Ugly Basketball.

"Members of the Johns Hopkins University and Goucher College men's basketball teams fight for a rebound during a 'Pride of Maryland Tournament 2011' opening round game Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland."
"Members of the Johns Hopkins University men's basketball team collide during a 'Pride of Maryland Tournament 2011' first round game at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland Tuesday, November 15, 2011."

I love shooting sports, but basketball is among my least favorites. There’s something about dark, yellowy lit gymnasiums that just doesn’t do it for me. 

At its roots, it’s not as pure of a game as other sports are. Often the only thing you see through your lens are clusters of bodies falling on top of one another, or, if you’re shooting from the baseline, bodies falling on top of you. Visually, I prefer sports with simple, clean lines and great light. You’ll get a sense of what I mean if you click here or here.

For me, those are refreshing to look at after the types of events I’ve been covering lately. 

Regardless, I shoot basketball when I need to, and I can make some good images when I do. I covered the opening round of the annual Pride of Maryland tournament at Goucher last Tuesday, and I liked these two as a pair. They show the uglier side of basketball.