A.J Price of Connecticut hits this 3 pointer with 8.2 seconds left to tie the game against Gonzaga. UCONN went on to win in overtime.

George: Great shot of an obviously huge moment in the game. But for the shot to tell the story your words are telling, I think it'd have to be a lot wider with the crowd in focus enough to read the intensity of how much hangs on this shot. Had you set it up this way, it looks like the crowd would have been happy to comply .

Good suggestion Russ and I’ve been looking to add some wide angle shots but first need a third body for that perspective while bringing the crowd a little more in focus. Also, those fans are behind the opposite baseline and the effect would be different than if there was less separation between A.J. and the crowd.

Now tell me how to predict the outcome, juggle three bodies, and then decided what shot I want amongst the chaos of the last minute of a close, intense game and I’ll be forever grateful .

George:

I hear ya! I hesitated to share my thoughts for that very reason, but when there's nothing missing from a shot on the technical side, the next thing to consider is whether there are other elements that could make it better. But you're right, the odds of pulling that off are very slim, and, I think, most likely in a circumstance where multiple shooters are working for a single outlet (I've been thinking about this a lot lately--it's just not possible for one person to capture everything and do so in the best way it all can be captured).

GeorgeR wrote:


Now tell me how to predict the outcome, juggle three bodies, and then decided what shot I want amongst the chaos of the last minute of a close, intense game and I’ll be forever grateful .


That reply is great

The pic. is fantastic.

jkristaken wrote:
GeorgeR wrote:


Now tell me how to predict the outcome, juggle three bodies, and then decided what shot I want amongst the chaos of the last minute of a close, intense game and I’ll be forever grateful .


That reply is great

The pic. is fantastic.



I guess I don't quite follow what's so great about that particular reply. Seems to me like the OP has tossed in the towel without really trying to figure out how to get a shot that looks different than any other shot most photographers could get dozens of times throughout the course of a typical basketball game.

First, I think it's important to realize that it's not possible to get every shot we want or hope to get in a defining moment like this. To think that will almost certainly be a recipe for disappointment. What is possible, however, is to anticipate what kind of shot you think you might be able to get beyond the actual winning play. IMO, one would think about factors such as what direction the action is moving, where the teams and fans are, and where you as a photographer are positioned (or can be positioned).

Having said that, in this instance what could have happened...rather than focus tightly on the shooter and getting a rather standard shot as posted, the OP could have put one of his three bodies aside (that way he would only have to juggle two). One body around his neck could have maybe a 70-200 and the other body (in his hand) could have a wide angle. Or, maybe one could have something like a 24-70 and the other a FE. Either way, there's really no need to have to worry about juggling three bodies in a situation like this. To use the excuse of trying to juggle gear is, IMO, letting the gear get in the way of what might turn out to be some great shots.

Then, look toward the bench and/or fans, and think through what kinds of shots you can possibly get if they go nuts with a winning basket or if they are totally dejected if they lose. I totally agree with Russ...the shot as posted really doesn't a story at all. It's a very basic jump shot. There had to be some major jube or something else going on that would have told the story better. That's what the OP could have anticipated or thought about during the waning seconds of the game and certainly in OT.

Often times when I'm in these situations I don't shoot the action in the remaining moments of the game...I'm going to be looking for where I can position myself to get the jube and reaction shots. And often times there are more photo ops away from the action itself.

Good luck.

Did you use strobe on this shot?

doesn't look like it was strobed. Nice pic of a jump shot... but Scott's right... it could be any of a hundred jump shots from the game. Sorry, but nothing to set it apart. If you have to tell the viewer what this particular jump shot meant, then it doesn't do what you want it to do... (like I've ever gotten one )

bb

The A.J. image was shot at 120 mm on an 80-200 so shooting at 80 wouldn’t have bought me much. Since I was at 2000 ISO, I didn’t want to stop down, and since I am a west coast shooter with Gonzaga images more likely to sell and my bet on Gonzaga winning with a 3 point lead and 10 seconds left, the assumption was the celebration would be at mid-court or farther away. I could also mention celebration shots don’t usually sell for me although I look for them anyway.

I do always strive to capture the key play of the game. I will set up for wider angle versions in the future so thanks for the comments.

With so many variables, I need to make a decision and do the best I can with the lens in my hand at the time and of the two bodies I had, the 24-70 wasn’t on either one at the time. Of all the photographers at the game how many images of the game tying shot have you seen?

It was the play of the game and the lead line in every news account. Most publications used a generic image of A.J. or even another player with the story; my generic image just happened to be the actual shot.

All good dialog though so I appreciate the exchange.

You can see from this angle the only position I was able to find to shoot from. Normally I would have been closer to the corner and 80 mm wouldn’t be so tight on a full frame body.

George, thanks for being understanding about the different perspective. I guess what I was thinking is that sometimes the best shots in the final moments of a big game or right after a big game might not be from our normal positions along the baseline...whether out on the corner or deep inside. It might be from over behind the bench or even up in the stands.

Here is a link to a photo a buddy of mine took at the end of the KU/K-State game early this year. I didn't shoot this particular game so I don't know how early he left his spot on the baseline to head up to the top of the facility to get this shot. I'd say he probably left with 2-3 minutes left in the game. Either way, I believe this ended up as a double truck in SI, so something worked.