2011 ISC Hall of Fame Photos

This year's Hall of Fame breakfast was one close to my heart, as good friends Dave Blackburn and Robert Gray were inducted each for their valuable contributions to the ISC. I'm not particularly fond of waking up early during my "working vacation" to share breakfast and take photos, but this year it seemed effortless. I was just as excited, I am sure, as the family and friends who attended to honor their well-deserving inductees. I was doubly glad also that the breakfast was so full of joy, and laughter as friends recalled those stories that I am sure inductees had hoped their friends had forgotten. All in all, it was one of the best breakfasts I've attended and by the turnout and the looks around the room, I know I was not alone. You can view the photos by clicking HERE or go to the Sports/Fastpitch/2011 ISC HOF Breakfast gallery.

The long shot

I have to admit that for some time now I have viewed it as a "long shot" that I would ever cover slowpitch. As many of you know, my photography has grown around the world of fastpitch and as such, I'm not exactly unbiased. But this weekend, my lens and I, found ourselves at a dusty field in Huntington Beach, California, photographing and dare I say, enjoying, a game of slowpitch. The game, well...it is quite different from what I am used to, but one thing did strike me as the ball was lobbed to the next batter. Everyone there was enjoying the game. The sense of competition and the same desire to win, was very much present. So, it was not long before I began to feel at home; my camera focused on the batter, my feet firmly planted on the foul line grass, ready to sprint should the batter hit a foul tip directed at my head or worse yet, my lens. You can see the photos by clicking HERE.

2nd Annual California Classic Tourney

I've just posted the photos of the recent California Classic Men's Fastpitch Tournament which took place in San Diego, California. You can see the photos by clicking HERE or by clicking on Sports/Fastpitch and the 2011 California Classic gallery.

This is my second time at this tourney and it has quickly become one of my favorites. The reasons? The level of play, the great location, the facility and the folks that run the whole thing. Oh, and seeing local and not-so-local friends (such as the guys on the photo in this post) makes it all that much better. Thanks for the beers guys!

What happened with the SCIFL photos?

I'm not sure what happened but sometime in May I took photos of our local league and just plain forgot to post them. There aren't many photos as I was only there for a couple of games. But as is usual in this league (SCIFL) there is never a lack of action. So I belatedly share with you some photos of the SCIFL's games this past May and hope you will forgive the mind bleep. You can see the gallery of photos by clicking HERE or look for the "2011 SCIFL May" gallery of photos under Sports/Fastpitch.

It never rains in Southern California...well, hardly ever.

This past weekend I was in the beautiful (albeit wet) city of Santa Barbara, California, photographing the 21st annual Best of the West tournament. Although some rain was expected, I was hoping to have complete coverage of the tournament. Alas, it was not to be so, and early on the 2nd day of the tournament the weather gods turned against us and the skies broke open; leaving us all (players, directors, fans, photographers) wanting more and wishing for a better ending. Nevertheless, Saturday's games provided some great action that I now share with you. You can go directly to the gallery by cliking HERE or check out the 2011 Best of the West gallery, under Sports/Fastpitch.

First SCIFL Photos of the Season

This past Saturday, I dropped by our local Santa Fe Springs "Little Lake" park and took in some of the action at the SCIFL tournament. Arriving in the early afternoon did not give me a lot of time to shoot but I did get enough time to catch up with some friends and get a couple of action shots. It was my first outing this season and I have to admit, I missed it much. It was great being out at the ballpark and just enjoying a great game of fastpitch. You can view the photos I took here: 2011 SCIFL - March.

Midland, Michigan

Despite being busy taking photos of the 2010 ISC Men's World Fastball Tournament, I found some time to explore the quaint town of Midland, and it's many attractions. I have posted some of the photos I took of the town at the 2010 Midland Michigan gallery, under Places. Check out what Midland, Michigan has to offer. If you were there and did not get a chance to see it, come and see what you missed out on.

More ISC Awards photos added

In our rush to get the last set of ISC photos uploaded we overlooked some of the award ceremonies that had yet to be posted. If you click on the ISC Awards gallery you will find that the Youth Games, ISC II and Legends awards ceremonies photos have been added to the gallery. Enjoy.

2010 ISC Photos Uploaded

Three photo galleries from the ISC Men's World Fastball Tournament at Midland, Michigan have been uploaded. The three galleries can be found under Sports/Fastpitch, and they are labeled: 2010 ISC Action, 2010 ISC - Around the Ballpark and 2010 ISC Awards Ceremony. You can click any of the words to take you to the corresponding gallery.

As a bonus, I have put together a 2-minute video of some of the action photos taken at the ISC. I think you will find it enjoyable and it will give you a brief (and I mean very brief) glimpse at what you can find in the galleries. Enjoy and Happy New Year (belated)!