Sports photography fascinates me for many reasons. In the time I've dedicated myself to it, I know I haven't completely mastered it, but I do know that the heart beats hard, yes, of course. And you're supposed to be sedated, focused to capture that unique moment that will accurately illustrate the news or article that someone else, or you, will write. You can't use too many photos. Publications have guidelines, and each section has its own space... you know this from the moment you go there to do your work, since they duly inform you have a certain number of lines and you can illustrate the same way with a limit of photos they set for you.
So... what do you do with all the images you took in four hours? I'm very sorry to delete them, although I know there are some good ones and others that aren't worth keeping.
Seven years ago, I was covering the final of the National Baseball Series, which was contested between Las Tunas and Granma. In the seventh game, Granma was crowned champion.
The game was recorded and is on YouTube. It's very long, but perhaps I appear in some camera shots of the stadium stands, where the photographers are. 🤓 I don't know, but they always filmed us.
So what I bring for this #Monomad Challenge are some photo sequences that I'm also going to tell you a little about.
Are you ready?
28/01/2018
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Shortstop Yordan Manduley reaches second safely after his comrade Avilés drives him in, getting an out at first base... I couldn't take that photo. (You can see the action from Manduley's batting start at minute 30 of the video)
Nowadays - I'm not completely sure - but I think he and his son play in the MLB, in the Canadian League.
I took these two images at 1:01 p.m. ;) I couldn't find the play in the video. But I find this photo interesting because you can see the faces of those people... luckily the player caught the ball on the fence.
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Three more shots at 1:09 p.m. They're not particularly relevant; the photographer was asleep, haha... the sun in the stands is stifling. And this play was actually quite normal: a bunt (I think), a throw to first base, and an out. I can tell you that these fall into the category of those that no one wants... you don't see the catcher's name, and well... perhaps to illustrate some note referring to the players at first base, but that never happened. However, I like the movement, I'm fond of those images, and I know that the catcher is Yulexis La Rosa, originally from Villa Clara, but playing on that occasion with the bay horses of Granma.
From the way these photos look, you can tell that the photographer, that is, me, ;) was standing on top of the third base dugout.
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1:31 p.m.
Here we have the well-known Alfredo Despaigne Rodríguez caught on first base.
Of course, these photos also fall into the category of those that no one wants because this star that is Despaigne should not be shown in moments of shadow, hahaha... and anyone gets an out!
Other shots that can be made from the top of the third base dugout with the 300mm lens are these toward home plate.
Here we have one of those where photographers get active. Four photos at 1:54. This is not easy, what is created is chaos and we have to see what we frame, what we see... 😝 everything is very fast.
This picture is the same as the previous one, but what I did was reframe it. I think it's more powerful this way. And what do you think?
Close play! There was a bit of discussion here.
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If you're curious and have some time to spare, maybe you'll find it in the video. I couldn't find it either... My internet connection is terribly slow. 😒
This next play was one of the most exciting. I'll bring you the full sequence. Here we have Despaigne again and the catcher Yosvani Alarcón... let's see what happens. 🤣
Did he drop the ball or what?
Apparently the impact of those two trains was strong!
SAFE!
You may not see it, but all of this happens in fractions of a second, and you have to react very quickly.
All photos at 2:16, except the last one.👇
There's another Cuban playing in the LMB, Roel Santos, the one with dark glasses. He appears to be committed to the Olmecas de Tabasco in 2025.
Don't get tired, there are more photos left.
I did find this play, it's almost at the end of the game at 3:16 of the video.
Yosvani Alarcón's attempted base steal (as I recall) generated a lot of criticism.
All these photos were taken at 3:32 pm.
Since we're almost at the end, I'm going to include this screenshot of the folder where those photos are, and there you can see the camera data.
These last few photos are a relief for the photographer. She's tired of standing in the stands of that stadium... with so much shouting around her. Still... I miss it.
3:38 pm Another sequence, the joy of Granma, the winning team.
Chaos again, so many things happening and in just one minute I took all these photos... many times I look at all this and I can't believe I had that superpower.
The photographer carries a heavy camera, equipped with a 300mm lens, which she stabilizes with her Manfrotto monopod. Among her belongings, she also has a backpack with two more lenses. Can you imagine the fatigue now? The pain in her hips and spine?
But I repeat, no matter how much it hurt, I miss taking sports photos.
😃
The last two photos I'm featuring in this challenge are of the teams holding their trophies, taken at 4:11 and 4:12, respectively.
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