BMWs on the baseball field!
Being involved with certain clubs and groups in Albuquerque affords me some unique opportunities from time to time. One such opportunity was to be able to drive my BMW M3 on the Isotopes baseball field for a women in sports event. I had a UNM softball player in coach in the car with me as we drove around the perimeter of the field. I naturally had my camera with me and got what shots I could while still behind the wheel. It was definitely a unique driving experience I will not forget! Thank you to the BMW CCA of New Mexico, Sandia BMW, and the Isotopes!
Read MoreBaseball action at Albuquerque Regional Sports Complex
I have featured the Albuquerque Regional Sports Complex before in a drone video and aerial drone photos. This time I returned to the park when baseball action was happening on all fields at once, as a continuation of my work for the City of Albuquerque. I was given some permission to be on the fields themselves while the games were going on live. My longest lens is the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master, which is enough to get decently close up action shots. If I photographed sports full time, I would invest in longer lenses, like the 200-400mm zoom. Early in my professional photography career when I lived in Florida, I used to shoot sports much more, including baseball and triathlons, so it was fun to get back into photographing live sports, even if just for one afternoon.
Read MoreFrom no bike to the summit in 3 months!
Like many, many people, I got a bike during the pandemic because there are no more team sports, so to get exercise out of the house, a road bike is a great way to see scenery and burn calories. I have actually been on bikes of different kinds all my life, starting with getting second place in the New England BMW Championships in 1982, to cycling 100km in Japan and camping in 2007. The torn ACL I suffered in 2015 put an end I thought to my time on a bike as I could not even get my knee to bend enough to pedal. I sold my bike and gave away all my gear. However, after a while, my knee did get better and I could run and jump again, and as you can see from these photos, ride a bike again! It is also my nature that when i do something, I do it all the way (within reason). So where in April I was doing relatively flat rides of 25 miles, just 3 months later that tuns into riding my bike to the highest peak in the area, Sandia Crest!
Read MoreToughest action on 8 wheels!
I had the opportunity to photograph the last ABQ Roller Derby bout of the 2018 season due to my connection with Sonja Dewing who hosts 1 Million Cups and is also the owner of Plot Duckies. She invited me to photograph an upcoming bout which I gladly agreed to as I had never photographed a roller derby before! I did not, and still do not, know a single rule or strategy about roller derby, but by the second half I was starting to figure out when the best action takes place and where on the skating rink. I could not believe the collisions and how many times people get knocked right on their butts! You can see the action up close in the gallery below.
Read MoreDancing and golfing for educational scholarships
The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce knows how to put on events, and the Hispano Chamber Golf Classic 2018 is the biggest event of the year where 100% of the profits go to educational scholarships. With some 36 foursomes out on the greens, a lot of local students will be benefiting from participants' generosity. My contribution was to go out and make as many photos as I could in the short time I had available to be on the golf course! What did I learn? A lot of dancing goes on at a AHCC golf event!
Read MoreI took my new Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 G2 lens to the 30th Anniversary Rio Grande Celtic Festival and Highland Games at Balloon Fiesta Park to see what kind of olde worlde action I could photograph. There was not a tremendous amount of organization, so I did not hear the name of any of these feats of strength you see pictured below. I will describe them as I saw them. The first are photos of a square of perhaps hay and stone being tossed up over a high bar like a pole vaulter, but with a pitchfork! The next I would call throwing a very heavy lollipop as far as you can. Then the other could be carrying a telephone pole until you find where you want to toss it! Then there was dancing and music too! No idea what the dances were called either! I ate a great Welsh cake, though, with lemon curd on it!
Read MoreIn the past few weeks, I have photographed Albuquerque, New Mexico Mayor Tim Keller quite a few times. First was at the General Atomics grand opening event, then in his office for a Duke City Gladiators promo shot, then lastly him actually playing in an arena football exhibition game! Scroll through the gallery below to see Mayor Keller get his official #18 team portrait made, then go through warmups, introductions, then handing off for a touchdown late in the first quarter! It has bee an exciting few weeks of sports and politics and photography!
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