It's playoff basketball time here in Orlando, FL. The Magic have not been this far in the playoffs since their run with Shaq back in 1995, but it feels fantastic. The intensity and pressure on the court to win increases with each game. I was shooting the Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 between Orlando and the Cleveland Cavs- the matchup between Lebron James and Dwight Howard, when Lebron comes flying into me (on the lower left) and the other photographers on the sidelines. No injuries to anyone, but when a 6' 8" 270 lb athlete comes flying into the spot where you are sitting , there is not much you can do but hang on. Just wanted to thank the Cleveland Plain Dealer photographer Josh Gunter, for making this frame, that shows The King and I on the court. Many years ago, when Shaquille O'Neal was playing for the Magic, he did one of those 'second base' slides right into my lap, on national television. We were both ok, but when he got up, I realized I was soaking wet, from his sweat ... nasty stuff.
Since switching back to Nikon gear ( I shot Nikon gear from up until 1996 then switched to Canon until 2008 ) it makes shooting action in low light situations ( like the Amway Arena ) so much better. The quality of the image, even at such high iso as 4,000 is unreal. The last time the Magic were in the NBA Finals I was shooting Fuji color negative film ( on strobes here in Orlando ) and their 'High Speed' 800 film on the road for available light situations. Some things change ( from film to digital ) and some things stay the same ( Superman taking the Magic to the Finals). Check my website for some of the action- www.garybogdon.com
