Week Seven - My Hometown

For the My Hometown assignment I chose to highlight Albany, Oregon. I have lived in this town for nearly twenty years raising two kids with my husband. I have worked in Albany and participated in many community service activities and organizations.

Mayor Sharon Konopa was re-elected during the 2016 election

to serve her 5th consecutive term as Albany Mayor. Her position on

the City Council nets her $165 per month.

The Linn County Courthhouse was built in 1940 and was the third

Courthouse for Linn County. The Courthouse serves

as the work place of Oregon's 23rd Judicial District.

The Linn County Sheriff's Mounted Police joined the annual Veterans Day

Parade held in Albany, Oregon on November 11th, 2016. This year marked

the 65th year that the parade has taken place and it is the largest

Veterans Day Parade this side of the Mississippi River.

Topic One - Shooting Sports
There were two tips that stood out to me in this week's assigned reading. The first tip of the photographer checking with the team's statistician before the game and the second tip was taking the picture during peak action.

Checking with the team's statistician was an idea I had never thought about but that makes perfect sense. Teams track every movement during each game and they will typically know when a record is set to be broken or when a player is at their peak overall. By reviewing these stats ahead of time a photographer can be better prepared to capture moments in that particular game. Knowing where to position yourself in relation to key players can help the photographer get the shot they wanted and be close to the action.

The second tip of taking a photo during peak action is also something that I had never really considered before I read this chapter. For most sports as a player reaches the top of the jump they stop for just a moment before gravity takes over and brings them back to the ground. It is during that brief moment that you can obtain a great shot with very little movement. During these moments the camera can be set at a lower shutter speed but the photographer will still get a really sharp picture. This concept works great for track players jumping hurdles, basketball players making a jump shot or a volleyball player making a kill shot at the net. During all of these moments the player jumps as high as possible, stops for a brief moment and then falls back to the ground.

For my own assignments I can use these techniques to obtain even better sports photos. Before the game I am capturing I will be arriving early and talking to a team's statistician/coach so that I can glean key details to the upcoming game. By using this information I will be able to know who the key players are and where to position myself so that I can truly be at the right place at the right time. In regards to taking photos during peak action that will just take practice on my part. I am going to work hard at not working at taking a ton of photos but slowing down and taking really thoughtful and thought out sports photos. By focusing on peak action I can slow my shutter speed down and try and catch those special moments that the audience often misses.

Topic Two - Actions/Sports Photo
For my sports photo assignment I have contacted a local volleyball coach, Dave Keller, and am hoping to work with him to take photos during volleyball practice this week. His training facility is located in Corvallis and my plan is to take photos during one of his many practice sessions with the girls playing volleyball.

For my overall shot I am planning on getting a shot that includes the net with players on both sides scrambling during a practice game. For the medium shot I wanted to get a shot of Dave working with a player specifically working on a skill. Lastly, for the close up shot I am going to attempt to get a peak action shot of a player at the net making a kill shot.