My son has played baseball since before Kindergarten, and of course, I’ve been photographing him playing along the way. This year, he will graduate high school and this is his last season playing.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed capturing images of him and his teammates and learning more about the game. Learning to anticipate the action and waiting for just the right moment to press the shutter has been a great lesson in patience for me. The added benefit for my son has been that I’m less likely to make embarrassing quips or argue with the umpire’s call when I have the camera pressed to my face.

Another bonus of taking pictures as the games is that I get to witness and capture things that some parents wouldn’t see. Like an older brother coming to the dugout to congratulate his sibling on a great performance. And I wouldn’t have known until the mom told me that her younger son chose his number because it the was reverse of his older siblings jersey number.

I love noticing the details that happen off the field too. Like the tiny legs that don’t even reach the ground as they sit on the bench at a Tball game, or the bats hanging from the chainlink fence of the dugout.

From the sidelines, to the team photos, to the funny moments that happen on the field, I’ve been there for them all. It feels very strange to think I won’t be the fan photographer any longer.

Maybe once I’ve had my fill of being a full time photography teacher, I’ll find my way back out to the field because it sure is gratifying to be able to capture action and moments like these.

Enjoying every minute of the last season – Angie