FEBRUARY 23, 2008 - Houston Dynamo’s Chris Wondolowski and Gamba Osaka’s Tomokazu Myojin battle for control of the ball in the second half of the championship game of Pan Pacific Championship soccer at Aloha Stadium. Exposure details: Canon EOS 1-D Mark II, EF 400mm f2.8, Manual, 1/640 sec at f/2.8, ISO 1600, Fluorescent white balance

The Pan Pacific Soccer championship went down the other night at Aloha Stadium. I’d never shot “pro” soccer, so I was looking forward to seeing what it was all about.

I arrived at the stadium and picked up my credentials by the ticket windows. There was a photo transmission room where we could set up our stuff and hang out before the game.

I was handed a bib and a list of photo guidelines we were to follow while shooting the games. The main thing was that we were not allowed to switch sides during play. We would have to choose which goal we wanted to shoot from and stay there the whole half.

Of course, the big deals were Beckham and Ching, so I needed to be behind the goal they were shooting at.

Photogs (in delightful “MEDIA” bibs) are taken to mid-field for the coin toss.

About ten minutes before the start of the game, we were all herded to center field where we could get photos of the teams.

Nothing I really needed, but I did need to be there for the coin toss after which it would be revealed which side we needed to shoot from. After we found out, we had to run to the end of the field to get into position behind the metal ad boards which ringed the pitch.

Play was fast. It took me a while to get acclimated to how fast they ran and how far they kicked. And they played hard. Lots of pushing and shoving. It was great fun to shoot.

FEBRUARY 23, 2008 - LA Galaxy’s Bryan Jordan and Sydney FC’s Tony Popovic tangle in the second half of the third place game. Exposure details: Canon EOS 1-D Mark II, EF 400mm f2.8, Manual, 1/640 sec at f/2.8, ISO 1600, Fluorescent white balance

Watching Beckham was fun. Everytime he got anywhere near the ball the crowd would go nuts. He’d do a short pass and people would go bananas. When he’d take a corner kick, people would flock with cameras and cell phones, or just stand there and gawk.

FEBRUARY 23, 2008 - LA Galaxy’s David Beckham takes a corner kick in the second half. Exposure details: Canon EOS 20D , EF-S 70-200mm f2.8 (at 70mm), Manual, 1/500 sec, ISO 1600, Fluorescent white balance

There quite a few photographers attending. And a lot of long lenses. We were all packed in behind the ad boards, with not a lot of room between us. I chose to shoot from near the corner thinking I could get a clearer shot of anything happening in front of the goal. But every so often when everyone switched to their 70-200mm lenses (throwing the big lenses over their shoulders) I’d get a nice out-of-focus lens hood in my frame.

Shot on goal somewhere behind someone’s lens hood.

When the first game was over, the photogs were trapped in our area until all the players left the field. This threw a small monkeywrench into my photo filing scheme, since I knew I had to be back out in time to do the midfield coin toss thing so I could be on the right side to shoot Brian Ching. But I still had to edit and transmit from the first game. I had about 20 minutes. Fun.

Beckham wandered around on the field, and eventually went over and handed his jersey to some kid in the stands (The shot conveniently blocked by TV). I shot some photos of him as walked off the field.

Gratuitous shirtless Beckham shot.

I made it out in time for the second game coin toss, and got down to business of trying to get stuff of Ching.

FEBRUARY 23, 2008 - Houston Dynamo’s Brian Ching dribbles past Gamba Osaka’s Mineiro in the first half of championship game. Exposure details: Canon EOS 1-D Mark II, EF 400mm f2.8, Manual, 1/640 sec at f/2.8, ISO 1600, Fluorescent white balance

Soccer always has good jubilation. I always think of watching it on TV when the announcer yells “GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!” and the player runs around like a chicken without its head.

I was glad when Gamba Osaka’s leading scorer went wild after a goal.

FEBRUARY 23, 2008 - Gamba Osaka’s Bare celebrates after scoring his second goal against Houston Dynamo in the first half. Exposure details: Canon EOS 1-D Mark II, EF 400mm f2.8, Manual, 1/640 sec at f/2.8, ISO 1600, Fluorescent white balance

It was a fun night. Hopefully we’ll get more pro soccer here in Hawaii.

FEBRUARY 09, 2008 - Mid-Pacific’s Marc Obando celebrates after scoring against Kapa’a’s goalkeeper Parker Blaylock in overtime (penalty kicks) to win the DII HHSAA Championship at Waipio Soccer park. Exposure details: Canon EOS 1-D Mark II, EF 400mm f2.8, Manual, 1/500 sec at f/2.8, ISO 3200, Fluorescent white balance

I’ve been shooting the state high school soccer championships the last few weekends out at Waipio soccer park. Soccer’s a fun sport to shoot, since there’s almost always action going on.

But it’s also a sport in which little, if any, scoring can happen.

This was the case for the boys’ games Saturday night.

If the score is tied at the end of regulation, there’s a 10-minute overtime round. Then, if the score is still tied, there’s a second 10-minute round, with the first score winning outright. Then, if it’s still tied, it comes down to a penalty kick round of five kickers from each team taking turns shooting on a goal keeper. It’s all the marbles at this point. The team with the most goals takes the win.

When it became obvious that this game was going to be decided with penalty kicks, I decided I wanted a photo that would tell the whole story in one frame. I wanted both kicker and goal keeper in the same frame, so I went to the opposite end of the field, and was able to get both in.

Most of the pictures were simply kicker with flying goal keeper. Good enough, but I was hoping for a little more drama.

It came on the last kick with so much emotion from both players. Classic thrill of victory/agony of defeat.

November 04, 2007 - Hawaii’s Julia Siljestrom stands in heavy rain during a soccer game against Idaho in the second half just before the game was called at Waipio Soccer Stadium. Exposure details: Canon EOS 1-D Mark II, EF 400mm f2.8, Aperture priority, 1/2000 sec at f/2.8, ISO 3200, Fluorescent white balance

I had a bad feeling about the weather at yesterday’s soccer game in Waipio.

For the most part, the day was relatively dry, but as I headed out to the stadium, the skies started looking angry. I had my rain gear at the ready.

For years, rain gear for me meant the Deluxe Garbage Bag rain cover for the lens and some flimsy jacket for me. I’d recently upgraded to the El-Swanko pant leg cut from a pair of pants from a rain suit, and the jacket top for me.

There were some preliminary tests done at Aloha Stadium during UH football, and the rig worked well.

Turns out last night would be the true test of its mettle.

The pant leg fits snugly over the lens and there’s enough to cover the camera, too. Good protection for cheap. My kind of deal.

As I walked on the field, the skies were dry, but they soon opened up and I got a good soaking. But the gear (and the top half of me) stayed dry. Good deal.

Just before the end of the first half I went up to the press box to edit and send some photos from an assignment I had right before the game.

While up there, it really started to rain. Cats, dogs…. horses…. elephants….

It was crazy. “Glad I’m not out there,” I thought.

The rains slowed a little, then got harder. And harder.

“Hey, they might call the game!” someone in the press box mentioned.

At this I gathered my gear and headed towards the door.

“You’re going out there?” someone asked.

“I got to. This is crazy!” I said, and headed into the wall of water.

When I got to the field, the rain was off the hook. My glasses were drenched and fogging (I longed for little windshield wipers) and the viewfinder on my camera was filled with water. The players on the field were doing what they could, and I was aiming my camera at what movement I could see. I had no clue if anything was in focus.

Then I saw a lone figure in the rain. It had a moody look, and would make a good summary of the deluge. So I aimed in that direction, and hoped what I was shooting was in focus.

Then the game was called, and I ran back upstairs to start sifting through the murky photos.

Turns out things were as in focus as could be, and I had a picture.

****

And with that, I head off on vacation for a while. Wish me luck at the Vega$ craps tables…