the one with the Homecoming Game, 2016

Lubbock Cooper Pirates played Weatherford Friday night for Homecoming.  We won!  And it was a great night seeing old faces and new ones!  I love being a part of that community and building friendships and gaining new ones.  It's great to be a Pirate!

But first, let's talk gear.  Because, as much as I love the emotional side of photography and documenting life, I love the nuts and bolts of gear talk as well.  I know that it's the photographer that makes the shot, but golly those tools sure help!

I'm a member of Canon Professional Services, and they have a loan program where you can test out gear before buying it.  I've always wanted to photograph a game with a REAL sports lens.  You know the ones.  You see them in the end zone when the guys are replaying the touchdown and there's guys with shooter's vests and BIG lenses mounted on pods.  These lenses are HUGE and heavy, but they produce such beautiful images, crisp and sharp and oh so yummy!  I just had to try one.  Well, it arrived the day of the game and after all the pre-game festivities, It being the Canon 300 mm 2.8 IS.  I test drove that sucker.  It was instant love and admiration and fear and panic all rolled into one.  Love for the beautiful images I was seeing on the back of my camera and admiration for just how dang close it was getting me to the action!  But fear, because I was forced to not chase the action but to anticipate it and hello!  Could I do that?  Would my pictures still be OK?  And then panic upon realizing they were OK and OMGEEEE!  How could I ever afford this lens?  FYI, it retails for around 6-7K.  

She performed beautifully and I added her to my "Christmas Wish" so when I sit on Santa's knee, I'm prepared.  I've pulled quite a few shots here to share with you and the blogging world.  Just scroll down past all the pretty girls.  I hope you enjoy!

Love does,
Kristin