March 2013 Photography Club Photo of the Month Contest Winners John Strandquist turned in another first place entry in March’s theme of Sports Photography. John took his shot “Defense”  at the Baltimore Ravens training camp at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD.  Due to the heat and humidity that day, there were few fans and photographers that stuck around all morning which left openings along the sideline for better viewing.  Stop- action seemed to be the way to go, and some shots were taken at 1/4000 which froze everything dead still.  After reviewing the photographs, it was apparent that these were not very good “action shots” and longer shutter speeds were used until the images showed more motion.  During some passing drills, the conditions were good for this photo of David Pittman (#24) blocking or more likely interfering with Justin Harper’s (#14) reception. Nikon D300. AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18- 200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED [II] lens. 200 mm focal length (372 mm equivalent in 35mm camera) 1/50 sec, f/29, ISO 3808.   “Home Stretch” was taken last May by Pete Murphy at the Santa Cruz County Fair and Rodeo Grounds in Sonoita, AZ. There is thoroughbred and quarter horse racing for just two days every May. Pete enjoyed himself for a relaxing afternoon wagering on the races with many trips to the wagering window but very few trips to the collection window. Pete plans to go again this year for more photos and better betting results. Pete was very impressed with the food at the food court although by the eighth race he had to start picking the scraps. Nikon Coolpix P100 camera. 4.6 mm focal length (26 mm equivalent in 35 mm camera). 1/490 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160. Shot in Program Exposure mode. For several years Ken Haley has been the primary photographer for the Green Valley Elks Club. Elks sponsor many activities for the local youth and one of those activities is the annual Soccer Shoot. A large net is set up for older children and smaller goals for younger children. The young child in Ken’s third place photo was being asked to kick a soccer ball through openings in a wood structure. Hitting the center openings garnered more points than through outer openings. The lad in Ken’s third place photo, “Soccer Shoot” seemed to be the most outstanding of the many shots taken that morning. Ken has no idea how well the lad scored but Ken was focusing on the child, not the score.  Canon EOS 5D camera. EF 24-70mm f/2.8 USM lens. 58 mm focal length (53.4 mm equivalent in 35 mm camera). 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 100. Shot in Shutter Priority mode. The Photography Club of Quail Creek has a monthly photo contest for its members and schedules numerous photo field trips over the course of the year. The club meets the second Wednesday of the month in the Gold Room of the Madera Club House at 6:30 pm.