On Saturday after shooting dance all day, we finished earlier than some of the other stages, so I went off to shoot some cheer at another stage for a little bit to relieve one of the photographers who needed a break. Once that session finished, I went over to a third arena to shoot some more. This other arena was where a lot of the top teams were performing. They even had a big LCD panel behind the stage that would show graphics and the name of the team during the performance. It was a circular arena with seating all around for spectators to watch. This event is going to be televised sometime in April and I'm guessing much of what they're gonna show will be from this arena.
Anyways, when I heard that we could go there to relieve some of the photographers, I lit up, grabbed my gear, and headed on over. That place was really rockin' and had a lot more energy than the other stages. I asked one of the photographers on the right if he wanted a break and he said no, so instead I went back and shot for myself right from the center. It was nice to have some shots of my own. (The 1D doesn't do dual cards so all the shots I push I don't get a second copy of without any extra fancy work behind the scenes.)
Instead of shooting for the parents, which includes tight verticals of individual cheerleaders, I shot specifically for myself and for the photoblog. It was such a treat to shoot horizontals that went more for the energy and feel of the atmosphere. This is one of the groups, Twist and Shout, performing their routine on Saturday evening.
Previous images:
