10,000 Pictures in 36 Hours

So this past weekend was our third year in a row providing the photography coverage for the big Winter Carnival in Stratham, NH. From 8:00am on Saturday to a little after 8:oopm on Sunday we had 4 photographers team up to capture @ 10,000 pictures of about 800 athletes, well, we did stop to sleep Saturday night.

Gymnastics is one of my favorite sports, as long as I can remember I have loved watching gymnastics, and have always been respectful of the awe inspiring skill and determination the sport demands. As a spectator it is one of my favorite sports to watch. I remember as a kid watching “The Karate Kid” and afterwards I wanted to get off the couch and practice “The Crane Technique”, gymnastics always has the same effect on me, I’m just recently old enough and out of shape enough to know I shouldn’t be trying a back tuck.
So, add to this my love of photography and it’s a near perfect marriage, made even better by my ability to provide a service that includes them both, and as my friend and fellow photographer Christine mentioned this weekend, what better way to enjoy it and be a part of it than being right there on the floor photographing it? Large events like this do make for a very long weekend getting the gear prepped the night before, then up and out early in the morning, and after shooting all day we are usualy up late trying to get those images online as fast as possible for the customers, then back at it the next day. It’s definitely worth it though, some of my favorite shots are of gymnasts and I really enjoy being a part of the sport.