Yesterday was a lovely Fall day and the perfect time to have a tournament. And so, we did. When I say we, I am using poetic license because I did not play. A back attack sidelined me, and I opted instead to photograph this event instead of playing.
Thirty-two people from all over the Bay Area came to San Rafael, ready to rumble. Teams were then assembled by Christine and Sandra in a transparent, random fashion. And it turned out that most of the teams were evenly balanced.
No superstars were present and everybody had a fair chance to snap some prizes.
The weather was a little foggy (and chilly) in the morning, but it improved in the afternoon and very soon sweaters and jackets were discarded.
Three games were played before lunch and two more after that. The winners of the tournament were determined by a combination of games won and points acquired.
I felt a little frustrated about not being able to play, but I quickly forgot about it while going on the hunt. Because yes, a photographer hunts… and at the end of the day I shot so many people that my lens started to smoke.
I shot over 600 frames which I eventually reduced to around 200. It is a very time-consuming operation and I probably spent at least 6 hours preparing to publish my work.
When I shoot an event, I try to include all the participants, but let’s face it, some people are more photogenic than some others and they probably get more coverage. Sometimes, a person does not photograph well and it is my policy to avoid publishing unflattering pictures.
Yes, it is unfair, but you ought to know by now that life is patently unfair.
The tournament was over around 2:30 pm and the winners were announced, acclaimed, presented with their prizes and photographed.
It was time for me, to reholster Big Bertha and go home.
Final results:
1st place: Bernard Passemar & Richard Bell
2nd place: Donna Von Edelkrantz & Caitlin Woodbury
3rd place: Sandra Shirkey & Albert Woodbury
4th place: Minette Etallaz & Peter Wellington
Alain
PS: Don’t be shy about “liking” my pictures.