Warriors softball wins one, ties one in the rain against Findlay Oilers

Catcher Emily Bryce flies out to left field in the first game. 

   Sports photography was much harder than I expected. For this assignment I took 312 photos at Wayne State’s softball doubleheader against University Finlay Ohio.  The weather made it challenging for me. With my ISO set at 1600 and my aperture normally at f/4.5 or f/5.3, I was able to set the shutter speed from 1/500 sec. to 1/2500 sec, depending on where I was taking the photo from. There was no sunlight whatsoever. And it rained throughout the day. Now I will always bring a plastic bag to wrap around a camera when it’s supposed to rain.

   For the first game I focused on taking action shots of the players. I tried a different angle and location for every inning. My favorite spot was shooting under the bleachers towards the mound. Although the green chain link fence between me and field was a bit of an obstruction, I enjoyed capturing the umpire, catcher, batter, pitcher and fielders all in one shot. I thank the burst mode, because without it I would have missed the ball several times. So, “Keep your eye on the ball” should pertain to the sports photographers as much as it does to the athletes.

Wayne State head coach Gary Bryce looks on as it rains during the second game
of the University of Findlay double-header on April 3. Due to darkness, the second game was
suspended at a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning. 

   For the second game I focused on the coaches and fans. The Wayne State coaches were calm and collected for both games. There was one dispute between the umpire and the first base coach over a runner called out, which I wish I could have been closer to. The coaches didn’t seem to mind the occasional rain cloud anymore than the players. The fans were scarce and not too animated in the rain.

   I enjoyed shooting from every possible place in the bleachers and around the field, and I made due with the green chain link fence right in front of me. Comparing the photos from the first and second game also was interesting because as it became darker outside, it became more difficult to shoot.

A Wayne State fan applauds after the Warriors win the first game 1-0. 

Lindsay Butler (left) throws a pitch to Megan Turner (right). Butler had seven strikeouts in the first game.

Turner hits a line drive to Butler.Turner had one of Findlay's two hits in the first game.