Mixed Martial Arts...

This past Saturday I was asked to do something I have never done. I was asked to photograph a night of MMA bouts. If you know me, follow me on my blog or whatever social networking tool is out there...then you know I'm not much of an advocate for violence. I understand the skill needed...and the respect these warriors have for one another...but I don't get any joy or adrenaline rush watching people pound each other. Regardless...I shot the event...b/c it's hard for me to turn down something that's new to me...and b/c I knew it would be a challenge...and I like challenges (now I sound like an MMA fighter).

With that said, it was a challenge. Friday night was the weigh-in...and there were way too many grown men in one room...so needless to say, the set-up wasn't great...I knew I wouldn't be able to create any memorable images...so I quickly set-up a make shift studio in the hallway of the hotel. I used their dark window curtain as a backdrop (I was running short on time and had very little space...so using my backdrop was not an option). I used 2 flash units on a stand...one with a soft box...one bear. The soft box was directly to the left of the fighters...and the bear flash unit was 20 degrees or so to the right of the fighters. I then quickly grabbed a few guys to see if they wanted pictures...and they did. And then with their images on my display screen to use as an enticement, I was able to photograph most of the guys...and even a few guys that weren't fighting! A few of those images are below.

The night of the fights was pretty chaotic as well. This was definitely the most challenging shoot to date...harder than any wedding I have ever shot! The problem was no one could direct me as to where I could shoot from...and all I knew is that I couldn't shoot from practically anywhere...it seemed. To make matters worse...it was a cage fight (which is normal for MMA). Additionally, they had this 2-3 foot platform coming off the cage, so you couldn't shoot through the "gate" holes. Regardless, a few minutes before the fight, I found a spot with limited views...but it was a spot that didn't interfere with the judges or any other officials. The first fight was an experiment with lenses. I learned quickly that my 35mm prime and my 70-200mm lenses were the tools for the job. 35mm got the wide shots...especially if they got really close to me...unfortunately, the gate links are visible in most of these shots...but the 70-200mm was good for reach...and the shallow depth of field nearly dissolved the gate links! That was my experience...a massive learning experience...and I got my adrenaline rush when I realized I did capture some very notable images!

Click here to see a slide show of the night...there's no place for these images on my blog...and perhaps you might not want to see the pictures...which I can totally understand...for those who click the link, enjoy...sort of...