Two-time Olympic gold medalist Edwin Moses was on Capitol Hill Tuesday to meet with Members of Congress about the outcome of the first-ever U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) study on the State of Youth Sports.

Mother Jones has used a photo of mine from the 9-12 March on Washington for a story discussing Tea Party and Environmental extremists.

Read the story on Mother Jones web site here: Tea Party vs. Enviros: Who’s the Bigger Terror Threat?

The printed edition of Oprah magazine picked up a photo of D.C. football coach Natalie Randolph in a recent issue. Randolph is believed to be the nation’s only female head coach of a high school varsity team. This is her first season as coach of Coolidge High Schools’s Colts in Washington, D.C.

In 2009 I went to the Shenandoah Valley Speedway to shoot a story for the Daily News-Record about a young local boy that was racing at the track on the weekends. While I was there, this hot pink race car caught my eye. When a blond teenager climbed out of it I thought, “this is a photo story.”

I had planned to do more on her as a racer but I never got the chance. I am thinking it may be time to follow up and see if there is more to shoot.

I do not shoot as much sports as I used to, and I miss it a little bit. Although one of the reasons I got out of shooting on the professional golf tours full time was boredom, I think it would be interesting to go back and shoot an event or two just to find out if I “see” it any differently.

Of all sports, probably the one I photographed the least has been tennis. I covered the Family Circle Cup for a couple of years when I lived on Hilton Head Island. But the tournament moved to Charleston and I never made the trip. Anyway, that was a long time ago, so when I went to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C., this week, I was seriously wondering if I would be able to make any decent images.

Shooting Tennis is difficult. I think soccer is difficult also, but tennis I think is harder. In soccer you have this giant field to cover and moving with the action is really not an option since the action moves so fast. When the players are at the opposite end of the field you need some really big glass.

Tennis can be covered by a 400mm for shooting to the opposite end of the court and a 300mm or a 70-200mm for the near end assuming you are sitting on one of the baselines. Unfortunately you don’t really get to move around much. You can usually get up into the spectator areas and shoot from above, but I think staying up there long if you are the only photographer covering the event for a publication is a recipe for missing something.

I was surprised to see that my timing was pretty much still there. Just like trying to catch a golfer at impact, trying to get the ball in the frame requires timing and anticipation. I remember the first tennis event I shot, back in the days of film, was a disaster. With no immediate feedback, I had no idea that I was way late on most of the shots, so no ball. Although I seemed to be in synch from the start for this event, it was still a great benefit to have the instant feedback. It also enables you to see things in a players stroke that might make for a cool picture with a slightly different framing and timing.

The hardest part of tennis may be just trying to get something different. Something other than the players swinging at the ball for the 300th time. Generally in a match, unless someone goes diving for a ball, it all starts to look the same. You really have to focus on not only the action, but also the expressions that the players give after a point. One thing about shooting athletes, they are like actors in a play, they tend to do the same things again. Looking for these mannerisms is like a character study. And to make sure you don’t miss it you have to be paying attention and be ready.

Overall, I think it was not bad for shooting tennis after such a long time. I may need to find some more matches to hone the skills before the next major event comes along.

Do you know that saying that your first intuition is probably right? There is another favorite of mine used in gambling circles by players of baccarat. “Don’t get off the horse until it dies.” This is in reference to betting method where you are betting on the “dealer” or the “player” and pressing the bet every time you win. They say you should never pull your bet until you lose it. It sounds nuts but it is sound advice.

What does this have to do with photojournalism? Well here was the plan.

I was wandering around Dupont Circle during the showing of three of the World Cup matches on big screens to a couple thousand people crowded in the D.C. park that is inside a big traffic circle. Looking for photos of reaction and dejection. I finally decided that the best course was to find a group that was really into the matches and that were being vocal and animated. I found a good group.

The score was 1-0 in favor of England over the U.S. and I figured the regardless who scored next, that the American fans I was camping on would give up some good reaction. I was there about 30 minutes, BAKING in the sun and starting to get claustrophobic in the tightly packed, sweaty crowd. It was starting to get unbearable. I had show some emotion, but nothing like I knew would come if the U.S. team scored. So I hung in there.

Then with about 4 minutes or so to go in the first half, I gave up. I simply was feeling the heat and the crowd closing in so I made my way toward the outer edge of the circle and some shade.

Yep, as you can guess, within two or 3 minutes of me leaving my prime spot. The U.S. scored. The crowd went wild, and I had no good vantage point to get the reaction.

Lesson learned. Again.

I covered a press conference today where Cavlin Coolidge Senior High School named Natalie Randolph the school’s new head football coach. She is believed to be the only woman coaching a high school varsity football team in the United States.

Randolph, 29, teaches biology and environmental sciences. She played for five years as a wide receiver for the D.C. Divas of the women’s professional football league and was an assistant football coach at H.D. Woodson High School in D.C.

This is going to be an interesting story to follow.

Fans of Natalie can purchase prints from this event on my archive (click here).

I had two assignments today. One was covering the issuing of the first marriage licenses to the Washington, D.C. gay and lesbian community and the second was the Floyd Mayweather and Sugar Shane Mosley press conference. The press conference was part of their public relations tour leading up to their fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 1.

The first assignment was better.

Still, although I can’t call myself a fan, and I know very little about boxing, I am fascinated by it. There is something about the way that two men can get in a ring and battle it out and usually, although they try to hide it for the sake of showmanship, can be friends and respect each others talents and ability. As brutal as it can be there is an art about it.

I did notice a distinct similarity between prizefighter and politicians. Neither of them show up at press events on time.

The press conference was supposed to start at 11:00 a.m. according to what I thought I read on the the press release. At 11:20 the press and the public were still standing outside the theater. Of course I found out later that the press release said the doors open at 11:00 and the event starts at noon.

The lesson here is to READ the damn press release. OK, so I skimmed it. At least I was early.

BUT,  as I said the doors did not open until 11:20 and of course the event did not start until 12:45.

Now, the point of this is not to pick on the event people but still the stars could have been on time.

The REAL issue was that I was hungry. I had started the day at 5:15 a.m. so I could be at the courthouse in D.C. for the license story at 7:00. I left there about 10:20 to catch the metro to the press conference and arrived about 10:50. That Pop Tart I had in the car on the way to the metro had worn off.

The lesson here I think is to have some snacks in the backpack. You never know when the next chance to eat may come.

Back to the event…

The thing that was interesting was that the one politician I saw at the event, beleaguered (always wanted to use that word) D.C. City Council member and former mayor, Marion Barry, was there and seated on time. (Barry was censured by the council the night before for violating conflict of interest rules and impeding an investigation. They also stripped him of his committee chairmanship.)

I guess sometimes politicians can be on time. Even the ones having a bad week.

James Madison's Denzel Bowles is fouled as he goes for an offensive rebound against Delaware at the JMU Convo on Monday night. Bowles scored 26 points in JMU's 71-65 win.

James Madison's Denzel Bowles reaches for a loose ball during first-quarter action against Delaware at the JMU Convo on Monday night. Bowles scored 26 points in JMU's 71-65 win.

James Madison's Darren White dunks the ball over Delaware's Josh Brinkley during first-half action against Delaware at the JMU Convo on Monday night.

James Madison head coach Matt Brady voices his displeasure at the officiating during JMU's game against Delaware at the JMU Convo on Monday night.

James Madison's Andrey Semenov cheers on his team from the bench during second-half action against Delaware at the JMU Convo on Monday night.

James Madison'a Julius Wells drives the lane against Delaware's Jamelle Hagins during second half action at the JMU Convo on Monday night.

One of the best things about being a photojournalist is having the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. From the everyday working stiff to the rich and famous.

Back in October  2006 I was planning on attending the NPPA’s Flying Short Course in Philadelphia. A few days before I was to leave I was in our managing editor’s office to ask a question and he looked up from his computer as I walked in and said, “Do you know Joe Frazier is almost broke and living above his gym in Philadelphia?”

Well I did not and he went on to tell me that there was a story in that day’s New York Times detailing Frazier’s career and current situation. Of course my mind is racing trying to think of how I can make a side trip during the short course to visit the gym and maybe get a chance to make some images of the legend.

So on the first day of the short course I had some time and made the short walk to the gym from where we where staying. I wandered in to the gym and found that it was empty except for a few guys working out and Joe’s son Marvis watching two boxers spar. When Marvis got a break I approached him and told him who I was  and that I has hoping to do a story and photos for  American-Journal Magazine. He could not have been more pleasant and agreeable.

He said his father was not there but he was expecting him at any time. So I humg out a bit and when Joe arrived, Marvis introduced me. Joe agreed we could get together the next afternoon so Jenny could interview him and I could photograph him during his daily workout.

We showed up the next day and when Joe arrived he was outgoing and gracious. We went upstairs to his office and Jenny interviewed him as he sat on his couch underneath a Life Magazine poster of a cover shot of Joe and  Ali.

We spent about an hour and a half with Joe and Marvis. Jenny got what she needed for a short story and I got the photos and a lesson on the speed bag with Marvis. (There are photos of this that need not ever be seen.)

As we were about to leave, Joe insisted that Marvis take a photo of him with Jenny and I so we could have something for the scrapbook.

The story and more photos can be found on American-Journal.org.

To purchase prints of Joe Frazier visit my archive.