PHOTOS - Pan Am Squash

PHOTOS – Pan Am Squash

juuli 15, 2015 Estonian Life No. 29 2015

Tuesday July 14 brought rain and the threat of thunderstorms, so indoor events were visited. The first was Squash. The unique opportunity afforded by the venue at the Allstream Centre at Exhibition Place was the glass-enclosed Show Court, which allowed for photography from a face-on perspective. A white ball was used instead of the usual black one. Sitting on the other side of special glass with a little ball heading toward you at 200 km/hr was definitely a unique experience. At the closest point, the players were about 2 meters from the camera. The photo gallery is devoted to this extraordinary vantage point, but the squash venue also has 3 regular courts with more typical spectator seating.

For those interested in photography, the low light conditions required maximum ISO of 5000, with shutter speeds in excess of 1/2000 second, to try to get a glimpse of the ball. I used an F2.8 70-200mm lens, with the vast majority of the shots taken at 70mm. When shooting through glass it is ideal to have the camera lens directly touching the glass. This helps to reduce glare. However, that is easier said than done when a missile is coming at the glass. I did not risk my lens and camera, as the force of a direct hit may have damaged both.

Peeter Põldre

PHOTO GALLERY – Potos by Peeter Põldre (2015)