Sports Photography

My brief experience in taking photos of the action at Universiade 2007 has given me a lot of respect for professional sports photographers and the images they capture.

My first brazen and shameless excuse for the quality of photos I have taken is the equipment I am using. No doubt the pros use some top-end hardware with specifications designed to deal with the high speed motion of athletic competition. My point and shoot digital camera is fairly limited in this regard.

I am certain there is still a high proportion of shots taken to shots published for those working in the main stream media. During the few days that I have been covering the World University Games in Bangkok and taking photos, I have perhaps taken 30-40 shots for every one that I have posted on my blog. As you can see, even many of those are borderline at best in terms of quality.

Finding the right angle for a potential shot is a big part of attaining a worthwhile action shot. Again, I've been limited to a degree by my position in the stands.

Developing a sense of anticipation is hugely important as well. Having a feel for when an interesting play is about to explode is a key factor in whether the final result is worthwhile. Of course, shutter-speeds available in top of the line equipment will play a role here as well.

Also, not just when you take a shot, but which players you focus on, makes a difference in the shots you end up with. Certain athletes seem to perform in a way that is more conducive to an appealing photograph. This is true also of facial mannerisms and reactions.

On day 5, I took some photos of basketball for the first time. I watched 2 games, the Czech Republic women's team played the U.S.A. and Korea and Canada faced each other in the men's competition. True to the basketball maxim, both games were decided in the final 2 minutes with the Czech Republic and Korea both prevailing in their respective games.

The women's game was close throughout with the Czechs holding the lead until about 1:30 left in the 4th quarter when the U.S. went ahead briefly for the only time.

The men's game saw a shooting clinic put on by the Koreans. Canada jumped out to a 13-1 lead and then fell behind after Korea rattled off 15 straight. They never relinquished the lead until late in the game, stretching it out by as much as 12. The Canadians made it close with the score 47-45 for Korea at half-time.

Canada only had the advantage again with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game. They could have gone ahead by 1 point again with 25 seconds left but missed a shot in close. Korea went back up the floor and scored with less than 10 seconds left to take the game 82-79.

2 very close and entertaining games.


Easy layup by the Czech Republic

U.S. team battling for 2



Disappointment

Bloggers Unite Against Abuse

On September 27th, 2007, the blogosphere will join forces to raise awareness regarding abuse. This may seem like a general subject area, but it has been chosen with the intention of allowing the potentially millions of people who are going to be involved to focus on whichever cause appeals to their sentiments the most.

The project has been spear-headed by Blog Catalog, a unique social networking site for bloggers from around the world. While initiated by those at Blog Catalog, the goal is to include as many bloggers as possible, regardless of whether they are already members of the site.

I hope as many bloggers as possible join and are not discouraged by whatever sense of despair or futility is attached to the subject matter at hand. When trying to implement change and tackle big problems, it's easy to be overwhelmed and think that we can't make a difference. I'm going to paraphrase an anecdote that I read in a book a while back, one that has probably been read and heard by many in slightly different forms.

A man is walking on a beach at low tide and notices that there are hundreds of starfish that have been stranded on the beach. He looks at them all with a kind of sadness and continues strolling along. He comes to a woman who is picking up the starfish and flinging them back into the ocean. The man looks at her with a pitiful look on his face and says, "It doesn't make a difference, look at how many hundreds of them there are..."

The woman turns around and looks at the man, stopping just as she is about to hurl another starfish back into the sea. She rears back again and stops. "It makes a difference....to this one," she says as she unloads and the starfish sails through the air to freedom and safety.

OK, it's a bit hokey but I think it illustrates how every little bit helps. The type of project being undertaken by the Bloggers Uniting Against Abuse has more than just cliches and soppy sentiments going for it though. It really can produce results.

Creating awareness and producing tangible changes as a result of writing letters, posting articles or simply talking about a specific subject, has a long history and has massive added potential because of the popularity of the internet. I consider Amnesty International an excellent model to look at in terms of a group who has used letter writing campaigns--nothing more than words--to effect real change. Ideas and words from thousands, if not millions of people, translates into pressure and real results.

In the hopes of being as effective as possible, I've put together a few suggestions for bloggers who may want to join in the fight against abuse on September 27th, 2007.

1. Be objective and thorough
Look into the area of abuse that you are focusing on as thoroughly as possible. Do research into the subject and try to look at as many sources as possible.

2. Avoid being alarmist
While we will be drawing attention to numerous different problems, we don't want to overstate things, smear good people or get into fear-mongering. The tragic aspect of many of the topics that will be written about, is that they often take place within communities or organizations that are for the most part full of good and decent people.

3. Offer solutions
If possible, do some real thinking about the topic you are going to raise awareness about and try to consider ways that can help to alleviate the problem. They don't have to be of the grand scale type. Anything that can potentially reduce the amount of abuse a certain group may be suffering is a good idea.

4. Don't focus on vilifying the abusers
Obviously, abusers of all types deserve our scorn and necessary actions should be taken to see that they are punished when it is warranted. However, I feel that a great deal of time spent spewing venom against such individuals is wasted energy with regards to this project. Focus on raising awareness and offering solutions.

5. Raise awareness through e-mails
Try to send e-mails about this event to the kind of people who are in a position to raise awareness and and help create change. Consider your local government representative, your favourite newspaper columnist (you'd be surprised at how many high-profile writers at major newspapers will respond to e-mails) or an organization dedicated to helping victims who suffer from the kind of abuse you are going to blog about.

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I have decided to blog about abuse suffered by children and young adults who participate in organized sports. I will be adhering to my own suggestions as much as possible, because without a doubt, the vast majority of youngsters who are involved in organized sports have positive experiences.

I will be doing research on the topic and plan to post a major essay on September 27th. I will also be posting reminders and more information during the lead-up to the 27th.

For more info and logos, you can go to: Blog Catalog.

I hope to see everyone united online on that day for a great cause!

Universiade 2007 Update: Day 4 Photo Gallery

Before I get to the photos, I wanted to touch on the organization of Universiade 2007 so far. Some things are being done quite well while certain areas are very lacking.

First, the timing and location of events. Up to this point, all scheduled events have started on time and in the correct venues as listed. I have seen no problem with that at all.

However, signage at events has been quite poor in my opinion. Upon arriving at various gymnasiums it has been very unclear where spectators should proceed to gain entrance. Signs, if there are any, have been small, misplaced and full of spelling mistakes. For some, these mistakes are amusing and charming. After having lived in Thailand for a number of years, I consider them annoying and asinine.

Millions upon millions of dollars have flowed in for the preparation of these games. At some point, someone was instructed to make various signs. This country is crawling with English speaking foreigners and yet, apparently in numerous cases, the person assigned this task simply failed to check with a native speaker or consult a dictionary. The results are the following absurdities:

When you find it, you can plug in your basketball

The throwing events are completed and the results have been filed over there

The transportation around the campus seems to be fairly good in terms of the number of shuttle buses available. However, the stops are poorly marked and the drivers have not been properly trained. They are unaware that western countries have strict safety standards that include coming to a complete stop and not allowing dangerous overcrowding. These rolling stops and buses rammed to overflowing has been off-putting to many. It's amazing no one has been hurt yet. Hopefully the games will finish without any incidents.

Also, all drivers are completely lacking in any English skills and there is no clear indication regarding the route for each shuttle. There are hundreds of volunteers who are interpreting in many situations. Why wasn't a volunteer put on each shuttle bus to advise passengers?

Concessions at most locations have been poor to non-existent. This campus is absolutely huge. People get hungry and thirsty throughout the day yet have few options but to return to a few central canteens. No doubt this has resulted in lower attendance at some events as many people can't be bothered to return to a competition they may have been viewing before leaving for lunch or dinner.

Overall, I'll give the organization of this event a grade of : adequate (and that's being generous.)

Now, on to some photos. More taekwondo and some volleyball this morning.

Brazil playing China in volleyball

China spiking home a winner

Brazil ultimately prevailed 3 games to 0

Women's taekwondo, Korea in blue, Kazakhstan in red

Out of the Shadows: Blogging in the Open or Anonymously?

On the heels of the Eklund article I posted a few days ago, I have given a lot of thought to the pros and cons of blogging anonymously versus being open about exactly who you are. I feel that if he had known what he knows now, Dwayne Klessel would not have chosen to use a pseudonym when writing his blog. It has caused him untold hassle and forced him into some serious backpedaling and equivocation.

I feel it is a wise move to use your real name when creating a website, maintaining a sports blog and most other things that involve writing for the internet.

I have created a list with what I feel are the top reasons for choosing to identify yourself and attach a byline to your writing online.

1. If you are not accountable to others, you will not even be accountable to yourself.

Unburdened by any concern for what you say, you may start posting some of the worst notions lurking in the nether regions of your mind. The danger exists for writing gratuitous insults, libelous statements and other nastiness that you wouldn’t otherwise post if your name were known. Something considered a truism by many, is that people in general will push the limits and do exactly as much as they can get away with.

With the sense (ultimately false) that you are free from the social and internal regulating factors that help maintain order, you can stray into dangerous territory. If you can write fairly well, this may be validated by a small core of fans who are thrilled that someone else is giving voice to their own thoughts and beliefs. If they are vocal and goad you on, you might get a false sense of your own popularity.

But in the end, you will turn off more people than you appeal to.

For many, their self control and lack of desire to engage in this kind of writing makes this a moot point. In which case, why remain anonymous?

2. If you become popular enough, you will be outed anyway.

There are numerous examples of this, including Eklund. There are simply too many ways for people to attach your writing to your real identity. Unless you are scrupulous in hiding every aspect of your personal life and keep your work from everyone in your personal orbit, someone who is diligent enough will eventually attach your name to your writing. This is dependent on whether you reach a level of popularity that causes anyone to care who you really are.

Even if you have nothing to hide, it will become a tedious chore to answer continual questions about why you chose anonymity in the first place and you will have to engage in a period of letting people know who you are. Ironically, more will probably become known about you than if you had attached your name to your writing in the first place.

3. You are limited in what you can do with your writing.

This is especially true for sports bloggers. Interviews with athletes and being credentialed by pro sports teams are usually out of the question unless you are up front about your real identity.

4. Unanticipated success that may come from your blog.

This is strongly related to point number 3. There are numerous cases of bloggers being given book deals and being offered jobs with mainstream media outlets. All of these are highly unlikely if you are anonymous. At the very least you will have to become known to those in a position to give you such opportunities. The likelihood that such people would consider you seriously are very low if you wish to stay behind the internet shroud.

Even in situations where such a rare talent exists that people in the publishing or media industries are willing to accommodate such requests to remain anonymous, the chance that this could then be maintained within the general public is very low.

5. Building confidence and overcoming fear.

It’s been cited by writers so many times over the years that it has become a cliché. Inherent in writing for an audience is overcoming the fear associated with criticism, rejection and having a part of your thoughts put on display for all to judge. The tangible effects on your self-esteem and ability to face down challenges can only be improved by identifying yourself when writing on the internet.

6. Interacting with fans.

One of the most satisfying aspects of writing, especially on the web, is the immediacy of it. Seeing how many people are looking at your work with hit counters is one thing. Getting comments and e-mails from those who have truly enjoyed your work is an added inspiration and more likely when people really know who you are.

7. No ticking time bomb.

The lack of self-regulation (or at least less of it) is more likely to lead you to make libelous statements or other comments that could come back to damage you. There are probably more instances of this happening to people who from the get-go did attach their real names to comments on websites or blogs that then came back to haunt them. I attribute this more to naivety and the rapid increase in the popularity of the internet. Many of these people were operating under the assumption that their comments essentially were anonymous when they made them. In other words, they never considered that anyone beyond a small circle of friends would ever see their online remarks.

8. Your legacy.

The longer you write anonymously, the harder it will be to eventually reveal yourself to your audience. Again, this presupposes that your effort is not insignificant and you have reached a stage where you can produce entertaining, cliche-free prose that resonates with people.

If you leave it too long, you may never get a chance lay claim to your anonymous writing.

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It’s possible to look at all these points and simply offer up the mirror opposite as reasons to choose anonymity instead. Many people would find it impossible to write or say certain things that remaining invisible allows. Many of these ideas are worthy of putting out in the public domain. But consider that, in fact, you are capable of offering up anything that can be articulated in a convincing and passionate way and you can attach your name to all those notions.

What you will probably find is that it will force you to be more thorough in your analysis. In the process you may well stick with your initial thesis but it will be strengthened because of the fact that you have reflected on it from different angles. This is what personal accountability is all about. More importantly, you will be stronger for being able to face down any controversy your ideas create.

Eklund now finds himself in a bit of a conundrum. Pressure is an interesting thing. Deny its existence as it’s ramping up, but there is almost no way to avoid its effect or influence on your actions. Many people may similarly see anonymity as the only way to enter the online world of blogging. Without the camouflage of the internet they may have never ventured into the world of writing for an audience, never discovered the motivating force of recognition, the realization that writing begets writing and hence never learned that they are as capable as others. For those people, it may be worth the risk but they should be aware of the obstacles that could lie ahead.

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Universiade Bangkok 2007 Update: Photo Gallery

Photos from day 2 of Universiade 2007 from the Thammasat University campus in Rangsit. Taekwondo, swimming and track and field.

The Canadian (in red) eventually won this bout


"Nooooo!!! Not when he's down!!" (Egypt in red, Korea in blue)


Revenge


Though his dive off the starting platform wasn't the smoothest, the U.S. swimmer (third from left) won the men's 200 metre butterfly


The only concession stand for the swimming events (seriously)


Dejected after losing


The Finnish women's 4 X 100 metre relay team victory lap


Good night!

Universiade 2007 Update: Renovations

I posted this photo 3 weeks ago during the lead-up to the games. This was the state of affairs of the weight-room. About 10 days after this photo was taken, they actually got down to the real work of getting things in shape.

Weight room, July 15, 2007

And here are the final results as of today:

Weight room, August 8, 2007

It's good to see that they got the place completed in time. Once the games finish, I will be able to use the new equipment in an air-conditioned room. That will be a nice change after working out in the sweltering pit it was before.

What steams me about this, is that it is just about the only place on the entire campus to work out, with the exception of a tiny room in a building near the nursing faculty. They closed the location pictured above 6 months ago, yet they didn't do the bulk of the work until 2 weeks ago.

However, in the spirit of trying to look on the positive side and having worked in the construction industry years ago, there are always logistical issues that aren't readily apparent.

Anyway, something to look forward to once the games wrap up.

Something's not right with this Canadian flag...

I usually don't attach too much significance to the paraphernalia of patriotism. I'm proud of the country where I was born and grew up but cautious of all the tribalistic oaths, platitudes and associated symbols that come with nationalism.

Still, I guess I've always liked the Canadian flag and what it represents in terms of our generally unbiased role in the world and the social institutions and culture we've built in our country. I've never owned a flag. Never sewn one on my backpack (and always had a suspicion that tales of Americans doing this so as to avoid danger while abroad is a myth.) I suppose I like the way it looks.

I probably underestimate the number of times I've seen it in my life. An accurate image of it is no doubt burned in my mind.

That's why it was kind of jarring today when I saw the Canadian flag flying at the flag ceremony location at the Thammasat University campus near Bangkok, Thailand, where the Universiade 2007 (World University Games) is being held. There's something not quire right about it...

Canadian flag at Universiade 2007

Compare the flag above to the one I'm used to seeing:



As you can see on the photograph of the flag being flown at Universiade, the size of the maple leaf is way off in proportion to the white space and the nodes are too short.

I'm not sure if this version is being used by the Canadian team for all the events and situations where flags are being displayed. Perhaps the one at the festival of flags is an aberration.

I'm not outraged or "looking to get something done about this."

It's just a bit off...