NCAA College Baseball Regionals – Irvine, Ca – Day 3

June 7, 2009 in Sports


Sunday. We finally had a game while the sun was still out, which meant two things: 1) our team had lost a previous game and had to win all the rest to not get eliminated, 2) better for taking photos (ISO 200 rather than 1600).

The game was scheduled to start at 4pm and I arrived early at around 1pm to set up a remote camera. I decided to set it up at home plate today. I had my camera behind home plate, looking down towards third base.


Once I got my camera all set up I was ready to head out and come back later before the game started. As I was leaving I realized that it would be cool if I could shoot from behind the center field wall where one of the ESPN cameras was. I walked over and found that behind all the trees and bushes, there was a permanent wood platform. I couldn’t believe that I had never known about it. Anyways, I asked the camera man if I could shoot a few innings from up there and he agreed as long as I went up and came down while his camera was off. Below, a wide angle shot of the field, taken from the center field camera platform.


Canon 5D, 15mm, 200iso, 2.8, 1/4000th

I knew that even with a 400mm I would still need to crop in a lot from this angle. I called up a friend and asked to borrow a 5D Mark II. I knew that with 21 megapixels I would be able to crop much more than with 8 megapixels. I then drove over, picked it up, and made it back in time before the game started.

About 10 minutes before the start of the game I grabbed my gear and went up on the center field camera platform. The first shots I went for were batting shots. Below, Jeff Cusick gets a solid hit off of the San Diego pitcher.


Canon 5D Mark II, 400mm, 320iso, 2.8, 1/4000th

It was too bad that the newspaper was already in production as I was shooting this game. Shots from this angle had never been published in our newspaper before. Once I got enough batting shots, I moved on and shot the outfield. Below, UCI’s Jordan Fox catches a ball that popped high and deep in the outfield.


Canon 5D Mark II, 400mm, 250iso, 2.8, 1/3200th

Below, UCI shortstop Ben Orloff catches a ball that is thrown in from the outfield.


Canon 5D Mark II, 400mm, 250iso, 2.8, 1/3200th

Shooting the infield was also different from this angle. I got the backs of people that I usually don’t get, but also the fronts. Below, UCI shortstop Ben Orloff prepares to catch the ball as a San Diego player slides into second.


Canon 5D Mark II, 400mm, 250iso, 2.8, 1/2000th

Below, a UCI player dives back at second plate but is too slow and gets tagged out by the San Diego player.


Canon 5D Mark II, 400mm, 320iso, 2.8, 1/4000th


Canon 5D Mark II, 400mm, 320iso, 2.8, 1/4000th

From the center field camer platform I was also shooting into the sun. As the game went on the players became more and mroe backlit, and from some angles they were sidelit. I played around with the light a little and got a few cool photos. Below, Eric Deragisch stands ready in the outfield.


Canon 5D Mark II, 400mm, 100iso, 2.8, 1/4000th

Below, Ryan Fisher throws in a ball that is hit deep into the outfield.


Canon 5D Mark II, 400mm, 250iso, 2.8, 1/3200th

Here are the rest of the photos:


I want to thank these photographers/UCI students who lent me equipment:

This was the last UCI game of the year, but hopefully there will be a chance for me to shoot some baseball over the summer.