ACC Championship Game

Well, this is a little past due, and unfortunately we did lose, but because this was right before my exams I didn't get around to editing these until this past weekend (I went on break a little and I have also been without internet for a while). But, they are edited now and so I am posting them now.

I really enjoyed going to the ACC Championship, and it was the first one that Clemson has been to in a long while. But I think that we will be back before my time here is up (I hope so at least). Anyway, it was a really fun experience and I liked getting to travel with the band and feel important lol.

There was a prep-rally the night before the game so we will start with those photos.

Because we haven't had enough rain this season it was raining during the pep-rally (thankfully it did not rain during the game) but that made for a cold and fun adventure that no one was around to see...

They paraded us into a small area surrounded by a bunch of (drunk fans) so that was good fun. I spent most of the time dodging in and out of the way of the instruments, which I actually kinda enjoyed lol. It made taking the pictures more interesting and challenging, and it also was like having true surround sound. I really do like tagging along with the band because they are such a big part of the spirit of the competition.

It was pretty hard to take pictures that were in focus as I forgot to bring my flash to the event (though I did catch some other people's flash in some of the photos which I think makes a pretty cool effect) but I kinda like this picture of the flags.

It was a pretty small place, but they did pack it in. Not everyone there was a Clemson or Georgia Tech fan, but I think that everyone did enjoy the show.

As I said above, that was (thankfully) the only night that it rained, so the photos I got at the game were not obtained in the freezing wet lol. Though I was actually a little disappointed with my pictures from the game. I got some good ones from before and after the game; but not too many action shots from the game. Though, really it is a photographer's job to tell the story of the game, and the game is sometimes (and really I would say most times) not just about the action. Something I have learned over the past year of taking sports pictures is that football, and all sports for that matter, is not just about the points and the plays - it is really an emotional game and sometimes it is those pictures that tell the best story.

The cheerleaders were doing a lot of different stunts and things before the game and I will tell you, even just watching them hurts me lol.

I really like this photo of the team from before the game.

After the first touchdown everyone was celebrating and usually I try to take pictures of the players but I guess they were just too far away from me because I snapped some shots of the cheerleaders instead but I think they turned out well too.

I have always loved the band, but especially since I have started traveling with them I have begun to feel like they are becoming another family to me. A good number of people on campus know me, and more and more people are getting to know me in the band. It really is a cool feeling.

Like I said above, I didn't get too many action shots but the ones I did get I thought were pretty good.

I liked this photo of Dabo talking with Spiller and Ellington after Ellington's touchdown.

I think that the cheerleaders were the most emotional during the ACC Championship that I have seen them, but that is understandable as it was a really big game for us.

Spiller had a tough game, and he really wanted the win and unfortunately it didn't come for him. But I do still really like the photos I got of him after the game - I think that he was good to his fans, and he really put his all into that game.

(This is another version of the photo)

Of course to the victor goes the spoils, but hopefully next year we will be in a different position. Though I did enjoy taking pictures of a team celebrating.

Anyway, about to shoot the last men's basketball game of the preseason and then I will be running around for a while tomorrow, but I should be able to get the Bowl Game photos up; I have started looking at them and I like what I got so far, so hopefully they will yield some pretty good ones.

-joshua