Seeing Green and Feeling the Pain

Father and Daughter

That is the title of this entry [one of several] [on-line category] to the last UAAP Photo Contest, concluded last March.  What eventually happened was a case where an athlete's misfortune turned into cash, for me, a photographer.  The said entry won Third Place.

The JPEG shows Raoul Recto carrying his daughter, Robbie, away from the diamond after she took a bad fall during the UE-La Salle UAAP softball match at U.P. Diliman, early 2011. This supportive young dad watches all of Robbie's games.  [I'm glad to have met him along the way].  Those were painfully excrutiating moments for Robbie, and anxious ones for Raoul.  Father and team mates promptly attended to the injury while I tried to get photos of Robbie, in pain - even took a few of her injured ankle.  But before that, I ASKED Raoul FIRST, if it was OK to do so. He said yes.  A week or so later, I E-mailed Raoul ALL the pics I took of that incident.  [Fortunately, Robbie's injury was managed].

It is never my intention to take undue advantage of other people's misfortunes per se.  Yes, the unexpected happens in sports.  I photojournalise it - before, during, and after matches, on and of the courts, fields, and dug outs - whenever, wherever.  I'm certainly NOT perfect, and have made bad judgements - but I always try to exercise tact and discretion, among other things, when I shoot.

P.S.

A friend of mine quipped, the DAY AFTER I encashed the check I won.  "Pre, Sana binigyan mo ng BALATO si Mr. Recto o si Robbie, maski papaano.  Ano ba'ng ginawa mo sa prize money ??" 

I answered "Galing sa bangko, dumiretso ako sa Park Square at bumili ako ng isang Nike Dri-Fit,

isang Adidas Clima-Cool, yoong  "Call of Duty - Black Ops", kasi nawala ko ang kopya ko, at yoong "Mortal Combat" para sa PS ko.  Tamamg-tama, kakarelease lang kahapon."

brosi gonzales