Monday, December 1, 2008
Photoblog
http://f1215833808.blogspot.com/2008/08/why-do-you-play-ultimate-part-21.html
This man periodically uploads a photo essay consisting of photographs he takes of people participating in the sport Ultimate, or in community activities related to the sport. I've selected three pictures from this particular post to look at a little more closely. To give this look a structure, I have picked one each from before, during, and after a tournament. The title of the post is "Why do you play Ultimate, part 21"
Before
This picture shows a teammate passed out in the back of a car on the way to a tournament. Teams tend to carpool to tournaments, and the travel becomes a unique part of the shared experience among players. The photographer here is capturing a moment that contributes to that shared experience: getting intimate looks at people you may or may not know very well, stuck in a car for a drive that may last upwards of six hours. The photo is humorous, because the subject is resting her head against the seat-belt and thereby smushing her nose, but the close-up nature of the photo puts the emphasis on her face. We can see towels and socks in the trunk in the background of the picture, but the girl is the focus--she is what is important to the photographer, and he tries to freeze a memory of this person in an unconsciously vulnerable situation. Road trips, even short ones, require a lot of trust, and sleeping in the car takes even more. The photographer in a way takes advantage of this trust, but does it with what seems to be an intent to preserve, not ridicule.
During
Here we have a player/spectator on the sidelines of a beach Ultimate tournament. She is most likely a player because the sport does not have a fan base outside of its players, and the hat she is wearing is from a middle-tier team on the west coast. She is wearing a wristband that grants her access to this particular tournament, and drinking a Mexican beer. The photo ties in several elements of the community--the "fun" tournament, taken as a social event for players and often featuring alcohol consumption, the way spectators are players, and the way teams sell merchandise to friends and family to raise money for travel. The white shirt next to her has a print from a team called "Downtown Brown," which is an off-season tournament team composed of only minority players who get together to promote diversity and tolerance in the community. The overall sense here is that the Ultimate community is complex and encompasses many different kinds of people, playing for different reasons, none of which have to do with profit like big-time sports.
After
In this photograph a young man in a collared shirt made by Gaia, a company which manufactures clothing only for the Ultimate community, and holding a coach's whistle. We see again the Mexican beer and what appears to be a birthday cake, as inferred from the candles. The photo is from an after-tournament party, where players from different teams get together after a day of intense competition to relax, socialize, and enjoy the bonds of the community. Almost out of the frame is a man playing an electric guitar, and there is a very candid feel to the photo--especially with the pose of the subject and the cake all over his face. The "party" is likely being held in the home or apartment of several teammates who live together, given the context of the image and the way that many college players live in team houses. Again, the focus here is the community which exists as a part of the sport, but is not only about the sport.
This man periodically uploads a photo essay consisting of photographs he takes of people participating in the sport Ultimate, or in community activities related to the sport. I've selected three pictures from this particular post to look at a little more closely. To give this look a structure, I have picked one each from before, during, and after a tournament. The title of the post is "Why do you play Ultimate, part 21"
Before
This picture shows a teammate passed out in the back of a car on the way to a tournament. Teams tend to carpool to tournaments, and the travel becomes a unique part of the shared experience among players. The photographer here is capturing a moment that contributes to that shared experience: getting intimate looks at people you may or may not know very well, stuck in a car for a drive that may last upwards of six hours. The photo is humorous, because the subject is resting her head against the seat-belt and thereby smushing her nose, but the close-up nature of the photo puts the emphasis on her face. We can see towels and socks in the trunk in the background of the picture, but the girl is the focus--she is what is important to the photographer, and he tries to freeze a memory of this person in an unconsciously vulnerable situation. Road trips, even short ones, require a lot of trust, and sleeping in the car takes even more. The photographer in a way takes advantage of this trust, but does it with what seems to be an intent to preserve, not ridicule.
During
Here we have a player/spectator on the sidelines of a beach Ultimate tournament. She is most likely a player because the sport does not have a fan base outside of its players, and the hat she is wearing is from a middle-tier team on the west coast. She is wearing a wristband that grants her access to this particular tournament, and drinking a Mexican beer. The photo ties in several elements of the community--the "fun" tournament, taken as a social event for players and often featuring alcohol consumption, the way spectators are players, and the way teams sell merchandise to friends and family to raise money for travel. The white shirt next to her has a print from a team called "Downtown Brown," which is an off-season tournament team composed of only minority players who get together to promote diversity and tolerance in the community. The overall sense here is that the Ultimate community is complex and encompasses many different kinds of people, playing for different reasons, none of which have to do with profit like big-time sports.
After
In this photograph a young man in a collared shirt made by Gaia, a company which manufactures clothing only for the Ultimate community, and holding a coach's whistle. We see again the Mexican beer and what appears to be a birthday cake, as inferred from the candles. The photo is from an after-tournament party, where players from different teams get together after a day of intense competition to relax, socialize, and enjoy the bonds of the community. Almost out of the frame is a man playing an electric guitar, and there is a very candid feel to the photo--especially with the pose of the subject and the cake all over his face. The "party" is likely being held in the home or apartment of several teammates who live together, given the context of the image and the way that many college players live in team houses. Again, the focus here is the community which exists as a part of the sport, but is not only about the sport.
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