Tuesday, December 13, 2011

SEABURY HALL WAHINE CLASSIC: LAHAINALUNA 63, Kapaa 17 - December 1, 2011


The Lady Lunas continued their schedule of 6 games in 10 days with an appearance in the Seabury Hall Wahine Classic.

I would have been there for the start of the 4:30pm match up against Kapaa (whom they played last year in this very same tournament), but for my attempt to sell one of my lenses on Craigslist. I told the guy I would meet him at the entrance to the gym. Instead, he was waiting at the entrance to the parking lot. Oh well, because of the miscommunication I missed the first few minutes of the game and was not able to sell my lens . . . until after the game.

By the time I got into the gym and my camera out, members of the Lady Lunas JV squad was out on the floor. And they were killing Kapaa. Everyone got to play in this one. Up next – Kalaheo of the OIA.

Now it’s time to go sell my lens – a Nikon Nikkor 24mm f/2.8.



























My Two Cents

After a whole preseason of shooting games in the dreary, underlit confines of Lahainaluna Gym, it was a welcome relief to be shooting anwhere BUT Lahainaluna's gym.

The venue up at Seabury is great - can either shoot from floor level or go up to the entry level and shoot down from the railings.  It is relatively well lit and spacious - and at 4:30pm, there is a lot of natural sunlight coming in (only problem was shooting into the sun when looking at the Lunas' bench). The spectators sit on one side so you can either have that as a back drop or the other side, which is the team benches and the wall. If I had to shoot with the side as a background, I'd rather shoot with the fans in the back. While it may wreak havoc with my autofocus, I don't have to contend with the harsh fluorescent back light of the lit display panel in front of the scorekeeper's table. Shooting from the baseline is my preference, but under the basket here is impossible because the rim and backboards are attached to portable supports from the ground level - like what you find in college or pro arenas - as opposed to those that fold down from above. For the most part there was a lot of space so the refs did not bother me or tell me to move.

Shooting from the mauka baseline is nice (except for the sun) because of the old style score board upon the wall with the detailed scoreboard. Nice to see the names and numbers of the players up there - better than having a program. Plus one photo can give you the names of the players, the time and the score. The view from the makai baseline is not as good, but there is a nice big plain wall as a backdrop, which makes focusing on the players much easier. There is also a nice American flag to provide some colors.

After years of parking on the upper campus lot, I finally figured out there was a road to the parking lot directly next to the gym. Makes my walk a lot shorter and at least the parking lot is lit! Looking forward to shooting games here the next two nights.

For the Maui News article, click here.


For more photos, click here.

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