My view of 2010

So far 2010 has been a great experience for me. As a Sports Photographer the Soccer World Cup open up a new world for me and lifted my photography once again to another level.

But again i learned that you must never think you can take photos and think you’re a “yster”. I saw some photo’s of the other photographers during the tournament that will keep me humble for awhile an will inspire me for the next few years.

Well at least i featured in the latest addition of Sports Illustrated (August 2010). Although i was watching the game at that stage and not taking photos as i was suppose to do. This photo was taking during the Bafana vs France Game in Bloemfontein on 22 June 2010 by Jewel Samad of AFP.

Okay here the image i took just before this photo was taken. Yes see, sometimes i do take photos and does not sit and watch the game the whole time. This is a photo of Bongani KHUMALO after he scored the first goal for South Africa vs France. Bafana Bafana won the game 2-1

Gerhard

11 July 2010

Thirty days, 7500km, 15 games, 7 stadiums, thousands of images and now it’s all over. Spain is the new world champion after beating Holland 1-0 at Soccer City last night.

I had the privilege to be commissioned by a French Media Company to cover the World cup for them.

Once again it was an experience second to none as my friend Jubs would say and worth every single kilometer I drove through the country stopping at hundreds of road work stops, well nearly feels like hundreds and nearly as bad as sorting out match passes and parking passes. The rest were a blast and I had the most memorable time of my life.

Although the final wasn’t the greatest of games to watch as most finals are the closing ceremony was out of this world with technology you can’t believe. After everything I think we as South Africans can be very proud and can just say… VIVA South Africa….! because we are champions in our own right to host an event of this calibre. Congratulations to Danny Jordaan and his team who exceed all expectations.

Next week is the Billabong Pro in J-Bay. How great it’s going to be not to be hit by long lenses on the left and right of your head when the game is moving from left to right. Hope to get a few nice surf images and catch up with my old Varsity buds Jubs and Willis.

In the middle is Iker CASILLAS the captain of Spain with the World Cup Trophy.

Gerhard

Ama Click Click

At the moment I’m at Ellispark to cover the USA vs Slovenia match at 16:00. The fifth match I’m covering this week in the 2010 Soccer World Cup. So far it’s been an experience of a lifetime and actually a dream come true. To shoot at Soccer city with a capacity of 95 000 people is something i can’t describe in words. Specially yesterday’s match between Argentina and South Korea was amazing. To see all the banners hanging from this stadium around ten story buildings high is something i haven’t experience before.

Soccer City on 17 June 2010.  Argentina vs South Korea

South African Crowd on 16 June 2010 at Loftus in Pretoria. Bafana Bafana vs Uruguay.

Ama Click Click at Soccer city on 14 June 2010. Denmark vs Holland

From L to R; Lefty(Gallo),Etienne(Star),Trevor(APA),Myself en Allan(Backpage)

Stampeding photographers at Ellispark on 15 June 2010. Brazil vs North Korea. This is just a small group of the photographers at such a game. At this game there were over 200 accredited photographers.

Gerhard

World Cup 2010

Seven days to go and everyone in South africa are waiting in anticipation to see if everything will go of well.

Looking forward to see favorite teams like Spain, Brazil in action with players like Kaka, Xavi, Torres and David Villa in Action. And then probably the worlds nr. one player at the moment, Lionel Messi of Argentina. Okay then one mustn’t forget players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney and Ribinho. This is going to be one big feast.

Spain must be one of the favorite teams to win this tournament seeing the fact that they only lost one game out of 45 in three and a half years. That one game was during the Confederations Cup 2009 in South Africa against the United States of America during the semi-Final in Bloemfontein. Another reason that make Spain the favorite is that seven of Spain’s players are rated among the top 50 players in the world. Nearly the whole team. South Africa’s Steven Pienaar is the only player from South Africa that is rated in the top 50.

I had the privilege to cover that game in 2009. Here a few decisive moments that let the USA through to the Final which they played against Brazil. Brazil won the tournament by the way with Kaka the man of the series.

Jozy Altidore after scoring for the USA.

Clint Dempsey after scoring his goal for the USA.

Torres on one knee after Spain losing against USA in the semi final during the 2009 Confederations Cup in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Gerhard

Seisa Ramabodu Stadium

Seisa Ramabodu stadium in Rocklands near Bloemfontein in South Africa is the home of Bloemfontein Celtic FC. This ground haven’t got a big capacity and can host around 17 000 people. The stadium going to feature as one of the practice fields during the 2010 World Cup.

Although not big the atmosphere is fantastic and the crowd is by far the best you will get anywhere in South Africa. They are just a happy bunch singing and clapping and enjoy the game soccer. It is always a pleasure to cover a game at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium.

Here an image i took before the start of the PSL game between Bloemfontein Celtic and Maritzburg United on 9 December 2009. I used a Nikon D3 camera and a Nikon 20 mm F2.8 lens.

Gerhard

www.supermedia.co.za

Moses Mabhida Stadium – 28 November

It is 28 November  2009, a day before the opening match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. I’m at the Kingspark Swimming pool across the street busy with the Westville sprints gala. Just finished taken photos for the day at 6:30 pm and went out to get some fresh air.

See the light outside, rush back inside, grab my D3, 24-70mm, 20mm and 10.4mm lenses. Ran to the outside pavilion to the top and took around thirty images with the three lenses for about 10 minutes. Normally stadium lights and ambient light balances out for only 10 minutes or so. So to get the right balance one must be quick and be at the right time at the right place.

Tomorrow at 3:30pm is the opening match between Amazulu and Maritzburg united. All the tickets are sold out which mean there will be more than  70 000  people in the stadium. I’m going to cover the game and looking forward to see the stadium from the inside for the first time. One of the 2010 World Cup Semi Finals will be hosted at the stadium. Hope i will have the priviledge to attend that match as well.

Here one of the images i took with the Nikon 20mm F2.8 lens.

Gerhard

www.supermedia.co.za

Bafana Bafana vs Jamaica

Well i don’t know if Bennie McCarthy is the right player to save Bafana Bafana’s dreams for the 2010 World Cup but i heard that CJ vd Linde is injured so maybe this is the right guy to go and save the Boks at prop. And if it is starting to going bad in the kicking department he can also sort the kicking out.

Looking at the next photo you will see that Bennie can still  jump so maybe he can also sort out the line-out out if there might be a problem om Saturday against Italy. I’m telling you this is the guy for tight head prop………..just a joke, i think he is still a very good player. Maybe 15 kilos lighter and he can safe Bafana Bafana as well.

Photo taken on 17 November 2009 when Bafana Bafana played Jamaica at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein.

Gerhard

www.supermedia.co.za

Gavin Hunt

What does it take to win the win the PSL(Premier Soccer League) two times in a row.  The answer is Gavin Hunt as head coach and a well balanced side which he got in Supersport United.

This guy got so much passion and is so much part of the game that there is no way his players can’t play up to their full potential.

On Wednesday 26 August Celtic FC. played Supersport at Seisa Ramabodu in Bloemfontein and i took a couple of images of Gavin. You can go and watch them on www.supermedia.co.za. You will then understand what the real meaning of the word passion is.

Here is one of the images that i took with a Nikon D3 and a 400mm F2.8 lens.

Gerhard

More images on www.supermedia.co.za

Moses Mabhida Soccer Stadium

Well i don’t know if the Moses Manhida soccer stadium in Durban South Africa is the most beautiful soccer stadium in the world but for sure is the most beautiful stadium i have seen in my life. The architecture is out of this world and in 2010 during the soccer world cup a total of nine games are going to be played in this stadium with a capacity of plus minus eighty thousand. This include one of the semi finals.

I took this image during July this year with a Nikon D3 and a 24-70mm F2.8 lens. To get the right lighting one must shoot it on manual otherwise the cameras light meter always tend to over expose a photo like this which let it look very dull with no punch.

Settings on the D3;

Shutter – 1/320

Aperture – F7.1

ISO – 1000

White Balance – Auto

The security around the stadium is very strict and there is no way one can get inside to get a few shots with a different angle.

Gerhard

www.supermedia.co.za

Star Spangled Banner

The Star Spangled Banner Oh, say! can you see by the dawn’s early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming; Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there: Oh, say! does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam, In fully glory reflected now shines in the stream: ‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave! And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion A home and a country should leave us no more? Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution! No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave. Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and the war’s desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: “In God is our trust”: And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Well the USA didn’t won the 2009 Confederations Cup but certainly got a lot of pride out of the tournament and probably the best win in the history of the USA soccer.

Here a image of the USA team singing the well known national anthem of America, the Star Spangled Banner, before the start of the semi final between them and Spain. Photo taken with a Nikon D3 and 14-24 mm F2.8 Lens.

Gerhard

www.supermedia.co.za