JACOB DANEK
PHOTOGRAPHY
SPORTS
Sports photography can be a challenge. One second you can capture to right moment, but a split second later the moment is gone. When you do capture the right moment, the results are amazing. Some pictures even take your breath away. Being an athletic person, being able to share the victories, losses, and hard fought tied games with my schools' teams is something I will defintely miss after I graduate. On Friday nights I'm usually on the sidelines of various games. That's where I belong, because photography, especially sports photography, gives me the chance to be a part of something much bigger than myself.
The Joy: I had a feeling that night. The energy in our arch rivals gym was tangible. The Lady Wolfpack volleyball team was feeling the heat. But in the end, during the final match, they pulled it off. After one crushing spike from a four year senior, we had won the distict finals. I jumped up, camera in my hands, hoping to get a shot of the teams joyous celebration. This shot captured that joy, the joy of hard work paying off. It was entered in last years MIPA competition, where it won second place for newspaper action photo. This picture was featured in the February issue of The Informer.
The Roar: Sometimes its a scream of victory, in this case, the deafening roar was after a game winning point. A back and forth battle of rival teams left both teams longing for victory. I know I had to be on the opposite side of the gym to capture the team's reaction. During a volleyball game it is very difficult to move to different sides of the gym due to the fast paced tempo and constant having to protect your camera against speeding volleyballs. For this shot I literally ran to the other side of the gym, a run well worth it, as I indeed captured the roar. This photo will be featured in the 2015-2016 Looking Glass Yearbook
REACH: My absolute favorite thing to capture in sports photography is the battle: the battle between two teams, striving to end the game with a win. I chose this picture because it shows the battle. The players are using every ounce of strength to reach up and get the rebound. However, this photo was taken in the Laingsburg High School gym, which is infamous for its "yellow" hue. Some days your pictures will turn out and other days you can't use a single one. I had to play with the camera settings to make sure this picture turned out. This photo was featured in the 2014-2015 Looking Glass yearbook
Absolute Silence: I've noticed silence many times while taking pictures at sporting events. Every so often, the game is so intense and the stakes are so high, that the only thing you can do is breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out. This quiet poses a problem; you don't want to break it with the mechanical clicking of a SLR camera. This picture was taken during the state quarter finals basketbal game at the Breslin Center. The photo is entered in the 2015-2016 Newspaper MIPA awards for sports action picture and cover design. It was also featured in the March issue of The Informer
Home Court Advantage: Whether I am playing a sport or taking pictures, being at your own school doesn't compare to anything else. You have a sense of pride and an increased determination to win at home. This picture wasn't taken at a high stakes game, it was just a regular season game, but Laingsburg's team had more energy than usual. Great energy makes for great pictures and this photo is a prime example of that. I was sitting under the hoop for this shot, hoping not to get hit with a flying basketball or player. I had already dodged a ball earlier in the game, and my camera wasn't focusing well. I like this picture because it showcases the energy that night and the sense of home court pride. The Wolfpack paw reflecting on the court floor adds to the comfortable, happy feeling of being at home. This photo was featured in the March 2015 issue of the Informer.
Speed Demon: Sometimes it takes a little bit of creativity to get the right shot. This is a prime example of this. I wanted to get a head on shot of one of Laingsburg's runners. Since I couldn't actually stand on the track, I had to literally sit on top of a metal fence (not very comfortable believe me) and reach over in order to get a head on shot. The results were amazing, almost as if I was indeed standing on the track. That's another thing I love about photography, being able to experiment and try new things. This picture was featured in the 2014-2015 Looking Glass yearbook.
It's a Waiting Game: Sometimes sports can be a waiting game. The other team drags the play out until the whole gym is silent. During a volleyball game last fall, the waiting game was evident. The score was tied and everyone in the gym could feel the teams' nervousness. I love this picture because it shows the team captain, looking anxiously across the floor, waiting for the opposing team to send a speeding volleyball over the net. I also love this picture because it seems like this player is in her own world, so focused that everything elseat that moment didn't matter. This picture will be featured in the 2015-2016 Looking Glass yearbook.
Crunch Time: Every so often time is your enemy. It seems like in sports, this is always the case. There's always a game where every shot is off, where your team's passes are sloppy, and you simply do not have enough time to recover. This photo was from a girls basketball game last year at the Breslin Center. There were only a few minutes left on the clock and our team just couldn't catch a break. I like this picture so much because it shows the stress of the situation. The girl in the picture was trying desperately to take a good shot, to make a good play, anything that would change the game for the better. The crowd in the background, along with the other players on the bench provide a dramatic backdrop. You can feel the tension. This photo was featured in The Meridian Weekly, a local newspaper in the Laingsburg area.
Rebound Rivals: Being under the hoop taking pictures is such an amazing experience. This shot was taken during an intense rivalry game. Both players were battling for a rebound. The look on their faces shows the apprehension. I did have a little trouble getting this shot as the refs were getting weary that I was directly under the net. Right after this shot was taken they told me I had to move (but at least I was able to get this great shot). This picture will be featured in the 2015- 2016 Looking Glass yearbook.
The Final Stretch: Track is an intense sport. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Just take a second and watch a relay race. Watch the runners' facial expressions, the looks of pure desperation as they duke it out to take the lead and finish the race. This picture captures this drive and desperate struggle to reach the finish line first. However, since I am a track runner as well, I had to run from my event in order to take pictures of this relay. Running with a camera isn't exactly a good thing to do, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices to get the right shot. This photo was featured in the 2014-2015 Looking Glass yearbook.