West Coast League
Photographing Baseball is A Lot Like Fishing
With very little baseball to go out and photograph over the course of the last year (thanks to COVID-19), it has been a good time for me to reflect on the games I have covered over the last 15 years – everything from house league T-Ball, Mosquito (9-10 year olds) right on up through elite high school leagues, to our summer collegiate team – the Victoria HarbourCats – to the 2017 World Junior Championships and finally to the MLB level, covering the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field, as well as in Spring Training in Arizona.
I have been fortunate to stay busy photographing the game I love, at all levels, including the Seattle Mariners and Ichiro Suzuki, at the MLB level.
I am apparently a rare breed here in Victoria, in that I REALLY, REALLY enjoy shooting baseball. Some of our local press photographers don’t like baseball assignments mainly because they have a limited time to shoot a game and always want the “big play” images to happen in the first inning – double plays at second, plays at the plate – plays that do NOT always happen early in a game, if at all, or at least by their deadline.
Plays at the plate can be relatively infrequent at most baseball games, but when they happen you need to be ready for them.
I tell them that shooting baseball is a lot like fishing….you sit quietly and patiently for long periods of time, waiting for that big nibble, or the fish to take your line, and when it does, you have to be ready to reel it in (i.e. snap away and capture the big play) before it is gone. Sometimes those nibbles come early and rapidly, sometimes they don’t come at all.
When plays at bases happen in baseball, be ready for them so you can land a nice “catch”
Fortunately, I like fishing, and with most of the work I do with the HarbourCats or with other on-line media agencies, we rarely have to worry about hard print deadlines and can stay for the full length of most games, allowing for more time to catch that big fish, and capture a key image or series of images from a particular game.
Sometimes the best image of the game happens on the very last play, like this example of a celebration after a walk-off base hit won the game.
And just like an expert fisherman who knows where and when to get the big fish, anticipating and understanding when that big play is going to happen in a baseball game is key.
While sometimes it can be obvious, I find that because I have played and coached the game, and am a connoisseur of baseball’s finer points, there are times when I can anticipate what is going to happen and set myself up for a better angle and photo.
For example, knowing a bunt situation and turning to photograph the player bunting, or knowing a certain batter’s tendencies and focusing on a fielder that he has a high percentage of hitting the ball to.
Knowing when a player might be called upon to bunt can often lead to nice photos of the play if executed.
This latter example worked out well for me in the image of the diving third baseman shown below. Three previous batters, including the guy at the plate this time, had all earlier scorched line drives down the line. So this time around, I focused on the third baseman and sure enough, the same batter hit another down the line and I captured the resulting image.
With a little knowledge of a batter’s tendencies and a pre-focus on an infielder, you can capture shots like this.
Or stealing signs from coaches or infielders and being in position (with my lens) to capture a pick-off attempt or a player stealing a base.
Plays at second are also big on a baseball photographer’s hit list, especially when a shortstop or second baseman attempts to turn a double play in the face of a sliding runner. Ideally you want to capture this from the first base side, with the defensive player leaping over the sliding runner and at the same time releasing the ball toward first. Of course, given how infrequently double plays happen (well at least at the level of games I have been covering) and when they do, the fact that sometimes you are on the third base side, capturing such an iconic image can be difficult.
Quite often you can be on the third base side when a double play attempt at second base happens but with a little luck and the right timing, you can get acceptable results.
Fortunately for me, one time when covering the Blue Jays at Seattle a few years back, the “perfect storm” occurred in the very last game I shot of the three-game series, and I got TWO such images in the same game, the second of which (below), is probably the best such photo of this type of play that I have ever captured!
One of my best double play images ever, came in the very last game of a three game series in Seattle, showing how rare the “perfect” double-play photo can be and illustrating the patience one has to have when shooting baseball.
In lieu of the big plays, one often has to resort to other ways to capture images that make the game interesting for the readers and viewers of the images. One way I like to do this is by using close-up shots of, for example, pitchers as they deliver the ball to the plate. With the right lighting and background, these can be very powerful images, especially if that pitcher ends up throwing a good game.
With the right lighting and background, close-up shots of pitchers like this can be quite dramatic.
Another good sight line I like is from behind the plate. Either a close up that really captures the exertion on a pitcher’s face, or in the case of the first photo below, the stress on his arm, or in the case of the second photo below, shooting a bit wider to give the viewer more context for the game and situation.
Shooting pitchers from behind the plate in a close-up mode can really emphasize their effort and exertion (top) while shooting a bit wider (below) can add more context to the situation.
Capturing shots of batters is always another dilemma for baseball photographers. Many like to capture the batter at the time of impact, when the ball hits the bat. These are called BOB (bat on ball) shots and many photographers seem overly elated to get them, but for me, I don’t like them because in most instances you don’t see the face of the batter.
My preference is to capture the batter as he comes out of his swing and his eyes begin to follow the ball as he follows through on his swing and begins to move toward first base. Most times, such shots are best from the third base side, photographing right handed batters who pull the ball, but lefties from this side will also work well. Cropping closely in post (like the Jose Bautista shot below) is another way to add variety to the shot.
Outfielders are another challenge for baseball photographers and often get ignored, unless you are using a fairly long telephoto lens and are specifically shooting them. Fortunately, there are times when turning to shoot an outfielder works out OK, especially if you are using a newer camera with sufficient megapixels on the sensor to allow close cropping of the image in post-processing. The images below are such examples and can be nice catches (pun intended) if you get them!
Finally, sometimes the biggest fish can be caught off the field of play. Look for shots of fans or other promotions happening during the game that can make compelling, interesting or just plain weird photos. Depending on the game and the level of action, these may be the best images of the evening, so try not to ignore them!
And when in doubt, if there is ever a coach – umpire argument, be sure to capture it! They can be priceless!
More of Christian J. Stewart’s baseball photography can be found at: https://christianjstewart.zenfolio.com/baseball
Summer Collegiate
The Losing Streak Continues For the NightOwls As They Fall 14-12 To The RiverHawks
EDMONTON, A.B. — The NightOwls bats continue to pop, but they can’t seem to outscore their opponent as they fall 14-12 to the Edmonton RiverHawks on Friday Night. Despite two home runs from Jacob Hayes and one from catcher Nathan Davis, Nanaimo drops to 12-16 on the season.
The two teams went back and forth all game, and the NightOwls had a late lead in the eighth inning but couldn’t hold on, and the RiverHawks were able to get a late lead. Nanaimo has a chance at redemption tomorrow at Re/Max Field as the two teams are back at it at 7:05 MST. That’s 6:05 our time in Nanaimo, and the game can be streamed on the link below.
https://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=622688
Leading the way at the plate was first baseman Jacob Hayes, who went yard twice on the night for his fifth and sixth Home Runs on the season for the NightOwls. Catcher Nathan Davis also went deep for his first home run of the year. Jacob Hayes spoke on his recent hot streak.
“This game has a lot of ups and downs, so making adjustments is crucial. I definitely have felt more confident at the plate. I think using a whole field approach at the dish has given me that. Cody has been talking a lot about that recently, and just trusting him with his advice has also allowed me to feel freer up at bat.”
Asher De Leo came in relief for the Nanaimo Night Owls and was the only pitcher not to allow a hit or run in this very offensive game against the Edmonton RiverHawks. Starting pitcher Aidan Boice had three strikeouts in his five innings pitched and didn’t factor into the decision on the night.
https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/
I spoke to the manager of the Nanaimo NightOwls, Cody Andreychuk after the game about the play of Jacob Hayes and how they could balance the pitching and hitting, “Hayes has been on a tear in the last little bit there’s a lot to like about how he drives the ball out of the ballpark , Talan Zenk has also been swinging a hot bat . As far as the balance between pitching and hitting the pitchers won us the series against Edmonton earlier in the year we are going through a rough patch and I’m confident they will respond and bounce back.”
Talan Zenk went one for three with a single, walk and RBI, and three runs as he was also hit by a pitch. Nathan Davis had a great stat line going three for four with three RBI, a HR, two singles, three runs, a walk, and a stolen base. Shortstop Andrew Nykoluk also had a nice day at the plate with two hits, an RBI and a walk.
http://Nanaimonightowls.com/tickets
The series continues on Saturday and Sunday July 5th, and 6th in Edmonton against the RiverHawks. Note the start times as Saturday is a 6:05 first pitch PST and Sunday is an afternoon affair that goes at 12:05 PST.
Then the team will have a well deserved day off after 10 straight days of games. The NightOwls return home with a three game series against the Kelowna Falcons in a mid week matchup. That starts Tuesday July 8th at 6:35pm and continues Wednesday and Thursday at the same time. Make sure to follow us on social media for the latest NightOwls news and use the hashtag #IlluminateTheDark!
VICTORIA, B.C. — The Nanaimo NightOwls dropped the final game of the series 8-3 to the Victoria HarbourCats on Thursday night. The HarbourCats jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning and continued to add to it with six more runs between the third and sixth innings.
Nanaimo was able to get a couple of runs back thanks to home runs from Jacob Hayes and Tyler Arnold, but they couldn’t complete the comeback and ended up dropping both games at Royal Athletic Park. The NightOwls had three runs on nine hits with no errors. The Victoria HarbourCats finished the night with eight runs on 10 hits and no errors.
https://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=620557
Starting Pitching Lino Zepeda went three innings, surrendering three earned runs on six hits while striking out three. Brennan Kettle and Jakin Rohne both came in relief and threw scoreless outings.
Kettle, a junior from Hawaii Pacific University, pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up no hits and striking out one. Rohne went two innings, giving up no runs, no hits, and striking out two.
https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/
The NightOwls made a late push in the game against the HarbourCats thanks to a pair of home runs. First it was Jacob Hayes who had a two run shot, he finished the night one for three with a HR, two RBI and a walk.
Jacob Hayes (@Jacobhayes2023, @APUBaseball) hit a 2-run homer in the eight that put @wclNightOwls on the board, his fourth of the summer. pic.twitter.com/qrwfAA21W8
— PNW College Baseball Report (@PNW_CBR) July 4, 2025
Tyler Arnold also got into the home run action in the ninth inning. He smacked a solo shot and finished the day one for four. Raoul Fabian Jr. continues to wield a hot bat as he went two for four with 2 singles and a run scored.
http://Nanaimonightowls.com/tickets
The loss drops the Nanaimo NightOwls to 12-15 on the season and 0-3 to start the second half. No time to worry about the series against the HarbourCats as the team heads right out to Edmonton for a Friday night game. Nanaimo swept the RiverHawks when they were in Nanaimo last week.
The road trip to Edmonton against the RiverHawks goes, Friday, Saturday and Sunday July 4th, 5th and 6th. Then the team will have a well deserved day off after 10 straight days of games. The NightOwls return home with a three game series against the Kelowna Falcons in a mid week matchup. That starts Tuesday July 8th at 6:35pm and continues Wednesday and Thursday at the same time. Make sure to follow us on social media for the latest NightOwls news and use the hashtag #IlluminateTheDark!
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Mike Berezowski
March 9, 2021 at 5:04 pm
Great article and photos — thanks for the tips!