Red blood in black & white

 
Normally I don't like to post pics I haven't taken myself, but I'll make an exception for this one that Brown took today. Today's WOD was an AMRAP-20 (as many rounds as possible in 20 min) of 5 Deadlifts and 10 Burpees. We had two guests today, one of which was so vigorous with his deadlifts, he shaved the top layer of skin off his shin with the knurl of the bar. Ouch.

The original picture was a tad dark and the blood didn't really stand out. Blood, sweat, and tears always make for interesting photography, so I thought I might tweak the shot a bit. In order to emphasize blood (a common occurrence in both MMA and CrossFit), I've found that a green filter in Picasa's filtered B&W tool works wonders. And there we have it: another picture of a CrossFit casualty to add to our collection. I love it.

For more of Brown's incredibly fuzzy pictures from today's WOD, check out Thanksgiving Penance Part Dos. Yeah yeah, I know. I promise, I will show him how to use my camera one of these days. ;-)

Congrats Aaron Riley

 

Last night was an exciting night for One Spirit Martial Arts. Our very own Aaron Riley appeared on the undercard of UFC 91 and scrapped with his opponent, Jorge Gurgel. It was an exciting match, with both fighters landing some good blows.... as well as some not-so-good blows (Nice groin kick, Aaron. *grin*) But in the end, Aaron's arm was raised thanks to a unanimous decision. Much to my glee, (as well as about 20 other OSMA diehards who had joined me at the local sports bar), they televised Aaron's fight after the Couture vs. Lesner title match. I thought Aaron looked great. He was quick, had excellent defense, and seemed cool and calm while Gurgel seemed frustrated. When they announced he won, we all went crazy, even though we already knew the outcome thanks to a txt message from one of our guys who was actually attending the fights.

It makes for a whole different experience when you actually know the guy on TV. I'm still not used to that. For instance... the above picture is from one of the very first CrossFit workouts we did in our gym back in June. Aaron Riley joined us that day as well as Reshad "The Show" Woods (now at Lloyd Irvin). This was the first time I had really met Aaron and he struck me as the nicest guy- very polite, soft-spoken, and courteous. I think I even toned down my own potty mouth so as not to offend him too much. We all did the workout and vanity requires me to mention that I -a 33 yo mother of two- kicked the asses of both of these Pro MMA fighters on this particular occasion. (Reshad bristles every time I bring it up, which is why I mention it every chance I get.)

And look at Aaron now. Here he is, our very own instructor on tv, tossing head kicks at his opponent and getting bonuses for delivering the "Fight of the Night." I know he's been there before and done this many many times, but for me, it's a first. I know a fighter in the UFC. We've worked out together. And he's a super nice guy. Way to go, Aaron! We're very proud of you.

PS- If we help you move next weekend, will you treat us all to a few cold ones with that sweet bonus you just won? hahaha

The big red button

 
Yes, that is an Easy Button from Staples. We use them when we do burpees and push-ups. If your chest does not hit the button on the way down, it doesn't count. It can get pretty noisy some days when we're all cranking out loads of burpees and the sound of "Well that was easy" and "It's your house" overpower the heavy metal coming in over the speakers. The fact that it says "Easy" right on the button is a little annoying too. CrossFit is never "easy".

I used Picasa's focal B&W for this shot because the button was a perfect circle and lent itself well to being emphasized.

On Veteran's Day...

 
...I would like to acknowledge my friends at the gym who have served their country selflessly and honorably in the US military. Porkbelly, Brown, Freeze, Dan C, Brad, Big Ben, and the countless others who know the pride of wearing a uniform for our country- it is an honor to know each and every one of you. Same to my friends across the globe who are serving right now in far off places. Thank you and your families for the sacrifices you have made.

And thanks to veterans everywhere, not just US personnel, but members of the armed forces in the countries of our neighbors and of our friends around the globe. I've had the privilege of knowing Aussies, Brits, Canadians, and Netherlanders, who are serving or have served in their respective services. Wherever you are, know that your actions are appreciated.

And since I'm on a roll with the All-Military love fest, let me finish with a special shout out to CrossFit Fort Meade for checking out my blog and leaving some kind words the other day. You put a smile on my dial. Thanks for that. And thanks for your service too.

Focus point: Kyle Baker

 
Two weeks ago I posted a shot I took of James 'Binky' Jones after being defeated by Kyle Baker during UWC Confrontation. Tonight it's Kyle's turn.

One thing was immediately obvious when Baker entered the ring: he was absolutely chiseled. He was also phenomenal to watch, technique-wise. He landed several spectacular kicks that took the wind right out of Binky and, as I mentioned earlier, the other photographers and I kept exchanging looks of disbelief as he relentlessly and ruthlessly took Binky apart. It was a great fight to shoot with two extremely athletic fighters, devastating blows, and amazing heart shown by both. I enjoyed it immensely.

I love this shot of Kyle, except for one thing: it cuts off his legs. Aaarrgh! I didn't realize it until later, but I should have used the select mode and set a different focus point toward the top of the viewfinder, not the center (spot) one. If I had done that, I could have focused on his face and still had room in the frame for his lower body. Instead, I focused (and centered) on his tattooed shoulder and cut off his legs.

I even remember complaining to one of the other photographers, "It's so hard to focus on their face and then recompose when they're moving so fast..." (And it's next to impossible to do this if you're using continuous autofocus.) Nobody offered me a better technique so I struggled through taking shot after shot of fighters chopped off at the knees. It never occurred to me to use a different focus point towards the top of the frame and avoid the problem altogether.

So that's why I'm including this picture. If anybody else out there is just learning to photograph MMA (or boxing, or any fast-paced sport) and you're trying to get a full-body shot of some totally ripped athlete (like Kyle Baker), play around with selecting different focus points. I've tried it now several times at other sporting events and it works beautifully. I can't wait to put it to use at the next fight.

Edited to add... Just found out the next UWC fight is scheduled for Feb 21. Yeah baby! No card yet, but who cares? It's a cagefight!

Anointing the Choir Boy

 
The first shot I ever got of Ron "Choir Boy" Stallings was back in April as he was getting body-slammed into the floor by my friend Reshad Woods. The impact knocked him out and, when the ref failed to stop the fight, Reshad went back and punched him in the head just for good measure. It was a pretty fantastic knockout and I believe you can watch the whole thing here (UWC Invasion Fight 1). Shortly after Reshad's arm was raised, Stallings was sent to the hospital.

Unfortunately, my pictures weren't as spectacular. I was trying to take pictures from the cheapo nosebleed section and had a hard time getting the exposure right. The only shot I got is fuzzy and cryptic. You can barely make out Stallings' inverted body as he dangles a few inches above the floor.

Fast forward several months. It was weird being at UWC 4 with my nose pressed up to the cage as Stallings entered. I kept remembering his ragdoll body lying limp on the ground after being picked up and slammed down Rampage Jackson-style. But things were different on this night. He absolutely dominated his opponent Tony Sousa in what I thought was probably the most violent fight of the night. Much of the fight took place pressed up against my side of the cage, so I had the very bizarre experience of looking up and seeing Stallings towering over me, seemingly looking down at me. Every time he raised his fists I felt sure they would land on my face, but instead they found their target in Tony Sousa. I heard every grunt, every gutteral growl, and the smack of every fist as it connected with Sousa's flesh just a few inches from my face. Many times I had to resist the very real temptation to put my own hands up, so close was the fight to my position. (ok, ok, technically, they were up because I was shooting the event, but you get my drift?)

As an aside, let me just say that it is a very odd experience to be so close to a fight and not go into defensive mode. This alone was the singular weirdest moment of the whole night- to stop for a moment and reflect on the fact that I'm coldly taking pictures while a man is getting beaten up 3 inches from my lens. Granted, both men chose to enter the cage, but during the whole fight I just had a really uneasy, almost voyeuristic feeling. It wasn't so much that I felt bad for Sousa; no, I felt uncomfortable with the proximity of the situation. If somebody's throwing punches that close to me, it's "fight or flight" that kicks in, not "photography."

Anyway, rather than post a shot of Sousa getting mauled by the Choir Boy, I thought I'd go with a shot that was more... well, Choir Boy-ish. Contrary to the fight, Stallings' 1-minute rest was spent sitting quietly, almost in reflection. Here, he almost looks tired (if he was, he didn't show it during the fight). You can't tell that he's winning just by looking at him. Lloyd Irvin is tending to him, re-applying Vaseline to his forehead, giving him sage wisdom. After this picture was taken, Stallings switched on once again,devastating Sousa and knocking him out 1 minute into the 2nd round.