Nope, this isn’t an in-depth article on Zach Greer.  Instead, just wanted to post this photo that I really digged. I’m not sure why I like this photo so much, but here are a few reasons. First, the cloud formation worked out perfectly. The contrast of the blue sky with the green grass also looks great. Second, the lighting is near perfect. The sun was not high up in the sky, and thus no hard shadows were cast except a little under his eyes. Third, I like the depth the photo has. Starting in the back, the background in out-of-focus (OOF). Then, his face is in focus, but his left hand, closest to the camera, is OOF. So the OOF background and foreground, with an in focus center part of the photo add something special to the photo. This was done with a wide angle lens and I was probably about only 18 inches from him when I took this photo. One benefit of working at a school frequently is you get to know the players. While I’m comfortable taking a photo like this of someone like Zach that I know or one of the UNC players, I wouldn’t be as comfortable doing this with a player I didn’t know, or more importantly with a player who didn’t know me, beforehand. It requires getting really close to pull of. Finally, the left hand looks larger than the face, giving the illusion that the viewer is very close rather than looking from a distance.

I am kicking myself, kicking myself, kicking myself for not doing something like this with one of the UNC players. Oh well. I will probably use this idea in the future if I ever so an outdoor portrait with a player.

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