English National Badminton Finals
I was lucky enough to be able to get to shoot Badminton for the first time at the English Finals in Manchester in February. I wasn’t expecting much if I’m honest but was very happy after I had checked the shots. I was sat right by the edge of the court, as close to the action as it’s possible to get – this limits scope a little but does give a dramatic viewpoint. I experimented with trying to capture certain types of image but this is a very fast gane with the shuttlecock moving at speeds of upto 200 miles per hour so timing is difficult. This is when the pre-capture facility on the camera came into its own – it’s not just for birds taking off after all.
National Squash Centre
During January, I’ve had a couple of opportunities to photograph Squash at the National Squash Centre featuring teams from the North-West Squash League. This sport can produce some quite dramatic images but variations can be a little limited. The court is all glass with a small window on the back wall in each corner through which you can photograph the game. I have to say that this is the most uncomfortable place I’ve had to shoot sport as I was cramped up against the glass and a hard floor and no room to move. I am still working on the processing style for these images and I haven’t yet g ot the look that I desire. I will continue to develop my style.
