Photographer James Taylor reflects on the fall sports season in a series of photos.
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More than sports
Quilcene’s Bishop Budnek has more spare talent falling off of him in the time he brushes by you than you ever had in your whole life. You’d jump at the chance to stand next to him in hopes it might rub off - assuming you don’t trip over your own shoe laces in the process. True story by the way! Budnek excels academically as well, with interests in mathematics and business leadership. I don’t know him well enough to call him the Pacific Northwest version of the “Swede” in Philip Roth’s American Pastoral but, chapter one might as well be about Budnek. When coach had to break it to Bishop that he wasn’t going to allow him to play in the second half on account of his injured ankle, the “Swede” was suddenly gone. In his place stood someone different. Someone I could suddenly relate to. He was real. As though Pinocchio himself had sprung to life and jumped off the page. No strings attached! I raised the camera to my eye and took the shot. It wasn’t until I got home that I began to question the ethics behind that decision. I was split. Arguing back and forth with myself. “He’s still in high school. He never asked for any attention,” I pleaded. I retorted, “Every photo that you have submitted of Bishop is of him being the hero. That can be a lot of pressure. This could give him the freedom to be whoever he wants to be.” After thinking about it a little longer, I decided to go with my instincts and clicked “Send” on my email to the editor.
Photo special to the Leader by James Taylor
The Port Townsend girls soccer team won one match this year. This shot of Savanna Hoffman and Macy Smith celebrating after the final whistle blow from the ref, says it all. If I am not mistaken, Hoffman had just scored and the buzz in the air was electric. I was beginning to pack up when out of the corner of my eye I could see way across the field Smith running toward her teammate with arms wide open. I flicked the power on to my camera, ripped the lens cap off the front of the lens, and fired off three shots. The players were so far away that the auto-focus struggled to lock on. But I got it! Enough to tell the story at least. There isn’t a whole lot going for this photo aesthetically, but the story is palpable and raises it to the top of the pile.
Photos special to the Leader by James Taylor
One of the things I have enjoyed most about photographing sports is learning how to describe what is happening in each shot. When it came to volleyball I had to learn not only the rules, but each position and its role in the various strategies that get deployed on both offense and defense. This helps me to understand the game as it unfolds and predict what is going to happen next. Then, there is the lingo. Volleyball jargon includes words like; ace, attack line, back set, campfire and cut shot, in addition to dig, dink, and dump. The name of the athlete in this photo is Stormie Elkins and she is by far the most qualified setter not only among Quilcene’s girls volleyball team but, in the entire league - in my humble opinion.
Let me explain what is happening in this photo. It is indicative of Stormie’s brilliance as a setter. The ball was passed to Stormie by one of her teammates in the back row (out of frame on the left). With her back turned toward the net, her job as setter is to pump the ball up high directly above her in order to provide the hitter enough time to swoop into position and leap into the air and spike the ball across the net. Why? Because that’s what setters do. It is what is expected of someone in that position and exactly what the opposing side had predicted.
However, Stormie had other plans. As the ball arced toward her, she followed it with her eye until her back was arched such that when she gave the ball a final pump, it didn’t go straight up into the air but rather it was accelerated over the net and the unsuspecting heads of the opposing front row before bouncing untouched in the enemy’s court. They didn’t even know what hit ‘em! I called it, “Stormie’s Backward Dump.”
Photos special to the Leader by James Taylor
The through-line in all of these photographs is the story. This one of Nathan Cantrell shadowing the lead runner sums up almost the entire race. Nathan kept the leader on a short leash during the two laps around the track until the very final downhill sprint toward the finish line, at which point Nathan inched ahead in the final seconds to win the championship. This image has a number of elements working in its favor aesthetically as well. First, the diagonal line formed by the string of runners leads the eye across the entire frame, with a little space in front for breathing room. The focus falls off from front to back which emphasizes where the viewer should look and who the story is about. Finally, the smattering of leaves on the ground helps tell the story in terms of the time of year and gives a sense of depth to the ground as the leaves are larger in the foreground and smaller toward the back. Without them, the grass would have appeared as a flat, dimensionless void of green space.
Photos special to the Leader by James Taylor
Posted
By James Taylor, Special to The Leader
Photographer James Taylor reflects on the fall sports season in a series of photos. Read more in the captions above.