"Sometimes the Dog Wins..." 14•Oct.•11

NFA head coach Bill Bianco (right) greets Monroe-Woodbury head coach Pat D'Aliso (left) after their Class AA football game in Central Valley, NY on Friday, October 14, 2011. NFA defeated Monroe-Woodbury 7 - 0 to end Monroe-Woodbury's 63 - game winning streak against Section 9 teams. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Rain. Mud. Spit and Blood... Friday night high school football at the playoff tournament level; although it may be a little early yet to be thinking that way just beyond the midway point of the season. Sounds sort of a like a John Madden promo or something. I can almost hear Madden's voice echoing in my ear: "Now you see this kid here, Mikal Myers of NFA (at right). He's got the mud thing going all over his body, a two-way lineman who doesn't wear any protective padding on his arms - now HE'S a football player...!" Ever since I've been at this newspaper, there's been the mystique of Monroe-Woodbury football. (Similar to the plateau and rare air that NFA basketball has lived on for years...) I've been privileged to have photographed some of the best HS football competition in my career up here in the Hudson Valley, and a lot of it has had to do with covering M-W football the last 5 years. Last night was challenging and at times just down right tough. An intermittent rain kept things at a point just below miserable, not to mention my drop-dead deadline, when I needed to have images shipped to the paper. Nerve racking. Nail biting. But beyond the headaches and everyday stresses, it was still fun. And that's what counts probably more than anything...

*Here's the slideshow from the very muddy game... ~cg.

*Homage to Kingston & NFA Basketball* - Final Take. April•2010

"...Baby, I'm from New York... Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, There's nothing you can't do, Now you're in New York..." -Alicia Keys.

NFA vs. Middletown. Kingston vs. Minisink. Mix in the possibility of a Newburgh - Mount Vernon rematch in the NY State Quarterfinals at West Point's Chrystl Arena in mid-March. What a season it turned out to be photographically for me. Throughout the season, even a mere reference to any of these teams would elicit a wave of excitement from fans, players and even we in the media covering these kids. Names like McLeod, Henderson, Coffey, Castro, Dolson, Pooley and even Nick Smith at Middletown on the floor, just about guaranteed a night of first rate HS basketball. The high school basketball season that ended a few weeks ago was one of the most memorable I've ever photographed. Period. Probably just as exciting as covering Newburgh Free Academy's run to their first state title and of course Will Bouton's last-second, game winning heave from beyond mid-court to beat rival Mt. Vernon last season. (Click here to view the video the paper produced after that game and Bouton's miracle shot.) That all could've just as easily been 10 years ago now in news-cycle time. Besides, it was all about winning everything last year - so you almost became accustomed to the jubilation, high-5's and frenetic fans in all the gyms and arenas I'd worked then. Fast forward to this season for both the Kingston HS girls and NFA boys. Both were destined to have back-page headline stealing seasons. Kingston senior guard Rachel Coffey (right) deserves her own slide show here on the blog, as I can't conjure up enough adjectives to accurately describe her game. I think I read somewhere she picked up the nickname "Lady A.I.", after NBA guard Allen Iverson, replete with her own tattoos and all. She is easily one of the top 20 athletes at any level that I've photographed in my career and that alone is saying quite a lot. I've witnessed and photographed top ballplayers like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, an even Elton Brand throughout his high school career over at Peekskill HS, his college days at Duke, and right into the NBA in his rookie year with the Chicago Bulls. In a simple comparison of pure athletic ability, talent and sheer hard work - Coffey is right up there with the best of the best. Knowing that this was going to be her last season in high school proved to be a sentimental year for me in photographing the Kingston Lady Tigers, as she and other teammates like Charlise Castro and Ariana Parker would also be graduating this Spring. On the boy's side of the hardwood if you will, state champion Newburgh Free Academy was touted not only by our sports writers but by other publications as a potential repeat state champion. So what did they do in the first weeks of the season? They landed standout guard Devon McMillan (left) as a transfer student from Uniondale HS on Long Island - whom NFA had defeated in the state tournament last year en route to their title. That move alone had the whole state literally talking about Newburgh basketball all season. It was all going to be some year for photographing basketball, particularly the big marquee games. Couldn't forget about the big girl over at Minisink Valley HS. Stefanie Dolson (at right) earned a full ride to UCONN, she was named a first-team McDonald's All American, and she was itching for another opportunity to knock off Kingston and Rachel Coffey in the sectional playoffs prior to the state tournament. Coffey had also accepted a scholarship to Syracuse - so who knows, maybe these two young ladies from the area will continue their rivalry on NCAA courts in the Big East.

For the better part of the last two seasons, the names Castro, Kell, Coffey, Parker, and Longto up in Kingston along with Henderson, Bouton, Cousar, McLeod, Johnson and transfer student McMillan here close to home at Newburgh Free Academy have meant something to me. Making images like these reinforces why I continually work as hard as I do - particularly in fully strobing gyms and utilizing remote cameras for those added extra camera angles, especially at the big games during the playoff tournaments.


*With apologies to Alicia Keys and her "Empire State of Mind (Part II) - Here's an edited look at my take on both the Kingston girls and NFA boys seasons - including their sectional playoffs and state tournament games (boys) up in Glens Falls, NY. ~cg.

*(Use the arrow at the bottom left of the player or click the image to start the slide show. Enable full screen viewing by clicking the 4-way arrow icon above the captions button at lower right of the player. Pause the portfolio slideshow in the right column by clicking the "II" pause button. Remember to turn up your volume.)

"Bringing Your 'A' Game..." *Musings from late March / early April 2010.

*More on different
aspects of

my sports photography -

(particularly at the championship level...)

I've thought a lot lately about approaching the challenges of not only the daily grind, but stepping it up when necessary to make memorable or game telling sports images. Sports portraits also offer that opportunity to show the viewer an athlete's personality or character, if you will. It also gives me a few brief moments to connect with athletes on a more personal level, other than just photographing them during their games, practices, press conferences, etc. It's nice to have that interaction in a quiet enviornment with a subject I've been photographing - especially athletes on top of their games.

(above): Newburgh Free Academy guard Michael McLeod (#4) photographed in the school's gym in the City of Newburgh, NY on Tuesday, April 6, 2010. McLeod is the Times Herald-Record's 2010 Player of the Year. Times Herald Record/CHET GORDON

This mindset is a year-round exercise of preparation, creativity and logistics. It's usually the cause in itself for many sleepless nights, gnashing of teeth, and what has become a continual, yet albeit need for packing enough lighting gear, extra cameras, and supporting hardware like clamps, umbrellas, stands, radio transmitters, and extension cords to cover a championship game. Sometimes it's just a 15-minute portrait made in the school's gym; catering to the subject's schedule, as the top image illustrates earlier today. It's good when the pre-visualizing of the finished image in my mind's eye actually has a good chance of materializing. It's always a good feeling of relief when an athlete is pleased with the image(s) on the back of the camera. When all those elements come together in what can sometimes be a hurried session due to factors outside of my control, you can almost hear my heels clicking...

Kingston guard Rachel Coffey is the Times Herald-Record's 2010 Girls High School Player of the Year. She's seen photographed at the Rondout Neighborhood Center in Kingston, NY on Wednesday, March 31, 2010. Coffey will attend Syracuse University next Fall. Times Herald-Record/CHET GORDON
______________________________________________________

(Sports Photography con't.): "Fight Night in Poughkeepsie..." Last Saturday the challenge in assignments were (#1.) Army's Annual Spring Scrimmage Game and later that same evening, a full boxing card of 8 bouts in Poughkeepsie, NY in the horribly dark Mid-Hudson Civic Center. This image of the fighter's face being soaked by his trainer just works for me. It's not a moment you normally see in print from a boxing event and I remember intentionally jumping up on the ring to be outside of the ropes for what was probably no more than 30 seconds intervals between rounds, pushing myself to make a few feature-type images of what it's like in a fighter's corner.

Boxer Daniel Sostre of Highland, NY is treated by his trainer Tracey Patterson between rounds of his NY State Welterweight Championship fight against Jay Krupp of Catskill, NY at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY on Saturday, March 27, 2010. Times Herald-Record/CHET GORDON

In looking back at a lot of the sports imagery I've made in the past few weeks, you come to also realize again that it's not always the peak-action, last-second, buzzer-beater images that hold a viewer's attention and interest. Getting in close with a subject to reveal something intimate about their character, either in a controlled and lit portrait setting or in sort of a "behind the scenes look" in a feature moment of a single image or series of thought out story telling images, is just as rewarding to me as a photographer and critical viewer (and former photo-editor) as covering any other big event. A good image is a good image, and my efforts are continually showing the viewer that I worked a little harder in discovering some new truths or nuances about whatever my subject matter happens to be at any given time. Stay tuned... ~cg.

- 30 -

"I Gotta Get a Bigger Luggage Cart..." Back from Glens Falls, NY 22•March•10

Packing up my gear at 12:30AM including the Apple 12" PowerBook, (4) head DynaLite arena strobe kit, (4) digital cameras, lenses, remote mounting hardware, tools, heavy duty extension cords, and Pocket-Wizard kits after four NYSPHSAA Tournament games in the Glens Falls Civic Center on Saturday, March 20, 2010. Times Herald-Record/CHET GORDON

Yea that's it, a bigger cart. That'll do it. Kept reminding myself throughout the weekend up in Glens Falls, NY for the Boys HS State Championship Tournament - that I go through all this for high school basketball. Looking back at the last month or so of just basketball preparation and coverage, I've installed full arena strobes at two college gyms for the sectional playoffs here locally and then tackled the almost monstrous task of hauling in all the lighting gear to light up West Point's Christl Arena last weekend for the two HS State Quarterfinals games. It wasn't the first time I'd spent 12+ hours in a sports venue - nor will it be the last.

While mumbling (I guess you could call it) to myself up in Glens Falls about how working this hard felt like I was back covering NBA games earlier in my career, a younger photographer at courtside said it's only high school. To which I replied, "No it's about making the best images possible..." So I guess a sturdier cart will be on the shopping list for next season.

I will be embedding a slideshow of the weekend's work in a bit. Still moving file images and loading a slideshow to the paper's archive and website. Thanks for looking - stay tuned. ~cg.

*"It's Gotten Ugly Up Here..." 19 - 20•March•10

Jake Palmer (#33, left) of John A. Coleman Catholic walks off the court as Maple Grove players celebrate their NYSPHSAA Class D Finals Championship win at the Glens Falls Civic Center on Saturday, March 20, 2010. Maple Grove defeated Coleman 43 - 38. Times Herald-Record/CHET GORDON

Writing live from courtside along press row here at the Glens Falls Civic Center, in Glens Falls, NY (about an hour north of Albany, NY... So far three games in the can today and our schools are 'Oh-for-Three' in the State Tournament up here. One more game to go tonight in less than an hour, and the one I covered last night upon arriving up here. Lights, radios, tape, arena strobes, and more gizmos than I can recall right now. Some decent images I'm pretty happy with, albeit mostly dejection as favored Newburgh Free Academy and last year's state champions got their tails handed to them earlier today in the marquee game (below).

Newburgh head coach Frank Dinnocenzio (left) consoles his players (L-R): Mike McLeod (partially hidden), Devon McMIllan, and Patrick Johnson in the closing moments of their NYSPHSAA Class AA Semi-Finals game against CBA- Albany at the Glens Falls Civic Center on Saturday, March 20, 2010. CBA-Albany defeated Newburgh, the 2009 State Champion 60 - 41. Times Herald-Record/CHET GORDON

I've been in the arena since 9:30AM today, with the final game tonight at 9PM. I'll back here tomorrow to retrieve the arena strobes as I'm sure I'll be sitting here until nearly midnight editing and sending images from the final 9PM game. You can do the math I'm sure... Stay tuned, more to come for sure. ~cg.

En route to Glens Falls, NY (Again) for NY State HS Basketball Tournament. 18•March•10

Newburgh players (L-R, standing): Marcus Henderson, Patrick Johnson, Michael McLeod, Will Bouton, Damon Cousar, and Davon McMillan (squatting) on Prospect Avenue in the City of Newburgh, NY on Thursday, March 18, 2010. Newburgh is the defending Class AA state champion and will face CBA of Albany in the state semifinal game on Saturday in Glens Falls. Times Herald-Record/CHET GORDON

It's gonna be some weekend up in Glens Falls, NY. Off the top of my head - here's some of what's been keeping me up the last few nights: (4) - Arena strobes w/ appropriate clamps, tool bag, luggage cart, gaffers tape, about a dozen Pocket-Wizards, (4) - Canon camera bodies, (1) Nikon D-1X w/ 2 or 3 Nikon AF lenses (to use as a secondary remote body), 6 - Canon AF lenses, supporting gear such as digital camera battery charger, Mac PowerBook kit w/ spare battery, numerous CF cards, (6) - locking safety cables, about 200' of heavy duty extension cords, 30 - AA batteries, more gaffer's tape, black cine-foil, extra eyeglasses, and yet more gaffer's tape. Oh yea, a few packs of gum too.

Last year's Class AA State Champions, Newburgh Free Academy (NFA) plays on Saturday afternoon against CBA of Albany. We have three other teams from our coverage playing in the state tournament, so there is a possibility I may be shooting 6 or 7 games in the next three days. Stay tuned... ~cg.

"Snow...!!!" 28•Feb•10

More on the snowstorm of February 2010.

I can't write on just one specific day of snowstorm coverage this week, so this is sort of a recap of the last 3-4 days, if you will. Basically it hammered us. We have two deaths reported here in our ciculation area of Orange County, NY. I couldn't keep track of the days I was out there shoveling, shoveling again and then shoveling some more. 200,000 utility customers lost power during the week and I was one of them. Late Thursday night I lost power and was expected to be out and about making images early Friday morning. As difficult as it was to get going that cold morning - the bigger problem was finding a reliable wi-fi location so I could move images to the paper. Walking the neighborhood those first few hours on Friday was even a challenge, so making images close to home sort of became an adventure of sorts.
Once we realized that there was electrical power in a neighboring town, and specifically in a business / strip mall area, I headed to the local Panera Bread shop to utilize their wi-fi, have a good, hot lunch and meet with colleagues and friends who all had the same ideas. All in all, some 30" or more fell just in my area here in the eastern most part of Orange County, along the Hudson River. Friday's workday ended with a search for an open gas station, as well as a few supplies from the supermarket (which was powered by their own generator, and I remembered how odd it was to see this huge building all lit up in the snowstorm, while every other business establishment was dark on Friday night.)

There is really nothing nice about having to work out in the elements. Blowing winds, moisture, fallen trees, and treacherous driving conditions make even the simplest of days and getting around my coverage area a nightmare.

Here are a few more images from the week in no particular order: