...I get to shoot the very best. The world champion Miami Heat came to town last night and for me this was like being a kid and waiting for Christmas. The buzz in the arena was palpable hours before tip-off, from the ushers to the fans who arrived early seeking autographs to, yes, even the photographers. Performance pressure didn't stop it from being a great night with lots of my photos picked up by various outlets, and the Jazz won! Here are a few with an obvious bias toward a couple of the visitors. C&C welcome. Full gallery HERE
Nice Russ...
I think you should start wearing one of those sleeves as well. they must help somehow. How did Chamberlain, Russel, Marovich, Jordan, Pippen... etc. ever manage to play without them?
... or perhaps you do already, no doubt steadying your shooting arm?
It's Not Every Day.... Lebron gets photographed by Russ Isabella!!!! Nice job making the stars look so good! #1 and #6 are my favs. So I'm curious what was your assignment from USA TODAY, shoot the Jazz or the STARS? Do you typically shoot both teams when your working on assignment? I want to have fun like you.
Bob: I don't yet wear a sleeve. Or a head band for that matter. But now that you mention it, putting down and picking up that camera/long-lens combo 50 or more times per game is beginning to wear on my left elbow, so maybe.... Thanks.
Thanks for the info, Jason. Capitalizing on a bit of a pictorial pun, a number of sites have been using the last shot for an article about the fact Dwyane Wade was not on the court (get it?) for much for much of the fourth quarter. You really never know...
Ben: I could go on for quite a while in response to your question. Basically, I'm there to shoot the event, from warm-ups and pre-game authograph signings through post-game celebrations/dejection and everything in between. Where the action is concerned, I'm shooting both teams. BUT, as I noted in another (cheerleader photos) thread, I have about 40 opportunities throughout the season to shoot the Jazz, and in the case of the Miami Heat, only 1. So there's incentive to pay a bit more attention to the visitors than the home team. As well, no surprise, photos of LeBron James have much greater sales potential than photos of Earl Watson. This is taken into account while shooting the game mostly to the extent it might apply to follow-through (reactions to a play or call by a ref) and away-from-the-action (sitting on the bench) shots, because otherwise it's mostly a matter of following the action. Then there's the initial submission (pre-game, during game, post-game), where the imbalance might not be so great, versus the stock submissions after the fact, where my emphasis definitely will be on subjects more favorable to the media. Thanks for your comments, and question--hope I've answered it!
Russ - even with all the speed of the stars, pressure knowing you might only have one chance to get that shot, star power, etc... you nailed all of these! Amazing set and thanks as always for sharing and caring.
Way ta go, Russ- I'm amazed at how much you've developed as a photographer in such a short time (or so it seems, the way time is flying, lol). Putting out some great images, and I'm sure you're having a blast doing it.
Matt: Yeah, the tongue adds a nice touch! Thank you.
Paul: Haha. No doubt I am a source of inspiration for them. Or just an inconvenient mass for them to avoid along the baseline. Thanks for your comments.
Thanks, Andy.
Greg: Glad you like the shot. Thanks.
Tom: Yes, I am having a blast. And it's amazing what repetition can accomplish! Thanks, as always, my friend.
dartheyeball and Shane: Thanks!
Manny: Batman, eh? Haha. Thanks for the encouraging words.
Performance pressure didn't stop it from being a great night with lots of my photos picked up by various outlets, and the Jazz won! Here are a few with an obvious bias toward a couple of the visitors. C&C welcome. Full gallery 
