FOTOBALL: red light special

Recently I shot 6 back to back sportraits for the inside of our 2009 Georgia football preview. The days before the shoot I was so busy between work, doing stuff for our new prep site GeorgiaPrepZone.com, and cleaning my apartment for a visit from my mom and sister (all on an injured ankle) that I just found no time to come up with ideas for the upcoming shoot. Around 3 a.m. the morning of the shoot I forced myself to think. Somewhere in the middle of not having a clue an idea popped into my head. I decided to make everything in the picture red except for spotlighting the players' faces. My former boss once told me red gels are the hardest to work with because you often get pink. I haven't worked with them much, but I figured I'd need at least 2 or 3 to achieve what I wanted to do. I sketched out some ideas for poses and hit the hay at 4:30 a.m.

I got to Butts-mehre Hall, the University of Georgia Athletics building, at 10:30 the next morning to be ready to go for my first guy at 11:30. As I was setting up I realized I had made a grave error. I had remembered to bring the gels, but made the mistake of thinking there were multiples of each color in a pack. I guess my sleep deprived mind had it confused with construction paper because there was actually only ONE of each color. Desperate, I taped together my tiny speedlight red gels, but it just wasn't enough to cover my white lightning. My entire concept was based around the color red and here I was with pink. In a panic I flew out to the trunk of my car hoping for a miracle. My trunk is absolutely packed with junk and I tore it apart hoping I'd forgotten a red gel in there at some point. I was coming up empty, panic levels rising, my brain already fishing around for a new concept, when suddenly the skies parted...in the back corner of my trunk I caught a flash of red. I reached and drug out a bright red umbrella that I've had since high school. I had completely forgotten the thing even existed. I had my miracle. I jerry-rigged the umbrella to my light with the help of gaffer's tape and it worked like a charm. It was awesome! Now, I will never clean out my trunk again.


Georgia linebacker Darryl Gamble


Georgia wide receiver Israel Troupe, left, and punter Drew Butler


Georgia strong stafey Quinton Banks


Georgia tailback Carlton Thomas, left, and defensive end Cornelius Washington