brosigonzales.blogspot.com: Checking Out The D-League

At The Home Of The Tamaraws

Around two years ago I shot a UAAP Ladies Volleyball match between the Lady Tams and the Lady Eagles. This was held at the FEU R. Papa Gym. Using only "entry level" photo gear, creating good actions was a strech. Nevertheless, I managed some decent "acceptable" photos. Now, with almost three years of additional experience under my belt, and better [a lot better] equipment at my disposal - I decided shoot a D-League match scheduled for the afternoon of Nov.16, Thursday - at least, to compare my present work with that from before.

The lighting was brighter now so it was easier to work with. I'm not "into" the D-League so the stats didn't matter much to me - what mattered was that I control the exposure of my the photos to my standards. The results were OK, decent, and definitely a lot better than my volleyball images from two years back.

Here are some of my favorite broken/hustle plays from that Pacific Pipes - PC Gilmore match [FYI - Pipes won].

The point of all this is simply honing my photographic skills during my free time. Different playing courts have unique lighting characteristics and different positions to shoot from. I enjoy opportunities like these - they help make me a better sports photojournalist.

Course, it was nice bumping into Melvin Baloran [former NU Bulldog, now w/ the Boracay Team] Jens Knuttel and Pippo Nuonduo [had a brief chat with the Cameroonian] and some other guys from the FEU Athletics Office. I had hoped to catch FEU Athletic Director Mark Molina but he was still abroad. Pippo offered to treat me at the air-con Wi-Fi FEU Tambayan Resto nearby next time - yup, that was cool - - -

Unfortunately for Nuonduo, he still can't play in the PCCL

because his injury [from a bad fall at the Fil-Oil semis match vs Ateneo]

hasn't completely healed. [I heard Paul Sanga is to go under the knife soon.]

Anyway, at least, with the present lighting set-up in the R. Papa Gym, [although not as balanced as that of Araneta or Arena {take note of the shadows of the players on court} good action photos are managable. The bleachers' area height is unique to the R.Papa Gym. It does offer a steeper angle, to shoot from, because of the "cramped architectural layout" of the place - it's all good, though.

Might shoot a D-League Freego match at Adamson soon, we'll see. Keeping my fingers crossed that the lighting is at least, as bright as in the FEU R.Papa Gym. And maybe, I might get to chat with Nuyles, Alvarez, Brondial, Etrone and some of my Falcon acquiantances. Will any of these guys offer to treat me to a snack in Adamson ? - Don't think so. No matter, What's important is the LIGHTING is BRIGHT !

Before shooting a match I take test images to find the best exposure settings for the place. The reality is, more often than not, there are always hot spots and shadowy areas in a sports venue. {Fact is, the lighting on the South Goal of the Araneta is a "little different" from that of the North Goal}.

For me, it always helps to take test images of different areas of any venue so my "on-the-spot tweaking" is faster. Here are two of those test images.