Bluejackets vs. Blackhawks

Jackets Win In Nailbiter Shootout

            Joy in Columbus as the Columbus Bluejackets defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in a thrilling shootout at Nationwide Arena. The battle was not won in the attempt to control the neutral zone, but was fought between two fabulous displays of goaltending by Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks and Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Bluejackets. Crawford had 19 shots against him with 17 saves and a save percentage of .895. Bobrovsky faced 41 shots, 39 saves and a save percentage of .951.

            Although the Jackets never trailed during the game their offense was nonexistent as they only had three shots on goal in the first period. The Blackhawks bombarded the Columbus net. Bobrovsky put on a clinic as he stopped fifteen of the Jackets shots until Jack Skille lit the lamp at 17:24.  Chicago would open fire on the Jacket's net with fourteen shots on goal. The Blackhawks would answer back with Patrick Sharp firing a rifle of a wrist shot to beat Bobrovsky on the high glove side (07:27).

            The Jacket's would re take the lead in the third period with a powerplay goal scored by defenseman Kevin Connauton at 01:55, making it 2-1 Columbus. It would be Connauton's third goal and fourth point in the last six games. The third period would not be without controversy. Blackhawks center Marcus Kruger would slide into Bobrovski and to the goal knocking the puck into the net with his skate. Upon further review of the play, it was counted as a goal as Ben smith would sneak his stick into the melee and tap it into the net at 08:49.

            There was no scoring in overtime which led to an exciting back and forth shootout. The question was "Who was going to give? Crawford or Bobrovski?" It was like watching two heavyweights going toe to toe and blow to blow in the middle of the ring. Who was going down? The shootout lasted nine rounds until Jack Johnson slid the puck past Crawford giving the Jackets the win.

            People have been instructed by the old adage to save the best for last. Crawford and Bobrovsky put on a dazzling display of goaltending as one by one they stopped pucks. In the end it was Bobrovsky and the Jackets coming out victorious

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Washington Capitals

My Season With The Columbus Crew

       Of all the sports I have photographed, I never expected to shoot professional football (soccer). At the beginning of the campaign (Season, for all you non soccer fans out there.), I got an unpaid internship with the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer. I had shot a few matches the previous campaign, but nothing really special. My photojournalism teacher, Doral Chennoweth suggested that I apply for it. I put my application in and I wasn't expecting to hear from them. Doral texted me one day out of the blue just before the campaign and told me to call them. So I gave them a call. A few days later I was shooting Media Day and that Saturday I was shooting their first match of the season against DC United.
        It was different because I had a new Sigma 120-300mm lens, and I was shooting a completely new sport. I had to learn how to make adjustments such as handling a bigger and longer lens on my body and having to time the focus and release the shutter. It was rough the first few games. A few of them were out of focus, had too much noise, I wasn't getting enough shots, and they were thinking about letting me go. So I frantically called Doral one night asking what I should do. He said "Brent, first of all, calm down. Secondly, Never give up."
        He told me if I wasn't getting good enough action shots, pick out some of the rowdy loud fans in the crowd and shoot them. THANK YOU NORDEKE!!! He also told me to relax and have fun. The very next game I hit many action shots and got a few shots of some colorful people in the stands. Instead of getting seven, I was getting 20-30 printable shots!!. I got them consistently. I began to believe in myself that I could actually pull this off.
       My previous camera, the Nikon D300s was a good all around camera, but it was getting too much noise in the higher ISO's. I got a new camera body for my birthday, a Nikon D4s (Thanks Mom and Dad). This is Nikon's top of the line body that professionals use. I had to learn how to use this new body as it was different from the previous one. The noise was no longer an issue and I was still getting the 20-30 shots needed. About halfway through the season, Tim Miller, the Communications Manager and my boss found me before a match and said "Brent, we would like to extend your internship for the rest of the season. Do you want to shoot for us?" The answer was a huge resounding "Yes!"
       I would like to thank my wife Tara for rooting for me in everything I do. Many thanks to Tim Miller for giving me that second chance. I would also like to thank my parents David and Shirley Clark for being on my side since the day I was born. A special thanks to Doral Chennoweth for encouraging me and giving me the best advice any teacher can give their student, "NEVER GIVE UP"!! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I GIVE YOU MY SEASON WITH THE COLUMBUS CREW SC!!!!

            I took a walk around one of the neighborhood parks Saturday with my wife. The sun was out; it was about 75 degrees with blue skies. It was a beautiful morning. As we were heading to the car I passed a guy doing Senior Photos with a girl on the stairwell of the park building. The mother was holding a saxophone as he was posing this girl. I paused for a moment to analyze the scene. At first I thought he was using a camera phone, but as I looked closer he was using a small point and shoot camera. Great. I thought. Another bozo who wants to do it cheap. It sounds mean and cold, but it's people like him that are currently ruining the photo industry for professional photographers.

            How are they doing this? They buy point and shoot camera's like this guy, or they buy expensive professional cameras and don't know how to use them correctly. Some of these people will buy a $5000 professional camera and put it on "Automatic" while the beautiful photos done by a skilled professional are shot manually. They have no formal education or basic knowledge of photography and expect to get paid for their "photography" We call these people "GWCs" or a "Guy With a Camera."

            In contrast,  professional photographers spend years perfecting our art. Some of us spend thousands of dollars going to four year universities, two year junior colleges, and art schools to become professional photographers. This does not include the immense amount of money we spend on our own equipment that can equal the equivalent of a college tuition, conferences, and dues while joining professional organizations. There are others who are self taught who spend the same amount of time and money as a photo student working on their own photography before even thinking about charging for work.

            When these people charge for work, they will charge cheap something like $25-$50 for a CD. That sounds like a great deal compared to the thousands of dollars an actual pro would charge for a wedding. Is it? So you decide to get your cousin Jimmy to shoot your wedding. He's family, he has a cool camera, and he is a bargain. You are at the church, and Jimmy goes to work. He is fun to work with as he poses you, your new husband and the wedding party as he joyfully releases the shutter. He shoots the ceremony and the reception. You come back from your honeymoon and pay Jimmy for the CD. You load the CD into your computer and that excited smile turns to tears. The shots are out of focus, the lighting is horrible, the compositions are pathetic and the shots have a lot of grain or noise. Your memories of the best day of your life are ruined.

            How does this make things a complete mess for the Pro? First of all cameras are cheaper so everybody thinks they are a photographer. It floods the market with people who have no business shooting professionally. It causes distrust between the photo industry and the consumer because of the confusion between the cheap rates of a GWC and the more expensive rates of a Pro. How do you know if the guy shooting your kid's Senior Photos is over charging or if he is a serious Pro?

            Secondly, those who charge extremely cheap rates hurt the market of the photographers who do this for a living. Professionals spend thousands of dollars on equipment such as camera bodies, lenses, CF or SD Cards, lights, insurance ( liability, equipment, health, dental, visual), studio rent, computers, and the like. You can't survive charging $50 for a CD. The consumer doesn't realize this. They want a bargain. This brings the value of the industry, as a whole, down.

            Anybody can use a knife. If you were sick and needed surgery, would you use just anybody or would you use a skilled surgeon. It is the same with photography. Would you use a GWC since he has a camera, or would use a professional photographer? You decide.