Owens men snap, crackle and pop Kellogg Community College

 

Kellogg forward Darius Holman passes the ball down the court as he is guarded by Owens Justin Edmonds(left) and Tony Boykins.

Fans relax in the stands during a time out.

   Owens forward James Kelly quickly broke away from the pack and charged down the court to score the first basket of the night just seconds after the tipoff.
       Owens men, directed by Coach Clarke, took lead early on and at halftime Owens dominated over Kellogg with a 20 point lead. By the time the dust settled Owens had handed Kellogg a loss. The final score Owens 88, Kellogg 69.
        As fans of basketball know, it is an extremely fast-paced game. Looking back, I wonder if I was too overconfident. When given the instructions for shooting sports, it seemed like an easy task. However, as the night progressed I was reminded that nothing in photojournalism is as easy as it first seems.
       Some difficulties I encountered that night were:

•  keeping track of which player had control of the ball;
• knowing when to take my focus off the court to capture the reactions of the coach or the fans;
• and choosing which moments to capture and which to let go.

       I also look forward to strengthening the skill of panning, as well as capturing that defining moment.  
       At the end of the game I noticed one of visiting players lost in thought, in almost disbelief at the final score. I took the photo but I felt as if I was invading a personal moment which was not for the world to see.

       While this is my first adventure in the world of sports photography, it has sparked a new interest and challenge for me.

Owens' Markese Allen and Kellogg's Nathan Taylor scramble to gain control of a wild ball.

Head Coach Dave Clarke reminds the team to stay focused