Girls Take The Ball While The Guys Take The Poms

michaelpohl · Apr 27, 2015

So first I'm going to give you guys a little background. I'm a senior at Antioch High School in California. Our school is ridiculously outdated and in the not so good half of town. It was built back in 1955 and we still have all the original buildings and until this year, original stadium. Through tax bonds we are finally getting a renovated school and the first things done were out sports facilities due to the fact that they're so outdated, we weren't allowed to hold regulation events at them. Our new stadium was completely done on Wednesday of last week, just in time for our 9th annual powderpuff game. It's against the other High School from the good side of town, Deer Valley High School (I actually live across the street from it but elected to go to the other school for an Engineering pathway program there), which was built in the late 90s. Our school has a lot of pride, as over half of the staff are alumni, and most of the students have a parent, aunt/uncle, or even a grandparent that went there. We've always been the lesser school, as most of the good athletes either don't make grades, drop out, or choose to go to other schools that are more recognized by colleges. This year has actually changed that. Having the confidence of a new & million dollar stadium and the fact that we've beaten them this year in football and basketball, we try to prove that we're a force to be reckoned with. For those that don't know what powderpuff football is, it's where the girls play flag football and the guys go out and cheer. This year our game went into over time with a tie of 14-14, and we barely tied it in the last 30 seconds of the 4th quarter. We actually won in overtime which means our first ever event on the new field was a win that wasn't expected. I would love feedback on the images. Thanks!

IMG_5214 by michaelpohlphotography, on Flickr

IMG_5323 by michaelpohlphotography, on Flickr

IMG_5326 by michaelpohlphotography, on Flickr

IMG_5333 by michaelpohlphotography, on Flickr

IMG_5350 by michaelpohlphotography, on Flickr

IMG_5377 by michaelpohlphotography, on Flickr

IMG_5381 by michaelpohlphotography, on Flickr

IMG_5399 by michaelpohlphotography, on Flickr

IMG_5411 by michaelpohlphotography, on Flickr

IMG_5501 by michaelpohlphotography, on Flickr

IMG_5526 by michaelpohlphotography, on Flickr

pgriz · Apr 27, 2015

I'd say those are pretty damn good! Lots of emotion, engagement, and the photography side is pretty well executed.

tirediron · Apr 27, 2015

Excellent work Michael! Your timing and composition is very good, and the team shot is perfectly exposed and nicely composed. The only very minor issues I can find are that the play images are a bit under-exposed (a result I assume of not having top-end gear) and a few of them need leveling. I see a bright future for you if this your work at your age!

Designer · Apr 27, 2015

I see something that looks like the Haka, but in shot #5399 it looks like guys wearing skirts. Why? (sorry if I misread that)

michaelpohl · Apr 27, 2015

Thanks Guys! Yeah, I don't like to push the t3i above iso 800 and I was shooting at iso 1600 and still bringing it a whole stop up in lightroom, with half the noise reduction up. And they are wearing skirts. Most schools that do it have a tradition of the boys wearing the girls uniforms, Deer Valley is actually the only school in the area that the boys don't wear the girls uniform, My cousins school in Pennsylvania even wears the girl uniforms!

Designer · Apr 27, 2015

My opinion of that is that it's stupid.

Yes, you may relay that to anybody who might want to know.

michaelpohl · Apr 27, 2015

Thanks for sharing!

Derrel · Apr 27, 2015

Pretty good!!! In my area, the powderpuff games are always the senior girls versus the junior girls, and the teams each wear jerseys, either home or away, from the boys' football squad...

A couple are a bit dark, and need more post exposure lift, but overall, pretty good job!

funwitha7d · Apr 28, 2015

as said above very nice, sparkling group shot at the start and emotion is great

jovince3000 · Apr 28, 2015

I'm actually shooting with the Rebel t3I myself and honestly, looking at those picture, I would have never guessed it was taken with this body at ISO 1600, you did a freaking amazing job with the noise reduction sliders. I have nothing to say other than praise for those shots

(EDIT) wait, I just noticed something : The ONLY thing I would have to say is : You could have added the ball in your team shot. Honestly, it's just nitpicking at that point but it certainly add a little something and it help to identifies what kind of team it is to unrelated viewers.

michaelpohl · Apr 28, 2015

I'm not great at noise reduction, all I know is that when I move the luminescence over a to around 30 it looks better, I leave all the other sliders around it at default haha. And that's a good point, It was actually the school hired photographer that organized them, I was already practically standing over his shoulder to take it so I didn't want to but in haha.

jovince3000 · Apr 28, 2015

I ... I see ><

Oh well, lol.

I personally had -a lot- of shots that couldn't be saved even with those sliders at ISO 1600, guess I'll go watch a couple of noise reduction tutorial. Thanks!