoot, and you can sometimes photograph a behind-the-back pass.

Boston Celtics’ Chris Ford throws the ball back to teammate Rick Robey after being pressured by Seattle’s Dennis Johnson (© 1980 Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
It’s always worth trying to get great photos by shooting from the sideline near center court because occasionally you might see some unique action pictures. On this evening, Boston Celtic Chris Ford (42) encountered Seattle Supersonic Dennis Johnson (DJ - #24)), who was one of the NBA’s best defensive players. When DJ jumped to block any Ford shot and bar his path to the basket, he quickly passed back to Celtic teammate Rick Robey (53), and I had an unusual photo of the ball being passed midway between the two players. Ironically, Johnson later was traded to Boston and became a key member of the famous 1980s Celtics’ championship teams.

3 Tips:
1) Sitting at center court gives you a unique angle on unusual photos.
2) Using a long lens enables you to isolate key players or specific plays from the busy background.
3) Be patient from this vantage point, because players will be running in front of you constantly, and photo opportunities will be less frequent.

End of the Rainbow

Although there was no pot of gold, this end of the rainbow provided a strong photo.

Tourist exults as he poses for a photo beneath a rainbow on the big island of Hawaii. (© Michael Maher).

The Photo:
Rainbows are challenging to photograph, not because taking the picture is so difficult, but because it’s tough to find brightly colored rainbows to make a strong photo. It’s hard to predict when a rainbow might occur, so you must be ready quickly when you see one. Driving along a vast open field on the Big Island of Hawaii (in the state of Hawaii), a light rain was falling, the sun came out, and a large rainbow appeared. I stopped the car and took several photos of the rainbow over the horizon, but there was nothing in the photo to illustrate the size of the rainbow. To make the photo stronger, I needed to put a person -- myself -- into the picture. I set my camera’s automatic timer, lined up the photo I wanted, ran into the open area, and posed under the end of the rainbow (where there was no pot of gold to be found), as the camera took the picture. There was no special trick to capturing the rainbow in a photo, for what you see is exactly what you get. However, rainbow colors are not always bright, so you may often need to add a little color enhancement to make the rainbow stand out more prominently in the picture.

3 Tips:
1) Rainbows are easy to photograph but difficult to find.
2) Include an object or person so the picture communicates the size of the rainbow.
3) You may sometimes want to enhance the rainbow colors in the final picture, since rainbows don’t always appear as bright colors.

“I’m SO Big”

Grandparents make especially great photographs when they act like kids while playing with their grandchildren.

Grandmother Catherine Maher plays mimicking game with granddaughter Colleen (© Michael Maher).

The Photo:
Grandparents love almost nothing better than playing with their infant grandchildren. One of the most popular games with infants is asking them “How big are you? You are so big,” and throwing both arms high into the air to demonstrate how big they are getting. Do this often enough, and the child begins to mimic your arm motions, extending their arms overhead, even if the child is too young to say the words. After my mother Catherine (called “Nana” by her grandchildren) found this to be a game that she and her new grandchild could play together, they did so over and over. All Nana had to say was, “How big is Colleen? She’s so big (emphasis on the ‘so’),” and Colleen threw her arms high overhead. After a while, she didn’t even need to look at her grandmother, just hear the words. I took this picture as they played this game multiple times one evening in the kitchen, when I was able to capture both of their faces and body language all at once.

3 Tips:
1) Grandparents playing with their grandkids can make for warm or funny pictures.
2) Include both the grandparent and grandchild’s facial expressions and/or physical body language in a way that shows the enjoyment of their interaction.
3) One photo opportunity is the grandparent and grandchild playing the “So Big” game as they both raise their arms high over their heads.

“Thank My Nine Lives”

Life-saving photo opportunities are extremely rare, and in this case, it was an animal, not a human.

Spectators check on a cat that was revived by receiving oxygen from firefighters after it was overcome by smoke during a Lowell, Ma. house fire (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
Every photographer dreams of getting a life and death spot news photo, but one of my personal favorites was saving an animal, not a human. It was a slow evening until a fire call came over the police radio. Arriving at the scene, I saw firefighters exiting a house from which smoke was billowing and from which most occupants had been evacuated. One firefighter came out holding a cat, placed it in the corner of the front porch, and raced back into the house looking for additional occupants. There was no one else inside and he came out alone, walking more leisurely because he thought the danger was over. Some spectators alerted him that the cat didn’t seem to be moving, so he picked up the cat, put an oxygen mask on it, and laid it gently on the ground. Children gathered around to watch as the cat began to stir slowly, they touched the cat to feel it breathing, and it quickly recovered in good health. The firefighter’s oxygen saved it from smoke inhalation. (Note: the dark, wet spot on the pavement is condensation from the oxygen mask, not blood.)

3 Tips:
1) Life-and-death photos can be taken of animals as well as humans.
2) When possible, capture the concern expressed by rescuers, onlookers, or loved ones.
3) A photographer should always be ready to offer help before taking the picture.