Life in minor league baseball...

Tom - difficult light behind him, have that problem all season with lefties since pro teams stadiums are only allowed to face one of two directions in accordance with the sun rise/set. That's where you go manual and expose for him and let the background go a bit.

Scott - yea, could burn off a lot of calories wearin that thing for the game! Wonder if they make a sumo suit in my size, hmmm. I'm already xxl enough!

Mike,

I like the posed shots are you doing anything special for your
portrait set-up? (tripod, hand held flash etc?) I have the 50 1.4 and
plan to take a few portrait shots in the next few weeks.

At our park, they have the sumo wrestlers but they are actually
ringers (interns) who choreograph their moves beforehand.
I guess a few years ago a fan got injured in the suit so that took
care of that. I do like the idea of the sumo guys fielding grounders
that's pretty funny.

DaveL wrote in post #5732280
Mike,

I like the posed shots are you doing anything special for your
portrait set-up? (tripod, hand held flash etc?) I have the 50 1.4 and
plan to take a few portrait shots in the next few weeks.

At our park, they have the sumo wrestlers but they are actually
ringers (interns) who choreograph their moves beforehand.
I guess a few years ago a fan got injured in the suit so that took
care of that. I do like the idea of the sumo guys fielding grounders
that's pretty funny.

Portraits are all the same - Mark IIn + 50mm 1.4 + 580EX. Nothing special, hand held, just grab the player, show him what I want and go (I have two images on my card saved as samples).

They didn't do the sumo wrestlers to my knowledge, I didn't see it at least - no clue if they do it usually or not. Usually they have the fans sign something don't they? Not positive and maybe some teams do while others don't.

Mike -- I feel your pain. This past weekend was the Florida State League's All-Star festivities. At least the hotel was taken care of but the parties were non stop from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning and I had to find time somewhere to upload images. A friend of mine who I met several years ago when I started this minor league stuff told me not to do it if it wasn't fun --- and he's been in the business more than 30 years now. Hope you're still having fun !

i'm flat out jealous. seriously

fslshooter wrote in post #5734430
Mike -- I feel your pain. This past weekend was the Florida State League's All-Star festivities. At least the hotel was taken care of but the parties were non stop from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning and I had to find time somewhere to upload images. A friend of mine who I met several years ago when I started this minor league stuff told me not to do it if it wasn't fun --- and he's been in the business more than 30 years now. Hope you're still having fun !

Jerry - I'm at the MWL festivities as we speak lookin at the jacuzzi wanting to fire it up at 1:20am! It's a little loud so won't since I don't want to disturb the neighbors but man could use the relaxation before bed. Uploading pics from 2 days ago as I'm behind a lot, shot the HR Derby today but haven't even downloaded them yet. Always fun to be on the road, if I could shoot full time all summer long in MiLB I would without a doubt at this stage in my life when I can get away with it. With any job I'll ever do (and this is full time for me) I'll quit the second it stops being fun. Sure it gets tedius at times, sure you get burnt out at times, but as a photog told me when I started out "you can't complain when your job is going to a baseballl game every day!" Long days but doing what you want to do day in and out sure helps.

Of course my hotel and stuff is not paid for and it's all spec (that evil word to some) so that ads a bit of stress, but to relieve the stress you go "hey, its a good vacation at least".

Tomorrow is the ASG and I'll be driving as much as I can to get back to NY by Wed. night for the Batavia home opener, so organizing and uploading will take a back seat until Thursday - then games fri/sat/sun unless a rain day comes. I think it comes out to 23 games in 24 days, with that day off on Thursday this week to edit and catch up hopefully as I have two card sets to get done in this span as well once I get back to NY.

jdmsds wrote in post #5734539
i'm flat out jealous. seriously

That would go away once you saw my paychecks, .

Mike - I enjoy your stories almost as much as your images. Thanks for sharing.

Dennis

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #5735466
With any job I'll ever do (and this is full time for me) I'll quit the second it stops being fun. .

In the words of the Bouncing Souls..."tomorrow's a lifetime away" so good on yas Mikey for doing what ya like.

dmwierz wrote in post #5737038
Mike - I enjoy your stories almost as much as your images. Thanks for sharing.

Dennis

Guess that's what happens when you used to do pics and write articles, it never leaves you. Sittin in the press box waiting for the teams to get here around 4, only 2 1/2 hours away, good time to edit.

Scott - great, thanks - now I listened to the Bouncing Souls all morning.


Not sure how often they'll update, but this is yesterday/todays events.
http://web.minorleague​baseball.com …dex.jsp?sid=mil​b&lid=l118

Mike....I know that lifestyle all too well!!! 2 years as Athletic Trainer w Milwaukee Brewers Farm...Beloit in Midwest League and Stockton in California.....7 months of no "life"!!! You capture it well!

jcpoulin wrote in post #5741133
Mike....I know that lifestyle all too well!!! 2 years as Athletic Trainer w Milwaukee Brewers Farm...Beloit in Midwest League and Stockton in California.....7 months of no "life"!!! You capture it well!

Thanks...one of these days maybe have to document a player/trainer/coach, hmmm...seen it done before, but gotta be some twist to make of it

Great pics - excellent report - really enjoyed it, although I feel worn out now after reading it!

I think I'll go for a lie down!

TJ

TeeJay wrote in post #5746503
Great pics - excellent report - really enjoyed it, although I feel worn out now after reading it!

I think I'll go for a lie down!

TJ

Just do what I did, sleep till 3pm on the first night back and a day off. Good news is it restarts tomorrow!

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #5754577
Just do what I did, sleep till 3pm on the first night back and a day off. Good news is it restarts tomorrow!

I was in Midland visiting family during the MWL all-star game.
Of course, I had a 24 hour drive to start on Monday rather than a piddly 2 or 3 hour job.

Nice stadium they've got there. I enjoyed the Loons game on Saturday.

Thanks for sharing a bit of the MiLB life with us!

Lionstone wrote in post #5778236
I was in Midland visiting family during the MWL all-star game.
Of course, I had a 24 hour drive to start on Monday rather than a piddly 2 or 3 hour job.

Nice stadium they've got there. I enjoyed the Loons game on Saturday.

Thanks for sharing a bit of the MiLB life with us!

It was a nice stadium, had some problems there but it was good overall.

Finally have a day off tomorrow, not scheduled but I'm pullin a rain delay in my brain to catch up on things.