Kitesurfer With Awesome Kiteboard Graphic Catches Some Air

        The winds on Coronado were perfect for kitesurfing at Silver Strand Beach, so I interrupted a leisurely bike ride along Bayshore Bikeway to take some photos. I’ve never tried to kitesurf but I’d like to try.

        These guys were kitesurfing on the southern end of Silver Strand beach, right in front of the southern most lifeguard tower. The weather, wind and waves all seemed to be favorable and it was fun to watch and a pleasant addition to to my bike ride.

A Perfect Coronado Day

Receiving Instructions At A Softball Clinic

        I made a dedicated trip to Imperial Beach Sports Park to see a girls softball clinic the other night to get an idea of what the nighttime lighting conditions are like at this particular field. The lighting turned out to be very good. You would normally expect lighting to be the problem at night at a venue like this, but my enemy the entire time were the chain link fences which seemed to be everywhere, spoiling my backgrounds and foregrounds. I’m gonna have to work on that. Spring training is not just for the players, but the photographers and staff as well.

Learning Techniques For Pitching And Catching

        There are several ball fields at the park, some of them less fenced in than others so with any luck the actual games will be played on different fields. Kulken Field, in La Mesa is a great little league baseball field and I got some great shots at an all star game there last summer. Anyway, I’m looking forward to watching a lot of live baseball and softball this year, while working on my photographic technique at the same time. Cheers!

La Mesa CA Soap Box Race Cars

        I found a few more photos from the La Mesa Kiwanis sponsored soap box derby I attended last weekend. If you would like to see my first post about the derby, with more photos and commentary, click here.

The First Racer Of The Day

        Kiwanis really does a lot to help bring joy into the lives of kids by making things like a soap box derby race possible. My dad was in Kiwanis when I was growing up so I have fond memories of my family and I enjoying things like spaghetti dinners, Christmas parties where the kids would all get presents and even getting to march in a parade or two, all thanks to Kiwanis.

The Nuts And Bolts Of A Soap box Racer

        Pulleys and cables are the mechanical method for steering and applying the brakes. The brake is a rubber tipped pole that is pressed down onto the road, very similar to how the Flintstones stop their cars.

Soap Box Car Racing Down The Hill

        According to the La Mesa Kiwanis website, there will be another soap box derby in March of 2011 at the same location as this one, in front of La Mesa middle school so come on down and support the kids by cheering them on and purchasing Kiwanis provided hamburgers, hot dogs and sodas.

La Mesa Soap Box Derby Racing 2010

        Saturday, the 6th of November, 2010 saw La Mesa Kiwanis holding a soap box derby race in La Mesa, CA this weekend, and I was there. Kids & parents from at least as far as Arizona threw their hat into the ring for this event, which I was fortunate enough to stumble across.

Kiwanis Club Racer In La Mesa, CA 2010

        There were about 20 soap box race cars for this event, with most of them looking like dad had more than a disciplinary hand in building them. What counts is what you bring to the table, not the garage, so every form of mechanic can try their wares at this event.

La Mesa Kiwanis Soap Box Derby Race

        Even though it’s kids that do the racing, adults are not far behind, eager for any chance to jump in a soap box derby car and roll it down the hill.

Soap Box Derby Racing In La Mesa – 2010

        This is a two day event, with the pics for this post all coming from the first day of soap box derby racing. Kiwanis of La Mesa as well as Drew Ford sponsor the event, which eventually included $5 hot dog and hamburger meal deals.

Science Meets The Real World

        Above we see two great examples of the styles of soap box derby racers I saw at the race. In the background above is what I would consider to be a garage-built soap box derby race car. In the foreground is a kid’s parents with more money and competitive spirits than most others… The aerodynamic situation of the soap box car in the foreground is the direct result of what happens when the parents of a soap box racing kid watch too much Discovery Channel and mistake a paved street in La Mesa, CA for the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah.

Racing Down The Hill

        Competing in a soapbox derby is something I have never done. I’ve competed in pinewood derbies before, which is basically the same thing, minus the excitement. There was a heavy boy scout presence at this race, so I’m sure merit badges were being earned.

Boys & Girls Race Their Soap Box Derby Cars

        Living in a world that only glorifies and broadcasts paid athletes, I can forget what it’s like to compete and participate in an event just for fun, and just because I can win. Kiwanis helps to bring things like a soap box derby race to kids and neighborhoods for no other reason than because it’s a fun thing to do.

Soap Box Racing Is Fun For All Ages

        Above is my favorite shot of the day. My position, relative to the racers was perfect. I think the expression on their faces says it all. This was the first day of a two day event, right in front of La Mesa middle school, so come on down and cheer on the kids while eating some Kiwanis provided hamburgers and hot dogs.

La Mesa Little League Baseball – Kuhlken Field

        Yesterday, I happened to be passing by Kuhlken Field and I saw that a little league baseball game was about to start. The all star teams from Tierra Santa and Serra Mesa were about to play.

Baseball Players Warm Up Before The Game

        Once I saw that a baseball game was about to start I completely abandoned what I was doing and headed straight for the bleachers. The smell of baseline chalk, leather, hot dogs and pretzels instantly transported me back to the mid 1980′s, when I was playing little league baseball.

The Pitcher Warms Up

        The first thing that I noticed (photographically) from the bleachers was the chain link fence between me and the action on the field. Even with my smallest f/stop, I couldn’t make the fence completely disappear, so I watched the players warm up from the shade of the bleachers, but once the game started, I placed myself under the sun, along the third baseline. From this vantage, I had a clear view of all the bases and the action that would surround them.

The Action Begins For La Mesa Little League Baseball

        I was hoping to get at least one shot like the one above. I wanted to get some action shots and some photos that would help settle an argument, and that would just be generally exciting. That is exactly what I got.

Out At First Base!

        There are a lot of close plays in little league, and the umpires were on top of every one. They did a great job of keeping things moving and accurately making close calls, like the one above.

Batter, Catcher And Umpire At The Moment Of A Foul Tip

        The biggest difference between a little league and a professional baseball game is the wild card factor. In pro ball, specific pitches, hits and strategies will have a desired outcome 99% of the time. In little league, EVERY pitch and EVERY hit is a wild card, so the games are infinitely more exciting.

Stealing Second Base

        I won’t lie, I pictured myself somewhere in PETCO Park snapping shots of famous millionaires when I took some of the photos for this post. As I baked under the sun and watched these boys play I realized that the heart these kids, coaches and parents have is so much bigger than professional baseball players. I don’t mean that in a bad way, I mean it in the way that no player on a little league field is paid to be there, yet they still swing, run and throw as if millions of dollars were on the line. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, when I saw this game about to start I was taken back to the mid 1980′s when I was in little league and there was no such thing as a millionaire athlete.

Keep Your Eye On The Ball

        There are so many reasons for a child to take up some form of sports, and the best one I can think of is that you may end up in an action packed photo essay like this one. Families converging on a baseball field on a Sunday afternoon, with both dugouts shouting nothing but positive things while the spectators in the bleachers clapped and cheered for every play was my backdrop, so I knew right away this would be fun and the photos would be great.

Safe At Third Base

        There was a lot of action at all the bases, and at home plate as well. As a photographer it is nice to be able to get so physically close to the action that a long lens is not necessary. I had a 55-200mm attached to my Nikon D5000 and it was more than adequate.

Sliding Into Second Base

        Something that was new to me was the Little League Pledge. It was recited by all the players just before the game started:

I trust in God
I love my country
and will respect its laws
I will play fair
and strive to win
but win or lose
I will always do my best

The Action Never Stops During La Mesa Little League Baseball

        The photo above was a very close play, but the runner slid across home plate just ahead of the tag, scoring the first run of the game.

San Diego Karting Association (SDKA) Race At Qualcomm Stadium

        This post will be short and sweet. I attended the SDKA (San Diego Karting Association) race at Qualcomm Stadium on April 18, 2010. Actually, I just stuck around for a couple of the qualifying heats, but it still amazes me every time I go. This is the fourth SDKA race I have attending & photographed since accidentally discovering the club back in August 2009.

Rounding The Clubhouse Turn

        With this being my fourth attended SDKA race, I feel much more confident now dialing in focus and managing my shutter speed than I did a mere 8 months ago. The problem is that I now feel my go-kart photos are starting to all look alike, even if they are sharper now than they were when I started. I would like my next SDKA photo-shoot in May 2010 to be more interesting and dynamic than what I have produced so far. Does anyone have any suggestions to help me accomplish that?

Kids Race Go-Karts Too

        Ok sports fans, that’s it for this post. To all you SDKA racers, I’ll see you next month, and I promise my photos will not be more of the same. They will be like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

Let’s Go Fly A Kite Up To The Highest Height…

        …Oh, let’s go, fly a kite. For those of you that don’t follow me on Twitter, I have a very minimalist work schedule for the next 9 days. Today is the first of those 9 days, so I chose to spend it down by the San Diego Convention Center, Seaport Village and the Embarcadero. After de-boarding the trolley at Park & Market and having brunch at Azteca, my favorite (most convenient) taco shop, I wandered to the bay and saw some people flying kites.

A Couple That Plays Together Stays Together

        These two really knew how to throw their stunt kites around. They were all over the sky and with 4 strings per kite, they were definitely in charge. The structures in the background are the San Diego convention center and WAY in the background are PETCO Park’s lights.

SDKA Roars Around Qualcomm Stadium

        SDKA stands for San Diego Karting Association. That is, of course as in Go-Karts. They really do tear it up!

SDKA Go-Kart Racer Blasts By Me

        I’ll just say now that I was not able to get as close as I wanted or stay as long as I wanted. SDKA races are a little strange because there is no one on a loudspeaker telling you who is winning or how many laps are left. You have to figure all that out on your own.

SDKA Racers Battle For Position Around A Hairpin Turn

        The racers that spend their Sundays are creating history for the San Diego Karting Association and they don’t even know it. They are the inspiration for a whole new generation speed demons and gear-heads!

The Bright Colors Of SDKA Racers

        I covered an SDKA race back in September, and at that time, it was bloody hot out. Back then, I wondered why some racers wore black and others wore bright, peacock colors. I still wondered that on this day, even though the weather was perfect, probably around 75 degrees.

*sigh* I Realize Now That They Are All Pointing To The Left

        OK, for all the pics in this post, I was more or less in the same physical spot. I had every intention of moving all over that damn football stadium parking lot, but aches of the head told me otherwise.

Someday, An SDKA Racer Will Befriend Me So I Can Try This Sport Out

        San Diego Go-Kart Racing looks like a lot of fun. I don’t know who won or who the SDKA Heavyweight champion is, but I bet that if I was racing it would be me! See more pics from a race I covered back in August here.

The Grit Of The Race Transfers To The Grain Of The Film

        Old Town was the target, but without looking I shot Qualcomm Stadium right in the face.  The general atmosphere around San Diego was 101F, so all the earlier predictions of snowball fights by dinner had been handily dismissed.  These men, members of SDKA battled over scorching pavement and even hotter internal combustion engines.

A Wasp Displaying Full Mating Colors

        These creatures, boldly painted in colors of BAM and WOW grabbed pavement like American Congressmen grab ass. The San Diego Karting Assossiation (SDKA) do what they do because they love to do it, and they do it for free. They dared any mortal man to stop them, but the only mortal man present was me, and I was busy doing other things.  These 2-stroke warriors were definitely in charge.

Who Do You Think Will Win?

        Kart racing is a cross between racing a real car and pushing a grocery cart, with the obvious exclusion of the groceries.  With a gap between them slimmer than Sunday coupons these two racers tied at the Finnish border, only to remember later that the end of the race was in America, at the FINISH LINE.  They hurried back from Northern Europe and still claimed first & second place. SDKA racers know what they are doing!

Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer GO!

        This is not Speed Racer, and I have no idea if this guy won or not.  Seeing them do what they do in the heat that they do it in makes it very easy to watch their cartoons, but impossible to emulate them. SDKA is very special because it bring Kart Racers from all over San Diego together.

And The Winner Is!

I think this SDKA racer either won the race or was heading toward an area that was significantly cooler that his present location.