December 26, 2009 - Stars at Avalanche

Great game for the Av's, not a great game for this photographer. I'll post a couple I liked OK. 4-1 victory, including an empty-netter. Chris Stewart showed up, and 29-year old rookie Chris Durno scored his first NHL goal.



Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene (9) has a wrap-around assist to right wing Milan Hejduk (23) (not pictured) as Dallas Stars goalie Alex Auld (31) tries to follow the puck during a regular season game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.

Colorado Avalanche center Matt Hendricks (15) bleeds from his eyebrow as he and left wing Cody McLeod skate during a regular season game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche beat the Stars 4-1.

Next up on the schedule are the Islanders on January 6th. Thanks for looking!

December 22, 2009 - Ducks at Avalanche

Total 3rd period implosion. Av's looked pretty good for 55 minutes in this one. Then a flurry from the Ducks and the Av's fall 4-2 (including an empty-netter).

Rookie Brandon Yip scored his 1st NHL goal and I got a half-decent jubilation shot. The action was at the far end of the ice from me, but I was still pleased with the image.



Colorado Avalanche right wing Brandon Yip (59) leaps in the air as he celebrates his first NHL goal with teammates center Matt Hendricks (15), defenseman Brett Clark (5) and center Chris Durno (45) during a regular season game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Anaheim Ducks at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.

Next up are the Stars tonight, December 26th. I'll post something tomorrow, thanks for looking!

December 19, 2009 - Blue Jackets at Avalanche

Av's score a goal in the first minute, two more in the next 4 minutes, then another at 8:02 into the 1st period. Blue Jackets came back with 2 in the 2nd but could never recover from the early deficit (Av's added an insurance goal in the 3rd to make it 5-2 final). A player named Brandon Yip played well in his NHL debut. Bernie had a Santa Clause outfit on. The evening featured the 3rd smallest attendance figure in the history of the club in Colorado with 11,782 announced (on a Saturday no less).

Here's an image of rookie center Ryan O'Reilly getting stopped on a breakaway by a Columbus winger Jacob Voracek. I didn't actually get action on any of the goals, because they were all scored at the far end of the ice from me (the scoring judge told me that the ice was tilted). Great game for the boys in maroon and blue, even if the outcome was never in doubt from the beginning.



A couple more western conference teams visit this month. The Ducks of Anaheim visit on the 22nd, then the Stars of Texas on the 26th. I'll post after both. Thanks for looking.

December 15, 2009 - Ovechkin and the other guys at Avalanche

When a star like Alexander Ovechkin plays in front of my lens, its hard for me to focus on any other aspect of the game at all. His shifts all seem too short, even though the score sheet has him in the game for a solid 19:12.

My favorite image of #8 was taken in the 3rd period, before a face off, when he and I had a staring contest (which of course he won). That's the image below:

The wizard, Alexander Ovechkin, participates in a staring contest with a photographer.

Another photo that is a favorite of mine but probably won't ever be published (other than here) was when the Av's new enforcer, David Koci, threw down the gloves and laid a solid beat down on Capitals defenseman John Erskine. A pair of fans right on the glass were pumped up as well. After, Koci and Ovie exchanged some words. Koci is a beast. I don't even think he plays hockey.


Colorado Avalanche fans cheer as Colorado Avalanche left wing David Koci (28) and Washington Capitals defenseman John Erskine (4) fight near the glass during a regular season game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Washington Capitals at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.

December 13, 2009 - Flames at Avalanche

This game was great. This is why you would pay to watch a game. Division rivals going for each others throats, and the home team taking the 3rd win of the year (of 3 matches). Lots of goals, but more for the home team.

I have several strong images from this game, so I'll post a couple. The first one is an obvious choice.


Colorado Avalanche center Matt Hendricks (15) flies through the air as he tries to get a shot off against Calgary Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff (34) during a regular season game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Calgary Flames at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.

I like this image for the dejected goalie in the foreground. Hockey jubilation is rarely unique at all, and usually you just see people's helmets and gloves.


Colorado Avalanche players celebrate a right wing Darcy Tucker (16) goal against Calgary Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff (34) (in foreground) during a regular season game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Calgary Flames at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.

December 11, 2009 - Lightning at Avalanche

The Lightning came to town on Friday night. Even though it was an Eastern Conference team, with some legitimate stars, on a Friday night, the Pepsi Center was still eerily empty. How much are scalpers charging these days? I would think you could get in for about $15. So do it.

The game was a see-saw if I've ever seen one. The Lightning came out skating circles around a surprised Av's squad. However, by the 3rd period, the Av's had adjusted to the play and tied the game at a goal a piece. In the 3rd the Av's truly outplayed the lightning, but the game still went to a shootout, which the Av's won on a Wojtek Wolski delayed-release backhanded flip.

I chose this shot because I like what O'Reilly is for the team right now. He's a playmaker and a face for the young club. I hope he has a great and long career, so these images of him as a teenager will age as well as he does.


Colorado Avalanche center Ryan O'Reilly (37) takes a shot during a regular season game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.

December 9, 2009 - Wild at Avalanche

This game was such a dud that I put off posting an entry about it for a week! 1-0 win for the Wild, who played a very sloppy game. No real finesse, just dump the puck and then see who comes up with it in front of the goal. Av's played to the same level, but did not get any good bounces.

I chose the following picture because it was literally the only play of consequence in the whole game, and I was glad to have an image. The puck is in the shot floating over the glove of goalie Peter Budaj. Most of my edit is guys standing around waiting for a faceoff to happen (these can be good images, but typically aren't 90% of my edit).


Colorado Avalanche goalie Peter Budaj (31) can't stop a shot by Minnesota Wild right wing Antti Miettinen (20) during a regular season game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The first-period goal proved to be the game-winner.

Thanks for visiting.

November 25 - Predators at Avalanche

The dreaded Predators visited town, and looked vicious.... no not really, but they did score early and often enough to hand the Av's an OT loss. The Av's wore the alternate jerseys again, but were a little sharper than the first time (8-2 loss against the Canucks that time). A solid 2nd period where the Av's outscored the Preds 3-1 was the highlight. The lowlight was the play on defense with Anderson not able to see the puck at all (a couple times this happened, including a post hit that he had no idea was coming).

The image below is of Jordin Tootoo celebrating a 1st period goal where he had one of the assists.



Next game for me will be the Dec 9 game against the Minnesota Wild. Happy thanksgiving and thanks for looking.

Finally - a Sportsshooter.com page update

I was lazy this year with my page updates. It's a new season, so out with baseball and in with hockey. A cross-section of my favorites from the first 10 games of the year (for me; the Av's have played 12 at home). Have a look, and remember to add your email to the mailing list for notifications of my future updates. Clicking the image will make it larger, but why not just visit my page to see for yourself?


As always, thanks for looking.

November 23 - Flyers at Avalanche

Today I'll share a screenshot of my "live" edit, which was filed from the venue. Pretty wild game that started with a couple of quick goals on what seemed like slow play, and turned into a nailbiter for the home crowd when the Flyers scored 2 goals in the last 11 minutes and had 19 shots on goal (to Colorado's 4!). Andy saved the day again and Av's stay ahead.

Click the picture below to see it larger.

Colorado Sports Venues

Colorado Venues - Images by Dustin Bradford

I've collected my favorite images of the various Colorado Sports Venues I shoot in and created a Photoshelter Gallery. Expect this collection of images to grow as I create more images or scan through my extensive archive and pick more favorites.

My Photoshelter homepage.

November 14 - Canucks at Avalanche

8-2 loss. Sedin had a hat trick. The Avalanche will want to forget this one.

New jerseys apparently not "lucky".

The 1st period lasted (seriously) 40 minutes. 3 goals and three fights. Here's a picture of an angry Adam Foote.



Next up are the Flyers on the 23rd.

November 8 - Oilers at Avalanche

Av's finally lost one at home. Too many power play goals against, not enough offense. 3 goals is decent but it would have taken 6 tonight. Not much else to say. I chose a photo that has illustrates the outcome of the game. David Jones, who had his 6th goal in the third period, was tripped up in front of the net, but no penalty was called.



Next game won't be until the 14th.

Best picture - November 7 Texas A&M at Colorado

See-saw game today, the lead changed at least 4 times and late-game interceptions changed the momentum even if the score didn't change. At the end of the game, I thought I'd head up high to shoot the fans storming the field, given that the win could be called an upset (though the Aggies aren't top-25 right now). A pair of fans got pretty excited about the play that ended the game, and gave me a nice image.



Check back tomorrow for Oilers at Avalanche NHL hockey.

Best Picture - November 6 Blackhawks at Avalanche

The picture I like best from yesterday's game is a shot of young defenseman Kyle Cumiskey (10) working against Chicago Blackhawks star center Patrick Sharp (10). Sharp had Cumiskey one-on-one in a breakaway, and Cumiskey completely neutralized the attack. Cumiskey, 22, is an up-and-coming skater with crazy speed (though I've heard his skating be described as "too cute" by an Altitude reporter).



Another great win for the Av's, who have now split shootout victories this year with the Blackhawks (and going 17 rounds in two contests!). The stars last night were O'Reilly, Stewart, and Anderson, but pressure and contributions from the lesser known players was crucial as well.

Best Picture - November 4 Coyotes at Avalanche

Another home win for the Av's, who are tied for the NHL lead with 24 points. Backup goalie Peter Budaj was great in his 1st regular season start after Craig Anderson started the first 15 games. He stopped 28 shots and only allowed one power play goal to the also-hot Coyotes.

This picture is of Anderson giving Budaj what looks to be heartfelt congratulations during the traditional helmet-bumps with the winning goalie after the game.



Here's a tighter crop. The action was good too tonight, but this was a cool moment.

Interesting fact - the crowd of just over 11,000 was the smallest ever home draw for the Avalanche. History in the making. Ironic, the Av's are off to a record-setting start and the next record they break is lowest home game attendance. Go figure. I am sure Friday's game against the Blackhawks will draw a larger crowd.

Best Picture - October 24 Red Wings at Avalanche

I'm starting something new with this blog. Among other things, I'll post one image per assignment (pro sports or otherwise) that I consider the "best" image from the shoot. It may not be the same image an actual editor would choose, but it will be the most meaningful image for me from the event or shoot.

For the first entry, here is an image from last night's NHL game at the Pepsi Center in Denver, during a Red Wings at Avalanche game. The Avalanche are currently on a tear - 18 points out of 22 possible through 11 games - with rookies Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly scoring points while playing sensible and selfless hockey. The Avalanche beat the Red Wings with a goal each from T.J. Galiardi (pictured) and Chris Stewart (in his return from a very brief stint in the AHL). I chose the picture below because it is not a typical hockey action photo, but instead one that happened when my camera focused on the wrong part of the frame, but that really shows the mood at the arena when the Avalanche tied it up. I hope you'll enjoy this new series and hopefully I'll post consistent - and interesting - pictures. Thanks.

2009 Major League Baseball individual awards (candidates)

Meaningful baseball for many teams in winding down. Fortunately, in Denver, there is definitely still meaningful baseball going on. For the rest of the cities, the big stories are the potential individual award winners (all photos link to the same gallery).

Cardinals 1st baseman Albert Pujols is the overwhelming favorite to win the 2009 National League MVP Award.

I've looked back through the archive from this year, and published my favorites of some of the potential candidates, from games I've seen this year. I've gathered these examples based on articles I've read on the internet.

Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter, who won the Cy Young award with the Redbirds in 2005, is a candidate for both the 2009 National League Cy Young Award and the 2009 National League Comeback player of the Year Award.

I saw far fewer American League teams this year, so not much coverage of those awards.

Seattle Mariners 1st baseman Russell Branyan hit 31 homeruns in 431 at bats in 2009 after hitting 12 and 7, respectively, in 132 and 122 at bats the prior two seasons (2008 and 2007). He is considered a candidate for the 2009 American Comeback League Player of the Year.

Ask 10 people who watch baseball which pitcher they would most like to see pitch and at least half of them would say "Tim Lincecum." The kid is so smooth in everything he does.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum shows a unique delivery that helped him win 14 games and strike out 254 batters (as of 9/28/09) during 2009, setting him up to potentially win back-to-back National League Cy Young Awards (he won the award in 2008).

Thanks for looking.

2009 Denver Tour de Fat

The annual event on September 12, 2009 featured all the craziness you expect from this mass ride + early halloween + beer garden + festival, and super tasty beer (Hoptober, 1554, Sunshine, etc.). Click through to view 106 images on Photoshelter.


Enjoy.

A recent baseball game

The Rockies are really good right now. I love this picture. Here's the caption:

"September 9, 2009: Rockies starting pitcher Jason Hammel did not factor in the decision despite pitching 7 1/3 innings while giving up only 2 runs on 3 hits and striking out 8 during a regular season game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. Here, Hammel, catcher Yorvit Torrealba, and shortstop Clint Barmes wait on the mound for manager Jim Tracy as Hammel is relieved in the 8th inning. The Rockies beat the Reds 4-3 with a come-from-behind 2-RBI walkoff single in the 9th inning."

I need to work quick, so it not the best verbiage. Either way, I wanted to share it.

2009 Broomfield Shootout Soccer Tournament

I spent this past weekend shooting youth soccer. (5th Annual Broomfield Shootout, August 13-16 2009, Broomfield, CO). Great weather and light (evening games and partial clowd cover) and tons and tons of action. I caught parts of over 60 games......

I shot the event for Brian Schillinger of www.innovativeimagesllc.com. He'll have all photos available for sale as prints and other products in the next several days. Until he has those up, browse through a quick edit I made of some of my favorites. I set out to find 10 jubilation shots for a sportsshooter page update and ended up with 80 ....


Contact Brian Schillinger for more information. (303) 772-0463 or email sales@innovativeimagesllc.com

2009 MLB Gallery on Photoshelter

Halfway through the baseball season and time for an update. I've picked what I thought were pictures that revealed the character of the players and the game. Have a look....

125R - On the way to the painters...

Rick at Standard Byke Co is awesome. He responded to an email I sent this morning asking for a quick snap of my frame on the assembly line and he passed this along. Talk about incredible customer service.
The notations are the custom specs I asked for. 21.5" top tube and 74 degree head angle.

Needless to say, I am pumped. I found black Profile cranks on ebay and Joe of Joe's Bike Shop is lacing up some Profile hubs for me. This bike is going to be TITS.

Just FIX IT!! FIX IT!! FIX IT!!!!!

That was fun. The Fix hosted a St. Patrick's Day dirt jump jam, which immediately preceded, uh... was concurrent with, a screening of 970biking.com's new Video, Issue 7. Dangit they were supposed to wait till the riders showed up! Oh well at least we got to watch some trials riders and a crappy compilation of some crappy mountain bike video before watching New World Disorder 9, which was cool. The NWD series may be turning into the Warren Miller of mountain biking but there are some incredible riders doing incredible things. More importantly, before the whole thing started, a bunch of guys rode dirt jumps at the Fix for a while. I've posted a link to the photographic results below.

Contextualess image of Andy Halloway. Nice tie/shirt combo.

PHOTOS FROM THE ST. PATRICK'S DAY DIRT JUMP JAM AT THE FIX

As a special bonus, there are even pictures of yours truly after the link, courtesy of the lovely Danielle who manned (?) the Nikon whilst I hit the jumps.

New Bike Coming

I ordered a new BMX bike today, and am ridiculously excited. Standard Byke Company, 125R. Custom specs: 21.5" top tube, 15.0" stays, 74 degree head angle, and built in seat post clamp. Gun Metal Grey or gloss black, it will be a surprise.

I won't see it for about 4-8 weeks (I think they'll come in on the short end of that estimate). But it got me thinking about my previous BMX bikes. This will be number 9 in the series of "real" bikes. I had a really crappy 20" as a kid, that one doesn't count. It had coaster brakes.

So, even if no one wants to read about it, I am going to chronicle the 8 previous bikes and new bike right here.

Here is the story of the chrome unkown brand 20" BMX left behind by my friend Marcus in the shady Tucson apartment.

So one day my friend Marcus and his family just dissappeared from our Tucson apartment building. What will always be a complete mystery to me is why he left is chrome BMX bike unlocked outside of his apartment the day he left. Maybe he meant for me to find it. The main problem with the bike (maybe a single-stay ELF?) was that the handelbars slipped forward. Tightened the stem, problem solved. I also learned how to repack the hubs, headset, and bottom bracket, and probably put some new tires on it. Later I would notice that the top and down tube were bent, and the frame was cracked under the head tube. Learned how to bunnyhop on that bike, and got decent at running from the law if I would have ever needed to.

Here is a picture of this bike (well the closest thing to a picture I could come up with):

Check back often. Next post will regard the blue Hutch and the Diamondback.

Grandpa's email today, March 6, 2009.

Hi Everyone.

I have a spring like day and really am enjoying it. Much too early to mow the lawn but just sitting on the patio is good enough. My trip to the hospital Wednesday wasn't very pleasant even though it was a simple procedure. My mouth is sore trying to blow air thru equipment to see how I was doing. I would have cheated but the nurse put a clamp on my nose so I had to breathe thru my mouth into the equipment . At one point the nurse had me breathing some kind of gas and it lacked oxygen I think. That wasn't fun. When you do these breathing exercizes for an hour it gets rather rough on the mouth and that's my problem today. I got a sore kisser. The result of it all I will find out when I see my Doc later this month but I do believe I got a passing grade.

And that's about all there is to tell from Henrietta. My best contact with Pennsylvania is a beautiful young lady living in Pine Grove Mills and that's about the only one I hear from. Thank you "Jennie".

HFB

New pictures and a couple ideas

It's been a while since I did anything with this space, but I have some new pictures and some new ideas.

1) Pictures - I have pictures up on the following subjects at the following locations:

- Recent Sunset Dirt Jump Jams, Major League Baseball, and CU football

- NHL stuff from Avalanche games this season.

2) Social Media

Twitter ID - "dustinbradford" follow my random thoughts. I'll put a widget here soon...
Facebook - "Dustin Bradford." Looking forward to the new news feed "Facebook 1.5."
Myspace - "Happy Puppy" no recent updates because I forgot how to use myspace. But I still like the look of my page.

and maybe best of all

Google Reader. Do yourself a favor and get started using Google Reader. you need a google/gmail account. Then, start sharing. I'll look at anything anyone shares with me. And I'll share my favorite articles as well. Trust me this is cool.

Big shout out to Soggy Coaster for publishing a great blog on Durango beer. I did publish a guest review of a beer, but was in over my head somewhat as I am still learning the ropes when it comes to breaking down and rating beers.

Here is an interesting picture to go along with the purpose of this blog in the first place:


Thanks for reading and add this to your Google Reader to ensure you never miss an update.