What a fun, and aggravating day.  After a week of canceled high school games due to snow, sitting at home watching the events unfolding in Boston, the weather warmed up and the Seattle Sounders traveled to Colorado to take on the Rapids.  I got to the stadium and was greeted with a relatively empty media room.  The Rockies were playing and the Nuggets had a playoff game.  My goal, before going down on the field to shoot the game was to get a panorama of the full stadium, and the giant flags on the field.

While I got the shot (above), it was not what I envisioned.  I really wanted the stands full of people but with the two other games going on elsewhere, and the winless Sounders in town, the fans just were not there.  Second thing, I made the mistake of doing the panorama with my 17-40mm lens at 17mm giving a distorted view for each frame.  I should have shot horizontal, less shots, with the lens at about 24 to 35mm.  Or, my 24-70 lens at 24mm.  So the stitching together did not come out as nice as I wanted.  Also, shooting at 17mm the flags out on the field are a lot smaller looking than they really are.  Also, there were a few more clouds and not enough blue sky like I was hoping for.  But, it is a start.  I will get my vision this season!

Prior to heading down to the field former Seattle Sounder’s goalkeeper, and fellow Washington State High School graduate Kasey Keller was up in the media room and he patted me on my back as I walked by him as said “What’s up Kasey.”  I lived for about 20 years in the Seattle area.  Kasey was from the Olympia area, and I remember hearing about him (he is a few years older than me) as I was going into high school, and he was on his way to college, but being the Washington high school athlete who was playing on the US National team he was one of the main reasons I started following soccer.  When the MLS Expanded, and Seattle announced that he was going to be on the team, I watched as many games as I could (living in Alaska, I did not always get to see the games).  And, I shot the original Sounders back when I lived in Seattle once.  They played on the same field at Seattle Center that the high schools played football and soccer on.  After a high school game, I shot a Sounders game until the ushers realized I was in high school and should not be there.  So, while I am starting to adopt Colorado and it’s teams (I will never adopt the Nuggets.  GO SONICS!), when they play Seattle teams, I want the Emerald City teams to win….

It looked like it was going to be a blah game visually, the clouds were rolling in, and light looked even but flat.  Then the sun came out and for most of the first half I was shooting kind of into it, which was tripping out my auto focus a bit.  But, as the clouds came back in, I started getting into sync.  Maybe the week off because of snow, and the backlight was doing it for me.  I am also thinking about ditching my little stool.  I really like it, but when I turn, I have to move my monopod, and that throws off my tracking.

Now, if any of you really know me, I am not a Microsoft guy.  I ditched almost all of my windows products in 2007 to go over to Mac, and I am a PS3 guy instead of XBOX, but I really want a Sounders away jersey.  I really like them (I like the blue Colorado alternate jerseys too).

While I was shooting this game, I was really wishing I would grab something that would be a super money making shot…mabe a streaker?  Or a compound fracture like the NCAA Tournament?  Or a killer bicycle kick?  Maybe the all out diving save by the goalie?  Something that would fund the purchase of a new 1DX and 400 2.8.  However, nothing special happened.  At least down on my end.  The Sounders goal in the first half was at the other end of the field and after Seattle’s Obafemi Martins’ scored his first MLS goal, he went into a gymnastics tumbling routine which would have been awesome to grab, but it was all the way at the other end of the field with players between me and his flips.

I headed up to the media room to transmit my first half shots, and headed back down to the field just in time to hear the crowd sing “Sweet Caroline” in tribute to the people of Boston.  I even found myself singing along.  Would have been cooler if more people would have been there.

I am really hoping to see a few sales soon from some of these MLS games so I can send some of my equipment into Canon to have some service.  I would like to have my 7D calibrated because I am just not thrilled with the quality of the images I am getting.  Something is amiss with it I think.

I did really like the shot above, and the intensity in the eyes of O’Neill, eyeing the ball.  I was hoping he would head the ball, but he let it drop and trapped the ball.

The photo above is an odd shot in my opinion.  After playing basketball for most of my life, I love a good no look pass.  Gary Payton, Magic Johnson, Jordan, could all drop dimes, but I honesty think this was the first no look pass I have seen in soccer.

Seattle would win the game 1-0, getting their first win.  I immediately ran up to the media room to get my images out and as I am editing the photos I hear someone come out of one of the media boxes cheering.  I turn around to see Drew Carey running through the press work area pumping his fists in the air over his team (he is one of the Sounder’s owners) getting their first win of the season.  What did I say?  “Congrats on the win Drew!  Keep it down, I am working here!”  Another photog whispered to me, “Did you just tell Drew Carey to shut up?”  I guess I did.

All photos are available for media use only through NewSport Wire.