Bamville at Home to Carpenters' Arms Cricketers

Bamville Cricket Club only have use of the ground for playing on a Sunday afternoon, as they share the pitch with the local Golf Club, and the parking of cars is in a former ‘Three Horseshoes Public House Car Park at East Common.

On Sunday two local teams from Carpenters’ Arms and the home team Bamville were playing, and the forecast was for Showers, and on my arrival, I thought perhaps I might be lucky as the sun was shining…

I assembled my camera and lens with little time to spare before the Home team took to the pitch and play began. I was determined to ensure I caught the first over, and in my haste, I forgot two items, my ideal glasses for viewing the back of the camera and a second lens for any more general shots, Peter Carr who was scoring, I thought would be heavily involved in that all afternoon, but shortly came over in my direction, and I asked whether he might at least rescue the lens from my car’s boot, which he kindly did; I managed however to forget to ask for the more vital second item, my other pair of glasses!

The first few shots looked an interesting sequence from which to create an animated GIF, and so after taking the shots on the day, I actually wasted some considerable time trying to do just that before the task of gallery creation, hence the delay in these reaching the blog.

That is getting ahead of myself. I started shooting from outside the clubhouse moving slowly round the boundary widdershins. Occasionally taking some shots using the 24-70mm lens handheld, and here I must apologise as the clocks in the two different camera bodies are not in synch, so some of the shots are not correct chronologically, but I manage to keep forgetting to reset them!

I was happy to have got one shot of airborne bails reasonably early, but sad to miss a a splendid catch. Also, though I did get another bails airborne shot, Some of the fielders seem to possess eyes in the backs of their heads and align themselves between the action and myself, and moving and resetting the heavy tripod often takes too long, and on occasion this afternoon, when I did do so, they moved with perfect synchronicity! And a certain Law came into play here as a clean bowling occurred at the crease completely obscured from my lens.

There was one youngster whose talent really shone through and impressed me despite his diminished stature; he seemed a good all-rounder, had great style and oodles of energy, but looked very disappointed to be out – at that time; not a happy bunny. I have subsequently learned his name is Ashish Padki; if he perseveres, I reckon he will be someone to look out for in Cricketing circles – he reminded me very much of the young Lewis Hamilton.

The rain did not hold off to the end of play and as the first drops fell, I moved ever closer to the clubhouse to protect the camera and lens in changes of over. It was also getting darker which would have forced me to increase speed and suffer more from noise, so I ended watching from the shelter of the clubhouse, later bringing the car over to put the gear back in. Only the second cricket match covered this season, but thoroughly enjoyable still.

Bamville Cricket Club – Home Season Opener

Sunday turned out to be moderately warm in the sun, and I certainly favoured sunshine for a Cricket Match, as the players always look good in their white trousers and sweaters when in sunshine, whereas under cloud they look somewhat drab.The Cricket Match I was due to cover was a team local to Harpenden, Bamville, which is a somewhat smaller club, with a small, but interesting ground, since it's pitch shares the space with part of the local Golf Course, which limits play to Sundays. All very English.

I arrived early to capture some of the setting up preparations, which included the Scorer for the day opening up the scoreboard to oust the resident spider, and using the manual for the new Coffee machine to learn about its as yet unfamiliar operation. After adding this talent to his vast experience as a top Product Designer and Cricket and Snooker Guru, he went on to fill the far less sophisticated Water Boiler — is there no end to this man’s talents? On a more serious note, Peter is one of a number of dedicated volunteers who help this friendly Club to run and provide enjoyment for those who play Cricket and socialise.

The visiting Team on this occasion was The Players and Jesters from Nearby St. Albans, and the opening batsmen were the Home team. I will let the pictures tell the story of the match as I am unfamiliar with the personnel, what I will say is the final result was close. I was disappointed that I missed at least two instances of the bails taking to the air, but I did manage to capture three others, as these are the moments that make a difference for a photographer.

I had arrived in just a shirt and welcomed the opportunity to slip into a pullover after the first innings, but even with this on, by the end I was starting to wish that the Home team put more bails into the air as the wind was by now on the back of my neck and had risen in strength and fallen in temperature!

I had managed to take several sequences that illustrated the shapes bowlers created and batsmen the contortions had gone through to find the ball and project it to the boundary. An afternoon spent in good company and providing me with the exercise of carrying a heavy tripod and camera, keeping my eye in, outside in the fresh air.

Sunday Cricket – Bamville vs Bedford Park

It is some time since I went to Harpenden to cover a Cricket Match, and the weather looked set fair, so I travelled down to see Peter Carr who this day was scoring as is is his wont. I left in what I took was good time and chose to take a part of the journey along the country lanes, which was a reasonably good choice as far as it went, but it would have been even better, had I decided to avoid the M1 entirely as an accident on the other carriageway had attracted the attention of the southbound carriageway users, thereby slowing our journey as well!

I arrived just in time to miss only the first over. The home team, Bamville had chosen to bat. I was determined to avoid the sun where possible, so had a scruffy, but wide-brimmed floppy hat and a light scarf to protect my neck, and set up close to the pavilion in the leafy shade of some nearby trees. The pitch is part of the Golf Course for weekdays and Saturdays, and is undulating and irregular, making it very irregular and being close to dense, bramble-heavy undergrowth and tall grasses, prone to numerous stoppages due to locating errant balls despatched by enthusiastic batsmen, which has the effect of forcing fielders to do the searching aided on occasion by the occasional spectators.

Photographing level with the pitch can sometimes be difficult when using a tripod, because fielders can often obscure your direct line of sight to the batsmen or bowler alternately, but shooting handheld with a long lens can be wearing, so full-coverage is never guaranteed and capturing fielders catching balls is seriously difficult, so with the home team batting, I concentrate on them for the first half and do my best to at least cover some fielding in the second half. As a spectacle-wearer I find it hard to get a complete view of the screen with a dSLR, which is an issue when trying to follow a cricket ball!

As with the windsurfing shots I have tried to capture sequences, which means an extra burden in post processing due to the large number of shots, but it does improve the success rate of the peak of actions, but it gives me even greater respect for the sports photographers in the days of film.

I did manage to capture a few of those moments when the bails flew, but sadly lifted my finger from the shutter release when a catch was about to be made, but the waiting hands of the fielder are in view. I had an enjoyable afternoon, but have spent longer, doing cropping and occasional colour tweaks due to the light changing, and throwing out shots either leading up to or following on from an action I was trying to capture, but altogether fun.

Bamville Cricket Club, Harpenden visited by Ivanhoe CC

A week back I had hoped I would be able to get down to visit Bamville Cricket Club for the first time this season, but it did not happen, so despite being somewhat tied up with tech-editing the first few chapters of Martin Evening’s next in the series of ‘Photoshop for Photographers’ books, I cleared what I could and headed down the M1 to Harpenden. I met more traffic than anticipated, obviously due to the attraction of bright weather, so the match had started without me! Hardly a surprise!

I gathered my kit, in this instance the 150-600mm Tamron on the 7D MkII and popped the Lensmaster Gimbal head on the Silk Road Giottos carbon fibre tripod, crossed the road and sat down just outside the closest boundary. I chose a low viewpoint and splayed the tripod legs so that when seated the camera eyepiece was at my level, and started shooting.

I soon found that was not good for my back and headed past the white screens and for a short while possibly a couple of overs I kept the low viewpoint, but eventually common sense prevailed and I accepted the higher level, an Ivanhoe player came by and I was able to learn that the Visitors  side were batting.  A short while later a Bamville gentleman came over to ask me whether I took sugar in tea, which was exceedingly generous; a sweetened cuppa followed a few moments later.

I soon had an instance of stumps akimbo and bails in the air, and was able to feel Peter Carr would be pleased rather than dismayed by this.

In the end I had captured two such instances which is always rewarding; I missed another because the batsman concerned was stood precisely in front of the stumps hiding the denouement entirely!

I came into the pavilion when the team had their break and had to let Peter know, I would also be leaving before the end of the match, but I was still reward by something to eat as well as the earlier tea, so I thanked him for his hospitality, I hope the team are happy with what I did manage to capture.

Bamville Away to Ley Hill at Amersham

Peter Carr had mentioned that Bamville Cricket Club were to play away at Amersham on the Saturday, and as I had missed their first match which had been a winner for them, I made a concerted effort to try to attend this match. Fortunately Peter’s  pessimistic message that they were not fielding a strong team of members, but a series of friends and friends of friends did not reach me till I arrived at the venue, as had I received it before setting off I might have given it a miss.

However, the team was strong, and the ground much larger than Bamville’s own, and largely level at the boundary. The weather was favourable but variable, sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy, but bright. I had brought two different lenses and a 1.4 converter which was fortuitous as the distance to the creases was much farther than Bamville’s and I learned that there was more than one snag with using the converter with my 100-400mm lens; I was aware of the vignetting, but had forgotten that the autofocus was limited to a single central spot, so when using AI Servo placing my subject at edges was not on, so composition was often compromised.

What also did not help is either my EOS 7D or my 300mm lens was suffering a glitch, so I have to find the time to investigate further and more than likely pay a visit to Canon’s workshop sometime soon, and dip into savings!

I spent time at different spots around the boundary trying to meet Peter’s desire for me to concentrate on shooting their team’s batsmen when they were in, and their bowlers and fielders when the Ley Hill team were batting, I had to resist the temptation to choose what I felt was more interesting at any one moment in time. I had very little chance of catching bails in the air at the distance I was away from the action as that was not really practical which was a shame.

I must be a handy mascot as Bamville won, so maybe I’ll be invited again! We spent a short time downing a drink at the Eagle which was literally a bridge across a stream from the far boundary, before we both went our separate ways back home.

One sequence I shot I have made into a short animated GIF for fun. I have since learned the name of the bowler featured is Nigel Quinton. I hope it is enjoyed.

Bamville Cricket Club – Last Match of 2013

Traditionally Bamville Cricket Club celebrates their last match of the Season, by playing tow teams from within the Club, that way Bamville Club cannot lose. On Sunday they were blessed with bright sunshine for most of the day, and it was pleasantly warm, and Peter Carr, the Club Secretary invited me along, and he would be very pleased if I would take a Club Team Picture for that season, I duly came along together with my cameras, and I also chose to check out CamRanger again.

Because most members would be unlikely to have eaten lunch a splendid buffet was being laid out as I arrived. Rather than confining myself to only taking pictures of the match in progress, I took the opportunity to take informal pictures of many of those attending, both players and and friends and family.

I tried to make sure that I shot the very first ball being bowled, and from then on I was trying to anticipate when the bails were dislodged by keen bowling and was pleasantly surprised by how many of such shots came my way that day – I cannot be sure that the batsmen who succumbed were quite as thrilled as I was, to capture the moment of their downfall, but I was unashamedly thrilled when I managed to do so! I even longed for the classic shot of a stump flying, but that was not to be.

Taking photos of a cricket match is certainly a fantastic way to make a rod for my own back in terms of post processing as I have to be constantly trying to anticipate when a memorable picture is going to occur, so there will always be a mountain of shots where anticipated action fails to materialise, and one simply adds to the total of images one takes, and not only that you may miss something if you choose to keep deleting at the time of taking. For that reason I would recommend that hard drive manufacturers sponsor Cricket as a great way to fill large discs!

Thank you very much to Peter for inviting me, and a very big thank you for the hospitality and company, both were absolutely excellent, and an especial thank you to the lady who made some fantastic chocolate brownies.

Bamville Cricket 1st 2013 Match – Just a Few Highlights

For those not looking to see whether I managed to do you justice as a player, be you a player from either side, here are just a few shots that I felt gave the day some spice. If I have captured the moment you were clean-bowled and you do not wish to be reminded, then you may prefer not to be singled out in these highlights and prefer to be lost in the crowd of the images I was trying to capture the feel of the afternoon, you may consider going to the fuller, extended set of pages in the larger gallery.

Either way, thank you all for giving me some practice.

Bamville Cricket Club – Season Opener

This was the first match of the 2013 calendar, and it started in bright sunshine with Cumulus clouds that eventually dimmed the sun somewhat. Although I am not a follower of cricket, I need as much practice as I can get to capture the moments in the game, so here was an opportunity to be out in the warm sunshine, and keep my hand in. Believe it or not, I did do some fairly extensive culling to arrive at the enormous gallery of images that appear, but so those playing do not feel neglected, I have tried to cover as many as possible, and so that the collection does not look too samey, I kept on the move around the boundary.

Most shots were taken on the 100 - 400mm lens on the Canon EOS 7D, with a few fillers on the 24 - 105mm on the Canon EOS 5D MkII.

For those who do not have the stomach for looking through the larger gallery I have made a single-page gallery of the more notable images from my own viewpoint, some show my sense of humour rather than any merit from a cricketing perspective.

Bamville Cricket Club vs Edlesborough2

Although I have had an open invitation to take photographs of the Bamville Cricket matches of a Sunday, each time this year that I thought I might make it something else cropped up, or I simply forgot, so this Sunday I was determined that I would make it, but having had a gloriously sunny but cool morning, I set off from Caddington in drizzle, and arrived at the far end of Harpenden with at least some sun.

I had intended to give my boomerang plate another outing with the gimbal head, but managed in my haste to leave it behind on the dining room table, however that turned out to be fortuitous as I was able to use it with my Acratech ball head, and found it was equally effective with this, which means that this is a seriously versatile plate in another setup than I had originally intended.

Bamville's pitch is fairly unique in that it possesses a unique boundary, that falls away dramatically on one side, and is also shared with a golf course.

I tried a few initial shots using the 1.4 Converter with the 300mm lens, but in fact that was too restrictive, so removed that and stuck with the 300mm on the Canon EOS 7D, some other shots taken early and at a break were on the 24 - 105mm. My neck was suffering due to the cold wind I experienced [part of the time, so I left before the end, so I have no idea of the score, but then I only wanted to see what I could capture as I am not a follower of the game. I just hope that as a record it pleases a few of the players.

Bamville Cricket Season Start

Harpenden boasts two cricket clubs, the first on Harpenden Common, the second just a short distance beyond East Common, close to the Three Horseshoes Public House. The May 1st match was Bamville’s first of the 2011 season, posted as ‘Players and Jesters’ –  the Abbey Players.

I arrived after the match had begun, and the sun was shining from a clear blue sky, and there was the mildest of breezes. I gathered my gear together, and made my way across towards the clubhouse and pavilion and put up the tripod with gimbal head just short of a shady tree. I spent most of the first half of the Visitors batting shooting from this locations, and with the benefit of the Canon 7D’s greater burst rate than my 5D MkII, was able to capture the ball closer to the bat when shooting the batsmen than on previous occasions.

I was also trying to capture bowlers in exciting stances, ideally with both feet off the ground! I wanted to keep a low viewpoint. but this proved hard for me to get comfortable and Peter Carr very kindly brought me some cushions which eased my back considerably, and eventually I adopted a kneeling position, with breaks to bring them back to life. All the time I was also trying to work out better ways to use the various additions I had made to the tripod and gimbal head system I had created.

During the afternoon the wind slowly gathered momentum, and the sky clouded mistily over, and as I had come with only a shirt, the temperature and windchill gradually got the better of me, and my neck stiffened, but once again Peter came to my rescue and found me a sweater, so I soon began to look a member of the team!

I was pleased to have captured a couple of bails in the air, some floating bowlers and some very energetic running fielders!

Mechelen Cricket Club Visit Bamville and Win

Peter Carr, a member of Bamville Cricket Club told me his team were playing at home on Sunday, so I asked whether he'd mind my coming along to take pictures at the event; he said I'd be welcome.

Sadly I arrived a little late, and the game had started, because I had been busy catching up on work after a busy week, mostly spent away from my email, which had amassed a mountain. The morning mist had lifted and the sun was out in strength.

I had my 150-500mm lens on one body and 70-200mm on another and the long lens was on my tripod to to check out how effective the Acrotech head was - it proved to be useful, if somewhat restrictive. At the end of the day I went back to handholding to give myself more freedom.

I have whittled down the gallery of shots from some 500+ shots taken to 180 that give some idea of the afternoon's play, with its interludes for finding lost balls, removing dog poo and supplying orange juice, with breaks in the game when I captured some of the moments of relaxation.

Sad to relate the visitors won, but it was taken in good spirit, it's a shame I missed an excellent catch, and at least three clean bowled players; I must get out of the habit of 'chimping' so often!