Reggie Bush
This shot is from the 2005 USC vs UCLA game. My camera was right on the ground. In the days before mirrorless cameras with tilting screens, I used a Canon Angle Finder to see without having to be completely prone.
I was at the back of the end zone and was expecting a run up the middle by the fullback Lendale White. White tended to run with his head down, so I was low to try and get more of his face.
Instead of White up the middle, I got Bush in the corner for a score. Fortunately, I was able to pivot the camera just enough to get the shot.
I cannot overstate how the low angle can add drama and heroism to a sports photo. There are a lot of very talented sports shooters in Southern California, and many of them had excellent versions of this play, but I think that the low angle gives my image a little something special.
In these times of amazing autofocus and frame rates that only specialized cameras produced in the past, the importance of adding something special to a sports photo is more important than ever.
Camera: Canon EOS-1 Mk II N
Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS III USM @ 90mm
Exposure: F2.8 @ 1/2500, ISO 250
