The Iowa Photo: Practice patterns

Bright sky silhouettes Starmont High School football players

Nick Rohlman Gazette Visuals

Gazette Visuals

Sep. 13, 2024 6:00 am

Players run during conditioning drills during a practice at Starmont High School in Fayette County, Iowa on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette) — Football players run during conditioning drills at a practice Aug. 21 at Starmont High School in Fayette County. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

I combined multiple techniques to make this picture. First, I placed the camera low to the ground. In fact, due to the crown on the grass practice field the camera was actually below ground level. I chose a small aperture and a fast shutter speed to stop the motion of the players running and ensure they were all in focus. This relatively darker exposure combined with the camera placement silhouettes the players against the bright sky behind them and creates an interesting repeating pattern. Finally, the relatively wide-angle focal length has a reverse compression effect and makes the difference in relative size of the nearest and farthest players appear larger.