Soho

It's a guy thing.  In any group of guys we're all quietly assessing each other, making a mental list of which ones we'd be able to handle in a fight.  One guy I always knew I'd avoid was John.  He wasn't all that big - maybe 5' 9" and 165 pounds?  But solid.  All muscle.  Not gaudy muscle but the kind you see if you're paying attention, muscle rippling under the skin when he signs his name.  Quiet the way confident people can be quiet.  He had a tattoo back before tattoos were popular. 

There was an incident at an office party.  A young executive thought it would be good fun to toss John into the pool.  Bad idea.

Don was taller, over 6'.  Weight around 180.  In his mid-forties, younger than John by about ten years.  In good shape.  But not solid, not hard the way John was.  Don grabbed John.  Couldn't move him.  Tried harder.  Got frustrated.  Things got heated.  Could have gotten ugly but the top executive at the party told them to stop clowning around. 

I wasn't there.  When I heard about it I was amazed.  Every other guy on staff knew not to mess with John.  No one of us, probably no two of us, could get John to do anything John didn't want to do. 

John was at the bottom of my list.  If I had to select anyone in that staff group to fight, he'd be the last.  And if it came down to it, me versus John, I'd run. 

CheNell "Soho" Tillman-Brooks
Soho looks like an athlete even
when she's just waiting to get into the game.

I still do a little of this sizing up.  I'm past the age of fighting, past the age of running, too.  But I still notice who it is I would least like to meet under hostile conditions. 

Like in a football game?

Soho. 

She's quiet, friendly.  But there's something about her that tells me she could be trouble.  The fluid way she walks tells me she's an athlete.  The way she carries herself.  The first few years I knew her she was coaching.  Then in 2009 she suited up and played a season with the Outlaws.

This posting is a sample of Soho.  I've posted other shots of her in this blog, one making a devastating tackle on a Houston runner - you can see that one if you go back to the posts about tackling.  Someday I'll do an interview and post her profile.  Today's posting is just from one day, that scrimmage in Waco a couple years ago. 

Intimidating isn't she.  If you had the ball and saw Soho coming,
you'd be wise to run fast, or hand off.

Soho played defense.  She played in the line even though I had her pegged as defensive secondary.  She isn't very big.  But she says "I'm not a stickler for size.  Time and time again, I've seen women the size of Monty (Gauck, 135 pounds) knock the crap out of women the size of KJ.(Scheib, 220 pounds)"   For a few years she played for the Houston Energy, at offensive tackle.  She was "usually 75 pounds or more smaller than the defensive lineman."  That gave her an edge because the opponent thought she'd have an easy time against the smaller player.  Soho admitted to me she sometimes "found myself giggling as I stepped over the d-linemen that I knocked on her backside."  

There's power in that left arm.  Power in the right arm, too.
Like my friend John, Soho's muscle isn't gaudy but sometimes
you see it, as in this photo as she grabs the ball carrier.

If you have the ball, chances are pretty good you're going to
see Soho up close and personal.

Always around the ball, here Soho is diving to recover a fumble.  She often causes fumbles, as you'll see below.

The following is a sequence of photos showing excellence in action.   It starts with Soho being blocked out of the play.  Not.  The freeze frame doesn't show the force of the impact, doesn't show the way #3 is powering into and then off of the hapless blocker.  Then the path to the quarterback.  Remember in a previous post we talked about quarterbacks having three seconds to pass the ball or hand it off.  This quarterback didn't pass, which she intended to do.  Didn't hand off. 

The series of photos stops the action.  Actually the whole series took about four seconds.  There is about one-third of a second from one shot to the next.  Things are happening fast.  My camera just slows the action so you can see.  Well, let's look at the photos...

It looks like she's being blocked but looks are decieving.  Note the blocker
has a size advantage.  This isn't a stand-off.  It isa hit. 

One third of a second later, Soho discarding the blocker
getting a  bead on the quarterback.

One third of a second later, Quarterback in trouble. 
Note she, too, has a size advantage.
Or is that really an advantage? 

Quarterback still has the ball, still thinks she's going to throw  a pass.  Nope.

Soho has her.  Size difference apparent.  And irrelevant.

A third of a second later.  Collision!
Soho in the air.  Securing the tackle,
knocking the ball loose.

The ball is on the ground.  The quarterback is soon going to join it.

Not just tackling now, steering the quarterback's fall away
from the ball.

The play ends with Soho on top.  Not the first or last time in the scrimmage.  Nor the season.

Soho says size isn't what counts.  "The heart is the most powerful thing in sports." 

If I were playing football, I'd just as soon be facing someone else on the line.  Anyone else. 

Random Fan Photo

Through the Lens, Football Photography

Why are my best pictures near the end of each posting? 

Do you know how to design blog pages?  Will you teach me?

I don't know the finer points of blogging.  Page layout?  I don't like my page layout because all that stuff along the right side limits the space I have to post photos.  It is important stuff - labels, blog archive, links, "about me" - but it runs a long way down and uses up display space.  So photos I post near the top of the blog have to share space with the side notes.  So they have to be smaller than I might like.  So I save my favorite photos, the ones I want to display LARGE, until I've used enough vertical space that they'll display below the side notes. 

I'd really like to move all that side stuff to the top in fancy drop-down menu format.  But do I know how to do it?  Nope.  Do you?  Are you willing to teach me.

I like this because of the depth-of-field, or maybe
"shallow" of field.  Also the lack of official uniform.
Only the Outlaws wore game uniforms at Waco.
And I like the runner's eyes, her focus.

I have a Nikon D-40 camera with a 55-200mm zoom lens.  And I have Photoshop Elements photo editing software.  Neither of these is  top of the line but I'm still getting remarkable quality.  As I prepare a posting I browse my photos and look for shots that support a theme I have in mind (see posts on tackling, running, blocking). 

Sometimes browsing will suggest themes I haven't thought of yet.  Sometimes I'll just be fascinated by the images I gain by zooming in.  This posting is a collection of shots from a three-team scrimmage at Waco a couple years ago.  The Outlaws and two Dallas-area teams met and did some round-robin style scrimmage, taking turns facing different opponents.  It was a great photo-op.  (Another blog layout question - this paragraph was supposed to run beside the photo.  Somehow the blog software decided to put it under.  Why?)

                                   

I've talked a little about depth-of-field in photography.  The camera focuses sharply on the main subject.  Depth-of-field refers to how much foreground and background are also in focus.  With my Nikon D-40, the depth-of-field is really shallow when I'm using the sports setting.  I'll do more on this subject in a future post. 

For now, I want you to know some of my shots intrigue me just because of the way the background is not in sharp focus.  In short, I like the effect. 

As in the photo of the running back above.  Or this shot of Veronica Narvaez 

Vero, with background in very soft focus.  This is
cut from an action photo.  Lots of other players
were on the field and Vero was about to engage
a would-be tackler. 

But the real fun is capturing the action. The freeze frame image.  And that's most of today's post.  With my favorite two at the end.



I like this one because you can tell the defender is making the tackle but you can see exactly how.  I suspect she's making an illegal horse-collar tackle - you're not allowed to grab a runner's shoulder pads to drag
her down on her back.  Note:  I'm vertically below the side notes so posted this photo
in extra-large format.



Freeze frame action with tackler's feet both off the ground.
This is close to an illegal play depending on whether
she grabs the face mask or simply has her arm around it.
In our post about tackling we suggested it is best to
get low, grab legs.  But sometimes you do what works
at the time.  Looks effective to me.

Dikibo is #91 and an aggressive Outlaws
defender.  Her name gets called a lot during games as
she makes a lot of tackles.  I like this and the following
photo because up close it shows just how tough this
game is.  Note the two photos are from two separate
plays.  Apparently elbow to blocker face mask is
a technique the works for #91.

Second of two showing Dikibo being a blocker's worst nightmare. 

Just like this photo because it stops the action.  You can just
imagine the energy and counter energy as runner attempts
to escape the grasp of two tacklers.

The story behind the photo - the player on the ground in black jersey and white helmet was carrying the ball.  It
got away from her and is bouncing somewhere out of the frame to the left.  I  liked the way all the
white jersey players are looking at the ball.  Also notice the depth of field is deeper here.  All the players
are in pretty good focus.  So did my camera know?  I don't think so.  If I were a more sophisticated
photographer I could explain.  I'm not.  I can't.

My favorite of all the close-up shots posted today.  I love the energy being expressed in the
faces of tackler and Outlaws runner, Monic Gauck.  Monica is one of my favorite Outlaws
(see profile I did on her - find it using the side notes labels). 

Random Fan Photo

You're on Candid Camera, Photography

Note the background isn't in perfect focus - which is just
the effect I want.  Don't know her name but she is
photogenetic isn't she.

The 200mm lens is often not enough for some of my action shots but it is almost always great for candid portraits.  If you've followed this blog for awhile you know I sometimes do a "Faces of Football" theme where I post photos of coaches and players at a game or practice.  Today's posting is a variation on that idea featuring beautiful people at the tryouts a couple weeks ago.  Most are candid - where the subject didn't know was taking the photo.  Some are from a distance - I used my photoshop softare to zoom in.  All are here because I like them.  Call it photographer's choice.

One observation on many of this shots is something I noted in my previous posting.  I'm shooting with my Nikon set for sports and action.  A cool effect that setting gives is to pin-point focus.  The main subject is in sharp focus, the background not.  Someday I'll do a posting just talking about that - it is called depth of field - and how it sometimes messes up good action photos by putting the main focus on the wrong part of the action.  For now, I'll just note it when it is apparent in a photo.

Okay, she knew I was shooting so this borders on
being posed.  I like the shot anyway. 

Coach Bobbie.  Always up, always happy.





Through the Lens - Freeze Frame Action

The game gets even more interesting when you stop the action
and zoom in a little.  Not sure who has the ball but I think
it is #34 of the Outlaws.  Dallas #59 is trying to tackle
Lily, a blocker.  Lily is getting abuse from two directions
and pretty soon the whole pile is going to tip over on top
of #59.  I love shots like this because I played in the line.
Football is a lot like a street brawl sometimes.

A few years ago I bought a Nikon D-40 camera with a 55-200mm zoom lens.  I've been awed at the quality of photos this camera produces.  Using my photo process software, Photoshop Elements, I zoom in on the action and notice facial expressions - amazing how often players close their eyes at impact with an opponent.  Or I crop extraneous elements in the photo.  Or just notice the individual battles going on in every play in a football game.

 

In today's post I'm sharing with you some of my favorite action from the Dallas game at the end of the 2011 season. 

Ski isn't going to make this tackle.  The runner has
changed direction and the blocker is in perfect
position to keep Ski at bay.  When I zoomed in on this
action I noticed the muscles in Ski's forearm - she is strong.
And the Outlaw behind who is in a better position to do a
quick reverse and catch the runner going around the blocker.

Tackling is difficult.  When you don't get a perfect angle
on the runner, grab what you can.  Monica has a shirt
in hand and that may be enough.  This was way across
the field from where I was standing.  My 200mm lens was
barely enough - someday I'll buy a 300mm.

I doubt you'd be able to see this from the stands - the Outlaw
is trying to steal the ball, which is perfectly legal if you can
do it.  Another thing about these zoom in shots is something
called depth-of-field.  Only so much of the scene is in perfect
focus.  Which I think is cool.  See #3 in the right background. 
Not in clear focus.  Good.  She's not the subject of the photo. 

Just when you think you have the runner in your grasp, she
makes a sudden left turn.  Your inertia won't let you respond
quickly enough.  I like the shoes.  I did a posting or two
about socks.  Considering doing one about shoes.

Annoying when the runner is just out of reach.  You've escaped the blocker but the speedy
runner is getting away.  And your arm just isn't long enough.  Once again notice
the way the camera leaves the background out of focus so we're not distracted.

Grab shirt, grab ball.  Runners don't have handles so you want to wrap your arms around
her but when that doesn't work you shift to plan B.  Runner's eyes are open, tackler's
eyes are closed.  I like Monica trying help.  Note the arm of a blocker trying to keep
Monica out of the play.

I've zoomed in tight on this one because I like Shadana's expression.  It looks like Monica
has secured the block and it is safe to proceed but Shadana didn't have enough faith and
did a quick change of direction looking for running space to the left.  I once did a posting
about eyes.  Three sets of eyes are intriguing in this close-up.

That's not the way to hold a football.  It looks like the Outlaw being blocked by #89
is trying to pop the ball loose.  A cool technique is have one tackler control the runner,
other tacklers try to get the ball.

This may be a continuation of the play above.  I like it because
the ball is clearly visible and the tackler continues to
fight for it.  From the stands or sidelines, the action is often
too fast for you to see the hand-to-hand combat.

Zooming in gives us the runner's facial expression as she is heading to the ground. 

 

Random Fan Photo

Actually today's fan photo isn't all that random.  I didn't get her name - hafta get better at asking and remembering names - but I got to liking her very quickly.  I asked if she is trying out for the team and she said no.  From this photo,can you guess the reason she gave?  She said I'm too "girlie" for football. 

Girl talk with coach Dee.