Those Hooligans

They rang cowbells, waved flags, played trombones and screamed their hearts out. Decked out in face paint and with blood pumping with emotion, the Conestoga Boys Soccer "Hooligans" cheer on home boys games.

I had never heard of them before being assigned the story, and going in I had very little idea as to how I was going to shoot this.

Do I stand just in front of the fans on the small walkway and shoot them with wideangle from there, or do I stand on the field and shoot with a telephoto. The answer became clear once I realized how important lighting was going to be.

Standing right in front of these emphatic hooligans provided for a neat angle. With speedlight flashing away, I attempted to portray the emotion behind these kids.

And, then there are those fun shots, too.

This shot, on the right, was taken during the national anthem. I really love the shot because the kid here is taking off his hat--a blue elephant --to salute the flag.

All in all, shooting the hooligans were a welcome change from just straight sports action, and the photos turned out in the paper in the form of a full page color spread--even better.