10-20-2025 11:07 AM
Friday night I took a nice 65 mile road trip to shoot a high school football game and before the game the AD and one of our senior players asked me if I would mind helping a new photographer. The "new photographer" is the youngest brother of one of our senior linebackers. I was happy to help get a new sports photographer started out very young and he was so excited to be on the sidelines taking his own photos of big bro 🙂 I warned him we had to stay alert to danger and I did have to move him quickly in the third quarter when a running back and defender crashed the lines at us, he loved that adventure! I look forward to watching him progress at future events, he reminds me of some of the great kids I coached in youth soccer when my daughter was his age.
I didn't realize his mom caught a photo of us together so that is my favorite game photo that I didn't take, my sister saw it and called it me and mini-me 😂 His mother sometimes teaches a course for my department at the university and it will be fun to see how her two younger sons turn out in sports since their grandfather was a pro soccer player from Ireland.
I think the photo of us together was probably shot with a camera phone, I used a 1DX III to capture the young sports photographer. The lesson is, don't every overlook the opportunity to get a young person interested in photography because it will be a very nice experience for both of you!
Rodger
10-20-2025 01:05 PM
Great story with helping a new shutterbug get started. The last photo shows his concentration on getting the good shot.
10-20-2025 02:31 PM
Very cool Rodger, big fan of that first image.
R3 ~ R5 ~ R6 Mk II ~ R50
Lenses: RF Trinity and others
Adobe and Topaz Suite for post processing
Personal Gallery
10-21-2025 09:09 AM
We're honored to meet the next generation of #TeamCanon!
10-21-2025 09:32 AM
It is very enjoyable helping the next generation of photographers. Before heading up to the game, I met for a couple of hours with a grad student who is working on research with me to build a profile for her admission to a doctoral program and the mentoring role at the game was very different than the academic things I do but also very fun!
Rodger
10-21-2025 12:49 PM
and he's using a Canon Powershot to boot! 🔥
10-21-2025 01:37 PM
I have a feeling mom and dad are going to see a new camera on his Christmas list. His mother told me he had so much fun and couldn't wait to learn more. So in terms of motivation I put this youngster above my undergrads and on the same level as my grad students 🙂
Rodger
10-21-2025 10:22 PM
Kudos to you Roger ! "A picture is worth a thousand words"...
10-22-2025 09:13 AM
Thank you JFG! I have been fortunate in many ways and it is great to have fun while giving back!
Rodger
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