Guess what has arrived!

Yep, it's football season again and I'm all set to photograph our beloved 49ers. Over the last three seasons, I've moved from the Rebel T1i in 2010 to the 7D in 2011 (though the iPhone made its appearance too), and this season I'm stoked to have my 1D Mark IV to take to games. However, the longest lens in my kit is a 70-200 f/4 and I'm itching to try shooting with something a little longer. I'm batting around the idea of renting a 300mm for the next game just to try it out. But there's one problem no lens will fix: people's heads.

We have stellar seats with our season tickets - we're about 12 rows back which puts us, I don't know, maybe 60 yards away from the center of the field. Not so far that the 70-200mm doesn't hold up decently enough for snapshots. I can't complain about where we are for getting some shots of what's happening on the field, but I'm not exactly excited when tall people have the seats in front of us. It's not fun to be tracking a great pass or run on the field only to pan right into the back of someone's head and have a big blurry spot in what otherwise would be a nice shot. So.... here comes the newest addition to my bucket list: I'm determined to get a photographer's pass to at least one 49ers game in the relatively near future.

I have no idea if the new stadium gives me better or worse odds of pulling this off but we'll see. But either way, it's time to start figuring out how to get on the sidelines for at least one game. How amazing that would be!! I'm so ready to put on that hideous tan vest and the gaudy knee pads and walk around with the rest of the photographers. To get a shot of Justin Smith (my football boyfriend, though he isn't exactly aware of that) sacking a quarterback from right on the ground with him. Yep -- bucket-list-worthy.

For now, I have spectator heads to contend with (and the video guys, and the chain gang holding the first down markers, and so on), but it won't stop me from trying. Here's to seeing how big a lens I can get into the game without security hassling me!

More 49ers photos on Flickr.

We had yet another gorgeous day at AT&T ballpark and while a bit farther back than last time, we had fantastic seats to see the entire field. The last time I took photos at a game, I focused mainly on keeping the images bright and colorful when editing them. This time I had fun processing them with more of an old-time look. Often, I went with black & white, added some grain, a bit of contrast or yellowing and so on. I liked the idea of trying to capture some of the timelessness of baseball. I also noticed this time around that I had a lot better timing on capturing the shot or knowing where the action was going to be. It sure made for a lot more keepers, even with just my 70-200 to zoom in on the players. You can see more photos from the day on my Flickr stream.

Sunday was the first preseason game for the 49ers at Candlestick park. The across-bay rivals played an aggressive game, but nothing happening on the field was more aggressive than the fans themselves. By the end of the game, Candlestick park looked more like a stadium of rowdy European football fans, and all eyes were on the various fights in the stands rather than the game. Still, it was great to see the view from our season ticket seats, and I'm really glad I can get some decent photos with just my 70-200mm lens. I just hope the fans are less obnoxious at the next game. You can see more photos of the 49ers on my Flickr stream.

Thanks to a very generous boss, we had some stellar seats for Sunday's baseball game at AT&T park. I took my Canon 7D with my 70-200mm f/4 L lens and had a field day. Not only was the game itself great, but it was the first time I've had a chance to photograph sports since getting the 7D. I was trying to have fun watching the game and take part in conversation (as well as enjoy a few Bloody Marys on a hot day), so I didn't exactly spend a lot of time pushing myself or the camera to see what was possible. Plus, I found out really quickly it pays to know the sport if you want to get "the moment" photographs, and I am no baseball buff. Nevertheless, I left with some cool shots (or at least, cool to me, Ms. Not-a-sports-photographer). You can check them out in my San Francisco Giants set on Flickr.