Fog at the Track

Southern Oaks Training Center was socked in with fog this morning. It always makes for some interesting, moody photography. The downside is that the light is lower and for action, the ISO must be bumped up making for grainier photos. I am sure it was easier for us to take these foggy photos, than for the horsemen driving their horses.

 

Perfect Day for Polo

Polo at The Villages

The Polo season is underway at The Villages, in North Central Florida. The grounds and the clubhouse is pristine and the weather was near perfect. The day started off cloudy for the first consolation match but then cleared to bright and sunny for the main and final match up. It is always great fun to not only watch the matches but to take action photos. All the images were made with the Nikon 80-400 mm lens and a Nikon D7100. With changing light conditions I had to adjust the ISO to keep the shutter speed high enough to stop the action and get sharp, in focus shots. For one chukker (what they call the periods in polo) I worked on panning. Since they change direction frequently it is challenging to get consistent results. It is worth it to keep trying until I succeed and get the shots I visualize. After half time we moved to the end zone for a different perspective. Although I don't believe they want you down there, no one protested. I try to stay out of the way and not be distractive. There are more photo ops with the horses, riders changing horses, the cool downs and the gear.

Horses are cooled down and seem to love the water!