Team & Player Packages

Team and Player photos are something we are constantly called upon to do. We take pride in creating a superior photograph that is designed to last 100 years without fading! We also offer a variety of gift items (mugs, coasters, buttons, mousepads, fatheads, stickers, etc) for parents and friends to order online. The sky's the limit... if you can think of it, we can print it!

Our 2010 Team & Player Photo Day Pricing is as follows:

Standard Package: Team Photo (5x7) + Player Photo (5x7) = $8.00
Enhanced Package: Team Photo (5x7) + Player Photo (5x7) + (8) Player Wallets = $18.00

Team Photo (5x7): $5.00
Team Photo (8x10): $10.00
Team Photo (11x14): $20.00

Player Photo (5x7): $5.00

Player Photo (8x10): $10.00

Player Photo (11x14): $20.00

Player Wallets (4): $5.00

You can download our standard flyer here (PDF). Please be sure that each player receives one. You should print a few extras for those unique situations where a player may need more than one.

* Fatheads are available at a discount on Photo Day. You receive FREE SHIPPING and 10% off if ordered on your team's Photo Day. A flyer for these vinyl wall graphics can be downloaded here.

"Fatheads" - Removable Wall Graphics

The first company to start mass-marketing these "larger than life" wall decals was Fathead. They licensed with the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA and basically took over the marketplace with these very unique vinyl wall graphics that could be used over and over again - without causing wall damage.

Well, it wasn't long until someone got the bright idea to make this service available to professional photographers. After all, the average person may actually want to have one of these decals for their gameroom, office, den, bedroom, etc. Moreso, they may not want a professional athlete.

They might just want a 7-foot picture of their son or daughter to adorn their walls.


So, I began creating these about two years ago. They are probably the coolest and most talked about item I provide. Everything from pets, to athletes, to company logos have been reproduced in a larger than life manner. Anything is possible. I can work from an image you already have, or I can shoot an action shot or portrait and use that image as the basis for the decal.

I can tell you, and parents need to read this sentence... YOUR KIDS WILL GO CRAZY WHEN THEY SEE A SIX OR SEVEN FOOT VERSION OF THEMSELVES ON THE WALL. How do I know? Because I get emails all the time about these one-of-a-kind items.

They can be anywhere from 2-foot, up to 7-foot and a maximum of 4-foot wide. The cost ranges from around $58 up to $138. Not bad considering the custom aspect of this item. I've created a brochure for those interested. It can be downloaded here.

Here are a few examples of the decals "in action". Let me know if you have any questions.

"Diving Fielder" Shots - Advice?

Someone asked me recently. How did you get that shot? I guess I never thought about "how" to get it, but when to "focus" on getting it. Basically, we can all get the shot of the guy hitting the ball. It's predictable, right? But how do we get the shortstop diving in the hole - just missing it, or the third-baseman snagging the screaming line drive?

Well, if you were looking for a concrete answer - there isn't one. But, as a former baseball player at a high level - and a catcher which helped - there are certain tendencies that will make it a "little" easier to be "lucky".

Okay, now here are MY general rules for getting lucky with these types of shots.

- Most hitters, minus a few specific situations or weird tendencies, PULL the ball. That means that a right-hand batter will usually hit the ball to the left side (SS, 3B) of the infield unless he catches it and hits a long fly ball or line drive. But, remember, we are looking for that "diving" play which really only applies to ground balls.

- Batters will hit the ball the OTHER way when there are less than two outs and a runner on second. This is more apparent the higher the level of play, but the idea is to hit a ground ball to the right side (2B, 1B) makes it easier to get the runner to third.

Get lucky. Seriously, either you have the focus reflexes of a superhero or you just pick a place to focus on. You'll eventually learn the differences in what a wood bat sounds like when it's coming your direction. I learned from playing - you may learn from just being there.

These shots were in totally different situations with completely different lens/camera setups. BUT, they followed those two simple rules.

The shot of Pedro Alvarez (R) was shot with a 70-200mm fixed on him since I was in the third base pit and there was a right-hand batter (who needs a shot of the back of the hitter). I got lucky. I heard the bat and my reflex was to hit the shutter. I was shooting a Canon 1D Mark II AI Servo, 10fps. 

The shot of the high school player was shot with a Canon 300mm, plus a Canon 1.4x TC II from the middle deck. I saw the hitter in batting practice and EVERYTHING was at the shortstop. I focused on him and, again, got lucky.

I will say, however, that hitting the shutter at the right time is important. If you have a certain FPS - it'll affect your timing. I only use the 1D Mark II. I can't justify the Mark IV and have had issues with the Mark III when I had one. At 10fps, I can wait a split second and start firing. With a Canon 50D - it'll be a lot harder to capture the right "moment". 

But, like I said... you can get LUCKY.

Highlands Alumni Baseball Game 2010

Bringing back players from the very first year of the merger (1969) up until recent graduates, the 3rd Annual Highlands Baseball Alumni Game was played with no injuries and a lot of fun was had by all.

If you're an alumni of the Highlands high school baseball team - whether you were a star or benchwarmer... none of that matters now. Over 40 players participated and the camaraderie and new friendships that were formed makes this a great annual event.

This year, I was lucky enough to participate for the 2nd year and had my best "staff photographer" (good 'ole Dad) there to document the afternoon in pictures. Take a look at the gallery to see images.

SEE A PICTURE YOU LIKE? THERE ARE PACKAGES AVAILABLE AND YOU CAN EVEN ORDER INDIVIDUAL PRINTS, MOUSEPADS, ETC.

SUPPORT YOUR RAMS BASEBALL PROGRAM...


* 20% OF ALL SALES WILL BE DONATED TO THE HIGHLANDS BASEBALL DIAMOND CLUB *


CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE 2010 GALLERY

SI.com - 2nd time in 2 weeks?

Again, I realize that this is just their website and NOT the magazine. But, it's still pretty cool when your photos get picked up by them. Of all the choices they have, seeing yours is rewarding. It keeps you going in this business.

Now, if I can only get one in the magazine, I can scratch THAT off my "goal" list for this season.

ESPN the Magazine

I got another piece of good news lately.

A fellow photographer, Jeanine Leech (http://www.doubleplaydesigns.com) let me know that I had a photo in ESPN the Magazine. How cool? She is an awesome photographer who has been shooting the Pittsburgh Penguins for years. Maybe she'll let me have a game or two this upcoming season?

Now, the magazine isn't like Sports Illustrated. They don't have large photo after large photo. Normally, they just have 1x1 or 1x3 images that go along with the story. They selected an image I took that was an emotional one of Lastings Milledge of the Pittsburgh Pirates showing his disgust after striking out.

Anyway, I've now made it on SI.com (Sports Illustrated) and into ESPN the Magazine. And for anyone who is interested, both images were licensed through my new relationship with Icon.

I also had my first assignment with the local newspaper in town. I think I will be doing a bit of freelance work for them shortly. Here's the shot from the newspaper. I'll tell the story of it, too. It's a great "Murphy's Law" story.

Okay, so this is supposed to be a quick, get a shot that sums up the graduation ceremony and you're done. Wasn't even required to stay the entire time. The photo editor seems like a cool guy.

So, I go there early (20 minute drive through winding country roads) and start taking some shots. Got a few, but really none to brag about. The commencement starts and I get the Valedictorian speaking with a nice, clean background. I get a few more that are keepers. Ones that will be fine for the paper. So, I leave. The ceremony started at 6pm and there are only 150 students. It's not going to be a long graduation.

I leave, drive the twenty minutes home and pop the CF card in the PC. Nothing. Yep, the card was blank. Well, the Canon 1D Mark II also has an SDHC card slot you can use, so maybe they're on that card. Nope. I sat and stared at the screen for about 10 minutes. This was the first assignment I was sent on and I have ziltch, nada, nothing. Perfect!

Well, I jump in the car and speed back to the high school (It's 7:15pm at this point). Let's just say it took 11 minutes this time. I get there just as they are starting to walk off the field. Shit... I missed the ceremony. Now what? I can't go home empty-handed.

I immediately looked for an attractive subject (tattoos, piecings, although I have nothing against them - they just wouldn't really apply in this scenario) who was having fun. People having fun is good - especially ones that are easy on the eyes. 

From 75 yards away (estimate), with the 300mm lens and 1.4x TC still on the camera, I shoot about 15 frames of these two young ladies cheering, throwing up the peace sign - celebrating the end of high school. They were about 5 feet from exiting the field and I'd be in a tougher spot.

I milled around the crowd, got some shots of parents and their kids - some even played it up with kisses & hugs, etc. I just wanted to send more than this one shot with the beautiful railing going right across the middle to the editor.

Well, to end the story, I drove home in 12 minutes and did the fastest editing I could. The images beat the deadline by 5 minutes. Little did I know that the non-traditional, non-posed, "fun" shot would be the one chosen. It just proves, you never know which photo an editor is going to like. That's why we're not editors.

Moral of the story...

IF YOUR CAMERA HAS A FEATURE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO WRITE THE IMAGES TO BOTH CARDS AND CALLS IT "BACKUP" - USE IT! HAD I USED IT, I WOULD HAVE NOT HAD TO RUN BACK TO GET SOME LAST MINUTE SHOTS.


Funny, too... another photographer (who shall remain nameless) had the audacity to ask me "Why would you leave before the diplomas were handed out? And, why in the world would you get the parents involved in your pictures?"

How dare I be so unprofessional?? :-) If I wouldn't have left, I would have really been screwed. At least I had time to get back there to salvage at least that picture.

I'm thinking in my head, although I just ignore that stuff is, "You have no idea what the editor wanted. You don't know that he said 'Shoot something and get out of there', you basically are talking out of the southern-most point of your body".

Eventually all this type of person  people will just go away if you ignore them. It does no good to TRY and be respectful and be-friend them, thinking that they will be mentors - they won't. Don't waste your time. You'll eventually find one that will be helpful and not wear iPod headphones that aren't attached to anything, just jammed in their pocket (yes, they do that) so they don't get asked questions. For some reason, when a photographer (some, not all) become successful, the already huge ego gets out of control. Everyone is beneath them. I just don't get it. Do they forget what it was like when they started out?

* DISCLAIMER: If any of the people I am quoting as pompous, arrogant or rude are reading this, feel free to contact me and let me know that you weren't being that way and I simply misunderstood. Then, I'll write a post saying how humble and nice of a person you are. 

Shooting Baseball - "What Cameras and Lenses do I use?"

As you may have read, I recently signed on with my first agency. First off, an agency it a group that can get you credentialed in return for you submitting them the images for them to market via an online searchable database. Think of Getty Images for example. Some of the world's best photographers submit their photos into their online database. Why? Because when a newspaper, magazine, website or any other publisher needs an image - chance are they are just going to go to these types of sites. It's simple for an editor/publisher to search for "Ben Roethlisberger motorcycle accident" or "G-20 riot pittsburgh" and get a selection of images for them to choose from.

The good news from the photographer's point of view is that they can go back to shooting. Getty Images will market for them and possibly be a great outlet for licensing (not selling - the photographer keeps the copyright) their images. The more licensing that it is done, the more money we make. Simple.

Now, the words "news agency", "photo agency", "wire service" and similar words are all interchangeable. You'll hear them and they all refer to places like Getty Images. Basically, they are gargantuan image archives with every possible photo you can think of. In order to be successful, you need a big archive of your images. The more images you have, the higher the probability of an editor choosing yours. It also helps to shoot pictures of the Yankees as opposed to the Pittsburgh Pirates - which is my team.

So, I just sign on with Icon Sports Media, or Icon for short. I had emailed them months ago and, at the time, they had enough photographers in the Pittsburgh area. No luck.

About a month ago, I get a call from their Content Manager asking me if I would be interested in covering the Pirates and Pitt football. He told me their coverage needs drastically changed and they needed someone. I was the guy.

Lesson... Don't be afraid to ask. Don't be afraid to put your name out there. I learned a saying from a very successful entrepreneur... "PERSISTENCE either PAYS OFF or PISSES OFF". The ones you "piss off" probably never had to hustle and make their own way in the world. Most people, though, will appreciate you staying on top of it. You just have to walk that fine line. They are busy people - all they need is to be reminded every so often that you're available and interested.

I shoot my first couple of games. I asked a very well-known photographer for some general advice before my first game. Instead of a couple simple answers like "you can move around between innings", "look for markers so you don't stand in a spot that a person has occupied for years"... I got, "I can't teach you how to shoot baseball in an email." WTF? Anyhow...

I do pretty well, only shooting from the "on-deck circle" pits at PNC Park. Truthfully, I was a little nervous and apprehensive about moving around. I just watched what the other photographers were doing and now I feel comfortable doing just about anything.

You have to remember that this opportunity came out of nowhere. I had been shooting Pitt basketball for a few months, so I had only purchased the Canon 70-200.mm f/2.8 IS so far. Let's just say that I was hindered by the distance I could reach. I used my Canon 50D when I wanted to get a little more reach since it is a 1.6x cropped sensor and helps.

After the first game, I ordered a Canon 2x TC II Extender/Teleconverter thinking that I will now have a 140-400 lens. WRONG! The TC made the images soft and it did not help one bit. In fact, I returned it the next day. So, here's ADVICE, don't buy the Canon 2x TC II. It will not help. At least not if you want your images to be tack sharp.

I realized that I needed to take a chance on a bigger lens. A friend of mine had a Canon 300mm f/2.8 for sale and gave me a good deal with a few extras. I think it was around $2,000 - not bad. So, now I have the following "sports shooter gear":

- Canon 1D Mark II
- Canon 1D Mark II
- Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM
- Canon 300mm f/2.8 USM
- Canon 1.4x TC II (extends my 300mm to a 420mm without affecting IQ)
- Benro Monopod (composite and strong)

I put the 70-200mm on the 50D (thought the little extra reach wouldn't hurt) - the 50D shoots around 5-6 frames per second (RAW). Slow if you ask me, but the resolution is around 15 mega-pixels. That would be the setup I started using in the on-deck pits and anything that was up in my face.

FYI, even though there are newer versions of the Canon 1D, the improvements aren't important enough to me to make that financial commitment. IS the 8.2 mega-pixels a hindrance? Not really when you consider I am trying to fill the frame anyway by shooting tight. And it shoots a ridiculous 10+ frames per second. Priceless when shooting sports.

Another "dumb" question that got an answer that was pretty much useless. I asked the same "guy" if a Canon 1.4x TC II (which would make the 300mm f/2.8 a pure 420mm f/4) would help since I really wasn't in a position to invest in a Canon 400mm f/2.8 just yet. The response was one for the ages: "They suck. You need a 400. If you are going to shoot the big leaguers then you have to start acting like one."

Okay, for those that don't know... I was a scholarship Division I baseball player, selected to the 1994 Team USA squad and played in the Cape Cod League. I "played" with the people that he is "shooting". So, with all due respect - I think I can handle acting line one. For some reason I would guess this fellow was the one who got picked last in gym class. I digress... these pompous, arrogant, holier-than-thou photographers get under my skin, sorry.

Well, I heard from some other guys at the park that with the 1D Mark II and the 300mm f/2.8... I should give it a shot. They all had good things to say about the image quality (IQ) and couldn't figure out why I got the response I did. Maybe he had a 400mm he wanted to sell? Who knows.

I purchase the Canon 1.4x TC II and attach it to the Canon 300mm f/2.8 - paired with my Canon 1D Mark II. I have to tell you, it takes tack sharp images, gets me filling the frame more and I'm shooting at f/4 which is where I'd like to be anyway. As an example, here is a shot of Tim Lincecum - Cy Young Award winner from the San Francisco Giants.

I don't know about you, but there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with that image (above). Here's a shot (below) from the same game where I had to quickly switch to my 70-200/50D setup when a play was coming right at me.

Again, you can see where both setups work well in different situations. Just for comparison, here's an image shot WITHOUT the 1.4x attached.

A similar picture from the same distance away from home plate WITH the 1.4x attached. You can see how much closer I can get.

So, I feel like letting certain people know that, in the real world of buying your own equipment, the combination of the Canon 1.4x TC II and the Canon 300mm f/2.8 works just fine. Until I am a big shot like the aforementioned fellow, it is a great workaround to not having the Canon 400mm f/2.8.

The only issue is when the sun goes down. Since I like my shutter speeds to be at least 1/1250, it has to come off or the ISO has to be pushed into the stratosphere. If  you have any questions about my setup, shoot me an email message.

Eye-Fi Card - My Opinion...

UPDATE: I just accidentally washed the card and the receiver. Much to my delight, they survived and still work! They should put "WATERPROOF" as one of their features. 

You know, I have heard a lot of chatter about these new Eye-Fi SDHC memory cards for your camera that are supposed to transmit photos you take with your digital camera straight to your computer over any wireless network with no human intervention. I'd been putting off getting one since I couldn't really figure out why I, a sports photographer, would need one.

In hindsight, with an assistant captioning and cropping photos for me at an NCAA game was going from the media room, I can see how maybe having select images "popup" automagically in Photomechanic could be pretty cool. Saves me from having to run cards back and forth, etc. I'll have to really test that model next season.

Well, Google sends me this email telling me that if I spend $50 on advertising, they'll send me a 4GB Home Eye-Fi SDHC card for $50. That's about $100 cheaper than the last time I looked at them, so I said "What the hell? Let's give it a shot!"

While I waited the two weeks for it to arrive, I searched the web for anything I could find relating to these devices. I am a member of SportsShooter.com, so I searched there. Nothing really positive to say by anyone. I searched other message boards as well. Again, nothing to positive to say about these little SD cards.

I couldn't figure out, like I said, what the hell I would need one for. I mean, I shoot sports. I take 750 photos, go home, do my little workflow and I'm done. At no time did I need my pictures to "fly'' from my camera to my computer.

Then, like a hammer to the back of the head, it donned on me. I cover events, too! How cool would it be if I could, with my Canon 1D Mark II (both a CF & SDHC slot) to shoot in backup mode where the images are being written to both cards and have them transmitted to my laptop connected to a projector? Then, there would be "live" photos from the event being shown on a big screen or a wall somewhere. Of course, there would be some "promotional" imagery there telling them that they could order prints online, etc.

Now, what if I could have these images displayed in another room? Maybe out in the hall? Maybe even outside? I started thinking about the possibilities and then realized that not EVERY photo I take at an event is one I would show. I put the card in my desk... disappointed.

THEN, I read where you could have it only "ask" your camera or for your camera to only "send" protected images. How awesome? When I take a shot, it doesn't go anywhere. BUT, when I like it, all I have to do is "lock" it on my Canon and off it goes to the laptop - ready to be shown in a live slideshow.

Now, the question is, "How are you showing a slideshow live without having to stop and start each time you have a new image to add?" Well, the answer is simple. Photomechanic's Live Ingest Slideshow feature. See, I already use Photomechanic as an integral part of my workflow. All I have to do is tell it which directory to "watch" and randomize the order of the images contained in the directory. When I setup the little USB card reader/wireless receiver that came as part of the Eye-Fi package, all I had to do was make sure that the directory specified (normally MM-DD-YY folder inside /My Pictures) matched up with PM and it's settings.

Well, let me tell you... I tried it at a party I had at my house. The "WOW" factor was amazing. People thought I was magic and couldn't believe that within about 10 seconds of me shooting their picture, it was on the big screen. NOTE: It worked for me around walls and up and down stairs. I never really had a distance issue. I did notice that a few didn't transmit. I'm not sure why, but I am pretty sure it was user error and I forgot to protect or "lock" the image to initiate the transfer.

Now, there are subscription options for the Eye-Fi SDHC where you can have the images post instantly to online services like Flickr, Facebook and a bunch of other ones I will never need. I think that the possibilities are endless, though. Here's why...

The Pro version for $150 allows you to connect to an ad-hoc network (right now you have to have access to a regular wireless network - 3G hot-spots won't work). Why is this a huge opportunity? My iPhone is a jailbreak version that runs PDANet and MyFi.

With the Pro card, I could feasibly connect to my iPhone as my "ad-hoc" network and have these images sent anywhere I wanted in almost real-time without ever touching a computer. Spot news, in-game sports photo updates - the opportunities are endless.

If you have a Mark III or Mark IV that allows you to record RAW format on the CF card and JPEG on the SD... you're really set! You can record your images that you plan to edit later and wirelessly transmit or email using my iPhone solution instantly any of the JPEGS to your editor. Again, in damn near real-time.

My verdict... GET ONE NOW! If the Google offer has expired, just go grab a Eye-Fi SDHC directly from them. You'll start finding uses for it immediately. Get creative if your a gadget-geek or tech savvy and the sky's the limit.

Almost there...

I woke up this morning and had a link posted on my Facebook wall. Apparently, Sports Illustrated picked one of images for their website. Not quite the magazine, but I'll take it. Funny thing, it's not even a player... it was the good ole mascot!