Photographer humor says it’s always the first or the last photo you make that is your best. That’s not to mean it’s the first or last exposure but the first or last scenes.

This was my last scene for the day, shooting against the sun, spirited action, and luck on the exact composition.

There were earlier frames on all the throwers as I tried something new on an old subject. I photographed this same group last year. All the photos were good but put me in familiar territory with the athletes.

If my first set of photos were from this angle I might have met objections from the athletes. This was shot with a very wide-angle 14mm lens which means I’m very close to the subject, inside their field of performance. Staying away from their trajectory also let me study the movements of each athlete and determine which one might make a better photo.

After I made photos with telephoto and less wide-angle lenses of most of the athletes I stepped inside the action barrier with the intent to shoot this photo. It worked.

Having observed, recorded, and analyzed the possibilities, I had taken enough time to study their reaction to me increasingly moving inside their performance space. Take just enough time to test the boundaries, find the perfect spot, and then step inside them when the opportunity arrives.

It will probably be the last frame of the day.

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PhotoCamp Daily

• I frequently look through the archives of other photographers to remind me of the great work they’ve done. This photo by Michael Schwarz frequently shows in my archive studies and represents old-school photojournalism that is less frequently seen today. It’s not the photographer’s fault. Michael continues to do great work as do all the working photojournalists I know. This story was recently exhibited at the Grand Hall of Maxwell Hall on the IU Bloomington campus. When AIDS Came Home Exhibition - Original Story

• Do you know Nan Goldin? If not, watch this documentary. If you do, also watch it.

• Ready for the Oscar ceremony. Ready for the best cinematography? Watch this to see what will be the best.

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