The Perfect Angle

As a photographer shooting a football game, I always try to be in a position to make a photo. Whether that means I’m two yards behind the line of scrimmage or 40 yards in front of it, I’m always thinking about where I need to be. Has the home team shown complete domination at the line? Is that other quarterback scorching the secondary down the field on a regular basis? Where do I need to be to make a story-telling photo?

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are PLENTY of times I don’t guess right and that quarterback who hasn’t had time to throw for the past two quarters, puts one up for a 88-yard touchdown pass, and I’m 10-yards behind him. That happens all the time. The other thing that happens though, is that I guess right and that long touchdown pass comes right to where I am and I am in perfect position to make a photo. But you know who else is in a perfect position? The refs. So very, very often my perfect angle to make a photo lines up with their perfect angle to make a call and, what we in the business call “ref butt”, occurs.

Here is an example.