Opening Day: Baseball Portraits
Matt behind the dish.
“You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you’re a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.” ~ Joe DiMaggio
Next to Christmas Day, Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season is one of my favorite days.
I know summer is coming. I have something to keep on the TV, or the radio, for the next six months.
And, as my boys continue to get older, it gives us more common ground. They both LOVE the game – to play it, especially, but to follow, and watch, it. (Though, truth be told, Matt’s more into the watching it than Chase.)
Chase, with his stick of choice.
This spring, they are playing on two teams – A “travel” team called the A’s, out of Hamilton, New Jersey. Chase is on the 10U (10 year old team) and Matt on the 9U squad.
And they will both play in the Allentown Rec league, but on the same Minors team, the Detroit Tigers.
The travel teams get some type of grade that I have no idea about, but they should be playing other teams around their level.
The Rec team is for 8 to 10 year olds. Chase is an 10 but just missed moving up to the next level, the Major, due to his May birthday. So he’ll be one of the older, bigger kids in the league. Matt is right where he should be.
The Bash Brothers, circa 2021
I’m just the shuttle driver for their A’s engagements, driving them to and from. But I’ll be coaching their Tigers team, as I have every year since they both started tee-ball.
Matt too young to play, but tagging a long at Chase’s t-ball practice, 2016
The season starts for real next week, so last weekend, I had to had to set up the garage studio and do some preseason photos of the boys.
My simple, go-to set up: Neewer 4 strobe in the 47″ umbrella softbox, Savage Universal gray seamless, Fuji XT3.
I had an idea, though, to give it a bit the final images a bit of that vintage look.
Using the Nik Collection > Silver Efex Pro2 > Vintage preset gave me the look I wanted with these.
The Nik Analog preset also gave me the look I was hoping for.
BTS, Garage Studio
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The Tigers had their first scrimmage the other evening. Down one run, Matt walked to get on base, was moved over to second on an infield hit, and Chase smashed a two-run triple to win the game.
Here’s to a good baseball season.
Play ball!
© Mark V. Krajnak | JerseyStyle Photography | All Rights Reserved 2021
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