Wednesday evening I photographed Arvada West girls softball as they hosted Boulder High School.  I was excited about shooting this game for one major reason.  The condo we are moving into in a few weeks (hopefully), is literally 2 blocks from the school.  So I assume I will be shooting at this school quite a bit this year.

It was quite a change weather wise from the day before.  The wind was quite crazy and it actually rained on us for a little while.  It was still warm, but I got a kick out of seeing fans huddling around the bar-b-que or putting on extra layers of clothes to stay warm.  A baseball game at Chad Bax fields in Anchorage would show them that even with the rain, it was a warm night for baseball.

Anyway, I went into this game with two goals. I wanted a pitcher shot all torqued up or at least in a cool release, and I wanted a bat on ball, not an easy shot to get.  However, the bat on ball came relatively early in the game.

While it took 5 innings for Boulder to get on the board, they were hitting the ball well and right off I got a bat on ball shot.

Almost got another one in the early part of the game.

I was not having a lot of luck with getting my pitcher shot though.  The first baseman and 1st base coach were always right between the photo box and the pitcher, so focusing on other aspects, batters, catcher, and fielders lead me to the next shot…..

That is just a reminder to you photographers out there…all the action or shots may not always be on the field…keep you eyes open.

After the second inning I moved over to the third base side, and almost right away had a line foul come inches from my lens…but instead of being a omen of bad things to come, I was able to get some great pitcher shots…like the one bellow.

This is my favorite part of softball.  I love the torque the pitchers go through with the wind up, and photos at various arm angles can all look fabulous.  However, while this pitch was not called illegal, it was an illegal pitch.  Can you see why?  My old little league umpires should all know….

This is a crow hop.  Considered a illegal pitch because it gives the pitcher a unfair advantage.  This was a slight hop, and the field up in the background was not watching.

When it looked like Arvada West was going to put 15 runs up, I was starting to get worried.  The third thing I would have liked to get was some shots of the pitcher straight on, but after shooting 2 innings at first base, two at third base, and Arvada closing in on 15 runs, it looked like I might be out of luck.

But, Boulder held Arvada West, and we went into the top of the 5th inning and I was able to get some shots of the pitcher head on.

While the game was not as fast as the day before, again, everyone was very nice and accommodating, and I met a girl shooting for Arvada West’s yearbook, met the photographer who does video and photo slide shows for the team, and found out that Roy Halladay use to play for Arvada West, and I learned that locals call Arvada West high school A-West.

I also was able to shoot some slow shutter speed stuff too, which you can see in THIS POST.

If you would like to view and buy photos from this game, please visit MaxPreps.com