A few shots from the weekend....

[Tall_Paul_2000]

Challenge Cup semi finals weekend and 1 massive cup upset and another rather unremarkable game!

Thought I'd share a few from today's match, including a few experimental shots using the really harsh backlight that was kicking around.

All these are shot in manual, at a variety of shutter speeds since the light was all over the place, all at f4 with the 400+1.4x. Only exception to this was the b&w crowd shot which was the 70-200, at around f14.

C&C welcome - the non-action ones you'll either love or hate!

Thanks for looking.

Paul


1. A backlit cheerleader tries to get the Wigan fans, err, cheering!??!!!

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/wc2.jpg

2. No way through, not matter what face you pull!

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/wc9.jpg

3. Cheerio! Saints fans taunt and wave good bye to the opposition fans making an early exit!

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/sb1.jpg

4. A slightly high tackle!

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/wc8.jpg

5. This is going to hurt!

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/wc7.jpg

6. Contemplating a rather embarrassing defeat!

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/wc1.jpg

7. One last attack

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/wc5.jpg


8. It does look like he's trying to whisper something to him here!

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/wc6.jpg

[khall]

Good game shots, looks like the St Helens fans enjoyed the afternoon.
The Cheerleader picture. What!! "No young good looking cheerleader's"

[superdiver]

Gotta love the guy in #3 with the missing tooth..looks as though he should be on the field...LOL

[silvex]

All nice, but #5 is SI material...!

[RonnieA]

Inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

[gazcoyle]

Nice Paul, i covered 2 games this weekend, dont you just hate sunny days.

[Boggy]

Not just capable of intense action!
Like the black and white shot of the fans, very different as you normally see this type of shot as a mass of the teams colours.
I would like to see #6 as a very grainy b & w, think it would bring out all the highlights. Would look good with a huge headline in the space that he's looking towards!

All this and and you didn't get wet!
Watched the last ten minutes or so of Saturdays match, who's the guy who took the punch? Is there some history in this fixture/players? He just stood there took one full one the chin but kept hold of the ball, barely flinched, made me laugh as other players got involved and during all the pushing and shoving he just kept hold of the ball.

These are all really good Paul, but what do I know! ha ha

Shaun

[Tall_Paul_2000]

Good game shots, looks like the St Helens fans enjoyed the afternoon.
The Cheerleader picture. What!! "No young good looking cheerleader's"

Thanks Ken, afraid the cheerleader shots are few and far between - tend to be of the view that once you have seen/shot one you've shot them all. The only exception these days are if its an interesting or different shot.

Gotta love the guy in #3 with the missing tooth..looks as though he should be on the field...LOL

The fans behind me were quite a vocal bunch, certainly wouldn't have found much of the language used in the dictionary!

All nice, but #5 is SI material...!

Thank you - although think I have a long long long way to go before SI start calling!

Inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers Ronnie

Nice Paul, i covered 2 games this weekend, dont you just hate sunny days.

Thanks Gaz. After 6 weeks of taking pictures and wiring in the pouring rain I will never, ever complain about sunny conditions again. I'm sure my kit and laptop are still drying out!!

Not just capable of intense action!
Like the black and white shot of the fans, very different as you normally see this type of shot as a mass of the teams colours.
I would like to see #6 as a very grainy b & w, think it would bring out all the highlights. Would look good with a huge headline in the space that he's looking towards!

All this and and you didn't get wet!
Watched the last ten minutes or so of Saturdays match, who's the guy who took the punch? Is there some history in this fixture/players? He just stood there took one full one the chin but kept hold of the ball, barely flinched, made me laugh as other players got involved and during all the pushing and shoving he just kept hold of the ball.

These are all really good Paul, but what do I know! ha ha

Shaun



Was a bonus that I didn't get wet - 2 days of sunny shooting was bliss - actually think it was the first dry game for 4 weeks.

The guy who took the punch is Maurie Fa'asavalu - a huge Samoan. He took the punch from Michael Platt after a tackle and all hell broke loose. Next time Maurie took the ball in he clattered into the players, it all looked as if a fight was going to break out. Instead he just looked at the player opposite and started laughing.....which for me would have been way way scarier!

Thanks for looking though and your comments though.....roll on the final!

[Dandaman_24]

Some good shots you got there, 6 and 7 are my fav. I have been waiting with anticipation to see if you were at the games on the weekend. Good win for the catalans, well deserved, being the under dogs.

[Tall_Paul_2000]

Cheers Dan - great win for Catalans....the way they played you would think they were favourites!!

[khall]

Re The Cheerleader the Catalans might find a few French Girls for the final.

[DarrenL]

Paulie,

My comments

#1 - Not for me. A little too much shadow and not enough visable. She also has the jaw line of a 60 year old granny, each to their own but not my choice!
#2 - Crunch, I like it
#3 - I think I'd have preferred it with a little less motion blur, still I like it. Nice thought.
#4 - I like it again
#5 - Action and colours are great
#6 - I like, you can clearly make out who it is, unlike the first
#7 and #8 - Great action, well done

Top set Paul.

Darren

[LeesaB]

Each picture just seemd to get better...

Loved the crowd shot...wow..and the cheerleader too..awesome.

[gsgary]

All spot on as usual, i even got to shoot some cricket this weekend:D

[Kiddo]

Great pictures! I love the B&W one!

[Jay_Williams]

2 and 5 are just awesome. Nice shots. Any more?

[jim9449]

Good stuff Paul,great action!not sure about the cheerleader, watched the game on TV,very good game, getting into League :D was more interested if I could see any togs.

[Tall_Paul_2000]

Re The Cheerleader the Catalans might find a few French Girls for the final.

Well - this time around the Warrington cheerleaders were adopted for the occasion. Will be interested to see who they wheel out for the final!

Paulie,

My comments

#1 - Not for me. A little too much shadow and not enough visable. She also has the jaw line of a 60 year old granny, each to their own but not my choice!
#2 - Crunch, I like it
#3 - I think I'd have preferred it with a little less motion blur, still I like it. Nice thought.
#4 - I like it again
#5 - Action and colours are great
#6 - I like, you can clearly make out who it is, unlike the first
#7 and #8 - Great action, well done

Top set Paul.

Darren

Thanks Darren - have actually gone off #1 since I posted it originally. Did have another version of #3 with no blur and it looks really rather dull - just a big bunch of people....so I binned it (otherwise I'd let you see!

Each picture just seemd to get better...

Loved the crowd shot...wow..and the cheerleader too..awesome.

Thank you!

All spot on as usual, i even got to shoot some cricket this weekend:D

Thanks Gary - much have been confusing actually seeing cricket - I'd imagine its been a little sparse of late!!

Great pictures! I love the B&W one!

Cheers Kiddo, much appreciated!

[Tall_Paul_2000]

2 and 5 are just awesome. Nice shots. Any more?

Thanks Jay. There are around 180 more, just captioning at the moment, although a huge number of those are general stock etc that I shot during the second half so it could be submitted to papers in the lead up to the Final in 3 weeks time.

Good stuff Paul,great action!not sure about the cheerleader, watched the game on TV,very good game, getting into League :D was more interested if I could see any togs.

Thanks Jim. Have always enjoyed Rugby League - tends to be a very exciting spectator sport.

As for the togs.....well in the first half we were all at the end Wigan were attacking.......with all 15 of us having the same conversation after 20 mins............................."Oops, we're at the wrong end!!"