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Capturing Excellence: Community photographers bring emotion to HT pages
Friday, November 14, 2008 11:08 AM EST
GAYLORD —
It is 30 years ago and you are sitting at the sports desk of the Herald Times. There’s a big game coming up and you want some photos to go with it.
You grab your camera and film and head down to the field to snap some photos, hoping you’ve gotten one that is print worthy. When you get back and into the darkroom you unwind the roll of film carefully and place it into a cannister, hoping you mix of developer and fixer is the right temperature so you don’t ruin the film. From there it is making a print with the right exposure, again developing the film paper, and finally a print. To see that photo in the newspaper, however, the process must be completed again - this time using a composing camera that takes a photo of the whole page as the first step of the eventual printing process.
Fast forward to current times, where with a good eye and a point and a click digital camera, good photographs can be taken. For a newspaper such as ours, this technology has given us an increase in creative, engaging photos that can come from a number of sources.
The HT sports pages are blessed with a faithful army of community photographers who as parents, fans and action-seekers, consistently click engaging photos of the local athletic scene. These people are provide the lifeblood of our pages. Who is better to serve the community, then community members themselves?
It is 30 years ago and you are sitting at the sports desk of the Herald Times. There’s a big game coming up and you want some photos to go with it.
You grab your camera and film and head down to the field to snap some photos, hoping you’ve gotten one that is print worthy. When you get back and into the darkroom you unwind the roll of film carefully and place it into a cannister, hoping you mix of developer and fixer is the right temperature so you don’t ruin the film. From there it is making a print with the right exposure, again developing the film paper, and finally a print. To see that photo in the newspaper, however, the process must be completed again - this time using a composing camera that takes a photo of the whole page as the first step of the eventual printing process.
Fast forward to current times, where with a good eye and a point and a click digital camera, good photographs can be taken. For a newspaper such as ours, this technology has given us an increase in creative, engaging photos that can come from a number of sources.
The HT sports pages are blessed with a faithful army of community photographers who as parents, fans and action-seekers, consistently click engaging photos of the local athletic scene. These people are provide the lifeblood of our pages. Who is better to serve the community, then community members themselves?
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The following are bios of the faces behind the cameras. They are different people, covering different teams and events. But one constant is their love of photography and ability to snap strong photos.
Would you like to submit sports photos to the Herald Times? Contact sports editor Jeremy Speer at jeremy@gaylordheraldtimes.com.
Would you like to submit sports photos to the Herald Times? Contact sports editor Jeremy Speer at jeremy@
gaylordheraldtimes.com.
Rob DeForge
Q: How long have you been involved with photography and why did you get started?
A: “I started three years ago. In taking photos of my own sons with a small camera, I thought I could capture other kids for parents that did not have the skills to take good photographs. Another reason was what could I do to leave something behind for others to enjoy when I am no longer here. Somewhere down the road, some of these current athletes will be coaching and watching their kids play the same sports, and can show them photos of when Mom and Dad played.”
Q: How much fun have you had taking pictures at games?
A: I enjoy high school/youth sports. During the playoffs, that back-and-forth between two cities/towns is exciting. There is so much emotion involved, and it it great to shoot the photograph that captures that raw emotion, or great play. At this level it is not about the money, it is about your teammates, your town, and your sportsmanship, which is refreshing than what we see at the higher level of sports. It is sports in it’s perfect sense.
Q: Is there a favorite moment or game that you were able to capture?
A: “Wow.......so many over the last three years. The one that stands out was a Traverse City St. Francis Quarterfinal game against Neguanee about two years ago up in Cheboygan in a packed gym. The game went back and forth, and ended with a TCSF player at the free throw line, with no time on the clock, and sinking a free throw to win the game. To stand at the line, with a whole gym silent, hanging on your free throw to go to the semifinals was just awesome.
Q: Do you have a favorite photo you’ve taken?
A: “So many to choose from. One of my favorites was from the 8th grade Superbowl game between the Joburg Oilers and the Mio Dolphins in 2006.
The Joburg running back at the last minute, choose to jump over his tackler, and I caught him with my camera at the peak height above the tackler who was grasping his hands together to make the tackle, but the Oiler running back was high in the air over him. To this day, it is the only photo I have posted above my computer where I do all of my photo work.
Q: What kind of camera do you use?
A: “I use a Canon 40D, which I just purchased to replace the 20D I started out with. My main lens is a Canon 70-200Lmm with a 2.8 aperture. The lens is the workhorse of my equipment.
Sarah Freeman
Q: How long have you been involved with photography and why did you get started?
A: “I have been involved in photography for about 6 years. It all started because I was too nervous to sit and watch my kids play sports, so with camera in tow I was able to watch and calm my nerves. I love photography! My husband bought me a used Fuji camera from a photographer in town and gradually I have updated to what I have now. I find my favorite sport to be the one I am photographing, but the most challenging sport is football, so I have a tendency to like the challenge it presents.”
Q: Is there a favorite moment or game that you were able to capture?
A: “My favorite moment caught on film was the catch that Zach Stevens made. It was Nick’s freshmen year and Zach had been out do to an injury. The whole team was so excited that he was going to have a pass thrown at him during the football game that they had me get posed with my camera.That photo was the highlight photo for the paper that week. In life you never know when a special moment that you catch on film will become a lasting memory. Soon after that game Zach died in a car accident. The memory of those photos will never be forgotten as Zach won’t. I got more than just action shots of Zach that day, I also got close ups of him that have hung in the locker room this season, been in the football program and sat on my laptop for the last four years. The memories they represent or good ones. Ones of a kind kid/ little but competitive/always smiling and loved by his teammates.”
Q: What it is like being so close to your children’s action?
A: “I love teenagers and the excitement they have when they know you got a highlight action of them on film. Once, not naming names, I had a football player make a touchdown by doing a somersault into the end zone, as he came off the field he looked at me and said, ‘I did that for you to get on film, I hope you got it’. It was a moment to remember!
In my 6 years of filming I have only opened my mouth to ‘coach’ once, which I am so proud of! Sometimes it is hard to remain silent when emotions build on the sidelines. I have found that Nicholas will look for me at various moments of the game. Not only at the good ones, but also at the frustrating ones. I just look at him and smile, and occationally give I him words of encouragement or praise.”
Q: What kind of camera do you use?
A: “My camera is a Canon 5D. I use a canon 70-200/2.8 lenses. It also has image stabilization which really helps.”
Rob Westerman
Q: How long have you been involved with photography and why did you get started?
A: “A college roommate got me interested in photography and we began taking pictures of college sporting and other events for the annual yearbook. I also was fortunate at that time to attend the 1972 Olympics in Munich, where my interest in taking sports photos really skyrocketed.”
Q: How much fun have you had taking pictures at games?
A: “I really enjoy taking pictures that create a story about the game or some important part of the game. It is always gratifying (and often, just plain lucky!) to have the camera pointing at the right place at the right time when those moments present themselves. The technical aspects of coordinating subjects, speed, light and focus into taking a good photo is also a tremendous challenge, but great fun.
Q: “Is there a favorite moment or game that you were able to capture?
A: “It is hard to select just one. But, I was able to catch the final celebration and utter jubilation on the faces of the St. Mary boys basketball team when the horn sounded and they realized they had just beaten Bark River-Harris and were going to the Breslin Center final four in 2001. That was a special moment. I also love a picture I took of St. Mary’s Ryan Slezak and my son, Rob standing together on the baseball field in Onaway during a time out, with the American flag hanging in the background.
Q: Because you have kids playing, does it make it easier or harder to be occupied taking photos?
A: “Actually having kids on the team makes it easier because I tend to know all of the players, plays, and overall situations going on and can anticipate where I might find the right photo. Also, it makes my wife happy because she knows I will behave on the sidelines while taking pictures and not embarrass myself by screaming my head off during the competition!
Q. What kind of camera do you use?
A: “I currently use a Nikon D70s which I bought three years ago.”
Tad DeLuca
Q: How long have you been involved with photography and why did you get started?
A: “I always had some sort of camera going back 40 years or so. Taking pictures is something I just always did. I got my first 35 mm camera for Christmas in 1974. My guess is that I shot over 2000 rolls of film before going completely digital in 2005.”
Q: How much fun have you had taking pictures at games?
A: “It would be very difficult for me to sit at the games or the meets and just watch the action. I like to be doing something. To me the fun is trying to get pictures of kids I know and have their faces be sharp, clear, showing concentration, and all the while having the picture show some action with the ball, baton, shot put, etc. Getting all four of those into a single picture is the hard part, but it is also the fun part. Downloading all of the pictures onto the computer and looking at them after the game is both exciting and disappointing.
Q: Is there a favorite moment or game that you were able to capture?
A: “There are many pictures of JL athletes that I have taken and I like, but one particular set of pictures stands out the most. At a track meet 2 years ago a dad from Hale had forgotten his camera and asked me if I would take a picture of his son running the hurdles and email it to him. I took several pictures of his son and they were very good. His son was a good athlete and you could tell he worked hard and was extremely focused. I took pictures of the kid at various meets and at 2 state track meets and many of the pictures were very good. His track uniform’s color, the kid’s coloring, the look on his face and the hurdles made for some very dramatic pictures. His mother had a 3D bronze engraving made of one of my pictures and it hangs in his house along with the many track medals he won over the years.
Q: Because you have kids playing, does it make it easier or harder to be occupied taking photos?
A: “Taking pictures probably makes it easier — to just sit and watch would drive me crazy...taking pictures allows me to be both busy and removed from the ups and downs of my daughters’ teams and games.
Q: What kind of camera do you use?
A: “I have a Canon 20D and I use a 75-300 mm zoom lens for most of the sporting events I am at. Luckily, the 20D allows me to shoot in low lighting conditions at an ISO of 3200 otherwise it would be really hard to get gym shots or football games under the lights just before the sun disappears.
Diana Deerfield
Q: How long have you been involved with photography and why did you get started?
A: “ I have always been known as the mom with a camera in her hands, however I became serious about photography about four years ago. I have always considered it important to capture memories and special moments through pictures. My husband bought me a high quality camera for Christmas four years ago and it became my passion. Once I received the camera I did research online, asked questions of other photographers and learned a lot through trial and error.
Q: How much fun have you had taking pictures at games?
A: “I have thoroughly enjoyed taking photographs. I receive the most satisfaction when a parent or athlete shares with me how much they enjoyed a particular photo I took. The photo may have captured a special event in their life that will live on in their memory through the photo. Parents that may not be able to be at an event have really shared their appreciation at having photos of their children so they can share a particular event or moment with them. Our children’s lives go by so fast and it is great to have pictures to capture and remember sports and special events.
Q: Is there a favorite moment or game that you were able to capture?
A: “I am not sure I have one specific photo that is my favorite, it is more a memory or moment I may have captured. My favorite part of taking photos is not necessarily the action shot, I really enjoy capturing the emotion and determination in an athletes face. Some of my favorite photos were the ones that caught the emotion and joy of the moment, such as when the girls varsity basketball team won their first conference game against Cadillac last year. There were also some great photos capturing the come from behind wins against T.C. Central and Boyne City last year. Some of my other favorites are of the track season and catching the emotion and determination in the face of an athlete or relay team breaking a school record or accomplishing a personal goal. Athletes put so much into the sports they love and it can truly be captured in a photo seeing that determination and effort in their face.
Q: Because you have kids playiing, does it make it easier or harder to be occupied taking photos?
A: “I am a very active person and I get nervous when my kids are in sporting events so taking photos gives me a place to focus my nervous energy. I can focus my nervous energy and capture the event in photos for the athletes which serves a dual purpose. I am excited that my daughter will have photos to remember the relationships and opportunities gained through sports. I am equally pleased that I can do that for other athletes with pictures I may have taken.”
Q: What kind of camera do you use?
A: “I use a Canon EOS 30D camera. I enjoy the digital camera and the flexibility it allows in immediately deleting pictures that are not of the quality you want and the ability to download and edit your own photos. I really enjoy the editing process it allows so much creative freedom. I have invested in about four Canon lenses and I choose my lense depending on the lighting and event I am photographing.”
Would you like to submit sports photos to the Herald Times? Contact sports editor Jeremy Speer at jeremy@gaylordheraldtimes.com.
Would you like to submit sports photos to the Herald Times? Contact sports editor Jeremy Speer at jeremy@
gaylordheraldtimes.com.
Rob DeForge
Q: How long have you been involved with photography and why did you get started?
A: “I started three years ago. In taking photos of my own sons with a small camera, I thought I could capture other kids for parents that did not have the skills to take good photographs. Another reason was what could I do to leave something behind for others to enjoy when I am no longer here. Somewhere down the road, some of these current athletes will be coaching and watching their kids play the same sports, and can show them photos of when Mom and Dad played.”
Q: How much fun have you had taking pictures at games?
A: I enjoy high school/youth sports. During the playoffs, that back-and-forth between two cities/towns is exciting. There is so much emotion involved, and it it great to shoot the photograph that captures that raw emotion, or great play. At this level it is not about the money, it is about your teammates, your town, and your sportsmanship, which is refreshing than what we see at the higher level of sports. It is sports in it’s perfect sense.
Q: Is there a favorite moment or game that you were able to capture?
A: “Wow.......so many over the last three years. The one that stands out was a Traverse City St. Francis Quarterfinal game against Neguanee about two years ago up in Cheboygan in a packed gym. The game went back and forth, and ended with a TCSF player at the free throw line, with no time on the clock, and sinking a free throw to win the game. To stand at the line, with a whole gym silent, hanging on your free throw to go to the semifinals was just awesome.
Q: Do you have a favorite photo you’ve taken?
A: “So many to choose from. One of my favorites was from the 8th grade Superbowl game between the Joburg Oilers and the Mio Dolphins in 2006.
The Joburg running back at the last minute, choose to jump over his tackler, and I caught him with my camera at the peak height above the tackler who was grasping his hands together to make the tackle, but the Oiler running back was high in the air over him. To this day, it is the only photo I have posted above my computer where I do all of my photo work.
Q: What kind of camera do you use?
A: “I use a Canon 40D, which I just purchased to replace the 20D I started out with. My main lens is a Canon 70-200Lmm with a 2.8 aperture. The lens is the workhorse of my equipment.
Sarah Freeman
Q: How long have you been involved with photography and why did you get started?
A: “I have been involved in photography for about 6 years. It all started because I was too nervous to sit and watch my kids play sports, so with camera in tow I was able to watch and calm my nerves. I love photography! My husband bought me a used Fuji camera from a photographer in town and gradually I have updated to what I have now. I find my favorite sport to be the one I am photographing, but the most challenging sport is football, so I have a tendency to like the challenge it presents.”
Q: Is there a favorite moment or game that you were able to capture?
A: “My favorite moment caught on film was the catch that Zach Stevens made. It was Nick’s freshmen year and Zach had been out do to an injury. The whole team was so excited that he was going to have a pass thrown at him during the football game that they had me get posed with my camera.That photo was the highlight photo for the paper that week. In life you never know when a special moment that you catch on film will become a lasting memory. Soon after that game Zach died in a car accident. The memory of those photos will never be forgotten as Zach won’t. I got more than just action shots of Zach that day, I also got close ups of him that have hung in the locker room this season, been in the football program and sat on my laptop for the last four years. The memories they represent or good ones. Ones of a kind kid/ little but competitive/always smiling and loved by his teammates.”
Q: What it is like being so close to your children’s action?
A: “I love teenagers and the excitement they have when they know you got a highlight action of them on film. Once, not naming names, I had a football player make a touchdown by doing a somersault into the end zone, as he came off the field he looked at me and said, ‘I did that for you to get on film, I hope you got it’. It was a moment to remember!
In my 6 years of filming I have only opened my mouth to ‘coach’ once, which I am so proud of! Sometimes it is hard to remain silent when emotions build on the sidelines. I have found that Nicholas will look for me at various moments of the game. Not only at the good ones, but also at the frustrating ones. I just look at him and smile, and occationally give I him words of encouragement or praise.”
Q: What kind of camera do you use?
A: “My camera is a Canon 5D. I use a canon 70-200/2.8 lenses. It also has image stabilization which really helps.”
Rob Westerman
Q: How long have you been involved with photography and why did you get started?
A: “A college roommate got me interested in photography and we began taking pictures of college sporting and other events for the annual yearbook. I also was fortunate at that time to attend the 1972 Olympics in Munich, where my interest in taking sports photos really skyrocketed.”
Q: How much fun have you had taking pictures at games?
A: “I really enjoy taking pictures that create a story about the game or some important part of the game. It is always gratifying (and often, just plain lucky!) to have the camera pointing at the right place at the right time when those moments present themselves. The technical aspects of coordinating subjects, speed, light and focus into taking a good photo is also a tremendous challenge, but great fun.
Q: “Is there a favorite moment or game that you were able to capture?
A: “It is hard to select just one. But, I was able to catch the final celebration and utter jubilation on the faces of the St. Mary boys basketball team when the horn sounded and they realized they had just beaten Bark River-Harris and were going to the Breslin Center final four in 2001. That was a special moment. I also love a picture I took of St. Mary’s Ryan Slezak and my son, Rob standing together on the baseball field in Onaway during a time out, with the American flag hanging in the background.
Q: Because you have kids playing, does it make it easier or harder to be occupied taking photos?
A: “Actually having kids on the team makes it easier because I tend to know all of the players, plays, and overall situations going on and can anticipate where I might find the right photo. Also, it makes my wife happy because she knows I will behave on the sidelines while taking pictures and not embarrass myself by screaming my head off during the competition!
Q. What kind of camera do you use?
A: “I currently use a Nikon D70s which I bought three years ago.”
Tad DeLuca
Q: How long have you been involved with photography and why did you get started?
A: “I always had some sort of camera going back 40 years or so. Taking pictures is something I just always did. I got my first 35 mm camera for Christmas in 1974. My guess is that I shot over 2000 rolls of film before going completely digital in 2005.”
Q: How much fun have you had taking pictures at games?
A: “It would be very difficult for me to sit at the games or the meets and just watch the action. I like to be doing something. To me the fun is trying to get pictures of kids I know and have their faces be sharp, clear, showing concentration, and all the while having the picture show some action with the ball, baton, shot put, etc. Getting all four of those into a single picture is the hard part, but it is also the fun part. Downloading all of the pictures onto the computer and looking at them after the game is both exciting and disappointing.
Q: Is there a favorite moment or game that you were able to capture?
A: “There are many pictures of JL athletes that I have taken and I like, but one particular set of pictures stands out the most. At a track meet 2 years ago a dad from Hale had forgotten his camera and asked me if I would take a picture of his son running the hurdles and email it to him. I took several pictures of his son and they were very good. His son was a good athlete and you could tell he worked hard and was extremely focused. I took pictures of the kid at various meets and at 2 state track meets and many of the pictures were very good. His track uniform’s color, the kid’s coloring, the look on his face and the hurdles made for some very dramatic pictures. His mother had a 3D bronze engraving made of one of my pictures and it hangs in his house along with the many track medals he won over the years.
Q: Because you have kids playing, does it make it easier or harder to be occupied taking photos?
A: “Taking pictures probably makes it easier — to just sit and watch would drive me crazy...taking pictures allows me to be both busy and removed from the ups and downs of my daughters’ teams and games.
Q: What kind of camera do you use?
A: “I have a Canon 20D and I use a 75-300 mm zoom lens for most of the sporting events I am at. Luckily, the 20D allows me to shoot in low lighting conditions at an ISO of 3200 otherwise it would be really hard to get gym shots or football games under the lights just before the sun disappears.
Diana Deerfield
Q: How long have you been involved with photography and why did you get started?
A: “ I have always been known as the mom with a camera in her hands, however I became serious about photography about four years ago. I have always considered it important to capture memories and special moments through pictures. My husband bought me a high quality camera for Christmas four years ago and it became my passion. Once I received the camera I did research online, asked questions of other photographers and learned a lot through trial and error.
Q: How much fun have you had taking pictures at games?
A: “I have thoroughly enjoyed taking photographs. I receive the most satisfaction when a parent or athlete shares with me how much they enjoyed a particular photo I took. The photo may have captured a special event in their life that will live on in their memory through the photo. Parents that may not be able to be at an event have really shared their appreciation at having photos of their children so they can share a particular event or moment with them. Our children’s lives go by so fast and it is great to have pictures to capture and remember sports and special events.
Q: Is there a favorite moment or game that you were able to capture?
A: “I am not sure I have one specific photo that is my favorite, it is more a memory or moment I may have captured. My favorite part of taking photos is not necessarily the action shot, I really enjoy capturing the emotion and determination in an athletes face. Some of my favorite photos were the ones that caught the emotion and joy of the moment, such as when the girls varsity basketball team won their first conference game against Cadillac last year. There were also some great photos capturing the come from behind wins against T.C. Central and Boyne City last year. Some of my other favorites are of the track season and catching the emotion and determination in the face of an athlete or relay team breaking a school record or accomplishing a personal goal. Athletes put so much into the sports they love and it can truly be captured in a photo seeing that determination and effort in their face.
Q: Because you have kids playiing, does it make it easier or harder to be occupied taking photos?
A: “I am a very active person and I get nervous when my kids are in sporting events so taking photos gives me a place to focus my nervous energy. I can focus my nervous energy and capture the event in photos for the athletes which serves a dual purpose. I am excited that my daughter will have photos to remember the relationships and opportunities gained through sports. I am equally pleased that I can do that for other athletes with pictures I may have taken.”
Q: What kind of camera do you use?
A: “I use a Canon EOS 30D camera. I enjoy the digital camera and the flexibility it allows in immediately deleting pictures that are not of the quality you want and the ability to download and edit your own photos. I really enjoy the editing process it allows so much creative freedom. I have invested in about four Canon lenses and I choose my lense depending on the lighting and event I am photographing.”
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