Reading Between the Lions
Week 3 at State Farm Stadium did not have the best ending, but for storytelling's sake, let's start at the beginning.
Team arrivals is the slowest part of the day for me as I wait for everyone to walk in, but it definitely is more fun when the guys are all smiles like Kyler Murray and quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork here.
Or when Budda Baker shows up in a snazzy suit.
I started pregame with this shot of DeeJay Dallas, getting down to his level to give a little more impact.
Here are my favorite "game face" photos from warmups. Notice how there's different elements to each that sets them apart.
First, we have a helmet-less Marvin Harrison Jr. looking through his hair with a glimmering chain below him:
Then, we have QB1 sporting the black alternate helmet with a visor that reflects the stadium lights:
And finally, Roy Lopez's close-up focuses on the sweat and eye black to prove he's ready for battle:
I didn't stick around too long in the locker room, but I do love this photo I got of James Conner during a quiet moment.
After the game, I noticed that our photo editor put a black and white treatment on it that really draws your eyes into the hands. (Shoutout Tanner!)
With the team wearing black uniforms, I knew I had to try the shutter drag flash technique again to see how the different uniform affected the photos.
It's not a drastic difference from last week, but the black jersey doesn't reflect like the red one does, so there's more contrast in the overall frame.
The National Anthem is the time I can get really nice portraits of the players with clean backgrounds and no helmets. I like to treat is as the best way to showcase these players as people while still in the football uniform.
Looking back, it's funny to notice the different types of faces I'm able to capture during that time.
From almost straight-on to camera ...
... to eyes up to the sky.
Eyes closed through the crowd ...
... and head low with hands up.
I spotted a couple details this week that I haven't focused on before, like Max Melton's gear at his feet and Jonathan Gannon fiddling with his headset before putting it on.
The finale of pregame is the coin toss, and it's great when you get cool photos like this:
Most of the time, I only get the one good one because the captains walk out at different times and then there's a awkward cluster at midfield of both teams greeting each other.
Into game action we go.
This pair of photos gives an insight to what I like to photograph before the snap and how sometimes that continues through the play.
I focused on cornerback Starling Thomas V as he lined up and as the running back came across the frame, my camera caught focus back on Starling, which I think tells a cool story.
The angle I take on certain plays can provide a different perspective that fans, or even players, see.
This first photo shows Kyler Murray in what looks like the best position possible for a quarterback, but the next photo a couple seconds later shows that he had to run to get the first down.
At home games, we have multiple photographers around the field, so we have a plan that if the touchdown doesn't come your way, you turn focus to the quarterback.
That was the case for me on Marvin Harrison Jr.'s touchdown, so once Kyler threw it and I knew I was on the wrong side, I immediately went right back to him.
The defense put up a fight this week, and I always love photos that show the team effort.
I think the uniforms being all-black for the Cardinals and all-white for the Lions this week add a cool contrast to these photos too.
I always like to be in front of the action in order to get the faces of the players coming towards me, but that means that I sometimes get blocked by coaches and players on the sideline.
Most of the time, I'm able to maneuver around them, but other times I try to use it to my compositional advantage.
I've been asked before about what I do when the opposing team celebrates in front of me, and for the most part, I try to ignore it or look for ways to showcase our team in comparison.
Kyler Murray's interception in the end zone was one of those moments where I saw an interesting frame and took it, even though it's not something Cardinals fans will enjoy.
But it's OK. Here are things you will enjoy.
Dennis Gardeck's interception:
Dante Stills' fourth-down stop:
And L.J. Collier screaming his head off in celebration with Dante:
As the game went on, I looked for details to tell more of the story outside of the big plays. I noticed the blue of the Lions' face masks was rubbing off on our black uniforms:
And at first, I thought this photo was just a missed play by me, but then I saw that the focus caught just right on the ball.
Finally, I liked how this wider shot puts the play at the bottom with "ARIZONA CARDINALS" across the horizon.
At the end of the day, the setting sun created a light pocket on the sideline, so of course I had to take my first shadow selfie of the season for you readers.
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