"They're just 'Hammers & Nails', man..." (Part 2) 24•Jan.•12

Packing up the hardware for a junior college basketball game between two local rivals tonight:

Here's a few favorites from the night, which included working with four cameras (one as a remote installed in the bleachers & aimed down toward a basket), two Dyna-Lite Uni-Jr. strobes clamped high in the stands in either corner of the gym, and just as importantly - gaining permission to edit and transmit my first 5 images on deadline from a coaches office after the game. That alone saved a lot of time and stress before packing everything up and loading the car to head back to the office, only a few blocks away. (Ironically, this is the same college gym where I'd installed the backboard remote and made the image that appeared in Popular Photography Magazine and subsequently their how-to book, "TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT: Essential Tips & Tricks For Shooting Amazing Photos" I'd written about a few days ago as well... ~cg.

"They're just 'Hammers & Nails', man..." Jan. 2012

My gear used to cover Boys HS Varsity swimming between Monroe-Woodbury & Kingston High Schools at Monroe-Woodbury Middle School in Central Valley, NY on Tuesday, January 17, 2012. © www.chetgordon.com/blog

Now that covering the indoor sports seasons are finally in full swing for me again, here's a brief look at what I go through as far as camera & lens selection, lighting equipment, the whole bit. There are a few more big basketball games coming up (both HS & college) in the next few weeks, so now is as good a time as any to continue getting the bugs out of my equipment systems, and shake the rust off while actually working these games. Thanks for looking... ~cg.

Cameron Meyer of Kingston swims the 100 meter freestyle to finish second at 53.9 during their Boys varsity swim meet against Monroe-Woodbury at Monroe-Woodbury Middle School in Central Valley, NY on Tuesday, January 17, 2012. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Elijah Ghrael (#22) converts his second free throw to put NFA ahead by one point, 65 - 64 in the closing seconds of their game against Middletown in Newburgh, NY on Thursday, January 12, 2012. Ghrael had 15 points as NFA defeated Middletown 65 - 64. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

"No NBA...? No Problem." Basketball coverage has begun for the 2011 / 2012 season for me. Newburgh, NY 15•Nov.•11

The game ball rolls to a stop at court side after the Mount Saint Mary College - SUNY New Paltz women's basketball game in Newburgh, NY on Tuesday, November 15, 2011. Mount Saint Mary College defeated SUNY New Paltz 62 - 47. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

For those of you already missing your "Lebron and / or Kobe fix" on the NBA schedule this Fall, I am excited again to return to covering local high school and college games. For me that means utilizing multiple cameras, the usual gaggle of lenses, Pocket-Wizard radio transmitters & receivers, strobing arenas and gyms, remote camera set-ups, clamps, cords, batteries, gaffer's tape, heavy duty extension cords, chewing gum, rubberbands, gizmos, other doo-dads, and of course lugging all that gear to a location on a luggage cart. I sometimes feel like I'm heading out of town on an assignment, when actually I may only be working a few towns away at a big game, no matter the level of competition. After shaking off the rust and getting comfortable again working on the hardwood floor, here's a few images from Tuesday night's doubleheader season opener at nearby Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh. Stay tuned... ~cg.

"Another Winner..." NPPA 2nd. Place Sports for June 2011

Well, a second place ain't too bad in the National Press Photographer's Association Monthly News Clip Contest for June 2011. I wrote a bit about how I made this image back during the high school baseball playoffs in an earlier post here on the blog, and have re-posted it below (so you don't have to click on another annoying back-link to find it...). ~cg.


*This is why I like utilizing long glass for sports; no matter the event, venue or level of competition. Peak action, fast shutter speeds, relatively clean or out of focus backgrounds at wide apertures, nice light... (yea, I was 'sitting' on the shortstop and sort of guessed right when he dove for this line drive right toward me as I was 30' or so past first base up the right field line with my trusty 300mm and a 1.4 tele-extender welded on.) Just like we used to do down at the big ballparks in the Bronx and Flushing, NY... ~cg.

(3) - Livingston Manor shortstop Ken Fisk (#14) dives but can't make the play on a ball hit by Tim Steffens (#9) of Smithtown Christian during the fourth inning of their New York State Class D regional final at Pine Bush High School in Pine Bush, NY on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. Livingston Manor defeated Smithtown Christian 5 -3. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

In Praise of "Long Glass..." 22•Oct.•11

I am working on a new post highlighting my use of long telephoto lenses (or what's commonly labeled "super-telephotos" in the camera manufacturer's jargon). For photographing sports and an occasional news assignment with "Joe-subject" at a distant podium, while we're positioned on those annoying press risers - there's no substitute for me, as my main camera for game coverage is usually something "long" - either a 300mm, 400mm, and occasionally a 600mm. This image from a high school game yesterday was made on a 600mm. (Actually a 300mm f/2.8 auto-focus with a 2x tele-extender attached, but who's counting millimeter's anyway...?) Losing the two f/stops and shooting at f/5.6 or higher isn't a bad trade off for the gain in focal length to 600mm, especially under ideal conditions.
Stay tuned... ~cg.

"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.

"Going Yard..." Minor League Baseball. Wappingers Falls, NY. 2•Aug.•11

After returning from vacation Monday night, it was nice to be assigned again to cover our local Minor League team, The Hudson Valley Renegades last night. (Tuesday). The assignment called for only shooting images of a few key players, as we're only running a Sunday story. So it's a chance for me to sort of relax and enjoy the game for a few innings, and make a few feature type images as well. I like the opportunity to make these sort of "B - roll" images, even at the ballpark. Been doing it my whole career... ~cg.

*"More HS Playoff Baseball..." 7•June•11

This is why I like utilizing long glass for sports; no matter the event, venue or level of competition. Peak action, fast shutter speeds, relatively clean or out of focus backgrounds at wide apertures, nice light... (yea, I was 'sitting' on the shortstop and sort of guessed right when he dove for this line drive right toward me as I was 30' or so past first base up the right field line with my trusty 300mm and a 1.4 tele-extender welded on.) Just like we used to do down at the big ballparks in the Bronx and Flushing, NY... ~cg.

(3) - Livingston Manor shortstop Ken Fisk (#14) dives but can't make the play on a ball hit by Tim Steffens (#9) of Smithtown Christian during the fourth inning of their New York State Class D regional final at Pine Bush High School in Pine Bush, NY on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. Livingston Manor defeated Smithtown Christian 5 -3. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

"March Madness is (finally) Here...!" March 2011.

More like "Maddening..."

Newburgh players (L - R, in blue): Parish Canty (#15), Antonio Harper (#2) and Dominique Jacobs (#11) reach for a rebound with Mount Vernon defenders Givvion Jones (#22) and Jabarie Hinds (#55) during their Class AA Regional Semi-Finals game at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. Mount Vernon defeated NFA 72 - 49. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

*My take of just this past week's work from seven games at various college gyms and the Westchester County Center down in White Plains, NY. Stay tuned. ~cg.

*More "Juice..." (Sports Photography) 1•July•2010

Poughkeepsie, NY. One of yesterday's assignments called for coverage of a few local boxers training for a night of boxing next weekend. This was sort a media event in one of their training facilities, at a local college across the river. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a boxing ring in this converted dance studio, (complete with a mirrored wall), so I had to immediately make do with what props and the location at hand. These fighters do train in a nearby boxing club here in my hometown, and I'm hoping to do a secondary shoot with a few of the fighters, including the local name fighter Luis DelValle (left). DelValle is a former NY and national Golden Gloves champion, now 9 - 0 (7 KO's as a pro), and I'd photographed him back in March during a full boxing card where he KO'd his opponent in the first minute of that fight. An amazingly fast featherweight, articulate, and just as important for me - he completely understood how to "look like a fighter", even sparring hard (at right) for a few minutes to get sweaty for the portraits, and was very patient with me in making the few portraits I needed. (My portable one-strobe & umbrella set-up is below). It was good to speak to him on a personal level for a few moments to learn about his background, growing up in Puerto Rico, training schedule, and for him to realize that I was genuinely showing an interest in him as a young athlete. I remember he kept telling me during the few poses we tried, "You're the boss..." To hear that from a young 23 year-old athlete, who's fought all over the world and just as easily could've been a prima dona, made it all pretty easy for me, considering I was perspiring quite a bit too in the stuffy second floor training room. I am looking forward to spending more time with him and other fighters out of the Newburgh Boxing Club nearby, and drawing the assignment next weekend. The sportswriter and I are already banging ideas around about possibly gaining access to the dressing rooms before their fights. Now that'd certainly make a heckuva audio slideshow. Stay tuned. ~cg.