January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Mike Goodson (33) plows for yardage against Anthony Hargrove (69) while playing against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Well, this was the last game for the Carolina Panthers.  Since they did not make the playoffs, their season ended right here at the Bank of America Stadium.  They did win the game, but New Orleans did not play Drew Brees. It was not a real exciting game other than the fact that the Carolina Panthers won………………..But they did win, and that closed out the Season on a positive not.  The big issue of the day was the cold.  It did not get past 28 degrees all day long.  Some people can operate well in that cold, but for me, it is a true pain in rump.  Let me say, “I HATE the cold.”  All of these images were shot with either my Nikon D300, or my Nikon D2x.  I love the D300, and I like the D2x in certain situations……but I think that this will be the D2x’s last assignment.  It is time for an upgrade which will occur this year.  Nikon is making some FANTASTIC equipment, I do love the company.

This game was truly a game of the “run offense.”  Since Drew Brees was not playing, the Saints kept the ball on the ground.  And on the Panthers side, since Steve Smith is injured, they tended to keep the ball on the ground also.  The above image of Mike Goodson (33) somewhat sums up the feel of the game.  It was just real “smash mouth” football.  This image was shot with my D300, and a 300mm f2.8 lens.  I wish that it had better light in it, but it is what it is.

These next images are of running back Jonathan Stewart (28).  He broke 1000 yards rushing for the season during this game.  It seemed as if the ball was in his hands more than anyone during the whole game.

This next Image was shot with my D2x and my 500mm f4 lens.  I LOVE me 500, but you have to be careful with it when the laght starts to fade.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

This next image of Jonathan Stewart (28) was also shot with my 500mm f4 and D2x.  The ISO was 250 shutter speed 1250 @ f6.3.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

The next Image of Jonathan Stewart (28) was also shot with my 500mm lens.  This is guy is just so powerful, seemed as if it took the whole Saints defense to take him down.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) gets stopped by the Saints defense while playing against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

I also used my 500mm lens in these next 2 images.  They are of the punters, which to me, are hard to get a good shot of.  I placed myself at the opposite end zone, and decided to try and catch them through the line of scrimage as the play developed.  The one of the Saints punter Thomas Morstead (6) did not thrill me as much as the one of the Panthers punter Jason Baker (7).  In the image of Jason Baker (7), you can see the ball.  In the one of Morstead, the ball is already gone………but I liked it anyway.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers punter Jason Baker (7) punts against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead (6) punts the ball against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

I really only caught 2 pass plays the whole game, and one was not even a catch…….but I thought that it was still a very cool shot.  I vowed at the beginning of the Season to really work on the Passing Game. Looking back on it, I think that I did OK, but still have a ways to go before I am really happy.  I this next shot, I caught Jeff King just as he reeled the ball in after the catch.  I shot this with my 500mm f4 lens.  For some reason, I had put my D300 body on the lens……..so this was shot with my D300 and my 500mm f4.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Jeff King (47) catches the ball during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

In this next Image, Robert Meachem (17) of New Orleans stretches out, but he just misses the ball.  I thought that it was a really neat shot, but probably not all that worthy from an Editorial point of view.  I shot this with my 300mm 2.8 lens and my D300 camera body.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem (17) stretches out but misses a pass while playing against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

These next 2 images are from the same sequence and play.  What I found interesting with them was the play on the light.  There is one part of Bank of America Stadium that was “pools” of light form in the late afternoon.  They are more towards the sides, and if you can catch someone in them, it makes a very good image.  I was fortunate to catch Devery Henderson (19) of the Saints in them.  Both of these were shot with my D300, my 300mm 2.8 lens, and the camera set at “Shutter Priority” for the operational mode.  I had the shutter speed set at 1000.  i think that they turned out nice.  The only thing that I wish could have been different is to catch Henderson catching the ball in the pool of light, but that was not to be.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devery Henderson (19) runs against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devery Henderson (19) runs against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

This next image was also shot with my D300 and my 500mm f4 lens.  I shot it at shutter speed 1000, at f5.6.  The ISO was 250, and the exposure was straight up.  It is of Tracy Porter (22) chasing after a loose ball.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Tracy Porter (22) chases after a loose ball while playing against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

As I stated in the beginning of this, it was all about the running game on this day.  Here are some images from the running game.  All of the following were taken with my D300, and my 500mm lens.  I used Shutter Priority for most of the day as far as my operating mode.  These were all shot with Shutter Priority, and the exposure was straight up.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Dante Rosario (88) breaks away from Troy Evans (54) in the first half against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Mike Bell (21) breaks through the line for yardage while playing against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Lynell Hamilton makes yardage against Dante Wesley (21) while playing against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

The following are some images of the quarterbacks in action.  Like I said, there wa not much passing, and when they did pass, it seemed if I was on the wrong side of the field……..just only able to get there backs.  Here is what I did get.

Here are 2 images of Mark Brunell (11).  Both were shot with my 500mm lens on Shutter Priority.  The shutter speed was 1000.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Mark Brunell (11) hands off to running back Lynell Hamilton (30) while playing against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Mark Brunell (11) against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Here are 2 images of Matt Moore (3) in action.  These were both shot with my D300 and my 300mm lens.  Both on Shutter Priority with the exposure straight up.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Moore (3) hands of to Brad Hoover (45) while playing against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Moore (3) against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

I posted these next 2 Images with my take.  I just consider these “gritty” football images.  The one below was shot with my 500mm lens……the thing that I liked about it was the Reggie Busch (25) from the Saints is just “stonewalled” by the Panthers secondary.  I thought that it was just a good football shot.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Busch (25) is stopped by Panthers safety Chris Harris (43) linebacker Na'il Diggs (53) and linebacker Jon Beason (52) while playing against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

This next image was shot with my 80mm~200mm lens and my D300.  The reason that I included it was that it was a goal line stand.  The Panthers stopped the Saints right in their tracks at the goal line.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Lynell Hamilton (30) is stopped at the goal line while playing against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

These next images are of some of the emotions that I caught after a play.  I have vowed to work on catching these moments more.  I have gotten better, but still have a ways to go.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back wide Dwayne Jarrett (80) celebrates with Jeff King (47) after scoring a touchdown during then first half against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Na'il Diggs (53) celebrates after making a tackle against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Everette Brown (91) gets a congratulations from Charles Johnson (95) during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Being that it was the last game of the Season for Carolina, I wanted to get some of the guys coming off of the field.  The light was very nice on one part of the field, so I tried to catch as many players as I could walking through it.  I shot these with my 17mm~35mm lens.  I used my D300 camera body.

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Na'il Diggs (53) walks off the field after winning against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

January 3, 2010; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason (52) walks off the field after winning against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 23 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Well, that is a wrap for the 2009 Panthers NFL Season.  I really wish that they had made the play-offs, but there is always next year.  I have worked very hard at Football this year, and I think that I have made some strides in it.  I plan on shooting more college as well as the NFL next season.  I am really looking forward to it.

Well, for now, it is on to the NBA……and Motorsports is just around the corner.

Thaks for reading!

Sam

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; The Carolina Panthers rally against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

I love football, and I love the Panthers.  I grew up in Washington DC, so I grew up loving the Washington Redskins.  I gotta tell ya, both of those Teams (and I still love my Redskins) are hard to be Fans of.  You just NEVER know what to expect out of either one of them.  After watching the Redskins for years, you would think that I would have learned how to deal with this, but the Panthers still keep me guessing every time I watch them play.  It always make for an interesting time every time I have the pleasure of covering them.  Keeps me on my toes……………But I am glad to say that this week they won.  The game was truly a physical game, but it really came down to a game of field goals.  As images go, I was very pleased to come away with what I did.  I work very hard to shoot football, and it is not often that I am pleased with my results, but I think that I did OK this week.  The above shot was taken at the start of the game.  I shot it with my 300mm f2.8 lens, and it really seemed to catch the spirit of the day, the Panthers were not going to be denied.

Like I said, the game was a very physical game (not that football is not anything but physical) but this one really seemed to be a battle of the “grunts.”  Below are some of the images that I captured that seemed to drive it home…..at least for me.  I shot all of these with my Nikon D300 Camera Body.

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason (52) returns an interception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 16 to 6. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

In the above image, Linebacker Jon Beason nailed an interception.  I missed the catch, but I did get this from the return.  I hate that I missed the catch, because after all, that was the real “Editorial Moment,” but I missed it and this is what I caught.  I think it does pretty well to serve the purpose that it was intended.  This was shot with my 70mm~200mm lens, shutter speed 1250, at f2.8.

I think that this next image speaks for itself.  This just seemed to be the kind of day it was for both teams…….a real scrap.  This image was shot with my 300mm f2.8 lens.  It was shot a shutter speed 1250 at f2.8.

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Carnell Williams (24) gets away from Carolina Panthers saftey Charles Godfrey (30) while playing the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 16 to 6. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Like I said before, this seemed to be a game of inches as well as field goals.  There was only one touchdown scored the whole game, the rest of the time it seemed as if it was a “war” just to move the ball a few inches.  One example of this that I caught was a Quarterback sneak performed by Tampa Bay Quarterback Josh Freeman (5).  I shot this image at the goal line with my 70mm~200mm lens.  I shot it at a shutter speed of 1000 at f4.  I do not think that this image would have worked as nice if you could not see the ball as well as you can.  Quarterback sneaks usually do not make for great images, but I got lucky with this one.

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman (5) takes the ball forward on a quarterback sneak play against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 16 to 6. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Sometimes you get an image that really did not turn out the way you may have planned it…….but it works anyway.  The next is one such image.  I ment to capture Jonathan Stewart (28) with the ball, but the image really ended up showing the intensity of the defensive player Quincy Black (58).  I thought that it worked out well as an image of Quincy.

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Quincy Black (58) tackles Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) while playing against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 16 Tampa Bay 6. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

These next 2 images I believe show the flow of how the game went.  Like I stated before, this really was a game of inches……………not much in the way of “spectacular” plays. This next image was shot with my 300mm lens.  It was shot at shutter speed 1250 at f2.8.

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

This next image was shot with my 70mm~200mm lens at shutter speed 1250, at f2.8.

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Derrick Ward (28) drives forward against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Like I said earlier, this was a game of field goals.  This is one that I posted, nothing special, but it tells the story of what went on as far as scoring during the game.  The reason that I am partial to this one is the fact that I caught the ball right off of the kick.

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers kicker Johns Kasey (4) scores against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 16 to 6. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

This next image is one that I have tried to capture for some time now.  It is of Jonathan Stewart (28) straight up the middle of the line in a draw play.  The hole opened up, and there he went.  I just like this shot, I thought that it worked well.

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) finds a hole for yardage against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 16 Tampa Bay 6. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

The passing game was not all that exciting.  I shot more “almost” catches than I did real catches.  But at least I was on top of it when I hade to be.  Here are some examples.

These next 2 images are from the same series.  it was Kellen Winslow of Tampa against Charles Godfrey of the Panthers.  I really like the image where you can see the one eye of Kellen.  These images were shot with my 300mm lens, shutter speed 1000, f4.  I think the image with the eye lends itself to more “intensity” than the other.

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers safety Charles Godfrey (30) breaks up a pass against theTampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Kellen Winslow at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers safety Charles Godfrey (30) breaks up a pass against theTampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Kellen Winslow at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

This next image was shot with my 300mm lens with my 1.4 converter on it.  It was shot at shutter speed 1000, at f4.  It was under exposed by 2/3′s of a stop, but it worked out well.

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers safety Chris Harris (43) and Panthers cornerback C.J. Willison (27) break up a pass to Tampa Bay wide receiver Antonio Bryant (89) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

This next image was a catch.  It is Steve Smith, and he never ceases to amaze me on high he can leap in the air.  I shot this with my 300 2.8 at a shutter speed of 1000, and at f2.8. It was somewhat backlite, which allowed me to saturate the colors just a tick, I think that it turned out very well.

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith (89) goes up for the catch against Tampa Bay corner back Derrick Roberson (29) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers win 16 to 6. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

These next 5 images are some of the images that I sent with my final take to US Presswire.  I really like the one of Jonathan Stewart with the fog behind him.  I think that this image would be a very good “feature” image if someone were to write a story on him.  Maybe not an “opener” but certainly something that could be used.  I think that it is somewhat different, and that is why I really like it.

The other images or moments from the game.  I thibnk that they are just good “solid” images.

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Sabby Piscitelli (21) against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 16 Tampa Bay 6. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman (5) hands off to Carnell Williams (24) against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 16 Tampa Bay 6. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

December 6, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman (5) takes the field against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Thnaks for reading!

Sam

November 15, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Richard Marshall (31) makes an interception against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 28 Atlanta 19. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

The Panthers played really well this game.  I was happy to see them win.  It was a great day to shoot, the light was just about perfect.  I really did not feel as if I was hitting on all that I could have, I feel that I could have done better than what I did.  I did get some cool stuff, I just don’t think that I could have done as well as I maybe should have………………I shot the above image after an interception.  I did get the actual catch, but the run back was very interesting.  Richard Marshall was doing just about anything that he could to gain yardage.  I love this shot.  I caught him jumping to get past some defenders.  I shot this with my 300mm f2.8.  I shot it at a shutter speed of 1250, at f3.2.  The ISO was 800, and the exposure was straight up.

This next image is of Jason Snelling attempting to catch a pass.  I really don’t know how I got this other than just hitting it right. I just thought that it was a great image when you look at the concentration in his eyes.  I had to work with it in Photoshop.  I shot it on Shutter Priority, and caught it in the shadow part of the field.  The exposure was short of a real Fuck-up, but I was able to bring it back in PhotoShop.  This image was shot with my 70mm~200mm lens.  Shutter Speed was 1000, and it was shot at f4.

November 15, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Jason Snelling (44) against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Final Score Carolina 28 Atlanta 19. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

As I have said many times before, the passing game (at least to me) is the hardest thing to shoot in Football.  I really wanted to try something different, so I went up top for part of the second quarter.  Here is a shot I got of Steve Smith catching a pass for a touchdown.  I shot this with my 500mm lens, shutter speed 1600, and at f4.

November 15, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith (89) scores a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

In this next shot, I was walking from one part of the field to another.  I was walking behind the Falcons bench when I was this bag of equipment sitting on the ground.  I just really liked the way the light was hitting it.  I shot this with  my 17mm~35mm lens.  I shot it at shutter speed 500, at f3.2.

November 15, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Falcons equipment against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 28 Atlanta 19. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

In these following images, I tried to get some of the Key players of the Panthers coming out through the smoke during the pre game show.  These guys all have something going on with them.  Delhomme has been the subject of much controversy lately here in Charlotte, DeAngilo Williams has suffered some injuries this season, and Steve Smith is always the topic of conversation.  All of these images were shot at f5 with a shutter speed of 1000.  the ISO was 200.

November 15, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

November 15, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams (34) against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

November 15, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith (89) against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

In this next shot, I really do not know what Matt Ryan is doing, I just thought that it looked cool.  I shot this with my 300mm lens, my 1.4 converter, shutter speed 1000, f6.3, and the ISO @ 200.

November 15, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

These next 2 images are of the same run.  Late in the afternoon, the Bank of America Stadium has “pools” of light that gather towards the northern end zone. If the time of day is right, and the sun is shining, it can make for some interesting images.  Both of these were shot at shutter speed 1250, f5, ISO 400, and I was over eposed by 1/3 of a stop.

November 15, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Jason Snelling (44) against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 28 Atlanta 19. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

November 15, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Jason Snelling (44) against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Final Score Carolina 28 Atlanta 19. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Sometimes you just need a good Tackle Image.  I thought that this one might do it.  It was shot with my 300mm lens, shutter speed 1250 at f6.3.  I thought that it rally said “football” when I saw it.

I thought that this next image of Jason Baker was somewhat unique.  I never seem to get good shots of Punters or Kickers.  To me, it is somewhat of a “let down” play.  you either did not get a chance to get the 1st down, or you are settling for 3 points instead of 6.  When I saw this shot, I liked it.  It is just a different angle of the kick that you do not see often.  Seeing the ball in the play is what makes it for me.

November 15, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers punter Jason Baker (7) against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 28 Atlanta 19. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

These final 2 images are just images from my take that I liked.  Both were posted to US Presswire.  I do not know if they were used are not, but I personally just liked them.  The one of Delhomme and Deangelo Williams was shot with my 70mm~200mm lens.  The other of the Teams praying was shot with my 10mm~17mm Fisheye.

November 15, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) hands off to running back DeAngelo Williams (34) against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 28 Atlanta 19. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Thanks for taking time to read.  I will soon be shooting the NBA…..I look forward to that.  I hope that you check back and let me know how I doing at that.

Thanks,

Sam

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers safety Charles Godfrey (30) and corner back Dante Wesley (21) celebrate against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 20 and Washington 17 Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Carolina finally won!!!  I am so happy!  It had to happen, if they had not won, shooting the rest of the season would be like getting a tooth pulled every time I would have had to show up at the stadium.  I think that they are a much better Team than what they have been playing like, it just seems as if it has taken them some time to really find and turn up the intensity…………Like I wrote in my last post, shooting Football is hard for me.  I really don’t consider myself a “great” football shooter, it is something that I really have to work at all the time, and really put a lot of thought into when I am off the field.  I have been trying to shoot other things other than the “plays” themselves, and this is what I came up with from this game.  I was really happy to see them win, and I think that helped in my outlook while shooting.  All of these were shot with my Nikon D300.  I love the camera, but I am excited to see the D300s come out.  Can’t wait to try one.

In the image below, I wanted to show the Breast Cancer Awareness logo on the goal post.  I would have preferred to be more in front of it, but security was all over me as it was.  This was shot with my 10mm~17mm fisheye lens.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Washington Redskins tackle Chris Samuels warms up during pre game against the Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

It was Breast Cancer Awareness day at the Stadium, so I wanted to try and pop off some images that showed that.  Something that was different, but still had the “NFL” flavor to it.  Here are 2 images that were published:

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; The Carolina Panthers bench has pink gatorade towels in order to bring awareness to breast cancer against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers DeAngelo Williams (34) wears pink in order to bring awareness to breast cancer against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

I sometimes tend not to get as much “celebration” or “let down” moments as I should.  I really have made it a priority to get these kinds of things.  These images sell bigtime, especially if it is a player that is a marque name, or a Team that is really on top or in the dumper. I tend to forget about these moments after the play happens.  I attribute that to racing……….the only time there is really any kind of celebration is in Victory Lane, and you are looking for it there.  But here, I really have to step up the plan on this.  Here are some images that I shot

This image below is of Dante Rosario after he missed a pass. I shot this with my 70mm~200mm lens, f2.8 at 1250 of a second.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Dante Rosario (89) against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 20 and Washington 17 Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

This nect shot is of Coach Fox on the sidelines.  I really have to concentrate on Coaches.  They are big sellers.  I just get lazy and forget about them since it is really hard to see them on the sidelines.  This image was shot with my 300mm lens at f4.  The shutter speed was 500

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

I love this next image.  I know what the criticism is going to be already………..the players blend into the background.  I agree with that somewhat, but when I looked at it on the computer screen blown up big, I just really did not get that effect too much.  I just love how high they are in the air, and it just seems as if the are suspended there.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Dante Rosario (88) and wide receiver Steve Smith (89) celebrate after a touchdown against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 20 and Washington 17 Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

This next shot is of Steve Smith after he caught a pass for the 2 point conversion.  He did not get all crazy with the celebration like normal………just clean and simple.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith (89) celebrates after a touchdown against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 20 and Washington 17 Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

In these next images, I was really just trying to capture something different.  In the shot of Steve Smith coming out of the tunnel, he knelt down and was telling the crowd to “hush up.”  Kind of a strange thing to do……but it made a very cool shot.  I really liked it.  This was shot with my 300mm lens across the field at f5.6.  The shutter speed was 250.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith (89) against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

In the next image, John Kasey was leading some of the players in prayer after the game.  It was very interesting moment.  One that I was not expecting, but was able to capture it anyway.  I shot this with my 10mm~17mm fisheye…….I held the camera over the players and shot it.  I got lucky on it.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Both Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins players gather for a prayer after the game against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 20 and Washington 17 Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

In this next Image, I wanted to get the Redskins taking the field.  I have shot this image of the opposing Team often taking the field, but it really has never been a shot that has thrilled me.  This one is different.  I was able to get the quarterback Jason Campbell (17) coming out.  That is way I chose to publish it on US Presswire

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell (17) takes the field against the Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

This next image is of Albert Haynesworth (92) of the Redskins.  He got shook up on a play and was slightly injured.  Normally, I can NEVER get a good shot of a player that has been injured, but I think that I did OK with this one.  You can see his face, and that is what I really like about it.  Most of the time I get an image of a bunch of guys huddled up around the player.  That does no one any good……only good for the “delete” button.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (92) is injured against the Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 20 and Washington 17. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

I vowed to work on my passing game, so here it is.  It is something that I have to CONTINUALLY work on and think about.  Both of these images were shot with my 500mm lens.  They are from the same series. I really nailed it this time.  I am proud of them.  Believe me, I am still going to continue to work on it……….I have a long way to go!

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers defends the pass against Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith (89) against the Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 20 and Washington 17. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers defends the pass against Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith (89) against the Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 20 and Washington 17. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

This next image is one that I took with my 300mm next to the end zone.  I has just walked out of the tunnel from the Media Room after posting some images, and the play started to develop right in front of me.  I slung my camera body up, aimed and fired.  This is what I got.  Jeff King (47) is actually in the end zone in this shot.  I did not like it at first, but I received compliments on it from other shooters……so you be the judge.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Jeff King (47) catches a pass for a touchdown against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Final score Carolina 20 and Washington 17 Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

In this next shot, Julis Peppers (90) to me really stands out.  He is the defensive player with his arms outstretched tackling Clinton Portis (26).  I really got lucky with this one.  Julis Peppers has been the subject of much controversy here in Charlotte.  He is getting paid 1 Million dollars a game………….That’s right……..1 Million.  His performance on the field has been less than “par” according to some……….so this image is good from a “sales” point of view.  Besides that, I just thought that it was a cool image.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis (26) is stopped by defensive end Julis Peppers (90) for a safety against the Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

In this next shot, I was really worried about the outcome of the game.  This shot was taken early on, and the Panthers did not score.  In this series of downs, they kept trying to get DeAngelo Williams (34) up over the top and into the end zone.  As you can see, it was basically useless.  this is as close as he came before they had to settle for a field goal.  This image was shot with my 70mm~200mm at f2.8.  The shutter speed was 1250.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams (34) is stoped at the goal line against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheShapeImage.com

I just liked this next image.  I missed the reception, but I stilled liked it anyway.  Dante Rosario (88) had a good game this day, so it was also important that I include images of him.  This is one of the better that I took.  This was shot with my 70mm~200mm at f4.  The shutter speed was 1000.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Dante Rosario (88) against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

My editor keeps on me to stay on top of images of quarterbacks.  They are always good sellers……….but you want to try and get something that is a little different with them.  I get tons of shots of them throwing the ball, so I want to do something different. Here are some of the shots that I published from the game.  The image below was shot between the legs of a line judge with my 70mm~200mm lens.  It was shot at f4 with a shutter speed of 1000.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell (17) and his offense lines up against the Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

This next shot of Jake seemed to just tell the story of how people have hammered him for not taking enough “charge” of the offense. With the Victory, I liked this, because it seemed as if Jake had finally got his “command” back.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

In this next image, I opted to publish something that was play action instead of the typical “pass” pose.  I think it worked out pretty well.

Oct. 11, 2009; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhome (17) against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe/www.TheSharpeImage.com

Well, that is it for now.  My next game is November 15th against the Falcons.  It will be all about auto racing for the next couple of weeks.  As always, thanks for reading

Sam